Our Butterfly Project

When my parents came in town earlier this month they gave the boys a butterfly kit.  The idea is that you are given caterpillars, which then go into a chrysalis and then you watch them become a butterfly.  Noah and Aiden were really excited.

We had caterpillars shipped to our house in a container that also held their food.

Then about 7-10 later, the caterpillars form chrysalis.  It is neat to see them hanging from the top of the cup.  You then have to move the chrysalis from the cup and pin them to the side of the butterfly enclosure. 

After another 7-10 days the butterflies start to emerge.  The chrysalis actually get darker and darker leading up to when they come out.  I was really hoping we would get to see the magic, but we missed it.  All three times!

 This was our first butterfly to emerge.  So pretty!

We had one butterfly emerge for 3 consecutive days.  The boys were pumped when they saw a new butterfly each day.  After a couple of days of enjoying them, we decided today was a good day to let them go free.

This was our last butterfly to leave us.  I think he was hanging around for good reason. 
He flew out, settled into some grass, and then the next thing I saw was a bird swoop down and pick him up to eat him.  This next picture is a picture of the bird sitting on the fence eating our butterfly.

SERIOUSLY!
I wonder if anyone else has ever experienced that one.  Of course, we would. 
Who lets a butterfly go only to watch it be eaten as an afternoon snack moments later? 
That would be Those Bruce Boys.
Thankfully Noah had turned his back and didn't see all this go down.  He probably would have been scarred for life had he seen it.
I can't make this stuff up.

Another Embarassing Trip to the Grocery

Why is the grocery store always a place of embarrassing moments for me?  Good grief.

Today I took the four boys to the grocery, which is a feat in and of itself.  I am never, never in a good mood when we leave.  Imagine two boys screaming and trying to climb out of the cart.  Then hitting each other and laughing, grabbing brothers' shirts and trying to look down them, etc.  Then imagine two boys running up and down aisles, yelling at each other, hitting one another, laughing hysterically (more like a very loud squeal), not paying attention and knocking into elderly ladies or people who obviously hate children.  Fun times abound.

So coming off our last trip to the store when Noah loudly asked me if a sweet older woman was blind, me trying to cover it up and say, "No, silly, you were in her way" and then him loudly yelling, "Well, her eyes look like she is blind"...I was hoping this would be less eventful.  Really, Kristy, really?

Among the usual embarrassment, I just tried to get out as quickly as possible.

Then we passed a group of 3 black women shopping together.  Noah yells, "Hey!  Where are they from?"  I quietly said, "Here."  He yells back, "No!  You see those black people over there?  Where are they from?!"  I wish I could describe his tone.  Sorta like a why-would-they-be-here kind of thing.

For the love!  Child, do you not know how to talk like a normal person?  Why in the world do you have to ask me questions about people in the store in the loudest voice EVER?! 

So then I just said, "Noah, not every black person is from Africa."  Seriously.  We see black people ev.er.y day.  Every day.  We have to wait until we are at the grocery, standing right next to them, to ask where they are from in a way that sounds like they have no business being here. 

As if that was not enough we are in the check out line.  I have almost the entire cart loaded onto the belt when Noah yells "I have to pee!" and starts grabbing himself.  Really?  Now?  I told him he had to hold it, to which he says, "Okay.  I'll hold it Mom."  Then he proceeds to grab his crouch and cross his legs.  Aiden then says, "Noah, what are you doing?"  Noah yells loudly again, "I am grabbing my penis!"  Pretty sure they heard us several aisles over.  I heard the cashier snicker.  All this while Asa is pulling stuff off the shelves left and right and Nathan has his shoes in his hands hitting Aiden with them. 

There is Nothing Like

In case you missed my first warning, when you see the words "There is Nothing Like" you do not need to read what follows if you have a faint stomach or if you don't really want to know what boys are like.

There is Nothing Like when you walk into your kids' bathroom and see the sink after your child who just ate this crunchy cereal has brushed his teeth and spit it out.  Then just left it sitting in the sink.  GAG me.  Just what I wanted to see this morning.  Boys are so gross.

There is Nothing Like eating a meal and having one of your kids say "Mommy!" then show you his chewed up food in his mouth.  Then starts laughing hysterically.  Kids are so gross.

There is Nothing Like watching your boys play and start seeing how can toot on each other the most.  Hoping they grow out of that one, but I have my doubts.

Sometimes after the things I see I just stop what I am doing and pray for my boys' wives.  Goodness gracious.  I am hoping that I can at least teach them some manners before that time comes.  Either way, I have one particular kid who could use a wife right now, in addition to his mother.  We have a looong way to go.  Bless his heart.

Its Called PROGRESS

So, it is really no secret that Asa is not my biggest fan.

And all joking aside, Kenneth and I have felt like he hates me.  

Truly.

Some of you may have even witnessed this behavior.

He loves Kenneth.

Me, not so much.

It is a tough pill to swallow, but we get by with humor and prayer.

The last 24 hours have been great, and I wanted to be sure to include it on here.

