What's for Dinner?

Monday morning grocery list time......and we're feeling really uninspired! Ever just get in a rut and feel like you keep eating the same things over and over again? That's us right now which makes making our menu plan for the week and grocery list a CHORE.

So, what's for dinner at your house? Maybe not literally TONIGHT, but do you have a great recipe to share that is easy at at least fairly healthy? We could use a few new ideas! :)

Here's ours- Chicken Tortilla Soup. We're addicted to this lately- even our kids eat it! It's also very EASY and hearty (so it is filling).

Soup before being "garnished":


Soup ready for serving with all the fixings:

SO Thankful!

This will be our new home!

It's a really cute, but completely manageable New Englander in a really great neighborhood full of kids. The yard is way smaller than we thought we would have considered until we took all of the other benefits of this house and this neighborhood into consideration. One of the benefits was the neighborhood of cul-de-sacs that is PERFECT for riding bikes (a favorite past time for a certain boy I know)!! As an added benefit, it is 5 minutes from my parent's house who have an amazing yard and a pool if we really just need to expend some energy and we don't want to go to the park!

So, the hunt is over, and in 6.5 weeks, we'll be living in a new home! We're SO thankful!

Lazy, Comfy Days

Lazy, Comfy Days are Sawyer's favorite thing! Every day he wakes up and asks, "Are we having a 'Lazy, Comfy Day' today?" Apparently, he shares my loathing for having too much going on- and my love for a day free from any sort of commitment.

Lazy, Comfy Days are loosely defined as days when we have no plans, and ideally, we don't have to leave the house (I suppose this would include the yard if we had one and didn't live in the city). If during a Lazy, Comfy Day, I announce that we have to run a quick errand, I get cries of protest because that's not in "the rules". Besides, it also means I have to take them to the store wearing whatever it is they have on- and sometimes, it can be quite a sight.

For Sawyer, Lazy, Comfy Days are also defined by the fact that he can wear whatever he wants on those days- which always involves "comfy" pants (which would be sweatpants in winter or soft, cotton, elastic waist shorts in summer). I'm not sure how the whole "Lazy, Comfy Day" thing got started, but we try to have at least one a week (I generally clean the house while they make a mess right behind me!). It has been GREAT- I think we ALL look forward to Lazy, Comfy Days around here. Here are some picture of our pursuits on our last few Lazy, Comfy Days. By the way- we're having a Lazy, Comfy Day today! :)
That is the "rice bucket"- basically an indoor sandbox except with rice in it. This is great for rainy days or winter days. Just put a sheet under the bucket, and the mess is VERY easy to clean up. My kids LOVE this.

Dress up, of course!

Play-doh!

Sawyer reading to Chloe while I was doing dishes!

If it is a really rainy or wintery day, we might even camp out with a movie!

Life is grand when you are wearing sweatpants and have no where to go- that's the motto Sawyer lives by! :)

Good Morning!

Who says 3:45AM isn't morning?

I say, given the right set of circumstances, 3:45AM is definitely morning. Today, I made the executive decision that the day started at 3:45 AM and I couldn't have ben happier about it.

Why, you ask? BAD night. Sawyer started woke up yesterday with a sore throat, by dinner it was definitely a cold, by 10PM (and three hours into night for him), we were into croupy coughing, difficulty breathing, and full-on drama. The trouble with Sawyer is that he completely freaks out over having his nails clipped (no exaggeration there). So, when he is sick, it is hard to determine what is legitimate freaking out and what is pure histrionics. I'm fairly certain last night was a bit of both.

Thank goodness Scot and I live like the typical 90 year old couple, and we were in bed by 9:07PM last night, because we woke up for the first time at 10:15PM. After that, I lost track it was so much and I was SO beyond tired. At some point, I just gave up and climbed in bed with Sawyer. That helped him relax enough to get an hour or so of sleep. By 2AM, I was thinking, "When will this night just be OVER already?" So, at 3:45AM when Sawyer said, "When is it morning so we can go downstairs?" I simply said, "It is morning, buddy. Let's go." I feel empowered (if completely exhausted) by that decision. :)

So, we are watching Toy Story while the sun rises. Ah, morning. I've never been so happy to be done with night! Even better? Sawyer is doing much better now that he's up (and distracted). We're headed to the doctors at 9AM, which I figure is about lunch time!

