Kids need to expend energy

It's a fact.  Staying inside too much is not good for any kid AND they drive parents nuts when they do.  So anytime it's tolerable and the kids want to go outside....we say "go for it!"

The snow has just melted and it's soggy as it can get out there, but thankfully we have quite a bit of concrete for them to stay on.  Of course, they still manage to find mud, but can't help that.  Today, the big boys drew a track on the driveway and they decided to ride their bikes.  It's also finally warm enough for their daily jogs again.  They used to do them everyday and it REALLY helped with their irritation level, and therefore ours.  It's a quick jog, but it tires them enough they don't fight near as much.  :)

Save More, Live Better....Walmart

:)

Had to post the slogan.  Chelsi loves to repeat it all the time.  We are obviously there too often for everything!

I realize that the Walmarts of the world can be hurtful to the mom and pop shops of the world, but sometimes, especially for lower-middle class families like ourselves, they're a lifesaver!  Kae and I just went to the vision center for eye exams today.  Where else can you do all we did for $197 with no vision insurance.  We can't afford family vision insurance.  It would cost far too much over a year's time.  But, with our health insurance allowing a $35 copay for the exam we're pretty set for self/private pay.  For this money I got Brian's new frames and lenses, Kaelin's exam as well as my exam and lenses.  That's really a good price for this!  And, of course, I work this into a medical savings plan to save even more.

Brian's frames were in the $9 sets, so VERY cheap.  His lenses were the $38 lenses they advertise....no frills, just plastic lenses with no glare protection since he only uses them at night after his contacts are out.  Kaelin only needed the exam, but since she has an astigmatism and one eye is worse than the other she will need glasses within the next 2 years.  We were well aware of this.  They told us this 2 years ago that by the time she was 9 she'd be in glasses.  Looks like she's still on target.  She's already picked out some too cute frames for herself.  She looks gorgeous in them, so no worries on her part.  I had some old frames, so I just had them put my new lenses in them.  My lenses were $35 more than Brian's, but because mine are for reading and computer use I need the glare.  My astigmatism causes my eyes to get more tired and she said having that glare protection will help when they get tired.  I asked if I could just get reading glasses, but one eye is quite a bit different than the other.  It looked like the paper said 20/25 in one and 20/50 in the other.  I have to say for what we paid, he was VERY thorough and VERY good with our daughter.  He had a lot of patience with her constant moving and distractions.

Lisa

Parenting No No

I'm doing a big parenting no no.  So I may be complaining in a few years when I can't get my son out of my bed.  But, for now it's just fine.

Yes, I've been partial cosleeping for the past few days.  It seems to be helping Jaemin sleep better.  If he sleep with me the first little bit of the night and goes to bed later he doesn't get up at night.  If he sleeps in his bed all night he gets up 2-3 times.  So I think, right now, it makes more sense to just let him sleep in our bed.

I think he wakes a little if he's in his bed and is continually hunting for us.  If he's in our bed he can find me right away.  He lies on me a lot of nights.  The only nights that are hard are when he has a cold and he snores like a freight train.  Yikes he's loud for a 1 year old.

I figure he's the baby, so if the last one cosleeps it doesn't feel like a big deal.  Of course, Brian is convinced he may not be the last.  :)  He says I've said that 4 other times.  :)  Well, what can I say.  God has laughed at us a lot!  But, love having these kiddos....even if there are a lot more than we planned.

Lisa

Social Security Card Name Change....check!

Finally.  After poor Brian had to go there 3 times he finally got them to do it.  Apparently, only one person in that office knows what actual documentation is required to change the name of an internationally adopted child on their social security card.  Catch is, she doesn't work the window and those people don't have a clue!

So for anyone out there reading this.  All you need is your adoption decree and your child's foreign passport with visa to show they're still a permanent resident status.  If you have a US passport or Certificate of Citizenship for them you can show that and get their status changed to US Citizen, but we've just sent off the N600 with his green card today to get the Certificate of Citizenship and that takes time.  What I found out is that if your child's visa has I551 on it, it also serves as proof of permanent resident status.

