Words of Affirmation

Adisu: Mommy, this circle and you match!
Me: How so? Because we're both round?
Adisu: yes!


Eirena, patting my leg: wow! your legs are so big!

With children like this, who needs needs a scale? :)

Potty time

This is about things related to the potty. Feel free to skip if you're squeamish (or uninterested).

Tonight I told Eirena to sit on the potty before bed. I watched her get ready. All the while she was standing on the stool, facing the potty. I kept hoping that she wasn't about to try what I thought she was trying, but rather that she would turn around and sit down. When it became apparent that she was going to try to imitate her brother, I told her she needed to sit down to pee.
"Why?"
"Because you don't have a penis" (I thought that was excellent, why-stopping, logic.)
"I do have a penis, it's right there."
(Oh dear, now I get to explain male and female anatomy and the difference?)
Not feeling quite up to the task of explaining human biology in exquisite detail, I told her that if she peed like that she would make a big mess and have to clean the bathroom.
It worked! Whew. I passed Anatomy 101- avoiding toddler's curiosity.

death by...

Eirena: do you want to be eaten by a train?
Me: mmm, not so much
Eirena: do you want to be eaten a little bit?
Me: by a train? no
Eirena: why? isn't it fun?

Is that sort of like a chocoholic wanting to death by chocolate?

God's perfect adption

Over the past year, but more specifically the past 6 months, I have had quite the opportunity to reflect on our adoption by God, learning how amazing God's love is for us.

We adopted Adisu in August and brought him home in November of 2009. So he has lived with us as his parents for 6 months. In one sense he acknowledges us as his parents. He calls us "mommy" and "daddy". But in another sense he is not securely attached (to use the technical term) to us. He is still waiting, keeping his options open.

In other words, he doesn't fully accept us as his parents. He doesn't desire and long for us as his parents. He hasn't let himself fully explore the wonders of having a family and being a fully communing member of our family. He sort of stays on the edges. He does what it takes to get what he feels his needs are, but fully yielding... letting himself be vulnerable to love, no not yet. He likes to try to exert control over us. He wants to do things his way and show that he doesn't really need us. We are teaching him that in fact, all good things basic to life come from (or through) us, because we are his parents. We are teaching him that is fun to be part of a family. From six months ago, I think we have made considerable progress, but we're not fully attached yet.

I freely admit that we have made mistakes in our teaching him these things. We are learning. So is he. And so through adopting him I see myself as a child adopted by God, unwilling to fully trust Him. And I see how utterly amazing God's grace is, in that while I resist, I want to do things my way, he still loves me. I can be utterly obnoxious and he may discipline me, but he does not send me back to where I came from. He longs for the day when I truly live and act like a part of his family; when I desire that intimacy rather than am frightened by it. No matter how many times I run away, he is ready to forgive.

I look at Adisu and I see myself in so, so many ways. I look at God as my father and I see how much I have been given as his child. I look at myself as Adisu's mother and see how far I have to go in showing God's love to him. I look at God as my adoptive father and see his grace.

I fear I'm not expressing this very cogently. But trust me, it is an amazing thing to ponder, especially when you have a current example in your life.

thought for the weeks

"It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think God can look after the practical details of our lives."--Oswald Chambers

Self Portrait

Eirena has suddenly started to draw/paint/color stick figure people. It is very cute. Here is a self portrait:

There is of course, the head, stick body, very long feet and arms. If you look closely, you might be able to pick out a smile, hair and under the hair she did in fact paint two eyes and a nose extending from between the eyes down to just above her mouth. Her choice of colors was interesting, no?

Oh, and are now the sheepish owners of... a minivan. Well, Dr. Daddy and I are a little weirded out by being minivan drivers. We're much more of the Smart Car people, but three car seats just don't fit in cute little Smart Cars. But we are very humbled and blessed by the generosity that enabled us to be able to purchase a bigger vehicle.
And now we will be able to pick you up from the airport, so you better visit!

