The Normative American Family

A new requirement for adoption is to complete a ten-hour "international adoption" parent study. Yes, it's as big a waste of time as it sounds, especially when we've done this twice already. We are having to record our answers to question such as: "What talent do you not have that you wish you had?"

Jason said "Exotic Dancer." VERY helpful...

"What do you not have in your home right now that you would like?"

I said a Maid.

So...not answers we'll be using.

It really is pretty ridiculous.

We are both a little out off by the phrase they use throughout stating that we will feel the loss of not having a "normative American family." WHAT???

Newsflash: Our family is the all-American family.

Look around.

The American family of the future is not made of little genetic parcels who all look the same.

It is a hodge podge of color...race...whatever.

Normative American Family.

Whatever. I just want to get on with this!

Random things...

George, sitting on the throne pooping:

GEORGE: "Will my bones come out?"

ME: "When?"

GEORGE: "When I poop."

ME: "No, they'll stay right where they are?"

GEORGE: "Then how WILL they come out?"

ME: "They won't. Your bones are what give you support."

GEORGE: Does Papa still have his bones?"

ME: "Yep."

GEORGE: "Am I going to die like Papa when I', old?"

ME: "Yep...but that's a super duper long time away/"

GEORGE: "Will Nana miss me when I die?"

(OK, at this point all I am thinking is OMG--what will my mother be like/look like when she's 130 years old??!!! HELP!!!!!)

End of discussion!

Mimi driving home from choir today:

MIMI: "Can I be a policeman when I big?"

ME: "Sure." (what I want to say is NO! Too dangerous!!!)

GEORGE: "Mimi...you can't do that. Police carries guns." (we're working on our grammar!)

MIMI: "Mama...will i have a gun if I a policeman?"

ME: "Yep."

MIMI: "Why I carry a gun?"

ME: "Sometimes police officers have to protect themselves."

MIMI: "Against bad guys?"

ME: "Yep."

MIMI: "Will I have to shoot bad guys?"

ME: "Sometimes. And sometimes police officers get shot, too."

MIMI: "I do NOT want to be a policeman!!"

(pause)

MIMI: "Mama...can I be a fireman?"

ME: "Yep."

MIMI: "What do they do?"

ME: "They put out big fires."

MIMI: "Can they get burned?"

ME: "I suppose they can."

MIMI: " I am NOT going to that!"

(Pause)

MIMI: "I just won't be anything!!!!!!"

Vinny can say "shoe" now.

He can also climb onto the kitchen table and try to swing form the light fixture.

He may actually be worse than Mimi and George together.

Holy crap.

He hasn't climbed out of the crib yet nor has he taken off his diaper and painted with his poop. He did, however, take it off tonight after dinner. I believe he likes to feel the wind beneath his...well, you know!

Natan is being Mr. Helpful these days--cleaning and tidying.

OCD? Maybe!

Helpful? Totally! I'll take it!

This is all very exciting, I know.

Isms

George: "Daddy...can we fly kites today?"

Daddy: "There isn't enough wind today, George."

George: "But Dad...I can run REALLY fast!"

Mimi: "Mama...I love you forever and a hundred..."

(we were having our Friday all-girl slumber party while the boys had theirs in "the boys' room with Daddy)

Mimi saw an adorable panda onesie at Walmart the other night and convinced me to buy it for her new sister. She has decided to start a box of things to collect to give her new sister upon arrival!

Vinny: TALKING like crazy now!! It's taking us back to when Mimi and George were starting out--they had their own little language that they understood perfectly but we would take days to decipher! Vinny is saying all the standard, "normal" baby stuff: Ba-ba, Uh-oh, ah...ah...CHOO!!

Natan is LOVING his new dance lessons! Miss Beverly is the perfect match for him and he knows that...it's amazing how kids react to those who show a little love...

Jason: Turns 40 this year but is living in the body of an 80 year old! One of his feet hurts so much he can barely walk in the morning...saw a specialist a few months ago but they "came up with nothing."

