Tidbits

Chloe lost her second tooth this morning. She called Daddy and told him that even though it hurt, she didn't cry because she "had self-control". Perhaps we're really making headway in that area. Whew! (It has been a long time coming!)
Daniel's having his dental treatment tomorrow. By noon tomorrow, he'll have a whole new smile! Your prayers welcome.
We're finally getting landscaping in the front yard! It's a miracle. If anyone would like to donate a sprinkler system so we can keep it all alive. . .
Pedro has decided, with much consternation, to take a whopping 3 classes in the fall. So he should be able to graduate sometime before he turns 30. (Of course, he has no intention of moving out before then, so he may as well take his time. Pretty sure that's his thinking.)

My Latest Read

I've recently been re-reading "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti. (I read it the first time when I was in high school.) Luckily, since it's been so long all the suspense is still suspenseful. I can't put it down!
This has been a nice change for me. I'm always reading non-fiction (generally several at once) since I'm such an info junkie; the last time I read fiction was when we were on the plane to Chicago to pick up Maya, Isaac and Daniel. ("The Lights of 10th Street" by Shaunti Feldhahn and I can't recommend it highly enough.)
I've gotten so many flabbergasted looks when I tell someone: "I was just reading. . ." and they ask how I could possibly have time to read. You make time for the things you love. I love to read.

Dr. Jeckyl/ Miss Hyde

Earlier this week, we had our pastor and his wife over for dessert. Pastor Mike is a big fan of Lydia's, although we don't know why. Every Sunday, he flirts with her after church and every Sunday, she gives him a dead-pan look regardless of his attempts. I guess he likes a challenge.

While he was here, he asked about the pack n play in our living room. Kyle explained that it is my secret to homeschooling success. Lydia sits in the pack n play and watches a Baby Einstein or Signing Time video while I do seatwork with the big kids. Pastor Mike asked if Daniel sat in it with her. Kyle explained that Daniel would sit on the floor for the duration of the video, so he doesn't need it. However, sometimes Daniel asks to be put in the pack n play with Lydia. This doesn't last too long, we explained to him, as Lydia will start bullying Daniel before too long. Pastor was shocked!

Lydia has a Dr. Jeckyl/ Miss Hyde personality. She is goofy, energetic and bull-headed at home. In public, she is expressionless and still. I'm grateful that she doesn't throw fits in public like she does at home, but it makes me sad that others don't get to see the fun side of Lydia either.

Lydia isn't my easiest child (my 2 firstborn girls share that title), but she is so much fun to be around! She talks all the time, practicing her growing vocabulary as she comments on everything she sees. She is very aware of her status as baby of the family and uses the title to her full advantage. (Although she currently considers Daniel competition since he's the same size as she is.) When she is mad, she will definitely let you know! But it doesn't take much to entertain her and her laugh is very contagious!

We Have A Winner!!!

The Clark Dental Contest has now officially ended and Maya Clark is the declared winner. Maya was born in the small country of Liberia, on the West African coast. Typical of other Liberian children, Maya grew up without adequate nutrition or good dental hygiene. Her new adoptive parents, Kyle and Ginger, were prepared for extensive dental treatment for Maya and her brothers, Isaac and Daniel, who are also now Americans by adoption. Daniel was the first to visit the dentist. He had 7 cavities. Isaac had only two cavities, much to the delight of his loving parents. Maya, however, beat them both. She has only 1 small cavity. Way to go, Maya! We are so proud of you and your beautiful smile.

Pedro's Progress

Since I'm always blogging about the younger set, I figured I should say something about the other adult in our family. Pedro has been in our family for 2 years now! He works at Starbucks 25-35 hours/week and is in school part-time at the community college.

He is just beginning to go through the "finding yourself" phase of the teen years. He deserved a couple years of normal childhood before growing up.

He recently has discovered that not all families have chores and was quite frustrated by it. He kept telling us about his friends who don't do any cleaning or laundry. We explained that they are in for a tough transition to adulthood, but of course, that didn't satisfy him. Two weeks ago he went to New York to visit a friend. He came back complaining what a wreck his friend's apartment was. He looked around at the dirt and dust and said, "Who's chore is this? You need to clean up!" He told us how grateful he is for the training he received. (I didn't think kids said stuff like that until after they left the nest, so I was quite shocked by his humility!)

Several months ago, we gave him a budget so that he would know how to save money appropriately. (Spending comes quite easily for him.) Well, we never heard another word about it, so I wondered if he dismissed our advice. Yesterday, I asked him how much money he had in savings and he was able to tell me exactly what he had in his housing fund, education fund, and car repair fund. I was quite impressed!

Before & After

Here's the picture Elena drew for the triplets before they came home:

And here's a new picture I just found in one of Elena's drawers:

Here's what it says: Now we adopted the adopted kids. We R so happe. We hav mor boys. We hav 4 boys now. (She's including Kyle.) I love you Maya, Isaac, and Daniel. From Elena. To Maya & Isaac.

Home Economics

Home economics is a big part of our home schooling. Learning all the fruits and vegetables by name and where they are stored, learning spices & herbs by scent and what they are used for, learning the names and uses of all the cooking tools, and learning how to measure are important skills for my mommies-in-training. (These skills are not only for the girls, however. I've made sure to educate Pedro well in the kitchen, so his future wife will be blessed!) This year, I attempted letting the girls do some of the cutting. This has been off-limits for a long time, for good reason. After teaching them how to use a knife safely (and giving them a small one to use), I discovered that they can do a pretty good job. I don't leave their side while they have knife in hand, FYI.

Because of Chloe's eagerness to learn all things related to cooking, she now knows how to do some things on the stove. This particular night we were having spaghetti. Chloe did it all! I stood by and told her what to do next while she boiled and salted the water, cooked the noodles, browned and seasoned the beef, and stirred in the pasta sauce. She was giddy! Her best friend, Sophie, gave her an apron for her 4th birthday (one of Chloe's wishes) and she has gotten a lot of use out of it!