swimming and painting with Bug

Some catching up-

Saturday, Bug and I went swimming. This is Bug in his swimsuit with the floatation devices built in. he loves it. One think I learned, never let the toddler put this on at home and then try to buckle him into the car seat After swimming, Bug found a new game- now you see me
Now you don't
here I am!!!!!
Today, I painted the tool shed after church and Bug was supposed to "mow" the grass and play. well, I should have known better- my shadow was right there the entire time. At one point, I discovered the wasp nest behind the shutter of the shed and I had to send Bug to the steps while I killed the wasps. I hate those wasps.

The entire time I was painting, Bug was begging to paint. So I told him he could paint once I was done and we went back inside.

Here is Bug in one of my old Vacation Bible School helper shirts. It covers his feet.

See the beautiful colors on the plate- this is the last time the colors are separated during the painting.
He was loving it
Ah- the green-black mix of all colors in the beginning
Momma even painted- only one hand though, because I had to take pictures
LOTION!!!! bug kept offering me the lotion on his hands. I politely declined

happy little man with the bright green hands.
the paint is starting to be on the shirt- then he decided to paint the shirt with this hands.
mixing colors- it is serious business
Bug's picture titled "Falling Water". I think this one is going to Guatemala as a gift.

Well, the Race Car movie is almost over and dinner has been eaten, so I have to log off so Bug and I can read some books and get ready for bed. I am going to let him stay up later tonight since there are fireworks on the TV tonight. We are sleeping in late tomorrow and just cleaning up the house.

Love and hugs to you,
Deb

How not to schedule your day

I thought I would have more pictures, but I did not take any this evening- maybe I will take some tomorrow while Bug plays while I paint the shed.

So here is how to over schedule your Saturday with a toddler
1. Schedule professional pictures at 9 am
2. Leave the picture place at 10 am and promise the toddler that you will go swimming
3. get home at 10:30 and start packing up the swimming bag
4. arrive at pool and proceed to the outdoor pool area
5. 10:50- lfieguard kicks you out of the wading pool because the pool does not open until 11 am
6- walk back inside to talk to the front desk person who you spoke to at 10:20 and who told you the pool was open
7. 10:55- supervisor informs the lifeguards and you that the pool opened at 10:30 and we can all go back out there.
8. Play at the pool until 11:45 (designed to wear out toddler for nap)
9. pack up toddler, stop at farmers market road side stand for watermelon and get home at 12 noon
10. cut some watermelon for the toddler to snack on
11. at 12:30 inform the toddler that it is nap time- realize that making the play date at 2 pm is probably not going to happen
12. 1 pm- toddler falls asleep- now definitely realize that the play date is out because the toddler is snoring.
13. 2 pm- Momma falls asleep
14: 3:15 pm- toddler and momma wake up- playdate missed since we have to get up get organized, drive to playdate (about 20 -30 minutes). So we would get there 30 minutes before we would have to leave again for an evening dinner with church group
15. head to Mam and Pap's house at 3:30 for some time with them and to give them copies of the pictures
16. Have dinner with Mam and Pap 4:30
17. head to church outing 5:30
18: 7:30 leave church outing- Bug's bed time. Interesting though that the other parents were talking about the struggle to get their kids to bed by 9:30 and I was sitting there thinking, Bug is in bed usually by 7:30 .
19. Bug in jammies and drinking milk on the couch- 8pm
20. Bug in bed at 8:30 and asleep by 8:45 pm -only about an hour late, but pretty good considering the schedule we had today.

Tomorrow's agenda- church and housework- painting the shed and some gardening. Hopefully, I will get the laundry done too. Bug is planning on "mowing" the grass while I paint. I see a bubble filled afternoon.

Love and hugs to you,
Deb

3 year professional pictures-post one for today

I think there will be a couple of posts today, we had professional pictures this morning and once Bug finally takes a nap and wakes up, we are heading out to play with friends this afternoon.
here are some of the pictures from the pictures taken this morning

I like this place better than JC Pennys.

1. no waiting around

2. lots of fun and choices

3. cheaper than the last 2 times I went to JC penny.

4. I got a CD with all the pictures on it- OK, I had to buy 9 poses, but I probably would have bought those anyway.

5. 15 minutes after the pictures were taken, I had all my pictures and the CD in hand and was walking out the door!!!!!!

