FB Friday

November 24, 2012 ~ Guess who got to put the star on the Christmas tree this year?!?!

Decorating the Christmas tree is FUN!!!

November 25, 2012 ~ We "heart" our cousins!!!

November 26, 2012 ~ Maya K went to bed two hours after her normal bedtime yesterday (with having had no nap - we were celebrating Christmas with my parents before they leave to head home). She is still asleep at almost 8 a.m.!!!!

November 27, 2012 ~ It's been a LONG and tiring week!!! She fell asleep during her quiet time today and I'm letting her sleep!! Poor girl!!

I just got the BIGGEST smile and "THANK YOU!!" from my daughter because I gave her TWO ice cubes to play with in her cup and bowl!! And then that was followed by a "I love you, Mommy!!" It's the small things in life!!!

November 28, 2012 ~ We have been HOME with Maya K for two months as of today!!

She's a girl. She just asked me, "Present. Shoes. Please."

She's full of cuteness today!! I told her that I was going to make cookies during her quiet time today and that she could have one as soon as quiet time was over, and as soon as she understood what I was telling her, she got a HUGE smile on her face and said "Kiss!! Kiss!! Kiss!!" as she scrambled to the edge of her bed to grab me :-).

She is wearing a PURPLE sweatshirt that says "I love flipflops" and black boots that have sparkles all over the top of them. And yet, I was asked, "Is this your little BOY??" Really???

I'm working on MORE adoption paperwork this evening. It's not over yet!! We start the Social Security process on Monday.

November 29, 2012 ~ We've had a rough late morning and lunch time. I am hoping that her attitude is fixed by the end of quiet time!!

We're trying something new this afternoon!! I LOVE my daughter, but she HAS to learn to play independently sometimes, right?!?! So, the timer is set for 30 minutes and she is supposed to stay in her room and play. She can play with any toys, books, puzzles, etc. that she wants to, but has to stay in her room until the timer goes off. She actually seems kind of excited about it!!

November 30, 2012 ~ Today is special on two accounts. We have now been home with Maya K for NINE weeks!!! AND it is Maya K's half Bday today - she is 5 1/2 years old!!

Maya K's teddy bear is pouting!! So she just put him on his bed. (Can you tell what happens when there is pouting in this house?!?!) Haha!!

Tonight was another family movie night!! We ate our homemade pizza while sitting on the floor and watching "Finding Nemo". (Maya K LOVED it!! She couldn't stop talking about it even as we put her in bed.) Maya K also got to eat her first CANDY CANE!! (She WANTED to like it, but I don't think it was her favorite thing!!)

30 Days of Thankfulness

Day 1 ~ I am thankful for my special little girl, Maya Kisanet Joy!!
Day 2 ~ I am thankful that my little girl is sleeping well at night!!
Day 3 ~ I am thankful for my hubby, Nathan, who is committed to being the best husband and daddy he can be!! I love you, Nathan!!
Day 4 ~ I am thankful for my church.
Day 5 ~ I am thankful for my warm and cozy home.
Day 6 ~ I am thankful to live in a country where we have the freedom to vote.
Day 7 ~ I am thankful for the sovereignty of God!!
Day 8 ~ I am thankful for my kitchen with its microwave, oven, refrigerator, and sink.
Day 9 ~ I am thankful for my pajama pants :-).
Day 10 ~ I am thankful for a washing machine and drier.
Day 11 ~ I am thankful for all the veterans who have served our country.
Day 12 ~ I am thankful for Nathan's days off of work!!
Day 13 ~ I am thankful for the salvation I have through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!!!
Day 14 ~ I am thankful for my comfy bed.
Day 15 ~ I am thankful for story time at our library!! Maya K loves "library day" and so does mommy!!
Day 16 ~ I am thankful for Victory Christian Academy and for the 8 years I was blessed to teach there and for the many, many children who impacted my life!!
Day 17 ~ I am thankful for the blessing of adoption!! Happy National Adoption Day!!
Day 18 ~ I am thankful for cookies.
Day 19 ~ I am thankful that Maya K loves to sing. She blesses me everyday with her joyful spirit!!
Day 20 ~ I am thankful for godly parents!! I love you, Dad & Mom!!
Day 21 ~ I am thankful for my two sisters and brother!! Their friendship is very special to me!!
Day 22 ~ I am thankful for THANKSGIVING Day!!
Day 23 ~ I am thankful for my parents-in-law!! They did a fabulous job in raising and loving my husband and I love them for it!!
Day 24 ~ I am thankful for my grandparents. My Grandma Munsen went to be with Jesus when I was 12-years old, and I am so thankful for the impact she had in my young life. I am blessed to have all three of my other grandparents still living and I LOVE them with all my heart!!!!
Day 26 ~ I am thankful for Christmas lights.
Day 27 ~ I am thankful for my "siblings-in-law" - three brothers-in-law, and three sisters-in-law.
Day 28 ~ I am thankful for my three nieces and six nephews!!!
Day 29 ~ I am thankful for my car.
Day 30 ~ I am thankful for the many blessings that God sends my way EVERY day!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Deleting Posts

