Gotcha Day -- 5 Years Later!

Today is GOTCHA DAY FOR LUKE --- the five years has flown by (well a larger majority of the days have so that's a good thing).  The precious needy baby that we brought home is now independent for many things but still willing to give out more cuddles than imaginable.  He is a very inquisitive five (almost six) year old and is so tender hearted.  He still loves to hold doors open for others and say "after you" and grin.  He is also still "all about Daddy".  Trains are  in just about every thought of his.   We have moved on from Thomas but we are now into pointing out steamies and diesels and asking Daddy about how his NORFOLK & SOUTHERN Stock is doing (thanks to Poppop's generous stock gifts).  He still wants to be an Engineer and work with trains.  Next month he will start Kindergarten.  He is excited about going to the school that mommy went to and the fact that it is across the street seems to be really cool for him right now.  (I am sure that will change pretty fast though like it did for me). 

For all the LOVE, HUGS, KISSES, SMILES and wonderful LUKE-isms we have gotten along the way we can still say that there is no other 'son' for us.  He is as much a part of us as one can be.  We are excited about the years to come and will continue to celebrate Gotcha Day every year.  Today we went to get a PIRATE costume for our GOTCHA DAY GIFT and Luke chose CHILI'S as his dining place.  He ate more salsa tonight than ever.  FINALLY....the spicy Guatemalan side is coming out!  Mommy has been waiting for him to 'love spicey' and it's coming.

To the next five years........ oh how they will fly by!

With Love and Hugs!!

 July 26, 2007

July 26, 2012

We Are On A Cruise!

Be back soon with lots of pictures and stories!
Love and Hugs,

Mr. Snickerdoodle and Miss Sassafras

Luke's Fifth Birthday/ October 6, 2010

Mr. Snickerdoodle turns five.  So he is no longer a toddler.  This is fun but sad to me in many ways.  I look at him and still see the cute little baby face.  I look at his glassy eyes and melt as much now as I did the first day he was placed in David's arms.  Boy we have come a long way and with that I have so much to say.  So if Luke ever wants to he can read the letter that I have written him below.

Dearest Luke (Luke the Bear),

The love that I have for you grows more every day.  I never knew that I could love anything like I love you.  Seeing you makes my heart smile.  When you are at school I think about you and can't wait to go and get you.  I miss you being away from me for so long but you are growing up and this will be the way it is.  I love the little boy you have become.  You make me proud because you are so good.  You care for others and you are normally quite good with your manners (this is EXTREMELY important and not only if and when you are in the South).  You were such a serious little boy.  You had a deep and serious demeanor to your every move.  You were a deep thinker and your thoughts were encompassing to you.  You have grown into a very inquisitive little boy who is kind and thoughtful to others.  I can only hope and pray that this stays.  The greatest gift that I can ever give to you besides love is no, not Thomas the Train but a gift of instilling in you what is important.  What I want for you is not costly and is actually affordable.  I want you to be respectful of yourself, respectful of others, to give back and to be abundantly blessed in your life by making sure that GOD is your leader.  None of what I have said costs a penny.  Of course I want for you the fine things that will HELP to make you happy but not  make you happy.  I want you to have a life full of fun, friendship and one day (MANY MANY YEARS AWAY) I want you to have a wife who adores you and is mutually respectful of you and your beliefs.  If children are a part of your life I can only hope that they will bring as much joy to you as you have to your daddy and I.  The happiest day of our life was when you were placed in our arms.  Another happy day was when we found out about you.  You have made many days happier because you are our son.  We love you and will always love  you.  Keep your vision clear and as I say to you every day "Be a good friend and good listener and share the love". 

All My Love,

Mommy

Luke Learns to Ride His Bike

We are off... .Off the training wheels that is.  So Mr. Snickerdoodle is riding a bike and loving it.  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were trying to teach him how to walk!   Everyone says don't blink and as much as I DISLIKE this saying it is so true!

 In the background is Luke's mentor... PopPop... who by the way is given credit I believe for EVERY ONE of his grandchildren riding bikes. Luke was his 5th student.  Now onto Maran (and she will be an interesting one for sure).

First Day of Pre-K

Luke and Maran were very excited about the first day of school. Getting them up two hours earlier than what they were used to was not as hard as we thought. Of course we started them going to bed early about a week before so it wasn't horrific. It was worse for mommy. I was really nervous about the drive and not knowing how long it would take although we mostly go against the traffic flow. I wondered if they (mostly Luke) would throw a fit when I drove up and they had to get out of the car. The drop off was easy. The hardest part was the 16 minute wait in the parking lot. We had a great talk and once again I told them what I did every morning of Mother's Morning Out..."Be a good friend and a good listener". Then we did our knuckle buster, lock it and blow it up handshake and our 'TEAM GIESER' cheer.

After drop off I pulled around the corner of the school and thought 'wow that went well' and then I immediately decided that I didn't know how I felt about it. I kept driving though. I then figured it was a good morning to have some breakfast (not a breakfast fan am I) so I did. After getting to the office I kept wondering how they were doing. Our information packet said that we could call and see how they were doing and it was all I could do to not call.

