Singing and Choreographed Dance Moves!!

Out of the many daily joys Austin and Logan bring me....I have to admit, that the one thing they do that entertains Gary and I to no end is their singing and dancing!

I have video from when they were 14 months old and dancing to Hi-5 and Barney - doing all the dance steps along with their favorite characters. Backyardigans is also one of their favorites!

However, their recent obsession, thanks to a beach trip with good friends Ryann and Cannon, is High School Musical.

They pretty much have the whole movie memorized, but here are some highlights...

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Fashion Police!!

Remember when I used to dress the twins SO cute? Adorable matching outfits? Coordinating colors. Just precious! For the past year, Nonnie and I snagged sale items - little cargo shorts, Bermuda's, etc. all in anticipation of another great Successful Fashion Summer!

But, none of it, none of it is getting worn.

Because Frick and Frack have started dressing themselves.

All. the. time.

And despite the many, many clothing options available to them, they basically rotate out the same three or four basketball shorts and number shirts.

This is Logan's all time standard "go to" outfit. He'll either wear his Red number shirt or he'll wear Austin's (creating quite the chaos when he throws people off)!

I thought Austin was pretty cute this day (butt picking aside)- sleeveless tank, khaki dress pants and work boots (minus socks). He sorta had a look going on!

And some days, the superheroes come out!

And yes, we leave the house like this.

It's just too much to fight. And besides, the costumes get a lot of attention. Cute, right?

But then, there are times. Where the cuteness factor may not be so ah, evident...and well, it's hard for me to swallow that folks might think that I. did. this.

...or this....

And while Logan's pairing of black soccer socks with white tennis shoes isn't exactly overly offensive...

And while we can all appreciate a good tucked in shirt...

I'm thinking the bedroom slippers, "....just like in Polar Express, Mom" may be a tough sell!

My loves....

It's very unusual for me to get a good picture of both my boys and of course, I didn't get this one either. Tracey snapped it for me a while back and I just found it again.

I LOVE it. I LOVE them!! A girl could loose herself in those sweet little faces!

Movies!

We finally made it to the movies!! (Remember last summer's attempt lasted 5 seconds into the previews before we went screaming and yelling out of the theatre!?)

This year's attempt didn't start off well - I didn't think they were actually going to enter the dark scary place. But the arrival of Van gave them safety in numbers!!

That's a really BIG TV, Mom!!

Thankfully, no surround sound to scare the ba-jeebies out of them. They did great! Their first movie experience was "Horton Here's a Who." Or at least the first 1 hour of it! But we're giving them credit for the whole thing!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, here is The Anatomy of a Group shot:

Step 1: Yell, "Okay, group hug! Get together, boys!"

Step 2: Get the boys to stay in the photo shooting area by gently pushing, er, urging them to stay put.



Step 3: When you see what's about to happen say, "Too much hugging, gentle, gentle...."



Step 4: Laugh hysterically when it happens anyway....


Step 5: Give the Mommies what they want...

All three boys looking at the camera....and smiling...and no, that's not a choke hold!

Thanks Van and Tracey for another great, fun day!!

Calling all adoptive friends/parents...

Do you remember what it was like WAITING for your child to come home?

Visiting them, holding them, breathing in everything about them and then having to say good-bye? to. your. child!?!

Having to watch your child grow up in pictures.

Do you remember being glued to your computer - hitting refresh and send/receive ALL day long - hoping, begging, pleading for any e-mails with news?

Trying to get on with life while half of your mind/body and soul lived 1,000 miles away from you?

Do you remember the community of blogs and forums that suffered alongside with you and got you through it all?

Could you imagine.

doing.

it.

for.

FOUR
.
.
.
.
YEARS!?!?


There's a very special family that has been doing just that! In May 2005, a little 7 year old boy and his 5 year old sister were growing up in an orphanage when their forever Mommy and Daddy found them.

There have been been visits.

There have been good-byes.

There have been "It's over" moments, where they were told nothing else could be done to bring them home.

And there have been moments of hope. Like 2 years ago when all adoptions were shutting down in Guatemala and all of a sudden there was a glimmer of hope, maybe just maybe a way to bring their children home, this Mommy and Daddy (once again) flew into a panic and scrambled around for paperwork and somehow managed to start the process of bringing home their children.

Again.

At the helm of this crazy story is a remarkable woman. A woman of amazing obedience and faith who serves a God she might not understand, but one she undeniably loves and trusts and gives her whole life to.

Dawn might not know it, but she really, really kept me going during my excruciatingly-long-to-me 14 month journey to bringing home my babies. When others were accomplishing this feat with remarkable speed at 6 and 8 months and bringing home babies, Dawn simply walked beside me, saying "I know. I know. It is difficult." She cheered me on. She provided strength and support and most importantly she made me feel like I was not alone.

Friends do that.