Pam ~ Just an FYI. If you want to read through any of our oldest blog posts, do it NOW!!!!

I am working on getting our oldest posts copied into a Shutterfly book that we will have printed. One of the main purposes of this blog when we started it was to have a record of our adoption journey (and to keep family and friends updated). Now that we are home with Maya K and that chapter of our life is done (the adoption journey continues, but in a different way) I will be deleting the oldest posts as I copy them into the Shutterfly book.

Our blog will continue as we love having this venue to share parts of our lives with family and friends, but the original posts will be gone from the bloggy realm :-).

Just letting you know!!!

Talking Tuesday

While singing the Barney clean-up song ("Clean up, Clean up, Everybody, Everywhere...."), Nathan ended the song with "Don't forget to smell your hair."

Maya K had a complete look of confusion and consternation and she started feeling her hair while sniffing the air!!!

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Maya K has been VERY excited about snowmen. She wants it to snow so that she can make one.

Maya K: (Whiny voice while pointing outside) "Snowman." 

Mommy: "It has to get VERY cold outside before it will snow. Then when the ground is all white with snow we will go outside and make a snowman. But it has to get VERY cold first."

Maya K: "Cold. No. Snowman. Yes."

I think she's in for a rude awakening!!!!

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I (Pam) was driving out of our development when Maya K spoke up.

Maya K: "Mommy, Christmas tree."

Mommy: "Did you see a Christmas tree?"

Maya K: "Yes. Door."

Mommy: "Did you see a Christmas tree on a door???????"

Maya K: "Circle. Circle Christmas tree."

Mommy: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Maya K, you saw a wreath!!!!!!!

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Have you seen the show "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood"??? If you have, then this might make you smile. If you haven't, then you might not understand, but you should definitely watch it sometime. Maya K LOVES this show!!!! (It's on from 12:30-1:00 p.m. on our PBS station.)

Daniel Tiger sings little song "ditties" and on one of the episodes they are celebrating "Thank You" Day. They have a little song "Thank you, For everything you do-o."

Daddy buckles Maya K into her carseat.

Maya K: "Thank you, For (mumble jumble). Thank you, For (mumble jumble)."

(She's having a hard time getting all the correct words into her songs lately.)

Daddy covers Maya K up with her blanket while putting her in bed.

Maya K: "Thank you, For (mumble jumble). Thank you, for (mumble jumble)."

These are just two of the many times over the past week :-).

Christmas Decorating

Watching the tree be "unwrapped"

Fascinated with the feel of the branches and the look of the lights

Hanging her very first ornament

LOVING all the snowmen!!!!

Daddy is having fun :-)

Putting the star on the top of the tree

FB Friday

November 19, 2012 ~ We had collected quite a pile of pictures and Sunday school papers since Maya K came home 7 weeks ago. So today, I held up each paper and Maya K got to pick whether it went in the trash or in her "book". Then, I hole-punched the papers she picked for her "book" and we put them in a 3-ring binder. I hope this system continues to work!!!!

November 20, 2012 ~ Maya K woke up just a little after 6 a.m. I'm not exactly sure why, but the first words out of her mouth were "Grandpa? Grandma? Coming?" :-) I haven't even told her that TODAY is the day they are coming!!! She's going to be soooooo excited!!!

Less than an hour until Maya K gets to meet her Grandpa & Grandma Carter!!! She's pretty excited and I know that her Grandpa & Grandma are too!!!

