One Year Ago Today

One year ago, we met Maya, Isaac, and Daniel for the first time. We waited just outside of customs for over an hour and a half for them. We met several other families who were also waiting for their Liberian-Americans. For awhile I sat down right in the middle of the crowd as I was so tired of standing.
The first one I saw was Maya. She was shy but smiling. She sang and sang and was happy with whatever we gave to occupy her on the plane. (That much hasn't changed. Maya is a very grateful child. But she got over the shyness the very next day. Haven't seen that side of her since!)
Isaac was also very quiet but affectionate. He walked right into my hug and stayed leaning up against me so I'd keep my arms around him. When we got on the plane, we saw Isaac's fearful side. Kyle held him tight as the airplane took off and all I kept thinking was: I wish we could have calmed his fears for the last 24 hours he's spent in an airplane.
Daniel was confused and mad! He screamed when he was handed to me and hung like a 30 lb. sack of potatoes on my side. By the time we were halfway across the airport, my arm went numb. I was so scared I was going to drop him. His fit lasted all of 5 minutes and then he started self-soothing by singing Liberian songs to himself.

This past year has been hard . . . and wonderful!

We're Back!

We just got back from a super fun vacation atGreat Wolf is a resort with a HUGE (80,000 square feet) indoor waterpark. It was a BLAST! Daniel and Lydia pretty much stuck to either the wave pool or the kiddy play area.
When a wave came, Daniel jumped on all fours on his tube and rode the waves. Or he would dive into the wave as it came to him. He was fearless!
Lydia, on the other hand, preferred to stay as dry as possible while having her fun. She had been playing in the wave pool area half a day. Look at her. Half her hair is still dry!
They all loved playing in the basketball pool. Amber taught Maya and Isaac how to swim here:
Well, they loved different parts of the pool I guess. Chloe loved clinging to the side
She preferred the big fort
Look at that happy girlThis is where I preferred to be
I'd drag along whatever willing participant I could find. I especially loved the two slides that ended up feeding into the lazy river. Very relaxing after the adrenaline rush.
Of course, I also liked being rocked by the waves at the wave pool
Actually we all enjoyed the wave pool, but for different reasons
The hotel rooms were really cool too
The kids had their own little cabin with a bunk bed and a daybed. (We slept two to a bed, head to foot.) They even had their own tv and playstation which might have been neat if our kids played video games.
The decor in this place was really impressive
In the main area was a giant puppet show type thingy that played a few times a day. The story was all about being one with nature or something new agey like that. We avoided "story time".
A fun time was had by all
at Great Wolf Lodge

How I Handle the Comments

My friend, Faith, recently blogged about strangers who make comments about her kids, when they are all out together ("Are any of them adopted?") . All of her kids were adopted. She said, and I agree, that it doesn't make sense to ask if someone is adopted. Adoption is something that happens once, it is not an ongoing condition. People ask this in the same way they might ask a mom if her child is handicapped or if he is autistic. (All of these, in my opinion, are inappropriate fyi.)It is unlikely, however, that all of us adoptive parents are going to change the way people think about this. In fact, I hear just as many adoptive parents say that their kids "are adopted," so I've decided to get over it. I'm a fan of semantics, but you get a little tired of saying: "They're all mine"over and over as they keep looking at you like you just don't get it.But while you're here reading my opinions, I think the best way to ask that question would be: "Were any of your children adopted?" and I think it's much kinder to ask the parent alone, not in front of the children.
I suggested that Faith's answer to that question, which is frequently asked in front of her precious kiddos, might be: "As a matter of fact, ALL of them were hand-picked and they're just wonderful!"
Then I got a comment asking how I would respond to questions like this since all of mine weren't adopted.There have so far been two times that I've been asked "Are all of them adopted?" Both times, I gave a mischievous grin and said: "Half of them were, I'll let you guess which ones!" and I give a big dramatic wink.Here's the thing: my kids are going to have to get used to this type of questioning, regardless of how I feel about it. They know they are different and they know they don't look like their mom and dad. I choose to have fun with it and respond joyfully, teaching my kids to enjoy the attention they get.

Gotcha Day!

Tuesday morning, we started our vacation with a brunch celebration at The Original Pancake House. April 6, 2007 we brought Maya, Isaac, and Daniel home from Liberia. It is so hard to believe that a whole year has passed. I don't feel like I've accomplished enough in one year. I should have read more adoption books (and I read a bunch!) There are so many things that I'm just now figuring out!

