William Tell Overture for Moms

This is hilarious!

I have said all of these things (with the exception of "the bus is here") -- guess where I learned it? At my mother's knee!

What's In A Name?

Luci: Where's my husband?

Me: Who are you married to?

Luci: My Daddy.

Me: Oh. In that case, he's outside.

Luci's had lots of fun in the last week, figuring out new labels for us. She has finally understood that she is "Sister" to her "Brothers." She is not just "Luci." But the husband thing threw me.

Look At This Baby!

I found this on the web last night. I am always looking for something about the Bouyei people of China--Luci's orphanage director was pretty sure Luci is of the Bouyei people. I figure he must have a good reason for saying that, since it is not a big nationality. The Bouyei are not very well known outside of their own area (in Guizhou Province). Whenever I stumble upon a site, I look for people who look like Luci--I guess because she has no one in this house who looks like her, and I want to have some sense of a family history just for her, and I have not met any other Bouyei children here in the USA.

Anyways, look at this photo I found among these Bouyei photos--the woman has a baby on her back that looks astonishingly like Luci did when we got her. This baby cannot be Luci, since she was found within 2 days after her birth, and this baby is obviously older than 2 days. An interesting side note (interesting to me, anyway): while in China, I carried Luci in a Mei Tai baby carrier similar to what this woman is wearing!

I am not nuts or being fanciful for thinking the baby looks like Luci--I showed John this picture today, and he thought so, too!

What Is A Middle Schooler?

What is a middle Schooler?

I was asked one day.

I know what he was.

But what should I say?




He is noise and confusion.

He is silence that is deep.

He is sunshine and laughter

or a cloud that will weep.


He is swift as an arrow.

He is a waster of time.

He wants to be rich

But cannot save a dime.

He is rude and nasty.

He is polite as can be.

He wants parental guidance

But fights to be free.

He is aggressive and bossy

He is timid and shy.

He knows all the answers

But still will ask why.

He is awkward and clumsy.

He is graceful and poised.

He is ever changing

But do not be annoyed.

What is a middle schooler?

I was asked one day.

He is the future unfolding

So do not stand in his way.

author unknown

Moon Festival

The moon is pretty special to Luci and me (and I hope to John, Bryan and JT). Every time we see the moon, Luci and I blow kisses to it, knowing her China momma will see the same moon we see. We say:

Thank you, China...

...for giving us Luci!

Thank you, China-Momma...

...for giving Luci life!

...for giving her a happy personality!

...for giving her beauty!

September 25th is the date for the 2007 celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival. The Chinese celebrate their harvest with food and the usual item is a moon cake.
You can get these filled with lotus bean--red bean paste or green bean paste, and other fillings. Last year we tried the traditional red bean paste and then went straight for the good stuff--Moon Pies! And that's what I have on hand for Tuesday's celebration.
Did you know there was a Moon Pie celebration, as well? The 13th Annual RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival was held on June 16, 2007 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Hey! It's only 98 miles from our house. Maybe we'll get there next year.

Sometimes, One Sticker Just Won't Do

Crib Recall

Just in case you have one of these cribs. Luci's wasn't one of these, but the mechanism on hers was the same, so check your hardware out. The boys put our crib together after this last move; putting it together wrong is pretty easy to do. Y'all be safe!

About 1 Million Cribs Recalled Due to Failures Resulting in Infant Deaths


The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.

The recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996.

The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in department stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300.


Close-up of a Correctly Installed Drop-side

Close-up of an Incorrectly Installed Drop-side

Photo of Older Style Hardware

Photo of Newer Style Hardware

Check Out the Kids' Blog!

The kids started a blog. They couldn't decide what to call it, so each put in part of the title:

The ManCave or Sports.com or Pretty Princess

I hope you check it out!

Be sure to take their poll!

To the Park with Kalyn!

Here is Kalyn, a little friend of ours...she came home last Thanksgiving (can you think of a more appropriate day?) with her mom and dad, Kathy and Greg. She is 11 months younger than Luci, but when they are running around together you would never think that. Kalyn is one of the tall Northern girls, and Luci is one of the small Southern girls.
Kathy and her mother, Millie, took pictures of the kids, and graciously emailed these to me since I forgot my camera. Thank you! and Thank you for including the boys in them. Isn't that little top cute on Luci? Millie made it, and it has some capri pants that go along with it, but it was just too hot that day to wear them. Following are some other pictures of the day (September 6):

