Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning

On Friday, the wives'/kids' club had another Halloween party.
The party was sponsored by Hershey.  I'm such a kid when it comes to sugar.    I felt like angels were singing when I saw the wall lined with boxes of chocolate bars.  That's pretty much all I've eaten in 3 days.  sigh.
(and don't fret, my kiddos have still been eating balanced meals.)

Costumes:
We used clothing we already had (except Olivia's leotard from the thrift store) which possibly was a mistake-- no one thought I was dressed up and everyone thought Dustinn was the big green giant.  hehe.

Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Wendy & Tinkerbell

self-timer=Olivia running for the flashing light

13 months and she eats 2.5 slices of pizza.
Where does she put it?

Loud music was playing outside in the atrium.
Every time the door swung open Olivia would stop,
mid-step, and shake to the beat.

You can fly, you can fly,
you can fly-iy

5 Little Pumpkins

Friends invited us over for a festive (spooky) dinner and afterwards we carved pumpkins.
Thank heavens for good friends that inspire us to be better and to make more out of our lives.

Bradshaw drew the eyes, nose and mouth and Dustinn carved it.
This is HILARIOUS to me because it's identical
to how he draws faces on paper--the long low mouth, etc.
It's got Bradshaw written all over it. 

it makes us so happy to see how they work together  

Bradshaw-isms.

Bradshaw says charming things all the time (at least to his mother's ears)

Within the past twenty minutes:

He said, "my heart is broken...I need a kiss."

And he wanted chocolate milk, but we don't have milk, and I wanted him to come to that conclusion on his own.

me: okay what do we need
him: a cup.  the brown dirt. (aka nesquik)
me: okay got it.  hmm there's something missing.  something. what could it be?
[he has the fridge door open and he's looking around]
him: we need...we need ..we need a miracle!

Paperwork Filled

As of 10/28/2010
Bluestep stage 1 and part of stage 2
Foster Family Home Information


Next on agenda:

• Ask Heidi if on "Authorization for Background Check" if we mark "Foster Family Home" or "Adopt Only Home."
• Ask Stephanie if she'll be a witness
• Coordinate to have Stephanie witness
• Get finger-printed (REMEMBER to get receipt for each individual)
• Find PCP 
• Make doctor's appointment for Dustinn & Valery
• Make doctor's appointment for Bradshaw & Olivia
• Make blood work appointment for Olivia

Needed to complete Foster Family Home License Application:

• Confidential Medical Report (Dustinn)
• Confidential Medical Report (Valery)
• Certificate of Child Health Examination (Bradshaw)
• Certificate of Child Health Examination (Olivia)

Adoption Timeline #2

08/12/2010  On the drive to Illinois, called Illinois LDS Family Services (LDSFS) asking how to get started.  Answer: 1.Fill out & mail application to become a client.  2.Bishop's interview.

08/15/2010  Requested soonest appointment with Bishop (incidentally, our 1st Sunday in the ward)

08/17/2010 Received application via email

08/21/2010 Mailed application

08/22/2010  Bishop out of town

08/29/2010  Bishop's interview.  Passed.  whew.

[Twiddling our thumbs waiting to hear that LDSFS had received the Bishop's Letter of Reference.]

09/26/2010 Asked Bishop if he had filled out Letter of Reference; Bishop responded he never received it

09/27/2010 LDSFS told us the Letter of Reference was emailed weeks earlier.  Bishop said he'd check his spam folder.

10/12/2010 LDSFS received Bishop's Letter of Reference.  Permission to send adoption fee.

10/14/2010 LDSFS received our adoption fee.  We are officially clients!

10/15/2010 LDSFS emailed Bluestep instructions.  We began working on it.

10/27/2010 Appointment at LDSFS in Glen Ellyn to go over the process

Bella Notte

"Good 'dea!"  Said in a way that makes me feel brilliant.

"Oh, my fart." (fault)

"Dada your beard is sharp.  Me no kiss you."

"You look good Mama."  [Big grin] "Just kidding."

We have a mini kid's toilet, a cushy seat that goes on full-size toilets (so kids don't fall in), and a doll's toilet.  Bradshaw lined these items up in the living room and said, "Look Mama, potty...train..."
Dada's Poopy shirts
Bradshaw loves this book called Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  Throughout the book this pigeon is begging the reader to let him drive a bus.  Well the other night Bradshaw agreed so I then made the sounds of a car crash, ambulance and an angry policeman voice demanding, "Who's been driving this bus?"  Without a pause Bradshaw responds, "Duck.  Not-uh pigeon.  Talk to duck."
"Me me-member!" (I remember)
I asked Bradshaw, "B is for..." (expecting him to say 'Bradshaw' or 'Baby') "BASEMENT PARKING!" He's totally into garages right now. 

Full Moon Jam

It started a couple years ago as a group celebrating a birthday party, now every full moon (during the summer) people gather at the park next to Foster Ave Beach for fire dancers and drums.

We heard about it from my sister Kate who heard about it from her Yogis.  I loved that since it was basically word of mouth it wasn't too crowded.  We came right as it started and sat on the edge of the fire ring.

The atmosphere was awesome! And very family friendly.
Our munchkins (of course) danced the night away to the beat of the drums.

