Carpenters' Chaos

Disney World Surprise!

2012-02-13T17:13:00.000Z

Baby Steps...

2011-09-03T14:51:00.002+01:00

Okay so I don't think I did the most direct way of getting this picture on our blog. I took it from facebook. Is there an easier way to do this? Please note little sister in the background trying her best. I believe we will soon have two riders. Tom and I can take no credit for their progress.

This girl kills me...

2011-09-03T14:32:00.002+01:00

This is Ellison... our first born. She is turning seven this year. Tom and I feel like "those" parents who comment daily, "it's going by so fast." Seven feels old! Up until this point it is a lot of child's play, now it feels real. In another seven years she will be doing her own thing until she moves out for college or the next chapter of her life. Seems a little dramatic doesn't it? However, she is already a little adult in training.

At the park yesterday she picked up a friend's bike and just started riding it. No instruction other then me saying, "Ellie you just have to keep pedaling or you will lose your balance." I was occupied feeding a baby with one hand and watching Addis punch another child who would not let him play soccer. So Ellie took it upon herself to pick up the bike and take matters into her own hands. A true first born. I would love to show you a picture of her riding but alas I have not figured out how to take pictures from my camera phone and upload them onto my blog. Baby steps I tell myself.

Ellie has started the first grade. Ansley Mills is doing Kindergarten, and Addis is making sure you know he is still around. It is so fun and funny to see three kids in the same house, relatively close in age and all so different in their own way. More to come for sure!

Here's the thing...

2011-06-09T20:09:00.002+01:00

I've said it before...right? Coming back like Britney... bigger than ever.. (see a blog about two years ago!) On April 16th around lunch time.. Some idiot decided to wiggle open a locked window and help themselves to our possessions. The haul included our computers.. cameras.. just to name a couple of things. So I have been unable to do much.. However.. some very generous friends hooked us up with some hardware so really that excuse does not cover January-April and then April 20th to present. But that is what I continued to tell myself.

So the chaos has continued... At present... I asked the kids.. "what do you want people to know about you.."

Ellison- She wants you to know that she can read books and cook good and has learned to body surf waves at the ocean.

Ansley Mills- nothing

Addis- He is out of diapers but does not poop in the potty. I will leave the visuals to you for now. However a nasty picture may follow at some point. I can not make any promises. It's all out war!

Tom and I just celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. We are proud to say that at this point we have out lasted some minor appliances (think toaster oven wedding present) and think a major appliance (think dryer) is on its way out and all the while we are holding strong. I feel like I could be back in action but would love some feedback from readers as to what they would like to see featured on "carpenter's chaos..." I look forward to your thoughts..

Are Kids Color Blind?

2011-01-14T20:01:00.004Z

This week we've been reading several books about Martin Luther King Jr. Who he was and why he is significant. Most of the books are stories written about his childhood with beautiful illustrations. After reading this book for several days in a row the questions started:

Mommy what is white?- Ellie 6

Well Ellie in this book the word white is referring to the color of some one's skin....

I've never seen white skin.. my skin is peachy.. Ansley's has some red in it... Addis is dark brown and mommy you are light brown...

Well Ellie they use that word to be generic... lump a whole bunch of skin tones into one category...

Once we got to the part of Rosa Parks...

So mom is this saying that Addis would have to sit in the back of the bus?

After I lifted my jaw from the floor... Well yes if Addis lived during that time.. but that was a terrible law and many people realized the foolishness of it and worked very hard for change and MLK is one of those people.

Momma I know what they can do... just sit in a seat that does not have anyone in it.. then people would not fight over seats. Ansley Mills 4

You know if only it were that easy... Just sit in an empty seat. It seems to me that kids are aware of skin color in the same way they are aware of your shirt color. In our neighborhood skin color comes in every shade and languages vary just as much. So how do I explain racism to my kids? How do I protect Addis from ever feeling that he is given second and third glances because of his skin color? The short answer is...I can't. However I don't want those to be the reasons why I shy away from these questions. I used to think parenting was hard when they were first born. Hah! That was not parenting.. that was keeping them alive. Funny how your perspective changes...

Some relationships can only last so long...

2010-11-12T18:46:00.004Z

We first meet in the summer of '98. We saw each other from across the room. I thought you and I would hit it off and we did. Once we were introduced there was no separating us. We did everything together. We've traveled.. backpacking in Colorado... New York City... British Virgin Islands.. Ethiopia...Canada...California and countless other domestic locals. From casual everyday life to fancy occasions.. we have seen each other at our best and worst. You left an imprint on me that I have become identified with over the years. Now after 12ish years we must go our separate ways. My husband is overjoyed with our parting. So.. after a torn sole... frayed threading...stains.. smells and various other causalities we should no longer be together. So my beloved Chaco's.. this is where I say goodbye. We had a dozen wonderful years together. Maybe in the future I will met a new you.

What are you going to tell him....

2010-11-05T11:23:00.004Z

One of my kids favorite video's to watch is "Addis's Video." Many times throughout the week it is asked for by that title. Created by my husband to give an a way for other to absorb our experience as well as having something for Addis. As our adoption process was coming to a close and we were nearly ready to leave the question was asked by many... "what are you going to tell him when he gets older?" Interesting.. of course we thought about this and my gut said..."the truth." Innocently when we returned from Ethiopia I was walking Ellie to school and she asked me.. "momma is Ethiopia in your tummy?" Her 4 year old understanding at the time was this... you and dad have been talking about our brother.. you said he was from Ethiopia... you left.. came back with Addis... Similar to... you talked to me about a baby coming... you left... came back with Ansley Mills.. Man I can see how this would be tricky. The answer then was "God had Addis planned for our family just like God had you planned for our family." Let's be honest as parents we are wingin' it most of the time.

Fast forward two years and here we are with kids who understand things a bit more or at least have more pointed questions. As we watch this video now the question has been asked.. "why would someone leave him in a field?" Heartbreaking right? One time Ellie asked me.."Does Addis have another mom?" Calmly (thanks Jesus) I just asked Ellie "Do you have another mom?" She laughed and said no... and then said "I get it.. neither does Addis." More questions will come.. I would gather that one day Addis may have many questions but maybe not. Either is okay. We try hard to share the age appropriate truth to these questions. Sometimes that is really hard.

It is important that all of us have an understand of where Addis was born. We choose to be a family of five... not two kids with one Ethiopian. Our desire is to always share and be a part of the Ethiopian culture. Living in DC makes that super easy. Our goal is to travel back to Ethiopia as a family. Hopefully more than once! Until then we gather around our computer and take in the gift that each child is to our family. All the kids light up when this video plays...especially Addis. How much does he understand? I don't know. What are you going to tell him? The truth. God had you planned for our family!

The Hike

2010-11-02T16:26:00.002Z

Our group of ten children and six adults took a day trip to Mt. Shasta and hiked to the natural springs. It was around 2 miles round trip with a pit stop at the spring for cheese sticks.. grapes and good ol' water. This little spot is notorious for local hippies who believe the spring has natural healing powers. Nudity is welcomed.

We hit the peaceful spring and in a matter of seconds it was just for us. Everyone else cleared out once our tranquil group sit down for snack.

Several attempts at a family photo produced this. Thank heavens for digital. Many tears were shed on that hike and twice as many snacks were distributed than calories needed. A couple of potty breaks and countless sit downs. The only thing that got them down the mountain was the lure of a fudge brownie.

Our Day at Yosemite

2010-10-28T19:08:00.003+01:00

Life seems pretty simple when you just enjoy God's gift of nature. Our day at Yosemite consisted of a little hiking and lots of playing. We saw waterfalls..played in the river.. ate a picnic lunch... got ice cream and soaked up some of the most beautiful scenery.

California Rewind

2010-10-27T18:20:00.004+01:00

This summer our family flew out to California to visit some friends. One family lived near LA and the other Merced. We started in LA and ended in San Francisco. Along the way we were in the central valley area... Malibu... Yosemite National Park.. and Shasta Lake. Kids were in the Pacific Ocean and glacier fed rivers. The house we rented with two other families with kids (um 10 kids and 6 adults) was surrounded by black berry bushes. I sorta fell in love with this California weather... 70's no humidity and lots of sunshine. I swear I would be a better mom and overall person absent humidity. The kids did great! Given the amount of planes trains and automobiles we traveled by... we had no strollers.. no pack n plays and lots of laughs.

For the Love....

2010-07-27T18:49:00.002+01:00

So I hope these pictures are not too racey to post but they really feature my children in their "normal" state. One.. they are naked. I can't keep clothes on these kids and with temps in the 100's I can't blame them. Two... these pictures were taken by Ellie and Ansley Mills! They even posed for them.. obviously. However.. these punks crack me up and on a day like today with little humor to speak of (first day back in the real world after three childless days with hubs in mountains) I need a reminder.

Currently my children are obsessed with dental hygiene and love love their dentist! There could be worse things right... well i am not sure how much toothpaste they are currently digesting versus actually cleaning their teeth.. and who thought it was a good idea to make toothpaste taste and look like candy?

Please note the gut on my beautiful boy! This man child is huge! His new interest are taking off his diaper and the rule is if you are old enough to take it off and tell me you need a clean one then up on that potty you go! While building our bathroom my over six foot husband installed us a "custom" fit toilet.. only "custom" to those over six feet tall! The rest of us dangle precariously off the end. Other toilets our children encounter are known as "little pottys."
Negotiations play a huge role in this house. And kids are the best at stalling and seeking the limits to your negotiating powers. So as they were laying down to have quiet time today I told them you can't get out of bed. However.. you can read books.. do a puzzle...lay quietly... you don't have to sleep but you need to stay in bed and let your body rest... So for the next few minutes questions came at me like gun fire..."can we get up if we have to use the potty?" "What if someone is crying can i comfort them?" "mommy are you going to get lonely..." "what do you do when we have quiet time" "are you going to let us know when it's over" "can i get up and get more books if i am done with the ones i have" all of those i answered with if you have to get out of bed then no...

"Mommy what if the house is on fire? can we get out then?" I kid you not!

Oh Addis....

2010-06-30T23:04:00.003+01:00

Oh Addis... We are nearing our two year anniversary of receiving "the call." That magically moment when the sweet voice on the other end says we have a child for you. Really it is right up there with peeing on a stick and seeing two lines! (information over share?...perhaps) This photo above was one of the first images of our sweet (wild.. strong willed... energetic.. always hungry...) son.
Addis has been talking up a storm...trying to use the potty.. run i mean runs...jumps on his bed...chews on his lovies..and sneaks around the house in the middle of the night.. and no it is not sleep walking... Addis experiences life head first and hands on! Most activities are a contact sport and no matter how much we feed him he continues to worry that he might not get enough... Addis has rocked our world and we are grateful to God for making this sweet boy for us!

I refer to Addis most days as our man child. He is off the charts in height! He is three months past his second birthday and wears 3T clothing and the same size shoe as Ellie!

Try a Tri....

2010-06-29T20:54:00.003+01:00

Two weekends ago..father's day to be exact... Tom and I completed our first triathlon together. Now when I say together I mean the same race. Not holding hands like some of you may think.... If you have followed our blog you might be thinking wait I have heard this before... Well you have.. Two years ago we were training for our first Olympic triathlon. However... we unable to compete because we were in Ethiopia bringing home our son. A wonderful trade off to say the least. But that dang tri was still hanging over our heads. Tom has done several and finished well. The boy is tall and can swim! Still he was pressing me to join him.
Training for the Olympic tri was tricky but I was excited about doing it so I was somewhat faithful to a workout that included all three elements. This time I was chasing three kids.. cussing my hubs for signing me up and refusing to swim first thing in the morning. With two weeks to go I decided to swim in our local pool and see just how swimmy I was feeling. Now I don't know about your public pool but our pool in the city has both posted and unposted rules. There is one slow lane and one fast lane and three other lanes that just say circle swim. I could post a whole entry on the verbal fights (in various languages) that have taken place in the handful of times I have been there.. but the pool itself is great. After one attempt at a swim I found myself thinking I can not quit.. even if I die I would feel like the biggest lame O if I did not stick it out. Not to mention how much money these dang things are! So if nothing else I at least wanted my shirt!
Attending packet pickup to get our numbers..swim cap.. and rack our bikes. I thought...OH SHEET... NO turning back now.. As we opened our information we noticed we had to arrive at 3AM to catch a shuttle. I have to admit it was fun to be up with Tom before the sun getting ready to "compete" in our first race together. Tom's heat went into the water nearly 25 minutes before me. (for those of you who don't know its swim.. bike.. run) So as I am standing there in a swim suit with my age in a black permanent marker on my calf.. which by the way is quite humbling.. especially when Tom's age is four years my junior according to them... my heart is racing.. and not in the good way. They lead our heat to the edge of the sweet Potomac River (ohhhhh ack!) and into the water we go. As we tread water for three minutes or so waiting for the gun to send us out I am thinking my legs are tired and that turn around point looks further away.. is it floating...
The gun goes off and legs and arms start to fly.. It's swim or get swum on.. I start off freestyle then breast ( i can't see and i am swimming in zig zags..) then freestyle then breast stroke... Wait I am forgetting to breath.. my goggles are foggy.. I get hit in the head... the person in front of me is screaming for a canoe to come and get her.. dear God it is as if I am fleeing a war scene. Okay so that my friend is merely my point of view as a newbie who forgot or refused to train (which I would NOT suggest). When I rounded the last turn and could see the ramp to get out of the water I swam faster than I ever had before. I made it! I was out of the water and jogging towards my bike. In my head I am thinking I know now I can at least finish. And I did. And sweet Tom was waiting for me at the finish. I will do another one... and this time I will prepare.

More Than ABC's...

2010-06-18T21:46:00.002+01:00

Here we are nearing the end of the school year (yes she is still in school) and one evening while Tom was working late Ellie begged to show me what she learned at school. Now being a solo parent in the evening hours leaves you slightly tempted to do what it takes to keep the peace. I happened to have the camera handy and asked if I should film it for dad. She said "momma say go when your ready..."

I tried so hard not to laugh it was both precious and scary. Does anyone know what song that is? If so please tell me... I wanted to google it and was afraid what would pop up on my computer with the lyrics I was able to identify.

Every once in a while...

2010-05-26T19:10:00.002+01:00

Every once in a while as a parent you feel like you might be doing something right. This feeling happens rarely these days at our house so when it did I had to capture it on camera. As I was cleaning up the kids asked if they could help. Being the control freak that I am I usually say no. However how are they ever going to learn if I do not say yes and on top of that the Spirit struck and I realized they wanted to feel needed. So I gave them some jobs. Ellie is asking me if she can vacuum the ants off our counter tops... Love it..

Ansley Mills was tasked with scrubbing down our table while Addis was given a towel to dry it off.

No Ellie did not just come back from dance class... This was her "work" outfit.

Again the table team hard at work. Now the day before this and the day after nothing brilliant happened. However on this day (thanks for digital we didn't have to wait for proof of life) something worked. I dare say it will be repeated anytime soon or that I produced this great fruit in my children. But I will let the world know or at least those that read this... that on that day the Spirit moved in this house! Praise God...
And the reason for all the.... is our coma key has officially died.... not that i am good at punctuation to begin with.

We Had a Berry Good Time!

2010-05-19T19:06:00.002+01:00

This is our third annual trip to Shlagel Farms for strawberry picking. Addis does not quite understand that this is a cut out and so he is trying to lick and eat it! This farm does everything organically so you can eat while you pick. This is not what you need to tell my crew! I feel as if I should pay double what they charge me because my three kids literally eat their weight in berries!

Ansley Mills and her friend Nora were pulling the berries out of our box faster than we were putting them in. Last year we were able to can some very tasty jam however this year the berries did not last three days. So there will be a return trip that is strictly for jam purposes.

Addis also discovered the absolute bliss in local produce. He was a very efficient picker and eater. But have you ever changed the diapers of a kid who has eaten nothing but berries for 12 hours! It is not a pretty site! The day was picturesque not too hot..no bugs..nice breeze...and since there was no shortage of "snacks" no one was whining about being hungry. If only we could pick berries everyday!

SPROUTS

2010-05-12T20:06:00.004+01:00

Living in DC has many perks. One hidden gem is the National Botanical Gardens SPROUTS program for kids ages 3-5. This free program is designed to expose pre-school aged kids to the wonders of growing vegetation. Each week the staff provide a craft...story time.. nature walk and snack around a botanical theme.

The theme this week pictured here is color. The kids made a color wheel... read a story about how plants get their color... went looking for the colors in their color out in the gardens... crushed petals with a rock and fabric to get the dies from the petals.. and ate berries of various colors! The staff are some of the most lovely people and really engage the kids calling them by their first names throughout their time together.

The sweet staff assumed Addis was three and allowed him to participate. This week's project was painting and we let him watch! However they are gracious to allow him to be involved as much as he can. He does great with the eating part!

Here they are looking at plants that grow in the water and noticing their color. I just wonder if we are going to graduate SPROUTS before Addis jumps in or not. This is just one of the many wonderful free programs that we are trying to take advantage of in DC. Next on our list is a similar program that is run by the Smithsonian Art Institute. I have some great friends who give me a heads up on where and when these things become available. I seem to find out about them after they happen. So thanks Meghan!

Watch Em' Sleep...

