This weekend was both my birthday and a party thrown by a fellow adoptive Taiwan mom with three other adoptive Taiwan moms (and dads).
Ok now for photos - Btw I'm trying something new with my photos. I have no idea if it will work but I'm going to give it a try. Btw the movie of Samantha I promised has been harder to do than I expected. If anyone can tell me how to do it that'd be great!!
Lori's birthday
Kids at party
Tiff's party
First, my birthday was good, if not exactly lively. I haven't been feeling very well but my girls made my day extra special. I got up to a table decorated by Sierra with flowers and Happy Birthday signs all over the place and a made to order breakfast. Then we had a mini party in the morning at Amber's house since that's when Logan feels best. I had made 4 dozen cupcakes -from scratch - for bake sale at school Friday, so I saved out four for my birthday morning party (although Sierra tried to tell me I couldn't keep any because they were for the school! HA!). Since Logan's white blood cell count finally came up we were able to take Samantha for the first time in two weeks (when it was under 100 it was considered life threatening and babies are off limits) and the three of them had a great time. He really loves his cousins and has been so bored that he got a little crazy. For dinner J made me steak and crab, which was yummy, and chicken and potatoes for the girls. I got several lovely homemade cards and presents from both Sierra and Samantha. Samantha loves to color and she made me several cards and Sierra loves to design fancy cards for me so I got two very fancy ones from her. Since Sierra was two years old she has given me gifts from her own stuff (her toys or knick knacks basically) - this is the first year that she did not do that! Everything she gave me was either bought or made and she even spent her own money, which she saved. My baby is growing up!
The other weekend party was a get-together with four other families who also adopted from Taiwan. It was great to finally meet everyone. I have "known" Megan since my very first day going onto the adoptions boards (May 2007) and "met" Jackie a few months later and Tiff just after that and only got to know Ramona recently through Tiff.
We had met Megan in Taiwan since we picked up our girls the same day a few hours a part and then we got together the next day with several other adoptive families. It was great to see Kimi again. The last time we saw her she was glaring at everyone (it was a very cute glare because she is just adorable) but Sunday she was sweet, polite and very loving - giving both Sierra and Samantha hugs and holding onto Sierra's hand and asking Sierra to help her on the slide several times. Although her mom said she has a problem sharing she did happily push Samantha on a tricycle, which was good because Samantha's legs weren't long enough for her feet to reach the pedals!
Although we did not meet Jackie until Sunday we had met Lucy in Taiwan. When we went to pick up Samantha Jackie was waiting for Lucy so I made a point of asking to see Lucy when we were at SLC and her personality is as strong as ever. She is very independent, silly and adventurous. Sunday while she was alternating between chasing and running from the dog she got both me, my husband and Sierra to pick her up at various times so she could look at the dog from above. She also climbed into and onto several things so her climbing reputation is fully intact and quite amazing!
We also did not meet Ramona until Sunday but we had met and talked to Jaden at SLC. We did not know who Ramona was at the time but Jaden caught our attention while we were touring SLC and she has been in our hearts ever since. She was very quiet there but wanted us to pick her up (which we were not allowed to do) but we did bend down and talk to her and she gave us a big laugh - mostly for Sierra I think. It was great to see her doing so well Sunday. She was running around, playing and having a great time.
Gracyn was very quiet but very persistent in attempting to tell me what she wanted. At one point she insisted I pick her up and she kept pointing until I had taken her from outside to the kitchen for a snack and another time she did the same until I helped her onto the slide several times. She is very, very sweet and seems very delicate. She hasn't been home for very long but once she starts fully talking I think her mom and dad and big brother are in for some trouble. She's very cute and very persistent and there's nothing like a strong willed beauty!!