Maya K with her Grandma Carter for the very first time!!! She warmed up very quickly and cuddled in next to Grandma C. to draw on her magna-doodle!!!

Maya K got to meet her Grandpa Carter and have him read to her!!! Nathan caught a picture of them being silly together :-).

November 21, 2012 ~ We get to go see Grandpa and Grandma again this morning!!! Grandma Carter is planning on making Spritz cookies with Maya K and the twins and I think Maya K is going to LOVE helping Grandma!!!

Making our Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie!!! Yummy!!!!

November 23, 2012 ~ I was doing Maya K's hair this morning (she was sitting on the counter in our bathroom) when the washcloth she was holding fell to the floor. "May I blanket, please?" YAY for language progression!!!!! AND for using good grammar!!!!

I am sooooooooooooo grateful for the normalcy that Maya K's afternoon quiet times are for her!!! With the crazy day yesterday celebrating Thanksgiving with family, and then this morning being different with Aunt Kristi here at the house with us, and then joining family for lunch at Aunt Debbi's house, she was struggling. But when she got on her bed with her toys and books she became a happy little girl and she has been singing her heart out!!!!!

More firsts tonight ~ First time eating at Arby's, first chocolate shake, first time wearing her new winter hat, first time seeing "Frosty the Snowman", and she LOVED it all!!!! (She's going to bed an hour late and did it all BEAUTIFULLY!!!)

The Worm

Pam ~ I have a HUGE phobia of worms. Just to let you all know. HUGE!!!!

We were at my sister's house today and Maya K was happily playing outside using clothespins to hang cloth napkins on the fence. She looked down and had a slight moment of panic as she saw a worm at her feet. I then proceeded to try to not have a HUGE MORNING of panic as I moved away from the area. My sister came out and proceeded to call her boys to come see the worm.

My dad also came outside and picked up the worm, showing his grandchildren how you can tie a worm into a knot. Yep. I fled the yard!!!! But I stood at the door and watched where I could see Maya K, but not the worm.

My nephew, Joseph, was brave and excited to hold the worm. Benjamin didn't want to. Maya K stood at a distance with her hands behind her back looking very serious. She came close a couple of times and would put a finger out as if she was going to touch it, but then would back away. After quite a few times of doing this, while Joseph was holding the worm, she approached and slowly touched it with the tip of her pointer finger!!!!! And then quickly left and was done even watching her Grandpa with the worm.

When they were all done, the worm was put back in the grass and they all came inside to wash their hands, including Maya K.

On the way home we were talking about what we had done and how much fun she had. She told me, "Worm, YUCKY!!!"

When we got home, I quickly got lunch on the table and we sat down to pray and eat. As I reached for Maya K's hand, all of a sudden she yelped and started smelling her hand. "Worm, YUCKY!!! Smell, YUCKY!!!! Hand, YUCKY!!!"

I told her that she had washed her hands and that they didn't smell anymore, to which she started squirming around and wiping her hands up and down her shirt saying, "Worm, YUCKY!!!! Smell, YUCKY!!!"

I prayed for lunch, but she wouldn't let me touch her hands. Then she was trying to figure out how to eat her meat, cheese, and carrots without using her hands (she didn't even want to touch the silverware!!!). After a short time of trying to convince her that her hands were not yucky and watching her try to bend over and eat directly with her mouth off the plate, I asked her if she wanted to go wash her hands again. She quickly said "YES!!!" and jumped down and ran to the bathroom. I had to go turn the water on because she wouldn't touch the faucet, and she thoroughly scrubbed her hands clean.

She has been fine ever since!!!!

Talking Tuesday

Pam ~ Maya K is saying and doing sooooooo many funny and cute things that I don't want to forget, so I am going to try to keep a list and share some of them with you on Tuesdays. This will also allow me to keep record of them so that I don't FORGET!!!!

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We were grocery shopping and Maya K had been concerned during the entire drive to the store that we get some cheese (she has developed a deep love for cheese!!!). When we go shopping, I keep up a running commentary on what we are getting and why we need it (working on those English skills), and then I hand the items to her to drop in the shopping cart.

We walked to the cheese section and I said "Maya K, we need to get some sliced cheese." I handed her the cheese and she said...........

