Busy beavers...

Sometimes I feel as busy as a beaver... this past weekend was a whirlwind of chaotic, amazingness. We are working on our kids having sleepovers with their grandparents. Friday night was their second one. The get to alternate between my mom and stepdad and Hubbs' parents, every other weekend. It has worked out nicely thus far. I felt like I would worry needlessly, stay up all night wondering if they were keeping people awake... but, they've done well and couldn't wait to push us out the door when it was time for us to leave them there. Ha! I try to take it nicely. ;) hahaha... Saturday, we had a surprise 70th birthday party planned for Hubbs' gram, and it was so much fun. we had made a 50's theme and people had some amazing costumes. Gram loved it. Smashing success! Sunday, we were able to have the blessing and honor of having Pastor Rigaud, from Kingdom of Kids Orphanage speak at a local church here in Maine. It was awesome! There were over 180 people, over half were adoptive parents who are adopting from KKO. It was an amazing experience. To meet these people, see their children, their love, the support... just... wow. And then to hear Pastor Rigaud speak and give his testimony... of how God has challenged him and his wife to take these 80+ orphans (with more coming every day!), take care of them, approve potential parents, help with all our paperwork... just unbelievable, and yet so believable. Does that make sense?? One man, hears his calling from God, listens and obeys and LOOK at all the people who benefit from it! Who are blessed by him and his work. I am in awe. It was an exhausting day, but it was so worth it. To top our amazing weekend off, Hubbs had the day off yesterday and we were able to skype last minute with Big Eyes!! It was wonderful!! He's been asking everyday for his Poppy, which was sad and uplifting to hear. We heard him say "I love you!" in Creole/french. *sigh* It had been over 3 weeks since we had been able to contact them for a skype session.

This Muma's heart is happy. <3

I love...

...the way Bean "reads" a book to Sprout.

...the way he laughs when she does the voices.

...the way Hubbs gets home and roughhouses with them.

...the giggles that ensue with said roughhousing.

...the smell of a 50 degree day in February winter.
 
...the sound of Sprout growling like a big, bad bear.

...hearing giggles while they color, only to discover that Sprout has colored his face with washable marker... that doesn't wash off that well.

...watching Bean try to teach Sprout everything that she knows.

...knowing that God has placed Big Eyes in a safe orphanage and that He is looking over him until he can come home.

...the love that Bean and Sprout have for the brother that they've only seen on skype.

...my orange living room (I know. random.)

...that I have a husband and  friends who keep me accountable and grounded in God's word.

...that even if I don't want to hear it, they speak truth and honesty to me, knowing that I will accept it even if I don't like it.

...all the blessings that God has bestowed on me. I just wish I deserved them.

Our children...

God has blessed me richly.

The Bean... Drama Bean that is.

The Ninja Squid is too busy to look at the camera...

Laughter.

Serious.

We love photo ops.

beautiful 4 year old.

boy wonder at 19 months.

Muma says "pose." This is what I get.

Stopped him in running mode...

Our handsome son in Haiti.

Ha! This just makes me laugh every time.

Poppy and Big Eyes.

Big Eyes fell asleep on Poppy during church service.

3 year old smiles.

2 of my 3 handsome men.

Sprout, the Ninja Squid, had to stretch his legs.

The sun is warm. *giggle*

My children are my great blessings.  I pray for them daily. I love them every minute, every second.

Luckily, I get to share these blessings with my best friend since childhood...

...books...

I just got my new books!! I say this with excitement because I've been banned from buying books anymore. I have a problem. It has to do with hoarding books... and not good, make-your-life-better books, I'm talking the kill-you-in-your-sleep books that I'm drawn to... I can't help it. I enjoy crime shows too. Sue me. Hubbs made me weed through and get rid of almost ALL of my books a year and a half ago. We're talking over 600 books... now, don't go hating the hubbs. After all, we DO live in a bungalow...

Anyway, I was given the go ahead to order 3 new books from Amazon. We ordered "Taste of Haiti", "Haitian Creole Phrasebook" and "Adopted for Life"... I've peeked through the first 2, mouth watering at the soups and sauces of Haiti, tongue tied at the nuances of a new language and already thoroughly engrossed in "Adopted for Life"... I figure, when you're sobbing halfway through the forward, it's probably going to be a good book. I'll post my thoughts upon completion of said book.

