Adoptive Name

This weekend my husband and I had a chance to really discuss middle names for Sam.  We have talked a couple times briefly on the subject and narrowed it down to a name we really liked, but then for extra measure, we decided to think on it some more just to make sure we were happy with our decision.  We have committed to the middle name we originally liked.  I sent an email this morning to our county work with the adoptive name, so she will be able to prepare all the adoptive placement papers that we will be signing at the end of May.  We will be keeping the first name the same (although changing the spelling to the one we have been used to...originally Sam's name was spelled two different ways, and we went with the way on the medical card thinking it was correct, and now we are used to that way, but his birth certificate has the other spelling), giving him a new middle name, and then our last name, of course.

I don't plan on sharing the middle name on here, but we (my husband and I) haven't discussed when we are sharing the name with our families, so this is a way for me to express my excitement at having decided on a name for our adorable little man.  I was hoping to use a biblical name because we gave James a biblical name, and I thought it would be neat to keep that a common theme, and fortunately, the name we liked the best is a biblical name, so that worked in my favor (although I would have been content if we had settled on a non-biblical name as well).

Technically we could have found a family name to use, but that didn't feel right at all because James was not given a family name, so it would be messed up to use a family name on the second but not the first child.  However, like I said, both of the names we gave them are biblical names, so they do have a common theme.  They also both got to keep their birth first name (although James' was moved to his middle name and Sam's spelling got changed).  We wanted to keep part of their birth names because it was important to us, and down the road, it may be important to our boys as well.

Anyway...we also signed Sam up for the baby dedication at our church occurring over Father's Day weekend.  However, we talked to the coordinator, and if the adoption has not been finalized in time, we will postpone the baby dedication until next time it is offered.  Everything looks like the adoption should finalize the beginning of June, but you never really know how that will occur.  It would be really special for Sam's dedication to take place on Father's Day weekend...not just because it is Father's Day weekend, but also because James was dedicated on Father's Day weekend as well.  In my mind that would be wonderful.  Of course I will be happy whenever the dedication happen though.  : )

Weekend Getaway

My husband and I try hard to make sure we get at least one date night a month, so we have time to focus on our marriage relationship and reconnect with one another.  Several different wise adults have told us to make sure we make our marriage a priority...especially once children are involved.  It gets far too easy to get caught up in life, and sometimes we mistakenly put our children and their needs at the utmost center of the family.  I am not saying our children's needs are not important...on the contrary, they are extremely important, and when the children are younger, they require even more from the adults in their lives.  At the same time, though, a husband and wife need to devote time to strenghten their relationship, so when difficult times come (which they will), the relationship is already strong enough to handle the situation together.  Also our children learn what relationships should look like by watching their parents.  I believe more is learned through observing a parents' interactions than just the conversations a parent has with their child.  For example, if a parent tells their child they need to respect their girlfriend and treat them well, but behind closed doors they see that same parent speak condensendingly and be physically rough with their spouse, the child is not learning how to treat their girlfriend well.

March was a little crazy because of all the birthday celebrations, so we didn't actually go out on a date but rather had a couple in-home date nights...making a nice dinner and dessert together after the boys are asleep.  I have mentioned before that my husband has always wanted to eat at a Michelin star restaurant, so I made reservations and lined up my in-laws as baby-sitters for the evening.  As a much unexpected and appreciated gesture, my husband's parents got us a hotel room for the night and offered to keep our boys overnight (as a birthday gift to my husband).  This opportunity was a rarity because we do not often leave our boys overnight...by our own choice.  Every once in awhile it is nice to take an evening off, be able to sleep in and just appreciate each other and our boys all the more.

Saturday we dropped the boys off at their grandparents and then headed out to our destination.  We checked into our hotel, walked around the city doing some window shopping, got all fancied up for our Michelin star dining experience, ate dinner, walked to a tall hotel to enjoy drinks and admire the panaramic view of the city, returned to the hotel for bed, walked to breakfast the next morning, walked around a little more and then headed back towards home.

Although we enjoyed our Michelin star experience, we decided we are not huge fans of high end French cuisine.  We were not fans of the gazpacho, saffron soup, foie gras, plum souffle (it was too eggy and not much flavor other than that) and I didn't care for the buffalo either...it was far too strong of a flavor for me.  We did enjoy the salmon souffle, swordfish, halibut, kobe beef cheeks, and chocolate souffle along with some of the little small dessert samplers.  I asked if they had lemonade, and I was told they could make some for me, so I got some delicious, freshly made lemonade which was really nice.