Tiff threw a great party. I haven't been feeling well so I didn't think we'd stay very long but we were the last to leave! Sierra had such a great time playing with all of the babies and little boys, jumping in the bounce house and playing in the over-stocked playroom that she asked when we can go back. She also announced she would like more baby sisters and maybe a brother too (Not gonna happen!)! I know Samantha had a great time because she played on her own more than she's ever done before. She especially liked the baby size piano (she loves to "pay pan" and asks at home CONSTANTLY to play our full size piano) and she was fascinated with the realistic looking kitchen. She was frustrated though that water would not come out and spent the afternoon asking where was the water and even after we left she was still asking. It was too funny.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
First, I must say that most of this post was written September 8th, the day before Logan's surgery. I am just going to move it up on the blog and add a quick update. Oh, and Ramona from http://twobabybos.blogspot.com/ tagged me. I have to be honest I am not 100% sure what being tagged means but I'll look into it! In the month since I wrote this post things have improved for Sierra at school because they have several new activities which she was allowed to join. She now part of the school newspaper. This month she has four jobs - general reporter, Staff Spotlight, Parent-Teacher Association Spotlight (me - I'm the VP), cooking reviewer AND she wrote a story about her dad who saved a co-workers life with the Heimlich maneuver last week! She was also allowed to join the yearbook staff (the reason I say allowed is because only kids who passed certain tests are allowed to join these activities) and they have started an after school Dance and Drama program, which she just loves. So, although she still misses her friends terribly she is so busy at school she isn't as miserable as she was the first two weeks. As for Logan he is still in treatment. The date for his next round of chemo is up in the air because of how his body is responding.
OK now for the post I wrote September 8th and never posted:
Today begins Sierra’s second week of school and she has had a really rough start to the school year. Last summer (2007) her best friend (they were inseparable at school and loved to have sleepovers) moved to France, leaving Sierra without a best friend at school. Consequently, last September she was very sad on her first day of school, but within weeks she was becoming close friends with a small group of girls who liked to play (many girls at school mainly sit and talk about celebrities/boys etc., of which Sierra has no interest). Fast forward to this school year, ALL of those girls (three - two were sisters) moved this summer and quit the school! She goes to a very tiny school so in her grade there are now only four other girls, two of whom are not very nice and they don’t play anyway. However, although she has really had a bad start to school true to who she is she LOVES the school work and it's HARD!!! If only she hadn't skipped a grade she would still have friends since NONE of the 5th graders have moved or left the school in the four years she's been there! Just to really make things more difficult her Girl Scout troop dropped from eight girls to two girls and those two are close friends with each other, and one of them is one of the not so nice girls from school. One family moved but the rest just quit scouts (which is extremely common at this age). **Update one new girl joined Girl Scouts so hopefully they'll like each other and she's feeling better about school - see above**
Oh, one thing I do want to share is how proud I am of Sierra. She wrote a paper Friday and in it she said her goals and dreams in life are to go to college to become a vet and not charge much so that poor people can have healthy pets AND to adopt as many babies as she and her husband can and to help as many children who don't have families as she can help!! She wrote an entire paragraph about why she wants to adopt (I won’t share those details) but it was very, very touching and obviously involved her sister, her and me!
Now onto Samantha. She is doing very well. She is still very, very, very (did I say very) mommy centered. The funny thing is Sierra was the same way and I thought it was just her but it must be me! I suppose the fact that we're together 24/7 has an impact! She says MAMA so many times in a day (and has done since her second week in our family) that sometimes I ask her to stop (she doesn't)! She wasnts me to see or experience everything she sees and experiences! She also adores her sister and desperately misses her now that she's at school all day. She also tattles on Jei Jei A LOT! She asks periodically if we can go "cool Jei Jei" and when it's finally 2:30 she is SOOO excited. Sierra is an amazing big sister. She loves her and is so affectionate and loving and helps explain things to her and just loves being with her and loving her. If only she would change a diaper - just kidding!! As Sierra explained to me that would damage their relationship!!!! **Update Sierra signed up for a drama/dance class at school so some days she gets home at 4:00 and two days not until 5:30 - Samantha misses her more than ever but Sierra is enjoying school way more then before**
Sierra and I also keep a list of silly, strange or funny things Samantha does. Sierra thought it would be fun to post the list:
*Samantha is very polite, almost always saying "thank you" and if you don't respond with "you're welcome" she then starts SCREAMING "THANK YOU"!