So on the 3rd trip there with the same exact documentation as the other 2 and one phone call from me they did it.   They really need to train the folks sitting at the window in that office.

One more trip after we get his Certificate of Citizenship and we don't have to do this for our children again...because no, we're having no more children.  :)

Sometimes, I really wonder how many hundreds of papers we've filled out for these 3 adoptions and how much time we've spent doing it and crossing our ts and dotting our is.  It's massive, I know it.

Lisa

Jaemin's Well-Baby Visit

Since it always seems that if I'm posting on Jaemin's health it's always when he's sick.  Unfortunately, he's had a rough time of it the last few months.  But, yesterday we had a well-baby visit.  He is 15 months and I had asked that they put off some of October's shots so he wouldn't be getting so many at once.  So, he got 3 additional vaccines yesterday...ouch!

The doctor did ask if he finally got over everything from a couple of weeks ago and I was happy to report he had.  The doctor felt so bad for my baby.  After weight and measurements he asked how his eating habits have been.  I told him that even when he's sick his appetite rarely decreases.  Jaemin can really put away the food!  He, by far, eats more than his 4 yo sister.  They checked his growth curve and he's doing very well.  He said with a little man who has had pneumonia 3 times in the last 4 months he was expecting him to fall off some, but he has maintained his curve very well.  He said he's still hovering at or a little above 50th in height and 50-75 in weight.  He said he expects him to be a stocky young man.  I have to laugh.  Chase used to be built the same way and has really thinned out.  We shall see.

He's a happy healthy little man.  He is, however, very tired of doctors.  He hates being weighed because mom has to put him down.  Then when they check his ears and anything else that requires them getting to close to him he freaks out a little bit.  He's fine anywhere else in any other environment, but not the doctors office.  They wig him a bit.

He's also been such a big boy that he's sleeping in a toddler bed.  He's done really well, but last night was a bit rough.  Don't know if the shots threw his little body off or what.  He woke at his usual 11-12 or so.  Just a quick back to bed as usual.  But, then he woke at 2.  I put him back down and he cried for me again.  Right as I was getting ready to walk back in his room Brian walked in.  He got him quieted down and went back to bed.  By 2:30 am, I could hear little man pitter pattering down the hall talking and babbling away to himself.  Happy as can be in the middle of the night!  He comes tootling into my room and stands beside my side of the bed and starts grunting as he pretends to pull himself up.  So I pull him into bed since he usually goes right to sleep in my bed.  Nope!  He proceeded to talk and babble away again.  Finally, I realized he was not going to go back to sleep, so I brought him back to his bed.  He laid down just fine.  But, by 4:30 am he was back in my room babbling away.  I showed him that everyone else was in their rooms sleeping and he finally went to sleep.  Come 7 am when it was time to go to daycare so mommy could go to work he was in a good sleep.  Imagine that!

I've never gotten as many sleepless nights with all 4 older kids combined as I have with my little man.  But, I will happily take them to have the joy of him in my life!

Lisa

Prayers for Haiti

Please pray for all those in Haiti now.  It doesn't sound good after their earthquake and they may be expecting a tsunami, which will just amplify the devastation.  It's terrible that a hospital collapsed.  A friend of ours adopted their son from Haiti and I just cringe thinking of why may have happened to his birth family in this.
Lisa

We like Jonas brothers, apparently

When it's on they were both zoning.  I've never seen this since they usually don't watch it.  Even little brother didn't break their concentration.

Becoming parents at older ages

Not that our mid-thirties are old, by any means, but am I the only one that noticed that people are waiting longer and longer to either have their first or continue their families?  I'm not talking about people who are putting these massive careers first or anything.  People just like us.

