"Vacuum??? In the BEDROOMS?!?!?"

I am not good at keeping a clean house. I'm just not. I'm being honest here.

I do decently well at keeping things picked up. Nathan is awesome about helping with that and so is Maya K. We have one end of our table that collects things, as well as a couple small piles on a couple stairs, and paper piles that slowly grow over time in our bedroom. But over all, we keep the "clutter" away.

I'm also pretty good with the laundry and dishes. I have my regular laundry days and get the clothes cleaned and put away. (At least they are put away within a day........or sometimes two.) The dishwasher gets run on a regular basis and the dishes are put away promptly. I try to hand wash the other dishes once a day (with the exception of Sunday; I often don't wash dishes on Sunday. I need a day of rest. Don't I???).

But when it comes to actual CLEANING, I struggle. I don't like doing it. So I put it off until we have people coming over and then I make sure I do the areas that people will see. Honestly, even the bathrooms don't get cleaned well on a regular schedule. (Sooooooo GROSS!!!! I know it!!!)

Over the years there have been times that I have worked out a schedule and cleaned on a regular basis. My best stretch was probably 2 or 3 years that I had a weekend cleaning rotation and it was great!!!!

But since Maya K came home, things have gone downhill.

About two weeks ago, I made myself a new cleaning schedule/rotation. Things HAVE to get better!!!! I set up a two week rotation of the regular cleaning tasks and have one or two tasks to do each day. My hope is that this way I won't get overwhelmed at looking at the need to get the entire house cleaned in just one day. It honestly doesn't take that long to just do one or two cleaning tasks.

I think the first few weeks are the hardest. Things are just so DUSTY!!!! I am doing a pretty solid deep cleaning these first few weeks and trying to get it all done right. It feels really GOOD to have a cleaner house!!!!!

I worked on dusting the bedrooms tonight. Our bedroom is still a work in progress because of all the stacks of books I have around the room. (I like books!!!) I also spent a few minutes straightening things up in Maya K's bedroom. (She does a good job of keeping her bedroom picked up, but small things accumulate in certain areas.)

When I came downstairs, Maya K told me that since I was working so hard to clean up the house, she was going to help me in the morning and work on cleaning up her room. I told her that was a great idea because I was planning to vacuum the bedrooms tomorrow.

Maya K: (shocked/quizzical look on her face) "Vacuum???? In the BEDROOMS?!?!?!"

Yes. I have failed. My daughter is surprised that the bedrooms need to be vacuumed. I am determined to remedy this mommy failure!!!!

Adoption Announcement!!!!

We are starting the process of a domestic adoption!!!!!!

This is a very different process from international adoption, so we are still learning as we go :-). Here are the details as we know them right now!!!

Decision ~ Nathan and I have been talking and praying about growing our family again for several months. In December, we tried to start the process, but God very firmly shut several doors that we attempted to open. So we stepped back, kept praying, and waited to see what God wanted us to do.

A couple weeks ago, several doors were thrown wide open and it seemed very clear to us that God wanted us to walk/run through those doors!!! Several pieces fell into place quickly and we are excited to see what God is going to do in this next chapter of our lives!!!!

Process ~ We are in the process of getting our home study done. The past week and a half we have been gathering the needed documents and our first visit with our social worker is this coming Saturday!!! Once the home study is done, we will have it (along with a profile of our family) on file in a few different places. The next phase is still a little "uncertain". We will be learning more about it in the next few weeks :-).

Request ~ We are pursuing an INFANT domestic adoption!!! Boy or girl. God's choice. :-)

Time ~ Honestly, we don't know. This could happen within two months!!! Or, we could be waiting for a year or more. We don't know. But God does. And HE will work out the details and timing in HIS perfect way!!! We have peace and confidence in that!!!!!

Prayer Requests ~ Peace. Patience. Finances. Details. Understanding. Wisdom.

Valentine Party

Maya K has been super excited to get to go to her very first Valentine Party!!!! The local homeschool group we are a part of had their party today and Maya K has been looking forward to it all week!!!!

She looked so cute this morning that I had to take a few pictures. Well, I had to try!!!!! It's sometimes hard to get a nice smiling picture of her!!!! :-)

2 + 2 = 4

Isn't it great when you child starts using math in real world situations??!!

Here's some background. I have started letting Maya K watch two episodes of The Berenstain Bears (on DVD) after lunch. Each episode is about 15 minutes so it equates to a half hour of TV after lunch and before her quiet time. She has to "earn" the privilege to watch it by working hard and getting her schoolwork done before lunch.

