~~Our Life with Chani~~

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T04:47:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!Just waiting for the little one to wake up. She is stirring around but hopefully will sleep for another hour or so. I'm so excited for her. Being four is such a good age for Santa. Had to scramble for stocking stuffers for Matt and myself. Don't know how I forgot that this year but I was able to find some things. The tree is full and shining brightly. It's a beautiful sight. Matt's Mom sent home some homemade cinnamon rolls so we'll munch on those for breakfast while opening presents. Even with just the three of us, it looks like we have a family of six or nine even.I hope Santa was good to all of you and he granted all of your wishes. I know he has mine.Thank you everyone who sent gifts, cards, phone calls and emails. I LOVE hearing from everyone and seeing new pictures. I'll try to post a picture of our tree later. Kathy

First Day of Jr. Kindergarten

2011-08-02T07:34:00.003-05:00

Chani's day started out normally except that we had to be ready for school about 30 minutes earlier. She wanted to wear the formal uniform for her first day. We had some breakfast and then all three of us headed out the door. We arrived at the school about 15-20 minutes early so we could take some pictures. The car pool line had already started but we decided that we would rather walk her in the first day. After pictures, we walked around to the side entrance because they have the front locked. We said our goodbyes and she very casually walked into the building. Nothing major, no tears, no fear. I was fine too.

We arrived a little early for pick up as well. We put her number into the keypad and there was a woman there verifying the number with them inside. Pulled around to the other side and had to wait until they let them out. She came out in order and she was all smiles when she saw us. Even gave a little laugh. Got in the car but she was soooo tired. She fought sleep and told us about her day. She made a friend, Taylor. They went outside 3-4 times. Her favorite class is Spanish. She ate a bite of a chicken sandwich, a bite of salad with no dressing and a bag of chips. She didn't seem really all that hungry though. That was basically all we could get out of her.

She then went to bed at 7:30 and slept until about 6:30. I had to wake her this morning, which is very unusual. Matt took her to school and did the drop off in the car pool line. I will pick her up after school.

That was her first day.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

2011-02-23T10:55:00.000-05:00

This year for Chani's 4th birthday, I spent every free moment for about a month getting ready. Then, two full days setting it all up with help from a couple of friends. After all of that, I still wasn't ready but the show went on.

All of these pictures were taken by either Lisa S , Lisa F , or Matt. Both Lisas have posted wonderful blogs about the party and I can't thank each of them enough for all the fabulous photos. That was one of the things that I didn't have time to do before everyone started to come.

As the guests entered, they signed a Disney autograph book, which we took afterwards on our trip to Disney World so we could get the character's autographs as well. They then grabbed some mouse ears, a blowout and a necklace and headed inside.

I made this Mickey shape out of cut up strips of fabric. I used the same fabrics throughout the decorations.

The next area I had set up a photo booth picnic area in one room where everyone was able to get their picture taken with Mickey and Minnie. I think there were 23 kids there if I counted correctly. Thanks so much to Frank for helping with the photos!

These next photos were taken of the room.

The kid tables had a mouse glove plate, a mickey shaped cookie on a stick, a cupcake with mouse pick on a cupcake holder and their goodie bags which included some tattoos and a small photo album. Each table had a bowl with a stuffed character and some balloons. I also had buckets with vinyl dots that held the wrapped silverware. On the table were black tablecloths and red tulle on the top of them.

The cake table had the mouse arch which Matt made, Chani's mouse head cake with candles, extra cupcakes/cookies and a topiary, her name in wooden letters, the Jim Shore Mickey figurine and a Minnie light.

This table held the mouse cups that I monogrammed with their names. It also had the ginormous tub of cheese balls that Matt picked up at the last minute. I made the birthday banner on the wall and the water bottle labels.

The Buffet table had hot dogs with all the fixings, twice baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, a fruit bowl with dip, some Mickey candy, another mouse topiary and the chocolate fountain with strawberries, graham crackers, marshmallows and pretzels.

The pizza table had Mickey shaped pizzas that the kids could add their own ingredients of sauce, mini pepperoni, ground turkey and cheese. I also had picks that they could write their names on to keep the pizza straight as they were cooked by Sarah. The "S" and "C" were part of the Ispy game.

This counter had the slush drink and adult plates, cups, some cake balls and another mouse I made with flowers.

I had one balloon walker of Mickey and one of Minnie. For some reason, the kids tore these apart. First the head came off and then limbs too. They didn't last very long but the kids sure did have a lot of fun with them. I also made Chani's outfit. It was a store bought shirt but I applied the applique. I also made her hat, both her skirts, her bloomers and added the fringe to her socks.

In another corner, I had a more quiet spot where the kids could color a picture and then hang them on the wall.

On to the party.

For games, we did a cake walk where kids were elimiated. Note to self {have consolation prizes!} We also did "pass the parcel" where each kid was able to unwrap a layer of gift wrap. The last kid was then able to kept the prize. Another game where consolation prizes would have been great. Then the Ispy game. I held up a shape, and the kids had to find the matching one on the wall. I handed out stickers to the ones who saw it first. This was the best game and the kids loved it.

This started as a piece of paper in a kit that Chani colored and we sent it off to be made into the plate. It arrived just in time for her party.

I made the cake to look like a Mickey. Everyone sang and she made a wish and blew out the candles. It took her a few tries but she finally managed.

These are the images that were hung on the walls. The Daisy and Donald were hung on the bathroom doors while Chip and Dale were hung on the closet. The others were randomly around the room. These took me awhile to make.

Matt and Chani put together this puzzle just in time for the party.

This is the bean bag toss game that we ran out of time to play.

These are the toparies that I had made that were scattered throughout the rooms.

And, I know you all wanted to see her bow.

Sunday, after Matt finished cleaning up the clubhouse, we headed out for lunch. On our way home, or so thought Chani, she fell asleep for a couple of hours. About three hours into our drive, Chani woke up and asked why it was taking so long to get home. We then asked her if she wanted to spend the night in a hotel. She always LOVES to do this so she was all too happy. Once we hit Disney the next day, she was like oh, are we at Disney? Not too much excitement but she was happy about it. Those pics to follow.

I finally, I want to thank Sarah, Rachel, Heidi and Cat for helping with the decorating and prep work. I honestly couldn't have done it without your help. My next post will be just random pictures of the party.

Random Party Photos

2011-02-23T10:52:00.001-05:00

Crazy Hat Day at School Today

2011-01-07T16:29:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's still my Christmas tree up. It's coming down tomorrow.

3 Years Ago

2010-11-28T04:22:00.003-05:00

Yep, three years today, we were in China, on the other side of the world. Then the most amazing moment of our lives happened. This precious tiny little girl was placed in our arms and we instantly became a family.

I can't believe that it's been three years already. Waiting through the process was pure torture. It was so hard and the time went so slowly. Now, the time is going at warp speed. How do you slow it down?

Happy Gotcha Day to our China families who are celebrating today too.

I voted

2010-11-02T19:20:00.003-05:00

We went to vote late today and I thought all we had to do was to go to the voting place near the town square. Well, it appears that we can only go there for early voting like we did at the last election and had to go to our regular voting place. Anyway, we had to drive a bit farther this time. We rarely go that way so we decided to try a new place for dinner. Well, there was a bar-b-que place near our voting place but when we pulled up, we decided that it was too much of a dive and left. We then drove by another place and decided that we'd keep looking. There is this restaurant that I've been wanted to try for quite some time so that is where we went since it was nearby. As we parked the car, Matt pointed out that they had a fiddle, playing live music. Then, he realized it was just a guitar. Oh joy, live music. We went in and sat as far away from the music as we could. This place reminded me of restuarants where I grew up. That old anyway, complete with wallpaper from the 70s or early 80s that was falling down. The food they had on the buffet had to have been there for quite some time but we chose the best looking of what little they had. Not the greatest but okay. The guitar was playing gospel music. Another joy! They switched singers midway through our meal to a woman who was singing way off key. For some reason this whole scenerio had me laughing so hard it was hurting. I just couldn't stop laughing and I'm sure the waitresses thought I was stoned or something. Chani was loving it, dancing and having a great time. Needless to say that we won't be visiting this restaurant again. So, that was our evening. Hope you all voted as well but had a better dinner. :)

Halloween, Parties, and Another Bite

2010-11-01T04:22:00.012-05:00

2010

2009

2008

This year they were quite fun and posed for pictures.

