Humming in her sleep...

Jemama talks in her sleep quite frequently, but this is a new one for me.  I'm not sure I would have believed it if I weren't sitting here listening to her.  I hope it means that she's having wonderful dreams!  We bumped her to 4th grade this year to try to get her caught up to her same-age peers before Jr. High.  It's giving us a run for our money right now, but I'm sure she'll do fine and it will be a good move.  

Funny

Shopping for clothes last Sunday - I'm sick of it, they're not. I started pointing out ugly clothes insisting that I wanted them. I guess I asked for this...
Me: (walking by a rack of bras - pointing to really ugly bra) Oooohhh, I want that!
Princess: Mom, why would you need a bra that big?

So cute when they sleep...

Learning to Skate

When my brother and I were kids we had these spring, "clip-on" roller skates.  When my brother and my mom went through the stuff in her basement they found the and were going to sell them at a garage sale.  I rescued them for the girls and their attempts to skate on them were really funny.  There was lots of screaming and laughing and they eventually were able to skate a few feet without some catastrophe.

Fourth of July

There is a big party in one of the parks every 4th of July.  There are lots of people selling things, people, dogs, food (with outrageously long lines),  etc.  We went last year and I just couldn't stomach it this year.  We took the dogs hiking instead.  It has been raining almost every afternoon recently and today was no exception.  We hiked in the rain because it wasn't raining all that hard.  About 10 steps into our hike I turned around for some reason and saw both kids watching Hershey roll in a BIG, green cow pie.  This is nothing new for Hershey, but sometimes she stops if I yell at her soon enough - no such luck today.  About another 10 steps into the hike I looked at Jemama and she had cow poop on her forehead.  Nobody knows how it got there, but we joked about it a lot.  We went a little further and ended up in a standoff with a steer.   He wasn't budging to let us pass.  Normally, if I were by myself, I would walk slowly around the steer.  Today, with one chihuahua and two very giggly girls, I decided that it would be a dumb idea.  We went back to where we parked instead, sat on a log and ate lunch.  The girls then wanted to climb a tree, so I gave them a boost.  Jemama got stuck and was laughing too hard to help me get her unstuck.  Eventually she got out - with a few scratches.  I didn't have my camera, so we'll just have to remember the funny pictures!

It poured in the afternoon.  Jemama was set on playing with her new Barbie pool outside and neither of the girls came inside:

We watched fireworks later.  I'm not sure which the girls enjoyed more - the fireworks or getting to sit in the front seat in the van.  The fireworks are usually really good, especially since our town is fairly small.  This year apparently a bunch of the fireworks were ruined by the big downpour we got around dinner time.  Oh well, good for us to realize how spoiled we've become!

Tidbit of news about adoption in Liberia

The only bit of information I have heard or found about adoption in Liberia is on the Rutledge Family Blog.  The official news story is posted on AllAfrica.com.  I'm so thankful that there are people who are willing and able to talk with the government officials and be listened to.

Hopefully there will be good news soon.  "M" is, at least in theory, ready to come home when the moratorium on adoption is lifted.  I would be grateful if you would keep him, and all of the other Liberian children waiting to come home, in your prayers.

Jemama's First Communion

Jemama received her first communion on May 3, 2009.  She was very excited and I was very proud of her.  She decided that she wasn't going to be nervous about the church being packed with people, which is normally very difficult for her.  She was all smiles the whole time!

Poppy the Chihuahua!

Introducing our new dog, Poppy.  He's about two years old and very snuggly - well, at least with me.  It took him awhile to warm up to the kids.

Proof that cats can't read:

Chicken Soup

For several years I had six chickens.  One died before the girls came home and two died over the past winter.  One day late this spring - on a Sunday - I went outside before the girls woke up to find that two of the chickens had been killed by something (very likely a raccoon, based on evidence).  I decided that since we had 6 baby chicks who would soon need the chicken coop, I would kill the third one and butcher all three.  Please understand, I despise killing anything and was a vegetarian before the two obligate carnivores (aka Jemama and Princess) came home.  I was very glad that I found the chickens before the girls, but knew that I had to tell them about it.  I told Jemama when she woke up and she was, expectedly, very upset.  She ran into her room crying and was very angry at the raccoon.  I was trying to console Jemama when Princess woke up.

