A Different Perspective

As you know, this week, we celebrated the arrival and birthday of Miss Thang! It was a week of busy, crazy fun. Saturday, we finished off the week with a huge princess celebration in honor of Lynleigh Ren. It was a great day. We had about 11 little 2-4 year olds in their beautiful princess gowns. Because it was a Rapunzal party, we served hazel nut soup, bread and cheese and apples for Maximus. After being a grouch for the first 45 minutes (she only got a half hour nap because of a soccer game), she finally warmed up to the 50+ people we squeezed into our new (and we thought huge) house. 50, you ask? Well, that includes the 11 little girls, parents, grandparents, and babies. Holy cow! Brady asked if he could be in charge of taking pictures for his little sister. Usually, this is my job. I love being the photographer in our family.

I think Brady did a great job capturing the moments of his little sister's special day! This next picture is of Gracie and Sophie. They were just too cute in their Mulan and Ariel dresses!

This one has to be my favorite by far! I love how hard she tried to blow out the candle on her own!

All in all, it was a wonderful day!  I have a ton of pictures and will have to blog more later!  Tony and I are about to meet with one of our pastor's about Orphan Sunday.  What an appropriate way to end Lynleigh week!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAL!

Soccer season is upon us and what better way to get into the sport but to sign up a bossy two year old! Lynleigh's first soccer practice was this week and when I met her coach I had a few words of wisdom, "She doesn't like strangers, she doesn't know how to share, she's bossy, she's doesn't know how to talk and she's a little OCD. Good Luck to you!" Within the first 30 seconds, I knew this would be a long season! The coach started out asking everyone to say his/her name and do something silly. This lasted all of about 2 minutes before the eight two to four year olds lost interested. He asked Lynleigh to get in the circle and say her name....um...did you not listen to my words of wisdom? She said no and gave him the hand. Why? Well, there were these orange cones....

Yeah! She couldn't focus on anything because she was so busy lining up the cones. She would get them in some sort of line and this one kid on the team would come over and kick them. Insert meltdown! I had to eventually go out to the field and take the cones away from her because she was never going to be able to concentrate with those dang cones out there!

Once the cones were gone, she was able to enjoy herself a little and play with the other kids. And wouldn't you know it, the coach found where I had hid them and put them back out on the field! Next week, I'll make sure they are "MIA" so she can function!

As much as she liked kicking the ball, it was a lot easier to carry it to where she wanted it to go! Plus she learned that if she held it, then no one could take it from her. Two year old logic!

She did try to kick it into the goal a few times and with a lot of effort, she would make it in!

I think she and her BFF liked digging in the goal for the ball as much as any other part of the practice!

So, she held it and she kicked it, and she complained about the shin guards!

But mostly, she just played with the cones and took a lot of breaks!

Meanwhile, this guy...

Was ready to hit the field! Kaden's an all around great athlete! He's good at almost every sport he tries. And what he's not good at, he makes up for in attitude! If it can be done outside, he loves it!

The best part about soccer for a kid like Kaden, is the running. He has an unlimited amount of energy and soccer really helps wear him out!

I'd say on a scale of one to ten, the first soccer practice was an 8. Hopefully, now that Lynleigh knows what it's all about, she will get into it a little more. As for Kaden, we don't have to worry about him! He was born for this sport!

Don't Blink!

This past week, I spent some time re-reading my posts from this time last year. I still can't believe that in 24 days, we will celebrate the one year anniversary of bringing Lynleigh Ren into our family! Wow! Does it seem like that long? In just 11 short months, she has gone from this...

To this!

I mean, I can't even remember that scrawny, scared little girl that walked up to us like she knew we were her parents. When I looked back at the blog, I can't get over one of the first pictures of Lynleigh. I was holding her but she was leaning towards her nanny. I wouldn't recognize that little girl today!

This little girl right here loves her Mommy and Daddy! She can't live without a hair bow! And she's the boss of the Pillstrom house! This weekend, Lynleigh and I got to spend some quality time together while the boys were out of town. We have had some sweet time together! All she's wanted to do this weekend is hug and kiss, and believe me, I'm all for that! I was a little worried when I started school because she had regressed a little. But this girl loves her baby sitter and now that she's in a routine, she's been such a little sweetie! She's about 90% potty trained. The other 10% would be during the night. She still wears a pull-up to bed because she drinks a lot of milk during the day. It may be a while before we make it to panties at night.

One of my favorite things Lynleigh does is mimic me. She's always wanting to put on make up and she will hold her purse just like me. Today, while I was blow drying my hair, I looked up to find her doing the same!

She cracks me up! In 24 days, we will celebrate our Gotcha Day...in 25, Miss Thang turns 3! I still can't get over that she's here and we get to see her grow! I sometimes feel like I blinked and the year passed us by! Here's to the next year and the many adventures it will hold! And stay tuned for the birthday of the year! You know it's coming up soon!!!

