Oh how the years go by...

Where to begin seems to always be my biggest dilemma! For those of you who have known us more than a day or two, you've surely heard the name Jason (aka Jay) come up. Eric and Jason met at the Woodlawn Chick-fil-A in their early college days. They ended up sharing the same bachelor pad, in fact. To this day, I'm convinced that Eric has an incredible immune system due to his years in that shoe box which unofficially housed between three and thirty young men (and a ferret at some point named Ringo)! That's a whole different story, though! My point is that Eric and Jason are like brothers. They've shared rooms (probably beds and other things I don't want to know about) and been through quite a bit together. I'm rambling.... Right after we got married, Jason moved back to TX to be closer to his parents and finish his degree. While he was there, he picked up another job at Chick-fil-A. While there, he met a young girl named Emily. After a few months, they got engaged and married on the day after Valentine's Day in 2003. It was during this time that Ansley got seriously ill. In fact, Jason and Emily came straight to GA after getting off the plane from their honeymoon in Hawaii in order to be with us. I'd never met Emily but the minute she stepped into that PICU at Egleston, I knew she was perfect for Jason. She was very soft spoken but also seemed to be able to inspire greatness from those around her. She had such a love for Ansley, as well. She'd never met her before but she immediately took on the job of protector. After being dismissed to take Ansley home with hospice, Jay and Em stayed with us. Em spent hours rocking Ansley. This was such a wonderful break for me. Emily sang to her, cooed to her, and loved on her during those last hours and moments of her little life. In fact, Emily was the last person to hold Ansley before she slipped away. Emily and Jason were with us at the moment it happened. They quickly stepped in and became Grant's keepers and made sure that he had everything he could possibly need. I still laugh about the antics of them trying to find Grant dress clothes for the funeral at Gap Kids! It was impossible to find pants for Grant when he was that age but they managed and did so with a smile! In the end, Jay and Em were there for us, like family. In fact, Ansley's middle name was actually Jaye - for Jason. (I did have to put my foot down about having a daughter with a middle name of Jason)!

I feel like I'm writing some kind of detailed novel but that is not my point. I want everyone to see how God's devine hand leads us even in the dark times. I saw something written once that said, "God hasn't made the storm stop because He wants me to learn to dance in the rain." That's what this story is. It's one big storm where everyone had to learn to dance! Emily's storm was different than our storm with Ansley, though. Emily had Cystic Fibrosis. She waged a long and tough battle. The nurses saw her coming and ran for cover! They knew she would fight to get better! Through many other divine interventions which ultimately led Jason and Emily to AL where UAB has an awesome lung transplant team, they also had beautiful daughter named Faith. Emily did receive a double lung transplant and enjoyed renewed health for a short period. She and Jason moved back to TX where their families are.

Jason's brother, Brandon, actually runs one of the Chick-fil-As in Lubbock. This is the store Eric is stationed at. So, Jason, Brandon, and Eric all work together again just like those early days at Woodlawn Square! Eric is actually living with Jason right now, too. I think they're a little more mature now and don't allow critters such as ferrets to live in the silverware drawer - no, I'm not kidding!

However, on Tuesday, Emily lost her battle with CF. She'd been flown back to UAB to check out some lingering problems and slipped off to go Home while she was sedated. Jason was there with her.

As most of you know, I don't do emotions well. However, Emily's death just makes me remember how raw my heart was after Ansley's death. I've read Randy's Alcorn's book where he talks about what heaven will be like and I know what the Bible says, but in my own mind, its so comforting to me to picture Emily bursting through the gates of Heaven and looking around to find Ansley and rocking her to sleep for me as she did before.

I know that Emily has left an incredible heritage behind for her daughter and Jason will have his hands full as he begins to find a new "normal" but what a picture of a loving mother and wife she has left for everyone. It also makes me wonder what kind of heritage I'm leaving behind for those around me.

Many More Monkeys, Many More Drums, Dum Ditty, Dum Ditty...

Oh my goodness! I have to say that I never realized how many people read my insane ramblings about our family. I've lost count of how many comments I've gotten wondering if I'd given up on the Blog or if the kids had just tied me up and thrown me in the trunk "Earl style." However, I'm still alive and kicking and just taking some time to readjust to figuring out how to wrestle alligators (Annie), tame tornadoes (Dasha), and be sensitive to a ten year old who is taking his job as "man of the house" a bit too seriously all at the same time.

For those of you who didn't know, our nanny walked out on us a few weeks ago and it really sent me into a tailspin. Looking back, though, it was a blessing in disguise. Annie is now staying with an incredible lady while I'm at work. Annie has really blossomed in just the last few weeks with her. Some days, it seems that she's blossomed into a stink weed but she has really excelled with her new sitter! At ten months, Annie is now walking, babbling nonstop, and eating anything that isn't bigger than she is. Her nickname is The Goat! I don't want to think about how much dog food or how many Nerf darts she's ingested over the last few weeks! I guess we're going to go with the mantra, "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger!" She should have a stomach of steel!

