The Family "Cheat Sheet"

Keeping up with my "renewed" desire to blog has proven to be harder than I first anticipated. But I'm going to keep giving it a shot!  :o)  I doubt there are many readers out there, but I know there are a few and not all my know our family's somewhat unusual circumstances.  So, this post can serve as a "cheat sheet" (so to speak) of the B family!

We'll start with the star - ME!  (Hey, I am the on writing this after all!)

I'm in my late 20s and working every day to find some balance between working full time and mothering my 5 kiddos.  I am lucky enough to have spent the last decade or so with my best friend.  We finished college together and he put up with me while I worked through law school and started my first job.  I worked several years in a large law firm but have changed course and now work in local government.  Other than a brief stay-at-home stint last summer, I have always been a working mom, for better or worse. :)  Work and kids take the vast majority of my time, but I also enjoy reading, sewing, crafting...

The Rock:  My Hubby

Family life sure keeps him pretty busy as well. He has been our biggest cheerleader from the get-go. He has done everything to support our family in whatever way was appropriate at the time.  He worked two jobs to support us while I went to law school and spent several years as a stay-at-home dad while I worked long hours.  When I switched job focus last year, he quickly hit the streets to go back to work and is back working in his field (graphic design).  He's smart, sweet, funny and an amazing dad. I'm so lucky to be on this walk with him!

The Diva 

Selam is 13 and some days is just everything "teenager." She has been part of our family for approximately 1 year, adopted from Ethiopia at age 12.  Just a month after coming to the US she started public school for 6th grade. All in all she had a great year, but given her English reading delays and for a number of other reasons, we decided to homeschool her this year (7th grade).  She is a sweet and fun-loving girl, crazy about all things pink, Jonas Brothers and other pop music.  She also claims to love horror movies, but she is unfortunately stuck with a mom that doesn't care for them (or care for my kids to watch them!).  :)  Selam is an incredibly strong young woman and although our journey together isn't always easy, I am constantly amazed at her willingness to jump into our family with both feet, never holding back her love.

The Sweetheart

Gracie is 9 years old and until last year was our oldest child.  In fact, prior to 2006 she was an only child for five years.  Then, in short succession, she had 4 new siblings dumped in her lap!  For the most part, she accepted those challenges with strength and grace, rising to the role of big sister, and then later, little sister.  Although Grace has always done very well socially and academically (and loved school), she expressed desire to be homeschooled for 4th grade.  Grace's "love language" is clearly "quality time" and we are blessed with much more of that now that we do school together!  Grace is very sensitive and empathetic, but is also outgoing and creative.  She has always easily made friends and is simply fun to be around.

The Athlete

Hana is 7 years old and has been a part of our family for about 2 1/2 years.  She was also adopted from Ethiopia.  Hana is a prime example as to why size doesn't always matter!  She is our athlete, hands down, even though she is just a peanut.  Even at her young age, she has a knack for most things physical, as well as for games in general.  She has a keen eye for strategy and often picks up on tricks for success that are often effective even against her two older sisters - and even dad! Hana is fiercely competitive, but also very sweet and loving.  Her current favorite things include soccer, playing the Wii and bug hunting with her almost-constant companion, Abi.  Hana just started the 2nd grade at our local public school.

The Charmer

Next comes our son, Abi.  Some might say that it is the influence of so much estrogen in the house, but more accurately it seems to simply be his personality - anyone that meets Abi is immediately charmed.   He has large brown eyes with thick lashes that he bats... a sweet smile that he flashes - few can tell him no!  A was adopted from Ethiopia 2 1/2 years ago at the same time as Hana.  Abi is 6 years old, making Hana is barely a year older and at times they seem more like twins.  Although they can go long stretches practically joined at the hip, their personalities are very different.  Abi's current loves include bugs, dirt, the Wii, and coloring.

The Boss


Wrapping up the B family is 4 year old Ally.  Even though we are a young, transracial family (which tends to stand out anyway) it is typically this little firecracker who gets the most attention from random strangers.  Ally has one of those personalities to which people are instantly drawn.  She's articulate, stubborn and bossy-as-all-get-out, and often gets her way with her siblings.  Although she can be incredibly sweet, she's also a stinker and a half. ;)  We often joke that she is more work to parent than the other 4 together!  Her charisma will take her far and I can't wait to see how she continues to develop.