Just In Case You Were Wondering...

Where have I been lately?

I have not been on top of the blog like I once was. Now that I am teaching twice a week, I use the other days to catch up on appointments, errands, and house chores. 

Plus, my creative energies have been poured into being the best preschool teacher I can be. I will be doing kindergarten assessments with my 7 students in the next couple of weeks so that will keep me very busy.

Plus, I think I am still shell shocked as to the amount of energy and time caring for 5 children takes.

Last week I spent a combined total (with travel time) of 6 hours at dentist/orthodontics offices. 

Next week I will be back in there as my precious girl has her first cavity to be filled at almost the age of six. I was so upset to receive that news as I pride myself on taking good care of my kids' health. However, the child has molars that are right on each other and who has the energy to floss 4 little kids teeth every night? 

Well...not I.

Thankfully it is still a baby tooth.

Jayden will play his last basketball game next weekend and I have signed the boys up for baseball/tee ball for this spring. 

I cannot WAIT to see them in the baseball pants I bought and the clearance cleats I stumbled upon for 6 bucks a pair! 

It pays to shop early for baseball season.

 See...I get my Mommy love tank filled being able to see my adorable boys dressed up in stark white pants, colorful jerseys, and matching baseball caps on a bright green field. 

Billy on the other hand took the boys out to buy gloves and has been helping them hit and throw in the backyard. 

I think he might be reliving the glory days of the only sport he ever played...and happened to be really good at.

I suspect he mostly loves the one on one time with his boys which is rare around here.

Isaac and Jayden of course just eat up all that daddy time.

Our season starts in about a month.

I have also been planning the girls' joint birthday party scheduled for the end of March.

The theme: Cheerleading!!

TWO four SIX eight...it is almost time to celebrate.

Get it? They are turning 2 and 6.

I'm a dork for parties. I know!!!

Here is a sneak peak~

I have booked the same venue we did Jasmine's big first birthday bash at last year and we are inviting all of our family and friends and a few personal friends of the girls. Since my girls birthdays are just two weeks apart, it is not practical to do big separate parties every year. I have had the challenge of coming up with party favors & activities that will appeal to both boy and girl attendees at a cheer themed party, but I have a plan that I think will work:

The party room is in a beautiful building at a giant field/park. So....the boys can all play with little footballs in the fields (led by Keishun and Billy) while the girls will be taught cheers led by a couple of high school cheerleaders I plan to hire for an hour. I can walk around and take pictures of all the action! I am going to attempt to make pom poms for every girl aged two and up using white kitchen trash bags. I saw a tutorial online.

And I have already made gumball spirit sticks for the party favors.

I can't wait. :)

This year has really flown by already. How is it almost March?

Before I know it, I will be stuffing Easter baskets and making up my summer activity calendars. Eeek! 

I thought to myself the other day as I noticed how long Vivi's hair is getting and how thick Jayden has gotten around the waist:

One day I am really going to miss all this.

The messes. The tantrums. The laughter. The tears.

Jasmine really looks more like a child and less like a baby every day, and Keishun is just two school years away from college.

Jayden and Vivi will likely learn to ride their bikes without training wheels this summer and I suspect Isaac may be taller than me by the time he starts middle school.

The days are long but the years are short.

And I will miss it.

God reminds me time is fleeting and I can't bottle them up in all their little childhood cuteness forever, so for now I will savor the grass stains that will come on baseball pants and try not to get too mad when I hurt my toes on the play food minefield that is the girl's bedroom.

Billy and I will have been married for 10 years this May.

What an awesome adventure it has been with my best friend.

The Moments of Motherhood

Sometimes the moments of motherhood frustrate and overwhelm me and other times pass by almost unnoticed. Sometimes the moments of motherhood make me laugh and shake my head at the messiness and beauty that is family.

Sometimes they make me do both in the very same moment.

My oldest child makes me laugh at his many funny phrases and silly ways. He can be moody and despondent. He can be hyper and engaging. He is all four seasons in one hour sometimes. And I love each one for what it brings. He is charming and such great company. Lately we have seen amazing strides in how he handles being frustrated at us. We have seen him back down from a fight with us...something unheard of months ago. We have seen him get over things more quickly. We have seen him respond to us with respect instead of escalating frustration. Today he will loose something. He always does. Tonight he will go to bed in a tornado of a bedroom and will come home from the rec smelling like stinky boy. Today I will look at him like I do every single day and think:

I am so very lucky to be his mom.

