BIG GIRL!

We are in big girl panties and in a big girl bed! The panties are still iffy(we aren't public-pantying just yet), but we are going #2 in the potty now and have an accident with #1 only here and there, so we have made great strides! We converted her crib last week and she has done wonderfully in it. All 3 made the switch very easily and I have to give myself some credit. I was kind of the sleep nazi. Once you were put into your bed, I don't come back, no matter what. Dr Weissbluth of Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child(might be the other way around) was my go-to guy. That book really works, but you gotta be tough. It takes about 3 days of crying it out(yes, it's that method), but after that, it was over. Now, Piper took about a week, but that is certainly understandable with all the upheaveal when she got here. And so, when they all transferred into the big bed, they didn't expect anything otherwise. And just so you know, they all still loved me the next morning after the 3 rough days. Sleep training really works!

Piper and I have made some HUGE strides. There is an occasional defiance, but she has seemed to finally figured out that I am Mom, and Mom makes the rules. We are working on her walking into a place on her own, right now. She wants to be carried into places that aren't familiar, and sometimes I can't do that, so she does the limp-noodle thing, which makes me see red, but it is a work in progress. I have figured out that we get through it eventually. It was pooping in the potty, it has been yelling "No!" at me when she doesn't get her way, it has been swatting with her hand, and so forth. And we have gotten pretty much past them all, with only occasional slips now and then. SO. That means I need to relax, and be persistent and consistent and know that this, too, shall pass. I still need to remind myself of that but I am getting there, and so is she.

The past 2 weeks have been really good and we seem to have gotten over the wall we had hit that had me doubting so many things and in so many ways that I couldn't even bring myself to post about them, because sometimes they weren't nice or could have discouraged those who are in the process. But let me tell you, thank God for my friend Becky who has been dealing with the same stuff. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have someone else to vent to or who could understand. My husband understood, but I needed to know that it wasn't just us, that we were out of whack. While a lot of us, once we get our children home, may drift off and out of blogland, doing it before and during can be very vital. You can make some really great friends. Some of which may be vital to your mental health :) ! So if you have your older kids home and struggle, keep the faith, keep praying, and stay consistent and persistent...they get it eventually!


GOOD MORNING HAIR

Let's get a great ending to this great story

An email I sent to people:


Hi, everyone!

I have recently learned of some wonderful events that I feel the responsibility to pass on, because you never know how it pans out.

Here's the story. Sorry, it's long. Last year, I met a woman in my adoption blogworld that lives in Granbury, Texas. She and her husband adopted a little girl, just a year older than Piper and they were in the same orphanage. While they were in Ethiopia picking up their daughter, Gladney(the adoption agency) was about to begin the Bright Futures Camp, here in Texas where they bring older children to stay for a week in hopes of finding them families to adopt them. A sibling group of 2 girls, one tween, one teen, and their brother, age 17 were not finding a host family, and ran the risk of not being able to come. Becky (my friend) and her husband, since they had done the homestudy for their adoption and were obviously approved, being as they were there to pick up their child, said that the Kinfe kids(the 3 siblings and who are separated in diff. orphanages) could come stay with them during the Camp. That was pretty big, considering that they were bringing home a 3 year old girl who is just as strong willed as Piper is! Anyways, the kids had a fantastic time, but unfortunately, were unable to find a family.

This is still the case, but some recent events have come to light. David Nasser, who is a new name to me and author of Glory Revealed and runs David Nasser Outreach(and whom I will be learning much more about) was set to speak at Liberty University for Spiritual Emphasis Week. He prompted students to do a 'jeans' campaign to help the Kinfe kids in getting adopted. Basically, he challenged them to donate the cost of a pair of their jeans. Being as this was to about 4000 students, the results were more astounding than you can imagine. He asked on Wednesday, and by Friday, they had $85,000. Not only would this cover adoption, but aid in college, as well. That just brought me to tears. You can read more about it at Liberty Journal

I met the kids last year at an Ethiopian American Soccer tournament, while they were here visiting for the camp. I saw them again when I went to get Piper. Let me tell you what I know about these guys.
The oldest boy, Aschalo, bought a chemistry book when he was here for fun! He was gracious and studious, and did well with the Becky's (age 3 and 4)kids. He will age out at 18 in December, I believe this year. This means that he will not be adoptable if it doesn't happen soon and if the girls do get adopted, they will be separated over an ocean. Genet(I think 16) is shy and studios and wants to be a pilot when she grows up. And Yesalemush (at 15) is the artist and all girly girl. These are just unjust short bios. These precious kids need a family. You are welcome to read more about them in Becky's blog ....just look at her June-July entries last year. Aschalo speaks pretty good English and the girls know some, too. They are learning it at the orphanage.

Here is an excerpt of their recent letter to Becky:

'We are so busy, we spend our time by study. Many children are finish their process and goes to U.S.A. we are very sad. Every day we pray to God to help us to get a family from Texas. We ask you again don't forget us to find a family to adopt us.'

Pass it on!

Sugar and spice...uh, are we sure about that???

Today has been one of those days. At school, after chapel, Piper refused to walk on her own, and she plopped down on the floor and wouldn't budge. I caught her sweet teacher picking her up to bring her back to class, so I made Piper walk and gave her time out for her 'tude and refusing to do what she was told. Since we have been home (3pm), she has been in time out 5 times. It is 4:42. I am truly fearful of the teenage years!! She reminds me of the velociraptors (sp?) in Jurassic Park, looking for the weakness in the fence. She knows her sweet teacher will give in, so she pushes. And she pushes her brothers, too, until I catch her. They cave on her for anything she wants, whether they have a right to it or not, bless their hearts. I am glad it is that way rather than the other way around!