The bar we walked to after dinner was something we had found quite by accident.  We had a nice view out our hotel window, and I had asked my husband about one of the really tall buildings that looked interesting, and when we looked it up, we found out it was a hotel with a bar located towards the very top with a panaramic view of the city.  After reading that, we had to go just to enjoy the view together since it isn't something we will be doing on a regular basis.  We ended up ordering virgin strawberry daquiris because neither of us are big alcohol consumers, but both of us found the virgin daquiris to be way too sickly sweet, but that was okay because we figured it was our admission price to enjoy the view.  It was beautiful up there, and we got to see the city lights come on.  A fun experience...

For breakfast we went to a crepery located just a block and a half from our hotel.  We got the breakfast crepe (ham, eggs, cheese, peppers) and the philly cheesesteak peppers (just like it sounds) and split them.  They came with some potatoes on the side.  We also had some freshly squeezed orange juice.  It was a nice breakfast, and we ate at a table outside and people watched as we enjoyed our meal together.

We had a great time on our getaway, but we were also glad to return home to our precious boys who were happy to see us.  We sure are lucky...  : )

Sweet Older Brother

Generally at bedtime we get both boys in pajamas, brush teeth, read stories (my husband usually reads to Sam, and I usually read to James, but sometimes we swap), Sam is given kisses goodnight, and my husband tucks him into his crib while I continue James' stories.  When it is time for Sam to go to sleep, we always ask James if he wants to give Sam a kiss goodnight.  Most of the time James answers with a no, but every once in awhile he will happily give kisses to his brother.  The other night while I was at the cake decorating class, James was eager to give Sam a kiss goodnight.  My husband thought it was so sweet.  Part of me wonders if James gave a kiss so willingly because I was not there to give a kiss goodnight, because he wanted to keep the routine more normal, or if it is simply because he loves his brother and felt like showing him some affection.

James is a very sweet older brother when he wants to be.  He will play with Sam, show him how to do new things...like throwing rocks into puddles, try to make him laugh or smile when Sam is feeling sad, and many other things as well.  These moments are growing into longer stretches of time.  The brotherly bond is forming and shaping into a lifelong friendship, or so I hope.  : ) 

Of course they still have their moments...where James is a little too rough or purposefully makes Sam upset, but we deal with that situation and move forward.  Sam, also, seems to purposefully do things to annoy James sometimes too...for example, grabbing James' most favorite teddy bear or James' sippy cup and talking past James while holding it.  These moments will continue throughout their lifetime because that is just the way it is with siblings.  However, as Sam gets a bit older, he will be able to stand up for himself more, and they should be more equally balanced in their play together.  As the parents, we won't have to step in quite as often once Sam can hold his own, so to speak. 

For those of you who think it is abnormal for siblings to fight with each other or purposefully annoy one another, you must be an only child.  That would be my only fair guess.  I grew up with two brothers, and I expect more of the rough housing and sibling rivalry between our boys as they grow together.  It is perfectly normal.

Cake Class #3

Last night was a really fun cake decorating class.  I actually learned a lot of new skills and had a good time practicing and then finally decorating the cupcakes we brought along to class.  I ended up using these delicious Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from Brown Eyed Baker as well as her Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and her Vanilla Buttercream Frosting since I didn't like the way the class frosting turned out last week.  I did end up adding some meringue powder (just a couple tablespoons) to the frosting for the sake of creating a crust on the flowers we designed.  I didn't put the frosting in the fridge either...I just left it in tupperware containers in the garage until we left for the class.  The frosting worked perfectly for piping, and it tasted oh so delicious!  I was especially happy because I got away with the all butter frosting...I was trying really hard to avoid adding shortening if I didn't have to.

We learned how to make shells, leaves, rosettes, drop flowers, a pompom flower, a shaggy mum and the fancy looking swirl of frosting on the cupcake.  Our teacher also showed us if we do the reverse of the fancy swirl (starting from the middle and working our way out), it creates a rose design on top of the cupcakes.  This is not an official method of the class we are taking, but I thought it was wonderful that our teacher was willing to show us tips and tricks that she has learned along the way.

I was surprised that most of these decorating skills are not that complex.  In fact, I was amazed at how easy some of them were...like the leaves, for example.  It was nice to actually do well in one of the cake decorating classes as well...nothing like taking  a class and feeling like a failure.  That feeling didn't creep in last night although some of the skills I had to practice a little more than others.

It was a fun evening, and now I have some new skills to use for cupcakes and cakes.  I am not sure how often I will make flowers due to having two little boys, but that doesn't mean I can't use these neat flowers for fun or for other occasions or family members.

 

Little Imitator

Sam is becoming quite the little imitator lately.  He loves to copy what others are doing.  When Sam gets his hair washed, he will touch the shampoo bottle and then rub the top of his head.  Sam picks up the phone and says "hello" into it and walks around holding onto it and talking.  He has also started to blow on his food if he sees us blowing on a bite of food for him.  Sam will laugh or giggle after he copies something...especially if you make notice of it.  It is pretty adorable to watch.