I felt so old when we found out we were having Jaemin at almost 35...of course I had only turned 34 when he was actually born.  But, when we grew up having a baby at that age was a bit older...or we thought.  My mom was about that age when my sister was born, but we were all almost 6 years apart.  Now, I'm noticing friends and acquaintances having babies now.  I think it's becoming more of the norm now.  Good to know that when J is in school he will NOT have the oldest parents.

On the flip side, does this mean that when Cole is driving in a couple of years and we have room in the van again we can adopt another boy??  Just kidding mom!
Lisa

Fun with boys and baskets

Jaemin found the big brothers later and sat with them, but first we found out how fun it is to sit in the toy basket.  Then, we found out it was more fun to empty the toy basket and get inside and read our book there.  He could have sat in there for a VERY long time.  He loves getting inside things.  The wagon from Christmas is still in the living room because he loves sitting in it so much.  We played in Jaemin's room for a bit too and he found one of his favorite toys before he want to see big brothers.  Remotes ARE a boys best friend.

I'm not sure what he's doing here other than walking.  But, he looks like he's dancing.  :)



He just looks SO big next to his big boy bed.

What's going on?

Well, we're finally all better.  None of the kids got the stomach bug, which we're very thankful for.  That would not have been as easy to contain once it starts in on the kids.  The kids got to do lots of cleaning with chlorox wipes which they thought was entertaining.  I figured it was easier than me trying to rush around cleaning the whole house.

Brian and I are both finally starting to clear our colds out too.  Jaemin is MUCH better now.  We could see a huge difference on Sunday.  No more ooze out of his poor nose.  He's in an awesome mood too.  He's back to his usual happy self.  Jaemin's been feeling SO good he's walking around singing and bobbing his head and talking and just smiling and laughing at everything.  He's really an easy going little man, but when he doesn't feel good he's a lot like momma and is pretty grouchy.  It's nice to have us all better and we're hoping it stays that way.

The kids are back at school, or were for a whopping 2 days before snow canceled it.  Now it's too cold and they're canceling between the snow and cold.  They're enjoying it....for now.  They're going to hate making up the days when it warms back up...eventually.

Today, I took my first venture out into the snow with the new van.  It got around a lot better than I thought.  If we had gotten just 1 or 2 more inches though, I don't think I could have made it out since they hadn't plowed our road yet.  I stayed on everyone else's tracks.  It was just as well I went to work since most didn't show up and those that did were late.  I was early, so I got to leave early to pick up the littles.  Jaemin was so funny when I picked him up.  Brian's mom was holding him when I walked in and he just about jumped out of her arms to get down and run to me.  Man that makes me feel good!

Chelsi and Kaelin have spent the night reading to each other.  Kaelin reads her 1st grade level reader to Chelsi then Chelsi reads a 1st grade level reader to Kaelin.  So funny to think she's only 4 and can read at 1st grade level and do math.  She may be small, but that little brain of hers sure does hold a lot!

We all took a trip to Bass Pro on Saturday.  After having sick people in the house for 2 weeks I was dying to get out, cold or not.  So, Brian and the big boys had gift cards to spend.  Jaemin, Chelsi and I just walked around and looked at the fish.  Jaemin really enjoyed it.  Chase spent all of his gift card plus some of his grade money.  Cole actually saved some of his aside so he could get some more later and get something nicer.  Brian spent all of his plus some of his work bonus.  He finally got a new tackle box, which he says he really needed.  He got me a lovely pink Bass Pro ladies tshirt.  I asked him for it.  ;)  We took the kids to pizza buffet afterward.  It wasn't the best, but it was super cheap for all 7 of us.  Jaemin was so good.  He slept during the drive and I put him in the carrier at Bass Pro, so he just enjoyed the ride.

Now, we're all focusing on what activities the kids can do this year.  We don't have funds/time for too many, so they have to start making choices and narrow it down.  Cole will do football...if his grades are good enough.  Chase will do football and is thinking about baseball.  Kaelin is thinking about soccer again, but wants to try out basketball.  Chelsi wants to try gymnastics.  We'll see.  That's a more expensive activity, but since she wants to be a cheerleader it makes a little more sense.  Kaelin has ZERO interest in being a cheerleader, she wants to be in one of the other sports.

