I-600 A Form + Another G Question

So, this was a great weekend because Cuban Daddy didn't work!  Yay for "Daddy Day," 

as the kids call it.  I was able to get my hair done...oh yeah.  

And the kids got to go swimming with Daddy twice.  

And another huge perk about him being home? He hung out with the kids while I worked on "Adoption Paperwork".  I have been SO needing to get this done, and finally, I did.  Now, don't get too excited.  This is the paperwork (called the I-600 A & needed documents to go with it) that I have to get done, sent off, and wait probably 2 MONTHS to get our results/approval.  Only then, can we send off the big Dossier paperwork (the approval from the I-600 A must be included).  So, I finished all that I needed to do for the I-600 A this weekend, and now am waiting to hear from both of our agencies (our Adoption agency & our Home Study agency).  We need a few documents from them...they must be included.  So, here we wait again.  I can't send our packet until I get what I need from them.  Boo.  

Hoping to hear something tomorrow...

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I was tucking G in tonight, when the questions began again, 

"Are there potties in Heaven?", she asked, 

with genuine concern.

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And, as I spent time with G & K this weekend, I thought of #3 & #4.

What are THEY doing right now?

And excitingly, what will life be like when they get here?

Thinking of them...as usual...

~ 6 in Love ~

Somebody Needs a Nap

Another busy, fun Summery week, filled with: 

Mail: The kids receiving some special mail from loving family members.  

This one is being translated by Daddy, as it is from their Abuela & Abuelo!

 $1 movie (this was actually the previous week)- "Rio"

And note that K enjoyed it more than he appears here! Ha.

Some of our best buds joined us!

Some self-styling fashion 

Flowers for Mommy...picked by my little sweetie! 

Fun with my little buddy (who loves the camera...) 

Errands

Ridiculousness.

I said, "G, go get dressed.  Put new undies on."

She came out w/ several pairs stuffed in her clothes.

G: "You said put them ON...you didn't say where!"

Oh my, the sass. Ha!

Playgound time 

Playdates with friends: swimming, jumping on the trampoline, popcorn, movies, & toys (wow!) 

Gymnastics: G had her first trial/placement class at a new gym. (She's in orange, in the V-sit).

She absolutely loved it, did outstanding, and got placed in a class or two higher than I had expected! 

Family: We had a bi-annual family reunion, catching up with family & enjoying the best food ever!  

Silly faces with their Noni here

(now that I think of it, they did have at least 2 desserts!).

More food: A lunch date with Noni & Popi.
As you can tell, we were discreet & classy.

Friends: I had a rare, but oh-so-fun, girls night out w/ some of my besties from college!  

Shopping: Had to make a trip to Babies R Us for a deal on 'Squeezy fruits": K insisted on rocking his shades-indoors.  Which is made especially cool accompanied by a tiny raisin box.

G helping with my backpack. 

Photos: I had the privilege of photographing my good friend's beautiful little girls while the kids & I got to hang out w/ them.  I'm having too much fun editing these photos! 

  Sibling love: I'm trying to teach K to stop taking his shoes off in the car, so I didn't give his shoes back to him when we got home. G was afraid he'd burn his feet so she tried to carry him. 

 (Don't be silly...I wouldn't let those sweet baby feet burn!)

Babies.  Lots and lots of babies.  Good practice for #3 & #4? 

Sleep. (J/K, so no improvement there, but it sure is cute to watch G get K up from his nap.)

Cracking each other up-  

Monkeyin' around  at another park: 

More food & more friends (I'm seeing a trend here...)  

Another $1 movie & lunch with a couple of our favorite people! 

Playdate with our awesome pals:  

...with lots of love & hugs! 

  

Imagination:

G & K hid under the towels, laughing & yelling, 

"We're the jertains under your curtains!" ~ Dr. Seuss

*Any one able to name that book? 

Summary:  I believe it goes w/o saying that we love to have fun, visit with friends & family, eat, get a good deal, act silly, learn somewhere along the way, 

and just be together.