The teacher said to be in carpool line at 2:20. I left the office and was in line at 2:07. (Timing definitely had to be worked out). I waited for what felt like an hour for them to come out. They came bouncing out and were so happy. After loading the car they were both talking over each other and couldn't get it all out quick enough. Luke showed me his stamp that he received and asked if he could eat his sucker. I said yes. I asked Marant if she wanted to eat hers and she said she didn't get one and Luke quickly said that she was 'bad'. Turns out Maran didn't get a sticker either. If I would have guessed the one who would have come home with 'no treats' it definitely would have not been Maran empty handed. Luke is a very outgoing gregarious fella who often ends up in the wrong place and enjoys being the 'fun one in the group'. (Not sure where this comes from.......). The story continues to grow on what exactly happened and if any of the portions of it were true then I am pretty sure I would have heard from the teacher. Who knows what did or did not happen but one thing is for sure the 'over pleasing' child in the group was the one who came home empty handed. I kind of talk it up as Luke having a good day of 'not getting caught'. He is not a bad little boy by any means he just likes to be somewhat of a prankster. Such a charming quality for a 4 year old.

Here 's to hoping that the fun of Pre-K continues. If it is anything like Day1 then this will be a very good year!

A Choo Choo Ride with Thomas in Bryson City, NC

...and here we go again off to another "Day out with Thomas".  We didn't tell Luke and Maran what we were doing but told them we had to go to bed early...and I won't let you know how that worked out for us. 

Off we went at 8:45 in the morning to Bryson City.  By far this is not a ghastly hour but when you have well over a three hour drive with two toddler of which one who gets deathly car sick you just have to prepare for it all.  Dressed in their new Thomas outfits we hit Brueggers and then hit the highway.  It is/was a nerve wracking drive.  I felt like every three to seven minutes we were asking Maran if she was OK.  Of course in our journeys we now have to plan for numerous car sick stops and we take the route that has the LEAST amount of 'Stop and Go'.  So Route 66 basically has been replaced by I 85.  It's no big deal but the 'waiting in anticipation for it to happen' is the worst.  Last time it occurred I was able to tell.  Not sure if it was my ONE AND ONLY PERFECT MOMMY MOMENT but the color in the face, the expression and all told the FULL STORY. We were able to get the bag (compliments of US AIRWAYS) front in center just in time. 

We decided not to tell them until we got really close. Of course Luke had already pretty much figured it out. When Daddy handed him his new "THOMAS DAY OUT" hat it just confirmed what he already knew and had confirmed from the grimace on my face.  Then Daddy gave them their lanyard's that allowed them to hang their ticket around their necks.  The complimentary Thomas whistles never made it out of the bag and left the car and went straight to the recycle bin. Call me bad mommy and gasp in horror but how many whistles do you really need?  Allow me to help you on this one..... WE DIDN'T NEED ANY MORE AT ALL".  So there you have it and truth be known we never needed the first one that my sister felt so inclined to give to Luke a few years back.

Maran had ridden the POLAR EXPRESS at Christmas but had never ridden Thomas. She jumped up and down and put her hand over her mouth in awe of him.  We had our pictures taken, went to all the stands to get the much needed stamps for the so called 'FREE GIFT' and sweat  like there was no tomorrow.  Finally it was our turn.  We got on, we rode, we sang all the Thomas songs of which everyone stared at us as we even know the 'less popular tunes'.  Luke and Maran immediately befriended the railroad attendant and collected their "Junior Conductor" certificate. 

We walked around the quaint little town and checked out a Bed and Breakfast which will be perfect during the holidays for our Night time Polar Express ride. (We take Nammy and Pop Pop with us this time). 

We ate lunch (late) at the Mexican restaurant and finally hit the road back to Charlotte.  The train pulled back into the Charlotte station around 8 pm with two very tired conductors.  

The surprise worked out well and we even got our "REPLACEMENT THOMAS FAMILY PHOTO".... it's about time.  (To be posted on Main blog).

Keep on Chuggin'.......

Choo Choo!  (Day out With Thomas July 31, 2011)

Gotcha Day - 4 Years Later

Four years ago today our son was placed in David's arms in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  So many STRONG memories come with today.  The fact that our "IMMEDIATE" family began on this day and that my sister has been living with full blown MS for four years.  (She had a HORRIBLE BOUT with MS when we were in Guatemala... add to that the fact that David was VERY SICK with the flu and it was a real eventful time).  Our precious child has grown into such a little man.  We received a VERY timid and shy little boy who was so serious about everything.  He cried when his caretaker left him with us.  Now he cries if we leave him (not all the time but still quite often).  What a journey we have had.  What a joy it has been to watch him grow into the outgoing gregarious toddler his is.  He has brought us many many moments of joy and much laughter.  He has consoled us when we needed it and has given to us countless hugs and kisses that could literally mend the world.  All that in what WAS a little 12 pound 10 month old whom we named LOUIS GRAYSON GIESER and lovingly refer to as "LUKE"... our precious son.  Happy Gotcha Day!!