*Samantha is always very proud of herself for doing the right thing, and even more proud for not doing the wrong thing! When Samantha does something good she will clap for herself and say, "yeaaa mamanma" but when she stops doing something she shouldn't be doing (usually after being told to stop 2-3-4-5 times) she doesn't just clap, she cheers and jumps up and down and screams it at the top of her lungs!
*In a related development when Samantha is caught trying to, or doing, something she knows she's not allowed to do she will stop and say, "nooooooo - Mama, Jei Jei, Dad nooooo mamanma
*If you ask Samantha if she is a good girl she vigorously shakes her head no and says in a very serious voice, "noooooooooooooo".
*Samantha is *OBSESSED* with pooping! She has been for about six months (has told us when she went poopy every time since that time) but now she tells us when she’s about to go (a good sign I think for potty training – Sierra potty trained in one day, could I be that lucky twice?!!) AND when she has gas! And sometimes she does it as a trick. She’ll tell me and when I go to pick her up to change her she laughs and says, “no poopy” and she’s totally hysterically laughing!
*On a similar note she constantly tells me "baby poopy" and insists I change her dolls diapers - this goes on all day and all evening!!!
*If anyone says the words shock, surprise or you won’t believe this she does a quick inhale (like she’s shocked). It’s just so funny.
*She is obsessed her hair and she MUST have her hair fixed. This began when she had only been here a few weeks but it’s much, much, much worse now.
*Her favorite word (besides MAMA) is “UH OHHHHH” and she says it about everything and anything that's wrong, even about other people, even people we don’t know and aren’t with!
*She is a major HYPOCHONDRIAC!!!!! Everything from bumping (barely brushing) any part of her body on ANYTHING to falling softly on carpet– causes her to "UH OHH" followed by OWWWWW followed by ICCCCEEEEE. If she doesn’t get ice she doesn’t get better!! The funniest part is the ice always goes on the top of her head or her face even though the owie is usually on a leg or arm! Also when she falls if no one will help her up she will lie there, just as she’s fallen, yelling help until someone pulls her up! And if Jei Jei gets hurt she needs ice too!
*She loves SPOONS! Yes, spoons. Loves them. When we go to someone’s house to eat and sit down she starts yelling about the spoons. In restaurants she yells about the spoons so loudly that we now carry small spoons with us so she’ll stop!
*Loves to help me and Jei Jei and daddy… throws away garbage; gets papers out of the fax or copy machine while I’m working and will put them on the desk or in the file, whichever I tell her; helps me clean with a rag and water and helps Jei Jei dust and clean her room; helps Jei Jei clear the table – loves to help fill the dishwasher; helps Jei Jei with homework by holding (sometimes stealing) the eraser and handing her papers; helps daddy in the garden by running around like a lunatic in the yard (ok that's not really helpful), but will then carry any veggies he picks and then she wants to eat them NOW!
Favorite sayings…
*LOVE JEI JEI; Love MAMA
*Mik pees mama seeeeepyyyyy” (Milk please mama sleepy)
*Ti hair mamanma (pretty hair Samantha);
*Nooooooooo;
*MINE!!
*ah done, no more...pees cookie (when she’s done with dinner even though we almost never give her any sweets she always says she's "done, no more" and then asks for a cookie!) We end every meal with fruit, which she loves and devours, but she always asks for a cookie anyway. Sierra says Samantha asks on the off chance I will suddenly decide cookies are a better end of meal treat than fruit, which Sierra thinks isn't such a bad idea!
*she had her first poopy on the potty October 10th! It was her idea so I'm hoping that means early potty training!!
Now for more fun stuff. First, I have all of these odd photos that I want to share. Not odd really but just have no theme. Every photo I post tends to be because of an event. These are just random photos taken for no reason either by me or by Sierra. Some are both girls, some are just Sierra or Samantha just living life and being themselves and all are from summer.
