Peace In!

Hannah coined a new phrase that I think we all should employ. Instead of saying "Peace Out!" when walking away from someone, Hannah has started to say "Peace In!". I think we all could use a little more peace, don't you?
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Gymnastics - A Progress Report

I figured that it has been too long since we talked about gymnastics. Hannah is doing really well and looks forward to her class every week. Before taking the class, she was fearful to jump off things - but now we see that she is more willing. She is still cautious but at least now she will "look before she leaps" as opposed to just looking, no leaping.


She is a charmer and while I think she drives her coach crazy (Coach G has the patience of Job) she gets along very well with all of the kids both in her class and the older class. She really likes a little blonde boy in her class (she seems to have a thing for blondes) and talks about him all week. Ahhh, to be young.
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It figures

Look at my Wii person, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5:00am this morning, surrounded by my family who is fast asleep. Nice.
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Hello, Gorgeous.

As you know we are lovers of all things wood, rusted, chipped, scratched and old. So imagine my joy when I stumbled across this website. Cleveland Art salvages beautiful pieces from factories to use as functional furniture in our home... er, I mean "your home". Anyway, it looks like they have locations in Ohio and California, so if anyone happens to be in the area and wants to pick up this table (I'm sure its light as a feather) for me, that would grrreeeaaattt.
Um Kay?
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How do you roll?

Care to join the great debate? Do you prefer to roll your toilet paper roll under or over? I thought Chris and I were alone in our distinct TP preferences, but apparently Cottonelle feels that this is a national question. I hate to admit it, but we have had this discussion several times. Chris is an "over" guy and I am an "under" girl. It looks like he is 83% right. Pffft.

Make your choice here: www.cottonellerollpoll.com

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Diva Dress Up

Hannah got to play dress up with her best friend Sierra and her little sister, Dakota, this past weekend.



I just love their fashion choices. Of course Hannah went for the angel wings and halo. Sierra wore the much-coveted yellow dress and Dakota went for the straight forward Cinderella ensemble. Of course each girl had to have a crown, necklace, bracelet, ring, and wand and/or purse. Too cute.
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Easy Bake Oven... I mean Microwave

One of Hannah's friends gave her an Easy Bake Microwave for Christmas. I was kind of excited to give it a try because the Easy Bake Oven was one of those toys that I longed for as a kid and never received (althoug I can't imagine how since I was an only child and SPOILED). I realize now that it is a "one trick pony" toy in that it just heats up dough with a light bulb, however, I am intrigued by its simplicity (and, who I am kidding, it involves food). Hannah picked the vanilla cake with chocolate icing recipe. She ate the whole thing herself, so from what I tell, she liked it.
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Happy New Year!

A happy and healthy 2010 from our family to yours.


We went to the park to try out the red car that Santa gave Hannah for Christmas. She was starting to get the hang of it, but she likes to stick her feet out and use them to move her forward.





Chris was kind enough to take this candid picture clearly showing how Hannah likes to attack me when I least expect it.


And here is the usual result of such an attack. Happy silly new year!
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Christmas Morning

Hannah was feeling a little under the weather Christmas morning, so we decided to forego early mass at our church. Instead, as soon as Hannah woke up, we dove headfirst into her presents.


I must admit, my first thought when I saw this picture "Oh, that's cute." My second thought, "Thankfully her nightgown is just long enough".



Thank you Aunt Jackie for the beautiful sweater. And thank you Audrey for the really cool outfit.


After presents, we braved the cold, wet weather and headed to Aunt Jean's for Christmas dinner. Hannah wanted to bring her new talking viewfinder. Thank you Santa.
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And now for something completely different...

"Hey, hey! What's this I see? I thought this was a party. LET'S DANCE!"

Truer words have never been spoken Mr. Bacon. Let's get back to the cute, shall we?

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That's right. The ticker does not lie.

We have now been waiting two years for our second child from China. Last year I chose to poke fun of the wait, but this year I'm going bring the room down a little bit. I figured I can share with you guys, right? That ticker totally BUMS ME OUT. I find myself looking at it every time I go to our blog - and on one hand it gives me a strange sense of accomplishment and on the other, it represents the time that we have missed with our second child.

Now don't get me wrong. See this little girl?


