Christian's Whispers of Sweet Nothings in my Ear

So, I have this kid that compliments me a lot. . .and I truly think he tries his pick-up lines out on me!  I am flattered and I have to admit, they always make me smile and my heart melt for him just a little more each line he uses.  I realize he is just practicing for his future lady friends but right now, I am feeling pretty glad he uses them on me!  And I must say. . . . .some of them he comes up with are pretty darn good!  Below I will start to try and document just a few he has been using. . . . 

1.) While sitting in the living room holding the littlest newbie we have (one month old at the time) Christian looks up at me from across the living room where he is sitting and playing his D.S. and he says, "wow, that smells great!!!!! Maybe that is you and the baby mommy, that I keep smelling."  then he goes back to playing the D.S. :)

2.)  When eating his box Kraft Mac n cheese he says with GREAT enthusiasm, "mom, you are the bestest cooker ever!!!"

WATCHING for Miracles

Ava is  huge part of us taking care of  our girls!  Sometimes we like to reward her with special things to show her how appreciated she is.  So, Ava had gotten a new ELSA watch from the movie Frozen and it was gorgeous.  She was simply so proud of it and wore it everywhere she could.  One day she wore it to the dentist office when her daddy took her.  She came home and that night after the office was closed and everyone was going to bed, she informed me so sheepishly that she had in fact lost her watch.  She knows she left it at the dentist office.  This frustrated me and I tried to explain to my now crying daughter, that the watch probably won't be there tomorrow because someone else probably saw it and took it home to their little girl that also LOVES Elsa and Frozen.  We prayed for honest people to find the watch and then I promised to call in the morning. 

The next morning, just as promised, we called the office.  They said they had not seen the watch.  We explained it and told them the story.  The front office lady took our number and promised to call us if they found it.  She even went back and talked to the hygienist that had worked on Ava and asked if she had seen it.  That lady said she remembered Ava and the watch being on her wrist because they had talked about it but she had not seen it since.  Ava was still praying so hard but I figured it was gone for good. 

Later that day we were out and about and I decided last minute, because she was still so sad and praying so hard, to stop in and check it out.  We prayed one last time before we got out of the car.  Her hopes were so high and mine, sad to admit, were not.  We walked in and up to the front desk.  I started explaining that we had called earlier and they remembered us immediately.  I was sad for Ava as a few of the ladies came over to the window to see her and they were all so sad and giving her their sweet sorrows as she was holding in the tears.  We politely thanked them, made sure they had our number, and turned to head out.  We had shared with them that we were still praying so it might turn up unexpectedly.    They just smiled.  Here is the best part!!!!!  AS were turned around to head home, with our heads hung, someone stopped us.  It was the man sitting in the waiting room when we first walked in, and he had said hi and we had said hi back.  He said, "are you guys looking for a watch?"  we said yes and he said follow me.  We followed him out into the hall and he walked up to a door and pulled something off the random door's doorknob. As he turned around to extend his hand toward us, there in his palm was Ava's WATCH.  His eyes were looking at us and watching as our expressions turned to amazement and  pure joy. . .for we had seen a miracle!  TRULY.  :)  Ava started squealing her appreciation.  As for me, not a surprise to many, I started crying.  I was so in awe that God had worked this miracle out to build my child's faith.  God does care about the sparrows and the little things!!  The chances of the watch being picked up and carried out of the office into the main complex and then hung on a random doorknob of another office that happened to be the last door before the outside door.  The even smaller chance of us seeing it or running into someone that had happened to glance, see it on the door knob, and be in there long enough to hear that we were looking for it.  We ourselves had walked past the door and watch and never saw it at all.  This man smiled at us and Ava went flying back in to the office ladies to show them her answer to prayer.  Even the dentist came out to hear what had happened.  WOW. . .oh the faith of a child. . .if only we could all have that faith.  Thanks be to God for showing up in this BIG way to such a little girl that means so much to her mama!  :) 

Last Day of School

Ava graduating 2nd Grade / Christian Graduating 1st Grade

Well, we have officially made the move. . . we have decided to become a homeschooling family!  The kids are very excited but with that comes many lasts.  Last time getting on the bus, last day of school at Hamilton Heights. . . so on and so forth.  I decided to interview them just as I did in the beginning of the year.  Some things changed but some not so much.  Ava is Purple and Christian is Blue. :)

What are you excited about for your last day of school?