Cook's Natural History Museum

Who would'a thunk that Cook's Pest Control had a great little museum? And that it had other stuff, not just a bunch of cockroaches?? As a matter of fact, I didn't see any cockroaches. We saw quite a few insects and bugs, but more minerals and animals and birds than anything else. I've heard of this museum for quite a while but never made it over to Decatur to visit. Worth the trip. This was a free museum, not even a jar out for "donations." (The spell-checker didn't high-light "thunk" so it must be a word!) Here are all the kids that were on the field trip today--Cindy, Nikki and Susan's kids. Luci couldn't figure out which way to look.
JT posing with some Angel Quartz. It was lacy--really unusual.
JT and Bryan with a gorilla bust. Can you pick out the gorilla? JT makes a cute one, don't you think?
Here we are at McDonalds on the Beltline in Decatur. I think the kids liked this nearly as much as the museum. This McD's has lots of memorabilia from the 50's on through the 90's, and some of it is from big movies. I think Marty would like this place.
What a surprise! We met Julie (Xian Li, who is from Wuhan in Hubei Province) and her friend from Guangdong Province. I didn't catch the friend's name. I went up to them and said, "Ni hao," which means hello. Immediately they started speaking Mandarin to me--whoa! It was such a nice surprise to meet up with some charming young ladies from Luci's part of the world, in that little museum in Decatur, of all places. I got Julie's email and have already sent her this photo. Julie speaks Mandarin and the friend speaks Cantonese, so even between themselves they had to translate some.

Some Homeschooling Truths

Parents' Night is every night, around the supper table.

Sometimes I wish for the school bus to stop in front of our house.

If you see me talking to myself as I'm walking around Wal-Mart, don't interrupt--I'm having a Parent-Teacher conference.

I'm in love with the Principal.

Teaching for 7 years in Texas public schools did not prepare me in any way for homeschooling--tutoring your own kids is totally different.

My kids never lose their lunch money.

Arts and Crafts can take place before breakfast.

If your kids blog, it is considered part of Language Arts.

China To Have No Car Day

Here's an article about China having its first no-car day ever. They are choosing this Saturday to do it: "It did not say why the Ministry of Construction, the sponsor of the activity, chose a Saturday to hold the event." Because, even on Saturday, there are tons of cars!! That's why.

One of the strong memories we have of China is the absolutely enormous number of cars and pedestrians competing for the same road space. Half the population is in cars, the other half is trying to keep from getting run over as they cross the street.

Little Bits

One of Luci's favorite DVDs is a Rolie Polie Olie movie--about a little robot family. Tonight in church, the song leader said we were going to sing, Holy, Holy, Holy and Luci got all excited and said (quite loudly), "Rolie Polie Olie!!" So now every time we sing that song, I will think Rolie Polie Olie!

John's been gone the past two weekends with the Army Reserves, and will spend next weekend working with them, too. Tonight John told me that Col. R. appreciates me. (I beamed.) And, Col. P. appreciates me. (I'm sensing a trend here.) And Gen. E. appreciates me. (ok, now I'm suspicious.) I ask John, "do they appreciate me, personally, or spouses in general?" Spouses in general. Aha. Thought so.

Luci got a princess umbrella (is there any other kind?) a few weeks ago. She's been carrying it around the house, telling me, "We need rain!" Finally, we got some and Luci enjoyed it to the max! JT joined her, and they had a fun time.

Luci's finding story reminds me of the story of Moses--left in a basket, hoping someone kind would find the child. Today I was cuddling with Luci so she'd go to sleep for her nap. She told me she wanted "to have a tea party with Moses." I can't think of anyone more appropriate (excepting Christ, of course) for Luci to ask to be her friend.

Since getting into a toddler bed, Luci's had some rough times...her bed keeps tossing her out! I've found her kneeling on the floor with her head on the bed, and last week she had slipped off the bed entirely and all that you could see were her feet sticking out from under the bed. She looked like one of the witches on the Wizard of Oz--you know the one, the witch with ruby slippers who had the house fall on top of her.

When JT was about 4 years old, he'd climb up into our bed in the middle of the night and proceed to do his windmill impression: arms and legs everywhere, usually in a kidney or a face. It was miserable! Finally he quit getting into our bed. But, when John's on his trips, JT and Luci sometimes make their way into our big bed. JT and Luci were there last night and it was PAYBACK time! Look what I found when I got up:

Is This Bryan and Me, or What?!

Some Peace!

I discovered a way to get some peace and a good breakfast. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Thursday was grocery day. I had the boys babysit Luci while I went to Wal-Mart--it is much cheaper and faster to go without any kids. (One benefit of homeschooling is that you can "do school" at any time of day--just as long as the lessons are learned.) On the way to the store, I stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It's my favorite place to stop when we are on trips, and breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out, so it was a great idea. So, in those weeks when things are a bit frazzled around here, I just may escape to Cracker Barrel. I'll be the one with a newspaper or good book, enjoying the peace and quiet and hashbrown casserole.