Yes, super busy.  But just the way I like it.  And the kids too.  

They wake up in the morning & from naps asking w/ huge smiles on their face,

"Where are we going?!  What are we doing now?!" 

Clarification: this has not been a typical week.  (Um, I wish!).  We are squeezing the most we can out of our short summer.  We love taking advantage of getting to see our friends & spend time with people we love before all of the hustle & bustle starts up again with the school year.  I'm all about experiences, opportunities, living life to the fullest, and seizing the day.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Sometimes Rarely, we stay home.  But that's just if the piles of dishes & laundry call so loudly, I can no longer ignore them.  I'm not a mom that does all of this b/c I feel like it's what I *need* to do to be a great mom.  It's not about anyone else.  I just really enjoy doing this stuff with my kids.  They are amazing.  It's worth every bit of work (packing bags in the morning, finding a new place for K to pee when we're out- immediately!, answering a million questions when I'm not singing to the "kids' CD" for the millionth time in the car, being persistent about enforcing good behavior, dealing with potential crankiness if we have a late naptime, etc...)

Confession: My kids behave better in public than they do at home.  Bonus!  ;)

But to me, this is my priority.  Every mom has different ones- as they should- we are all created uniquely.  And we all have different situations that allow us- or prevent us- from doing certain things.  I feel very blessed at this point in life, to be able to do what I love, what I want to do more than anything- raise my babies & spend as much time with them as possible. I know they are only this little for so long.  We thank God for providing us that opportunity, because it is with faith in Him that we can do that.  And thank you, Cuban Daddy, for ALL of your amazing hard work, day and night, to provide this life for us.  

Shameless plug: 

Anyone need a really great (hot) Realtor?!

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See, we DO stay home! (Okay, I'll admit, we had friends over, but still!)

These little mini pizzas were pretty yummy, but I think G & K enjoyed making them even more than eating them!  My spin on a Pinterest-y recipe. 

Still playing 'hair':

"Fishtail" 

Double french braids into a side braid 

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And after a week like that, anyone need a nap?

Anyone?

~ 6 in Love ~

G: "Why Did He Have to Die?"

I guess it's super question week!

Earlier today, barely 4 year old G asked something about her and K being in my tummy.  I said that God put them in my tummy.  She said, "So when I was in there, Jesus rubbed your tummy and made me giggle, right?" with a huge smile on her face.  I just kind of smiled & said 'Maybe so!' but she was relentless, "No, He did." 

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Then tonight, a few minutes after I tucked G in, she called me: (it was storming a little)

G: "Mommy!  I had to ask you if the thunder is like the angels playing, well what are they doing to cause it to rain?"

Me- "Um, I don't know.  That's a good question.  It's late now, go to sleep."

G: "But, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"  

Me:  Surprised, but not imagining passing this moment up!  Shared the elaborate story involving TONS of questions on her part, which of course I was so happy to answer!  I loved getting to tell her the summarized story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  How He died so that we might live, be forgiven, and have eternal life in Heaven. She soaked it up.

G: "Where was I & how big was I when Jesus died?"

Me: "You weren't born- you weren't created yet."

G: "Do you think I just sat there little, wiggled and prayed & said "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." while I waited to be born?  And did that make Jesus happy to hear me pray to Him like that?"

G: "Do you think when the bad people were making Jesus die on the cross that He was sad?"  

G: "Did He want his Daddy God?"

G: "Did He say, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy...?"

G: "Jesus was perfect and I want to be like Him. I will try really hard every day to be just like Him."

(Yes, I explained that all of us are imperfect, but that, yes, we should strive to be like Him.)

Me:  "I think that would make God's heart really happy."

G: "Why does God have a heart?  How did He get one?"

G: "Do you think that I can dream about Him now?"

Wishing my sweetheart the sweetest of dreams, 

~ 6 in Love ~

G: "They Don't Have a Family?"

