Friday Friend or Family Feature

This weeks Friend or Family Feature is Jackson! I promise I won't use every Friday's Feature to gush about my wonderful kids, but this one is long overdue!




A truly AWESOME kid!

Jack-- the sweetest six year old you could ever dream of!

At home he is so attentive to the other kids, especially to the "littles"!

Jack is such a good big brother, he is always willing to help Emma find her puppy, or to read a book to Sam...

And when Sam was too afraid to sleep in his own big boy room, Jack offered to let him stay in his room.


At school Jack is the kid everyone wants to be friends with!

When I pick him up from school he's slapping fives with friends, and there's always a chorus of "bye Jackson!" as he gets into the car!

He really cares deeply about all of his friends.

For a six year year old, he knows a surprising amount about different family situations, and how these different situations affect his friends.

And when I went to school one day to have lunch with him, I could see how much that meant to them.

Everyone wanted to sit by him, talk to him...Not because he's the athletic kid, or the popular kid, or the teachers pet, but because he was the nice kid.

Jack genuinely cares about people.

He is an emotion magnet!

When I'm feeling down, oh yeah there are the days, Jack will come up to me and just give me a hug! He is so intuitive about what people are feeling. And so giving of himself in wanting to help.

Jack is so bright...but very nonchalant about it!

I know I've talked about what a genius we think Caroline is (doesn't every parent think their kids are destined to be rocket scientists?)

But Jack has snuck up below the radar and just blown us away! He's pretty much caught up to the high standards that Caroline had set in piano, math and reading!

This month at school, Jack was nominated for Student of Month by one of his teachers.

This months focus was Fairness.


This was her reason for nominating:

"Jackson is a very caring friend and classmate. He is always making sure to include everyone in games, play fair and take turns. He listens to others during discussions in hopes they will do the same to him."

I am so proud of Jackson!

I feel honored to be his mom!

Oh my Boogie!

So Caroline is turning 8 today!

And yes, that means you get to hear all about my gorgeous little girl!!!

What can I say about this beauty!

Caroline is the light of my life! (Well they all are, but Caroline was the first to shine that light!) And shine she has!

Caroline is absolutely the best mix of Jud and I... (I'd love to take credit for her looks, but when I look at her all I see is Jud!) She is so brilliant! She loves math and reading! (I'm pretty sure that's Jud too!) She is picking up piano as though she's been playing for years...And she is also soooo sensitive to other people's needs...Caroline is always thinking of ways that she can help other people. (she might get that from me!)

A few years ago we started a tradition, before the holidays of going through toys to donate...the boys always have a hard time with this. But Caroline is the one who wants to give her favorite toys, even if it's something she still plays with, because she thinks another child would like it too...and "they probably don't have many toys"!

This year, for her birthday, in true Caroline form, she is having a party at the Humane Society! Rather than getting gifts from her friends, she is asking her friends to donate to the Humane Society to help the animals! What 8 year old does that?!

Caroline has always loved animals! We call her our little Cesar! Because the dogs listen to her better than they do to us...she seems to have the touch! When we found the gar at the cottage she was the one to swoop it up in the net, when we saw the grass snake she was right there ready to hold it! And when I found the mouse in the sink, she's the one who came to my rescue!

I just love this little girl so much! I can't wait to see how she changes the world! (no pressure!)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Random bedtime funnies...

Tonight in the midst of the bedtime routine, Sam was trying to find a story he would like to bring to share with his class tomorrow...He picked, "The mole who knew it was none of his business". (For anyone without kids, it's a hilarious book about animals poop! ) Since, Caroline is going to be the one reading the book to Sam's class, I asked her what she thought. she said, "yeah, I don't think that's appropriate!"

And when I was bringing Emma to the bathroom, she told me, "No Mommy, you need to get out!" and then practically slammed the door in my face, and locked it! A minute later she emerged from the bathroom having turned the fan on! Where did she get that?

Friend or Family Feature

I am totally stealing this brilliant idea from Julie! On Fridays I'm going to try to have a friend or family feature...Not only is it an opportunity to brag a little about all of the incredible people I am lucky enough to have in my life, but it's also a way of reminding myself that they are there...

Today's feature is Sam!!!

Sam is the sweetest little boy. He is so crazy silly one minute, and then ready for cuddles the next. He makes the best faces! Any one of them can instantly light up a room. In our house, he has been voted 'most likely to be in Hollywood'. He can make Jack laugh until he can't breathe with just one funny face and finds endless humor in 'stinky stuff'. . .

His teachers absolutely adore him. "He is such a good listener and a good friend to the other children" and he is so proud of getting a "green face" everyday at school!

I'm so proud of this silly little guy! And so thankful that I get to look into those big blue eyes every day!

I was planning on posting 5 pictures, since he is turning 5 today...but I just couldn't do it! I spent the afternoon yesterday looking through tons of pictures, and there was no way I could only pick 5!!!

