My fridge is covered in magnetic letters. Hallelujah.

Sorry it's been so long. Today is my first "normal" feeling day after two weeks of multiple sicknesses you don't want to hear about. Haiti kids come with catchable stuff, and that's all I'm gonna say.

The more I'm around our delicious boys the I'm convinced that the nannies at the O will be seated at God's right hand in heaven.


Dusts jackets on toddler books. What moron came up with that idea?

When Justin says "Atticus" it sounds like "Alleycat," which is just so adorable!

Roasted garlic & shallots, zucchini, grilled peaches, huge salads, okra, broccoli, Brussels sprouts (yup!), cantaloupe, risotto, meat loaf, Indian food, avocado, fancy cheeses, assorted nuts... They love it all. They'll even try to drink any of daddy's famous salad dressing that's left at the bottom of the bowl. J & P are truly a culinary parents' dream come true. Thank You, Jesus!

The boys ask for food all day, every day, even if they've just stuffed themselves senseless. I assume this is some sort of trust thing, and I do my best to patiently say "later" or "wait," but sometimes the constant begging really unsettles me. Do they really think I'd let them go hungry?

At the O the boys learned to ignore their inner sense of fullness. They'll just eat and eat' til their plates are empty whether they're hungry or not. Several times I have found one of them chewing on a piece of food from a meal that we ate a couple HOURS before. They will also "forage" scraps from the trash, dining chairs, etc... I am surprised no one has tried cat food. Yet. I still remember my first taste of Tender Vittles, and I'll NEVER forget the horrifying, extremely disappointing flavor of Gaines Burgers. Do they still make those?

I thought I could get the boys to stop asking for my (delicious, creamy, sugary) coffee by giving them each a sip of plain, black coffee. They both loved it and begged for more. Aren't I brilliant?

I now understand why all the white kids clothes are always on clearance. Today I let the boys each pick out a new shirt at Wal-Mart for the first time ever. Petey chose a light blue one. (Not bad... That will hide some stuff.) Justin chose brown. (Yeah!!!)


Petey woke up from a nap the other day and sleepily toddled out of his room. I squatted down at the end of our long hallway and he ran to me, arms outstretched, with a huge smile on his face. That was one of my favorite moments so far.


We had a "movie afternoon" when it rained and rained for over a week. The boys loved the olive-oil popped Amish miniature popcorn, but they really didn't give a fig about the movie. I've tried showing them 20-minute shows like the Flintstones while I prepared meals and they've made it clear that they'd rather stand next to me or sit nearby on the floor and watch me cook than watch the cartoon. Our boys were truly loved at the O. But it is so obvious that they didn't have a "real" mama. It breaks my heart sometimes to see how much they desire one. I hope we can somehow make up for what they lost yesterday while also providing what they need today. That's a tall, daunting order.


It's been more than two weeks, and I'm still telling myself they are here when I wake up each day. I am having a hard time believing that this is a permanent gig.


You have NEVER seen a bigger smile on J than when he's eating Papa's grilled shrimp with garlic butter. Ever!

When I was putting away the long BBQ tongs from the dishwasher one morning Petey saw them and yelled "PAPA!"

The boys like to make bubble beards in the bath tub, like Papas.


I need one of those split heart "Be Fri / st ends" necklaces for me and my Spray 'N Wash Stain Stick.


The boys would take baths, wash their hands and brush their teeth 56 times a day if I'd let them. They are IN LOVE with warm running water.

The boys yell "Gade, Mama!" every time a cat passes by. With 3 cats, this equates to about 8,412 sightings per day. How do you say, "It's cool. Really... we are well aware that the cats move, eat, sleep and stuff..." in Creole?

Similarly, they yell at EVERY passing car, bicycle, motorcycle, and pedestrian.


I have waited forever for my fridge to look like this. Yahoo!

There is a major competition going on to be mama's favorite. Lots of fighting to sit next to mama on the couch, TONS of tattling, and plenty of general bickering. This is the hardest thing for me right now. I want to give them both all my love and attention, but generally whoever's misbahaving ends up getting the most time. And there's always cooking, cleaning, laundry, bill-paying, etc. to do. They really are very much babies still, Petey especially. I think he would be perfectly fine with me just sitting on the couch and holding him for hours at a stretch. No toys. No books. No videos. Just cuddles. I really struggle with holding them enough, knowing how much family time they have missed, but still keeping our house in some sort of order and keeping socks in our drawers...

I'll probably get shot for this, but I miss the kitties. They don't hang out so closely now with all the strange, loud noises around. They were our "children" for so long. I hope they know I love them just as much still.


We've eaten out once since the boys came home- at a fried fish place. Justin finished his basket of fish and fries and was left with only two lemon wedges. I handed the camera to Greg, thinking he could get a great shot of J making a funny face when he bit in to a lemon. It didn't happen. Instead, he bit in to it and sucked the juice as if it were an orange! He bit in to the second slice just the same. Then he tried to drink the remnants of his paper cup of tartar sauce. Oh, brother!

Papa said out loud the other day something I have often thought- "I'm so glad when their bed time comes around, but then they go to sleep and I miss them."