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Cute

My life right now is so full of cute

Max loves to wear his sister's princess heals



Two little girls giggling and playing Barbie's


 


     Zoe and Ayla's new swimsuit
{you can see Ayla in the background trying to vacuum up play-do mess}


Ayla showing Max how to strut in heels


Jackson teaching his brother and sister's how to play
Candy-land


Max roller skating



Jackson reading Max a book about being a big brother



My life is really really busy but I know this time is going to fly

by and one day I am going to miss all this cute.


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Progress

When I think back to the first couple weeks with

Elizabeth, Max and Zoe

I am amazed with the work God has already

done in them.



 When Zoe first got here she was a timid little thing that

would barely let me put her down.  She would never fully

relax in my lap and she wasn't crawling.  Now she is a little

giggle box.  She still loves to be held but it doesn't have to be

all the time.  She is now crawling all over the place and trying

to stand.  The best change in her is that in the last couple

weeks she has finally totally relaxed her self in  

my arms and laid her sweet little head on my chest. 

It melts me every time.   

She is finally starting to trust me. 

We still have goals with her she still gets extremely upset in a

matter of seconds she will go from giggling to screaming and

crying.  Like if she is playing happily and she sees me walk by

she will be in immediate hysteria as if someone slapped her

just because she wants to be held.  We are really praying that

this phase will also pass soon because she seems extra fussy

at dinner time.  I always feed her first and change her but

the second I put her down if it is anytime after 5 she will be

screaming.  This makes it hard when my husband is still

working and I am trying to cook dinner for the other kids.  It

is to dangerous for her to be in the sling when I am cooking

over a hot stove.  I need to master wearing her on my back

but still haven't gotten that down.




I think Max has gone through the most changes.  The first

couple weeks he was here he spent most of his time on the

time out step.  Poor guy.  Any chance he would get he would

hit, bite, scratch and spit.  He barely mumbled a word.  The

only time he would say anything is if he was mimicking his

siblings.  Whenever it was meal time he would run to the

table and shove his food in his mouth with two hands and

guzzle his drink down like it was the first meal he had seen in

months.  I was so excited when last week he only took a bite

of his toast at breakfast and went to play before he finished

it.  Most parents want there kids to sit and finish there food

but I was so excited inside when he did that because it means

he is trusting us and knows that there will be more food.

 He has started to initiate communication with me by saying

"Mommy" to me and pointing and asking for things.  I heard

him say "I want that"  while he was watching a

commercial after he heard Ayla say it.  It wasn't perfectly

clear but even a month ago he wasn't saying two words

together and barely even one.  His communication is still no

where near where it should be but to see all this progress in

only a couple months amazes me.  He is barely ever in time

out any more.  All the aggressive behavior is almost

completely gone.  He actually comes and tells on people now

instead of hitting back right away.  And instead of spitting at

people we taught him to blow kisses.  It is precious.

I am so proud of him.

The first couple weeks Elizabeth was here she would only

stay in the same room as me.  She talked non-stop and would

get upset if anyone else got attention.  She also wanted to be

held all day.  Now she goes off and plays and then finds me

for a cuddle but then is quickly back playing.  She also goes to

preschool two days a week now and she loves it.  We are still

working on her hatred of vegetables. She eats fruit and corn

on the cob but any other vegetable she refuses to eat.  We are

working on this.



I think Eli and I expected it to be so much harder than it has

been.  Maybe it is because we were foster parents and the

challenges we had with that don't even compare with what

we are going through.  These kids were never in foster care.  I

am so so thankful for that.  They came from a loving mother

that knew she wanted better for her kids.  Elizabeth, Max and

Zoe just fit right in with us.  God created them just for our

family.  They couldn't be a more perfect fit.  This is where

they are meant to be.  They are so

affectionate, happy and sweet. 

We couldn't love them anymore.

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Snow Day


We have had a couple snow days this year and it cracks me

up because it seems as soon as a few flakes fall from the sky

they call off everything.  I am originally from the Chicago

area were I remember driving to school in a near blizzard

and sliding off the road because they rarely called school off

for snow.  I love snow days with the kids because it is so

rare to have a lazy, cozy day like this with Jackson.  I have

really been missing all the time I had with him before he

started kindergarten.  Max and Zoe had to stay warm and

cozy inside because they have both been sick.

I don't think there is anything cuter than a bunch of kids in

snow suits {grin}. 





 















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Eli

 What would I do without this man?

I still get butterflies just looking at him. 

   He has been my rock. 

He gets me.

He isn't a couch and TV man

He is a cook

He is a cleaner and organizer

He is flirty

He is a good provider

He loves to play and snuggle with the kids

He loves God

He is an amazing musician




I wouldn't want to be on this beautiful journey with anybody

else.




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Play

We call the three in the middle the little tornado's


Can you guess why?





I would love some advice from those of you with large

families with lots of toddlers.  What do you do with the toys?

How do you get all the kids to pick up their fair share of toys

and put them back in the correct spot?

I love their creativity and excitement when they are using

their imagination but then when it is time to clean up it's like

pulling teeth (especially with my 3 year old).

We tried saying whatever toys don't get cleaned up will go in

a bag and we will give them away to kids who don't have any

toys.  Ayla says "great idea and grabbed lots of toys to

give away".  This backfired on us because it wasn't fair to the

kids who are cleaning up the mess they made and I don't

want them to feel like they have to clean up their brother and

sister's toys just so they don't get thrown away. 

Even without toys they make a lot of mess.

{which I don't mind as long as they clean it up}



My bed a few minutes after I made it {monkeys on the bed}


I totally understand the 5 kids equals lots of mess and

I don't want my hatred for clutter to take away from their fun

but I have to draw the line somewhere right

Any and all advice appreciated.

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Who says?

Who says


Boys


aren't


Naturally


Nurturing?







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Snuggle



This is my favorite thing right now



When I hold Zoe she snuggles me so tight and grabs a fistful

of my shirt as if to say, "Don't ever let go."

This makes me melt. 

I always want to freeze that moment.

I love having a baby again, especially such a gorgeous snugly

one.  Watching all the other littles reminds me of how fast

this baby time goes.  Before I know it she will be off and

running with the rest of them. 

I hope she always comes back to me with her extra tight snuggle

Zoe is a little small for her age which I love.  Jackson and

Ayla were her size at 4 months old and she is 8 months. 

I am loving every minute of it.  Zoe and I have alot of bonding

to catch up on.  I love that she is starting to trust me.  She

seems so much more content then when she first moved in.  I

think she knows she is home now.







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My View

This is usually my view


if I dare sit, especially when Zoe is on my lap.  She is quite

popular around here.

So today I had the bright idea of trying to get a picture of all

5.  I want a cute picture so I can change my header.

Here are my attempts {grin}




Where is Max?

There he is...lets try this again







Hmmm what is Max putting in his mouth!?

A band-aid from his foot! Yuck, Max get that out of your mouth!



  OK lets try this again




OK I give up!


So I really want to get a new camera.  I only have a basic digital

one.  But I take pictures all day because I want to remember every

detail.  I am not a photographer so I need something that is simple and

easy to use but takes a great pic.  I would love suggestions and

advice. 

Also Courtney at http://www.storinguptreasures.com/ is offering a

blog promotion.  She writes one of my favorite blogs and I have

been able to identify with many of her life experiences.  Although

she has 10 children which are biological and adopted and she

homeschools!  So go check her blog out and look at her blog of

notes and you will find many more inspiring blogs. Just click on the

button below.







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