 And then there is Isaac.

Oh Isaac.

My wild impulsive child. The one who rarely puts his name on his school work, hardly ever puts his clothes in the hamper or his trash in the wastebasket, but will usually be the only child in a day who remembers to say 

"I love you, Mom."

Isaac is my heartbeat and our comic relief. He is the thorn in my side God has given me to keep me on my toes in motherhood...and dependent upon Christ for all things.

His mouth gets him into all kinds of trouble.

In this way and many others, Isaac couldn't be more mine had I birthed him.

One day I believe this child will do something BIG for the kingdom of God and make us so very very proud.

Today we are hoping to just make it to bedtime.

Vivianna...our curly girly.

The once unborn baby girl we prayed and prayed God would grant us the honor of being chosen to parent. 

Our tender heart and tattle tale.

Today Vivi will complain about some kind of physical ailment. 

She always does.

She will no doubt ask for a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich for dinner and claim the dinner I do give her is too spicy.

My daughter who cried for an entire day this weekend when her fish died, and still has a death fear of people dressed in animal costumes.

She is sneaky and sensitive.

She talks with a slight lisp that I secretly hope she never overcomes.

She is responsible and remembers everything.

This child gets me giddy with excitement to pick out adorable little shoes, dresses, and hair bows...and to listen to her beautiful Spanish language develop.

She is my pink on a very grey day. 

 My baby boy flies under the radar.

We say he lives somewhere between here and there.

There being the place we refer to as "Jayden's World".

He is quiet and relaxed. He maintains the exact same state of mood no matter what the circumstance.

He has a dimple that will charm the socks off of every adult he meets. He wets the bed and all over my toilet seat.

He is exhausting.

He has a giant sweet tooth and nothing puts a smile on this kids face more than wrestling his dad and brothers....and eating cheeseburgers, of course.

He is my most playful child. He includes everyone.

He takes his immunizations at the Dr. like a champ and is willing to try any new experience. Jayden makes my heart swell when I see him on the basketball court and loving on his baby sister. 

This child may just quietly change the world one day and no one would have seen it coming.

 
And we are left with our little fire pistol, whom

we lovingly refer to as The Beast.

Jasmine is loud and wild and as cranky as you-know-what.

One never has to guess what she wants.

She is so imaginative and outgoing and friendly that older kids take a shine to her right away and want to carry her around and pull her in wagons which of course she happily obliges. 

She is a princess and a diva.

She is spoiled.

To. The. Core.

Today she will swipe snacks from the pantry and make a mess.

She might flood my bathroom....again. 

She will likely find herself planted in time out.

A lot.

Billy says, "there has never been a naughtier child in all the world"

But I am not sure there has ever been another child more attached to me either. Everything she does she does with fierce determination.

She has mood swings stronger than any tween.

I have joked that someone broke my baby and I want a manufacturer's rebate check.

God gave me this child to humble me. I needed it. 

I was getting quite too proud in my mothering ability.

I believe Jasmine Faith will step out into the world and people will take notice. Because they already do. 

These moments of motherhood will one day pass by.

It will just be Billy and I laughing and remembering the way Vivi would say "Gickey" for "Mickey Mouse" and how Isaac had his entire Awana book memorized by mid semester.

One day we will laugh remembering Keishun's know-it-all answers to life and reminiscing about how Jayden would take a year to put his seat belt on every time we left the house.

The girls 6 am wake-up calls from birth will one day be a small memory of the past.

Today I will laugh and cry all in the same 12 hour time frame while I  begrudgingly wash and fold 3 loads of laundry.

And I will not forget to thank God that I can get up out of bed to do it all over again tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Jasmine is stopping in to say Happy Valentine's Day to all my blog friends! 

Love you ALL!

My Child Got His Driver's License!!!

 Yesterday was a big milestone for a member of this family:

Keishun got his driver's license!!

Here he is waiting for the driving test. He did not do so well on parallel parking, but who does? Today he was added to our insurance...can we say expensive...and he drove off after school with two friends to the rec center to play bball. 

Yes, I am that mother who sat in the window and watched them load up and pull away.  

BUT, I did not take a picture.

See? I'm growing, people!

 I did however say a silent prayer that they all put their seat belts on and did not goof off and distract my child from driving.

