Not a retro photo, but a photo non the less.

These are our kids having a blast on a log down by the river on the 4th of July.

Children's prayers

We have heard some great prayers at the dinner table lately. The other day Nick said a prayer that went like this: "...thank you for this food and for our safe home."

Boy, that got me. I hope he really is feeling like he is in a safe place and more importantly I hope he is feeling like its permanant. As many times as they have moved it would surprise me if he felt is was permanent already.

Adams prayer last night was a good one and one that hit home for us. He said "....and help us to be good". Yes, God help us to be good, ALL of us.

Youre not the boss of anybody

The other day Adam got in trouble and my husband asked him who the boss was? Adam said correctly, "you". Then my husband said "who is not the boss?" The correct answer for Adam to say would have been, "me". No, instead he said, "Mommy". Apparently he doesnt think I have bossing rights.

Going camping....

In just a few days we will be on our way for our annual camping trip. It will be the first time camping ever for the kids and they are beyond excited. Everytime Sasha gets excited she jumps up and down and flaps her arms. She doesnt usually SAY anything or shout with joy. Just jumps up and down. There are few things you can count on in this world, and this is one of them. It cracks me up, because if I say something she likes, I dont even have to be looking at her, I just listen and I can hear the sounds of her feet hitting the ground over and over again.

Anyway, this camping trip should provide me with lots of material for the blog. We bought some supplies for the trip, including some Powerade that was on sale the other night. I heard Sasha jumping up and down and I said something about her being excited about camping. She informed me that she was jumping up and down because she gets to drink Powerade. So, easily pleased.

They will be meeting a lot of friends and family that they have never met. It will be fun, I think. I will be taking lots of pictures, which I am hesitant about sharing on a public forum for privacy reasons, but maybe I will change my mind.

One eye is as good as two.

There seems to be a weird theme surronding Adam and discussions about having one-eye. My mom was watching him one day a week or so ago, and he was running around with a wooden stake in his hand. She told him to put it down because he would poke an eye out. He said: "I have another one". He is so cute.

Three strokes ahead, two strokes back

We have been very happy of the progress all the kids made in swimming since they have been with us. Especially Adam. He went from not swimming at all to jumping into the deep end and swimming to the other side of the pool.

My husband was swimming with the kids last Saturday while I kept an eye on our yard sale. When I had put everything that didnt sell away, I joined them all for a swim. They said they had a surprise to show me. It was a good surprise too'Adam can swim!!! In the deep end!

My joy was short lived though because two days later he was refusing to do it. We all know he can do it, HE knows he can do it, so why the sudden freak out about the deep end and drowning? We are thinking it is just plain old stubborness. We dont think it is genuine fear because he's done it a dozen times without a complaint. So, if anyone out there can shed some light on this odd behavior, I would appreciate it. Remember, I went from having no kids to having three, and sometimes I need some advice!!!

The bionic nose and mood detector....

Adam has the strongest sense of smell of anyone I have ever met. If it has the slightest odor at all you can NOT hide it from this child. Im serious, Im thinking he should be studied at a University somewhere. Im thinking about changing his name to Pluto (the Disney Pluto is a bloodhound, you know, Im not talking about the ex planet because that wouldnt make sense, now would it?). God forbid we are near stinky people in public, because he WILL ask what smells. I often hear this: "What do I smell?" My answer is usually, "who knows".

If its something hes never seen before he wants to smell it. Not just food either, ANYTHING! Is this normal? Is it a sign of some wierd mental thing? Someone please tell me because it is beginning to freak me out.

Also if I have some ugly little thoughts bouncing around in my head and Im crabby, but trying to keep it to myself but its showing on my face, he will say: "Mom, whats that face for?"

Sigh. Even if Im minding my own business and thinking my own thoughts, he notices. Nope cant hide a thing, odor or mood from this kid.

More restaurant fun with Adam

We were eating at a local establishment and a waitress was wearing an eye patch. Adam called her a pirate and said, "AAAAArrrr". If I wasnt afraid of germs I would have crawled under the table. Whats worse is my husband sort of encouraged it. It wasnt said to her, but still.....

Smack that man

My husband and little Adam were at a restaraunt having lunch the other day and I guess some guy was going on and on about something and he just would not stop talking. It evidently annoyed Adam because he covered his ears. Then when that didnt stop the constant chatter, Adam looked at my husband and said, "Poppy, go over and smack that man, he wont be quiet". Oh, hes going to fit in so well in our family.

swimming with sharks

So, when we first met the kids they couldnt really swim very well. Adam couldnt swim at all, and Sasha and Nick could barely dog paddle. Now, they have thier own pool and are sprouting gills and fins.

Adam now jumps off the shallow end a million times a day and swims quite well under water. Today he jumped into the deep end with his little shark swim trunks, where my husband and I were waiting. It was all his idea. He went down and then swam up to the surface and paddled his way right to us!! We were so excited, so we said: "do you want to do that again?" He said, "No, I only do it once a day".

Sasha is swimming in the deep end too. Last week she was terrified of the idea, now, no problem.

Nick is now almost DIVING, and today my husband did a back flip off the diving board, so now Nick is learning and almost successful. He can also tread water. Im so excited...they are swimming!!!

