Today was my day on the panel for the ex-governor’s wife. I’ll go more into it tomorrow but I’m watching the debate.

Just had to say…after being on my “I’m a good mom” pedestal, Zach (he wanted to support me and come and watch) and I walked outside only to realize we were already 30 minutes late to picking up my eldest at school. So…I say this to let you know that I am indeed a hotflawedmama.

And what did I do to make it up to him? Got him ice cream and let him go to my Bodypump class (which he’s wanted to do for a year).

What a day.

While I’m cleaning…

Doozie got a new tube of lipstick from her grandpa and wouldn’t let it out of her sight today.

The kids also got ring pops (which I still love). Buuurrr, it’s cold outside!

Taken 30 seconds after Dailah grabbed Zeke’s hand and dragged him up the hill saying, “Mere Zeke”.

Dooz likes introducing Kora to all things girl.

Look at this cake, unbelievable.

And again…when asked what Zeke wanted for a cake he said, “chicken”. So there you have it. A plate of chicken and rice.

Can you blame me for not being able to resist posting this?

Seriously. Sometimes I have nothing really to say.

Blew another tire on the Pilot today. That’s 3 tires (2 on the Pilot, one on the Sonata) in about 3 months. I could junk punch someone for that.

Been uuber tired lately. (No, Leslie, I’m not pregnant) I hate being tired. I’m a less than great everything when I’m tired. Wife, mom, instructor, human. I need to figure out what that’s about but I’m resisting the urge to google it lest I desire finding out 400 ways I’m going to die by Halloween.

That’s it, I’m a real hoot of a good time.

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile. I realized that I haven’t really written about his personality much even though he reveals it more and more every day. I want to remember what he was like at this age as I’m sure it will continue to change and blossom as he gets older.

I know there are a few people out there right now, adoptive moms, wondering if the “babysitting” phase of adoption ever ends. Will it ever feel less like babysitting and more like love? The answer is yes! Though I still definitely have times when I’m checking the door to see who let this kid in, most of the times I wonder how in the world he has only been in our family for such a short time.

He is funny. He LOVES making people laugh, including himself. I will often put my rearview mirror down so I can watch him and Dailah playing in the backseat and it cracks me up how often he’s just talking to himself or singing or dancing. He’ll look up and notice I’m looking and hide his face and giggle.

He is the first person who gets up when I mention I need something. Today, under my breath, I said “Oh I forgot my phone upstairs”. Before I even turned around from making dinner I hear, “Here, mommy,” and he had it in his little hand. If I ask Trysten to let the dogs in, Tariku races to do it. If Dailah is asking for her pacifier, he’s searching under couch cushions to get it. At first I thought it was an attachment thing. He wanted us to like him so that he could stay but I’m now pretty convinced that’s just him. He really likes helping out in any way he can, which is quite refreshing. I have to constantly remind myself not to ask too much of him and just let him be a little boy once in awhile.

He still loves to eat but loves to eat S-L-O-W-L-Y. I can’t believe it’s the same kid who used to shovel an entire plate of doro wot and injera down in just a few minutes. He wants water, all day every day. His aim with bodily fluids is more accurate than anyone else living in this house (with the male chromosomes that is) which is shocking to remember where we started.

I honestly can’t believe we got so lucky. We know we want to do it again but we’re both very gunshy. How, in the world, could we get even close to this blessed? Not only is he hilarious, warm, caring, smart, athletic and generous but he is beeeeeeeautiful!

I love him, I really do. Even when I’m “just” babysitting. 🙂

I’m reading “Three Cups of Tea” for our book club this month.

It’s bad for a girl like me.

Gives me good ideas.

On that note, anyone have $12,000 laying around?

Wait until I tell you of our next project for our “orphan ministry”. It will blow your mind.

We did more than work this weekend, we had some fun too!

Dailah slipped out of the house in her skivvies only and came back in with bug bites on almost every square inch of her body. A few of them she scratched so hard she bled.

On our walk down the Davenport bike path.

All my boys.

Doozie’s favorite pasttime, pushing the stroller she’s supposed to be in.

Dailah running from me when I told her she was going in “stroller time out”. Nice.

Just hotflawedmama and her dogs.

Not a bad view.

The new (and slightly warmer) shoes than the crocs Dailah insists on wearing every moment of every day.

Look at these curtains my mom-in-law made! They are beeeautiful.

Don’t you think this itty bitty window in Doozie’s room is missing something? What do you think, Terre?

