Meet Owen

Here's what we are doing all day today.  And tomorrow.

 

Practicing to be a family of five.

Babysitting for a friend.

I can't imagine schoolwork getting done.

Reuben just dragged out our only baby toy,

a ride-along bus.

He has also very graciously offered his stuffed dragon.

Paul is soon departing.

I had better eat.

Code 575c

Um, it's snowing.  Quite a bit.  As in the ground is now white instead of brown.

It's a very relaxing snow,

if I could sit and watch it.

But I can't.

Because...

Code 575c states, "If snow afalleth after the first day of spring, all out of state Californians may purchase a plane ticket, free of guilt and concern from her real-world realities, to San Diego for herself and her favorite man."

So naturally I'm at southwest.com making plans.

No time for snow gazing.

It is 80 degrees and sunny at the Stone Steps, right?

Of course it is.

I'm in charge of my own utopia.

Right Now

Reading about fossils

Playing with fallen branches in the backyard

Frying up wild boar patties

Youth group planning meeting with Bernie and Tara


That's what we're all doing.  You can match up who's doing what.

How Do I Know?

Paul usually heads to the L&M on Wednesday nights, but last night he hung around the house.  Why?  He was speaking my love language... We had a Tornado Warning going on and he was staying home to make me feel safe.  Sweet, sweet man.
 
Since living here I have become aware that if today is 68 degrees and tomorrow is predicted to be 30, then tonight we're going to have a tornado.  Or at least a tornado warning.  I didn't even know there was a warning.  I thought that maybe I had heard the sirens going off earlier, but I was hoping it was just the noise coming from this new game Peter was playing on the computer.

So I checked the weather report online and it said, "TAKE COVER NOW."  And it used adjectives like 'dangerous' and 'deadly'.

"Um, Paul," I interupted his Lego playing, "They're saying to take cover now.  And it's dangerous and deadly."

He looked outside.  "Looks fine to me."

I don't have enough experience with tornadoes to know when we really need to take cover.  Is it just going to come out of the calm and tear us to bits?  I mean, the siren went off and the weather news people wrote IN ALL CAPS.

But we just hung out and watched the weather map and were fine.

So I don't know what to do with this experience.  When do we really need to take cover?  I need to know this.  Our 'take cover' involves running across the street to the church's basement.  Which we have done in pounding blow-me-over rain with kids, blankets, candles, and flashlights in arms.

Oof.

Love That Trader Joe

Back in my very first post, I wrote about Peter's dilemma with having a fifth member join our family.  Trader Joe's sells these yummy chocolate covered frozen bananas in a four pack.  What are we going to do about the fifth person?

I'm glad to say that TJ got the memo and responded by making chocolate covered frozen banana bites.  Now we can all just share the box, one creamy, chocolately bite at a time.  And we think they are tastier.  More chocolate to banana ratio.


Thank you Trader Joe's.  We heart you.

Continuing the Discussion

Every other day we are taking the boys to Korea, not taking the boys to Korea, taking the boys...

Today we are not taking them.

Good points all around.  Thanks for the discussion here, in emails, and in person.

A new one that hit me a few days ago as I was making tortillas is...

We have depleted our savings with this adoption so far.  All further expenses will be coming out of our retirement, college, and emergency funds.  We hope to move to T a year after this adoption... How unwise is it to move with all these funds wiped out?  (Last minute plane tix to Korea are about $1700 each, see?  They call us when Jae-min's paperwork is all ready and we are expected to be in Korea within 7 days.)

Want to hear the tidbit details of this realization?

When Paul and I disagree in a stubborn-like fashion and we're just not getting anywhere close to a unified decision...
I pray... that God would change... Paul.  It's true.

"God, you know what's best.  Please use your Spirit to inform Paul.  Thank you."

Well, as I was rolling out tortillas I was having this little talk with God.  But then He turned it on me.  What if I'm the one who needs to change?  Seriously?  And then that bit about being responsible with our finances came about.  I hadn't thought about that.  I'm cool with using every bit of our savings to provide a home and a family for a child.  Not so cool with using it up on a trip for two kids that risks being insignificant and unmemorable.

This was reinforced as I was chatting with Paul's brother and sister this weekend about Really, how much are the boys going to remember about the trip?  Apparently I went to the Grand Canyon once.  I don't recall a thing about it and the fact that I went is pretty meaningless to me.  Anna asked me to recall the first vacation I could remember.  I think it was camping in the Redwoods when I was about nine maybe.  I got hit by a car on my turquoise bike.  And my younger brother fell out of our tent trailer and we got to eat Honey Nut Cheerios.