                It's the end of school

                Excited it is in the end of the year

What do you want to be when you grow up?

                Be an ice cream guy

                I want to be an Ice Cream Girl and  a Teacher

What is your favorite color?

                Blue, Pink, and Purple

                Pink

What did you like most about school this year?

                We had to go and get in small groups this year, and getting wet out in field day

                I liked when it was time to switch classes, because I got two teachers instead of one.

Who is your teacher?

                Mrs. Brubaker & Mrs. Zullinger

                Mr. Rumble

Who are you going  to marry?

                Emilee at the Chiropractic

                I don't know

How many kids do you want to have?

                One hundred

                Five

What was your favorite thing about your summer?

                Getting Popsicles

                Swimming

Who is your best friend?

                Selena & Jaden

                The whole class

What is your favorite school lunch?

                Pepperoni Pizza

                Pizza Crunchers

          

Sweetest Letter on Earth

Today was an extremely frustrating day for me.  We took  Christian to his neurologist for an evaluation and though we have no answers, we still have a ton of testing to go through to HOPEFULLY figure some things out.  This is disheartening and very frustrating.  On top of that, today was so busy, I had NO time to do anything productive so I felt worthless and grumpy.  I was feeling discouraged about how foster care was affecting my immediate family, wondering why we do it, and also just worrying about our adventure of homeschooling next year.   One thing that needs to be said here is I am a person that often prioritizes many others over my family.  That needs to change.  The second thing that I need to mention is that yesterday, while on the way to a graduation party for Brady Smith, the song from Steven Curtis Chapman that talks about "LOVE fill up all of my spaces" came on the radio.  The kids and I had a great little conversation about how we want Jesus LOVE to shine through us and fill up every area of our lives so that when others see us they can't help but see Him!

So, on to today.  Ava was sitting at the table doing something on her Ipod. Then she all of a sudden told me I must find my Ipod so I can read her note and she promptly ran outside.  I took my time finding it and let me tell you, when I found it and charged it and read the text message / long letter she had sent. . . WOW!!!!! It literally brought tears to my eyes and revived my heart and just made me so so so happy in general.  I am sharing this because I LOVED it so much and I want record of it for me later on.  So proud of this girls heart.  Seriously the Best Letter Ever!!!!


Hi mom, sorry that I have not go back to you in a while.  Also I can not wait to be homeschooled next year.  Are you excited to homeschool us next year.  Just to let you know we all love you.  Also I can not wait for summer to come.  You are the best mom I have ever seen.  I am sorry for the times I fout with Christian.  I should be kinder to him.  you will always be the kind girl you always are.  I will never let you behind.  Also I am sorry for the times I did not obey you and put more on your plate.  Sometimes I wish I would not put more on your plate because you already have a lot on your plate.  I should be the best dauter I always should be.  Sometimes I get tired of the crying baby's but I love Jesus so much that I give my house to the baby's we get through foster care.  Also I like when you take me to yard sales.  Also I like your giving heart for others I love you mom.  Thank you for being my mom I would never ask for a better mom.  If I could pick a mom it would be you mom.  Sorry for lying to you today and got Christian in trouble.  Will you forgive me.  Thank you for taking us places you do not want to go to.  I love the way you take care of us and give us all we need.  I am also sorry for fighting with Christian.  I like the way you tought me to clean.

Who Farted?

Well sometimes you get a glimpse of what goes on in a family at home, when you are reading a child's STORIES they write in school.  I  keep many of the stories because it usually gives me glimpses into the real things going on in the kiddos heads.  However this one, I had to share.  I was crying as I read it and, honestly, slightly embarrassed that this is what she wrote but mostly just amused.  This story was written in its original spelling and punctuation.  No editing from myself occurred:

May 2014
By: Ava Bumbaugh
End of 2nd Grade Year

Titled : Silly

When I went to my ants house my dad was watching tv.  One hour after my dad turned the tv on, my dad made me laugh so hard.  I had a lot of teers coming from my eyes.  My dad  said "What's so funny?"  What's funy is you fourted on the couch.  I never want to sit on that seet ever again.  Dad said "its not that bad.  Yes it is it smells like roten eggs.  Reley, yes dad.  Fine.  When I turned around my ant was terrified who fourtied.  I said "it was my dad."  She said "You are in big trouble Boy."  Why because it stinks.  now go back home!  Fine, let's go guys.  Go ok ok were going.  Those people do not stop farting.  Why are they still in my driveway.  Guys, go out of my driveway.  When she went inside she farted too.  She felt bad because that was halaryis.  Then My dad farted again the whole car smelled like through up.

