Sunday

Once upon a time I didn't have a kid (don't like to think about those times). I am wonder what in the he** I did back then. Seriously. Lucy has been gone with her auntie for 2 hours (to watch a movie). I have moved the fridge and vacuumed behind it. Organized the mudroom, cleaned out the junk drawer, cleaned the kitchen, boiled down a frozen turkey carcass transferred the stock to a crock pot added extra turkey, carrots, onions, garlic, corn and seasoning to slow cook during the day. Took a shower (shaved). Cleaned and oiled the dining room table and done this here blog. I haven't felt this relaxed for a long while. So once again I am left to wonder what I did when my weekends were totally about ME and once again I shake my head preferring not to think about those times.

Happy Birthday Bennett

Today we celebrated Bennett's 4th birthday!!! Lucy and Bennett were roommates in Ethiopia. Way back when the care center the guest house and the offices were all in one building together and when our kids were called Eskedar and Nigatu. The kids are in preschool together! Lucy and Bennett have both turned a corner and are able to be pretty sweet friends, no biting, no pinching.

Too bad ...

Too bad our glorious weekend ended in me getting sick. It was a sudden onset cold/sinue issue that had me going going gone. I am slowly climbing my way back to the land o the living. Lucy has not given up on the spirit of the weekend. Her school/child-care is closed this week so she had me on Monday, grandma and grandpa on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mel and Morgan on Thursday and tomorrow the boy's mom will have a go at child-care.

Looking for ...

Hey, I am too stuffed up and fuzzy brained to really blog so I thought I'd use this opportunity to ask my readers where the Fully Operational Battle Station crew disappeared to? Anyone know? I click once a week just to obsess and now it goes to a new webpage (not their blog for sure)! I miss that funny blogger and her family.

Does anyone have any inside info?

Sunday ... and we still have one whole day left!

Sunday morning we loaded up Mel's mom's mini-van and headed to my favorite state park, Mille Lac's Kathio
we stopped in the trail center to use the facilities and let the Eaglets rest a bit

and we hit the open trail running, we were running away from the mosquitoes.

a short in distance hike can take up a lot of time when you are short and notice everything

hiking sticks were a highly sought after fashion accessory

after our hiking, playing, picnicking and driving to the cities, we got back into our car and headed to the zoo. Lucy FINALLY stopped talking long enough to fall asleep ... she needed to get her beauty rest because...

we were about to come face to face, in person, same place same time as the beautiful Gracie from Texas. Yeah, a cuteness explosion did in fact occur at Como Zoo on Sunday afternoon. It almost hurt to look at these two together. It was so much fun to meet this little cutie and her awesome parents. Now if we could only move Texas closer or at least convince (lie???) Gracie's parents that MN winters really aren't that bad.

with great beauty also comes great speed and activity and capturing these two together in the same shot was nearly impossible.

Lucy loved the merry-go-round she laughed the whole time.

We are home now and Lucy is in bed. Let's relive today once again in list form:

1. left home at 8:30am

2. arrived at state park at 11am

3. Hiked and played until 1:30pm

4. drove to zoo and walked about 1/2 mile due to the fact that most of MN was at Como Zoo

5. played at zoo until nearly 6pm

6. drove home

7. ate

8. swam in backyard pool

9. went to bed

don't you think that I deserve sleep until at least 7:30am tomorrow?????

Saturday

Saturday after swimming lessons, lunch and some play time we got ready to head to a BBQ. First we had to quick stop at the global market for some much needed hair moisterizer. Check out her dress! I have had this fabric for probably 10 years, my grandma probably had it for 30 years before that, put it all together and add in a crafty friend (thanks Melissa) and you've got yourself some spanking new (yet vintage) duds for the pretty poppy princess.
HELLO, guy with banjo??? Must stop for very unplanned dance break!


Seriously could have stayed all day. Fun music, just a few kids. A comfy chair...


The sun streaming in.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

we managed to move on, bought our hair products and headed north to the BBQ


We were able to capture great-great grandma Pearl with her great-great granddaughter Lauren. We also ate some great food and enjoyed a nice Saturday afternoon with family. Must charge camera for tomorrow's adventure. I so love the weekends, especially when there are three whole days!

9 hours until 3 days of fun

we REALLY REALLY need this time off!

awww shucks

Lucy will be sad when she wakes up and discovers that Adam didn't win.

blog to the dog

This post is dedicated to Zep, Zepado, Zeppers ... he is almost 7 months old! He is probably the world's best puppy. He has that puppy spirit but is suprisingly mellow. Zep has only had maybe three potty accidents in the house. He sleeps good at night. He is surprsingly patient with the hyper-in-your-face-on-your-body Lucy. Up until a couple days ago, Lucy could put him in his kennel for the day and he would willingly obey (now he thinks my bed should be his resting place, no boy down). He knows sit, lay down, leave-it, and can spin around with some initiative. Zep once escaped the back yard, only to scratch at the front door to be let back in. He has been good with all the kids who spend time here. All of this and he's cute to boot.

The Uncles and the Aunts

Lucy had her family birthday party on Sunday afternoon. At first I was disappointed that the two other kids in our family were unable to attend. Once the party got rolling it became obvious that no other kids were needed, Lucy was still required to share her toys:

Photopia

Couldn't resist posting lots of photos of Lucy in her beautiful dress.
Lilacs

She had her baby on her back, so sweet.