2010-05-11T19:43:00.003+01:00

After several failed attempts to wake Addis up for breakfast... I did what any thoughtful Mom would do and I got our camera. Mind you it was not the weekend when we strongly encourage the kids to sleep in for every one's sake. Our son NEVER misses an opportunity to eat!

Is this the face of a future teenage moment or what?

So there have been a few occasions when we go into Addis's room and he is clearly in the midst of a sleep cycle. He gives us looks like this... The "don't even try it" or the "go ahead and try look"... After this picture was taken Addis stayed in bed for another hour and a half. At 9:30AM I had to take him out of bed and dress his limp body. Somewhere around 11:30am he woke up and started joining in our day. I seriously felt like I was draggin a stubborn teenager out of bed only I was bigger and stronger. Which by the looks of this 2 year old is not going to be much longer. This is Addis sporting his 3T pj's and big boy bed.
So what is new with our chaos? Well I don't know why I continue to be surprised that days seem long however at the same time months go by and I wonder where did that go? So the kids (ages 5.. 3 1/2.. and 2) have been exercising their verbal independence on a very regular basis. However at the same with a limited vocabulary and reasoning skills there has been high levels of frustration around the house. A wise woman (Barbara Comstock) told me that on those really hard days go watch em' sleep. So there have been many evenings and early mornings where I have peeked in on them. I tried to get pictures of the others but failed. So friends when you have those days.. watch em' sleep...

So... What Else Did We Do?

2010-02-18T23:44:00.004Z

This is what 40 inches of snow looks like in your backyard. This was when the snow was still pretty and fluffy, however now it's melty, icey and dirty.

Ansley Mills helped me make a birthday cake for Tom. He wanted a box yellow cake and Duncan Hines Chocolate frosting. Boring... However some great friends walked over to surprise Tom and eat cake! I really did not want a whole cake trapped in the house with us...

Our dining table served purposes during our indoor snow vacation. Some of it's functions included but were not limited to: a place to eat, a fort, a place to hid, play room, jail, and swimming pool.

Did I Mention It Snowed...

2010-02-17T21:41:00.005Z

Pulling kids in sleds was our mode of transportation for several days.

Standing in what is normally the dog area the kids play with an igloo built by some over zealous parents. Their friend Lucy is in the background.

Addis did not really enjoy the cold or snow. He did not smile once this entire outing. Lucy is the tall friend who is also our neighbor. We have great neighbors! Her sweet mom, Amy, took these pictures because I'm a dead beat parent. Thanks Amy!

I Don't Even Know What Day It Is...

2010-02-16T19:52:00.007Z

I really think these pictures do not need explaining.

Growing up in Cincinnati they (the weather junkies) would often make threats that a "big one" was coming only to disappoint time and time again with slush covered streets. So when the weather alerts were being broadcast I found myself tempted to call their bluff and not "stock up." Friends, am I ever glad I braved the traffic and grocery madness! Police were at the store to make sure things did not get out of hand in the parking lot and once inside the store. "Words" were being exchanged as customers reached for the quickly disappearing items on the shelves. Managers being blessed out for lines up to thirty people deep. It was a site indeed and lucky for me I had three little shoppers too, but there was no mercy for our "starving" family. We waited and waited with the best of them. Thankfully, in preparation for our outing I strategically dehydrated our children so as not to spend our time in the facilities. Next stop was the public library to load up on books, shows and music. Now we were armed and ready!

So in one afternoon it started to snow... And a few days later it stopped, dumping a mere 40 + inches in DC. Friday February 5th the city came to a halt. Minutes turned into hours, hours turned to days and days to weeks. First impression: Man this is going to be great no school, no work, no commitments, and no place to go. Second impression: All of us cuddled together reading and getting a ton of things done around the house (ie. clean out that closet, sort and organize recipes). I had big plans... High hopes... First Reality/Question: What in the world are we going to do with all this time on our hands? Do we even like each other? Second Reality/Question: How in the world have we been trapped in the house and not really "accomplish" one thing? I mean we spent the greater part of our time in pj's and I somehow managed to compile six loads of laundry (none of which got done). At several points we really had no clue what day it was.

So what did we do?
We did take the kids out in the snow a few times. Based on our last experience with deep snow and three shorties our expectations and hopes were more measured. Getting around our neighborhood to the park or for a walk was Tom and I pulling the kids on sleds. Every afternoon at the bewitching hours we watched a family movie (the Bee Movie, Cars..you get the idea). Tom and I burned threw three seasons of Lost on dvd (we gave up years ago and recently re-upped our commitment) and are almost up to date (no spoilers please). Some very generous friends (thanks anne marie and sarah) babysat our kids so I could take out Tom for his birthday and a Valentines brunch. Cocktail "Friday" happened a few more times than there were Fridays. We thought about getting in shape and cresting the hump of being organized. So now we wait and watch as the snow turns from powder white to nasty black and slush. We have a bet going in our house as to when the last bit of snow will melt... Any guesses?

Nightmares...

2010-01-11T22:56:00.003Z

Ansley Mills has been our tough to love child as of late. Precious dear that is going through "the three's" at our house. We fondly remember Ellie going through this stage a couple of years ago but without this degree of stubbornness. I love that she is different from her sister and her strong will is and will be an asset in certain life situations. However, her middle of the night meltdowns that last anywhere from ten minutes to an hour is NOT one of those circumstances. Nothing will calm her down, nothing. Last night (after a whole week of solid sleep praise God) she awoke at 4am screaming. Her messaging could not be dis-ciphered and Tom tried his darnedest to interpret. After a few minutes she was yelling my name and since I was up I thought I'd go and see if I could offer some assistance.
I walked into her room and knelt by her bed and after a few attempts at speaking, she hissed through tears, "momma give me back my ice cream!" Then proceeded to lose it again. I held back my laughter and calmly explained I had not taken any ice cream from her. Then we talked about dreams for a minute and asked her if she had a dream that mommy took her ice cream and she nodded. Now this isolated event is funny but the funnier part of all this is that this is the THIRD time she has awoken in terror over mommy taking her ice cream. Now the truth is I can not remember taking ice cream from her. The other truth is that ice cream is my favorite food and I would not put it past me to encourage her to share some with me. What does this say about my parenting that my children wake themselves frightened that mommy is stealing their ice cream...

Three Little Candycanes..

2010-01-07T23:08:00.002Z

Matching Christmas pj's from Mia! I am not ashamed to admit that they wore these pj's for at least a week until Christmas Day. They became known as their "around the house" wear.

The 20 Incher...

2010-01-05T16:41:00.005Z

This is the front of our house and the mound in front is Tom's car!

A trail that was eventually made by dog walkers. I felt sorry for those dog walkers and how far they had to reach down to collect the poo.

The Friday before Christmas DC was getting predictions that we'd be at the center of the season's "big one." I did not get wind of this until the day before and let it roll off my back as typical hype by bored under-stimulated weather folks. However, like most folks I planned an emergency run to the grocery store. After calling Tom to see what his must haves need be if indeed we were snowed in I loaded up the kids and we were on our way. The stores were a mad house! I mean come on they were calling for 15-20 inches but that was never going to happen. I passed carts full of bottled water, bread and eggs. My cart had three kids, coffee, beer and milk! Enough said...
We headed out to a Christmas party around 7pm and there was nothing, not even a flake! However, a couple of hours later the first flake fell and by golly if it did not snow for the next 24 hours straight! It was one of the most beautiful sites to behold. Everything shut down and created a scene only known to Norman Rockwell. The kids were dying to get outside and explore this new adventure. Getting them ready took 45 minutes, created several meltdowns and a few "i need to use the potty." Actual time spent outside creating lifelong memories... five minutes and several "I hate the snow!" We felt like we lived in the pioneer days as we loaded all the kids onto a sled and trekked over to a friend' house for dinner and drinks that keep you warm. Only a lone police officer stopped us and asked if we needed help. Precious.

Cincinnati For Christmas!

2009-12-27T01:36:00.002Z

Merry Christmas to all a few days late. Last week DC was pummeled by a winter storm that gave us 20 inches of snow. It was wonderful, really socked in tight. Althought we got a little stir crazy it really helped us slow down and reflect upon our Savior's birth. After five hours of shoveling our car out and clearing part of the alley, the family van was ready to head west to Cincinnati Ohio to celebrate Christmas with my parents.

The packing of the bags and car was a feat of stamina, patience and timeouts. I successfully failed to pack presents, kids meds, and "outfits" for the kids. We rolled out on time and swung by Dunkin Donuts before hitting the interstate. As we are crossing over the 395 bridge Ellie calls from the back, "did you give Ansley Mills her car medicine?" Great call Ellie, our sweet little Ansley Mills is a true urban tot, she gets sick anytime we are in the car over 20 minutes. I reason it is because she literally spent the first year of her life in the car a handful of times. However, gracious Ellie's reminder is we were too late and it was thirty minutes later and we had our first pull over! Notice I said first...

After several "clean up" stops, a few false potty alarms, lunch/gas, snow and traffic we made it to Cincinnati in nothing shy of 9 hours. We ate dinner and practically went to bed. The following day I met up with several girls whom I grew up with and some of their children. It was so surreal to see friends and their kids! Man are we getting old. Each day was spent with some quality time with family. A real gift! I usually only see them once a year and all on one day, this breaking it up as the first chance in a long time to see each section of our family. Christmas morning was so much fun watching the kids open gifts and thank Jesus for giving them gifts on His birthday! We have very generous family members who lavish on us and we are grateful for them. So now we are packing up and gearing up for the "joyride" back to DC. Tom and I have decided to do a "life audit" and reeve up for 2010!

What started as a Trim???

2009-12-09T21:49:00.002Z

As Addis has grown he has gotten stronger and a tad more opinionated. While the girls were taking a bath I decided Addis needed a little trim. I have cut his hair many times before when he was much younger. However, this time Addis was very interested in what was happening on his head and would move to quick for me to move out of his way. So as the cut went on and I tried my darnedest to make it even, well it just got shorter and shorter. I guess it's time to go see a real professional. He still looks sharp and his hats fit better!

What I'm Reading...

2009-12-02T23:17:00.005Z

Over the past year I have become a sort of book worm. I have always read for school or work and have discovered the joys of the public library! I usually have a few books going at a time depending on my mood, particular interest and time. Most of the time I am reading one fiction, one non-fiction and one for curiosity's sake. So this past summer I powered through the teen cult classic Twilight Saga. I seriously felt silly but I could not put the books down. I read over a 1,000 pages in two weeks. I realized I had never read any Jane Austen books and felt like they were sort of the same. As Tom puts it, "a whole lot of staring." What is not to love about that! The language takes a few pages to get used to, however 50 pages in and I am excited to find more time to read this book.

This book on prayer is being read by our Mom's Group at church. We are reading it along with a Tim Keller Study on the book of Psalms. This has been one of the best books on prayer I have ever read. Miller speaks from personal experience as well as a rich knowledge of the God's word. He writes about getting to know God, rather than "experiencing" God and that the praying life is not an accomplishment rather a journey of a lifetime. I am nearly done with this book and I do not feel like a failure or that I have to add something else to my list of things to do, however my desire to commune with God in the chaos that is quality and is more organic.

Speaking of organic... About three years ago I read the book Fast Food Nation. This book was about the food industry, specifically the meat packing and the corn crop. It was the same year that Tom and I had our first plot in a community garden! The combination began a sort of near obsession within me in regards to what exactly we are putting into our bodies. I have read several well known books on this topic as well as watched a few documentaries. I find it fascinating how "progress" in one sense can at times create many other unforeseen problems down the road. Anyway.... I will limit my soapbox and passion and just say it is worth looking into for yourself. I noticed Alicia Silverstone's book in our New book section of the library and could not help but check it out. She is passionate about her reasons for going vegan but I found her information very interesting and leaving me sorta wanting to make vegan food. Not for political, religious or diet reasons but the again the overall idea of putting clean food in your body makes sense. I could not help but read it hearing her talk like Cher from Clueless but once you get past that it is a very interesting read.

Halloween... yeah i know it's December....

2009-11-30T23:08:00.004Z

This year our kids all understood what Halloween meant to them:
Ellie: I get to stay up late and eat candy
Ansley Mills: That something lights up
Addis: Rawwww (we taught him to roar like a lion)

The beauty of living in a city is you hit one block and their candy bags are so heavy we "can't" continue. It also means that your doorbell rings at 11 O'clock at night with folks in no customs wanting candy.

The girls wanted to be My Little Ponies... please tell me that's what they look like?

Finally I am embarrassed to confess that after three kids this is our first ever Jack O' Lantern. We toasted the seeds and the squirrels feasted on our leftover pumpkin.

Moms Know Best!

2009-11-30T21:44:00.003Z

Friends I really don't want to sound like a broken record, however here we are again giving this blog another breath of air. On this rainy, cold, dismal, dreary and down right depressing Monday my dear friend Susan P. and myself were commiserating about our lives. Ladies you know what I am talking about, Mom Jeans. Our lives have been reduced to Mom Jeans. Not enough hours in the day, days of the week or wrinkle cream to make it work. Susan P. called me around lunch time and mentioned that she "recycled" two trash bags of toys and that it does not even look like she made a dent. Nothing like picking up toys, changing diapers that did not do their job well, and getting sassed by a three year old to make you feel like you need a 9 inch zipper! What happened to those designer jeans that made you feel like a teenager with a booty that don't stop?

We do love our children and in all seriousness would chose no other way in life than this. However, it pushes you to the edge of sanity at times. So while on the phone we came up with a list of things we wish someone would have told us before we dove into this whole gig:

Diaper Bags- overrated, get something you would use anyway to carry around
Toys with no creative potential- i.e. 100 pieces of small plastic food
January and February are like black holes- the are dark, deep and spring never comes!
There will be days where no matter how hard you try you will not feel cute or young!
Never buy or wear dry clean only clothes again, without fail some bodily fluid will get on it.
Putting kids on the kitchen counter even though potty trained is taking a big risk.
It's a dog eat dog world even at play dates. The strong survive the rest suck their thumb.
You could feed a farm animal off of the "crumbs" found in your car.
Just throw out the sippy cup with gelled milk, no need to wash.
Bathing your kids an average of twice a week is doing really good.

At the end of this day which pair of jeans are you reaching for in your closet? You tell me...

What will happen if?

2009-10-06T21:27:00.003+01:00

I mean you could eat this? From our garden, fresh, safe and preservative free or.... this?

So my children have three different food preferences. However, the one thing they can agree on is goldfish. Is it the salt, the shape, the color, the smile or the idea that they are not really eating. Just merely "snacking." I am not a short order cook, and I refuse to fix four dinners a night, or waste food. Then I think I mean they should eat right and there are times I am just over the complaining, groaning, and straight up refusal to eat. I think, "fine, if they want to eat goldfish for dinner, fine, at least I am not fighting with my kids or wasting food." So I got to thinking, this is not a new phenomenon. What will happen if they just eat goldfish for dinner?

Ansley Mills, My Life in Pictures...

2009-09-28T20:57:00.004+01:00

Attitude to Boot. This pleasant one has really been giving me a run for my parenting money. So to honor her and love her I decided this post to be a pictorial of her behavior. We start most days with an hour of tears and wake up from nap with round 2.

Ellie took this picture because she wanted her sister to, "stop following me!"

Eating a muffin on the porch. Most of it ended up on the ground for the ants.

Eating pancakes at Eastern Market, do you notice the open mouth eating trend?

Attempting to put sunscreen on before we hit the beach.

Trying to tell me with her eyes she really does not want to go out there.

Smiling for the camera always equals squinting shut your eyes.

Lending a helping hand, need I say more.

Modified Camping

2009-09-25T14:16:00.003+01:00

This summer we attempt to reclaim one of Tom and I's favorite things to do, camping. We would love for our family to have fond memories of spending time together outdoors. Living in DC, we are a mere hour from the Shenandoah Valley, and thought if we needed to bailout in the middle of the night we could. The only concern the girls had were smores, the only concern Addis had was drumming up trouble. Once we set up camp, Ellie was told to go stand by the tent.

Addis needed to be contained while we set up camp and this is what we came up with, back pack carrier.

Making smores and eating smores.

And the "best little camper" award goes to our friend Katie! Our sweet friend, 6 months pregnant with twins! And no that is not her beer... although she is counting down the days...

Our on site chef, Tom preparing a skillet breakfast for us in the rain. Confession, while we ate breakfast and took camp down the kids watched a dvd in the car. So we modified our camping trip to make it work. However, the kids did sleep through the night and we had a blast.

Summer Came, Summer Went...

2009-09-24T21:51:00.002+01:00

This was the "best" shot we got of the three beach bums while on vacation in South Carolina.

Addis and Tom after 11 hours in the car, ahh finally some sand!

Ellie running on the beach on our last evening at Harbor Island.

I mean is this just life with small children, or what. Good intentions just become a list of things not done. I believe the last time I posted I had lofty goals of being a regular blogger noting all the funny things kids said, and documenting our life. I had visions of a clean house, obedient children, clothes pressed, and projects finished. However, the reality is sad and borderline depressing... The house is at an all time disorganized mess, very few projects finished (and more adding weekly), clothes were forgotten in the washer (you should smell those) and the kids.. well they are precious but obedient is not a word we would use at the moment (we all have our days). But not all was lost.
We ended our summer with Tom taking two weeks off of work and spending one of those at Harbor Island in South Carolina. Tom's parents found a house for all of us to crash in together and it was a blast. The kids ran like crazy, slept hard and had a great time with family. Our garden (remember urban farming the series...ahhh) grew us some great grub that provided for us and others. Several of our meals would be made from the very thing we harvested hours before and there is nothing tastier or cheaper than that! I was able to read a dozen books both fiction and non-fiction, paint a few pictures for the kids rooms, and join the "stolen car" club.

