Italy, Holland or Germany

Check out the Call Family Blog. Read the story about Holland. It really made me think. We didn't make it to Italy or Holland. I think our travel agent booked us on a trip to Germany. It's definitely different from Italy, but wonderful just the same!!!

Heaven is...

Coming home from work to find your husband and daughter making "piggys in a blanket" for dinner.

Invasion of the Mini Van

Yes, we own a mini van. I'm sure a dark day in Dave's life. But now that he has kids I think he has seen the advantage of it. We bought it from a friend of a friend for a good price. It's a 2000 Toyota Sienna. The kids like it because it is easier for them to get in and out. And lots more room to put stuff.

We survived another week of parenthood. A lot of the some old stuff. We rode bikes, had a picnic and played at the Spray ground, went shopping, went to Chili's with Kari & Kenzie, went shopping at a second hand kids store and found some cute & cheep Doc Martins for "J", found a couple of cute dresses for "B" and even found a new shirt for Mom!

Dad got them to watch Star Wars Episode 1. He's now trying for #2. They're more interested in Backyardigans. "B" likes High School Musical 2 - I made her watch #1 before we watched #2. We'll have a girls day out in October to see HSM3 at the movies!!

Today they are going swimming so they had no problem with Mom & Dad going to work. Dave's taking Tuesday & Thursday off to hang out with the kids.

This week we will try to survive the record breaking temps in the DFW area. Everyday on the forecast it is going to be over 100. This past weekend was 105 - without the heat index. We were spoiled last summer. Lots of rain in the spring, full lakes and mild temps. Not this year, lake levels are down and we have already had several over 100 days and it's not even August!

4 weeks til school starts. School opens back up next week so I can register them. Not sure how that will work out since I have different names on different paperwork. I hope someone at the school has done this before or can call someone who has.

"B" was asking last night when Grandma from California was going to come visit and when Grandma from Texas was going to be back from vacation. She really seems to like family. I hope that stays with her the rest of her life. She loves telling people she has lots of cousins!!

Both kids seem to be settling in quite well. Of course there's lots of little things and we have to analyze to see if it's just normal kid behavior or if there is some underlying issue that we should be concerned with. So far they just seem to be normal kids who need lots of love and reassurance that they have a future with us. We talk about going to Disney World when they are 9 or 10. We talk about high school and college. I don't know if they understand what we are doing, but I hope it will give them a future to think about. "B" wants to play basketball so we are going to sign her up next month. We think "J" would have fun with soccer. He's a good runner.

For now we just enjoy each day, each hug, each kiss, each "I love you" and each "mom" & "dad".

Trying to pass the test

The testing has begun. "J" is trying to see how much attention he can get and how much he can get away with. After making sure he knew what behaviors were wrong - saying "no" to Mom, calling people stupid and ugly, kicking the walls, throwing pillows and disobeying - we just put him in his bedroom, tell him we love him and leave. It is getting better but I'm sure it will go on for a while. Today at church he didn't want to go to class and started one of his attitudes. I took him out, sat in the hall and tried to ignore him as much as I could. Of course everyone else wanted to say "hi", so he was loving it. Then my miracle worker came by. A 14 yr old girl that is one of the nicest, sweetest girls I know. She started talking to "J" and said lets go to class. So he got up as if he were the most well behaved boy in the world, took her hand and walked into class sat down and she left. After church he saw her again and hugged her. She invited them to come over and go swimming. Anyone who invites them to swim is their best friend. We are adopting "fish". We are looking into swim lessons. Other then the test, we are doing great. We are tired but very happy. We'll see how a full week of work and babysitters goes!! Stay tuned for further adventures of the Texas Andersons!

What a Hottie!!

Our first sick kid experience. He was moping around this morning but we just thought it was cuz they didn't want us to go to work. So finally a little after 12 I went to work with "J" asleep & "B" watching Sponge Bob :(. About 20 minutes after I got there, my mom called and said that "J" was awake, crying and hot. So I shut down, packed up and headed to the store for a thermometer and Tylenol then home. By the time I got home he had settled down and fallen asleep. I logged onto work and started getting a few things done when he woke up. I took him temp - 100.4 - and gave him Tylenol and he settled down. He wanted me to stay with him so I moved my work onto my bed (where he'd been sleeping) and "B" climbed in on the other side. So for 3 hours I had a kid on either side. "J" slowly got better, decide his tummy hurt and he needed Sprite, and suddenly got tons of energy. He says he's feeling better and I'm trying to convince him that he still needs to rest. That's a hard sell to a 5 year old. We took another temp and it was down to normal. We'll check again later. What a day! This mother thing is crazy! It is kind of nice to have a sick kid calling out for his mommy and knowing that I'm the mommy he wants.

