Happenings

There have been some nativity productions going on around our house, lately- with Ella in charge.  (I've overheard Ella giving out directions and I can tell that she just wishes they would all just do what she says, and when she says it, please.  I can relate.  I have to remind her to just relax and enjoy it, which is what I remind myself every day.)

In another scene, with Adelia as a donkey and Isaias, in the background, as a shepherd.

Also, Ella turned 11!  I made a note on the dry erase board with spaces for people to fill in adjectives about Ella.  All finished, it read: "We love you, beautiful, sweet, caring, cute, thoughtful, kind, loving, helpful, funny, smart, caring, responsible, hard-working, prayerful, gentle, nice, not bad (those 'n's' were Isaac's), generous, and cheerful Ella Kate!"  She is all those things and more. 

For her birthday dinner, she requested Caesar Salad, sweet potatoes, and homemade bread.  And for dessert:  ice cream pie. 

This morning I asked the kids what they'd like to do over our winter break.  Their responses were: 

-library
-parks
-go for a walk
-Costco (that would be Adelia, wanting to go there)
-draw
-make Christmas cards
-make thank you cards (Ella, for her birthday gifts)
-playdates

I think we can manage that.  Aren't they easy to please?  (Well, Isaac did mention an amusement park, but he was kidding.  ;))  We plan to tuck in all sorts of other fun (click here for two of our traditions) so it should be a great month. 

Blessings to you and yours,
~Stacy

Our thrift store venture

I mentioned in my last post that we scored at the thrift store last week.  We found some more books to add to our ever-growing library.

Some of our favorite biographies for the kids are the Landmark books, and this is what we found on our last trip to Goodwill:

That's eleven Landmark books from L to R!  (Also pictured: two biographies for younger readers)

Each book was only 79¢.

Here's a close up of those other biographies.

...and a two-page spread of the book on Washington

Some of the Landmark covers.

As we perused the shelves that night, there was a dear elderly woman who sought us out and began talking with us.  She visited first with the kids, then turned and talked to me for awhile, then made like she was going to be on her way but then turned around and told us another story or asked the kids another question.  Miss Sarah- as she introduced herself- was probably in her late seventies or early eighties, with gray-white curls and vibrant eyes tucked behind her smudged glasses.  I was at the end of the aisle with Mark when she first started conversing with the kids, and when I walked over she asked me, "Do you know which of your children is the most social?"  (Yes!  I do.)  But she knew, too, from her little chat.  (Adelia.)  Miss Sarah told me she had asked our kids which of them was the most responsible, and they had all pointed to Ella.  (Smart kids.)  I noticed Adelia showing Miss Sarah a book she'd found, announcing that she didn't like skeletons, and Miss Sarah declared, "Well I don't much like them, either!"

She told us about being the youngest of eleven children and spoke of her childhood with such fondness.  She'd lost her father when she was just six years old in a railroad accident, and her mother raised all eleven children on her own.  She described her mother as feisty and God-fearing and spoke of her with such warmth and love.  I bet we spent more than half an hour listening to Miss Sarah's stories in the aisles of Goodwill.  I couldn't help but think that she was lonely- and then later she confided in me that she was.  She said she gets so lonely, and at her age- she has no shame and will just talk to anyone and everyone for the pure joy of conversation.   What a sweet lady.  I'm kicking myself now for not getting her last name.  I would love to send her a card in the mail or pictures drawn by the kids- or even make a trip out to visit her.  (I'll just trust that if we're meant to do that, God will connect us again. :)) 

After awhile I had to slip off to another store with the girls, so I said goodbye and left Mark with the boys.  (Mark told me later that she chatted with him the entire time we were gone-- so at least for another twenty minutes!)  When I came back, Mark was getting ready to check out and I saw Miss Sarah waving me over to her cart.  I thought she must need help with something so I walked over and she promptly handed me two ten-dollar bills and asked, "Will you please let me purchase those books for your sweet family tonight?  I would just love to do that." 

So the books that I thought were just 79¢ apiece were actually... free, compliments of sweet Miss Sarah. 

Update!

Hello bloggy friends,

It is my desire to post more frequently than I do, but-- goodness!  Life with the kids is just so full... and sweet... and I don't want to miss a minute of it.

We are doing great.  Ella is nearing her eleventh birthday and I just love that girl to pieces.  What a delight she is!  Isaac just turned nine, is currently reading the Redwall series and chatting all about it when he's not reading.  Isaias is as active as always- loving outside time and doing great in school this year-- I'm so proud of his growth from last year to this year.  Adelia simply does not stop.  Ever.  Moving or talking or shrieking.  She's a hoot.  Audra is chatty and never far from her dollhouse and rarely without a baby in her arms.  Mark is working a TON right now- lots of long hours in the cold and dark these days and we are so thankful for his hard work to provide for our family.  I am... knitting and making meals for our family and others and schooling our kids and trying to keep up on the laundry and the housework and forgetting to plan meals and loving Jesus and just truly thankful for it all.

