I don't always cry

This week our boys all moved into their own bedrooms.  Four bedrooms, four boys.  They were super excited.

While helping D move his things into his new room I told him he had to pick out the treasures he wanted to keep from the box of random things he had in his old room.

As we sorted through the box, we came across this small, pink photo album.

I smiled.  I love how he wrote in his young hand writing and filled it with pictures he likes of his little sister.  I also like how it made its way into his "special box".

See, I don't ALWAYS cry (even thought I want to).

The benefit of being a mom

Today I voted, which I do every time there is an election.

But before I headed to my polling place, I walked over to D's school (he is in 6th grade) and visited him during his lunch hour.  At first he was excited to see me because he thought I was taking him to lunch.  When I told him that I was just going to sit with him while he ate lunch he looked at me horrified and asked "Why?.."

I told him I thought it would be good to meet the friends he eats lunch with and just spend some time with him.  He made it very clear that he was NOT pleased with this idea.

So as we stood in the lunch line for his tray he said to me "Mom, go sit down.  You don't have to stand next to me!"

I looked at him and said "If you keep it up, I'm going to lean over, wrap my arms around you and kiss you on the lips right here in front of everyone in this lunch room!"

Mom and D last year at lunch
(this was tolerable in elementary school -
not so much in middle school!)

His little buddy behind him looked at D and said "Don't worry D, my mom embarrasses me too.  The other day she came to school and yelled down the hallway I LOVE YOU!"

Yep, that is one of the privileges of being the mom.  Our job description includes embarrassing our children in front of their friends.

It made me smile.  And yes, I think I will go back once a week from now on!

Three years ago

This Saturday marked a three year anniversary for me.  I put the day on my calendar right after it happened, because I knew it would be a life altering day for our family.  How right I was.

D sleeping off whatever ailed him in 2009

Three years ago my youngest son was in the hospital.  At the time the doctor thought he had meningitis.  He had a high fever, extreme headache and slept for almost 3 days.  Because he was only 8 years old, the doctor had him admitted to the hospital so they could monitor him and try to determine the source of his illness.  They never did determine what caused him to be so sick, but in true D fashion, he pulled out of it just fine.  But those few days were stressful for all of us.  Add to it, I was pregnant, my family did not know, and I was wrestling with an adoption decision.

The week preceding the illness, BF and I had met with two potential adoptive couples that we were considering for our daughter (although at the time, we didn't know she was a little girl).

One couple owned a ranch in a western Kansas town that BF had grown up in.  They were a neat Christian couple who we enjoyed getting to know.  They brought us a huge gift basket filled with pregnancy craving items that they had picked up.  They were so excited to be considered as parents for our child.  You could tell that they were giddy with the thought as we talked with them.  At the time, I felt terribly guilty about accepting the gift basket, but I could tell that they just wanted to show how appreciative they were that we had taken the time to choose them for an in-person meeting.  (For HAPs who are wondering; for me, this gift was over the top.  I understood their heart, but even eating anything out of the basket made me feel guilty.  I gave everything in it to my kids, except for the Tums.  I did use the Tums.)

We met with the second couple the next day.  We met them at a Starbucks and it was a very casual meeting.  They did not bring gifts.  They were not polished about adoption.  They were not clients of an agency.  They were a friend of a friend, and they were having a hard time conceiving children and they desperately wanted to be parents.  They did not own a ranch.  They were of modest means and younger than us.  They lived 10 minutes from us and the wife was even in the same field of employment as me.  They too were Christians and they seemed very easy to talk to.  The kind of people we would hang out with.

BF and I drove home from that meeting and knew this was going to be tough.  Both families seemed so kind.  It was obvious how desperately they wanted to be parents.  And with my tender heart, I could just feel their pain and desperation.

BF and I wrestled with our decision.  We had agreed not to talk about it together until a week later giving me time to pray about it, and him time to visit with his parents about their thoughts.

