Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Brandon and I thought we were just Disney Junkies.

Well... then we took the kids to Busch Gardens and we decided that we are really just theme park junkies and that we can enjoy ourselves even without the Disney brand.

Pause here for the audible gasp. 

I know, I know.

Seriously!  We've lived an hour away from BG for almost FIVE YEARS and had never been.

*hangs head*

A few weekends ago, we were looking for something fun to do with the children.  It was beautiful outside and wanted to do an outdoor activity.  I remembered seeing a deal for FREE funcard passes for "preschoolers" to Busch Gardens.  I happen to have two preschoolers. 

So while we were rocking on the porch, we googled the rates for Busch Gardens.  Then we figured that if we combined birthday money with our entertainment budget, we could get fun cards for the four of us that are not preschool age, that require a ticket.  (Isaiah does not require a ticket.)

We filled out the forms for Xander and Solomon, grabbed their birth certificates and off we went.

We didn't tell the children where we were going.  But the girls figured it out when they saw this:

And the crowd went wild!

After a short visit to the ticketing booth, we were a family of upgraded Fun Card holders.  We found out that the boys' passes included Water Country USA, so we upgraded ours to be good at both parks.

I don't think I've ever been to a Busch Gardens Park so we had to fly by the seat of our pants a bit.

First, we grabbed a map.

 And then we stumbled into a long line and asked what the line was for.  It was for height check.  I love this.  It makes me so giddy.

So, sometimes when you are at a theme park, the attendant disagrees that you are eligible for a ride and you have to do a height check. This holds up the line and can be particularly devestating to a small child that just stood in line and now can't ride.

To prevent this, they have height check at the beginning of the park, and they give you a wrist band to show the attendant.

Big puffy heart love!

Solomon wasn't so sure though. 

Julianne was thrilled with her band:

And Lainey is tall enough that she doesn't have to wear a band.  She can ride anything!

The first place we went to was the Sesame Street area and we watched a show.

But the area was very crowded so we decided to see what else we wanted to do. 

We found The Flying Machines and Julianne decided that this was something she wanted to ride.  Julianne has never been on a height restricted ride, ever.

Here she is giving a thumbs up for her first "big girl" ride as she called it.

And here is her reaction after:  

 Bless her!

We did get her on a few more rides though.  She is certainly NOT the ride junkie her big sister is.

The four "bigs" rode The Little Gliders and Isaiah and I played peekaboo.

Then the girls and I rode Trade Winds.  We all went to see Pirates 4D.

We really enjoyed the All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet... and they were SO good with answering questions about food allergies. 

And then we utilized Rider Swap to ride Europe in The Air, which is kind of a combination of Star Tours at Disney World and Soarin' so the girls got to ride twice in a row.  First, they rode with Daddy, while I sat with the littles and then they rode with me, while Daddy sat with the littles.  Julianne LOVED this ride.

We walked around a bit, trying to learn the layout of the park, walked through some shops, had a snack and then headed out of the park at closing.

We both completely agree that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is the most beautiful park we've ever seen and we understand why it gets the awards it does.

We are proud to call it our "home park." Can't wait to return! 

We never imagined we would make it from early afternoon until closing with the Fantastic Five, but we did!  We can't wait to get back. 

Sometimes We Don't Really Want What We Ask For

Xander was intrigued by my new footwear this spring and asked 4379247 questions in about 3 seconds flat.

"Mama, are those your shoes?"

"What is that noise?" 

"What do you call those shoes?"

"Fip fops?"

"Why are they called that?"

Etc, etc.  It went on and on.

Later that day, he declared that he wanted some flip flops too.  Pretty please, Mama? 

No problem. 

A few days later, we took the kiddos to the mall in search of new summer shoes. 

Solomon was thrilled once he found some Lighting McQueen sandals. 

Xander turned his nose up at them.  He wanted "fip fops like Mama and Daddy." 

Fine.

So we tried some flip flops on him and he immediately started screeching.

