"Wordless Wednesday"

Ignore the following words........Got a good caption? Leave one in the comment section and I'll post it at the end of the week..............now back to Wordless Wednesday.

Yet Another "Not Me Monday"!

Gotta think real hard this time around. When you're a perfect wife and mom like me there's not a whole lot to confess to! Here we go with -

First of all, I did not just say I was perfect. Just a bit flawed, that's all...

.... and really, I did not give in to peer pressure and finally buy that book that it seems the whole world has read but me (that they incidentally made a movie from) and then proceed to read it within 12 hours because I just could not put the darn thing down. Yeah, that one.... the one with characters named Edward and Bella.

...and well, I did not allow my boys to have the camera yesterday afternoon while I was busy getting lost in that book, cause if I did, then I would've found pictures like this -

and this -

(this is not my refrigerator)-give you one guess which kid thought it creative to photograph the contents of the refrigerator.

Oh, and I am not going out to buy the second book in the series tomorrow.

Last, I did not send my husband back up for a second piece of cake (at the wedding we were at) because I had heard there were two different flavors and I had to try both.

Phew! I feel better now that I've gotten all that off my chest

Happy 12th Baby!

Anniversary Eve Conversation brought to you by our kids

Me: Guess what, tomorrow is mommy and daddy's anniversary!

First Son: Sweet

Second Son: Huh?

Daughter: Wow! Where are you going?

Me: We're not going anywhere

Daughter: Well you have to go somewhere on your anniversary

Me: Well where should we go?

Daughter: California.............. you should go to California and ride horses.

Me: (Huh?!)

She's such a romantic

I Really Should've Hid Those.............

..............Scissors.

Yep, that really is the hair that once adorned my daughters five year old, I'm asserting myself and I saw somebody with bangs and really liked it - head. I can't be sure, but I think it happened, no, I know it happened while I was fixing dinner. She had been playing with the squirt bottle and had gotten her clothes all wet. That's okay, I said, just go upstairs and get ready for dinner. Well, unbeknownst to me, the words "go upstairs and get ready for dinner" meant to change into an evening gown, apply lip gloss, pick out a head band, and oh, that's right, cut your hair. She must've known it didn't turn out quite the way she wanted because she did come downstairs as I was setting the table and ordered me not to look at her. She wanted it to be a surprise. She then proceeded to get into the cabinet that held her box of hair accessories and rummage around for at least enough time for me to think "how cute!" grab the camera and take a picture.

(Note the colors of her evening gown, more suited for fall than summer- but remember, we're asserting ourself!)

So then she disappears upstairs shouting "don't look Mama, it's a surprise!" As we are sitting down to eat she makes her grand entrance complete with evening gown, pearls, flip flops, headband and about 12 sparkly hair clips that I'm sure were added to divert my attention from her missing locks. It almost worked actually until right before grace when I glanced over and saw. Needless to say, after about 5 minutes of tears (mine, not hers) and assessing the damage we said grace and ate our cold dinner.

If you were to ask her "why?" (as I have several times) at first she answered - "I don't know what you're asking."- as if it's the most natural thing in the world to snip off the hair that you've never, ever had cut, ever. Later she did come clean. If someone would've asked me I would've said, "no, not my daughter- she would never do something like that!" Well, never underestimate a five year old girl. In fact, never underestimate a 5 year old girl who is just bonkers over the Korean music group the "Wonder Girls" - because you see, she really, really likes their bangs as much as she likes their music. Motive revealed.

http://wondergirlsworld.com/
So, would you like to see our new little Wonder Girl? Just remember something my Grandpa always used to say- the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is six weeks.................................. just in time for Kindergarten.

"Thankful Thursday"

Haven't had one of these in awhile, but I always have a lot to be thankful for - every day.

I am thankful for my second who gets up in the morning and makes his list of what he's going to do today - and just so you know, we do have 5 pet Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. They really are very sweet.

I am thankful for little helpers in the kitchen, even the furry ones!

I am thankful for simple, yummy recipes that make snack time extra exciting around here!

I am thankful for our silly Gideon who keeps us laughing because he loves to play in the water.

And last, I am thankful for my Easter Lillies that finally bloomed today, in late June!

"Wordless Wednesday" - Baubles and Bugs

Our Fourth

It's kinda hard to show you a picture of our fourth. That's because we don't even know who she is yet.
This post is just a reminder that she is here, in our hearts and we can't wait until we meet her.

We are lucky blessed to have begun the process when we did. You see, South Korea — which still is one of the top countries from which Americans adopt — has set a goal of eliminating foreign adoptions altogether by 2012.
The South Korean government is pushing aggressively to increase adoptions by South Koreans and decrease what officials consider the shameful act of sending babies overseas for adoption. Since the 1950s, tens of thousands of South Korean children have been adopted by foreigners, mostly Americans, because of South Koreans’ traditional emphasis on family bloodlines and reluctance to adopt. It's all about appearances.

Adopted children in South Korea carry a stigma. These children suffer in a society where television shows typically portray adopted children negatively, as schemers who end up damaging families. South Koreans who did adopt tended to hide their children’s origins from the children and others. Still, many adoptive parents choose not to share how their families were formed, according to adoption agencies, with some engaging in elaborate ruses to pass off the children as their biological sons or daughters.

