Apollo's Gal

A New Trick

2012-01-28T08:15:00.002-06:00

This is a follow-up to the last post. As Little Man played around with standing in the door frame without hands, he figured out that he could also crawl up the frame to the very top of the door. He can now scamper up the entire door frame quickly and does so often. It is amazing to watch his strength and motor planning while being very scary at the same time.

Here he is showing off his new trick:

Look, Mom, No Hands!

2012-01-24T18:36:00.000-06:00

Future Worldchanger

2012-01-20T08:56:00.002-06:00

Little Man has such a compassionate heart and is frequently thinking about children in Africa. He knows that there are children who have no toys, and this fact really bothers him.

The other day he found an empty box and asked if he could play with it. He then proceeded to fill the box with all of his trucks and cars so he could 'mail them to kids in Africa'. He was fully ready to put his box, filled to the brim with his favorites toys, in the mail to give to children in Africa so they had toys too.

My little worldchanger in action:

Generous hands and a generous heart

Filled to capacity:

Packaged, labeled, and ready to ship:

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Fr@nk

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seu$$

The Black Kid

2012-01-16T10:00:00.001-06:00

Why is it that when describing someone, we choose the color of their skin first? Why is that SO important?

Yes, people, my son is 'black'. But really, he's not. His complexion is the most beautiful, creamy mocha. But the obvious fact is that we are not the same color. Another fact is that I do not care in the least. He is 100% my son. When I go to school to pick him up, I look for my son. I don't look for the 'black kid'.

I love that he is Ethiopian. I love everything about him. We celebrate his birthland and his heritage. He spends time with children and people who look like him as well as people who are of other ethnicities. I don't define him based on his skin color, because he is SO much more than his absolutely beautiful skin.

There are times when my child is the only African in a group. I hope I can raise him to be confident and proud about that fact. I hope I can teach him that he is unique and special and albeit different sometimes...JUST as important as everyone else.

At a recent function, Little Man was the only person of color. An adult was rounding kids up, and announced loudly "Where's the black kid?". Ok, I get that you forgot his name. I get that you're old. But there are so many other descriptors you could have used: Where's the wild kid? Where's the cute kid? Where's the kid in the pink shirt? Where's Eric's nephew? Where's Daphne's son? Where's the boy missing a tooth? Where's the boy with the short hair? I could go on and on. However, none of that mattered because it was easier to yell "Where's the black kid?"

Luckily, my son did not hear it. Honestly, I was so shocked and angry that I was rendered speechless (I really need to work on getting my emotions under control so I can deal with these situations in a way I can teach my son to do so). Thankfully, my dad and brother immediately went up to this person to let them know that that was not appropriate. Other people, however, acted like it wasn't a big deal and asked: So what? It's as if asking where's the girl in the pink dress.

It's nothing like that and it's not ok. My son doesn't get it right now, so are we supposed to act like this is a normal, acceptable thing? How about 5 years from now when Little Man is 9 and fully understands the question being asked and is made to feel singled out, or embarrassed, or sad, or alienated?

I know this is what we will face from here on out. I know I cannot change the fact that people will identify him by his skin color. There are people who are still to this day raised to believe skin color means a person is less of a person. We live in Alabam@. R@cism is not dead, and archaic beliefs are not dead. My son is from Africa. We are different in appearance. He is what people here consider 'black'. I cannot change that fact that he will be judged based on his skin. I wish I could. It breaks my heart when I think of the hurt feelings in store for him, and I wish I could protect him.

My hope for him is that people will see him for who he is. I pray people will see his playful spirit, his love for life, his social prowess, his sense of humor, his amazing intellect, his compassionate heart. I pray that he isn't always going to be just 'the black kid'.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." M@rtin Luther King, Jr.

Sweetness

2012-01-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

Though Little Man has been testing boundaries behavior wise, he continues to be the sweetest, most compassionate little boy. He is not afraid to express his emotions and is uber affectionate.

He openly and proudly tells his family and friends that he loves them, and when he tells you, you know he means it with all of his heart. He is quick to give hugs (especially to unsuspecting little girls).

I know there will be a day when he's too big or too cool to snuggle or kiss his mommy. So for now, when he calls me from his room at night saying "Mommy, I want snuggles!", I jump at the chance.

When I take him in to school, he expects and wants a good-bye kiss. The other day I took him into his classroom, gave him his kiss, and was preparing to leave when he nestled in close to me and starting whispering. It took me a minute to understand his little whisper which was "Mommy, can I rub it in so it won't dry off?" He didn't want for my kiss to dry up during the day, so he wanted permission to rub it in. Oh how this boy owns and melts my heart!

He is pure sweetness!

Here is my sweetness in pictures taken by Allison Lewis Photography for an adoption calendar:

Different but the Same

2012-01-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

Little Man and I talk a lot about how we are different but the same. We talk about all of the things we both have that are the same (hands, face, heart, etc), and we talk about how it's ok to be different from each other, from other families, from our friends, etc. I found this great example using eggs to help show him how things can be different on the outside while still being the same on the inside.

Little Man checking out the eggs and noticing that they are both eggs but are a little different:

After cracking the eggs:

Different on the outside, but the same on the inside.

Our lesson:

After this lesson, Little Man was literally beaming. I think this made more sense to him than all of our talks and books. By cracking the eggs and finding them the same inside, I think he really put it together and it filled his little soul with joy.

Nightstand

2012-01-03T18:59:00.004-06:00

This is what currently lives on my night stand. These are the books I am reading in an attempt to be a better parent and to control my child.

Parenting is the hardest thing I have EVER endeavored! It is easy to be a 'parent' to someone else's child. It's easy to think up solutions to problem behaviors, etc. It's easy when you are NOT mired down in the day to day drama of that particular child. When it's your own child, however, solutions are harder to come by, clarity is harder to attain, emotions run amuck, and your confidence level is rock bottom.

I am raising a boy who will become a man. I certainly don't want to screw this up or worse screw him up!

I'll be honest and say that we are once again in a difficult patch behavior wise. Little Man is so hard to parent when you combine the fact that he is adopted, gifted, strong willed, and manipulating/charming. I have yet to find the balance between the previous characteristics. When I think I have the perfect solution to the problem, my 4 year old out smarts me.

We go back and forth between discipline strategies because their effectiveness is constantly changing. I am reading books regarding all of his traits, and they each contradict the other. Techniques you use for the strong willed child are not recommended for the adopted child. Parenting the gifted child is done more cerebrally than how you would parent the strong willed child. Easily put...there is no manual for my son.

He is an individual, and I love that about him. I want for him to grow into a boy/man who is strong but not a bully, who is compassionate but not a cry-baby, who is obedient but not a push-over, who is a leader but not overly bossy, who is an athlete but not a show-off, who has good self-esteem but is humble. The list goes on and on. There are days when these goals feels unattainable. There are days when I am completely defeated and left feeling like a huge failure.

Sometimes I leave playdates feeling embarrassed and like a complete failure as a parent. There are, however, other times when I leave playdates bursting with pride (Really wish this was more often).

I am doing this alone (yes, I chose to do so and don't regret it). That being said, going it alone is hard. I don't have someone to step in when I've had it. I don't get a break on days when behavior is off the chain. I don't always want to be disciplining my child. I don't have someone saying I'm doing a horrendous job or a good job. All this boils down to is that I am constantly second guessing myself. I'm constantly wondering if I'm messing him up.

For now, I will continue to read these books and hope the tips stick with me when I really need them. I will continue to work with my 4 year old on playing nicely with his friends, obeying his mommy/teachers/adults, being respectful, and making good choices with his actions and his words.

I can only pray and hope that in the end this boy, whom I love unequivocally, will grow into the man I know he can be and that he is happy and proud of his mother.

2012 New Year's Interview

2012-01-01T20:00:00.004-06:00

For fun I started the New Year with an interview with Little Man. I plan to do this every year to see how is answers change. These are his 4 year old answers:

Favorites:

* cereal: Apple Jack's
* vegetable: a banana
* drink: Poppy's juice
* toy: Fin McMissile
* TV Show: Max and Ruby
* game: Operation
* book: Green Eggs and Ham
* restaurant: Old McDonald's (aka McDonalds)
* holiday: Christmas
* animal: Giraffes and Monkeys

If you could change your name, what would you choose? Fin McMissile...then settled for Jackson (his best friend)

What do you love about mommy? That mommy plays games with me.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year? The beach and a Disney cruise

What are some of your wishes for this year? To drive the Polar Express

What do you want to be when you grow up? Be the man who takes care of giraffes and the man who drives the garbage truck.

2011 heaped many blessings upon our family. We are looking forward to what 2012 has in store. I am super excited that one of Little Man's wishes for the upcoming year will be coming true! I cannot wait to make his dream come true.

Hoping you all have a wonderful 2012 that is filled with much love, happiness, laughter, and health!

Christmas in Picture (A lot of pictures)

2011-12-30T07:58:00.022-06:00

Little Man was enamored with his newest cousin:

Me with Baby A:

Cousins...I think Little Man is having a good time:

Teaching Baby A about trains:

Check out this cutie:

Little Man couldn't get enough of this baby:

Cousin jam session:

A Christmas tradition....matching jammies for the boys:

And...matching jammies for all the girls:

Best buddies walking to the train tracks:

My dad and niece:

Love this smile:

Christmas Jammies:

The boys listening to Uncle Eric read 'The Night Before Christmas':

Milk and cookies for Santa:

Santa came:

The bell still rings for this little boy:

Thrilled with his 'big boy bike':

Trying out his art desk:

Mommy and her boy on Christmas Day:

The Elf Chronicles...The Final Edition

2011-12-27T20:34:00.001-06:00

Day 22 - Elf Zip Line:

Day 23 - The Elf Cake:

Day 24 - Reading the Christmas Story:

Day 25 - Elf Building Night:

Day 26 - Elf Donuts:

Day 27 - Elf 'Paper Airplaned' Tree:

Day 28 - Elf Cereal:

Day 29 - Elf Underwear Chain:

Day 30 - The Elf Wrapped the Christmas Tree..the Final Act:

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! From our family to yours!

