How to tell your kids really love you ...

I was laying in bed the other night watching the kids hit a balloon back and forth. They were supposed to be getting in bed, but hey! it wasn't a school night and I love to watch them play when they are not inflicting or threatening bodily harm to each other. The balloon came sailing over near my face so I bopped it away. "Mom!" they complained, "Why you hit it? I hit you in the head, I win." Ahhh! I could just feel the love! Ain't life grand?!!

To His Glory!

Kids for Hire

The floors are swept and vacuumed, the dishes are done, laundry is caught up, bathrooms are clean, I dusted for probably the second time since the kids have been home (that always seems to take low priority), backpacks are ready for school tomorrow, and even some growing piles on closet shelves and in the garage have been tidied. How did this happen?

Naomi and Josiah spent Saturday at uncle Sam's helping with yard work - complete with breather masks to keep out the leaf dust - earning $25 apiece (they promptly asked to put their $5 bill in the church offering) - and leaving Mom to some free time alone. Did I take a long, hot bubble bath or leisurely read a book? No! A cleaning frenzy!

And now they are at a friend's house playing. What is a girl to do!?! I think I have forgotten how to relax . . . guess I'll pester ya-all with my persistent blog updates. And I still have an hour to read that book before I pick them up. Our God is an awesome God!

Halloween weekend adventures

Ahhhhh! I've never spent Halloween anywhere warm, and even though it was mild in the beautiful Colorado Rockies this year, we were relaxing in 90+ degree Arizona sunshine. It was the kids first airplane trip since arriving from Ethiopia. They said they were scared - and admitted to being scared when we flew from Ethiopia as well - but did great as always!

My heroic Spiderman and beautiful fairy princess made a killing stopping at house after house where many were sitting on lawn chairs in the driveways or on the back of pickup tailgates. The kids didn't even have to walk up to the door! One neighborhood cul-de-sac had a semi-circle of chairs at the entrance so they didn't even have to go down the street! So not only did they not have to freeze to death, they were spoiled by such laziness and posh treatment. By the end of the evening, which lasted but a brief hour-and-a-half, their bulging sacks of candy were so heavy they were begging for assistance to carry them. And Halloween evening was their 4th haul!!! At home they had two Trunk-or-Treats (going from spookily decorated car trunk to car trunk - for one of the events we waited in line an hour and 20 minutes just to get to the admissions gate - what we won't do for our kids!) and one community event at the soccer stadium. These kids have it made! Luckily they are very generous and gave away all their booty from the first 3 outings before we went on the official Trick-or-Treat soujourn.

Along with their very successful candy trek, we visited the Phoenix Police Museum where they got to dress in police clothes and sit in a squad car and on a motorcycle. We also took to a hot and dusty trail for their first horseback ride. Fortunately we went in the morning before it got too bad outside. Even though they only got to plod along, both enjoyed the experience. We were hoping to see some fun desert critters, but made do with a squirrel and a lizard.

We had gone down to Phoenix to attend the retirement party for my long-time friend and she generously let us stay at her fancy-schmancy condo on a Mesa golf course. The kids love to swim so in the afternoon we headed to the pool. As we arrived one of the gentlemen there said, "Oh, you just missed it." "Missed what?" we asked. It is a retirement complex and apparently the pool is only open to kids from noon to 2:00 p.m. We arrived right at 2:00 on the nose. We pleaded ignorance and asked if anyone would mind we swam for just a little while. You could tell by some of the faces they wanted to object but no one was brave enough to do so. I told the kids to keep to themselves, hold down the noise, and don't splash anyone! But the last straw was when they went to jump in the jacuzzi. No sooner had their little toes touched the water, than the waiting vultures pounced. "You can't go in there!!! No one under 16 is allowed. It is too hot for them!" We made no mention of the fact that they used the jacuzzi all summer at home, thanked them for their generosity in letting us use the pool outside of approved hours, and high tailed it back home. Yikes! Remind me to refrain from becoming thusly tarnished when I hit my golden years.

My Snippets

SNIPPET: –noun
1. a small piece of anything (especially a piece that has been snipped off); a small bit, scrap, fragment, or morsel
2. Informal; a small or mischievous person.

LEARNING LANGUAGE

* Response to a foot rub: "Yummy!"
* Wondering how far we will be driving: "Big minutes?"
* Asked how the sore throat and sniffles are doing: "Finished"
* Wanting to leave early for school: "Mom, today fast go, okay?"
* Are you feeling grouchy? - "You grouch me!" - I'm making you grouchy? "Yes!"
* One of the first multi-word sentences, "Are you crazy?!" Complete with appropriate intonations and facial expression. (Where did you learn that?)

SIT, KNIT, CHIT (CHAT)

* Both kids learned to knit in their after school program. It is such a "warm, fuzzy" when we are all sitting on the couch together in the evening - with no TV - and all three of us are knitting and just talking with each other. We're so "Leave It To Beaver"!

HANDSHAKES, HUGS, & KISSES

* Josiah no longer wants to be hugged in front of other people, and fusses grumpily if I try . . . the other day we arrived at school and didn't get our usual clandestine hug at the car before going in. After storing his backpack he said, "Mom, come outside, Josiah tell you something." We walked back out into the hallway and he threw his arms around me and gave me my good-bye kiss! (Mom's eyes get misty!)

* Naomi still loves her hugs and kisses but we have added our own secret "handshake" . . . an Ethiopian custom is to press thumb pads together with someone and then you kiss your thumb where they touched each other. We added the ASL sign for "I Love You" followed by a high five. So it's thumb-kiss-ILY-high5!

ETHIOPIA IN DENVER

* Here's a link to a Google map of Ethiopian restaurants, markets, churches, salons, etc. in the Denver area, one of the top 10 U.S. cities with largest Ethiopian community, estimated at 20,000 to 30,000.

S P O R T S

* Josiah's soccer team once again led their league with a 7-1 win record. The boys had some tough competition but played their hearts out and impressed everyone. The last week of the season they had a "professional" training session with one of the Colorado Rapids players! It was a great opportunity and they got some good tips.

* Naomi is preparing for a dance recital in December. Her class will be doing a combo ballet and tap routine called "Put Me In Coach." Time to charge up the video camera batteries!!

* Josiah and Naomi both started Taekwondo this week. It was supposed to be an off-season sport between soccer sessions, but I am very impressed with the instructors and the class. The head instructor studied under General Choi Hong Hi, who is considered to be the founder of Taekwondo. The discipline and respect that is taught really reinforces what I am trying to instill in them at home. And I think is better received coming from an outside source. The class is a mixed group open to all ages so I am considering enrolling myself next month! Better than just sitting there on my rear and watching for an hour and 3/4. The instructor says it would also improve the chances of the kids sticking it out. I asked them if they would be embarrassed or didn't want me to join in, and both said 'no.' The funny part is that the hierarchy of the class is structured by rank - first by belt, and then by length of study within the belt level. Since Naomi and Josiah will have started before me, they will be ranked higher than I am. They'll love that!


LA'BRI-UT: -verb/adjective
1. Hebrew: be blessed

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

~ Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)


Until we meet again,
Love,
Nancy