These wonderful little children of hers, now 12 and 9 ARE coming home.

Sometime.

Maybe in another few months.

Maybe in about 5 or 6 months.

It's a whole new world out there. One none of us are familiar with - the old language of PGN, pinks, etc have all been replaced. There's a small little band that are getting each other through the ever changing maze.

But not en masse.

Like there used to be.

For us.

So - would you take a moment and go spread some love? Maybe get hooked on her story. Pray for her and her family. All of them!

It's going to be a long 6 months. Sure would be nice if she had some company. Some folks to walk along the path with her.

www.prayingthemhome.blogspot.com

I'm not making this stuff up, people....

All week long Austin has been asking to get his training wheels off. I sort of dismissed him thinking, yeah, right buddy!

But when Daddy came home tonight, Austin ran up and asked, "Now, Daddy? Now, can I finally have my training wheels off?"

Daddy acquiesced.

And in the time it took me to get my camera, less than 30 seconds. Austin had taught himself how to ride a bike...with no training wheels! Gary didn't even get that chase your kid down the street while holding onto the back of his seat and then let him go moment that all Mom and Dad's dream about.

In about a two minutes Austin was literally zooming up and down the street.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Things were a little more difficult for Logan. But by nightfall, he had a really good grasp of the bike, too. It's just now too dark to film. I know - then they should be inside, right? But Logan, really, really wanted to try one more time. And Daddy just couldn't say "no!"

Conversations...

Three days a week, we wake up, get in the car and drive over to our favorite, favorite person's in the world house! That would be Van. They play together while the Mommies go to work.

Every time they see each other they run full steam ahead and hug or knock each other down and end up in a big ole' pig pile! Departing is just as enthusiastic - because who knows how long it will be before they're next reunion. Lots of love between these boys!

One morning in the car, Logan says "Mumma, I got an idea." What's that, baby?

Logan: "How about this? Lets do this, Momma. First, we'll go to Van's house. Then, Van will get in our car. Next, we go to BuschGardens (Big Amusement/Theme park) and after that, then we'll go the Chucky Cheese. Is that a good idea, Mommy?"

Yep - yes, that sounds like your perfect, perfect day, baby!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I worked really late one night and when I came home Austin and Logan had lots and lots of love for me.

When I got on the computer, Austin sat up in my lap. Kissed on me. Played with my hair. Loved all over my face. He even laid down in my arms like a little baby and continued to kiss and play and love on me. I was rubbing him, lovin' him and kissin him and he finally said, Momma

this is amazing.

My response: "This is amazing? What's amazing, baby?"

My sweetheart clarifies, "Being here, in your arms...."

Be still, mah heart!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One morning, Austin and Logan said they wanted to take their "baby bears" (stuffed animals/bears that play the role of baby) with them in the car.

You know what it's like leaving the house for the day, bags, backpacks, purses, snacks, sippy cups, etc.

So, when they came down the stairs with two baby bears each, I intercepted (as I envisioned carrying everything back in later) and said, "Whoa, whoa whoa, that's a lot of teddy bears, boys. How about we just take one each. Why are you taking two?"

Logan looked straight at me as if to say "Duh! Mom", with little brows furrowed, and stated the obvious, "Two babies, Mom. They're twins."

;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple reward charts!?! These little things have recently been like hitting pay dirt in our household!

Get a sticker in each box and "Win the prize!"

After co-sleeping for their first year home, we had "successfully" gotten them into their own rooms, but 6 out of 7 nights a week, we were getting up with them 2-3 times a night just to put them back in bed or just to give them a kiss or whatever. They just never seemed to sleep through the night.

Finally, these little reward charts did the trick. They have been sleeping in their beds ALL NIGHT long for like three weeks now! Yahoo!! We also ended up moving their twin beds together, since they were always sharing one bed anyway. so, now they have a ginormous King size bed - which is what we could have used in the first place while co-sleeping in a queen! hahaha

Upon seeing their King bed for the very first time after we had told them they were getting a big bed like Mom and Dad and like big brother Evan, they jumped up and down in excitement, laid on the bed. And then said,

"Okay, Mommy, you lay here, Daddy lay here and where's Evan? He will sleep in here too."

They had misunderstood our explanation and were really, really excited about a big bed, big enough for everyone to sleep on. ;-(

They earned their scooters on a Sunday morning and were so excited, they had to ride them just a leetle bit before church!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And almost, almost at 3 years and 2 months of age, Austin and Logan are 90.5 % potty trained. And Gary keeps wondering why his plants are all turning yellow. ;-) Gotta love boys, summertime and the ease of porta-pottying!

~~~~~~

What else have we been up to this summer?

this....

Lots and lot of it - dirt, that is! Who knew 3 year olds could get so stinky, smelly, sweaty!

Austin and Logan put in day after day after day, of a good day's work of hard core sweat and play!