The second prospective adoptive couple dropped off a letter to us a couple days after the meeting thanking us for meeting with them and assuring us that they would be the kind of parents who we wanted for our child.  The letter assured us that they would "raise our child in a Christian home where love, compassion and respect for others is paramount."

We told both couples that we didn't want to leave them wondering too long, and we planned to make our decision by Monday of the following week.

When BF and I came together a week later with our lists of pros and cons of each couple, it was obvious that we were both swayed to the same couple as our decision.  We wanted our child to grow up near us.  We wanted her to have the same lifestyle that our boys were living.  We wanted them to have common childhood experiences that they could draw upon when they had a relationship.  We wanted her to visit the same zoo our boys go to.  We wanted to know which schools she was attending.  By choosing the second couple, we felt confident that all of those things would happen.  So the decision was made.

I told BF that I would call the couple who we chose to place with and he had the tough call to the attorney for the other couple.  (It broke my heart for them, so I let BF do the tough stuff.)  It's only fair since I was the one with all day pregnancy sickness, right?

Then D got sick that night.  The fever went through the roof and I even had my ex-husband come to my house in the middle of the night to help me determine if we needed an immediate trip to the ER.  We ended up nursing D along until morning when the doctor saw us and told us that day that he wanted him admitted.

My ex-husband had left to go to training out of town which left me alone to handle all of the details needed to transport a child to the hospital, get him admitted and figure out what the plan of attack was.

I was tired, stressed out, and had just a ton on my plate.

But all the while I knew I needed to contact the couple who was anxiously awaiting our call.

So when D had been in the hospital for about 24 hours, I excused myself from his room and went to the waiting room to call who was soon to become Brit's parents.

When I reached the mom, I told her that I was sorry that I didn't call the day before like I had said I would.  I explained what was going on with D and she was very understanding.  I could tell by her voice that she was very apprehensive about what I was about to tell her.

I then told her that BF and I had chosen them to parent our child.  She nearly came through the phone.  She said that they were certain they weren't the family when we had not called the day before.  So my call of affirmation caught her by surprise.  She kept saying "I have to call my husband at work!".  Her elation was evident.  It made me happy to know that I had brought them so much joy.

So that is how it started.  The beginning of the relationship that would include Brit's mom being present at every doctor's appointment with me.  Our sonograms together.  The beginning of the life we were creating together for the sake of our daughter.

Three years ago.

Yes sons, we talk about everything

I have been quiet on the blog lately.  I think it is because there are no new words to say.

Normal in my adoption world is silence.

I suppose that quiet indicates that everything is status quo.

So for a personal life update instead.

I am happy to report that the relationship between BF and me is everything I hoped and prayed for.  He is attentive to me and inclusive to my children.  We are acting like one big family and we are all very comfortable. I am so very thankful for all of this.  My soul is at peace now.  I feel content, happy and loved.

Our boys run us ragged all week long.  With sports practices, games and meets (3 playing basketball, 2 playing baseball, 1 in competitive indoor soccer, and 1 just finished with wrestling), we find that our every free minute is spent preparing for the next obligation.  And yet, our bleacher time is some of the greatest joy we have.

Which reminds me of something I thought of today as I took D to lunch.  I love my car time with the boys.  (OK, maybe not all the time, as some of their more memorable brotherly fights have happened while I was trying to drive.)  But for the most part, those moments, especially when I am alone with only one of the children, I find that we can have some amazing conversations.

I know all about middle school drama.

I know all about 5th grade drama.

I hear lame jokes.

I know that recess and PE are still every boy's favorite part of their day.

I only half listen as they talk about video games.

I laugh as they sing along with songs on the radio.

We eat dinner together (yes, in the car).

I crack up listening to them tell each other about their days and what they think was important.

They learn about me.  More than they want to know.

The boys were in the car with me the other day and D said, "Our family talks about everything, don't we?"