When it comes to the playgrounds Sam is quite fearless as well.  He is already trying to climb all the ladders and bars, and for the most part, he does extremely well.  Sam can almost make it to the top of the play structure...even on some of the higher ladders.  He plunges head-first down the slide right after James or tries to climb up the slide like the older children.

I am not sure if a lot of this is just being the second child and wanting to keep up with the older sibling or if it falls more into personality.  All I can say is that I have my work cut out for me.  : )

Bloody Noses

On Saturday, James had woken up at 6:30 a.m. while my mom and I were setting up for the garage sale.  I went ahead and took him over to my husband, and they snuggled up in bed.  We noticed that morning that James had some dried blood smeared on his face...from a bloody nose during the night.

Last night James woke up in a panicked voice calling out for "Mommy!"  When I went in to help him...thinking he had to use the bathroom or something, I stumbled upon a little boy whose face was covered in fresh blood...it was dripping out of his nose, his hands were also covered in blood, and he was pretty scared sounding...the poor little guy!  I took him into my bathroom and used tissue to help stop the bleeding...or at least tried my best.  I also wet down a washcloth and wiped all the blood off his face, and we washed his hands as well.  I offered to change his pajamas, but James didn't want to, so I left him in the pajamas that had a little blood caked on them.  When I put him back in bed, I noticed his sheets also had splotches of blood from his bloody nose as well.  Of course I will take care of that today and make his bed with nice, fresh sheets.

James woke up about three more times calling out for me because he had a little blood on his fingers he wanted me to wipe away.  I am not sure what exactly is going on...my only guess is that James is picking his nose in his sleep...or something along those lines.  I felt really bad for my little guy, though, and I hope this problem doesn't continue to cause James alarm and discomfort.

Garage Sale Preparation

We are participating in a neighborhood garage sale tomorrow.  I have been putting stuff aside and trying to organize and price everything over the last couple weeks.  For the most part, we are trying to sell most of our baby stuff.  There are so many memories behind all the clothing and other items.  It is a little hard.  I can pretty much tell you where every article of clothes came from and which of the boys benefited from it the most...all that sentimental stuff.  I did put aside the outfits and receiving blankets each child came to our home in as well as their favorite blanket and toy.  When they are older, they can decide if they want to keep those items, but at least they will have a choice.

Update:  The garage sale was a lot of work, but in the end we pulled in just under $200 which I was happy about.  Some items I didn't think would sell ended up selling for just a little bit less than the asking price.  One of our neighbors bought quite a few of our baby clothes during the sale (she is expecting two grandsons this summer).  My husband was out there during the money transaction, and he told her $20 for the clothes, but she insisted on giving us $30 for them.  Then after we had packed everything up and settled into the house, our neighbor came knocking on the door to ask if we sold all our baby clothes.  She then offered to buy all the remaining clothes.  We told her $20 for everything, but once again she insisted on giving us more, and instead she gave us $40 for all the clothes that were left.  That worked out well for us, and now we don't have to bother trying to sell the clothing by other means.

Cake Class #2

I am dubbing this cake my clown cake...mostly because of the bright colors.  Last night's cake class was not like I expected.  I was under the impression the teacher would direct us on the new skills for the night and then set us to work.  However, instead it was more of a do it at your own pace, and the teacher would just help with questions that arose...instead of a visual demonstration to get us started. 

I ran into a few problems.  First of all, my frosting which started off way too stiff because I had put all my frosting in the fridge, ended up being far too soft, and that gave me all kinds of problems.  Yes, I did use butter instead of shortening because I prefer the taste and the more natural process for making frosting.  Secondly, I deviated from my original coloring scheme which resulted in a more clown-like cake than I had intended; however, if I call it a clown cake, it doesn't seem so bad.  Next we didn't pay careful attention to the lesson plan book, so we didn't transfer the pattern to our cake the correct way...thankfully it still worked without destroying all the frosting.  Of course our teacher showed us the correct way after she saw us do it the wrong way.  Finally, I didn't put a filling in my cake...just used more butter cream frosting because I ran out of time, and my boys lost patience with my fiddling in the kitchen.  A filling would have helped even out all the sweetness from the butter cream frosting...oh well!

For next week, perhaps I will try using a butter cream frosting I have decorated with before and see if it makes a difference since I had so much trouble with this recipe.  Also I learned I am not a huge fan of using the copy and paste pattern idea.  If you don't make sure to frost over the lines, you can see the piping gel peeking through the frosting.

