New Year....New Blog

Combining the kids blogs into one. Follow me here:

http://theempressandlildude.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Introducing our "Tiny Dancer"

Saturday night was the Empress' third dance recital. The prior two were with a different dance studio that we left for several reasons. The new one....well, all I will say is, it is prestigious, expensive, and, well.... disappointing. The Empress loves to dance and ballet has been her favorite. This tickles me, as I loved ballet and danced for over 10 years. Her goal is the toe shoe. It is years and years away, but that is her motivation. Plus, she is very good. Has a lovely elegance about her dancing.

So, the disappointment. Well, shall we say that I paid a lot of money and I expect her class to at a minimum, know a very basic routine. Minus several minutes of "free dancing" on stage. For goodness sake, her program two years ago was 100 times better. I am not knocking my daughter here. She did all the moves perfectly. She was the only one. I had to tell her after the rehearsal to just focus on herself as she was whispering and pointing to the other little girls who were completely lost. Saturday she did great. Smiled and focused on herself. I was very proud of her.

Now, with that said, I do not want to continue with this dance studio. I have given the Empress several options: go back to the prior studio (which she loved), take a year off, try gymnastics, or taekwondo. The Empress immediately said that she would like to take a year off and try gymnastics. I agreed. But, she made it clear to me that she would only be taking a year off, then she would return to ballet.

Good. Feeling better. Glad she has another year of dance behind her. Looking forward to filing our Monday evenings with something a little more productive.

Muffins for Moms

Friday was a marvelous day. I got to go to school with the Empress. In celebration of Mother's Day, the Kindergarten did a "Muffins for Moms" day. She made me the most beautiful hat. Frankly, when I saw the hat, I was quite sad that I hadn't had it the week before for the royal wedding. I would have given those royals a run for their money in a lovely hat contest. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I would be able to model my hat for the Kentucky Derby. Oh, how I love "hat" events. Anyway, the Empress also made me a sweet card with pictures and we were able to start a project together that will be presented to T at the "Donuts for Dads" get together for Father's Day. Of course we also had muffins. Yum. I would have loved to spend more time at school with her. I was so fun.

Hippity-Hoppity Easter

My girl. She is so happy today. E.Bunny brought our Empress a shiny new bike.

A month ago, the Empress finally rode her bike without training wheels. We were actually sure and quite content it would never happen. She is a timid girl and for years she has made very meager attempts at riding her bike. Last year she rode it only a half dozen times. Apparently, according to the Empress, it went too fast. Yep, even with training wheels. Even though I could have passed her walking.

This year things changed. Could be she felt the pressure of being six years old and an AFG'er (Almost First Grader...her words, lol.) and it made her suck up her insecurities and go for it. Or, could be I let it slip that we would buy her a new bike if she learned to ride without training wheels. Whatever the reason, she did it. She is cruising like an old pro. We are so proud.

I made a little phone call to my friend the Easter Bunny and this morning my little Empress lit up like the sun with pleasure. The new bike was worth every penny and more.

**On an Easter note - He is risen. In this commercialized holiday it is easy to forget the importance and miracle of today. Today we celebrate our Saviour. Let us not forget. Happy Easter.

I love you Earth!

Happy Earth Day!! April 22, 2011.

The Beautiful Empress

Five years....already??

Five years ago yesterday the wonderful Chinese people placed the most precious of precious gifts in our arms. The Empress. Five years ago today she officially became forever ours. Daughter, what a marvelous word. I have said it before and I will say it many, many, times more, she is the light of my life. What an awesome gift. If only you knew her. She is so fascinating. Such a wise voice in such a petite little body. She is stunningly beautiful and remarkably kind. It goes without saying, but I love her. So much. She has changed my life for the better. I love being her mom. I am sooo proud of her. I am also VERY protective as well....sorta like a mama bear! She is destined for greatness. Mark my words, she will do amazing things in her life.

20 Factoids about my Empress

1. Her live without possession is a blanket that was given to her at her homecoming. She has a special corner she calls "greenie" that she puts her little thumb in.