Our friend Clelia came to stay with us for another month in July. Her sisters, one younger one older, stayed with friends too! While they were here we took everyone camping and spent a weekend in NYC (can not tell you how much i love that city). We have most recently celebrated Addis's year anniversary of being stateside. My how a year can change things...

So this blog has primarily been about bringing Addis home and our charmingly chaotic life. But now what, where do we go from here? Readers have left us and we lack direction. Perhaps that is one reason for my sporadic posts. I have thought "confessions of a deadbeat mom" yes I forgot the camera on the first day of school, and forgot the day I signed up to provide snacks for ellie's class. I turn in paperwork several weeks late and incomplete. So I have that angle working for me... but I am open to suggestions...

These people take me to the edge...

2009-08-03T21:48:00.002+01:00

Do you trust these faces?

Does this look like someone who negotiates?

After two hours of a temper tantrum and trashing their room, this one has found a quiet place to contemplate her actions.

I am inspired to write today, because it has been one of those days. Not entirely to the edge but there have been several days in the last two weeks that I found myself pulling together a current resume. I catch myself thinking, "dear God why did you give me these people to care for and love, I feel ill equip for this mega responsibility." I have days where I feel like super mom, sweet kids, they listen, they love others well, they love each other well and seem overall to be content and happy with themselves and the life around them. However, there are those days when I find myself wondering if someone else could raise them better. They have NO control over their emotions, reasoning, physical energy, volume, appetite, and other general laws of physics. Nothing seems to work! Did I really do it so different last week versus this week?

Now friends before you call child services or my parents. I just can not help but wonder how do you do this sometimes? I feel like a terrible mom, wife, friend, daughter and neighbor. And as quickly as they drive me crazy, they say hilarious stuff that makes me laugh out loud. I am humbled by them daily and pushed deeper into my belief in Christ because of them. I have learned how to love more selflessly (not always by choice...hehehe) and push myself to care beyond exhaustion. This past weekend we did our maiden camping voyage. Definitely, another post! While we were camping I found myself so enjoying time together without distractions. However, distractions are part of the process, and so you have to learn to function with them.

There are days I want a different life and days I could not want anything but this life. So how does this day end, or get better... it may not get better but it will end. When it ends I will peek in on these people while they are sleeping and remember why I love them so much and why I will do it all over again tomorrow.

Life's a Beach!

2009-07-23T20:01:00.004+01:00

Last weekend, we decided on a somewhat last minute trip to the beach. So on Friday afternoon, we packed up and headed to picturesque Ocean City, Maryland. A very generous friend offered for our family to stay in their house right on the beach. After one round of car sickness Ala Ansley Mills, we crossed the bridge and rolled in before dinner. Let me give you a snap shot of what a trip to the beach looks like with three small children. Wake up, eat breakfast over looking the rolling waves crash onto the shore line, precious. Getting them greased up, bathing suits, using the bathroom, swim diapers, snacks, toys, chairs and anything else in your beach bag and to the actual beach... ruthless. "The sand is hot, my legs are tired, i have something in my eye, the waves are too big, I'm hungry, too tired, when are we going to eat lunch, it's too sunny, and a slew of other suggestions.." Even my sweet husband grew weary when his vision of building sandcastles with his children were dashed by Addis. Addis took one look at the castle and decided it was something fun to crash.

Addis taking a break.

Ansley Mills is ready to head to the beach!

Addis was deathly afraid of the ocean! However, he loves eating sand and does not seem bothered by the texture or taste.

Kids buried in the sand, a great way to contain Addis. We had a great time, and are very grateful to our friends who allowed us this opportunity to get away as a family.

Lunch with Dad

2009-07-22T18:40:00.002+01:00

Quarterly, Tom starts asking me, "hey do you think you could bring the kids by for lunch?" I try to stall as long as I can coming up with a myriad of excuses. The process of bringing the crew down to his office is not a logistical nightmare, we just walk or take the train. Tom is in between offices so I have been known to get off the elevator at the wrong floor. That only causes a mild scene as the kids "bust" in on someone in a meeting or conference call. No, the bigger issue is what to do with them once they get there. Tom works with some of the most gracious folks who put up with our little visits and they really are dear to our children. I do love getting a chance to see them when we come. However, we want to make our daddy proud and that does not always go as planned. By this I mean, once we run out of food, all chaos breaks lose!

Addis with sister's flip flops.

Addis using table as climbing gym.

Ansley Mills showing me her "rock girl" face.

And the girls responding to, "guys did you have a good lunch with dad?"
As we leave to go home, I feel off the hook for at least another four months as I am sure Tom is quickly reminded why we do not do this more often. My favorite part is the commute to and from his office. On the way there we saw a women having lunch (at a sorta nice street side cafe) with her bird! Remember I love animals, but friends love your pets do not be IN love with your pets. And on the way home, we were passed the President's motorcade. We waved to our buddy Obama and continued on our way.

Urban Farming, from garden to table...

2009-07-21T18:55:00.003+01:00

After several long weeks of sun, water and love, some of our first fruits are making an appearance. This is when the hard work and patience becomes like Christmas morning each time you visit your garden. You wonder, "what is waiting for us today?" With this discovery you feel a bit empowered, and euphoric. I grew this, we will have food to eat. No thanks to you, Safeway! I mean it does not get more local and organic than this.

These are our first fruits! Still a bit too early for our tomatoes.

After rummaging through a few cookbooks, we came up with this corn/squash bake. We want to pace ourselves lest we get sick of our first crop that has come into season. These squash went from the garden to our table in just over an hour. You really can taste a difference when you eat like that! In other garden related developments, our compost bin put out its first batch of soil from recycled table scraps and yard clippings. We are pleased to see that growing next to our flowers are new tomato plants too! Hilarious or gross you decide.

Fireworks!

2009-07-20T18:53:00.003+01:00

Fireworks season last longer than one would think around our neighborhood. You can assume from early June to mid-August that an explosion or random light show is to be expected. However, DC's big night is indeed on the fourth of July. We were excited to be in town this year for the fourth and celebrated with a picnic at a friend's house followed by a walk to the Senate side of the National Mall. We sat on the stairs of the Russell Building for a great view. It was a gamble with the kids but the sound was muffled enough for them to just cheer for the show.

Waiting, with sparkle purse in hand...

Attempt at a family picture...

Cheering at the first sign of fireworks.

More cheering and dancing for the fireworks. Please note the flag that Ansley Mills is holding in honor of the fireworks.

After walking home and stopping to see some more local shows, the girls finally gave up at 10:30pm, while Addis was sleeping on my back. AM still holding her accessory for the evening!

Just a Touch of Jazz, and SANGRIA!

2009-07-14T19:48:00.002+01:00

Every Friday night starting in late May, The Sculpture Garden outside the Natural History Smithsonian hosts a free Jazz concert. Last Friday, or the one before, we took the whole crew down and met some friends for snacks and Sangria. The jazz was great and the kids loved it. Addis introduced himself to many strangers begging for food in his typical fashion.

The girls sat under one of the sculptures and colored after they were done with snacks. Tom took each kid for a lap around the fountain and some personal jazz lessons. Our friends were super gracious as our children told bad jokes and laughed at things that were only funny to them. We have great friends! All this to say that Friday + free jazz + sangria = a great time for all.

Small Town Parade in Big City

2009-07-13T17:32:00.002+01:00

Every 4Th of July, Capitol Hill hosts a local parade. Anyone can get a part in the parade, like schools, clubs, or causes. Then you add a band, local fire truck, Ms. DC, a politician and you have yourself one heck of a small town turnout. With the streets closed and everyone lined up it begins. We march down Barracks Row and into the Eastern Market while the streets gather for the event. The last time we participated there was a "princess" section for girls and super hero section for the boys. However, being the dead beat parents that we are did not get the memo that there was no princess section so we joined in with our elementary school (Ellie VERY upset to be in princess attire while everyone else had regular clothes). But the show must go on, and she rallied.

Eastern Market is Back!

2009-07-10T16:34:00.004+01:00

A few weeks after we moved to Capitol Hill back in 07, The Historic Eastern Market caught on fire. A fire that started in a trash can gutted the place and the roof caved in on the building. This iconic place to buy veggies, meats, seafood, artisan cheese and fresh bread is located a few blocks from our house. It was one of the highlights to living on the hill. We were also disappointed because we were still reeling over our friends(who also lived a few blocks away) announcing their plans to move to LA. I mean we just got here after all. They set up a temporary structure but it just was not the same. So after almost around the clock construction the market reopened just in time for the fourth of July! Tom did not have to work on Friday so we walked our crew down to the market for some infamous breakfast.

You can sit at a long table with stools but will be fined 100$ for saving seats. The girls got to eat pancakes, "with too much syrup." Addis had to stay contained in the stroller but here he is showing off his sign language (more, of course is the first sign he knows!).

They tried to restore the market as historically as the could, peachy painted walls and all. We are so happy to have it back! Now if we could just get our friends back from CA....

Urban Farming, the series...

2009-07-06T18:19:00.002+01:00

The home of our infamous garden space is none other than King's Court Community Garden. Located in a picturesque alley surrounded by abandoned homes, cars and chicken bones our 12 x 12 plot of "land" is where our future dinner calls home. The owl, named, "the owl," by our girls watches over our stack and attempts to keep the rats away from our tomatoes. Now is your mouth not watering for what we harvest.

We started farming three years ago with another similar plot in a community garden in Virginia. From there we sorta became hooked on growing our own food, adding to our spread each year as we learn more and more how to grow. This year we are trying our hand at corn, beets, and many differing varieties of peppers and heirloom tomatoes. The kids have their own tools and watering cans. They are gifted in the watering department. Each child plays a role in harvest, Ansley Mills locates, Ellie picks and Addis eats. We bring home our surplus and take a stab at making something from it. Right now our lettuce has been giving us fresh salads! Cilantro and basil have been making for killer toppings, pesto and salsa. Rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano have all been adding to the mix as well. With green tomatoes on the vine, corn silks showing themselves and baby squash starting to grow we are hoping the next few days will bring us some braggin rights.

Please stay tuned for our urban farming series throughout the growing season.

Pickin' Crabs and Cold Beer!

2009-06-30T19:21:00.002+01:00

There is an old southern tale about crabbin'. I learned this folklore on a trip to the beach early in my chapter with Tom. Apparently, you take a raw chicken neck, let it "cook" outside in a plastic bag in the hot humid sun. Once the bait is seasoned by the sweet sun, you tie a string around it and throw it into the water from the shore. Let it sit and slowly, painfully even draw it in. In theory the crab is supposed to grab it and you trick them by slowly bringing them on the beach. Now, I have never seen a crab brought in by this method. More over, I feel like it is something all southern folks know to make fun of northern folks. That being said, picking and eating crabs is a blast! So we took to our fresh fish market to get the real thing. From the bay early that morning to our table top that evening.

The girls enjoyed picking out our crabs and looking at the other fish around the market. The smell was overwhelming when we arrived but you got used to it. The girls were not too interested in picking them once they were cooked and they wanted to know how these lively crabs we picked were now dinner. Hmmm, no maybe they will not be picking crabs anytime soon. Oh well, more for us!

Dancing Addis

2009-06-25T13:39:00.002+01:00

Over the last few months, we have been impressed with Addis' dancing skills and finally caught it on video this morning during a post breakfast dance party. We are thankful for Addis bringing joy and rhythm into the Carpenter house!

Nationals vs. Reds

2009-06-24T12:34:00.003+01:00

Last week, we went to the Nationals baseball game with our community group. We or Addis and I were thrilled to find out they were playing the Reds. So Addis and I showed our old hometown support and he wore a Red's hat, that only lasted as long as we held it on his head. So a true hometown fan he turned out to be. We left the house with thunderstorms in the sky but managed to squeeze in nearly seven innings before calling it a night at 10 PM. The kids did great all things considered, the french fries helped. Since you can't bring strollers into the stadium the girls got to ride the train in high style.

Ellie was not super excited about staying a few more innings. Addis loved being in his own seat.

Note the first picture is our way there and below our way home. This picture was not posed, merely the effects of being out super late. Now I was hoping they would sleep in and no they did not! In fact they had a horrible day the next day and I documented the day by texting Tom, "never again." What you do for family time!

This Girl is Creative!

2009-06-15T12:12:00.002+01:00

We all know that kids say funny things, that goes without saying. However, Ellie has been on a role lately.

1. Kids like to repeat what they hear. We have told Ellie she may hear an adult say something that is not appropriate for her or kids to say. They are known as "adult words." This weekend Ellie decided by her own accord that kids should have their own words that adults can not say. Hilarious and sorta brilliant. Some of those words include Yah Yah, and Big Bad Wolf.

2. While riding to church, Ellie hollers from the back seat, "Is Jesus in your private parts?" I let Tom field this one... Also, "Did God make private parts first?"

3. Ellie has taken it upon herself to potty train Ansley Mills. While Tom and I were still in bed Ellie asked to use the bathroom, and was followed in there by Ansley Mills. We overheard the following conversation:
E:Ansley Mills would you like to try to use the potty?
AM: yeah
E: ahh Ansley Mills your diaper is already wet, you need to wait and pee pee in the potty
AM: oohhh, but how?
E: You need to ask Jesus... He will help you, have you prayed to him?
AM: No, okay
E: yeah he will help you, okay? Now lets get you a new diaper, you're not ready yet, and thats okay, keep praying...

Summer Begins...

2009-06-10T18:55:00.002+01:00

On a recent trip to Cincinnati, Addis and Ansley Mills tried to "swim" for the first time. Addis loved it but Ansley Mills was a bit more cautious. Ellie spent most of the time asking her cousin Will to stop splashing. He's actually my cousin but since they are only six days apart in age, she feels a sense of ownership.
Last Saturday Ellie saw that I was putting on my running clothes and raced to get in hers. Please not how similar her "running wear" is to her ballet wear. So we headed out together down to the National Mall and I let her run next to me. It was hilarious! I am not sure if she was interpreting how I run or if this is her own style, time will tell. However, after a block she was pleased to be back in the stroller and several more blocks later she was out cold. Upon arriving back at the house I just wheeled her in the front door and she slept for another two hours! Tom and I were eating lunch and she woke up in pure bewilderment as to what just happened.

So what does the rest of our summer look like? We are being low key and staying in town until early September! So let us know if you want to visit DC!

And That's How We Roll....

2009-06-09T22:24:00.003+01:00

This is what we look like rolling around our neighborhood. We have three options for seats: 1. the Main Seat (front seat), the back seat, and jump seat (the footrest by design). All three kids rotate as one seat is not the favorite of anyone. There is a disadvantage to each position. Mainly, if Addis is in the main seat like the above picture, he pulls hair! Now if both girls are in the front of the stroller then they fight. If they fight, then they walk. Before they are allowed back in the stroller they must apologize and forgive each other. Most of the time they get "too tired" and say their sorry pretty quickly. Friends you should see the looks i get. Now if i am up for it I wear one on my back, but get even stranger looks. However, believe it or not this is much much easier than driving, especially around the city.

Now the picture below, these are my running buddies. Now that they are bigger I would much rather jog with them in this stroller as compared to the above stroller. I tell you how many strollers must we have to function. The trailer below also connects to our bikes! These two (Addis and Ansley Mills) ride well together, they have a working relationship of passing toys and books to one another. The only draw back is since Addis can't talk, Ansley talks to me! I am not much for conversation as it takes all my energy just to run and push. However, she is pretty persistent. Tourist have caught me many times explaining to her that, "mommy needs the wind in her body to run right now and we can chat later." I feel a bit guilty, but hey I'm not super mom. So, that's how we roll. City living and loving it!

Sowing Seeds

2009-05-29T12:09:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again, we we start planting! Last year we posted about our bounty from our community garden. This year we tried our green thumb at starting plants from seed. We are trying beets, several varieties of peppers, more lettuce, spinach, corn, tomatoes, heirlooms, and okra. (we are sorta known for our okra) Stay tuned for updates from our plot. This year we have recruited Ellie to help plant and weed. This is her helping Tom in our front "yard."

Give Me Some Spring, Please!

2009-04-21T10:47:00.004+01:00

This year more than any other year before, we have craved spring at the Carpenter house. I love a good snow like anybody else but the cold wet rain has to go! So on a rare and glorious April Sunday we took to the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Ansley Mills was not sure of her in tree portrait.

Ellison

Addis, always a ham for the camera, showing off his new teeth.

The girls watching some Hula dancers.

I must admit, my mood becomes utterly weather dependent by the end of winter and onset of spring. Take today for instance, sunny and nearly 70+ outside, and I really am not sure anything could go wrong today. I mean even if everything goes wrong, its just nice out and therefore my ability to deal with chaos is just peachy. So go ahead kids wear it out!