"CHEESE, Mommy!!!!! CHEESE!!!!! (she is bouncing up and down in the cart seat) Good job, Mommy!!!! Good job!!!!!" (as she gives me a thumbs up!!!)

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Maya K is having a hard time understanding the difference between the words "cooking" and "cookie".

I now have to say "Mommy is fixing / making dinner". There is a lot of confusion and disappointment on Maya K's part if I say "Mommy is cooking dinner." 

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We were driving home and the sun was setting on the left side of the car. I had just noticed how pretty the clouds were, when I heard from the backseat.........

Maya K: "Mommy, Mommy!!!!! CLOUDS!!!!! Mommy, Mommy!!!!!!!!!!! CLOUDS!!!!"

Mommy: "They are very pretty clouds tonight."

Maya K: "PRETTY CLOUDS!!!!! PRETTY CLOUDS!!!!!! CLOUDS PRETTY!!!!! PRETTY CLOUDS!!!! Mommy, CLOUDS PRETTY!!!!!"

Mommy: "That is called a sunset. The sun is going to sleep."
Maya K: "Sun sleeping? Sleeping sun? Goodnight, Sun."

Maya K: (pointing to the clouds on the right side of the car) "Yucky. Yucky clouds. Trash. Clouds trash."

Mommy: "No (I'm trying not to laugh). They aren't yucky clouds. They just don't have the light shining on them."

Maya K: (pointing to the right) "Yucky. Trash." (pointing to the left) "PRETTY CLOUDS!!!!!!"

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Mommy: "Maya K, you drew a nice line."

Maya K: "No, no lion."

Mommy: "I said a line, not a lion."

Maya K: "NO, NO lion!!!!"

Mommy: "Okay, Honey. What you drew looks very nice." (I'm trying not to laugh out loud!!!)

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(Driving home from church; Maya K has an empty paper towel tube)

Maya K: "Daddy, I see you!!!!"

(This is one of the first complete phrases we have heard her say!!!!!!)

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Mommy: "I'm short"

Maya K: (starts pulling my shirt down around my hips)

Mommy: ??????????????????????

(I finally figured out that she thought I said "shirt"!!!!)

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Nathan has been taking Maya K outside with him to get the mail when he gets home from work. She has learned that it is almost always COLD outside now!!!!!! Today (11/16/12) she asked to take out a new "telescope" that she just got and he told her that she couldn't take anything outside with her. She then proceded to pick up some large paper "glasses" that say "Happy Thanksgiving" and look like turkeys and put them on her face. Daddy told her "No, you can't take the glasses outside, either" to which she replied......

"Eyes, COLD!!!!!!"

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Maya K is pointing to her summer sausage.

Maya K: "Mommy, soap."

Mommy: "No, that's not soap, silly. That's meat."

Maya K: "Soap, Mommy!!!"

(Now she starts making her hand shake as she points to the meat.)

Mommy: "Oh!!!! Do you want SALT?????"

Maya K: "YES!!!! Soap!!!"

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Maya K is having trouble identifying a snake. When I point to it, she says "snowman" :-). I guess they do start with the same two letters!!!!

"Daddy, Moon Come Here."

Nate ~ On Saturday night, Pam wanted to cut up our fresh pineapple and I thought it would be a good time for some father/daughter time. So daddy and Maya K went for a quarter mile walk around our neighborhood. As we walked, we talked about many things. However, Maya K suddenly looked up and the following conversation ensued.

Maya K: "Moon."
Daddy: "Yes, that's the moon. Look, Honey, it is a tiny moon. It's just a sliver."

Maya then repeated the word "sliver" and then put her hand toward the moon, brought it back to her mouth and said, "Eat".

I was a little surprised, but I'm learning to roll with it, so I said, "Are you going to get the moon and eat it?"

(Insert confused look) Maya: "No, no...eat, no. Play!"
Daddy: "Oh. Are you going to get the moon and play with it?"
Maya K: "Ow." (This is the Amharic affirmative)
(Hesitation)
Maya K: "Maya...no. Daddy, Moon come here" ("Come here" is Maya K's way of asking for something now)
Daddy: "You want daddy to get the moon so you can play with it?"
Maya K: "Ow."
Daddy: "Honey, Daddy can't get the moon."
(Look of consternation)
Maya K: "Maya...small" (Indicated with two fingers close together for small) "Daddy...big. Daddy, moon come here."

