Pancakes and Obama and the 1950s

I was just reminded this morning of the four reasons why I very rarely put chocolate chips in my pancakes. (Sorry, no photos, we need new batteries for our camera. Just picture four (happy) faces and eight (sticky) hands COVERED in chocolate!)

Today Kevin is painting downstairs, I've been cooking and cleaning and might, MIGHT, do some painting myself. There's also (always) laundry that needs to be done and other assorted household tasks.

Funny story for your Saturday (and reason for the above photo): When I re-registered to vote when we moved here, I changed my affiliation from "Republican" to "Undeclared". WELL, this has translated into Barack Obama heavily courting my vote these last few weeks. (Which makes me feel so important!) I recently received a phone call from one of his volunteers asking who I was voting for. (Did he like my answer? No. No, he did not.) The next day, there was a knock on the door while I was making dinner. (I hate when random people that I don't know drop in to talk to me!) I heard Kevin (who knows this) answer it, and it was an Obama volunteer (maybe the same guy?), who said he wanted to ask me some questions. Kevin asked if the guy could ask HIM some questions instead. He said no, just me. Kevin THEN proceeded to tell him that I COULDN'T COME TO THE DOOR because I was MAKING DINNER! HA!!! I can SO imagine this person thinking, what kind of weird, 1950s-type-of-couple lives here?! I of course found it terribly, terribly funny.

(Random evidence that apparently you CAN be a 1950s-throwback-traditional-kind-of-gal AND an Obama supporter):

And for the record, we're really NOT the Denver version of June and Ward Cleaver. (Note that I listed June first, without thinking. Ha! Can't you so picture Kevin and I dressing like this every day?) Our division of labor may play out pretty traditionally, and truth be told I LIKE being barefoot-and-pregnant (well maybe not barefoot since my feet get cold!), but both of us are really involved in parenting, we both do a ton around the house, and we make all our decisions together. I DO like to play the, "That's man's-work" card however when a job comes up that I don't want to do. I DON'T let Kevin play it the other way though. Hmmm. He loves to say how it's a double-standard...Shhhh, don't tell, but I think he might be right! :)

Updates from around the house

Here are some pictures of what we've been working on. First, some of our new appliances. Our kitchen cabinets are still pretty bad, but the appliances make everything look much nicer! And best of all, they work so well! (We're planning on resurfacing the cabinets, but it's not at the top of the priority list for now.)
No picture of them, but our front-loading washer and dryer are great too! Things are coming along slowly but surely with our home. God is teaching me patience in a major way, and that is good! So many things are taking longer because I was sick, and now Anna, Kaitlyn and I are sick with some cold thing. Anna has it worst, poor thing!

Before we moved we gave the twin bed back to our wonderful friends, that we'd been borrowing for Anna, and my parents gave me MY twin bed that I grew up using, for Anna. Since it was old and a little yellowed, and because I didn't want brass bedknobs, I decided to refinish it. I couldn't find bedknobs for it that weren't brass or wood, so I just painted them a sky-blue color, and painted the headboard and footboard white.

Then I made her a duvet cover out of some fun sheets I found at WalMart (and they can also be found at Jennifer's house. Angela, I still can't figure out how to thread the bobbin so I just used the thread already in there, even though it wasn't the exact color I wanted! Ha!) Anna's room is painted a greenish color called "Sassafrass Tea". Nothing on the walls yet (how sad) but that will be coming! The bedroom also still needs baseboards, a finished door, closet doors, the brushwork completed, and the trim around the windows painted, but those are all just details, right?! (The lighting in these pictures is pretty bad--it was nighttime.) I found that green bookshelf at a flea market, and the wall-hanging sitting on it (that still needs to be hung) on clearance at Target for $3--and it totally matches the bedding!

Yosef and Biniam's room is painted, but much to my painting-husband's dismay...I don't like the color. Turns out "Basic Beige" is too light and too boring for my boys' room. I'd thought about doing some sort of blue, but their bedspreads are blue. Sigh. Anyway, I'm sure there will be many more pictures forthcoming!!!

Preschool and I should maybe commit this quote to memory

Kevin and I have never sent our kids to preschool. We feel like children are little for so short a time. I want them to just enjoy being a part of the family. Going to the grocery store, playing with their baby sister, playing independently, being HOME. We've always felt this way. I never foresaw myself needing to give a defense for this position, or that it was somehow controversial--I just thought some kids went, and some kids didn't. No big deal.

Anyway, recently someone (who happens to be in a teacher credential program) asked me where my older three attend preschool. I politely said they don't go, that they're home with me. This person literally gasped, half-laughed and said, "They don't go to preschool?!"

During Yosef's evaluation, it seemed clear at two different points that one of the evaluators sees parents as somewhat incompetent to raise educated children. This made me wonder how many well-meaning experts have essentially disempowered already-intimidated parents, making them feel like they can't in any way contribute to their child's education. Hmmmmm.