Due to the nanny drama, I had to re-enroll Dasha in public school. Although she was doing great with our home school curriculum, there aren't too many resources for sitter options during the day for an 11 year old! However, when I re-enrolled her, I had her placed in resources classes which are smaller and move at a slower pace. I can't tell you how hard this decision was. I think I just figured that some magic light bulb was going to go on and Dasha was going to catch up with her peers and be able to tow the same load that the others manage. I had to come to the moment of realization that Dasha is a unique individual and she simply needs some more directed studies to fill in all of those missing gaps from being in a institution for the first seven years of her life! Honestly, I think somewhere deep down inside, I just never thought that one of my own kids would have to have special education services. I'd just concocted such a negative opinion of the whole special education idea. Bottom line, I had to deal with my own skeletons in the closet before placing Dasha back at Little River but I know she's in very capable hands and is receiving what she needs at this very moment in her life.

Dasha is happy to be back in school when it comes to the social aspect. However, she's not too fond of the 5:45 wake up call and having to be responsible for remembering her books and tools. However, these are life skills that we need to work on and so we shall!

Grant, as usual, is trying to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. Grant has always been an old soul but with Eric being in TX, Grant has taken on the roll of "man of the house." He tries his best to make sure all of the girls are taken care of and has even offered to let Annie sleep in his room so I could relax. Although I love Grant's tender heart, there are times when I wish he'd simply be a kid! He and my dad have spent a lot of time together and just competed in the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby Race and came in 3rd place! I think my dad is living vicariously through Grant sometimes but my dad still believes that Grant is nearly perfect in every way and dotes on him beyond belief. Some times, I have to wonder if this is really the same man who raised me. My sister and I never had privileges such as spray painting on the front porch but with Grant, anything is ok if he's happy.

As for me, I'm still teaching at Little River and will finish the year out. It is trying to keep three kids on schedule and semi-clean but as I've learned, kids are incredibly resilient. I figure the bigger kids are already keeping some sort of list of topics to discuss with a counselor later in life so I figure I'd better make it worth their time! I've learned that dishes will patiently wait in the sink to be washed just as laundry will pile up in the hamper. The dog hair in the carpet is just added cushioning for Annie's bum as she toddles around and plops down at intermittent moments. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cereal can suffice for dinner as long as it's served with a smile and smushed peas under the high chair simply serve as a little snack for the dogs. However, I can't ever get these days back with my kids no matter what our circumstances are so laughter and love will reign supreme as we dance around in hairy carpet with our dirty clothes on!

Believe it or not, I am taking on a bit of a new challenge, too. I've been asked to write a blog about family life. I have to say that I thought it was a joke at first. Those of you who have seen our "family life" first hand know that we're not traditional and sure not rated G at most moments! There's usually nudity (Annie), violence (Nerf darts), and depending if Eric is home, bodily noises. Anyway, if you need another laugh or just need some reassurance that you are going to win the Mother of the Year award, check it out http://happilyeverafterfornow.blogspot.com/. I've had some technical difficulties (the kind that stand at your knees and scream until you pick them up) so things are getting uploaded slowly.

And then, there's Eric! E is still in TX with Chick-fil-A. He loves his job! He's getting acclimated to the area and I'm sure the area is still trying to get acclimated to him, as well! He is currently working two weeks in TX and then working here in ATL for one week. This is a tremendous help for me! Instead of wondering if the light flashing in my eyes is the light at the end of the tunnel or a train headed straight for me, I know when he'll be home so I can plan activities for the family or a solid escape route for myself!

Hopefully, that gives everyone a quick update of the antics around here! I'll try to do better to get things updated before the kids head off for college!

Seasons of Change

Wow! So many things can change in the span of one month! If someone had told me all of the things that the Randolph clan would be doing and preparing to do, I would have told them to peddle their craziness elsewhere! However, we still seem to be stuck in this Season of Change. Each year, as I prepare our family Christmas card, I laughingly write that we're still in our Season of Change. First, there was the loss of Ansley. Then, the appearance of Dasha. Then job changes, house changes, and church changes. If that wasn't enough, throw in an unexpected pregnancy and a diva baby! Obviously, that doesn't seem to be enough for our crew!

For the last 18 months, Eric has worked from the house with a marketing firm. He loved the work and learned the ins and outs of the internet realm. However, we knew that his time with the company was drawing to a close and we were looking for and preparing our exit strategies. Having Eric work from home was a perfect solution for our family, though. He was able to keep very close tabs on our little monster, Annie, and enjoy some stolen moments with her each day.