That discussion made it clearer to me how little the boys will actually remember.

I feel pretty okay about them not going at this point.  Focusing on the positives now.  Of course I wish they could.  I just wish they were older.  One day we'll all take on Korea.  Just not quite yet.

What's Happening

In honor of my Irish roots (I'm really more Scottish, but no matter) we had Irish Beef SomethingOrOther and Irish Soda Bread for dinner.  A day early, but we are going to be out of town tomorrow at dinnertime.  So tonight.  (Lucky Charms for breakfast, if you're going to be around.)

 I've always loved orange and green.

 Here's the soda bread.

With raisins.

It was tasty.

 Ugh, his glasses.

An ever-persistent problem for an active boy.

They won't stay snug and adjusted for more than ten minutes.

This last weekend we joined our friends as they celebrated their son's first birthday.

This is huge deal in Korea with lots of traditional happenings.

Four Korean boys.

Rube's in the red/blue shirt.

 I had extra fabric laying around

so I made a new mei tai for Jae-min.

(pronounced may tie)

It's much prettier in person.

A manly pretty, for sure.

Green with multi-colored dots.

That's the back and the front not yet sewn together.

Here's Rube and I four years ago

using his mei tai.

Jae-min's foster mom carries him on her back

so I'm hoping this will be a comforting carrier for him.

 Here's a better pic I snagged from BabyHawk.com

They sell them for $80-$110.

That's why I designed my own.

Materials cost $20.

Takes about 6 hours to make.

 Another topic change...

Reuben has really been wanting to have a fire

in the back yard.

 He's a persistent fellow.

Here's his fire with wet wood and a bit of starter fluid.

Met his need.

Another favorite Reuben activity - 

painting rocks.

Why is that so great?

I don't know.

And this is what's happening.

Currently at this moment Reuben is watching

Wallace and Grommit...

and cracking up.

Pete is doing Grammar Lesson 85

I'm sure he's laughing too.

Deep deep down inside.

It's sunny today.  Did I mention that?

The daffodils are breaking forth.

And...

that's all.

But spring is very near.

Look!

We got a new picture today!

Look at his little toes.

And his sweet hand holding the chair.

And the awesome bandana.

Our little man.

So cute!

Go Reuben Go

Out of the blue Reuben told Paul to take off his training wheels (again) today.  This is the day!  He's ready to go.  Watch...

With his green puffy jacket, helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads, he looked like Franklin the Turtle.

I will get back to our discussion on the travel decision for the boys.  Not yet though.

Our tomorrow?
- Adoption Meeting in The City
- Family Gathering in G'castle (including haircuts all around for the boys in the workshop)
- Back to The City to pick up Inbum (a Korean college student we hang out with) at the airport and take him to a Korean restaurant for his birthday

Our Sunday?
- Churchy
- Make Gim Bop
- Take Gim Bop to a Korean birthday party for our friends' new son
- More Churchy

See you in a few days.

Broken Stuff

Furnace broken - check

Hot water heater broken - check

Dishwasher broken - check

Front door knob broken - check

Ha ha, but broken no more.  That was so last week... and a bit of today.


One more week of gymnastics and art classes for Peter, then a bit of a break until...

Are you ready for this?  I'm still amazed that this is true...

Peter starts baseball practice.  What?!

I know.

Could one of you Bennett boys please come out and play catch with Peter?  Teach him how to hold a bat.  And which way to run the bases.  Please.  This can't wait until our gathering this summer.

I throw like a girl, of course.  And Paul... Paul was a pole vaulter.  We need some baseball coaching, fast.

Peter has wanted to play on a baseball team for a long time. 

Maybe that Spring Training trip in 2009 is what did it. Or something to do with the Bennett blood in him.  He is very excited.

But I'm a bit worried.  I don't want him to be that Sandlot kid who runs the ball in to the pitcher because he doesn't know how to throw.  Do you see how serious this is?

Come Bennetts.  Come.

How's his form here?  Good?

You know he's going to be having imaginary lightsaber fights in the outfield.

Hopefully his coach is in for fun times

and not to win the Little League Championships.

A Discussion

Let us have a discussion, in which I present a topic and you all comment with opinions, insights, and factual tidbits.  Ready...

Bringing Peter and Reuben with us to Korea when we go this summer to adopt Jae-min.

I thought we had already decided that we were going to bring them, but now that the time is really upon us, we are thinking more about it.

Pro:  Introduction to international travel for the boys.

Wait, they have both already traveled overseas.  Which brings us to our first con...

Con:  They won't remember much of the trip because they are so young (8 and 4).

