A DATE FINALLY!!!

Today we got news of our adoption date!! The boys will officially become Dennis boys on June 19th at 8:00 AM in the morning! Billy and I are happy to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Now we have to have a home assessor come out and visit with us for a little while. Then it's on to the courthouse for our hearing! We can't wait to hear the judge declare the boys part of the Dennis family forever! 

Now we wait...

This past Monday, Billy and I went to the lawyer's office and signed our adoption paperwork. We still have a few papers to fill out for children's services but the paper for the court is ready to go! Now we are just waiting to hear from our lawyer about our finalization date. I keep calling home multiply times a day to check our machine but still haven't heard anything. I am trying to have patience but I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. I hate waiting...I am not a waiter, I have never been a waiter...I do not want to start now! If we don't hear anything by tomorrow, I think I will try to give him a call. Mr. M did say that the court is scheduling adoption hearings about 45 to 60 days out. Boy that sounds like a long time but we have already been waiting 180 days (or so) so what is a few more days. During that 60 day period, we have to have another home study completed. A person from the court will come out and talk to us and check out our home and our references. Our case worker told me that she knows the court lady will love us! She also did say that this lady is a spitfire and speaks her mind. YIKES! 

So now we keep wait...

Last night Billy and I took the boys to see "Thomas and Friends Live: A Circus Comes to Town". The boys LOVED it. We didn't tell them what we were doing until they saw a picture of Thomas at the theater. It was a great feeling to have them be so excited and surprised. When the show was over, Kyle said "That was AWESOME!". Definitely worth the ticket price to see their faces and joy. 

Oh what a (busy) week!

Up until this year, Billy has coached track and cross country so I am used to having a busy fall and spring time. When he moved to his assistant Principal's job, he decided he wasn't going to coach. our days would be less hectic. I was wrong! I didn't think about how he would be officalling some track meets, which doesn't take up AS much time, but does still keep him out a few nights a week. Don't get me wrong, I am glad he loves being involved with track/cross country, and this is a good way of him still being an active part of the sport. It is also nice that he makes a little extra money which will help with our summer vacation plans. It is just hard to be home alone at night with the boys. THEY ARE EXHAUSTING!!!! OH goodness, I love them more than you can imagine but they never stop. I don't know how two little people can have so much energy all the time. I just wish I had the same energy. I could get a whole lot more done!

Friday night we went to Cara and Doug's for dinner. Jared and Bethany were there as well. They are expecting their first child in the next two weeks. We can't wait to meet the newest Carr. We haven't seen a whole lot of them lately so it was nice to spend some time with them. The boys and Hannah played together. They are all so headstrong which causes a bit of healthy bickering. I think the love that the three share was best described at the end of the evening. Right after "J" knocked Hannah over, he gave her a kiss goodbye. Too funny. 

Saturday afternoon was spent dyeing Easter eggs with my parents and my grandparents. It was fun to watch the boys enjoy dyeing eggs so much. They made sure their egg had the perfect dye timing and had dyed enough eggs of each color. I was glad that I had put down a plastic tablecloth though since "J" just thought that he could throw the eggs into cups! 

The Easter Bunny came last night so the boys were excited with the surprises he left. "J" got a big boy bike (a whole 12 inches) which he attempted to ride this afternoon and very matter of factly told us that he "can't like this yet!" "K" got a t-ball bat and a tee. They both had sand pails full of little junk with very little candy. The boys aren't really candy kids so the less we have the better. Mamaw and Papaw and Aunt Sam and Uncle Scott brought baskets full of candy. Grandma and Pop and Grandma and Grandpa bought the boys new swings for their swingset. It surely did look like Christmas around here today!

"J" seemed a bit confused about who all these grandmas were tonight. He wasn't sure how to get the attention of the one he wanted. While he was in the bathtub tonight he started yelling "white grandma". Not sure who he was looking for, my mom and my grandma walked into the bathroom and asked who he wanted. He pointed to my mom (she had on a white shirt) and then pointed to my grandma, who was wearing a brown sweater, and said "brown grandma"! What a clever little bugger he is! 

As I have said many times before, life as we knew it has been turned upside down and become a bit more crazy but we wouldn't give it up in a million years! We are totally in love with those two little boys! 

So much to say...

When we first met the boys, "J" was just starting to talk, at 2 and a half years old. When I say just starting, I mean just beginning to say words that you could barely understand, forget thoughts and phrases. I clearly remember him pointing to an airplane in the sky and thinking that if I hadn't known what he was pointing to I would have been clueless! Over the course of the last 10 months, he has started to say so much more, as kids who are learning to talk do. 6 months ago, he wouldn't even put 2 words together to make a request. Every day he starts to say more and put more words into sentences. This morning he came running into my bathroom and said "Mommy, Dad did my shoes! I can't tie them, it would take FOREVER!" I just laughed. He had his hands going a mile a minute and his head bobbing. TOO FUNNY!! He doesn't stop talking now. "J" has something to say about everything that happens. 

I remember hearing that what we say will come out of our kids mouths at some point. It amazes me how they can use words in correct context sometimes. "K" has started to tell us that things are "not necessary" when he feels they aren't. You can't help but laugh when it comes out of his mouth. He has also started to say "Oh crap!" which really isn't horrible in the whole picture but still something we are trying to stop. The other night I got on him for saying it and asked him where he learned that from! With this very innocent look he said "My special Mommy says it when the cat gets in the flower pots!" His special mommy is his first foster mom who he loves so much. I couldn't get upset with him about saying it but did explain that I didn't want to hear it again. 

