Three Pack of Goggles

Akins has been swimming for a while now and recently discovered goggles at the pool. We went today to get him "his own pair" and came across a three pack. Here was his big sales pitch for getting these instead of one pair.

Akins: "I want the ones with the frog".
Lorea: "What about the other ones".
Akins: "One for Kuker and one for Gormah, I will share with them when they come to my house".

He immediately assigned the colors to each of them. Kuker orange and Gormah purple. These are now tucked safely in "his drawer, in his bathroom" for safe keeping until they arrive.

How could we resist. So - here is the video outlining which ones are which and displaying this lovely fashion statement which is especially attractive with the mohawk.

Similarities

I have meant to post this for a while to post this conversation because it was so sweet but I keep forgetting to get it on and at one point I actually thought I had already done it. Anyway, here it goes...

Akins: "Mommy, I'm black"?
Mommy: "Yes? What color is Lorea"?
Akins: Ponders for a moment studying her..."yellow".
Mommy: "Okay, what color am I"?
Akins: Ponders again studying me this time. "pink/yellow".

This is all very funny as Lorea's father is Hispanic and her mother is White so yellow is a pretty fair assessment. I am kind of fair skinned, but tan well so again pretty good. I'm not really sure what he is doing with all of this or what has sparked the conversation so I continue.

Mommy: "Let me show you something. Turn your hand over". I put our palms next to each other "see the same, let me see you feet". Again, I line the bottoms of our feet up. "See, we are all pink on the inside". This invoked a smile from him and no more questions since.

Mohawk In, Training Wheels Out, Mommy-O Rides, Jacob and Mardia phone

A fun filled day today. After swimming lessons I went Mom's to mow the lawn and while I was gone Lorea and Akins got busy with the hair clippers. The Mohawk is back.

Last night while skateboarding I asked Akins if he wanted his training wheels off of his bike. He said yes so we took them off. Today was the first day without them. Training wheels be gone!

Okay, Lorea wanted this whole skateboard thing in the garage and bought me a skateboard so I could enjoy it too. I haven't riden a skateboard much since I was eight years old and my parents moved onto a farm where there were no sidewalks or paved roads to ride on. Things have changed a bit about the design of boards too. When I was a kid they were thin and short and the trucks (wheels) pivoted making turning very easy by merely leaning in the direction you wanted to go. Now the concept is to kick the tail to make the turn or basically lifting the front wheels off the ground. Anyway, after one week this is what you get. Not bad if I do say so myself.

We took Mom out to dinner after she has been house bound since surgery. She saw some commercial about a steak and the craving began. Anyway, on the way home Jacob and Mardia called Akins. Here is what I got from the conversation:
Jacob: Akins?
Akins: Jacob?
Jacob: Akins, hello I love you.
Akins: Where's Kurker?
Jacob: Kurker is in America now.
Akins: America? In Africa?
Jacob: No, Kurker is not in Africa, he is in America
(somehow the talking went to singing - not sure what happened)
Jacob: singing - can't make out what>.
Akins: singing - the itsy bitsy shider (no not a typo, he says shider)
Mardia:singing - the itsy bitsy spider
Akins: Boom, dee boom, dee boom,
Mardia: Boom, boom, dee boom
Lorea: singing- Baby, where'd you get that mohawk from?
Akins: singing - I got it from my mama, I got it from my mama
(If you listen to pop/rock or a little rap you will understand the above a lot better)
Jacob & Mardia: laughing
(this goes on for a while)
Jacob: Akins, I love you bye bye be good
Akins: Don't pee pee your pants
Jacob: laughing- Okay, bye bye
Akins: Bye chicken

Progression

Every once in a while I feel like no progress is ever made and then something beautiful happens. Here is a beautiful moment...

As I have shared Akins is going through a pants wetting period every day is an unknown. He can go several days - great and then pee pee. I had gone on a trip again and while delayed at the airport for endless hours I wondered into a children's store and bought him a RC airplane. When I got home it was late and he was in bed so I saved it for the next day. When I dropped him at school I told him I had a surprise for him if he was a good boy today. We do high five and off I go. Fast forward to end of day. I go to pick him up and he says "Mommy I no pee pee my pants". Another high five. I asked, "What did I tell you"? He's thnking. He says "I'm a good boy". "Yes, you're are a very good boy, but I told you I have a surprise". Smiling big! So, I pull it out and open the box for him to play with on the way home. Need to add batteries so at this moment it is just something to look at. He has many questions, what's this, what's that and then the beauty..."Mommy, thank you for getting this for me".

Now, that is progress!

Skateboard-O-Rama

We took Akins to a skateboard park a few weeks back and began the process of teaching him to ride a skateboard. After going to the park we agreed to reward him with a new skateboard if he went a whole week without wetting his pants. He went five days straight with the sixth day being Easter so we decided to give him his board as he had tried so hard. Lorea has always wanted ramps of her own so she bought some and has set up our own indoor skate park in the garage. Here is some footage of both the park and the garage.

Perfect Timing or So I Thought

I received the final adoption papers in the mail on the domestic re-adoption and have filed for his name change on the SS card and health benefits. So, the only thing left is get the birth certifcate which has been applied for and then apply for a US passport. Here's the deal... I have had to travel a bit lately. The first quarter is always packed with meetings and there is some expansion going on in my district where I will be covering not two states, but six. Busy! The travel is unsettling to Akins, We had gone for months with no pants wetting, but one thing that started happening when I had to start travelling is him peeing his pants. This will start on the days I begin talking about going, until I return. The trips are usually two or three days.

So, when the papers came, I had an idea. I asked him if me going on the airplane scares him and he said "yes". I pulled out the original adoption decree with the embossed notary seal on it and said "you see this document, feel this, (he swiped his hand across the seal and smiled at the texture). That seal right there says that I will be your mommy forever and ever. No one can take that away from you or me. You, me, Lorea, we are a team. Even when I go on the airplane I am your mommy and I will always come back because this paper says I have to. He seemed very pleased.

That day he did not wet his pants. I was pleased, but I knew it was premature because I also did not travel. The next day I asked if he would like to go on the airplane again and we could go and see the big water (ocean). He said yes. Lorea's family have not yet met him, so we are planning a trip to CA for a few days. Well, apparently even talking about him going on a plane is scary because this day he did wet his pants. Okay, showing him the papers with the embossed seal seemed ike a great idea. We'll keep trying alternative ideas. I just hope he is not wetting his pants when he is a man!

Easter Extravaganza

For Akins first Easter we pretty much packed the weekend full. Between hospital visits and the ultimate hospital break out we managed to squeeze in an Easter Egg hunt at the park on Saturday. Coloring Easter eggs Saturday night, a basket hunt Sunday morning and finally the egg hunt in our own yard on Sunday afternoon. Akins found all the eggs except the two Dolly managed to find first and eat (the Dolly part of the video is very large so we will see if I can get it on here)!


Planning session on how to get the most amount of eggs

The plan appears to be working - go Akins!

Pay dirt!

Oh yeah this is fun

Any eggs disguised as pool balls? I see you!

I found it!

After yesterday I know two buckets is way better than one

This egg wasn't hiding very well.

Grandma gets a little get well sugar

NOW ON WITH THE VIDEOS!