Do either one of them look like morning people?!?!?! If you're wondering what they're looking at - NOTHING!!
Samantha loves to have Jei Jei push her around in the old stroller that Amber gave us so they often go up and down the hallway and Samantha just laughs hysterically the entire time, while yelling for me to look!
One sunflower grew bigger then we expected the rest did not grow!
I will drive and no one, not even Jei Jei, will stop me!!
Shopping - I want to walk, why must I sit here PLEEEEASE walk!!
Sierra was trying to rest and Samantha climbed OVER her to lie down and do what she was doing!
I just love the look on Sierra's face as Samantha helps herself to some frosting - Sierra made this cake almost all by herself and she took it's attempted destruction very seriously, especially since it was for a party we were hosting.
I caught them having some "sister time"!
They have tons of fun in the backyard - we'll all miss Summer!
Samantha accidentally head butted (with the BACK of her head) Sierra on the nose one morning when we were all lying in bed. It was so severe that Sierra missed the first few hours of her favorite science camp, which she looks forward to all year! Anyway, from Samantha's facial expressions you would think she was injured. Not only was she not hurt but right after it happened she was laughing and talking. As soon as I got Sierra the ice this is what Samantha started doing!! Despite the pain Sierra ended up laughing because Samantha was more of a drama queen than usual (although I doubt she could top Sierra in that department!!).
New meaning to the term "dinner dance"!
Another fake injury caused by Sierra getting hurt and SAmantha needing ice and tending to!
Saying good night and then goofing around!
Tantrums are so much fun!
We don't wear shoes in our house and Samantha uses this fact in order to try on our shoes when we're not looking. This day she was trying on Jei Jei's shoes. She did try and walk away but ended up falling and then needing ice and hugs and kisses and she then ran back and yelled at the shoes!!
Looking super cool in her shades at Logan's house.
Can you say, "We are addicted to the Wii!?" - Samantha has her own Non-Wii steering wheel so she doesn't feel left out Saturday morning when Jei Jei and daddy play!
Look how cute and sweet I am. I would never do anything naughty...
like get into mommy's purse, find her gum and then start chewing it. I even took the wrapper off and gave it to mommy like a good girl (that's how I got caught darn it!). I like gum...mommy had better be more careful where she leaves her purse because now that I know what I might find!
OK I've found out what to do about being tagged but haven't had time to even think about it but eventually I will think about it and hopefully actually post something!
Rule #1: I've been tagged by
Rule #2: 7 weird things about me.
1. I spent
Rule #3: Tag 7 people.
Rule #4: Enjoy!
OK now for the post I wrote September 8th and never posted:
Today begins Sierra’s second week of school and she has had a really rough start to the school year. Last summer (2007) her best friend (they were inseparable at school and loved to have sleepovers) moved to France, leaving Sierra without a best friend at school. Consequently, last September she was very sad on her first day of school, but within weeks she was becoming close friends with a small group of girls who liked to play (many girls at school mainly sit and talk about celebrities/boys etc., of which Sierra has no interest). Fast forward to this school year, ALL of those girls (three - two were sisters) moved this summer and quit the school! She goes to a very tiny school so in her grade there are now only four other girls, two of whom are not very nice and they don’t play anyway. However, although she has really had a bad start to school true to who she is she LOVES the school work and it's HARD!!! If only she hadn't skipped a grade she would still have friends since NONE of the 5th graders have moved or left the school in the four years she's been there! Just to really make things more difficult her Girl Scout troop dropped from eight girls to two girls and those two are close friends with each other, and one of them is one of the not so nice girls from school. One family moved but the rest just quit scouts (which is extremely common at this age). **Update one new girl joined Girl Scouts so hopefully they'll like each other and she's feeling better about school - see above**
Oh, one thing I do want to share is how proud I am of Sierra. She wrote a paper Friday and in it she said her goals and dreams in life are to go to college to become a vet and not charge much so that poor people can have healthy pets AND to adopt as many babies as she and her husband can and to help as many children who don't have families as she can help!! She wrote an entire paragraph about why she wants to adopt (I won’t share those details) but it was very, very touching and obviously involved her sister, her and me!
