the Journey (tm) to China

Hair care products

Per the photos below... let it be known that I normally dont condone the use of hair care products in children under 12. However, picture time calls for desperate measures!

Each child has 3 different products in her hair... the same three that Mama uses. Foaming stuff (techy term), hair wax (to make it stand up and give it definition), and hair spray (to make sure the whole mess doesnt move). We had done a trial run the weekend before to see what Ma could manage... I think it turned out quite good!

Shae HongQi and Talen have gone off with Dana to Home Depot. Aubree BiXiu, Mya, and BaiYu are all upstairs sleeping. Mama has a few minutes to herself! So what else to talk about????

Dunno... kids continue to do wonderful! They are really, truly sisters - love each other to bits, bitch-slap each other when the mood strikes... its really a beautiful thing!

Shae is starting to initiate hugs and kisses :)

Aubree is starting to do more and more deep concept thinking :)

Shae has started to DANCE!!! I havent gotten her to join us dancing since we've been together... if I had know all it would take to get her to goove on out was the theme song to Play with me Sesame - I would have gotten TV a LONG TIME AGO! Oobi is her favorite show but they dont do much dancing on there.

Aubree's 3rd birthday is coming up! She says that she would like presents, balloons, and ice cream cake. We're going to go to Toys R Us this weekend to get an idea of what she might like to have.

I'll try to post more often but things get busy and I can always think of things to post... bear with me!

Say Cheeze!!!

Its that time again..

Last weekend before we got TV :) The whole family went to yet another different picture place. We like to try a few until we find one we really like. This one looks to be a winner.. Takes pretty good pictures. Preview of the shots are on 40+ inch wide screen monitors, and turn-around fpr pictures and cd with 4x6 quality images + encrypted full printer images were only 30 minutes..

So without further ado!! (Sorry only small pictures this time, durn muddy copyright laws, even though we paid for the images, size should not matter)

Everyone!

HongQi

BiXiu

Aww...The girls :)

enjoy!

Stand back... we're getting TV

I know... those of you that know us intimately are going to be just as shocked as can be. We're getting Direct TV installed next week....

What?!?!!?

You?!?!?!?

But you havent had TV in 2 whole years!!!!!

Yes - I know we havent had TV in 2 years. We got rid of it because we had a baby that would not stay in one room for more than 2 seconds, Mama was so tired that she had to go to bed when the baby did, and we werent getting our money's worth. 4 channels of TV (all local) were more than enough to keep us entertained when we had a baby that needed us.

What has change?!?! Well... lots! I can only watch so many Veggie Tales until I start singing them out loud at work. I think the girls would benefit from the Noggin preschool programming. I can only stomach just so many CSI shows until I run screaming from the sun room because I cannot watch them pick any more microscopic fuzz off of something. And the biggest reason?? There are are NO CARTOONS ON LOCAL CHANNELS UNTIL 8AM ON SATURDAY MORNINGS!

That right there is a crime against nature. Whatever happened to cartoons starting at 6am?? What is with this local news stuff on Saturday?? We dont want to see people in suits - bring on the bugs bunny!!

Have you ever tried to reason with an almost 3 year old and make her understand that you cant make cartoons magically appear on the TV and that if Mama watches Larry Boy and the Angry EyeBrows... she will go screaming insanely out of the house? Believe me - you'd cave too ;)

In other news...

B is great and counting down the days until her birthday. Do you think she'll buy it that we bought Direct TV as her birthday present? I didnt think so either but it was worth a shot!

B had an awesome St Patrick's Day party at preschool - Mama helped out! She was soooo wired from all the sugar that I thought she'd spin herself into a hole in the ground.

SHQ got a bouncy baby bladder infection Thursday... Mama spotted it right away and we spent all of Thursday evening in the Urgent Care waiting to be seen. She's on antibotics for 10 days and must go back for a recheck.

SHQ is all signed up for Kindergarten in the Fall... lets hope she's ready to go!

Making progress on SHQ's birth year change! Lawyer is filing the petition next week!

Our family pictures are tomorrow - pray for us!

SHQ's baptism has been scheduled with our neighbor and resident Deacon! Its May 20 after the 5pm Mass!

First week back in review

Well... the first week back to work went pretty good. There were only a few melt downs (Mama is such a baby!... just kidding!) but otherwise things went well! B's back doing her daycare/preschool gig, SHQ's loving hanging out with Big G, and Dadee is back in his element. Mama's sort of happy to be back to work too. ;)

Lets see... what else happened? Dadee already blogged about Dessert with Dadee... oh yeah! Haircuts, shots, and social workers!

Beth came over Wednesday to do our 30 post placement visit. Beth is a very nice girl and B usually likes her... but not Wednesday! SHQ wasnt thrilled with her either so both girls were plastered to me and wouldnt budge for the first 20 minutes Beth was there. Hello?!?!? Perfectly good Dadee sitting right over there with an empty lap... just waiting for someone to fill it.... But no! We have to all dog pile Mama! What IS this obsession with Mama?!?!?!? B finally warmed up and started flirting... that was SHQ's signal that it was okay to run around while Beth was here. The visit went very well as usual - SHQ had a HUGE meltdown after supper though... I have a theory that she was freaked out about us talking about her to some official looking person and thought perhaps that she might be leaving with said official looking person.