It's Official

2009-04-15T16:59:00.003+01:00

Well, it's official... No, we are not announcing a new member to our family. We had our first official run to the ER last week. Ellie was not getting ready for school and instead decided to jump off and on some cushions. In a total mom moment i said, "Ellie stop horsing around or your going to get hurt, we need to get ready for school." As I said that, I was starting to pick up the cushion and she jumped on it again at the same instant. So, thud! She hit the floor, and I felt terrible all in the same breath. She stood up holding her chin and I knew immediately that she had hit the sweet spot. I did a little patch work at home and Tom headed out the door with our little patient.
Tom checked in several times and said that Ellie was such a trooper and only cried when they gave her some numbing medicine. So, she received five outside and one internal stitch. For the next two days she walked around very proud of her injury and was all the talk in class. When we dropped her off for school the next day, all the boys wanted to know about was the blood. Did it bleed? How much blood was there? And in true four year old fashion proceeded to out do one another on war stories of blood and tears.

It All Led Up to This...

2009-04-14T11:53:00.003+01:00

Friends after many Saturday mornings spent at ballet, Ellison had her first "dance" recital. I strangely felt like we had entered some new phase of parenting as we prepared for her performance. Talking it up, laying out clothes the night before, making sure the camera and video recorder were charged and ready, a healthy breakfast, and the cooperative siblings who are to attend. It all led up to this moment....

Ellie imitated the parents watching the show. She is taking pictures...

Please do not be fooled, ballet is ALL about the snacks afterwards.

This is Heidi, Ellie's precious teacher who teaches three back to back classes for 4 and 5 year olds, and does it with grace!

The New Crime Fighters...

2009-04-08T19:30:00.003+01:00

Upon entering the girl's room, we found them "fighting the bad guys." Ellie was Wonder Red and Ansley Mills was Super Why. Who is the bad guy, "Captain Hook." Please keep in mind they've never seen Peter Pan, we've only read them the short version. This is one of the many examples of why I love them sharing a room. I hope you never run into these guys in a dark alley.

Look Who Had a Birthday!!!

2009-04-07T17:40:00.002+01:00

On Sunday March 1st Addis Hambleton Carpenter turned 1! We celebrated Addis with many friends who walked through the adoption process with us and were nearly as excited as we were when we knew about him. It was amazing to think about what took place a year ago from that day. His birth, the field, the cow and the women who ushered him to safety. Then a year later, eating a mini cupcake with blue frosting surrounded by people who have loved, cared, prayed and make his sweet journey now with him.

Some Addis stats:

Teeth: 6

Height: 32 inches (hello 90Th percentile)

Weight: 21 1/2 lbs.

Words: Bye Bye, Uh Oh, Mama, Dada, That

Walking: Taking steps, more and more each day, first steps were to his dad after we got back from being away for a week..ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Favorite Activity: Eating

Favorite Food: Anything!

Best Friend: Loic

Least Favorite Activity: Getting his nose wiped or suctioned

Sleeps with: Money and two blue blankets (he must be wrapped in both of them, one was made by friend Lisa Parcells)

Poops: Every morning when you get him for breakfast you are greeted with it like a punch in the face

DANCE!

2009-03-10T13:14:00.003Z

Well once again, we've been sorta lame and not posted on what has taken place. Some readers want funny stories, some want pictures, and others are looking for information. Sadly, we have not had much to offer. So I will attempt to update you on our updates.

Ellie: Taking dance on Saturday mornings, and loving it. Some of her favorite moves are sneaky cat and "plee A" She is going to school full time and is learning how to speak Spanish (even though that is taught in another class, she somehow is picking it up). When I go to pick her up every kid that we pass says, "hey Ellie." From the other preschoolers to the fifth graders. We laugh at how outgoing she is but are not quite sure how she knows everyone. We are trying to teach Ellie the difference between beautiful (inside and character) and "fashion" (outer appearance's).

Ansley Mills: aka "mom's shadow" She is the cuddlier... Her days are mostly spent requesting to be held, and asking for dad. She is definitely the big sister to Addis and protects him from other kids on the playground. However, she is also the first to tackle, correct and discipline him too. Someone asked me at the playground the other day which kids were mine, to which i replied "the red head." Friends this is growth for me. Although I will still argue that her hair is strawberry blond.

Addis: aka "bruiser" This kid is a Brut! He is not afraid to take on kids twice his size at the playground, especially if the other kid has a snack or cup! He is only two inches shorter than Ansley Mills and strong. His new tricks: he waves and says bye bye, crawls, climbs, and screams. Yesterday I followed behind him as he crawled up this playground equipment, and went head first down the slide without hesitation. But if another kid messes with him, Ansley Mills is on it! Quick to his side and hugging him.

Tom: Working and contemplating a triathlon for the fall.

Leah: I've been a bookworm and trying to dive back into some old hobbies, such as painting. However, I am still hooked on "getting organized."

We have never been more ready for spring than this year. The weather gave us a teaser this past weekend with 70+ temps and sun. We walked over to our community garden and plotted out our "freedom" veggies that we will plant. We have some great friends moving away and some other moving closer. A few trips/weekends planned to visit family and a splattering of doctor appointments.

My Third Pregnancy...

2009-02-23T10:30:00.000Z

I have debated in my head and heart about sharing with everyone how much this adoption mirrored being pregnant and delivering a biological child. It has long been assumed that many people adopt because they have tried to have their own children with heartbreaking results. However, there are many examples of families adding to the brood through adoption for many reasons other than fertility issues. Either is a beautiful example of loving someone more than yourself, and the adoption of a child is a gift to any family for any reason. We praise God for the many agencies and organizations that work so hard to find homes for orphans. That being said, having been pregnant twice before I am overwhelmed with how similar this third "pregnancy" was to my previous ones. If there is any woman out there feeling like she is missing something or does not feel like they have experienced a true pregnancy and birth, that dear sisters you have!

For us deciding to adopt was a similar process to deciding to try to get pregnant. Same questions, same concerns, when should we start, can we really do this, should we do this, are we ready for the changes that will result in this decision, can we love this person, etc. When you decide this, yes, you get sorta giddy about it. However, you don't want to just "brag" about it. That feels a bit inappropriate at times, like look at me.. I am going to have sex with my husband and make a baby... you would never say that, right?

Then the silent introduction into paperwork, aka morning sickness. Your not showing but your not as crazy excited as you were the moment you found out! The hidden charges of going to your doctor's office and getting charged for a signature, then a piece of your paperwork gets rejected because a notary didn't write down the correct date, and the constant fear of doing a major piece of paperwork wrong only to prolong your first trimester (you just want to know you are safely out of the first trimester). Please just get me on that wait list! Mean while you are noticing families with adopted children, meeting people who have been adopted or are in the same process. You compare notes, get pointers, read articles and wait, wait, wait...

Once out of the woods and on the wait list, you long for your "ultrasound." That is, the picture, the face, and the sweet little life that you get to see face to face albeit on screen (really NO difference there friends.. only your at home which is more comfortable and less slimy). The phone call that awakens your spirit, "you've been matched." That sweet precious face, that heartbeat, that little person who now you realize is waiting too!! They are waiting just to be a part of your family. And you wait some more. As your wait for a court date, you think are we ready? do we have everything we need? did we read enough? will this ever friggin happen? how are we going to pay for this?

The next time your phone rings, you receive your court date. This little period can seriously mess with you. Will it really be the date or will it move, and will they see my case? Will they have the necessary paperwork ready to go when my name gets called. I compare this segment to the last two months when your ready to pop, or so you think. You are so close yet have so long to go before "labor." When you pass court (praise!), and this child is legally yours, its like your sweet OB told you, "any day you can have this baby and they will be fine." As you wait those last few weeks to travel, you think, how can i induce this labor?? This child has to get out! I can't sleep, and I don't care how hard it is, just get it here already!!! Packing for your travels to Addis, and heading to the airport.... well your in labor my friends!!!

As you labor overseas, through customs and into a new world, you can not really anticipate what it will be like to meet this little face, this new sweet child. It's yours, it belongs to you, they are just going to hand it over.. ahhh are you ready? Some people literally go from 20+ hours of travel straight to meet their new little person. Talk about sleep deprived, its great preparation. As your "pushing" and see the car roll up and know your child is in it, you can't hardly take it. Then it happens, out with your child, you hold it, you kiss it, your not quite sure how to love it. Friends it's a miracle, a true miracle!

Monday's Never Felt So Good!

2009-01-26T13:24:00.006Z

Today started like most days. A few late night wake ups - thanks girls - and me hitting the gym by 5:30am. I had a cup of coffee and packed Ellie's lunch for school while Tom showered for work. Tom and I were debriefing on the day/week ahead while the girls called out, "time to get up?" Not yet is always our first response. So while Addis was chatting to himself in the crib, we heard the girls both start to cry. Typical.

Then Ellie came flying out of their room, "my bed, my bed...it was soo beautiful..." Tears streaming down her face, as she clutched her cheeks... "it was so beautiful, oh poor bed..."
No concern for her sister who had just thrown up all over the place. No empathy, nothing. What are we doing wrong as parents?

Tom took Addis and Ellie downstairs to begin breakfast while I gave Ansley Mills an impromptu bath and change of clothes. Once we were all downstairs and perked up a bit Ansley Mills went for round 2! Instantly, Ellie's laments, "oh the table, poor table." So Ansley Mills is crying, Ellie is crying over the table, Addis is crying because he wants his breakfast, Tom is gagging over the "puke," and I want to cry because I am going to need more coffee. All this before 8am, priceless!

Addis charmed to be in his big boy carseat.

Ansley Mills and Ellie decided they needed their sleeping bags for "quiet time" before church.

Life in the City

2009-01-26T03:30:00.004Z

A typical Capitol Hill street scape

While many of you (the reader) live in urban environments, many of you don't. There is nothing wrong with either situation, but there are distinct differences.

In the almost two years since we have been in the city on Capitol Hill, one of the clearest differences is the proximity in which you live to your neighbors. For example, the block we live on, from a pure distance perspective, would probably only have about 10 houses on it in a normal suburban type area, but being in the city, it has about 30-40 row houses on it.

There are may joys to this aspect of living. You get to know your neighbors much more quickly than in a suburban environment where you simply pull into your garage each evening. You also experience life more with your neighbors. From walking to the park, metro or market together to dealing with minor or major housing mishaps (when your basement floods, so does everyone else's). You also learn to simply be more cognisant of your neighbors. Living in such tight quarters requires everyone to to live a little less for only themselves and a little more for others. While it might not be for everyone, we have come to take great joy and pride in it.

However, it does come with pitfalls for some, as evidenced by our neighborhood yahoo group, the New Hill East. The New Hill East listserve has around 1,700 hundred members that all live within a the Eastern section of Capitol Hill. This is generally East of 11th Street, West of 19th Street, South of H Street/Benning Road NE and North of M Street SE - approximately 125 square blocks. Each day, there are anywhere from 10-25 messages posted on topics from local crime to new development plans in the community and everything in between. Every now and again, the message board will get especially heated and it is really crazy to see people readily identified on their post by their name, email address and general street address so willing to make an ass of themselves for all to see. It is not usually like this, and most days are filled with banter on mundane neighborhood questions and answers, but sometimes it is just hilarious to watch it all unfold.

The message below was really the inspiration for this post and one of the funniest we have read in the last year. I am not sure if it will be funny to those who live outside DC, but Leah and I laughed for hours about this post. Ahhh, life in the city.

-------------------------------------------------------------

New Hill East Yahoo Group - Message 16,656
From: Arthur, 15th & A
Subject: Dog Shit at 15th and A Street

For the last several weeks somebody has not been picking up after his or her dog at the corner of 15th and A SE, in the grass on the south sidewalk.
There is SO MUCH SHIT in this grass lately that you basically have to jump across to get to your car. Didn't used to be this way--is there a new dog owner around here, or what? Help me out, people! I believe most of my neighbors do a great job of cleaning up after their doggies and that this is from irresponsible person.

-Arthur 15th and A

Escape to Cincinnati

2009-01-19T15:53:00.003Z

From Washington, through the mountains of Maryland and then West Virginia and then through Southern Ohio to Cincinnati.

Per the earlier post about renting our house out for the Inauguration, we are now in Ohio while our house is being occupied by an Irish news crew. I considered drawing lines on all the liquor bottles in our house, but hopefully they will take good care of it!

As many of you know, Leah's parents live here in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it. I had never been until Leah and I began dating many years ago and immediately fell in love with the place. It is not a huge city and it is actually fairly laid back for being in the North. The main thing I love about it is all the different neighborhoods within the city. While it certainly has its share of cookie cutter suburbs, most of the city and surrounding area is old neighborhoods, each with their own unique character. The neighborhoods are referred to as the "Seven Hills" of Cincinnati, and they all have there own main street type areas with different shops, restaurants and architecture. Overall, just a cool town to visit and explore.

As far as the trip here, I swear it gets longer every time we add another kid to our family. While the new minivan (a soon to come separate post!) made the trip quite enjoyable, being in the car for nine hours with our kids is not my favorite thing to do. This weekend's trip was especially highlighted by Ansley throwing up all over the place on a rural stretch of highway in West Virginia. Unfortunately this has become somewhat of a pattern and we are afraid we now have a little girl who is prone to car sickness!

I will say though that a person's true character becomes evident when it comes to cleaning up throw up. Personally, I am rather delicate in the matter and can usually be found dry heaving while trying to dab the puke off our kids so that I don't get anything on me. My wife, on the other hand, is the picture of sacrificial love. Having only a bag of wet wipes to work with, she dove right in, all the while speaking in loving tones to a traumatized and puke-covered Ansley Mills. I don't know how she does it, but I am thankful I married a woman with this gift.

So, we will be here until Wednesday and are enjoying a little down time with Mia and Pappa. Hopefully our trip back will be a little less eventful.

Our Almost 15 Minutes of Fame

2009-01-14T21:06:00.005Z

The upcoming Presidential Inauguration brought a virtual gold rush to DC right after the election. Everyone we know - including yours truly - had big dollar signs in their eyes soon after Obama was elected with rumors of millions of people coming and almost no remaining hotel rooms to house them. Consequently, just about every DC resident with a dusty basement all the way to folks with seven bedroom mansions listed their space for rent on Craigslist or by other means. It got ridiculous quickly and many houses around us were listed for well over $10,000 for the Inauguration week.

However, like many get rich quick schemes, this one turned out to be a relative bust, and the "huge" rental market just never really materialized. That said, we were blessed to be one of the relative few to actually rent our house out for the four day period - albeit for less than originally anticipated. We are very thankful for this little New Year's Bonus and are planning on heading to Cincinnati for four days starting on Saturday.

And yet the surprise and good fortune of renting our house was just the beginning. About 3 weeks after we secured the rental, we got an email through a friend of a friend at ABC about Good Morning America doing a story on people renting out their house for the Inauguration. Thinking this was our big shot, I responded and after a few days of email interviewing, they chose us as their feature family. While we would rather have the spotlight shown on Ethiopian adoption, we were both excited about our 15 minutes of fame (Leah will say she did not care, but I think we all know the truth on that...).

So the day arrived and we spent the entire morning frantically cleaning our house for its big debut. The main problem was that we scheduled the filming about 24 hours after our six Christmas guests had departed so we had our work cut out for us. But, we got everything done just in time to be nervous as the time grew closer. We did not want to say anything stupid and I had even prepared some good "supply and demand" rhetoric in case they tried to make a hit piece out of it and paint us as some greedy profiteers in a historical event. Leah asserted that she was not that concerned, but she was busy thinking through the ABC reality show offer that was sure to come once they saw how "fun" we were. Of course, we would never have taken up the reality show because everyone knows what happens to marriages that do that...

The GMA crew getting the "kitchen shot" just right before starting our interview

So, they walked in the door and thankfully, none of our fears were realized and it ended up being a really cool experience. They came in with the lights, camera and sound equipment and a whole crew to match. As soon as it started, we found ourselves in the midst of a "kitchen shot versus living room shot" discussion and tried not to pretend like we had any informed opinions on the matter. They ended up interviewing us for about 45 minutes and then doing a tour of the house with me leading for another 45 minutes. At the end they got a nice family shot of Leah reading to the whole family. It was really awesome and all we talked about for the next few days was how we could not wait to see how they would cut all the footage down into the promised 2-3 minute spot.

Pretty cool huh???

Well, the "almost" in the title of this blog is where is gets depressing. We spent all this time getting the house ready, being nervous and then doing the shoot and the piece has still not freaking aired! We have been told on three occasions now (starting 2 weeks ago) that it would be on the show (and of course I embarrassed myself on the first promise by announcing it to just about everyone I knew only to have it pulled at the last minute due to a "better" story about some vagrant living in some people's attic), but it has yet to air and we really only have 3 days of opportunity left.

The GMA crew, including national ABC correspondant, David Kerley, talking about how great a Carpenter's Chaos reality show would be

All to say, it looks like our 15 minutes of fame was a big bust. The pictures embedded in this post are proof that it happened, but it looks like the national exposure and big break for the Carpenters is not going to materialize, and it is doubtful that any reality show offers will come in. I was even hoping for a 20/20 follow-up with with Barbra Walters on this "amazing family and their journey to adopt," but that is also probably not going to happen.

So, we are left with the Carpenter's Chaos blogging world as our outlet to fame. There is still a chance it could air and we will certainly post the footage and gloat if it does, but I have definitely learned a good lesson on the pitfalls of self promotion. Oh well, at least we rented our place...

Out of the mouth of babes...