Con:  It is going to be so much more expensive to bring them.  Especially if we bring another adult with us, as our social worker has suggested, to help with all the boys.  Two hotel rooms, two taxis, 3 additional plane tickets...

Pro:  Reuben will get to return to and experience his birth country and meet his foster family again.  Peter will get to experience and understand Korean culture and more of the adoption process.  He will also have his world enlarged and get to be a minority.  Everyone should experience being a minority.

Con:  If we bring them, Paul and I miss out on one last hoo-ha before we are FIVE.  We love to travel together.  Without the kids.  Carefree and easy.

Pro:  Instilling in the boys that traveling to Korea and other countries is normal, it's what we do.  Learning about and exploring other countries is cool.  God loves everyone.  Even when they are different from us.  This would be excellent prep for moving to T.

But just thinking about that money part, especially if they are too young to appreciate it...  ugh.

What do you think?  Would you bring your kids?

I think we have made our decision.  But I want to hear your thoughts too.  What if you totally sway us the other way with a fabulous insight we hadn't considered?

My Friend Mat

We've been friends for several years.  When he comes to town, Paul and I make a point to meet up with him and hang out.  There's always music.  And always a good time.

But sadly, I found out about his wedding six months after the 'vintage farm' gala.  Seems he's not aware of how tight we are.

Here's Mat with his new bride, Annie.
Annie's a sweet name.

You can see snapshots from his wedding in this article at Southern Living.

Love that Mat Kearney.

Maybe you do too.

Apparently Annie does.

And I love that he is coming back to town this summer.

AND he's currently recording a new album.

AND my husband regularly serenades me with his songs.

Maybe he's coming to your town...

You should get a babysitter and go out
with your favorite person.

I recommend standing to the right of the stage.

He seems to face that way the most.

Announcing 2011 Tour Dates with Owl City and Unwed Sailor!

13-Jun	Nashville, TN	Ryman Auditorium
14-Jun	Atlanta, GA	Tabernacle
16-Jun	Orlando, FL	House of Blues
17-Jun	Charlotte, NC	Fillmore
18-Jun	Baltimore, MD	Pier Six
20-Jun	Montreal, QC	Olympia
21-Jun	Toronto, ON	Kool Haus
23-Jun	New York, NY	Roseland Ballroom
25-Jun	Philadelphia, PA	The Mann
26-Jun	Boston, MA	House of Blues
28-Jun	Indianapolis, IN	Egyptian Room
29-Jun	Detroit, MI	Fillmore
30-Jun	Milwaukee, WI	Summerfest
1-Jul	Columbus, OH	LC Pavilion
11-Jul	Kansas City, MO	Uptown Theatre
12-Jul	Denver, CO	Fillmore
13-Jul	Salt Lake City, UT	MacKay Event Center
15-Jul	Seattle, WA	Paramount Theatre
16-Jul	Vancouver, BC	The Center
17-Jul	Portland, OR	Roseland Ballroom
19-Jul	San Francisco, CA	Warfield Theatre
21-Jul	Los Angeles, CA	Club Nokia
23-Jul	Pomona, CA	Fox Theatre
25-Jul	Houston, TX	Verizon Theatre
26-Jul	Dallas, TX	Verizon Theatre
27-Jul	Austin, TX	ACL Live
29-Jul	Chicago, IL	Aragon Ballroom
30-Jul	Minneapolis, MN	Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Paperwork

• I-600A - done
• I-600 - done
• I-864A - done
• I-864 - done
• 3 copies of this other paper, notarized - done
• 2 copies of another, notarized - done
• 4 attempts to correctly sign 1 document - done
• a handful of others - done
• 4 checks - written

Now we wait and pray the paperwork through the hands of those who determine our travel timeline.

And choose an official name.

Meet Our Son

Here he is!

See his little angel kissed nose?

He is considered a special needs adoption due to being born with a cleft lip.  His lip has already been beautifully repaired.  And that's it.  Not a cleft palate.  Not a big deal.

He is sitting in front of the famous Holt bear that many of the children have their picture taken with.

Ahh, so sweet!

We are filling out papers and papers and papers as fast as we can so we can get to him as soon as possible.  It's the hurry up and wait game.  Hurry up and file the papers, then wait for them to be processed, both here and in Korea.

I keep scrolling up to gaze at him.  I can finally absorb him.  In the last year we have asked to be matched with nine waiting children with special needs and each time I tried to stay emotionally distant in case we were not matched.  So hard.  Part of that was not looking at the child's picture very much.  But now I can look and look and smile and drink him in.  I want to nuzzle his neck and kiss his squishy cheeks.

Today he joined the other boys on my kitchen counter...

I will keep you posted as we wait to travel.