Probably caused by living with me--his brain telling him I need a swift kick in the ass!

Waiting...

EVERYTHING is done. I sent our autobiographies today. Now we wait.

Our next step is fingerprinting. All the while gathering more and more paperwork to send.

Then, more waiting.

Hmmm...

Is it wrong that I let Mimi watch law and Order today while I sorted laundry?? It's the one down time hour I catch during the day--I like to spend it with my TV hubby, Jack McCoy. She couldn't sleep during nap time, so down she came.

After the telltale scene change, "Duhn. Duhn." she told me, "I like that sound mama..."

Yes!! A Law and Order convert!

Oh...don't you judge!! Some people love their Soaps...I love my L & O!

On our walk this morning, Natan inadvertently stepped on a live cicada and it buzzed rather fiercely in defense! Everyone froze, not quite knowing what it was, and then we saw the bug and realized Natan had stepped on it, we all had a good, gut wrenching laugh!!

Natan's comment: "Wet's do that again!!!"

That's all, folks!

Some nice things to say as well

I realized that some my blogging gets a little ranty (see previous post from a few minutes ago!). I am not apologizing, but there is more to me than the occasional vents and rants--they just make life exciting! I have always thought that if you don't care enough about anything to get worked up, you are just wasting space!

I think perpetually bubbly people are hiding something...

So here are a couple of nice things to balance out the venting:

It poured rain her just after dinner. All four kids ended up outside, naked (duh) in the rain--dancing, singing (yes, it was something out of a movie...) and f course, splashing each other. It was just...Nice. I took pictures. Unfortunately, can't post any because of the naked!!

I love how the kids are real people now. Not that they were aliens before, but they are REAL.

They have meaningful conversations with me and each other and they want to know stuff and they are smart and funny.

And they will come at random times and hug me and say "Love you, Mama!" for no reason.

It does a Mama good.

I have also perfected "Janice's Biscuits" and tonight's batch were the best yet. Big, fluffy (seriously fluffy in fact!) and just brown enough on top. OMG. Delish!!

Natan ate a bunch and after almost every bite said, "This is deee-wicious!"

**Janice, if you're reading, I have to use a stick of unsalted butter since I can't get Becel here. Would plain yogurt work too??**

Today

Started back to dance today. Mimi & George go first and of course, were elated to see Miss Beverly!! Natan was next and he had a GREAT time! Miss B said he did the "Head & Shoulders" dance before anyone else--I was beaming! When you have a child with a developmental delay, you tend to relish in the small accomplishments!

Mimisms:

"Are you real?"

Me: "Yeeeesssss..."

Mimi: "Are you sure you're really real?"

Me: "Real? Yeeessss..."

End of discussion--I may never know what she meant!

George: watched him outside on the "pitio" for a goodly amount of time playing robot. Sitting by himself in a chair, thinking no one could see him, moving his arms robot-esque and speaking robot.

Random Friday night thoughts...

Mimi is 5, George will soon be 5. Where has the time gone? And why do I constantly hear parents breathe the proverbial sigh of relief when their kids are back to school?? Don't they even miss them a little bit??

Again, I ask: If you stick your kids in daycare (anything up until Kindergarten), and then can't wait for them to be in school full time, why the hell did you have them in the first place?

This is, of course, excluding single parents who have no choice.

But, as I have said before, the people I see and hear are working for the "stuff."

I remember a woman--a lawyer--once saying to me, "I can't believe you stay at home. I was so bored until ______ was three months old. I just HAD to go back to work."

I should have said, but didn't:"You're a lawyer? How on earth do you do that every day? I'd be SO bored..."

So, here I sit at the end of a very good week.

Jason's first week back.

We have played outside, we've walked every morning, we've practiced letters & numbers, we've read books galore, we've swum every day in the pool, been monsters, aliens, Jedi Knights, princesses, packages (hide underneath an upside down laundry basket), sous chefs, bakers, cleaners, and anything else you can imagine!

Bored? Hardly!

Happy? Over the top!

Mimi had her 5 year check today.

