Milana vs The Pool

I really love this time of year. School is almost out, the weather is great, and the pool is open. We were lucky to have a really nice weekend. The girls and I headed out to the pool on Saturday. It was Milana's first time in a pool.

We eased her into the pool by having her sit on the very top step. She was loving life. I literally blinked and the next thing I know she is face down in the pool and sinking fast! Fortunately I have very quick, cat like reflexes and was able to grab her by the back of her suit and pull her out of the water quickly. She cried for a few seconds and soon forgot all about it.

From that moment on she had a BLAST!!! She was standing on the edge of the pool and jumping in - well ok she doesn't exactly know how to jump, but she'd stand there, we'd count to three and then she'd "jump" into the water. Oh she had so much fun! Too much actually.

We did run into a slight problem. Milana doesn't have any idea what swimming is, what a pool is, or have any fear what so ever. This child kept trying to wriggle out of my arms in an attempt to "swim" on her own. She wanted to be with the big girls. She loves her big sisters so much and wanted to chase after them everywhere they went. Fortunately, they really love her too and they kept coming back to hang out with her and make sure she was doing alright.

We were able to get to the pool again on Sunday. This time Daddy came along. Daddy was trying to catch some rays which was a total distraction to Milana. She wouldn't stay with me in the water. This little stinker kept wandering off to her Dad and tapping him. He kept asking me if I wanted anything. Yeah, for Milana to stay IN the water. Did she think I was in that chilly water for my health?

Milana just walked back and fourth the entire time. Finally I got tired of hanging out in the water on my own and got out and she just sat there staring at her Daddy. (Who did not catch on by the way that she wanted him IN the water with her).

I have to say Milana was quite brave. I dunked her under a couple times and when she came out of the water her face looked like....well the picture above. She loved it!

I am guessing Milana is going to have the time of her life this summer. (I know I am). We've got so many fun things planned - the beach, more trips to the pool, camping, get togethers with friends, etc.

Does life get any better than this?

Wow! 8 Months Already!!

My head is just swirling right now with so many thoughts. I should start by acknowledging that today Milana has been home for 8 months. It seems so hard to believe at times that she has only been with us for 8 months. It has gotten to the point where she has just blended in so well that it seems like she has always been here.


It saddens me to think that if she wasn't with us she would be just a few short months away from being transferred to an adult mental institution where she would be strapped to a bed for the better part of 24 hours. She would have been very lucky to have survived the first year.

Chris and I watch her learn and grow each and ever day. She is so smart and has so much to offer. It hurts my heart more than you can imagine for people to think that children like Milana do not have a place in their society. We have probably learned more from Milana these last 8 months than she has learned from us.

There are so many other children out there in need of loving homes. Children in need of a Mommy and Daddy. Children who have so much to offer given the opportunity.

I am currently a 5/5/5 Warrior for one of those children in need of a family. My job is to try to raise money for Landon's adoption fund so that when his family finds him it will help them with the cost in some way. You see - most times the only thing stopping someone from adopting is the cost.

Landon is going to be 5 in July. Soon after that he should be getting ready to go to Kindergarten. It should be an exciting time in his life. Instead he may be transferred to an institution - yes, an adult mental institution where he will be lucky to survive the first year. He needs a home so badly so that he can have the life that he deserves - the life all children deserve regardless of ability.

Landon is such a little love bug. Here he is in one of the newer pictures that Reece's Rainbow received. Landon is a happy child who is always smiling. He would learn and blossom so much in a loving family.

I just think of how much Milana has learned in the 8 months she has been home and I just know Landon would be able to learn too given the chance. Just think of the love he could bring to a family!

Isn't he just gorgeous? Look at that blond hair and those blue eyes! What a gorgeous little boy. Could you be his forever family?

Please consider helping Landon or any of the other orphans who need a home. All donations made through Reece's Rainbow are tax deductible. Think about what roll you could play in the life of an orphan. Maybe it is through bringing a child into your home. Maybe it is through spreading awareness. Please consider helping in some way. There are millions of orphans out there suffering in horrible conditions who do not have anyone to love them. They are starving, unloved, uncared for. What if that was your child? What if that is your child?

