Barack Obama

We won!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally this country can have a President we can be proud of.

Vote

Well it is finally here....election day. The chance to make your voice heard. The excuses that I have heard from people make my head want to explode." My vote doesn't relly count anyway." "He's just going to get assasinated in office anyway why vote for him?" "The lines will be too long." I've never registered to vote ...who wants to be called up for jury duty?" " Not registered, don't want to get drafted if they reinstate the draft." Really, people really???? Are these reasons not to vote? this election will change history as we know it. If one side wins(the side I'm on) we will have the first African American president. If the other side wins we will have the first female vice president. Anyway you look at it this is history in the making and as for me I will not be standing on the sidelines making excuses. I will be casting my vote, making sure that those who came before me fighting for the right to vote did not fight in vain.

Canada

Well Ladies and Gentlemen it's official....we are moving to Canada!! Kevin accepted the position as of Monday. We are very excited and nervous as we are moving out of the country. I realize it's Canada and not Bolivia but still we will be away from all that is familiar, our family and friends. It will be tough for awhile but we feel we are doing what is best for our family. We will be renting a townhouse there and renting our house here, Trying to sell our house in this market would be like opening up our wallets and saying here take it all...lol. Anyway it is a really nice townhouse that is bigger than the house we have now with a finished basement which will give us lots more living space. Kevin has to be there to start his job on Nov. 13, with me following after the first of the year. I don't want the kids to be surrounded by boxes and craziness on their first Christmas at home. Hopefully we will settle in quickly and get used to living in another country.

Alex's first Tigers game

Ahh the smell of hotdogs, the sound of the crowd, the beautiful blue sky, the wonder on my sons face as he watched his first Tigers game. The sadness as I watched him knowing his Grammy Janet would have loved to be sitting next to him cheering on her Tigers, but also knowing she was there smiling down at him and wishing she was there.

He loved Bayball as he called it and wanted to go out on the field to help them play the game but Daddy told him no that unfortunately his help wasn't needed. But Mommy and Alex made a pact that he would become a major league player so that in our old age Daddy and Mommy could be supported in a way of life to which they would like to become accustomed. We even shook on it. So the deal has been made...whew that sure is a weight off our shoulders.

Always remember

I will never forget that day, the beautiful pristine blue sky the thick black smoke pouring up polluting the beauty of the sky. My horror when I called my mom for some mundane thing and her telling me turn on the T.V. at work, a plane just hit the Twin Towers. As I was yelling to my coworkers to turn it on her saying OH MY GOD another plane just hit the other tower !!!! She started crying and a cold chill went down my back knowing this was no freak accident this was deliberate. I remember the silence.... only punctuated by one of my coworkers quiet sobbing as we watched the towers burn. What could you say at a moment like that knowing all life as we know it was about to change. The fear of not knowing what was to come, the feeling of "I just need to get home and I'll be safe." But still knowing none of us were safe and wishing it was all just a very bad dream. That day began a new normal for all of us. Remember it can happen again in an instant, remember those who were lost, remeber how we came together as a country then united in our horror and anger. Let us never forget that horrible day.

Poor choices

Do you ever as a parent sometimes wonder if your kids will ever make it to adulthood because you make poor choices as a parent. Tonight was just such a night. i got home from work and Kev and the boys were gone so I decided to pick up the house a bit get the kids beds turned back pjs laid out and diapers and pulls ups ready. While picking up in the living room I noticed the spray container of carpet cleaner on the coffee table and thought to myself why did Kevin leave that out one of the boys could have gotten hurt. Fast forward to finished getting the boys ready for bed and Cooper running into the living room and 2 seconds later shrieking terribly...I then heard the cat hiss and thought uhoh the cat finally got him. No, Kev picked him up and he is writhing in his arms screaming and we are trying to see where the cat scratched him and I realize he has something wet on his face.. IT WAS THE F ING CARPET CLEANER!!!!! My dumb ass went so far as to mentally criticize Kevin for leaving it out but then not put it away myself. I am so stupid sometimes!!! We flushed his face and eyes with water and then made him drink and spit some water too in case he had ingested any of it. Five minutes later he was running around like a chicken acting fine. That was my first really really scary parenting moment. I feel so guilty that I was so careless with our kids safety.

Out of town

Kev is in Canada for a couple of days and while he is gone I am always torn between missing him and being happy to have the house to myself and spending lots of time with the boys.
I think tomorrow I will take the boys to the splash pad here in Redford. They absolutely loved it the last time we went.
In other news I am contemplating going to Ohio to visit my family for a couple of days with the boys in September. I haven't been down to see my family in ages and I would like to take the boys to meet my side of the family and to go to my grandparents graves and see the old house that I still remember as a child I actually went there a few times before it was sold and it is actually something I remember from my childhood...I have a terrible memory. Any thoughts on this visit yea or na??? Yes I will be going alone as it is during the week and Kev is working...and yes I am crazy for contemplating traveling 3 hours alone with 2 small children.