Ice Skating

2011-12-19T18:30:00.000-06:00

Several weekends ago, we took a trip to see Christmas lights, meet Santa, drink hot chocolate, and....ice skate! The adults in the group were nervous. The kids in the group both declared that they would NOT fall and that they WOULD ice skate. Both fell...and both were able to ice skate. It was highly impressive.

We started out hugging the wall. Here we are with our friends Stephanie and Mary Kate.

Wall hugging progressed to this:

There were 2 sweet older boys who took Little Man all over the rink. They were so sweet and so patient with him. It was really cute to watch my boy bask in their attention.

Finally Little Man was DONE with me and insisted on going alone.

We had lot of these moments....

but he would jump right up ready to go again. This boy is stubborn and determined!! If he sets his mind to something, he doesn't stop until he does it. And, he did, indeed, complete his task and learned to ice skate!

My little ice skating wonder:

Mommy and her ice-skating boy:

Auntie even got into the act:

Santa was present as well. Here is Little Man telling Santa EXACTLY what he wants for Christmas:

It was a perfect day!

The Elf Chronicles....Part 3

2011-12-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

Day 13 - Snow Angel:

Day 14 - Movie Night:

Day 15 - Elf "Baby Gate":

Little Man busting free:

Day 16 - Elf Hot Air Balloon:

My little elf trying to also go on a hot air balloon ride:

Day 17 - Holding Baby Jesus

Our Elf has a lot of fun causing mischief in our house, but he (and we) have not forgotten the reason for the season. Here he is holding baby Jesus from our hand carved African Nativity scene.

Day 18 - Paper Chains:

Day 19 - Game Night:

Day 20 - Rain Boot Surprise:

Christmas is in Full Swing

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

This month is flying by, and Christmas is almost upon us. Little Man had his planned Santa picture as well as a few surprise visits with others.

Santa Pictures:
This was the only planned Santa visit we had this year:

A last minute trip to the B@ss Pro Shop resulted in another (free) Santa picture.

The Grinch:

On a trip to H0me Depot, we were surprised and greeted by the Grinch. Little Man was literally shocked speechless when he saw the Grinch. He threw both hands over his mouth in complete and utter amazement. Sadly, he was more excited about seeing the Grinch than he was about seeing Santa....not sure what that says?!?

Aubie Claus:

His final fun Christmas encounter was a planned one. Our favorite college team's mascot, Aubie, was in town for a special Christmas breakfast. Little Man could not believe that he was getting to 1. see Aubie 2. sit on Aubie's lap and 3. see Aubie dressed as Aubie Claus! It was a really fun morning!

The Elf Chronicles...Part 2

2011-12-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Day 7:

Christopher decided to take a marshmallow bath complete with toy boats just like Little Man.

Day 8:

Christopher got out all of Little Man's trains at Auntie's house while he was there for a sleepover.

Day 9:

Elf school

Day 10:

Christopher made a midnight McDonald's run and ate an entire happy meal!

Day 11:

The elf decorated Little Man's closet doors

Day 12:

The Elf Express...Christopher made sure that the airplane he made would accommodate Little Man as well!

Busy

2011-12-04T07:51:00.009-06:00

Little Man and I have been very busy lately doing projects at home as well as getting ready for Christmas. Here are a few of the things we've done:

Homemade lava lamp:

Homemade slime:

Little Man excels at a lot of things, but writing is not one of them. He is not really interested in writing anything except his name. In order to boost his interest in writing, I adapted one of his favorite games to include a writing element. It was a big success and now we can practice writing under the disguise of a game.

Finally...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas:

The Elf Chronicles...Part 1

2011-11-30T21:35:00.002-06:00

Our Christmas Elf, Christopher, has returned for this Christmas season. He has gotten extra creative this year, and so far Little Man is beyond himself with excitement and anticipation.

Day 1:

Every Christmas Eve when Christopher goes back to the North Pole, he takes with him the Polar Express book and movie. His very first act each year is to return these coveted items to Little Man.

Day 2:

The peals of laughter and delight from this stunt by the elf was absolutely priceless. Little Man was astonished and had hours of fun playing with it.

Day 3:

This was after a not so stellar day of behavior.

Day 4:

The forecast said possible snow. Just in case the weather man was wrong, our elf didn't want Little Man to be disappointed. (It's a good thing Christopher did this trick, because, as usual, the weather man was wrong!)

Day 5:

Christopher went on a fishing trip. Little Man was so excited to see his elf and his boat together.

Day 6:

As an extra naughty act, our elf rolled Little Man's room and managed to not wake him up in the process.

More elf fun to come!

Early Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T06:51:00.010-06:00

Our Ethiopia group had an early Thanksgiving get to together. There was lots of food and lots of laughs. I'm very thankful for this support group and for these beautiful children!

Ready for the party:

Little Man took it upon himself to stroll with L:

3 Ethiopian cuties (G had not yet arrived):

Little Man and G enjoying their meal:

Sue and A

Little Man and I had a great Thanksgiving this year. We have so much to be thankful for and are well aware of how blessed we are to have each other, to have wonderful family, and to have amazing friends.

Science is Fun

2011-11-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

A while ago, I bought Little Man several fact books. One happened to be about science. When the books arrived, I thought they were a little too high for a 4 year old, so I put them up on the bookshelf for later. There is a train on the front of the science book which Little Man immediately spotted. He then insisted that we read the book, and of course he sat still and absorbed the information. He now makes me read this book to him over and over. He has learned about simple machines, lasers, electricity, sound and light travel, gravity, and chemicals.

From this book, Little Man has discovered a love for science and experiments. I am having fun finding new experiments for us to perform at home and have some fun science gifts for him for Christmas.

Little Man's Science book that started the science craze:

Little Man's first chemistry set:

Up to now, our experiments have revolved around acid and base reactions. Little Man can tell you what household items are bases and which are acids. It's amazing what fun one can have with just a box of baking soda and a bottle of vinegar!

Blowing up a balloon using an acid-base reaction:

Acid/Base Volcanic Eruption:

Colored Eruptions:

Cleaning Pennies:

Exploding Sandwich Bag:

The other day Little Man was helping Auntie make a cake. As she got out the ingredients, he ran to me yelling "Mommy, mommy, Auntie has a base! She has a base!Come see!" One of the ingredients was baking soda. Auntie was highly confused until I explained. Funny boy!

From here we will venture into new experiments. My dad has gotten into the action as well and is having as much fun as I am coming up with experiments for the boy.

Family Day - 3rd Anniversary

2011-11-17T07:20:00.000-06:00

When I started the adoption process, seeds of love were planted in my heart. When I first glimpsed my son's face, the seeds started to grow. When I first held my son, the seeds multiplied. When he first said "Ayah" (his baby way of saying "I love you"), the seeds sprouted roots that encompassed my heart. With each passing year as a family, the roots of my love have now infiltrated every inch of my being. This, our 3rd anniversary as a family, I no longer know where my heart stops and his heart begins.

How do you describe a love that now sustains you? How to put into words the unadulterated, unequivocal love I have for this marvelous, miracle of a boy? I have tried to put my love into words through this blog, but nothing I write really captures the magnitude of my love.

Every day, every night I tell my son how much I love him. I pray every night that he knows how much he is loved and cherished. I pray he knows that he is the child I spent my life dreaming about and that he is the son I asked God for on so many nights.

Three years ago today, my life was flipped on its head and my heart will never be the same again. Three years ago today, a dream that lived inside of me since high school came to fruition when an Ethiopian nanny delivered my angel into my arms. Three years ago today, my family was born.

Happy Family Day, Little Man! We had an amazing year as a family, and I can't wait to see what next year has in store for us!

Here is our 3rd Anniversary Family Day video...Be sure you have the sound turned up, because the songs fit perfectly.

Priorities

2011-11-11T07:00:00.004-06:00

There is no question that I love college football. I love the game, and I love my team. I have not, however, lost sight of the fact that it is a game being played by kids.

The headlines coming out of college football recently make it evident that people have forgotten that it is, indeed, just a game. Players are revered as gods and feel that they are above the law. Grown men are sending death threats to a 20-something year old kicker who had an off game. And now, there are men in positions of power who chose to overlook known child abuse to protect their football program.

The latter has really made me think about how I am parenting Little Man. The victims of this latest scandal felt as if they were unable to say 'no' to their abuser, because he was a man they respected. I have been teaching my child to listen to and obey all adults. Today, I have to ask myself if that is really what I believe? There are monsters in this world who take advantage of their roles, abuse their trust, and destroy a child's life. These monsters are disguised as coaches, teachers, ministers, family friends, etc.

Now I am struggling with what I should teach my son. I want for him to be respectful and to obey, but I also want him to be empowered and to be able to tell an adult (even an adult he loves and trusts) 'No' and to fight like hell to protect himself.

I won't always be with Little Man. For instance, I don't think mommies are allowed in the football locker room, on the team bus, or at highschool parties. I wish I could be with my son at all times to protect him, but that is not realistic. Instead, I am going to educate my boy as much as possible. I am going to try to teach him what is right and what is absolutely wrong. I have looked up ways to teach him safe touch and unsafe touch, secrets that are ok and secrets that can hurt, and most of all to tell me if anything uncomfortable EVER happens to him.

What kind of society is that we live in where the success of a football program is more important than the safety of innocent children! It's sad that we live in a world where the greatest threat to your child can come from someone you trusted and respected. I want for Little Man to be a trusting boy who lives his life to the fullest. I certainly don't want for him to be fearful or untrusting and miss out on amazing experiences. So, I will try to find a balance and add some caution to his loving and trusting little soul. I will also be on the sidelines ready to pounce at any second so that I might protect my child and his innocence.

Mr. President

2011-11-07T21:17:00.003-06:00

So the other day after school, Little Man mentioned Andrew Jackson. I thought it was a little weird and asked him some questions, but he was too busy playing to stop and tell me how he knew of Andrew Jackson.

