Now A Family of *gulp* Six.

Roman calls fudgcicles “fudskizzles” He keeps asking if it is Spring Break. He knows that means going to a hotel with a pool, and Aunt Serena’s, and Grandpa in a different house! He wants to move to a new house “with a garage.” Then we were talking about decks while riding in the car, and he said when we buy a new house, Daddy and Grandpa can build a big, BIG deck. I asked him what should they do if the new house already has a deck and Roman replied, “it won’t.” Roman asks a lot about death and wants to know how old people will be when they die (like me, him, Oma, etc). He asked about Oma dying, and I said it’s okay – she’ll just live with God. He thought about that for a minute, and then said “when Oma’s an angel, will I see her eyes?” I almost cried, it was so sweet. He went further, of course. He asked about angel’s wings. Do they hurt when we get them? How do we make them work? I answered as best I could, and then he asked my favorite: “how do angels ride in cars with their wings?”...

Our pastor has been doing a series on Romans, and we're in the "handbook" section now. He calls it, "how to be a Christian without being religious." Which is right up my alley, as many know. Today we covered Romans chapter 12, verses 9-20, the "real love" section as our pastor called it. Well anyway, amidst all that Christian-love talking, Pastor Steve talked about timing. God's timing. And how God's timing is not our timing - in fact, almost always isn't our timing. And while the rest of the sermon was good, this line has stuck with me. Gives comfort. I don't know why more people our age don't "go in" for religion. It sure makes one feel better. I say this because aside from the house not selling issue, we feel undecided about when/if the next adoption occurs. There are obviously financials to consider, and places, and timing. We had always felt that we'd like a second child when Roman was between 4-6 years old. Based...

We went to that gambling mecca for children, Chuck E. Cheese, this evening. It was Roman's first time ever, and we invited Maxwell and his parents to join us. They had been for birthdays, but we knew what to expect. And wow, did those little boys have fun! They spent time with video games and in the younger children's area playing in the "hampster tube" as we call it. We were there close to 2 hours by the time we counted our tickets and got a couple small prizes. Roman fell asleep very quickly this evening, as you can imagine! In other news, we decided to have installed new carpet in our living room and hallway. Our old stuff wasn't tacked down well and was "wrinkling" in a lot of places, and the traffic pattern was definitely noticeable. What we got is a shade or two lighter - no shoes allowed! (my mom will shake her head with laughter at that one!). In the middle of the carpet being laid, who should call but a realtor wanting to show the house at 1:30....

Officially. Finally. We had our last post-placement report apostilled this morning, dropped it into a FedEx box on Michigan Ave. in Lansing (much like another day , a little over 3 years ago), and we're done. No more reports to send to Russia... this has left us with a bittersweet feeling. There is a sense of finality to it, for sure. Which is nice. A weight lifted off the shoulders - no more keeping track of how many months it's been, getting all the information right, tracking down doctors' appointments, finding appropriate pictures... On the other hand, it's over. An adoption that in some cases technically has lasted since May 2003 - finished. Which is sad, on the other hand. After I teared up a little bit, my next thought was - "let's call Frank for another application!" We laughed about it, and decided it's about a year off before we start thinking seriously. We're keeping track of laws and what's happening in Russia, but we also are keepi...

This week was a week of challenges. I found out my schedule for next year, and I've gained only 1 hour - for a total of 4 hours, not 5 which would make me full time. I could gain that hour by August, as teacher schedules always change. But, it would be a challenging schedule - 4 preps with last-hour break, which I hate. So who knows what will happen. My salary will increase, which is nice... Week two of swimming and the challenges reared their heads. Who picks Roman up, what to have for dinner when I don't get home until 5:45, and a boy who now stays at preschool until 5pm makes for everyone to be tired and cranky. Roman has been asking to stay home and "just play" because he has so little time to do that. By the time we eat dinner, it's 1-1/2 hours, sometimes less, before bedtime. On the plus side, he's falling asleep immediately; on the down side, he's getting up every night and coming in to his sleeping bag in our room. At least he's not getting in ...