Yes sons, we talk about everything.  Probably more than we should.  But I love it.

Big brother denied

I wish that this adoption situation wasn't so hard on my youngest son.  He is definitely passionate about the fact that he is being denied a relationship with HIS sister.

Last night he was talking to a friend I had over from church (someone who does not know us well), and he proceeded to tell her that he has a little sister who he is not allowed to see because her adoptive mom is not nice to us.

Now mind you, this woman from church didn't even know I had a child that I had placed.  She was witness to what she thought was a simple conversation about how many brothers and sisters are part of our family.  But instead of a simple answer, she was trying to put together all the tidbits of information that D was offering.

I was doing what I could to try to redirect the conversation, but it was obvious that I was trying to hush a child who wanted to tell about his family.  I wished I could run across the room and cover his mouth, but I think it is important that he is allowed to speak of his sister as if she is part of our family, because she is.  And let's be real here, he was speaking the truth.  He has a sister.  He is not allowed to know her.  He had no choice in the matter.  And it's not fair.

I quickly corrected D and said that he has no idea if Brit's mom is nice or not nice, because he doesn't even know her.  And I mentioned that Brit probably thinks her mom is very nice and I am sure she loves her very much.  I also told him (and the poor visitor who was watching it all go down) that just because we haven't been allowed to have a family visit with Brit, doesn't mean her mom is not nice.

But D wanted to be very clear that he is being denied a relationship with his REAL sister.  He continued by saying "I can prove it, if we had a DNA test they would KNOW she is MY sister!"

I am so sorry that I did this to my children.  All of them.

I just wish we could fix it.  I wish that we were allowed a relationship with this little girl. For the sake of all the children involved.

It seems like it could be such a simple solution that could be beneficial for all involved.

I wish we were all on the same page.

Halloween

Not many more kiddo Halloweens for me.  Some moms would be sad about that.  I am delighted to think I will no longer have to spend money on a one time use costume.

L and D trick or treated with BF's kids.  They had a great time.  L and BF's oldest son conspired their costumes together a few weeks ago.  They looked adorable.

BF's son and L as Mario and Luigi

L and D - brotherly love

BF's youngest son, D and their friend Jack

Even little Princess was trick or treating last night.  Her momma used the costume I borrowed for her.  She was a hit.

Added 11/7/11

Just had to add Brit in her costume to my Halloween picture collection - even though we didn't see her that night.  We did get a follow up photo the week later.  She is so stinkin' cute!

Lunch with the boys at school

Over the past week I have had lunch with my two youngest boys at each of their schools.  Here are some fun pictures that show that I am not a sad melancholy momma.  I can be fun too!

Mom and D.  Really he does like me, just not in front of his friends.

D and his friends.

Mom eating LanMan's ice cream.

Lisa eating BF's son's pizza.  (He is the same age as LanMan and goes to the same school.)

Why can't I call her my sister?

We put together a Halloween care package for Brit this past week.  It is also her mom's birthday, so we thought a package with a gift for the mom and Halloween treats for Brit would be fun.

The package has a Halloween treat bucket, iced animal cookies, 2 tutus, a soft crown, a couple of glow wands, a Halloween book, a Halloween movie and a custom made funky dress up cape.  Nothing expensive, just fun holiday things that a child could enjoy.  We hope she will have a start on a dress up box that she can play with all year round.

When I had the cape made for her, I asked the person making it to embroider their last name so Brit's little sister could wear it too someday.  I want to be sensitive to including the new siblings when I send things (although right now they have no understanding as they are only 4 months old).

BF went to the mall and got some smell good lotions from the popular store that sells those things.  He did a great job of picking out a package for Brit's mom. I was terribly proud of him.  Usually that is my job.  But he wanted to do it this time.

I got the cards.

One for Brit for Halloween.  One for the twins first Halloween.  One for Brit's mom's bday.  One for Brit's dad's bday (we don't know when his bday is, so we are just sending him one with hers so he isn't left out).  And a hilarious Halloween card for Brit's parents.