Later at lunch one day, he started naming off presidents. Luckily, I immediately started writing them down. The reason for writing them down...I thought he was confusing names and wanted to check them. To my complete astonishment...every president he named was correct. Sadly, I obviously needed a refresher course on our country's presidents because the obscure ones were dumped from my memory years ago.

Little Man is learning the presidents at his daycare. I pay a small fortune for his daycare, but it is worth EVERY penny. My son loves to learn and is a sponge! If he hears it, he knows it. He won't tell me what he knows immediately, but instead he likes to spring it on me when I am completely not expecting it. I think he knows that he blows my mind and enjoys seeing my reaction!

So, as we were sitting down at lunch, my 4 year old listed out a string of presidents and as usual, I was completely taken aback! He didn't just name presidents...he named first and last names and even middle initials when in the name!!!

Here are the Presidents that he came name at this point:

1. James Madison
2. John Tyler
3. Benjamin Harrison
4. George Washington
5. Martin Van Buren
6. James K. Polk
7. Abraham Lincoln
8. Thomas Jefferson
9. Calvin Coolidge
10. Andrew Jackson
11. Franklin Pierce
12. Millard Fillmore
13. Zachary Taylor
14. Grover Cleveland
15. John Adams
16. Chester A. Arthur
17. Ulysses S. Grant
18. Theodore Roosevelt
19. William McKinley

I'll save the states and their capitals that he knows for another post! I really have to be completely honest and say that I adore his love for learning and his propensity to learn!

Trick-or-Treat

2011-11-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

We had an amazing Halloween this year with lots of celebrations, great friends, and entirely too much candy!!

Little Man and mommy ready to trick or treat:

I remember when he couldn't even reach the doorbells...sigh!

When told to say 'thank you', I got the thumbs up from my boy:

Little Man was VERY polite this year. He started off at each house by saying "Happy Halloween. Trick or treat." If there was a dog at the house, he would ask what kind of dog it was and what was the dog's name. He would then tell the people that he liked their dog or a particular Halloween decoration they had up. As he left, he would then thank them for the candy and be on his way. It was very cute to watch.

The neighborhood we went trick-or-treating really outdid themselves this year:

Little Man rang the doorbell at this house and the occupants were slow to answer. This is what I got from Little Man as he waited:

Trick-or-treating at Auntie's house. She literally dumped a bowl full of candy into his bucket!

As soon as Little Man got his coveted ring-pop, he was done trick-or-treating. All he wanted to do was go home and eat it. I convinced him to go to a couple more houses. He pointed to a house and said "This is the LAST house!" Once his candy was secured, we passed another house, so I asked if he would like to ring their doorbell. Exasperated, he said "I told you that was the last house! I am DONE!" He is so funny. Here he is at home finally eating his treat:

Halloween Party!!

2011-10-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

It has been years since I threw a Halloween party. I decided that for this month's Ethiopia Mama's get together that a Halloween party would be perfect! And that is exactly what it turned out to be...perfect!

The food was great, the games were hilarious, the kids were enchanted, and the adults had a blast! This might have to become a tradition!!

Prepare yourself to be inundated with pictures! It was impossible what to choose and what to leave out.

Black Eye Peas Mommy with her Little Man:

Static Cling Auntie with the cutest Astronaut:

Festive Food/Drinks:
Witches Fingers with a side of blood:

Punch with Skeleton Hand Ice:

Dirt Cake:

My portion of the spread:

A first for us...an Ethiopian GIRL at our party!

Queen Bee Sue, Baby Bee A, and Witchy Vanessa:

Vanessa and her sweet sweet mother:

Little Red Riding Hood:

A Cat and her Bunny:

Pumpkin Bowling:

Digging for Bugs in Guts:

Pumpkin Bucket Toss:

Bobbing for Apples:

Mummy Wrap:

Mommy Wrap (Kids + help wrapping mommies):

Pin the Tail on the Cat:

The children:

All of the beautiful Ethiopian-American children and their mommies:

Next year we hope Vivianna will be home from Ethiopia and in our picture!

It was seriously the best time! Little Man went to bed talking non-stop about his Halloween party. Thank you, sweet friends, for coming and making our party so special and fun!

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-26T20:50:00.011-05:00

Our zoo puts on an annual Boo at the Zoo. This was our first year to attend, and we had a blast with our friends, Melissa and G!

The cutest Astronaut and Superman ever!!!

Love the expressions these boys make:

Thoroughly enjoying themselves:

Trick-or-treating:

Little Man dancing...love his poses:

Melissa and G:

Me with my boy:

Sandwich Love

2011-10-22T19:56:00.005-05:00

This week, I had a really busy day at work and didn't have time to get or eat lunch. When I got home with Little Man, I was looking for a snack while he played. He asked what I was doing, so I told him that mommy was hungry because she didn't eat lunch. Next thing I knew, he was rushing into the kitchen on a mission.

He pulled up his chair to the kitchen counter, got out peanut butter, bread, a plate, and a butter knife. I asked what the was doing, and he told me that he was making mommy a peanut butter sandwich because mommy was hungry. He then proceeded to make the sandwich completely by himself.

Now, truth be told, I hate peanut butter sandwiches. However, my sweet boy was so proud of his sandwich and couldn't wait to see me eat it. I, of course, ate every bite of the sweetest sandwich ever. What a precious heart my boy has!!

Ready to start making the sandwich:

When did he get so big?!?

Intent on his mission:

A quick taste for the chef:

Teaching mommy the proper technique:

Putting on the finishing touches:

So proud of his sandwich aka 'samlich':

Little Man is the most loving little soul. This past week, he melted my heart twice. The first was after a loooong day at work. I picked him up from school, and he said "I love you, mommy. You're my very best mommy in the entire world!"

Another night, we were riding in the car, and he said the sweetest prayer: Dear God, thank you for mommy and Ben and our family. Thank you that mommy adopted Ben.

Birthday...the final edition

2011-10-17T18:12:00.014-05:00

On Little Man's actual birthday, he started the day with doughnuts for breakfast. He blew out his candles and opened his present from mommy: big boy Legos. We were lucky enough to have a playdate with a dear friend during the day.

Playdate with HG:

For dinner, he wanted to eat Mexican with Auntie and mommy. After dinner, we headed to Auntie's house for presents and cake!

Presents from Auntie:

Mommy and her birthday boy:

I bought trick candles for the cake. Little Man blew them out and in the midst of clapping for himself, they began re-lighting. He couldn't believe it!

Blowing out the trick candles for about the 5th time:

The Saturday after Little Man's birthday, we had a low key family party. The party consisted of lunch at one of Little Man's favorite hibachi grills followed by cupcakes, icecream, and presents at our house.

Ready for the family party:

Birthday celebration at the hibachi grill:

Blowing out the candles:

Cousins playing with the new pirate table courtesy of Nana and Pops:

After about a week of celebrations, I think that Little Man had a memorable birthday. I really can't believe that my baby is four now!!

Making the Birthday Cake

2011-10-11T20:48:00.015-05:00

Getting started on birthday celebrations...finally.

I told Little Man that he could have any birthday cake he wanted in any design that he wanted. I was fully prepared to go to the local bakery and order the birthday cake of his dreams. After being given all of his options, he ultimately wanted his Auntie to make his very favorite carrot cake.

Little Man and his very favorite Auntie making his birthday cake together:

Licking the mixer:

Little Man icing his own cake:

Little Man and Auntie with his iced cake:

Little Man and his finished Auburn birthday carrot cake:

He loved his birthday cake and also got carrot cake cupcakes for his family party.

Daredevil

2011-10-08T08:19:00.005-05:00

If there ever was a question as to why I am starting to see straight up white hairs, this post will answer it!

Little Man is a daredevil...always has been and apparently always will be. The higher the object the more fun it is to jump down from or climb up on. He can already shimmy up the door frame in the kitchen. Once as he was jumping down from a high wall, he told me "Mommy, watch out. This is going to be traumatic!"

He has decided that his kitchen table can also serve as a balancing apparatus. For whatever reason, it is easier for him to balance in only undies. This is how I found him several days ago.

Here he is trying to cartwheel off of the table:

Last night, I walked in and found him like this:

While I was highly panicked, I was also very impressed with his engineering and balance skills.

He is certainly a thrill seeker. Meanwhile, I am in a constant state of near cardiac arrest.

Mustache Fun

2011-10-03T19:09:00.005-05:00

I have tons of birthday pictures to sort through and not enough time at the moment. That will be for another day.

So...I bought Little Man a pack of fake mustaches a couple weekends ago. I knew that they would be fun but totally underestimated exactly how much fun!

Love how he can even rock a mustache!

Happy Birthday

2011-09-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

To my son,

Today you are 4 years old. Four seems so big to me for some reason. Maybe it's because you yourself are getting so big.

You are physically big and just recently outgrew all your clothes and your brand new pair of shoes. These massive growth spurts make budgeting a little difficult. You finally made it to the 33 pound mark which is quite an achievement! I have asked you several times to quit growing, but you just laugh at me and tell me that you have to grow so you can go back to 'Mickey Mouse's house'.

You are a little person....and you certainly think you are much older than 4. The vocabulary you have is amazing! Some of my favorites words that you say are synchronize, disappointed, inundate, ridiculous, concentrate, adorable,incredible, and capiche. You use them appropriately and usually make me laugh. Speaking of vocabulary, you talk too much!! I hear ALL the time that you talked too much in school. I hope you can harness your love of speech before you start actual school, or the principal and I are going to be on a first name basis!

You are still obsessed with trains but you are starting to find a love for building things. Your imagination is exploding, and the things you build actually resemble what your little brain intended it to be. You are a little engineer in that you examine and learn how your toys function and then try to replicate that with your building toys. If you spot something such as a gear, you want to learn all about it. After I've taught you about it, you then seek it out all over the place and correlate it to your toy.