We had snacks.

And then went on a pumpkin hunt.

Chani's school Fall Festival

Then trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was so much fun this year. She would run out ahead and did it on her own. Some houses she was too short to reach the doorbell. We were able to wait on the sidewalk for most houses which was great!

And, on not such good news, here she is with yet another bite mark. What is it with my child being a magnet for the biters? This kid, another boy, was removed from the school quite a bit faster than the other one. Glad they are both gone. Hopefully she won't suffer from any more bites.

486

2010-10-17T03:34:00.013-05:00

486, yup, that's the number of photos I took late yesterday at the pumpkin patch. The 9 of us went on our annual Cagle trip and I was finally able to pick out some pumpkins. We started awhile back when we were able to get tickets at 1/2 off thanks to Lisa S. Wouldn't you know it, I forgot my voucher at home but was able to look up the numbers so they let me in. Yay for iPhones!! We purchased the additional hay ride and marshmallow roast but were too late to do the farm tour. Not a biggie as we've done it the past two years. We did go through the corn maise at record speed with the three girl leading the way and no one got lost.

We then grabbed a bite to eat and the girls jumpped on the big pillows. We did a few more photos and the highlight of the day for Chani was getting to ride the ponies. We then headed over to get on the hayride. They took us down to the pond where they had several fire pits going. They gave each of us some roasting sticks and a bag of marshmallows. (Graham crackers and chocolate were sold separately.) So, we all sat and ate marshamallows until we were almost sick. Who would have thought that four per person would be too many?

After that, we rode the hayride back to the pumpkins and did some more photos, and picked out our pumpkins.

37 made the cut so here they are in no particular order. The sun was shining so brightly which made it hard to get some photos.

Where has the time gone?

2010-10-12T03:59:00.021-05:00

How can it be that I haven't updated my blog for two months? I feel bad not posting anything and reading has gone by the wayside as well. Although I do read just a few still. I just don't have much time to dedicate to it anymore. So, my random blogs will have to do for now.

What have we done in the past two months? Well, let me see. I have been busy with
4 consignment sales, 4 birthday parties and 3 bow shows.
I've spent a fortune on car service and need to do it again for Matt's car.
We've had Steve spend a few days stay with us.
Spent 1/2 a week on the beach with Pam and the other half with Matt and Chani.
Have kept a bread starter going since mid August. (Thanks Heidi) It's yummy and if you want a start, let me know.
Started Chani in a Hip Hop class and a Soccer class. She's loving both but Hip Hop more.
Toted a stuffed rabbit around for a week and then scrapbooked it for Chani's school.
Had countless coffees, lunches and play dates.
Had a few friends over for game night.
Finally decided on a theme for Chani's 4th birthday party after changing my mind a few hundred times. This one is going to stick.
Have searched high and low for a book that I've misplaced. Luckily it's one I own and not a library book.
Started decorating for Halloween. Still have a couple boxes to go through. How do I accumulate so much? I thought I got rid of a bunch of it last year.

Coming up -
2 trips to pumpkin patches.
1 more fall bow show. Then the holiday shows are fast approaching. Need to prepare!

And, my favorite thing coming is our "girls only" trip to Disney. Chani and I are going with Christy and Katie. Can't wait. I've been planning and thinking about it for days now. I even dug out Chani's Disney outfits and tried them on her, hoping they still fit. I bought annual passes for Chani and me so we can take several numerous trips for a year. We're already planning a second trip.

Now, some random photos.

Downtown Disney
September 2009
September 2010

She really wanted to pose next to characters and this building for some reason. We went to Downtown Disney for one brief day and did a bit of shopping.

Pam and I took a day trip and went to St Augustine. We climbed the lighthouse and walked around the oldest city. It was a great place to visit. I didn't take many pictures of the beach though. The last in this group is of Chani and me on the beach at sunrise. Yes, Matt actually got up to take the shot.

Chani with her school bunny.

A few birthday pictures of only a couple of the birthdays.

Game night. The girls changed into their nightgowns and had a ball making silly faces.

And finally, some random shots.

Back to school

2010-08-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

Chani's first day of her three year old preschool starts tomorrow. I called my sister the other day and told her now I realize what both sisters meant when they said they couldn't wait until school started. Well, now I know. I love my daughter more than anything in the world but a couple hours away from her every day is going to be so nice. I will have time to get a lot accomplished, even if I only sit down and relax for a bit. I will miss her though. She, I think, will have a new teacher. Their summer program will be separated back out into smaller classes.

Today she and Matt went out for their daddy/daughter day which means going out to lunch and perhaps a bit of shopping. I was able to get to the basement and get some things organized and toys pulled out so I can tag them for the consignment sales. I joined two this season. All 4 Kids which I always do and that one has yielded great results for me. And a new one, the UMC one here in town. This will be my first there so hopefully I'll have good luck. At least it's close. I think so anyway. Not sure exactly where it is.

Then, I've been toying with the idea of listing things on eBay. I have many boutique outfits that I'd like to auction vs consign. I tend to not do so well with those at the sales but have been outbid on tons on eBay. I used to sell on it several years ago but haven't done anything lately.

Off for some more organizing before the family returns.

World Wide Photo Walk in Marietta GA

2010-07-24T16:02:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Cindy, Lisa, Amy and I all went on a World Wide Photo Walk. There were 50 photographers in our group. There were over 33000 from all over the world doing the same thing. Once we're done, we can choose one of our favorites and enter it into a contest to win prizes. While mine aren't anywhere near contest quality, I did get some great shots. Here are some of my favorites.

My weirdest photo of the day was a man having his head shaved right there in the square.

Misc Photos

2010-07-24T14:56:00.016-05:00

This post is about some misc things we have done lately with misc photos that were still on my camera.

Play date with Briana

Trip to the Tellus Museum. One Sunday morning the three of us headed up to visit this museum. We had a great time.

Chani's first corn on the cob.

My little Snow White.

Lunch with Christy, Rachel and children.

Play date with Frankie, Henry and Cat.

We have found two leaks in our house this week. The first one being in the basement. Water from the furnace is leaking out. Gonna need to call a repairman for that.
The second one is in our garage. I think it's from Chani's bathroom. Anyway, here is Matt tearing into the ceiling. Lovely!

This morning, I went on a photo walk with Cindy, Lisa and Amy, along with 46 other photographers and walked around Marietta Square shooting photos. This was the first time that I've done this and I had a lot of fun doing it. Photos will come in a different post. Anyhow, Matt and Chani met up with Doug and Briana and hung out while we were out taking pictures. This is what he brought me. YUM! My favorite. I could live on these things, especially since not having them for so long.

What a week

2010-07-23T14:33:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, we took Chani to a soccer tryout. She did great and loved it! So, we signed her up to begin this fall. Hopefully it won't be quite so hot.

Then, on Sunday, we met up with Lisa, Doug and Briana for a trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts. This time we saw Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff. It was cute and the girls loved it. After the show, we went upstairs to make a hand puppet. It was quite a chore getting both girls to look one way with their puppets out of their faces. After that, we headed to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner where we all had to dress appropriately for dinner. We then all went to the book store to do a little shopping before heading home. We had a great day!

On Monday, Chani started swim lessons. Day one, she was so trusting of her instructor and did pretty well. Day 2, she had a different instructor and did a bit better but was rushed into it and that scared her so she cried a bit at the beginning. Day 3, she whimpered a bit towards the end. Each day they progress and go down a bit more for longer and add a few things. On the 4th day she was floating on her back towards the end of the class and she totally lost it. Full out crying, reaching for us, etc. It took all I had not to go get her and comfort her. They calmed her down and were able to finish the lesson but with some crying. Don't know what it was all about. After this lesson, all three of us grabbed our goggles and headed towards our subdivision pool. She realized that she could see me looking back at her under the water while holding our breath. She loved that. One of us would hold her while we all three took a breath and went under and waved at each other. She wanted to do it again and again. I think this was the breaking point for her. She also wanted to swim from one of us to the other. It was so much fun seeing that click with her. Hopefully by Monday she will remember how much fun she had and won't be scared for class.