I know these are of no interest to you but their purpose is to make myself and my family feel good about ourselves. So oblige me.

The men in the backyard figuring out the tree from the STORM.

Amazing. Plus, dad fixed the fence so the 3 dogs can roam around as much as they please.

Little embarrasing here but this is my laundry room before, I know, SERIOUSLY.

And after, it’s like extreme home makeover.

Again, I’m really going crazy here, the pantry before.

And, I could cry here, after.

Trysten “helping” paint the toy room (in all seriousness he wanted to help a lot but was not able to with the whole avoiding the carpet deal)

Stellar.

I don’t have a shot of the kitchen before but the wall to the right and straight ahead, going up the stairs was not painted.

This might be the most amazing feat my mom pulled off. This is our store room and it was a DISASTER. After the floods, things were all rinsed in the middle of the room and wet and moldy and she tackled this. And organized it in the short hour and half I was at church today. The woman is quite the sight to behold!

The kids haven’t had closet doors since we moved in. And I like it more with them.

My dad, with his large arsenal of tooling conquered Doozie’s closet doors.

Is awesome…

Today’s items we checked off:

2 boys soccer games
1 lunch
1 kitchen painted
1 toy room painted
1 pantry shelved
1 laundry room shelved (and cleaned)
1 light fixture fixed
1 1/2 closet doors hung (one of them doesn’t work real well)
Started work on chainsawing the crap (that’s an actual form of measurement in our house) out of the tree that’s still in our backyard from the STORM.

I mean seriously. My hubby, mom dad (and oh, ok, me) are amazing. When we get going, WE GET GOING. SERIOUSLY.

It’s 9pm and I’m T minus 3 minutes from bedtime.

Pictures to come tomorrow.

One thought for the night…my parents deserve volunteers of the year for Camp Abe Lincoln. Seriously.

I must say a big “thank you” to Amy. She sent me a few emails wondering if a) I had in fact punched the lady at Wal Mart and b) needed someone to post bail. Those would’ve been much better reasons to be absent from the blog world but in all reality it was merely Zach being gone for a few days, taking the beloved computer hostage. It was a happy reunion when I saw the Apple…I mean Zach walk into the door today. 🙂

What to say about this week? Well, we went to the dentist on Wednesday. I probably should’ve shot myself in the foot instead. Appointment was at 1, which is to say right in the middle of naptime and the appointment was for Trysten, Tariku and myself. But, the good news, Tariku is not 10. 🙂 No, they said the birthdate given to him is probably pretty close to his actual age which is a relief. I’ll be honest I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to hear that he was 10. Why? Because he is incredibly smart and his fine motor skills are so advanced I’m both proud (can we say supreme athlete?) and freaked out. But alas, he’s just a rockin’ cool 3ish-year-old which is infinitely better than a 10-year-old in a 4-year-old’s body.

Yesterday a reporter in our local paper called to ask if I would be on a panel for the ex-Governor’s wife. Not sure what exactly about but the reporter said I would just talk about how my family came to be and that’s something I know a little about. (The sperm met the egg…I knew our son was in Ethiopia). The reporter said she picked me because she had taken my Bodypump class before and knew I was, “a dynamo, good talker and a mom”. I know for certain I’m one of those, one I fancy myself being and the other I have no idea what to think of. Flattering either way, I figure there are worse audiences for the story of Klipsch. Hope Mrs. Vilsack finds hotflawedmama and crew as interesting as you fine folks do. 🙂

This weekend my wonderful parents came to the house with the sole goal of finishing my “daddy do” list. It’s fairly large so I’m not quite sure they knew what they got themselves into. Either way, you might not hear from me seeings I gave myself a hefty list as well.

So, if you’re keeping score, I am not in jail. I am still mad at fake-nails-Wal Mart-employee but will not be going back to seek revenge. If I do go to jail I’ll have guest blogger make sure you all know so donations can be pouring in to bust me out. Thanks for your kindness. 🙂

at Wal Mart. I seriously think this is God’s way of reiterating why I should never go there.

Long story but the checkout lady was less than nice and, as I felt my face tighten and noticed myself breathing irregularly, I knew I (and by “I” I mean “she”) was in trouble. So my sister was kind enough to distract my kids as I tried VERY hard not to junk punch the lady.

I didn’t. But it did require a trip to customer service where, unfortunately for her, I found out I workout with the manager. I hope she now knows what it feels to be COMPLETELY disrespected. 🙂 (Ok so not really but something like that).