You are so smart. You literally blow my mind on a daily basis. At 4 you can count to 10 in Spanish and know several Spanish phrases. You can name 13-15 of the 50 states from memory. You can recognize states by their shape. You know several state's capitals. You can read simple words. You like to hear words, sound them out, and figure out what letters are in the word. You can name all of the planets in order. You continue to have a photographic memory. Your problem solving skills are ridiculous. Your favorite books are non-fiction books. I love your love of learning!

You are a lover and have the biggest heart. You cannot stand to see someone sad or hurt or to have someone disappointed with you. Out of the blue you will tell me "Mommy, I love you. We are family." You know exactly how to melt me...and often will do so to manipulate a situation.

You are my everything, Little Man. You take me breath away. I feel beyond blessed to be your mother. Every day, I thank God that He placed you in my arms. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Know that you fill my life with love, happiness, and pride.

Happy 4th birthday, to the little boy who owns my heart.

All my love,
Mommy

Four Years

2011-09-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

Four years ago today, I walked into my home-study agency and started my adoption journey. The time for wishful thinking was over. I walked into the office filled with trepidation. What if they didn't think I'd be a fit mother? What if I couldn't raise the money? What if programs closed? What if I never were to be a mother?

The last question is what kept me going. Not being a mother wasn't going to be acceptable for me, so I filled out the applications and began fervently working on mounds of paperwork and clearance items.

Two days after I signed on the dotted line and began paper pushing, the love of my life came into this world across the world in a country that I wasn't even pursuing at the time. God stepped in and watched over my boy through all of the twists, turns, and heartaches. God knew that the tiny little baby boy had a mother waiting for him even if His plan wasn't yet revealed to me.

I spent the first 5 months of the adoption looking towards Vietnam. Reading all the turmoil that was occurring in the international adoption program and worrying myself sick until the fateful day that I decided to make a break from the Vietnam program and enter the Ethiopia program.

One month later, I received 3 pictures of the most beautiful 6 month old little boy who was sitting on a table in a blue sleeper with a sail boat on it. He was precious, and he had been waiting for me for as long as I had been waiting for him.

There were so many bumps in my adoption journey, but every bump in the road led me to my fate, my love, my son!

Four years ago today, I thought I was embarking simply on a journey to motherhood. Little did I know that I had embarked on a journey of self discovery, unmeasurable love, and the purpose of my life.

When Life Gives You Rain...

2011-09-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

Play in it!!

Little Man is a tad confused on how to properly put on his jeans. He does fine with shorts, but jeans throw him for a loop. In the midst of playing in the rain, he ran inside to use the restroom. He came back out sans underpants and with his jeans like this:

Blueberry Pie

2011-09-14T20:40:00.000-05:00

One of our night time books is about making a blueberry pie and taking it to the county fair. We read it often, and Little Man decided that we needed to make our own blueberry pie.

Measuring out the blueberries:

Luckily I had enough blueberries because half of them went in Little Man's mouth!

Such a good helper:

Filling the crust:

Caught in the act:

Hugging his pie:

So proud of his pie:

Little Man and the finished product

Our pie:

Tis the Season

2011-09-12T07:59:00.001-05:00

For college football that is! Little Man has become quite the Auburn fanatic. He has been asking me to take him to a game for a while, so Saturday his wish was granted!

Little Man and Auntie waiting to board the bus:

Little Man got to high-five a band member:

Ready for the game:

Little Man, CC, and Auntie

Cotton candy:

For days, Little Man told me that he wanted to get on the grass and play football with Auburn. I explained and explained that he was too little and had to wait until he was 18. Here he is desperate to get on the grass:

Enjoying the pre-game show:

Singing "Glory, glory to Ole Auburn" while the band plays:

Little Man's only real request was to 'meet Aubie...my most favorite tiger in whole wide world'. And that wish was also granted. At the end of the day, Little Man said meeting Aubie was his very favorite thing!

Not long after the game started, Auntie, CC, and I started getting text messages that Auntie, CC, and Little Man were on tv. I happened to be bending over getting something out of my purse when the camera man came over. Here is a picture that was taken of the tv screen. Little Man looks unhappy but he was just focused.

Cheering on the Tigers with Auntie:

The game was in the middle of Little Man's nap time, but no worries, he fell asleep at the end of half time! Napping in Jordan Hare Stadium:

Little Man is 3 (soon to be 4), so sitting through an entire football game isn't realistic...that is of course unless you bring along his iPod filled with cartoons and games! I rigged the fan as a sun shield so he could see the screen.

After a last minute block to secure our victory, several of the players ran to our end zone to celebrate with the fans. One player ran right up to Little Man and rubbed his head and another gave him high-five. The awe on my boy's face was priceless. He looked at me and said "I'm gonna be an Auburn football player!" With his speed, he just might.

Celebrating our win!!

An Auburn tradition...rolling Toomer's corner. This was Little Man's very first time to participate. He said throwing toilet paper in trees was so silly.

Little Man and Mommy celebrating with the Auburn family:

Little Man at the sign:

It was the absolute perfect day at Auburn. For my boy, it was a fairy tale! Putting Little Man to bed, he kissed me and said "I love you, mommy. I had fun at Auburn."

Jail Break

2011-09-08T07:37:00.000-05:00

When we got home from the Space and Rocket Center, I opened the door and heard the sound of Addis running free. The stinker chewed through the gate keeping her in the bathroom and had escaped. Luckily she did not destroy my house!

The evidence

Addis making her escape:

Little Man watched as I took pictures of Addis escaping. He asked me to lock him in the bathroom, but I explained that only Addis stayed in the bathroom. I had some things to put away, so I went about my business. Not long after, I heard Little Man messing with the baby gate. When I heard him yelling for help, I knew exactly what he had done.

Little Man thinking it would be a good idea to re-create Addis' escape.

Mommy, help me!

It was hilarious! The boy and the puppy were uninjured.

Space and Rocket Center

2011-09-05T07:17:00.021-05:00

I have been wanting to take Little Man to the Space and Rocket Center, so we made a road trip for the day. When Little Man first spied the rocket from the road, he was beyond excited! As we pulled into the parking lot, he said "Mommy, this is FANTASTIC!"

This picture cracks me up!

Who knew the map could be so entertaining? Here is Little Man navigating the center:

Little Man was amazed with the real rockets:

Me and my boy

Little Man and Auntie

Little Man checking out the space exhibits

Little Man at the Dinosaur Exhibit

Being an astronaut

Little Man with the Moon rock

Leaving the Center

Warn out from a long day

Boys are...

2011-08-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

Dangerous! (See below for evidence.)

Little Man received an 18 wheeler which serves a dual function of storing his hot wheel cars. For the past 2 years, he has used the 18 wheeler as a ride-on car. I'm waiting for the day when it cracks in half under his weight.

The bigger he gets, the faster and more daring he is while riding his 18 wheeler.

This is what happens when the truck + boy collide with a toe (Warning: a pedicure is desperately needed so please overlook!!):

Responsibility

2011-08-28T07:41:00.007-05:00

Having a puppy is a huge responsibility...having a 3 year old is an even bigger responsibility. Though there are times when I'd really rather NOT have a puppy, Little Man loves her and she is good for him. The other day he told me "Mommy, God gave me Addis!"

I am using Addis to teach Little Man about being responsible and how to take care of another living thing. He helps fill up her water bowl, take her for a walk, brush her, give her treats, and give her a bath. He is learning how to be gentle with her, how to carry her the safe way, which toys are hers and which toys could hurt her. If she gets one of his little toys in her mouth, he carefully pries her jaws open and extracts the toy so that she won't choke. If I am scolding her for having an accident in the house, he tells me not to be mean to his dog.

So, although the added stress sometimes feels overwhelming for me, my boy adores his dog, and he is learning valuable lessons.

Here are pictures of Little Man helping me bath Addis:

Who knew giving the dog a bath could be so exciting?!

My helper

Love this smile..snaggletooth and all!!

Helping get Addis really wet

Rubbing in the shampoo

Every time he successfully filled up the bucket, Little Man gave me the thumbs up.

Starving?!

2011-08-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know that Little Man has delayed gastric emptying. This basically means that his stomach doesn't empty fast enough and that if he does not take his medicine with every meal he will projectile vomit. His weight gain has always been a concern for both me and his doctors. He has been hovering at 30 pounds for almost a year and just recently gained 1 pound which is HUGE for him.

He had a follow-up appointment with his GI last week. The doctor was happy with the fact that Little Man has not been throwing up and that he finally gained a pound. He decided that we should try to cut back a dose of his medicine. So instead of giving it with every meal, we would skip the morning dose. The very first day we skipped the morning dose, Little Man projectile vomited in the middle of dinner. I'm talking LOTS of throw up! Sad to say that as I was watching the volume of fluid coming out of his mouth I was thinking 'There goes his 1 pound weight gain." Needless to say, he has resumed taking his medicine with every meal.

With all of the issues stemming from his delayed gastric emptying (decreased appetite and vomiting), I am certainly sensitive about his weight and size. I know he is a little underweight, but he is growing in height and is healthy.

Needless to say I was LIVID when a 60 something year old lady at the grocery store stopped us to tell me "He looks like one of those starving kids on tv. Does he get enough to eat?"

Starving...seriously?!!? This is absolutely the most offended I have ever been at stupid and rude comments made by stupid and rude strangers!!

Little Man was with me and I was so taken aback by the comment that all I was able to say (in a not so nice tone) was "Well, yes ma'am he does."

Here's my dilemma....if I hadn't been rendered speechless because I was so offended...what would I have said?

When adoption questions are posed, I generally try to teach the person about adoption. But in this instance, I don't think she deserved an explanation regarding Little Man's GI issues and that weight is a constant struggle. Her rudeness did not deserve an in depth response on my child's health status. But what do I say?

I don't want to teach my son to react with hatred and anger (though I surely would have liked to do that). I want to teach my son patience and acceptance and respect...so me mouthing off would have negated those lessons.

I probably should have addressed her rudeness or at least told her that that comment was completely inappropriate. But at that time, the only way I would have addressed her would have been out of anger.

