Paul and I rarely get time alone to try new things. I have also become quite the chicken in my old age...actually I like to blame it all on the children (who wants to die doing something ridulous?)! Let me also state for the record,I have never really wanted to be dangled from a overgrown kite hundreds of feet above an ocean filled with man-eating sharks. Well I am not sure what happened but before I knew it we were signed up for all kinds of craziness! The trip to the parasailing boat was 10 times as much fun as the parasailing! We had to ride the big banana pulled by a jet ski and it was wet, wild and wacky!
I made Spencer (my cousin) and his girlfriend Kayla go first...to put off the getting in the air for as long as possible!! They were cute and loved it (young people?!?!?!) and saw lots of sea turtles!
Once it was our turn I liked it for about 8 or 9 seconds...then I looked at the little bitty teeny tiny rope that was holding us to the boat. It was about the diameter of a dime! So I began to get a bit queasy! Then I realized the only thing holding me into the "seat" were 2 metal clips...SERIOUSLY... who invented this activity!?!?
I asked Paul politely if I could throw up and he said no that he was down wind...so I struggled not to. I also realized quickly not to look behind me! I began to relax a bit and then it was time for our two water dips! I was SO nervous...I was afraid they wouldn't be able to get us up again! They did and we lived....but I am still not doing it again!

Below are Spencer and Kayla!

(Below is us on the banana....I seriously thought Spenc was gonna fall off (with out cameras).

Mothers Day/Arrive in America Day!

Okay so we have been rather confused as whether the boys Gotcha Day should be.Should it be the day we "got them" in Ethiopia or the day they got America, the day the 7 of us were together, the day we were a complete family, the day they "got" the extended family etc.
So this year I truthfully lost track of time or days I should say. So the day we "got them" passed full of craziness! So I planned on making Monday the Gotcha day...the day we arrived in America. Well I am a total goofball and mixed up my dates again...turns out the 9th was on Sunday NOT Monday...seriously how dumb...right?!?! So while we are at my aunts for Mothers Day...I realized it. So our Mothers Day dinner was also our Gotcha Day!

Our morning started very early. Madelyn is in the church choir and arrived at church at 8am. The choir led all three services for worship. Madelyn was so excited she had counted down the days for this (little drama queen loves the stage!). **front center row in a butterfly dress.

We left church and had planned to eat lunch with Pauls parents but after not figuring out a place we all agreed on we decided to do a raincheck. So I chose Famous Daves! I love all of their food...it is not Pauls favorite so i figured I needed to use the "mothers day card" . It worked and it was a lovely meal!

Next we went to Aunt Doe's to eat with my entire family. Spencer decided to bake brownies and I think he had more help than he could have imagined! After they all fought to lick the bowl he just put them on the ground! I told him you could tell the only thing he is used to caring for is a dog!

My mom opens her gift, a colorful necklace and earrings! (Notice her shirt...this is the shirt they wore at the airport when we arrived home!) She had realized it was the 9th and even gave the boys a gift....a fun Play-Doh set!

So momma has to have a pic with all of her kiddos..my poor uncle cannot see without his cheaters which should explain the pic!!hehe

Here we are with 4 generations! My grandma, mom, aunt, me and the girls!

Hmm sorry about the pic being sideways! (it takes too long on blogspot do re-do all of these!!)

Here is Paul and his mama and of course my camera lovin girl, Madelyn!

Here is a pic of the boys with mamaw and papaw on their 1 year anniversary of being "home"!

1 year ago today!

One year ago today I boarded a plane in Rome bound for another foreign land....a land that was the birthplace and home of my two youngest sons.
One year ago today I saw Africa, for the first time in my life.
One year ago today I saw Ethiopia, the only home my sons had ever known.

One year ago today I saw the sign for KVI, my boys home for nine months of their little lives.

One year ago today I trembled as we entered the gate of the orphanage.

One year ago today I gave two little boys their first bath.

One year ago today I watched my little bitty boy drinking from a cup. A cup he shared with all the toddlers in the baby room.

One year ago today I was able to watch my little boy eat a meal.

