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.

Sibling Rivalry

Sure, my kids are perfect....

This book was recommended by The Rumor Queen on China Adopt Talk last week. At my wit's end (and John can tell you I am usually pretty close to the end of whatever brain power I have left), I ordered Siblings Without Rivalry from Amazon.com.

It is a pretty good read, easy to understand. But I can't get the boys to read it!

No, really, I read it and I'm working on implementing the techniques mentioned in the book. So far, so good. Today was kind of rough with the boys, but made a little better by what I've learned so far. Maybe it will be peaceful here all the time soon.

JAM 56

JAM 56 at our church stands for Jesus And Me, 5th and 6th Graders. It is a new structuring of the kids' classes, and JT gets to be a part of it. Gena (children's ministry leader) and Jeanne (creative mom-extraordinaire) started all of this. Now our kids are part of Grapple, and it includes a safe bulletin board for the kids to send messages to each other. It's only been operative since Friday night, but the lines are really buzzin'!

Jeanne and Gena were the movers and shakers behind getting the room all fixed up--in 1950's style! It is really a neat room. The car on the wall has headlights that really light up! So cool! These photos are all from Friday night.

JT and his classmates lounging around.
Troy, JT's new best friend, sits with Luci on a bean bag.
Jeremy, our new youth minister. We all love him and his wife Jessica. They are such a breath of fresh air and they are really grounded in Jesus.
Luci break-dances on the linoleum floor! Luci, you aren't supposed to be dancing!!
Our good friend Rachel (and lots of other pretty girls) sit at the soda fountain tables. Don't you love that wall? The kids thought those 45s were weird CDs on the wall!
Gates, Reese, Blake, JT and Troy
Gena and Jeanne, the masterminds behind all of this. There are pencils in those straw dispensers! Don't you just love it?


changing the subject....

We finally had a break in our 100+ degree weather (it lasted 3 weeks!!) with a big thunder storm on Friday night. Luci put her hands on her ears before she went to sleep, and this is her an hour after she fell asleep.

(Homeschool) Teacher Appreciation Day

Today after church, John surprised me by telling me it was Teacher Appreciation Day, and that he was taking us to Cracker Barrel. This was such a nice treat! We don't go out to eat very often, and even with all the nice places in town to go eat, Cracker Barrel is my favorite. Luci loves the butter the best. Here we think she looks just like Papa. From the nose down, anyway.
Students Bryan and JT. We were right next to the checker board. Luci kept going back and forth from us to the boys. It was so nice that we were right there and could allow her to do that in the crowded restaurant.
Nana, do you remember this jumper? You sent it to Luci for Christmas, along with a turtleneck to wear under it. It looks so good as a summer dress, too. This is before we left for church--that bow in her hair lasted until we got to the end of the driveway.
The Principal for The Willingham School for the Exceptionally Brilliant. This is a very exclusive school. So far, only two students have been admitted, and there is room for only one more!
Teacher and Mascot.

Katie, This One's for You

Luci likes to grab a good book when she gets busy in this particular room. I wonder where she gets that trait.... Katie, look at the book she chooses nearly every time! Do you remember this one? It is the book you gave Luci in June!

Our Little Girl, 2 Years Later ... or... What She Said

Luci's words are in red in this post...these are some sweet things we hear every week around here, straight from Luci's heart.


Luci and me in Guiyang, Guizhou, August 2005

Luci and me, Greenhill, August 16, 2007. Luci is not too happy that we let our balloons go. We started a tradition last year, releasing balloons to symbolize sending our love and thanks to China.




Bryan, Luci and JT. Red is a traditional color for China, but Luci wanted a green balloon--can you see it in the bunch?

Luci trying to chase down her balloons. Letting them go seemed like so much fun, until Luci realized they weren't coming back. More symbolism, huh? Come back!!

Posing in the cute, cute dress that Diane made.

Having fun.

I love you!

Luci had to wait through 4 birthdays this summer, always wanting to know Where MY cake? She was so happy. There are 2 candles because it is the 2nd anniversary of our family being complete.

You my forever fam-ly!

Where do babies come from, Luci? Babies come from the heart.



Luci does doggy tricks, thanks to Bryan and JT...she can sit, roll over, beg and play dead. So the boys got a little sister and a pet dog! Who could ask for more?

waking up the boys: Wake up, Sunshine! It time o'clock!

whispering in Mamma's ear: I love you, Daddy, chock-lit, JT, chock-lit, Bryan, chock-lit, ....

Luci is trying to write her name. She loves to draw and is making some pretty recognizable pictures.

She can count my fingers... but only truly understands up to three things at a time (which is pretty normal for 2 years old), so counting the fingers on one hand goes like this: one...two...three...one...two!

She has a doll named Dolly, a bear named Bear and an invisible friend named Becky.

She MY momma! You have Daddy.

chair, bear, share....all have 2 syllables. Luci is definitely a Southern girl!

when the boys fight: That's it! You boys go outside.

Where Daddy? He at TVA. Be careful, Daddy!

I two. I be free on my birfday. I be four, I go Disney tea party with Cinderella, take my baby doll.

Whoopsie Daisy!

Daddy, you got a boo-boo? I so sorry, Daddy. And with that, Luci has sealed herself in Daddy's heart forever. (if there were any doubt before, that is!)

New Car!

We are loving that new car smell today....



Thanks, John!

