Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Last year was Akins first real Christmas and certainly his first American Christmas. When we went to the tree farm to get the tree he ran around tasting all the trees. Well, this year guess what???

You taste them again in 2008.
Of course before you can go tree "tasting" you must first choose the perfect wardrobe for this festive event.

Well, and you must be color coordinated!

Once at the tree farm you can then focus on Rudolph and other important tree farm items.

Upon tasting all of the trees and determine the perfect flavor you can then help Mommy cut one down.

Timber!

Then after ensuring no one takes your perfect tasting tree you can rejoice with silliness by sticking toys to your face.

A Visit with Eman, Abegail and Annie!

What a great day! There is nothing better than watching kids who lived together half way across the world reconnect here in America on safe and loving soil. It was the safety of America and offering love to a child that was otherwise forgotten that made us want to adopt in the first place. Getting to join these kids together again while spending the day in great company, in a welcoming home (thanks to the Richardson's) with people I now consider good friends is icing on the cake! Today we had that opportunity. Scott brought Eman, Abegail and Annie over to visit his folks for the holiday. They are just a short drive away so we piled in the car to head off to spend the day. The kids played hard, laughing, pillow fighting, dragging each other around the floor and like any good friends it is as if time stood still since they last saw each other. Here's what it looked like.


Come here buddy and give me a hug!

It's fun to drag each other all over the house in the sleeping bag!

Major pillow fight. I think Abegail won.

Oh, the prince's crown slips.

It's dress up time. How pretty!

Boy time.

Abegail, Akins and Foxy (being a very good sport) all sliding down together.

What's up?
\
Ladies start your engines!

Abegail, Akins and Eman - Note: Eman checking out the spare tire!!!

Who can climb the fastest?

A quick and hard to capture group shot.

Freedom, Freedom, Freedom....

Come Eman...

Eman negotiating the "borrow" of the VSmile for the ride back to the house.

We were trying for another group shot. What we did get is Akins showing Eman how to play the VSmile.

See - Eman you got it!

Time for hugs good-bye.

Sue - Scott has a better one but the future is in the making! You might get your wish yet - mom-in-law! Introducing the future Mr. & Mrs. Akins Knupp. See that BIG smile? That is following a really big hug!

Bye Abegail!

A nearly perfect day. Only one thing missing...SUE! We sure did miss you!!!! Hope you enjoyed the peace and quiet cuz' let me tell you the noise is enroute back home right now!

Conversation on our way home...

Akins: Mommy, I miss Eman.
Mommy: I know honey me too?
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because they don't live close enough for us to see them everyday.
Akins: Oh.

VIDEO CLIPS...to follow tomorrow!!

Our Little Super Model

We went today to get family photos taken. Last time we did this we were shooting for four generations - nightmare! This time it seemingly went very smooth and relatively fast. Here are a few highlights...







Funny conversation- last week Mom and I went shopping and I paid, so Mom needed to know what her portion of the tab was. If you know my mother she needs to know or it drives her crazy trying to figure it out and she wants the answer specific to the penny. She tried to figure it out in the car, but due to discounts 15% on these and 10% on that, was unable to. She tells me you'll have to figure it out and let me know. The next night I remember that I need to sit down and figure this out and the rest goes like this...

Mommy: I have to figure out this receipt before Grandma has a cow.
Akins: Grandma is going to have a cow?
Mommy: Yeah she will have a cow if I don't tell her what she owes me soon.
Akins: She has a cow in her gutty?
Mommy: (laughing) No honey, it means she will have a fit, like this (arms flailing, funny faces).
Akins: Grandma has a cow in her gutty?

Okay, we may have to try explaining this one again another time.

What Happened to the Bad Men?

A few nights ago we were sitting in the parking lot of the local pizza parlor waiting for Lorea to come back out with our well desereved pizza. Out of the blue this conversation comes up...