The good news here is that there will be naps all around today but, even so, I'm pretty sure that by 2PM I'll be saying, "When will this DAY ever end?"


PS- I know there is one too many conjunctions in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph, but I'm too tired to reword it. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my brain is on board with the "3:45AM-is-morning" thing!

Blues Toddler

Chloe woke up this morning and almost immediately picked up a harmonica and started playing. I don't know where she even found it- I haven't seen it in ages. She spent quite awhile playing it while sitting on our bed snuggling. When I announced that it was time to go downstairs for breakfast Chloe replied, "I singin' the blues. Be quiet!"

This girl comes up with something new every day! :)

Keep the Chapmans in Prayer

Please remember to pray for the Chapmans today. It's only been one month since Maria went home to heaven. I'm sure this will be a very, very difficult day for them.

The Gap

Why does it always come down to $10,000? It really seems so little if you think about it. Don't get me wrong, $10,000 is a LOT of money to me almost any way you look at it. However, in the grand scheme of buying a house, that isn't a whole lot of money- especially not here in New England.

But, I'll tell you what- that relatively small amount can make or break a deal- even in this market. We've now put offers on two houses, and in each case, we predetermined how much we would/could pay for it (thank goodness). We prayed about it and also took the house's condition, our agent's advice, and the state of the market today into consideration before deciding what was OUR top dollar for each house. In each case, it has come down to a difference of just $10,000- a non-negotiable gap between what the sellers want and what we are willing to pay. Frustrating- especially since we have got to be a rare breed these days: buyers ready to move ASAP with nothing to sell! Frustrating- because in spite of all the people telling us "it is the time to buy" and that it is a "buyers market" (oh, if I only had a dollar for every time someone said that to me), there are a LOT of sellers out there who have not come to terms with the fact that their house is not worth what is was two or three years ago. They still want tippy-top dollar. Just frustrating.

Yet, at the same time, it is somewhat comforting. Going into the negotiation knowing what is the most you will pay allows you to let go and walk away with confidence and not allow your emotions to take over (ok, so Scot had to pry my fingers off of this one, but it was SO cute). I also know that God knows exactly the house for us, and apparently it is even better. I can't wait to see it. I'm fairly certain it isn't on the market yet though- I think we've seen everything currently for sale that meets our qualifications.

Within all this, our first priority is to have money set aside at all times ready and waiting to travel to China for our daughter. So, when you think about it, that $10,000 is worth every single penny. I wouldn't give away a dime of it for anything in the world!

Guilt-Free Treat

OK, it will still have the calories, but you'll be helping kids who need families find homes! So, head out to Wendy's today or tomorrow and buy a round of Frostys for everyone! It's a GREAT excuse to indulge!

Drumroll please.......

Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

We finally got word that our Log In Date (LID) is May 30, 2008!!!!! We are SO excited!!

What does that mean (for those of you NOT familiar with the process)? Well, means that our dossier (all the paperwork it took us 5 months to compile) has been logged in at the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) and we are simply awaiting a referral (match with a child) at this point. Everything we can do, is done. In the adoption world, we are considered to be "paper pregnant". We're expecting a baby- it's just a matter of time.

What now? Our dossier will be moved to Department 1 in the CCAA which is the "Review Room". In the Review Room, our dossier will be reviewed to make sure everything is in order and that we are ready to go. During that process the CCAA can request more info, clarification, or just about anything else, so we're praying that we will be passed through review without a hitch. Right now, the CCAA is reviewing dossiers submitted during November 2006 (I think). So, we have a long time to wait even for that. Once our dossier has been reviewed, it will go to Department 2, the Matching Room. That's where they will match us with our daughter based on the information and pictures we supplied in our dossier.

Unfortunately, as simple as it really is, the wait is VERY long. For us, it will probably be a 4 year wait, but in reality, we have no idea what God has in store for us. So, we'll wait on Him to find out when/where our daughter will come from. However, since the CCAA works by date, we know for sure that our LID means quite a bit in determining who our daughter will be (unless we pursue a waiting child at some point along the way- more on that later!). So, this is very exciting news indeed! Thanks for sharing it with us!!!