His grandparents sent him this congratulatory card today:

 The gas gift card was a very thoughtful touch as we have made it clear he will be paying for ALL his own gas. He will have Billy's truck to drive about...but will need a job very soon because his meager allowance is sure to run out fast. My income at the preschool covers his insurance, but this summer he will be expected to work full time and pick up the tab on that too.

The note my mom included in the card says: 

"please make smart choices!"

Oh, how we all wish that for him. I have been asked by lots of people if I am nervous for my child to have a license. Yes and no. I am not nervous he will get in an accident, I can pretty much guarantee he will...didn't we all in one fashion or another?

We have told him he is to begin to build a saving's account of $500 before he can buy any major purchases. This covers his insurance deductible in the event he needs to use it. If it comes that he needs his insurance payout before he has saved it all up, we have told him he will not be allowed to drive until he has the deductible. 

I am not nervous he will go places we do not approve of, because I am a helicopter mom and am always up in my kids business.

I AM nervous however that he may not always make smart choices. I have informed him that if he gets pulled over by a cop, which in our town will likely happen before this weekend...he is to be super polite and not give an attitude. I told him that being a black teenage boy makes him a target...he may be asked to exit the vehicle and receive a pat down, a search of the truck, and a thorough questioning as to where he is going, where he came from, etc. 

I pray pray pray that he keeps his cool.

I know he will not have anything on him that is of question, that is not a concern...it is his attitude that will get him in trouble.

So with that, I will send my son off into the big wide scary world with a smile and a prayer that God will watch over my boy and protect him.

 

Vivi's Pet

My daughter got her first pet this weekend at a party.

(I don't include the dogs in that category because they are our dogs more than the kids)

She has named her pet, Sophia the First.

This fish will reside in her fishbowl on top of our piano.

Do you all remember having a favorite name when you were growing up?

The name you always went by in play, always named your baby dolls, and always named your Barbie?

Well, for Vivi that name is Sophia.

I thought the name for the fish being Sophia the First (taken from a Disney princess) is quite fitting because it is her first pet and with the way fish go...we will likely be getting a 

Sophia the Second. ;)

Vivi adores this fish. She talks about her and talks to her. She jiggles her bowl if she is being too still. Today she will come home to some goldfish food and distilled water so we can clean the bowl.

I hope this pet sticks around, because our child has the most tender heart and will cry all day when this fish goes to live in the great big ocean called the Toilet. 

That is what happened with Isaac's first pet. We bought him a hermit crab in Florida this summer. They named it Rocky. When we brought it home, that little guy escaped twice and became too much to keep up with. So we moved him onto our friends home to be their children's pet...where he was given a nice big cage and lots of fresh food. When he finally kicked the bucket, as hermit crabs do...Vivi cried of a broken heart, and he wasn't even ours anymore! 

I love this photo I snapped of Vivi admiring Sophia the First.

Such childhood innocence captured in little brown eyes and a bright orange goldfish. 

These years have gone by too fast as our middle child prepares to turn 6 years old next month. I still remember crying like a baby when the nurse at the hospital put her little brand new body in my arms.

My hoped for daughter.

My prayed for child.

 

Vivianna Hope.

 You are growing up way too fast,

Precious Love.

Foster Care Adoption

I spent my last week on Facebook each day showcasing children who are available for adoption here in Texas through the foster care system. I posted their picture, taken from the state website, along with a link to their profile. 

One day, I chose this 17 year old boy. 

He is just one year away from aging out.

I mentioned that black adolescent boys are the most difficult to find adoptive homes for and tend to just grow up in foster care until they age out of the system. Statistics are grim for this demographic. It is what those in social services call "going from one institution to the other"...meaning they go from foster care to prison to a homeless shelter or mental institution. National statistics read that 66% of all foster care youth who age out at 18 will be in prison, homeless, or die within one year of leaving foster care. You can read about that in this article.

Another day I showcased this sibling group. 

Can you say ADORABLE?!
Boy/girl twins!

 Did you know that 75% of African American children are born without a father figure in their life? This is in comparison to only 4% of white kids who are born without a dad. The prognosis of children who grow up without a father is also grim. Statistics are high that boys who grow up without a dad spend the bulk of their adult life in and out of prison. For girls? They often end up having children out of wedlock and having to go on welfare. 

The website Without A Father. com states many of these statistics. This website mentions that fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

The very last child I chose to showcase on Facebook 

was this 15 year old beauty:

I asked the question,

"How different would you have felt on the day of your prom, your graduation, and your wedding had you not had your Mom there?"

