Our day at the aquarium....these guys had quite the time together!

And the girls, well, they spent their time entertaining themselves....

Pryce did some hands-on learning.....

And we all needed a good pic together.....

And, then, outside, MK made friends with this "girly" dolphin....

And, the boys, well, they decided to imitate their dolphin of choice....

And, then, the trip to Atlanta was over. And life began to take a turn for our boys.....an Athens-bound turn. Though I do believe our boys' hearts remain dedicated to their beloved Clemson Tigers, they are showing signs of peer influence when it comes to football. Today, they attended their very first Georgia Bulldog game - my hands struggle to type those words! Not only did they attend the game with their very best friends, they also were treated to box seats (thank you Aunt Becca!)! They were beyond impressed! They came home and talked non-stop for 30 minutes about the game!

This week has been a roller coaster....one day we were climbing up and needing help, the next day we were coasting by with the air streaming through our hair, and then repeat. The highlights include

• Pryce pitched for the first time ever during his opening season game of Fall baseball. (Struck the guys out, yes he did!)
• Ryan left on Sunday for a week of work away from home.
• We met up with the Gruskin family in Atlanta for a day of play at the Georgia Aquarium. (It happened to be a memorable day for us all as it was also the re-adoption day of little Junie)
• The children and I spent the night in a hotel located by one of our favorite places - Northpoint Mall. It is a fave because it has something for everyone - Apple store for my guys; American Girl for my girls; and, drum roll please.....Cheesecake Factory for ME! Yummm.
• The hotel was great fun, until, the fire alarm went off at midnight. The alarm was the loudest, most piercing sound I have ever heard. And it went off forever. And my kiddos, all four of them, slept right through it. Unbelievable. I spent the next hour lying awake in bed trying to figure out just how I would manage to get all four of my children to safety if there truly was a fire.
• I was getting the children ready for bed. There was a room with two double beds and then another room with a pull out couch. I slated the girls to sleep on the pull out couch. MK was most upset. When I asked her what was wrong she said, "I want someone to sleep with me in here." I said, "Mason-Kate, Maddox is going to sleep with you in here and mommy and the boys will be right in the next room - the door will be wide open and I will leave a light on so you can see." She immediately began to protest and cried out, "No, mommy, I need a HUMAN in here with me!"

Alas, Friday came. It was a long week for all involved. I think in all of our thirteen years of marriage and our two years of dating, this was by far the longest we have ever been away from one another. And our children. MK seems to be our one with words lately and she said the cutest thing tonight when we went to pick up Finley from the kennel. Giggling she cried out, "I am so happy. It is so much fun getting our family back together again!"

Six Months

Six months ago today, we met her. She was already a part of us, but on this day six months ago, we got to touch her sweet skin and embrace her in our arms. We were all in awe. And we were oh so excited to see her. She was so very scared.

This picture pretty much says it all. Her left hand is scratching her head - she did this a lot those first few day. Stress.

And then, ever so slowly, she began to show her sweet self.....

And she began to let down her guard.....

And this happened! A smile. Life. No more stress filled eyes. No more scratching. Just love. And hugs. And kisses. And laughter. This little girl who laid stiff across my lap on Gotcha Day, now goes limp in my arms when she is held - she is a cuddly little one. She gives random hugs and kisses to everyone, even Finley. She is a parrot, trying to copy every thing that MK says. She is a girl of many styles - she feels the more items she can get on her little body, the better off she is; either that or she is trying to make a fashion statement. She loves, loves, loves chocolate. And peanut butter. Especially when served together:) She loves a good, overstuffed purse to carry on her shoulder. And she loves shoes....her shoes, the boys shoes, MK's shoes, my shoes, anyone's shoes. Our one obstacle is leaving her. When left at home with a sitter, she is fine. No tears. Even goes to bed without a fuss. However, take her to church and she will scream, scream, scream, the.entire.time.we.are.not.with.her. We have tried it all - we have gone with her for several weeks, MK has gone with her, we have taken a blankie with her, her favorite doll has visited the class - and she still cries. I know I have mentioned this in probably every post lately, but it is truly an obstacle that wrings on my heart. She did keep it honest this past Sunday. MK asked her on the drive to church if she was going to cry. Maddox politely nodded her head yes. And sure enough, she cried. At least she is honest. Beyond that, Maddox is doing great. She has grown 3 inches, gained 3 pounds, says a firm, "NO!" Six months later, and life is good.

MKisms

MK says, "Hey mom, I can hear my heart beeping!"

When it is barely raining, MK proclaims, "Mommy, it is dribbling outside."

Out of the blue today, she announced that possums are nocturnal animals. So I asked her what that meant and she explained in great detail how possums sleep while we are awake, etc.

The other morning, I went up to get her out of bed and I walked in to find my baby girl without a shirt on and her hair in a pony tail. For one, she takes her shirt off at night and carefully places it under her pillow - this is how she sleeps. For two, she found a rubber band and maneuvered it into her hair, a perfect ponytail.