Donations can be made through Reece's Rainbow www.reecesrainbow.org. Again these donations are tax deductible. They can be made online or by mailing a check to Reece's Rainbow P.O Box 4024 Gaithersburg, MD 20885. Please indicate in the memo line of your check who the donation is to go to. I would love for it to be Landon, but would be happy for any child to receive support for their adoption fund. These children all need homes so desparately.

Field Trip, Crazy Hair, Mother's Day, etc...

I was somehow able to get two of my three dogs to sit still so I thought I'd stick their pic in here. Milana loves her doggies so much. Which of course is nice considering the first few days she couldn't even look at them without screaming!



Here is Milana on Mother's Day. My four girls did a little baking and made some funfetti cookies. YUM!!! What a nice treat.


Isn't my smallest chef adorable?

Peyton is always laughing - well most of the time anyway. She spends most of her time at the dinner table laughing. And I'm not talking laughing just a little bit. I am talking about cracking up laughing hysterically! Not sure how to get her to laugh less at dinner and more....anywhere else. We're working on it :)

Love the hat Riley. She was so excited to make cookies. She'll be even more excited when her, Petyon, and Karissa FINALLY make the rootbeer they have been dying to make since Karissa came home last week.

This picture is....well I'd say priceless. When the girls were making cookies for some reason Karissa started to pour the butter out of the tub and it all landed in the sink. So we made sure we got a picture of this little...incident.

A friend of mine gave me a bunch of things for Milana and this little outfit was in it. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! She looks so darn cute!

She was smiling until I actually snapped the picture. I really need one of those fancy cameras that you can just snap away and it gets EVERYTHING!!!

We went to our school carnival at the end of April and the girls got their hair done. Doesn't it look awesome?? I just love their colored hair. So much fun.

These two are such hams! Actually all four of my girls are. I don't know where they get it from. Must be their Dad!

At the end of April Milana's class went on a little field trip to the Science Museum. Milana made sure she brought her sisters with her.

All three girls had a blast.

They all got to touch a snake and a baby alligator and loved it (of course).

The first time I had Milana stand by these tall blades of grass it took forever to get her to look at me and to stand still. Afterward EVERY time she saw them she ran to them and posed. She is such a nut!

Milana, watch out for that dinosaur! (I think she'd give that dino a run for it's money. Her teeth are WAY sharper)!

Life is good at our house. Busy all the time, but never a dull moment. Gotta love the joy children bring you :)

There's A New Sheriff In Town...

I have to start by saying Milana cracks me up. It's probably one of those things where you had to be there, but I find her (at times) quite humerous.

One of our dogs barks at everything - us coming in the door, someone knocking on the door, the wind blowing, etc. We tried a bark collar, but the other dogs chewed it off of her or she clawed it off herself. Our next idea was this spray bottle. When Bailey barks we squirt her with the spray bottle.

Well... look who got her hands on the water bottle. That's right....bossy McGee here all of a sudden turns up with the water bottle. Not only does she turn up with it, but she decides to go into attack mode.



I'm not quite sure what poor Montana here did to deserve Milana's wrath, but there she is laying (sort of) on her pillow minding her own business when Sheriff here comes up and starts sticking the water bottle in her face.



Here she had chased Bailey (who is the barker) into her corner and onto her pillow with the water bottle. I should point out that Milana can not actually squirt the water out of the bottle because she isn't strong enough to do so. Watching her try is hysterical.




She is trying so desparately to squirt Bailey with the water. Not sure why as she is clearly on her pillow and at the moment not making a sound. I think Milana got a little power hungry here.



I guess she finally got tired of trying to spray the dogs and gave up. Afterwards when I finally took the water bottle away she walked around hugging the dogs. They quickly forgot she was trying to attack them with water and happily licked her.

All in a days work for Sheriff Milana.