Exciting News Is Coming!

Earlier this month I mentioned The Fog is Lifting. I began this new leap of faith without being able to fully see where I was jumping. Because He asked me to. Because I trust Him.

It's exciting and terrifying. I'm going to be putting myself out there in a whole new way and there are fears, like anything new we face. I fear a lot of things in this process, but I realize that all of my fears are of things I can't see and can't control.

But the great and exciting part is: I've jumped! I'm in the free fall and it's exhilarating! God has given me a new passion, a new joy, and I'm head-over-heels! And the best part...

It's for you! Yes, you.

I can't share all the details yet, but I've been working like crazy the last few weeks. I'm super close to unveiling my new website and all the excitement. Stay tuned. Until then, I leave you with some fun facts for the day. Enjoy.

Fun Family TV Spots

Apparently letting your kids jump in their beds can be a good thing. Pampers thought my girls were pretty cute bouncing around in there, so a couple of clips from right after Zoe came home made it into an online Pampers commercial. This mommy is pretty tickled about the whole ordeal. And it gave us a little cash to start college savings account for each of them! Way to be cute kiddos... #babygotmoves

Post by Pampers.

Mommy also did a little tv spot for a great organization called Child Advocates. Child Advocates speaks up for abused children who are lost in the system and guides them into safe environments where they can thrive. I am proud to represent them in this PSA along with Houston Texan, Chester Pitts, and Houston Dynamo, Brian Ching.

Another Great Mom Parody- "All About That Bass"

As I'm sitting at a cafe having some much needing "space" from family, I stumbled upon this.

"I Just Need Some Space" by Meghan Trainor
"All About That Bass" Mom Parody

You can follow her over at mylifesuckers.com

My Ice Bucket Challenge & 3 Other Fun Surprises

I was challenged by my dear friend Julie Carrier and my other sweet friend Rachel from church to do the ALS ice bucket challenge. My little girls watched other videos of people getting water poured on them and thought it was funny. I asked if they wanted to pour water on mommy, and they got really excited! Of course in the video they look a little unsure of themselves, but I think they were concentrating real hard on the task at hand.

Post by Laura Wilkinson.

Here are a couple other challenges that I thought were fun.

Charlie Sheen adds an unexpected twist, turning ice to cash.




Then George W. Bush steps up to the challenge.





And one of the best challenge fails that I've seen.

3 Little Joys Shining In The Dark

This week has been R-O-U-G-H. On Tuesday I told my husband that I was already over the week. So of course, it only got progressively worse from that point on.

Nothing earth shattering happened, it was just a week filled with sickness, no sleep and lots and lots of toddler drama because of it all. It's now Saturday. The week is just about over but apparently no one told the dark cloud hanging over our house.

But...

Every cloud really does have a silver lining. Sometimes even a few beautiful bright spots. If you choose to see them and focus on them, they will bring you joy in the middle of the chaos. They are truly gifts from God as He is the light that breaks through the dark. I choose to see His light. Then the big, ugly, dark, scary cloud becomes just a distant shadow and eventually, just a fading memory. But His light not only brightens our dark days, it also guides our steps, lights our path and leads us full of hope into His unending joy.

Nothing about this week was life-altering, but it's hard to choose joy in a really hard place if you've never done it in your small, daily struggles. So, I'd love to share with you my joys in the midst of this dark week.


Joy #1 

In the middle of the sickness and no-sleep drama, Zoe up and decided she wanted to learn how to use the potty. 

Ya'll, I was NOT optimistic. All I could think about was the added stress, exhaustion, and of course, massive clean-up. 

But...

I couldn't have been more wrong. Zoe was ready, willing AND able. By the second day she didn't have a single accident and she's always willing to try. You all should celebrate with me because I'm down to just one kid in diapers!

