Regular Stuff

Jessica walks the kids to the gas station once a week to spend their allowances. This was Friday. Usually she goes on Wed, but it's been rainy.

Everyone is home with treats. Yep, that's a lot of sugar but that's it for the week. They eat and share the candy and it's gone.

Jessica was stocking up. She doesn't normally get that much. But the last few weeks they've been out of banana laffy taffy.

We dropped Tyler off at work.

Demonstrating how to handle people who talk during movies. Well, really, people can get really nasty when you ask them to be quiet or leave.

One lady came out and yelled at Jessica for asking some girls to be quiet. She said her daughter had a cough and it wasn't her fault. But the girl would go into these loud dramatic coughing fits and all her friends would laugh and mimic her. If she's that sick she should have been home in bed!

Jessica bought soft pretzel nuggets and everyone needed the first one!

Love those family restrooms in the mall!

We dropped Jessica off for a weekend youth group event.

Nope. Dad didn't get the medical form notarized. Good thing there was a notary there and that I walked her in and found out he hadn't turned it in.

The guys are replacing the back screen door.

Watching Johnny Quest on DVD.

The roter rooter guy is here because the kid's toilet is stopped up. The twins flush everything down it! We pulled about 50 Q tips out of it this morning. I don't know what's in it but the guy is going back for the jet rotor and a second person. $470 literally down the toilet!! I will not bless you with photos of that.

Sick Bay

The twins are fine and healthy. But the rest of us didn't fair so well this week starting with Tyler who was sick Monday-Wednesday. Then Jasmine got sick and they both shared it with Jessica, Adam and myself.

But everyone seems to be over it already and back to school. Have no clue what it was but we are thankful it passed quickly.

The Twin's Schedule part b

You'll have to go back a post to see the first half of our daily schedule.


After rest time is snack time.



Then Jasmine arrives home. Right now she's in after- school tutoring for the state testing next month so we pick her up at 2:30, but normally she arrives home on the bus at 2:00. On even days when Jessica gets home early, she picks Jasmine up. On odd days Jessica and Adam come in at 3:00 and Ty gets home anywhere between 2&5 depending if he's hanging out with friends after classes or not.


Three copies of my new book arrived in the mail while we were taking these pictures. I was hoping for a lot more copies so I could give some away but I wasn't actually under contract for this book, it was a revision of an earlier book.




If you have a child in 5th-7th grade, be sure to pick up a copy of this book.

After snack time, whoever is available plays with the twins. Jessica decided to try and teach them a couple of games. It was okay for the first attempt but without speaking the same language it's a bit tricky.

We try to all eat supper together but often times the oldest two have left for work by this time. Soccer practice started this week so that means eating early on T & Th.

French dip

Bath time follows supper on most day.

Then it's time for a movie and popcorn.

After that is book time, devotions and bedtime! Yay for bedtime.

Right now one of us has to sit with them in the room until they fall asleep. If we try to sneak out too early, they wake back up and cry--loudly.

All in all, the twins are doing great for only being home a month. We don't have any real issues other than establishing boundaries and rules which is the same for any child not just adopted ones. And of course without the language we can't really explain things. The twins are in a really good routine. We've started soccer which will change things a bit, but other than that we keep the schedule the same everyday so they know what to expect. Having said that, Jessica and I will be at the Florida Christian Writer's Conference March 3-7 which will probably throw things off but I'm sure everyone will survive!!

The Twin's Schedule part A

The twins have been home for four weeks today, and we have a pretty good routine going, although it starts way too early for me.

The twins wake up at about 4:50 am. Jessica convinces them to say in bed until 5:15-5:30 when everyone else gets up.

The twins join us for devotions at 5:45 (yes, that's a.m.)Then while the older ones finish eating and packing up, the twins watch two half hour videos--Barney, Miss Patty Cake, Donut Man or Potterfield Pond--something I can tolerate that early. I lay on the couch and try to get excited about the day, and they sit on the floor in the dark. They know there is no eating or playing until after the videos are over at around 6:50-7:00.


After the videos I'm more awake and friendly.




They have milk and fruit first and then either toast, cereal or instant oatmeal. I gave them poptarts today but they didn't care for them. Me either unless they are the brown sugar cinnamon ones.
Then we brush teeth, wash faces etc.




The twins get dressed. Kayla is a lot more independent than Kaleb. She would take over as his mother if I let her.







The dogs are out during the day except when it rains and it poured this morning.


After the twins are dressed, we play. This is about 7:20 am.













At about 8:15 we pick up toys, get backpacks, coats and shoes and head for preschool. They attend a Christian school about 5 minutes from our house.

I had not planned to put them in school this soon, but I found that the constant one-on-one with them by myself the entire day was getting to me. And frankly, I was not enjoying my time with them.

They were also used to 128 other playmates so I'm sure they were bored too. Bonding is very important to me so I was concerned about what to do, but decided on this readiness program. They have new friends, are hearing English for three hours a day and I am getting a short break to work on a book I have under contract, although I find that by time I do all the organizational stuff that comes with being a mom, I don't have much time left to write.

Kaleb and Kayla are in separate classes and this is very good for Kaleb. Kayla tends to take over and do everything for him so this gives him a chance to be his own person.

The twins look forward to school and they have come to realize that I will always be back for them. The classes follow a set schedule so they know what to expect at school too.

After the short time apart I am ready to be the mom again.



I pick the kids up from preschool at 11:30. This is their Bible story for the week.



They start the Bible story on Monday and talk about it Wednesday in chapel.



When we get home we make lunch. Sometimes they help. Kayla is making a really easy bean recipe that Karen Kingsbury gave us: one can black beans, 1/4c chopped onions, 1/4c water, 2 T olive oil. Mash together and cook until the onions are tender. My advice--use good name brand beans. It makes a difference!

















After lunch is nap time. I put in a movie but usually they fall asleep. I have to lay there too until they are sound asleep.








Jessica has early release on even days and is home about an hour after the twins.





To be continued....