We'll see.  But, really, I'm hoping Chase forgoes baseball this year so we can have a little more of a relax summer.  We're not doing Fall soccer because the boys playing football will be enough.  Kaelin will have to play Spring soccer instead.  Just a couple more years and Jaemin will start into activities too.  Oh my is it going to get busy.  His dad swears he's born and built to play football and baseball!

Lisa

Whew! Thought our tv was broke

We just go a little 19" flat screen last year for the bedroom when our 15 year old finally went off and wouldn't come back on.  I was sick in bed Monday all day and the tv shut off on it's own.  Then Brian was sick in bed yesterday and he told me it did the same thing to him.  I was stressin' a bit thinking, great one more thing to break...where's my receipt.  So I googled first and found that there could be a menu option to cause this.  Sure enough there was something for inactivity for 3 hours.  Good to know we've just now discovered this after almost a year.  Shows how much we actually watch tv in there.

Mental note to self.  Always google before stressing and flipping out too much.  I know this, but sometimes forget.

Lisa

Status of the post Christmas illnesses

Real quick before I turn in early....

It's been a rough few days.  Jaemin is getting better, but still feeling a little run down and icky.  His nose is yucky, has 3 teeth coming in, is fighting a sinus infection and hopefully getting over pneumonia associated with influenza B.  I ended up with a BAD stomach virus late Sunday night and was in bed ALL day yesterday.  That is the worse I'd felt in quite a long time.  I couldn't move at all and never did.  I felt a little better today and a lot better tonight.  My stomach is starting to recover.  Chelsi woke up last night crying and I took her into my room.  She had a fever and was moaning within a couple of hours.  So this morning we called in the Tamiflu for influenza B since she'd been coughing and just started the fever.  She's been quite a bit better tonight, but we're afraid it may not necessarily be over since Jaemin's kind of went and then came back hard.

We're usually a little more careful with her than the others when a fever is involved after her seizure last year.  We give her meds and try to keep her completely under control.  So far, so good.  I'm just glad I'm feeling better so I can hold my Jaemin again.  That was pure torture when I was lucid enough to realize.

Lisa

The verdict is in

We went to the doctor this morning and were in the ER by nightfall.

Jae has influenza B.  That's good in that it's not A, which means it's not swine flu, though I still think that's what he had in September when he last had pneumonia.  Bad in that apparently every time he gets the flu he also gets pneumonia.  They said they heard something tonight in the ER and the film is showing a little infiltrate.  Funny thing is he tested negative at the doctor this morning, but was showing positive tonight in the ER.  We went because he just kept getting worse.  Poor Jaemin just couldn't knock his temp down.  We were rotating and everything and within 4 hours of meds he'd be back at 104, under the arm,  no matter what we did.  I called the doctor and she agreed it was just too high.

My poor baby has done nothing but sleep and cry.  I could tell he just was hurting somewhere.  He'd cuddle into me every chance he got.  And, as usual, he oohs and aaahs every staff member he encounters at the hospital with his dashing, good looks.  He is pretty DARN handsome!  So now we're left to finish the zithromax for pneumonia and just wait out the flu.  We'll have to just continue with our rotation and watch him.  He should be just about through it at this point, but we won't know until it's gone, gone.  And hopefully no one else in the house gets it.  Brian hasn't been feeling well today, so the doctor wrote him a script for meds and said if he feels like a train wreck within 24 hours he can take the meds otherwise it's pretty much too late.  He said they no longer treat the family prophylactically for influenza.

So here's to better days for my sweet baby boy!

Lisa

Merry Christmas 2009

It was a good Christmas even though Jaemin remained sick through most of it.  He's still sick today.  He was actually better for Christmas Day and then late last night his temp came back.  I took him to the doctor today and they said it was just a really bad sinus infection ( 103 degree temp).  So he's on round 2 of antibiotics and she gave him a nose spray so he can breath.  He's not struggling with his lungs, so no neb or anything thank goodness!  But, my boy still enjoyed his first Christmas.