Joy #2

We all think our kids are adorably awesome. And it's especially exciting when someone else thinks so, too. This week we were asked permission to use a cute video of the girls jumping in a crib together for a marketing piece. I will post the links and/or piece when it becomes available, but here is the the video they took a snipet from.

Joy #3

The biggest highlight of my week came from a complete stranger. Yesterday we had to make a run to the store to get another humidifier. Since we were exhausted and starving, we stopped to eat dinner on the way home. It was early, so hardly anyone was in the restaurant, and we had our own little corner.

As we were finishing up and I was spoon feeding Zadok some bananas, a lady stopped at our table on her way out. She said, "Hey ya'll." We all said, "Hi," and I turned back to feeding Zadok. Then she grabbed my attention. She looked at Eriek and said, "I just wanted to pay you a compliment, well, actually I wanted to pay your wife a compliment."

My head snapped around as I stared at her in confusion, wracking my brain as to what she could be talking about. I guess the kids were being good, maybe that was it. But they were also covered in ice cream. But a compliment? I must have had a very dumbfounded look on my face, spoon paused mid-air full of mushed banana dripping over the jar.

She smiled really big and said words the words I never saw coming, "A few minutes ago when you got up from the table, you kissed both your girls on their heads. It was just so loving and beautiful."

All I could do was blink.

I have been told my kids are cute. I have been told (once or twice) that they are well behaved. I have been told they are sweet, they are smart, they play well together. Which is all wonderful and I enjoy immensely. But never have I been complimented on how I loved my kids.

It was so profound and coming after a day of being stressed and frustrated at those very same kids. And here she stood, telling me that I loved my kids well. This woman's simple words left me baffled, and then began to refresh me and fill me with an unspeakable joy.

In the middle of hard, in the middle of stress, in the middle of a very dark week where I doubted myself, my patience, my endurance, my strength and my ability to parent, this stranger only saw my love.

Tears are still streaming down my cheeks right now. Small words from strangers can impact like a tidal wave. Thank you lady. You made my dark day radiant. I hope I can pass it forward.

What joys have you experienced during your dark days?

Zadok Attack

Our little man is now on the attack. Grandma was his first victim. Watch out, you could be next!

Zadok Attack from Laura Hulseman on Vimeo.

5 Videos That Will Unleash Your Inner Superhero

Today my family was so gracious to take the kiddos and dump me at a coffee shop so I could have some alone time, breathe and maybe write one of the ten blog posts I've started but haven't had a chance to finish between road trips and sick kids.

So what productive thing am I doing with this valuable time away? I got totally sucked in to watching videos. I just wanted to sit still, sip my coffee (with caffeine I might add!) and waste a little time... because I could. This girl here doesn't have cable and most hours I'm elbow deep in snot, playing pretend, putting someone down for a nap, calming down a crier, or making and cleaning up a meal.

What started as just watching my friends Facebook posts of fun videos while sipping my exquisite non-fat latte, quickly led me to looking up all kinds of amazing feats of craziness. You may have heard me mention it before, but I have a not-so-secret ambition to one day be a superhero.

My cape wearing days didn't start at the usual toddler age. I might have been a little closer to 30. I mean, I already enjoy leaping from tall buildings in a single bound, plunging to the water faster than a speeding bullet and kids have often pointed up at me in the sky and said, "It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Laura diving!" Okay, well, maybe not quite, but platform diving can give one aspirations of becoming a superhero. So as my kids have begun to don masks and capes, I get the itch to join them. After all...

As I'm watching these videos this morning, I started getting sucked into these amazing feats of strength, adrenaline and pure craziness and well... that superhero inside desperately wants me to get back in shape so I can try this stuff! Going from one to three kids in 13 months was all the working out I could handle. But now we're starting to be able to breathe again and I think these videos may provide me some motivation to get back into the swing of things.  Enjoy and unleash your inner superhero friends. Although, most of this you shouldn't try at home... unless you're these guys.

5. Because these guys are insanely strong.

Post by Mud and Adventure.

