Brother & Sister

How cool that these two are brother and sister. They make each other laugh and smile. I have no idea what either one is saying, but they understand one another and that's all that matters! It just goes to show, family is more than biology...it's a sense of belonging, feelings of love and safety, and sharing a home!

Laura's Wish

Two fun ladies visited us from Make-A-Wish Monday night. The purpose of this visit was to grant Laura's wish, and to bring a little fun along with them. Let me tell you...they racked up a lot of points with everyone, especially the boys. I sure wish I could know what Amarin was thinking that night, and I hope he's not expecting "strangers" to show up at our house spontaneously with gifts for everyone! The gave each of the boys a remote control 4-wheeler, with batteries, thank you! They also each got a box of M&Ms and Skittles. They have been having soooo much fun with these 4-wheelers in the driveway....racing, crashing, trading...and they're already running out of batteries.

Now for Laura. They gave her a really soft blanket, a box of little animal toys and a special wish box...which held her M&Ms and Skittles. As for her wish...you have no idea how HARD it was to make a wish for her. She could choose just about anything you could imagine, and since she doesn't communicate, how could we possibly pick just the right wish for her? Well, we've given it our best shot. Laura LOVES the water, I mean LOVES it! She doesn't care if it's a bucket of water or the ocean...she wants in. So, for Laura's wish, we are headed to Key Largo, Florida for one week of swimming with the dolphins...check it out. She will get to swim with the dolphins everyday with a therapist, attend a classroom session everyday with therapists, and according to our friends from Make-A-Wish...there will be plenty of surprises along the way.

Her "magic" wand to help grant her wish.

Laura's turn to open presents.

Charlie holds her hand to help her pull out the tissue paper.

Betty Crocker...

...I've never claimed to be, and today proves it if any of you had any doubts otherwise. I thought I'd treat everyone to some oatmeal cookies. I baked while the kids napped...the boys got up and licked the beaters while the scent drifted through my kitchen...what a "Better Homes" moment. The timer went off and I opened the oven...WHAT HAPPENED TO MY COOKIES???? I was sure I followed the recipe. I've made them before, plenty of times. Oatmeal cookies are not difficult to make...

...unless you forget to add the OATMEAL!

Scene of the Crime

The driveway became a "crime scene" today. What's the crime, you ask? Covering daddy's new blacktop with chalk. Here is suspect #1...

Suspect #2...

and suspect #3. We believe they're working as a team...

Aha! Caught in the act...he sure does neat work, though, doesn't he?

The last thing we heard from daddy before he went into the house was, "Can they keep the chalk on the concrete and not the blacktop?" By the time he got back outside, this was the scene. The suspects made it all the way to the road.

So, what did he do? He took them all to Dairy Queen!!
(Laura and I claim innocence!)

Volcanic Eruptions

No...not by my children, thankfully. But they did have fun putting together a volcano using cardboard, paper mache, paint, baking soda, and vinegar. OK, so I did draw lines down the side of the volcano designating their own painting areas so there would be no brawling over who was painting whose part of the volcano.

Hands-on activities are great for building vocabulary, as well as a great way for kids to interact that don't speak the same language.

First, they constructed and painted the volcano.

All projects, especially when boys are mixed with something explosive, must be supervised! Thank you, Laura.

Can you see the smile from the side as he watches the eruption?

Oh, I don't know...think he's happy with the project? Later, they took the volcano into the backyard, put rocks all around it (from daddy's landscaping), and played dinosaurs.

The Crew

Trying to get all four to smile for a photo...yeah, right.

Can you see their personalities in this photo??

OK...this one was pretty good...

Home

Kickin' back with my brothers, popcorn, and Mickey Mouse.

Making spaghetti sauce

Mickey Mouse made with paper and a sit-n-spin.

Charlie had to try making Mickey Mouse, too.

The first time using a vacuum...for Laura's graham cracker crumbs.

Amarin and Laura

Amarin loves the sit-n-sping...hence, all the boys like it again! We're learning to take turns.

Eating corn-on-the-cob with no front teeth!

Running through the sprinklers. Sorry, boys...no big pool like in Thailand!

By the way...

I've been given permission to post photos of Amarin! Enjoy!!

Within the first few minutes that we met...he was very shy at first.

On the beach in Songkhla...me and my big boys.

His new panda from Build-A-Bear. He cozied up with him right away.

The first swim ever in a pool!

Playing on the beach in Songkhla.

One last photo before he leaves the Babies' Home.

Already buddies!

Lining up fruit peels at lunch our first day. It was SOOOOO HOT!

He lost a front tooth in Bangkok. Boy did he start wiggling that thing after our guide explained how the tooth fairy leaves money under his pillow.

My bloggy friend Sharon from Australia, along with her husband and two sons, both of whom were adopted from the same Babies' Home as Amarin....just a few years earlier. How cool was it that we were in Bangkok at the same time and could meet face to face! Her boys are so cute!!