Last, but not least, thanks to Rebecca for creating the perfect scrapbook page pictured above for us to hold onto while we wait!

Let the waiting begin! (What's new, huh?)

Poetry in Motion

I have a new favorite drive time activity: "writing" poetry. One of the kids will say something that sounds remotely poetic. So, I'll say, "That sounds like a poem to me!" That's Sawyer's cue to start thinking of rhyming words to add into our poem. (He's really much better at free verse- shall we call it?- but the rhyming is a good skill for his age, so we rhyme.) He provides the rhyming words, and often the IDEA for any particular line, but he's still working on getting what he wants to say to fit into the rhythm of the poem- that's where I come in. We're still working on that piece- still reading lots of the books I pulled out in April for National Poetry Month so he can learn to hear the rhythm of poetry!

So, my job is to take everything the kids (mostly Sawyer) provide and turn it into a poem. I also ask lots of leading questions that gets them thinking "poetically". (This game makes me miss teaching a bit!) Sawyer LOVES this and is so proud of all the poems we write. Just last night we came up with my favorite so far in just a 10 minute car ride. Sawyer was able to recite the whole thing to Scot when we got home! It started when Sawyer saw the moon, and Chloe said, "The moon is sleeping." I asked, "Where does the moon sleep?" and a poem was born. These are the moments I LOVE about motherhood!

The moon is sleeping
in the sky
While all the stars
begin to cry.
The planets that are
passing by
scratch their heads
and wonder
why?

By the way....

No news yesterday. Our social worker said she had her fingers crossed for today. No news today either. I have a feeling we are QUITE low on the priority list.

No house news either.

Today I win "The Most Boring Blog Post Ever" award!

Chloe Sings

This is for you, Jess!

Answers soon?

Maybe we'll have an answer on something today. Supposedly, our agency called the CCAA overnight (it was day in China) and is hoping to have an answer regarding our log in date for us today. Again, if something else was more important, that may not have happened. However, with a short calm in the adoption world now that referrals are in for this month, maybe we'll be at the top of the list!

We're also putting in our "official" offer on that house today. It is quite a bit lower than what they say is their rock-bottom price. We'll see what happens.

Thankfully, today isn't 100 degrees with 99% humidity like yesterday was, so it's bound to be a good day. At least we can breathe today. That's always a plus!

Awkward Moments

OK, I've been putting off this post for a bit- mostly because it gets me a little bit worked up. However, I know those of you in the adoption community might have some good advice for me, and maybe those of you that aren't might learn something. The rest of you will probably just be surprised (not in a good way) at the things people will say.

Recently, we've had a lot of insensitive comments regarding our adoption. I know, people mean well. Well, MOST people do. Unfortunately, I've come to the realization that faced with a conversation regarding international adoption, you can learn a lot about people you had really respected a lot just a few minutes before the conversation started. Not so much afterwards.

Awkward moment #1: At a graduation party, the conversation turned to kids. Someone turned to me and asked me a direct question:

"Are you going to have more kids?"
"Yes, we're adopting a baby girl from China."

*Dead silence*
*Change of subject*

I dare say the response would have been very different had I announced we were pregnant! Why is this any different? We're still expecting a baby, and we are beyond excited about it!

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Awkward moment #2: When talking to a friend of ours, this comment was made:

"So, what's going on with that kid in China?"
*Scot stunned to silence (which is almost impossible to do)*
Scot: "Do you mean our daughter, Ruby?"

Is it me or is this really bothersome? I mean, this is a child we are dreaming about, talking about, and planning for. She's not "that kid" in China to us. And besides, what half-sensitive adult talks about a child that way- especially to an expectant parent? Just isn't the right way to word that question, am I wrong?

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Awkward Moment #3: At the birthday party of a friend's daughter, I was swinging Chloe on the swings while talking to a mom of a little girl from Sawyer's preschool class. The conversation turned to pregnancy and babies and such, and she asked me if we planned to have more kids. I told her about our adoption and I think we talked a little bit about it before she said:

"So, are you doing this for, like, charity?"