I couldn't get them off of him fast enough.  I asked him what was wrong and he said he needed socks.

I attempted to quietly discuss how flip flops go in between your toes and so you couldn't really wear socks with them.

Nope.  He wasn't hearing it.

So we showed him.  And the screeeeeching began again. People were starting to stare now. 

We tried a few different pairs.  Nothing was acceptable.

So we moved to sandals. 

Those weren't right either. 

We ended up with some slip on shoes.  He was not thrilled.  He was as frustrated with me as I was with him.  This picture speaks volumes. 

Defeated, we trudged back to the van.  Tantruming continued and we cancelled our afternoon plans. 

And once again, this whole scenario was on my mind.  I was frustrated.  I was annoyed.  And I took it to prayer.

Oh man.  I was quickly reminded how many times I've begged God for something and then not been happy with it when it came.  Sigh.  I've done it so many times! "Flip flops, pleaaaaaaaaaaase God???? Pretty please?" 

And then He gives them to me... and it's uncomfortable.  It doesn't feel right.  And I start my own screeching to Him. 

I cry and tell Him, "NO!  NO NO NO!  This isn't what I asked for!" even though it really is what I asked for.

And so I try a new pair of shoes... and they aren't quite right either.  Then I have a tantrum. 

Ouch. 

This parenting gig is tough.  It's sanctifying!  It's worth it.  I have learned so much about my relationship with God as I watch my relationships with my children. 

Have you ever asked for something from God and then been unhappy when He gives you what you ask for?  Surely, Xander and I are not isolated incidents. 

~Stephanie 

Bathroom Demo!

Our house only has one bathtub in our 2.5 bathrooms.  We call it the children's bathroom, but I supposed it would also be shared by a guest too. 

It was enclosed with sliding doors that never looked clean.  An additional issue was that when we bathed Xander and Solomon in it, we could only reach whoever was sitting closest to the open door and when we rested our arms on the side of the bathtub, our forearms would be eaten up by the tracks.

I hated it.  So me being me, I started scouring the net to see if there was anything cheap that could be done to tweak it and make it more liveable. 

I sent Brandon a link and he said that he thought we could do that "one day."  Little did he know that the next evening, I was going to go upstairs and start demoing our bathroom with only an electric screwdriver and that I'd end up calling downstairs for him to "Come quick!  Help!" 

I'll explain.

So this is what our bathroom looked like when I started my attack.  (See, it wasn't completely impulsive! I remembered to snap a pic with my iPhone!)

I started by lifting the doors up off of the track and then angling them and taking them out.  I thought I could take them out one door at a time.  But I couldn't get them to release from each other.  I also greatly underestimated their weight.  So I hollered down the stairs, "Brandon! Help!  Come quick!"  He lifted the two doors and took them out of the track. 

PHEW.

Here they are sitting on the floor. 

Next up, was removing the track. 

First, I unscrewed the top track.  This was pretty easy, but we estimate that these doors were probably original to the house (and the house was built in 1981) so there was a bit of buildup that I had to chip off of the screw head. 

Ta da! 

Then we had to take the rest of the tracks off.  I had to use a razor along the caulk to get it to release the tracks after I unscrewed it.   Then I took a butterknife (because we are fancy like that!) to scrape the caulk off of the tiles.  Then used a green scouring pad to remove the slight film left behind. 

Look at the dirt under it!  ACK!  I scrubbed that up in no time flat!

We also caulked where the screws were to prevent water from getting in and causing damage. 

Then I went to my second home.. I mean, Target, and bought a shower rod, rings and a liner.  I couldn't decide what shower curtain to get.  So for now we don't have one.  It's okay.... it's just us!  Some things take time!

And here is the before and after.  I smile everytime I bathe the boys in the tub now.  My forearms thank me!

The bathroom isn't "done" but we are okay with that.  We surely don't have the funding of HGTV when it comes to working on our house. 

For example, you may have noticed the floor in some of the pictures.  Or maybe not.  Anyway, here it is in all it's glory!