New Every Day

I ventured out today with all four kids. I know compared to some families, that's not many, but as for me, I was a little apprehensive. But it couldn't have been easier. We went to find eyeglass frames for Laura and to sign her up for preschool. The boys brought a book and "guys" to keep themselves busy while I completed what I needed to, and then we went home. So, I bravely decided to venture out one more time this afternoon to pick up a few homeschool textbooks, and again...no problem. Also good to note...no carsickness during these rides today.

Amarin stuck close to me today. He did play with the boys, but this is the first day that he chose to hang with me by himself instead. He helped me vacuum, make spaghetti for dinner (which he loved), and helped set the table. Laura was also with us, so he pushed her on her little bike. She gives him the biggest smiles, and I think he really likes that.

As with all kids, when they are newly home, everything is new. Today...

*Amarin discovered first hand that when you feed food to Laura, your fingers are fair game for biting! Laura smiles at Amarin and he likes to pat her cheeks.

*Imprints on carpet are funny...especially when you start making designs all over the carpet with a sit-n-spin.

*Erasing the imprints with your hands is even funnier.

*Vacuums are very loud and scary when encountered for the first time.

*No matter how many times Charlie dumps his water over at the table, it's always funny.

*Mickey Mouse is known by children all over this world!

I love being a mom!!

Family of 6

We made it home Saturday afternoon after two very long flights...7 hours from Bangkok to Tokyo, and then 12 more hours from Tokyo to home. I have to admit, though, I rested better than I thought. I have very restless legs at times that prevent me from relaxing (restless leg syndrome?), but I was actually OK. Our flights were on time, and minus a bit of turbulence before Tokyo, all went well. The boys were excellent travelers, even waiting for over one hour to clear customs and immigration at home. At the last stop where an officer checks your immigration card, the officer saw that Amarin was from Thailand and greeted him in Thai. Well, that was the last thing I was expecting to hear!

It's actually pretty surreal sitting here at home...did we actually go to Thailand already? The four kids are doing well. There is, as we expected, some competition on all fronts and it's going to take a while to figure out the "pecking order" for the boys.

Amarin loved his oatmeal this morning, and all I added was raisins. I gave him a taste of brown sugar (because you just can't eat oatmeal without it!), and he really grimaced at the taste. And for lunch, a hot dog with BBQ sauce! Tonight, burgers and corn on the cob, and he finished all of it. We laughed when Amarin picked up the corn and stared at it...poor kid has no front teeth on the top. But he figured out how to eat it all! All the boys helped husk the corn earlier, and they each grabbed some ears to be sure they had their fare share to husk. I think I might try this with cleaning. Maybe they'll all want to clean more than the other brother...

Today I'm thinking that having four children is really not much different than three. I'll get back to you later on that one. The biggest "aha" moment for me today is when I told the boys to read books while I bathed Laura, and then it would be bedtime. Jacob and Charlie sat and read books while Amarin stacked them and carried them around the room. Now, our guide in Thailand had told me that kids do not have many books in Thailand because they are so expensive. So, now I'm thinking that maybe I asked Amarin to do something that he didn't really do before. Maybe I'm going to have to teach him how to sit and enjoy picture books. I read to the four kids before bed which I normally don't do (I give you moms credit that do read before bed because I'm usually too exhausted) and Amarin loved it...they all did. Except Charlie wanted to read his book to everyone and got a tad bit huffy when I told him that I was the reader tonight.

I know I have to be patient, but I'm looking so forward to having a schedule again. Maybe I'll start school early...or maybe not...four against one isn't really working in my favor.

We're Comin' Home!

I'm so excited! This morning we went for our appointment with the US Visa Office, and after waiting FOREVER...ok, it was only 1/2 hour, but it seemed like forever...they congratulated us on our new son, and told us to come back at 3PM to pick up his visa. Those of you who have gone through this process before know what I mean about finally being able to breathe a sigh of relief. Even if all seems OK, you still hold your breath at every meeting hoping and praying that they don't "catch" something wrong with your paperwork.

As it was, yesterday when we turned in our mountain of paperwork, they caught that Amarin needed some more vaccinations before they would approve the visa. So, off to the hospital we went, and poor Amarin whimpered as they prepared his shots. Could the nurse not have prepared the needles before calling us into the room??? But he was a brave boy and even watched the 2nd shot. Then, as we were leaving the room, the dr. said that the embassy just called and Amarin needed one more test. UGH!!!! Again, he was a brave boy, plus we promised that he could go swimming when we returned to the hotel. Jamie took the boys back after the test was done, and I waited for the paper results. A long day for all of us and we were very proud of the boys for being so well behaved and patient for so long....