Christmas Eve was a little weird.  Since little man was still running a decent temp I insisted Brian and the other 4 go to his grandparents as planned.  They made a short trip there and came back a couple of hours later.  Jaemin and I ran to Wendy's for Christmas Eve dinner and I just held him; which is pretty much all I had done for the past 3 days.  Santa came while we went to Wendy's, so when Brian and the kids got home we had presents to open.

The boys came upstairs and Cole stood there and stared at Santa's gifts he'd left.  See, at our house, Santa doesn't wrap.  He just leaves them in birth order with name tags on each item.  I asked Cole what was wrong and he said he just couldn't believe it.  I asked what.  He said  he couldn't believe Santa really brought Guitar Hero and one for each of them....the two big boys.  The big boys also each got a game; dominoes and a little dice game.  They also each got a watch.  The girls each got an MP3 player, in pink of course.  Kaelin also got a card game and a watch.  Chelsi also got a card game.  The 3 older ones found silly string in their stockings to play with this summer.  Jaemin got 2 books, a stacking toy and a mega block truck.  The kids LOVED their Santa gifts.  Chelsi's MP3 player had Toes and Chicken Fry already loaded.  Her two favorite songs, so she really thought Santa "knows" her.

Mom and dad gave Cole a KU hat and Bass Pro card, Chase got mom's old camera and a football, Kaelin got zubber, Chelsi got a microphone, Little Pony and Little Pony movie and Jaemin got a baby baseball and tee.  The kids were in absolute Heaven with their loot.  Really it was the least expensive Christmas ever since grandma found the Guitar Heroes at Sam's for under $20 including the guitars and games and MP3s were under $20 too.  We may have spent $60 on the most expensive child.  Thank goodness our children are pretty simple.  I realize just how simple after hearing one of the nephews brag, at age 8, about getting a plasma tv in his room for Christmas.

But, this is not where our kids' Christmas ended.  They stayed up until 10:00 just playing with all their new things on Christmas Eve.  Could hardly get them in bed that night.  Then, on Christmas Day Jaemin's fever was gone so we went to the grandparents for breakfast.  All together, everywhere else, Cole got a RC plane, MP3 speakers, Walmart gift card, hoodie, PS2 game, hat, gloves and thermal shirt, Chase got a RC helicopter, 2 sets of magnetix, PS2 game, hat, gloves, thermal shirt, 2 hoodies, a journal and a Bass Pro card, Kaelin got so much cute clothes it was unreal, snow boots, rings and necklace, Chelsi got a RC car, robe, travel aqua doodle, Strawberry Shortcake backpack, puzzle, Barbie, baby pony, I Spy sort of game, monkey rainboots, a wagon and Christmas ornament,  Jaemin got grandpa's handcrafted toybox, fridge farm toys, a wooden puzzle, a play camera, truck, a wagon and money for his savings account.  All 5 kids got Cardinals shirts as requested.  We went to grandmas for dinner on Christmas Day with the whole family.  Yummy food and the kids played hard!  I think they're all pretty worn out, but they all have so much to do now, it almost seems they don't know where to start.

I think our favorite (mom and dad) gifts were the Bass Pro card and Kohls cards.  It's nice to feel like we can spend money on ourselves.  We generally don't.  Brian even saved his aluminum money and bought me a $50 Kohls card just for me.  It was really sweet considering we had put a $20 limit on what we were to buy each other.  He got me some headphones for my new MP3 player (from mother in law) and I got him MP3 speakers for his old MP3 player so he could listen at work.   One of my favorites are the new kitchen rags we got.  I was so tired of looking at the holy rags I had that were unraveling. And my new digital picture frame  LOVE IT!

I'm so thankful for my kids.  We may not have a lot of money to spend, but we have happy healthy kids that love their Christmas's no matter what.  They always think they're the best and I'm glad to have those kinds of kids.