For the cake itself I followed the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cook book for the Citrus Yellow Cake...essentially a yellow cake with finely shredded orange peel added into the batter.  I wanted to try something different since that is part of the fun for me in taking these classes is to test out new cake recipes.  I didn't have enough time to really go crazy, and I also didn't make a store run, so I had to make do with what I had on hand.  The citrus cake is different.  It is flavorful, but I think it would taste better with a luscious cream cheese frosting instead of butter cream...the butter cream is just too sweet.  Either that or perhaps I am just not a huge fan of a citrus cake.

Sunshine and Fair Skin

Out of our family, Sam is the one with the fairest skin of all.  We have been working hard to make sure Sam doesn't get sunburned.  So far he has only gotten a sunburn once, so we are pretty lucky considering how much time we spend outside at parks, on hikes or just in the backyard playing.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, and the sun is beating down for longer periods, we are trying hard to stay on top of the fair skin protection.  Don't get me wrong, James also needs protection from the sun...less for sunburn...more for protection from all the harmful rays that can have long-term effects on one's health, so James is also included in the protection regime, but not quite to the same degree...if that makes sense at all.

For example, yesterday we went to a play date at a park with our moms group.  Before we left the house I lathered both boys up with sunblock on their faces and exposed arms.  James decided he didn't want to wear a hat, and I didn't really push the issue.  Generally Sam refuses hats too, and there isn't a way to force him to wear one, but I was surprised because yesterday I managed to have Sam keep his hat on almost the entire time we were at the park.  The last fifteen minutes or so Sam absolutely refused to allow the hat on his head, but all things considered, I was greatly pleased and considered it a success.  I need to remember to put my sunblock in the diaper bag, so I can reapply the sunblock to Sam's fair skin.  Luckily one of my friends allowed me to borrow some of hers for which I was grateful...especially since she uses the same pricey stuff we do.

I am a little nervous as summer is approaching, and it will start to get really hot here because then it will be wrong to keep Sam in pants.  Every once in awhile I have put Sam in shorts, but for the most part, I have put him in pants even on the warmer days when James is wearing shorts...mostly for the sake of exposing his poor, fair legs to the brutal sun.  I am just going to have to stock up on sunblock this year, I think and continuously slather up my two boys.

Family Snow Day

We had a family snow day yesterday.  It just so happened that our weekend wasn't crazy busy with other plans, and the weather cooperated perfectly.  It was a wonderful, beautiful day spent together in God's amazing creation.  For some reason, I feel closer to God when I am surrounded by all the spectacular views in nature.

We snowshoed out until James couldn't handle being cooped up in the backpack carrier anymore, and then we found a nice spot to make our stopping point.  Here my husband dug us out a sitting area to eat lunch together, and we spend time playing and enjoying the snow together before we packed up and headed back to the car.

This was Sam's first real experience with playing in the snow.  He kept putting his face down in the snow to try to eat chunks of it.  Sam was also crawling and climbing all over the place in the snow...getting a little frustrated here and there that he couldn't move easily.

James had fun making footprints in the snow as well as making snow angels and a snowman!  The snowman was a family effort.  My husband and the boys put the snowman together, and James and I decorated the snowman (technically my husband found the snowman's nose).  I improvised and used some food items we had brought along for the eyes, mouth and buttons of the snowman.  James was extremely happy with his snowman, but he had fun knocking him over before we left...that was something he really wanted to do, so we let him have at it.

Both boys were exhausted and fell asleep in their backpack carriers on the trek back to the car.  It was a perfect way to spend the day together and long overdue...since our schedules have been busy and the weather has not been very cooperative.  What a blessing to end our weekend in this manner!

In-Home Date Night & Delicious Ice Cream

Last night my husband and I had an in-home date night...just meaning we purposefully set aside the time after the boys go to bed to have a date night together...not to do household chores or work on the Jeep or anything else that might occupy the to-do list, but to spend some quality time together.  We do this periodically, and it is really nice.  

Usually we will cook a meal and dessert together which we don't get the pleasure of doing very often due to two little boys that demand our attention.  Last night this was the plan, but then my husband and James made the most delicious pizza for dinner, so my husband and I decided we would eat that with the boys and then just make a dessert together instead of a whole meal.  We figure we will save the rib eye and all the other sides we had considered for another night instead...although my husband did have to cook up the rib eye (which we sampled, and it was finger licking good!) since it had been set to room temperature to make cooking easier.

For the dessert, I had chosen a homemade ice cream to try out.  I took a couple ideas along with my own thoughts and merged them into a wonderful creation.  I knew I wanted to start with a chocolate base...just because my husband and I love chocolate so much.  Forty Cakes had a wonderful Chocolate Ice Cream recipe I choose to try out for the base, and I am glad I did.  The consistency is wonderful, and the flavor is perfect.  This might become my go-to chocolate ice cream base for the future.  I wanted to add mix-ins to our ice cream, and I wanted to do something a little different than just throwing in some candy chunks.  While perusing the internet, I ran across Pixelated Crumb and was so taken in by the beautiful pictures that I took some time to pour over the recipes, and I stumbled upon Raspberry Swirl and Brownie Ice Cream.  Can you say incredibly delicious looking?!  In all honesty, I found this recipe before the chocolate ice cream one mentioned above.

