As promised.....

Here are the awesome pictures that a friend took at a cider pressing get together with a bunch of people from our church. Please note: our kids are awesome! They bob for apples with such vehemence (even Olivia, despite her obvious five tooth handicap)! Josiah loves his friend Autumn with such tenderness! We love them ALL like crazy! Thank you, again, to our fantastic picture taking friend and to those of you who have waited patiently to see these pictures posted (i.e., my family:).

Zoo Crew

My husband thinks I'm some kind of nut, but the truth is that I'm a much better get-me-out-of-the-house-before-I-go-crazy mom than a stay-at-home mom. I don't have all of my domestic inadequacies glaring at me from the overfull sink and the brimming hamper to impinge upon my time with my kids -- maybe that's why. Whatever the reason, while my mother-in-law was here (thank you, Grandma:), we headed to the zoo the first chance that came our way. I'll share some of her pictures, and then I PROMISE I'll post the raft of family pictures from the Autumn-fest:) Included in the background of the goat-petting pics (for you, Adam, I said it for you) are my gorgeous sister and her beautiful brilliant son, Jonah who joined us on our zoo story. Karen, of course, looks fabulous. They are VERY unflattering pictures of me. I post them because I love her:) Also, I am including a couple of pictures of the lorikeet feeding extravaganza. The babies wanted to eat the birds, Josiah was very unsure of the birds, and Olivia is clearly an old pro. I left the shark petting pictures out, but the babies loved the aquarium and the older two are endlessly fascinated by petting sharks -- and Grandma loved it, too! We have an awesome zoo. And the one with the animals in it is pretty great also.

Random Pic(ture)s

I have a minute before the quesadillas burn, and I thought I'd post a last round of random pictures from Grandma's visit before catching up with a more recent group. And if you like the Indonesian sling....wait until you see the FANTASTIC carrier that my Mother-in-Law made for me (and the awesome one she made for my carrier-shy husband). She took the Mei tai to the next level! For now, here goes:

P.S. Burned the quesadillas....

Daddy's got the gang downstairs...

SO, I'm gonna post some more pictures!!! (Isn't it great that Grandma wields a camera!?) These pictures, taken shortly after we arrived home in September, chronicle the Spa Day Olivia insisted upon having with her baby sister. At six, Olivia loves to "beauty up" with sparkly lipgloss, various lotions, and REALLY obnoxious creamy kid versions of eye shadow and blush -- all gifts. I figure if I let this phase ride, she'll lose interest eventually and understand where real beauty comes from (blah, blah, blah...etc., etc.. We'll see.). ANYway, I don't wear make-up, generally, so I don't have to worry about her using mine. I DO occasionally borrow hers! In the absence of any grown up lip treatments, I often go to church looking mighty sparkly. It IS rather fun. I get the attraction, Olivia, and hopefully Tari does, too. (I should probably mention that no obnoxious gels or creams were applied to the baby -- just some FANCY jewelry and innoccuous lotions). One thing I know for SURE, Josiah is quite grateful to be relieved of his brotherly beauty up duties (though he can work a tutu and nail polish with the best of them...He is a magnificent brother-- patient beyond belief with the whims of his big sister -- much like my own brother was when I forced him to comply with the vagaries of my bizarre imaginary worlds). Okay, on to the pictures. Aren't they sweet?

This is how we roll...

Well, before I post the more recent pictures from Autumn-fest, I thought I'd share some shots that my awesome Mother-in-Law took when she visited in September. Thanks, Grandma!

FIRST, check out the handy triplet stroller that I bought off of Craigslist. My parents-in-law picked it up for me near their hometown (once again, thanks, Grandma!). It's been helpful on treks to the bus stop and the park, though I generally strap one baby on and push a double stroller for trips that require car rides (and yes, I do take those occasionally. I even took all five to Sam's Club by myself a week or so ago! With the two best helpers in the world by my side, what can't I do!?).

Captivated by Autumn

If you find yourself enamoured by my clever double entendre blog titles, prepare to be wooed once again. (If, as is more likely, you find them groan worthy -- even irritating -- brace yourself). First, I chose tonight's title because I am -- captivated....utterly....by Autumn. I love everything about it -- leaves, smoke, school, sweaters, windows open -- everything. And my son, who, I am sure, also loves the season, found himself sweetly captivated by a little girl named Autumn tonight at a cider pressing party at a friend's house. Sweet Autumn is much younger than Josiah and followed him all evening, calling his name intermittently. I think Josiah relished the hero-worship and responded in kind with his signature style of chivalric sweetness that never fails to make me grin. When kids make friends, they do it without contract -- without expectation or insinuation. They just enjoy one another. Sometimes, of course, they don't (and then there's the pushing and the pulling and the ninja fighting....etc.), but mostly, small children are content to be exactly who they are and to let others do the same. A friend (the inimitable Autumn's dad, in fact) took some pictures of our family this evening, too, so you can expect to see an updated peek into how we roll very soon. You will be amazed! Let me just say that the babies have each put on nearly a quarter of their body weight in the last two weeks! At their adoption clinic weigh-in, they were 13 (Girum), 11 (Tarikwa), and 14 (Taye) pounds respectively. A week or so ago, I weighed them here at 18, 15, and nearly 20 pounds -- weights that we have no doubt exceeded already! (And, by the way, you should have seen Olivia bob for apples tonight with all FOUR of her front teeth missing -- well worth the trip to the country!) Well, that's enough topic whiplash for one evening. It all comes of drinking 4 cups of Ethiopian coffee to start my day. I love the taste; I enjoy the buzz; I don't make any linear sense for the next several hours.

This Big Life

It's 12:23pm. Asleep in the room directly adjacent to this computer wall are three of the most important people in my life: a man whose hand I have held and whose heart I have relied upon for nearly ten years, a little girl whose unsettling wisdom and whiplash laughter incinerate my pretenses, and a tiny little boy who chose me with his eyes and captured me, liquified me, with his smile just 5 short weeks ago (read: a lifetime). Across the hall lay three more of the most important people in my life: a little boy who has never, ever given up on his mama, a tiny little girl who has owned me with her eyes since before I knew her and has delighted me with them ever since we met, and a sweet smile of a person who makes everyone feel pertinent -- special -- especially me -- when his hair and eyes and face and mouth erupt in unmatchable laughter. Thank you all for your prayers and your patience. We are home. Home indeed.