Last night was the first time EVER that Asa has given me a kiss without being forced.

Usually at night when I go in to kiss him goodnight he will leap up in his crib and run to the other side, turns his back to me and screams "No!"  Kenneth then usually comes in and sternly tells him that he has to give me a kiss.  He begrudgingly listens.  When Kenneth is not home for bedtime I hold his face in my hands and kiss him anyway while he screams and tries to get away.  He hates it.  Then I usually tell him, "I love you anyway." 

(And, in honor of total transparency, I am going to add that this little reminder is not always said in the nicest of tones.  I confess that it gets weary feeling hated by your 2 year old son.)

Last night I walked in and he just looked at me.  He stayed laying down and had almost a smile on his face.  As I got near his crib he actually puckered up his lips a little bit.  I gave him a kiss and said goodnight and he didn't scream.  Praise the Lord!  

Asa has been home with us 22 months. 

Here are some other praise worthy things I have experienced with Asa in the last week.

*He has been waking up at 7 or later for the last 7 days.

*He has been sleeping through the night for a couple of months.  No middle-of-the-night scream fests.(Thanks, Melatonin, you wonder herb!)

*When he wakes up he is not waking up screaming.  He nicely yells for us, or yells that he is "all done."  This has been going on for at least a month.  Today he was even playing in his crib.

*I have only had to spank him 3 times today, and it is already 3:15!!!!!  I am also going to note that what he did constituted an immediate spanking.  We have had no time-outs yet today!  And, have I mentioned it is already 3:15 pm?!!

*We met Kenneth for a birthday lunch today and Asa was absolutely hysterical without being destructive and defiant.  I am pretty sure Kenneth was to the point of tears we were laughing so hard.

These are all HUGE HUGE HUGE notes of progress.

I am not going to lie, these past 22 months have been the hardest of my life.  

But I wouldn't take it back.

I wouldn't "not" do it.

I can't say I wouldn't change a thing, because that would be lying.

But..
I wouldn't ever change the decision we made to adopt Aiden and Asa
because it was one out of obedience to God. 

I am so thankful He called us to adopt.  

Although the LORD has brought us through some difficult and border-line psychotic moments, it is His plan for our family.  We rest in His full sovereignty and we know that He is up to something great.  The difficulty makes the good times that much sweeter. 
I am excited to see His full plan for our boys, and for us, whenever that may be revealed. 
He is a good God and we trust Him.

Car Drama

I have come to realize that my life is far, far from normal.
I am sure that most people have realized that fact already.  I am a little slow.
After our little big car incident on Friday morning, I was just thinking over all that we have dealt with in just the last couple of weeks.  There truly is never a dull moment in our household.  Never.  Nada. 
Here is the latest.

I first want to say that I have seen the providential hand of God all over this situation.  He has protected us and provided in so many ways, and we are just praying that He will continue to do so.  We have faith that He absolutely will.

On Thursday night our sweet friends Kathy Elliott and Emily Lavender came into town.  They graciously offered to watch Aiden, Asa and Nathan so that Kenneth and I could both go on Noah's field trip to the zoo on Friday.  We were so excited to get to spend that time with Noah, and Noah was excited to have time with Mommy and Daddy all to himself.

We met at the church and headed to the zoo with Noah and his friend, Coleson.  While on the interstate the check engine light came on in the car.  We just had the car fixed in October, and then again two weeks ago.  We went a few more miles and then it started sounding funny.  We pulled off the interstate at the next exit, which happened to be the one we needed to take.  As we started turning off the exit I could tell Kenneth was having to pull the wheel extremely hard.

And then the engine just stopped. 
We costed down a big hill, and came to stop at a light.  At that point the car was not moving, it was starting to smoke.  I had to hop in the driver's seat and Kenneth had to push the car as I guided it into a parking lot.  By the time we pulled in the car was smoking from the hood and it would not stop.

I frantically called Noah's teacher. 
She was riding with someone else, and they were able to come meet us.  Thankfully the mom driving had a large SUV and there was just enough room for Noah, Coleson and myself.  We made our way to the zoo while Kenneth waited for the car to be towed to a local shop. 

We were later informed that the water pump went out, as well as the timing belt.  $430.  There went the tax refund we just got in the mail.

Then the next morning Kenneth called to ask if we could pick the car up.  We were then told that they had fixed the car, and they were running the car and testing it to make sure that it had been properly fixed.  The car continued to smoke, and when they looked further some sort of gasket had been warped while the car was smoking the day before and now that needs to be replaced.  $1,000.

Car is worth=$1800, assuming we pay that $1,000 to get it fixed.

We have no idea what we are going to do.

I am thankful for the following.
1. Kathy and Emily were here.
2. I was not alone with the kids in the car when this happened.
3. The car waited until we were off the interstate before it completely died.
4. We were still able to get the kids to the zoo.
5. This is not our minivan.
6. No one was hurt.
7. We did not get in an accident while Kenneth had to push the car.
8. God is in complete control.