2009-01-09T21:10:00.006Z

The things that come out of this girl's mouth are enough to make any parent get a little nervous when someone says, "that ellie she's got some personality." Some of her more recent comments and context are as follows:

daddy i'm a pretty good finder you should have hid that ring pop better dad (referring to the candy in tom's car)

mommy loves her mini van, that's the way it should be...
(ellie makes up songs daily and this was belting at the top of her lungs when i walked in the door from grocery shopping)

Damn the Ham!
(we work on rhyming words, and after I asked her what she wanted for lunch, I got this)

um, mommy i'm not feeling well today...well apparently my bodies don't like sleep that much
(upon waking up and getting ready for school)

Hey guys we have a new mini van and a new brother!
(anytime someone new walks into our house..it's sad that she has them on the same level...)

Mommy, is that an adult drink, I can have it when I am twenty one?
when she sees tom or myself with a drink other than milk or water

Mommy is Ethiopia in your tummy?

as we were walking to school she was processing in her way our sweet addis, i mean precious

Pandora

2009-01-07T21:32:00.002Z

So, we may be way behind, and this blog post may have occurred on more trendy or digitally hip blogs a year ago, but it is here and now in the Carpenter household.

Pandora.com is one of the coolest concepts since AOL chatrooms in my opinion. It is simple, clean, user friendly and accomplishes several music purposes at once. In a nutshell, Pandora allows you to search an artist of even just a song and it then builds an Internet radio station around your search item that matches musical theme, melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics, beat, etc... There are no ads and it allows you to perfectly match your mood with music, while also introducing you to new artists you might like.

Pandora was the outflow of the Music Genome Project which involved coding all music by various "music genes" that would then bind certain songs or artists together even if they did not traditionally match up based by broad or vague genres.

We seriously have Pandora on for all occasions whether at work or at home when we want music and it is revolutionizing the way we experience artists and songs. Basically, if you don't know Pandora yet, you might as well be living by candle light.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-03T19:40:00.010Z

Addis in his new Redskins jersey and with his new football

Christmas 2008 will go down in the books as one of the best ever. That said, the elements that made this year's Christmas so great, also could have brought on disaster.

We took a page out of Christmas Vacation and decided to host everyone at our house this year.

"Everyone" included Leah's parents, Leah's Aunt Margaret, my parents and my brother Neal. Arrivals began on the Monday before Christmas and everyone was accounted for my by mid-day on Christmas Eve.

The fun part was that the last time this whole group was together was probably our wedding over 7 years ago, so there was plenty of catching up to do. The difficult part was where to put everyone.

Leah and I stayed in the girl's room with Ellie on a sleeping bag in between us, Ansley Mills moved in with Addis and my parents moved into our room with Neal on an air mattress on the floor. Leah's parents were supposed to be in the basement guest room with Aunt Margaret on the basement couch, but Vic and Margaret switched places due to a few "sleeping issues."

While it was a bit packed, I think it ended up working out well and everyone stayed happy.The time together, good food, seeing our kids interact with all of our family together and Christmas morning were certainly a part of what made this Christmas so wonderful, but the clear highlight was our Christmas Eve activity that may now become a yearly tradition.

Our church was not doing a Christmas Eve service, so we decided a good way to cement Addis' arrival this year and introduce our family to some Ethiopian culture was to take everyone for a meal of ethnic cuisine at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Our good friends, the Lokkesmoes and their two kids, also joined us for what was a wonderful evening.

We went to Dukem, and because Christmas Eve happened to fall on a Wednesday night, we were treated not only to wonderful food, but also to a show of traditional Ethiopian music and dancing. We were proud of everyone's flexibility on the food and I think all genuinely enjoyed the fare. Addis, was the star of the night and got passed around the restaurant. It was also awesome to see all the kids dancing to some of the music.

Overall, this Christmas was great. The verdict is still out on having everyone every year, but it was a good one nonetheless.

Ellie's new Sleeping Beauty Doll and Ansley Mill's with her Nemo lovey

Papa and Addis eating some Ethiopian food

Ellie, Kolton, Ansley Mills and a new friend dancing at Dukem

Leah sitting next to Santa's footprints on Christmas morning

Don't Call it a Comeback...

2009-01-02T01:33:00.006Z

And just like Britney, the Carpenters' Chaos is back in effect!!

We feel rested, refreshed and revived and are ready to hit the 2009 blogging world with renewed vigor. We are so thankful for the outpouring of encouragement over our short break and we are excited to be back in the swing.

Several of you have asked what happened to us over the last 2-3 months, and while there is not really a concise answer, I think the obvious aspect was the arrival of Addis. We knew he would change our life forever, in the same way any new child (biological or adopted) coming into your family would, but I don't think we fully grasped how major the shift from 2 to 3 kids would be.

It is not that Addis is extremely difficult or even having any real issues, it is just that we quickly realized that we needed to take a step back from our normal life for a while. We needed to let some balls drop and really focus on us. It seems silly that blogging would be one of those things, but it was. The pressure to have new pictures of him up and answer all the questions was just something we decided to put on hold for a little while so we could make sure the foundation of our changing family was firmly in place.

So, here we are. The "fog of change" is lifting and our new normal is becoming, well, normal. We probably won't try to catch everything up over the last 2-3 months, but we will certainly hit the highlights. There have certainly been some good ones...

Regarding some of the changes to the blog, they will be ongoing, but we hope you like them. We have added a comment tracker that shows the leading participants on the blog and we have added a feature allowing you to subscribe to the blog easily.

So, happy new year everyone and welcome back to the chaos!

Under Construction

2008-12-12T21:53:00.003Z

We have not forgotten about you readers. We have not lost the edge in our blogging and definately do not have a lack of material. We are currently under construction and like britney spears coming back in 2009! Check us out January 1!

Love
The Carpenters

More Catch Up

2008-11-06T18:53:00.013Z

Man... Three weeks and only two blog posts is really crappy. I wonder if any of you are still out there.

I will say though that we do have good reason. Our life has just been nuts. As if the weekend where Leah turned 32, I went to the hospital, Leah ran a marathon and the Elliots stayed with us was not wild enough, it has only continued.

Leah's folks came in the following Wednesday and were supposed to stay through the weekend, but we got sad news Friday evening that my beloved Grandfather had passed away. While I had hoped to post about the life of this extraordinary man, I will say here that no finer gentlemen than Bill McGinty has ever lived. He defined the word in every sense and I have fond memories from my childhood and early adulthood of his kind smile, encouraging words and loving demeanor. I will miss him.

So, after we headed to Greenville for several days to be with my family, we returned just in time to vote on Tuesday and for Leah to get the flu. She is feeling better today, but it just seems like it is one thing after another. Hopefully the church retreat this weekend will offer some needed R&R.

As far as how slack we have been regarding pictures of Addis and the rest of the crew, we are working to take and post some new ones soon. But in the meantime, here are some recently received pics from our trip to Edisto this summer. They would have been up sooner, but Charlotte photog extraordinaire, Hope Bray, has such a booming business that her pro-bono beach work got delayed a little. As you can see, Hope takes great pics and if you live in or around Charlotte, you should book her for a shoot ASAP. Thanks Hope.

Working on drip castles

Ansley Mills enjoying the cool salt water

Leah and Amanda maxing by the pool

Ellie caught in the midst of some busy beach activity

Ansley Mills pointing out some "scarewee sharks"

Popsicles

Ansley Mills giving the look

All the kids

Catalog shot

O' What a Weekend

2008-10-28T17:20:00.007Z

Friends you should know by now that if our blog is behind we usually have a great reason. This past weekend is the entire reason our blog has the name it has.

Thursday- We have friends in town from Georgia (go dawgs) to run the marathon on Sunday. I come upstairs to get some dessert from the basement, and see a mouse! Yell for husband. Tom enters, gives me a broom and says, "when i move the freezer, get him." Armed with broom little fella comes right to me, I start pouncing on him, several whacks later, he lay in rest. I feel slightly remorseful, I mean I don't sport kill. However, I sorta felt empowered too, like I had just provided security to my family and guests.

Friday- As Tom leaves for work, "honey when you took this antibiotic did it make you feel funny?" Several hours later Tom is laid out at work and wondering if he can make it home. We cancel babysitters (we were going to go out with our friends to celebrate my birthday, which is the next day) and lay low as Tom sleeps most of the evening.

Saturday- Wake up with kids, feed them breakfast and check on Tom. He looks terrible, feels worse and after a phone call to a nurse, we head to the ER. He is experiencing vertigo and not doing well at all! Our friends watch all the kids, while I sit with my sweet husband who asks me, "honey can I tell you what your birthday gift is?" Umm no. After I call a few friends who helped us out by taking our kids for the next 24hours, I started to feel as if the situation was starting to get under control. Bring Tom home from ER after seven hours of medical attention, get dinner, pack kids to go bags, get Tom's meds from pharmacy, drop kids off and climb in bed.

Sunday- 5:30 AM alarm goes off, drink a cup of coffee and head out the door with my good friend for a little 26.2 (our GPS said close to 27) mile run in the 33rd annual Marine Corp Marathon. Get home, block party, start getting kids back, dinner, shower, babysitters arrive, and out the door for a much needed dinner out (Two Amy's, highly recommend). Sweet Tom sat there forcing himself to eat and still sorta out of it. Where's my bed?

Friends I would love to tell you these events are rare, but their not. This is why we have labeled ourselves "Carpenter's Chaos." The grace of God get us through these little "events." He has blessed us with wonderful friends and a community that is always looking out for us. We are so grateful for all the folks who helped us out and cheered for us on Sunday! We are good, tired but good.

Now, what you really care about, pictures....

Ansley Mill's at the book festival.

Addis showing his core muscles at work.

Ellison at the book festival.

Above: Addis's first experience on a swing, not sure he likes it. Below that: the kids at the doctor's office, yes Ansley Mills has a swim suit over her clothes and Ellie is wearing Ansley Mills halloween costume. They were a big hit at the office.

Ellison and Ansley Mills driving at the park.

Celeb Sightings

2008-10-14T21:41:00.005+01:00

Leah and I had an exciting long weekend of getting it done on the homefront and running into some famous people. We don't have any proof other than eye witness accounts, but we were excited.

Early on Saturday morning, Leah and her running buddy and life coach, Ann Woods Hawks, passed shoulder to shoulder with Laura Bush and her walking girlfriends on the National Mall. Leah apparently mustered the courage to say hello and got a smile in response. Luckily the secret service did not tackle her afterward.

My meeting was more personal and will probably will result in a lifelong friendship and business venture... I was meeting with a group from church at one of my favorite haunts on the Hill (Good Stuff Eatery) last night and ran into the proprietor and Top Chef finalist himself, Mr. Spike Mendelssohn. While pride told me to play it cool, I definitely wanted to say I had met him, so I introduced myself, shook his hand and thanked him for opening such a good restaurant. I think he really appreciated it as he nodded politely.

First Day of School

2008-10-06T18:25:00.008+01:00

Ellie & Ansley ready for Ellie's first day of school. Ansley went nowhere, but we knew from experience that we needed to get both girls a backpack and lunch box just to keep the peace!

The Carpenter house is a den of transitions these days, but we are powering through. One of the main transitions, other than the arrival of Addis, is Ellie starting 3 year-old pre-school. Ellie has never really done anything like pre-school before. In fact, she has never even done a mom's morning out, so this is new territory for all of us.

That said, we have been prepping Ellie for the start of school for sometime - working on her potty skills, talking a lot about making new friends, practicing sharing, etc... But we knew that even the best prep work might still result in a disasterous introduction to five days a week of pre-school. As her first day of school grew closer, I have to admit that I woke up many nights with visions of a screaming three year old clinging to my leg as I tried to leave for work. I was really nervous for Ellie for a whole host of reasons.

Addis was pretty excited for the big day as well

But thankfully, none of my fears have come to pass. Ellie started school for the first time last week without a glitch and she loves it. Even as we walked in to the Maury Elementary cafeteria, where everyone from 3 year-olds to 5th graders gather before heading to their respective classrooms, I was sure the fear was going to hit her. But it didn't. She strolled right to the table for Mrs. Ducket-Thomas' class with steeled confidence and quickly told me that it was time for me to go to work.

I can't tell you how relieved I was for this outcome last Monday. But I also mourned this day. As I walked away and turned around to see Ellie showing off her new fairy tatoo to her teacher and classmates, I could not help but think that my little girl was growing up right before my eyes. I know she is only three and that it is only pre-school, but she is no longer the baby I awkwardly held in my arms with feelings of immense pride and enourmous responsibility several years ago. And further, I know from many fathers who have gone before me how fast the time goes. Last Monday may have only been the moment I watched her enter her first day of school, but it already seems like it will be no time before I am watching her walk into her freshman year in college.

Ellie showing off her tatoo to Mrs. Ducket-Thomas

I know this is not the first time I have waxed poetic on the subject of closing life chapters, watching my children grow up and the speed of time, but these feelings never cease to catch me slightly off-guard. Yet overall, I am continually blown away by how blessed I am. Even if these life events are a mix of joy and sadness at times, I am thankful that I get to experience them at all.

Some More of the Story and Our Video

2008-10-01T06:53:00.006+01:00

I can't believe we have now had Addis for 2 weeks. It still feels like we just got back and are just now starting to catch our breath!

That said, things are really wonderful. Addis is sleeping through the night like a champ and eating great. The girls are loving their new baby brother, I went back to work and Ellie even started pre-school for the first time on Monday! It has been a whirlwind, but everything really is going much smoother than we imagined it would at this stage. The Lord has been good to us!

Switching gears, we realize that we have not done a great job filling in everyone on the details of our trip and we really feel badly about it. It is especially hard to look at the blogs of some of the friends we traveled with and see posts out the wazzoo regarding every detail of their trip. It is not that we don't want to share or had a terrible trip, it is just the opposite. We had such an amazing trip that we don't even know where to start. Also, having 3 kids under the age of 4 tends to fill things up a bit. But enough procrastinating.

The first thing we wanted to do for all of our loyal readers was to cut our hour or so of video footage from our trip down to a crisp 5 or 6 minute video to tell most of the story. While that took longer than expected, we are thrilled to finally include it below. We are going to detail other parts of our trip in later posts, but this really gets to the good stuff - our trip South to meet the woman who found Addis and then ultimately holding him in our arms.

Before our trip, the only detail we knew about Addis was that he was found abandoned by a woman in the Sodo region and taken to a police station. We really wanted more info, so our wonderful adoption agency found the woman and arranged a meeting. We still did not know if this would just be a coffee or if she would even show up, but it proved to be so much more.

After many hours in a bumpy Land Cruiser, we arrived in Sodo and then had to back track to Arika for a last minute location change. We then followed the literal entourage of people with this woman (local town leader, three Ethiopians from our adoption agency, head of the local orphanage and a host of different translators) off the main road and down a very rough road for about 8 KM. When that road became impassible for the van, everyone piled in our Land Cruiser until the road really ended in the village of Giragouda. We then hiked back into the village for another 30 minutes where we got to see the exact spot where Addis was found.

Miracle does not do justice the Lord's providence in Addis' little life. Giragouda is about as rural Ethiopia as you get. No electricity or running water and basically a sustenance farming village of about 300 people. As we walked back, the whole village came to life. Children, mothers and fathers all ran to greet us, asking only in their regional language, "Is the baby alive?" We were overjoyed to be able to tell them the good news and were overwhelmed as we stood in a field of Teff with about 40 villagers crowding around us listening to the circumstances of Addis' first days and looking down into the tall grass he was lifted out of. Discovered by early morning grazing cows in a field about 200 yards behind the last hut in the village with his placenta and umbilical cord still attached, we were told that Addis had been left for the hyenas. He did not even cry when he was found but thankfully he was still alive.

Our trip to Giragouda and learning so much about Addis was amazing and yet we still had not gotten to the best part. When we returned to Addis Ababa two days later, we were told they would bring him to us in the morning. Neither of us could sleep that whole night and the next morning was virtually no different than sitting in the delivery room waiting for the OK to push. The moment they brought him in was surreal. To have been where he was birthed onto the ground and left for dead and to then hold this healthy but timid little boy in my arms as my own was more than I could ever put into words.

So, we hope this video will express it in a way no blog post ever could.

P.S. In case ou are wondering, the music is my brother Neal's new song. Check him out here

We Are Back!!!!

2008-09-25T11:04:00.009+01:00

The moment we got him

We are back!!!!! We had an amazing time in Ethiopia and are so thankful to finally have Addis with us. There are so many details to share and so many stories so we hope to post a lot either in writing or in video over the next several days. That said, our focus for now is thanking God for a successful adventure, a safe return and the reunification of our now family of five!

Addis is doing great and is living up to his reputation as a man of passion. He is a great charmer and is also really good at crying loudly! Ellie and Ansley Mills also seem to be warming to their brother and Leah and I are making the shift away from man-to-man and into our zone defense. All in all, things are good and we are just so thankful for all the prayers and encouragement that many of you have offered throughout this journey.

The chaos continues!

Addis was pretty freaked out for the first hour or so, but then he started liking us

First bath as a Carpenter

Loving his excersaucer

Ansley Mills has especially taken to her new role as big sister

The girls teaching Addis about the activity mat

We're Off!