On Sunday, we had all of our boys together.  So we had them all sign Brit's Halloween card.  My two older boys did a good job, said I love you or Happy Halloween and signed their names.  Then Little D got the pen.  Immediately he signs "I love you Sissy".

Ugh.

Brit is his sister.  He calls her that.  He claims her on family trees.  He tells the world that he has the family that lives with us plus he has a baby sister who was adopted. (Generally adding that he is mad that mom did that because he wanted to keep her. :gulp:) 

But what he did scared me.  How would Brit's parents handle that?  Would it cause an even greater rift between us?

We claim Brit as one of our own at my house.  Her picture is up on the wall with the 3 boys.  A stranger walking into my home would assume I have 4 children living there.  She is no secret.

But Brit's parents don't know that.

Of course they don't.  They have never been over to our home.  They have never allowed Brit to meet the boys. (They specifically asked we not include them in that 2 hour birthday visit in March.  They thought it would overwhelm her.)

They have no idea how these boys feel about the sister they cannot see. 

But D just put it out there.

So what did I do?  I panicked. 

I looked at D and using my calm, level headed voice I said "I think we might not want to add the word sissy because it could hurt Brit's parent's feelings."

He looked at me.  I am pretty sure I could tell you what he was thinking.  And even if he wasn't, I was. 

He has watched me sob, he has seen me depressed.  And he knows it is because I miss having a relationship with Brit and her family.

But when it comes down to it, Brit's parents' feelings take precedence over ours.  Every time.  Trumped.

He looked at me, looked back down at the card and scratched out Sissy.  He turned it into a smiling ghost face.  Without a word to me.

I am not proud of what I made him do.

I wish it was different.

But I have to be careful.  I have to be sensitive.  I cannot do anything to jeopardize the relationship that I hope to have some day.

I do not like the person I have become, but I will do anything to preserve the hope that someday this will be different.  Self sacrificing included.

My boys are pretty cool

I rarely talk about my boys here on this adoption themed blog.  But I think it is important to occasionally mention the kids that I am parenting.  The boys who are my entire world.  They consume 90% of my time and attention and to be quite honest, I think they are each pretty great kids.

My oldest just started his EMT classes at our local community college.  He seems to love the classes.  I know it is much easier to engage in classes when you can see the real life application.  I hope this is the beginning of a career path for him. 

Originally he wanted to be a paramedic, but lately has changed to criminal justice with the idea of being a police officer.  I think he is too tenderhearted to be a cop, but maybe that will be an asset to him.  I'm not too worried about it since his career ideas change from month to month. 

He also went on a mission trip this summer and came back and was convinced he was going into full time ministry.  I believe that there is plenty of time for him to really figure out what he wants to do.  He is an 18 year old boy.  I figure he will flail around for a few more years before he grows up.  Please Dear Lord, help me live with his lazy ways until that happens!

J and his friends in the Bahamas for their mission trip.  Must have been a church day since they are all dressed up.

J and a girl he met in the Bahamas when he was running VBS for kids there.

Here is a picture of J with one of his best friends.  They have gone to church together for about 15 years.  I hope they have a lifetime friendship.  She is a great girl!

Now my middle boy, sweet LanMan.  He had hernia surgery about a month ago and he is healing very well.  However, that means he can't play fall sports.  While it could have been tragedy for a child who is a sports superstar, it wasn't. He is loving the down time he now has in the evenings.  I am also happy to report that his adjustment to middle school has been fabulous.  He loves it and is ready to head to school every morning.  Which is an answer to prayer considering how last year started.

LanMan and our new puppy Grizzly



LanMan before hernia surgery



LanMan doing his favorite thing - fishing.

