And we wait, and wait, and wait. Waiting on the house, waiting on the adoption, waiting on the house for the adoption. Oh yes, it turns out we do need to file more paperwork to immigration because we now need to be approved for the new house. Which means the social worker needs to see the new house. The house we do not yet own.
Apparently our adoption paperwork we 've been waiting for is being held up by a computer system change in the CCCWA (the agency that handles all the adoptions in China). Have a mentioned before that the CCCWA also shuts down for a number of holidays? There is of course Chinese New Year (obviously). Then there is the "Tomb sweeping" holiday, and the "Dragon Boat Festival" which caused a 3 day shutdown last week.
In the meantime, life goes on in this crazy household. Here are some happenings while we wait...
Here we have a group game going on. Well, the group minus LB who is not that interested in the game itself. He just likes to be where the action is. You can see Mt. Boxmore in the background as it is ever changing elevation due to the taking off and putting on of boxes.
I
will say it is like music to a mother's heart when she hears her 13 year old boy say, "Let's play Bibleland next."
I just love this next picture because it shows the two kids who really look the most alike. I know people have called the two oldest kids "twins," but I think the resemblance between these two is unmistakeable. Sissy is the only other female I will allow MB to call his "sweetie heart."
It was recital time recently for the three oldest. Sissy is dwarfed by her older brothers, who, yes, are in need of a general shearing.
Did you know that David slew Goliath using a bag of rubber bands? No? Well, this is MB doing his David imitation with his bag of rubber bands. By the way, MB was labeled a "Biblical genius" by his VBS leaders.
Bob has devised something he calls the "instant pillow." He demonstrates how it works:
Finally, we have an example of simple joys...Kimi was thrilled to have rainbow toes and finger nails. Much giggling involved.
Ah, simple joys...
So my last biological child thinks he's adopted. He asked me the other day,"Did you and Daddy, and D and Bob, and Sissy all come to get me?" I tried to explain how he really came to us, but that seemed a little traumatic. I'm still not sure he really gets it. Maybe we should just keep it a secret that he is biologically ours until he can really handle the truth someday.
Speaking of that particular child...he had a birthday recently and was extremely pleased to be turning four. He told me the other day, "I really like being four!" I think he thinks he can drive now...
That's a "Ninjago" guy on the cake.
We may need to break the news to him that he is still not old enough to court a girl as he is definitely a "girl's boy" (as opposed to a ladies man). Here he is as Prince Charming escorting the two princesses in the house...
Here he is trying to get the attention of the cute curly blond girl (as an aside, there are 10 children at that table, we had four visiting kids to add to our six)...
...but she likes older men
These two are trouble together for sure...she comes from a family of six kiddos as well. We may start drawing up the marriage contract.
So MB may be Cassanova, but LB attracts the ladies as well
Here he is tormenting his brother. Yes, he really is only lightly touching LB, and LB really is giving that response. What is funny about the whole thing is that LB gives a very different response when I do the same thing.
This is my very creative girl, not exactly "rings on her fingers and bells on her toes." She didn't actually try to write anything, she was just storing the crayons I guess.
Still no update on the adoptions, other than that we will probably have to file a $360 piece of paper to immigration because we are moving. This move is getting more costly by the minute! Here is a parting shot that I used for my very first Facebook post. I have stayed off FB for a long time and now I am reminded why...it is a time drainer! FB rations for sure! I also have discovered that sometimes people say a whole lot of nothing... Anyway, here is our picture of the WTs and what we call "Mt. Boxmore."