I then proceeded to crush her hopes and dreams for playing with the moon. I tried to emphasize that daddy couldn't get the moon.

Sunday morning (before church) came along and Maya K asked to watch TV. I said that was fine and I grabbed two library DVDs and asked her which one she wanted to watch. She picked one and I put it in. This DVD happened to have 3 or 4 short animated Eric Carle books on it and the second one instantly got my attention. A little girl looks out her window at the full moon, decides she wants to play with it and is unhappy that she can't reach it. She then asks her father to get it for her. So, what does this unholy father do? Ruin my life...also known as: he got a big ladder, went to the top of a tall hill, and climbed the ladder to the moon. Really? REALLY??? I'm going to go with either a mother or a non-parent wrote this story. This is the perfect set up for a father to be less than his daughter thinks he can be. (Yes, I realize that will be the story of the rest of my life.)

So, Sunday afternoon comes and, to make a long story only slightly longer, Maya K whiningly asked for the sun the whole way home from church. There was no explaining away the reality that daddy can't get it. Mommy even chimed in and tried to help, but it was to no avail. Thank goodness I haven't heard about the moon or sun at all today. :-)

I love my daughter, and I love cartoons, but really. Could we have a little sense built into the stories and messages that we are teaching here? (Don't get me started about the "The Princess and the Pea"!!!)

(Note from Pam: Maya K had watched this DVD a few days before the conversation she had with her Daddy. Apparently she is following the stories very well!!! This is the Eric Carle book "Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me".)

Our Daily Schedule

Pam ~ As of yesterday, we have been home for seven weeks!!!! Can you believe it?!?!?

When we had been home for one week, I did a post (click HERE) and gave you the daily schedule that we had established. It has changed a little over the weeks and I thought it might be time to give an update :-). Of course, our schedule does change a little from day to day, but this is a fairly normal routine.

7:00 a.m. ~ Turn on hall light, Maya K gets out of bed, and we have some cuddling/talking/playing moments
7:30 a.m. ~ I get a pile of books for Maya K and she settles in to look at them while I come downstairs to turn on my computer and drink some hot chocolate
8:00 a.m. ~ Breakfast
8:30 a.m. ~ TV time while I shower
9:15 a.m. ~ Start getting Maya K dressed (this takes a while!!!!)
9:30/9:45ish ~ Play time / coloring / painting / etc.
12 noon ~ Lunch
12:30 p.m. ~ TV (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood)
1:00 p.m. ~ Maya K goes on her bed for rest time
(This is my time to clean, menu plan, FB time, reading, quiet!!!)
2:30 p.m. ~ Maya K gets up from her rest time and starts cleaning up
3:00 p.m. ~ She is normally finally done cleaning up around this time and then it's play time
5:00 p.m. ~ Daddy gets home!!!!
5:30 p.m. ~ Dinner
7:00 p.m. ~ Bedtime snack
7:15 p.m. ~ Jammy Time / Brush Teeth / Bedtime Story
7:45ish ~ Lights out

Wednesday morning is "Bath Day" and Thursday morning is "Library Day" and we LOVE both of those special days :-).

Facebook Friday

November 10, 2012 ~ SUCCESS!!!!! While I didn't sleep very well and kept wondering how she was doing and if I should go check on her, Maya K did exactly what we asked of her!!!! I got up at 7 a.m. and went to the hall to turn the light on. Maya K was sitting on her bed with a HUGE smile on her face!!!! I went over to pick her up and tell her how proud I was of her and she told me that she didn't call me and that she waited until the light came on (her words were a little more jumbled than that, but that was what she was trying to say!!!!). I'm soooooooooooo proud of her!!!!!!!

November 11, 2012 ~ She's finally asleep at 10:40 p.m. Sundays are LONG days!!!!! But we are enjoying being able to be back at church and fellowshipping with our college kids after the evening service. She took a good  nap this afternoon and wasn't cranky or upset tonight; it just took her a while to settle down and go to sleep. Here's to hoping that she sleeps IN a little tomorrow morning!!!!

November 12, 2012 ~ It's almost 8 a.m. and SHE IS STILL ASLEEP!!!! This is the latest she has slept for us (of course, last night was the latest she has stayed up) and we are feeling hopeful!!!! If she'll sleep in on Monday mornings, we won't feel bad keeping her up late on Sunday nights!!!!

