Boo Ha Ha

Halloween day was action packed and fun filled. We got up and took off for the Boo Ha Ha festival, trick or treating and parade in Tulsa. Had some lunch came home and got ready for trick or treating in town. This year we took the kids to the Nursing Home as well as Grandma's block. Being soccer mom's has its advantages we are learning from all the other mom's that we frequent games and birthday's with the hot spots.

Maima a beautiful princess bride. She does NOT like anything scary so wanted only to be pretty.

Akins the exact opposite - Ninja man!!

Lovin' up on Grandma

Waiting to get their fortunes told.

How's this for the dynamic duo?

Maima: Mommy-O I am going to ask Santa Claus for a brother who listens.
Mommy: Excellent I hope he grants your wish.

Soccer Star in the Making

Like most of our Liberian boys, Akins is very athletic and generally out plays the other kids on the field. He scored all three of the goals the team got during Saturdays game. Here is some of the action.


Setting it up...

Look at that form.

Blocking the goal.

Aim for the pocket

and that's how it's done!

Who is Meema?

Akins: Meema? Meema?
Maima: Akins, who is Meema?
Akins: Meema? (getting inpatient)
Mommy: Meema is your imaginary friend and I let her go out the window so she could walk to school and she never came home. (tried this to see if he would use Maima's correct name - didn't work)
Akins: No, Meema came home she's right there. (pointing to Maima)

I guess we could be asking who is Doria too?

Today the kids found some play money while at the post office trying to get Maima a passport. Here is Akins counting the money...

Eighty, Seventy, Twelvety...

So who is Meema? Maima of course... I now have official legal right to have her in my home. I hired my attorney (something I swore I would never do again) to apply for guardianship. She found a way to get emergency custody and she has contacted Laura (the woman who originally adopted Maima) and told her that she needed to sign an affadavit releasing custody and that in 5 months she would be expected to show up in Tulsa court for the adoption hearing once it is set or we would apply for back child support for 6 months and process her for child neglect. I'm sure that was an interetsing conversation. Needless to say Laura is ready to sign any documents necessary.

Everything is going well with Maima. It has been a tough transition no doubt. Long hard cries for Maima at the loss of a life she thought she had, and a lot of "oh my God what are we doing" moments for us, but Maima is ours for good. Or should I say Meema is ours until Akins can actually remember to say her name and then Maima will be ours for good!

Funny conversations:
Akins: Does Superman have a girlfriend?
Mommy: Yes, her name is Lois Lane.
Akins: Meema, I am superman and you are Lois.
Maima: Ewww, dude (we are rubbing off on her) that is so gross. A brother and sister cannot be boyfriend and girlfriend.
Akins: I am superman and you are Lois.

Akins: Mommy, I need a new girlfriend.
Mommy: You mean you don't want Annie to be your girlfriend any more? (Sue Richardson and me plotting the future).
Akins: No.
Mommy: Why?
Akins: Because I already have a new girlfriend in my class.
Mommy: Ohhhh, you are a two timer! Then you will have to call Annie and breakup with her. She might cry.
Akins: Why will she cry.
Mommy: It might hurt her feelings. Girls don't like it when someone breaks up with them.
Akins: Oh, what's her number?

(Of course, typical man!)

Akins Turns 5!

The past weekend was filled with a ton of fun! Akins turned 5 and we kicked off the weekend by spending a very long day at the fair.

Maima hugging Akins at the fair while waiting in long lines!

Akins birthday party was a jumping smash!


Giving it a big WHACK!

Maima winding up for her turn

Candy everyone?

Sponge Bob delight!

BIG changes going on... lots of updates and several posts

When we had the reunion at the beginning of August I learned that a young girl who had lived with Akins in the orphanage in Liberia was potentially in trouble. Trouble in the sense that her adoptive mom was having problems with her (to what extent I did not know) and that the mom wanted her to go to live elsewhere. As soon as I heard this I started digging in to find out more. Well the thing with digging in to find out more is you do find out more and sometimes when you do you don't like what you find. In this case it was obvious that this girl needed help. Her name is Maima she can be seen clear back in the blog when I was in Liberia two years ago. Maima is now living with us and where this is all going no one really knows. Maima is 13 (according to the records) and she arrived last Friday. Maima started school here on Tuesday and so far so good. We are adjusting getting to know one another and have agreed to take it a day at a time. Here are some of the first pictures with Maima in our home.

Our first morning together

Maima in the pool

Are you ready to take my picture?

Maima's diving skills
I did it!

Akins Summer Swim Party

Akins turns 5 on Oct 1 and the weather is always unpredictable especially this time of year. We decided to have a summer swim party so that in the event his birthday was not so great due to weather he would still have had a good part. Here are some of the highlights.


Float wars

Michael fishing in the Koi pond (this is Akins best friend)

Kimberly was the only girl that showed up (she is planned to be Michael's future wife. At least that is what he tells everyone)

Sandbox Games

Michael and Akins on the trampoline

The Tooth Fairy Comes to Visit

Akins lost his first tooth and we managed to catpure the Tooth Fairy trying to get out of the house.

First tooth!

The payoff! Bath toys and $5.00 WOW not what I got when I was a kid!


The Tooth Fairy trying to escape!