I spent 1/2 the amount I have spent at JCPenny and I feel like I got more than my money's worth.

So I think Christmas pictures will be at this location.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

Playing at the park

Tonight, Bug and I met up with friends for a trip to the park- an opportunity for the Mommas to talk while the toddlers ran off all their energy.

Bug and Y enjoying the pavement and some rest. Best buddies- T, I sent this one to FTIA's post adoption group as "star on the homepage" submission. it is too cute. As you can see the kids are sweating up a storm. It was nearly 90 degrees outside and yes, my son threw a temper tantrum this morning when I offered him shorts to wear. he insisted on wearing his "koki" pants
dancing down the sidewalk on the way to the playground
hanging on to each other- that is what friends are for!!!
shadowed by the mommas
After they played, we walked about .5 miles- exercise for the mommas. The toddlers decided that riding was much more acceptable and they rested while we walked.

The gang- Bug, Momma, T and Y- hot and sweaty but enjoying each other's company.
Love and hugs to you,

Deb

Send some love to Wendy

Wendy finally brought Ahren home from Guatemala, then yesterday the bottom fell out on her daughter's adoption. Please pray for PBJ, for Wendy, for the powers that be.

Wendy's blog is the top blog on the right hand side



Love and hugs,
Deb

Enough with the drama already

After work today, we headed to the aquarium to met up with Hermano and his family. Once everyone arrived 9the first drama), things were going along great until...........





Hermano fell while jumping around and smacked his nose right into the heater in front of the Penguin exhibit (thankfully the last exhibit). So the first aid team was called, ice was given, one toddler decided that ice was not going on his nose and the other toddler decided that ice was there to be eaten.





Hermano is doing fine now- lots of swelling, but it will be a few days before the swelling goes down and the doctor can tell if his nose is broken.

So, as we leave the aquarium, we decide that I will drive them to their car and then they will follow me to the hospital. We get to my car and the automatic key will not work, I get the car open and no lights come on, the car will not start. Yes, I left the lights on and I had a dead battery. So Hermano and family head out to their car and the emergency room. Bug and I use the call button by the elevator to call the security staff and ask them to call Triple A to come out and jump start the car.


Bug ate some fruit snacks and had some aqua while we waited.


30 minutes into our wait, I am losing patience- it is hot in the garage, we are dripping with sweat, the fumes from the cars are getting to us. Security comes by and I stop them to ask them if they really called for jump start for our car. At that point, they let me know that the folks that come from Triple A are always late and never know where they are going, but they can call another company who will jump start my car for $40-50.00. I tell them call them. I then ask how long it will take since Bug and I are overheating in the garage. "it will be soon" is the reply.

So back to the car to stand around and wait some more- this is us trying to smile while we wait.

Finally 45 minutes after the initial call, the tow truck arrives - yes I had to get pictures. The guys hops out, his daughter gets out behind him and he jump start our car.
This is his daughter K. she begged to take her picture.
He gets back into the tow truck, motions his daughter to get and tells me to have a good night. And with that he drove off- never charged me. I broke down crying because of all the people who saw us in the garage, this man took pity on us. Thank you Mr Tow truck man!!!!!!!

Bug and I drove to Mam and Pap's and Pap put our car on the charger for an hour. We are good to go.

I think Bug and I have our share of drama lately- hammer hitting bug, strange sounds in the house, and now car not starting. I think Hermano and his family have enough enough drama- Vaca daddy being hit in the head with a wooden post, some other stuff not mentioned on the blog and Hermano nearly breaking his nose. I think we all due for some peace and quiet now.

On to the more drama- Ahren is coming home!!!!!!!!! See Wendy's blog in my blog list. Finally after 3 years of drama, Ahren should be on US soil this evening.

Erin had her share of drama again this week- her blog is on my blog list. She had a huge scare that the adoption would fall apart after being in Guatemala and fostering for almost 2 years. But the birth mother interview took place and now she is just dealing with the regular (ha- what a joke there0 PGN drama.

So enough with the drama already, we all need time to catch our breath and rest.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

A day at the farm

Sorry for the delay- my camera batteries ran out on Sunday night and then I was traveling for business on Tuesday and Wednesday.