I'd type my response except that I'm not actually sure what I said. I'm fairly certain I turned into a bumbling idiot because I was so taken off guard by the comment. Honestly, what DO you say to that? I'm not giving money to PETA or donating clothes to the Salvation Army- we're adding a child to our family because we want another child. Charity? I mean, I guess I know what she's asking, but then again, not really. What IS she asking? If we think adopting our daughter is some sort of good deed that will score us big points with God or something?

NO, adoption is NOT charity. It is just another way to add to your family. However, when you say that you were brought to adoption because you felt God calling you to that, people see that as charity. But, if we were to adopt a dog, people wouldn't see THAT as charity. They'd just see that we wanted a dog in our family, so we adopted a dog who needed a loving home. Does anyone consider THAT charity? NO. So, why do I have to answer that question in regards to adopting a CHILD? We want more kids, there are kids in the world that need a home, we prayed about whether to add to our family, and the answer was yes- adopt.

I could get up on my soap box here, but it wouldn't be pretty. Soon, I'll post the whole story of how we realized adoption was the plan for our family. I guess people just need help understanding. Maybe that will help.

Until then, I'd love to hear how any of you who have adopted or are adopting deal with awkward moments and insensitive comments. I need some gracious responses to pick from when this happens again!

For Father's Day

Since Father's Day is next weekend, I thought I would recommend my favorite "dad" book. It is called My Dad by Anthony Browne. It is the perfect choice for any kid who adores their dad and thinks he can do anything. My dad bought it for Scot when Sawyer was born, and we read it quite a bit!

FYI- Anthony Browne also has a books called My Mom and My Brother which are also worth checking out, but My Dad is the best book of the trio!

Updates All Around

I have an update on our LID situation and on our house hunt.

First, LID update #3: No real news. I talked to our social worker and she said that the people at their Beijing office go to the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) daily to check on various things, but have to ask about the most important things first. She basically told me that they assume I've been logged in, so this is not a priority. I understand that people's referrals and their travel arrangements come first, so that's fine. She said she hopes we will hear next week, but fully assumes that we'll know within the month. So, at some point, we'll be a priority to ask about I assume.

If they are correct that we were indeed logged in, but not reported as so, then we can assume that we have a LID before June 2nd. I wanted to be in May, so I'm hopeful that is the case. The group of dossiers that went to China on May 23rd were logged in June 2. We were DTC (Dossier to China) on May 9th. So, hopefully we were logged in mid-May sometime.

The only concern I have about them waiting to ask is what IF were WERE NOT logged in and some weird thing happened. The sooner we know that the better, right? I'm going to wait it out a bit and then go from there. So what we know is nothing really!

Now, a house update: The seller's agent for the house we put an offer on ran the comparables and conceded that their price was too high. They counter-offered at a price halfway between our offer and their asking price, but it still is not close to the actual value of the house. The house is 35 years old, and while aesthetically nice on the inside, it needs a lot of updating including windows, siding, and a new heating system. So, we'll counter offer with two offers: one just a little more than we offered originally, and another saying that we will pay their new price if they do all the updating. We have nothing to lose at this point. I'm just praying. If this works out, it will be entirely of the Lord!

LID Update #2

I just got another e-mail from our social worker in response to my e-mail asking when we should expect to hear. I mean, it is important to me to find out what happened. I'm hoping it is important to our agency as well, but I'm not getting that feeling:

We don't know how long it will take to get an answer. I think that our Beijing office will inquire tonight, but it does not necessarily me that they will be able to obtain an answer from the CCAA right away. I hope it is soon though... I know you do too! We should have referrals soon. Keep your fingers crossed that they will arrive early next week. It is always fun to see all of the babies' pictures.

Referrals are great, don't get me wrong, but can't she just say, "I'm sorry this is happening, we'll get to the bottom of it as soon as possible for you"? OR.....call me crazy....how about a PHONE CALL? I appreciate any info, really I do, but when it is something like this that I have a million questions about, shouldn't that be an automatic phone call? I've called three times to find it busy (to her direct dial line). This last time I left a message. With the time difference, I'm guessing she has about 30 minutes to pick up the message and get back to me today. Otherwise, I won't hear anything till tomorrow.