Akins: "Mommy-O, what happened to the bad men"?
Mommy: "What bad men honey"?
Akins: "The bad men that killed my Daddy".
Mommy: "I don't know, did you see the bad men?"
Akins: "Yeah".
Mommy: "What did the bad men do"?
Akins: "They killed my Daddy".
Mommy: "How do you know"?
Akins: "I know".

Lorea comes out with the pizza and the conversation ends. Lorea heard the last three sentences and just looked at me like "what the"??? I shrugged as if to say "no idea". It's weird how he randomly says things that seem like little blurbs of memory. If he is having memories and it does not seem like a story when he does this he is serious and focused, then both of his parents are in fact dead. Typically, if he is telling a story he beomces silly and then giggles and the story changes direction and then becomes more elaborate the more he talks about it. This has not been the case when he has talked about his African parents and what has potentially happened to them.

Mr. President

On Tuesday a history event took place and I was excited as the polls were to begin closing I was anxiously awaiting the rollup of delegate votes. I flipped on the TV and Akins was wondering what the buzz was all about. So, I began to explain to him that we were about to get a new president. The conversation and the following morning went like this...

Akins: What the President do?
Mommy: Well, he is the most important man.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: He runs our country and he makes all the decisions about our country. We are about to get a new president. There are two men trying to win right now. One is Obama and one is McCain and we want Obama to win.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because he is a good man that will do good things for our country.
Akins: The other man is a bad man?
Mommy: Well, kind of yes.
Akins: What did he do?
Mommy: He makes bad decisions.
Akins: Who will win?
Mommy: I don't know that's what we are waiting to see and when you wake up in the morning we will have a new president. It's really important and you know he is a black man like you.
Akins: Oh. He can come to my house?
Mommy: No, probably not.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because he is really important. When you wake up though we will know who won.


Morning - still in bed and barely awake...

Akins: Mommy, who is the new present?
Mommy: The President? Obama!
Akins: Yea!

After getting ready for school....

Akins: I want to see him.
Mommy: Who?
Akins: The present.
Mommy: Okay, come here let's turn on the TV.
Akins: Where is he? (commentator's tying up the airwaves)
Mommy: Oh, there is McCain.
Akins: He is the bad guy?
Mommy: Yeah?
Akins: I want to see Bama.
Mommy: Oh, there he is, there is Obama.
Akins: He's not BLACK!
Mommy: Yes he is.
Akins: No he's not he's not black.

Since then the past two nights have been riddled with a million more questions and a lot of discussion about blacks, whites etc. Who would have thought a four year old would be this interested in the presidential election! Now that is historic!

Last Name Woes

Okay, my last name is not the coolest name in the world and in fact it will for sure lead to some teasing. So, who better to set up the expectations than one who has already been through it and heard it all. Right? In trying to teach Akins how to spell his last name there is a very easy way to remember it - let's go through it.

Last name: KNUPP pronounced N-UP seems easy so far right.

Spelling: K N U P P - easy way to remember "can you pee pee".

Just try saying this to Akins. It is sure to send him off the deep end since pee pee has been a source of struggle and therefore trauma. The last thing he wants is this anywhere in his name. He insists it is NOT Pee Pee!

Today - he has been saying things like "Grandma Knupper" He also thinks Lorea's last name which he can barely say, don't even think of trying to spell it with him needs to match ours and therefore should be "Knupper". I guess adding the "er" on the end makes it all better.

In Search of the Great Pumpkin

Last year we found a pumpkin patch but not the greatest one in the world. This year we found one that had a whole lot of fun things to do! Here are the highlights.

This riding in the wagon business is for the birds I want to run!

How about this one?

Jumpin' Pumpkin'

Got to give Snoopy a hug


Popup Cat video


Wheel barrow mania ...wow this is hard

I don't like that big one...these are a little easier

Weeeeeeeeee

No Fear...Face First


Loads of determination!


Okay, maybe this one is a little too big

Of course no pumpkin patch is compelte without a hay or wagon ride

What's in there?


I can eat this?

A bumble bee pony...WHAT?

Oops! I ran over the cow!

And then....Lights Out!