2. Her favorite stuffed animal is an Eyore she has had forever. Actually it is her second. I bought three thankfully. The first one had it's tail pulled off.

3. She holds onto Eyore's tail when she is scared.

4. She can count to ten in sign, English, Spanish, Russian and Madarin.

5. Her favorite TV show is iCarly.

6. She loves Chemistry.

7. Her Kindergarten teacher told us that she is "more advanced" than the other children in her class.

8. She can add, subtract and multiply.

9. The girl can hula hoop like nobody else I have ever seen.

10. She loves to swim.

11. She won't ride her bike because it goes too fast. She still has training wheels.

12. She loves her brother. She told me that she missed him even before she knew him. :)

13. The Empress can name any singer on the radio and has been able to since she was 2.

14. She has very thick black brown hair.

15. She wants to be a ballerina when she grows up.....or work at Target, or the bank. (too funny since she is exceptionally intelligent and has the makings of a brain surgeon.)

16. She has a chinese baby doll named Mei Mei.

17. She loves to go camping.

18. She can do a 100 piece puzzle by herself in record time.

19. She has been skiing since she was 3.

20. All she ever wanted was to be a big sister.

The Empress is truly my heart. I can't even quantify how much I love her. She is my favorite thing in the whole world. I shudder to think that she will be six next month. How did that happen? Her whole life changed with the arrival of her little brother. She is still the center of the universe only now she shares the spotlight with him. That has been hard on the little dear. She clings to me now and seems to fight him for my attention. It breaks my heart to see her sad. She is an extraordinary person. Extremely beautiful, amazingly intelligent, super kind and loving, witty sense of humor, and a great helper. My Empress is a bit Sweetie!

Crazy good at Wii

Oh, my, that is an understatement.

About 2 Christmas' ago we got a Wii. In the first 22 months of owning our Wii, we collectively played it for about 1 hour. Suddenly a thought springs to mind and I suggest a couple months back that we play Wii for the half an hour the Empress is awake after her little bro is put to bed. You see, we had been playing cards and board games, but alas our Empress is a sore loser and we eventually banned games until she was mature enough to lose with a smile. So, we brought out the Wii. None of us had ever played the Sports games that come with the Wii. Quickly it became apparent that she had the touch, and sadly, T and I did not. We routinely play golf, bowling, tennis and baseball, and darned if she doesn't beat us each time. It is crazy really. She has the most interesting techniques. Techniques that include kicking legs that aren't required in the sport we are playing. She bowls strikes, hits home runs, serves "heat" on the tennis court, and makes unbelievable hole in one shots in golf.

Wii is fun. It has really brought the three of us closer in her special nightly half hours.

Photo Shoot

Since the arrival of her little brother, the Empress has had a bit of an adjustment. Of course we discussed with her what the first couple of months might be like when he came home. On the surface she is fine. She is a doting big sister. She adores him. He adores her. But underneath, deep in the core of our Empress, things are upset. She is acting out. She is in tears. She is unreasonable. We decided to let her stay up an extra half hour each night after he goes to bed. It is a half hour of undivided attention. We play games, do crafts, read books, snuggle. It is alone time with mom and dad and she is doing much better because of it. It is good for us as well. I miss my Empress. Little guy takes a lot of attention and time.

So, she asked me if we could do a little photo shoot. Too funny. I told her to pick out three outfits and we would do it. So, what do you think of my little super model? They were the first photos of her new hair cut. Adorable. So grown up for 5.

New Blog for Travel to the Little Guy!

http://ethioelephant.blogspot.com/

Please follow along on our journey. Not sure how or when we will post. But....we will find a way.

We leave in 18 days. Just think, this time next month we will be a happy family of four!!

