2.28.2010

Ear Piercing!


My baby girl got her ears pierced yesterday!!!!!!! 

The girls and I have been talking about ear piercing for quite a while now, and every time Brenin says, "NO WAY!  I'm not getting my ears pierced until I'm an ADULT!", while Luca asks detailed questions about just how much pain is involved in the process, weighing the advantages against the disadvantages.  I was very clear with both girls that there IS pain and there is absolutely no NEED to get their ears pierced, that they should only do it if they really want to.  Luca asked this week if it was like a shot (which she HATES), and I told her that it sort of was, that there's pain for a little while and then it goes away.  Finally her vanity got the best of her, and she committed herself to the challenge. 

The day of, she couldn't stop smiling from the time she woke up.  We went swimming in the morning, and she kept reminding everyone that she was going to get her ears pierced, full of excitement and anticipation.  At one point she stretched her little arm straight up in the air and announced, "Raise your hand if you wanna get your ears pierced today!" 

When she finally got in the chair, the lady doing the piercing set the instrument on the table and Luca asked what it was.  She said it was the "gun" for the piercing, and she looked a little nervous at that.  I reminded her again that she does NOT have to do it, but she was dead set on getting it done and stuck her little ear out.  She squeezed Mommy's hand and scrunched her little face up while the chosen tiny pink diamond studs were inserted.  Immediately after, her face returned to normal and she said, "That didn't hurt," and stuck her other ear out. 


Not a single tear. 


Freakish. 


It was really so much fun crossing this milestone with Luca.  I remember so clearly the day I was FINALLY allowed to get my ears pierced.  I was 5, and we went to the salon at Schultz' here in town.  I had longed for them so badly, and I remember feeling so proud leaving that salon with my freshly pierced ears, walking tall and spending a few extra moments near anything with a reflective surface.  I always knew I wanted my girls to wait until they really wanted earrings so they could share this same joy and pride in the experience.  

Luca was every bit as enthusiastic about her special ear piercing day.  It was so fun to see her want it so badly to be willing to suffer for it and then reap the benefits of her sacrifice.  She thoroughly enjoyed the the process and can often be found admiring her sweet little earlobes.  :-)


Here's after the first one went in, the second still to be done.  I had prepared myself for tears at this point, having to coax her into having the second one done and worst case leaving with ONE earring!  This girl never ceased to amaze me. 


Looking so big and brave





I think Mommy looks in more pain than Luca in this shot!
(I would have been happy to leave BEFORE the whole process began!)


After the piercing, while Luca was admiring herself in the mirror...


...Brenin had worked herself into a tizzy, worried sick about her baby sister and nearly fainted!  Into the cart she went with her legs elevated (she wasn't even in the area when the piercing occured!)  My girls obviously own two VERY different perspectives on pain :-), but nonetheless I thought it was sweet that she cared so deeply about her sister that she was sick with worry at the thought of her having pain.  (Pretty sure she'll hold true to her promise of not having her ears pierced until she's an adult though after this experience!) 

So proud of my Luca Bazooka and once again in awe of her strong and courageous heart.  It inspires and breaks mine all at once, and I can't help but wonder what I did to deserve such a gift. 

_______________________________________________________________________


Swimming in the a.m.


 We've been swimming a few times a week, and Brenin is becomming quite good!  It's such a good way to break up these winter months AND get a little exercise in the process!   


Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend!

2.22.2010

Fortune Cookies & Bowling

We've been having fun studying the Chinese New Year in school this past week, and this weekend the girls and Danny tried out a fortune cookie recipe I found in a book.  They turned out a little spongier than expected, but they tasted great and delivered their fortunes like fortune cookies should. 



It was a great way to combine subjects / skills...Brenin carefully measured out the ingredients and is learning about measurements and fractions as well as cooking skills. 


She also wrote her own fortunes, and Luca practiced her scissor skills by cutting them all out. 

Check out these fortunes! 










(!)


My personal fave!







Last night we went bowling and to dinner with a group of adoptive families in our area.  It's so fun to be surrounded by other families who don't look like each other but who hold so much love for one another, and also for the adopted kids to be the majority for a change!  We wrapped up the night at our friends' house, an official family of FIVE as of last Tuesday when they adopted their 3 girls!  Congratulations Eric & Rachel...we love you guys! 

A running start...my apologies to the wood floor that Brenin bowled on.  ;-)

Happy Monday, everyone! 

2.16.2010

Friday - Strength Team at the Al. Ringling
The Strength Team is a group of professional athletes (former wrestlers, weightlifters, ball players etc) who travel around the US demonstrating feats of INCREDIBLE strength and sharing how their faith in God has shaped the path of their lives as well as the passion behind their work. 

