Marching Band season has started

Tonight we went to see Jason - he has been at band camp this week and they got back today. They did a preview of part of their halftime routine. We all really liked this= the cymbal players sat on the ground and let the drummers play the cymbals- too cool.

all lined up- Jason is in the pit- he has a red lei around his neck- but we were far enough away that he might not be seen well in the pictures. he is usually to the left of the girl in the shorts (drum major)

Bug and Pap watching. Bug loved it and told me he is going to be matching band. he can't decide if he wants to play drums or play the trumpet

See Jason???

This was warm up- drum line and the pit were playing scales- we liked listening to this group by themselves- of course we are bias

We are looking forward to football season and seeing the entire halftime show. I also took video and hopefully on senior night I will video again so Jason can see how the routine was perfected over the course of the season.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Libraries need warning labels

I will get to the story about the blog title in a few pictures- but first


Wagon wheel (pasta) with fresh from the garden tomatoes and zucchini- YUMMY.

Bug even made an attempt to eat it. I never told him it was pasta, so he played with it and he eat a few pieces. YEAH. Now all I need is different shaped pasta and we might get back to our usual summer dinners after all.

Wendy- this is for you- Bug playing video games at McDonald's. he could not get the character to walk around- it kept going in circles and he was getting frustrated at the game. I was getting frustrated from telling him what to do and having him not do it. This is why videos games are not coming into this house for a long time- Bug wants someone to do it for him or figure it out and then he ignores what he told (maybe it is a 3 year old thing).

Mariposa- this is what the duvet cover would look like in your room. I meant to post this to you yesterday but I could not get the pictures off the camera. what do you think?

Bug is official a Super reader at our local library. At his age- that means he listens to Momma reading to him. Tomorrow is the last day for the summer reading program. We have tallied 35 books through today, although we have 20 more that we got today. I think I missed some because we have been getting about 15 books per week for a month- but I forgot to mark them down. I am going to get the 10 books marked down and return the card tomorrow. Bug is now in the drawing for the grand prize of a bicycle!!!! Bug was actually more excited about the sign we got to bring home today.

But he was not into a "good" picture of him. Instead he being way silly.

i have decided that libraries need warning labels "reading books to your child may result in tears". I picked up a book for Bug on "fireboats"- boats that fight fires. Who knew the book was about 9-11!!! I was bawling- and you don't find out until 5 pages before the end. Bug just looked at me like I was nuts. I had to skip parts of the wording as I felt it was inappropriate for his age.

then we read a book about the depression and a town that bought a woman's farm for a penny so she would not loose her farm to the bank- I was crying again.

Then we read a book about a momma who does not know how to read so she can't read to her son (but she learns in the end).

Thankfully we ended with a book on sunflowers (the Sunflower house)

yes, I know that the bocks have blurbs - but I have about 15 minutes max to pick books for Bug before he either decides that he is done at the library or before he starts an incident at the toddler toy center in the reading room- like he tried today. Nothing like pushing another child off a chair because he had been sitting there, then the other child moved to the chair after Bug got up and was looking at books at the table next me. Nearly caused a fight in a young reader room. So I don't have time to rad every book jacket for the blurbs- I glance through the book quickly- flipping about 3 pages in each book.

I need warning labels because I don't think Bug is going to go for more books that make his momma cry.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles

I cut the grass this evening and bug came outside to help me cool down. It is so amazing to see the change and love for bubbles that he has. he was terrified of them 2 years ago. now he would blow bubbles each and every day.

I think the pictures speak for themselves. Bug is the cutest boy ever and I am not biased at all ;)

Tomorrow we are going to meeting for host families- this is to go over the AFS rules and to talk through what this year will be like for us. I am excited.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Playing at the park- news for Mariposa

We headed out to the park this evening. We headed to a park that we usually don't go too as there is no shade on the play equipment (the slides and swings get very hot) and there is no shade for the momma to stand in. But the park is close and has a great path to ride or walk on.


Bug spent lots of time playing with the kids- there must have been about 10 kids and Bug was right in the middle. Of course, we had to swing. he still likes the baby swings- he can go higher!!!! This park has the swings set higher so his legs actually look OK. He is getting a little big for the baby swing. I think by the end of this year he will not be able to fit in them.

He is trying to do this, but he is not quite there yet.

And of course, he had to Superman swing

We did take his scooter to the park- there is 1.2 mile path (about 800 meters) for walking, biking and skating. Bug did about 3.4 of the path on his scooter (yes, I was trying to wear him out today)

2 bridges

I saw a lot of this. I think in the future, I'll bring his bike, my bike for Mariposa and roller skates for me. Then we all can do the path.

While we were there, I noticed a mom talking to her daughter (about 19 months old) in German. I started talking to her and she indicated that they are moving into the area. I got her phone number and after Mariposa arrives, she offered to help Mariposa by giving her someone to talk to in German. I think we can meet at the park a few times and then have them over for dinner once we get to know them better.

I am excited.

I am off to bake muffins for our breakfast this week. Bug has requested cranberry/orange muffins. I also have to clean the kitchen tonight.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Working at the Car Wash

We worked hard after church today and Bug was hungry. So for lunch he got blueberries, homegrown tomatoes, mandrin oranges and wheat toast with peanut butter and jelly. YUMMY. I had the same lunch except for the oranges. Running under the water. for some reason, Bug thought that the water would not get him. He was not happy when the spray got him wet.

See- AHHHHHH. Of course, it does not help that Momma "moved" the spray to make sure he got wet.

Wringing out the sponges

A clean car

Bug is supposed to be wetting the car and filling the bucket- he does what he wants most days when he is given a task.

Wetting the car

he decided that the bottle brush (for baby bottles) is a good tool for the side of the car.