Princess:  What's wrong?

Mom:  A raccoon killed two of the big chickens.

Princess:  (Sad) Did they kill Rosie?  (The favorite chicken).

Mom:  Yes.

Jemama:  Still crying.

Princess:  (after a pause)  Mom, are we having chicken soup for dinner? 

Still waiting....

Well, we are still waiting for "M" to come home. There has been a moratorium on adoption in Liberia since 1/26/2009. There is word through the grapevine that the moratorium might be lifted when President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf returns to Liberia from her current trip to the U.S. However, only time will tell when the moratorium is lifted. It will also still take some time for "M" to be ready to leave the country - paperwork needs to be reviewed again, etc. I'm really trying to get back in the habit of posting regularly so stay tuned!

Update: J&P Ran a Race!

There was a 5K/10K race in town recently that was a memorial for a wonderful young man who was killed tragically a couple of years ago. One of the teachers at the girls' school was encouraging the kids to walk or run the race, which supports the school and several worthy causes. Princess and Jemama said that they wanted to do the race and had been practicing by running around the park when they went there in the afternoons. Of course, they were running barefoot, since that is what they were accustomed to in Liberia.

Since they hadn't done anything like this before, I rode my bike and checked on each of them throughout the race. Well, at least through the first half - after that I didn't catch Jemama again until just after she crossed the finish line. Princess walked the whole race with her friend, Derk, and they had a great time talking with people and keeping each other company. Jemama ran the whole race and found a few women to run with for most of the race. Princess finished in ~1:03:19 and Jemama finished in ~33:56. They had fun and were happy to recognize the loss of a great person and to contribute to the charities that will benefit from the race.

Princess and Derk on their way.

Jennifer, the teacher who encouraged the girls to run, pacing Jemama in the beginning of the race.

Princess and Derk hoofin' it.

Jemama and her running partners.

Jemama at the finish - she beat me across the finish line and I was on my bike!

Princess racing for the finish.

Update - First Hike w/ J&P and first w/out Boo

When we got back from vacation, Boo was having a lot of problems. She was stumbling, bumping into things, falling, losing her balance while standing still, etc. Long story short, she is fine now and a very kind and patient veterinarian determined that she was suffering from an overdose of Potassium Bromide (one medication used to control her occasional seizures). There was a mixup somewhere with dosing instructions and I was giving her more than double what she should have been getting. Since we corrected the dose she has returned to the same Boo we know and love.

In the mean time, in mid-June, the girls and I took Hershey for a hike and the girls got their first experience of hiking in the mountains. We went to a place fairly close to home that is great for playing and letting the dogs run. Boo had to stay home because she was having trouble staying upright in the house and driving and hiking with her were out of the question. Here are some pictures of their short, but fun, adventure.

The girls with Boo-Bug when she wasn't feeling too good.

Hiking through a meadow.

Jemama checking out the log "bridge."

Playing with algae - gross, but really fun!

Hershey checking out the weird humans.

Update - Vacation to Wisconsin in June

In early June we took a road trip to Wisconsin to visit family.  I was adopted as an infant and found my birth mother when I was 27 years old and have had a wonderful relationship with her and the rest of her family.  It's hard to believe that we haven't know each other forever.  We went to visit Barbara, her husband Wayne, Wayne's daughter (my sister) Lisa, her family, my other sister Claire and her family - who had traveled from Texas - I think that's it.  The girls got to meet their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time.  We all had a wonderful time.  

Safe way to get an up close and personal view of a bison.  

Two little cuties in the Badlands, South Dakota. 

Princess jumping rope in Baba's driveway.

Princess and her cousin, Sasha (5).

A local zoo with wild animals and a petting zoo.  Princess, Nataliya, Bear, Jemama.

Princess riding a bike and loving it!

McKinzie, Grandpala (Sasha's name for him that stuck), Sasha, Georgia, Jemama, Princess, Baba, Nataliya

Shucking corn for dinner.

Georgia getting in on the action and working hard.

Celebrating McKinzie's 7th birthday!

On the way home - saying hello to past presidents and running off some energy.