Coffee stimulated rambling.

I'm tired.

Yes.  It's 12:09 AM.

Let's be honest.  I should be in bed.  But someone talked me into a cup of coffee to wind down about 10 PM.  And that's all she wrote.  I loathe you, caffeine.

We've had one of those week where you are away from home, more than at home.  And honestly, I don't care for it.  Between work and school and field trips and church, there's been little time for things like dusting, vacuuming, laundry...and playing. 

Although I did manage to make dinner each night.  Just call me June Cleaver.

Charlie had his chapel program at school on Wednesday.  Each class takes a week during the school year and they are in charge of the program for chapel.  They did a little 50's diddy and discussed how God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow.  And did a spectacular job for a bunch of 2nd graders having to learn their lines and songs and motions to said songs. 

But let's just say Charlie isn't one for the performing arts.  He was not looking forward to standing up in front of the entire elementary school.  Just flat out nervous.  Terrified!  And made it known by refusing to practice with his class.  Until that plan backfired on him.  Big time.  Oh, the joys of having Mommy work in the same building you have school at.  Never know where she might pop up at!  Let's just say I don't have to worry about him losing his head and running off to Hollywood to try and make it as an actor... 

Hanging out after the program and much relieved that it was finally over!

We barely moved our lips to the songs and our hands to the motions.  It's almost as if we lost all function in our wrists as they flopped around, pretending to follow his teachers lead.  I had to laugh as he was called out by his buddy, Grace, on the way home from school that afternoon.  He was adamant that he was singing and doing the motions from his place on the stage.  And she knows just what buttons to push to really fire him up!  But she was right.  I would never let him know I thought so, though.  He just needed to know I thought he did a good job.  It was no Emmy performance, but he did what he was asked to do and is gratefully to have it behind him.

At least until 3rd grade.

Thursday the whole 2nd grade headed up to Huber Farm for a little apple and pumpkin picking.  They had a great time and it was perfect weather.  I got semi-lost in a muddy corn maze and have no intentions of ever returning to one.  Not without a map.  Which totally defeats the purpose, I assume.  And since Conner and Charlie's mommies are the coolest, we stayed for a little extra treat of ice cream after the rest of the kids headed back on the bus!

Suckers.

Only I can make comments about him being my little chocolate scoop...I love his smiling face!!

And in other Sam related news, he still has those dangley teeth.  Although he's pushing hard for them to come out, since he really understands what the Tooth Fairy is all about now, thanks to our older and wiser carpool buddies.  Charlie just wants to know how such a little fairy can carry around all that money and the teeth she's collected...

Maybe she has Tooth Fairy elves that assist her?  I have neither negated nor confirmed the Tooth Fairy tale.  He's 8 years old.  Somebody's bound to tell him sooner or later that fairies really have no interest in teeth...

Coffee's worn off.  Time for bed.

REPOST: What are you growing?

I often send you guys over to our Children's Ministry blog where Nicole and I keep you updated on our week to week details and going-ons at Spencer County Campus.  Along with the occasional entertaining story or quip.  And every so often, some actual helpful advice.  Like today. 

Nicole's post from today deserves repeating, so read it.  Then apply it.

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Parenting is absolutely the most rewarding and exhausting job in the world, hands down. That's probably why I get a constant stream of parenting questions from you guys. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do have access to a lot of resources that can help, so keep the questions coming! We'll figure it out together.

I read something several years ago that has had a huge impact on the way we parent, and on our ministry to your kids. I can't take credit for it, and sadly, I can't remember who wrote the article. When I read it, I knew it was good, but it wasn't until much later that I realized how incredibly insightful it really was.

In the article the author compared parenting to farming. If you drive past our house next Spring, you'll likely see me and my grandfather in the garden. He has been a farmer for more years than most people have been alive, and he knows A LOT about growing things. If you catch him in the garden wandering through the rows looking at things, which he does pretty regularly, and you ask him what he is growing, I can guarantee you he won't tell you he's growing seeds. He planted seeds. Actually, he probably made the rows and I planted the seeds, but nevertheless, seeds were planted. But he would never say he is growing seeds. Once the seeds are planted, he's already moved on and is looking forward to what will grow.

Okay. Here's the parenting part: he isn't focused on what he has planted, but on what he is growing. What if we applied that thought process to our children. For instance, if I don't say "I'm raising kids", but look ahead and say "I'm raising Godly young women who will honor God with their lives," how does that change my focus? For our family, it has changed it completely.

Here's a practical example: money. What am I growing? I'm not growing kids who get an allowance. I'm growing two adults who understand that all they have belongs to God. I'm growing adults who understand tithing, saving, and responsible spending habits. I'm growing adults who know how to save and budget and don't use credit as a crutch. Does that change the way I handle money with them? I ABSOLUTELY DOES!

