When Someone Hurts Your Adopted Child

Hi friends! This post has been brewing in my mind since someone really hurt our Isabelle with some awful comments about being adopted a few weeks ago. Most of us adoptive Mamas, at least those with children who look different from us, have gotten the awkward stares or twice-overs, the puzzled looks, and even the occasional rude comment or question from a stranger. I've talked about it before, but this feels very different from that.

This came from a so-called friend at school, and it was so mean and hurtful, it made me simultaneously want to spit and cry. And maybe wash said friend's mouth out with soap. My heart was broken for my daughter. In a nutshell, she told my daughter that her opinion on something didn't matter because she's ONLY ADOPTED and doesn't have REAL PARENTS, therefore she isn't loved (or really, lovable). She went on to add that she should go back to Guatemala because no one wants her here.

This is fifth grade. And I did not see it coming.

To be honest, I'm still working my mind and heart around this incident, so I will write more about it in the near future, but I do wonder how other Moms would respond to a situation like this. This is what we did: first and foremost, we reminded Isabelle that she is not here by accident or by fate. She is here with us, in our family, because this is exactly where she belongs. We know this to be true because God knit our paths together, and He placed us together as a family, so we do not ever, ever have to question that she isn't right where she belongs.

Second, I talked to Isabelle about the importance of discerning who is a trust-worthy friend, and maybe someone who cannot be trusted. I reminded her that she does not have to share any details of her life with someone she does not trust, that those details are hers alone, and it is up to her whether she wants to share her story or not. Obviously, this sparked quite a discussion about choosing our words wisely when speaking to- and about- others as well. A lesson worth revisiting with all of my children, because to be honest, I would have a HARD time finding out that my kid said or did something like this. And I know it could happen. We all make mistakes.

Lastly, we prayed for her friend.

I'd LOVE to hear from other Moms about this topic. I admit, this isn't my strong suit. I "deal" with conflict by avoiding it (doesn't usually work) and don't like to talk about feelings very much- I think they scare me. What might you have done differently? Have you been faced with a similar situation, and how did you handle it? Thanks!

This is from my very first solo trip to Guate to meet her! Leaving her was one of THE hardest things I have ever done. Ever. I had no way of knowing at the time, but it would be another whole year before our adoption was completed.

One of my favorite pics of her biggest brother greeting her after school

 Joining in with Tuesday Talk today!

Friday Favorites... Countdown to Vacation!!

Hooray for Friday! I feel like I've been GO GO GO for the past few weeks between managing orders and sewing, prepping for birthdays - and all the emotional turmoil that brings- HA!, and working on some house stuff and organizing. Oh, and you know, having five kids, ha ha ha. Here are some favorites around here this week...

ONE

We've had the best time celebrating our birthday boy! I cannot believe how quickly this week has flown by. One whole week ago we were celebrating this sweet little guy. Honestly, I cannot believe how quickly the past TWO YEARS have flown by. How is my baby two?! And HOW do I have a son going off to college in the fall?! I swear I feel like I just graduated college not that long ago, and now I'm the MOM of a college bound kid. Crazy! Anyhoo. All the birthday party details are here if you want to read. :)

TWO

This granola! It will be cooking in my oven in about five minutes and my house will smell amazing. It's so easy and yummy! Aw, look at my babies!!!

THREE

Speaking of food, I ate lunch on the deck yesterday. This probably does not seem like a big enough deal to make a favorites list, but after all the snow and sleet we had earlier in the week, it TOTALLY makes the list! Poor little guy wasn't feeling well yesterday, but the fresh air- and that stick- had him smiling. :)

FOUR

Signs of SPRING! I'm so happy to see all my plants and bushes loaded with buds right now. I cannot wait to see my rose bushes bloom again!

FIVE

We are getting down to the nitty gritty before our family cruise, and of course while I'm SO excited and dreaming of sunshine and beaches and not having to cook a thing (!!!), I am also kind of freaking out a bit. I think I'm on List No. 9 or something like that, and just yesterday, I woke up in a panic realizing that I hadn't written down "razor" on the latest list. Umm, pretty sure I could just buy one in Florida before we set sail...I'm nuts, I know. But boy, did I feel so much better after writing that down, HA! Typical. But still. Ya feel me? 

It's currently raining but at least it's pretty warm right now. And now I'm off to make that granola...have a fabulous weekend! :)

Joining in the fun here today...thanks so much for reading!

Levi's Transportation Birthday Party...Cars, Trucks and Tractors!

We celebrated our favorite two year old this past weekend with a Cars, Trucks, and Tractors Birthday Party! Levi loved it! It was originally pegged to be a Construction Party, but he adores his trucks and cars so much, I couldn't exclude them, so we improvised a bit. Plus, I liked the bright color scheme much better than just yellow and black. I found some inspiration on Pinterest, which got my own wheels spinning with ideas...see what I did there? ha ha Lots were pinned under "transportation party" if you ever need to look. :)

For me, the perfect kid party is all about three things: colorful decorations, festive food, and fun! Plus, nothing was terribly costly, and the decorations and food items were mostly DIY. A win win in my book.