On Thursdays (yesterday), we go to the library right after lunch for a story time and then to choose new books for the week. We get home around 2:30 and go right upstairs for quiet time. So there is no TV time during the day.

Last night, as we were putting Maya K in bed, she says......

"Mommy, two (holds up two fingers) plus two more (holds up two fingers on her other hand) equal four. So can I watch FOUR Berenstain Bears tomorrow because I didn't watch any today?"

Haha!!!! Nice try, Little Girl!!!! But TV time does not accumulate from day to day!!!!!

Books, Books, and MORE Books!!!

Books are important in our house. VERY important!!!! I have always been a bookworm and Nathan has become more so in the years that we have been married. And we were THRILLED when we discovered how much Maya K loves books!!!!

Our second day in Ethiopia with Maya K.

Home for One Week

Maya K and I go to the library every week and bring home between 20-30 books every week. She looks at books in the morning when she wakes up, I read to her before breakfast, I read to her as she finishes eating her lunch, she looks at books on her bed every afternoon during her quiet time, I normally read to her at least once or twice during the afternoon or evening, and Nathan reads her a story at bedtime every night.

Books are EVERYWHERE in our house!!!! I thought it would be fun to go around our house and take pictures of everyplace I found a book :-). I didn't take pictures of all the containers of books in the garage. Some days I find them in even more places, but this is today. (These pictures are un-edited; I didn't clean house before I took them, so excuse the mess!!!!)

Our Day

I had someone recently ask me what a "typical" day looks like for us. So, I decided to journal one of our days!!! Obviously, not every day is the same, but this is fairly "normal" for a weekday.

6:30 ~ Maya K gets up to use the bathroom. She goes back to bed.

7:00 ~ Maya K gets out of bed (her cow clock has "woken up" letting her know that she can get up). She starts playing in her bedroom.

7:20 ~ Nathan comes in to wake me up and say goodbye (he's leaving for work)

7:40 ~ I go into Maya K's room to say "Good morning" and read to her. We are currently reading the "Jewel Fairies" books (we finished Book #1, "India the Moonstone Fairy", this morning).

8:00 ~ I go downstairs and turn my computer on while Maya K goes back to playing. I bring the cat inside from the garage and feed him. Then I spend some time on my computer, checking my e-mail and FB, and reading some blogs.

8:30 ~ Maya K comes downstairs and asks what we are having for breakfast :-). I start making pancakes while she goes upstairs to clean up.

8:50 ~ We eat breakfast and I start the dishwasher.

9:10 ~ Maya K finishes eating while I go upstairs to shower. When she finishes her breakfast, she goes upstairs to make the beds and get dressed.

9:30 ~ I get out of the shower to find that Maya K has completely taken the covers off my bed because she thinks it will be easier to make the bed if she starts all over :-). I help her fix it.

9:40 ~ I go downstairs and get things ready for school. Maya K comes downstairs multiple times to ask me questions, tell me stories, sing me a song, etc. She finally gets dressed.

10:00 ~ We start school. Phonics, Numbers, Handwriting, and Seatwork (while she works on her seatwork, I sit on the sofa and read some of my current book!!). As she is finishing her seatwork (coloring) I read to her from a chapter book ("Hi, I'm Katie Hooper" by Jane Sorenson)

12:00 ~ School went well today :-). I turn on "Clifford" for Maya K to watch while I get lunch ready.

12:10 ~ I let Maya K eat her lunch while watching "Clifford". She's EXCITED!!!!

12:30 ~ She's not done eating lunch so she brings her food to the table and I read to her ( from "Hi, I'm Katie Hooper").

12:45 ~ Lunch is done and we cuddle up on the sofa to read two picture books.

1:10 ~ We go upstairs to get things ready for Maya K's quiet time. I read another picture book to her :-).

1:20 ~ I come downstairs, make a phone call/leave a message, empty the dishwasher, prep dinner and put it in the crockpot, and then go upstairs to work on some laundry.

2:00 ~ I'm back downstairs and turn my computer on to check e-mails and FB. The phone rings and it is my earlier phone call/message calling me back. We visit for a few minutes.

2:15 ~ It's back to checking e-mail and FB.

2:30 ~ I sit down on the sofa with my book!!!!!!!