On Sunday, we drove over to the farm to play with Hermano and his family. Bug and Hermano had a good time. We had play time outside, dinner and cupcakes and then more playing outside. Bug and Hermano had a wonderful time together, they are truly brothers.
Swinging and flying

We brought our tractor so Bug and Hermano would not fight over who got to ride the tractor- of course being boys, they still fought over who was riding which tractor.
since we had 2 tractors, we had tractor races. Not really so much of a race as a follow the leader.

Bug also got to feed the chickens!!! We had green beans for dinner and the ends went to the chickens.

Hermano's grandparents were at dinner too- they brought bubbles and a gift for Bug. We took the boys outside to play with the bubbles and I think the grown-ups had more fun with the bubbles then the boys did.

Hermano with his parents

It was a great evening. We played, laughed, talked and enjoyed life. We are meeting up with Hermano and family tomorrow night for a trip to the aquarium and some dinner. I am looking forward to a good time.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb

3 years old!!!!!

The birthday celebration was all I dream and hoped it would be. With all the stresses form work going on this week, I was looking forward to Bug's birthday celebration. Things were not looking good at 12 noon today for calm and relaxing birthday, but by the time I picked Bug up at 4:45 pm, things were looking up. The day was hectic and stressful, but the party was great.

The celebration:
dinner with our immediate family at 7 pm (yep late for us, but the lateness let me get all the things, including the food cooked), then cake and ice cream, then presents and play time.

Let's start the photos with presents:
First up: Mam and pap's gift: a bubble blowing toy lawn mower- more pictures of this later trains and cars from Uncle Dave
Cookie inspector tee shirt form Tink (she works for a cookie company)
A book and game from Auntie Lulu, Uncle Darrell, and Jason
The CAKE- Lighting McQueen!!!!! Ka-chow. Bug saw the cake and he wanted it NOW. he wanted that car, really, really wanted the car. He tried to shake the cake to get the car (we stopped him before the cake was damaged). he kept telling us all night, that he wanted the cake. he also kept going over to the presents and stating "I have it now?". he was disappointed to wait

A special moment- everyone is singing to him and he is looking at me!!!! So much over the last year is in this picture- so much I do not blog about, but I tell the LRH group= this is answer to prayer, the answer to tears and cries, this is what it is all about.
Blowing out the candle- I forgot to move the cake closer, so it took 3 tries to blow out the candle- one wish for each year
He got the car and promptly started licking off the icing on the bottom of it. We were laughing so hard. he had the stick in one hand and the car in the other and was in heaven
See- the stick. he did not touch the ice cream and cake, but he licked the car and the stick clean. doesn't his face look lovely with all the icing all over him

Momma present

DRUMSSSSSSSSSSS
Putting it together
sitting on the stool- a piece as missing from the stool, so it nearly became a toddler disaster. But he is playing the drum pads
Ready to go- of course I am off getting the batteries for it from the kitchen

Drummer Boy- he wanted head phones like Jason wears- so i found some airline head phones from my trips to Guatemala- he was not pleased with those. So tomorrow I am going to hunt for some more for him- I know I have something in this house that will work

Playing with the bubble maker in the backyard- he ran around for quite some time- actually he used up an entire bottle of bubbles. Thank goodness Mam and Pap also gave him a jumbo size (1 gallon) bottle of bubble solution for him to use.



we found the perfect "shed" for the bubble maker- under the slide. it works perfectly.

Life was good today- ti started out not so good, but this celebration with Bug was everything I had hoped last year would be (what was I thinking????). It was a celebration, a joy, a perfect night with my family.

I think Bug loved it too- he really got into the joy and excitement of the day once he realized that he was the center of attention.

Some changes:

height: 38 inches today compared to 34.5 inches last year

weight: 30 lbs today compared to 24.5 lbs last year

clothing size: 3T/4T compared to 18M/24M last year

shoe size: 9.5 today compared to 7.5 last year

time as a family: 15.5 months today compared to 12 weeks last year

It has been a year. My Bug is tucked in his bed, his new car next to him, his other lovies in the bed too and I am content.

I have more to say tomorrow- but I will end here because today I am content. thank you all for your prayers this week, I have felt them and I feel your love. Thank you for encouraging and carrying me through this summer.

Love and hugs to you all,

Deb