Here is a closer look at the decorations...

Everything came together so nicely, and the sunny day was the icing on the cake. ha ha! Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)

The plate rack looked a little out of place, and I was going to add balloons to it, but then I thought the party plates might look better. I think they do! What do you think? Talk about easy peasy.

I got the traffic jam plates and napkins off Amazon; the solid ones were from WalMart.
Traffic Jam Birthday Lunch Napkins & Plates Party Kit for 16 Guests

I found myself alone for a little while on Saturday morning and I'm not gonna lie, it was fabulous. Uninterrupted time to finish up all those last details.

I adore this little "street sign" wall. It made the perfect backdrop for photos- colorful but not too busy or distracting- and it had some personal significance. I love that. I printed on colored card stock rather than using all that ink, and I love how it turned out. I can't bring myself to take it down, either...

This side table housed a little activity for Isabelle and my two nieces who were attending. So simple, just a plain party hat, some foam sticker letters and stars, and some glitter pom poms, all from the craft section at WalMart- it worked out great! If you've been reading about my parties for long, then you know I am a balloon addict. Truly, they just can't be beat for adding color and whimsy. They turned this simple shelf rack into a fun party detail. Cheap and so easy!

We purchased a two toys for Levi for his birthday, and both became part of the decorations. Does that make me a thief or a creative genius? Hmmm...

This play mat/rug kept the little kids busy for a long time while the adults chatted and ate snacks. It's easy to move around, too, which I like, and on sunny afternoons it ends up out in the sun room where Levi likes to play the most.

The little dump trucks from the Dollar Store (also where I found the cones- 2 for a $1!!) held the foam letters, and the trees, signs, and road sticker tape were "borrowed" from Levi. There are bright colored wooden vehicles and building fronts with this toy set, too, link is below- he has already played with it a ton! Big sister Isabelle drew the firetruck. :)

Transportation & Sign Playset For Kids By Ray’s Toys | Educational & Fun Toy Set

I made three bean bags to toss for the traffic light game, seen below. They were red, yellow and green, to match the game board, which was black foam board and circles cut out of card stock- I traced a dinner plate. The part that took the longest BY FAR was filling the little bags with the beans, but otherwise, this was such a quick and easy thing to make. I will add that the adults had a pretty good time tossing the bean bags, too. :)

 
We put the game board flat on the floor to toss the bean bags, but I liked how fun it looked when propped up against the wall. I was originally going to hang it as the backdrop for the birthday boy photos, but then realized that we could make a fun game with it if we could easily move it around. And you've got to have a "Speed Limit 2" sign for your newly minted two year old!

More artwork drawn by sister. I'm planning on hanging the three pictures in Levi's room, but I didn't tell Isabelle that, so she will be thrilled to see them in there.

Here are more signs made in Microsoft Word - they look kind of plain in these pictures but they added so much to the overall decor!

These were right inside the door where guests arrived

This was earlier in the day, before I made a last minute run to JoAnn's for black and yellow felt for the table. I had wanted to make a road on the table but never made it to the store until the day of. Oops! You can see in the photos above just how much it adds. I've cut it down to a smaller size and Levi now plays with the road, adding the yellow dashes where he sees fit, and racing his cars and trucks all over it.

This photo looks so sad, ha, but I think these signs turned out so cute! I may have to keep them for his baby book.

Now onto the food...

I saw this idea floating around but with brownies and rice krispie squares. Thinking back to my baby shower, I knew I did NOT want to go the rice krispies route again, but I wasn't sold on having to deal with all those brownies either. Suddenly I thought of these wafer treats and knew they would be perfect. So easy and adorable! I dabbed some old red frosting in a tube onto the wafers, and Isabelle added the colored M&M's. They were a big hit with everyone, and I knew I wanted to display them upright somehow, so this bread tin was perfect. I added the small red plate for interest- it wasn't holding up the treats at all.

I purchased a candy alphabet sheet and had the Happy Birthday leftover, so I just added them to the cupcakes. Crushed up Oreo Thins made great dirt crumbles. :)

We had "spare tires" - chocolate covered donuts and the remaining Oreo Thins- plus some caramel pop corn, a few other packages snacks, and a veggie tray with dip. Drinks were iced tea, bottles of water or juice boxes, and we made coffee later on. Super simple. (Sadly, there was a cute sign with arrows pointing to the left for "Spare Tires" and to the right for "Diesel Fuel" that never got printed. Oops.)