One year ago today I watched a little boy who had lost so much sitting in his mamaw's lap.

One year ago today I watched our big boy sing and dance leading his orphanage friends.

One year ago today I was kissed by my 2nd son for the first time.

One year ago today I held two little boys that I had loved for 8 months but had only held in pictures.

One year ago today I stood on one continent with two children I had waited for, prayed for and imagined in my head for over a year.

One year ago today I watched my precious husband cry as he held our son for the first time.

One year ago today I saw the tenderness in the little boy that held on to his new daddy for dear life.

One year ago today I saw the maturity in a teeny tiny boy who asked "Is it my turn to go, my turn to go to America?"...really he knew what was happening?!?

One year ago today I was a mother of 5 and actually felt like it.

One year ago today I could verify that giving birth to a child and traveling down a gravel road and being handed a child is all the same.....love at FIRST sight.

One year ago today I examined every little piece of each boy...toenails, eyelashes, belly buttons and ears.....just like I did on my newborns.

One year ago today I realized that I waited for nine months from our referral until meeting my boys....funny that is how long I waited to meet the bio kids!!

One year ago today I could not imagine that today my Camden would be so smart, so healthy, so American, so MINE!

One year ago today I turned around and there was my new "baby".

One year ago I ached for your to dive into my arms.

One year ago today I held you as you trembled and cried silent tears.

One year ago today I thought I would hurt you, I wanted to squeeze you so tightly and you seemed so fragile.

One year ago today I saw you as scared, frightened, sad, worried and unsure. I would never imagine that in 365 days you would be bright, bubbly, brave, funny, sassy, charismatic and so, so much more!

One year ago today we arrived in Ethiopia to change the lives of two little boys. Two little boys who had lost everything. Two little boys with no family, no food, no shelter, no toys.....Well guess what? They changed our lives instead. They changed the lives of a middle class family who has family, who has food, who has a home and toys...too many toys!!! They have changed the lives of neighbors, friends, church members, family, strangers....

Their precious spirits just draw people in. Their outgoing personalities strike up conversations.

Their crazy hair makes people stop. Their little bodies but big smarts amaze.

They were "known when they were in their mothers womb"...God knew they would be Americans, God knew they would be Maynards, God knew they would change the world even if just as an adoption story.

One year ago today I became your mommy!

Workboxes

We have been using workboxes nearly all of this school year, and they truly changed our school dynamics!! I am not sure how I schooled without them now! A woman named Sue Patrick invented the system and has book on it. She designed them for a child with ADD but I truly believe they are great for any child.
The basic idea is that each child has a number of drawers, file folders, boxes, bins, magazine holders...etc. (You can use what ever system you choose, however the principle behind it is a visual one...so if you have a visual learner or ADD child you may not want to use the file folders).
We chose to use the Sterilite clear drawers (set of 6) for Carson (3rd) and Madelyn (1st)...I also purchased an extra set and I use that for Cam & Ann (ages 4). I bought mine at Staples and they were about $29 each...pricey but worth it!
So each day (or on occasion, the night before!) I stock the drawers with 6 things (sometimes less) that each child can complete on their own or with a bit of help from mom.
This sounds too simplistic...but it works. The children know what is expected of them, they know the order they need to go in, they can see their work at a glance so they realize what is expected of them to finish for the day etc. With multiple children they can all get started and work side by side on different things without the dreaded "What do I do next?" or "I'm all done" (when they are NOT!)!!

So what goes in them?

Well for my 3rd grader it is usually any of his "workbook" work...so handwriting, copywork, reasoning, Wordly Wise, spelling (he brings that to me and I give him the test), Apologia review work or crosswords, math, pen pal letters (include envelope, stamp, paper) etc.
I like to throw in a card game with Maddie, a puzzle, 15 minutes of free time, build a lego structure etc. Just a little something to break up the day and add a little hands on activity.

For Madelyn (1st grade) I keep things a bit more spiced up, because she is a struggling learner and too many "workbooks" send her into a puddle of emotional breakdowns! So hers usually have 2 "fun" things each day...now by fun I mean an art project, drawing project, pen pal letter, fun journaling page, preschool activity bag, art dobbers, etc.
Her other boxes would be spelling, phonics, math, handwriting etc.