I ran with the idea, but using some of my own creativity.  I switched the base to chocolate which I already told you.  I did use the brownie and swirl idea from this site though.  The brownies were incredibly rich, fudgy and perfect...for eating in general, but especially in the ice cream.  I ended up making a 9x13 pan instead of 8x8 because my 8x8 was occupied.  I just decreased the baking time and watched/tested the brownies carefully.  They only needed to bake for twenty minutes altogether.  Now onto the swirl component.  Instead of doing a raspberry swirl, I decided to try for a strawberry swirl instead.  I bought some fresh, organic strawberries (they were on sale the same price as the regular strawberries), cut them up, added a little sugar and a splash of pure vanilla extract (I didn't like the idea of using vodka, and vanilla extract has some alcohol to help with the fruit not completely freezing...or at least that was my thinking).  I let the strawberries rest in the sugar and vanilla for a little while and then I pulsed them in my food processor.  The small chopped up chunks of brownies went into the freezer, and the strawberry puree went into the fridge while we focused on the chocolate custard ice cream base.

Once the ice cream base was complete and cooled in the ice bath, it was poured into the ice cream machine and set churning.  As that process ended, we mixed the brownie chunks in right away and then layered ice cream with spoonfuls of the strawberry puree, swirled it around with a knife a little bit and set it in the freezer to harden up.  Granted when we ate the ice cream last night, it hadn't had enough time to set up completely, but even so, it tasted so wonderful.  I think chocolate, strawberries and brownies ended up being a winning combination.

 **A picture of the ice cream after getting the brownies and strawberry puree mixed throughout and before getting put into the freezer to harden.

 

**A scoop of ice cream ready to be eaten...you can clearly see the strawberry swirl, but the brownies are not super noticeable in the picture.  They sure tasted good though!  Perhaps next time we may add more brownie chunks than we did...my husband seemed to think it needed more, but it might have been the scoop he ended up getting because mine had a decent load of brownies throughout.

Don't those pictures make you want to run out and either buy or make your own ice cream?

Bad Habits

I think most everyone has a bad habit, a habit they would like to stop...whether that be nail biting, smoking cigarettes, or in my case, picking my lips.  I am not sure at what age I began this habit, but I do know it is not a recent development...as in, it has been going on for years and years, and it is difficult to try to break.  I think part of the reason it is hard to break is because it is a habit, and sometimes I do it without even realizing it...generally it is when I am nervous, but it does happen at other times as well.  In a way, I am kind of obsessive about it...once I start picking my lip, even if I am aware of what's going on, usually I cannot stop right then.  It helps if I keep chap stick handy, but that only works if I make a point of putting the chap stick on when I feel the urge to start picking my lips.  I would like to stop picking my lips, and sometimes I do better at this resolve, but I still find myself stuck in this habit.  It will sometimes cause my lips to bleed, and it definitely doesn't make them appear pretty.  Perhaps by admitting this, I will be better able to maintain my resolve to let this bad habit go...as long as I don't replace it with an equally worse habit.

Interesting Findings

Sam had a sibling visit today.  It is the first one since February because his brother was sick both times we tried to schedule March's visit.  The visit went like usual...both boys doing their own thing and hardly interacting with one another.  There was one point in time where they followed each other on a short walk around a bookcase.  Then Sam was having fun touching his brother's pants, and his brother would get upset and say "no!" which caused Sam to laugh and then do it again.  His brother was not a fan of this game and moved away shortly afterward.

However, while we are at the visits, it gives me a chance to talk with the other foster mom, and she generally has information regarding Sam's birth parents...part of the reason my husband and I are really wary of how we will do sibling visits once adoption takes place.  Anyway...she informed me that birth dad called her the day we were supposed to have our last visit and told her he had some gifts for his son, and he knew we had visits on Tuesdays, so he was going to go to the children's receiving home to drop off the gifts.  He was asking about what time we have our visits and stuff.  Anyway...the other foster mom told him we wouldn't have having our visit that day.  She told me she has informed the front desk area that they need to contact us if birth dad were to show up during one of our visit times.

Needless to say, I am not happy about this development.  In order to protect my family, I have not met (although I do have a picture), talked with or established any contact with the birth dad.  I did send some photos when birth dad was having visits with Sam, but that has been the extent.  This is a huge safety concern...we know this because of the special treatment the county gave us even though we are an agency home, the information we have been given and the criminal records for our state.  If he shows up at a visit, I will have someone escort me to my car and I will leave as quickly as I can, and at that point in time, I won't feel comfortable continuing visits at that location.