Today is Friday and we have two play dates. One was this morning at Christy and Katie's. I got to see Christy's ultrasound picture. It was such a surreal moment seeing that picture of that tiny baby growing inside her. I showed Chani and she went over and peered over the arm of the chair at Christy's belly. It was cute! After that, we headed to the, "cheese dip" restaurant as Katie called it and had lunch. Chani kept asking to go back to Katie's after we left. After dinner tonight, we are headed across the street to play on a water slide with Frankie. That should be fun!

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with some friends and doing a photo walk. I've never done one before so it should be tons of fun and hopefully I'll be able to get some cute photos.

Glad this week is almost over. Not that next week isn't as busy but I love it.

2010-06-27T18:22:00.003-05:00

Today we had a fabulous day. We drove downtown to the Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta and saw Hansel and Gretel. I had been here one time before quite awhile ago. It was really quite entertaining and well worth a visit. This particular duo performed without a curtain in front of them so we could see all they had to do.

They had several of the Muppets puppets there as well as Ernie and Big Bird. We couldn't take pictures or else I would have had some. Upstairs they had kits where we could make puppets. Chani had a blast and loved the show. We're already planning our next visit.

We also stopped at Joe's Crab Shack for dinner where we had some yummy crab legs. They had me wear a bib and every so often, the wait staff would stop, turn the music up and dance. It was quite entertaining. Chani even got up and danced and has been talking non stop ever since we left the show.

On the ride home, Santa came up for some reason and when I asked her what she wanted Santa to bring her this year, she said, "earrings." Guess that's more descriptive than "toys" from last Xmas. She couldn't come up with anything else though. It's such a joy watching her grow up.

Our Day at the Mall

2010-06-21T03:12:00.006-05:00

A little over two weeks ago, Chani and I had a mommy/daughter day and we went shopping at the mall. We did a bit of Father's Day shopping and Chani shopping of course.

We also rode the train.

Then, while on the train we spotted a little girl getting her ears pierced. I asked Chani if she wanted to get hers done and she said yes. I called Matt to make sure it was okay as we had talked about it before and we had decided to wait until she wanted to do it herself. Well, he didn't answer so the decision was left up to me. I asked her if she were sure over and over again and her response was always, yes. Even when I told her that it would hurt a little bit. She wanted them. Okay. She picked out some Hello Kitty earrings but at the last minute, with a little suggestion on my part, switched to these adorable flower ones. They match everything so much better. She was nervous but so was I. She held my hands while the girl marked her ears. Still want them? Yes. Okay, The only girl working there did them, one at a time, rather quickly. Chani did great!! No crying, whining, changing her mind at the last minute or worse, after the first one. I was so proud of her. She was so proud of them. We then went and had some lunch and called Daddy.

It was such a wonderful, fun day spending it with my favorite girl in the whole wide world.

The Crayola Factory AND Sesame Place

2010-06-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

A little much for one post so here are parts two and three.

The Crayola Factory:

I got the idea from Chani's 3rd birthday party back in February when one of my trivia questions was where was the crayola factory? It is in Easton PA so we decided to check it out once we were back to the Philly area. It did not disappoint.

We rented a hotel near the King of Prussia Mall through price line and got an awesome deal. Hotel was pretty nice and just a few minutes from Matt's parents so it worked well. We popped over to the house after unloading our luggage. Matt's mom loves to cook so she had a home cooked meal waiting for us. Score!

The next morning, we headed back over and ate breakfast with them. His parents were on babysitting duty that day. We had all planned to go the Crayola Factory but his parents ended up not being able to go so we took Chani's seven year old cousin Mark with us. In the meantime, I had wanted to do some laundry but Matt's Mom offered to take care of it. Another big time score.

The Crayola Factory was much larger than I had imagined it to be. They had a demo station on how they made crayons but the actual factory was a little ways away. They gave each of us tokens that the kids could put into a dispenser machine and choose things to buy like a four pack of crayons, markers, modeling clay, etc. The kids loved doing that. They also had stations for gluing, cutting, coloring with different products and other art work. They had some basic hands on play areas.

They had another floor where they had a canal museum. The kids were able to take boats and walk them through water with locks that they were able to manipulate to raise and lower the water. It was cute and the kids loved it. We grabbed a quick bite and headed to the Crayola store where we saw the largest crayon in the world. It was a real blue crayon enclosed in a large glass case. We let the kids pick out one thing that they wanted to buy from the store and Mark ended up getting a five foot crayon bank. It was cute to see this little seven year old trying to carry that box. We had to rush out in order to get back in time to meet Matt's brother Steve and drop off Mark. We arrived just in time to pile back into the car so we could go and see Matt's other brother, Hank. His child, Nick was having his elementary school graduation and awards program that night. We ended up seeing each of his brothers and families for maybe five minutes each.

SESAME PLACE

The third leg of our trip was to Sesame Place. We changed hotels so we'd be a bit closer. A one day ticket was the same price as a two day so we opted to go back for the second day. The first part of the day was spent doing dry rides. She loved the flying fish ride and we rode that several times. It is similar to the dumbo ride at Disney MK. She was afraid of the rides where she had to go alone but had confidence when we were with her. We stopped for lunch and then hit the water rides. I sat out on the water rides and took care of our bag and crap. After Matt's parents and Mark left, we hung out a bit longer and rode the roller coaster before heading back to the hotel. The next day, we went at it alone and spend the day doing both wet and dry rides. We saw Elmo's World Live and another character show. We paused for photos and even a parade. Her favorite part of the parade? When the Count touched her hand. The weather was perfect the first day and there was a very brief shower the second day but overall, the weather was perfect.

We grabbed some burgers on the way to the hotel on our final night and had a picnic in our room. Afterwards, we went for a swim in the indoor pool and sat in the hot tub briefly. About 3am, the hotel fire alarm went off. We had to wake her and carry her outside. She did really well and was able to get back to sleep when we finally went back inside. It was a false alarm but the next day, she talked and talked about it.

She also did really well with having her naps way off and poor quality but she was a trooper and behaved excellently. We were so proud of her! On our way to the airport, we passed by this gushing water main break. Water was at least 30-40 feet high. I was able to take a couple pictures on my camera phone.

The rental drop off was a breeze. There was congested air traffic in Atlanta so we were delayed from taking off. Nothing major and we still arrived on time. We did hit quite a few bumps near Atlanta due to so much traffic. Felt like we were on one of the rides at SP with our stomachs jumping. The rest of the trip home went well and we made it home at a decent time.

She was afraid of the water splashing on her from the Count's bucket which is why her hands are up in a few of the photos. She was nowhere close enough but she thought she was. :)

The Farm

2010-06-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

This last week was nothing but spectacular!

The Farm:

It all started with our China 140 travel group reunion. I haven't seen this group since we adopted Chani 2 1/2 years ago. It was the third reunion but our first so we thought we'd make it a priority this time. At first meeting at a farm wasn't exactly my idea of a great time. Having spent my early teen years living on a farm, I wasn't all that into it but I wanted to see all the families so a farm it was. We booked our all inclusive room at the East Hill Farm, our multiple destination airfare, car rental, etc. We packed one carry-on suitcase each along with our two backpacks and headed to the airport.

Our flight to Boston was pretty uneventful. We landed on time and were bussed to the car rental place where shall we say it didn't go as smoothly as planned. First of all, I had made all kinds of reservations with my Amex so with a new card, none of the numbers matched anymore. They closed out Matt's card too but have neglected to send him a new card. The rental place wouldn't allow Matt to drive and me to pay. They both had to be the same. So, since I was the only one with a working Amex, I had to be the driver. Wonderful! - Not! Once situated, pulling out of the parking lot, I get honked at but still have no idea why but whatever. We drove a short way and headed toward the toll road. Well, being new to the area, and their easy pass was scattered across the lanes instead of being on the left like here in GA, I ended up in the wrong line. We flagged down a worker and he advised us to hold our ground and wait until the guy behind us backed up. It was a horrible feeling and I know the guy wasn't too happy with us but he reluctantly moved and we were able to back out and hit the right lane. Everything after that went fine. Whew!