2008-09-10T23:32:00.000+01:00

We are sitting here on the plane waiting to take-off and listening to some soft rock Ethiopian favorites! We can't believe we are actually at this point! We are a mix of emotions, but most of all, we are thankful that God has brought us here. We are also thankful for all of you and your prayers and words of encouragement over these many months.

We hope to post while we are there, but can't promise anything.

Sweet Addis here we come!

Family Date Night - Last Time As A Foursome!

2008-09-09T16:27:00.007+01:00

This morning Leah departed with the girls to meet my parents half-way between here and Greenville and do the official hand-off for two weeks while we are in Ethiopia. So last night, in honor of our last time together as a family of four, we thought it appropriate to go on a family date for burgers and ice cream. But not just any burgers and not just any ice cream...

As many of you know, we are obsessed with food and cooking. Consequently, one of our favorite shows is "Top Chef" on Bravo. It is your a basic elimination reality show except with restaurant-tested chefs. Last season, one of our favorite chefs on the show made it all the way to the top five. His name is Spike Mendelsohn and after the show, he decided to put a restaurant right in our backyard on Capitol Hill! It is called Good Stuff Eatery and is the perfect balance of gourmet eats and the basic burgers and fries.

Leah and I had been before and loved it, but we had yet to take the girls. That said, the family date was a smashing success. Leah and I both had the "Five Napkin Burger", a delectable bacon cheeseburger topped with a fried egg and served on a soft Pennsylvania Dutch bun with "good stuff" sauce. The girls had their entry level "Farmhouse Burger," but both ate almost every bite. We also had Spike's signature "Village Fries" which are hand-cut and tossed with rosemary, thyme and fresh cracked pepper. We all enjoyed the fries but I think Ansley Mills ate her full weight worth of them!

As if that was all not enough, we then headed down three blocks to Ben & Jerry's where we ate even more. Everybody got there own cup with no sharing and it was hilarious. All three girls were quite territorial with their ice cream and only Ellie would give me a bite of hers, albeit a mere dash of liquid ice cream on the tip of her spoon!

It was an awesome night and the girls did great for being out and about. But it was so surreal to sit there gazing upon the family of four that we have become accustomed and know that this was the last night it would be like this. Leah and I thought back as we were falling asleep and realized that it was the same feeling we experienced the night before we went to the hospital to have Ellie and the night before we had Ansley Mills. The feeling of another chapter closing and a new one about to begin.

I think this is one of the great joys and mysteries of life. We long for the things that are in front of us - always struggling to live "in the now." But when we get to end of the "now", we long to hold on to what we have known.

We are excited and anxious beyond belief about the journey (both travel and life) that we are about to embark on, but it was good to think back last night on how blessed we have been up to now.

A Name & Some Travel Plans

2008-09-04T18:17:00.004+01:00

It has been decided! His name is Addis Hambleton Carpenter. Woo Woo!

I wrote a little on this a while back, but our process was as follows: We wanted him to have an Ethiopian name, but not one that was so difficult to pronounce that he would be dogged by it his whole life. We liked Mussie, the name he got from the police officer he was taken to after he was found, but even we had trouble remembering how to pronounce it, not to mention everyone who asked about him. We also liked Moses, the English translation of Mussie, but felt that while it matched his story, it did not preserve his Ethiopian heritage enough. So, we spent the last couple of weeks perusing other Ethiopian names and landed on Addis. It means "new" and is also the first part of the name of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

The middle name is my own, and is a family name that has been passed down at least three generations and maybe more.

Regarding other things, we leave in less than a week! It is crazy and we are scurrying about trying to finish all the last minute planning, packing and buying. We were getting pretty bogged down by it, but I am thankful that we both came to the realization yesterday that we were losing the purpose and the excitement in the midst of the long to-do list. While we are still getting stuff done, I am excited that we have recalibrated our hearts and minds to prepare for this wonderful miracle! Even if we have a terrible trip, we are going to come home with our son and that is all that matters!

We leave on Wednesday September 10th and arrive in Addis Ababa on the night of the 11th. Almost immediately after that, we head north and then south to see Ethiopia and learn about Addis' country and culture. Not until Tuesday the 16th do we arrive back in the capital city to meet our little Addis. We then wait for his passport and come home about a week later.

We are not sure about blogging while we are there, but we are going to try. Stay tuned...

One last thing, the picture above was sent to us last Monday with the following update below. We can't wait!

“Enough is enough! Mussie is too nice! I heard he cries at bedtime when he is hungry, but I will believe it when I see it! We were staring in each other’s eyes and I tilted my head to the right; then he tilted his head! And then I tilted to the left and he followed! We both had grins on our faces a mile long! He can now ‘keep head level with body when sitting’ and ‘razz (make a wet razzing sound)’! Weight- 14.7 pounds."

Back In the Swing

2008-09-02T15:55:00.004+01:00

Sorry to all our readers for the long absence. We have been away from work and away from the blogging world in sunny South Carolina on a little vacation with friends for the last 1.5 weeks, but are glad to be back.

We spent some of our down the time at home on a "staycation" and the rest of the time in Edisto Island SC enjoying the beach and some hangout time with some of my oldest and dearest friends, their wives (and one fiance), and kids. Some family highlights are below.

Ellie telling us on the car ride down, "this long time waiting is driving me crazy."
Ansley coming up with a new tactic for sympathy by telling us every 5 minutes, "Ellie hit me."
Leah braving her fear of sharks by getting in the ocean up to her knees and pushing through her hatred of the beach by spending a combined 8 hours actually on the sand!
Ellie and I going on a boat ride and Ellie getting to drive!
Ansley learning to really express displeasure by echoing "no" over and over with a growling voice.
Going on a family bike ride with the girls in the tow-behind trailer and Ellie complaining that I was "getting too tired and slowing down too much"

Good times were had by all, but we are now in crunch time. We leave for Ethiopia next Wednesday and last-minute travel preparations are underway. More pictures from this past week will be forthcoming but these are the ones from the boat ride.

Latest

2008-08-18T21:01:00.005+01:00

Booo us for not posting in a while. We are still coming down from the craziness of the last couple of weeks, but that is no excuse.

Above is the latest picture we have from a family who just went to Ethiopia to pick up their child. Thanks Zach and Erin! Their report makes us so excited to go get him:

He was so cute! He was definitely the biggest personality in the room, smiling and laughing every time you looked his direction. He kicked and played when you talked to him, and he seemed to be very ticklish!

Latest news is that we leave DC on September 10th and will return sometime between the 20th and 24th. As far as names, we are down to two, but are not revealing until we pick one so none of you feel like jerks for commenting that you hate the name we eventually pick!

Ellie and Ansley Mills are good and are getting excited about their new brother... at they tell us they are.

More to come soon!

72 Hours...

2008-08-12T03:31:00.003+01:00

I wanted to share what those 72 hours of waiting were like from a momma' point of view! As all adoptions and pregnancies progress there is waiting... waiting and more waiting.. When we were newly pregnant with our first daughter we went in for a check up fairly early on only to hear (or not hear) a heart beat. The doctors got us an appointment for an ultrasound later that day, 9 HOURS LATER. It was some of the most terrifying hours that we logged in our life to this point. Now we understand that many pregnancies early on can end, and know many families to experience this same loss. Similar to the court date, we know many families do not pass. However, when these events do happen and a little life is part of the equation, your reasoning goes to the birds.

Last Tuesday I told God that I felt like I had been winded by a punch in the heart. Quickly, I wanted to be grateful... Grateful for the beautiful children that were right before my eyes, and for the support from hundreds of others in this journey with us. Grateful that our little man was in great hands and His heavenly father loved Him even more! That God is for us and not against us and there is reason. That many more families have waited longer and received discouraging news from court on more than one occasion. So after some time to be sad, pray and several brownies later, I was at peace with more waiting. Tom and I had fully prepared to be reassigned til the fall. And what chance we had for news on Wednesday I had totally ruled out. I planned a play date with a friend in VA and did not want to be around the phone.

As the day went on and several phones calls to Tom to see if he had heard anything, I was losing my calm. We were supposed to hear something by 2 and it was 3:30. I had a ball of nerves in my head, heart, and stomach. Tom was driving me crazy calling and checking blogs to see if anyone else had posted anything. Then he said, "wait someone just posted and just got their call, they are making calls..." I hung up on him! Thirty minutes later we got a call, I picked up the phone and said to our social worker, "you're killing me." She giggled and said, "well at least I am killing you with happy news!" For another time in this amazingly hard process, I said NO Way!" I teared up and pretty much zoned out after that moment. Literally I had just given birth! It was intense and I was exhausted. Ladies who have never biologically given birth, make no mistake this is par the course. Of course your happy, overwhelmed with gratitude, but you are also humbled, tired and in need of rest.

However, no rest for the weary, its off to Ethiopia we go! But like bringing a babe home from the hospital there are many things that need to happen before little man comes home. Many folks have offered to help and there are many ways you can. Please contact us if you are interested. Blessings to all of you for your support!!! It has been more than we could ever imagine. This little dude has many friends!

Some Details

2008-08-07T14:43:00.005+01:00

Mussie at 3 months

Yesterday was so crazy and we were so overjoyed that we could only muster a short post with the news of passing court. However, I know many of you have questions about our little boy and so we wanted to pass along more details about this joyful little fellow.

His given name at this point is Mussie Yirgalem (pronounced Mussay). I say "given" because he was found abandoned in a rural area by a local woman and estimated at the time to only be a day old. Mussie means "Moses" and was obviously given to him based on his circumstances. His last name, Yirgalem, is the name of the town he was sent to after he was found and brought to the local police station. As I mentioned yesterday, we are still in the process of talking about names, so Mussie is it for now.

His birthday, or at least the date we are going to use is March 1. He is healthy and apparently quite the smiler. Further, he has had the unique privilege of being at a foster care house nearly his whole life and has been loved and cared for by so many wonderful people. We are thankful for this blessing.

We will keep everyone updated as we get reports on him, but for now, here is the report we got from one of his caregivers earlier this week:

“Mussie is definitely getting stronger and is intensely happy! Every time I make a funny comment, I can count on a big grin! Mussie just makes you feel good! It would be okay if he did not, but he does! His big grins make me laugh and then I make another funny comment and so on! Up to the end of the 4th month on his developmental chart, he still needs to: object if you take a toy away, sit without support, razz (make a wet razzing sound), and keep head level with body when sitting. I tried working with him for an extra long time on the ‘sit without support’. Mussie was giving me slobbery kisses on my hand while I was holding him up! Weight is 14.33 pounds and Mussie has no current medical conditions.”

WE PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-06T21:02:00.006+01:00

After 72 hours of the worst "labor" we have been through with all of our now three children and on the last day of the Ethiopian Court Session before the traditional 2-month closure, we passed court today and our son is officially ours!!!

We praise God for the tremendous blessing and are in awe of His faithfulness in our life. More details to come soon, but we are due in Ethiopia on the 15th of September and will have him home soon after that. No official name yet, but details on that will come soon as well.

Thanks to all our readers for their prayers, support and encouragement through this long process.

Plead with Us!

2008-08-05T18:21:00.002+01:00

We are begging you for prayer! We are down to the wire, our case will be back in court tomorrow. Tomorrow is the very last day court is meeting before a two month break. I know God is good, and I confess that I am terrified. My heart is heavy and I will not even share the stomach issues I am having. Please pray with us, pray for hearts to be moved, paperwork in place and a speedy seal of approval.

Court Date Tomorrow!!!

2008-08-04T19:18:00.004+01:00

So this is it. We are on the eve of our court date and our stomach's are in knots!

If successful, we will finally be able to post pictures on our blog and tell all of you everything about him. And most exciting, we will likely get to travel in early September to pick him up. However, if it is delayed or if there are problems tomorrow, we will likely not get another shot at court until mid-October and would not be able to get him until sometime in November.

We are so nervous for what tomorrow will bring. While information is vague, we have been told that we are one of approximately 20 families in court tomorrow. This is apparently a normal load to work through in a day for the Ethiopian courts, but we also found out last week that the date of the court closure has been moved up to this Thursday, meaning that we will only have Wednesday to work with if something happens tomorrow.

That said, we know that God is good and are not just saying that for the cameras! As scared as we may be about all the different things that could go wrong, we know that the Lord is with us and that He desires to bless us. We also know that whatever happens is a part of His perfect will and that He is more than sufficient for our needs. We have been blessed beyond belief with a healthy little boy and a smooth and uneventful adoption thus far and we are thankful.

But we still have one last hump and we covet your prayers! Ethiopia is 7 hours ahead of eastern time and so it is likely that much of the court work could be done while we sleep tonight. In that regard, we are hoping to stay up late tonight so that we are praying when the judge or judges are just waking up to start their day in Ethiopia. We hope all of you will join us in praying before you go to bed tonight and then when you wake up as there may be a few hours of court left at that point. Please pray for the following things:

1.) Pray for the judge or judges to have a compassionate heart and to have the desire to clear the decks of all pending adoptions in court before they close for the rainy season.
2.) Pray for all paperwork to be in the right order and for our court representative to have good answers to any questions the judge may have about us.
2.) Pray for our little boy, that he would continue to be nurtured and loved and remain in good health while we wait to get him.
3.) Pray for all the other families who have court tomorrow or who are still waiting for court proceedings that have known of their children and been waiting much longer than we have.
4.) Pray for us, that we would have great faith and be molded in this process.

Thank you in advance for being part of our adoption, our lives and praying for us. We will post as we know something tomorrow.

So, We Are Kinda Into Gardening...

2008-08-01T20:19:00.004+01:00

Here is a picture of our harvest from the other night. From left to right are grape tomatoes, jalapenos, okra, tomatoes (big boy, early girl & beefsteak varieties) and then basil. This was only four days from our previous harvest, so we are excited about the production levels of our garden right now. Let us know if you want some okra though. I think we planted a few too many plants...

Triathlete in Training...For Real

2008-07-28T18:20:00.005+01:00

I have hesitated to write this post for some time fearing that my training regimen would die or that I would simply become disinterested. But after a solid 9 weeks of training, I feel that I have earned the right to legitimately call myself a triathlete in training.

Some of you remember the post I wrote after Leah and I and a few friends signed up for the Nation's Triathlon. As I mentioned in that post from January, my plan was to dedicate a few months to mentally prepare for the race before any real training. Of course, this was simply a veiled way to procrastinate and it worked better than I had expected - almost till the end of May to be exact! But the number of months before race time began to really freak me out, so I started training, albeit begrudgingly.

In the beginning, I figured the best way to get my legs built up was to run. This is what I knew best and what I have done very sporadically over the last 7 or 8 years whenever I reached the point of being grossed out by my own inactivity. For reference sake, I commonly refer to this phenomenon as "peaking". When this happened in the past, I would come up with a very detailed plan to get into top physical shape and make running a habit for a lifetime. However, in reality, I would usually over do it for a week or so, get shin splints and sore legs and quit until the next "peak."

Yet, knowing that training for a triathlon would require more commitment, I resolved to start out slow and steady. Thus, I started running a couple of miles around a dirt track to ease my shins in. I gradually built up to a little over 4 miles per run and did this 3-4 times a week. But the problem was that I just kept waiting for the "addiction" or runner's high" that you hear people talk about, and yet it never came. For me, every morning was a struggle to get out of bed early and hit the pavement. Further, even if I ran 6.1 miles in the morning, that was only one third of the race. Thus, I felt like I was getting nowhere and yet the race was fast approaching.

So a few weeks ago, I made a shift that has changed my perspective. I started cross training by adding in a few swims and a bike ride or two each week and that has made all the difference. I actually enjoy it now and I feel like I am gaining ground on this triathlon. I have been inspired by watching the Tour de France over the last couple of weeks and have gone on a few bikes rides that almost hit the 26-mile mark that I will need to achieve in the race. Also, I have enjoyed swimming. I think it gives the best confidence because you are able to ramp up so quickly. I completed my fourth swim of the training this morning and swam exactly a mile. Further, I did 50 lengths out of the needed 66 without stopping! Lastly, I am still trying to run once or twice a week and so far, I have not lost my distance.

All to say, I feel like I have the Nation's Triathlon in my sights. I am not planning on winning and in fact, I am already preparing myself for the moment Leah passes me during the race, but I now think I will complete it.

The crazy thing is that our recent referral and court date may make all this a moot point. It is a very real possibility that we will be in Ethiopia during the race. Given the reason if we have to miss, I won't be disappointed in the least. Also, I will know in my own head that I really trained for the race instead of just talking about it. Shoot, I may even go and run my own triathlon when we return just to prove that I can do it!

Well...Maybe not, but it certainly sounds like a good now!

*Editor's Note: If you are reading this and still think I am going to die or am woefully unprepared for a Olympic Distance Triathlon, please keep those sentiments to yourself.

2008-07-25T21:14:00.002+01:00

When Tom and I found out we were having a girl (Ellie) we decided it would be fun to start a tradition of taking them on dates(please recall Ellie's first haircut/date with dad to the barber shop). We take turns who Ellie goes out with and get her input along the way. Most of the time she wants to go to Dunkin Doughnuts on 8Th Street to get a blueberry muffin. While Clelia was in town, I took Ellie on a special weekday date. After a tempting suggestion of "special milk" from Starbucks (okay so I wanted something too) and a cookie, she could not resist.