Legal Notice

We have just found out that we can't post pictures on the blog until after finalization which should be sometime after the first of the year. So if you haven't seen a picture yet and want to, email us and we will be happy to forward you a picture. But please remember, they are only for you - don't forward them to the world (even though we do think our kids are the cutest in the world, we don't want to make the rest of the kids in the world feel bad!) :) Thanks for understanding and helping us follow the rules.

Also, please don't post any identifying information about our kids on your blogs or websites. No names, birth dates, etc.

And if you really want to know all about the kids...just drop in and say hi!

What a weekend. Started on Friday with a trip to Mom's work. I thought we were just going to pass out the pay checks. Everyone surprised us with a tree with cards tied all over it and goodie bags for the kids. I think the little fans were their favorite. Saturday we went shopping for new church clothes - we wanted them to look their best and we just wanted to buy kids clothes, it could be an addicting habit!! We also bought Thank You cards so the kids can say thanks for all the cards we got at work. Today we went to church. Everyone was so excited about meeting the kids. Now we need to get into a routine and get the house cleaned!!

Life

We are settling into life! Grandma & Grandpa came to visit yesterday and I went into work for a couple of hours and got some work to do at home. Today the kids and I are going to work to pass out the paychecks. I pass them out every payday and thought this was a great way to introduce them to everyone at my work and show them where I go everyday. They are getting used to the dogs. They were in all day while Gma & Gpa were here - with no leashes on! Last night we had some dog struggles and Mom & Dad were both frustrated and nearly had a meltdown! But we all calmed down took baths, watched Batman, read a story, said family prayer and went to bed.

Things are going well. I think Mom & Dad have the biggest adjustment - we aren't allowed to sit still!! They are not kids who just want to sit and watch TV. They want to play a game, read a book, go to the park, swim, etc. They are on the move kids!!!

Feel free to stop by and say hi if you can catch us at home!!!

They're Home!

Our kids came home today at a little before 11am. We signed the papers saying we intend to adopt them. Texas law requires they are in our home for 6 months before we go to court and it is final. A case worker will come and see us at least once a month until the adoption is final. But that is just a formality. They are ours forever!!!!!! So if you want to visit Texas we'll be having a Dora birthday party for "B" the first Saturday in September, we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving by giving Thanks for these awesome kids, we'll be having the BEST Christmas ever and then we'll be going to court in January or February. No matter if you're far or near, you are welcome to stop by anytime to meet the kids. They would be happy to show you their rooms & toys!!!

Well this mom is busy!! I'll keep you up to date on the kids whenever I can. And I'll post pictures as soon as I'm allowed. Thanks for all your prayers.

Happy Days are here again..

They are coming home tomorrow. We're off to visit tonight and then their case worker will bring the home tomorrow morning and we'll sign the official papers that say we intend to adopt them!!! Forever has finally arrived!!!

Change of Plans

A little disappointment today. "B" is having a tough time and her case worker will be talking with her this afternoon. They probably won't be home tonight, but hopefully soon. They seemed so comfortable with us and it's hard to not have them right now. But it's all about the kids and what is best for them. We'll know more this afternoon and make new plans. We'll at least visit them tonight. We've talked with them on the phone Sunday & Monday night and they seem good and talkative! "J" is ready. I think we just need to reassure "B" that by wanting to be part of our family she is not hurting her foster mom. We just keep reassuring her that she can call, write or email anytime. I'm trying to see the little blessings in this - at least I have another night to get things done. :) I'll post more as soon as I know more. Keep ALL of us in your prayers!
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And to top off the day,Dave didn't get the management position. :(

