Anteneh's Love of Books

When Anteneh first came home in Feb 2007, he had trouble sitting through a book...partially because he didn't understand English, partially because he was young...and I really think it must have been something very new to him, altogether. How many children's books had he been exposed to? Possibly none. I am proud to say that at 4 years old, Anteneh loves to read-ok, he can't really read yet, but he can now sit through having a book read to him and he loves it! We read every night before bed. And I have to give Grace some credit for that. At 6 years old, she is an amazing reader-she walks around the house with a book in her hands constantly. She even reads in the bathroom when she is suppossed to be on the toilet or in the shower-haha...she reads to the boys all the time. And she readss them chapter books with few, if any, pictures. She is teaching Luke and Anteneh that reading is COOL... Here is a sweet video of Anteneh reading his favorite book. It's a 'little critter' book where he loses his baseball mitt...notice how he's got the book practically memorized...and listen for the way he messes up some of his words...so cute!

Anteneh's Humor

Brooke: "Dinner's ready! Everyone wash hands!"
(boys race for the bathroom...Anteneh of course beats Luke, like usual.Luke collapses in a pitiful heap on the kitchen floor-disappointed Anteneh again was faster than him)
Brooke: "Anteneh, I know you are fast but do you mind letting Luke go first this time? You always seem to get there first"
Anteneh: "OK..." (begrudgingly)
Daryn: "Anteneh, you know what the bible says about being first? It says the last shall be first and the first shall be...." (waiting for Anteneh to finish the sentence)
Anteneh: "ME?"

Hahahaha

Feast or Famine

Well, I don't know if anyone has noticed but it's feast or famine on this blog-in the winter, I was horrible about keeping up...mostly because it's just hard to get good pictures inside...but now that we are outside, it's feast time with pictures and blog entries! here are some pictures from soccer this morning...






By the way-IT'S LUKE'S BIRTHDAY! HE IS 4 TODAY!

AMAZING VIDEO

This is long but you will be blessed by listening to it...it really makes me just WEEP for those 15 million children on the continent of Africa who have lost their mommies and daddies...how can we ignore that? I think of Anteneh...and that there is one less little boy in Ethiopia who is orphaned by AIDS...and he is upstairs in this house-with his sister and brother and mommy and will grow up with a loving family-grandparents, cousins...get smothered in hugs, kisses, has his own fun room, will go to a private school, get too many toys for Christmas, birthdays, he will go to college...and I'm just BLOWN AWAY with God's grace and mercy in his life and in ours for allowing us to play some small part in His plans!!!

Please watch it all the way though-just 9 minutes..
Thanks to my new blogger friend, Kelly, for letting me steal it from her blog! Actually, she doesn't even know I stole it...but I am sure she won't mind!
I hope you are blessed by watching it...

LAST DAY!

(my dad got the boys these Purdue shorts that are 2 sizes too big but they HAD to wear them that day...being the mom who really hates super long shorts on boys, I had to mention that-haha)

It's our last day with Daryn in Jamaica (this month-he has to go again in June). We are so excited! We're cleaning the house today, doing laundry, washing sheets, finally shaving legs (is that not appropriate for a blog? haha)...I was reminded of the character that we are instilling in our kids by following through with them-by having them clean up their own toys, apologize, speak to us politely-all those things like making them eat their vegetables that are really easier to not do...but putting in the energy to follow through when they are young I KNOW will pay off as they get older...

The boys are not allowed to wake us up in the morning (because if they were, Anteneh would come in at 5am-no joke). Maybe I'm grouchy but I don't like to be told by a 4 year old when I need to get up-does that sound horrible? Anyway, they are allowed to play in their room until we go to get them. Well, this morning the boys were so excited b/c when I went to get them at 7am, they were fully dressed (in last night's dirty clothes that had been laid on their floor b/c we got home late last night)...they were SO EXCITED TO SHOW ME! Anteneh said, "mommy, are you SO PROUD of us!?" Now, how could I make them change into clean clothes after that!? They actually had put on fresh socks and underwear and had their shoes on and ready to be tied. And now they are upstairs in their room cleaning to suprise Daddy when he gets home. That is pretty impressive for 4 year olds! (Actually Luke is still 3-for 2 more days).

Luke got a gift card from his great grandma for his birthday and I told him I'd take him to Toys R Us to spend it today-well, he is dead set on buying Grace and Anteneh a toy with it, too. That is his heart-how can I tell him that $15 doesn't split very well between 3 kids who all are going to want the $20+ toy! Haha...and they got $10 each for preschool graduation from Papa and Grandma Darlene...$20 between the two boys is a lot-so we are going to Barnes and Noble today and they are going to get new books and surprise Grace with the next Narnia book in the series (we've read 5/7 of the books together-it's my special thing w/ Grace-we can't wait until Friday when Prince Caspian comes out!!!)

Anyway, I hope it doesn't come across as bragging...well, I guess I am -I'm bragging on my boys today-they are developing character...and I can really see their hearts today-so sweet.

Last random thought: we have started recycling newspaper, #1 and #2 plastics, glass, and paperboard(cereal box typed cardboard)...now, instead of putting out 2 full trashcans each week w/ an average of 4 bags each can, we put out ONE. Over one year, that is 208 less bags of trash our family produces per year...if we continue this over the next 15 years or so, that's 3120 bags of our family trash that WON'T be sitting somewhere on the earth. Is that not SO EXCITING!? And it's so easy-had to mention it...I used to feel so guilty every time I half filled up our trashcan w/ an empty milk container that I knew would be sitting somewhere in a landfill for years and years...now I don't...and imagine all the money we will save on trashbags! Yeah!

Waiting for Daddy to Come Home

This may be the most boring post I've ever done...not too much is going on...Daryn is in Jamaica with a mission trip right now so we are just getting by-waiting anxiously for his return!Grace at her last soccer game...
Luke's idea of soccer practice-haha-sitting on Grandma Darlene's lap! Anteneh, of course, was practicing-he doesn't sit down for long!
Here is a random funny conversation between the boys that Daryn overheard the other day...that will liven this boring post up:

Luke: I am going to be a army guy that flies airplanes!
Anteneh: Me, too!
Luke: I'll wave to you from my jet
Anteneh: Yeah. I'll call you on my microphone

Hahahahaha...do I just think that is hilarious b/c they are my boys? haha...everytime I read it I crack up...

WELCOME SPRING!

We are so excited for spring!!! I have taken probably a hundred pictures in the last few weeks! First, here are some pictures of the kids and I planting flowers in the mailbox planter...we did pansies out there
and then the kids each planted their own flowers and Grace and I planted thyme (to attract butterflies) and basil...oh, I can't WAIT for tomato mozerella salad with fresh basil from our garden! And we planted a big (for us) garden with cherry tomatoes, big tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, poblano peppers, brocolli, red leaf lettuce, red onions, eggplant, banana peppers, zuccini, cucumber, and watermelon! Ah! I'm so excited to see it all come up...

Anteneh planting the flower he got at their preschool fieldtrip to Kroeger's Nursery...
Grace planting her thyme to attract her much desired butterflies and therefore caterpillers...
Luke, working hard to till up the garden for mommy
Joceyln (wearing SPF 45) watching her cousins planting
The cute little sign Densie gave me
My boys working hard!
Anteneh releasing a tadpole into the pond at Kroeger's Nursery
Another field trip shot-LOVE THIS PICTURE! See Luke in the background?