The wagon for the littles, from grandpa



Playstation game, hats, gloves and thermals for the big boys from grandpa.









Chelsi had to use her new doctor's kit on daddy.



Jaemin found his belly, which was very full.



Going through sissy's backpack.



Jaemin and cousin A, eating monster cookies.

Checking off our adoption list/Baby Update for Christmas Illness

Adoption decree....done.....this makes Jaemin a US citizen, officially and legally our son, and changes his name (which we opted to keep his Korean name as his first name)

Birth certificate.....done.....Brian went with the adoption decree and picked up the birth certificate today.

Next, we'll go to SSA and get a new social security card in his new name (with our last name), so it will match on taxes.  And after we get our tax refund in 2010 I'll have the extra $500 to pay for the Certificate of Citizenship.  Yeah, that's a lot of money, but in order for them (the government) to officially change his status from legal resident to US citizen we do this.  It's better to cross all your t's and dot your i's while they're little and it's easy then when they are older and you have regrets for not completing everything possible.  After this we are completely done with every piece of paperwork possible!

I now have 5 little US issued birth certificates which will allow all of my children almost all of the same rights.  I won't even go into the ones our Korean-borns won't have 'cause it's kind of a sore point with most adoptive parents of internationally born children.

And, btw, my little man is still sick.  Not much on Christmas Eve I believe.  He's still got a slight temp and is a little crabby.  He mostly just wants mommy, so I literally sit for hours just holding him.  And he is sleeping in his toddler bed like such a big boys!  Now that he's in there he realized it's not so bad because before he goes to sleep mommy can crawl in with him and lay by him.  He does like that.  He just rubs my face and arm while I lay by him.  So SWEET!

Can you believe this is the same little guy who completely rejected me just a few months ago.  He's trusting us now.  That's a lot.

Lisa

Please give him a good Christmas

My poor baby is sick......again.  Hopefully, nothing major.  He started running a fever this evening and it progressively got higher, to 102.5, when I finally gave him some ibuprofen.  Brian ran to the pharmacy to refill some azithromycin.  He seems to chronically get these little sinus and airway problems like Chase did as a baby.  I swear it was every month with him and it is with Jae too.  I just pray he's not sick for Christmas.  His fever is warm enough to give him the really bright red cheeks since he's flush. He coughed up snot this morning (gross I know), but no fever, so I wasn't sure he was really sick.  He coughs a lot....poor baby.

My poor baby was sick on his first birthday, please don't let him be sick on his first Christmas with us.  I've been looking so forward to Christmas this year because of him.  Please make my baby boy better.

Lisa

YUM! sigeumchi namul

We had spinach side dish with sticky rice as our supper tonight.  We ate an aweful lot for lunch after finalization (Chinese) and were still pretty full at supper time, so we just made a light supper.  It was really good!  And for dessert we had Lois' Christmas cookies.  :)

Lisa

Wahooo!!! It's forever and official!

He's ours forever and ever.  I'm so glad to be done.  Only the certificate of citizenship to go, but I can do that at my leisure this Spring.  I'm just so happy that he's officially Jaemin William Park *******.  The judge and attorneys signed Jaemin's Happy Adoption Day book like they did with the girls too.  That was great.  She said we're still the only ones to ever have brought that book in for this.  She liked the idea.

He seemed to almost know what was going on all morning.  He's been all smiles all day.  Just happy with everything including the car ride, which is not normally him.  I could just look at him and he would smile real big for me.  When they say he's our responsibility forever now it just fills me with happiness because if we're responsible for him then he IS ours and we just love him so much!

What a happy day!  What a blessed mother I AM!!!!!!!!!






On the way to eat after court.





On the way home from everything.  Our newest American citizen was tired and so was big sis'.

Goofy bunnies

The girls wanted their picture taken since I was messing with the camera.  I told them to give each other bunny ears, assuming they both knew what that meant since big brothers do it all the time.  Well, apparently, Kae knew what it meant and she gave bunny ears, but Chelsi gave them to herself.