The End

Locked Door

The other day we thought we were having a repeat of Ava all over again. :)  We were hanging out at home and the older two were at school.  All of a sudden we heard this little knocking noise coming from Ava's room.  Here, Kaydence had accidentally locked herself in Ava's room.  This was exactly the age Ava had done it a few years back.  We were trying to talk to her from this side of the door, explaining to our not yet two year old foster daughter, how she was to get the door unlocked.  She couldn't understand (of course) so she was trying and we were working on this side getting the door knob off.  As we are working, we hear her stop whimpering and pause.  Then we hear the door knob wiggle and then we hear, "oh man" in this stinking tiny voice sounding so frustrated.  ahahha.  She is a funny goose.  Love that girl.  We did get her out and she was very happy to see us. :)  We told her not to do it again but she has an obsession with closing doors so we will see if she remember to not LOCK them now.  :)

Ava's 2nd Grade Project on Landforms

 

Ava had a project on landforms and her project topic was Valleys.  She had to fill out a research paper by doing her own research on line and in Library books.  Then she had to show some kind of landform model.  So we made this project with U-shaped and V-shaped valleys and then she painted it.  I thought she did a pretty good job.  She was nervous to give her presentation but she did it anyway!

Her cue cards she used as she gave her little presentation before her class was as follows:

Card #1 - My project is on a valley
Card  #2 - A valley is a low area of land between mountains
Card #3 -  Valleys can be formed by water or snow erosion
Card #4  - The bottom of a valley is called the floor
Card #5  - The valley soil is good farmland, rich in vitamins

The research paper was just answering many questions like what is the definition of your landform and so on and so fourth. I thought she did a great job.  She got what would be equivalent to an A in class for her project. :)  I guess the tough projects have started!

Goodbye Jameson

One cold February day in 2014, we called up a certain biological father and asked if for our anniversary, we could take his little son out with us to celebrate.  We had invited Micah and Renee over to watch our four kids, and then we could think of no better way to celebrate and make both of us happy but to see him. . .the JAMERS.  His dad admitted we were a little crazy, but obliged our request and we were over joyed.  It had been possibly around four months since we had seen him, not because we wanted it to be that long of course but we were at the mercy of others.  Anyway, as he stood behind his daddy's legs peeping out at us (he was about 2 1/2 years old at this point) our hearts were beating so fast just dyeing to rush in and scoop him up and kiss all over him.  His dad says, "well, his skin is doing really well.  It is really looking good lately."  We didn't think much of it till we got to the restaurant and started seeing others staring at us.  When we took off his hat and coat, we saw the same thing.  He looked like a burn victim.  His eyes were swollen and his eye lids were cracked.  We thought he was beautiful but the way others were staring at us we felt as if we should explain why he looked like he did.  Every inch we could see was scarred and blotchy with cracked and chaffed skin.  We held back tears as we tried to just enjoy him, knowing we were powerless to change life for him in anyway.  Our only power was to pray and be there for him whenever we were allowed. We loved him so much and couldn't imagine why he was allowed to be so neglected.  One lady, our waitress even came up to us to say, "wow, is his skin ok?"  bold I know but it was the question EVERYONE around us was asking.  We slightly filled her in on the quick version of what had happened to him and his situation, and then we went on to love all over him.  He opened his birthday present we had bought him so many months before.  He called Micah "amike" and we just laughed.  He shared French fries and peanut butter milk shakes with us. 

After we ate, we left to go to Walmart because we were not ready to take him back yet.  I took him to the bathroom to change him and his socks were pasted to his feet with dried blood.  I took them off to find open wounds on his feet from scratching and untreated eczema.  .  A lady in the bathroom, again bold, walked by and said, "girl that is the worst case of eczema I have ever seen if it even is eczema."  Again, another stranger, judging and commenting.  Another realization this was bad.  Walking through the Aisle of Walmart, pushing you in a cart, and a couple we barely knew stopped by to say hi.  They too commented that we needed to "put some cream on that kid!" 