While all of this was going on, Dasha began to struggle both physically and academically at school. (See my previous post about this whole situation). After much thought and prayer, we decided to remove Dasha from the public school system and home school her. I was terrified. I already had too much on my plate with a classroom of 22 students, a baby at home, and a son who didn't need to feel left out! (Not to mention a husband who also didn't want to feel left out)! However, we knew it was the right decision. SO, we unenrolled Dasha and filed the petition to home school. I started her off with quite a mix of materials. Math from 2nd grade. Reading from 3rd grade. Science and social studies from 1st grade. Whew! Filling gaps is a full time job! However, I was able to structure her day so that for the most part of the day while I was at work, she'd be doing independent activities. Eric was there to oversee so things went smoothly and Dasha loved it! She was (and is) finding success! In her own words, "My heart is happy."

(Imagine you hear the Jaws theme music in the background at this point).

Just when things were going smoothly and we had developed a business strategy for Eric, a good routine for Dasha, Annie was beginning to sleep through the night, and I was even beginning to ponder job changes, we got a phone call. Actually, Eric got the phone call.

It was a marketing job offer from Chick-fil-A in TEXAS! Unlike some of the other offers which he's received from out-of-state companies, I knew this was the real deal! As he relayed the details, I mentally started preparing myself to tell my family and my current life, "Adios." I really think all of the other offers he'd received and turned down had been preparing me for the big one! I'd already done the drama of moving in my mind and knew what I was up against. For Eric, he'd be going to a city where he already knew everyone and could simply mesh right into the routine. My roots, however, don't transplant so easily. I'm not a social creature and the friends I do have are those that I've befriended over the last 30 years! And what about my job? It's unheard of for a teacher to leave the classroom mid-year. I can't tell you how mad I'd be if one of my kids' teachers up and left half way through the year! But, this plan is much bigger than me!

One of these days, I'm going to sit down and map out the clear hand of God which had guided (ok, sometimes pushed and pulled) our family. From the friends that have entered our lives due to Ansley's death, to job opportunities which arose because of those friends, it has all been part of a bigger Commission. (Yeah, I know that many people see me start using words like God and Commission and get antsy. Well, if you've got ants in your pants, close the screen and go wash your drawers). Eric and I have learned to be still and listen through our trials and tribulations and though we don't do it well, we know that we're clearly being lead away from Georgia. There's no point in either of us kicking and screaming or making lists of pros and cons. We know it's the right thing. It doesn't matter what we think. (Once again, for those of you overly educated folks who feel like we're less educated people because of our blind faith in God, stop reading or keep reading and find out why we can move our family 27 hours from everything they know and not have a single doubt)! Anyway, Eric accepted the job and things quickly progressed. Actually, I don't think the word should be progressed. The correct word would be snowballed!

We all flew to Lubbock, TX last week and checked things out. Texas, to put it bluntly, is flat and brown. In comparison with Georgia's changing leaves and sloping hills, I might as well be on Mars! However, Eric's buddies from college and his earlier Chick-fil-A years both live in Lubbock and work for (own) the same Chick-fil-A Eric will be working with. We stayed with them and Eric jumped in the saddle by helping prep for the Texas Tech game. Let me just say that Texas Chick-fil-As aren't like Georgia ones. When we got to the store, the line was wrapped around the store twice and there were employees outside taking orders with remote registers. We went inside but had to wait for a table. (I have to admit that I don't stick around in ANY drive through line if there are more than four cars)! Anyway, we saw the city, looked at some houses, and in general, Eric got psyched about the change and I started down the path toward a nervous breakdown! Reality is always a very sobering thing!

As the story continues, Eric's job with the marketing firm did putter out as we'd expected. So, we decided that it would be a safe financial move for him to go on to TX and start work while I stayed behind with the inmates and worked on getting the house sold or rented. Eric pulled out with the U-Haul on Thursday morning. Once again, reality doesn't always play fair. When you think things through and make those rosy plans in your head, they never include emotions. Nonetheless, we've survived our first weekend without Daddy and everyone is still intact. We even managed to trick-or-treat without having to call for back up! Eric will fly back and forth a few times before the end of the year. However, the flight is pretty financially restrictive so those trips have to be limited. Hopefully, we'll have the house situation figured out by the end of the year and we can all head to TX at that point. Until then, I'm just going to keep my eyes up and remember that this is simply still part of our Season of Change. (Hey, don't seasons usually end eventually)?

As a side note, Rita is still here watching Annie during the day so she's also able to stay with Dasha. For now, things are working well. I'm not sure what I'd do without Rita, though. I keep hoping she has some long lost sister somewhere in TX. I'm going to have to relearn how to do laundry, cook, and clean. (OK - maybe not RElearn. Maybe I'll learn how to do those things)!

Here's to Seasons of Change!