The good news is...visits should not be court ordered much longer.  It looks like Sam's adoption will most likely take place in June if paperwork doesn't hold things up.  : )

Cake Class #1

My mom and I signed up to take a cake class together.  This is actually something I have been interested in doing for awhile now, so when my mom mentioned taking one together, it was a perfect excuse to expand my cake decorating knowledge.  After all, I would much rather take the cake class with my mom than all by myself.

Tonight was our first basic cake decorating class.  The instructor is really nice and knowledgable.  She actually bakes and decorates a lot of wedding cakes which is amazing.  I wouldn't want that stress personally, but I am inspired by those who can handle the stress and deliver gorgeous wedding cakes.  There was a lot of talking tonight and not much doing, so in that regard it was not the most exciting, but the future classes should be a lot more interactive.  We did practice using a star tip to make stars on some sugar cookies which was fun, but it wasn't anything new to me.

Funny thing...when we arrived for the class, my mom and I had to purchase some ready made decorator frosting.  I think the reason they have you purchase the frosting for the first class is so they don't have to worry about the consistency being correct.  Well...I loaded my decorator bag with my frosting as did my mom with hers.  I had the toughest time getting the frosting to start piping out of the bag.  I had to squeeze the bag so hard, my hand was actually shaking, and my mom was wondering what was going on.  We switched bags, and her frosting slid out as easily as butter.  When we switched back to work on our cookies, my decorator bag actually broke because it couldn't handle all the pressure of the thick, stiff frosting.  Good thing I was using a disposable one!  When I put together my next decorator bag I just used some of my mom's decorator frosting, and it worked a thousand times better for me.

Next week we will decorate an actual cake, so that should be a lot of fun.

Kitchen Sink

Today I was under the impression that my husband was going to have to stay at work late...possibly not arriving home until 8 p.m. or so.  I felt sad for him because he was most likely going to end up missing the boys' bedtimes...not to mention not being able to spend some of the evening with them.  Then my husband called and said plans had changed...he could come home, but he would have to call in to check on things at 7:30.

So...instead of making a super simple dinner for myself and the boys, I decided to go with my original idea.  In order to get dinner on the table in a timely manner and allow my husband time with the boys before his phone call, I got started right away on dinner.  James helped me measure the brown rice and water and get the rice cooker going.  Then while I was prepping the onions and mushrooms, James was playing in the kitchen sink.  It was pretty cute to watch...he would use soap to wash his hands and then fill up dishes with water and rinse them off.  This entertained him the whole time I prepared dinner...even after my husband came home, James still wanted to play in the sink.  Generally James hasn't been given this privilege, so this was something special to James, and apparently he really enjoyed it.

Simple Joys

This weekend we walked over to a larger nearby park...technically the boys rode in James' Jeep.  We played for a couple hours and then headed back home.  While we were at the park, James met a friend who he kicked a soccer ball with, and before that boy left, James offered to give him a ride in his Jeep.  A sweet gesture...

James found a ladybug in the grass, and he was delighted by the cute, little bug.  He had the ladybug crawling on him, he set it on a tree to crawl, had it crawl on him some more, put it in the grass to crawl, had it crawl on him again, etc. until it eventually flew away.  James was just fascinated by the ladybug, and it was so neat to see him study the little one.

Also all the boys...my husband included...climbed a tree together.  It started by my husband hanging from a tree.  Then he and James climbed it together.  Next my husband helped Sam into the tree with James.  Then I entertained Sam while my husband and James continued to hang out in the tree together.  A simple little activity that brought so much joy to our little ones.

It makes me appreciate having a husband and father in our boys' lives all the more.  I doubt I would have thought to have a tree climbing event on our trip to the park.  : )

Fun Celebrations

Happy Easter everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and/or friends today.  May God bless each and every one of you!

This morning we gave the boys their Easter baskets...well technically I put their goodies in a gift bag since I didn't end up buying any baskets this year.  James was most excited about the rocket balloons he received in his bag.  He also got bubbles, a plastic boat (for playing at the water park this summer), and a chocolate bunny.  Sam was most excited about his chocolate bunny, but he also got some bubbles and a boat as well.  It is funny how different James and Sam are when it comes to sweet things.  Sam devoured his bunny quickly and then seemed to be looking around for more.  James, on the other hand, took his time and was very gentle and precise with eating his bunny.  We actually had to tell James to go into his room to eat his bunny because Sam was chasing him around trying to get James' bunny as well.  When James realized there were chocolate bits inside the bunny...it was a hollow bunny, so when he took bites, some chocolate pieces fell into the bunny...he carefully dumped out the pieces and sorted them and then gently ate them one by one.  He ended up coming out of his room and sharing some of his bunny with his brother and then storing a few pieces into the back of his Mack truck to save for later.  Such a contrast...

