What's up WACH (wock)

Yes that is how our last name is pronounced Wachsmann (wocksman... or even woxman).

So now, here's what's up with these crazy Wachsmann's.

Most days are chaotic but that's how this ship is run best I guess. I like to stay on my toes and while I am there we may as well dance and have some fun.

It is definitely a mixture of laughing, growing, learning, teaching, discipleship, disciplining, and LOVING. Some days I wonder if I should just hide for the duration of the day or get out of bed and put on my big girl undies and face it like a MOTHER! I always opt for that one and the days end up a lot better than anticipated. Thank you Father for GRACE, PATIENCE AND WISDOM!!!

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J is looking to start school again soon. We have been in prayer about this for some time now and have felt a peace about him returning to school. He was really wanting to go into something a bit different than the teaching scene but when we really sought the Lord's heart on it we felt like he is called to be a teacher. It takes a strong person to teach. Of course not physical strength (unless you teach in the city... you'd better also carry a gun license and know karate! ((and be a former Military Sargent))... JUST sayin').

He is however changing up the scene a bit. Before, he was in primary education (elementary age). and he has been feeling a strong pull for Jr. High math. It works out for him b.c he is totally a math whiz and his dad also teaches math. I however faint at the sight of numbers!

I will teach my children letters but Daddy will have to do the numbers bit! haha I am so artistic brained and USUALLY those brained people are not the same as math brained peeps! There are some geniuses out there that are great at both. More power to them!

(In my defense I am quick to do math in my head and am good at it when I HAVE to be or CONCENTRATE well but other than that I have to be in the mood for math! I remember crying in math class a lot growing up 'yes that was me'. I just didn't get it and why on earth there were stinkin' letters in with the numbers!!! WHO DOES THAT!!! SHEESH! Talk about signing a kid over to a mental institute! )

So with that being said. We are not looking forward to the slowed work schedule for J but it will be toward the ultimate goal and if God is in it (which we truly believe HE is) then he will bring us through it. Alive but refined none the less!

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I have been given a couple projects on the side. I have been doing some drawings for a painting that will be going on the walls of a sister church in Dallas area. I have also been selected to paint a plaque that will be going in the room of a soon to be son of Johnny's cousin. I am super excited to be able to do these things as it gives me an outlet to express some pent up talent :).

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I have also been finishing the rooms of our babes. Finally we finished painting the boy's room. (Pictures soon to come). The only thing left for that room is furniture situation and chair railing around the room. Eventually we are going to pull the hideodorous blue carpet up from their rooms and lay laminate wood flooring down. OR more carpet (just new and an amazing color). We have yet to decide on that! I just know that it will look so AWESOME when we are done with it.

Miley Bird's room is on the close horizon. We are going to get all the furniture out today and prep the walls. Then tomorrow we will paint. Her room is going to be sooooo amazing I am so excited about it. the colors are "cream, 'strawberry rhubarb' (actual paint name), and DEEP brown... almost black. The bottom will be the brown, the top, cream and the pink will go around the middle as a stripe.

I am in the process of planning out her paintings for her room. I am going to paint big canvases with cherry blossom branches and then others with fun bird silhouettes on them. And hang them by FAT dark Pink ribbon to match the stripe. I have such inspiration for her room it is amazing. I really would love dark espresso or cherry wood furniture in her room but we are doing everything ourselves so no new furniture for our kiddos unless it is dyer. So we will use what we have. Maybe some day I can paint it!!! WHEW that makes me exhausted just thinking of it.

I know, I know there is still a possibility that she may be leaving but it won't be for a while and why not have fun with her and give her a GREAT room while she is here. EVENTUALLY we will be getting a girl to keep anyway so it is a win win situation!

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Moe's case is coming to a close soon. I thought it was August but that is the review hearing and in Sept his final hearing is set. There are some concerns here and there that are kind of iffy but other than that we feel that he will be returning home. We have already started doing home visits with his father and that is going GREAT! He is pretty much adjusted to him for the visits. The next part will be to get him okay with spending the day and eventually night with him.

He is so smart. He helps pick up his toys now and will do things as instructed (on his level). Like I can ask him to bring me the pacifier that is sitting beside where they are playing and he will stop playing and bring me the pacifier. Or I can ask him to stop what he is doing and do something else and he quickly obeys. We had a couple rough months with the both of them back and forth with teething making them irritable and just plain ornery. But they are leveled out again and we are SO VERY THANKFUL.

Moe is talking a lot now. He is so polite with his words and it is so fun to finally hear him talking instead of whining for the things he wants. We can tell him to use his words and he will usually chime in with what he wants.

We have been using time out as a discipline method for him and for the most part it works like a charm. He will sit there and hate every minute of it because he LOVES being in the middle of whatever is going on. He obeys and is good at sitting their quietly but you know he is ready to get down and play when his minute is up.