Confirmation

Finally. Seems there was some problem obtaining baby boy's birth certificate. Because they had that trouble, the other documents required for the embassy appointment were not prepared. So, our embassy date has been moved back to October 6. Actually, that move was a relief. I know, I know, I have been ranting forever on the wait and now I am relieved at we have an extra 2 weeks. Weird. Though I would go tomorrow, I feel sorta pressed at the moment. The Empress has just started Kindergarten, I have cut back to part time and time seems to be slipping through my fingers. I feel the need to get the Empress settled. Kindergarten has unnerved me, not her. We also need to check some important things off our check list before we are ready to travel. First we need to add little guy to our insurance, visit the pediatrician and obtain meds and instructions, visit our medical provider for meds, request money, have Wills drawn up, and many more probably insignificant tasks. Of course there is packing. Ugh. But, as of today we have obtained confirmation of our flights and requested reservations at the guest house associated with our agency. We had planned a brief jaunt to Paris, but that wish simply didn't work out due to connecting flights and having to obtain an additional visa for the little guy. So, we are breaking up the trip by flying first class from here to DC and then on the return flight with little guy, from DC home. Since the flight from here to DC is nearly 8 hours we will stay over one night on the way over and on the way back. From DC the flight to Addis is 15 1/2 hours.....ugh. Talk about a long flight. I just continue to pray that the little guy is a good traveler and we have no major meltdowns...either by him, or myself. So, we are preparing ourselves and will undoubtedly have all the ends tied up before we leave. I hope to blog our trip.....but that will be determined by internet availability.

We will be there in a month!!

First Day of Kindergarten

Today my baby went to school....for the first time ever. I felt like I was walking through a strange dream as I stood in the school yard with dozens of children and their apprehensive parents. It was tough on me. I was incredibly anxious about the whole thing. Was she going to be OK? I worried about everything down to the pick up at the "kinder loop." It is true....I did cry. Briefly. After I left my happy child with her very nice and capable teacher. I can't believe she is in Kindergarten. How did we get here? It was mere moments ago I was changing diapers, searching for pacifiers, and rocking my baby to sleep. Today I saw a completely independent litttle girl. She happily waved at me as she followed her teacher into the school. And when I spied her exiting the school after a full day, she still had a happy little smile on her sweet face. My baby is growing up.

Almost maybe going

Perhaps it is near. Our Embassy date that is. We have a tentative date of September 22, meaning we will be in Ethiopia meeting our little man soon. Perhaps. Maybe. If. First they need the decree from the Court. Then they need to get a birth certificate issued. A letter of recommendation from MOWA. And, finally, a passport and medical exam. Will it happen?? Sure it will. We are in the home stretch now of a very long bumpy journey and NOTHING else could possibly go wrong. Right? Right!

I'm Walkin' On Sunshine...Oh Yah!

Still secretly waiting for something to pop my happy balloon. This can't be real....Can it? For those people who have repeatedly told me not to wish my life away when I wish it was Friday on a Monday, I WISH it was October. Really I do. My little man is waiting and I can't wait to kiss those delectable cheeks.

Is he not the cutest thing ever??

Pleased to Introduce you to.......

The newest member of our family.... Would love to tell you his name. Bursting to tell you his name. But, in order to keep my family safe and private, no can do. But he has a great name. A beautiful name. A strong name.

So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to our son. Isn't he sweet.

Wasn't sure we would pass. Evidently the adoption authority wrote a recommendation letter to the Court requesting more paperwork. Our attorney somehow (he is a miracle worker in my opinion) convinced the Judge to pass us. So, we received the unbelievably good news that we passed Court today. Today we are parents again. We are a family of 4. The Empress has a baby brother. Today our adoption went through. We fought through many set backs, lots of tears and made it. Today is an excellent day!!

Next stop Ethiopia. We have been told to expect to travel sometime in late September or early October.

August 5, 2010

Pray, people, PRAY!! Court date. Next week. One day before Court's two month closure. Pray.