I truly have NOTHING against public schools, or preschools. Most kids I know have gone to preschool and I think that's great! But this idea that kids NEED to be away from their parents earlier and earlier seems really wrong to me. I know all about the research touted by proponents of early education--but there is also research demonstrating that the early benefits of preschool are not necessarily sustainable over time. That's no reason NOT to go, but in my mind it's definitely reason enough to not HAVE to go.

Anyway, I read the following words by Ruth Beechick not too long after the above incidents occurred, and the first part had me laughing (okay, so I confess that I love sarcasm. Even if it's rude. What can I say? And in the interest of full disclosure, the above picture is of my kids playing a computer game! Ha!):

Curriculum for a 3-year-old? How about a loving home life that is
somewhat orderly in normal household routines? Add plenty of playtime
which is mostly free exploration...and only sometimes guided to new
activities. Add the outdoors...That sounds almost perfect to me. The
normal home life will include some books and reading...Language learning?
Family and friends are always teaching that.

That's Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is, by far, my most "physical" and, let's face it, assertive child. From very early on she could navigate stairs safely. And bossed her siblings around. She makes SURE her wishes are known (and doesn't always require words.) Her first words in fact were "no" and "iwanit" (or translated, "I want it.") She is a sweetie, but don't be fooled, this kid is also one tough cookie.

And at 19 months old, she has decided she's done with her crib. Done. D-O-N-E done.

Two weeks ago we'd put her down to sleep, and the next morning she'd somehow managed to heave herself over the side (the crib is at its lowest setting, too) to come happily wake us up. At 5 am. Over the next week or so, we kept putting her back in, but then she ended up with nasty bruises on her legs from her maneuvers to get out. Lovely.

So now she's sleeping on her crib mattress, on the floor in her sister's room. Wich equates to us putting her down for bed at night, only to make multiple trips back downstairs to put her back to bed. Because she keeps.getting.up.

But that's just Kaitlyn. And we say that a lot. To explain, for example, why when she tired of riding on the old-fashioned merry-go-round at the park, she just up and decided to fling herself off while it was still moving. And didn't really care. Just brushed herself off and dashed away to go conquer another part of her world.

Because the girl has ideas, and she's tough as nails. And I really, really love it.

Quick clarification

I have gotten several emails lately (in addition to one incident this summer that happened "in real life") from people who think my Ethiopian sons have HIV. Just to clear things up, I'm hereby going on record as saying they do NOT have HIV.

I'm sorry if I've somehow left room for confusion. While HIV is CERTAINLY nothing to be ashamed of, out of respect for my children, I also don't want people out there believing something untrue about their health. I feel bad that my blog has already somehow contributed to this. I wasn't going to post about it (I don't want to give the impression that HIV is something I'm wanting to distance my family from, because I do NOT feel that way), but it's been happening a lot lately so I felt I needed to say something.

While I volunteer occasionally for AHOPE for Children, if you look back through my posts you will see that Yosef and Biniam came to us from Layla House, not AHOPE. I have written a fair amount on this blog about HIV and HIV+ adoption, but from the standpoint of an advocate, not an adoptive mother. HIV and AIDS are profoundly affecting our world and it's something we should all care more about. It's also something easy to ignore in our comfy middle- or upper-class American lives.

As for the incident this summer, when I was working at the Mile High Music Festival, Kevin brought the kids by the booth one evening. Someone working for a nonprofit in the booth next to us was sitting there. At one point Biniam had some of my bottled water. After Kevin and the kids left, this person spoke up and said, "I just wanted to let you know, your son drank out of your bottle. I don't know much about how you catch HIV but I wanted to let you know." Um....right. I quickly told him that, first of all, my kids DON'T have HIV, and then proceeded to educate him on how HIV is--and is not--spread.

I do know of some aMAZing families who have adopted HIV+ children. If you would like to talk to someone who has done this, email me and I can give them your contact information.

Okay, that is all. Now back to our regular programming! :)

KCOY/FOX 11 News story

A local news station recently contacted my dad wanting to do a story about their humanitarian work in the classroom. They filmed it last Friday, and the story aired this morning. Click on "Tech Savvy 6th Graders" on the left to watch! My sons even got a little shout-out at the end.

Go Creston Elementary 6th graders! You're making a difference!

Girl power

At church right now we're going to a Sunday School class on the role of women in the church, throughout the Bible, etc. It's being taught from a perspective that happens to be different from the one held by our prior church (egalitarian vs. complimentarian--check out those big words I learned!) Today was the first day and it was quite interesting, and the teacher did a GREAT job, even if I didn't necessarily agree with everything. (I'd heard all the standard arguments for complimentarianism before, but never for egalitarianism. So this is good. It forces me to think and helps sharpen my own views. Not that I purport to have it figured out!)