I was and still am absolutely livid! People are RUDE! There are some things better left unsaid. There is something called a filter that more people need to utilize. People need to stop and think before they speak. So frustrating!!!

My son, albeit skinny, is a healthy, thriving little boy!

Does he appear starving to you?

Best Buds

2011-08-19T18:00:00.004-05:00

Dog + Little Man = Best Buds

Watching tv together

Walking Addis with Mommy's flip-flops

He's checking out the stars in this picture.

Little Man and Addis ready for college football season to begin

Kissing the dog!

Riding in the truck together

Conversation with Little Man:
LM: I love you more than anything!
Me: Who do you love?
LM: My dog!
Me: (while pretending to cry) Your dog ?!?
LM: Yes, but I like you.

Little Man is having a hard time separating from his dog. The first morning we left Addis, Little Man had a come apart because I didn't let him say good-bye. Now we before we leave the house, I have to make sure that proper good-byes are said. Despite this fact, we have left the house multiple times with Little Man sobbing and distraught over having to leave his dog.

Wednesday at daycare, the teachers said that he fell asleep for nap and 10 minutes later woke up sobbing because he wanted his dog. The boy is certainly attached to his dog!

Bedtime Love

2011-08-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

I will say that having a puppy is a LOT of work. There is much more work for me. There is lost sleep for me. There is added stress for me. BUT...it is all 100% worth it to see the love and adoration that Little Man has for his dog! He hugs her and helps take care of her. He tells her that she is his best friend. He is over the moon for her, and that makes it completely worth it!

Snaggletooth

2011-08-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Operation save the tooth was a bust!! I was super careful about the food Little Man ate and limiting rough housing. Sadly, despite my best effort an abscess set in. I took Little Man to the dentist on Monday where it was confirmed that the tooth was abscessed. In order to protect his permanent tooth, the baby tooth had to be pulled.

The procedure itself was really horrible. They started by placing Little Man in the chair and trying to get him to lay still while inhaling the laughing gas. That wasn't going to happen, so they strapped down his wrists. That was still not enough, so they strapped down his chest. Next came strapping down the legs, and finally followed by a nurse basically laying on top of him as well. He is crazy strong!

At this point, Little Man was in complete panic, and I was struggling to hold it together. The fear and anger took over so that my sweet boy was screaming 'Get off of me!', 'Let go of me!', 'Don't touch me!'. Next up was the numbing shot...I couldn't watch, but luckily it was fast. Little Man continued to struggle through the numbing and screamed off and on which meant that he wasn't really getting the full effect of the laughing gas.

By the time the dentist came back in to extract the tooth, my poor little guy was covered in sweat from struggling and in full panic mode. Thankfully, the dentist was pretty quick about pulling the tooth. The tooth cavity was filled with pus, so we were give a prescription for an antiobiotic. Little Man had to remain strapped down while the nurse worked to stop the bleeding. After what seemed like a lifetime, Little Man was finally allowed out of the straps.

I'll be honest and say that my first glimpse of the new snaggle tooth smile about broke my heart. The perfect little smile was gone and in the place of his tooth was a huge bloody, gaping hole. Because this is a baby tooth, Little Man will now be a snaggletooth for years! I know that I will get used to his new look (hopefully sooner rather than later), but every time he grins at me it's like a punch in the gut. I'm talking serious shock. In true Little Man form though, he was smiling in no time, and a trip to the toy store helped contribute to his smile.

Little Man in the chair before being strapped down and being traumatized:

The new look:

While Little Man was in the dentist chair, the nurse happened to mention the tooth fairy. Little Man had no idea what she was talking about because I didn't expect to have to explain about the tooth fairy for years! Before my boy came home, I happened to buy a tooth fairy pillow that was really cute. I had stashed it away for a future date but was able to locate it. Little Man was very excited to wake up and find that the tooth fairy had visited him and left him a $5 bill. He told me that he wanted to save it to use at 'Mickey Mouse's house'. (Originally, this tooth fairy was going to leave $2, but I was called a 'cheap tooth fairy'. So, taking into account the traumatic tooth extraction and that it was his first lost tooth, I upped the rate to $5.)

The tooth fairy:

Addis

2011-08-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

The best friend was given a free 10 week old Bishon Frise puppy. Little Man met the puppy and fell head over heels in love.

The result was that we now have a new member of the family. Her name is Addis (named for the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa). Her full name is Addis the Great. Little Man added 'the Great'.

A boy and his dog:

Family photo:

I certainly questioned my sanity, but there was no way I could deny my son a dog especially when he was already so in love. It is still to be seen if I can handle the added responsibility a puppy brings. I've had dogs before and trained them, but I have never trained a puppy with a 3 year old! Should be stressful, but hopefully worth it for Little Man to have a buddy.

Addis is the female, dog equivalent of Little Man. She is adorable, loving, trusting, mischievious, manipulative, smart, and stubborn!! They are two peas in a pod!

Quotes from Little Man to Addis:
I don't taste like chicken. (In response to Addis licking all over him.)
I love you! You're nice.
You're gonna fit right in, bud!

Walking Addis:

Apparently dog items are fun for 3 year olds as well:

Ethiopian Food

2011-08-08T08:23:00.011-05:00

Our Single Mom's Club decided to take a field trip to Atlanta for traditional Ethiopian food. There is a big Ethiopian population in Atlanta which means they have multiple restaurants and a couple of shops.

Of the three boys, G is really the only one who ever ate true Ethiopian food. A and Little Man were just babies and were only fed porridge and formula. I was interested to see how Little Man would react to the food. G was VERY excited to eat injera again. He was a little confused and thought we might be actually going to Ethiopia.

The road trip to Atlanta was a lot of fun. G and Little Man watched movies which allowed something that is very rare when these two boys are together: silence!! The mommies were able to actually talk uninterrupted. Amazing!

We chose to eat at Meskerem. Here are the boys at the restaurant:

Little Man checking out the menu

Our boys in their traditional Ethiopian shirts:

Melissa and G (Can you tell that G is SO excited?!)

It took a while, but the food finally arrived.

I was very hopeful that Little Man would take to the food. But, it was his first real taste...which is completely my fault for not exposing him to it sooner. Below is the reaction to his first taste of injera:

It was not a success at all! The texture and the spice were too much for him. He told me 'Mommy, it's too hot. It's like too much salsa!" I will admit that I was a little embarrassed. Here is my Ethiopian son who doesn't like Ethiopian food...epic fail on my part! I am going to learn to cook some of the less spicy dishes and hopefully he will come to at least appreciate if not love some dishes from his birthland.

Baby A didn't have a much better reaction to the injera than Little Man:

This boy, on the other hand, couldn't stuff the injera in his mouth fast enough! It was fun to watch him be so excited to eat foods that he remembers still.

After lunch, we went to an Ethiopian shop and then walked around a mall a bit before heading home. Both boys slept almost the whole way home!! It was a really fun road trip!

Operation Save the Tooth

2011-08-03T13:37:00.002-05:00

We have a new motto at our house: save the tooth!

On Monday, Little Man decided to run full force into a wall at school. He met the wall mouth first and busted his lip. It's never a good thing when I have a voicemail from Little Man's school. As soon as I saw the missed the call, I called daycare immediately. The news was that Little Man was not only sporting a busted lip but also a loose front tooth!

We were able to get an emergency dental appointment. The x-ray revealed that the root of the tooth is fractured. There is a 50/50 chance that we could save the tooth or lose the tooth. I'm really, really hoping to save the tooth. Otherwise, my handsome little man will be a snaggletooth for 4 years! I'm sure he will look just as cute missing a front tooth, but this mommy isn't ready for that!

This is where Operation Save the Tooth comes in. There is a chance that the root could heal itself and the tooth could survive. In hopes of saving the tooth, Little Man has to be on a soft diet for a month. One wrong bite and the tooth is gone. Finding soft foods that my already picky eater will eat is tricky. I'm back to cutting up ALL of his food into tiny bites. Little Man is not too happy with having his food cut up and likes to remind me that he's a big boy. He has told me on multiple occasions "Mommy, my toof is all better!" in the hopes of getting a cracker or something crunchy.

This is what his meals look like now:

Operation Save the Tooth also involves limiting rough play (which is almost impossible with this boy)! One wrong hit to the mouth, and the root will be fractured beyond repair.

It will be an interesting month! In the meantime, I have to also be on high alert for signs of tooth abscess or decay. We go back to the dentist in a month for a repeat x-ray.

This was Little Man after his bath on Monday. This was hours after he ran into the wall, but you can see that despite his injury he's still a happy camper!

Beach

2011-07-30T21:32:00.017-05:00

Little Man and I enjoyed a great beach trip with my parents, my niece, and my best friend! The best part of the trip was having my parents present! The absolute ONLY time that I get to really rest and relax is when my parents are around. So on this beach trip, I was able to lay out, read a book, see a movie, go shopping, and even go para-sailing!!

Little Man also had an amazing trip! You can't beat having 2 doting grandparents there to meet your every want and whim!!

Little Man packed his own suitcase. He included his camera to 'take pictures of the beach' and his binoculars to 'look at the waves'.

Riding the waves on Poppy

A must...getting buried in the sand!

My dad and his mad net skills caught this fish!

Digging to China

Riding the waves

'Bungee Jumping'

Parasailing

Unexpectedly rocketing into the air!

The peaceful part of our 'sail'

Getting drug through the water

Random Things to Remember

2011-07-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

I want to write down some funny stories of Little Man to remember.

1. Time-out:

Because of Little Man's high intelligence and propensity to talk to and teach his friends, he finds himself in time-out a lot at school. His teachers are quick to tell me that Little Man is a sweet, loving boy who is respectful to his friends and hasn't a mean bone in his body. They also love to tell me how smart he is and how much he participates in lessons. But...he loves to talk and does so too much which lands him in time-out. Once he has completed his sentence in time-out, the teachers then go to him, get on his level, and explain to him what he did wrong. The other day when I picked him up from school, I got the time-out report. Then laughing his teacher told me that now when they go to get Little Man out of time-out, he reminds them to 'have patience' before they discuss his crime.