Excited, then Aggravated, now...Distressed

Guess my topic. Right on. Adoption. The Friday before last we received notice that the transfer of paperwork to the new orphanage would take place the following Monday. It had been like 17 weeks since the debaucle that set us on this path. We were ecstatic. We were also told that more than likely our case would proceed to Court Monday or Tuesday. What a way to start a vacation. On Monday we received a call saying the transfer had happened and our adoption agency thought that Tuesday we would go to Court. That Tuesday we received a call, which was somewhat disheartening. It was basically a recap of what she had told us the day before only now she thought we would get to Court that Friday (last Friday) or early this week. OK. Hold my breath.... So we hear nothing on Friday. We assume that Court will happen Monday or Tuesday. Still holding breath. So Monday, nothing. Tuesday we are told that the contact in Ethiopia is on vacation and they haven't heard anything. Wednesday...as here is the kicker....we are told that we have been "filed" with the Court. What?? What?? My question becomes, weren't we filed with the Court in April? We are assured that we will receive a quick Court date. What??? This isn't making sense. We should have "passed" Court not be waiting for a Court date. Court closes in a week and will remain closed until mid-OCTOBER. The answers to my questions remain unanswered. My emails appear to be ignored. I am livid. If we weren't filed in April as we were told then we will have to travel to Ethiopia for our Court date. We were told we wouldn't have to travel months back. Please say it isn't so. Please don't make us wait until October or later to pass Court. Please, enough already.

I have gone around the bend on this. I have no patience. I can't make any rational decisions. I can't even pray, despite many attempts. Why is this happening? If this is some grand plan, I fail to see it. Why Lord?? Why??

Where the Wild Things....went on vacation

Much needed rest. Relaxation. Up into the woods. Away from people. Away from phones, computers, work. Just hanging with the fam.

Monday we drove our little "Fun Finder" to Lost Trail Resort. Just miles from the bustling burg, Sula, Montana. Jeez....population like, 20? Back to my childhood. So nice to go back again. Somehow things never really change in the woods. We parked our little trailer and settled in. Surprisingly we were the only people there. Nobody in the RV park, nobody in the cabins. Just us. We had the pristine pool to ourselves. It was paradise. With mosquitos and horse flies.

On Thursday we packed up and drove over the pass and into the Big Hole. After lunch at Fetty's Cafe in Wisdom, we headed to our final destination.....Elkhorn Hot Springs. Yep, another hot springs. Are you following our pattern here? Anyway, despite the beauty and remote location, we were nearly eaten alive by the mosquitos and horse flies. Thursday evening BB and Papa J came up from Dillon for dinner. Steak, potatoes and....bugs. Friday Nana, Papa S and Sis arrived for lunch. It was really a beautiful day. But, alas, we called it and headed home not long after our guests left. The Empress is apparently very allergic to mosquito bites and had several swell up to unbelievable size despite benedryl and caladryl. We arrived home late last evening. Exhausted but happy.

And a marvelous time was had by all!!!

T's sis J is to blame. For it all. It was wonderful. Marvelous really.

Last weekend T's family, plus a hundred or so close family friends and relatives, got together and surprised two of the most special people in the world. T's folks. It was a massive undertaking, but sister J managed to pull it off without a hitch.

The story really started fifty years ago. T's parents wedding. But, the planning for the anniversary party to end all anniversary parties started a couple years back. While at a family reunion at the Lutheran church camp on the lake, J put a down payment on the camp for a weekend. That weekend, nearly 2 years later, was last weekend.

Friday evening we chauffered the folks down to the camp with the tiny fib that we were meeting J for dinner at a cabin she had rented at the other end of the lake. They were oblivious up until they entered the packed dining hall and were regaled by all their favorite people. Friday night was a barbeque and birthday parties for the two....as they both also turn 70 this year. Saturday was kinda a free-for-all on the lake (i.e. boating, swimming, visiting, etc.). Saturday evening after a dinner of burgers and fries we had a sock hop, complete with a DJ playing 50's music and everyone sporting 50's attire. It was marvelous fun. Sunday was a wonderful church service in their honor.

It was truly perfect. T's folks are amazing people and it was sooo nice to show them all how very much we all love them!