So, tucking G into bed last night was a little tough.  She started asking questions about her future brother(s)/sister(s) that she'd never asked before.  I love that she's so thoughtful and curious.  I do want her to learn about where her siblings will come from, etc, but slowly & in time.  I mean, she just turned 4 years old.  I feel a need to strike the right balance between protecting her young innocence and teaching her compassion and awareness.


I wanted to share some of our conversation from last night.  I don't remember exactly what sparked this.


G: "Why are we getting babies that speak Spanish?" 
(*Note, if you don't know already, that Cuban Daddy is fluent & teaching G & K.)   
And b/c she's a little too young to say, "Just read the blog Mommy wrote," I went with something simple like, "Because they are from the country of Honduras, and that's the language that they speak there.  When they come to our family, that will probably be the only language they know."  I know this didn't completely address the depths of her question, but there's plenty of time for that!
...


G: "Why don't they want to stay in Honduras?  They don't like it there?"  
Me (something like): "Well, they would rather be with us, in our family."
...


G: "They don't have a family there?" 
 Me, squirming slightly (something like): "No, they don't.  They want to be in our family though! They want to have me as their Mommy, and Daddy, and you as their sister, and K as their brother!"  
...


I tried to end on a positive so she didn't have too much in her little head trying to sleep.  
She seemed (temporarily) satisfied.
...


And then she perked up & smiled, "I have names for them! (the new babies) We'll call the girl 'Bumble Bee Baby' and the boy 'Appley Apple Jack.'"  Yeah, how to react to that??  (* And side note, we do not know the genders of the children we will get; this is just what G thinks!)  Me: "Wow, those are neat names!  Maybe so, we'll have to see.  I think they might have a more regular name like you and K, but we'll think about it later, okay?" ;)  This kid never forgets anything, so this should be interesting...
...

I'm sure that as she gets older & asks questions, my answers will elaborate.  

By the time #3 & #4 get here, we'll be sure to be prepared!  But for now..

No new baby/lack of family/where is Honduras/Spanish questions tonight.  =)

G'night!

~ 6 in Love ~

Flying By This Week

Now I realize why summers fly by.  

Because our weeks look like this:

G's been begging to try dance.  So we did a week of dance camp.  She loved it as much as she thought she would! ha. By the end of each class, the teacher said she was 

nearly falling asleep! Here's our cute little dancer 

(who enjoyed all the outfits possibly as much as the dancing itself?).  

Fancy hair day 

Her first REAL burrito (yes, this is a child sized one!)- her choice for a lunchdate with Mommy after class: 

"We did this!" (no, she didn't dance in these shoes): 

A little spunky 

Last day! 

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K and I had some great quality time while G went to dance camp.  

We played pretend (this is, in fact, a motorcycle): 

Went to a $1 movie! 

I mean, cutest date ever, or what?!?!?! 

Seriously held hands the whole 1st half of the movie. Second half?  On my lap.  

THE best 1 1/2 hrs. 

Errand- running 

We bought G some flowers for her dance 'performance,' grocery shopped, 

and went to his gymnastics class.

Played at the park: 

Played soccer (w/ our hands?): 

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Pinterest.  Need I say more?  (If you haven't discovered this site, you NEED to.  It's amazing.  Lately, I've been loving the recipes, and the kids love helping me make them!  

(Sorry the pics are out of order...and I don't feel like moving them.  Lazy.)

The kids and I made this, although I totally guessed the amounts of each ingredient.  Yummy.

(see pic below) 

Made a few breakfast casseroles. Kids sat on the counter for over an hour!  We kept 1 1/2 casseroles to munch in the fridge.  The rest, I cut in individual portions, wrapped in wax paper, then foil, labeled, and stuck in the freezer.  We need easy, we need quick, & this works. 

Haven't tried this, but I SO am:

We sorta estimated amounts here too, but made the pops.  

Kids loved licking the mixer & will try the popsicles tomorrow! 

Tried my first ever Peach Cobbler, and I have to admit, it was good!!  

PC is one of my favorite desserts ever. 

