He's our winner....

We entered Colby in a cutest baby "my pride and joy" photo contest through a local radio station awhile back. He was 1 of 94 and then one of 54 and then one of 21 and then one of 12. Today we learned that he didn't win or place. He's still a winner in my book and I love him like no other!

Here's the photo we used (it's the Captain Cocoabeard one from a gazillion blog posts ago):

Mom! Do you see....

Church was an adventure yesterday. We got off to a late start so Steve stashed Colby in the nursery while Kailin and I went in to sit down. Both kids were up late on Saturday night, so they were both overtired. Colby was his amiable little self, but Kailin was antsy. Not a good attribute for church. She wiggled around and did her coloring, but she was mostly quiet for the first part of the service. Toward the middle things started getting out of hand. I pulled her onto my lap.

The sermon began. I noticed that one of her classmates, Gillian, had a stuffed dog two pews ahead of us. We've always told Kailin that there are no animals allowed in church. I hoped she wouldn't notice. No such luck. She hissed, "Mooooom! There are NO dogs allowed in church." I whispered that I knew that. She hissed, "WHY does she have a dog in church?" I whispered that I guessed her mommy and daddy had decided it was okay. She was satisfied and I said a little prayer of thanks! She was quiet for a few minutes and then as if a light bulb had gone off in her head, she said in a loud whisper, "MOM!!!!! Do you see God up there?" Rather than go into a philosophical discussion about how we can see God everywhere (and because I was TRYING to listen to the sermon), I just said, "No, honey, that's Pastor Paul!" I stifled a laugh.

Things went downhill from there. Steve ended up taking Kailin to the nursery. Colby thought he was getting picked up and then both kids were wailing. Thankfully, they both stopped fairly quickly. Kailin was VERY disappointed when we came to pick Colby up from nursery and she had to stay - her Sunday School is in the same room. There was MUCH wailing. We hid out for a few minutes to see if she'd stop and she did.

We ran off to Target to pick up a few things and Colby picked out a (much more expensive than is normally justified) stuffed bear. He's calling him Bearby now and is already very attached. I'm a little nervous because the thing says, "spot clean only" and I can already tell you that there will be more than spots in need of cleaning in the not too distant future!

New pants...

I had to do it. Saturday I bought new jeans. I swore I wouldn't. I hoped I wouldn't need to. I'm sure you've guessed by now that the new jeans were not purchased because my old ones wore out (although the two pair that still fit did wear out last week. One pair I'd had since HIGH SCHOOL and the other pair was at least 5 years old). I'd love to report that my old jeans were all too big for me, but that would be a big fat lie. No, they're too small. I can still get them on. I can wear them. But they don't make me feel very good about myself and they aren't very comfortable. I don't enjoy wearing them and I don't enjoy the feeling I get when I'm wearing them. I thought it would motivate me to lose a little weight, but so far all it's done is depress me.

The chilly weather is a comin' here and something had to be done. I bought 2 new pair of jeans which, along with some other pants I have(wind pants, etc), should get me through the week. I thought it would depress me. Instead, I love them. They are a perfect fit, and have invigorated me and renewed my interest in fitting into my old jeans again. Funny how you don't know yourself as well as you think even after 33 years of being you. I thought I was sure that if I bought some jeans in the next size up, that would become my new size (as it has in the past) and I'd think "why bother" and I would just keep doing that until I was enormous and unable to fit through the door. Okay, maybe not that bad, but my past has shown me the dangers of buying jeans one size up.

I'm no skinny Minnie - never have been - have come to terms with the idea that I never will be even if I try. I'm not built that way for starters. I have a broad back and broad shoulders. I'd look dumb as a size 4. I'd be disproportionate. And I like food. I like it a lot. I don't need to eat vast quantities of it (all the time - sometimes I do... ha ha ha), but I do enjoy it. I like sweet stuff. I always will. I know that trying to change that is futile so I try to eat in moderation and get some exercise in. I strive for mediocrity. Ha ha. I'd just like to be average. I will be average. But not today. So for today I'm going to wear my new, much more comfortable, jeans and enjoy the idea that my old jeans could be this comfortable again by Thanksgiving if I put my mind to it. Then I'm going to hop to it and make that a reality. Stay tuned for updates on the jeans fit situation. And if I ever report that I've had to buy jeans ANOTHER size up, somebody come and tape my mouth shut!!!