Annie's Red Dress

It's hard to believe that a year ago, the idea of being pregnant was just settling in over our family. There were so many questions about my health and the health of our baby. The biggest question in everyone's mind was, "Will this baby be sick, too?" OK, let's face it, we all wondered. Most people, kept their thoughts to themselves and silently wondered what we we'd gotten ourselves into. Others, those we call "true friends," just came right out and spoke their minds and said that they'd support us despite the health of the baby. However, as usual, my husband who doesn't mind taking great leaps of faith without calculating risks simply said, "It's in God's hands and there's nothing we can do to change it." Me, on the other hand, had to wrestle with this kind of faith. Yes, we've had to have a lot of faith over the last few years but, hey, they say hindsight is 20/20 and I was definitely trying to use hindsight to guide my steps. Anyway, my point is that even though I knew our surprise pregnancy was a definite blessing and gift, I had to wonder how I was going to face caring for another sick baby and ultimately burying her if things played out that way. Eric, on the other hand, continued to say that things would be just fine. (There were definitely days I wanted to knock his teeth out. I just wanted him to worry with me and roll in despair with me for a few minutes)!

So, as the due date neared, my family gave me a baby shower. We, of course, had long since given away all of our baby stuff and were starting over again. At the shower, my sister gave me three beautiful dresses for the baby. They were all frilly and gorgeous. These are the kind of dresses that you put on the baby when you arrive at the picture studio and you don't even wear them on the drive to the studio for fear some random liquid is going to bubble forth from the little volcano onto the dress and ruin it! At the shower, I politely thanked my sister and carefully folded the dresses back up and put them in the box.

The dresses were all 3-6 month sizes. I didn't know if our baby would be sick and if she would even live long enough to wear the dresses. At the time, I put anything that wasn't a newborn size in a plastic bin and tucked it in the closet. Yes, it is a morbid thought but that was my frame of reference and my reality at that time. So, the dresses were hung in the back of the closet with the tags still on them and the receipt taped to one of the tags. And, there they hung, and hung, and hung.

Last Saturday night as I was laying everyone's clothes out for church, I saw the dresses. How funny that I hadn't noticed them before now. However, I just had this complete moment of thankfulness which was followed by that ping of guilt for being so faithless. My Annie girl is now almost 7 months old, has tested negative for Pompe's, and will be around for quite some time to ensure that she turns each and every hair on my head gray.

I tell this story to let everyone know that, yes, I am still very protective of Annie. It was at this six month point when we realized that there was something seriously wrong with Ansley. There are many times when I watch Annie sleep (ha - that happens very rarely) and I wonder if Ansley would have had the same "hell on wheels" mentality that Annie does. We're convinced that her first words will either be, "MINE," or "NOW!" But I am still so thankful for the blessing of her addition to our family. Despite my own wailing and tantrums when she's crawling around and eating dog food and calling for someone to party with her at 2 a.m., I continue to count my blessings.

Though she is quite a handful, she wore her red dress proudly to church on Sunday morning. The nursery workers had no idea of the significance of the dress and simply said that the red color matched her personality and the color she turned herself as she screamed throughout her stay in the baby holding tank better known as the nursery. I just had to giggle and whisper a little prayer of thanks for Annie and her red dress.

Educating Dasha...

Believe it or not, it's been almost four years since Daria Contantina Yemelyanova became our Dasha Elizabeth Randolph. When we adopted Dasha, we didn't have any guarantees about the future - but we don't have that with our own biological kids! We didn't know if surgery would correct her feet. But, with time, great medical support, and the patience and support of a small army, Dasha now walks, runs, and jumps! Yes, she stumbles and falls but compared to crawling around and having callused knees like she did four years ago, she's made vast improvements. We, also, did not know what Dasha's mental capacity would be when we saw that first picture of her and knew what we had to do!

Dasha had never been in a school setting but embraced school life and showed her constant desire to learn more and please those around her! To this day, if there's a choice to check out early (thanks to Papa or Grandma), she'd rather stay at school and enjoy her friends and teachers. Of course, Grant, on the other hand, takes the early exit every time!

Over the past few years, Dasha has done her best to learn this crazy English language with all of it's exceptions and rules. She's worked to learn her math facts. And, she's done her very best to learn all about the world around her through science and social studies. When you consider that she'd never left the orphanage except to go to the hospital until she was seven years old, she had quite a lot of life experiences to make up for. We've tried our best to pack all of this into the four short years she's been here. Things such as learning the difference between your leg, knee, ankle, and thigh are confusing and why in the world is it ok to get up and go to the bathroom whenever you want at home, but not at school? Whew! The learning curve has been VERY steep but we've kept at it - with the help of friends, family, and many medial professionals! Throughout the journey, Dasha has kept her effervescent attitude about doing her best and persevering!

This year, though, has proven to be quite a battle. As the curriculum advances in language and content, Dasha is having trouble understanding the concepts. There are so many holes in her background knowledge that it's hard to add details when the main concepts aren't even there! For example, learning about weather maps and cold fronts and pressure systems is near impossible when you don't know about the water cycle and understand that clouds and air move through the air. These are not concepts you can simply sit down and teach in an afternoon, either! These are life lessons that you learn through observation and discussion! It's near impossible to understand the plight of the Plains Indians when you don't understand the foundations of America. (Can you imagine Dasha's response when I explained to her that some people didn't want the Indians on the land and tried to force them out of their homes)? Dasha's innocence blocks her from understanding many concepts, as well. This is also true when we constantly warn her to be wary of strangers. She doesn't have any concept of people with ill intent!