How about discipline? I'm not raising sisters who have to be punished for constantly irritating each other. (This one requires serious prayer on my part!) I'm raising two believers who understand that they must always measure their own actions and thoughts against God's Word. I'm raising believers who understand that when they fail, and they will fail, God is always ready to forgive, even though there may still be consequences to their bad choices. That completely changes the way you discipline. It becomes about teaching, not punishing.

I am raising adults who always look for needs around them and take every opportunity to do all they can to meet those needs. That's why our family does mission trips together and also why we put such and emphasis on missions in our Children's Ministry program. We are raising a group of adults who are not self-absorbed, but who see needs around them and try to meet them.

I am raising adults who make healthy choices and know how to keep themselves healthy. I am raising adults who don't fall into the trap of eating whatever they want and then being surprised to find themselves struggling with obesity and health problems. I am raising adults who make healthy choices and who stop eating when they are full. (Yes, that sounds like a no-brainer, but have you ever looked at our portion sizes and compared them to what is a healthy one?? I was SHOCKED!) That has a huge impact on how we prepare meals.

I hope you are getting the picture. This thought process can apply to everything from our kids' relationship with God to their sleep habits. It's simple, I know. But I had never thought about it that way until I read the article that would change the way I think about every parenting choice I make. So when you guys come to me with a question, I may ask you (and have asked several of you), what are you growing? What's your ultimate goal for your kid in that area? Knowing the answer to that question keeps you focused on what you have to do to get there.

Kenny's favorite part of summer.

Let's begin a review of summer.  Since we missed so many summer events here in blog land, I'll start filling you in.  In no particular order, mind you.

We'll start with the beach trip to Orange Beach with my family.  Now, everyone knows that I can't go to the beach without Kenny literally begging to take family pictures, so we were sure to get that taken care of right off the bat.  He coordinated our outfits, planned the perfect time with great sunset light and pepped everyone up to give their best smiles.....

Yeah, right.  I believe his exact words were, "Do we really have to do this?"

And yes.  We did.

The family.  With appropriately coordinating outfits.  Of course.

Papa, Gammy and their boys.

Possible my favorite picture...

Another favorite.  Really any picture with Sam smiling is a sucess.

Sam (4), Tristan (3) and Charlie (8)

Everybody.  And it only took me precariously balancing the camera on a single fence post a couple of times to get a passer-by to offer to capture our smiles.

Wanna know a secret about me?  Look at my feet in any picture where they are showing.  I absolutely, cannot make my toes be normal in a picture.  It's like my body knows the rest of me has to be normal, so my abnormal has to come out somewhere...

"Are you serious??  Are we really done??  We can go....?"

Ready, set, go!

And looks like someone face planted...

Can we say handsome?

Too little for handsome.  Still just cute!

Almost a big boy. Sigh.

My baby is about to look like a big boy.  And I have a love/hate relationship with my dentist office.

I promise these two topics are related.

I love our dentist.  And the receptionist.  The dental hygienist, on the other hand, makes me bonkers.  

As a parent, it is my job to decide how old my child is.  And as an adoptive parent, that unfortunately has been a subject of discussion before.  As my dental hygienist, it is your job to clean our teeth.  It is not your job to question the reason I have chosen said age.  

Nor is it your job to ask my children if they played with lions and tigers in their backyard.  Really??  They are still incredibly dangerous animals.  And just because they are from Africa, doesn’t mean that life was a constant safari.  Or that they even had a backyard.  Fortunately, they both stared at her like she had lost her mind.  And when she looked at me, I gave her a sad shake of the head.  Similar to the one that Kenny uses for me when he can’t believe I’ve just opened my mouth yet again, instead of using my verbal filter.  Which probably happens too often.  If you know us, you know what I’m talking about. 

Now, Sam has lost several teeth already.  All at the young age of 3.  And his six year molars have already begun to make their appearance.  That does not make him automatically 6 or 7-years-old.  I promise he is 4.  Four-ish.  And she would realize that if she spent any time at all with him.  Yes, he is tall and has lots of big people teeth.  But he is just a baby!!

And as funny as he looked missing his bottom teeth, his top two middles (you know, the ones you sing about at Christmas?), are barely hanging on. 

Let me get something straight.  I’m not opposed to my children loosing their teeth.  I realize that’s a natural progression of aging.  But I am opposed to my 4-year-old looking like too much of a big boy without his two front teeth.

So, you’ll have pictures soon of a snaggle toothed Sam. 

And I’ll continue to argue with my moron of a dental hygienist about how old my kids are. 

And about how they ran wild in the grasslands of Africa with elephants and monkeys.

Roll Tide.

I remember vividly my first Alabama football game as a college freshman. It was in Birmingham, back when the Tide still played games at Legion Field. It was a warm (ok, blazing hot) day with a noon game time. And being stuck in a bowl with 80,109 other sweaty people made it almost unbearable.

Especially since I was just getting used to the 'ol college ways of staying up til 4 AM.  I honestly can say that I sat in the roaring loud student section and slept.  Sitting on the bleachers with no backs.  Passed out cold.  And I can truthfully say it was totally from a lack of sleep and not an artificially induced coma that other new college students sometimes find themselves in.


