Misc.

My favorite part of home schooling is getting to go on many field trips and nature walks/hikes. This Friday we're going to Kids'N'Clay where the boys will make 2 creations each and have some time on the wheel! Chad and I were just joking about the things Aidan could make and we thought about how an ashtray was such a common thing for us to make when we were little.
Aidan says "What's an ashtray?" So funny!

This boy is my pride and joy! He is respectful and kind and just plain fun. I feel like he is my second best friend. How much I love spending time with him each day when Hope and Halle go down for their nap! He is really enjoying homeschooling.

Today Annah has her first of five volleyball tryout sessions. She's got plenty of get up and go~energy galore. She's able to bump and set but even after practicing together for over an hour yesterday, she cannot serve overhand. Please say a prayer for her today~she would love to make the team! She's barely done healing from having 4 wisdom teeth pulled on Friday.

Another prayer request is regarding T-Bella. She is still with us and the judge never made a decision. We thought she just shelved it until the next court hearing which is the 26th of this month. I just spoke to her social worker and she heard yesterday that the judge was going to provide a written decision today (Wednesday Nov 12th). I'm not holding my breath! It's been nearly seven weeks since the judge said she would take a week to rule. It's in God's hands. But I'll be honest and say it is not easy to have three children within 15mos of each other. 5 3/4-newly 7 are fun ages! But that age range is tough as far as personal space and other boundaries go and I'm pulling my hair out. They're all so very precious and enjoyable one on one~just wonderful. Together~not so much. Sigh. Chad says maybe God's helping us get ready for the inevitable, making it a bit easier. He's the wise one as usual. :o)

So Ethan and Ryland have been driving me crazy but they have their moments of goodness. Today Ryland went to the dr and he showed off his reading and writing skills, told the dr. what a great family he has and how he's the big brother. He was in the 90th percentile for height at 45 inches but only weighed 37 pounds, coming in at the 20th percentile. Tall and skinny. Also his eyesight was surprising with one eye not doing as well. I thought he was teasing because I could read every letter/shape on the line below the one he was struggling with. I think he was 20/25.
He was so sweet last night telling me "remind Jesus that I don't want any bad dreams tonite, okay Mom?" I promise this happened in only 1 minute of not watching the girls!!! Aidan cleaned it all up!

Ethan is doing well in 1st grade but says he can't stand being away from me "for SO super LONG!" lol I think it's doing him good to have a little time away from T-Bella and Ry. Though the bus driver gave them assigned seats apart from each other after they all sat together the first few days and that was ENOUGH. He is still in love with all things Army and Navy. NO Ethan; you do not WANT to go to war!

Hope and Halle are insanely adorable. They make me laugh so hard my sides ache. I love how they try to do everything I do; Hope loves to get into my make-up drawer and she'll look up at me with those baby browns and copy me, putting lipstick to her lips and powder puffing her cheeks. Halle is more into figuring out how things work and once she's done that she will repeat it over and over, squeeling with frustration if she can't figure it out. They are exerting their independence daily and I love letting them try things out for themselves. They are sweet with each other bringing something to their sister before I've even realized that was what they wanted. Their adoption was going to be finalized on November 14th but our fingerprints will not be back until early December.

The girls will be 18 months on the 15th. I have some adorable pink tutu pictures to post of them. Will be up soon. Happy November :o)