Magic Feet

Jalen Andrew is growing up way too fast!

It is such a delight to be home with him during the day, and I love the explosion of language that comes out of his mouth. ************* I always tell him to use his "magic feet" to open the automatic doors at grocery stores, and allow him to approach the door, to open it for me. He is always amazed at how his "magic feet" work every time. The other day, as he drove around in his car/grocery cart, he kept leaning his head out the window to look at me, and say, "I really do have magic, Mama!" ************* He and I talked about eye colors yesterday. His eyes, of course, are a beautiful dark brown, but he learned a new word as we talked about my eyes. Just in case you thought my eyes were hazel, according to Jalen Andrew, they are actually "jazel." ************** It is so much fun to watch Jalen Andrew play. He is so imaginative and interactive with his toys. Lately he has been watching a Fisher-Price Little People, short movie each day. In the movie, the Little People are always coming up with new ideas to solve their problems. So, the other day, I tried to help Jalen Andrew with a problem that he had, but every time I tried, he would say, "Wait, I have an idea!" and then he would try something new. ************* He's so big now - with his long, lanky legs, and his tall, thin body. He still wants to be our little baby sometimes, but dog-gone-it, he's just so big! He can dress himself now, and is doing great with using the bathroom, (now that a certain disruptive force is not here during the day to distract him). *************** We bought him a new booster seat the other day, for he had definitely outgrown his car seat. He was so excited when I brought the big box into the house, and kept exclaiming, "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!" Not yet, buddy - but it will be here before I'm ready. Sometimes I wish that time would slow down a little.

17 in a Row

We went and watched Rebekah play in her first volleyball game this afternoon. WOW! Rebekah served and scored 17 points in a row during the second game. It was amazing! It wasn't just 17 points, but 17 serves in a row. Needless to say, our bench did an awful lot of yelling for her. She did a great job, not only serving, but also playing the game. We're so proud of her. The Ladies' Storm went on to win Vistancia.

Bambi's Mom Dies

I picked a movie out for Jalen Andrew to watch today.

I thought it was a good pick - nice soothing music, quaint characters like Thumper and Flower. And then . . . Bambi's Mom dies. In case you don't remember, you don't see anything, you just see Bambi and his Mom running, you hear a shot, and then hear Bambi calling out for his Mom. Jalen Andrew was sitting on my lap at the time of the incident, and his eyes immediately filled with tears, his lips pouted, and his face filled with a look of extreme sadness. With a shaky voice, he asked, "What happened?" Matter-of-factly I answered that the Mom died (what does a 2 year old know about such abstract thoughts as death or guns?). The tears broke away, cascading down his cheeks, and his look of sadness culminated in a flood of distress. He buried his head on my shoulder and cried - not little cries, but huge, body shaking sobs. Later at dinner, I told the family in code what had happened, so that Jalen Andrew didn't know what I was saying. One astute child of mine, then turned to her brother, and bluntly asked, "What happened to Bambi?" Again the tears came, and the anguished look contorted his face as he explained, "Bambi's Mom died." All night, any mention of Bambi would bring on the despair and sadness. I felt so bad! But then . . . it kind of fit in with Jalen Andrew's emotional day. At the grocery store, he suddenly stopped driving his car shopping cart, and sought for my comfort as he burst into tears because he wanted his Dad to come home from work. It was a little random. And then he went into hysterics when Rebekah tried to take him upstairs to read some books, refusing to leave me. It made for a very interesting day.

District Jazz Band

Congratulations to Rebekah who just made the District Jazz Band!

TaeKwonDo

I signed Joseph and James up for a starter course in TaeKwonDo. They loved it, and did very well. They both earned two stripes on their belt. I can really see the benefits of having them in it . . . we'll see if our budget and "extra time" allows for it's continuation.

I Know . . .

There is a 2 month cycle that James goes through. We recognize it easily since it is the same cycle that Jonathon used to do. It's 2 months of anger, wildness, and frustration, followed by about 4 days of softness, reflective moods, desires to be held, and desires to please others. Well, we've lived out our 2 months, and this past week we were able to enjoy a couple days of reprieve. *James wanted to be held and have his hair stroked. *He was clean & dry. *He played well with Joseph, and was more patient and helpful with Jalen Andrew. *He pulled down his scrapbook before bed, and asked me to "explain this" to him, which allowed us to have a great conversation about his adoption, and our love for him. *Sunday's Sacrament Meeting found him relatively quiet, and occupied coloring, instead of hurting the rest of us. To top it all off . . . James followed his brother Joseph's example, and shared his testimony: "I want to bear my testimony. I know my Mom & Dad love me, and I know that they'll take care of me." Most kids know and feel that love instinctively, but not James. That testimony was huge for him. It's good to know that through all the chaos, he still knows. Love you buddy!