After a touch of caffeine and sugar we were ready for our activity. Ellie has been asking to get her nails painted every since her haircut and the sweet ladies "took care of her" while Tom got his haircut. She came back with gem studded nails! I think it was penance for giving her a boy cut. So we checked out the a new place on the booming H Street called, Spoiled Rotten. I can barely handle the name but it is SO fitting. Please note the Tinkerbell lamp, she was sold. It's a sweet little shop that has this mock salon atmosphere set up that is extremely age appropriate. Kids music playing, little seats and a color selection any pre-K would die for.

After her nails are painted, none other than purple and adorned with various stickers, she lets them dry. Our date was a success and Ellie liked her nails painted for an entire half hour and then decided she didn't want them purple anymore. Ahhhhhhh, why do I feel semi prepared for the teenage stage?

Super Tuesday Strikes Again!!

2008-07-22T21:23:00.002+01:00

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!

We just received a call this afternoon notifying us to our pending court date on August 5Th. We share this special day with many other families waiting to become new parents (some for the first time and some again)!!! We ask that you continue to pray for these families, the courts, the judges and the outcomes. It's not about our son, it's about families being together, and children belonging to a larger community that wants to love and care for them. They are currently under the supervision of local agencies who have top notch folks giving care and doing leg work like you can't imagine to give these kids a home. We are grateful for them and the sacrifices of time and energy they are making for our cases. Pray friends, Pray... "Momma why are you crying?" Tears of joy my sweet child, tears of joy.

We appreciate your support and encouragement!

Court Date Waiting

2008-07-22T14:30:00.005+01:00

Today marks a week since we got to meet our little boy via email and we are still waiting for that magic court date. We are feeling hopeful, but also trying to temper our expectations.

Over the last few days, many people have inquired as to how the next steps work, so I thought a little explanation might be in order.

As of now, we have accepted the referral of our little boy and are waiting for the Ethiopian courts to give us a hearing date where they will approve, delay or deny our petition for adoption. We do not have to be present for this hearing, but all the documentation we worked on at the beginning of this process, as well as our wonderful adoption agency, will represent us there. Usually a court date is set about 2 months after acceptance of a referral, but because the courts close for the two-month rainy season on August 8th, our agency and the Ethiopian courts are trying to clear the docket prior to closing.

If a court date is scheduled for us before August 8th, and if we are approved for this adoption on that date, our little boy will essentially be ours from the Ethiopian government's perspective and we will be able to travel to pick him up within 3-5 weeks of that date!!! That said, getting a court date does not ensure that our adoption will be approved on that date. Missing paperwork or a judges question about some aspect of our adoption would probably delay successful court proceedings until October and possibly November.

To be honest, we really fear this scenario as the idea of knowing our son and yet having to wait many more months before we are able to go get him would seem to be a very difficult task. However, we are hopeful and trusting in the Lord's perfect sovereignty. He holds all these details!

Sooooo, we covet your prayers in the following areas:

Pray for our little boy. That he would be loved and cared for and that even in his young mind, he would know that his Father in Heaven and his mommy and daddy love him very much.
Pray that we get a court date before August 8th and that our petition would be approved with no glitches or delays on that date.
Pray for us. That the Lord would give us faith when we doubt His plans and that we would be taught by whatever transpires in the next several weeks.
Pray for our adoption agency's in-country staff, Belay, who is diligently representing us and many other families who are trying to beat the clock on the court closure. Pray that he would have wisdom and discernment in his work.
Pray for Ethiopia orphans who number in the millions. Pray for their health and pray that the Lord would draw many families to adopt these needy children.

Thanks for loving us and praying with us.

Sinking In

2008-07-18T15:45:00.002+01:00

Amid the excitement, nervousness, worry and joy of the last 48 hours, this wonderful blessing is sinking in. We are really going to adopt a son from Ethiopia and I am going to be his Dad!

I don't know if this makes any sense, but it was almost like I wasn't prepared. I should have been. We have only been notarizing documents, filing reports, standing in long government office lines, waiting for next stages, talking to our adoption agency and updating supportive friends and family on our progress for the better part of 9 months, but the reality of our son still felt so far away and unknown. And yet in an instant, I found myself hanging up the phone with Leah and driving home to see pictures of the little boy who will call me Dad and who will depend on me to teach him how to me a man and how to navigate life. He will be intertwined in every aspect of my existence until I am gone.

I don't mind admitting that my initial reaction to the fact that we were getting a referral was joy mixed with fear. I was excited that our wait was over, but wondering if I was ready. Maybe only Dads can understand this, but my role seems so clear with my girls. Love them, cherish them, spend time with them, invest in them, tell them they are beautiful inside and out and make sure they know everyday that they are loved and cherished by their father on earth and their Father in heaven. Becoming a woman and all that entails will really be Leah's job with me on the side.

However, my role as a father to a son seems so unclear. It will be a lot of the same things as with my girls to make sure he knows that his Dad loves him and is in his corner at all times. But, to teach my son the nuances of being a man, knowing how to help him see the truth versus the lies about who he really is. That is that kind of stuff that makes me feel like I am being sent out to play a game I know almost nothing about.

But that was before and now this wonderful news and the God of the universe is changing my heart of unknowns into a heart filled with a deep and abiding joy that I have only known a few times in my life. I can't wait to hug my little boy, to play rough with him and to be his partner in a house of girls. I open his picture up on my computer almost every hour and I can't wait to look into his big brown eyes and tell him that he is not abandoned anymore.

Super Tuesday!

2008-07-16T12:58:00.003+01:00

Friends as many of you know, we have TV Friday and celebrate other days with various names. For instance, we have Super Tuesday. To set this day apart from other days we have had a girl's night out or done a special activity with the kids. However, yesterday marked an all new Super Tuesday.

While Ansley Mills was waking from her nap, Ellie demanding a cupcake and other such chaos that appropriately happens between the hours of 4-6pm, I grabbed the phone without even checking the caller ID (and yes I am sorry I do screen my calls at times, but never when its my mom..hehehe). There was this little sweet voice that could not help but sound excited. It was our case worker in Texas. My first thought, "Crap, what paperwork did I mess up or what is she going to tell me about paperwork that is about to expire and be redone..." Instead she asked if Tom was home.

Me: "He's still at work"
Her: "We'll I need to know how you want to do this because I have some very exciting news for you.... "
Me: "No you don't"
Her: "Yes I do"
Me: "No you don't, you do, no you don't wait.. no this can't be"

And this went on for several rounds before I was able to move on to the next part. I called Tom and asked him if he had time for a conference call. "With who?" I said never mind get in the car and get home as fast as you can because we just got some news! After several calls wondering where he was and talking the whole way home because if I was not talking to him I was going to explode, he finally came and I knew nothing other than we had to call back and get the details of our son.!

Once Tom arrived, we prayed. We just had to go before the Lord and say thanks, prepare us for what we are about to hear and see. We sat in front of the computer and called our case worker. She said okay I am sending the email. Tell me when you get it.... Seriously, our computer would not connect to the Internet. I mean for the love! So while we rebooted we asked her to just start telling us details because we could not take another second of waiting. Friends all I can say is our hearts warmed and melted. This little fella is our baby boy! We both welled with tears once our computer was cooperating and see this little picture and just start to melt. More details can be made known once we have had a successful court date, but in the meantime dear friends, please pray with us, celebrate with us and support us as we embark on the next stage of this journey.

We need a successful court date!!!!!!!!!

To sum it up, the courts close in two to three weeks for the rainy season for two months. What are the chances of getting a date and getting a thumbs up from the government before they go on their break. Well, that is up for the Lord to decide. But know this, our boy is healthy, smiley and all ready in the Gladney private facility getting love from great great people.

Thank you all for walking with us on this journey. More details to come soon.

To Be A Kid Again!

2008-07-15T20:53:00.005+01:00

Growing up in Cincinnati as a child, there was at least day a year when your whole family loaded up on sunscreen, sugar, and maybe a few tears and went Kings Island! It is about a thirty minute drive north of town and anyone who lives within an hour's drive has been there, flirted there as a preteen, owned a season's pass or even worked there. Every kid in Cincinnati remembers that lucky day with their father would say, "kids, we're going to Kings Island." You could barely sleep with anticipation of the event.

Questions kept you awake at night, Will I be tall enough to ride the "big" rides, or will I just be shy of making the cut for the coasters (praise God I was too small most years because truth be told, I was terrified). We would load in the car (the drive felt forever) and hit the gates as soon as the park opened, ride, eat, ride, eat and stand near the fountains for the fireworks show that closed the park at night. Complete with a glow necklace, and clothes saturated with sweat, it made for the perfect day. Plus as a bonus to mom and dad you were asleep before you even left the parking lot.

Recently, while we were in Cincinnati, a generous family member gave us some tickets to take the kids. We thought they might be a bit too young, but figured it was worth a try if nothing to have something to do. We figured that it could go a few different ways. Kids terrified and too small, mom and dad envying the days of childlessness and taking turns riding rides with strangers, rain and disappointment, some good family fights or someone wetting their pants or vomiting. Thankfully, hardly any of this transpired.

We got there as soon as the park opened, and almost on que, the rain that had led us there stopped. Ellie qualified for the first level of rides and sweet A Mills was off by nearly six inches (despite Tom trying to explain to the 16 yr. old worker that it was just because she was not standing up straight). Not much had changed in the entrance of the park. The smells of funnel cakes, LaRosa's Pizza, and cotton candy hit you in the face, as well as people wanting to take your picture and characters ready to hug your kids (Unfortunately, Sponge Bob was, "too scary!")

We went straight to the kids portion (long ago was Hannah Barbara Land, not to age myself, but now it is Nic Kids or something) and loaded Ellie up on a Back Yardigans Swing. I put her in the seat and walked away fearing for the worst. At one point I even wanted to scream, "my baby!", but she did great. She was SO proud and looked so grown up. A boy sitting behind her broke down and had to be removed before the ride even started and we thought good, Ellie doesn't know to be scared yet. As she was swung around and around (please don't get sick) her grin widened. When the ride stopped she shouted, "next ride" and she had the Kings Island bug. Ansley Mills watched her big sister depressed so we quickly had to find rides they both could do.

While we were there I was very aware of the absence of our son. Most of the rides accommodated three small children per car, and my heart was warm with the future of our three kids sittin' buns to buns on these rides. The girls were literally squealing with delight, and we heard a joy coming from them that made our day.

We can't wait to go back with the three of them and watch them light up and share this experience together. I get it now, why these parks suck in families, why folks make it to the big Disney World with small children even though you never know what you may get. We didn't even care that we did not ride any adult rides. It was just as fun to see them run from ride to ride, and watching Ellie be a big sister holding Ansley Mills and reassuring her that it was okay.

Before we finished our time there I did manage to take Clelia on The Beast (only the greatest roller coaster in the world) and eat some LaRosa's Pizza. I mean she did come all the way from France, so she had to experience at least that much.

Back in Action

2008-07-14T20:08:00.003+01:00

Some of you may have noticed a lull in posts about our adoption and it was for good reason. While we can't go into details, everything in Ethiopia was pretty much frozen for the last month and a half with no movement on court dates, referrals or travel. However, we are so excited (hence the business people jumping for joy above) because we received word on Friday that everything is back to normal and things are moving through the process again!

It was definitely hard to add more time to our wait, and to do so with little information, but we are glad our agency and the Ethiopian government proceeded with such care in this situation. Also, we feel like we had an easy go of it because our son is still faceless and nameless to us. Of course we long for him even though he is still unknown to us, but we are aware of many other families who were literally preparing to travel and had to pause everything for this period of time. I can't imagine how hard it would be to know your child and yet be unable to go get them. Thankfully and hopefully, these families will not have to wait much longer.

On that note, we are approaching the 3-month mark since we have been on the waitlist for a referral. We don't yet know how the recent slow-down has affected our wait-time, but getting the news last week gave us such a jolt of excitement. Even though we may not be, we both feel so much closer to the day we will go get our little boy now and anxiously await the phone call from our agency and the package in the mail telling us who he is.

That said, we are about 3-4 weeks away from the Ethiopian courts closing for 2 months for the rainy season. We have been told that if we get a referral before the courts close then it is possible to get rushed through court and be cleared to travel during the August-September rainy season. However, there is probably only a slim chance of this happening, but we are excited for the possibility. If we don't get a referral before the closure, we probably won't hear anything until the beginning of October when everything re-opens.

Overall, it is easy to frustrated and detached, especially when you just don't know anything. But, we are holding fast and know that someday soon, we will indeed be bringing a little boy home with us. That fact alone, keeps us moving forward. We are thankful for your continued prayers for our little boy, for us and for the country of Ethiopia.

Lastly, until the day when we can post such a video on our blog, please check out the moment our friends the Albertson's met their son, Sam, for the first time in Ethiopia just a few months ago. We can't wait for this moment!

Zimmer Family Reunion or Bust!! and bust we did...

2008-07-07T19:44:00.004+01:00

Need I say more. Now I will tell you this sort of incident is to be expected for the Carpenters. However, do not feel too sorry for us, we are not victims, it is just the very thing that makes our life so colorful. Like most Americans we traveled over the fourth of July weekend. Seating arrangements were as follows, Tom driver, Clelia shotgun, girls in car seats behind each front seat, Mom "riding the hump" (known as other things). After one hour of kids pulling on me, and fear of getting thrown up on I quickly made myself a nest in the trunk (don't worry it's an SUV). Tom made me promise I would tie a rope to myself and anchor it so as not to be projected from the car. We made it safely, minus one tire to Cincinnati in a mere TEN hours.

The reason, the Zimmer Family Reunion. The last time I attended this event I was about five years old. Zimmer is my dad's mother's maiden name and she is the only sibling who has passed away. So it was a packed house with many generations present. It was complete with games for every age, a trivia game laden with errors and food to feed an army. Over 100 of my relatives packed out this picnic ground, and I was quickly reminded the importance of cherishing family. It was surreal to see folks that I used to play with and watch our kids play together. A real gift to be able to share that with Clelia. One of our relatives was hosting a student from Haiti and they were able to converse in french.

The trip to Cincinnati was rounded out with a trip to Kings Island (another future post), a Red's baseball game and a world class milkshake from UDF. On the car ride home we managed to shave off a whole thirty minutes, upon our arrival into DC we voiced a desire never to drive that far again. I say for everyone to hear, I still do not want a minivan, the trunk is just fine, thank you.

Bienvenue Clelia!

2008-07-07T18:48:00.002+01:00

Greetings friends and readers alike. Several months ago we received an email from (now follow closely) my aunt who got an email from her friend who is friends with the cousin of a Frenchmen. This gentleman had a daughter who was finishing her first year of university (freshman in college) and wanted to come stay with a family in the US to work on her English. She was hoping to spend the month of July with a family for room and board and do some childcare for this family. When we first got the email I immediately thought of two different families who live in NW DC who have more children then us who were looking or desiring some relief. However, both of those families were in housing transitions and this summer was not the best fit. After nearly emailing back, sorry we couldn't find anyone, we thought.."wait a minute, this is exactly why we spent the time and money to finish out our basement." We wanted to be able to have a space to serve others, specifically a housing need. Now I was not looking for childcare per se but it doesn't hurt! After an exchange of several emails it was a done deal, we were going to meet Clelia at the Dullus Airport on June 23rd.

The afternoon of June 23rd, Tom sends me an email with Clelia's flight information, I told him we would go into the airport and meet her outside Customs. I would be the one with a red stroller and kids, I should not be hard to miss, just in case we made her a sign. Her flight was supposed to land at 2ish and I figured if I was there around that time we should intercept one another. However, Tom and I did not factor in an international flight and Customs. The girls were both asleep in the car and I had planned on being at the airport around 40 minutes, max.

After I woke up two very unhappy ladies, we loaded the stroller and headed to the international baggage claim. Please note Ellie's enthusiasm in this process of welcoming our new friend. Tom and I did not communicate well on the details of her flight info so after several heated text messages I got her flight number, it was delayed! At this point we've been there forty minutes and the girls do not want to be in the stroller anymore, so I let them roam. And roam they did. Now Ellie as bold as she is, has some comfortable fear, and will get nervous and come back. "the one with red hair" as Ellie lovingly refers to her sister can be quite the pill and seems totally fine with running in the opposite direction of mom.

People were wondering who the kids belonged to as they would snap their heads around after one of them cut them off while they were rolling their suitcases or butting into a wonderful reunion of lovers. Let me tell you trying to communicate sorry and excuse me while two folks who apparently have not seen each other in a LONG TIME (get a room) and who do not speak English leaves everyone involved a little vulnerable. Now two hours into this project, Ansley Mills in desperate need of a diaper change, kids screaming that their hungry, licking the floor and asking strangers if they have a "nack," I finally ask about her flight. She is in customs which can take up to two hours, I am thinking, dumb Americans, of course she is not just going to walk off her flight. Then we see her, I recognize her from a picture she sent weeks before, I get Ellie to hold up the sign and we are united at last. Nearly four hours of Dullus Airport and we've met Clelia. A dear sweet girl clearly jet lagged and has no clue what she has gotten herself into this summer with our family!

One of the first things we did with Clelia once she had a few days to acclimate was go to "The Mall." She speaks fairly good English and I realize how poorly I speak English when I am around her. We use far more slang and expressions then we realize. So she wanted to get a blueberry muffin (very American she says) and we decide to picnic under the Capitol. I am so often reminded how much I love living here and the very simple experience feels so extraordinary.