The Difference of a Few Months

For Christmas, Eirena and Adisu received a "bop it". One of those inflatable punching bags that return to standing position. Eirena immediately thought it was great, especially when she found out she could hit an opposing player with it. Adisu first looked hurt and then horrified that we would intentionally try to hit the other person with it. He thought the idea of hitting the toy was alright, but not being hit by it, certainly not intentionally.
Fast forward to today... five months later. I filled it up again and was playing with them. This time though, he was punching it all around. And when I bopped him in the head? he laughed. And when I did it again and again? Giggles. And he kept coming back for more.
Sweet.

Unclear on the concept

Eirena, sitting on the potty: Can you watch me?
Me: watch you do what, poop?
Eirena: yeah
Me: why?
Eirena: because it's fun

Clearly.



Eirena, opening My Utmost For His Highest, "this is the Bible about REI".

Staking Claim

The bottom half is Berji's, Eskil should not encroach. Just because he is growing longer every day, does not mean he gets more of the bed.

*His bed really isn't as fluffy and bumpy as it looks and he doesn't actually sleep with his nose pressed into the mattress. Not to worry!

Barely Spared

I was baking a cake today. I was even following the directions precisely... having the dry ingredients separate from the moist, beating the eggs before adding them to the creamed butter and sugar and having the milk and flavorings ready to add alternately with the flour.
I was in the process of this last step when I happened to notice the bag of sugar on the counter. And read the label that I so conscientiously put on there when scooping the contents out of the bulk bin: salt. The classic baking blunder. And this time I had added 1 1/2c. of salt to the cake.

Oh thank goodness I happened to read the label sparing us the fate of Lot's wife!

No Longer a newborn

Eskil is no longer a newborn. He will be 3months old next week, but more significantly, he's gaining mad skills.
Last night I put him down for a nap. When I went to go get him, he was perpendicular to how I left him. He did a similar trick this morning.
He has also decided that there is a correct sleeping position, and it isn't flat on his back.

A couple weeks ago he discovered his hands. And my don't they taste good!
He is a very smiley boy who loves to be in on the action (and attention). He tracks us as we walk around the house and notices if he is left alone in a room. He doesn't approve. But he is also very charming. He, like Eirena did, will stare someone down until they lock eyes with him, and then he will burst out a big ol' grin for them.

He's also quite a talker. He has some fabulous stories to tell. I only wish we knew what they were about!

He's a fun little guy, with a hint of mischief in his smile.

The skull

Dr. Daddy showing Eirena the skull

the skull- anyone have a better guess as to what animal it came from?
(yes, that is Eskil in Dr. Daddy's arms, he's being indoctrinated too)

biology lesson for the day- compare the teeth on the skull with the teeth on our cat

Favorite quote: Later, I was telling Eirena that Dr. Daddy would be going to Peru and Colombia for field work soon. Her immediate response was, "and is he going to bring back a skull?"

War and Peace

It's summer time- the pool is out and Eirena is ecstatic.
Adisu was less so, especially when I showed Eirena how to use a squirt gun. (She didn't need any lessons on splashing or dumping water on people.)

But after commanding him to dump water on Eirena back, he got into the spirit of things.

and Eirena had even more fun

Adisu is still learning

Bedtime snuggles with Eskil

Identical, unposed hand to mouth position

presents

You know how cats (except ours) often bring their masters "presents" of the prey they have caught?
Well Dr. Daddy was away on a field trip this weekend. He left his lunch containers on the counter for me to load into the dishwasher this morning and then left for work. I was cleaning up the kitchen and about to open one when I noticed something inside. Upon a slightly closer inspection, with the lid still on on, I realized it was a skull. Conferring with Dr. Daddy, I found out it was a skull of a bobcat or something similar, a present, for Eirena.
Um.... yeah.

Well with gifts like that, she really has very little hope of not becoming a nerd.

I'll post a picture after he boils it and presents it to her. It is still in the container, unopened.