4. Kacy Catanzaro- American Ninja Warrior... indeed.



3. Damien Walters- free runner, stuntman, gymnast. This guy is amazing.




2. I started sweating watching this.



1. Because this stuff is just plain crazy

Like A Girl

I am a girl. And I was just like the young girls in this video who didn't yet understand the insult. I was the girl who won pull up contests against the boys in elementary school. I was also the girl who was told numerous times that she wasn't good enough, that she was too tall or too old or too... whatever.

At first they made me doubt. Then they made me angry. Eventually they became fuel to my fire.

I run like a girl. I jump like a girl. I lift weights like a girl. I dive off three story buildings like a girl. And I win Olympic gold medals like a girl.

I now have two little girls that I want to raise to see the beauty in being all that a girl can be in whatever path she chooses. In our house, we're rewriting the rules.

Thank you Always for making this video to rewrite what it means to be "Like A Girl."

#LikeAGirl

Let It Go- A Mom Parody

Granger Community Church up in Indiana posted this great video last month. Over Mother's Day weekend they performed this mom parody to Let It Go from the movie Frozen. Dads, I'm sure you can relate too, and you might enjoy singing these lyrics instead as you watch the movie with your kids again for the millionth time, probably this weekend for Father's Day.

Translating Adoptionese

I started writing this post a while back but for whatever reason, never got a chance to finish it.  And ya'll, I'm so glad because Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan just posted THE FUNNIEST video on this very subject the other day!  So, it's best we start off with this lovely little gem to give you an idea of what we're talking about today.

If you wouldn't say it about a boob job,
don't say it about an adoptive family.

Yup. Believe it or not, I get all of those questions, phrased just like that, ALL the time. And no, they are not asking about my boobs. Now, don't feel horrible if you've let one of these slip.  I'm sure I said a few before we went through the adoption process, too. Adoption lingo is new territory for a lot of people, and sometimes that little filter between our head and mouth gets all clogged up at just the right time to make for some awkward moments like in the video.

So, I'm here to help navigate these crazy new waters with you. Here's a list of common questions and comments that we hear. I'll do my best to explain how to rephrase it or explain why it's completely inappropriate so you can become a fluent in Adoptionese.  Here goes...

1. "Is she your real kid?"
   
   This is one happens ALL. THE. TIME.  As funny as it is in the video, this is one that can hurt in real life, especially if the kids can hear, which is usually the case.  Let me explain once and for all: there are no fake kids. None. Every child is a real child. The appropriate terminology here is biological.
   
2.  "Where'd ya get her from?" or "Where'd ya get that baby?"Like he said in the video, "she's not a fashion accessory" I just happened to pick up on a whim or on a clearance rack. Simply ask, "Where was she born?" or "Where did you adopt from?"
   
3. "Could you not have your own kids?" or "Could you not have real kids?"
   
   So a reminder, the terminology you're looking for is biological.  However, unless you know someone very well, this is not at all appropriate and for most people is a private issue. So if you are checking out at the grocery store and see a multiracial family that you have never met, leave this question off the list.  Personally, I don't mind this question because I'm a pretty open book, and I absolutely love a reason to start talking about adoption. But to be sensitive to people you come across or even friends you know, try asking in a delicate manner which gives the person the opportunity to open up or to bow out gracefully: "I think adoption is great. What made you decide to adopt?"
   
4. "How much did she cost?" or "Was she expensive?"
   
   This is NEVER appropriate to ask in front of a child or to a complete stranger.  And you do not pay for a child- that is trafficking. There are a ton of expenses involved in an adoption, yes.  Those expenses are for numerous things like agency fees, documents, home studies, social workers, couriers, orphanage fees, travel documentation, lawyers, airfares, hotels, court fees, etc.  But if this is something you are truly interested in, a simple google search should help you figure it out without embarrassing or humiliating someone, including yourself.  If you want to ask a friend you know, simply ask about the costs involved in an adoption, NOT the cost of a child.
   
