Saturday, September 29, 2012

Back To School: Part 2

I am way behind but I couldn't forget
to post Back to School pictures of
our littlest littles.

Be ready for some cuteness...

 
 
 
Do you think Maryn might be just a little excited?
She is very attached to her lunch box.
 She is smiling so hard that I imagine that her face hurt after a while.


Julia's 1st day of preschool also included riding the bus with Josie.
Talk about excited.
This kid couldn't wait!





The bus driver looked a little confused at first when she was looking around for Josie's sibling
when I said,
 "These two are sisters."
 
 
Now this is where the cuteness ceases.
Maryn was carried away from the bus kicking and screaming by Gma.
She wanted and still wants to "GO TOO!!"


Well school has been going well, so far.
Mostly...
 
There may or may not have been a call home
from the bus driver already.
 
One cute little girl is having trouble staying seated on the bus.
Oh, and she may have hit her sister in the face
on the bus as well.
 
The other day, Josie followed it up with, "Uh Mom, Julia sits in a car seat on the bus now."
 
Well, I said that back to school was going well, MOSTLY.
Good luck Mrs. Bus Driver.
 
How has your back to school routine been for going for you and yours?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

10 Favorites for the Birthday Girl

When I posted a picture of this on Facebook...
 Some of you asked what I put in Leah's 10 Favorite Things bags.
My plan for the gifts were that they must be inexpensive and thoughtful.
I asked Leah the other day what her favorite things were these days and I took some notes.
Too bad I couldn't fit Taylor Swift into one of these bags.
Leah loves fashion design.  This mannequin is a jewelry holder.
($10 from Big Lots)
Coupon for Breakfast in Bed
(Kids love breaking rules you know.)

Popaw's Homemade Chess Cheesecake
YUMMY!

Skittles
(Insert jealousy from younger siblings about right now.)

Ten Dollars
Who doesn't love cash?

Lip Gloss in Nerds flavors

Coupon to Get Out of Doing One Chore
(Notice that I limited to one chore.  I wasn't very generous with this one.)

Rolos
One of my favorites too!

Sushi
Nothing too crazy or raw.  Just simple California rolls from Kroger.

Gift Card to Charming Charmings
She will be paralyzed with indecision.  I gaurantee it!
Girls loves accessories and jewelry.

I think she loved all of the attention. 
What do you think?

 This is Leah in front of the inflatable birthday cake.
We make the kids take this picture every year.
Next year, she said that she'll need to hold up one toe.
Stay tuned.  That will be interesting to see.



And this was Leah reading what I wrote about her...
I hope that she felt special.
I hope that she knows how much we love her little face.

I have already had requests for Porter's 9th birthday...I think that I 
may have created a monster.

What traditions or birthday surprised do you do at your house?


Monday, September 24, 2012

This Marks a Decade

Today, ten years ago, I was exhausted from 30 hours of unmedicated labor which 
resulted in a stinking c-section.
I was also so overwhelmed with love for our first child and in love with her daddy.
This child, I was certain was going to be a boy.
Wow, was I wrong.  We were blessed with a beautiful blue-eyed girl.

 This is one hour before she arrived.

Meeting our sweet girl.

 Getting ready to take her home. (Who gave these young kids a baby, for real?)


Today is Leah's 10th birthday and I am going to spend sometime gushing over her so,
please pardon me.
 I have decided to capture my thoughts in list form.

Top Ten Reasons and Memories We Love About Leah
(in no particular order...and certainly not all-inclusive)

10) This kid is a knockout
 I love that she has her dad's big blue eyes and I'd kill to have legs like her.
  
  9)  She is a great sister and can be very protective.
Once, when Porter was having trouble with another boy, she stood up and said to him very sternly,
"Why didn't you tell me?  I would have intervened!"
(Keep in mind that they are very close in size.)
Although being the big sister can be tough sometimes, we often find her reading to the little ones, teaching them in her "preschool," holding a hand in the parking lot, or helping Maryn at therapy sessions.
Sometimes Maryn will say, "I want my Leah.", when she is off at school.


8)  This girl is so smart.
I remember a few years ago when, out of the blue, she asked us "Why aren't there better ways to make a oil rigger so that they wouldn't leak into the ocean?"  Then she went onto to brainstorm ideas on how she'd make it better.  As her parents, we just stood there a little caught off guard.
She also LOVES to read and always has great questions.  
She recently told me that Moby Dick is one of her favorites.
(In my opinion, this makes her a bit crazy.)
(This picture is totally unrelated but I love it! This is when the crowd at Disney World parted and she got her first glimpse of Cinderella's castle.  Magical.)

7)  Leah's heart is sweet and she can be very compassionate.
When we traveled through the journey of becoming foster parents, she was always reminding us, 
"Why wouldn't we do that?  It's a great thing!"
I also remember hearing her when she was around 3 years old, thanking God, as we drove by a home that had recently caught on fire.  She saw roofers repairing the roof and wanted God to know how thankful she was for them.
This is a picture of one of times when she grew her hair to donate to Locks of Love.

6)   Leah is a talented writer.
She uses great details and humor to tell her stories.
She also loves to write poetry and to keep a journal.
She told me that writing sort of "sets me free."
I will ask her if I can share some of her work someday.
Currently, she is working in class on a story about, "how Maryn's laugh makes me realize how life is worthwhile."  (She's a bit of an old soul.  Can you tell?)

5)  She makes us laugh.
She is witty.  Her jokes are often about me, but they are still funny.
One day she told me, " You know Mom, Porter is just like you...but he's funny!"

4) She makes me cry.
Leah can be very sensitive. She can also be very intuitive.
She knows when you are sad, and steps in.
She had a fantastic relationship with my Mom, and she has never let that love and relationship fade.
She reminds me of memories with my Mom often, and sometimes we cry together.

3)  Leah tries new things.
She has tried gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, karate, drama, choir, Girl Scouts, sports, school clubs, etc.
She gets nervous but likes to lead.
She says her favorite food right now is sushi (California Rolls).
She recently told me that she would like to try football (I don't think so.).

2)  Leah is a hard worker.
She likes to do well and works hard.  She is persistent.

1)  Leah made me a mother and took my breath away. 
She was the first to call me Mom. 
It all began with her.


We love you Leah, to the moon and back.
We can't wait to see what amazing things you do in the next decade.
Happy 10th Birthday.