2. Supernanny:

When Supernanny is on, I often watch it to see if there are any tips or pointers I can come away with. Little Man initially became scared by the wild, undisciplined children, so I would not watch it if he was present. Lately, he's been asking 'to watch the show with the naughty children' aka Supernanny.
The other day we were getting groceries and there happen to be a child screaming and running wild in the store. Little Man was amazed at the child's behavior and said 'they need to call Supernanny.'

3. Brainwashing by his Auntie (For those of you who don't know, Auntie is quite the fan of Carrie Underwood and takes all opportunities to convert Little Man as well.)

I have a states and capitals puzzle that Little Man and I play with every now and then. I figure since he's a sponge we might as well start working on some US geography. Because he has a photographic memory, he can now identify several states and tell me facts about them. The other day I asked him to pull out the states he knew from a big pile. This is how his identification went:
Florida: This is where Mickey Mouse's house is.
Alabama: This is where Birmingham is.
Alaska: This is where polar bears live.
New York: This is where the Statue of Liberty is.
Tennessee: This is where Uncie Eric and CC live.
Oklahoma: This is where Carrie Underwood was born!

Sushi Lover

2011-07-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

I have been a sushi lover for years! Before becoming a mother, I would imagine my child enjoying my love of sushi. When eating at my favorite sushi restaurant, I would day dream about having my cultured little one with me eating his or her own order or sushi.

Fast forward three years later, and I now indeed have a little sushi lover on my hands. Little Man's first visit to the sushi restaurant occurred 3 days after arriving in the USA. My 30th birthday was right after we arrived home from Ethiopia, so my birthday lunch was sushi. Of course, I didn't let Little Man try it then, but that was his introduction.

My boy's love of sushi is something that gradually developed. He would watch me eat my order of sushi while enjoying his rice dish. Eventually, he wanted to try mommy's food...and discovered that he loved it. From there we moved on to me ordering him a rice dish but ended up with him eating half of my sushi. Now, I just have to order him his own sushi, and he still ends up eating some of my sushi! And to top it off, he insists of using chop sticks (the chop sticks rigged for children are completely unacceptable)!

I am careful about the sushi he eats. I make sure that he isn't eating anything dangerous. I usually get him a California Roll and then allow him to eat some of my crab rolls. But I do love that he is a sushi lover at 3 years old!

Here are some pictures I got with my phone:

Eating Sushi

Stares

2011-07-18T20:00:00.004-05:00

When Little Man first came home, I was hyper aware of the stares of strangers. I would feel the eyes burning into my back at restaurants, grocery stores, the park, everywhere.

Prior to my son's arrival, I was a person who blended in. I certainly never stood out in a crowd. I'm an average looking girl, so beauty never set me apart. I'm short, but not short enough to draw attention. I think that I'm funny but not funny enough for an audience. I was just your run of the mill diner, shopper, movie-goer, etc.

Then my boy came home, and suddenly I was in the spotlight anytime we went in public. Initially the blatant stares of strangers were unwanted, uncomfortable, and intrusive.

The stares take on many forms. There's the incredulous stare usually triggered when Little Man kisses all over me or calls me 'mommy'. There's the intrigued stare usually from people contemplating adoption. There's the critical stare from those who question adoption or transracial adoption. There's the accusatory stare which occurs if Little Man decides to cry or have a tantrum in public and it is perceived that the starer is witnessing a kid-napping in progress. And the worst, most hated that I have, thankfully, encountered only on a few occasions...the racist stare.

Initially I was on high alert for stares and tried to decipher the type of stare we were encountering. I was (and still am) prepared to be the adoption advocate or scary mama bear depending on what the situation warranted.

Once Little Man acquired language, he himself started acknowledging the stares. At first, he would stare back at the person, tap me, and say 'Mama'. As he got older he would stare back and say "This is my mommy!" followed by sweet kisses for his proud mother. I too learned to stare back until the starer broke eye contact. The simple stare from me was enough to say 'I acknowledge that you are staring at us, and now you see how uncomfortable it is.'

We have been a family for close to three years now, and the stares no longer bother me. Half of the time, I don't even notice them, and when I do notice, they are welcomed. No matter what kind of stare we face, I am so proud of my family. I adore my child who was, I believe, hand picked by God for me. Stare away, folks, because you are in the presence of the most amazing little boy who has overcome more in his short life than you will probably ever face. He is brilliant, loving, athletic, funny, beautiful, and my reason for living.

I'm at a point where I don't know why you may be staring at my family and it no longer matters. I'm no longer insecure about the stares or about being in the spotlight. I am secure with the fact that Little Man and I are surrounded by an amazing group of family and friends who support us 100%. I am secure with my ability to parent my son in public situations even if that means he may have a tantrum. I am secure with the fact that my son is happy, confident, and loved. I am secure with the fact that my son is from Africa and that our skin tones aren't the same.

I welcome your stares because if you happen to be staring at me it means that I am accompanied by my son and that I am exactly where I want to be!

Since we are probably going to draw stares anyway, why not embrace them in your super hero cape?!

One lady decided that instead of staring she would come engage us in conversation. She must have been extremely charmed by Little Man, because after she finished checking out she came over and handed my boy a ten dollar bill. She told him to use it to buy himself a tractor. Very sweet!!

So happy with his $10 bill:

Chore Chart

2011-07-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

The chore chart has been in place for a month, and the results have been dramatic!! My house is so much cleaner, and at the end of the day, I can spend time blogging/resting instead of cleaning up toys.

Little Man is so eager to get all of his checks at the end of the day. All I have to say is, it's time to get your checks. That simple phrase sets my boy into a cleaning frenzy. He is very diligent in his cleaning/organizing. He is very careful to put his toys in their appropriate bins or to gently place toys on their spots in the bookshelf or under the train table.

There is no more crying, screaming, or complaining about not wanting to clean up. He has even realized that it's easier to clean up after himself while playing versus making a huge mess and having to clean it all up at one time.

On top of cleaning up, Little Man is now dressing and undressing himself. It's amazing how much extra time I now have in my morning routine. As I get ready for work, Little Man puts his pajamas in the laundry hamper and then proceeds to dress himself from head to foot. It is a little sad for me, because it is such a huge step to being a big boy. But, I'm also happy that he is getting more independent and that I am reclaiming a little 'me time' back.

My Photographer

2011-07-12T13:32:00.002-05:00

Little Man is no stranger to the camera (as you all well know). Because he has had so many opportunities to be the subject of the picture, I decided to let him try his hand at taking the pictures. I found a child's camera, showed him how to use it, and off he went. The particular camera I bought has the brightest flash you have ever seen! If the flash was a little dimmer, more of his pictures would have turned out.

Little Man loves being the photographer, and I am having to get used to being the subject (a role I'd much rather my son take). Here are the things that Little Man deemed photo worthy.....

Little Man's foot:

Mommy pictures:

Mommy on the computer:

Little Man's Pirate Basket

Pictures taken on the way to school:
1)An excavator

2) A firetruck

3) Intersection on the way to school

4) While under Little Man's favorite bridge

5) Mommy driving

The next two pictures were shot at exactly the same time:

Picture taken by Little Man of me

Picture by me of Little Man

The Solar System

2011-07-09T13:43:00.003-05:00

Little Man has a true love of learning, and I really love teaching him. He is a little sponge and soaks up everything. I really think that he has a photographic memory. If he hears something or sees something once, then he knows it. That is how he happened to learn all of the planets in order based on their distance from the sun. I checked out a book from the library, read him the list of the planets once, and he the next time we read the book he recited them to me from memory. It's remarkable really.

Because Little Man loves learning so much and can retain so much information, I am constantly trying to find new things to teach him and expand upon his current interests. I do this by checking out kid's non-fiction books and DVDs from the library, finding interactive websites about the topic of interest, and trying to find ways to bring them to life at home through toys, play, crafts etc.

Right now, the interest is in the Solar System. I'm getting a refresher course in the planets, outer space, astronauts, stars, and rocket ships while Little Man is absorbing all the new information and is always eager to know more.

I wanted Little Man to have the planets somewhere in his room, so I found pictures of the planets, printed them, laminated them, cut them out, and put them on Little Man's door in order of distance from the sun.

Solar System I made for Little Man's door:

When it came to go to bed, Little Man was so excited about his planets and couldn't wait for them to glow in the dark. What a disappointment it was to him that they did not, in fact, glow in the dark.

No worries, though, I was able to find a 3D Glow-in-the-Dark Solar System complete with glow-in-the-dark stars, planets, and comets that I hung above his bed. Now he can go to sleep under the planets and stars.

New mobile above Little Man's bed:

Video of Little Man naming the planets that I took with my phone. I have a better video that is clearer of him naming the planets on my camcorder, but I'm too lazy to do all the steps required to get it on my computer. Maybe later.

He was beyond thrilled to watch an actual shuttle launch. I recorded it, and already, we have watched it over and over again. He really couldn't believe that a real shuttle launched and then asked me continuously which planet the rocket was going to and if they were already there. It was perfect timing that the last shuttle launched while my child is in an outer space stage.

Play-Doh Solar System:

Earth complete with Africa:

I'm not sure where his interests will go next, but I do know that I am excited to teach him all about whatever it may be. In the meantime, I'm going to start teaching him Spanish ;)!

Fourth Activities

2011-07-06T17:39:00.002-05:00

Little Man and I had a great fourth of July weekend at the lake. We fully realize how blessed we are that we are invited to partake in lake fun for the holiday. Little Man swam, water skied, did tricks on the jetski, rode the boat, played with sparklers, and watched fireworks.

He has gotten freakishly brave while water skiing. This round of skiing, he decided to dance while standing up and to only hold on with one hand. He laughs, smiles, and sings the entire time he's skiing, and my heart swells with pride and love to the point of bursting while watching him.