My Sibs

For those of you older than 15 or so, "Sibs" means "Siblings." This picture is from the last time we were all together, in June 2002 for Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Back Row: Tom, Sam, Charlie. Front Row: Me, Janet. I am number 4 in the birth order. Here is a little about my brothers and sister, in the order in which we appeared in Mom and Dad's life:

Charlie: Charlie is a leader, and not afraid to try new things. At parties, when Charlie walks into the room, everyone notices him. He is smart about lots of things--geology, banking, and baseball, to name three.

Tom: Tom is so nice. He was always nice to me when we were growing up, even when I was mean to him. He is smart. He understands more about math and most sciences than most people. He's athletic, too.

Sam: Sam overcame some learning difficulties to become a PhD in Chemistry--he knows just about everything there is to know about chemistry and has traveled the world to teach others in his field. He is smart, and has a quick wit.

Janet: Janet has always been able to make friends wherever she goes. She was athletic as a kid. I envied her both of those traits (still do). She is so cute, too, and ready to smile and laugh. She's smart but doesn't make others feel dumb.

Hyperactive Behavior Linked to Artificial Additives

In 2000, we started the Feingold Diet to help us with Bryan's adhd behaviors. I never thought "just a diet" would work, but Bryan's hyper-ness every day was really trying. Turns out just one week on Feingold (pronounced "Fine-Gold") turned things around so much that I will never go back to the way we ate before. Bryan's hyper behavior changed so much that a year after starting Feingold, he and three other boys were asked to start up the men's gymnastic team at Shoals School of Gymnastics. The coach had no clue that Bryan was dealing with adhd--the diet helped him so much that he was a calm and focused soul on the team.

This past week there have been numerous articles and TV news clips about diet and hyperactivity, and it has caused a stir! My friends at Feingold and I are just nodding our heads, saying, "yes, we knew it all along!"

Article: New Study Links Food Additives to Hyperactivity in Children

Research: Diet Studies

More Articles and Research: How schools in Britain, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Montana changed things

Feingold is linked at the right on this blog, too. Taking out the artificial stuff changed our lives for the better.

Local Weather Page--for the Dads

Dear Dad B and Dad W:

I thought you might like this link: John and Susan's Weather Page. It shows our local weather. You can click on that and then put it in your favorites list so when we have iffy weather that makes you worry about us, you can check it out right away. We are in the top left county in Alabama, and on my computer we are about 1/2 inch above the letter "c" in Florence. Very close to the Tennessee line.

Update Me, Please

Hooray, hooray, we got a new computer! But my favorites are wiped out.... If I have visited your blog and left a message (I'm LucisMomma in your messages), would you please leave me a message so I can add your blog to my favorites list again?

Denna, The Hodges, The Jamiesons, Connor and Kaylee, The Morgans, The Carters, Gena, Cortney, Meredith, Julie, Krista, Scarlett, Lily Pie's family (I want to keep up on the surgery progress!), Ella B, I know I'm forgetting some favorites but my mind is blank right now.

Thanks so very much!

The last computer we got was in December 2001. John and I thought it was our Christmas present to each other, but the very next week our heat pump went out and bam! that was our real Christmas present, and about 10 or 11 times as expensive. bummer. And the next month a new version of the "brand new, must-have, updated version of Windows" we just bought came out. So look for an update to Vista in the next few weeks....

What to Think?

Today Osama bin Laden has been in the news--a "new"photo of him was on the tv screen. Luci walked by and said, "That's Jesus." No, honey, he's just the opposite.

When that guy gets on the news, we pay attention in our house. John's been overseas twice since September 11, and he's on the list to go again--although this time a long stint is unlikely since he's nearing retirement. John's second trip was to Afghanistan, and I think he really loved it there. He got to work with the locals quite a bit, and his group, the Corps of Engineers, did some special things for the Kabul Orphanage. It was very similar in feeling to a missionary trip.

Above, John is getting a salute from one of the little boys. It is my absolute favorite picture from that trip--the little guy is thrilled to get a new toy, a pair of socks, and have the attention of some nice strangers.

Right after that photo was taken, our church started a big effort to send toys and clothing to the kids there--some of you reading this helped in that endeavor, and we are still so thankful for your kindnesses to these children.

John's work with this orphanage is what got us on the road to adopting Luci. I wish we could have brought them all home.

Happy Birthday, Sophia!

Sophia is 3 years old!

John took Bryan and JT to Sophia's birthday party. Luci and I stayed home, sick. Sophia made a pretty Birthday Girl! John says she has a proper Southern drawl.

JT and Sara


JT, Sophia and Bryan

I tried to post these photos yesterday, on Sophia's actual birthday but the blogger wouldn't let me load them. Sorry, Heath and Shanna, that I missed the actual day.