Off to the Theatre.

We love going to see plays at a children’s theater in Houston.  They always do a fantastic job.  What makes it even better is the kids get to sit on the first row of the rotunda, so all of the action is right in front of them.  It’s very cool seeing everything up close like that.

And, we have to say, “We’re going to the Theatre” in our most snotty voice, just for fun.   Of course, it’s not a fancy theater.  We’re in Texas.  Notice in the picture below that the rotunda is “This a way”.  They’re just being funny – we don’t really talk like that. 

Okay, yes we do.

The last show we went to see was The Secret Garden.  My kids loved that book.  I was shocked when Bear asked me if that was the one with the bird and the wall.  She was only 4 or 5 when I read it to the kids.  That really taught me a lesson about how much these little ones pick up.  I would have thought a long book like that would have gone over her head.

Of course, I could not take any pictures of the play, but the kids posed outside the theater.

Now, I’m off to read Treasure Island to Gideon.  I don’t want him to get behind.  ha! 

Grandparent’s Club

On Thursdays, we head on down to a local nursing home to spend some time with our “adopted” grandparents.  When we were first asked to join this group, I was thinking this was going to be a real stretch for the kids.  I even wondered if it would take them too far out of their comfort zone.  I  thought we could try it.

Each of the kids have their own grandparent they sit with each week.  They visit, do a craft together, have a snack, and then play a little Bingo – complete with prizes from the Bingo Basket!

When the kids got in the car to leave after our first visit, they asked me when we were going back.  I told them we would go next Thursday. 

Then, they shocked me with their response.  They said…

You mean we get to come and do this EVERY week?!

What a blessing to this momma’s ears to hear them say “get to” instead of “have to”.

Grandparent’s Club is super easy.  We have around 10 families that come each week.  Every week, one mom brings a snack (I brought cinnamon mini muffins and cups of water) and one mom brings a craft the kids can help their grandparents with.  We all pitch in items for the well loved Bingo Basket.  That’s it!

The kids learn valuable lessons.  We teach them we are there to bless our grandparents.  The kids don’t earn Bingo prizes - they help their grandparent mark their cards and the grandparent wins the prize.  Also, the kids go and serve their grandparent the snack first, then they can go get one for themselves.  And, we make sure all the grandparents have made it back to their rooms (some need to be wheeled), then we leave the place cleaner than we found it.

The lessons are great for the kids, but I’m also so happy they get to meet interesting people with great stories.  That’s the beauty of having the same grandparent each week – getting to know them.

Here are the kids having some fun. 

 

Car was so happy to find a grandmother that will make funny faces and play with him.  Look how precious she is!  She’s 90 years old and was copying what Car was doing.  I love it!

 

Six Months

 It’s me again.  I have something to show you…

I’m sitting all by myself!

 

I know…I’m getting so big.

It’s SO COOL!!!  HA!

Watch out world…

Oh, there’s that tongue again.

Storytime

Ellie and Gideon are reading a touch and feel book from a sweet friend of ours, Brooke.  Her family is just finishing up their homestudy for a domestic adoption.  They were moved to adopt the same time we were.  But – they don’t have a blog, or I would tell you to go meet them. 

Gideon was more interested in feeling the pictures of the baby feet in this book than the texture pages.  I like that the baby feet were mixed skin tones.  Those things used to go right over my head.   Not because I didn’t think it was important or didn’t care, I was just clueless.

I’ve also started noticing the tongue sticking out more.  Ellie must be concentrating pretty hard.

It’s funny the comments about the tongue sticking out.  I’ve read so many blogs about Ethiopian babies and their tongues.  I think Missy blogged about it right when he started doing it, so I had to share his silly pictures, too.  It cracks me up!

Our Entertainment

Who needs television?  With 5 kids, we have all the entertainment we could stand around our house.  Our latest source comes from Gideon’s discovery of his tongue. 

What makes it even funnier, is that he doesn’t even know why we’re laughing.  He looks you right in the eye and gives you a serious look while he tries to touch his tongue to his nose.

I can’t stop laughing as I think…What if adults could get away with this stuff?  What if your boss was talking to you about a big project and you just started sticking your tongue out as far as you could?

Where’s the line when this stuff becomes disrespectful?

The things babies get away with.

Love This!

Car and Bear holding hands while they walk over to Mimi’s house.  Notice she’s wearing his jeans.  She said she could wear them because they were in her drawer.

 

Okay, Okay…

Apparently, the fifth child pushed me into feeling I no longer have time to update our blog.  I think it’s more about having a baby than the number of children I have.  Suddenly, blog time is either during nap (but I have a million other things competing for this time), or while I’m typing one handed (I’m not very good at this…yet).

But, I don’t want to stop.  I love having a record of what is going on in our lives.  Even if it’s just for me to go back and reminisce.  Plus, I’ve made some really sweet blog friends that I would miss. 

Lately, we’ve stayed super busy.  Everything seems even busier when you throw a baby into the mix. 

Tony was in an accident and totaled his truck.  Someone tried to make a u-turn and didn’t check both ways, so they pulled right into him.  Fortunately, he and his mom were okay – just sore.  That’s what every family wants to do a couple of weeks after they get home from picking up their child from Ethiopia…buy a new truck.  ha!

Gideon is doing fantastic!  He is such a lover boy with us…but no one else.  That’s a good sign, right?  He seems to have picked up who his family is really quickly.

With everything we’ve been doing, I haven’t been good about taking pictures.  My hands seem to be full all the time for some reason. But, I’m sure I’ll get better.  It just takes practice.

Okay – on to the pictures…