Now onto Samantha. She is doing very well. She is still very, very, very (did I say very) mommy centered. The funny thing is Sierra was the same way and I thought it was just her but it must be me! I suppose the fact that we're together 24/7 has an impact! She says MAMA so many times in a day (and has done since her second week in our family) that sometimes I ask her to stop (she doesn't)! She wasnts me to see or experience everything she sees and experiences! She also adores her sister and desperately misses her now that she's at school all day. She also tattles on Jei Jei A LOT! She asks periodically if we can go "cool Jei Jei" and when it's finally 2:30 she is SOOO excited. Sierra is an amazing big sister. She loves her and is so affectionate and loving and helps explain things to her and just loves being with her and loving her. If only she would change a diaper - just kidding!! As Sierra explained to me that would damage their relationship!!!! **Update Sierra signed up for a drama/dance class at school so some days she gets home at 4:00 and two days not until 5:30 - Samantha misses her more than ever but Sierra is enjoying school way more then before**
Sierra and I also keep a list of silly, strange or funny things Samantha does. Sierra thought it would be fun to post the list:
*Samantha is very polite, almost always saying "thank you" and if you don't respond with "you're welcome" she then starts SCREAMING "THANK YOU"!
*Samantha is always very proud of herself for doing the right thing, and even more proud for not doing the wrong thing! When Samantha does something good she will clap for herself and say, "yeaaa mamanma" but when she stops doing something she shouldn't be doing (usually after being told to stop 2-3-4-5 times) she doesn't just clap, she cheers and jumps up and down and screams it at the top of her lungs!
*In a related development when Samantha is caught trying to, or doing, something she knows she's not allowed to do she will stop and say, "nooooooo - Mama, Jei Jei, Dad nooooo mamanma
*If you ask Samantha if she is a good girl she vigorously shakes her head no and says in a very serious voice, "noooooooooooooo".
*Samantha is *OBSESSED* with pooping! She has been for about six months (has told us when she went poopy every time since that time) but now she tells us when she’s about to go (a good sign I think for potty training – Sierra potty trained in one day, could I be that lucky twice?!!) AND when she has gas! And sometimes she does it as a trick. She’ll tell me and when I go to pick her up to change her she laughs and says, “no poopy” and she’s totally hysterically laughing!
*On a similar note she constantly tells me "baby poopy" and insists I change her dolls diapers - this goes on all day and all evening!!!
*If anyone says the words shock, surprise or you won’t believe this she does a quick inhale (like she’s shocked). It’s just so funny.
*She is obsessed her hair and she MUST have her hair fixed. This began when she had only been here a few weeks but it’s much, much, much worse now.
*Her favorite word (besides MAMA) is “UH OHHHHH” and she says it about everything and anything that's wrong, even about other people, even people we don’t know and aren’t with!
*She is a major HYPOCHONDRIAC!!!!! Everything from bumping (barely brushing) any part of her body on ANYTHING to falling softly on carpet– causes her to "UH OHH" followed by OWWWWW followed by ICCCCEEEEE. If she doesn’t get ice she doesn’t get better!! The funniest part is the ice always goes on the top of her head or her face even though the owie is usually on a leg or arm! Also when she falls if no one will help her up she will lie there, just as she’s fallen, yelling help until someone pulls her up! And if Jei Jei gets hurt she needs ice too!
*She loves SPOONS! Yes, spoons. Loves them. When we go to someone’s house to eat and sit down she starts yelling about the spoons. In restaurants she yells about the spoons so loudly that we now carry small spoons with us so she’ll stop!