We are winding down to our Christmas break.  Just two more days of school and we have the whole month of December off!  (Hooray!) 

{ The nativity set on the right is one we purchased when we were in Guatemala, adopting Isaias.  Oh, and the cute bunting? That's from Sara's super-cute Etsy shop. }

{ Our mantel.  Hooray for the wreath~ thank you, Jobes! }

{ I love the concentration of ornaments all in one section when the kids are decorating.  Cuteness. }

{ We seem to be missing someone.  I bet Audra decided to take baby Jesus to her room. }

{ Remember this idea?  I have been looking forward to implementing this ever since I read this post.  I wrapped up all of our Christmas books and we'll start opening one per day, beginning December 1st right up until Christmas Day.  Except for that I'm short 4 books.  But that's okay.  It just means I'll get to sneak in a trip to the used bookstore sometime in the next week or so and slip in 4 new books, which will be fun.}

Speaking of books, we've read some great ones this year and I want to put together another list.  Soon.  We also SCORED at the thrift store recently in the book department and I can't wait to take a picture of our goods and post that.

I hope you are all well!

Blessings to you and yours,
~Stacy

Four years ago...

[Yesterday marked the 4-year anniversary of Adelia's adoption being finalized.  The following is a post from the archives.]

But first, Adelia today:

This girl adds so much exuberance and joy (and noise!) to our family.  We are so thankful for His gift of her to us!

***

A few things are happening on the adoption front.

For the adoption of this dear girl:


[Who is just so cute I can barely stand it. And who, several times a day, has me thanking God for the wonderful privilege of getting to be her mama. She is pure delight.]

So. Where was I? Oh, yes. Things are happening.

Following our last update, things were quiet for a bit. Then- about a month and a half ago- we received a stack of adoption finalization papers that we weren't quite sure how to fill out. [We aren't familiar with the legal lingo, the fees, etc.] At the same time we were puzzling over our paperwork, our agency was going through some issues (our caseworker left; they were short-staffed), so we weren't able to progress.

Two weeks ago we met with a [new] caseworker who walked us through some of the questions we had regarding the adoption paperwork. We are now in the filling-out-the-paperwork process. We have a checklist of things to do: Mark and I need to get updated medical approval from our doctor, Adelia's pediatrician needs to fill out some forms, we need to give information detailing our current financial status, I have to fax some background clearances to our caseworker. Thankfully, our fingerprints are still good so we don't have to jump through that hoop again. We have hired a lawyer and are proceeding with all of these details. We've been told that the adoption could be finalized as early as November. November.

Last week we received Adelia's state file- officially called a "disclosure"; which is a record of all that the state knows about Adelia. I read about her history (most of which we know, obviously), as well as her birthmother's history (some of which we did not know).

Within that file are all the court documents, too, surrounding her case. I skimmed the file in its entirety, and there was one document that stopped me cold, that brought the tears in earnest. It was the document, dated a couple of months back, whereupon the court terminated the birthmother's rights. In that document, it says:

ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED that said child is hereby declared to be a dependent child [of the state]... and under the permanent jurisdiction of the court, and that [birthmother] no longer retains parental rights and all rights, powers, privileges, immunities, duties and obligations, including any rights to custody, control, visitation or support existing between [birthmom] and the child are severed and terminated, and [birthmother] shall have no standing to appear at any further legal proceedings concerning the child...

I am crying again as I type that out.

It is just so final.

So permanent.

So- over for this struggling mother who birthed this beautiful girl. As much as I yearn for Adelia to belong to us, my heart grieves over the fact that Adelia's birthmother will never know the joy of having this beautiful girl belong to her.

She will never know this precious girl. She doesn't get to see how she beats her little legs and grasps her chubby fingers into fists, a wide smile on her face, when mama bends to pick her up in the early mornings, all for the sheer joy of seeing that face so dear and familiar to her. How she scrunches up her little nose and grins. The way she listens so attentively during worship, or when music is playing, and hums along her own soft song. The way she leans her head in, wraps her brown little arms around mama's neck, and snuggles close with a good morning or a good night hug. The way she delights when her toes are kissed. She hasn't seen her beautiful black head of curls or felt the softness of her skin. She won't get to see her take her first steps or say her first words. She won't know her likes and dislikes, the characteristics God has given her, the woman she will become.

All these joys of motherhood, they could have been hers, but she has missed them all.

It shouldn't be so.

And yet- it is so.

And because it is so, the final line in that court document applies to us: ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED that [the state] has the authority to place said child for adoption...

We get to be that adoptive family.

And my heart is near-to-bursting at that news, but the joy of it is mingled with a deep sadness for all Adelia's birthmother has lost.

Nine

Isaac,  age 9,  loves:

limes

LEGOS

the Bible

bugs

the woods

mazes

puzzles

climbing trees

unique shirts

imagining

mommy's cooking

the color green

pirate booty 
his pogo stick

blankets

books

getting tickled

his sisters

riding his bike
triscuit crackers

   

{Happy Birthday, budders!} 

Gratitude: Monday, October 22

this.  beautiful to me.  and grateful to my God who created it all.