I did my share of cheering on the Tide to their 34-10 victory against Houston.  But what I remember most is that I actually feel asleep at a football game.

Now some of you may feel like I am not a true fan to go to a game and fall asleep.  But if anything, it proved an early devotion to my beloved Crimson Tide.  Why else would I have tolerated such an event with a visible lack of sleep??  Pure dedication and commitment, my friends.

Plus, there was this guy.  With cute curly brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.  And I was hoping to see him there.  So, maybe my motives were a little skewed.  But fortunately I don't have to pretend to show up at the same places as him anymore...

So, here's to a great season...my annual "Roll Tide!!" post.  Let's take it all the way, fellas. 

We owe it to Auburn, you know.

I can also honestly say I never did this.  Although, I might have been cooler.  But it would have been no fun if the "D" fell asleep in the middle of the game...

MIA: Lunch?

I should be up to more regular posting now. Since my beloved DELL has returned to me running faster than ever. Huge thanks to our computer repair guy who will remain nameless for his own protection. And ours. Not sure he wants to have to fix everybody’s laptop.

Now, a fairly good reason for not returning to regular posting is our schedule that has been turned upside down. Charlie is 3 plus weeks into 2nd grade and loving it. And on a whim, I’m no longer teaching Mother’s Day Out, but doing more work up at the church. So, Sam started preschool this week. The two of us will conquer work and school 3 days a week now, instead of 4. And for that, I am thrilled!  I also have both boys in the same building with me while I'm working.  And I think if I'm going to work a little, that arrangement couldn't be any better!!

First day of Preschool!  Yes, he is tall.  Wearing 5/6 clothes and size 1 shoes.  I promise he is only 4.

Around lunch time on Sam’s first day, I went to peek in on him. He is always Mr. Independent, so I wasn’t worried about him at all, just really wanted to make sure we were behaving. I walked up on the class as they were lining up for lunch.

Let me back up a little…I learned that morning that lunch is included for the preschoolers and I didn’t have to send Sam a lunch. Unfortunately, I had made him one.  And he is quite attached to his lunch box.  Really food in general. He had been more concerned about his lunch box that morning than his backpack.  He didn't care if he had anything else, as long as he had that lunch box.  My mistake:  I simply took his lunch box back to the car and assumed he’d eat lunch in the cafeteria with all his friends.

As I peeked in, I was met with those big, brown eyes that are only reserved for coming tears. And as soon as they saw me, the tears came. His lunch box was gone and in his little mind, that meant he wasn’t eating. Despite me and his teacher explaining that he was going to get to eat fried chicken and mashed potatoes with everyone else. I took off to the car to fetch the missing lunch box and met up with him in the cafeteria.

Really, he just needed to hold it. He held it in his lap while he dug into his yummy chicken. And was perfectly content. It’s really my fault. I should have never taken his lunch box without actually explaining what would happen at lunch time.

You don’t mess with food when it comes to the Cook boys!

Two years.

So, two years as a family of four??

I know you hear people say it all the time, but I honestly can't imagine life without the boys.  On one hand, the process of adoption is one of the hardest, emotionally taxing things you can put your family through.  The waiting.  The trusting others for things you have no control over.  Trusting GOD for perfect timing, finances and all the tiny details. 

And the flip side of that is sharing the rest of forever with your family that God picked out before you were ever even a thought.

You know all those years you have prior to being a grown up that you spend wondering and planning out how your life will look?  How perfect things will be with your smoking hot hubby and your 2.5 kids and your white picket fence?  Ok, so I have the smoking hot hubby, but I never hoped for the 2.5 kids or the fence.  Having half a kid would just be creepy. 

But having two kids from Ethiopia never really crossed my mind.  Adoption crossed my mind, but I hadn't really ever played it out.  Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine just how blessed I would be by two little boys from a tiny village in Eastern Africa.  The lessons they would teach me about patience, about faith, about falling in love with someone that you've only seen in a picture.  Lessons about life itself.  Lessons about how blessed and spoiled we are as Americans. 

I've heard stories over the past two years that have shocked me.  Stories that make my heart hurt knowing that they aren't just sad tales, but real life experiences that I haven't been able to protect my children from.  Experiences that have shaped their little hearts and personalities and will forever be a part of their history.

But their history also includes an amazing story of God providing a way when all we saw were obstacles.  Their history includes a family.  A family that may be crazy and at times dysfunctional, but one who loves them with no reservations.  A family determined to make those tales that are recounted in the years to come, happy stories.

It's been two years.  They haven't been perfect.  They haven't always been easy.  And sometimes they have been down right hilarious.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I wouldn't change a second of it.

Here's to two as four.  Who knows what the next two hold.....

Looking at pictures from their time in Ethiopia.  Laughing at each other.  And their bad haircuts.  Can you say mohawk?