Boyz n the Pool

When your house reeks with the stench of the Jarvis El Stop (for you non-Chicagoans, think outhouse); your kitchen floor is littered like the popcorn, peanut shell yuck of the Ground Round; your pile of clean laundry inexplicably becomes the host of an unwanted guest, a toilet plunger; your periphery vision catches sight of two naked twin boys wreaking havoc throughout the living room while holding kite string, confirming that they truly are Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat; your personal hygiene has so deteriorated that the only character you can identify with is Charlie Brown's Pigpen; your maternal composure has so lapsed that you parent less like June Cleaver and more like Roseanne Barr: What else can you do but play? Peace and goodness to you this week dear friends. Enjoy the sun and warm weather! I will be sitting by the pool, eating popcorn, watching the show, and undoubtedly getting splashed.

PS: In one week's time, I will be in Chicago seeing U2. Thankfully, I will not be any where near the Jarvis El Stop.

Russell: 

Will tell you he was born in a stable. Hmm. Bit of a Messiah complex already?

Favorite joke: Knock knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Banana cheeto.

Elliot:

Most likely to break out into song in public places. His favorite choices? "Jingle Bells", no matter the season, as well as a nursery rhyme classic about a cat that is nearly drowned at the hands of naughty Johnny Green. "Ding Dong Bell, Pussy's in the Well."

Lucia:

Thinks she is all that. And she is. And then some. Sweet girl.

Mommy's Boy. Daddy's Boy.

Thomas spent the afternoon helping me ratchet lag bolts into the kids' new swing-set: He would work the ratchet while I drilled the next hole. We got all the frame together and began to assemble the floor. He had collected all the boards and we laid them out together. After I screwed the first one down, there were nine boards remaining.

I looked at Thomas and quizzed, "There are nine boards and each one needs five screws. What is nine times five? How many is nine sets of five?" Thomas began thinking.

After a moment I said, "You work on that while I go get the screws," and walked toward the pile of parts. As I was counting out the screws, a voice piped up behind me, "Forty-five."

Good work, buddy. Good work, mommy.

Thomas and I are also mentioned in this article by Bill Wundrum (on a completely different topic).

Good Day, Sunshine

Her favorite books are Go, Dog. Go! and Bim Bim Bop. She counts to ten in English and to three in Korean. She has learned to say, "Please hold," "Dance," "Stop that!" and "Crazy boys," as well countless other words; we never tire of hearing her tiny voice. She eats pizza, pancakes, and black beans like there is no tomorrow but is belligerent about eggs. She sucks in her cheeks and pouts out her lips when she leans in for a kiss. She wrinkles her nose and cocks her head when she smiles. She thrusts back her arms and puffs out her chest when she runs. She is rambunctious and adventurous and not the least bit afraid. She loves to sing, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and is likely to break out in a few "Lord have mercies," at church. She is our princess, our light, our tomboy ballerina. And today, her adoption was decreed official and Ethiopia Jared Johnson became legally known as Lucia Ethiopia Kebedech Johnson. When our more than kind judge, Paul, handed me the pen which signed the document, I, quite unexpectedly, became teary. Our hearts and love to you little Lucia. May God grant you many, many years.

Homecoming: a year later

Tomorrow marks our one year anniversary of our arrival on U.S. soil with our dear, sweet, daughter Lucia Ethiopia Kebedech. Enjoy the pictures that Molly took on that day.

They are four

Our lovelies turned four on May 28th and for the second year in a row, our family celebrated at one of our favorite places in Iowa, Miss Effie's Farm. It was chilly and windy, so much so that we had to fake blowing out the candles, but thankfully the rain held off. And as the children ran shoeless and got dirty playing on a heap of mulch, we basked in the beauty of the countryside. Thank you again Cathy for helping create another special birthday for our boys.

Russell

Elliot

Pirate

The yellow cakes with blueberry buttercream frosting. (Notice the wicks are not burnt.)

A little help from my friends

So I had much to say but am running low on time. Over Memorial Day weekend, we made our annual pilgrimage to Indianapolis and were joined with other friends from Chesterton. Surrounded by precious friends, all our childrens' godparents, as well as our two godchildren, Ben and Isabelle, we celebrated Russell's and Elliot's fourth birthday. Thank you all. You are my heart.

Elliot

There was most definitely a smell of poop as I entered the boys' room to take issue with my youngest son over his inability to take a nap. And he was most assuredly in the process of closing a window which he and his twin have been absolutely forbidden to even breathe on since kicking the last one out. And I was, with just cause, about to open my mouth and spew forth words of disapproval. But then I took notice of what he had put on in place of his shirt and how he had tenderly diapered a baby and laid him to rest on his "Pooh Bear." It broke my heart a little. And so, what else could I, his mother, do but tousle his hair and kiss him on the cheek? I love you little one. Thank you for the gift that you are.

A Standing Ground

A Standing Ground 

Wendell Berry

However just and anxious I have been
I will stop and step back
from the crowd of those who may agree
with what I say, and be apart.
There is no earthly promise of life or peace
but where the roots branch and weave
their patient silent passages in the dark;
uprooted, I have been furious without an aim.
I am not bound for any public place,
but for ground of my own
where I have planted vines and orchard trees,
and in the heat of the day climbed up
into the healing shadow of the woods.
Better than any argument is to rise at dawn
and pick dew-wet berries in a cup.

Poetry Wednesday