2426 | quilting (and that even though I have no idea what I'm doing with this log-cabin piecing, I love it.)
Again: Inspiration here.

2507 | a day off for Mark (and his Columbus Day creativity for the kids for breakfast)

2513 | for Audra, who apparently thinks hiking means running.  The whole way.  We could barely keep up with her.

2520 | For the garter snake that Adelia spotted, Isaac wasn't afraid of, and everyone else was wary of.

2561 | Mark, who loves well
[also, as a side note: I always feel so proud of myself if I can somehow manage to get a candid shot with everyone in it.  Success!]

2594 | apple-picking with mom and the kids: a new tradition!

 for these six. {even the grumpy one!}

other snippets from my list>>

2406 | removing rocks from the pockets of Audra's dress before I put it into the washing machine today

2411 | our cozy home

2428 | library with the kids today

2443 | that God and His laws are trustworthy (Ps. 111)

2463 | pumpkin pancakes with whipped cream

2466 | holding Ella when she got hurt today

2477 | Audra's arms tight around my neck at 4 am when I took her potty, with a whispered, groggy, "I love you, mama."

2479 | Isaias' improved reading skills

2487 | the sound of Ella practicing piano

2491 | that God's word stands forever (Isaiah 40) What else stands forever?!  Nothing!

2499 | He does not grow tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28) 

2410 | for the picnic lunch we had at the base of the mountain

2412 | for a falling-over- (onto Isaac) -asleep Adelia in the van on the way home.  We were all laughing so hard.

2535 | that He has swept away my offenses like a cloud, my sins like morning mist. (Isaiah 44:22)

2559 | for a warm mug of anything to wrap my hands around on a cold morning

2564 | Chex Mix

2570 | crisp Autumn weather

2571 | cozy socks

2574 | impromptu baseball game in the yard on a Sunday afternoon

2578 | Ella, standing at the sink, washing Fiestaware

2579 | Isaias, offering to pray for me so often while I was sick

2583 | MadelineTosh yarn

2599 | sleeping next to Mark every single night

2602 | Audra, napping next to me in bed




 

Musings on our weekly school schedule

A friend asked me recently if I was as prepared for school this year as I was last year. 

Um, no.

Absolutely not.  ~smile~

We're into our our 7th week of school and I'm still tweaking our weekly schedule.  (See how everything is in pencil?  Yeah.  I'll get out the Sharpies when I'm ready to make it permanent.)

You can click on the photo if you want to see it more clearly.

Being as planned as I was last year made me a little crazy.  Mainly because we were usually running ahead of my meticulously-planned-check-the-little-boxes schedule and so each day I was looking at things on the schedule that we weren't actually DOING on that day and arghh! that frustrated me.

I just feel more relaxed about our schedule this year.  Or maybe the relaxed-thing comes with the fact that I've done this for a handful of years, now.  Or maybe it's a reaction to being overly planned last year.  Who knows?  All I know is that this year I'm probably the LEAST planned of any other year.

For example, I have Picture Study written down for Mondays.  But we haven't even done Picture Study once, because I still haven't selected an artist to study.   (And shh!  So far the kids haven't mentioned it!)  (Recommendations welcome.  We've done Rembrandt, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Carl Larsson,  Norman Rockwell, and maybe a few others but those are the ones I remember right now.)  While I'm on the topic of Picture Study, have you seen these Picture Study Portfolios from Simply Charlotte Mason?  They're great!  I used one of those last year, for Rembrandt.   I know.  Why don't I just order up another one of those for this year, you ask.  I just don't want to study the other artists they offer quite yet.  :)

So... total tangent, there.  Back to Picture Study on our schedule:  We'll get to it.  I'm sure inspiration will hit soonish. 

I'm also still trying to figure out when it works best to do Dictation and Written Narration with Ella, so I keep moving it to different days and trying it on for size, so to speak.

What do I love this year, so far?  Sitting down and learning Latin with the kids.  It's just as new to me as it is to them, and I love that!  I've also been practicing cursive right along with Ella and Isaac and that's one of my favorite things.  I always love reading aloud and we're doing lots of that.  [I'm currently reading Opal Wheeler's Frederic Chopin biography- the one on the left in the picture below.  If I haven't mentioned lately how much we enjoy Opal Wheeler's composer biographies, there you have it.]  The kids color while we read and afterward, while they're finishing up their coloring, I pull up some Chopin from Pandora and we call that Composer Study.

We're also doing Training Hearts Teaching Minds each morning and I'm really enjoying that so far.  We're reading through the Proverbs together out loud- Ella and Isaac and I take turns (and very soon Isaias should be ready to tackle it with us: he is reading so.much.better!!!)

All that to say that we're having a great school year even though it's not all fully planned out and I'm really quite content being so relaxed about it all.