Yeah... definitely still have some things to take care of.  One thing at a time... and it is slowly beginning to feel like OURS!

~Stephanie

From the Draft Pile: I'm blind...

(Many times I stay up much later than my family, typing away on the keys of my laptop.  Words... I am a girl of words and I often have trouble sleeping until they all spill out across the screen.  Some days the words don't come as easily as others.  Some days I have trouble keeping up with my thoughts despite the fact that I type more than 70 wpm.  Not everything is published.  In fact, I'm embarrassed to say how many of my posts stay in draft form.  But I figured I'd start sharing some periodically... This is one of my favorites.) 

A few days ago, we were stopped by a stranger and asked what country we adopted from.

I've quickly learned that not every question asked has a friendly agenda behind it. So I said, "Actually his adoption was a domestic adoption, right here in Richmond, why do you ask?" with a puzzled look on my face.

The stranger said "His skin sure is brown!"

Caught off guard and not sure what to say, I smiled and we went on our merry little way.

But later in the quiet my wheels really started turning and I couldn't place my finger on why I was thinking about this interaction so much. He is biracial. His birthfather is African American and his birthmother is Caucasian. But when I hold his hand in mine, I don't see his skin. I'll even admit that at times, I forget that we adopted at all!

Why? Why don't I see it?

I look in his chocolate brown eyes and I see my husband's eyes. I look at his expressive eyebrows and I see Julianne's eyebrows. We play monster face with him and I see Brandon's silly monster face. When he is being extra sweet and bats his long fluffy eyelashes, I see baby Lainey's eyelashes that used to flutter slower and slower until she drifted off to sleep. When I hold his sticky hands, I see Julianne's dimples on the back of his hand. I see my smirk as he tests boundaries with us. I hear Brandon's deep belly laugh when I tickle Xander.

I see these things because LOVE has blinded me. I see my son - my oldest son. The little boy that has given me a thousand heart attacks from his climbing, jumping, flipping action packed life and he isn't even two yet! I see a blessing that I'm thankful for every single day. I see a little boy that when he says, "My mama" a lump forms in my throat and it takes multiple times for me to swallow it down. I see a little boy that loves me so much he is willing to share his most prized possession ever with me: the calloused left thumb that he sucks. I see a sweet boy that pats my back when he gives hugs and who is fiercely protective of all of his siblings. I see my 23 month old that is torn between being a big boy and sitting in mama's lap in the rocking chair, just one more time.

And sometimes when I watch him, I drift off into thinking about the future. I see a young man that causes me to bite my fingernails as he plays his favorite sports. I see a teenager towering over his 5'3" mama. I hear a deep voice. I see broad shoulders, strong arms, and a defined jawline. Of course I have no idea what will happen in our future... but every now and then I let my mind drift to the bittersweet place where my children are older.

This morning I was still thinking about these thoughts and I just stopped to pray. I asked God to show me why this was on my heart so much. And as I started my morning chores, I realized, that I've been beating myself up for "outside" things. God looks within us and He sees our actions. God sees my persistence with teaching my children the Word, He sees my thankful heart, He sees the love I have for my family. He sees that I'm a busy mom but I still make Quiet Time a priority so I can fill myself up with Him and the Word. God loves me!

And just like that all the thoughts swirling in my head went away.

Make no mistake, I know he is biracial. I know his skin is really brown. We make a tremendous effort to live in a part of town with racial diversity. We attend a church with racial diversity and a pretty large adoption community. And I am not ashamed that he is biracial at all. It's just that I, as his mother, see the little boy within his skin and I dream of the day where skin color doesn't matter.

~Stephanie

Solomon turns 3 and Blackie is born

Gracious, time is flying by.

On May 31st, Solomon turned THREE!

Birthdays are pretty mellow here, so we went to the mall to eat dinner and let the kids play in the playland.  Solomon really enjoys playing at this particular playland. 

We let the kids play longer than we normally would and then we headed down to Build A Bear.  He had fallen in love with Lainey's webkins cat, Sugar, so we thought he'd like to build his own bedtime buddy.

