Death by Karaoke

I gave Lorea a Karaoke machine for her birthday. I know sounds cheesey, but she likes to sing! Of course she is usually willing to share her toys. The singing bug seems to run in the family as the kids will complain when she says she is going to do it, but the next thing I know is I am subjected to 2 to 3 hours of ummmm.... let's call it family entertainment. Akins is below after a long, hot rockin' living room concert.



Being a rock star is hard work!

MUAA Reunion 2010

Once again we had the pleasure of hosting the annual MUAA reunion. This is my sanity week. The week that I get to find out if I have fully lost it or if things are right on schedule. It turns out I am as sane as the rest of the MUAA members. That puts me in very good company!

The week started out with Tarry (Maima's sister) coming for a little one on one time before the reunion got into full swing. The greeting was frought with anxiety, fear and uncertainty. Both girls were very cautious and it took a little time to warm up. After a quiet start in the car with no one talking I cranked on Disney Radio and soon they were talking music...


A little shy and scared...


Cooling off and having fun!

Silly putty is always good for fun

Sharon's clan arrived first.... and off to the pool they go to do some great tricks

The next morning Sue and Scott and the rest of the group arrived

The kids are funny... pool, tramp, bikes, pool, tramp, bikes, pool....

The little guys hanging in bed

Fashion show night - Left to Right - Princess, Maima, Jemama, Abegail and Tarry

Kids everywhere!

Eman the Muscle Man

Lotion anyone?

Mathew the tour guide on his row boat

Group shot - Left to Right - Tarry, Abegail, Akins, Eman, Matthew, Jemama, Maima and Princess

Scott and the boys playing with the DS

The little guys getting in a few last hugs and punches

Sue trying to sneak one more big sloppy kiss from Akins

Then time to say until next year.....

and one final hug before the doors close and the car drives away... see ya soon!

Family Reunion July 4, 2010

As is now a tradition we hold a family reunion each year over the 4th of July. My sister comes down with a pack of nieces and nephews and we play and play and play. The story starts with a plan for Tammy to bring Claudia, Shayne, Landon and that's it. But.... when Tammy arrived at my niece's house there stood Aleyia with her packed suitcase. Basically, Aleyia had her own plans, and they were "I'm going". So. there were four! Even still a milder version of last year's events. Amanda is in school so she and her youngest Haley stayed behind and my cousin Paula's son had a baseball tournament the same weekend and well Del and Sondie said "uhhhh, I think we will pass". I think all the kids last year about did them in.

Here are some of the highlights....



The first day it rained, but hey who cares! It's hot. It's wet. Duh!

Shayne and Landon chillin' lookin' like they are wearing lipstick

Tammy and Mom havin' a moment. Mom lookin' like she is ready to make the big escape

Karaoke Night

Shanye looks like he would rather be about any where else

One of the many feasts

How many kids can one fit into a house?

Well, that all depends.

If every couch and chair in your house folds out....

LOTS!

Quads are always a highlight and now we have 4 of them...

Ready for the firework display!

and just plain ole' being silly!

It's Official!

Maima Hawa Knupp - Born May 9, 1998!

Adoption complete, check....
Birth date changed, check....
Name changed, check...

Valerie mother of two, check..... (two kids I can thoroughly screw up. yikes!)


Now all we have is re-do passport, get new birth certificate that reflects all the changes and order a certificate of citizenship and we are DONE!!!!!

Zachary 12/15/93 - 5/27/2010

It came time to say good-bye to my dear friend and long-time companion. The kids and Lorea had all grown to love this little man. Until the very last moment he had a free spirit and unbelievable positive outlook. Needless to say we are sad and I will miss him terribly.

As a young man!

Christmas 2009

May 26, 2010

May 26, 2010

Akins Graduates from Pre-K

There have been times where I wondered if we would make it....


Leading the girl (he didn't want to hold hands with) and the boy who clearly did not want to be there at all...

Singing the Alligator song

That little girl was pulling on his hat and now trying to share his chair

Proof we made it....

Perhaps he has a future as a cobbler??? Shoe repair necessary right in the middle of the event.


Funny Moments -

Maima: "Dude, I am not laughing at you I am laughing with you"
Akins: "I'm not laughing" (points to his face) "Does it look like I am laughing"!


Remember the song by the Village People? -

Akins: "Nacho, Nacho, Nacho man. I want to be a Nacho man".
Mommy: "Hey that's supposed to be Macho Man"
Akins: "What's a Macho Man"? (shrugs) "Nacho, Nacho, Nacho man...."

Not so funny moments -

We have officially lost all potential coolness we ever had and bought a mini van!!!! Lorea dubbed it the "Sienna Soccer Shuttle". This sounds way better than the Mini Van. I swear not in a million years!

May 9, 2010 Maima turns ???

Well that is the question... we are in the process of trying to get Maima's birth age changed as part of the re-adoption. Maima has a U.S. Birth Certificate that says she should have turned 14 on May 9th but I don't think so. I think Maima is more likely 12 and let's face it, for these kids so severely behind in school the difference of 6th grade or going off to high school as a Freshman is HUGE! Maima is not physically, educationally, nor emotionally 14 so I have requested a review of her age. We had bone analysis on her hands which did put her at 13, but hair growth had her at Stage II Puberty (12) and the othodonist put her at age 11 or 12. Maima wants her age changed so we are hanging onto a couple of supporting statues and a Gaurdian ad Litem (an attorney appointed to ensure Maima's best interests are met). We meet this attorney for the fist time next Friday. In the meantime, we celebrated twelve candles in hopes of getting our wishes met. The final adoption is on hold until this piece is all figured out as it all has to go into the package. Hopefully, within 30 days we will have this resolved so we can finalize one way or another.

Now for the fun part of the birthday. Maima asked for a pink cake with Justin Beiber (teen idol) on it. With her accent it sounded like a pink cake with "just a beaver". For those of you that know me well you know I can be a bit of a terror. This set me off into a couple of weeks of teasing and a struggle over the pink cake with "just a beaver" which always netted this response "no mommy-o not the animal, the boy". So, I had to follow through of course. Therefore, there were two cakes one with a pink beaver (animal - not the greatest rendering) and one with the boy (Beiber). Her big payoff for the tormenting is tickets to "the boy's" concert. This resulted in me getting a practice run of the anticiatped 5000 screaming little girls that I expect will be present that night. Anyone have any tylenol? I know I am going to need it!



"Just a Beaver" cake in pink!

"Oh, you meant the boy"!

Make a wish!

Give the beaver a kiss!

What is inside the big box? An old family trick to pack small things in lots of big boxes.


After box 3...
Maima: "What is wrong with you people"?

After opening 2 more boxes and spending a few minutes trying to figure it out.
Maima: "Are these tickets"?
Mommy: "Yes"
Maima: small pause... lots of screaming, jumping and running around the room.
Mommy: "Do you know what it means".
Maima: "No".
Mommy: "It means you get to go see Justin Beiber in concert".
Maima: More screaming and running around the room!

"Yes"

Loading up her loot!