 To us, Jameson was our sweet boy and we saw him in there, deep inside, when his little eyes peered out at us through this foreign wrecked body.  We felt as though we were peering into his soul and he was saying, SAVE ME!  It was so hard to see and feel that and yet be so helpless.  The other odd thing was after four months of not seeing us, he was latched to us like we were his life line.  He, at age two, didn't want to go home.  This made us feel good on some level, but also devastated us that he was not really ok where he was.  Not emotionally anyway. 

We took the little man back to our house and made the decision to take some pictures of him and try and have some evidence.  We knew what we had to do . . . we had to make the call.  The hard call that would literally have potential to break our already breaking hearts.  We had to make that call to CPS about our Jameson, knowing that we possibly were single handedly cutting our last ties with him.  For, he was isolated enough that he didn't see ANYONE except his family and us, so though anonymous, we would be found out.  Sure enough, we were.  When we dropped him off that night, Micah was so sad as Jameson cried to hang onto him.  Then he waved bye at Micah and that picture has never left his mind.  A lot of things transpired from that day forth, but we lost Jameson.  Our last time seeing him was that night and we didn't hear of him or see him again, until September.  Everybody told us we had done the right thing and what we had to do, but all we knew was we had let the poor buddy down.  We wrote him lots of letters trying to hold onto the hope that someday we would see him again.  Love that sweet little boy. God did work it out and little did we know that almost exactly a year from this date he would be returning to care and to our home! God is good, but sometimes it is hard to feel that in the hard moments. :)  Praising God for Jamers safety.

Christians Shocks

I have this memory of buying Christian his first pair of Nike Shocks.  They were on sale and I was o excited to be buying them for him. I loved them and every time he wore them I was so happy cause they were so stinking cute and small and adorable.  As he grew out of them, I passed them on to my nephew Roman.  yesterday, he came to my house to hang out for a bit.  His little shoes he was wearing were none other than the pictured above beloved SHOCKS.  I quietly reminisced and thought how amazing it was that the sweet shoes were now on my adorable nephews feet.  Then, at one point, my daughter gathered the pair of shoes up and placed them over on the doorstep.  When Micah came home, he stepped inside the door and went to step over the shoes.  He stopped and said, "awww, Those are Christian's little shoes!"  I guess he was thinking along the same lines as me  . . . .WHERE has the time gone.  He is growing and changing and yet, it seems like yesterday he was our tiny laughing man running in his very new SHOCKS.  had to take the time to capture the shoes on camera. 

Old Man Christian

 

Today was Christian's 100th day of 1st Grade.  This is the year they are supposed to dress as if they were older, like 100 years older. :)  So he wore his suspenders, a tie and we did his hair with powder.  This was funny because he was a big poof ball of powder every time his head was touched.  Also, then we drew on a mustached which he really appreciated.  We couldn't get him to smile, but we think maybe he over heard Micah saying that old men are grumpy.  So we think he was trying to follow through in character. :)  hahahaa.  He sure did make for an adorable Grumpy Old man!

Christian's 1st Grade Music Concert

What was your songs you sang for your concert?
"five little snowman.  We copied the fourth graders, and we if your married we say no man."
What was your favorite song and why?
"I like about the five little snowman.  It's fun.  I love it really bad."
Who is your music teacher?
"Mrs. Powers-Davis"
Were you nervous?
"yes, I was nervous because I couldn't sing when the fourth graders were singing."
Who did you stand beside?
"Selena and Jaden"
Danielle Smith came along with me to help with the kiddos as we went to see Christian's concert.  :)  He was so very excited and though the was sad daddy had to miss because he was home with a sick baby, he was very excited we were coming.  Ryah, the neighbor girl from across the street came along and of course Kaydence and Ava came. When we first go there, he was more than happy to prance off to get in position behind stage waiting patiently for the curtains to open.  During the concert, he kept waving at me, or so I thought.  Really, Danielle and I later figured out he was waving at his sister in the front row who was waving crazily at him along with Ryah.  However, Danielle and I decided we would pretend he was waving at us.   At one point he did catch my eye and he saw me taking some video of him, so he gave me a really quick thumbs up in the middle of the song.  He did an excellent job this year and followed with all of the words and motions.  He stood pretty still, except when the kid behind him bumped him in a crazy moment and Christian turned around to point a finger at the kid to tell him to leave him alone.  The second bump, Christian looked ticked as he turned himself around and looked like he was going to sock the kid a good one in the stomach. Yikes!!!! Other than that, he did an awesome job.  My little guy is growing up so fast. :)