I didn't know I could feel this way

Today our kids went back to their foster home for some good byes. They'll be there until Tuesday when we pick them up forever. We talked a lot about coming home. It just seemed so natural to have them here. After we dropped them off, Dave didn't want to go home. Dad has a heart the size of Texas and he is the best dad ever. It was the first time I cried this week. I've been so happy and suddenly my kids were gone. I know it's best for them. They need their time to close one phase of their young lives and get ready to move on to the forever phase! But oh how hard it was to let them go. We went to the book store - bought them books. Then went to the movies - last chance without taking out a babysitter loan. :) Then went to WalMart to get some food for next week (now that we know some of their favorites). I found myself in the kids clothes while Dave took a detour. I felt like a kid in a candy store!!!! My heart was racing with excitement!! Oh what cute 5T little boy clothes - I found a pair of shorts and shirt for only $3 each. And the little girls 6x - I'm in trouble!!!! I settled on a pair of Dora PJs. This could be addicting!!! We bought a few other things for them and got out before we went broke. We are trying to find the good in having some free time until Tuesday, but I think instead we will just count down the minutes until we see our adorable children again and hold them forever and ever!!

4th of July

We went to WalMart & Target looking for a swimsuit for "B" on Thursday night and then had a quick dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Both are night owls like their parents - we'll have to work on that. They got up earlier then we thought - 7:30 - so much for sleeping in. We started our Independance day with doughnuts at the shop on the corner with some friends. They both like the chocolate covered doughnuts and "B" likes doughnut holes. We then headed to Grandma & Grandpa's. Hugs all around when we got there and then off to meet cousins and play in the community pool. After spraying them down with sunscreen (and later learning the Mom & Dad need it too!) we got in the pool. They each had a swin ring and big smiles. A little scared at first but soon were following their cousins jumping off the side of the pool into Dad's safe arms. The braver they got, the more they asked Dad to back up - but he has assured them that his arms would always be there to keep them safe, no matter what. Homemade pizza cooked on the grill, homemade root beer (a Brown family tradition!) and cake and ice cream. We saw tons of fireworks on the way home and then they fell asleep. "J" didn't even get into him jammies when we got home, just crawled into bed. "B" on the other hand woke up and wanted to stay up. Dad was going to watch TV for a little bit before he went to bed, so she stayed up with Dad and ate peanuts and watched TV. Now we are getting ready for a busy Saturday. They'll stay with their foster mom for 3 nights and then be back on Tuesday forever!!

Oh what a night!

They came over tonight to see their new house. They liked their rooms. Thanks to my "angels" for all they did while I was at work. "B" & "J" loved their rooms but had some anxiety about the dogs. We'll work on that. We went to La Finca for dinner. How fun to order off the kids menu. They both love their "new" legos, elmos & stuffed animals! I now have an excuse for all the toys I own!! They both called us Mom & Dad. "B" wanted to sit next to mom at dinner. The magician stopped by our table. "B" loved the tricks, "J" not so much. They both LOVE to take pictures. I think we need to start looking into those little kid digital cameras before they break ours. For those that keep asking, "B" is size 6x and "J" is size 5.

Sad Day

In the midst of a very happy time, we had to make a decision that we have been putting off for months now. Last night on the way home we decided it was time for Gracie to go be with George. We let her sleep in our bed with us last night. It just wasn't the same. She just wasn't the same dog we got over 6 years ago. She lost her hearing, her eye sight was going and she didn't have the energy she once had. We took her to a wonderful vet this morning and told her it was time for her to go see George who passed away almost 4 years ago. I told her they have big sunny backyards in Heaven. She used to love laying out in the sun in California and on our balcony when we moved to Texas. She would find the one little patch of sunshine on the balcony and lay out. She used to greet us at the door sitting on the back of the couch - sometimes I thought she thought she was a cat! It was a hard thing to do, but I know her little spirit is better off without that old body that wouldn't let her do all the things she wanted too. We will miss her very much.

We are a happy family...

We meet them!!!! We spent 5 hours with them tonight. We meet them at their foster moms house, then went to Double Dave's Pizza, then to the park. "B" is my little model. She kept asking me to take pictures of her. Neither of them seem to know what a camcorder is. They would just smile. We told them they could move, dance and act crazy. "J" is our weight loss plan. He will keep us going non-stop. But the most wonderful sound is that little boy yelling "Dad" across the play ground. He is attached! "B" on the other hand is warming up. She will take longer but I can see her and I being good friends. "J" gave us both hugs before we left. In fact he asked if he could hug us - twice. "B" gave me a hug and gave Dave "5". We are head over heals!! Their coming to our house tomorrow night. Then they'll come on Thursday and spend a couple of nights and we'll see how that goes.