Normal. Always good.

Vinny had his 15 month visit as well. (15 MONTHS!!!!!).

They both received the necessary immunizations.

I asked their pediatrician (awesome doctor!!) what she says to parents who are stupid enough not to vaccinate. She said that she tells them she grew up in a Third World country and saw people die every day from diseases that could have been prevented with vaccines. To choose not to have them is putting your kids at a terrible risk.

As you all know, Jason and I are vehemently opposed to parents who do not vaccinate. It is neglectful and truly not an act of love.

To all anti-immunizing parents: Find an isolated island far, far away. Please...

Finally...some isms:

George: "Mama!! I have my underwear on! Now my penis is protected!"

(We were walking in the rain--he had on underwear and a 3T raincoat. That's it.)

Mimi: "Mama--will you remember his day forever? Even when I'm a big girl? 'Cause I will remember."

(We were hanging out, rolling a ball back and forth to each other with no boys around)

Natan: "Good job!" "That was AWESOME!" "Wook!" "Sawee!" (Sally)

George: "Can I see your jingles?"

He meant "shingles" which I may or may not have had the past few weeks--doctor isn't sure anymore! I corrected him and said they are called "shingles" and he said:

"Oh, yeah. Right, right. Jingles come at Christmas!"

Vinny: "Coo-coo" (cookie) "Poo" (pool) "Tan-too" (thank you) "Uh-oh"

(And...he can swim! Jason throws him in and he comes up laughing!)

Thanks for reading...g'nite!

V-Master's Groove

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

Vinny dancing is perhaps one of the funniest, sweetest, and down-right cutest things I have ever seen! he does it ALL the time! Sometimes, without music! He dances to the beat of a silent drummer!

He likes all genres of music from Mozart to AC/DC to Sharon, Lois and Bram!

Today's clip is to "Louie, Louie" and he added a couple of new moves!!

Enjoy!

Paperwork!

The first round of papers have been sent to their respective recipients.

Requesting a girl (Mimi is READY!!!), and looking into some Waiting Child options.

The wait is 12-18 months.

From today.

This is all thanks to my Mum...

Children's HomeSociety & Family Services

Found this today...I just like the faces.

Click here!

Girlie-Girl

Mimi is no girlie-girl!

Am I glad? I have to admit...I am!

I don't know what I would do if she were a timid little priss!

This is the picture to prove that she can hold her own in a house full of boys...in her hand is the live frog she caught.

She came running into the house yelling, "Mama! Mama! I caught a frog!!"

Score.

Mimi-ism...

At my doctor today, we waited for an hour and a half. Then, waited another hour to see the doctor. No kidding. Then, another half hour with the doctor. In at 3, out at 6.

Then...the nurse taking my blood couldn't get any blood from my veins after two attempts.

Ever had a needle inserted and then jiggled inside your arm?? It hurts a little.

Then, the next nurse couldn't get any blood either. She jiggled the needle too, and finally, blood letting began!

Afterwards, Mimi came to me and hugged me.

She said: "I will be you little Ya-Ya and make you feel better Mama..."

Jason-ism

Jason just told me about a woman he spoke to yesterday going through the checkout line at Lowe's.

She told him (out of the blue) that she used to weigh 500 pounds and had lost over 200 pounds.

His reaction: "Holy cow!"

He then said Congratulations. But I think the damage was done...

He didn't get it. Until. Just. Now.

I finally managed to pick myself off the floor (where I was rolling!) to blog this.

For Better or For Worse...

Click the link below for a cute For Better or For Worse comic. She' one of my favorites!

(And then, Mum...click on the "Back" browser button to get back to the blog. Don't keep clicking it and get mad.)

Click for a cute comic!

Milestone

We've passed the moment when our kids hate for us to leave them.

We went to the annual Meadow's Music Party (an amazing evening of good and "other" musical talent and lots of catching up with folks), and before we left, George came into the kitchen and said, "Mama...are you going to leave now? It's time for you and Daddy to leave. I'll miss you. You can go now."