Dog snot and scallops

It interesting what comes up in conversation now in my house. Before kids it wasnt quite so silly or abstract. As I was preparing a nice meal of scallops for my family my daughter asked what was better for you, dog snot or people snot. I had no idea what this meant and my face must have shown it because she explained that she had touched one of the dogs' wet noses and was just wondering if it was more germy than people snot. I told her that I thought dog snot was better. Well, I do...

Mother, come down from there.

I saw something interesting at the park on the fourth of July. I came over the hill toward the playground, and I see my almost seventy year old mother crossing the jiggly, swaying bridge thing on the playset. Then I see her make her way to the slide, and Im thinking, "Is she...?" She didnt slide, she bent down on her hands on knees near the top of the slide. She finally stands up and I call out to her, "What are you DOING?" Of course she realizes how it looks and laughs.

Apparently, my daughter, in her ever attention seeking ways, was stopped in the middle of the slide and calling for help. I told my mom "she doesnt need help, shes looking for attention". She said that she realized that once she got up there.

That night I had a little talk with Sasha about risking Grandmas health by "crying wolf". Like most things with her, it probably went in one ear and out the other, until I tell her for the 4th time. Then she might get it.

Go bark...

At our house, since we are such dog lovers, we dont play the card game "Go Fish", we play, "Go Bark". Its a deck of cards with like 5 or 6 different dog breeds on them; you collect them, and 4 of one breed makes a pack. The person with the most packs when the cards are gone, wins.

My mother was playing this with Adam, or trying to, but Adam plays his own way. My mom says, "Adam, give me all your Dachshunds" (at this point Adam is suppose to give any dacshunds he has in his hand to grandma, or he if he doesnt have one he tells her to "Go Bark", at which time she picks from the pile). Adam has dachshunds in his hand and he says "Go Bark", my mother suspicious asks him if hes sure he doesnt have any. He says, "I do but Im not giving them to you." Adam has been informed that if he doesnt play right, he wont play.

Fire in the sky...and in the garbage can.

Our first fourth of a july as a family was great. We pigged out and the kids played for hours in the river. Adam got filthy and was cleaned off like a dozen times. Nick and some random kid at the park ganged up on a couple of girls with water balloons, the girls ran away screaming, but always came back for more.

At night we went to the fireworks show and before the fireworks started, the was a fire in a garbage can. Some kid threw a sparkler in it. Everyone just stared at this fire, and no one was moving to do anything about it. THe little wooden shelter thing over it was going to catch on fire too. Suddenly, my hubby grabs his precious diet coke and walks over and throws it on the fire. I followed suit, and tossed my iced tea on it. Its a good thing I had to pee, and there were no public bathrooms, so throwing my tea out was wise. The kids ooohed and aahed at the fireworks, like loudly and enthusiastically. I dont think they have ever been to see big fireworks. Adam was sound asleep on the way home.

Chicken tenders and enchiladas

So, I have taken the advice of my mother and actually planned my meals last week. This kid stuff is new to me, remember, and Im used to just winging it with meals. I cant really do that. If I dont plan, and then shop for what I need, we end up eating out a lot and that is something that I dont think is good for the body or the bank account. So, moms advice is working.

I think I can do this mother of three thing. I almost have dinner licked. Of course 4 days of the week, hubby cooks. Hey, at least he doesnt have to decide what to make. I do that for him and I even buy all the stuff. He is a good cook though, so that helps.

So far the kids' favorites are the chicken tenders I made and the chicken enchiladas. They like the meat loaf too, but the real awesome part of that was the Australian potatoes. They are called Hot Potato Crash or something. Anyway, they are great and if you want to know the recipe, go to here:



They are delicious, and easy and reading the recipes is fun because the way they are written with humor. Its fun try it.

Wearing out grandma

Today my mom watched Adam for a while when hubby and I were at work. I called her to see how it went and my dad said she was napping. LOL. I know how she feels.

One more chance...

The weekend was interesting. We took the kids for rides on the wave runner and it was a blast until I wrecked. No one was hurt, except the wave runner. The kids got to swim in the river for a while and it was great just seeing them have fun in the water.

Sasha has been on bit of a swimming restriction until Sunday. Apparently at the public pool, where they are supposed to be supervised, she talked to a strange man who ended up giving her his goggles. This is not ok.

The camp chaperone said that she was being watched and that the man was actually a twelve year old boy. When Sasha was asked where she got the goggles, she said "a man gave them to me, when I asked for them". I think camp is just covering thier butts. Ive seen Sasha's lack of fear when it comes to talking to strangers, and so she was punished by not being allowed to swim at the pool during the next camp swim. Did she learn anything? With her, its doubtful.

Actually she has been improving on somethings. I need to keep track of the improvements in behavior, because its important to know that progress is being made. They all have improved on keeping things out of thier mouths. Im sure a lot of that comes with feeling more secure.

Adam is still cracking me up. Today he was in the truck with hubby and they passed the road where summer camp is on. Adam asked hubby if they were going to pick up his brother and sister. It wasnt time yet, so hubby said "no".

Adam said: "Poppy, Im going to give you one more chance, and then I am going to cry, are you going to get brother and sister?"

Well now hubby is both curious and amused, so he said "no" again.
Adam again said, "Ok this is your last chance, are we picking them up?"

Hubby said, "no" and then followed it up with, "Its not time yet".

Adam said, "Its not?OK."