Weekend

OH I love the weekends. Even when Lucy is less than fun, I still cherish the time we have together.

Friday

It's been a long day. By the time I dropped Lucy off at preschool this morning I had: started a load of laundry, fed her breakfast, had 2 going on 3 cups of coffee, mowed the back yard, watered the back garden, hung the laundry on the line, dead headed the flower basket and stripped our beds. I was called from preschool at 12ish because the teachers were concerned that Lucy might be getting sick. She (Lucy) was acting lethargic and cranky. I didn't have a lot of my work plate so I was able to go pick her up. I brought her to work with me. I saw no signs of the lethargy. We hung out at work for awhile and headed home to fix her hair. Lucy had a nap on the way to Kok Sool Kids (pre-martial arts class). It was her first class. I think we are going to love it! The class prepares kids for regular martial arts but the preschool class focuses on 8 developmental characteristics: 1. respect 2. flexibility 3. strength 4. concentration 5. right attitude 6. perseverance 7 self-control and 8. patience. Today they focused on concentration (concentrating and listening to people). The instructor (who has a BA in child-psychology) had a very short "lecture" on how to show someone you are listening to them. It was great. Then they did a bunch of activities. They kept the kids (Lucy) in line and were kind but consistent in expecting that she follow the rules. I think this will be perfect for her as she enters the stage where she has greater ability to listen and follow direction but still lacks desire. They also have homework for the kids, in order to move up the kids have to be able to demonstrate some behaviors at home like: no whining for a day, over coming a fear, listening, non violent, yelling problem solving, helping etc.

She was freakn' adorable in this class. Cute cute cute. No photos, I was intimidated. Yes Sir!

Bon Jovi

Here he is:

Announcement

Wednesday morning Lucy gave birth to a miniature purple teddy bear named Bon Jovi. I am a grandmother. He came out of her tummy. He got yelled at a lot during the birth process "just get out" "come on baby get out". Now he's here. I was present for the birth, it was beautiful. I can't believe I forgot about it until just now. Will try to post photos soon. Mother and baby are resting comfortably along with a huge stuffed dog, a smaller stuffed dog and two baby dolls (little lucy and eric)

Also reporting that Lucy continues to demonstrate the sweetness of being 4, or the better balanced behavior of one that is getting better sleep. Either way ... I no longer feel that either one of us needs any type of evaluation. We are good.

Hey Morgie

Hey Mo Mo,

I know it isn't necessarily OUR anniversary yet but it it YOUR famiversary and I couldn't be happier that you are here and a part of our life.

Morgan you are sweet, funny, SMART AS SMART CAN BE, cute, adorable and clever. You are a boy when it comes to mechanical things and toys with parts. Every Monday night I search around my house for little Morganisms like toys taken apart, Lucy's closet de-organized, plugged in things - unplugged, unplugged things - plugged. It's like a treasure hunt, and of course the biggest treasure is you.

The other day Lucy told someone you were her baby brother. A lot of days she'll say "he's just like a little brother". It's true. You are like Lucy's little brother. You two are growing up together. You are learning lots of good things and lots of bad things from your "big sister".

I was astonded by how quickly you overcame your weak, small self and learned to defy gravity with sitting, standing, walking and jumping in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

I love your voice, it's the sweetest voice on earth and I love how you use all those words.

I am not so secretly jealous of your consistent ability to sleep. Yes I am bitter that your mama has had you home now for two years and in those two years she has gotten more sleep then I have in the 3 1/2 years Lucy has been home. Ahhh well, you need your sleep you busy busy boy.

thankful to know you,

Stacy

anyone reading this know how to help????

click on this link and read about the impact a new law has had on one family's adoption from Ethiopia, know that this same law impacts many many others and if you can do something or if you know someone that can do something please forward this to that person. Someone in our government has to have common sense (don't ya think?).

Thanks,
Stacy

The 4 year old stats ...

Lucy had her well child check up today. During the appointment Lucy was BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS both literally and figuratively. I kept wanting to do a disclaimer about how she was normally quite spirited but this was a bit over the top. Somehow our wonderful pediatrician got us through the appointment.

So a day after her 4th birthday Lucy:
weighs 32#
stands 38 3/4" tall
and has a BMI of 14.9

Lucy had high scores on her ability to communicate. No problems there. My fears that this child is not learning her academics (letter recognition) were laid to rest (a little) as she immediately named the letters on the eye exam. When I try asking her what letters are she feigns that she doesn't know.

Basically Lucy is awesome. She had another great day in her new kinder, more balanced self. Now all I ask is that she sleep a bit later.

So far I love 4 year olds.

Birthday Party Photos

An evening of babysitting turned into a convenient friends birthday party for Lucy. Here is some random ordered photographic evidence of the chaos that followed:

cake on the deck

baseball hat and scarf from auntie Jen.

getting lots of help opening gifts

Jakeenos Pizza for birthday dinner

flowers for those who loved her first, and those that have to miss out on this beautiful girls life.

nurturing the earth worms. dear worms of s. mpls, I am so sorry.

auntie Jen, Lucy and the worms

as close to a group shot as I could muster

spinning fast and spinning hard

some help from Nathan

I tried to get a shot of Nathan resting in the chair but he quite suddenly sprung to life

it's a home run!

skateboarding down the hill, lessons provided by Isaac


and rest time. whew