That leaves my adorable little D.  He is the one child that demands 90% of my parenting energy.  And yet he is the child who has the most life in him.  He lives life without limits.  Which will make him a great adult.  If we can just get him there.  He is small for his age, but cuter than cute.  He is a natural born leader.  He is 10 going on 17.  And if you were to watch him in action with the ladies, you would find he is often working the 14-16 year old girls crowd at any event we attend.  He definitely has mojo and knows how to use it.  Evidenced by the middle school cheerleader loving on him at a Jr Football game.  :Sigh:  Love that kid.  But he wears me out!

D getting a little cheerleader lovin'

First day of 5th grade - marching to the beat of his own drummer

D being the cool kid on the first day of class

Yes, my days are filled with fun and excitement.  And unlike how it comes across here on my blog, I don't miss out on the joy of parenting the boys (most of the time).  They demand my attention, and that's not a bad thing.

Love these kiddos!

Summer is tough on mommy

L pitching

I am uploading a huge artwork file to my billboard company so I have a minute to spare before I have to head out to D's baseball game.

Man is this a busy time of year for the mother of boys.

L and D both play baseball.  Lots and lots of it.  Every night we have a game or practice.  That alone is exhausting.

Both boys bowl on a league.  I shuttle them back and forth to the bowling alley on my lunch hour.

D has started football workouts and skills camp.   This is mornings and evenings.

L will start middle school basketball camps next week.

J is working at our local water park as a lifeguard. When he is not working he simply eats me out of house and home.  And oh yeah, he brought home a guinea pig last week that is 'our' new pet.  Before I went to bed last night, I was cutting matted hair from the new friend's backside.  Yes, it is a long haired critter of all things.

Work is over the top busy.  I work in the recreation field and as one would guess, summer is crazy busy season.  As I type this I have been at my desk for almost 10 hours today.

I am the director of operations for a college baseball team that plays about 50 games throughout a two month period.  Thank heavens I have a very capable intern helping this year.  Otherwise I would be certifiably crazy.

We eat meals in the car.  Sometimes meals include chips and salsa, Popsicles and Gatorade.

My house has not been vacuumed in two weeks.

I do keep up with the laundry, simply because I am constantly washing uniforms. And wet towels.  So many wet towels.

The Princess baby has to run around with us all weekend long as we go to tournaments, run errands, attend bday parties and spend time at church.

D qualified for Hershey Track and Field State Games in all 3 events he participated in.  That will take us out of town next weekend for two days. 

Just typing all of this makes me tired.

But I am off to the ball field.  In high heel sandals and dress clothes.  Running late - of course.

At least I will be able to sit in a chair and watch the game.  That will be my one hour of rest.

Big weekend

It was graduation weekend.  But in true Lisa fashion, we can't just have graduation, we have to add all kinds of other complicating factors.

Saturday morning I got my little Princess from her momma at 7am.  That began the fun of the day.  Princess and I ran some errands for a couple of hours. 

Then we went to my sister's house and picked up her two little girls so they could go with us to my oldest son's high school graduation party.  My nieces are 10 and 4 and positively adorable. 

So this momma who is not raising any girls, had a car full of them headed to J's graduation party, being hosted by his dad.  Because my other two boys were in a baseball tournament, they weren't with me and didn't get to participate in the graduation festivities of the day. It was just Lisa and the girls.

J's party went great.  His dad and step mom were gracious hosts welcoming all of my family as they came to wish my son well.

After the party, I took all three of the girls shopping at the Goodwill store down the street.  We spent TWO hours there trying on clothes!  Imagine having a 5 month old baby, 4 and 10 year old girls.  It was quite the adventure.

We each walked out with a bag full of clothes and big smiles (except for the baby, and she was asleep by then).

I dropped the girls off with their dad and the Princess baby with her momma who had gotten off work early.

J met me at a friend's house (where they were also having a graduation party), and he and I decided to go out to dinner, just mom and son, to celebrate his graduation accomplishment.  He chose the local hibachi grill and we had the typical hibachi experience.

