Random Thoughts On A Saturday......

1.  One of my delightful children (I won't mention any names, although I'm sure that those of you who know my kids really well will know immediately which one!) decided to go to the bathroom outside. Not only did he get it all over his shirt (there, now you know it was one of the boys. You have a 50/50 chance at guessing the right one), he also got it all over the patio. Before I could tell him to spray it off, the dog came by and licked it up. :-( Yeah, sometimes things get pretty interesting around here. I calmly informed him that we DO NOT go to the bathroom outside!

2. I wonder if the Southwestern book salesman enjoyed hearing part of our adoption story?

He did seem interested, and asked several questions. This will probably sound terrible, but it's nice having an excuse when a telemarketer calls or a salesman stops by. "I'm afraid we won't be able to help you this time. You see, we're in the process of adopting a child or two from Ethiopia, and all of our extra funds are going toward that this year." Nothing against Southwestern books; in fact, they're great. We just really don't want to spend the extra money right now. We do still try to help out worthwhile charities when we can. It's amazing that the more you give to the Lord's service, the more you get back. When God leads you to do something, He will provide. Always. Way beyond our expectations.

3.  Malia refuses to share her Capreen toothpaste with anyone.

I'm not sure exactly what Capreen is; however, she insists that is what the flavor is called (I always thought it was mint-flavored. Shows how much I know). She claims that, "The other kids should use the bubblegum toothpaste. I don't like that kind."

4.  When Malia wants to play "chest" with you, please understand that she means chess.

 And when she wants a "crispy" to eat, it means biscuit. (?)

5.  When Malia takes her nap in the afternoon, the other kids have to read a book for at least an hour. Yesterday, Ashton decided to read to the dog, who for some reason didn't seem very interested in the story line.

6.  We got our new waitlist numbers for June. They are:

#10 for girls (same as last month)

#3 for boys (we've moved 3 spots since last month)

#4 for siblings (same as last month)

I'm hoping there's lots of movement in the next few weeks!  With the changes taking place in the Ethiopia program, everything has slowed down tremendously. However, I'm confident that God's timing for us is perfect!

7. A great book I've read recently is There Is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene.

It is about orphans in Ethiopia, and really taught me a lot about the country's history, culture, and AIDS crisis. If you are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, I would highly recommend insist that you read it. :-) It really is a great book for all parents, whether adoptive or not.

8.  When you have boys, anything can become the makings for a gun. Take these hockey sticks, broom, screwdrivers and rubber bands, for instance:

9.  Malia informed me the other day that she wants to be a mom, a doctor, or a payer when she grows up. (I think she meant a cashier; I'm sure she'll be a "payer" whether she wants to be or not!) :-)

10.  I haven't said much about Shana yet in this post. I must say, I am glad she's out of school for the summer. She has been such a big help around the house lately! I think it helps that we have established chore charts and allowances for the summer. Each child gets a set amount of money at the end of each week; 1/3 of it goes into a charity account, 1/3 of it gets put into savings, and 1/3 of it is theirs to spend or do with what they wish. Every time they fight (No! My kids? Never!) or talk back, they lose 25 cents. Likewise, if they don't complete all of their assigned tasks, they lose money as well. It seems to be working really well so far; if any of you have other ideas or methods that have worked with your children, I would love to hear them!

11.  This coming week is our church's VBS. I am helping to teach one of the preschool classes. The other teacher plans on leading the lesson for three of the days, and assigned the other two lessons to me. I find it interesting that both of my lessons just happen to be about mothers who gave up their children. I will be teaching about Baby Moses and Samuel. Both mothers loved their children. Both prayed for their children. Both gave their children to someone else to raise.  I think about my Ethiopian child(ren)'s mother all the time. What must she be going through? I'm sure she loves her children and  doesn't want to give them up, yet wants a better life for them. So she gives them up to God. I am amazed and so humbled at these mothers' sacrifices.

12.  I am hoping that each one of you has a great weekend!