Getting the car wet so we can wash it.

usually I take the car to the car wash, but I really want to get rid of our debt and that is one thing we can do at home instead of paying someone else to do it. Besides, Bug had a good time.

On that note, today's message in church really spoke to me. I have said for a while that I wanted to get rid of our debt but I continue to make decisions that take us further from that destination. I need to make intentional choices to get us to the goal of reducing our debt.

Choice one: Bug is not getting the bunk bed. he has a perfectly good bed- of course he does not sleep in it. SO why should I buy him a bed that he will not sleep in? Also, while the bed is a good price, I would have to buy another mattress, bunk boards (like box springs for bunk beds), new sheets for the extra bed. So in the end, it is a want not a need. If in a few years, Bug wants a bunk bed, then I will shop around for one at that time.

When I talked to Bug about this today- he told me that he likes my bed best not his bed and not bunk beds. So he was not disappointed.

we are off to the park this evening.

Have a great evening.

Love to you,

Deb

Post number 2 for this evening

Today, we headed out to shop for a mattress for Mariposa's bed and a possible head board and foot board. We got the mattress set- but no head board or foot board- that is OK because we got a frame and Mariposa and I can make a head board.

While we were shopping, we found a potential bed for Bug. Yes he has a bed, but this one fits a number of needs I have identified- storage, extra sleeping place for his friends and he loves it.

http://www.simplybunkbeds.com/twin-over-twin/wood-bunk-beds/stairwayiitwinovertwinbunkbed.cfm

we found it for 50% of this cost- I think I am going to buy it and even if he does not sleep in it for a few more months, he has a new bed that he likes. And it can grow with him.

which of course means, I have twin bed frame, head board and foot board that I can give away- any takers?



Mariposa-

Your mattress comes on Tuesday- I think I will do the big reveal on Wednesday or Thursday for your room- so no pictures until then. I will warn you via email when the pictures are going to be posted and get them posted early enough for you to see them before bed.

Love and hugs,
Deb

struggling to write another letter

It is that time of the year when I usually have 3 or 4 drafts of a letter to Bug's birth mother. This year I have not even started. I am struggling what to write. I have not had writers block like this before.

I wonder if I am struggling because there has been no contact with her even though the searcher found her extended family over a year ago, and the searcher contacted the extended family after our visit to Guatemala in January. I wonder if her lack of interest is fueling my lack of motivation. But then I remember- she does not know I am trying to find her, she has not contacted her extended family in over 4 years now. So how can I say that her indifference is why I should not write? how do I know that she is not wondering, worrying about Bug? I don't - so I can not use her lack of contact as an excuse for my inaction.

I wonder if the fact that I have run out of questions to ask her is fueling my lack of motivation. But the letters are really not about asking her questions, but to let her know how Bug is doing. So another excuse down the drain for me.

So what is my excuse- is it that I am just too busy being a momma to focus on Bug's first mom? I think that is it. I am too busy being a momma to focus on what to write. But in the end, that is not an excuse either- it is a cop out actually. I need to write the letter- have it ready for the pictures and get it sent down to the searcher in Guatemala. hopefully one day, Bug's birth mother will call the searcher and be given the letters and the pictures. Hopefully one day there will be closure for Bug in terms of knowing the story of his adoption from his birth mother's words.


So what to write about this year- do I just put in the changes, do I put in the things we have done? I am at a loss this year for ides- anyone want to give me suggestions- because I need some direction this year.

Love and hugs,
Deb

what the room used to look like

So I thought I would show everyone what the room looked like thru the years I lived here.

Bug took this photo- ignore the angle. We all know this one- Cream top, dark green stripe and pale green bottom. This was the color I painted it in June 2004 when it became my office and then it became Bug's nursery. I liked it- simple, neutral, easy to match things to it.

BUT
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when I saw the house and moved in, it was a garden. I don't have a digital photo- but I have this picture from a scrapbook- the walls were pink with cream dusted on to it. The bottom of the walls and baseboards were a garden. I liked it when I saw the house the first time- it was winter and I was ready for spring. But a year of living with convinced me that the garden needed to go.
It took 4 coats of primer and 2 coats of cream to cover this garden. The baseboards have never recovered- one day I should just replace them. The door was even painted as a garden. One day I will replace that too.


Now we have the pinky/lavender. I like it and I hope mariposa likes it.

Love to you,
Deb

Painitng Mariposa's room- first coat of paint

We started painting tonight. I think we will get done tonight too. right now we are taking a break and letting the first coat of paint dry. Bug was the official pictures taker- some how we have 45 pictures on the camera and only about 15 are painting pictures. I will spare you the pictures of Bug's nose and other body parts, close ups of hats, shirts and tables. he has a unique perspective- I will say that.


Bug sends this note to Mariposa- "Hi"= yes he spelled that all on his own and yes he had no clue what he was writing. But he got it right. Momma ready for painting

Working with Jason. I did the cutting in and Jason and Bug filled in the middle

Silly Jason- trying to scare the readers and making silly faces for Bug

The painters. We were just getting started.

The boys painting. Too precious. I remember when Jason was this little. Look what an awesome young man he has grown into. I am so proud of Jason- he is a wonderful cousin to Bug.

HAHAHA- I thought it would be easy to not tape off the green stripe- what a mistake. the stripe is now narrower because I had to back and tape it to cover where I was not painting straight. But hey- it will look good.

My Bug- helper extraordinaire. he was a great help- he really listened and did what he needed to do. he is getting this helping thing down pat.

here is the room- you can see where I went back to tape the green stripe. This is coat 1 and I thin we need one more coat- so a little bit of a late night, but it will be done.

Mariposa- we hope you like it. Love and hugs,

Deb, Bug and Jason