The next morning Princess was dropped off at 6am so the fun could begin again.  I was so thankful that she fell asleep in my arm and we were able to take a one hour nap before she woke back up at 7:30am.  I needed the sleep!

Then we were off to my grandson's baptism in a Catholic church in a rural community where my daughter lives, about 40 minutes from us.

I will have to say, two days of carrying a baby in a car seat while wearing 4" heels was more than I could stand!

We watched the baptism ceremony (not being Catholic myself, it was interesting to see how the ceremony is done and what the belief is behind child baptism).

While I snapped pictures, my youngest son D held the Princess.  It was a huge help.

The ceremony was really special because there were two babies being baptized that day, and they are cousins.  A neat memory for two little ones who will grow up together.

I was also so glad to see what a great daddy my daughter's fiance is.  (They will be getting married in November.)  That baby loves his daddy and that daddy loves his baby.  So cool to see a young man who takes being a father seriously.

Aren't they the cutest little family?!?

The we were off again to head to the actual graduation ceremony for J.  This included another 40 minute drive across town.  If Princess would have been sleeping this would have been an easy trip.  But she didn't sleep, and she wanted to eat NOW.

So we took a detour, stopped at a Golden Corral where my youngest son thought he was in heaven because all of his favorite foods were at his fingertips in any quantity he wanted to eat.

I, on the other hand, tried to make a plate while walking and eating with a child in my arm.  It is amazing how that skill came back to me even when it has been 10 years since I carried around an infant regularly.

Lunch was done, baby was fed, diaper changed and we were off.

We made it to J's town in time to watch the traditional march that the graduates make through the town to the school.  I had never seen anything like that.  The students were hot and tired by the time they got there, but it is a cool memory that they will have of the annual graduation tradition from their community.  We snapped a picture of J as he walked by.

Got to the school and navigated all the stairs down to the gym floor where J's dad had saved us a seat.  Have I mentioned how hard it is to walk in heels and carry a baby in a car seat?  It was KILLER!

The ceremony was great.  They had 18 valedictorians.  Apparently all of them were 4.0 students.  Quite a deal.  My youngest son D made it clear to me that he will NEVER be on the stage if you have to get straight A's all through high school.  Apparently he doesn't even have any aspirations of being an academic overachiever!

I did make J stop and take a picture with his momma.  Doesn't he look delighted?!? (Notice the white shirt, got it at Goodwill the day before.  I love it!)

Once the ceremony was over, D, the Princess and I headed back to our home another 40 minutes away.  Once again Princess had enough of the car rides and fussed on the way home.  We were all just worn out.

We got back to our house and Princess's mom called and said she was on her way, she had gotten off work early.  It was a good deal for all of us.

So with Princess gone for the day, D and I went to get his haircut to correct the haircut his dad had given him the night before.  D told me he wasn't going to school until he got it fixed, so it was a non-negotiable task we had to get out of the way.

Then it was off to the BF's house for a quick visit, and now I am back at home thinking my bed is calling my name.

To think, I have a Monday waiting for me tomorrow when I wake up.  Yuck. 

Congrats to my new high school graduate.  I am so proud of you and how you are growing up!

Another dream

I dream about Brit regularly.  The dreams are never that she wasn't adopted, they are just manifestations of seeing her, being with her and having time with her.

Before I had my visit with her, my counselor asked me if it helped being able to hold her and see her in my dreams.  I suppose the answer to that is not completely yes or no.

Almost always I wake up upset.  Mostly because I am waking up and she is going away.  Again.

The dreams are so real.  I am always still her birth mom, and her parents are there, sharing her with me.  So it's not like I am having fantasy land where she was never adopted and we are all living happily ever after as a family.

But the dreams allow me to be present with her.  I carry her on my hip.  Snuggle her on my shoulder.

Last night was tough one.  Great dream.  Very real.  Hard on the heart. 