5. "What happened to her real/birth mom?" or "What happened to her real family?"
   
   Adoption, while it is a wonderful thing, is born out of brokenness, grief and loss. This is a very private issue and one you don't need to ask. EVER. Just for some perspective, click here to see the pain and heartbreak on these parents' faces as they abandon their children at a baby hatch in China.
   
6.  "They really don't want girls in China, huh?"
   
   Um, don't go there.
   
7.  "She looks like a China doll."
   Just don't.
   
8.  "So you want to be like Brad and Angelina?" or "You're going to be like Brad & Angelina."
   
   Please. Make. It. Stop.
   
9. "Are you babysitting today?" or "Are all those kids yours?" or "So you're collecting a basketball/baseball/football team."
   
   Believe it or not, I get this one a lot!  I find it kind of funny, and I expect it now because I have to be honest, with two kids that look a lot like me and one that doesn't, well you can see it coming. It's an honest question and a way for people to try and figure out your situation.  It does get old, but it's not offensive or inappropriate.
   
10.  "Does she know she was adopted? Are you going to tell her she's adopted?"
    
    This one is sometimes whispered to me so no one else will hear. I wish people would whisper some of the other ones! Adoption is not a bad word or a bad thing at all! We openly talk about adoption at home. At 2 years old, Zoe knows she was born in China and can find it on the map. Adoption is a beautiful thing, another way for God to knit a family together, making it whole. And honestly, if we didn't tell Zoe, well, see number 9 and the picture below.
    
    
    
    
    
11. "Weren't there any American kids you could adopt?" or
    "Why don't you adopt from the US?"
    
    Be ready if you ask me this because I will ask you the exact same question. I read a statistic today that said if 1 family in every 3 churches in the US adopted a child, we would adopt every child in need of a family in the US. Yet, tens of thousands age out of the system every year without a family. There are millions, MILLIONS of children across the planet that need homes. God put China on our hearts so that's where we pursued Zoe. Right now we are waiting on our fourth child in Ethiopia because God broke my heart for their orphan crisis.
    
12. "You know, now that you have adopted, you'll get pregnant." or "You adopted and got pregnant, yup, happens every time."
    
    Stay far, far away from the first one. People who have struggled or are struggling with infertility have probably been down a tough, painful road that has left scars. Telling them they will get pregnant is like driving a knife right into their heart. Adoption isn't a fertility cure. And adoption isn't always a "Plan B." Some of us chose it as "Plan A" and were overjoyed to also have biological kids.
    
13. The Horror Stories.
    
    As soon as I tell someone Zoe is adopted, it's not unusual for that person to unload on me the worst adoption story they've ever heard from their brother's friend's cousin's wife's sister who read an article about it on the internet. Maybe it's the only other time they've heard the word adoption?  Whatever the reason people feel the urge to vomit up these stories, it is NOT okay. We love our adopted children and don't want you to rain on our family's parade. And believe me, anyone who has adopted has researched everything on the topic and has been all but strip searched for their background checks. Nothing you can conjure up will surprise us or suddenly make us second guess this thing we have ALREADY done.
    
14. "I have always wanted to adopt, BUT..."
    I welcome this conversation if you're serious and might be open to talking about possibilities. But if this was just a one time fleeting thought you had and you're simply trying to find common ground with me, please don't. It will make you look foolish.
    
15. "She's so lucky" or "You're amazing for doing that."
    
    There's no way to sugarcoat it: Do. Not. Say. This. I know you have every kind intention but it does not go over like you think it will. She's not a charity case. She's my kid. If you want to say something sweet, try, "She is awesome. You're so lucky/blessed to have her in your family." That will bless us beyond measure.

Zoe's Story (video)

Our church, Church Project, had a little video done about our adoption of Zoe. The amazing Chris Shepherd made the film.

Hope you enjoy it!