Costumes

I'm a member of a the club for wives & children of the MBA students.
The club is very active with birthday parties, playgroups, Mom's nights out, etc.
On Friday we had a Halloween party, held the same time as a school-wide party.
After eating & visiting for an hour or so, we lined the 30+ kids up for a costume parade for the rest of the student body.  Most of the kids were timidly being led down the stairs.  Then they announced Bradshaw and Olivia and I see this:

Bradshaw--err-sorry--Buzz Lightyear flying down the stairs.  I felt that overwhelming surge of love for Dustinn--he is such a loving & fun daddy.
Of course, the hundreds of students gathered below were cheering, clapping and screaming.  Bradshaw loved every second of it.
(Olivia took the stance, "if I hold really still, maybe they won't see me.")

This costume was one of her b-day gifts from Stef.
She looked adorable in it.

Campus changed the bulbs in the street lights to black lights.

a rockin' team

Sad Goodbyes

This afternoon "Aunt Kay-Kay" left.  We should have prepared Bradshaw more.  We got him out of his car seat to give a good hug and after that he melted into a heap on the floor.  He was kicking and screaming as we got him into his car seat and for the next twenty minutes yelling, "I want my KAY-KAY!  Turn around!  Go back!"  His shirt was soaked from tears.

Dustinn & I felt like the villains in a Disney movie.  It's hard to explain that, "no, we hadn't abandoned her on the side of the road" (airport curb); and that "she needed to go--even though it's really hard for her be away from you (and Liv-bug) too."

Happy 1st Birthday Beautiful!

*I know.  I'm behind on posting...

The actual day of her birthday was both wild and wonderful.  We got the kids up at 4:30am and hectically packed into the car, drove an hour to the airport, and Bradshaw, Olivia and I spent the next 8 or so hours traveling but it meant that once we arrived, Olivia got to celebrate her birthday with her birthmom and birthdad!

(As well as many other loved ones there for her special day.)  

Jordyn, Nic's amazing wife, summed up the party so beautifully in her post here.  

After we got back to Chicago, we celebrated again so Dustinn could be there:

BEFORE

AFTER

If you linked over to Jordyn's blog, you noticed our family tradition of "I love the birthday boy/girl because..."

• I love how Olivia's teeny little body is so snuggly and sweet.  
• I love how she flops her head back (relaxes completely) when I'm hold her in my arms
• I love how she always wants to be on my lap when we're reading stories
• I love kissing the tip of her teeny tiny little nose
• okay, I also can't resist her kissable little cheeks
• I love how she pants and squeals when she gets really excited
• I love hearing Olivia & Bradshaw giggling when they play together
• I love the way she sorta waddles when she walks
• I love how her hair looks like Doc Brown's when she wakes up from a nap
• I love how she lunges for me when I see her at the end of church.  And once I have her she lays her head on my shoulder and holds on tightly.
• I love how she makes a fish-face then goes "mmmmmMWAH!" when she gives kisses.
• I love how magically she brings joy to everyone around her

....and a million other reasons!

Feel free to add your own "I love Olivia because..."

The Fall Season

(courtesy of Google images)

"Fall" has begun to have dual meaning at our house.

• Bradshaw did a flip off the couch and cut/tore his ear on the edge of the coffee table
• Bradshaw and Olivia were jumping on our bed and thunked heads--resulting in a screaming match and coordinating black-and-blue goose eggs.
• The next morning Olivia jumped off the couch and landed flat on her face.  The bridge of her nose was swollen and bruised.
• Bradshaw accidentally poked me in the eye resulting in a bloody gouge across my right eye.  ...Double takes at the grocery store. 
• Right afterwards, Olivia accidentally cracked me with a brush in the mouth.  It split my lip and loosened 2 bottom right teeth.  Bradshaw was worried about the blood but, a phobia I inherited, all I could think about was saving my teeth.

Bradshaw loves to be airborne; it seems like we're always just a gasp away from a broken bone.  Olivia is a climber--and has made it 4 feet up the bookcase!  It's been far too long since beds, couches and tables posed any challenge for her.

Dustinn must be escaping the contagion at school.

Make us feel better. :)  What's your scariest/worst injury?

Infatuation

We've had a lot of really fun days lately.  The weather has been gorgeous, identical to the feel of Santa Monica. We spent as much time as possible at a playground, the shore, or strollin' around town.  (Highlight) I watched my children dance their hearts out, without a care who was watching, to the man playing Raffi at the Farmer's Market.  Found apples sweet as candy.  Carried sleeping children from their beds to the beach to watch the sunrise.  Tailgate party.  Dabbled in potty-training.  Played with chalk. Visited the Botanic Gardens.  Found winter coats and made Halloween costumes.  Discovered a wonderful pediatrician.

Dustinn asked me today why I am so "infatuated" with Chicago.

I don't know if that's quite it.
(And the jury's still out on whether I'll survive Chicago winter.)

Chicago is fun.  With plenty of things to do.
But that's not the reason.

We see Dustinn more than we did when he was in management consulting.
But that's not the reason either.

The reason is nothing profound.
Each area we've lived in has had it's own unique culture and activities.  Each area has blessed our family in different ways and we've made wonderful friends.  So I'm excited for our Chicago opportunity!
And with the threat of a cold winter looming over our heads, we've immersed ourselves and have really gained a love for these streets we call home.

Pictures from the weekend:

Olivia starts hyperventilating with excitement as soon as the beach is in sight.
She protested me holding her back to get her swimsuit on.
Once she was free, she beelined it for the water and didn't slow as her knees,
then waist, then shoulders were under and she would've kept going
but we scooped her up and returned the fearless miss to dry land. 

exuberant "hi" to some strangers

Good, clean fun

Started out as a plane; became a fancy home.  Bradshaw is pointing out
where his garage is "and my fire hydrant--yellow top, red body, white arms!"

Park-ing