Our day started with the meeting with the Thai Adoption Board. This was so enjoyable. There were only 8 families meeting today with the board, and normally there are 25 or 30, so we got in quickly. There were 7 or so board members, but only 3 asked questions. They asked about schooling for Amarin and were very happy to hear that we homeschool, why we want such a big family (ha! we know friends with 10 kids, Karin!), do we like boys better than girls, are we happy with Amarin. And then they asked Jacob what he thought about having brothers and a sister from different countries, what sports he plays, and told him that he needs to take care of Amarin now, and teach him to swim and play soccer. The fact that they were asking Jacob to help care now for Amarin made me cry...it was really a moving meeting with the board. Then they told Jamie and I the same...be sure we take very good care of Amarin now, teach him, love him and bring him back someday to visit his homeland. Oh, I have tears as I type. The people in this cafe must think I'm nuts!

The next stop was the US Visa office to drop off paperwork and to get an appointment for Thursday morning with a visa officer. No doubt, after the fiasco getting our paperwork approved a month ago, they know our name well! We waited about 1 1/2 hours to spend 3 minutes with someone behind a window. Grrrr....then to find out we have to go get more shots.

But, the day ended beautifully with a swim and dinner by the pool after dark. We were the only ones out there, overlooking the skyline as the pool is on the 5th story. Amarin never got a fever or much soreness from the shots, either.

So, we're flying home Saturday as a bigger, and very happy family. I can't wait to hug and kiss my little Laura and Charlie. We sure miss them! Thank you to everyone who has been praying so much for us and helping us in so many ways. God has answered EVERY prayer request we made, and I'll highlight those when I have a chance at home...because I'm sure I'll have a lot of spare time on my hands!!

A floating market with boats full of delicious foods from sticky rice in bamboo stalks to fruit to meat that's cooked right on the boat. It's really good food...honest, mom!

Jacob's first elephant ride. Amarin wouldn't venture up there!

At a restaurant Monday night, Amarin wanted me to write words in English and he copied them. You can see my writing on top, and his copied work beneath...not bad for never writing English letters before! And it was very sweet...he made me go back to his name and put Miller at the end so he had the same last name as the rest of us!

More from Thailand

I finally found an internet cafe with free internet service! Now I just have to type like mad before my battery dies.

I have so much to share, that I'm not even sure where to begin at this point. So, I'll share some highlights and photos...maybe I'll play "catch-up" later.

As of today, Tues. morning, all is well. Better than well....it's great! Amarin continues to transition well, has a great time playing with Jacob, and is a real trooper here in the big city...quite a contrast to the smaller, quieter ocean-side city where he grew up. Bangkok is HUGE...constant traffic and noise, but very, very clean. Yes, there are some apartment/living areas that are pretty poor, but it is the cleanest Asian city we have visited. The people are very friendly, polite, and smile all the time. We are near a ton of embassies, so it is also very international. The hospital we have been using for Amarin's physicals and for the gash on his leg is more like a shopping mall...sparkling clean, little shops, and virtually no wait time for the emergency room...not that his gash was an emergency, but that's just where they sent us. BTW, his leg is no longer oozing, and seems to be healing very well. He will probably have a dandy scar, though.

Big news...he lost his first tooth with us yesterday! He wouldn't wiggle that thing until our guide translated the whole tooth fairy thing. Then he wiggled it non-stop until it came out. He came into our bedroom this morning all excited because the tooth fairy left him 40 baht (about 70 cents) under his pillow. Poor kid...he has 4 missing teeth on top, and two more still waiting to come in on the bottom.

We have visited some absolutely gorgeous temples. The intricate designs, all done by hand, is amazing! We've traveled by boat, sky-train, taxi, tuk-tuk...all cool experiences. We also visited a rose garden last Sunday. Jacob rode an elephant, we saw a banana grove, saw a cultural show, fed the elephants bananas and sugar cane, and saw a HUGE lizard...about 4 or 5 feet long. Thankfully, we were still in the car!

All paperwork is complete up to this point. Tomorrow we have our meeting with the Thai adoption board and a trip to the US Embassy. Thurs. again to the US Embassy, and hopefully, Amarin's visa will be issued either Thurs. or Friday. We're ready to go home, and really miss Charlie and Laura. It will be so nice to have our whole family together again.

Now for some photos...

OK...a sneak peak at Amarin from the back! The boys were in the Gulf of Thailand down in Songkhla. The water was so warm...and for me to say that, you know it had to be like bath water!

One of thousands of temples in Bangkok. This is Cambodian style.

It's hard to photograph the intricate details of these beautiful temples. But here's a try...

Walking through a street market on our way to visit some temples. Thailand has delicious fruit!

We all got a 15 minute Thai massage one night. The boys giggled as they are both ticklish, I loved mine, and Jamie was tortured. Apparently in a Thai massage, if they think you have some tense muscles, that WILL fix it for you. Jamie was sore, seriously enough to take pain meds, for two days! See the name of their spa on the guy's shirt? It says "Relax." Yeah, right!

There is so much more to share, but I can't even begin to put it in this blog. I'll keep posting as we go, but just know that it has simply been a wonderful trip. Keep praying for the last few days that we stay healthy, our paperwork is completed by Friday, and for safe travels home.