My youngest son D had fallen asleep in my bed so I just left him there and I slept on the other side.  He is a bit of a wild sleeper so I shoved a body pillow between the two of us, rolled to the edge of the bed and dropped from exhaustion.

Sometime early this morning I started dreaming that Brit's parents came over to my house (not my real life house, but it was the one I had in the dream).  We just hung out and talked.  We were all happy and friendly. There was a strange part where I got stung by a bee.  Another part where Brit's dad was too tall to get down the basement stairs - just fragmented thoughts that happen in dreams.  But all in all, I was just enjoying time with Brit.

Then it is time for Brit's parents to leave so they pack her up and head out.  For some reason (I can't remember it now), they pull back up in the driveway and come back.  However, in that amount of time my boys have come home.  So they are now face to face with Brit's parents and seeing Brit for the first time.

I was so excited for them.  I was showing her off to the boys.  And they were loving all over her.

Then D woke me up with a hand to my face as he was rolling over.

It woke him too.

I looked over at him and without thinking said, "I have to go back to sleep, I was just dreaming that you were meeting Brit for the first time."

He sleepily looked at me and said "I wish it were true."

Then he rolled back over and fell asleep again.

Broke. My. Heart.

Maybe he won't remember it.  I know I won't forget it.

My wild Friday night

I want to start sharing more about my real life here on the blog too so I don't seem so one-dimensional with the only focus being the birthmother piece of me.

So tonight, I am having a sleep over party for D's birthday.  I have (6) ten year old boys here.  There has been much wrestling, fighting, basketball, video games and this...

And oh yeah, D screamed "My brother eruptured my penis!"   Apparently he got kicked in the boy junk and he is quite sure he might die.  He howled for a full 30 minutes.  Not even kidding.

Sigh.  Just another day in the life of a mother of boys.

Another tell tale sign that I am the mother of boys, I wasn't even phased by the amazing cupcake fire that D created with brithday candles.  There was so much wax that it coated an entire cupcake.

But so far the favorite part of the evening was when the love of my life came over for some snuggle time.  I am so stinkin' in love with this guy!

We call him Baby B, even in the real world.  He is my youngest sister's son and he was born two weeks after Brit.  I am sure there is a psychological reason why I am so in love with him because of misdirected motherly instinct, but I don't care why it is, I love him and he really loves his Aunt Lisa!

I guess I'd better get back to the "party", things are a little quiet which in the world of boys means trouble is brewin'!

Look on the internet

This blog is all about my life as a birthmom.  Generally it is fairly melancholy.  Which is a bit ironic because I am an incredibly positive person.  And the majority of my life is consumed with parenting the crazy boys I have.  Especially the youngest one.

So for a little levity, here is but one of the many little quips that D had for me last night.  This kid makes me laugh out loud. (And he makes me pull my hair out and scream, but those are other stories.)  He is 10 years old and knows just about everything.  Just ask him.

D: Do you know what the center of the earth is made of?

Mom:  Yes, magma.

D: WRONG! It's iron surrounded by magma.  And it will take billions of years to heat up the other layers of earth and melt them too.  Since the earth is only 2,000 years old, that will take a long time.

Mom:  The earth is much older than 2,000 years.  Jesus died 2011 years ago.  That is when we started counting years.

D:  I didn't know that!  That's cool that we started counting when Jesus died.  Who was Jesus's dad?

Mom: God, but Joseph adopted him as his son here on earth.

D: That's what I meant.  I know Jesus is God's son.  I just wondered who his dad was.  When is his birthday again?

Mom: Remember we celebrate it at Christmas time. But no one completely knows when his real birthday was.

D:  It doesn't tell us in the Bible?

Mom:  No.

D:  Why don't we just look it up on the internet?

I burst out laughing.  I love that idea.  If the Bible doesn't tell us something, just Google it!




D catching hail using a bucket on his head.  He is ingenious.



D with his hail booty.  It is still in our freezer from 2 weeks ago.