After naps we headed up to my parents' house for our Easter celebration with family.  It was also my mom's birthday as well.  Our whole family had a wonderful time today!  My mom did the Easter story with the little ones using Easter eggs as her visuals (they were filled with different components to represent the Easter story), and she also read them a story about Easter; however, James and my nephew didn't have the attention span for all of that...she lost them part way through the story.  The kids ran around and played until dinner time.  We ate together and then my dad took the kiddos on a Gator ride while we hid Easter eggs for the egg hunt.  They returned and did the egg hunt followed by going inside to empty eggs (so my mom can use them again next year), and Sam had his own little egg hunt in the backyard although the others helped him find the eggs because once he found one, he was super excited to shake that one repeatedly and not interested in finding any more.  Next came dessert and then it was time to dress our little ones into pajamas and head on home.  It was a great time spent with family, and I appreciate all the hard work that went into making this day so much fun for the children.

Conflicting

James seems to go through phases with Sunday school.  I have noted before that transitions can be difficult for James, and he takes several weeks to adjust to a new Sunday school classroom at church.  James isn't due to switch Sunday school classes until June when he will be promoted to the three year old room, so I figured we were in the clear until June, and part of me hoped the new classroom switch would go smoother than last time.  Now I don't count on it.

For whatever reason, the past three weeks, James has not wanted to go to church, and he gets really upset during drop off.  However, when we pick James up afterward, he is as happy as can be, and he excitedly tells us about all the things they did in class that day.  I would really like to know what changed or caused James to become unsettled in his Sunday school class.  I would love to fix the problem and have James super excited about church again, but I don't know what or where the problem exists.

The other day we were reading from James' toddler Bible, and the story was about Jesus.  James' face lit up, and he exclaimed "I learn about Jesus at church!"  It was such a sweet moment of realization for him.  Can I just say that James loves the Bible we got him.  It is the Read With Me Bible for Toddlers.  The pictures are really interesting, and the stories are not overly long to lose James' interest.  When we looked through the Bibles at the store, it was hard to find one that didn't have huge walls of text on each page...even for the little kid Bibles.  We are pretty happy with this one...at least until James is a little older.  Also thorughout the week sometimes you will hear James singing one of the songs from Sunday school as he plays.  I know he enjoys Sunday school and gets a lot out of it...I just don't know why all of a sudden James does not want to attend church or why he is gettng quite emotional when he is dropped off at class.

I might talk to the teacher next week and see if there have been any changes in the class and just talk to her about how long it takes James to settle down after we drop him off.  Perhaps she will be able to shed some insight to this sudden change in our son.  Hopefully it is something simple that we can make better.

James' Adoption Day

Two years ago today, our amazing three year old, James, became a forever member of our family (paper legal), and we couldn't be happier about that.  To celebrate James' adoption anniversary, the morning started with making a cake together.  Since James loves to help in the kitchen, he really enjoyed this, and what child doesn't love to play with sprinkles and M&M's! This recipe was following Sweetapolita and her Funfetti Layer Cake

 

Then later in the morning, my dad came over and picked up James to take him out on a fun outing.  They grabbed a bite to eat and then took a tour at a cool reptile museum.  This is really special because it is the first Grandpa (my dad) and James outing just the two of them.  One of the requirements was no more diapers...the grandchild must be potty trained because my dad doesn't do dirty diapers.  James had fun seeing all the different animals and being able to touch some of them.

Afterward they picked up my nephew (same age as James) and returned to drive James' Jeep around.  Both sets of grandparents and my nephew joined us for dinner to celebrate the adoption.  We had hamburgers with homemade buns, potato salad, beans (my mom made), and fruit (my mother-in-law brought).  Then for dessert we had the cake James helped make and some chocolate ice cream...to offset all the vanilla.

I think James had a great day, and he felt incredibly special.  I doubt he understands the whole concept of adoption and what it means, but I have been told and believe that we should use "adoption" vocabulary frequently in our daily lives and make adoption a topic a child will feel comfortable asking questions about as they grow older and helping them to understand and come to grips with the whole idea.

If nothing else James' adoption is a perfect reason to celebrate.  : )

Small Sacrifice

Today is the Easter party with our moms group.  One of the little boys has a blood disorder, and therefore, he gets sicks really easily, and when he gets sick, it lands him in the hospital.  In fact, they just had a recent bout in the hospital.  His mom and he will be attending the party, and everyone was to inform the leader if their child exhibited any cold or flu symptoms, and they would just stay home instead of risking another hospital stay.