Cute kids

I SERIOUSLY have 2 cute kids right????

Russian war??

The conflict going on over in Russia and Georgia is making me nervous. I worry about the families that still are trying to finalize their adoptions and bring their kids home. Please think of them in your prayers and send positive thoughts their way!!

On a lighter note friends of ours got Alex a Step 2 motorcycle for his birthday and he and Cooper have of course fought over whose turn it was to ride til.....they decided to ride together. It is the cutest thing ever!!

Alex and Cooper

Ok Ok I have been more than lacksidasical(did I spell that right?)in my blog posting, but in my defense I have been ridiculously busy and well....I really have no good reason. Sorry. To update, Alex's birthday went off without a hitch...other than an unfortunate ballon incident. He got alot of gifts, the weather was perfect and he had a ton of fun. All in all a great birthday for him.

We are all healthy and happy Kev is working alot and doing stuff with the club, I'm just busy hanging out with my kids. they are going thru a defiant stage right now where everything is NO! It's bad enough when one of them does it but when they both act up...Lord help me!

We did something fun the other night, we got together with 3 other couples that adopted from the same orphanage at the same time as us. It was so good to see them again, I feel like we went thru something together that was a huge event in all of our lives and it was great we could share it with them. They are all great people and we were lucky to have them with us on our journey to parenthood.

In this post I am including the letter I wrote to all of our friends asking for their help..I apologize for the length of the post but it is well worth the read. Please stop for a moment and think if you might know someone who may be interested.

Hello all,
As most of you know I rarely forward emailed jokes or pass on cool websites but I have had something on my mind for many months and am hoping that by sending out this email it will reach someone who has the power or the will to help.
Most of you are aware of the fact that Alex and Cooper have 2 other siblings one is a boy named Roman born in 1999 who is their half brother. They also have a full biological sister named Valery born in 2003. To the best of my knowledge they are living in the same orphanage together in the town of Velsk which is where they are all from. Kevin and I are not in a position to adopt these children or even one of them but it has been weighing on my mind that they are still there and living in an orphanage. My request to all of you is to think about someone you know who may be interested in possibly adopting one or both of them. It kills me to think that the boys will never know them. Please I beg of you to think about it and ask around whether at work, or at church(if you attend church)or even within your own family. I'm in contact with our adoption agency and they were VERY excited about the possibility of us trying to help the children find a home. I can try to get more info on each child and the fees associated with adopting them from our agency for your info if you so desire. I know this may sound like a strange request but you never get anything in life without at least trying. This way I know I will have done the best I could for them and for my kids.


Thanks so much,
Susan

Ahhhh yeah, I have been incommunicado for way to long my friends and for this I apologize. Many things have taken place since we last talked, Alex got circumsised, I got pneumonia, Copper had a horrifically bad cold and Kev got a horrible case of poison ivy. What's that you say did I break a mirror? Make God mad for some unknown reason? Hard to say...all I know is it has been a rough month for us. On a much happier note we are gearing up for Alex's birthday for which all the stops are being pulled out. There will be food, cake, ice cream, fireworks, balloons, BUT there will be no clowns. Clowns terrify me for a number of reasons and I will not subject my children to them until absolutely necessary.

Motherhood

Long time no post...sorry about that. Most days I get home from work and veg out in front of the TV. My days off are a flurry of errands, cleaning, and in depth time with my babies. I so look forward to my days off because honestly there is nothing better than walking in their room in the morning and hearing Alex say Good Morning Mama! And to see Cooper bouncing in his crib with a big ole smile on his face. Someone once told me you won't fully understand how much your mom loved you til you have kids of your own. How true that statement is. The love I feel for them is overwhelming sometimes. I go in at night just to watch them sleep and find myself wanting to wake them up just to be with them. I got this poem from my friend Amy for Mother's Day and I love it:





This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey, Mommy's here'. Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted. This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T. This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes. This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football , hockey or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?' they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' and mean it. This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens. This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words. This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight, Moon' twice a night for a year. And then read it again. 'Just one more time.' This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college. This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away. This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them. For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green. For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely. This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war. What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. To put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. When you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying? The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.

And it all started with these 2 pictures:

Silly boys

Some pictures of the kids in the car...Alex is actually smiling in this one even if it is a sickly smile...lol.

Track Time

I have this weekend off in preparation of Kev heading to the track for the kickoff to riding season. Also he and Jesse are doing this Shadow Video thing which is cool and it lets Kev onto the track for free...so anywhooKev was getting ready to go the other day, getting his stuff together gloves, boots, helmet, when he decides he should put the helmet on Alex. I thought I would laugh my ass off he looked so funny with his little tiny body and this big ole helmet

Also note the sock on his hand...he does the craziest stuff and makes me laugh everyday. He loves to put socks on his hands I have no idea why. He's a kooky kid just like his Mama...

