House Rules

Mr. Jim has been doing an amazing job with G.  G is much happier and more content.  Mr. Jim is about as patient as a man could be.

There is one small problem.

Lately, when I correct G, I am hearing a lot of "Missah Jim say Yes."  To which I respond: "Mr. Jim says Yes, but MAMA SAYS NO."

We may need to have Mr. Jim toughen up the rules a bit.

The Latest in Language

G's language development continues to provide daily amusement.  Some of the latest...

- When G wants my attention, he used to call: "Mama!"  Lately he's been calling: "My Mom!"  Hilarious, no? 

This morning G was sitting on the kitchen chair.  He yelled to me: "My Mom!  My bottom huwts.  I wanna sit in you lap."  "Why, yes, your majesty - allow me to act as your cushion."

- With our winter weather, the sidewalks have often been slippery.  Only instead of "slippery" G says "swippy."  How could I correct "swippy?"

The other day when G woke up, it had snowed again.  He had just been talking about his babysitter, Mr. Jim, when he noticed the snow outside.  He called out, as if Mr. Jim could cosmic-ly hear him: "Oh Missuh Jim: it's reawy swippy!"

- G has a new habit for ascertaining what people want.  It's a Statement-Confirmation system, where he very seriously adds "yes and no" on to the end of sentences (meaning "yes OR no").  He just asked Joseph: "Jajesh - you wanna pizza - yes and no?"  Who knows - maybe we've been too long-winded with our answers, and he's encouraging us to just stick to the bottom line.

What do you think - yes and no?

Never Enough

My dearly beloved.  Coffee.  Oh, how I love thee.

It has been a wonderful 39 days of Coffee Jubilee.

Today I stared at the Starbuck$ menu for too long.  Only 2 more days to go.  What to order?  My old favorites - enjoying them again?  Or the ones I haven't gotten to yet?  I went for the latter.  Nothing like drinking an icy java chip frappucino while it's sleeting outside.  Definitely not weather-appropriate, but so delicious.

There are many coffee drinks I have not endulged in yet.  I never got around to the chai teas or the hot chocolates.  I haven't had enough Cinnamon Dolce Lattes.

The Jubilee is over too soon.

I don't mean to go all profound on you, but isn't that always the case with good things?

Savoring today.

Does a good mother...

take her child's artwork to her workplace

... so that she can throw it away without fear that the evidence will be discovered by the artist?

Happy Valentine's Day

If you were here, G would gladly share his sucker with you.

Fun Times

Two enormously exciting things happened yesterday.

Excitement #1. 

G brought home a birdfeeder he made at school.  Oh the joy!  The pride!  Never was a peanut-butter-filled ice cream cone more cherished... nevermind that it had been largely crushed into many small pieces.

 I can't wait!  Let's put on my boots with my sleeper and get this outside!

I think this bush would be a great place.

..but I don't know if I can part with this marvel of craftsmanship.

Yes!  I'll hang it right here.

We identified a suitable spot for the remaining crumbs - carefully placed on a paper plate - with some snow thoughtfully sprinkled over them.

And G was ready.  He turned around, looked up, and started calling: "Birds!  Birds!"

Surprisingly, no birds flocked straight in for their delicacy.

As of this morning, it still hasn't been eaten.  Very puzzling.


Excitement #2

G & I accomplished some Valentine tasks.  While we were out, we purchased a chocolate bar for Joseph.  While we signed cards for G's classmates, he also did one for Joseph.  I stuck the bar & the Valentine in a brown paper bag; told G that I would surprise Joseph on Monday by making his lunch for him, and he would find his surprises at lunch.  No big deal.  We moved on.

Six hours passed.  We went to pick Joseph up.  As soon as Joseph entered the car, G exclaimed: "Jajesh, you wanna see yo chocolate inna bag surprise?!"  Fortunately, G's speech issues worked in my favor.  Joseph didn't understand.

However, as soon as we got in the house, G started dancing.  "Jajesh, you wanna see yo surprise?  C'mon Jajesh, you see yo chocolate!  Das a bag fo you surprise!"  He dragged Joseph straight to the place where the "surprise" was hidden.  When Joseph realized what had happened, he roared.  G was still dancing - totally excited to surprise his brother.

Fun times.

Cooking Success

I made Haitian spaghetti tonight!

First, let me say that it was good.

You caught that part about "good," right?

Now, I will confess that two main ingredients are (1) hot dogs and (2) ketchup.

I'm telling you - it was good.

I was a tad concerned that I had overdone it on the hot dogs:

But once it was all mixed together - perfect.

G was ... enthusiastic.

I'm thinking that breakfast tomorrow WILL get eaten!

Brothers

Last night I had to go to an appointment.  Joseph watched G for me.  I came home to this:

These boys are 14 years apart, but they are BROTHERS.

Thought for Thursday - last Sunday?

I just posted something, but it appeared down as if I posted it last Sunday.  Not sure why that happened.  Feel free to scroll down if you're interested.

Today's Adoption Adventure

Today I was on a government conference call with - I don't know - maybe 1,000 other people.  People like me who are navigating the process of adopting a child from Haiti.