Our first trip to the mall was FUN!!!! Maya K enjoyed looking at everything, was good about not touching things, was amazed by the car that was INSIDE, LOVED the Christmas lights, got to play at the play place, at some Chick-fil-A, and helped mommy pick out which candles to buy (the chocolate smelling one she still insists that it is a "snack" and she needs to eat it!!!!). I like it when Daddy has a day off work!!!!

November 13, 2012 ~ I got to introduce Maya K to one of my favorite places today. Half Price Books!!!! Maya K got to sit on the floor with a big pile of books to look at while I "browsed" the children's books. I didn't think that it was possible for that store to be more dangerous to me than it already was, but I found out today that it is VERY dangerous!!!! I love books too much, and so does Maya K!!!!

November 14, 2012 ~ I'm going to try comb coils in her hair today!!! I'm honestly not sure they will work because I don't have any styling products yet AND my fingers are clumsy AND her hair is still pretty short, but I'm hopeful!!!!

I couldn't get it to work with the comb so I used my fingers. It's very similar to the little ponies I did last week, but without the bands. I'll keep trying!!!!

November 15, 2012 ~ Maya K is on her bed for rest time. We set the timer and she gets to get up when it goes off. I just heard her going "Beep, beep, beep, beep . . . " Wishful thinking!!!!

After ordering more hair supplies, a satin-lined winter hat, and lotion & raw shea butter for my little girl, I think I've decided that her skin and hair care will be her Christmas presents!!!! jk

Anyone who knows me as a teacher will know how excited this pictures makes me!!!! We are working on our gluing skills today and on not using too much glue - "Just around the edges!!!!"

November 16, 2012 ~ We're heading down to VCA (my school) this morning!!!! It's time to let all my "kids" (and co-workers/friends) meet Maya K!!!!

It was such a blessing to get to see so many of my "kids" today and get SWARMS of hugs from them!!!! I am soooooooooooooo happy to be home with Maya K and I am honestly not missing teaching at all, but I do miss my KIDS!!!!! Maya K did very well!!!!!!!!! All of these kids have been praying for her for longer than we have known who she is and they were sooooooooooooooo excited to meet her, but she had NO IDEA who they all were!!!!! She is on her bed for a late rest time and I feel like joining her!!!!

She said that daddy and mommy could go downstairs tonight and she would go to sleep all by herself!!!! So we are listening intently to the monitor but haven't heard anything yet!!!! She's such an amazing little girl!!!

Six Roses

Pam ~ Nathan surprised Maya K and I last night when he came home with six roses to celebrate Maya K being home for six weeks (and a half)!!!!!

Maya K was sooooooooooooooooooo excited and kept saying that the roses were "Yummy!!!!!" We tried to explain that "yummy" was for something you eat, not something that you smell, but we couldn't come up with a good descriptive smelling word, so "yummy" they were!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Facebook Friday

November 3, 2012 ~ Maya Kisanet just got to eat more sweets than she has eaten since coming home!!!! Nathan's co-worker sent a rice krispy treat snowman home for her that was about the size of my fist with M7M eyes, and earmuffs made out of licorice and cookies (attached with a little frosting). She LOVED it!!!!! And she shared some with daddy and mommy :-). Here's to hoping that she burns off the sugar during the afternoon!!!!!

November 4, 2012 ~ It's Orphan Sunday. What is missing???

November 5, 2012 ~ We had another busy Sunday yesterday, so we have left our calendar "blank" for today. Our morning didn't start out very well, so I think it will be good for both of us (especially Maya K) to just be home today!!!!!

This is the first time Maya K has fallen asleep during her rest time; and she fell asleep during the last 15 minutes and then slept through the loud beeping of the timer!!!! The late  night and too early morning wake up must have caught up with her!!!!

This is what I have been enjoying during Maya K's rest time (turned nap time) today :-). It looks and feels like fall outside and I'm enjoying staying home!!!!

My daughter has such a sweet heart!!! She was getting ready to eat her six M&Ms that she earned at rest time and she jumped into my arms. She caught me off guard and knocked my glasses off and scratched my face :-(. It really hurt and I told her she needed to be careful because she hurt Mommy!!! She proceeded to insist and shove in my mouth FOUR of her six M&Ms!!!! She is so willing to sacrifice to try to help someone else feel better!!!!