So, now our question becomes, "Is Dasha's mental capacity being impacted by her CP, her language development, or her sheltered background?" So many huge questions to ponder! We've tried the special education route and we don't feel like this is the answer! She is capable of doing work - she's just missing major cornerstones! We don't want her to think that she can't do it as is the unspoken excuse in many special education settings. General education in a class of 30, though, isn't solving any problems either! At this stage in the game, a teacher with 30 kids doesn't have time to go back and fill in those missing foundational gaps so the gaps just get bigger and bigger! Not to mention, changing classes and teachers for each subject is challenging for her mobility and means a new set of "unspoken" rules regarding classroom society at every change!

Bottom line, Dasha is falling farther and farther behind and we're in a quandary as to what to do. The best case scenario is a one to one ratio where someone can take time to make sure the foundation is laid solidly before anything else is built on top of it! I always think of the song about one man who built his house on sinking sand and the other who built it on a firm foundation! Some have said that home schooling is the answer. Yes, it does sound like a great solution but I really don't feel like I'm being called away from my mission field (aka my classroom) right now. There's absolutely NO way that Eric could home school Dasha, either! Those of you who know Eric can just go ahead and laugh out loud! Some have said that private schools would be more suitable because of their low student teacher ratios. Well, most private schools don't have the resources to educate Dasha because of her mobility issues. They see her as a liability. So, our problem remains.

Please understand that I'm not knocking public education. I'm part of that system and it's a beautiful thing when it's done right! However, Dasha doesn't fit the mold of the typical student and therefore, it's just not working! I can't expect a teacher with 30 students to go back and reteach Dasha every lesson and design lessons especially for her. It's not realistic. But, at this point, we're just waiting. We're reteaching at home, trying to encourage that spirit of learning despite continually getting failing grades, and doing our darndest of make lemonade from our current crop of lemons!

At this point, there's no conclusion to this story other than to say that we're simply waiting for direction. But, sometimes, waiting is the hardest thing to do!

Crazy train ... ALL ABOARD!

I just don't know where times goes! I suddenly have an 11 year old, a 9 year old, and a 6 month old! Here's a quick update on current stats of the Randolph clan...

Dasha is in 4th grade this year and thriving. Each day, she has to work three times harder than the other kids to keep up mentally, emotionally, and physically but she never complains! She continues to push on and work toward her goals. I've never met a kid with the determination that Dasha has! Her innocence also continues to be a light to those around her. She just doesn't have a malicious bone in her body! Physically, she's struggling right now because she keeps having massive growth spurts. Despite her injections of Botox to help keep her legs limber, we know that we're going to have to look at more invasive options in the near future to retain her current state of mobility.

Grant is the normal protective brother of his sisters. He's also in fourth grade and excelling. This year, Grant is actually having to study and work for his grade so we've had some new challenges such as admitting that we don't know it all and studying! Grant is involved with Boy Scouts and loves all of the outdoor activities! He's really beginning to become more independent and turning into a little (giant) man. He still has the tender heart that seems to be his trademark but is learning how to live within the world and maintain his boundaries. This is such a delicate tightrope act for him!

Then, there's Annie! I do believe we should have named her Annie the Destroyer! Annie now crawls and gets into anything she can! Annie continues to be the joy of everyone around her (except from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. when she turns into a monster). Annie definitely has her daddy's outgoing personality and his need for independence! She only cuddles when she's asleep! During the day, we have a sweet little lady who comes to our house and stays with her while I'm at work. Since Eric works from the house, he also has a big role in making sure she doesn't tear the house apart!

Eric and I are blessed to still have our jobs. He's still doing the "marketing thing" and I'm teaching 3rd grade this year! We're very grateful to have income during this period of time when so many people are without jobs!

Hopefully, this will catch everyone up who has asked for updates via the blog! Considering it has taken me three months to update the blog, I might should start on my Christmas cards now!!!

Movin' on up...