He found a new favorite activity with his Auntie and that is doing tricks on the jetski. She lets him 'drive' and they go fast and turn donuts and figure 8's in the water. He thinks it is wonderful!

Doing tricks on the jetski

Little Man and Auntie

A view from the pier of how water skiing works

Showing off his new trick while water skiing....holding on with only one hand!

Waving bye to Auntie and CeCe

Worn out from swimming and water skiing

My little gentleman. (If Little Man is present, I'm no longer allowed to open my own door.)

Yearly photo shoot

Sparklers

We came back a day early this year to recuperate from our adventures. Instead of recuperating though, we spent a fun-filled day shopping with Auntie and CC. Little Man was a little angel and was so patient while the three of us helped stimulate the economy. Here is a self-timer picture I snapped of the two of us before heading out for the day:

(Little Man picked this dress out for me to wear. He has seen it in my closet and has been repeatedly telling me "Mommy, I love your dresses." He was very glad that I wore it today. I guess he prefers me in a dress ;). He's quite the fashionista now.)

This year and every year, we are thankful and proud that we live in the United States of America!

Happy 4th!!

2011-07-04T16:30:00.011-05:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Independence Day!

July 2009

July 2010

July 2011

July 2009

July 2011

Obsessed...

2011-07-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

with trains...and The Polar Express in particular!

He used his blocks to be a Christmas tree for the train to go around. I helped make his tower taller than him.

Santa brought him this train last year. If you ask what he wants Santa to bring him next year, he says 'another Polar Express.'

Art

2011-06-29T19:29:00.000-05:00

When I picked Little Man up from school on Monday, he ran to his cubby to give me a picture he drew for me. His teacher said that he finished his coloring sheet, so he turned it over and drew his mommy. He had some help with my eyes but did all the rest on his own. He was very satisfied with his art, but after looking it over, he decided a picture of mommy wasn't complete without him standing next to me.

Here is his picture: (The picture is a little hard to make out because of the wrinkles courtesy of Little Man and the picture on the front shows through.)

I looked at it and immediately noticed the colors he choose. I asked the teacher if she had any influence on his color choices, but she assured me that Little Man picked all of the colors by himself.

Little Man has never come out and said that he noticed we have different skin colors. We have several children's adoption books that point out the differences in families and skin color in particular. I wasn't sure that he really made the connection that we weren't the same color but looking at his art from today, I know that he really does understand. It is my absolute favorite picture and has already been framed and is proudly displayed on our wall!!

Slip-n-slide Fun

2011-06-28T20:40:00.001-05:00

Movie Success

2011-06-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Little Man likes movies but isn't one to sit still through an entire movie. The only movie he sits still through from start to finish is his ultimate favorite...The Polar Express. While he will watch movies in their entirety, he does so while re-enacting the movie with his toys. He likes to play along with the movie versus vegetate on the couch unmoving.

In the past, I have taken Little Man to three movies all of which were not pleasant experiences. We had to leave multiple times because he had to use the restroom, or wanted to walk, or was being too loud.

With the release of C@rs 2, I decided to try the movie going experience once more. I figured that Little Man loves the first movie and that the new movie promised to have cars, boats, airplanes, and trains. I prepped Little Man for weeks on appropriate theater etiquette.

Finally, the movie released Friday, and we were there on opening day. Little Man was so excited and wore his Lightning McQueen t-shirt for the occasion. He told his friends all day at school that he was going to the movie. He requested popcorn, candy, chocolate, and sprite to enhance his viewing pleasure...and his wish was granted by an Auntie that likes to spoil him. The popcorn was inhaled, the ring pop was savored, the sprite was guzzled, and the M&M's were devoured!

I am proud to say that he made it through his first full length feature in a theater without having to leave and without being a disruption to those around us! He was very proud of himself and announced at the end of the movie "Mommy, I was SOOOOOO good!"

The best part of the movie for me was watching Little Man become enthralled in the action scenes and excited when characters he recognized flashed across the screen. Lounging in the theater seat (which I still have to occasionally hold to keep it from folding in on him), Little Man looked so big and so small at the same time. Funny how one glimpse reveals a little being who can barely keep the seat down and the next glimpse reveals a boy who is engaged in the scene and whose imagination is lifting off.

Excited little guy outside of the theater:

Ready with his Cars Snack Pack

Little Man after the movie and hyped up on sugar!

The Things People Say

2011-06-26T18:57:00.007-05:00

Little Man will have been home for three years in November, and we have gotten our fair share of odd comments. Most have been curious, harmless comments. None of the comments have made me cringe that Little Man was present until now.

While visiting our favorite self-serve yogurt bar, Little Man and I were approached by a woman. Little Man was in my arms, and we were waiting to pay for our yogurt. This lady got right up in Little Man's face and asked what his name was. Little Man wasn't interested in being social, because he was too busy snuggling and kissing me.

This is the conversation that followed:

Lady: He's adopted, right.
Me: Yes (followed by awkward silence so I added) He's Ethiopian.
Lady: How long has he been home?
Me: He came home at 14 months old and will have been home for 3 years in November.
Lady: Does he speak English?
Me: (Realizing that this conversation was going in an odd direction) Yes, he does.
Lady (speaking to Little Man): Do you like it here? (Implying the USA)
Little Man: Completely ignored the lady because he was 'slurping' my face. (This is a lovely yet slobbery kiss from my little love.)
Lady (again speaking to Little Man): Do you like your adopted mommy?

At this point the weirdness and inappropriateness of the conversation had me at a complete loss of words, so we paid and got away as quickly as possible.

Here's what I would have liked to say to the lady:

1. Have you heard about personal space? If not, could you get out of my son's face?

2. I just told you that he came home at 14 months and has been home for 3 YEARS...so, yes, he can speak English!!!!!!!!!

3. My son has lived in the USA for 2 years and 7 months and only lived in Ethiopia for 14 months. Yes, he likes it here. To him this is his home!!! He knows where he was born, and we celebrate the fact that his homeland is Ethiopia, but the USA is what he considers his home.

4. No, he doesn't like me...he LOVES me!!! I am his MOTHER! He was relinquished to an orphanage at 2 months of age, so in reality, I am the only mother he has ever really known. He knows that he is adopted, and again, we celebrate that, but to him I am mommy...not just adopted mommy. I am mommy without a qualifier. And, if you would stop and look, you would notice that while you are asking ridiculous questions, my SON is covering my face in kisses. I think he might like me just a little bit!!!!!!!

I'm all for being an adoption advocate and teaching people, but some people need to stay under the rock they crawled out from under!

My Protector

2011-06-24T07:59:00.001-05:00

Little Man has assumed a new role in our family as my personal protector. This is a role he took upon himself in the last two months.

He is ever vigilant on my behalf. If he perceives that I have been dealt an injustice, he is quick to try to remedy the situation and ensure my safety.

Little Man is in all other instances only a lover. He has never been a bully. Hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking, etc. are not part of his personality. He is a hugger, a kisser, a snuggler, a hand-holder. However, I have noticed that when it comes to protecting me, he can be quite fierce. He still wouldn't dare be physically mean but his demeanor, stance, and tone of voice warn offenders not to push their luck.

Here are some examples of my protector in action:

1) While playing in the pool, Little Man swam across the pool on his own to show off his new skill. Upon reaching the other side, he spotted a boy shooting at me with a water gun. In a flash, my indignant little boy was across the pool and positioned himself between me and my assailant. Enraged, Little Man screamed at the boy "Hey, don't you spray MY mommy!" He then refused to budge until the boy found himself a new victim.

2)While at the park, Little Man was chasing a buddy but was apparently keeping a close eye on me. A group of 10 year old boys were rough housing and accidentally bumped into me. Before I knew it, my 3 year old protector was present and angry. He puffed himself up, got in the middle of these boys who towered above him, and yelled "Don't you push my mommy!"

3) Little Man knows to be polite to adults. He is generally even-tempered and respectful of his 'elders'. However, if he perceives that someone is assuming an unjust tone with me (he doesn't yet know how to distinguish joking/teasing from anger), he will tell them "Don't talk to my mommy like that!" or "Don't yell at my mommy!"

I have to say that seeing his desire to protect me melts my heart. Up until now, the role of protector was mine and mine alone. Now, in a turn of events I didn't forsee, we share that role.

My Handsome Little Protector:

This picture sums up his protection perfectly. He is leaning over me asking what he can protect me from.

Stuck

2011-06-21T21:24:00.005-05:00

Reminiscing

2011-06-17T14:52:00.015-05:00

I've been spending a lot of time lately reminiscing about my first week with Little Man in Ethiopia. There are times when I seriously cannot believe that I traveled all the way to Africa as a single lady with my best friend and was handed a living, breathing 14 month old baby boy. It really blows my mind looking back.

I had experience with children, of course, both personally and professionally, but a nanny placed this amazing baby in my arms and all of a sudden I was responsible for another human being's life. In an instant, I was a mother.

I know that I passed all of the security clearances and home studies and was approved to be a parent, but how does one really know that someone will be a good parent or not? (After working with some of the families I work with, it makes you wish that everyone had to be screened like an adoptive parent is screened.)

I had this dream of how it would be when I first met Little Man. I expected to be in a room waiting with baited breath for them to bring him through the door. Instead, I first met my handsome boy on the side of the road in a bus. Not just on the side of the road, but on the side of a dirt road in Ethiopia! (I think this is very fitting, since Little Man is obsessed with all things transportation.) The van door opened and there was the boy I had been dreaming of and praying for for so long.

I look back and wonder how did I make it through that week. I remember being exhausted and hungry and overwhelmed. Somehow, we made it through fine. We traveled on three different airplanes and survived that too. Now we are a strong family unit and being a single mom is my normal. We are happy and love flows freely. But looking back, it blows my mind that I actually adopted a child by myself and traveled to Africa to be united with him. When I reminisce about it, it feels almost as if I'm watching someone else's story instead of reliving the beginning of my little family.