For Annie & Cam (4 year olds) I keep it all hands on fun with maybe one handwriting page or themed activity. So if we are studying farm animals they might have a farm animal printable book, farm lacing cards, construction paper with farm stickers, a mini play-doh with a cookie cutter...etc. They can do the boxes in any order. Any many times I do not even switch theirs out daily..maybe weekly.


Our drawers fit under each childs desk. Attached are numbers 1-6 that are laminated and velcroed on do each drawer...as the drawer is finished they remove the number and place it in a tray. This way at a glance they can see what is left to do!

A card game for an older child..

a preschool activity bag....

This is what I plan to implement next year. This will be laminated. The way this will work is that there will be picture discs for any number of these spots. #1 might be brush teeth, #2 might be make bed #3 might be get dressed then #4,5,6,7,8,9 will be the workboxes , #10 will be clean your jurisdiction, #11 etc...

I am adding this because the visual-ness of the workboxes work so well, so I figured adding in the daily chores would make sense.

An example of a preschoolers box...

What the box looks like after boxes 1 & 2 are completed.

Extra Tidbits!

-I switch up the order of the subjects each day.

-I split up things that require a lot of writing with math or puzzle etc

-It gives me an opportunity to print fun holiday activities

-It helps me use things that I normally will not build into a school day

Here are some of my FAVORITE workbox blogs/sites! Enjoy!


She uses the bin system!

Here is everything you need to know about workboxes!

Homeschoolshare has some great printable and activities!

She has some of my favorite resources out there! (poke around her site becuase she has lots of great preschool resources too!

That should keep you busy for awhile!!!

Easter Day!

We had a great Easter morning...great Easter service and then out to my moms for lunch! After lunch we fished, hunted eggs, rode on the four-wheeler and enjoyed time together as a family! Several times throughout the day we reminded ourselves that these two precious little brown boys were sitting in an orphange last year. It is so hard to believe that they have not always been here, with full tummies, baskets of candy and lots of hugs and kisses! I think of all the children home this year with their forever families....and all of those still sitting in orphanages waiting for a mommy and daddys love. Our lives have forever been changed by these boys! What a wonder day to remember our King and how we are also adopted and loved by a ever-loving father!


My Maddie and cousin Maddie!! Yeap, My step-sister and I were pregnant at the same time...and we both picked out the name Madelyn...and they were both surprises and were both GIRLS! We don't seem them often enough but they get along SOO well once they are together! On you mark, get set go!!! Find those Easter eggs....!!

The boys safe from the doggies in daddys arms!!

Our sweet family! (that is my moms pond on her property..isn't it beautiful)

The sweet grandchildren...

My sweet kiddos and my two nieces!

Ready for church..

Our eggs including our fun tie-dyed eggs. We also made chocolate covered pretzels!!

Fun at Louisville Slugger

Paul grew up in Chicago, and is lucky enough to kept in touch with many of his childhood friends. One his friends married a really cool girl and if they lived closer I feel like it is safe to say we would be very close! Add to that, all of our kiddos get along great too! We get to Chicago about once or twice a year and they get down here about the same. They came down a few weeks ago for a long weekend.
We started off at Waffle House (evidently they do not have WH in Chicago, so that was a must for Pete!) then we headed to Louisville Slugger Museum. The kiddos all enjoyed the museum, the daddys hit some balls in the batting cages and we all went on the factory tour and received our little mini bats!

Next we headed to Waterfront park...whew that was so stressful to keep an eye on so many littles ones. So after awhile we decided Tumbleweed was calling our name! This was a pic of all of the kiddos on the hill prior to rolling down!

Not sure why this pic turned on me...but this is Maddie holding Mickey Mantles bat!

...some great words

Our friends who are adopting from ET are simply incredible with words. Nearly everytime I read their blog I am blown away...last night was yet another time! (And this time it is even a quest blogger!)
Please check out JT & Natalies blog so you can think about what might have been.....