Spring is here.....

Spring is here ladies and gentlemen, and the occupants of our family couldn't be happier. From the moment the boys wake up they are clamoring to go "ouside". Kevin is happily preparing for another riding season and I'm just happy to get out of the house and feel warm breezes on my face. The magnolia tree out in front of our house that Kevin planted in memory of my mom has blooms on it.

All my beautiful spring flowers are blooming, the hyacinths near the front door are so fragarant I can smell them every time I walk in or out.

Alex and Cooper are blooming too with lots of outside time and dirt eating, this is a new past time for Alex he seems to like the taste of dirt. I think it;s good for him...too many kids now days have their parents running after them with anti-bacterial lotion, spray, wipes and anything to keep their kids from getting sick or dirty. I think it's good for them to play in the dirt, get dirty, and have fun. I don't want my kids sitting on the couch getting fat and being "safe inside". I want the boys to be raised like Kev and I were, "as long as it's nice out you need to be outside." Well I'm off to get the boys up.

Day off

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Tried to get my house cleaned and hang out with the kiddies. Have you ever tried to clean with 2 sweet little faces following you wherever you go?? Everytime I turned around I would trip over one or both of them. I'm so glad I'm a mom finally, they drive me crazy most days but how can you resist these faces....

In other news we had our sewer line snaked as our neighbor recently had it done and has helped her immensely. I watched them intently to see what they would bring out of our line, our neighbor had used condoms in hers. I was hoping maybe they'd pull out Jimmy Hoffa or somehing else cool like that, als only tree roots and not very many at that. It wasn't even gross and slimy *Le sigh* I was so disapointed. I firmly believe if we'd had the whole thing snaked instead of just 80 feet of it we would have found buried treasure or some other cool shit. It cost us $125.00 for the first 80 feet and 2.00 a foot after that...can you see why we stopped ????
I mean we have a pretty big ass yard....

Cooper

Just a quick post to let everyone know Cooper's surgery went well and he is doing as well as can be expected for having been circumsised and his tummy cut open. Will write more later.

More pics from the zoo

The Zoo

Today I decided that it would be a fun thing to take the boys to the zoo for the day as a special treat for Cooper as tommorow is the "BIG" day. It was a little cold and threatening rain but we pressed on. We visited the penguins, camels, tigers, reptiles( which Alex seemed to not be too fond of), polar bears, and seals which was super cool as we got to go thru the tunnel and see them from under the water. We also got to walk thru the kangaroo exhibit which at the start they tell you if the kangaroos approach you just stop and back away.....uhhhh yeah sure what I really want to do is go up and pet the nice kangaroo and get kicked in the face for my trouble. I think not. Anyway all went well with a few minor skirmishes, a little whining and some crying. For the most part the day was going well until....Mama decides to plow Alex in the head with a door. As I was opening the door to visit the farm animals Alex was standing at the fence looking at a cow when I pull open the door he comes running over and I hit him full force in the face with the corner of the door. He now has a goose egg the size of Texas. I don't know who cried harder me or Alex.

Potty training part 2

Well yesterday marked another day Alex went on his potty. When I got him up first thing I put him on the potty and sure enough he peed in the toilet so silly me I thought woohoo no more diapers!!! Uh no....he now refuses to get on the potty and gets all upset and starts crying whenever I attempt to set him on it. Well I guess I shouldn't have expected miracles he is only 2 1/2. I really start to freak if he gets to age 3 and is not potty trained.

As some of you know Cooper is having surgery on Friday to get a tiny hernia repaired and also to get circumsised. I am getting more and more apprehensive as the day comes closer, I am less worried about the surgery than I am about the anesthesia. I mean anything could happen...I know I shouldn't freak out about it but he's my baby and the thought of it fills me with fear. He's so little what if they accidentally give him too much???I know they know what they're doing but when it's your own child it's different. We need all the prayers and thoughts you can give us.

It's a big day at the Dornton house

Well today was a very big day around here....Alex went poo poo in the potty!! Yes you read that right poo poo in the potty. There was much jumping around and cheering and oh yeah, Alex was pretty excited too. I was getting ready for work and he and Cooper were in their room when all of a sudden Alex yells Poopy, Poop, Poopy!!!! So Iwent running in saying ok buddy we'll change your diaper...go to take his overalls off and discover he has taken his diaper off and I ask him where is your diaper he points under his bed, I turn him around and see a little bit of poo on his butt run him into the bathroom and plunk him down on the big potty with his little potty insert. I figure I'll just keep getting ready when all of a sudden he says " Done". I lift him up and there it was a poop the size of an adults. I lean down in front of him saying " Mama is SOOOO glad she didn't have to clean this out of a diaper. I clean him up amidst much cheering and Good Boy! Give him his treat of M&M's and he was on his way. It was a good day.