(And, yes, this was made before I started the diet. Blah.)

Breakfast casserole: Spinach, Eggs, Moz. Cheese (& I added onions) 

Breakfast casserole: Sausage, ched. cheese, egg, hashbrowns, and yes, onions again.

Helping me 'clean up' after making fudgesicles: 

The peanut butter/yogurt/honey/cinnamon dip w/ apples.  They loved it! 

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As you can probably tell, G's hair is down to her tushy.  Mine was always the same growing up...um, until I was 23 actually.   We must have fast-growing-hair genes?  Anyways, I love it & I love that she looks like 'a little girl' w/ it. :)  I taught myself to french braid maybe a year ago?  And since, have had so much fun experimenting w/ her hair.

Beach/pool 'do that lasts a couple days:

Jazzy dance bun w/ braids:

Fun for gymnastics: 

Knotty dance bun: 

Other ideas I want to try: 

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And some time together!!!

Some friends invited us over for a swim (which we ended early due to lightning...yikes!) & the kids were thrilled to swim, play w/ her super sweet, adorable boys, and eat massive amounts of popcorn!  =)  

And, Cuban Daddy made it home before bed a couple of nights...can you tell?  

"Mommy, look what Daddy did!"  They were so proud... Ha! 

And, since it's summer, we've been sleeping SO much.  Yeah.  Who'm I kidding?  

These cute boogers are up by 6 am every rnorning! 

Silly doing lollipop high fives 

They wanted a pallet (sp?) & a movie. 

Silly faces (He was about to have "Daddy Day" & was SO excited!)  He thought time w/ Daddy meant they were going to go biking (duh), but they had a flat tire! :(  Ice cream & soccer was just as fun!

I caught a cute baby lizard for G to hold.  She loved it!  And didn't squish it...thank you, Jesus! 

"Holding the baby" after church. 

 If you like her cutest-flipflops-ever & matching bow, my mom made them! 

Fun outing with Mommy. 

We got balloons, which is always exciting (um, for them atleast). 

G's blew away in the parking lot before we got in the car.  A sweet girl, who had 2 balloons, witnessed the event & G's massive tear flow & crossed the parking lot to give her one.  So thankful for parents who are teaching their children kindness, unselfishness, & compassion.  What a sweet girl!

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I get to spend every day of summer 

with these two!! 

Amazing, fun quality time with my 2 babies.  That's the good part.  

The bad part?

I'm struggling to find (any) time for this:

ADOPTION PAPERWORK

(This is me picking up our final, official, notarized Psych evals- an hour's drive away.)

This is what we've done so far in the Adoption process.  

No, these aren't copies; these are ALL seperate documents!

To be perfectly honest, I'm having a really hard time balancing being a very present, involved, great mom to G & K, a good wife & friend, keeping a decently clean home, feeding us healthy meals, keeping up with laundry & shopping, keeping chiropractic appts, 

sleeping (who am I kidding, once again), etc....

Oh, and completing the completely overwhelming, outrageous amount of paperwork awaiting.  Such a hard time, I haven't even been able to start our Dossier.  First of all, I have to make some calls tomorrow, b/c I'm confused on a few aspects of it and don't know where to start.  Hoping to work some things out tomorrow so I can get on it.  

Much of the Dossier is time sensitive.  Which means we need to do it now!  And, not only that, once we start, we have to finish quickly (again, due to the time sensitive nature of everything...papers 'expire.').  

I was really hoping to be finished with it by the end of August, which is like 6 weeks away.  I think we'd be ambitious to get it done by then, but never say never, right?  Right? 

(*I'm needing some convincing right about now...)

Feeling kind of down about the whole thing.  

Relying on His strength, guidance, favor, and His perfect plan.

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I am currently the mom of G & K.  They need me now.

I am in the process of being the mom of two more.  They need me now too.  

Only they can't come home until I get this work done.

And that is hard to swallow.

I'm trying, babies, I'm trying.

Hurrying to wait, 

~ 6 in Love ~