Future Pilates Instructor

We went outside to swing last night... which by the way Eliza HATES!!! Silas wanted in the swing, and that requires 2 of my hands so I sat Eliza down in the grass for a second. First she lifted on leg... then the other. She looks as if she is falling over, but she is not... she is perfectly balanced holding both legs up as high as she can.

Pull your bumblebee

I have to admit... since Eliza has been home, I have been in survival mode. I have been just trying to get by and get used to this whole 4 kids thing. I have neglected all of my years of child develompent training and my ability to discipline in a positive manner. Instead I have been more like the crazed mom you see in "Wally World" yelling almost obsenities at her children who are running circles around her crying that they want something.
I have good kids... I expect way too much out of them most days. But here lately... it has been pure chaos. My oldest needs structure and direction at all times or he decides to take matters into his own hands which means terrorizing his brothers through...well bullying them. The younger 2 just react as a 4 year old and a 2 year old do... swinging and yelling ( or screaming).
So today... I have had ENOUGH. Thanks to a stash of old teacher stuff in the attic and a Kindergarten teacher with a good discipline system, we instated today... the beehive.




The object is not only to stay out of trouble ( moving down the hive) but to do good things to move up the hive. The child(ren) who move to the top of the hive get to pick a prize out of the treasure box (still to be created) with all kinds of trinkets, toys, baseball cards, trips to Dippin Dots, alone time and anything else I can come up with.

I hope I can stay with it...sometimes I am bad about starting something and not following through, but just since we created this my children have magically transformed and are all laying in the floor beside me coloring with the SAME crayons in the SAME book... and humming and singing at that. WOW!

Momma the Homebuilder

Yep... I offically have a new title. I built a home. And I did it all during nap time. I love stuff ( ahem...challenges) like this and have to prove to myself that I can do it "ALL BY MYSELF". On this one I was afraid that I was biting off more than I could chew... but NOPE, I did it and the kids love it. Thanks to some of my friends who collectively went in to purchase this for Eliza. She is going to love it...that is when Callan and Silas let her near it.

We had to clear out the landing to have a spot for it


Welcome to Casa de Liza Belle de Dora

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Has it really been 9 years??? That is crazy. I love you..."too"!

Her favorite place to be...

Eliza's favorite place to play is under the kitchen table. I am not sure why, but it is. If she cannot get under there she will pull at the chairs and whine. I do not know if it is because she feels protected and covered, or if it because there is a bunch of stuff to pull up on, but if you cannot find her... you can be sure that this is where she is...

International Adoption Clinic

Yesterday was a tough day for our little princesea. We went to the International Adoption Clinic at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The Dr. visit itself was not bad, other than being trapped in a room with NOTHING in it but a Dr. table, computer and chairs for over an hour, it was your basic Dr. visit... BUT they sent us down to the lab to have her lab work done ( mostly to check the titers of her immunizations to see if she got what they say she got in Guatemala... my Dr. office would not recognize them if we did not do this... but they are also going to run test on all kinds of other diseases and conditions). Thankfully Brent went with me because when we went back for the blood draw there was already a screaming kid in the room and it sent me to tears. So, I had to leave the room and listen to her wail from outside the door. I did not see what went on but Brent said he never wanted to do that again. The drew 10 vials of blood from her little arm and she came out full of tears and dripping with sweat. The "blood taker" informed me that it was a small amount and only about 1 teaspoon in each vial, but to all of us... it was HORRIBLE. I gave her a bottle immediately and we went straight to the car where she passed out in pure exhaustion. When she woke up she was good to go... thank goodness.

"Momma, I am bored... there is nothing to do in here."


"What about these hanging black cords, they look like somekindoffun."

Eliza Casero Agradable

(Forgive me if the translation is not correct... it is supposed to be Welcome Home Eliza)

We had a little Welcome Home Party for Eliza at church on Sunday. I am not good at that kind of thing, but it seemed to me that a good time was had by all. Eliza enjoyed the attention (did not get too scared by all the passing around)and was exhausted by then end. Thanks to my family and friends for helping me with this and to Sonja for taking the only pics I have of it to put on here (it is hard to be hostess, carry a baby and take the pics)