Looking back now, I'm proud of myself for following through with my dreams, for believing that I could be a good single parent, for not listening to those who doubted my decision, for making the leap of faith and pursuing adoption from Ethiopia, for traveling to a third world country, and for being Little Man's mother. It was the best decision that I have ever made!

It was certainly the most life changing trip I will ever take, and I don't regret a single moment of it!!!

Some pictures from our first day together:

Pictures from our first week:

A Visit to Mayberry

2011-06-14T20:02:00.009-05:00

Little Man and I spent this weekend in Mayberry with my dear friend, Erin, and her family. As soon as we pull onto her street, there is a certain magic that encompasses us. Little Man and I are transported back to a time when neighborhood meant being surrounded by friends. A place where kids grow up playing together, walking to school together, having sleep-overs with each other. It is a place where you really walk across the street to borrow eggs from your neighbor. A place where all the neighbors walk together to the pool and enjoy time together as adults while their kids play and then grill dinner and eat together in their swim suits.

It's the kind of life I wish I could give to my son. I do not live in that kind of neighborhood, so it's fun to go visit. At least Little Man can experience that life for a weekend. When we are there, we are treated just as if we lived there.

We love our time in Mayberry. Little Man and Ephraim play so well. They can play for hours at a time without fighting. Listening to their little giggles warms my heart. It's amazing to me that Erin and I first met in 7th grade, and now here we are watching our sons form their own friendship that will hopefully last as long as ours has.

Little Man experienced so much: his first water balloon fight, his first time to jump off of a diving board, helping Brent work on his convertible and then going for a ride in it around the neighborhood, and swimming galore! It was, and always is, a magical time. Thank you, Erin, for your hospitality and for sharing your life with us! We can't wait to come back!

The boys first thing in the morning

The boys working on the sports car with Brent

Getting ready for a ride in the convertible (This convertible is for sale. I happen to know the owner, so if you are interested in purchasing it, let me know.)

The boys during the convertible ride

First ever water balloon

Playing in the sprinkler with the all the neighbors

Saturday, we skipped nap in order to get in hours of swimming. When we got back to the house, the boys watched a movie while dinner was prepared. Little Man sat down to watch a movie with Ephraim and this is how I found them 20 minutes later.

This weekend, I was able to witness first hand Little Man's swimming abilities, and I will be honest and say that I was totally shocked! Yes, I watched him from the upper bleachers during swim lessons, but watching him and being with him are completely different. He is really swimming...as in he swam across the width of the pool from wall to wall completely by himself without any rest breaks! Initially, I stayed very close to him because he made me nervous, but he's a pro! He was able to jump off the diving board, re-surface, and swim to the ladder by himself. He is one amazing little boy, and I am so lucky to be his mother!!

Single Mom's Club

2011-06-10T07:28:00.013-05:00

Wednesday we had another meeting of the Single Mom's Club for a picnic at the park. The more we meet, the more we become family. These women are strong, like-minded ladies who have/are dedicating their lives to better the lives of their Ethiopian-American children.

We have a new member to the group who is in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. She came to join our group in a complete twist of fate. She happened upon Little Man's daycare while searching for a daycare for her daughter. She mentioned that she was adopting from Ethiopia and was given my name. She left her business card, and the rest is that she is now a good friend and a welcomed addition to our little club!

While we watch our children play together, we are able to learn from as well as teach each other. It's a safe, non-judgmental place where we can air our feelings, problems, joys, stresses, etc. I have come to cherish our time together and love the support system provided not only for me but for my son.

The gang:

Little Man ready to eat:

Baby A loving the swings:

Melissa and G:

Swinging:

Sue playing ice cream shop with the boys:

The big boys on the tire swing:

The baby of the group eating bark:

Baby A wearing Little Man's adoption funding raising onesie. I saved all of our fun adoption onesies and passed them on to Sue to use. Love seeing Baby A in this!

The boys after playing hard at the park

Chores

2011-06-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

As Little Man has gotten older, the toys he's interested in seem to continuously get smaller and have more intricate pieces. What does this add up to... a constant mess and struggling to keep up with all the pieces.

I have an organizing system that helps to keep up with they toys. There are specific bins throughout the house. Little Man knows what goes in each bin, so he knows where to find and put the toys. For instance there is a car bin, a train bin, a block bin, a pirate bin, a lego bin, etc.

We have been working on cleaning up toys as he is playing, but there are times when I'm cooking or cleaning and am not present to remind Little Man to clean as he plays. This results in an amazing amount of toys scattered everywhere and usually a fit when it's time to clean it all up.

Last week, the mess and the fight was too much. I am so tired of cleaning up all the toys and having to fight with Little Man to clean up the toys. I decided to implement a chore chart.

Little Man has 4 chores:
1. Clean up his toys
2. Clean up his room
3. Put dirty clothes in the laundry hamper
4. Brush his teeth

When he's completed all four checks, he gets to chose a privilege before bed time. He gets to choose between an extra book to read, computer time, or extra play time.

I wanted to start small and work our way up to other chores. I made him his own chore chart that has check boxes he gets to check off by himself once his chore is complete. So far, the results have been great. Little Man loves the he feels in control and feels like a big boy. He now quickly cleans up his toys without crying or whining. When he's finished, he says "There, now it's just perfect."

Here he is checking off his chart:

Water-skiing

2011-06-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Little Man adores being pulled on the tube by the jet ski. He always wants to go faster and loves bumpy rides. I decided to buy him a water ski trainer for this season at the lake.

As soon as the trainer came in, Little Man was itching to get on it. Before I even took it out of the box, he knew that he had to always hold on to the rope and that if he let go he would fall in the water.

At the lake for Memorial Day, we started with the trainer in the pool. We practiced hand signals, holding the rope correctly, sitting down, and standing up.

Once he was ready, it was time to get out on the lake. I have to be honest and say that I was as excited as Little Man. I couldn't wait to see what my brave little guy would do...and I wasn't disappointed at all!

First time on the trainer in the lake and ready to take off:

As soon as the jet ski started moving, Little Man immediately stood up and refused to sit down for the rest of the ride:

As we were pulling him, I could tell that he was yelling something to me. I thought maybe he was scared or wanted a break, so we stopped and pulled him in. I asked him what he was telling me, and he grinned and said "Let's go really fast!" No fear at all! I have to say that I was bursting with pride at my little dare devil. I love that he grabs life by the horns and goes full force. In some ways, he reminds me of his mommy...and that makes me very happy!

We obliged him and went a little faster. He wanted the water to be bumpy and even tried to jump the wake a couple of times!!

He got a little too adventurous and fell off of his trainer mid-ride. He knew exactly what to do, even though we hadn't discussed falling off. The fall scared him a little, so we ended the ride and headed back in. When asked what his favorite part was, he happily said going over the bumps.

Once back, we worked on falling off and getting back on the trainer. It took him a little bit of coaxing to ride the trainer again. I made him do it though, because I don't want him to be a quitter. I wanted him to learn to always get back up and try again...not just at water skiing but life in general. After a couple more rides, Little Man was standing up on his own and was back to his dare devil self. While water skiing, he was singing his own song about him on the water ski set to the tune of the 'Wheels on the Bus'.

Ready to try again:

Standing proud:

Concentrating:

Some close up shots (Thanks to Auntie for trusting me to hold onto the other end of Little Man's rope and her super expensive camera while sitting backwards on the jet ski!!)

I am so proud of my little water skier and can't wait to see him ski again!!

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

This Memorial Day weekend, Little Man and I loaded up for our annual trip to Auntie's parent's lake house. Going to the lake runs is Little Man's favorite place after Disney and Poppy's house. He gets to ride on a boat and a jet ski, he can ride a four wheeler, he can swim, he can fish, he can ride bikes, and he can be pulled on a tube.

He loves it so much, that he literally wakes up with the chickens every single morning we are there. This means that when he wakes up at 5:14 and is ready to play, I have to drag myself out of bed and entertain him outdoors until everyone else wakes up. It makes for a very tiring trip for me but one that is 100% worth it. Little Man loves every second that we are at the lake, and his unadulterated joy makes the sleep deprivation bearable.

I am so thankful that Auntie and her parent's tolerate us and are so hospitable to us. I know that Little Man is very rambunctious (especially when surrounded by boats and water). He also is quite the jabber-jaws now, so the only peace had by any is nap time and bed time. But seriously, I am so thankful that Little Man is able to experience all the things he does at the lake. I know that he will look back with only fond memories at all the things he did, tried, and accomplished.

This weekend, my big item on the agenda was introducing Little Man to water skiing. It was a HUGE success. So much so, that it will get it's own blog post!

The first thing Little Man wanted to do when we arrived at the lake was to go fishing. His first two times out and the boy caught two fish (with Unc's help).

Fishing with Unc

First catch of the trip

This little American-Ethiopian loves to fish

Little Man and Unc with their first catch

Trying to convince Unc to let him take the fish inside to play

Love that smile

Reeling in the second catch of the day

Kissing his catch

Aside from fishing, Little Man did a LOT of swimming. I left his life jacket on for safety, but he swam all over the place. His favorite thing was to have me swim far away from the dock and then he would jump from the dock and swim to me. There were several times when he would get too adventurous with his swimming, and I would have to make him swim back.

We also went for a bike ride...as in both of us on a bike. This was a first. For me it was a whole new form of bike riding...slow motion riding. I think I worked more on balancing than anything else. Little Man, on the other hand, was amazing! He rode his bike for an entire mile which included hills and didn't have to get off to rest once.

The weekend was a much needed break for both of us!

Toga Party

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Little Man has now had his first Toga Party. After work one day, I stripped off his clothes and was letting him have some undies time. (He loves to run around in his underwear.)

He was playing in his room and came out with one of his blankets wrapped around him. He insisted that he wanted to wear it, so I made him a toga. He thought that his was spectacular! I hope that he won't find it quite as spectacular later while in college ;).

Little Man in his Toga. This blanket was made for Little Man by a co-worker's mother and is the blanket he used while we were in Ethiopia.

Drumming in a toga

Toga dance party

His toga even goes with his truck

I think that he totally rocks his toga!