Beauty and the Be*ast that is! My oldest button is at a drama intensive camp for the last week. When she auditioned for the program and got cast to play the part of "Chip" the little teacup I really thought this would be a great thing for her. I had no idea that when they said it was an "INTENSIVE" they really meant that included the whole family.
The rest of the buttons have been very supportive and helpful as we have been spending all of our waking hours working on the play. It is quite an undertaking they have cut out for themselves. In 10 days they take a group of green teens with the desire to act, some with experience and some not, and not only teach them how to sing and act but also produce the entire musical and then perform it live TWICE on the tenth day.
A little on the crazy side, but that's theater for you. Living large and crazy and praying that it comes out well.
To balance out all this craziness the rest of the buttons are hard at work training for their first 5K. They have decided that the July 4th 5K is the race to do and so we have ourselves quite a lot to accomplish in a short time. It is going to be a very interesting (read: riotous) week.
Pray for me.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Fanatical Racers
I am not complaining. There is nothing in this world that would make me complain about these crazy, lovely girls I am raising .... but I am perplexed beyond words as to why they have become such nuts over running. It seems as the days go by they get MORE obsessed with running. They wake up and I find them staring me into consciousness, willing my eyes to open the slightest so they can ask the question burning on their brilliant minds for the nanoseconds they have been awake....."can we go running today?"
Monday they made a new personal best of 2 miles. Tuesday morning while waiting for time to get dressed for our court date they went out and put 1.6 miles under their belts, just to cut the tension. They took the dog with them and the dog barely made the circuit, and we think he slept for the rest of the day. After a gruelingly long day today they begged their Baba to take them running after dinner. They made a new personal best of 2.5 miles!
I went out to pick them up and they were so proud of themselves. My sweet hubby was limping slightly as his new shoes are breaking in his feet a little (he's had his new running shoes for over 2 years already and still live in the box, so rarely have they been used before). After being so eager to tell me about their run they pled with me to let them out of the car so they could run all the way home. Baba made the ruling on that one, no.
I marvel at how God has created their unique hearts and what so easily captures their imaginations. This running thing is Second Button's natural forte, she's an easy athlete but unfocused on what she wants to really do, except that is for running. She has pulled all the others into her love for stretching her limbs and feeling the wind under her feet.
Summers around here are usually filled with water and lots of swimming from May through September. We have yet to be immersed, it's such a shame. With all this strange weather pool time hasn't been an option. I would never have thought this summer would have been a summer of running instead of swimming.........it's rocking my world, help what planet am I on?!!!!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Glorious
Done
Done
DONE
Our court appointment went very well. God blessed us greatly. Firstly and not to be overlooked the buttons were dressed sweetly with nary a stress, and four hairdos with no angst. Fifteen minutes to departure and I still was undressed and unstyled but THEY looked great!
We got to the building with a full half hour to spare and got on street parking right in front of the building.......unheard of, sincerely. There was even time still left on the meter.
As we passed through the metal detectors the guards were more interested in making comments and admiring the girls then checking the bags and noticing that people in our party were setting off the machines. We have been here before and this was not the regular atmosphere. I felt we were breathing rarefied air today.
All through the building our little band did attract quite a bit of attention. The kids didn't seem as bothered by it as usual as their minds were preoccupied with the coming events. Our lawyer met us in the upstairs lobby and went over the details of the day and buzzed between us and the other families he was representing. We were one of 5 adoptions slated on the judges docket.
We went third. The courtroom was spacious and empty as it was closed to the public. Marvelous M took off his lunch hour and showed up right in time to be our photog guy. We sat across a wide table from the judge, the same one the B's and the K's had had, which was helpful in showing the girls his picture beforehand. The proceedings started and I felt like I was at an auction. Both the judge and the lawyer spoke sooooooo quickly that I had to listen with all my strength to follow along. There were several errors and I jumped in to stop them so that the errors could be corrected. Towards the end I realized that maybe I should have raised my hand or given some nod to the legal hierarchy when I wanted to interrupt but I really was barely holding my own in trying to get it corrected before they had gone to the next page.