The girls went downtown Thursday and got their hair cut at 'Uncle' Andy's. He's Mama's hairdresser extrodinare and has cut B's hair before. B usually likes Uncle Andy very much... but B wasnt digging him at all this time and was very uncooperative (are we seeing a theme here?!?!?). Much wailing insued... it was not pretty. Of course - Mama was all by herself but handled it with grace and threats that she was going to call both Dadee and Aunt CeeCee if she didnt snap out of it! SHQ LOVED her haircut... she sat up in the chair like a little trooper! Afterwards we went next door to show Big G the new do's - Mya and BaiYu had also gotten their hair cut and were sporting bows in their hair.

B: Mama - why didnt I get hair bows in my hair like Mya and BaiYu?

M: Because Uncle Andy doesnt have hair bows, darling.

B: I WANT HAIR BOWS!!! I WANT HAIR BOWS!!!

Need I say that we're going to the place that gives hair bows next time or can you see this coming already? Yep - knew you could!

SHQ also became the lucky winner of 4 shots on Thursday - 2 in each leg! She tensed up so much that her legs are still sore today. I dont know how I'm going to explain to her that she has to get more shots every 8 weeks until she's caught up... Dr J says we've got to do all of her shots over again.

Saturday CeeCee stole my SHQ and took her to the children's concert at Drake with her brood. Music was loved by all and a great time was had! Mama, Dadee, and B went to Lowes and Menards... since CeeCee didnt bother to tell us when she might be bringing our eldest back - we decided to eat at Chili's for lunch. I'm sitting there stuffing corn dog down B when the phone rings:

C: Dude

M: Dude

C: Where the hell are you?

M: Dude - I'm sitting in Chili's having a spot of lunch... where the hell are you and what have you done with my child?

C: You went out to eat?!?!?! Why arent you sitting home waiting for me to saunder back??

M: Because I'd be purple holding my breath??

C: Dude... I am so taking your child to Hu Hots

M: You go right ahead and make sure she eats some veggies... my chicken tacos are getting cold!

So SQH got to go to a concert, eat out at Hu Hots, help Dadee outside with the pavers, go to church, and go to the mall for supper all on Saturday. No melts at all... until Sunday when Dadee left to go to the store and had the gall to leave Miss Gad About Town home with the House Frau Cleaning Woman and Little Nut Brown Child! Oh my lord was that spectacular!

Seriously though... everything is going great! I dont know why we were blessed to have two of the most easy going children ever... I know we are not worthy of such a gift, but here they are! Do we dare dream that Peanut Cleveland #3 (not until B is in school!) could be easy too. Nay I say... our luck has to run out sometime! Until then, I shall enjoy my little loves! :D

Desert with Daddy

Tonight was the first date with SHQ. It was desert with daddy night tonight. On her second day of school since SHQ came home she made a invitation at school. From the moment she brought it home until practically when we left, she has been just chittering about getting to do some special with Baba. Of course everyday day she comes home from school just bouncing off the walls and BiXiu follows suit. BiXiu already comes home loving to talk about school but she doesn't known all the words to express it yet like SHQ does.

Fast forward to tonight. I come home as usual and get cornered at the door as SHQ ballistically shoots each work of art and craft she has done during the day. Let me tell you she is very productive in a day. After I get a chance to drop my coat, we make a menu adjustment for supper to let SHQ and daddy make it in plenty of time to our outing. Poor BiXiu was feeling a little left out, but she got to stay home with mom and watch VeggieTales and play playdoh!

After a very short car trip we arrive at school and park in the RAMP. Now this school is attached to a church, but it has a parking ramp for the patrons. Since I had only been to the school once when we enrolled her I took a few minutes to wander with her down every corridor and corner. We went past her room, did the loop and took the stairs up a few flights and we were at the Desert with Daddy room.

The room was decorated very nicely. All the children had made their own place mats for the occasion. They also did something special for dear ole' dad. It was a present, a gift :) It was 3 pairs to a table and the menu included rice crispy bars, cookies, and little cups of ice cream. There was a nice assortment of flavored syrup as well. I helped SHQ with her plate and put chocolate syrup on hers and choco and strawberry on mine. By the time we took our seats and she saw what my ice cream had on it there was switch in order.

We ate our desserts, she did very well and of course wanted to give me bites of her ice cream. Otherwise she thought it was delicious but very cold, needing to keep her mouth open to warm it up. Once our dessert was done then all the children presented their gifts to their dad or person they brought with them. It was very nicely wrapped and SHQ was sure to tell me each color used. I opened it and saw that she had made a shop towel with her handprints on them in blue paint and the date. It was hawesome! I loved it and thanked her profusely, and gave her hugs and kisses.