2:50 ~ Time to do the dishes

3:10 ~ Get Maya K up from her quiet time and then finish washing the dishes.

3:30 ~ Finish schoolwork with Maya K (we don't normally do any schoolwork in the afternoon, but there were two more things I wanted to get done today)

4:10 ~ Get ready and leave to go drop off a few movies at the library (it is SUPER cold here in Iowa right now, so this was a quick trip because the movies were due today!!!)

4:35 ~ Back home / change of plans because of someone's attitude and time of discipline

5:00 ~ Attitude fixed!!! I'm working on dinner and Maya K is building with blocks. Nathan gets home from work.

5:30 ~ Dinner!!

6:00 ~ Maya K starts playing with Play Dough and I clean up from dinner.

6:20 ~ Maya K is still contentedly playing (!!!!!) so I sit on the sofa with my computer and read a few blogs.

7:00 ~ Start the clean-up process with Maya K

7:15 ~ Maya K's bedtime snack

7:30 ~ Maya K's bedtime routine (lotion, jammies, brush teeth, oil on face, gloves, chapstick, story with Daddy, prayer, count to 10, lights off)

8:00 ~ I come downstairs to find a bowl of ice cream waiting for me!!!!!

A Photo a Month for 2013

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

FB Friday

October 26, 2013 ~ A little Ethiopian girl dancing to Jamaican music performed by a group called "The Ethiopians"!!!!

"Mommy, do you want to hear some beautiful, sweet music while I play the piano?" ~ Maya K. Where did she ever hear the expression "sweet music"????? :-)

Here is another one of her dancing this evening. It's got some FUNNY moments!!!

October 27, 2013 ~ Making caramel apples and watching some Sunday football = a great time with friends!!

She is sooooooo excited to get to eat her caramel apple!!!! (But I'm making her wait until tomorrow.)

She has never really seen football before (we are not a "sports" family), so I thought it was hilarious when I went into the living room and saw this!!!!

October 28, 2013 ~ Maya K wanted to talk to her Daddy on the phone during his lunch break today. Here is the end of her side of the conversation. "Goodbye. I love you.....May I talk a little bit more, please??.....What are you eating today?.....I like chili......What are you doing at work?.....Okay.....May I ask just one more question?......Okay......I'll give you back to Mommy.......I love you!!!!!" I think someone is going to be a "phone person" just like her Daddy (NOT like her mommy!!!!!).

October 29, 2013 ~ My parents are visiting this week so my sister and I decided that it was a good time to go visit a free pumpkin patch that we had found out about in our area. It was a lot of fun and we were the only ones there!!!

Maya K loved the baby lamb, but was hesitant about getting very close at first. 

Ben and Maya K with their Grandpa!!!

This girl is a runner!!!

She loves her pumpkins!!!

She's all MINE!!!

I'm looking at this picture and am AMAZED at how BIG Maya K has gotten!! She cannot be this big already!!!

The Box. I went inside with my dad and the kids the first time and this thing was HARD!! Pitch black inside and kids hanging on to all parts of my body!!! They went back inside a second time with Grandpa and finished it!!! The last time the kids all went inside themselves and had a ton of fun!!!

Maya K and Grandpa

Grandpa and Grandma with the grandkids

Silly picture :-)

Smile, Pretty Girl!!!

Yay!!! She did it!!!

Cousins!!!

Apparently, Maya K loves pigs!! Who knew?!?!

Haha!!!

October 30, 2013 ~ I love it!!! The girls are eating their mixed veggies SUPER fast so that they can have MUSHROOMS!!!! There is so much healthy eating going on right now!!!!

Maya K go to go "Trick or Treating" tonight. We didn't do it last year (she had only been home for a month) so she has been looking forward to it for a while!!! It was VERY funny at the first few houses because she would tell them a joke and then they would tell her to choose a piece of candy from the dish and she would ask "What's this?" about EVERYTHING!!! They all looked at me like "Why doesn't this girl know what a peanut butter cup is????!!!!" We came home, she excitedly looked at the candy she had gotten, chose a sucker for herself, gave candy to her grandparents and daddy and I, and then snuggled in next to her Grandpa for a Bible story :-).

November 1, 2013 ~ "She knows she is a princess, but she is just being a ballerina....one of those ballerinas who throw the pom-poms (a cheerleader)." ~ Maya K (showing me one of her My Little Ponies who she has put hair ties in the tail and mane). What do you think??? Is she a girly-girl???!!!!