9 months...

... has gone by QUICKLY. What's happened in 9 months? you ask... here's a list:

-Sprout turned 1... he also turned into the Ninja Squid (you know you love it)...
-Bean turned 4, which means Kindergarten starts this year. *sobbing*...
-We decided to look into fostering a child or 2...
-Instead we decided to adopt...
-Hubbs was invited on a missions trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to do work at an orphanage...
-Before he left, we saw a profile of a 3 year old boy at the orphanage who lost his parents in the quake or a following mudslide...
-We're adopting him!...
-Hubbs just got back from said work/missions trip and it was eye-opening, humbling, heart-wrenching (these are his words, but I knew from pictures)...
-We get to skype with him every Saturday if the orphanage has power...
-We're halfway through our adoption paperwork and it's been an emotional roller coaster already and he won't be home for 2 more years...
-I got a lock for the fridge so Ninja Squid, aka Sprout, cannot get into it and suck on the tabasco sauce anymore....

So, I really need to update this more frequently. I have actually thought of it many, many, many times, but it's always when I'm driving. We all know I can't do it while I'm driving... I wonder if there's an award out there if I did....

Things my kids say that tickle me green....

I know the saying is "tickle me pink" but I prefer green as a color... hence the title.

So, lately I've been writing down things Bean says that just make me laugh out loud, or sigh in contentment... or make my eyes bulge out of my head as I try NOT to laugh out loud... ;)

Here are a few:

July 5th of last year, the morning after the birth of Sprout. She comes in to the hospital with Hubbs and notes with interest, that the new baby is nursing. She climbs up onto the bed.
Bean: "Whacha doin' Muma?"
Me: "Well, I'm feeding Sprout. God made mummies a special milk that is just for babies."
Bean: "Huh." *pondering this new development* "Well, did He make it regular or chocolate?"
(Hubbs almost peed himself with amusement.)

Last month:
Bean: "Muma! What IS that?"
Me: "Well, I'm not quite sure..."
Bean: "It must be spider puke."
(I almost died laughing...)

Last week at the grocery:
Bean: "Muma!!! Ugh! What's that smell?"
Me: "It's the manure at the store across the street."
Bean: "What?! Muma, it's frog poop. Can't you tell?... Why are you laughing? What's funny??"
(Now, I tried not to laugh and didn't succeed well enough. I then thought of asking her why she would ask me, if it was so obviously frog poop...but I didn't.)

After herth birthday... "Muma. When we go to the fair next year for my birthday, i really want to ride the ferris wheel, so when I get to the top they can stop it and I can reach up to touch Jesus." (*crying*)

Upon seeing the ultrasound of Sprout, "Holy Mackerel!! It's a BABY!!" :)

Sprout on Mother's Day this past weekend... Waves his little hand at me and yells, "Muma! Muma!" *vehclempt* :)

Ya know, some days I tend to get caught up in what I'm doing... be it baking, cooking, laundry... and I'm exasperated or frustrated that my list of daily tasks isn't dwindling, but seems to be growing... but then one of my children will do or say something that just reminds me why I do what I do. For moments, or hours, of love and learning... of fulfillment and fun... of just being with my children and praising God for every minute I get with them.

Just yesterday, on our way to Mimi and Pipaw's house, we were jamming to "The Outsider's" by Need To Breathe... now, when I say jamming, I mean... stopped at a stoplight, headbanging, clapping our hands and waving our arms and totally rockin' out... well, I was... Bean and Sprout were shrieking with laughter in the backseat. :)

Homemade Pedialyte...

That's right! You can go and get a couple bucks worth of stuff at the store and make your own Pedialyte!! No more late night grocery runs!! No more $6 liters of electrolytes!! Yay!!

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt substitute*
1/2 tsp Salt*
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 Liter Water

Mix it all together and Chill. You can also mix in a sugar-free Kool Aid packet. Do not use a Kool Aid that needs extra sugar - sugar causes worse diarrhea. :( You can also use Crystal Lite.

By the way - This will taste quite salty to someone who does not need it. 

*Morton's makes a salt substitute called Lite... use 1 tsp instead of the salt and the substitute.