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Baby Lions, Sensory Miracles and OCTOBER 9TH!!!!!!!!!

One of Maria’s gifts is the ability to create anything out of nothing.  Out of some trash, she created a school room one day after school for the boys, with assignments.

“Mama, they are working right now…” she told me seriously.

“I am on board with this situation….”

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Each mid morning, we have been making green smoothies together, it’s the highlight of the boys’ morning.  I give them a tiny dish of sprinkles, their ‘own’ to decorate themselves when they are done.  It’s a good way for me to use the goodness that is growing so that nothing goes bad, but rather nourishes us.

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They are involved in the process since it is simple enough to let them throw things in.  They start off by running out to the garden, which is filled with small white butterflies these days, flitting around with paper like wings encircling them as they work, as they grab the hearty kale.  Elijah has a harder time and returns with jacked up pieces, proud, and Finley gets bunches full.

Our Green Smoothies

-Almond Milk

-Frozen Blueberries

-Raw Honey

-Kale

-Pomegranates

-Ice

Or whatever else we have around at the time.

Oh…and sprinkles 🙂

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The colors that grow in nature never cease to amaze me.IMG_8979 IMG_8977

 

I let them have a special straw and we set them out with the sprinkle dishes, and they think it’s their greatest treat as they enjoy.

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Then, they can continue playing.  “K, then we can both be baby lions, then you can eat me, k?”

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On Saturday we were gifted with tickets to Disney on Ice.  We aren’t normally able to do such fun excursions, and we were so excited!  We invited one of Maria’s friends from school, which was big for her, and she ended up the sweetest child and we all headed down to the sports arena 45 minutes away.  Andrew and I were pretty nervous for how Elijah would do.  His little sensory system can’t handle being overwhelmed, nor is he able to sit for very long periods of time, and this show was about two hours.  If we are going out to dinner or to a place of high stimulation, we always bring a small, silkie blanket so he can suck his thumb and calm himself down while tuning out the overwhelming sounds and sights.

I brought the ergo carrier in case he got way crazy, a big blanket and two oils: Balance and Serenity.  Balance is used to help with anxiety, hyperactivity, nervousness, mood swings, tempers, even autism and bi-polar disorder.  It is a grounding blend that helps even tantrums and emotional melt downs.  Serenity is ultra calming and what we use to help our kids get good sleep–that one was in case of emergency.  Our friends who adopted Vlad let him use Serenity, and he said he got such deep sleep he was having dreams, which rarely happens for him.

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I was packin the goods

So right when we found our seats, I put Balance all over her chest and temples so he would just be in a constant little cloud of Balance for himself.  Notice his face, most the other kids were smiling ear to ear, but for Elijah, his enjoyment was clouded by his senses and overwhelm, which usually leads to hyperactivity to calm himself.

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Yet…what is interesting is that even though this setting was maximum sensory overload, for a very long time of sitting, not once did I use the ergo.

Or Serenity.

Or, most surprisingly ever, his blanket.

Because this kid sat…for TWO HOURS.  Calm and focused.  For two hours.  Sat, calmly.  If you have a child with sensory issues or hyperactivity, orrr…..a toddler, let that settle for a second.  Two whole hours!  I wanted to call the news.

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During the last act, Finley began to get antsy and was hopping up and down in his chair.  I whipped out the Balance and just put it under his nose, and his whole body relaxed and he was able to sit, and enjoy the end.  Balance (under Blends) is something I recommend often for parents of little ones with emotions, or with anything sensory, or toddlers, or teenagers, lol.  We use it on all our kids.

 

 

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Yesterday, we celebrated 🙂 🙂 🙂

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It was October 9th!!!!!!

Why is that important?

It marks the end of the rainy season in Ethiopia.  Our paperwork, which has sat in their embassy since August….can now be processed!  Which means more waiting, but ACTIVE waiting!  Purposeful waiting.  We get pictures every month, I can’t even handle the immensity of the honor this process is, the joy that is waiting for us, the powerful anticipation.  The 5 of us mostly can’t handle our lives.  Our three children diligently pray for baby sister to get home quickly, as I am constantly impressed with their compassion and grace, the love they naturally have stored for her, ready to flow out to this sweet, little one.

We have been very gentle with our emotions through this processes, but we may have stopped at a consignment shop yesterday, October 9th, to celebrate with something a little, tiny bit tangible.

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For I will pour water on the thirsty ground
    and send streams coursing through the parched earth.
I will pour my Spirit into your descendants
    and my blessing on your children.
They shall sprout like grass on the prairie,
    like willows alongside creeks.
This one will say, ‘I am God’s,’  

// Is. 44.2-4

 

 

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Comments on this entry are closed.

  • K D October 13, 2014, 10:14 am

    I can’t wait for you to bring your little girl home.

    I bought Balance for my teen and she scoffed, but my husband loves to just smell it. I’ll have to try again and maybe add Serenity to the arsenal.

  • Monika October 23, 2014, 12:42 am

    Hi Amy!
    You have an adorable family and I love your blog!
    I’ve been reading your posts about essential oils and have a quick question. 8 weeks ago, we welcomed our first born, beautiful baby boy. I was wondering if there are any oils that you can recommend for infants?
    I would love to use them with our baby but I am lost – there are so many of them!
    Maybe there is a good starter package that I can purchase from your store? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! 🙂

    • tinyteam October 23, 2014, 3:04 pm

      There is the kit that I love called the Family Physician kit that has a good variety of the healing oils in the smaller bottles so you can see what works best and for what with each person. There are AMAZING oils in there, even Frankincense which is this powerhouse oil that they are now connection to fighting cancer.

      One of the amazing thing about oils is that they are all natural and plant based, so it is safe for babies. It is recommended to mix the oil with a carrier oil, like fractionated coconut oil to apply just in case there is skin sensitivity. But as you go, you will need to do that less. (They sell a good one via doTerra)

      Here’s the link to shop around, email me anytime! http://www.mydoterra.com/tinygreenelephants/