"K" has finished up his basketball season, which he loved. He has started to play T-ball which he seems to be a bit better at. He also really likes this sport. I think he just likes to be outside playing and having fun. 

In less than two weeks, we can fill out papers with the court to petition to adopt the boys. It is so amazing that the last 6 months have gone by so fast. We have a few papers to fill out this week and get to the lawyer then we wait for the 17th and to get a date for our adoption to be final. "K" seems to be excited about being stuck with us forever. So are we!   

5 months down, 1 to go!

Today marks 5 months since the boys moved into our house. 5 months and 1 day ago I was a ball of emotions. I was excited, nervous, worried, scared...you name it and I think I felt it that week! I kept wondering if we were doing the right thing, how are lives were going to change, how the boys would adjust. Then Friday Oct. 17th came and that afternoon our two boys walked into our house, just like they had done the past 8 Friday evenings, ready to be in their bedrooms, in their beds, playing with their toys and pets and being at our house. They never blinked an eye as all of their belongs came with them, as we put all their clothes away in their dressers and as we found places for more of their toys. They just knew they were home! 

The State of Ohio says that children placed in a home for adoption must be living there for 6 months before the paperwork can be filed to finalize their adoption. I believe this to keep the number of disrupted adoptions down. Someone must think that 6 months is ample amount of time for everyone to see true colors! We knew about this 6 month waiting period when the boys moved in. We weren't happy about it since we knew we wanted to adopt the boys long before they moved in but it is just one hurdle you have to jump! In October, 6 months seemed like it would take forever to get here. Then in February, Billy and I went and met with our adoption lawyer to start the process, and he said that in the beginning of April we would get back together to finish up the paperwork. At that time, the beginning of April seemed like it was so far off! I can't believe how quickly it is approaching! 

Billy and I will be so excited when we find out the date of our court hearing. We will be happy to have the boys legally be ours forever. We have started to talk to "K" about how his name will change when he is finally stuck with us forever. He seems really excited about it. I don't know how much of the whole adoption idea he understands but we tell him enough to help him understand what is going on. Both the boys know they are loved so much by so many people and that seems to be enough for them! 

A Perfect Slam Dunk!

This week was week 7 of the Upwards Basketball program which means that we only have one week left. The first night of practice, Billy sent me a text message and said that "K" had no basketball skills at all. Now remember when I asked "K" if he wanted to play basketball he said "Sure" then a few minutes later he (very enthusiastically) questioned "Jennifer, what is basketball?". With that being said, Billy's message wasn't much of a surprise. We didn't expect "K" to be the star of the team. We just wanted him to have a place to get some energy out, learn to play on a team with other kids and to more importantly, just have fun. If he gained some ball skills, that would be an added plus. 

During the first practice, "K" couldn't even dribble the ball standing still. In his game today, he was dribbling the ball while walking down the court. During the first week, he would attempt to "granny throw" a ball into the net not even coming close to the hoop/net/backboard. Today he was attempting to shoot the ball and came very close to the net, throwing the ball overhand. Not too bad in our book!

The Upwards program does not keep score and every kid gets to play equal time. But it is hard to not realize which team is scoring points. The other 8 kids on "K's" team have shot and made many baskets throughout the season. "K" has not. Well today during his game, "K's" coach picked him up and held him close enough to the net that "K" was able to "slam dunk" the ball. Everyone erupted in applaud. Needless to say, Mom and Grandma had tears in our eyes looking at the HUGE smile (the one I love so much) on my little man's face. He was so happy and proud and excited and every other happy emotion. It was awesome. During the post game meeting, his teammates where congratulating "K".  He was on cloud nine! 

He was still smiling about it tonight while he was telling his other set of grandparents about it. Coach Kyle has no idea what his assisted shot means to "K" and to Billy and I!! 

warmer weather...

This past weekend has brought warmer weather around here which is a nice change to the bitter cold a week or so ago! The boys LOVE being outside and have enjoyed every minute of the warmer temperatures. For Christmas and birthday they both got red wagons that they have pulled, rode in and dragged the wagons all around our yard. We also have a basketball hoop that has allowed for some much needed practice on "K's" part. The boys also have rode their bikes and big wheels all around. It is amazing how much better "J" is getting at riding his bike. Mamaw (Billy's mom) taught "J" how to pedal. Now he is a little speed demon around the driveway. I love seeing how he just takes off. It is a big change from a few months ago when he would just cry because he couldn't do it. "K" has also grown into his 2 wheeler with training wheels and he can ride all around as well but he prefers his big wheels since he can go faster and skid to a stop. Much cooler if you are 6! 

Speaking of changes, we have two dogs who "J" was terrified of a few short months ago. "J" wouldn't even let them look at him without screaming and yelling and running away. The running away in turn cause the dogs to chase "J" which would cause more screaming! Today as we were getting out of the car from school, the dogs came running up to greet us and "J" was so happy to see them. He cheerfully said "Sophie, Buddy, play?" It is very amazing to me how comfortable he is with them now. "K" was never really afraid of them but was still a little nervous but has really come around as well. The dogs are "theirs" now. All the animals around here belong to those two boys! 

Basketball is coming to an end shortly, only two more games to go. "K" wanted to play baseball also so we just signed him up for t-ball today. It will start shortly after basketball ends. He is excited about it. "J" isn't so happy though as he can't play until next year since he is only 3.  Hopefully baseball will go as well as basketball has. "K" loves playing and has really learned to work well with other kids on the team. 

Tonight as we were brushing our teeth for bed, having the usual silliness and giggles, I just looked at this two little men and realized how much love I have for them. I mean, I have known how much I love them for a long while but just at that moment it all hit me just really how much that is!