gotta love it

Two funny stories to tell from the past couple of days.

The reality of James joining our family is becoming greater with each day.  It seems the kids are even living it out in their little consciences.  I could barely keep my composure during these two instances.

I was in our bedroom putting clothes away the other day and Avery, Brooks and Jackson were milling around the house playing.  These three are like triplets.  In fact, people often ask us if they are.  Avery's on the petite side, Brooks and Jackson are tall.  But more than that, these three play.  I mean, I can hear them all day long setting up scenario after scenario after scenario of make-believe.  They play 'Peter Pan' a lot.  So much so that sometimes Brooks is even Peter Pan's dog.

(Whatever floats your awesome-imagination-of-a-child boat!).

They build animals out of Legos and then build them homes with blocks.  They play with Barbies (in fact, they just walked in and the boys asked for 'men Barbies' for Christmas so they can really play Barbies with Avery!).

I digress...

So I'm putting the clothes away and I start hearing the word 'orphanage' in every other sentence.

'Orphanage' this and 'orphanage' that.

Then I hear Brooks exclaim:

'No!  I don't want to be adopted again!'

'Nooo...you always make us be adopted!  We're done being adopted!'

Avery pleads her case.

Now Brooks is full-on yelling, 'A-ver-y!  Nooo!  I don't. want. to. be. adopted. anymore!'

I just love that adoption and what they understand of it has entered their consciousness so much that it's entered their make-believe.  Our hope and dream for our family is that, for our children -- and for us! -- that being an adoptive family will be a new normal for us.  And eventually the new will fall away and it will just be normal.  I think we're on the right track.

Story number two:

So I'm sitting on the couch yesterday morning praying (writing my prayers in a journal).  Brooks wanted to eat a yogurt, so I told him he could do so only if he could sit quietly at the counter so I could finish my prayer time.  (He lasted all of two seconds).  Then he said, 'Momma, I think James is going to grow an arm one day.'

'Really?  Why do you say that?' I asked.

'I just think he will.'

'Hmmm.  Well, because people usually grow arms when they're in their mommy's belly, I don't think James can grow one now.'

Silence.

'No, I think he will.'

Well, okey-dokey then.  He may be in for a rude awakening, but we'll take it in stride.

If kids don't have the most precious perspective on things, I don't know who does!

You gotta love it.