Where does the time go? When Annie made her entrance into the world at 5 pounds and 5 ounces, I couldn't imagine her in any way other than a snuggle bunny. (OK - I do remember ranting about the screaming and thinking thoughts that sure aren't anywhere near 'snuggle bunny.' But, just as time seems to erase labor pains, it also erases those blood curdling screams that make you want to ask the OB if there's some type of reversal procedure in which the baby can be reinstalled and wait to come out until it's potty trained and can clearly tell you what she wants)! Reality check!!! While I can still count on snuggles with Annie before bed time each night and at that 3:00 a.m. feed that she won't drop, she's getting much more independent! She has leaned to scoot by digging her toes in the floor (or your lap) and pushing off. Grant and Dasha are beginning to see that life as they have known it might just be over! Though Annie watches what brother and sister are doing very carefully, she also keeps a close eye on their toys. A few nights ago, she decided that she needed some of the brightly colored Legos that were littering the living room floor where someone's creation had exploded into zillions of pieces. It was at that point that I knew we would need to do nothing less than wrap our entire house in bubble wrap once she really gets moving! With Grant, we only put the silly little plastic covers over the outlet and put a latch on the cabinet under the sink which housed our limited supply of cleaning products (who needs too many products when you don't use them anyway - Lysol wipes can clean anything and everything)! With Annie, I do believe we may have to resort to baby gates, latches, covers, locks, and possibly barbed wire! I'm even beginning to eye Kovy's crate in a new light. Hmmm... I know there's going to come a point in the near future when a crib can't contain the mighty Annie but maybe a dog crate could. :) Just kidding - in case DFACS is reading this! Bottom line, Annie is much more active than Grant ever was and I can see that I'm going to have to be on my toes as she begins to cruise around! Even as I write this, I'm watching her via the video monitor and she has scooted herself into the corner of her bed and can't quite figure out what's going on. Hmmm... she just hasn't leaned the importance of plotting a course in which you don't run into walls or the side of the crib! She needs a good GPS! (Side note - our GPS has begun saying, "You are not on a road. You are not on a road." The kids love it)! Once again, in case DFACS happens to be reading this, the baby is not in her crib wailing or even crying. She's simply cruising around and exploring while she makes gurgling sounds which truely sound something like, "ANNNNNNEEEEEE." Miss Independent must make her nightly rounds checking her crib prior to deciding that it's time for sleep. As we're learing, as long as the mighty Annie thinks it was her idea, there will be peace in the valley! Now, if I could just convince her what a marvelous thing sleeping through the entire night would be! However, I'm still ok with her 3:00 a.m. choice since Cosby Show and Home Improvement are on Nick at Night and I can at least be entertained while she snacks! However, if she decides to wake at 2:00 a.m., it's just not convenient for me because there's nothing on except ShamWOW commercials and reruns of shows I never watched such as Married with Children and George Lopez. (As another side note, have any of you seen the smut that comes on the cartoon channels at night? It's really scary)!

Many of you have asked about our plans for the mighty Annie once school starts. Well, many of you know the little Latino lady who cleans our house, Mrs. Rita. She has five children of her own and has a heart of gold. She's always looking for extra work so we asked her to watch Annie during the day and she has agreed. There will definitely be some obstacles to overcome like her broken English and inability to drive. She also lives deep within her Hispanic culture and has some child rearing practices that make us scratch our heads! For example, just after Annie was born and cried constantly, Mrs. Rita insisted that we give Annabelle a bath with lettuce leaves in the water. She said that it would make her tummy feel better! We didn't do it but I have to admit that I was close to trying anything! I did succumb to giving her a bottle of diluted Chamomile and peppermint tea at one point, though, per Rita's instructions. I do believe it helped with her tummy. I know the leftovers sure helped settle my nerves! However, the benefit of having Annie stay at home with one on one care is priceless to us. Since Eric works out of the house, he will also be able to spend more time with Annie, too. I think the real deal sealer came when Mrs. Rita told Eric that she would contine to cook (she cooks authentic Mexican like she's making something as routine as mac n cheese) and clean. What a blessing she has been and will be to our family!

Now that the princess has finished her royal nightly tour of her crib and has settled down with her little blankey and is sleeping peacefully, I'm going to work on my own classwork! Three more weeks and I can scratch all of that paper writing and reading off of my "to do" list! Good night!

Waiting...

It seems that Eric and I have spent a large part of our married lives simply waiting. We've waited through some pretty tough situations. I've seen way too many studies that try to pinpoint the actual amount of time that we spend waiting. One study says that if you lived 65 years, you'd spend about half of those years waiting. Is waiting really such a bad thing? When you wait, you have time to reflect (unless you have all of the kids with you). When you wait, you have time to watch others around you. When you wait, you have time to simply be still. Isn't it funny that something annoying as waiting is the only thing that slows us down sometimes? And, I have to admit that with the advent of the iPhone, even those quiet moments of waiting have now been invaded with emails and phone calls. (As a side note: iPhones should come with a free coupon for family counseling! They sap the need for real communication and interrupt even the most intimate of moments)!!! Anyway, back to waiting...Eric and I spent weeks waiting for a diagnosis of Ansley's disease. We waited for her to slip from this Earth. We waited for confirmation of Daria's (Dasha) first visit from Russia. We waited for a date to go to Russia and pleed our adoption case. We waited for a date to return to Russia to accept Dasha into our family. We waited to see how the surgery on her feet would impact her life. We waited for eight months to meet Annabelle. We waited to find out if Pompe's Disease would effect her. And, though I haven't mentioned waiting on Grant...if you've ever taken him to a restroom, you know we wait on him, too! While unfocused waiting can bring frustration, when we're waiting on something specific, the quiet time can be precious. So now, as we wait, we will wait with patience and purpose (and I'll hope the iPhone has a disastrous meeting with a flushing toilet)!

