stroller #6

I purchased our sixth stroller this week. I was going to line them all up and take a picture for this post, but I've been a little busy lately...plus Bryan got sick of tripping over them and put a few of them up in the rafters of the garage.

Here's the run-down:

The first stroller I purchased was the huge "travel system" variety that comes with a carrier car seat. It is the only stroller I purchased new, but I ordered it on clearance for $100 including the car seat.

We also have two umbrella strollers, both purchased at garage sales for a total of $5.

Last summer I purchased the Combi side-by-side double on craigslist for $80. I love this stroller because it is light-weight and small for a double stroller. But Brett is going through a hitting phase, and he likes to pick on Lydia. And Reggie doesn't like anything that involves not being held, so the Combi is currently in the rafters.

Early this summer, we purchased a double bike trailer/stroller off craigslist for $65. It is also in the rafters : ).

It was apparent that we needed a tandem stroller that seated 3. Shopping for a triple stroller was tricky because there isn't enough of a market for them for stores to have them in stock for you to test drive. We also are not planning to replace our car any time soon and there is no such thing as a small triple stroller. We decided on the Joovy Big Caboose if we could get it in our car. It has two regular size "stadium" seats that face forward, and then in the back there is a bench seat for your toddler to sit, or has the option to stand.

It retails new for $376, and I was thrilled to find one on craigslist for $150. I told the lady if we can get it in the car, I'll buy it, and we figured out a way to get it in! It is not exactly easy to maneuver, but it gives me the freedom to get out and about on my own.

That's $400 that we've invested in strollers. Not bad, considering we could have spent that on just one.

the "twos" have arrived

I fear the "terrible two's" have arrived. What makes me think that?

Let's see...three time-outs before breakfast, all related to terrorizing his sister.

Then, I come downstairs to a guilty-looking face saying, "no no", standing in a puddle of water - someone was playing with the water dispenser on the frig.

And again, I enter the room to a guilty-looking face saying, "no no" - this time the broken rule was playing with the DVD player.

And just shy of noon, I catch my oldest feeding the middle child a dandelion (she was happily eating it...)

Lord, give me patience....and my kids need some, too.

Brett's Adoption Day

One year ago today, Bryan, Brett, and I went to court to officially become a forever family. We are so thankful for adoption! Not only has it brought our two sons to us, but it has truly been this amazing experience that has deeply impacted our life. So today we celebrate Brett's adoption.

Families celebrate this "anniversary" of sorts in many different ways. Some don't recognize it at all and some throw their kids big parties. We, having a bio child sandwiched between two adopted children, are definitely going to recognize the day, but there will be no big celebrations. The plan is to have it be more of a day of celebrating our family as a whole, and allow, in this case, Brett, to choose what he wants for dinner.

Brett "chose" lasagna and garlic bread. He kept saying "um" (yum) as he ate it, so I must have guessed the right meal! At bedtime, we read "We Belong Together" by Todd Parr and thanked God for adoption and prayed for Ms. April, as we do quite frequently.

I'm sure there will come a time when Lydia says, "No fair!" But there are lots of ways to help our kids recognize how special they are to us and how much we love them.

My two sentence review of the book is this: It has been criticized for making it sound too much like the child needed a family and we were SO gracious to give him one. I get that, but my one year old loves the pictures and can't read yet, so I change some of the wording.

three

Tired.

Found the Doritos!

Having a treat at the mall.

Learning to walk behind push toys!

Just reading a book to Brett, snuggling Reggie to sleep, and giving Lydia a snack.

At the zoo with Grandma Judi

Attempting a revised family shot...

After 9 months, I finally figured out how to upload/download videos from our "new" camera, so now you can see us in action!