Once we reached the farm, we were immediately impressed. As we were checking in, they gave us a brief tour of the place and it was hard to keep track of which building was which because there were so many. They handed us a six slot egg carton and a little wicker basket. Well, okay, come to find out that you could go and collect eggs and put them in the guest refrigerator and they would cook them for you the next morning any way you wanted. Or, you could take them home. Alright, cute! They also asked us what we wanted for dinner.

We ran into one family and talked a bit and found out that everyone was meeting at another's room. Well, room is an extreme understatement. We then located our room. It was a two bedroom with a Jack and Jill between the two. The rooms were HUGE and cutely decorated in a farm house sort of way.

We headed out looking at all they had to offer and happened upon our group. They had a wrap around screened in porch overlooking a lake. It was beautiful. We greeted everyone and had a drink before dinner. Our group had assigned tables so we could all sit together. They served our main entree and everything else was family style. All the meals were served the same way. They had fresh cookies, juice, fruit, coffee all day long.

They took the day old bread and put it in little paper bags. You could take them and go feed the animals. That was a huge hit with Chani. They had rabbits, chickens, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, cows and donkeys. Chani held the bottle to feel the calf but refused to milk either the cows or goats. She was able to go on a pony ride and pet the rabbits. They had three pools, two outside and one inside although we didn't get a chance to swim. They had a ping pong table and tons of game you could play. They had at least three living room type rooms where you could all gather. They had story time, scheduled walks, scavenger hunts, and a dance. The whole day had activities planned. Chani really latched on to Emily and was her dance partner and playmate for the weekend. It was so cute to see Chani open up vs her usual quiet shy self. Emily is normally quiet too so they brought out the best in each other. After breakfast on the final morning, they asked us what we wanted for lunch. Well, we had to hit the road so we couldn't stay for it. Well, they pretty much insisted on packing a box lunch for us. So, we decided to take them up on their offer and checked out, saying good bye to everyone. We had an awesome time. This place had a real family feel to it and we really enjoyed our time there. We liked it so much that we went ahead and reserved our same room for next year.

Along our drive to PA, we found a park and stopped for our picnic lunch. The farm had packed for each of us, a sandwich, a bag of chips, an apple, a cookie, and a granola bar. We had so much food and were quite impressed with the whole weekend.

A couple lessons learned on this trip.
1. Do not rent a car at one airport and drop it off at a second one. Cost was over $300 just for the drop and that was on top of the rental fees. Geez.
2. Take some warmer clothes and perhaps some rain gear.

Jamaica

2010-05-02T19:08:00.025-05:00

Our April travels.
We've been traveling quite a bit lately and this month's destination was to Beaches in Sandy Bay, Jamaica. Chani knew we were going to the beach to meet with Pam and Steve but she had no idea that Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Zoe, Grover, Bert and Ernie were also on vacation at the same resort!! We spent the week turning red from the sun while Chani turned a really nice shade of brown. We went scuba diving while she went to their kids camp and/or hanging out with Pam and Steve. We went snorkeling and went on a glass bottom boat. We had our photos taken at sunset and at various times throughout the days. We played in the pool, ocean and the sand. Chani baked cookies with Cookie Monster, did a treasure hunt with Abby, ate breakfast with all the characters, walked in a parade with all of them, complete with marching band, danced and had a great time on the beach. We ate and ate and ate. One day we went over to the Beaches at Negril where we loved the lazy river and swim up bar. It was all inclusive no worries about having cash for anything.

Click here to see photos

Cruise No 2

2010-04-02T16:45:00.009-05:00

Carnival Fascination - My 11th cruise and my first one without my husband and first one that I've been on twice.

This ship was Chani's very first cruise so it brought back a few memories.

Day one the three of us, Christy, Jessica and I met up and drove down to Cordele. We stopped for the night and spent the first night in a hotel. Glad we did it this way. We drove the second half of the trip and boarded the ship. Once we pulled out, we sailed under the John Matthew's bridge. That was pretty cool. Of course, drinks were on tap for the evening and most following.

We did the usual trivia, newlywed game, comedian, towel folding, art auction, shows, etc.

Our ports were Freeport, Bahamas where we went with the "swim with dolphins" excursion. We had the best time. We hopped into the water and were able to swim with two bottle nose dolphins individually for a few minutes. After everyone in the first group had their turn, we did some tricks with them, including spinning around, speaking, spitting water and waving. We posed for photos including a hug, kiss, and one on either side of us. It was really the highlight of the trip and so worth it.

Our next port was Nassau. We went on a jeep excursion where the three of us were in our own jeep. We caravaned around the island seeing various properties including a totally white house, the church where they had Anna Nicole's funeral, some slave house ruins, and a great cliff. We stopped a couple of times. They had walkie talkie radios which our guide narrated throughout the trip. We also stopped for about an hour of beach time. I did go out with my snorkel but did not see one single fish. Still it was a lot of fun driving with the top down and even on the left hand side of the road. Once we got back, Jess says, Let's go do shots at Senor Frogs. So, we did. Oh, that was so much fun.

Our last day was a sea day and we didn't do too much except relax. It was a short trip but was long enough for us all to miss our families.

Can't wait to do another one in the fall! Anyone interested?

Cruise - Cruise - 03/2010

2010-03-24T05:24:00.006-05:00

This was the view from our hotel room. The Carnival Fantasy out of Mobile. We all watched it pull into port early that morning.

One of the things that Chani loves to do with the towel animals each evening is to pretend to be whatever the animal is and have her picture taken.

At Camp Carnival, they painted them up as pirates. She's giving her scary growl here.

She adored Freddy!

My Mom and Ed went with us. They are all dressed up for formal night.

Love this pose of Chani.

Another towel animal pose. Funny how she sees things.

Random cuteness.

Love how she's dancing with her Papa. She had a blast. I think he did too.

Mom and I went to the towel demonstration and these are our swans. Cute huh?

Another time in Camp Carnival. She loves having her face painted.

Two cruises, yep, two this month.

Went on the first one on The Carnival Fantasy to Cozumel and Calica with my Mom and her husband, Ed. Took my husband and Chani too of course. Had a really good time but didn't take many pictures. Had quite a few professional shots done and will post them sometime in the near future. I need to scan them first. We stopped in Cozumel and actually were able to go scuba diving and did a bit of shopping. We haven't been diving in nearly three years so it was wonderful to get back in the water again. In Calica, we rented a car for $55 and drove to Tulum, some ancient Myan ruins. We purchased a guided tour which was $65 for all of us. We were ripped off at the gas station though, $33 for about 1/4 tank. Matt was pissed. Over all, it sure was a whole lot cheaper and easier than it would have been if we booked it through the ship's price at $300 for the five of us.

Today, I'm meeting up with two of my girl friends and we're heading down to Jacksonville to board another Carnival cruise. We're spending a loooong weekend just the three of us and a couple thousand strangers. No husbands, no children, no cooking. Gotta love it! Today I'm spending the early part of day cleaning the house and preparing for the trip. The count down is on. This time, we're aboard the Carnival Fascination. Chani's first cruise was on this ship and it will be the first ship that I've ever sailed twice and my 11th total. We're heading to the Bahamas, Freeport and Nassau. We booked a dolphin excursion in Freeport but nothing yet for Nassau. I've never been in the water with dolphins so it should be tons of fun. Can't wait for that!

Other news...

I did a home bow party last night and had a great time doing it. Amy's husband and boys helped me haul in the stuff. I've never had it so easy and it was great having so many helpers. Met some wonderful women and have plenty of custom work to do once I get home. Even met a source for some future business dealings. I'm thinking about opening up my travel area for parties so if you live fairly local, within driving distance and would like to host one, just let me know. I have a great incentive package. I've also tweaked the shows to be more of an open house so guests can come and go as they please vs the games, prizes, etc.

Today's conversation

2010-03-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

Chani - "Where is your Daddy?"
Me - "My Daddy died a long time ago."
Chani - "Why did he die?"
Me - "He was sick."
Chani - "Did he stick his fingers in his mouth?"

Too funny!!

Update to Beau, the boy who bites

2010-03-01T15:08:00.004-05:00

Last Friday Beau bit our neighbor, Frankie and that was the last straw for me. I decided 100% that we would pull her out and look for another school. I even told Matt to call them to let them know but he reminded me that they needed it in writing so it would have to wait until I got home. I was already in the car heading home. Then, I get the email. Beau had been permanently removed from the school. Now, what do I do?? Just two minutes before, we were pulling her out.