Meanwhile I started the book Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson yesterday (how timely). A slightly different perspective. :)

Kevin brought up an interesting question at dinner a couple of weeks ago (yes, we do still attEMPT to have stimulating conversations around the table, in between all the milk spilling, loud giggling, and requests for more food). He wondered how we would talk to our daughters about their futures--how do you balance the subject of career and "be all you can be" with the roles of wife and mother? And are these at odds?

I guess the initial conclusion that we came to is that we will encourage them throughout their lives to pursue their God-given passions, to use their gifts, and make the most of the time and seasons God is giving them. Maybe that will mean college, career and a family later. Maybe it'll mean marrying young (utterly and totally biased here but I highly recommend this! :) ) and not fully pursuing those things. We will esteem motherhood and the blessing that it is. And I pray they lead a life that is rich and full and filled with the joy of living out God's call, whatever that is!

Saturday thoughts on books and such

These pictures were taken outside of an old brick church in Wisconsin, after Kevin's grandma's funeral. I love how Kaitlyn's hanging onto her big brother's hand in the top one!

Over the past couple of months I've read some great books, mostly on parenting and education. You know, because I've got those four kids up there from the pictures. :) I just finished up Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. It was EXcellent. And really confirmed some things I already felt and thought, and gave some insight into things from my own childhood. It also suggested ways to stay connected to your kids and promote attachment that I had never really thought of, and that we hope to implement. (Like, starting each morning together just cuddling and talking, etc. That way you don't start off the day's parenting by telling your kids to do this and that and rushing around, while they may not even feel all that connected to you. We really feel like we could benefit from this on Sunday mornings before church, since we're always running around getting ready, and honestly I DON'T feel all that connected to my kids, which makes it harder to deal with them if they're wiggly during the service.) The book also talked about how important GREETINGS are--when your child wakes up, when you reunite after you've been apart for any reason, etc. Both of these things were under the category of "gathering your children". Good stuff.

I also recently read A Thomas Jefferson Education. It was fantastic! Really interesting and totally made me think. I learned a lot about why things are the way they are in education today and in our country at large. A lot of it actually related to what I read in Hold On to Your Kids. I loved how it suggests that teachers can inspire, but students have to educate themselves.

Then there's this author Ruth Beechick who writes a lot about education, and I'm loving pretty much all the books I read by her. She was a teacher for many years and has so many good insights and techniques. I checked out The Three R's from the library and found it so useful I ended up buying it.

Next I'll be reading The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. I'm also waiting on some cookbooks from the library too, that a friend recommended about cooking naturally and simply(most of the books are from the Mennonite community), and baking your own wholegrain breads. Yes, I'm actually looking into these things. :) Isn't that SO granola of me?! I'm not making my own cleaning products yet--so Jeannett you still win--but apparently I'm on my way. (Does anyone out there bake their own bread instead of buying it? I'd love to hear about it!) I just love the idea of living a simple life...everything today is just so complicated and hurried and impersonal and "more-is-better". Ick. We buy so many of our things second-hand now and I am so, so happy.

I'm also happy because my kids have not watched any TV or videos--literally--in about a MONTH. I relied so much on the TV (which about killed me) the whole time I had mono. Yet I just don't think we could have survived without it. But I hated it, and it has been so great seeing the kids spend their time reading, coloring, listening to books-on-tape, and playing creatively. Oh and they do lots of talking (and a little bit of arguing) too. :)

How are you spending your Saturday? We're home, doing work on our house, Kevin has a fantasy sports draft this afternoon (oh the joy!), and I'll probably do some cleaning and reading (but maybe not in that order). Happy weekend!

What in the world?! (or more politely titled, "A Product Review")

So a company sent me these trading cards to review on here. They're called Bella Sara and this is what the website says: Welcome to the World of Bella Sara, a magical place full of beauty and joy where you may activate your Bella Sara trading cards and collect horses in an online stable. A safe world of fun and adventure lies just beyond the stable gate, with games, puzzles, and activities for you to enjoy with your favorite horses.

I opened up the packs of cards with my excited, over-eager-because-toys-came-in-the-mail kids jumping up and down in front of me. I figured the cards would just have cutesy horses on them.

Um...yeah. The pictures are all magical-looking, and each card has this fanTAStic new-age-ish saying on it. Stuff like, "Look at the sky. See the art that NATURE creates" (emphasis mine, of course.) "I give you courage. Now release your fears." (Actually, I don't think a black horse named Thunder can do that, but whatever.) Or, "Make your own choices, and let others make theirs." (Um, right. Although...I think I might save this to hand out to nosy parents at the park!) And I just LOVED these: "You have the freedom to make your own dreams come true", and "You have the power to control the way you react."