Remember how we were told that we'd have to maintain custody of our children for two years before they'd be eligible for citizenship?  And then our government came up with a new process to eliminate that two year wait?  Today's conference call was to further clarify for us how the new process would work.

There was a huge, long, sometimes helpful, sometimes painful time when adoptive parents asked their questions of the government officials.

I thought you would enjoy some of the highlights from those calls.

Caller #22:
"So, on the form, where it asks for the visa number... well, our kids don't have visas, so what do we do with that line?"
"You'd leave it blank."
"But then - what about the next line - where it asks for the date of the visa?"

Caller #46:
"I've been able to finalize the adoption of my children.  So, on the form there's a blank where it asks for the name of their mother.  What do I put there?"

Caller #3,481:
(Over two hours into the call, when everything had seemingly been explained 50 times)
"So, I'm confused.  How exactly does the two year wait work?"

Seriously!

But the main highlight is - There is a way!  And we can do it!  And some day, less than two years away, this wild child will be a citizen.  Hooray!

 

Improvement

It seems that we have a day care solution.  I've been feeling cautiously optimistic, but we've made it a week, so.. maybe it's for real?

My friend's husband has been out of work for quite some time.  He is fabulous with children, and has agreed to come & watch G every day after school until I get home.  So far, we seem to be going well.  He's not reported any biting/spitting attempts.  He has reported that G is napping regularly.  And G's funny personality seems to be re-appearing.

Some recent exhibits:

A.
(From under the kitchen table)  "Mama?"
"Yes, G?"
"I not here today."

B.
(Said mournfully)  "Dis die-EE-rah.  I dot lots poopoo."

C.
Joseph: "G is not going to be a dumb jock."
G: "Don say dat."
Joseph: "Are you going to be a smart jock?"
G: "I no smart jock.  I fish."

D.
(Pointing to family photos around the house).  "Das not Mama; das Scott.  Das not Aunt K; das Scott.  Das not Grammy; das Scott."  As he was doing this, G was laughing hard.  This was hilarious.

It is fabulous to have this boy laughing again.

Hypothetical Question

This question is about a week overdue, but I still thought you'd enjoy it:

If a young child who bites transitions to being a young child who spits... is that progress?

:) Smiling only because this phase seems to have resolved itself now.  May it never return.

Thought for Thursday / Books to Read

Last year I decided to try being more purposeful about reading things that would shape me in positive ways.  I read some great books.  I wish I would've shared more about them with y'all.

Lately I've been feeling "enough with the nonfiction already."  I want a story.

A friend gave me a gift card, and I picked up "Same Kind of Different as Me."  I remembered seeing a recommendation for it, and that was enough for me.  I don't like to actually KNOW about a book before I read it.  I was about halfway through this one, when it occurred to me that it might be a true story.  "No way!  You're kidding.  You're KIDDING me!"  I flip to the back of the book:

"A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.

An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.

A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.

A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it."

There you have it.  Definitely worth reading.

But this weekend I finished a book that is a MUST READ.

"The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom.  It's been on my radar for years, but I never got around to it.  If only I'd known.  A life-changer, for sure.

Yes, it is about a woman who worked to save Jewish people during WWII.  But - No, it was not depressing.  It was very motivational.  The kind of book that helps you (me) to change the way I think.

Here's one piece:

There were certain types of Jewish people who were more difficult to hide.  One day a mother and her newborn came to Corrie's home.  It doesn't get much harder than hiding a newborn, eh?  It was a huge problem since the houses were so close together and neighbors could hear the baby crying.  Corrie prayed about the situation and a certain pastor came to her mind.  He lived in a more secluded home, well off the street.  Would you believe that he came to their home to visit the very next day!  Such an example of God at work.

Corrie asked the pastor to take the mother & child.  She showed the baby to him.  She described what happened next:

"There was a long silence.  The man bent forward, his hand in spite of himself reaching for the tiny fist curled round the blanket.  For a moment I saw compassion and fear struggle in his face.  Then he straightened, 'No.  Definitely not.  We could lose our lives for that Jewish child!'

Unseen by either of us, Father had appeared in the doorway.  'Give the child to me, Corrie,' he said.

Father held the baby close, his white beard brushing its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and innocent as the baby's own.  At last he looked up at the pastor.  'You say we could lose our lives for this child.  I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.'

The pastor turned sharply on his heels and walked out of the room."

Don't you feel sorry for that pastor?  God placed him in position to participate in something great, and he missed it!

Doesn't that make you want to live bigger?  Fearlessly following God?  It can't just be me.  I hope you read this book.

So - I wasn't very successful in finding fiction stories, but I hit the jackpot with GREAT stories. 

Enjoy!

Snow Day

Yep, the snow caught us.  School and work closed for a day.  A whole day for me to spend with G.  I crammed it full of living.  It was like re-experiencing my maternity leave on fast-forward.  How much did we cram in?

The obligatory playing in the snow.

G insisted on helping me shovel.

Um.  Thanks for the big help, G.

We baked gingerbread cake 

 AND banana bread.

There were crafts involving popsicle sticks.

And TWO of G's current most favorite things to do.  Washing dishes..

..and measuring things.

Note: Everything he measures is "45."  That couch?  45.  My foot?  45.  We live in a house full of 45.

Good times.