Back up a month, We had previously talked to the school about moving her into the three year old class but we were told that we'd have to wait until the summer when most of the three year olds would move up to the next class. I wasn't thrilled with this but what could I do. I was anxious to have her learning more than she is. We'd wait it out and then move her up. BUT, after Beau bit her the second time, we demanded that she be removed from that class and away from him and put where we honestly felt she should be anyway. They complied, sortof. They only offer 1/2 days 8-12 but five days a week. So, not only is the day 30 minutes longer, it's three days a week more. That means that we'll have to either give up dance or see if we can move it to Saturdays.

After considering all of this, the move would now be mute since the problem doesn't exist anymore but we decided to go ahead and give the new class a try. Today was her first day. She is the smallest/youngest in her class as most of them are nearing four but she's pretty smart so I think she'll do just fine. She was sitting with another girl within a minute and before we even got out of the door doing puzzles or something. We felt pretty good about her going to the other side.

Pickup was a total 180. She seemed fine until we were in the car, she became really quiet and didn't want to talk. She was bossy, grouchy and pushing buttons like mad. We get home and she didn't want to come in the house and proceeded to scream and throw a tantrum right there in the driveway. Matt stood in the garage waiting it out until she finally came. She was still quite grouchy so I decided that I had enough and sent her to her room for her nap an hour early. Two hours later, a complete 180again. She's her normal, happy self now. Amazing what a little sleep will do.

She had to be on quite the overload. We went out with friends last night and got home later than I had wanted but she did sleep in so I didn't think too much of it. Their schedule does have quite a bit more structured activities so I'm sure her little brain was getting a work out. We're going to give it a week to see how she does and re-evaluate then.

I sure know that I got quite a bit done today and am actually looking forward to having a bit more "me" time.

Chani-isms and random thoughts

2010-03-01T05:35:00.007-05:00

My two most favorite people in the whole wide world.

I asked her the other day if she knew where babies came from. Her response, "China".

Sometimes when she doesn't like something or I'll ask if she likes it, she'll respond, "I'm not a fan."

I asked her what she wanted to do when she she grew up. Her response, "Write code like Daddy."

She came home from school and laughing saying that she, "kicked Kevin's berries." We had quite the amusing conversation with that one. I'm still not 100% sure of what she meant but I think they were playing with some berries from a bush that they have in the outside play area at school.

She loves watching Jeopardy. She pronounces it "Jep or ee" and sings the theme song saying me me me.... and stomps her foot.

The also loves watching "Boink" aka Americas Favorite Videos.

Her personality is so totally different when she is at home or with us vs being around other people. This last week my Mom who we haven't seen in 18 months saw it first hand this last week. Day 1 she was like she is at home, singing, laughing, talking nonstop. Day 2 was so much more reserved. Quite the opposite of what they expected.

She is always saying, "I love you so much, Mommy." So sweet!

On the fence about buying a new car. Talked to the dealer twice now, crunched numbers but not sure that I can justify spending so much money on a new car. Last time we bought a new car didn't seem that difficult of a decision. That was ten years ago. Where does the time go?

Had a Mary Kay consultant come to the house yesterday. Had a great couple of girly hours. Am really looking forward to our ladies only cruise next week.

Went to a super sweet princess tea birthday party for Emily Grace. Although Chani skipped her nap and was super clingy and tired she said she had a great time. I know I did too.

Consignment sales for the season are pretty much over. Did super great at one, okay at another and fair at the third. Next season I'm only going to sale at the best one. It's the complete opposite with bows. The third is the best with the second being okay but the first one doesn't have vendors. Going to look into a couple other shows to vendor in the fall.

That's about it for now.

The full story

2010-02-23T18:05:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I couldn't get it all on facebook so here is the full story. I know most of it will be boring but I wanted to document it so here goes.

Today at school, Chani was bitten for the second time by a boy named Beau. This is her fourth assult in less than a year. The first was her first bite on her forearm. The second one two kids were pulling on her arm and dug their nails into her little arm causing it to scar. The third, I went in to pick her up and a kid named Will was hitting her on her face and only stopped when I went over to stop it. Nothing was done with this one but the other three had incident reports written up. I was told the first time that the little boy was taken into the director's office and spoken to. Little good it did.

Along with this, she is supposed to have two changes of clothes at school for accidents. I had them in a ziploc bag and left them in her cubby. Well, the other day she had an accident. It's still unclear as to why it even happened but it did. They sent her home in someone else's jeans and a PULL UP. She has NEVER worn pull ups! Her clothes are nowhere to be found. I asked the teacher's assistant as the teacher was out to lunch but she had no clue and "would ask her teacher". Today I spoke to the owner who also had no clue but said she would "speak to the teacher" who was out sick today.

Then, I found out today that my neighbor's son who is in the same class was bitten on friday. Of course the school wont tell us who did it so we can only assume it was the same boy.

Back to today's situation. As I was picking her up today she went to wash her hands after lunch and that is when I was told about the incident. I asked the asst who bit her and she said she wasn't allowed to tell me. I went right into the bathroom and asked Chani who did it and she told me. I was pissed. The owner happened to be in the room so I told her this is the second time that he has bitten her. She didn't have much to say.

I called Matt on the way home and he said that he would call them. They agreed to change her to the 3 year old class which we feel she should be there already but due to class structure, she won't be able to more up until June or so. Also, they said that she would have to go to a five 1/2 days instead of 2 1/2 days. I don't know if we're ready for that but we're going to give it a try. I do NOT want her to stay in the same class nor sit near Beau. I think we'll give it a trial basis but if it doesn't work out, we'll pull her out completely. I feel they should expell him since it's happened before.

Chani's Crayola Crayon Birthday

2010-02-14T13:53:00.013-05:00

Our birthday week started out with mine being on Monday the 8th, Chani's on Tuesday the 9th and Matt's yesterday the 13th. We've had a fabulous sugar filled week with tons of birthday parties, Valentine's parties and Chinese New Year celebrations.

The first few are some of the games that I set up for the kids to play.

This is actually a swimming pool game but still worked great as the kids loved playing inside of it.

This one is a bean bag toss. Prizes for this game were rainbow lollipops. I also had a ring toss game where the prizes were handmade soaps in the shape of a crayon box.

A crayon castle for them to color along with a Fruit Loop necklace building station.

Here is the balloon net which I made from bird netting and yarn. And, yes, I did blow up all those balloons. It was a HUGE hit!

My adorable little three year old, the morning of the party.

The gift table along with her party hat.

I had two tables like this but only needed one.

The guests have arrived. We started out by decorating a backpack with foam stickers. They then used the backpacks to put their prizes in. We went on a scavenger hunt for red/blue and yellow crayons which were attached to a prize. Once they had all three, they received a small pail of crayons.

Helping them put the prize into the bags.

Decisions, decisions.

She really wanted her picture taken here.

All decked out with her hat.

Adorable!

Patiently waiting for the food.

Hey, these blow things are kinda cool.

The cupcakes. I did put the crayon picks in all of them.

Cupcake closeup.

Chani's crayon cake.

Are you ready for your cake?

Make a Wish!!

Check out my blue mustache!

Some of the adults.

The grand finale of the evening was the balloon drop. It took four of us to untie and let them down.

Another adorable picture of them waiting for the balloons.

Here they come!!

Thanks Lisa for taking these pictures!!

Katie

And Katie

The color castle had better days.

This is a crayon wreath that I made for the front door.

Since it is Chinese New Year, I put out the door panels. I usually only put these out the evening before CNY.
I also assembled the balloon arch.

Lisa did an awesome post of the food which is where I swiped these next photos. Check out her blog for some additional great photos.Lisa's blog

Veggies, Fruity Pebble treats, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

Chic-Fil-A nuggets, fruit snacks, mandarin oranges.

Chocolate covered pretzels.

The chocolate fountain with various items to dip.

The fruit punch fountain.

Now, some things that I forgot about.
1. I had a game prepared where they would do a musical chair game but sit down and draw on Color Wonder paper. Had it all prepped but forgot about it.
2. Prepared two pasta dishes but forgot to turn on the oven. Oops.
3. Forgot to serve the ice cream.
4. Had made handmade crayons but forgot to pass them out.
5. Had bread to go with said pasta but forgot that too.
6. Bought a crayon book but forgot to read it.