Let summer begin...

As my maternity leave drew to a close, I was both anxious and excited about going back. Considering I only went back for the last two days of school and then three days of post planning, I don't know why I'm griping! However, the last two days of school are usually the most trying with parents and students so I really set myself up for a tough time! Leaving Annie wasn't as hard as leaving the first two! Mom watched her a few days and the sweet little Hispanic lady who cleans our house watched her the other days. I think the caregivers were the ones who ended up wishing they hadn't accepted the positions! Annie gave them both a run for their money! OK - so Grandma didn't get paid "money" but can I just say that she also did laundry and cleaned while watching the baby! Man! What a happy camper I was to come home to a clean house, clean laundry (Grant and Eric had been wearing their undies the right way and then wearing them inside out to cut down on the laundry - just kidding - or am I) and the baby's room looked like a Babies R Us store exploded. However, mom cleaned everything up while keeping Annie entertained. Anyway, today was officially my last day of the 2008-09 school year so I'm relieved and ready for some relaxation.

Annie has finally settled into somewhat of a routine - thank goodness! When Grant was a baby, we hyper scheduled everything! He ate at precisely the same hour at each meal. He napped at predetermined lengths throughout the day and slept for eleven hours each night without fail. This fit very nicely with my perfectionist tendencies. As I look back, I know that Ansley never fell into a good schedule but I'd always assumed it was due to her illness. Now Annie, on the other hand, has no excuse. In my mind, she should be sleeping through the night, cooing at her perfect parents, and sleeping at my convenience. HA! It has taken me twelve weeks to realize that Annie has her very own personality and it's nothing like Grant's! Whew! She much prefers cat naps spread throughout the day to a couple of big naps. (You can imagine how conducive cat napping babies are to getting chores done around the house)! She also prefers to snack and graze throughout the day instead of eating full meals. While I'm not ok with her snacking habits and am working diligently toward full feeds, she only looks at me and chuckles when I insist that she keep eating as her eyes fall shut and she smiles her little sleepy smile. How can you argue with that? Really, though, things are beginning to take the shape of a routine and that makes me happy. I can at least have a plan about when I'm going to get a shower or fix the big kids lunch - although Uncrustables have become a staple in our home for lunch on the go or lunch when mom is negotiating with the baby. Though my plans don't always mesh with Annie's plans, we're beginning to meet in the middle about issues such as sleeping and napping. I've been putting her to bed at 8:00 which gives me time to spend with Grant and Dasha - or get the top layer of crud wiped off the household fixtures. Then, I sneak into her room about 10:00 and feed her again while she sleeps and she normally will sleep through until about 3:00 after that. My body seems to have adjusted to the 3:00 feeds and I've learned that the Cosby Show and Home Improvement are on Nick at Night chanels during the 3:00 - 3:30 slot so I'm entertained by my favorite families while I wait for Annie to dine leisurely. When I put her back down to sleep, she normally sleeps until 6:30ish. Over the last couple of days, this has given me time to get a shower and get the big kids ready for school before she announces that she has finished sleeping for the night. Beyond this loose schedule, everything else must fall into place. Thank goodness that summer is here and we can all work toward a more cohesive schedule with benefits everyone - not just Annie!



As for Grant and Dasha... They are happy that school is out but bummed that they were born to an educator. Both kids have already received their summer reading and math schedules (thanks to mom) and have expressed their grumbles of having to do work through the summer. Oh well. They'll get over it - or they can bring it up in therapy when they're older! :) Both kids are very protective of Annie. Dahsa likes to watch from afar and offers to be the gopher and rarely crosses through Annie's direct path. We haven't forced the interactions. I think she's afraid of making the baby cry. She still doesn't really understand why the baby cries for absolutely no reason. She runs to tell us when Annie is crying and seems to ponder why we would put her in her crib and let her cry at times. Dasha's mind is always processing but she doesn't always verbalize it and still has a hard time putting English words with some of her feelings. Grant, on the other hand, drags Annie around as if she's a baby doll. He will give her a bottle and even change her diaper in cases of extreme need. Having a baby in the house has really reinforced his nurtuing spirit. I'm afraid that some of his thoughts might change once Annie becomes mobile, though, and begins to be a threat to his Legos and elaborate G.I. Joe set ups! I've told him that his Joes need to start training now for special ops missions dealing with slober and being gummed to death. He doesn't find my suggestions funny.

