Kindermusik it ain't . . .

It struck me the other day how vast and broad the musical taste of our boys has become. They have been exposed to a lot and truly enjoy many different genres of music. We are after all trying to do our part to perpetuate Well Rounded Men for future generations. Their reperatoire includes, but is by no means limited to:

Anything Third Day - particularly Creed(which is really a Rich Mullins song - which pleases mom who once drove to Birmingham with some friends to see him in concert), Alien, and this past season's favorite, Born in Bethlehem.

Mitch hates this fact, but they like a little Abba now and then - particularly Dancing Queen to which we like to dance with Ms. Shannon and Waterloo, my favorite.

They love Jack Johnson - his entire Curious George cd

They also love Andre Bocceli - the most favorite song being Con Te Partiro with Sarah Brightman. This is far and away one of our favorite songs. I have been known to get them out of bed (awake, not yet asleep) when they are on PBS singing it. They know all the words and sing it the best they can. They also like his Beseme Mucho, which they refer to as "the Bear Song" because of a stuffed, valentine-y bear we have in the Youth for Christ office that sings that in an "Eric Cartman from South Park" kind of voice when you press its paw. Hey, we are not above any means to introduce them to the Classics.

They adore anything by David Crowder Band

They also like to jam to U2 and Coldplay

They have also been known to belt out Vanilla Ice's Ice, Ice, Baby with their father. Mitch's mom found an old, old cd. Perhaps I can lose it. :)

They also like a little Sting action - particularly Desert Rose

They have also been known to require Elton John's Crocodile Rock during 6 hour road trips to St. Simons (and love to hear his song Greatest Discovery)

On road trips to Florida, Ray Stevens has satisfied them with his Pirates of Penzance

Last but not least, AC/DC - their father's contribution to their musical upbringing. Below you will find pictures of them playing "Air Guitar" to AC/DC's You Shook Me all Night Long.

Gabriel playing "air guitar" on his play sword.

John Mark, in a similar, "playing-so-hard-sprawled-on-the-floor-position"

Here you see Daniel sitting calmly (hence the picture for proof). He obviously was not "into" playing Air Guitar to AC/DC. Perhaps he was listening to Andre Bocceli (as cultured as he is becoming, he still has to learn when his shirt is on inside out and backwards! )

It was a Holly Jolly Christmas

So, almost a month (to the day) AFTER Christmas, I am finally getting around to giving you some highlights:

We decorated our Christmas tree, or as Daniel referred to it, "the Diffus Tree." After it was decorated he would rejoice over the Diffus Tree each time he saw it. One time he even walked up to it, patted it and asked "mommy can I climb da diffus tree?"

We went to a Christmas concert with our beloved Mrs. Jennifer (Morgan) where the boys got to see their idolized Mac Powell (and the rest of Third Day) as well as Jars of Clay. It was a great time. The best parts were watching Gabriel be in awe over the crowd of people in the Forum praising God at the same time and watching John Mark when Third Day sang the song Born in Bethlehem (which the TRCC kids sang this year). John Mark adored that song and really began to worship with it. Precious.

The boys debuted their musical talents with the rest of the kids from TRCC one Sunday morning singing some Christmas songs taught to them by Aunt Joan. Gabriel is on the back row in the navy and John Mark is in the pale blue on the front row. (Yes, you will notice, MY kids are the only ones not wearing proper festive Christmas attire. We didn't have any this year!)

After a wonderful chili supper and gingerbread cookies for dessert with our friends, the Vances, we got to ride around Rome looking at Christmas Lights (aka Diffus Lights) in one of these:

I had casually mentioned to the Vances how I wish one of us had a vehicle large enough to fit us all in (with all 5 kids) to ride around and look at Christmas lights together. They arrived in a short bus! (Actually, the PC name is mini-bus). Suffice it to say, he has connections. The kids loved every minute of their bus ride!

We inaugurated our warm, footed pajamas. If you look closely you can see a band-aid strapped across Daniel's nostrils. He went to the bathroom, got the band aid, unwrapped it and put it there. He said his nose "huuuht (hurt)."

We took what ended up being a 5 hour Xterra ride (with the boys three across, touching each other, use your imagination) to rescue Memuph from the final clutches of Atlanta. She got to stay with us for awhile and go roped into helping make Christmas cookies. Mom was ready for some eggnog - the fully leaded version, after the former experience, Memuph after the latter.

We also got to see our sweet new cousin Libby Kate in all her Christmas finery. Too bad you can't see the tiny patent leather shoes on her feet.

After Christmas we went to Gatlinburg for a Youth for Christ conference. The only thing the boys wanted to do was climb a mountain. We hiked them up to the top of a mountain to see Laurel Falls. It was incredible . . . and incredibly crowded. I mean it was practically January.