Can you guess what we were learning about today?????

November 6, 2012 ~ She slept until 6:30 this morning, so I think we're making progress with the time change. We've started trying to teach her to stay in bed and not sit up and call us (even though we're still in her room with her) until we have turned on the hall light. She made it 10 minutes before calling me and then laid back down as soon as I reminded her. I turned the light on at 6:45 a.m. today and am hoping to make it to 7 a.m. tomorrow!!!!!!

Nathan is taking a half day of work so we can take turns going to vote this afternoon. I would love to take her with me to start learning the value of voting, but I think the importance would be lost on her right now AND I don't want to put her in the middle of a large crowd.

November 7, 2012 ~ My challenge for the day ~ "doing" Maya K's hair for the first time!!!! Stay tuned!!! Pictures will be posted if it turns out (click HERE). If you don't see any pictures . . . . . well, you know.

She fell asleep again!!!! That's twice already this week!!!! Maybe she's starting a growth spurt????

My "baby-lovin'" little girl is in HEAVEN!!!! I just got out my container of Barbies for her to play with. There are Barbies, a Ken, several children, a baby, clothes to dress them in, SHOES (which my little girl LOVES!!!), two horses, a bathtub, and on it goes. She's a happy little girl right now!!!!

November 8, 2012 ~ My hubby is AWESOME!!!! After working a full day at his job, he came home and allowed me to leave for FOUR hours (to attend a Norwex party) and he fed Maya K dinner, cleaned up dinner, played with her, got her ready for bed, put her to bed and stayed with her until she was asleep!!!! I love U, Nathan!!!! AND, second blessing, my little girl missed me while I was gone but never got upset. She really seemed to understand when I told her that I was going to be gone for the evening but that I would be sleeping in her room when she woke up tomorrow morning. I'm so glad that she KNOWS that I will always come back to her!!!!!

November 9, 2012 ~ We had a visit from some friends this morning (Teresa & Jacob), enjoyed a quiet rest time, did some kitchen cleaning, started the pizza dough, played at the park with our cousins (Ben & Joseph), went grocery shopping, brought the groceries inside and unpacked, made some pizza, ate some pizza, and are enjoying Daddy reading some "Calvin & Hobbs" cartoons while Maya K enjoys some cuddle time with her daddy. It's been a FULL day!!!! Prayers please!!!! We are going to try leaving Maya K in her bedroom by herself tonight!!!! We've been talking about it all day and she seems a little unsure of everything, but has been in agreement. I don't think I'm going to sleep very much myself in the other room, but it is time!!!

Wordless Wednesday

"I love you, Baby."

Pam ~ When I was a little girl, I played with baby dolls. Most little girls play with baby dolls. But I mean I REALLY played with my babies.

(I'm on the left and my sister is on the right)

They were real to me. I got my baby up in the morning and got her dressed for the day. I fed her breakfast. I changed her diaper. I put her down for a nap. I fed her lunch. I gave her a bath. I took her to the store. I took her for a walk. I changed her diaper. I put her down for an afternoon nap. I fed her dinner. I read books to her. I changed her into her jammies. I put her to bed. I woke up the next morning and did it all again.

I did this for months, after months, after months. When my baby "cried" during church, I took her to the back of the auditorium and walked back and forth with her until she "stopped" crying. I put her coat on her when we went to the store or church or anywhere outside. I would change her when she "spit up". We had birthday parties for her on her birthday.

My baby was a REAL baby!!!!!! (And my mom put up with a lot!!!! Thanks, Mom!!!!)

I have to admit that when we found out that God was giving us a little girl, I did have hopes that she would also love babies. But I honestly didn't think about it too much. I acknowledged that my daughter might not want to play with a baby doll and that would honestly be fine with me.

It turns out that . . .

Maya Kisanet LOVES her babies!!!!!! She has three actual baby dolls and several stuffed animals (that she also calls "babies") and she loves them!!!! She dresses them and then changes their clothes (they get dressed in several layers because "baby is cold") and wraps them in blankets. She makes a bed for them out of blankets and sheets and makes it just perfectly for them because "baby is sleeping". She tells me to be quiet because "baby is sleeping". She puts pasta noodles in an old film canister, puts it in her pocket, and tells me "baby snack" (translation: it's for the baby to eat).