 I love that he was beside all his buddies. . so many of my very favorite 1st Graders all beside each other in a little group.  :)  Anna Sullivan, Lexi Lawson, Jaden Davis and Christian.  Below is the picture of him telling the little boy behind him to stop bugging him . . he looked as though he was going to punch him at one point. :) Size never phased him!  Also he was hugging on Jaden, who didn't seem to really appreciate it. Personal Space was never an issue to Christian either.

 

 

Ava's Ipod Touch

Ava had been wanting an Ipod for so very long.  Well more like for a little over a year time frame wise, but for an 8 year old that is a VERY LONG TIME.  In fact it was often referred to as "FOREVER" when said in a whiny voice.  Anyway, so for a VERY LONG TIME Ava had been saving up her money to buy herself an Ipod touch.  She saved birthday money and Christmas money and anything she made on the side with chores or for special occasions.  She was collecting pennies and coins too.  Finally, one night, our neighbor told her she had enough saved up, so she got all her money out and we counted it up.  It was not quite enough but her daddy decided that as a reward for all her hard work she had done over the past 6 months with the new foster girls (our angels) that he would foot the rest of the bill!!!! He said that she had willingly given up her room, her toys and her time to help whenever and wherever she was needed so he felt that deserved some sort of reward.  I think you can see by her face how excited she is!  She loves her new Ipod Touch that she saved for and her daddy even bought her a cool case with Cinderellas shoe on it1 

Shark Bait for Valentines

 The newest and coolest valentine boxes can be found on pinterest. I love them.  SO many ideas!  We were going to do a minion from Despicable me movie but then opted to do a shark since Christian is so into sharks.  It was so easy and we used a Hoagie box left over from our Carretti's dinner order.  Then we used duct tape to cover the box.  We used scrap paper to make the fins and then green eye balls from craft camp this summer left over. :)  We made his mouth the hole with teeth so the shark would EAT the valentines.  I am not sure who had more fun making it. . . mommy or Christian, but he was pretty darn excited to take it to school and show it off. 

Bobsledding Report -By Ava

Ava's 1st Written report was on Bobsledding in the winter Olympics.  She brought it home and read it to us :

Did you know that two and four man bobsled teams fly down the track at speeds of as much as 90 mph?  An offspring of tobeogganing the modern day sport of bobsleding was conceived in Switzerland late in the 1800s.  The second member of the two-person team is the brake mano.  Always the last person in the sled, he or she pulls up on the brake, lowering a piece of metal into the ice to stop the sled after the run.  a pair of pushers added makes a four-man team.  They are responsible for helping to get the sled started.  The sled rips down the ice track one at a time, reaching speeds up to 90 mph.  The team with the lowest time after the two runs wins the gold.  Each nation may enter two sleds in each event.  The sleds are made of fiberglass and have weight limits.  One person steers the sled by puling one rope with his right hand to go left.  The 2002 Salt Lake City Olmipics were good for the U.S.A. bobsledding.  The two woman team took home the gold in the inaugural womens competition and four-man teams grabbed the silver and bronze.  I hope I get to see bobsledding in the Olympics this year. 

Written By: Ava Grace Bumbaugh
Age: 8 - Grade: 2nd  Teacher: Mrs. Zullinger

Little Man isn't Going to Stay so Little!

We have been calling little man, our little man for so long.  But after today, he won't be staying true to his name!  Little man was found to have some growth hormone deficiency diagnosed by his endocrinologist.  It is there belief that he needs to be on growth hormones in order to grow to his desired height.  We have had all the testing and prayed lots and today, we started the growth hormone shots.  He is a trooper and somewhat excited about it.  He takes the shots with a brave heart and makes us proud!  Little man, I salute you and can't wait to watch this growth transpire!  I have to admit, I will miss you being little though, so secretly you will always be mama's little man!