Yes, the little girl on Santa's lap. She is our WORLD. She makes it all go round. She gives us purpose and fills our lives with so much laughter and joy - more than we feel we deserve. She makes this wait bearable. My heart goes out to adoptive parents who are waiting for their first child. However, Hannah also makes it harder. You see, I can block the wait out of my mind - I can fill it with work and my husband and my daughter and friends... but Hannah brings it back. She wants her little sister or brother. She does not understand how so many of her little friends at school have little sisters and brothers and we have to wait, and wait and wait. She saves pictures she's drawn and clothes she's grown out of and toys she's stopped playing with - just for her sister. At least once a week she tells me she is going to dream of her baby sister, and I tell her I will too. She says she misses her, even though they have never met. I try to tell her that we have to wait a very long time and we need to be patient. Yeah right, a patient four year old. I grew up as an only child and I do not want that for my child. My childhood was not bad at all, it was just lonely. I want my daughter to be able to confide and teach her sibling in ways that I only long for. And realizing the challenges she will face being a minority, I wanted her to have someone that she can directly relate to.

In the end, we do not know how much longer the wait will be. Technically the wait is not yet at four years, but it will reach four years soon enough and then what? We do not know. China is not saying and frankly I do not want to do anything to make them angry and shut the whole program down. China is a communist country and therefore they keep the information to themselves. We have heard a bundle of excuses for the delay - the Olympics, swine flu, more domestic adoptions, etc. and at this point we are just not sure what to believe. So we will keep on keeping on and hope that one day we will see a light at the end of this very long tunnel. We are in it for the long haul.


Okay that's enough belly-aching. As my friend Denise says, "Buck up buttercup." And we will do just that.
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Christmas Pageant 2009

These pictures were taken at the rehearsal for this year's Christmas pageant. Doesn't Cole look handsome?


Hannah wanted to wear her halo and angel wings (from last year's pageant) and I figured "Why fight it, an angel is seasonally appropriate". Cole followed the pageant director's request by wearing red and green and a Santa hat.


Each child was assigned a letter to spell the word "CHRISTMAS". The younger kids were assigned a "buddy" who read the little saying for them. Hannah's buddy was not able to attend, so we worked with her all week to memorize her saying. Hannah got the letter "C" and yes, that meant that she had to go first. Cole was the letter "M". (He kept saying "M is for Money", smart boy.) Greyson got the letter "R".


Hannah's saying was "C is for the Christ Child, our Savior and our King." She said it perfect! And no worries, we got it on video... now if we can ever figure out how to get on the blog...




See? It spells CHRISTMAS!





After the pageant, we conducted a mini-photo shoot with all of the kids: Hannah, Cole, Greyson and Ayden. Don't they all look so cute?
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Nooooo!

I just got a postcard in the mail yesterday telling me that Cookie Magazine will no longer be published and my subscription is being replaced by Allure magazine. I LOVED Cookie Magazine, it showed cool moms with cool kids in cool rooms doing cool things. It made me want to strive to BE cool. Now what? I guess I will have to go back to being lame. Darn.
:-(

Happy Birthday Elijah!

Elijah had his fourth birthday at the Salisbury Train museum. We have never had the chance to go and since Elijah's Daddy works at the museum, we figured it was the perfect opportunity to visit. Despite the chilly weather, it was a great party.



Even Santa Claus made it to the party (in a really cool vintage fire truck)!




The kids even got the chance to climb on the fire truck.



Then we headed over to the train ride.




Hannah and Cole got to ride on the caboose with Elijah.



Elijah's Mom was nice enough to take a picture of Chris and I on the train. A very rare photo op. Thank you!



A great party indeed. Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!
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They love a parade!

I bundled the kids up tight and we braved the cold to enjoy this year's Christmas parade. Chris had to work so I had to go it alone. No problem, I said, I can do this. Uh yeah. Things were going well until they started throwing the candy. And throwing more candy and more candy. And for fun, some the kids on the floats starting throwing candy AT us... well at ME. Harumph!




So, I apologize for the lack of pictures, I was busy trying to pick up the candy, keep the kids out of the street and dodge oncoming parade traffic at the same time. Whew! Who knew "parading" could be so challenging?
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