Another fun experience we have been able to share was a Cincinnati versus Washington Nationals baseball game. We were in Cincy for a family reunion and my cousin was able to get us some pretty darn sweet tickets behind home plate (yeah that was us on TV). We had a waiter who came to our seats to get us anything we wanted. Now I don't have to tell you Tom was in heaven. After the game, Nat's blew it in the 8Th, there was a fireworks display that lasted nearly 40 minutes. It was an incredible time. Clelia is such a gift, a real sweet girl with a gentle spirit. The girls adore her and she seems to like them too. We love her company and her help. It is a gift to our family to have this time with her. We are going to be very sad when she leaves and only hope this could be a fun yearly tradition.

Baseball with Ellie

2008-06-26T15:22:00.005+01:00

As some of you know, I sometimes try to live in quasi movie scenes. The perfect action, at just the right moment and with the most appropriate music or score playing in the background. I am indeed the modern day Clark Griswold. Leah often gets frustrated by this as she watches my expectations crash and burn, but last Saturday night was one of these times, and it was inescapable.

My dad and his brother (my uncle Bill) decided to do a baseball bus tour together, so last Saturday morning, they left from Charlotte and came to DC for their first game at the new Nationals Park. The arrived in the late afternoon and came over to our house to hang out before the game. Plans regarding the whole family going with Dad and Uncle Bill to the game were a bit up in the air, but I had in my mind most of the day, that at the very least, I wanted to take Ellie to her first baseball game. Leah could already see the wheels turning and tried to level my expectations, but the stage was set.

I talked to Ellie about going to the game most of the day and tried to get her excited. Her initial response was that she did not want to go, but when Pop came, she was ready. Leah and Ansley Mills decided to stay home, so the four of us headed out. We bought our tickets and I carried Ellie into the stadium on my shoulders (cue the dramatic "Field of Dreams" music!) as the wide expanse of the outfield and stadium came into full view. But just then, the stupid fireworks went off at the end of the National Anthem and Ellie lost it, screaming and crying that she wanted to go home. Not quite the start I was anticipating, but we pressed on. I promised her I would tell her when the fireworks were going to come again and after 20 minutes, convinced her that she could remove her fingers from her ears!

We went and got some food and then went to our seats. At first, Ellie did not seem that interested in the game, but was very excited about sitting in her own seat. She ate some of my barbecue sandwich and then her own hot dog and was ready for ice cream. She was slowly getting into the action and I was explaining the game to her when the Nats hit a home run and the fireworks went off again. Unfortunately, I failed to fulfill my promise and was too late to warn her, and she lost it again. I tried to talk about how beautiful the colors were, but she was only concerned with the loud and surprising boom! I thought that this was going to end our night, but as long as she stayed in my lap, she seemed to be fine. She also became obsessed with the Nat's mascot, a large eagle named Screech, and after Pop took her to see him, she seemed better. From this point on, it was the awesome experience I had hoped for.

Holding her in my arms, laughing and talking about the baseball men and eating more than one cup of ice cream - it was as close to a perfect moment as we get on this earth and really was a wonderful experience. Further, I already know that it will be one of those memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

We made it all the way to the 7th inning stretch before she started to lose interest, but it was a great night nonetheless. I now know to wait at least a few more years before envisioning sitting together at many more Nats games with Ellie keeping the box score, but nothing can take away from a Saturday night at the ballpark with your daughter.

Home Depot, Lowes, We have a love/hate relationship

2008-06-24T18:09:00.002+01:00

Do these look like the people greeting you at the door to help you find everything you need? Or is it the sweet retired engineer whose greatest joy is enabling other folks to be properly equipped? This has not been our experience despite what their commercials mislead you to believe. But we do love those stores, why? Because right from the moment you walk in you want to do it yourself, make something, create. You think you are walking in to get some light bulbs and walk out with a plan to re landscape (or at the very least) plant some flowers. Who knew you needed indoor plant feeder or shade grass fertilizer, they did. However, we can not seem to finish a "simple" home project without at least five trips to the dang store.

When we purchased a house that was nearly 100 years old and boarded up we knew it was going to require some work. Now Tom is definitely a handy man but for the sake of our marriage, sanity and time we were able to get a wonderful contractor who essentially gutted our home and made it move in ready. We have had no issues with any of that work, but in order to save some money and have some fun stuff to do ourselves we have been chipping away at the "little" things. Our girls have become so used to going to home depot that when mommy says, "man i am so ready for the weekend!" Ellie closely follows with, "are we going to home depot?" And to the stores marketing credit you can find Dora on just about anything from paint swatches to little potty inserts. Plus the girls often request "shakers." Yes, shakers are boxes of nails or screws, but desperate times....

We love walking into that store and feeling like we can accomplish any home task but often fall short of leaving with every possible solution. We sit down make a long list and that list seems to exist every weekend. We have been known to leave the list at home and rally to remember what it was we really needed in the first place. We have definitely left the store without the one thing we needed and seem to confuse what brands Lowe's carries versus home depot. All in all we are so blessed with a roof over our heads, and the exhaustive joy of home ownership, even when we hear, "mommy it's raining in our house!"

In a land of partical board...

2008-06-17T12:41:00.009+01:00

Our family has been busy selling furniture, and making way for some family friendly new-to-us pieces. In our quest to find sustainable, quality and comfortable furniture, we could not help but come to a store that has won our hearts, Ikea.

The very first Ikea experience was when Tom and I first moved into the DC area. We were looking for bookcases and after many failed attempts at yard and estate sales, we gave in and came to the super store most recommended. We were overwhelmed, and in awe of their design and layout. It took us three hours to get through the store and ended our journey with a 99 cent cinnamon roll! Move over Cinnabon!That was six years ago and since then there have been several visits back involving several storage solution pieces and always a 99 cent treat (Tom cinnamon roll or hot dog, Me always soft serve ice cream).

Last night the whole family went in search of a couch and some chairs for our living room and it was an adventure. We thought evening hours would be less crowded. However, as often is our experience and one we've come to embrace, this was not the case. It started out smoothly with little traffic and a great meal (all four of us for under $12), but then we hit the "showcase" and they did not have our couch (out of stock) and the evening sales crew was not too quick on problem solving. The store closes at 9 and we were dangerously close to not making it, so Tom and I split up to retrieve the rest of our furniture and slip covers when I heard those constant words, "Momma, I need to use the potty." So, I found Tom, dropped off my cart, took Ellison to the ladies room and then proceeded to get locked out of the main store. After we found someone to let us back in, Tom had a look of total defeat and exhaustion. We were going to have to go to another store! Another store is so typical, so we pressed on.

As we were checking out, things were going rather smoothly - we had two carts fully loaded, Ellie was laying on the cart I had plus Ansley Mill's stroller was wedged between my hips so that my hands were free to push the out of control cart. Next stop was home delivery, and the fellas working there were great! We were almost done when I noticed they gave us the wrong cover for one of the couches we got, and then all hell broke loose.

In our heads we were thinking, just switch it out... But Tom had to take it to the returns department where a sweet lady punched at the computer for literally 20 minutes before saying, "I don't think I know what I am doing. I am new here. Hold on and let me get someone to walk me through it." The HUMANITY! Why could you have not just told me that 20 minutes ago!!!What about the girls you ask? They were busy sprinting back into the warehouse and going behind the counters - only in slight danger...

So it's now close to 10pm and Tom is finishing up as they are literally turning off the lights. Ellie is swinging from some chain connected to a door and Ansley Mills is laying on the concrete wharehouse floor sucking her thumb. Thirty more minutes pass and finally we are loading up the car with Ellie crying that she wanted to go home and saying, " I don't like Ikea anymore." Ansley Mills was latched onto her thumb as if it were her only hope. We were literally the last ones out of the lot and the employees were pulling away as we tied down a mirror to the roof of our car.

In bed by 11:30pm and up at 6 am. Seriously, I love our life!

Brandon Heath & XM Satellite Radio

2008-06-13T18:10:00.013+01:00

Tom, Leah & Brandon

You really gotta love this city and yesterday was another example of why I enjoy living here.

About 11 years ago, I did work crew at Young Life's Malibu Club for a month during the summer. On that work crew was a guy who I became good friends with and have kept up with over the years. His name is Brandon Heath and he has one of the best voices I have ever heard. Brandon has recently made it to the big time and was recently given the GMA New Artist of the Year award in April! If you have never heard of Brandon, then you should become a fan today. His music achieves the perfect balance of great songwriting and instrumentation juxtaposed with real life and the Grace of the Gospel and is anything but what you might perceive to be typical Christian music.

The other part of the story is XM Satellite Radio. Even though I do not have a subscription to XM, I think their product offerings are really cool and their headquarters (I think they call it the "Mothership") are about 15 blocks from my office. The Mothership is one of the coolest buildings I have ever been in and contains some of the most expensive and top of the line recording and sound equipment you will ever lay your eyes on. Everything on XM comes out of this building including all the channels, sports & news coverage and the live performances - which brings me to the correlation of these two seemingly unconnected bits of information.

The XM Master Control Room

Yesterday, Brandon came to town to do a live performance for XM's Christian music channel and Leah and I got to go sit in on the set. It was amazing! There were about 10 of us total in the performance studio sitting back listening to Brandon and his band rock it out.

It was an awesome time and we are thankful to Brandon for letting us come and thankful for the amazing gift God has given him. Check out his music today and I promise you will become an instant fan.

XM Performance Studio

Just Typical...

2008-06-09T17:59:00.002+01:00

A typical Friday morning at our house, perched on the couch with what Ansley Mill's calls a "nack!" watching some Disney channel. Faithful readers know that Friday is TV day but we must confess this past week was a bit rough and so during those hell hours of the late afternoon, Sesame Street became a great companion of ours. It had been a long week so all of us were in bed early, but Saturday proved to be a true Carpenter experience.

5:30 am- Alarm 1 goes off, Mom starts her long run (out the door by 6, had to have some coffee, water and piece of fruit)
6:30 am- Alarm 2 goes off, Dad rises to run (don't worry Mia is in town and was home while the kids slept)
7:15 am- Dad showering, Mia drinking coffee waiting to be driven to conference, kids roaming the hall wanting, "nack" and "ilk"
7:30 am- Mom is back, soaking wet from sweat and the nasty DC humidity
7:45 am- Dad exits house with kids, and Mia
7:50-8:15am- Mom showers, eats and wants to check email.. phone rings
8:15am- Dad is in the driveway and kid #2 projectile vomited in the car on ride home
8:20am- Mom bathing kid, dad cleaning out car, start another load of wash
8:30am- Kids playing, mom wonders if we should rip up new carpet in newly renovated basement due to more water
8:45am- Dad rips up carpet, both Mom and Dad want to vomit and hear $$$ being taken
9:30am- Make a list of possible reasons we have water in our basement, it has not rained for nearly three days
10:00am- "we're going in" Dad starts cutting holes in the brand new and newly painted dry wall
10:30am- ahhh hahhh After second hole is cut, Dad locates origin of water, plumber never put the AC hose back into the drain, did we mention DC has been 100+ for a couple days. Dad fixes.
10:45am- Shop vac comes out, plug in heater, and dehumidifier running...
11:30am- Break for lunch
12:00pm- Mom climbs into wall and Dad hands her a hose to get the water out from behind the wall, while working with a razor blade to score paper off the dry wall that has been damaged
Meanwhile, Dad posted furniture on Craigslist and is "selling"
1:30pm- Girls are down for a nap, after dumping out all board games, jig saw puzzles, poker chips and domino's on the floor (well we had to do something while salvaging our new basement)
3:30pm- Mia back from conference, overpaid taxi driver due to nerves, Mom and Dad head to Fragers ( only the 100Th time we've been, and the first of five trips this weekend)
4:00pm- Stop by garden to water veggies and check on herbs
4:30pm- Mom is back in the wall checking progress, Dad gets kids up.
5:00pm- Thank Jesus because it could have been much worse, but totally exhausted emotionally and physically from day
5:30pm-Fix kids dinner, feed kids, wipe them off, give them a vanilla wafer and get ready for snobby supper club
Evening- Mia babysits, Mom and Dad enjoy Spanish tapas paired with wine, Dad is driving home, Mom does not!
What a friggin day!

Dare I Say More?

2008-06-06T19:33:00.003+01:00

The other day DC experienced some serious winds and rains. Trees in the back alley were bending to and fro, all the while Tom praying that one land on top of my car. Why you ask? Because Tom is convinced we will be the proud owners of a mini van. The only thing that stands between me and the ultimate mom car is the current vehicle I drive.

Hear me say this, the mini van is practical, affordable, spacious, and wise. I think folks that dig mini's are super, and do not question their personal enjoyment or navigation of such an auto. However, I can not do it! I will give up driving all together (ah the bonus of city living) and do without before I grace the driver's seat of such a car that strips me of my cool factor(or the one i pretend to have). Now I have been more than amenable to Tom driving that phat ride around town and have access to it when we need to make the ten hour car ride to see grandparents. But wouldn't you know that does not seem to be a good "solution."

I will admit I am too Eco sensitive and cheap to go for the Tahoe or Suburban, not to mention the cost of gas would limit us to one tank every other month. So if you have a workable compromise to our predicament we are open to suggestions. This is not a fight in our house, but could be if pushed to test a towne and country. Please tell me you've seen the video of "mom my ride." I can see the mystery sippy cups growing underneath my seats as I type.

Lambie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-05T14:37:00.002+01:00

Last Wednesday night a scream came from Ellison's room around 10:30 PM (we were watching Top Chef, love love that show). It was the kind of scream a child makes when there is a stranger standing over their bed, when something tragic is being witnessed, the kind of scream that sends a parent running. Tom went into her bedroom and for the next twenty minutes there was crying and Tom trying to calm Ellie to no avail. I did not want to go in and intervene since Tom had already invested so much energy and effort. The next thing I hear is the bath water running, so I put together that Ellie had an accident in her bed. No one likes waking up in their own urine, then being transfered to a bath while they have been sleeping. However, that was the least of our problems.

As Tom takes her back into the room, I hear silence then hyperventilating and more wailing. Tom comes back into the room and (I am thinking great I am going to miss that judges table) half smiling half exhausted from all the crying asks me, "Ellie wants to know if she can sleep with her lambies that are soaking wet with pee?" Now come on we all know the answer to this question. However, you must know the back story of lambie to fully appreciate the desperation of her ask. Starting when Ellie was about two months old we put a Lambie in her bed with her so that she could be attached to it and whenever we needed her to sleep someplace else her lambie would be the constant that gave her comfort. Now this worked like a charm and she could sleep ANYWHERE as long as she had lambie. Once on a trip to Greenville SC, i realized on the plane that Lambie had been left behind, and got a friend to open up a store after hours to score another lambie. Now she knew it was different but it worked (she was six or seven months old at the time). So now we had two, the original and "back up" lambie in case of emergencies. When Ellison was a bit over one, she discovered there were two, when i accidently left the drawer open that had the "back up." Now they are lovingly refered to as "rough" and "sweet" lambie. Rough lambie has ears that are now grey, its the original one. Sweet lambie has pinker ears and a more round face. Rough is the prefered lambie.

Now we are at 11:30pm, she is still hystarical, I mean would fall asleep for two minutes and awake crying out for "lambie." Tom offered her Ansley Mills lambie (which is a bunny, same idea right?) and as he snuck into her room to remove bunny, AM awoke "ambie, ambie?" Nice try dad but that was not going to work. So mom did what any mom would do at that hour, started a load of wash. At 5:30 am I woke up to go for a run and Ellie woke up screaming, forgetting about the torture of the evening before, luckily I rushed down stairs and retrieved both rough and sweet lambie from the dryer. And like that peace came over her and she ended up sleeping until 9:30am.

I have to be honest and say that Tom and I spent about equal time laughing and feeling her pain. At one point Tom asked if we could buy five more next time we were in South Carolina. Like a best friend moved, died or was gone forever. LAMBIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends, Readers Come Back!

2008-06-02T12:18:00.008+01:00

Okay, okay so the Carpenters have been somewhat MIA for a few weeks. However, be assured that this is not/will not become the trend. We promise not to be the blog that starts out strong only to fizzle out when the honeymoon has worn off. Perhaps we have said this before when the going gets tough but bear with us. We're not John and Kate plus 8 but lately we seem to be the family that burns through boxes of cereal faster than tanks of gas.

Some highlights to bring us all up to speed:

1. There is a park down the street that we play at regularly. Now there is no restroom at the park and so with all these little people learning to control their bladders there is this unspoken "pee tree" that most nannies, and mommies take their little ones too in emergency cases. Now this of course cases a lot of controversy amongst the community so now the "pee tree" is outside the border of the designated play area. Now on Memorial Day we joined friends for a picnic at a totally different park, where Ellie proudly announced, "I need to find the poo poo tree."

At the end of each day we have gotten into the practice of asking both girls, what their favorite part of the day was and something they were thankful for... Do we even need to let you know that Ellie's were as follows?

Favorite part of the day: "pooping outside near the tree"

Grateful for: "that poo poo tree, and my poo poo waiting until we got there"

2. Strawberry Picking... For Ansley Mills this experience was similar to our pumpkin patch episode.

Running to the berries...

The crew of berry pickers, mostly eaters. The owner made the mistake of telling the kids they can eat while they pick, every time i looked up from the bushes Ellie was eating away. I am sure we ate more than we purchased!