I keep reminding myself of this: the date that we are logged in makes all the difference in the world as to who our daughter will be, and the Lord knows exactly who she is and the timing of our LID. I'm confident of that.......I'd just like some answers here on the earthly side of things! :)

LID Update

I got an e-mail from our social worker this morning with the subject line "Your LID". I was pretty darn excited, but no such luck. Here's what she said:

I just wanted to let you know that we just received some LID's for families whose dossiers were sent after yours. We are looking into it, trying to see if we can obtain your LID, and it is not the first time that this has ever happened. Your dossier has probably been logged in and the CCAA just forgot to post your LID to the database that our agency uses with them.

I'm not sure if that is good news or bad news, but it is at least news. Who knows how long till we know what the deal is, but you know I'll post here as soon as I know something.

In the "News"

Thought I'd post this link to a story about my mom. My mom has gone to Africa three (maybe four) times as a short-term missionary to help with providing dental care to the people there. My mom is a labor and delivery nurse, so she usually helps a local midwife or doctor there while the dental team does their work- and once she even delivered a baby!

On one trip, she met a little orphan named Doris. When I say she was an orphan, I mean it in the truest sense of the word- no one was caring for this girl. NO ONE. I do believe she has now been "adopted" by a couple there in Camaroon. When my mom shared Doris's story with a local Girl Scout troop, this is what they did. I thought it was worth sharing!

3.5 weeks

It has now been three and a half weeks of waiting for our LID. Thankfully, I've been busy, but our social worker made the mistake of telling us that she'd be calling us in 2-3 weeks. So, now that we are past that mark, I'm jumping up every time the phone rings or checking my e-mail 4 times a day. I just want to KNOW.

I am not a good waiter. Have I mentioned that? Actually, what I have discovered is that I am a great waiter until it gets close to (or past) the expected time of whatever I'm waiting for. Then, I'm impatient.

I'm hopeful that the end of the week will bring news, but am also thankful that we have a weekend full of fun stuff to distract me from the waiting if we don't get news by Friday!

Back to the Drawing Board

The sellers agent said that she wouldn't even bring that offer to the sellers- they wouldn't even consider it. Our agent asked to see comparables that she feels will justify the price. We'll see what she comes up with although, I doubt it will change anything (especially since there ARE no comparables at this price). They have mentally owned the money they plan to make from this house, so I'm sure it will be hard to take anything less, and certainly not anything near the actual value of the house.

Therefore, we are clear that unless something drastically changes with the situation, we will not be pursuing this house.

That's too bad. It was cute, but it is just a house. Moving on. :)

House Update

Here's a quick update as to where we stand. Even before we got to the showings last night, Scot and I were in complete agreement as to which house was right for us. We went to the showings and that confirmed what we were feeling.

Here's the "problem": they are asking about $55,000 more than the house is actually worth according to our real estate agent and our estimations (and their tax assessment). Also, if you consider the market, they really just aren't even close to a price that would allow their house to sell. That would be why this adorable little house has been on the market almost a year- waiting for us! :)

We've been looking at this house for probably two months or more. We've been praying about it even before we saw it. The seller's agent said to us at the first showing, "Just make an offer" and "they are concerned mostly with finding a good, young, Christian family to live here." OK, who says that? When we left that showing, Scot said, "That's our house!" The waters were muddied a bit when we saw the other house, but stepping back into this house just reminded us again that this is the house for us.

We are completely at peace making an offer $60,000 less than their asking price. The craziest part? We actually believe they might meet us where we think we should be. Of course, that doesn't mean we're right, but we will feel good about walking away if they don't. We will not budge more than $15,000 on our price, and even that is a stretch. In order for us to feel really good about this sale, they have to meet us very close to our offer. It would be entirely of God if that happens. Nice place to be.

So, our agent is going to call their agent today and basically feel out the situation mentioning that he cannot find any comparables in their price range and that it seems to him like it is worth more like $XXX,XXX and that that price is what we are planning to offer. Basically, he's going to ask if it is worth us writing up a formal offer at that price of if they would just laugh us off. If she's up for it, we will formally make the offer.

Today, we'll wait to hear from him with news about how that conversation goes. I'll write when I hear! Thanks for praying!! Gosh, I hope she at least lets us make the offer- I SO want to post the picture I have!!