handsful

Taken before heading to the game…

Our boys had their final Red Sox baseball game today, to decide the champs in the Minor 9 division and they won! What a game! We’d score, they’d tie it, they’d go ahead, we’d tie it up…again and again it went back and forth, until we were last to bat and brought the winning run in. My heart was racing the whole time…couldn’t they have just beat the tar out of ‘em and made it easier on me?!?! And, while I’m complaining, couldn’t it have been a little less hot? lol… It was great.

One of EJ’s TWO hits today…see where he left the ball? Nice bunt. He got another base hit later.

Pate got the job done in the outfield, with some great fielding.

Trophy time…EJ

Pate

Back row, last kid on right – Pate; Front row, 3rd from left – EJ

We’re Number 1…

One of the 17 ladybugs that we released

I mentioned on an earlier post that we had lots of “life” around the house and I wasn’t talking about the 5 kids. The ladybugs, butterflies, and tadpoles were all busy making changes and…voila…it was time to let them go their merry way. The tadpoles-turned-toads have been leaving us a few at a time. Marley gathers them up each morning and takes them to the pond behind our house. We still have quite a few to go!

Abbey helps a ladybug make her break from the habitat. We had 17 larvae, that all turned into ladybugs. However, one of them looked “lame” from the start. We decided we’d just keep her (I know, ladybugs can be boys, but I call them all girls) rather than release her, but she died the next day. Poor gal.

Lainey enjoyed the release time, but she wasn’t so good at sitting still!

One of the 5 Painted Lady butterflies that we raised and released. One of the caterpillars never crawled to the top of the cup to attach and cocoon, so we thought that one didn’t make it. When we opened the cup to put them in the butterfly tent, there he was, cocooned on the bottom of the cup! So, we laid that one on a papertowel on the floor of the tent and he did just fine.

Handsome dude. Needs a haircut.

Needs a haircut and a pair of sunglasses.

Abbey held the last one, after the others all flew the coop!

On a serious note, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the massive Wenchuan earthquake that hit China in the Sichuan province that has claimed the lives of at least 20,000 people and damaged or destroyed 4.5 million buildings. Read that again…that is almost impossible to imagine. Our adoption agency,www.chinesechildren.org has established an earthquake relief fund (ERF) to help orphanages purchase tents, food, diapers, medicines, and other supplies needed. 100% of your donation goes to help the orphanages affected. You can donate online at the above link, or send in your donation to CCAI marked “ERF”. We have found out that Lainey’s orphanage, Bengbu, was thankfully not damaged in the earthquake.

We had our doubts when we were in China. She was very apprehensive about her first baths, and HATED having her hair rinsed! Once home, she began liking baths and then eventually loving baths. Her FAVORITE part now is having her hair rinsed…we pour cup after cup, she shakes her head back and forth wildly, smiles her biggest smile, and quickly signs “more! more!”.

We waited till the water in the pool was a little warmer…though, not warm enough for mom (I’m the bathwater kinda swimmer), so dad took her in for her first dip. He went slowly as first, taking her deeper and deeper. She never looked concerned or frightened at all, and soon that smile started creeping up.

Randy bounced her, spun her, even dunked her under twice. Loved it all. He put her in her floaty and she splashed and splashed. The other kids splashed her and she screamed in laughter. After about 25 minutes, we noticed her shaking a little bit and decided she’d had enough…even though she didn’t want to get out! We call our other 4 kids “fish” because they love swimming and are that comfortable in the pool. We’re now 5 for 5!

One happy Momma on Mother’s Day! Our day in a nutshell…went to church with the kids while Randy was in the air, on his way back from CA. We arrived home and there he was! The kids received presents from Dad’s trip, and I got a beautiful new watch! Lunch out at the Times Grill (yum), a couple of errands including chocolate milkshakes (double yum), and back home for yardwork and swimming. A wonderful day!

More pictures tomorrow…including some of a certain someone who took her first dip in the pool today. ;)

Happy Mother’s Day to the ladies who have their children today, and to those who are staring at the pictures of their little ones, so far away, anxious to have him/her in their arms. And, especially, to those still waiting. I’ve been there, both with my bio kids and with Lainey. Your wait will end, and you will be a mom. I look forward to the day when I can rejoice with you! Hugs…

When I read on our science curriculum today that we were to make electrical circuits, I thought maybe I should put this one off till Randy could be around and help. I’m pretty good with potting soil or raising caterpillars (truth be told, we currently have larvae changing into ladybugs in one cage, 5 cocoons that will soon be Painted Lady butterflies in another, and way too many tadpoles to count in a bin outside). But, electricity? I’m proud to say that we all figured it out and our circuits were a success. How fun to make lights light up with just batteries and copper wires! The kids loved it and so did I.

Here are a few random photos of the little gal from this week…

What is it they say? Don’t buy toys, just buy boxes.

First masterpiece!

Bye, see you next time!

The very beginning of what would become 3 coats of new textured paint on the back porch. Looks great and he’s tired!

The big kids enjoyed an awesome program at church this weekend, that lasted Friday night and then ALL day (9am-9pm) on Saturday. They were in groups by age/grade/gender, had great speakers, bible studies, discussion time, and fun with water and shaving cream. Could it get better than that? We did have to pull the boys out for a couple of hours for their last regular season baseball game. They won and are in 1st place going into the playoffs. Go Red Sox!

So, with the big kids gone, we had some “only child” time with Lainey. Here she is on Saturday morning, enjoying some diaper time.

I love her huge smiles when her eyes disappear! Mine did the same thing when I was a kid.

Dinner Saturday night was Chinese take-out (and Firehouse subs for me)…here she is being silly with daddy and her fried rice.

Abbey had her Real Life Group (6th grade girls bible study group) at church tonight and was in charge of desserts since they were having a party. She made these cupcakes all by herself and was quite proud. So was her mom.

Hey, Payton…where is your cleft palate?

Lainey turned 22 months today. Oh my goodness, only 2 months till she’s TWO!?!?!