He immediately chose this black bear and hugged it.

And so we started the process of stuffing the bear.  He stepped on the pedal and then decided that he wasn't going to complete that task.  In his defense, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner when you stepped on the pedal.   So instead, Mama pressed the pedal and he had fun pressing the button to change the lights in the stuffing box.

Then we kissed the heart and Solomon put it inside the bear.  The lady sewed him up and we went to the fluffing station.

Again, it sounded like a vacuum and Solomon wanted no part of it.  (Are you sensing a theme?)

Mama fluffed the bear and then we went to make his birth certificate.  Solomon's bear is named Blackie.

Since we registered him, if Blackie is lost and then found and taken to a Build A Bear store, the store can contact us.

We paid for Blackie and put him in his house and big strong Solomon carried him all the way to the car.  This really impressed me because the box was almost as big as Solomon.

He wouldn't put Blackie down even after he was in his carseat, so we ended up taking Blackie out of his house so that he could be held.

And Solomon has slept with Blackie ever since.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Solomon Kincaid!  Mommy loves you!

~Stephanie

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, Mama Rock Me

Mother's Day was low key.  Just like I like it!

First, I slept in and woke up to an empty house.  I was a little puzzled but decided to go with the flow.  The silence was eery.

Brandon and the children came home shortly after.  Brandon made me a special lunch and then told me had to leave later.

Okie dokie. 

The children all gave me cards and Brandon gave me one too.

Later he left and was home a little while later.

He asked me to come outside and I saw them.

Rocking chairs!

I looooooooooooove rocking on a porch.  A "rocking chair front porch" was on my wish list.  And I seriously danced in the yard when we pulled into the driveway on showing day and I realized that although they advertised this:

If you stood at the other end of the wrap around driveway you saw this:

Seriously... what were the sellers thinking? 

Oh well, it helped us get the house!

And here is what the house looks like with rocking chairs.

I'd like some more decorations out there, but I haven't decided what I'd like yet.  Maybe some "B" pillows and a little plant on the table.  Or maybe a pillow that says "His" and another one that says "Hers?"

But even without the decorations, this little space is where I like to do this:

 

~Stephanie

Hi 1988, Welcome to 2013!

One of the first things we noticed when we walked through this house was that it seemed well cared for but needed updating.

Seriously, that is perhaps the understatement of the year.

I offer Exhibit A, a 1988 "Micro-computer."  Seriously! that is what it said on the dang thing.  We know them as "microwaves."  Believe it or not, it actually worked.  And then it started overheating.

Since we negotiated  a home warranty into the purchase, we phoned the customer service line.  Each specialty you have visit your home, has a $60 charge.  We figured that we'd gamble the $60 to see if we could get a new microwave.

The technician arrived and laughed when we showed him the "overheating" microwave.  He couldn't find parts for it.  (Are you shocked?) And therefore could not repair it.

He completed the required paperwork for the warranty company.  A few days later, the warranty company called and said we had two choices.  They would have a technician install a black Kenmore appliance or we could take the cash option.

We took the cash option.  When we saw the house and won the bid for it, we decided that we'd go stainless with the fridge.  All the appliances are different colors,  so we figured it wouldn't hurt at all at this point.

I found a Lowe's coupon and we hit the store. We spoke to our favorite appliance salesman and chose the microwave.  We asked what they charged for installation.  It was $99 but he assured me that even a novice could do it.

So we tried!

Everything was going well, until we realized that the microwave we had just hung was missing a hole to screw into the cabinet above it.

Womp, womp.

So we heaved it down and put it back in the box and took it back.  They exchanged it for us.

And we came home and put it up in a snap!   (That is Brandon's arm... I was snapping the picture!)

 Since the microwave was on sale, and  had a coupon, we made some of our $60 "trip fee" back!  We then faxed the receipt into the warranty company and now it is included too!

Win, win, win!

And with that, our first "real" repair was made to our home.  Ya-hooooo!

~Stephanie