We went to breakfast with our good friends, Paul and Amber, who adopted their Hannah two years before our three came home. They also brought along their neice, Autumn, a good friend to my girlies.
My pecan waffle was delicious. I feel full just thinking about it. Yum! Daniel ate 4 pancakes, 3 thick slices of bacon, an egg, and one of Kyle's potato pancakes. Lydia ate the same, minus the potato pancake. I expect them both to be an inch taller next week.
Paul kept commenting about all the eyes we were getting at our long table. With his one kid, he apparently isn't as used to it as we are. hehe
It was a fabulous way to start our vacation!

I'm Outta Here!

We heading out of town for a mini-vacation here:


We're going to have a soakin' good time! I'll be back this weekend to blog all about it.

Good Fats Part 2

We eat a lot of hot cereal at the Clark house. It's cheap, it's easy, and I'm a big fan of both of those (but you knew that already). Several nights a week, I measure out a bunch of steel cut oats and dump them in the crock-pot with 2.5 times as much water. I add 2 Tbs whey for added nutrition and set the appliance timer to cook my oats from 5-7 am on high. When we wake up in the morning and meander into the kitchen, breakfast is ready and waiting for us. Then I add some organic sugar, cinnamon, and a big spoonful of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil has been found to be one of the most healthful fats that people can eat, and it has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties. Populations in southeast Asia and the Pacific islands who use coconut oil as the primary source of fat often have less heart disease than people of other regions.

~Mountain Rose Herbs site

Here's what the yummy stuff looks like in my Mountain Rose gallon bucket (Trust me it's the best bargain I've found anywhere!):
We use coconut oil as a healthy substitute anywhere we would use butter. Remember the cookies I made once upon a time? (Hey, I may not bake very often, but when I do, it's healthy! Well, healthier anyway.)
So go ahead and bake those chocolate chip cookies you love, but make them with coconut oil. Your body will thank you!
And if you're baking, please come by so I can taste-test your creations. I'm a very skilled food critic.

Spring Fling

Yesterday we had our first annual Spring Fling (big celebration for all the Spring birthdays between my sister's family and mine). We met at the park for what turned out to be a very generous brunch. I made a complete glutton of myself and thoroughly enjoyed the bounty. [Thank you, Jamie, for the giant cinnamon rolls. They were fabulous!]
We hired our friend, Angela, as a face painter. She's an impressive artist! The face decor was the hit of the party! We'll definitely be requesting her presence again at the Fall Party.

Daniel instinctively backed into a hug from Uncle Mike after getting his face painted. I sure do love that little boy! Isn't he the cutest?
Stephanie and Alex are such sweet siblings. (I told you homeschooled kids have great sibling relationships. Look at that love!)
Liddy Bitty and her adoring Daddy:
Ainsley, Jamie's middle child, was only too happy to smile for the camera. She was having such a good time.Jamie's littlest, Lillian, is the sentimental type. She always reads the sappy cards before opening the gifts. She has such a thankful heart.
Stephanie and Maya: best friends & beautiful butterflies! More good friends: Dan & Tracy (parents to Maya's best friend, Stephanie & Isaac's best friend, Alex). They came over to play games with us after dinner that night. But we never actually stopped talking to play a game. Sat on the couch the whole night solving the world's ills. Good times! Grrrrrr! Isaac wants to try out for the musical, Cats! but I'm not too keen on being a stage parent. I don't think I'll let him.
Did you know a slinky could also pose as a clown nose? This picture is so indicative of their personalities. I can still hear Chloe and Ainsley giggling when I look at this silly picture:Pretty pretty Princess Elena:Party animals:
While I was taking pictures of all the painted kids, Shannon, my stepmom, snuck over to Angela's booth and had her own face painted! After almost two hours of face painting and relaxing socializing, we decided to go ahead and open presents. Bubba & Nana (my dad & stepmom) gave the kids a zoo membership and Nealy & Pappy (my mom & stepdad) gave them: (Drumroll, please.)

Something from our favorite store, Vision Forum. . .What is it??? There sure is a lot of it!
A complete set of Jonathan Park CDs!!! Woo-Hoo!
Daniel was also thrilled about his new set of Kid K'Nex. I was pretty thrilled about that one too. I'm a big fan of "play quietly" toys! [Dad, remember when I was a newlywed and I swore I wouldn't buy loud toys for my kids?? You laughed at me back then. Remember? Remember?? Who's laughing now, huh Dad? Who's laughing??]Isaac got a set of cap guns with a fancy shmancy holster. He was giddy! I immediately reminded him, with a big smile on my face, that those are outdoor toys. He knows this, though. He always plays the good cop. Um, I bought these for him. [Nevermind what I said earlier, Dad. I take it all back. But I still don't buy battery-operated toys!
Well . . . there is that one thing. Oh forget it!]

It was a great party and we're all looking forward to the Big Fall Party now.