"Early Birthday Present..."

My awesome husband suprised me with an early birthday present today!!! Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family...


Dillan is in love...
Charley is too...
Caleb loves on the "mama" dog...

Proud daddy...

He won't be old enough to come home until the first week of April. He is a purebreed miniature schnauzer and is black with white paws and chest. We had our first visit with him today....we still haven't decided on a name yet. Let me know if you have any fun ideas....

"Hello Ear Wax!!!"

For those of you readers that are easily grossed out, you may not want to read this blog!



The other day I was cleaning out the kid's ears and realized that Caleb's ears were completely full of wax. So later that day I went to our local organic store and purchased some "ear candles". Now for those of you who have never used these before, I HIGHLY recommend them. We were able to extract a HUGE amount of ear wax from Caleb's ears (see picture below). Poor kid! He's probably never had his little ears cleaned out in his first four years of life. We all took our turns having candles in our ears that evening...not a common way to spend a family night, I realize, but at least we can all hear each other now! ;-)


All the wax that we were able to get out of Caleb's ears!!!

"Shirley Goodnest and Marcy"

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally he said to Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?" Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, I know who she is." The friend said, "Well, who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy replied, "and her daughter Marcy." "Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? " "Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ' Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always...

"Creative Juices and Black Fingernails..."

Charley got VERY creative this week when she decorated her Valentine's box for school. We had so much fun picking out the stuff to go on it...I love doing these things with my kiddos. It always brings back great memories for me...
Caleb has been obsessed with my fingernail polish lately. He will try and sneak a bottle of pink or red into his room and come out with it EVERYWHERE. He has been so insistant on having his nails painted! I don't mind him having pink nails at home, but it got a little weird when we were at the library coloring and I saw other mom's looking at his nails, then back at me. I could just read their minds...
Now, for those of you who know me, I'm usually not bothered by what other people think. But when it comes to my kids, if I can keep them from being judged unfairly, then I will do what I can. I finally came up with an idea. I took Caleb to the store and we bought him his OWN bottle of black fingernail polish that he can put on his fingernails and toenails until his heart's content. So I guess now parents can look at him and wonder if I'm allowing him to enter the "Goth" world...All I know is that it brings a smile to his face and that is worth 1,000 bottles of fingernail polish.

"Week of Doctors..."

What a crazy week! Dillan and Caleb had their first dentist's appointments, Caleb had his growth check, and then on to get his bone density scan. We decided on the bone scan so that we will know exactly how old he is. Since his birthdate is an "estimate" from China, we will now be able to have a more accurate time table. Once we get that back, we will take whatever steps we need to to encourage his growth. The doctor was positive in that he thinks Caleb is a"little" guy, but is healthy. We will also be meeting with a pediatric neurosurgeon next week to discuss the shape of his skull. Since his head is pretty misshapen, and is becoming more prounounced so with time, we need to have him checked out for any possible problems. The dentist's appointments went well. Both kiddos were well behaved and are proud of of their newly cleaned teeth. It looks like Caleb will need some extensive work on his teeth in the days to come, but we will take it one step at a time.

Please keep those prayers coming as we continue to get Caleb the help he needs. All in all, it is looking pretty positive and we are SO thankful for that.

"A Glimpse Into Our Life..."

Happy Valentines to all! Justin and I spent the day with Caleb at his Doctor's appointments. (Blog to follow tomorrow about that). When we were done running around, we rented this movie to watch this afternoon. Let me just say this...if any of you would like to have a little glimpse into the Roger's household this past year, watch this movie. We cried and laughed and cried some more. It is such a touching and realistic story of what can be involved in the adoption of a broken and hurting child. If you want to see a beatiful story, watch this movie...

"Fun Pics..."

"And So It Begins..."

Here is a conversation that took place between Charley and I after school today....

Charley: "Mom, the most DISGUSTING thing happened at school today!"

Me: "Oh yeah?"

Charley: "Paul came up to me after school and told me that he LOVED me!"

Me: "What did you say?"

Charley: "I didn't SAY anything...I rolled my eyes and pretended that I was going to throw up."

Me: (Laughing inside to myself hysterically, but trying so hard to keep a straight and serious face.)

And I thought the BABY and TODDLER years were difficult....

"Precious Journal Entries from a Precious Girl"

Charley's first grade teacher encourages all her students to keep a journal in class. Every month Charley brings home her journal for us to read. I just had to share a few of these entries with you. It just doesn't get any cuter than this....
(Journal entries copied letter for letter....)

November 9, 2007
I am most thankful for my famly. Like my kuzzins, my Grandperints, and my perints. I'm allso thankful for my cosy house that has my bedroom.

November 14, 2007
On Thanksgiving day, my family wakes up one at a time. Then we all shout happy Thanksgiving! Then we all eat are Thanksgiving diner. Lik masht butatos, terky, stufing and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving is grate! On Thanksgiving I will give thanks for diffent things. I don't just have one thing I have lots of things! So when someone asks me how many things i'm thankful for I will say many things! but no one has said that before...well maybe they did.

November 28, 2007
My favorite mammal is a Copper Horse. It is a very loving and BEEOOTEAFUL mammal. Thay
will never ever hert you at all if you tuch them. Copper Horse your the best!

November 30, 2007
One cold and blustery Halloween night I wint to Denver to trick-or- treet b-but ther dekorashunes wer to skery. I cud go home, but Mom and Dad wanted to stay. Dad said thay wer only dekorashunes but I was still skard. But I still wint trick-or-treeting!

December 12, 2007
I help my family at home by making shor my cat's has food and water. Cus if I don't my cats will meayow and meayow and meayow and meayow and I don't like it. I spill the water sumtimes, but thats ok. I like my job!

January 9, 2008
My special talent is to always sing. I somtimes hum to. Whenever I heir a song I no, I sing it. But if I don't no it, I hum it. I also sing or hum in my bedroom but then my brother or sister call me for diner then I say allrite. I love to sing with my teddy bear.

January 16, 2008
My most special possession is my mom's old teddy-bear. It is about 1000 years old. It has been in are family for a long time. So when I get scerd I will get him and snugel it and then I will fall a sleep. I love my mom's teddybear. You need to be very very very cearfell with this teddybear cus it's RILY old. When I snugel him he makes me feel something sweet inside. That teddybear is magick to me!

"Weekly Top Ten"

Things I am thankful for this week:

1. Coffee

2. My children's Creativity

3. My bed

4. Good friends

5. The fact that January is over

6. The fact that spring is one month closer

7. My students

8. Did I say Coffee already?

9. Laughing with my husband

10. Great books

What are you thankful for this week?