The kids did really well. The littlest ones stood between us as we were seated. Second button stood beside her Baba and read a book and wondered as we stood up when it would begin, she had missed the whole thing because she was waiting for some "action" and not just the words. Top Button sat behind us and watched but did not really understand much.
The only time that was troubling was towards the end of the proceeding and the judge asked the lawyer if he knew whether the first parents would show up today. For the record the judge stated the date and time and took a moment to stare at the closed door to the courtroom. Sweetpea turned to look at the door with a jolt and a face of horror as if she fully expected them to walk through at that moment. I pulled her close and knew what she could not tell me right then. The judge continued on and with each passing minute her tense body began to relax.
It ended just as anti-climatically as it had begun and poor Sweetpea also wanted action. She wanted more than just words from this judge. She wanted him to "do" something, to signify what had happened esoterically on paper to satisfy the demands of the legal system. She wanted him to "cut the line" between her and the first family. He, of course, did not understand what she was talking about or why she would want such a thing.
We all stood up and posed for pictures. Which I will post later. Right now sleep is overtaking me. The judge asked that we send him a copy of the picture as he has a large scrapbook he keeps of all the families he has worked with, that speaks highly of him.
We exited the courtroom as they called the next family and we gathered in the hallway and the 6 of us did the happy dance. It was silly and it was great -- and the lawyer acted like he had no clue. Oh well, one must celebrate the big things in life and break out in dance. Six danced.
Then we walked hand in hand out of the building into the glorious sunshine and drank in the goodness of God!
Done
DONE
Our court appointment went very well. God blessed us greatly. Firstly and not to be overlooked the buttons were dressed sweetly with nary a stress, and four hairdos with no angst. Fifteen minutes to departure and I still was undressed and unstyled but THEY looked great!
We got to the building with a full half hour to spare and got on street parking right in front of the building.......unheard of, sincerely. There was even time still left on the meter.
As we passed through the metal detectors the guards were more interested in making comments and admiring the girls then checking the bags and noticing that people in our party were setting off the machines. We have been here before and this was not the regular atmosphere. I felt we were breathing rarefied air today.
All through the building our little band did attract quite a bit of attention. The kids didn't seem as bothered by it as usual as their minds were preoccupied with the coming events. Our lawyer met us in the upstairs lobby and went over the details of the day and buzzed between us and the other families he was representing. We were one of 5 adoptions slated on the judges docket.
We went third. The courtroom was spacious and empty as it was closed to the public. Marvelous M took off his lunch hour and showed up right in time to be our photog guy. We sat across a wide table from the judge, the same one the B's and the K's had had, which was helpful in showing the girls his picture beforehand. The proceedings started and I felt like I was at an auction. Both the judge and the lawyer spoke sooooooo quickly that I had to listen with all my strength to follow along. There were several errors and I jumped in to stop them so that the errors could be corrected. Towards the end I realized that maybe I should have raised my hand or given some nod to the legal hierarchy when I wanted to interrupt but I really was barely holding my own in trying to get it corrected before they had gone to the next page.
The kids did really well. The littlest ones stood between us as we were seated. Second button stood beside her Baba and read a book and wondered as we stood up when it would begin, she had missed the whole thing because she was waiting for some "action" and not just the words. Top Button sat behind us and watched but did not really understand much.
The only time that was troubling was towards the end of the proceeding and the judge asked the lawyer if he knew whether the first parents would show up today. For the record the judge stated the date and time and took a moment to stare at the closed door to the courtroom. Sweetpea turned to look at the door with a jolt and a face of horror as if she fully expected them to walk through at that moment. I pulled her close and knew what she could not tell me right then. The judge continued on and with each passing minute her tense body began to relax.
It ended just as anti-climatically as it had begun and poor Sweetpea also wanted action. She wanted more than just words from this judge. She wanted him to "do" something, to signify what had happened esoterically on paper to satisfy the demands of the legal system. She wanted him to "cut the line" between her and the first family. He, of course, did not understand what she was talking about or why she would want such a thing.
