Ponies and Pals

Okay, so isn't his birthday yet, but I am so pumped about Bobcat's party. WE are going to have it at this place where there will be pony rides, hay rides, petting zoo, pin the tail on the real donkey, stick horse races... I mean, how cool is this. Isn't this the party we all want at one time or another?!

5 years old should be a blow out, and that is exactly what it will be!

Halloween

My three princes and hubby and I dressed in a traditional safari theme. I was the Safari guide, hubby was the Nerdy Tourist (black socks and all), Bobcat was the Lion, Bubba was the Tiger, and Snookie was a roaring Monkey (his brothers would roar, and so would he).

The night started off wonderfully. We had a nice dinner, and grandma came over to hang out with the boys before and during the tricker treating event. We got the kiddos dressed and headed out the door. The first kid we came across was actually coming to our door, and the boys freaked... I mean climbing up our legs screaming in terror... and that is how a lot of the night went when it came to seeing other children dressed in costumes. But all in all the night was a true success! Lots of lute, and lots of fun pictures.

Meet my three

Through the extraordinary miracle of adoption I have 3 exceptional little boys! And on the advise of a dear friend and my husband, it is about time I put down in words what they have brought to our world!

So I'm pleased to introduce my three amigos to you...

Bobcat is the oldest. Nearly 4, he is wise beyond his years. Everyday he says something that it is just so... thoughtful or thought provoking. He is the first to ask WHY, and while he is trying to learn about the world around him... sometimes it just sends me into laughter with no answer proving to quinch his thirst for such knowledge.

Bubba is our middle son... and middle son is he ever, and a solid 3 years old in every way! Enough said :-)

Snookie, he is my little guy. At two years old he will probably be potty trained, reading, spelling... everything before Andrew.

So these are my boys. I will have to write more later... the amigos are calling for my attention!

Still my son... but by another name

Snookie, wow... what a special kid! For 5 days now he will only respond to the name Simba. Yes, as in Lion King... why, you got me. If you call him Snookie he looks right at you and says, "NO I'M SIMBA" and will not do what you want until you address him as Simba.

Please tell me that there are other three year olds that are doing the same thing.

Bubba is 4!

It turned out to be a small gathering for Bubba's birthday, but was just fine... because it was all about Bubba. This is kid is awesome. How easy going can one child be? And what a load of presents, mostly from us, but all totally worth it.

So he's four, basically the age Bobcat was when the boys came home... and that is just amazing to me. He can be so nice to his brothers... helping, playing, and just joking around. Always joking around, that's our Bubba.

Snookie's 3

When Snookie came to us, he hardly said a word, could hardly walk, and pretty much was just a bump on a log. Now at age three is running, and jumping, and never has a quiet moment it seems. Austin is such a busy little kid. He is probably happiest when no else is around to play with him. He has a great imagination and just loves to be alone with his 'playmates'... also know as his hands. Yep, if you hear voices, or talking trash, that would be one hand speaking to other. It gets quite comical, and at times very physical.

A year later

It had been months of anticipation, agony, disbelief.... waiting. And then it happened on a Monday afternoon one year ago today. We went from being a married couple to being a family, well, almost. We met our children for the first time.

No, not like most people meet their children, in a hospital room filled with loved ones after hours of breathing and pushing... no we went over to their foster mother's home with our social worker, after lunch at a burger joint on the corner. Nothing goes better with a nervous stomach than a cheese burger and fries.

There's really not much to the story other than we met them, played with them for about an hour in their home and then it was time to leave them and return the following day. But that is not why I'm writing the blog today, to recount that story, it is touch on who and what they are today a year later.

THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN. Their mannerisms are more like ours than anyone else, they talk the way we do, and their memories seem to begin with us. Take for instance this morning, I was talking to them about that day... they don't remember it... but they remember the rest of that week... it is as if they always knew us, there was just a time delay in when they got to live with us.

But they aren't the only ones who have changed, my husband and I are different as well... how could we not? Here we were a green couple by most standards, three and half years of marriage at the time and bam 3 little boys. Interesting way to get educated so to speak. Take for instance my night stand, before the boys it was littered with Catholic theology books and PCOS health books, PCOS diet books, blah blah blah. Now, raising Catholic children, homeschooling, being a good wife and mother and the list goes on.

Instead of my husband calling my cell phone to ask how work is going, or will I be staying late, it is to ask how the kids are and if there is anything he can do (i.e. bring home dinner, talk to the misbehaving one over the phone, or just to say what a good job I'm doing). Our emails before the kids went something to the effect of being tired of work, had a busy day, things are going great, or unhappy customers... Now, my spare moments for email are usually when the kids are napping and in between loads of laundry. The messages have the same underlying message except my 'customers' are now my children, and busy days aren't selling books or answering phones, it is house work, homeschooling, and play time.

They've all grown now, inches and inches. Their vocabulary really is incredible considering where it started. Motor skills, manners, and over all personalities have grown and matured. To look at pictures of that first week one year ago it is hard to recognize our children in those little faces. And they aren't the only ones how have grown, what once felt like a missing piece to our marriage and life is now over flowing with the sounds of three amazing boys!