It got a little long! I knew Bubbie would appreciate it though!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Can you feel it?

Sick and Cold!!!

This week has been very cold!!! So cold that school was canceled most of the week!!! The kids were very much enjoying their time off of school, unfortunately Jud and I were very sick! So it was a long week!

Kids with lots of energy from being cooped up all week, and mommy and daddy with zero energy from being sick all week, not a good mix!

So not much has been happening around here this week!

Last weekend we did have a fun visit from Grandpa and Grandma though!




Emma teaching Grandpa how to play the leapster!




Emma and Grandpa playing puppies!




Caroline and Grandma working on word searches!





Sam loved his Birthday gift!




So did Jack!

Gamblers too?

When we were getting ready for school this morning Jack looked at all of the snow outside and declared it a snow day...

"there's no way we can get through all that snow, we'll have to stay home!"

Caroline piped up "I bet you a dollar we can still get out!"

Then she whispered to me "it's an easy bet, our truck can get through anything!"



She was right, we made it!

True Friends? Or Big Drinkers?

Tonight Jack was trying to gulp down his very bad tasting antibiotics, (he really hates it) All of the other kids started cheering "go Jack go Jack, you can do it!" and then "drink it, drink it, drink it" while they pounded on the table in unison!

I couldn't help wondering if this was a sign that they were true friends, to encourage each other through the grossest stuff! Or simply that they'll be great party people someday:)

Adoption

Adoption is really a complicated thing.

Looking back to when we first started the process to adopt in 2005 I think that Jud and I were very naive to the whole process. We thought very simply about a very complicated situation.

We knew we wanted to have more children, and we knew there were millions of children in the world who needed families. It seemed simple.

But nothing on this journey has been simple...

I'll admit we probably didn't read as many books about the great history of Ethiopia as we should have, or books about things like trans racial adoption or even attachment in adoption. Every book I started was quickly set down. I kept thinking what's the big deal? So she won't look like us, and she didn't grow inside of me, who cares? Why does it matter? This is my child. I will love her just as I love all of my children.

But now I am realizing that there was so much that I was missing.

So much that I hadn't prepared for, or even thought of...

I never could have imagined how much this whole journey of adoption would completely change me, my life, my family, and how I think of the world.

But it has.



OK I've been working on this post for almost two weeks...and I can never figure out just what I'm trying to say. Or how to say it. Then this morning I read THIS and well, Julie hit it right on the head! I think we must be neighbors in Crazy Town!! You have to read it! It's exactly right.

Oh Bubbie, I know it's been awhile!

I know you're waiting for a new post! I'm working on it! There's a lot happening in this crazy house! Here is picture of Caroline and Lou Lou to help you make it though the day!







A little update on the adoption...

We have decided to narrow our age range to 0-12 months. For many reasons, but the biggest one is because I'm worried about how Emma would adjust to having another toddler in the family...
Since we have already been waiting for a little over 6 months that means we probably have at least 5 more months before we'll hear anything, which seems like forever, but at we have an idea of how long...

so much to blog about, so little time!

It definitely hasn't been quiet around here...what with the kids off of school! But luckily for me, Jud was off for a good part of the week! He's been baking, and making delicious dinners, and then concocting yummy soups with the leftovers! I actually haven't made a meal all week! I'm feeling like one lucky lady!


We have recovered from Hanukah and Christmas!! With lots of cuddles!





playing with new toys!





and lots of just plain silliness!









and of course cuteness!






We brought in the new year with a few good buddies! Our friends, Don and Dani came over with there two cutie little girls, Olivia and Lauren.


Jack absolutely loves babies! Especially baby Lauren!





I had to fight him just for a chance to hold her!



But you can't blame him, who wouldn't want to hold this little beauty?








Emma and Olivia really had fun together too! This was the first time they actually played together, rather than next to each other. It was pretty darn cute to watch them play!








Since our guests were a little on the young side (yeah Dani, that includes you!) The evening ended a little before midnight! (like 8:30) So we decided that 9:30 would be the new midnight!!! We did the whole shabang, the noise makers, the beads, the hats, the poppers, you name it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Breathe.

*edit* thanks, I meant breathe not breath!

There's a lot I've been thinking about. Things that I'm sure have contributed to my funky mood lately. But I just don't really have the words yet. So much running through my head, it's hard to wrap my brain around what I'm trying to say...

So for now, I'm just going to breathe.

And focus on the amazing week we've had at our house.

Two holidays in one week, that's a lot to cram in! Lot's of wrapping, unwrapping, and opening those darn toy boxes! That gets harder every year! This year we actually needed a screwdriver to get one toy out of the box! That's insane!

We tried something new for Hanukah this year, each night the kids got one group present...a board game, or something that we can all play with together. The kids actually really liked this idea, they've been playing so well together all week!