In China, We Are All Family

When we decided to adopt, I did not realize how big our world would become! During the past year, God has expanded my territory (a little Jabez reference)not only across the US but across the world. If you will remember, we spent the whole time in China with another family. Normally, the group will meet in Beijing and then split off to different provinces. Well, we were blessed to be with another family for the duration of our trip. I'm so glad, too, because it is very lonely when you are in a foreign country! This past week, I had the chance to meet up with that family again while we were in Texas. This sweet girl is Olivia.

She is three years old and the spunkiest little thing I've ever met! We were fortunate enough to be with Olivia's family on Gotcha Day and experience the whirlwind that goes along with it! There is something about her little face that will stick with me forever. It probably has a lot to do with her cute voice and hilarious personality. But mostly, it's because her family and mine are connected in a way I would have never dreamed! I can't explain it, but they will always be a part of our family.

Despite the way it looks here, it took Lynleigh a few hours to warm up to Olivia. I have no idea if she remembers her first friend or if seeing each other brought back any memories. But I do know that Lynleigh treated her like any other person and wasn't about to let her near the food!

We traveled with 11 families back in September and thanks to Facebook, I have been able to keep in touch with all but two. It's awesome to see how these little girls and boy have adjusted to American life. I love seeing Miss Alba (we saw her again at Disney) and Miss Rachel and their sassy photos. I have prayed for and seen God to amazing things for precious Leah. And cute little Ella is about to be a big sister! Her family is in the process to go back and get a boy! The whole experience is surreal and I am forever grateful that I was and am a part of it! Now on to the vacation. First, let me say, Lynleigh Ren does not like change! She had a hard time adjusting to being gone for 10 days. I did get some good pictures of her but for the most part, she cried the whole time!

Here she is at Sea World with her favorite/arch nemesis brother and the white dolphin.

She was actually brave enough at Sea World to ride a few rides. The first time she ever rode a carousel, I had to sit on the horse with her and she held on to me for dear life. This time, she was brave! At one point, she even took her and off the pole to wave to Brady! I was so proud of her. However, one thing she didn't like was the beach!

Normally, in the water, she is a fish. But I guess when there are real fish and sea weed grabbing her leg, she is just not a fan. Since we have been home, she is very attached to me and concerned about where her daddy is at all times. I think she is afraid I may take her away from him again so she asks me ten times a day "Ya-eee go?" I have three weeks until school starts so hopefully the attachment issues will be smoothed out before she goes back to the sitter.

Last Day of School

When I turned my computer on this morning, this picture above is what was looking back at me.  It got me to thinking of how amazingly crazy and awesome this school has been for our family!  How much we have all grown physically and spiritually.  I couldn't have asked for a more awesome school year!

As you know, I started at a new school this year.  I was super worried about how different teaching middle school vs. high school would be, and I was pleasantly surprised!  I loved my students and the people I work for so much that I didn't have much time to think about it being middle school.  I did have some ups and downs this year but over all, it was by far the best year teaching I've had!

At home, well, if you're on Facebook, then you know what's been going on there!  But there have also been some little things that have changed since September that I'm not sure if I have documented!  For example, this morning, both boys had spent the night with a friend.  As you know, Lynleigh is hit or miss when it comes to them and how she feels about their presence.  Well, today, they weren't there and I noticed that she cried a lot more while I was getting ready!  I think she actually missed them but didn't know how to express it!  She is talking so much more.  Most of her words are still gibberish to us but she is passionate about what she says!  Example, yesterday when she and Tony got home, Tony was holding her shoes.  He dropped the shoes on the floor and when Lynleigh saw him drop them, she started pointing her finger "fussing" at him and then walked over and hit him!  Now I know that hitting isn't nice, but it was so funny, I had to hid behind a pillow and laugh! 

And speaking of her shoes, this girl is serious about them!  She likes to choose the shoes she wears each day, which is usually her tennis shoes we got in China.  She is still obsessed with her glittery Toms but unfortunately, they are too small.  She will ask you to put them on her and then carry her because they hurt her feet!  She's such a diva!  Needless to say, we will be buying more Toms after Disney!  And then there's the matter of no shoes.  When we brought her home, she HAD to have shoes on at all time.  I mean, I totally understand!  I like to have shoes on too!  But she's slowly conforming to the ways of the South and will go all day, even outside, without shoes!  It's crazy!

Now to the boys.  They both had amazing years at DeSoto Central schools!  Kaden LOVED kindergarten!!  He had one of the greatest teachers I've ever met and she taught him so much!  I was worried he wouldn't like school but he loves it!  He got perfect attendance this year which is huge because he's our sick kid!  Brady also had a great year!  His teacher was one of the best as well!  We love her and are excited that she will be looping next year so he will have her for 5th grade!  I would have to say his worst moment this year would have been getting strep the second to last week of school.  Brady prides himself on perfect attendance at school and he missed his first day in two years!  Oh well, he'll get back on track next year!