Too cute!



What a beautiful girl!

YES!

This is Jaemin's newest.  He's been shaking his shoulders and saying "uhuh" when he doesn't want something, but he really doesn't answer when it's yes.  Tonight, I asked him if he wanted to eat and he just looked at me.  I asked him to tell me yes and he, as big as he could, nodded.  Now when you ask a question he very honestly answers with either a huge nod or shaking his entire body for no.

He's is so funny.

Lisa

Oh my...

My first born is at his first school dance.  I can't believe it.  He actually asked to go.  He didn't do a date or anything which is fine with me seeing as he's only in 7th grade.  I forced him to take pictures with mom first.  He wasn't thrilled, but that was what it cost him to go.  :)  I'm shocked he actually wanted to go.  Brian said there were a couple of his classmates getting dropped off right before and after him without dates as well, so that's good.  They can just hang out for a bit.

This is the first time he's gone somewhere completely away from both of us and not with another family member either.  So weird to think he's that old already.  Hope he has a great time tonight!

The good and the bad of the day....

Bad news first because it's fairly short.  We got new puppies almost 2 weeks ago.  One was a little awkward when walking and we kind of wondered if there wasn't something neurologically wrong.  He seemed really weak.  Anyways, yesterday the boys found him dead in his house.  The other puppy is much bigger and was always fine.  But, suddenly late last night he started vomiting and diarrhea and could barely walk.  Looked like the symptoms of parvo.  By 4 am he was gone too.  They must have come to us with it already.  It's so sad as the boys take that kind of loss pretty hard.  They were the cutest little beagle pups too.

The good news, or should I say memory, for today is that today is 4 years since we found out about Miss Chelsi.  We didn't see her picture for another day, but just the little we knew about her we knew she was ours and we wanted her.  I cannot believe that has been 4 years.  She's a perfect little girl and we had an amazing Christmas that year.  It was the first time ever that we could say we were having a baby at Christmas and mom put her picture on the fridge for Christmas Day for everyone to see.  So she was introduced to the entire family on Christmas Day 4 years ago too.  What a great year that was and what a great girl she is!  Love you Chels.

Mom

Chelsi Faces

So where are you on Christmas?

Other than one thing I have to wait on, I'm done, done, done!  As soon as Walmart ships and receives the rest of what grandpa bought, I can wrap that and be done with that too.  Tonight I had to stop there to get our groceries and toiletries and pick up our site-to-store order...one of them.  I didn't realize how big the thing was!  Luckily, I folded down one of the van seats and shoved it in.  Then, poor, Brian had to put it in our closet until I get time to put it together before Christmas.  And after I put it together I still have to hide it 'til then.  This is grandpa's gift to my two littles.  I ordered one of those Radio Flyer wagons with the foldable handle and seatbelts and cup holder....like their own little car.  I'm hoping it will come in handy on trips to the zoo and such instead of carrying them.  They're both getting to heavy, but Chelsi's short little legs just don't go very far very fast and Jaemin is still pretty wobbly on the walking.

This ought to be fun to put together, huh?

Lisa

Word of the Day: Erupt

I'm going to start a new category titled "Word of the Day".  From now on when the kids use words a little incorrectly, I'm going to post it under this category and explain how they used it.  'Cause it's always funny!

Tonight's word is erupt.  As in "Kaelin you're erupting me".  This was when Chelsi was reading her book tonight and apparently,  Kaelin was whispering in her ear as she read.  This was "interrupting" Chelsi's reading.

Of course, this from the girl who, earlier tonight, asked daddy if "buttmunch" was a bad word.  Dad politely explained that it's not BAD, but it's something nice girls should say.   To which she promptly replied "mommy says it".  I admit it....I do.  There's worse, right?