Our old van (not really that old) had just short of 100,000 miles on it! We got it in 2003 and put a lot of miles on it with 2 years of gymnastics meets and 3 trips to Idaho. Luci spent 3 hours with us at the dealership, and did great--and that was during her nap time! She had everyone there in love with her (no surprise there).

Again, Thanks, John! I love it! And I love you. (is that too mushy?)

GOTCHA!!

GOTCHA!!

Today is our second anniversary of Luci's Gotcha Day!

Over the next day or so I will be adding a special post in honor of Luci, so be sure to check this space!

I Spoke Too Soon

Luci hates, hates, hates her medicine! She took the first 4 doses without complaint, and told everyone, "I took my medicine!" with a happy face. Then it was over. Since then, it's been a fight. We've tried everything, from wrestling her down to hiding it in every kind of food and drink possible. She's too young to understand the bribery angle (excuse me, I meant "positive reinforcement"). It is so frustrating, knowing that if the E coli is not gone at the end of the prescription it could well mean a trip to the hospital.

Friday was a happy day with school work. So nice for the first full day out. The kids all ended up on my bed. Luci was watching her
Little Einsteins show while Bryan worked on Language Arts and JT did his math pages. It was one of those rare moments when everyone felt content. I wish it were like that every day around here when the kids work on lessons.

Usually, the boys don't enjoy their schoolwork. Usually, Luci is removing things from kitchen cabinets, finding the ketchup in the fridge, washing her hands with too much soap and way too much water in the bathroom, applying Band-Aids to every part of her body not covered with clothing, trying out her scissor skills where we don't want her to, hiding in some closet, or begging for her Cinderella DVD again. (Not to mention the markers everywhere. Thank goodness for Crayola's washable markers!)


I've told John that we can have a clean house, a nice supper on the table when he gets home, or kids who have been taught that day....Never, ever expect more than one of those on any given day. Two would be a sort of miracle.

School Days

We started school a couple of weeks ago. We always start the year out gradually, and today was the first day to include every subject. That explains why I am now just getting around to getting the "Start of School" photo. It's been a tradition since Bryan started Kindergarten in 1997 to take the kids' photos next to the hutch, to record their growth. Here's what came out today: Bryan's sign says 9th Grade, JT's says 6th Grade and Luci's sign says Mascot.
Oops!
JT thought we should take a mug shot, too.
Bryan in 1997, starting Kindergarten. WOW! Bryan, you were such a sweet little fellow. Now you are almost completely grown, and just as sweet.

And, yes, if you are keeping count, Bryan's grade really is 9, not 10. He would be just barely 18 when starting college--a little young, I think, to throw him to the wolves--if we kept on the same track. So we stretched Junior High out an extra year and he's just now starting High School. This has worked out fine with his friends and classes at church. The only ones it seems to have confused is the Grandparents, but they have adjusted just fine, too.

Space Shuttle Endeavour!

How many of you remember watching the Challenger shuttle, and so today you prayed like crazy for Endeavour and her crew?

How many of you mothers of young children found yourselves singing the "Little Einstein" theme song while the shuttle rocketed toward space?

Barbara Morgan is from Idaho...a place where people I love live. Dad says that her father-in-law did the surgery on my mouth 'way back when to remove some wisdom teeth. Small world.

It's E.coli. And Prayers, Please.

Luci has E. coli, yet none of the classic symptoms. We got her new prescription today, and I really dreaded giving her the first dose. Guess What? She likes it! I gave the first dose in the car before driving away from the pharmacy, and on the way home she said over and over, "I took my medicine! Mommy is happy!" That is the understatement of the day.

Prayer requests:

for Luci: to get completely well (and the rest of us to stay well)

for Dad W. (Olen): to heal from his surgery

for Mom W. (Jeanne): taking care of Dad W.

John's Dad

Olen had a pace maker put in yesterday. He came through surgery very well. He's planning on taking the Alaskan cruise he booked for the end of August! We figure that now he will be able to keep up with Jeanne!

We are so glad you are feeling better today!

The Fountain of Youth

Imagine a 2 1/2 year old spouting out her medicine, that is our Fountain of Youth.

I had the pleasure of trying to get a toddler who is not quite potty trained to pee on demand at the doctor's office. Fun! NOT! Finally Luci did the required deed, but not until everyone in the building heard her screams. She had all the babies crying. She comes by this action honestly--I remember embarrassing Mom when I was about 3, screaming and kicking at the hospital when I needed a shot. I remember 4 adults holding me down, and Mom nearly hiding her face when we exited the building.

Luci has an infection, so must take one dinky teaspoon of medicine twice daily. Which means I am wearing one teaspoon of medicine twice daily. I hope the FDA figures on the kid spitting out most of it when they come up with the appropriate dosages. Last night John and Bryan helped hold Luci down while she spit the sticky stuff all over me.



This morning I tried something different, mixing the medicine with a tiny bit of peanut butter and jelly, spreading it on a teeny-tiny sandwich, and calling it Peanut Butter Pie. For taking a nibble, Luci got a sip of my coffee (I know, I know, but when you are desperate...). She also got serenaded with "Try, try some peanut butter pie..." song (thanks, Dad, for providing that ear-worm of a song! I will be singing it all day).

I think I need to make an appointment for next Monday, just in case. Last Monday I was at the doc's office with JT--he had an infected spot on his hand from a splinter. This week was Luci, I would guess that next Monday will be Bryan's turn.

Hiding from Mom this morning!

It's a China Kind of Day

It is that hot and sticky here! It feels just like Guangzhou did when we were there in August 2 years ago. WHEW