And the birthday cake. Let me tell you, I simply could not pull the trigger when deciding on the cake. I was literally still coming up with ideas the morning of the party. I think my problem was this: I don't like the look of the completely brown and crumbly "dirt" cakes, which are so popular for construction themed parties; and I fell in love with the whimsical fondant cakes that had cute little cars and trucks and tractors all over them BUT I do not know my way around fondant (at all!) and the price tag for said cake was nearly a mortgage payment, soooo, that's a nope.

I purchased the candles quite a while back, when I was still thinking strictly construction theme, but I just love them and knew they would look so cute. You know what was NOT so cute? Something weird was going on with the butter that morning, and though I've made this frosting a thousand times, it would not cooperate that day. Ugh. There were butter lumps and then it would not keep its consistency, so things got a little droopy. I wasn't happy, but truthfully, I didn't let it stress me out too much. And I knew Levi wouldn't care about lumpy, falling down frosting in the least. ;)

Construction Vehicles Birthday Candles by Wilton

I cut KitKats in half for the retaining wall. This was a last minute add on, but I thought it was cute.

The birthday boy didn't know what to do with all that attention. But he warmed up quickly once we sang and he saw the candles that were just for him!

I ordered his birthday shirt here - I requested a couple changes, and it's perfect!

Make a wish, little Levi!

Such a sweet time celebrating our little boy!

The next morning, as soon as he walked into the dining room, he was so happy seeing all his decorations. He was in such a good mood he made it through another entire service in the nursery this week. Go Levi, such a big boy! We love you so, so much!

I still can't believe that another year has come and gone. I wish I could keep him little just a while longer. It feels like I was JUST getting everything ready for his Wild One Jungle party - you can read about that here if you'd like. Any other party-happy Mamas like me out there? Simple- and inexpensive- can go a long way, right? :)

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Sew Can Do
Inspire me Monday

Tips for Spring Cleaning and Organizing

I feel like I should tell you that I'm a total type-A, list-making, everything in its place kind of girl; but I'm also a recovering perfectionist. Life is just too short. I do believe that organization, cleanliness and beauty are essential in creating the type of home that I dream about creating for myself and my family, but I've certainly pushed the boundaries of unhealthy expectations and routines in order to do so. Mostly it just made me miserable. And probably everyone around me too. Today I'm linking up with Shay and Erika about tips and tricks for cleaning and organizing- I love new ideas! Can't wait to read them all!

Here's another confession for you: if, at any time, I do not have a full and unopened package of toilet paper (12 rolls or more) in our bathroom closet, I freak out a little bit. Same goes with eggs in the fridge. If there aren't always at least two dozen, I start to twitch. I don't know when this started, but you know what, if that's the extent of my crazy, then I think I can handle it. :)

JUST SAY NO

I am fairly ruthless about tossing unnecessary items, as well as not bringing home things that I don't truly want or need. (Just don't mess with my TP or eggs...ha ha, that sounds awful!) It hasn't always been this way, but I'm glad I've learned to pass up things that catch my eye temporarily but that I would just tire of in the long run. I'm not a minimalist, but I've adopted some minimalist-type mentality, and both our home and bank account have never been happier, ha ha. So my biggest organizing tip is this: be very selective about what you bring into your home in the first place.

It seems like forever ago since I wrote this organizing post while in our previous home!

It ALWAYS gets worse before it gets better, right??

STOCK UP, BUT NOT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

I know lots of people rely on buying items in bulk and they say it works great for them. Well it doesn't for me. I don't need a warehouse-sized supply of spices and paper towels and hand soaps and detergent; in fact, that much excess of anything makes me a little nauseous. I keep 1-2 extras on hand, and I purchase replacements as necessary throughout the year.

STORE LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER

In the bathroom, we have a few plastic containers on the shelves that are dedicated to specific purposes: dental, medical (cough/flu, upset stomach), a second medical (band-aids, ointments), and summer things such as ear plugs, swimmers ear drops. Having them in clear bins makes it so easy to see what's there, and what needs replacing. It also makes it a snap to simply pull the needed container from the shelf, grab what we need, and put it all back. I love that! I tend to group like items in boxes and bins in other closets and storage areas as well, from winter hats and mittens to cleaning supplies and small tools, and everything in between.

(This is old, and I use larger bins now, but you get the idea.)

Lastly, while I love the idea of Spring and Fall cleaning, and I used to dedicate huge amounts of time tackling a never-ending list, I've become much more comfortable with the idea of an ongoing cleaning schedule. I think it's a preference thing, but this works so much better for me in this stage of life. I really do not need one more thing making me feel overwhelmed! I tackle jobs around the house- and delegate help too, that's super important with older kiddos!- on a monthly basis and that keeps this ship running pretty smoothly.

Life isn't perfect, and neither is my house. That's okay. When we have the things we need, and our space is clean and comfortable- not perfect- then I feel content.

Here is another post about organization I wrote a while back with lots of tips and tricks. Thanks for reading! I'll be back tomorrow with all the details about Levi's Cars, Trucks & Tractors 2nd Birthday Party!