I'm sure that I forgot other things but these are the ones that come to mind now. Even though, I felt that it was a great party and everyone seemed to have a great time. Thank you so much everyone for coming and helping to celebrate our birthdays with us. Also, to those who sent wishes, cards, gifts, emails and phone calls. We truly appreciate it!!

One last thought: Happy Valentines Day and Happy Chinese New Year too!!

Just some random photos

2010-02-07T05:13:00.009-05:00

Chani's Dance Recital

Enjoying our snow day!

Sending my hair to Locks of Love

Dressing up as Mulan

Thinks it's fun to wear two hats at once.

LOVES her bear!

Playdate

Chani's Birthday Party Invitations

Celebrating Chinese New Year at the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga

2010 Schedule for Kathy's Bows

2010-01-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

Here is my schedule for the upcoming year, 2010 for Kathy's Bows
Please watch for updates with additional shows and updated information!

Moochie's Boutique
Friday, March 5, 2010 9:00am-6:00pm
Saturday, March 6, 2010 9:00am-1:00pm
Woodmont Golf and Country Club
Cherokee Hall
3105 Gaddis Road
Canton, GA

Big Shanty Festival
Saturday, April 17, 2010 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, April 18, 2010 12:00pm-5:00pm
Downtown
Kennesaw, GA

Fourth in the Park
Saturday, July 3, 2010 10:00am-10:00pm
Marietta Square City
Marietta, GA

Moochie's Boutique
Dates to be Announced (Usually in August)
Woodmont Golf and Country Club
Cherokee Hall
3105 Gaddis Road
Canton, GA

Fall Jonquil Festival
Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, October 24, 2010 12:00pm-5:00pm
Village Green (Downtown)
Smyrna, GA

Creekside Holiday Showcase
Dates to be announced (Usually in November)
673 Peachtree Parkway Bldg A
Cumming, GA

Sprayberry High School
Saturday, November 20, 2010 9:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, November 21, 2010 12:00pm-4:00pm
2525 Sandy Plains Rd
Marietta, GA

Christmas at Northstar
Friday, December 3, 2010 4:00pm-10:00pm
Satruday, December 4, 2010 10:00am-5:00pm
3413 Blue Springs Rd
Kennesaw, GA

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T10:16:00.009-05:00

We decided to put up two trees this year. This one is in the front room.
The view of the banister.

Chani went to a birthday party and came home painted up like this.

Our visit with Mrs. Claus.
Chani giving silly faces.
Finally seeing Santa.

Christmas Eve with friends.

Santa Came!!
Round 1
Daddy with his new trash can.
Time for a quick snooze.

Her final gift.
Which she LOVED.
Getting it all cleaned up.
My pile.
Our main tree.

Traditions

2009-12-19T05:19:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about traditions a lot lately and decided to list mine. These are the ones that started once we came home from China. What traditions do you have?

1. Elf on the Shelf. We started this one last year. Chani is really into it this year and gets so excited when she spots his new landing spot. I find it hard to remember. She isn't so good on behaving and since she's been sick, that compounds it. We named him Sam.

2. Paper chain. You know, the red and green that you tear off each night, counting down the days. We've done this two years in a row now.

3. A new one this year, thanks Amy for the idea! Collecting Christmas books and wrapping each of them. Each night we open a new one right before bed and read them. I had several from last year that I used and added a few new ones this year. I'll put them away after the holidays for next year. They will be "new" again next year. Matt thinks I'm crazy but I'm loving seeing the excitement of her getting a new one. I didn't get started quite as early as I had hopped so now I have too many. She gets one at nap time too. They will be finished by Christmas Eve.

4. I put up two trees this year. One in the front where passer-byers can see it and our ginormous one in the great room. I'm have to say I enjoyed decorating the smaller one. It was so much easier and faster. Under it are gifts for friends, family and others. The big tree will be pretty empty for Santa to fill.

5. Along with her books, there are three gifts under the tree. These are our Eve gifts. Chani and I both get some new pajamas. Matt, on the other hand doesn't wear them. He does have a pair of holiday pants that he'll wear that one and only morning. So, each year, I rewrap the same pair for him. He doesn't think it's fair but I'm thinking it isn't practical. Guess who wins!!

6. Christmas Eve dinner is ALWAYS Chili. It always has been and always will be. Unless of course we're not at home.

7. Christmas balls. - Every Christmas since I left home at 18, my Grandma would buy me a dated ball to hang on my tree. It's been over 20 years now and I still have every one. She hasn't been able to buy them herself anymore so I'll buy them with the money she sends.

That's about all. I can't think of anything more at the moment.

Blog? What blog?

2009-12-18T04:19:00.004-05:00

Well, it has been over two months now since I've updated my blog. Since then, we've been on a cruise in the Caribbean, traveled to Pennsylvania, celebrated our 2nd Gotcha Day anniversary and decorated for Christmas. I've also done two bow shows and two home parties. I've been mapping out my schedule for next year and hopefully will have the majority of the shows set and on the calendar. I'm going to literally venture outside my realm of shows and do some outside ones too. I'm needing to purchase a canopy for that.

Then, on top of it all, we've been getting ready for Christmas. I think we're almost done with that. I'm done with the decorating, shopping and wrapping except for that which is still being shipped. The only thing I have left to do is some baking which I'll tackle next week. Both Chani and I have been pretty sick. She had pink eye and a cold that just will not go away. I've had strep and the flu and it doesn't appear that has gone away either. I'm thinking a revisit to the doctor is in order for both of us. I'll tackle that next week as well.

Due to our sicknesses, we've had to cancel three holiday parties. We have two more coming so we can at least get in some fun.

Here are some random photos over the past couple of months. The little boy is our new neighbors and the two of them are quite smitten with each other. It's just adorable!

2009-11-01T18:07:00.004-05:00

As I was looking through my posts, I found this draft so I thought I'd go ahead and shoot it up since the photos were already uploaded. That's the worst part of blogging, uploading and organizing the photos.

The first ones are of us carving pumpkins.

The following are of her school party. We actually had two parties this day and this one was the second of the day. She INSISTED on being a cat for her morning party and a pumpkin for the afternoon one. Well, she REFUSED to let me remove the whiskers so here she is, a pumpkin with whiskers.

Various Disney Days

2009-10-08T12:36:00.008-05:00

Thought this was all day two but since she has on various outfits, I guess it's not.

"Tant rum" at Disney.

We'll say, "Don't eyeball 'whatever - Daddy, the couch, the window, etc'" and she'll look out the side of her eye but only this one direction. She'll turn her head in order to see you. It's so funny.

Dinner with the princesses.

Catching bubbles.

She was scared of Jasmine, Aurora and Cinderella. She was also scared of this Belle. She posed pretty as can be when Belle was dressed in her yellow gown. Why? I have no idea but she liked the other princesses and especially the other characters.

I still have plenty of pictures to weed through so more will probably be coming.

Our trip to the pumpkin patch

2009-10-07T18:37:00.001-05:00

One afternoon last week we drove up to a pumpkin patch to get some pumpkins. This place was huge with tons and tons of pumpkins and everything pumpkin related. The girls just loved running through all of them. They are absolutely adorable together.

Disney Day 1

2009-09-28T11:38:00.006-05:00

This isn't a very good picture but I LOVE her smile after seeing Pluto.

She really loved all the "fuzzy" characters. She would run up to each and hug them.

One of the fun things for me was to find the hidden Mickeys. This is the first one that I found.

She didn't have a problem with Mary Poppins or Alice.

We found a LOT of characters.

Posing with Snow White.

Mulan took her hand and they walked to the kidcot station.

They then exchanged hugs.

We have a picture of Anna in front of this guy from a couple years ago. I need to search for it.

That was day 1. More will be coming.

Beach/Disney/Flood

2009-09-24T05:33:00.002-05:00

So, this month is almost gone and still not much free time. How did my life get so busy? I used to have time to go to the grocery shopping or shopping in general. Now it needs to be added to the calendar. I started cleaning out her toy room but it has taken me three days just to get it organized again and I'm still working on it but I will have time today to get it done. Don't get me wrong, I love to stay busy and have lots to do but sometimes it gets tough.