Mine! -- ALL mine!! (well okay - ours)

Today at 3:45pm we entered the court room and at 3:55pm we exited. In between, Colby became (in the eyes of the state of WI) irrevocably, undeniably, and in every sense of the word -ours. Colby is legally Colby Tian-Fu Gannaway and we couldn't be happier!

Kailin shushed the judge during her re-adoption hearing. Today's hearing was no less comical. The judge was soft spoken and Steve couldn't hear him. So he had to keep repeating himself. In between, Kailin was insistent on asking "Mom - do you want some FWOOOT?" I kept shushing her and as soon as the judge pronounced us a family she said, "CAN I TALK NOW????" She was enthralled with going behind the bench (to take pictures) and in opening the "gate" between the front and back of the courtroom. Colby was entirely unimpressed with the entire proceeding. Ha ha ha.

We had pizza (Colby's favorite) for dinner to celebrate. He did thoroughly enjoy it and the ice cream sandwich he had for dessert. I'm going to have to post the pictures tomorrow - I'm ready for bed. We have our six month (SIX MONTHS ALREADY?!) post placement in the morning and although I've long ago stopped cleaning the house for our social worker - I do need to look at least more awake than a run of the mill zombie...

From the mouths of babes....

This story is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - I couldn't make it up if I tried!! I just got back from taking the kids for a walk. Kailin likes me to sing while we walk. Usually it's the ABC's or Liang zhi lao huo (probably murdered that spelling, but I'm too lazy to look it up) or the Ni hao song from Cricket. Today as we meandered along, this is our conversation:
"Mom? Could you sing?"
"Sure, what do you want me to sing?"
"Can you sing the wino song, Mom?"
"What wino song?"
"The wino song."
"How does it go?"
"No, you have to sing it."
"Could you sing some of it so I know how it goes?"
"It's a song. You sing it."
"The WINO song? I don't think I know that one."
"You do!!! (singing)......this wino....yes, Jesus loves me!"
"Oh honey, that's this-I-know! NOT wino!!"
"Well could you sing that one?"
"Yes, I can."

I guess this post could also be titled, "Jesus' lesser known hobbies". More Sunday School is CLEARLY in order!!!

A wrench in the works!

Boy howdy do kids throw a wrench in the works! Steve and I have our fifth anniversary coming up this December. We've been planning to go to Door County (where we spent our first anniversary) for a few days to get away. We've asked our dog sitter and she is available. We've asked Steve's parents to watch the kids and they are happy to do it. We thought we were in the clear. I just read the Sunday School schedule last night and yep..... Kailin's first Sunday School Christmas program is the weekend of our anniversary.....with dress rehearsal the weekend preceding....and Christmas (or close enough to it) the weekend after the Christmas program. Four years ago we just picked a weekend and went! I'm thankful to be blessed by my little wrench throwers (sometimes literally rather than figuratively!) and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I'm just amazed at how two people who have relatively few obligations in life can manage to run mine! Ha ha ha. We'll just go in January instead. I'm sure we'll enjoy our anniversary dinner of fish sticks and french fries with the kids just as much as we'd have enjoyed a romantic dinner alone. Either way, I know we'll thank God for our family and remember how blessed we are to have the children we do - they are perfect in every way - wrenches and all!

Little Potato Designs

Well...with trepidation and much hope, I'm introducing Little Potato Designs and putting my new blog out there. I talked a little bit about it once before, but now it's out there for all to see. Even if you aren't in the market, I'd appreciate feedback on the blog, the designs - anything. I'm entirely new at this so please feel free to give me a shout out here, on Little Potato or via email. I'll take product or design suggestions, blog suggestions (I'm new at that stuff too!), ways to better organize my site, questions - even cries of outrage (hoping for not too many of those!). This is a bit of a shameless plug, I know, but at the same token it's a chronicle of taking this little leap - on a wing and a prayer. So come on over and take a peek at www.littlepotatodesigns.blogspot.com and let me know what you think! I'll be adding more samples as I get them, but wanted to go ahead and launch with what I have.