Now, the Korean government is campaigning to keep adoptions within the motherland.
Mr. Kim, the Health Ministry official, acknowledged that the history of American adoption had been largely positive. But he said that the government believed that South Korean children would be happier if adopted by South Koreans and that it would stick to its goal of phasing out foreign adoptions in four years.

In recent years, adoption agencies have conducted campaigns — some featuring movie and TV stars (whom you see here) — urging adoptive parents to tell people about how their families were formed in the hopes that more openness would lead to less prejudice. The government’s efforts got a boost when some celebrities adopted and went public with the news.

This is great, however, in my opinion- these babies can thrive in a family that will treasure their Korean heritage and love them to pieces, even if they are from America. It's a shame that families here in the U.S. will be denied the opportunity to adopt these wonderful children someday. As said by Kim Chang-shik, 37, who, with his wife, Yoon Yeo-rim, 38, adopted a daughter four years ago, after the birth of their biological son. “I don’t know whether it’s because I’m Korean, but I’m grateful that foreigners are willing to adopt children who can’t find homes here.” I hear ya!

We have about 5 1/2 more months until we find out who our little one is. Of this we are certain- it will be a girl, she will be about 7 months and she will be Korean- and we couldn't be more thrilled.
These are still lovely photographs though- enjoy!

"Not Me!" Monday - "Fred Sanford's Driveway"

Is it Monday already? Not that I have to go to work or anything, although the boys do each have a dentist appointment and we have about 4 other errands to run. Shhh, don't tell the kids........they hate running errands. Anyhow, we're off to a carnival this evening. It's time this family has a little fun. The last two weeks have been quite a bit of work getting ready for two separate sales in our effort to downsize as much as possible to prepare for the big move. The kids have either been helping or left to entertain themselves so mom and dad can get it done, which brings me to my Monday confessions- better titled -

I did not actually take a picture of our yard sale (who does that?) just so I could get the satisfaction later of looking to see what we no longer have to clutter up our home.

I did not at the end of the sale (signaled by the 1.5 hour time lapse since the last customer) decide to just give it all away free. I did not then coerce my oldest into holding a sign by the road for three hours (he had a chair) to entice passersby to stop and fill their trunks with all of our junk. So we wouldn't have to put it all back in the garage.

Quite thrilled to help, he was a very enthusiastic salesmen and was able to entice many cars into stopping. After a while though he got a little delirious silly in the heat and thought that shouting that we had church pants for sale to passing vehicles would bring in the crowds.

I did not ever wear those pants.

I did not convince the nice couple walking their horses dogs to carry away a box of books and two fake plants.

even the guy on the scooter took something free!







Our second would now like a Great Dane for his birthday in a few months. I've explained to him that we are only allowed a 15,000 pound weight limit from our moving company and one of those would put us just over.

And last, I did not offer to buy bribe my oldest one of his favorite WWII Forces of Valor kits on Wartoyz.com if he could just stick it out a little while longer with the sign.

On a side note, I went to put the sign in the trash this morning and had to laugh at what he wrote......

I did not buy him 16 kits!

Cold and Rainy Wordless Wednesday

Our Third

Able to remember the words to a song after only hearing it once, but will forget that she's a lady when slugging her older brothers.

Swipes flowers from the neighbors (or Grandmas) yard without asking and insists they remain in water so they don't die. Sings 14 hours out of the day and will ask incessantly to play Barbies. Quick to let you know she's not pleased and will make you late because she hasn't found the right purse to match her stuffed animal. Will wear several outfits a day, loves raw broccoli and every condiment known to man. Prefers purple to pink, has perfectly polished nails, but has the legs of a tomboy.

Loves the ice , her kitties, her dogs, her guinea pigs and every stink bug and ant that crosses her path. (Did you know they all have names? The bugs, I mean)

Takes pride in tormenting her brothers, hates having her hair brushed and waking up before it's her time.Five going on fifteen, and she's our croc-wearin', tattle-talin', pickle-eating, ice-skatin', lip-gloss wearin' entomologist- and this just happens to be her favorite song at the moment. ("Amazing")

Another "Not Me Monday"

Here we go! Another opportunity for me to come clean.............



I did not eat just left-over chips and queso from Ruby Tuesday's for lunch today.

Honestly, I did not hide my three children in my bedroom for an hour with Spongebob and candy so I could make an un-interrupted call to our adoption agency.

I did not take the free stamp that People magazine sent me to order a subscription and use it on my mortgage payment envelope.

It is almost 1pm and I am not still in my pajamas. But I did get the house cleaned and the laundry put away wearing them.

Pleased stay tuned for a better post tomorrow......

We have been spending the weekend sleeping in, swimming at the pool, eating out at fancy restaurants, attending barbeque's, gutting the garage, sweeping dust and cobwebs, bagging trash and junk, eating left-overs...and junk, yard-"selling" in 90 degree heat, dodging mosquito's, all with less than 5 hours sleep a night! What a fabulous weekend!

It's 10pm, and after a rough night at the ball field.....

some are tired, ..............

............. and some are not!