We started the month off with our annual trip to the beach. We spend a very relaxing week with no schedule, no cooking, no anything but going where we wanted and doing whatever. Well, I guess we did have some sort of a schedule with tour hours and nap times. We drove out to a lighthouse and Chani and I climbed all 203 steps to the top. Matt wasn't feeling 100% so he decided not to climb it. I will have to admit that the closer to the top that we got, the more nervous for her I became. I was holding onto her for dear life the last couple of flights. Once we reached the top, she wanted to run around with the wind blowing. Of course she didn't much like it when I insisted that she hold my hand most of the time. We found Daddy and waved before the descent down. I went first and let her come down behind me so I could attempt a rescue if needed. No worries though, she made it. I know my legs were wobbly after all those stairs.

We visited a chocolate factory and watched them make it and they even covered potato chips in chocolate while we were there. They gave us free samples too which she LOVED. We visited a science museum where we saw a tiny little owl. They also were a hospital for turtles needing rehab. It was really kind of sad seeing the things that the turtles ate which in turn caused their death. There wasn't much else to this place. We visited a park and a children's museum. This museum wasn't quite up to par with others that I've been to either but she seemed to enjoy it and hey, that's what counts isn't it?!

Last year she loved being in the ocean. This year, not so much. We did get her out to about waist high a couple of times but mostly she wanted to just be in it about ankle high. She loved splashing it and walking in it which we did daily. We picked up tons of shells and did a couple of projects with them. We gathered with others and did tie dye shirts and another time we painted sun catchers and then painted some wooden fish. We also got in the pool most days too.

After our week there, we headed to Disney World. We stayed at the Beach Club in a room that was the closest to Epcot. It was an awesome location. We walked a short way to the steps, went down one flight and out the door, out the gate and just a short walk to Epcot. It was a really nice location. We hit all four parks at least once with our park hopper tickets. We came home most afternoons to nap and rest. That was a great thing for us to do. We really paid for it with tantrums if we didn't. Chani really loved seeing the characters. Most of them she would run up to and give them a big hug. It was so cute. She was frightened of Cinderella and Aurora and Jasmine. Why? I have no idea. I guess since they were strange people instead of characters. Her favorite princess is Ariel. We stood in line for 40 minutes just for her picture. We got most autographs which was as much fun for me as it was for her. I also looked for hidden Mickeys. That was fun for me too unless it got too hot then, not so much. One highlight was when we saw Mulan. We were the last to get our picture with her and then, she took Chani's hand and we walked her over to the kidcot station in China. At one time she started to get scared so Matt grabbed her other hand and the three of them walked together. Another really great thing I did was to bring little plastic characters that we already had from home. She never knew they were already hers. Each day after nap as we were leaving for the afternoon, I would hang back a bit and set out the characters we saw that morning, I would leave them on her bed in the same place each day along with a note from them telling her how exciting it was for them to see her or visit or whatever they did. She was so excited to come home each night to find them on her bed.

We also had the free dining plan. She was too young to get one nor did we need park tickets for her yet. I thought that we'd end up having to order more food but no. They really give you tons of food. At the buffets she was able to have her own plate. There was only one place that we didn't like. We ordered choc milk for her to drink and they told us that we'd have to pay for it. Don't know why when everyone else was so accommodating. We had five sit down meals, five counter meals and five snacks. We had brought some water with us but not enough so the snacks were used mostly for water. I'll remember to bring more next time. We had rain most days we were there but that didn't stop us. We put on rain ponchos and had one for her stroller. Speaking of strollers, guess who forgot to bring ours? So, before we got to Disney, I insisted on buying one. It definitely isn't the Mcclaren that we have at home but it sure made things a whole lot easier. Chani wanted to be in it most of the time. Another thing that I won't forget next time.

On our last day, we stopped by MK once again and spent the morning there. After lunch we headed home. Around 10PM we blew out a tire in the poring rain so we had to stop and fix that. It was quite something trying to figure out where to put the jack. That mess took us 1 1/2 hours before we could head home finally.

Once we got home, it was raining here and apparently closer to the city, they had a huge flood. It was raining here in our town and has been damp but other than that, we didn't have any damage or destruction. Hearing it on the news is just heartbreaking.

I've finally settled back into a regular routine with all clean laundry and suitcases stored for our next adventure.

Hope this wasn't too boring.

Pictures are coming in the next post.

What we've been up to.

2009-08-30T03:02:00.007-05:00

Where has the time gone? We have been warp speed busy this summer and lately I feel like I just don't have a handle on things. So, some more bullets.

*For the past two long weekends, (3 and 4 days each time) I did bow shows. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy doing them and selling my stuff but I'd be happy if I didn't need to see a bow for a little while. I've been away from home so much; it feels like I almost have a job again. I'm also revamping the stores that sell my bows into the fall colors so that has kept me busy too. Both shows were successful with one being the best one that I've ever done so my stock is really low. I really need to work on them but I think I'm going to take a small break from them for a bit.
In the meanwhile, I haven't been home to take care of things, including Chani. Matt has had to play Mommy for a few days while I was gone. As you can imagine, I have a ton of work to catch up on.

*I'm having a very hard time trying to find a lawn service to take care of my lawn. I've made several calls, asked neighbors for referrals, sent emails and still I haven't found one reasonable company. One did come out and gave me a quote almost double what I had been paying. Another one came out and gave me a quote to take care of the weeds. After a long story with him, they are finally supposed to come on Monday to quote me for the rest. Let's hope they show up.

*We went to the Dora Live concert last Sunday. Chani is really, really into Dora right now. Even more so than Elmo so we thought it would be fun for her. She did seem to enjoy it okay. I'm glad we went but wouldn't do it again. It seemed very amateur, almost like a high school play. Neither Matt nor I were all that impressed. Even the Elmo show we did last year seemed to have more pizzazz. We did have great seats and we love the theater where it was held.

*The week before, we had a girl’s only vacation. Chani and I went with Christy and Katie to Hilton Head. The forecast called for rain every single day but we got none! It was absolutely perfect weather. We stayed in a condo and went to the beach every day. I even had some time to read my book. Although I couldn't get Chani into the ocean. She screamed each time I tried and was scared of the waves. We went to a park and played there. We went to a children's museum where the girls had a blast. We even swam in the pool for awhile. It was a fun, nice getaway. I still haven't even looked at the photos yet so they will come later.

*The weekend before that, we went to Briana's 3rd birthday party at a bounce house. Chani loves bouncing, especially if we get in there with her. We had a great time seeing everyone and playing. We also had a potluck that weekend which was a lot of fun too. It's so much fun watching the little ones play together. They are so cute.

*That about wraps up what we've been up to, along with our regular schedule of gymnastics, ballet and preschool. Now onto what we have coming.

*Next weekend we are headed to the beach again, only this time to Florida. We have a full week of nothing but beach and laziness. After we laze around the first week, we're off to Disney for a short week!! I've made these super duper cute mouse ears that Chani and will both wear.

I can't wait to go! I think this is going to be a yearly thing now. She's more into it this year and knows a lot more of the characters. We may slip over to Orlando during our beach week to check out some more non Disney stuff too. I still have to pack!

In line up when we come back is a bar-b-que, a private home bow party, many, many fall celebrations, a cruise with our friends Pam and Steve, a trip to PA to visit family, another huge bow show, a holiday ballet recital and the list goes on and on.

And, now some random photos.

More bullets

2009-07-19T17:02:00.003-05:00

UPDATE:

I wrote this blog entry back in July with full intentions of adding photos but never got to it. Since it took me awhile to write it, I'll go ahead and post it without photos and start a new post since it has been awhile.

* Daddy took Chani to a birthday party by himself yesterday. One of the preschool kids invited us so we went. I don't even know the little girl. So, what do you get a little girl you don't even know? I gave her some Gymboree bubbles and a bow. What was Chani's party favor? A box with small bubbles, a turtle that grows in water, a Dora spin top, a small Elmo board book, 5 sticks of sidewalk chalk, a bottle of silly string and 8 hair clippies. Boy do I feel cheap.

*Our preschool decided since the new school year is about to start that they are going to advance Chani to the next grade level and charge us more. They are also going to charge us a registration fee. It's already outrageously expensive but the location and security can't be beat. She's happy there and it give me some much needed free time but I am about 90% sure that we're going to pull her out for this reason. I feel that it's way too early to increase our fees. We've been to class 22 days.