Lisa

What a nice day for mommy and son

Our attorney called me at work and gave us a court date to finalize J.  So, right before Christmas we should have him a legal member of our family.  While, some would argue that he was already a member of our family when we met, it's true.  But, there is an indescribable feeling you get when someone who is appointed to uphold the law prounounces you legally your child's family with all the rights and privileges that come along with it.  Just hearing them say that we must agree " to love him as our own", etc., etc. is a very emotional moment.  I have never gotten teary when my 3 youngest arrived.  But, put me in that court room I get teary eyed every time the judge has set the gavel down with this decision.  I love finalization day and it IS important to me.

Tonight, J wouldn't let me out of his sight for some reason.  Maybe he knew and sensed how happy mommy was feeling because of that call?  I put him on my back, in the Ergo, so I could do dishes and he was as content as can be.  He usually wants Cole to come get him and take him downstairs to play, but this time he was content with mommy.

Later we were sitting around and I asked him if he wanted his socks on and he very clearly said "uh uh" and shook his whole body no.  I asked him another question that I knew he would say yes to and he very purposefully nodded yes.  Every time I asked him if he wanted socks on he would shake his whole body.  So much so, that I had to video it because it was so cute and definitely something I always want to remember.

How could I possibly have been blessed so much to have this child in my life and having the amazing and awesome privilege of being his mother.

Lisa

SAHM vs. Working Mom

Age old discussion, that on some boards become more than a discussion.  I shouldn't really say age old since the dawn of working moms isn't really that old in the scheme of things.  Though I think even back when a working mother was not common it existed out of necessity.  Wars, single parenting etc. made it a must.  Then you had a women's movement when feminists pushed it further to make it more of a right for women to choose to work and not necessarily do it out of necessity for the family.

Granted there are lots of women in the world who choose career and work because they need to and want to.  I don't mean need as in they will be on welfare without, I mean need for their soul and identity.  Yes, I believe this is a feeling women have, but I am not one of those.  I am a work out of necessity mom/woman.  When I am at work, I work hard and put out all effort to earn my pay, but when I'm home, I'm home and work doesn't need to exist.  I don't have the greatest paying job either, but it's enough for the bills and allows me to be with my family when I need to without feeling major guilt, so fairly low stress, when you consider the importance of family.

Would I be SAHM if I could....sure.  I would LOVE to work part-time to have both worlds, but that isn't possible.  We would have to have no house payment or anything in order to afford it and that's just not possible.  Our house payment isn't even $1,000 so we're not one of those maxed out families either...so please don't think we're just living above our means like a lot of America.

We all make these decisions with what we have to work with in life, not necessarily what we want.  However, we go on and make the best of what we have.  The thing that bugs the crap out of me is when you get on any sort of mommy board you will find mostly SAHMs....which is fine in and of itself.  BUT, if I hear (read) one more time about how they chose to stay home no matter the sacrifice because "raising" their own child is best or similar statements I'm going to blow and speak my mind.  I get tired of some thinking that every working mom chooses it and actually has that choice.  When, in reality, I personally know they are the wife of a business owner, doctor, lawyer, etc. and I know they're just fine.

First of all, "I" am raising my children working or not.  We decide what to do with them and how to raise them and no one else does.  Yes they go to daycare, but it's not that long in the day, any longer than a school day, and we make the decisions that impact them.  And when the end of the day arrives WE spend every second with our children.  We don't hire babysitters and go out or ship them off to grandmas (though they'd probably like that if we did).  We want every second with them that we can get since we don't have the option to stay at home.  We make the best of our situation.

So, be thankful if you're able to stay at home.  Because some of us already have as little as you can, we don't have a cleaning lady to cut and a $40 cable bill isn't going to allow me to stay home either.  No loans, other than house, so what's left?  And please quit cutting at working moms!  Please quit making hurtful comments that boost your own ego making you feel like the best mom in the world.  We're all doing the best we can!

If you are a SAHM that doesn't make these comments and does feel thankful, and I know plenty exist, please ignore.  This is aimed at specific comments I've read all too often over the past years on boards I'm a part of.

Lisa