*Please excuse the quality of the Strength Team pictures...
the lighting was impossible, but I think you can get the idea.*


Here's my little strength team ready for the show


The guys broke LAYERS of bricks with their strategic blows.


This guy lifted 2 teenage girls on this pipe...


...and then crumpled that same pipe into this little ball (see left hand).


Here's one of them breaking TWO Louisville Slugger baseball bats at once!!  (When the bats broke, they splintered dramatically near the hand grips and landed him in the emergency room for serious splinter removal...ouch!)


Rolling up frying pan...I tried this this morning after making the girls some eggs, but then I just decided it would be a waste of a frying pan and I should just leave it as it was in its natural state.  (wink)  


And what show wouldn't be complete without a 12 brick head butt?? 
(pass the aspirin, please!)


grrrrrrrrr...!



Saturday - Valentine's Dinner at Jimmy's Del-Bar
We celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday and went out for a fancy dancy dinner in the Dells.  Uncle Earl & Gram joined us, and we all ate to our heart's content.  Later we headed to my sister's house to relax and play. 


My studly Valentine!


"I go to the nicest restaurant in town and order chicken nuggets."


"And I slurp spaghetti through my lucious lips."



Sunday - Girls Night Away at Elkhart Lake
Myself and 5 other friends treated ourselves to an evening away Sunday night.  We shopped our way to our final destination, The Osthoff Resort (BEEEEEEEUTIFUL!)  Once there, we ate and laughed and painted our nails and laughed and ate and laughed and ate some more, all before shopping our way back home on Monday. 

Unfortunately one not so kindly officer of the law decided to throw a wrench in my trip by pulling me over on the way home!  (how ruuuude!)  Traveling with a bunch of nurses, my sister was quick to point out the SKIN TAGS on the guys face (ew!) and said I should offer him a deal for free skin tag removal if he cut me a deal (while he was running my plates, of course).  Leave it to these girls to make a traffic stop completely hilarious!  In the end, he clocked me going 20 over and cut it down to 10 over, so I can't be too hard on him.


Cari, Kristin, Lisa


Kristin, Tiernee, Lisa



Tuesday - Ice Cream Love
I snapped these today on our weekly lunch date with Gram.  As some of you know, Tuesdays are a special day around here because Gram comes and spends about an hour with each girl, Luca with her preschool work sheets and Brenin with her American Girl books, before we all head for lunch together.  It's peace, love and ice cream. 





2.12.2010

On our way home from playgroup yesterday, we ran into these beauties on the side of the road.  They were in no hurry to get away and allowed us quite a generous amount of time to stand in amazement.  They looked just as interested in us as we were at them and I'm sure would have been snapping pictures too had they remembered to pack their cameras on their morning walk (don't you just hate it when you forget your camera?!?) 

Kate Wolf was our soundtrack. 

The snow and the pines were our backdrop. 

It was a moment. 

:-)


















Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. 
-Lao Tzu-

2.07.2010

Parties & Packers


Friday night we attended a "shed party" for a friend's birthday.  The kids had a blast checking out the tractors on the farm, and we all had fun catching up and eating some dee-lish food!  Felt a little bit like the song, "Just country boys and girls gettin' down on the farm..."a great time. 


Luca hamming it up for the camera



Kristin & Kim



The hostess with the mostest (cows, that is), Lisa (it was her hubby's birthday)



Saturday we went to the camper and RV expo in Madison and then hit the mall.  We were surprised to find out there were some Green Bay Packers there (present & former) selling teddy bears to benefit children's charities.  Here's the girls with Santana Dotson...such a warm person (and not at all bad on the eyes, if I do say so myself!)...way to go to these guys for giving up their Saturday to make a brighter, softer world for these kids. 




After the mall we headed back to the Dells for my great-uncle's birthday.  The whole family was there which almost never happens these days (seems we've grown in number a bit over the years and it's hard to fit us anywhere!)  Happy birthday, Uncle Earl!


Gram & Brenin



After all that, we stopped in to see one of our "kids," Kofi, and then headed back home with Kristin & James to hang out and sing some mean kareoke (and by "mean" I mean mean to subject anyone to it). 

SOME of the Buchanan kids


Today we're getting a few things done around the house, and I got out for a run with my friend Shannon (we're trying to get our rears in gear for a 5K March 14th).  It's always amazing when Sunday night rolls around and I wonder, "Where in the world does time go when I'm not working????"  Gearing up for another big week! 

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!