Now, I sit patiently and wait for what ever time the announcement is made that we can officially begin our summer!  We are jammed packed with funness this year!  Disney next week, Texas at the end of the month.  Brady is going to Math and Science camp and we are joining the YMCA for some major pool time.  We are also hoping to move into a new house this summer.  Looks like next school year will be here before we know it...but let's not think about that right now!

Happy Mother's Day to an Unknown Mom

For the past couple of weeks, I have had a burden for a woman with whom I've never met! This Mother's Day has been so wonderful and yet I am sad for this lady who is probably getting no recognition today. You see, in September 2oo9, this woman made the ultimate sacrifice. Because of her decision, I am Mommy to an amazing little girl today. Before we adopted Lynleigh, I had this view of Chinese women that in honesty, was very negative. I thought they were ok with "throwing away" their little girls in an effort to have the coveted baby boy. I thought they did it heartlessly without looking back. And because of my stupidity, I felt like I was doing them a favor by adopting. Since bringing Lynleigh home, I have read several books on the subject and have since learned so much about the Unknown Chinese Mother. These two books have changed my opinion about Lynleigh's birth mom and the many more women hurting because of the one child policy.

Silent Tears is about an American woman who lived in China for four years. In her time there, she volunteered for an orphanage. She tells of the babies who came and went, and by went I meant mostly died. She talked about the families that abandoned the little girls. And she tells about the heart break she endured during her time there.

This next book just about killed me to read. It's a journalists' tale of meeting with the mother's who were forced to kill or abandon their little girls so that the family could try again for a boy. Could you imagine killing your own child? She also opened my eyes to the extremely high numbers of female suicide in China. It's higher there than any other country. Want to take a guess why? Both books are hard to read but yet, I wish I could put one in every set of hands I came across!

Somewhere in this province, there is a mother who is probably crying her own silent tears. She is probably thinking of her little girl that she only was able to hold for a short time. She doesn't know that her palate has been corrected. She doesn't know that her baby is using a breathing machine to help with her asthma...for that matter, she probably doesn't even know she has asthma. And she doesn't know that her little girl has a love for Elmo and Rapunzel like no other. Happy Mother's Day to an Unknown Mother! With out your sacrifice, I would not be the mommy of a sweet, silly, and stubborn little girl! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will never know what you have done for our family or how much of blessing you are to us!

Heavy Heart

I know that my posts are usually witty stories of how crazy life is with three kids but tonight I just had to get some thoughts out of my head and on paper (so to speak).

About two weeks ago, I learned about two of my former students who had recently become parents. They are out of school and were trying to begin a life together...this relationship began 4 years ago in my 9th grade classroom. These kids are two of my favorites. Super smart and just cool kids to be around. They were blessed with a sweet and totally adorable little boy. Just hours after the baby was born, he was taken to the local children's hospital with an abnormal windpipe.

I remember reading this post on the dad's Facebook and thinking..."Oh, they will be just fine!" Then about a week or so later, I contacted them to see how the baby was doing. I learned that he had a condition that caused him to have fluid on his brain among many other issues. I became witness to two people that I still looked at like children themselves become strong adults for the sake of their kid. Wow! It was amazing to see not only how much they loved this little boy but also how much they were willing to sacrifice to take care of him. I put him on our prayer list at church and went straight to the big guns of prayer in my life.

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit these sweet parents and the baby in the hospital and while it broke my heart for them, I have never been prouder of two people. I left the hospital that day with a huge burden for this family and made it my mission to send them a support team! That's one of the cool things about my church family! When there is a need...it gets filled! People started asking me how they could help and soon this family was getting visits from strangers and meals taken care of! I was just so impressed.

Today, I contacted the mom just to see how sweet baby boy was doing and the news I got was not good. She said that the doctors had told them that he would not be getting better and that they needed to make the decision on the next step. They have made the hardest decision that I could never imagine making and have decided to take him off life support. I'm so broken for this family! And after talking to a friend tonight, it's got me thinking about another who made the ultimate sacrifice!

I often look at my kids and ask God how he could knowingly put his son on earth and then allow him to become the sacrifice for me! I don't think I could ever do that...and here I sit in my selfish world while someone I know is being asked to give up her son!

As if this situation isn't enough to break ones heart, I started reading a blog entry about a little boy who has been adopted into his forever family and the mom asked the question, "Is there a mother's day in China?" This started the crazy thinking in my head about another woman who had to give her child up...but instead of knowing that this baby would be ok (like my friend's baby will be in the hands of God) this mother gave up her baby with only the hopes that she would be ok. How do these women do it and why does it even have to happen? I mean, I know that if that woman in China wouldn't have made the sacrifice, I wouldn't have my baby girl. I get it...but I'm just left here with a million questions tonight...and they all begin with the word, WHY?

I'm not really looking for any answers and if you are still with me, thanks for listening tonight. I just wanted to lay the burden for a family that has been on my heart for a few weeks on your heart too. And I wanted to say to that mom as well as the mom on the other side of the world that your babies will be ok! God is good all the time and while we may never know the answers here on Earth, HE knows them all and one day he may share them with us when we are with him for eternity!