Both boys are great at "pockets" or "hands". They know that mommy does not have hands and they will grab my pocket or one another's hand as well as my free hand when directed to do so. I love these boys. They are turning into quite the young gentlemen we hoped they'd be. Thanks to lots of prayer and many, many hours of guidance and correction. They are so much fun to be around... good thing b.c I am around them A LOT! We have lots of fun and laughter throughout our days.

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Bear is the most amazing big brother I know to be. He LOVES his "siblings" like none other. Sure there is sibling rivalry between he and Moe but if there weren't I'd be worried. They are normal brothers and act as such. Bear does take care of his little bro though. He takes him his morning sippy if I have not gotten him out of bed yet. I will go in and get Bear out of bed take him to the restroom and give him alone time to go potty. After he goes he gets down (from the big potty all by himself.. no stool either! I was shocked the first time he did this) pulls up his undies and flushes the toilet. He seeks me out in the kitchen and says "wash hands" so we wash his hands and then I give him the sippies of milk. He looks at me and says "Daytob" I nod my head in agreement and say yes sir and he takes off running with sippies in hand taking it to his brother still confined in his wooden cage :).

He passes the sippie off and then climbs in his chair beside the crib and has a rewarded drink. Then I bring Bird in their room to sit with them and feed her and pray over our morning together. Such a fun eventful morning most mornings.

I can now tell Bear to go get his shoes on that we are leaving and he will do so. He can and will get his shorts on by himself. Shirts are still a bit harder. He can get it on his head and get his arms in but sometimes the backwards thing is inevitable. Such a smart, helpful little guy. I have even found him trying to put Moe baby's shoes on him a couple times. He will take Miley Bird her blanket when asked to do so or give her a pacifier if needed. He will go over to her and soote her with his words and kind voice (usually he speaks in ALL CAPS as I have heard this voice referred to *wink*) I think he is finally learning the difference between inside voice and outside voice though so that is GREAT!

He is now in a full size bed since we moved rooms around. We gave Miley his crib and put the guest (full size) bed in the boys room for Bear's bed. We were looking for a twin but we already had this one and we really don't need another one if we have one to use. We just don't have a guest room anymore.... or a bed for that matter. Something will work out when that day comes though.

He can now feed himself cereal with milk using a regular spoon. He does such a great job keeping the mess minimal. And when he does make a mess he is happy to clean it up. He will say "mess, lean up" and I will give him a napkin and he will clean it up and say "thank you" (followed by "welcome"... he still has yet to learn that you don't reply to your own thank you :).. very cute and polite all the same.

Bear loves helping around the house. He helps me cook and prepare foods, he helps load and unload the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. He is always picking up random things here and their and putting them where they go or asking me where they go. If he sees laundry on the floor of one of the rooms from the night he will take it to the laundry room without prompting now. The only thing we are dealing with right now is that he thinks all things on the floor are "crash" (trash) and wants to throw it away. I am so thankful for this little helper and such a lover of people. He truly is our blessing!

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Miley is getting so big (for her) she is now into 0-3 mos clothing and even some of that is too big for her. Her hair is getting so long (curly but long) and it is way too much fun to fix her hair.

She is such a happy little girl now. When she first came I was doubting that she was a fit to our family b.c she cried a lot and would not be consoled by ANYTHING! She hated the pacifier and seemingly hated to be held or laid down. We have worked with her intently and now she is a well adjusted baby girl. She smiles all the time and LOVES her big brothers.

She is on a great schedule and has been sleeping through the night for over 3 weeks now. She is amazing.

She is still eating 4 ounces every 3 hours and is now weighing close to 10 lbs. (at 2.5 months old). She can hold her head up very well these days and loves sitting in the Bumbo. She is grasping her lovee and her little Keptin Jr. rag doll she loves so much. She has a fun little personality that melts my heart. When she is laying in bed falling asleep she comforts herself by "twirling" her hair right behind her left ear. It is never the right... always the left. She puts her little hand back there and just starts grabbing and and "petting" her hair. SO SWEET. Then she goes quickly to sleep without a fuss.

I always wanted my little girl to twirl her hair.... I do it, and I think it is so sweet as a comfort. Just a detail that God oversaw! I love that HE loves me so much to incorporate such a small detail in our children (that have nothing to do with us biologically). Bear has the sweet heart that I always wanted my boy to have and Moe, well he is a momma's boy... and he loves to snuggle with me! He teaches me patience daily!

Thank you JESUS that you knit this family together by your hands. Each child was strategically placed here in our home, in our hearts and in our family. You know the desires of our hearts and have blessed us accordingly! Thank you that you look over your children! WE ARE BLESSED INDEED!