Yesterday James started sneezing up a storm with great gobs of clear snot.  I am almost certain it is due to his seasonal allergies.  This took place all day yesterday.  I informed the leader, and she told me no worries with allergies...just cold and flu stuff.  Well...this morning James started to cough as well.  Now, I still think this may be due to his allergies and being all congested in his nose; however, I don't want to risk another child's health, so I went ahead and informed the leader and volunteered to keep my kiddos home, so the other mom and her son can enjoy the party without extra worries.

Mainly I didn't want the other mom and her boy to miss out on the party.  I think it would be really good for them to be able to interact with others in a fun way.  I have been blessed with being able to attend many of the parties our moms group hosts along with other fun play dates, so I feel right backing out of this party and allowing someone else to enjoy.

The good news is I hadn't talked to James about the Easter party yet, so he doesn't know he is missing out on anything.  It would have been a lot harder otherwise.  I was looking forward to all the fun, but as an adult, I can handle the disappointment.

It is a small sacrifice on our part.  When I put myself in the other mom's shoes, I cannot imagine how difficult just normal, every day activities that everyone else takes for-granted are in her situation.  If by us not attending the Easter party, this mom is able to relax and enjoy fun memories with her son, it is so worth it.

Three Year Check Up

This morning I took James in for his three year doctor check up. He was not particularly thrilled to have to take his clothes off (we left his underwear on, of course) to be weighed and examined.  James also was not happy about having to lay down to get his height measured.  This will be the last time for that, though, because James barely fit on their height chart laying down.

The doctor was happy overall with how James is doing.  He looks nice and healthy, but mostly the doctor was especially happy that James grew so much this year!  Last year James was at the 9th percentile for height, but this time around he is up to the 42nd percentile.  James is maintaining his curve for weight, so the doctor was pleased with that as well.  James is in the 21st percentile for his weight.  He is a little string bean of an adorable, active toddler boy.  : )

Stats:
Height: 3' 1.5"
Weight: 29 lb. 1.6 oz.

Not Ready

On Saturday James never fell asleep during nap time.  We could hear him moving around and talking...which we didn't mind as long as he was quiet in his room.  Then on the drive to a birthday party, James fell asleep on the way there...only about fifteen minutes of sleep, if that.  James had a great attitude and the lack of a good nap didn't really affect his afternoon much at all.

Well...yesterday the boys and I took my mom out for a picnic lunch to celebrate her birthday.  My mom's birthday falls on Easter this year, so I thought it would be fun to do something separate from the holiday, and since she had the day off work, we decided we would go play at the park together and enjoy a meal.  We headed out a little later than usual, and we even stayed past the normal time I would want the boys down for a nap (since we had gotten a later start, and the boys were having a lot of fun at the park).  On the drive home (maybe five minute drive) Sam fell fast asleep, but James was still awake in the backseat.  We unloaded the boys, put Sam to bed, and then I read James a story before I laid him down for his nap.  James did fall asleep and take a decent nap; however, it really affected his bedtime.  Granted this could be because his nap was a little later than normal.

At bedtime, James kept jumping around in his room...you could hear thuds in the house.  He turned the projector on his sound machine on, turned the bedroom light on, was playing and having a grand old time.  We had to go into his room about four times to put him back in his bed.  I would guess he fell asleep a good hour later than it would normally take him.

Part of me thinks my boy is outgrowing his naps, and that makes me a little sad.  It is nice to get that little break where both boys are sleeping.  We will see how the next few days go, but perhaps I will just have to incorporate some quiet play time in his room or use the time to do some learning activities (preschool geared stuff) with James.  Overall, though, I am not quite ready for James to give up his naps.

So Sweet

Now that seat belts have been installed in the Jeep, Sam is able to ride along with James.  Boy, did this make James happy because he has really been wanting someone to ride with him!  The first time the boys went out together, my husband took them while I ran out grocery shopping.  My husband says James put his arm around Sam and held it there for a long time.  James told my husband that it was so "Sam didn't fall out".  How adorable is that?

We have been out as a family a few times over the weekend, and it is so precious to watch the boys together in the Jeep.  They can manage to get along really well for the long period they are in the Jeep together (much longer than they can usually last at home).  James tries to be really sweet with Sam.  He has even tried to pull Sam's leg down farther, so Sam could press the gas pedal (of course that doesn't work well because Sam isn't tall enough).  Today James would turn the Jeep off, pull out the key and allow Sam to hold the key for a little bit before putting the key back in and starting up the Jeep again.

There have been a couple instances where Sam needs a break from the Jeep, so we pull him out and hold him while James continues to drive through and over obstacles.  However, James seems most happy when he has a passenger sitting next to him.