Bobbypins Were Just the Beginning

From Mrs. Beaver:

Every once in a while there is a tell-tale sign that a great many females live in our home. We got one of those today.

Our dryer had been taking WAY too long to keep up with the laundry around here so I gave in and called a repair man.

I wasn't surprised that he found mounds of lint clogging the system. However, as you can see in the photo, he also found enough bobby pins for the up-dos for an large wedding party! I think this revelation probably left Joe and Speedy that much more thankful that we also just added one more boy to the mix with this adoption! For a long time on Sunday mornings, they have voiced their concern that their lives will be shortened as a result of all the hair spray they're forced to inhale living with so many females (and that was before we just added two more!)

While the repair man was revealing why our dryer was ailing, I heard the kind of squeal from the kitchen that sends a mother running.

As a flood of water began to make it's way under the appliances, Princess Bink said plaintively, "I just wanted to mop the floor for you, but I knocked the bucket over."

I quickly assured Princess Bink that it was okay, and then I began requesting that kids run to get beach towels. However, there was a problem. The only two children nearby were Daria and Alexander. Not only did they not have the slightest idea what I wanted because of the little English they know, they don't know me well enough yet to recognize my "This is URGENT!" voice.

Daria who had begun creating Russian culinary masterpieces for dinner even before we had lunch cleaned up, just went on with her efforts without even noticing that Noah should be called in.

I raised the volume a bit and several of my English-speaking children came running with beach towels. Since they speak more Russian than I do, they were able to explain to their new siblings the need for help and soon everyone was swabbing the deck.

Meanwhile, the dryer repair man was now standing in the kitchen watching all this go on while waiting for payment and my signature on numerous documents. After all the loud chaos he experienced, I'm certain that at this very moment he's at home relishing the the peace and quiet there.

Now you might think this would be enough adventure for one afternoon, but...NO! Soon after this, Tatiana walked around the corner, and our seven-month-old puppy, Sunshine, was standing in CENTER of our exceptionally large dining room table licking the as-yet uncleaned crumbs from lunch. Now I have no photo of this event because Sunshine clearly knew she was doing wrong and exited the table in record time.

Now, I like dogs, but I also love a clean house. Thus, I have to echo Lucy in Charles Schultz's cartoons, "Argh--DOG GERMS!!!"

We're, of course, left with a puzzle. If Sunshine has figured out how to scale the table once, she'll surely do it again. How on earth do we stop her?

Again, you might think this was enough for one day, but Sunshine had one more memory to add to November 30, and that was a deposit in MY closet.

Whether we add children or pets to the family, our children have a saying they feel strongly about, "We adopt for life." Today it's a good thing that this is the family's maxim.

Sunshine, you're here to stay--despite your daring antics.

This morning the first thing I saw after reading my Bible was an email from a friend who has become dear to me through two years of both our family's children competing in Bible Bee Nationals. In words that couldn't have been more perfect, she gently reminded me that each time a family adds a member (or in our case, members) the"rich, precious life experience of welcoming the new family member" should cause other things to pale in comparision. Her words brought back how quickly in our past two adoptions the initial and wonderfully unusual stage of being a two-language family with children to whom everything is new passes. Her wise words helped me to laugh at the afternoon's events and even stop to take photos.

Thanks, Laura! Your email was a God-send! I treasure your friendship, and I thank God for you!