During desert we got our picture taken as well, and also SHQ and I filled out a paper saying 1) Why dad is great because..., 2) While your child is great bacause... They are going to add the picture to it and the kids are going to make somethings special with it. SHQ wrote a line and then I helped her figure out was her daddy was great. Really I tried very hard not to put words in her mouth, but not being able to ask her and understand her response I did the best I could. For her I told her that she was great for being so understanding, brave, and patient with me and momma as we become a family with BiXiu..

All in all it was excellent night and date with SHQ! Daddy loved it and loves you, and of course BiXiu very much!

Back to work you scurvy dogs or its the Plank for Ye!

Mama and Dadee went back to work today. SHQ and B went their separate ways... B to daycare and SHQ to Big G's. We had quite the crying jag last night after Mama explained what was going to happen in the morning. I think SHQ thought we were giving her away to Gamma and we didnt want her anymore - poor kid! It took us from a little before 7pm until almost 9:30pm to get her calmed down and understanding that she lived with us and that she was just going to Gamma's to play with Mya and BaiYu until it was time for school.ex

Once she understood, she explained it all back to us in a great monologue. I was just in awe of this little child telling the best she could in a mix of languages that she lived her with Mama, Dadee, B and we loved her very much. Gamma lives next door she said... just visit, no stay.

She talked non-stop for 15 minutes once she got it and had a super good day today. I know she was overtired and her ears were hurting her tonight (she went to the dr with CeeCee and the girls today to get them checked out - no ear infection yet but she's got fluid building up) because she had crying jags when I mentioned the words morning, gamma, bath, and school.

B is sounding better but isnt over her terrible cough yet. Say a little prayer for them both - okay?

And we've moved onto Walking Pneumonia

Okay - I cant spell Pneumonia but B's got it... the walking kind... AND she was just at the dr for ear infection earlier this week. I was freaked out enough about her breathing last night that we darn near went to the ER. Dr Jon tells me this morning that the antibotic she's on for ear infection is GREAT for ear infection but lousy for lung infections. The Zithromax that he Rx'd for her lung infection this morning is GREAT for lung infections but lousy for ear infections - so now B has to take both. I am SOOOO thankful we got to see Dr Jon this morning... he's really God's gift to freaked out Mamas :D

Did I mention she's highly contagious? And that Shae isnt sick.... yet. AND that I had B over to see the cousins last night... oh yeah - you know where this is going... right??

Why do they chant for Mama??

There's a perfectly good Dadee in the house (yes, we're slowing switching over from Baba)... why must they always chant for Mama?

Mama - picking up dog poot in the back yard yesterday while there are two perfectly good adults available to play with the kids... they stand at the fence and chant for Mama.

Mama - dying with stomach pains from last night's polish sausage debacle with perfectly good, upright parental unit available... they chant for Mama.

Mama - bent over in agony while she tries to poot with Dadee trying to herd them away... they chant for Mama, break free of the herd, and pat my head.

Mama - driving back home this afternoon with Dadee in the passenger seat next to her and the munchins in the back... they chant for Mama.

Mama - sitting downstairs trying to eat some lunch with Dadee and the munchins are suppose to be napping... they chant for Mama.

Dadee is good too! He's kind, compassionate, loving, interested, and he KNOWS HOW TO FEED YOU BETTER THAN MAMA! Please chant for him for two hours while he's here (not while he's gone.... SHQ!!!) and give Mama a break :D

the honeymoon is over - the fit throwing has begun!

Afternoon preschool + no nap + overstimulated because of preschool + 2 weeks home with crazy people = spectacular fit throwing!

Oh yeah... the fit throwing has commensed! I thought B threw great fits, but SHQ's got her beat! She's got the stiff as a board thing going on, the beet red coloring all over her body, the flood of tears, and the wailing down to a T!

There have been 3 fits today and each one was more entertaining than the last...well... the last one wasnt that entertaining because Mama was getting tired and cranky from being the only one taking care of child throwing fits today. Lets just say I lost my Happy Place and had to go give myself a Time-Out before I started shouting :(

Fit #1 - Baba had the gall to leave the house and not take her with him. She's never cried for Baba before... but she wanted to go do something fun-er than staying home with Mama. She did the same thing yesterday when I left to go get the vacuum from Big G... I told him not to feel special or anything.

Fit #2 - BaiYu wouldnt get off the bike when Her Supreme Highness SHQ deemed it necessary... wow was that a good one!! It was right after preschool and over at Big G's.... Gamma and CeeCee were thoroughly impressed! And they thought she was sooooo sweet and innocent :D

Fit #3 - Told that she must take off her shoes before supper. That was the best one in terms of stiffness and volume.... redness was better on Fit #2

Every fit we've had (including the 3 today) have been testing opprotunities. She's trying to see if I (yes I... Baba has yet to reprimand and garner a fit) will react the same way every time. She does something, I tell her to stop, she doesnt, I count 1...2...3, she doesnt stop, and I tell her she's going to Time Out. Fit begins, child is put in time out (its really a time in)... if crying doesnt stop in a reasonable amount of time... she gets a holding time until she can control herself again. She doesnt like to be asked if she needs to go night-night in order to get control back so she usually snaps out of the tantrum pretty quick.

Motherhood... not all sunshine and roses... not all cupcakes and lemonaide, but highly entertaining at times :)