*Loves to help me and Jei Jei and daddy… throws away garbage; gets papers out of the fax or copy machine while I’m working and will put them on the desk or in the file, whichever I tell her; helps me clean with a rag and water and helps Jei Jei dust and clean her room; helps Jei Jei clear the table – loves to help fill the dishwasher; helps Jei Jei with homework by holding (sometimes stealing) the eraser and handing her papers; helps daddy in the garden by running around like a lunatic in the yard (ok that's not really helpful), but will then carry any veggies he picks and then she wants to eat them NOW!
Favorite sayings…
*LOVE JEI JEI; Love MAMA
*Mik pees mama seeeeepyyyyy” (Milk please mama sleepy)
*Ti hair mamanma (pretty hair Samantha);
*Nooooooooo;
*MINE!!
*ah done, no more...pees cookie (when she’s done with dinner even though we almost never give her any sweets she always says she's "done, no more" and then asks for a cookie!) We end every meal with fruit, which she loves and devours, but she always asks for a cookie anyway. Sierra says Samantha asks on the off chance I will suddenly decide cookies are a better end of meal treat than fruit, which Sierra thinks isn't such a bad idea!
*she had her first poopy on the potty October 10th! It was her idea so I'm hoping that means early potty training!!
Now for more fun stuff. First, I have all of these odd photos that I want to share. Not odd really but just have no theme. Every photo I post tends to be because of an event. These are just random photos taken for no reason either by me or by Sierra. Some are both girls, some are just Sierra or Samantha just living life and being themselves and all are from summer.
Do either one of them look like morning people?!?!?! If you're wondering what they're looking at - NOTHING!!
Samantha loves to have Jei Jei push her around in the old stroller that Amber gave us so they often go up and down the hallway and Samantha just laughs hysterically the entire time, while yelling for me to look!
One sunflower grew bigger then we expected the rest did not grow!
I will drive and no one, not even Jei Jei, will stop me!!
Shopping - I want to walk, why must I sit here PLEEEEASE walk!!
Sierra was trying to rest and Samantha climbed OVER her to lie down and do what she was doing!
I just love the look on Sierra's face as Samantha helps herself to some frosting - Sierra made this cake almost all by herself and she took it's attempted destruction very seriously, especially since it was for a party we were hosting.
I caught them having some "sister time"!
They have tons of fun in the backyard - we'll all miss Summer!
Samantha accidentally head butted (with the BACK of her head) Sierra on the nose one morning when we were all lying in bed. It was so severe that Sierra missed the first few hours of her favorite science camp, which she looks forward to all year! Anyway, from Samantha's facial expressions you would think she was injured. Not only was she not hurt but right after it happened she was laughing and talking. As soon as I got Sierra the ice this is what Samantha started doing!! Despite the pain Sierra ended up laughing because Samantha was more of a drama queen than usual (although I doubt she could top Sierra in that department!!).
New meaning to the term "dinner dance"!
Another fake injury caused by Sierra getting hurt and SAmantha needing ice and tending to!
Saying good night and then goofing around!
Tantrums are so much fun!
We don't wear shoes in our house and Samantha uses this fact in order to try on our shoes when we're not looking. This day she was trying on Jei Jei's shoes. She did try and walk away but ended up falling and then needing ice and hugs and kisses and she then ran back and yelled at the shoes!!
Looking super cool in her shades at Logan's house.
Can you say, "We are addicted to the Wii!?" - Samantha has her own Non-Wii steering wheel so she doesn't feel left out Saturday morning when Jei Jei and daddy play!
Look how cute and sweet I am. I would never do anything naughty...
like get into mommy's purse, find her gum and then start chewing it. I even took the wrapper off and gave it to mommy like a good girl (that's how I got caught darn it!). I like gum...mommy had better be more careful where she leaves her purse because now that I know what I might find!
OK I've found out what to do about being tagged but haven't had time to even think about it but eventually I will think about it and hopefully actually post something!
Rule #1: I've been tagged by
Rule #2: 7 weird things about me.
1. I spent
Rule #3: Tag 7 people.
Rule #4: Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