As for the keepers of the Oompaloompas... Eric is still working for the advertising company and gets to work out of the house. However, for the last few days, I've found him out on the deck in a lounge chair with his laptop propped next to him and his tunes going. I keep waiting to hear stains of some Jimmy Buffet song when I see him out there like that! The reality of the situation is, though, that he works an enormous number of hours each week and seems to be "on call" 24/7. I guess he deserves a Cheeseburger in Paradise moment! Though I'm finished teaching for the year, I have two more classes to finish my degree. It's been a long haul and I plan on partying in some sort of way at the end of July! It's a real bummer that teachers have to report back to school at the end of July - that puts quiet a damper on any real partying! (Ok, who am I kidding? Partying to me is a book on a quiet beach)!!!

As usual, the Randolph compound is still thriving and surviving on humor and laughter while living in chaos and baby spit up. Though the grass in the yard might be a little high and the dog hair in the carpet might be a little thick, we're all happy and enjoying this Season of our lives!

My servants may be dismissed...

She's the smallest thing in the house and she has everyone jumping to her every demand! As I scrolled down through the pictures, I realized that Grant and Dasha haven't made the headlines since Annie was born. That's because Annie is the All Star in our house right now despite our efforts to keep everyone equally happy! Annie officially has colic. I have to admit that I never really believed in colic and thought unhappy babies were simply a product of bad parenting. HA! See what I get for being judgmental? Anyway, Annie sleeps when she wants to sleep and then only eats when she wants to eat. Believe me, if she doesn't want to eat, you'll wear the contents of the bottle in accordance with her defiance! Have you ever seen the sweet little dresses called pillow case dresses which are carefully and lovingly made from pillow cases and embroidered with enchanting little doodles? Well, I'm going to start making the same type of dresses from garbage bags! This way, when baby decides to spew forth her contents at will, her clothing can be quickly wiped clean and the day can continue without the drama of a wardrobe change. While I'm at it, I think I'll fashion the same type of garments for adults, too. However, I've become accustomed to walking around with white blobs on my shirt looking as if I just taunted a flock of pigeons and lost the battle! Seriously, Annie has her moments of blissfulness but right now, she's very fussy, and it takes quite a bit of patience to get through the nights (and some days). It's a blessing that I'm not going back to work until August (minus a few days of post planning in June) so that I can recoup my sleep during whatever napping hour Annie chooses, though! As I rock her through the night (not like Amadeus), I hear my lullabies becoming alarmingly more hostile. I usually start out with something sweet like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star but by the end of the night, I'm singing about the farmer's wife chopping off their tails with a carving knife! Oh well. I can definitely see where the composer of Three Blind Mice might have gotten his inspiration if he, too, had a colicky baby! From Three Blind Mice, I usually begin chanting, "Annie Bananie doesn't wear any panties..." Who knows! Someone remind me of this when I have a 3 year old who runs around commando! I just keep remembering that this is only a Season in our lives and it will quickly pass and in some demented way, I'll miss it.

As for the rest of the family, Eric is traveling quite a bit these days. (Hmmm... they say timing is everything). Grant is the backup mama when Annie is having a melt down. It brings tears to my eyes (if I wasn't already crying) to watch him carry Annie around like a sack of potatoes and sing songs to her and shush her crying while patting her bum. Last night, I found him cuddled up in my bed with Annie tucked carefully in the crook of his arm and she was peacefully asleep. Every single breath within me said to leave them there and ignore the late hour. Common sense prevailed and I woke both of the them up and spent the remainder of the evening with a screaming banshee! :) So much for common sense. -Did I mention that Eric is out of town so he'd have never know if our bed became a sort of napping area for Romper Room victims? And then there's Dasha... Dasha still isn't too interested in Annie. At first, she was mildly amused but her amusement has turned to disdain since her bedroom is next door to Annie's! Physcially, Dasha can't lug Annie around like Grant does but she will sing to her or read to her if Annie is calm. Dasha is still a firm believer in only having one drama queen per house and she just doesn't care to vie for that spot with Annie so she keeps her distance when there's much ado! And then there's Eric. His job is keeping him very busy and on the go. While it's nice to have him working out of the house, there are definite draw backs - like knowing when work is over and he's open for family time. Nonetheless, we're thankful that he has a job!!! For those of you who've been curious about the animals' response to Annie, the cat thinks Annie's swing is great and loves to pull the blanket off mid-swing which usually sends Annie into hysteria. Kovy thinks she's Annies guard dog and follows anyone around who is holding her. Beware if you come into our house and want to hold the baby! The dog has to 'ok' you first!

Despite all of the nuttiness, I know that we truely are blessed to have Annie and we'll do whatever necessary to make sure we're bringing her up as He would have us do. In the meantime, however, we'll be taking collections for family counseling if you're interested in helping out! We've already diverted the kids' college funds to James Dobson's cause and he quit on us saying that he'd have to write another book to cover all of our issues! (Just kidding)! Really, thanks for all of your prayers. I'm looking forward to hearing those first babbles and coos and getting through a night without screaming (I guess that goes for Eric and the baby)! :) If you've looked around at your family, you know that God obviously has a sense of humor (if you can't laugh at your family - laugh at mine) so I just need to laugh at this and move on!