So if it seems like I've been MIA for a week or so it's sort of true. I've been on Spring Break!!!
One of the greatest inventions in the world is Spring Break. As a teacher it comes just in the nick of time. This year it coincided with daylight savings time, so it was even better. It's warm outside, it's light until almost 8pm and we can all stay up late and sleep in the next morning.
We haven't done any traveling this year. Instead, we've had a big Spring Break filled with nesting. We got the word just a few days ago that our girls are coming home most likely in late April. So Brian will leave in 3 weeks for his first trip which lasts about a week. I think my amazing mother-in-law is coming to take care of me and the kids while Brian is away. Then about 2 weeks after the first trip we will both go back for a second trip to bring home Baby K and Baby L.
When you hit this point in the adoption process all heck breaks loose and we start running around like chicken's with our heads cut off. Ok, that's just me. Brian does a much better job of internalizing his chicken headed-ness. There are a million things to do, a million things we still need, a huge chunk of money that we still don't have, forms to fill out and luggage to pack. Eeeeek. I think I need to lay down.
But no, I have to get up and move move move!!!!
The paperwork is probably the part that stresses me out the most. Brian is allergic to paper (no not literally) so anything related to filing, filling out, or copying is my job. And since we are bringing home two girls at once everything has to be done twice. All this paperwork will travel with us overseas and when all the right forms have been filed and all the right people have signed all the right paperwork then we can finally come home with our beautiful baby girls.
Have I mentioned our unbelievably adorable they are??? I can't wait for you to see them.
So here on the home front we have been moving furniture and doing additional baby proofing of the house (although JoJo can probably pick locks and hot wire cars already so I don't know how much good it will do). We are getting the "girls room" ready to hold 3 girls instead of just one. We are trying to find all the missing supplies we need like extra high chairs and car seats and baby girl clothes. Grace was older than these girls when we got her so we have almost nothing in the way of clothes in that 9-12 month range. Good thing it will be warm when we get home and they can spend most of their time in cute fluffy cloth diapers. We've also had some of those tasks that are just more convenient during vacations. The littles had their 18 month immunizations. I got a mole removed from my neck. Brian's been getting the pool ready for summer and tomorrow he gets to clean the pine needles out of our rain gutters. The fun never ends!
We have squeezed in some fun this week. We've been to the park several times. We took our busload to the drive-in last night to see The Lorax (we will probably never get all the popcorn out of the seats). We've played board games and ate donuts and took lots of naps. Lots of lovely springtime activities.
These next 3 weeks are going to take forever. And they are going to fly by. This may sound strange, but, it's a bittersweet feeling, these last few days as a family of 6. I won't get to spend as much time laying around in the morning cuddling Grace. And I won't be able to sit at the computer with Manny and JoJo on my lap watching music videos. And I won't get to hold Haven's hand as often because there will be someone else that I have to carry or push or chase through the parking lot. When there are six kids under six years old in your house someone is almost always crying. I'll have to decide who is injured the worst and they'll get picked up first. Things will be different when we are 8.
In other news, JoJo gave me a black eye with one of his toys, we shaved off all the boys twists after JoJo filled he and Manny's heads with potting soil (maybe that's why he gave me the black eye). Grace got a super cute, very short new hair cut. She hates to have a "sweaty neck" so we cut if off and she loves it short. Haven is going through a phase where he spills every drink we give him. But he's also the most generous and helpful little guy in the house. Manny is talking and signing up a storm. The language part of his brain has really clicked. In fact, just yesterday he learned to say "NO"! It makes us laugh now, but I'm sure that won't last long. JoJo still only says "hi", "bye", and "tree" in a strange little high pitched voice. Go figure, our little climber says tree.
And finally, for a little shameless personal promotion. I wrote an article for a Christian money management blog and it got picked for publication. Go figure, me writing about money! Ironically, it's titled " Why Going Into Debt for Adoption is the Right Thing to Do". It is going to be posted on May 9 on the website. If I get voted as the favorite article among his guest writers I will win a chunk of money. So I'll be reminding you to vote we it gets a little closer.
http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/
Also, below is a video we made to apply to be a Give1Save1 family. We are praying we get picked to be one of their featured families in April. But just in case we don't get picked I just have to show it to you guys anyway. It might have a picture or two of some real cutie patooties. And look for some more pictures later this week of our Spring Break happenings.