Tonight, her "baby" was a stuffed teddy bear (that she has been playing a lot with the last couple of days). After I had changed her into her jammies, she changed the baby/teddy bear into his "jammies" but was concerned because she had left his socks in the car. I told her that we weren't going to go get his socks tonight but we could get them in the morning. She thought about it for a few seconds and then proceeded to take off the clothes she had just put on him and put him back in the other clothes because there were "feet" on the other clothes and "baby feet cold".

Then I helped her wrap him up in his blanket and told her to put him on her bed.

As she lay her baby on her bed, she whispered, "I love you, Baby".

Fifth Week Home FB Posts

October 27, 2012 ~ I'm looking forward to a good day!!! We're going to Dean & Heidi's house for lunch and Maya Kisanet gets to spend some time with her cousins!!!! Now I've just got to get these deviled eggs made before it's time to go :-).

Maya Kisanet enjoyed spending time with her cousins for lunch today!!!!

October 29, 2012 ~ Getting to know a new friend!!!

I'm so proud of my little girl. She shared one of her six M7Ms that she "earned" at quiet time with me!!! (No, I didn't ask. She just said "Mommy, yummy!!! Eat!!! and put it in my mouth!!!!)

Maya Kisanet is enjoying her baked pumpkin sees :-). She almost missed out due to her refusing to eat dinner, but she finally complied in order to be able to eat the seeds before mommy put them away.

October 30, 2012 ~ I "think" we're staying home all day today. I've got a long "to do" list and am hoping to enlist Maya Kisanet's help with some of it :-). We'll see how it goes!!!!

I HATE making the wrong parenting decision!!!! And then trying to decide if there is a way to "correctly" un-do the decision that was made without confusing the poor little girl who is still often confused by what we do and doesn't completely understand what we are telling her AND who is smart enough to know that she "won" (because that is how she would probably interpret the decision). I'm still an emotional mess over this evening, so my FANTASTIC hubby is staying with Maya Kisanet while she falls asleep tonight. I NEEDED a "break" and I am so grateful and thankful that he saw that need and is filling it for me!!!! I love you, Nathan!!!!

Maya Kisanet decided that our garage is a GREAT place to play!!! She was down there for over an hour (I was with her for about 30 minutes). She took blankets, her babies, and her baby's clothes. It got very quiet at one point so I went down to check on her and this is what I found. She was reading a book to her baby!!!! Love her!!!!!

October 31, 2012 ~ LOVE!!!!

Escuze Me/"Jesus Loves Me"

Day After Halloween

Pam ~ We chose to not do Halloween with Maya Kisanet this year, just because we felt like it would be too much craziness too soon. We will probably dress up and trick or treat next year, but it was good to not participate this year.

However, as I learned early this week via a play date with a new little friend from church, my beautiful girl LOVES to dress up!!!!! So I decided to try to take advantage of some after-Halloween sales to buy some dress up clothes for Maya Kisanet.

She was sooooooooooooo much fun to listen to as we walked around the Halloween items at Target.

"Mommy, PUMPKIN" 

"Mommy, OWL"

"Mommy, a dinosaur" 

(Me: "No, Honey, that's a gargoyle on a tombstone.") 

"Mommy, PUMPKIN"

"Mommy, for Maya Kisanet???" 

(Pointing to a mask of a bloody skeleton) 

(Me: "No, Honey. I think you're being introduced to the wrong side of American culture today.") 

"Mommy, for Mommy???" 

(Pointing to a wig of blue hair.) 

"Mommy, tiny (in tiny voice) PUMPKIN (in a loud voice)"

"Mommy, snake." 

(Pointing to a blow up ghost???? Not sure about this one????)

"Mommy, PUMPKIN"

"Mommy, BUTTERFLY" 

(We're finally in the costume section now.)

"Mommy, for Maya Kisanet."

(Now she's pointing to a costume of a werewolf.)

And so it continued. We got quite a few smiles from other Target customers today!!!!

I ended up buying her a plastic pumpkin (that kids use for their candy while "trick or treat"ing), a full peacock costume, a pair of purple butterfly wings, and a teal skirt. She was in HEAVEN!!!