We all stood up and posed for pictures. Which I will post later. Right now sleep is overtaking me. The judge asked that we send him a copy of the picture as he has a large scrapbook he keeps of all the families he has worked with, that speaks highly of him.
We exited the courtroom as they called the next family and we gathered in the hallway and the 6 of us did the happy dance. It was silly and it was great -- and the lawyer acted like he had no clue. Oh well, one must celebrate the big things in life and break out in dance. Six danced.
Then we walked hand in hand out of the building into the glorious sunshine and drank in the goodness of God!
We go back for the final hearing in January.
Until then we continue with visits from the social worker and reports to the court.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Tomorrow We Go to Court
Tuesday, which is tomorrow, we finally get our day in court. That will be our first of 2 court dates to complete the adoption process for Sweetpea. We lost the last court date in May and then it seemed so far away to wait for June 23rd, but now it is upon us.
The lawyer called today and informed us that he will not be there tomorrow due to a death in the family. He is sending his stand-in and the show will go on, thankfully. He then spent the next 20 minutes on the phone speed talking me through the "talking points" of the process tomorrow. Mostly dates and details that we will have to verbally testify to -- as if they do not have it printed ad nauseam in the ream of paperwork we have already submitted -- but perhaps for succinct-ness (word?)we will have to reiterate it once again. I am going to work on a cheat sheet tonight putting these important facts down on paper for us to quickly reference in case nerves or mommy brain kicks in? Otherwise it might sound something like this....
The lawyer called today and informed us that he will not be there tomorrow due to a death in the family. He is sending his stand-in and the show will go on, thankfully. He then spent the next 20 minutes on the phone speed talking me through the "talking points" of the process tomorrow. Mostly dates and details that we will have to verbally testify to -- as if they do not have it printed ad nauseam in the ream of paperwork we have already submitted -- but perhaps for succinct-ness (word?)we will have to reiterate it once again. I am going to work on a cheat sheet tonight putting these important facts down on paper for us to quickly reference in case nerves or mommy brain kicks in? Otherwise it might sound something like this....
What's your name? ugh, ummmm, yea, hon could you answer that one for me?
What is the child's name? Top Button, no, Second Button, sorry no, Bottom Button, ugh, Cody (the dog) ergh! I'm sorry it's coming to me now......Sweetpea!
Where do you live? In a house! (Smiling sweetly as I revel in easily mastering one of the questions!)
What are the series of events that led to the placement of this child in your home in 2 minutes or less? You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me!
Get the picture of why I feel I need a cheat sheet?
Please pray for the kids as they are going with us and the bottom two are really scared. They are scared for all kinds of reasons but none that we can dissuade easily or reassure them away from. Sweetpea is covertly afraid that her first parents will show up, even though they are still oversees and have been abundantly clear that they had no desire to ever appear in court. She is also afraid that the judge will "make the decide" to send her back to them. I think that is a very understandable fear and a decision that would be very, very rare for him to make but it's in the margin of possibility and she is living in that margin with her fear.
Second Button has been telling her story of going to the judge and how he let her sit on his lap and bang his gavel and gave her a lollipop when she left. I have told Sweetpea she is NOT seeing the same judge and to not expect the same treatment. The retelling of the story was to assure her that judges are nice people, not a contract of what will happen tomorrow. Either way the wind blows tomorrow, fear or over-confidence, I am packing a lollipop on my person just to be on the safe side.
After the cheat sheet my biggest angst is what will we all wear, it is court after all, and a significant moment in our family's history. I have not yet applied my grey matter to what will cover all the bitty bodies. As if you couldn't guess this one, Sweetpea wants it all to be matchy-matchy. She has such a huge need to belong and find her significance in belonging. So I had best get this posted and let those brain cells spin in the direction of creative clothes coverings!
Please pray for all our hearts and for a favorable ruling in regarding to our petition to the court!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Father's Day in Photos
We loved on my main man today and celebrated his wonderful heart of fatherhood as he fearlessly leads this band of merry maids. They sang for him, danced for him, fed him a steady diet of pizza and root beer and got all dressed up for a special portrait to bless his heart.
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