With all of the children I showcased, my heart was moved. But this girl brought me to tears...maybe cause she looks like I imagine my  daughter looking like one day...

My heart dropped when I read her profile,

the statement that usually says what a child likes to do for fun, what they are into, etc. 

This teenage girl's profile simply stated:

"I dream of being adopted."

I read that and I sobbed.

I cried for all the kids whose dreams are that simple...and yet so unattainable. I cried for the kids who will move into a dorm room, if they are lucky to go to college at all, alone. 

I cried for the kids who wonder as each birthday passes if they will ever be chosen. 

I cried for the ones who just want their mom and dad back, no matter how mean or neglectful they were. 

Because when you are a child, 

sometimes any mom and dad is better than none.

I cried for my own kids and thanked my God for saving them.

He did it. Not me.

So...if you are reading this, my friend, and you are in love and at the top of your game and wanting to start your family... please read these words.

You don't have to give birth to your children for them to be yours.

You don't have to adopt little bitty babies for them to be yours.

You don't have to go overseas to adopt an orphan for a child to be yours.

There are kids right here.

They are waiting.

Please remember this,

You never outgrow the need for a mom and a dad.

Pirate And Princess Day

This week in my preschool class, we focused on the letter "P".

The other Pre-K teacher and I decided weeks ago we would do this by having a Pirate and Princess party!

Our students dressed up and we spent Thursday doing tons of fun activities...

 These are the only boys in my class. 

They are also two of Jayden's best church friends.

I adore these boys. They always have a smile on their face for me.

They are kind, they are helpful, energetic,

 and they take care of their classmates.

A teacher could not ask for better boys in her class!

I did a photo booth for my kids as they entered

 using pirate and princess props.

 We split up our classes for centers the whole week.

 I did princess activities in my class room!

 Our special activity was a treasure hunt! 

Ms. Cara created maps for each child with the Bible verse "Store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven....for where your treasure is, your heart will be also."

She wrote out clues from Captain Blackbeard and read them in a pirate voice. SO fun.

It ended with the loot being found in the sanctuary!!

 Then we did a pizza and peaches lunch and in the afternoon had popcorn and a  movie!

 Everyone went home with goodie bags and boxes filled with treasure.

We have so much fun at preschool.

My Big Baby and My Little Baby

Out of all of my children, these two really keep me on my toes.
They have aged me well beyond my 34 years.

I have to say there really is not much difference in raising a toddler and a teenager.

They are both very very demanding of time, energy, and resources.

They are both adorably funny.

They can both go from happy to major attitude in 4.6 seconds.
They are moody.
They can be rude.
Toddlers and teenagers are both super egocentric...the world revolves around them and the rest of us must cater to it to keep the peace.
They get over things quickly and things restore back to normal in a blink of an eye. 
They are friendly and fun and when people meet our family they fawn all over these two.

I sure do love my big baby and little baby.

Jasmine is still a beast in personality, but since dropping the pacifier, she has been trying to talk a lot more. She makes me so proud as she carries her backpack and lunch box into school. I love seeing her cuddle with Keishun and Vivi. And she is super cute when she runs to the door and says, "Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy" at night.

With Keishun, life is a never ending roller coaster. One minute I am at the top of my parental pride...like when he brought home straight A's on his report card last Friday and I get to watch him start as a point guard on the basketball team. But then he will give attitude and be so frustrating and disorganized and forgetful and argumentative that I will feel rage flash to my face in an instant. 

 I will say lately however, the days have been better with both my toddler and teen. Keishun's teachers at open house went on and on about how wonderful and smart he is and how much they adore him in their classes. He counts down the days until he gets his drivers license in 2 weeks, and he wrote an article in his English class about how being adopted was the best thing that ever happened to him. Awww....my baby. 
My boy.
 
Jasmine is beginning to respond to my discipline for really the first time ever. She loves her babies and dollhouses and carries those pieces around all day. She gets sooo excited when we enter the mall and she sees the carousel in the food court and the Disney Store. What fun it is to see the world through toddler eyes again.
We all crack up laughing when we ask her, "Are you naughty or is Kiki naughty?" and she immediately points to Keishun. 

My big baby and my little baby have such dynamic personalities. 
I just know they are going to pave their own way in this world and I feel honored to be able to guide them through it.