We tried to tone down Christmas a bit this year too. It was still fun, and the kids got things from their lists, but we tried to focus on the giving rather than the getting. And for little kids, they've come up with some pretty amazing ways to give to others.

The loot!

The boys are totally into star wars this year, so most of their gifts were somehow related to it.

Caroline got a hamster! Which she was completely over the moon in love with, until it bit her! Now she's working up the courage to hold it again!

Emma's pretty easy to please, a new leapster and a few little puppy things and she's set!

Emma and her new leapster!



Sam playing with all of his "guys"!




Caroline and Lulu!





Emma and Jud




Sam and Jack playing wii, sporting their new AHOPE shirts from Aunt Katie (how much do I love her!)

No Bubbie I won't forget about the blog!

Bubbie called this morning a little worried that with my new found love of facebook, I will forget about the blog!

Not to worry! I havn't forgotten, I'm just a little short on time these days! Cramming two holidays into one week is a little exhausting for mommy!

But to hold you over until the craziness of the holidays have passed, here's a few pictures of what Caroline and I did this week, while I've been avoiding doing all of the things I should be getting done!

Yes, instead of cleaning my house to get ready for company tomorrow, we had fun playing dress up in my closet instead!

Caroline's favorite was my wedding dress! I had to smile because I remember trying on my mom's wedding dress when I was a little girl! I remember feeling so beautiful like I looked like my mom...I would stare at her wedding portrait that hung in her bedroom, and think, someday I'd look just like her.

And looking at Caroline in my dress, well she was gorgeous! And I could see that same dreamy look in her eyes. It was a really sweet feeling. However, I'm glad we have a few years before she's ready for her own wedding dress! In fact when I showed Jud the pictures, he had trouble even looking at them, I don't think he'll ever be ready to let her grow up...

Snow Day!

Nothing like a snow day to pick you up out of funk...










Until the fun 20 minutes in the snow is over and I am left with this!





Even with all this sogginess to clean up it's still hard to stay in a funk with all of this cuteness!

In a funk.

I'm not quite sure what my problem is, but I'm totally in a funk this week!

My normal go go go energy, seems to be on vacation!

Things that usually drive me insane, like dirty dishes, piles of laundry gathering on the floor and sticky gross floors...this week, well I just don't have the energy to care!

This waiting stuff (on the adoption front) is really getting to me.

In my efforts to avoid the adoption forum (that I normally check daily) and with the advice from my wise 16 year old sister in law, I have joined Facebook...yet another addiction to tend to! (Thanks Mim!) I have since been slacking so much around the house that I fear Jud may take away my computer!!!

Maybe that's why I feel blue????



Even though I've been in a funky mood, It's been a busy and fun week for the kids! Emma and I had a play date with Sarah and her gorgeous kids this week! Emma and Thad were so cute together, and I seriously thought about stealing Hannah!

Sarah and I met years ago, when the forum was just beginning...we were both waiting for referrals. And we've emailed for the past three years but never met...It was so great to finally meet Sarah and have another mom who knows just what I'm feeling and to be able to talk about all of the crazy emotions that go along with this whole process...

Another bright spot, (for those of you who just hang out for pictures) Emma had her Holiday concert today.

She was so darn cute!





But even amidst the cuteness of Emma performing in her concert, I felt the mommy guilt! As she was up on stage singing, O little town of Bethlehem, Away in a manger, and Go tell it on the mountain...I felt so guilty, this preschool was not supposed to be affiliated with any religion..something I talked to the director about...but here Emma is rocking her arms with baby Jesus...(I know, if my Dad read this blog he'd be thrilled!) But-Hello, we're Jewish!!

So yes here's where the guilt pours in! I feel awful that we haven't been more involved with out Temple...I feel like we should be doing more to encourage their pride in their Jewish Heritage...

So being the sneaky people that we are, Jud is going to school with Caroline and Jack (assuming we have don't have a snow day) to play dreidle, and bribe all of the kids with Hanukkah gelt and M&M's to convince them that eight days of presents is so much more fun than one day of Santa's gifts!

Matzah vs Easter eggs is a little harder sell!

Hanukah started a little early this year

This weekend we had Jud's family in town, to celebrate Hanukah. (yes, a little early!) The kids were all so excited to see their little cousin Spencer again, and of course Spencer's parents, Uncle Dave and Aunt Kristy who brought the Lovely Auntie Miriam with them, and of course you can't have Hanukah without Bubbie and Zaide!


We pretended it was the fourth night of Hanukah, so that each of the kids could take turns lighting the candles!








Candles, presents, latkes, oh my!!

Caroline loved the latkes!




No visit with Bubbie is complete without a good book.


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Emma and Spencer really hit it off! They had so much fun playing and being silly together! He's such a cutie!






We all enjoyed playing Caroline's High School Musical game from Grandma and Grandpa! Jud won the game with these dance moves!!!