This was a picture of the boys at the falls, right after Mom fell and busted it on the wet rocks, promptly taking down Gabriel and John Mark with her. But after we ran into someone we knew up on the top of the mountain by the waterfall! On the way down the mountain, the boys were DONE. Daniel literally fell asleep upright and walking and John Mark started getting sick. Did I mention we still had to drive home?

Overheard . . . Mom Edition

You know you are a mom/relative of boys when you find yourself engaging in the following conversations/dialogues . . .

Boys: Mom, we need you to get our spear from behind your bed.

Mom: Why is your spear behind my bed, instead of in its holder on top of the tall chest in your room. (said more as a statement instead of a question)

Boys: Because we were jumping on the bed with Addie and we all had a spear and one of them fell behind the bed.

(I'll just let that one land . . . with the weight of its potential health risks, to themselves and to Addie)

Me, while on the phone with Tanya:

Jennifer: Excuse me Tanya, Boys, boys, we do not throw our spears in the house.

Tanya: Wow. That's not something you hear everyday.

Me, (whilst surrounded at the dinner table by those of the male persuasion, both young and old):

Ahem. We do not say "Twig and Berries" (in reference to anatomical parts) at the dinner table.

Memuph: No John Mark, you do not need your gun at church. (Said while she is trying to keep John Mark from retrieving the water gun he had hidden in my purse to ensure its safe arrival at church)

**This blog brought to you by the letter S, as in Spear, and the letter Y in honor of our friend who brought them back from Africa for the boys.

Rewards for our Efforts

I am sure we are all familiar with "Punch Cards." You know, those cards that vendors, stores, restaurants, etc. give out. You buy 9 of something (sandwiches, pizza, cups of coffee, haircuts, oil changes, etc.) and the 10th is free, or the 12th or the 13th or whatever.

I recently had an idea. I think City Governments should issue such cards. Any of you who know our recent family history are well aware that we are now going on our 5th court appearance for the hopeful adoption of our youngest. So, I started thinking. The City of Rome (or Floyd County or the State of Georgia for that matter) could start issuing these punch cards.

They could read something like "After your 12th Court Appearance, ________________"

I have a few ideas on the "freebie" they could offer.

• . . . you get 10% off your Ad Valorem Tax for your car tag this year!
• . . . your next parking ticket on Broad Street is on us!
• . . . you get $100.00 off your next property tax bill!
• . . . you receive one month's free garbage pick-up!
• . . . you get five free City bus tokens!

Really the possiblities are endless. All ideas are welcome. Perhaps we could start something here.

Cousins Day at Papa's!

So, while Mitch and I were at foster parent training the boys got to have two Friday night sleepovers with Papa & "Mrs. Joy."

Apparently they had plenty of football-watching time with Papa . . .

. . . climbed a few trees . . .

. . . and visited with their brand new cousin Libby Kate.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday or two!

Hear That? . . .

. . .It's me BREATHING again because November is OVER!!!!!!

(que Hallelujah Chorus)

November was a hard month. Here are some of its highs and lows.

• We threw one of our biggest fundraisers of the year for Youth for Christ.


• A week later we moved our office


• Two weeks later we are still moving, repainting, cleaning etc two offices: one old, one new


• We spent 3 whole Saturdays in all-day foster parent training


• We had Mitch's birthday


• We had a major holiday


• Gabriel and I went on a field trip to Carlton Farms, a dairy farm in Rockmart.
  

We were all thankful for such a beautiful day. We were supposed to go to the farm in Oct. to see all the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. But alas. The FIRST & ONLY day it rained a torrentual down-pour since the Clinton administration was the day of our supposed-to-be-first-ever-field-trip. You have never seen such a group of forlorn-pumpkin-shirt-wearin'-kids.

Here we are after finding the elusive check-in station #4. We tromped around finding 1-12, but that dad-blame # 4 gave our team a hard time.


Our team was comprised of us Jollys, Sam and his Nana, and Julia and her Nanny (taking the picture).






We all rode this huge covered wagon hay ride thing that took us into the pasture. The kids got to hand-feed the cows hay from the wagon.

This is Gabriel and Julia. Julia is our friend that "we" continually insist is our sister that doesn't live with us.

This is what the hay ride looked like to the parents and teachers . . .

. . . This is what it looked like to the kids!

And while John Mark and Daniel did not join us, I certainly did not have to go without reminders of all three of my boys!

Visions of sugar-blogs dance in her head . . .

I promise. I have some blogs coming. I just haven't had time.
Things are starting to slow down. Give me another few days!