Well, she just helped herself out of time out, so she's back in again.

It's so funny. Everyone I hear of who has girls first say they are easy and their boys(if they come later) are harder. I am sooo the other way around! While I am glad my girl is spunky(yeah, that's P.C. for a stinker), and that no one will get past her, she is a handful! I think I am probably having a hard time with the fact that there is someone else who needs to be parented differently and that is hard to do with all three kids at the same time, at the ages that they are. I struggle with the fact that a lot of things don't seem fair to her and I worry it will affect the way she thinks she is treated. Factors are things like her age (she can't do as much as big bros) or her behavior(she truly thinks she has been wronged sometimes, when it is just part of learning the rules). We aren't big spankers (the boys next to never get one), but at this age, until they are older and able to understand the rules and punishment is more along the lines of privilege removal, swats and time outs are it. I don't believe that you can reason much with a 2 year old, so this is our approach. Please don't get into the whole spank/not to spank debate, that's not what this is about. But I am open to other options since while these do work, I worry about the fact that she doesn't see it happening to the boys and may have issues with that that could present themselves later.

Anyone with their strong willed kids have any other methods? Her infractions aren't huge, but have to be addressed. They tend to be refusal to cooperate or take "no" as an answer.

That said, here are some pictures of my cutie pie in her (RED) jammies and being little Mama to her big brother, wiping the snot from his nose. I love it!

What's Your Thang?

"The need is the call"

Pretty much speaks for itself. Just in case anyone was wondering what their "thing" or "calling" or "cause" should be, like I used to wonder. Saw that today and just thought it was good.

We have a camera again. Yay! Here are a couple of updated pictures of Piper, who obviously knows how to work the camera when she wants to!

I just read Same Kind Of Different As Me. What a moving book. It's a nice reminder not to judge and remember that your work is never done. After a minuscule reflection, I realized how dumb I was in my last post. There is nothing unselfish about me. I am just as selfish as I always have been. I just happen to do what I'm supposed to sometimes.One of the things I am supposed to do and actually did was go to Haiti for our church mission trip. I have gone twice, and this year, we decided that Dennis will go. I wouldn't miss Haiti for anyone else, let me tell you. There may be no privacy(uh, you just think you are alone on the side of that mountain on a pit stop), no cool air reprieve, and a language barrier, but I LOVE going there! The reasons why would take days to write. I would love for Dennis to go and be able to share that same sentiment that I have when I talk about Haiti. I am very confident that once he goes and plays with the kids(Ethiopia and Haiti are very similar in many ways), he will be a sunk ship! We actually stay in a village called Les Abricots at the Pastor's home. Our trip is guided by Reciprocal Ministries Inc. (RMI). We have partnered with them in their sister church program. We go once a year and commit to praying for our sister church. We have wired the church for power, sent a generator, and built pews as some of our projects. We do a women's bible study and try to do something special for them, since we are truly honored guests while we are there and they work sun up to sun down to make sure we are taken care of. We also sponsor children for school through the Hope for Kids program. My dream is to someday go for a couple of big trips a year and volunteer at places like God's Littlest Angels(a wonderful orphanage) or at places like Real Hope for Haiti. That would be awesome. Now, I know that it's isn't Piper's country, but it is the place that planted the seed for her adoption in the first place. Once you teach the Macarena to about 50 kids who don't speak English, you are done for!

Merry Christmas!

It is time to say goodbye to the blog, not that I am so regular(no poop jokes, please). I have never been a journaler(is that a word?). It is hard for me right now, anyways. These kiddos are wiping me out. It seems that 3 is our final number. I never say never, but I give it a firm "probably not"! Ok, I will probably come to post every month or two, because I can't completely let this go and I definitely will keep reading everyone elses! I had to add these last 2 sentences after writing this thing b/c I can't do it!

This has been such a fantastic journey. God never lets me down. Every time He says to do something, and I actually listen, I have the time of my life! Mission trips, children's ministries, working at the pregnancy help center, adoption. Every adventure turned out more rewarding than the next and I can't imagine what the next one is. I am always attempting to help someone else out or do what I think I should be doing, and it seems that I am the one who most benefits. Is it possible to want to help others unselfishly knowing full well that YOU are the one who scores?! Am I selfishly unselfish or the other way around? I seem to have over thought this...what a conundrum.

In true Elliott fashion, our camera broke a couple of weeks before Christmas, so everything is on video, but no pictures. We hoped it was a battery issue, but no such luck.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Piper thought opening presents was a blast and I think next year, she will truly "get" it all. The boys "got" it this year and are finally coming down off their Christmas high.

The other day we saw a panhandler on the side of the road with several funny signs he was trying. He had a full beard and long hair, and Brodan said, "Look Mom, it's Jesus" By the time I got a dollar together, he had passed us and the light changed. Now my kids think Mom didn't give Jesus any money. Not only that, but I didn't recognize him, and they did. Food for thought.

Funny email

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2007 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.


2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.


3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.


4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.


6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.


7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.


10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.


11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
: )


12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.


13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.


14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.


15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.