Wow. Needless to say my kids will NOT be keeping these, they're going in the garbage bin as soon as I'm done writing this. (The cards, not the kids!) There was some disappointment, but I told the kids that these cards didn't say the best things, that God wants us dwelling on things that are lovely and pure and true.

So there's my review. I may not get any more review offers, but hey, at least I'm honest. :)

The cold, hard truth

Mommy: Anna, I think I could just sit here and cuddle with you all day. I love cuddling with you!

Anna: Me too. But I like to PLAY better!

My sweet boy

I took Yosef to some screenings, through the (free!) Child Find program here in Denver, to have him evaluated for a learning disability. He has always been very bright, but has struggled with learning his colors. It's really strange, and I thought it would be a good idea to rule out some sort of issue. (Mostly because if he DID have some type of processing problem, I wanted to know how to best explain things to him etc.) First he had a hearing/vision evaluation (which of course went fine), and then he had two more screenings for speech/learning delays.

Well, turns out they thought he was extremely smart and well above what they would expect for his age!!! Yay! (I was so proud of him, especially considering that his first year and a half of life were far from optimal). They couldn't believe his long attention span, or social abilities, or the way he was able to communicate.

But he couldn't name one color. Not one. :)

They said to give him about 6 more months (it's possible he just has some sort of mental block in that area) and if he still can't identify them, to take him to an opthalmologist to be tested for color-blindness (which is the other thing we suspected).

Anyway, it was great to know that "the system" thought he was above-average developmentally/academically...this precious boy who spent his first 16 months or so in THREE different orphanages, including one filled with extremely sick and dying children. Yet today he is thriving, both emotionally and developmentally.

The Lord is faithful!!!!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

I'm talking about our neighborhood park today. And I love our neighborhood park. We hit up the library program at 10:30, checked out some books, and then hit the playground. Where literally every.single.parent. went out of their way to strike up a conversation with me that began with, "Are all those kids yours" and was closely followed by exclamations of, "Wow", or "You have a lot to do", or "What do you do for carseats" (??????????) !!!!!!

Honestly...I was so annoyed. Why can't we play at the park like everyone else? Why are these people not picking up on my antisocial vibe? Funny too how my four kids happily playing somehow gets more attention than the kid running around screaming (and shaking his fist) at everyone else's kids, or a dad's big black dog named Wrigley that kept slobbering all over me and my purse??!!! I also loved how when the guy asked me about the carseats, and told me how that must get expensive (wow I guess I should have thought of that before we had all these kids!) he proceeded to inform me that HE TOO has 4 carseats--so BOTH of their cars have enough carseats for their TWO kids. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I left slightly disgruntled. Not that anyone could tell. I am that person that smiles and acts really sweet even though on the inside I'm fuming. :)

(Oh and the above picture doesn't have anything to do with this post, it was taken in Wisconsin. It's one of the few recent pictures I have of all four of my kids! And in order of descending height to boot!)

Well isn't that the truth

Last night I was spending some much needed (by both of us) one-on-one time with Biniam as I was tucking him in. He said he wanted me to tell him a story, of when he was a baby. I started out by telling him (as I have before) that when he was a baby he lived in Ethiopia, in his first mommy's tummy with Yosef. That's when he enthusiastically interjected,

"Yeah! She had a big belly full of babies!"

(I cannot fathom what that 9 months must have been like for this dear, dear woman...but I have a feeling that with Yosef and Biniam in such close proximity to each other, it could not have been easy!)

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

It was, um, 37 degrees on the way to church this morning. Then it got up into the 40s, and is back down to 37 right now. It's also snowing, but barely, so you can hardly tell.

Did you know it gets really cold here in Colorado??!! Oh my goodness, my hands are refusing to thaw out...and to think it will get much, much colder than this in the months ahead!

The seasoned Colorado-ans don't seem to mind however...someone came to church in shorts today...and I just saw someone out walking their dog. I on the other hand will be staying inside, thankyouverymuch! (Maybe a year or two from now, I'll be wearing shorts in 37-degree weather???)

I just loaded up on apple cider, and marshmallows for hot chocolate at our neighborhood grocery store. Cold-weather essentials. I really AM loving the seasons...our street is SO pretty right now with all the big, beautiful trees and colorful fall leaves...

But winter is coming, people. It's coming. I have a feeling that we Central-Coast-of-California-transplants are in for something downright shocking in the months ahead!!!!!!! (And we can't say we weren't warned--Californians get very concerned when they hear of other Californians moving to cold snowy places!!!)

Friends + zoo

Wednesday morning we went to the zoo with the homeschool group we've joined. Too fun! Jennifer and her kids are in the group too, and when Anna's headband came off, Jaso decided to put it back on her. Here is Jaso in action, and the girls with the end result:

Wishing I also had pictures of the kids riding the carousel (okay, really I just wish I had a picture of Kaitlyn screaming when the thing started going. Needless to say she spent the rest of the ride being held by me!)