Just Because....

I took these.....

just because she is always on the go.....

she is always thinking of what she can get into next.....

and because she is happiest when she is outside....

and because I just love that smile.....

and because she is ours!

Continued Education

Child #1 - Blew us away. We thought we knew exactly what we would do with a baby, we ignored the "your life is going to change forever" comments, because we knew we had it under control. Then, he arrived. All 7 lbs of him. And he taught us a few things. Like, all babies DON'T sleep through the night at 6 weeks. Nope. C, our beloved firstborn, was the child that when we read a parenting book that stated, "Most children do......," we knew that he wasn't under that "most" umbrella. Instead, he was under the "but some children do......" Always.

Child #2 - Relaxed us. He slept the entire time I was pregnant. And while he slept, I pondered how in the world I was going to go grocery shopping with a baby and a two year old. Seems very silly yet I was very concerned with how that was all going to play out. That, and the fact that I knew sleep was not going to be had for at least another two years. He arrived and though his birth was a bit breathtaking (literally), he was/is the child who calmed us. He slept the first night home. He ate whenever he wanted. He was happy and just plain easy. Of course we thought this was because he was the second child and we had this parenting thing down:)

Child #3 - Taught us that girls will be girls, and boys will be boys. Only, this was tough because I didn't "get" girls for about the first year she was home. The spice. The whine. The maintenance. Ah, yes, our MK has taught us a lot about patience, determination and good, down to earth belly laughter! We stared into her eyes for three months during our wait - three months staring at a picture and dreaming of who she was and who she would become. And then we met and she is so much more than our dreams allowed us to dream!

Child #4 - We really thought that by child #4 our parenting intuition and skills would be complete. We thought we knew it all - on sleep, on separation, on discipline, on germ control. Alas, child #4 has taught us that we, in fact, do NOT know it all. She has taught us that one can sleep through anything and one can sleep anywhere on anything, hence the many, many photos we have of her sleeping in her high chair or in the backyard swing. She has taught us that if a child were to drop a raisin on the floor of the pediatrician's office, one can eat it and remain somewhat healthy. Sigh. She has taught us that there really are children who a parent can just give "the look" to and they will do as they are told. She has taught us that a child really will eat whenever they are hungry and a child really can thrive on what seems like the diet of a bird. And, she is teaching us about a broken heart. Maddox's eyes have always been so full of seriousness. In every picture we were given during our wait, her eyes were bright with wonder. When we met for the first time, her eyes were wide open with worry. When we walked into our house for the first time with her, her eyes were full of awe. You can tell a lot about her by just looking into her beautiful brown eyes. Today, I saw big crocodile tears in those eyes. Her speech therapist was using reference cards to get Maddox to say words. The first card she pulled up was a picture of a mother. The therapist said, "Maddox, say 'mommy.' This is Mommy, say 'Mommy'." Maddox immediately jolted her head around to meet me eye to eye, she made a sound of desperation, her hands flew up and her body bent over - she wanted me to hold her, comfort her. Maddox was scared. And she shut down. That lady on the card was not her mommy, it was a stranger and this clearly bothered Maddox. Six months home - almost. And though we have had a somewhat seamless transition, today reminded me that Maddox's little mind is still far away at times - I think she has memories and I think she is sad at times and today confirmed that she continues to process her adoption and her forever home.

Happy Labor Day 2011. Labor Day will be one of my family's memories of growing up for two reasons. One, our nephew and cousin celebrates his birthday every year on this holiday. Two, part of the birthday celebration is going to the annual Chapin Labor Day parade in my hometown. MK said it best when she announced, "Mommy, that parade we went to was the funnest one ever in my life!"

The children are just about all old enough now to know the "Ready, Set, Go!" routine of the parade. Once the floats begin to appear on the route, all children must get their candy bags prepped for loading up on the gobs of candy they acquire during the one hour long display. It truly is amazing the amount of candy each child leaves with each year!

C is getting a bit older. In fact, today he celebrated his "half birthday," much to my dismay :( He is now 11 AND 1/2. I know, right?! Great for him, going by too fast for me. Alas, in this stage of his life, he has chosen to take a liking for coffee. And who better to share a cup of joe with but his Gran.

With the parade in full swing, the kiddos took their spots.....

and waved to the passers by.....

and clapped for a job well done!

(I love this pic. I could publish a story on this pic alone - it tells so much. Look at the faces. The anticipation. The conversations. Just makes me smile to see it and imagine the thoughts that were taking place at the moment this shot was snapped.)

And this special day occurs every year because of this special little guy. Happy 4 years Jay-man!

***One more MK comment. I asked her what her favorite part of the parade was and she said, "I LOVED those girls what was pretty!" AKA, the pageant/beauty queens. I love that she is sooo very girly!