*I've been looking at doing my own home preschooling thing and looking at some curriculums and trying to come up with a plan. I am thinking about doing it at the same time as her school. She just won't get the socialization like she does now but she gets that anyway with all our other activities.

*I had my second bow party and with very few people, it was a success. I took the advise of the girls at the first one and had tons more games this time. I have a couple more adjustments to make so the next one should be even more fun. Note to self - no more wine for me during party!

*Went to an open house of a gym that is a bit closer to me, however, wasn't all that impressed. Thought I was going to give up gymnastics this fall but if we withdraw her from school, may need to rethink that.

*Had a date night with Matt this week. Left Chani with a babysitter for only the 3rd time. Went to see Harry Potter. Last time I went to the movies with him alone was a year ago in July when we left Chani for the 1st time.

*Signed up for three consignment sales, selling bows at two. Tagged over 450 items and vowed to not purchase so many items this season. Total outfits for this fall/winter so far = 12 and most of them are on order.

*Took her bowling for the second time. She loves it for about 7-8 frames and then gets tired of it. Overall winner of the day was her friend Gray, age 3 who beat us all.

*Attempted blueberry picking for the second time this year but was a bust. No berries left so we ended up having an impromptu play date here. Have another playdate planned for this week. Need to come up with a craft idea.

*The past two days, have been able to shut off the air and open up the windows. So nice outside this weekend.

*Ordered some caterpillars and put them in our butterfly house and watched them change to butterflies. Released all five of them today. Was a little bit sad, a little bit gross but overall was a great experience.

So much yet so little

2009-06-18T15:49:00.005-05:00

So much has been going yet I have such little time to blog about it. Some highlights since my last posting are.

1. She is loving preschool. She goes twice a week for three hours each day. Her school is only ten minutes away so it's really convenient. Matt takes her on his way to work and I go and pick her up. One of her teacher told me that she just loves having her in her class.

2. She knows the alphabet pretty well now, along with all the colors. She can recognize 10 capital letters. She recognizes Pre*sident Ob*ama, Brian Wil*liams and Charlie Gib*son.

3. She is fascinated with Dora now so we now have tickets to see her live in August.

4. Today, as she was giving me a hug, she said, "I love you Mama." - Those are some very sweet words.

5. Last weekend, we had two birthday parties in one afternoon and another one next weekend. All for 3 year olds.

6. We played in a stream and had a pool party but I have yet to get in the pool with her this summer. Last year, we went almost daily.

7. We gave up pullups at night.

8. We made our dinner reservations for Disney. It's still too far away. I'm ready to go now.

9. Lisa is hosting my first home bow party. So excited to finally be doing that. If you're local and would like to host one, please contact me. I'd love to do one for you and have some great incentives and free bows.

10. We're going to have a house full of kids tomorrow with my Mom's group.

11. We made fireworks today.

12. I've painted 8 pictures now and they aren't too bad.

13. We bought sand today and are going to set up a sand box this evening if it cools down a bit.

14. She's loving dance camp. Once a week for 8 weeks, three hours each time. I've been strolling through stores, shopping and seeing everything that I've been missing with her with me. Love it!

15. I'm out of wall space to hang all her photos.

16. She always tells Daddy that she wants moneys. Too cute!

17. Matt was hand selected to be on a team to develop apps for the iPhone. He's excited.

18. I have two bow shows and two consignment sales coming up.

19. I have to prepare a meal for twelve in July. Any suggestions on what to prepare?

20. I love my housekeeper. She's been working for me for over a year now and does a fabulous job. The house always looks great when she's finished.

21. We're considering hosting another foreign exchange student.

Potty Training

2009-05-27T04:59:00.003-05:00

Warning: Turn away now if you're squeamish about this topic. Although it's not bad.

So, we decided that it was time to get to training her. Last Thursday after school, we removed her final diaper and tossed it out along with the rest of them in the trash can. She was bare bottom running around the house for a few days. She had a few accidents but did really well overall. We moved the potty seat into the living room which made things much easier. On the third day, we moved it back and she was going in there on her own and then announcing that she had. We gave her a sticker for each time she pottied and that chart filled up quickly. Each time she poops, she gets a small toy of her choice. That's not going so well. She is scared to go into the potty chair. She gets really nervous and wants to get up so I have to hold her hands and talk her through it.

We went out for about three hours and she held it the entire time, even though we tried going 3-4 times. Once we got home, no problem. I ordered a traveling potty chair so hopefully it will be here in the next couple of days.

I thought she would do fine at school. Boy was I wrong. First of all, she spilled some water and needed to be changed into her spare outfit. Then, she told her teacher that she needed to go potty and she sat there and said she was done without going. The teacher had her stay a bit longer but still nothing so she let her get up. A few minutes later, yep, you guessed it, she ended up going on the floor. I didn't quite get the whole story but she had on the spare outfit that I had sent and had gone through two pair of panties. Anyway, the teacher put her in someone else's pull up. It was new of course but does this bother anyone else? I was so upset and I told her NOT to put her in a pull up again. I'd rather her go bare bottom under her pants than go back to a diaper. We only use pull ups at night time. There is no way I am going to put her back in a diaper now. She has done so well without them. I'm thinking that maybe the teacher just had her hands full that day and didn't give Chani the attention that she needed. Nor did she want to risk her going on the floor and instead of paying more attention to her, she just did took the easy route. The teacher usually fills out a daily sheet with comments on how she did. Well, she didn't have time yesterday so I'm thinking that might be it. Also, in the beginning, she told me that she would help in any way that she could once we did train her so I felt comfortable that she would help her. Now I'm not so sure about that. Chani still loves going and seems to have a great time. Oh, and she was dry when we got home and I removed the pull up. Any thoughts?

Chani goes bowling!

2009-05-25T18:10:00.003-05:00

Daddy taking her up for her very first throw.

Letting it go.

This is her second ever ball.

Check out her very first frame! - I'm so proud!!

So was she!

Today we me up with some friends and took the girls bowling. They had a simple ramp for kids to use. Bowling sure has changed over the years. It was all electronic, even the bumpers would come up automatically when the child's name came up next. It was such a fun day.

Our trip up north part 2

2009-05-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

On our final day, we awoke earlier than usual since we were still on Eastern time. We ate our breakfast, loaded the car and headed down south for a couple of hours. We stopped by my Aunt and Uncle's for a short visit. He's my Dad's brother and reminds me so much of Dad, especially when he says, "Good-bye". They have six grand kids and boy did they have the toys. Chani was in heaven being here. One of their sons stopped by to see us for a little bit before we had to leave again. Next time I think we'll stay with them. I wish we would have this time but we know better now. We then loaded in the car once again and headed to KC to meet up with another of their sons for lunch. We had a quick lunch with him and headed to our hotel. Oh, how I wish I had more time. They had a great indoor pool and I would have loved to gone swimming but we didn't have the time.

Instead of swimming, we went here. This place was an old school that they turned into a discovery place for little ones. We spent almost three hours here. Chani had such a fun time. Later on, we met up with my nephew who turns 21 in another week. It was fun to see him as an "adult".

Sadly, we had to get back to the hotel to get settled and up again the next morning to return the car and catch our flight.

All in all, it was a great trip. Just a bit too short and nearly 800 miles on the rental car. I wish I had the time to visit a few more relatives and do a few more things. Matt wants to go back on the Fourth of July, 2010 for our cheesy hometown celebration. I took him once when we were still dating and he saw his first parade with tractors. He's never let me forget that! Hey, it's Iowa. What do you expect?

My Uncle Bob on the floor with Chani.

My cousin, Rob had just left but made the trip back just to see us.

Connie, Chani, Bob and Robbie.

Our visit to Wonderscope.

Our little scuba diver.

Our dinner with my nephew, Nathan and his girlfriend, Kaitlin.

Come on Mom, let's go!!

Our trip up north

2009-05-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

Chani and I made an all too short trip up north to Iowa to visit with family. I hadn't been back since my Dad died nor had anyone on his side of the family met Chani so we thought it was time.

We purchased a sit n stroll stroller for our trips. It did make things rather easy. One time we did a trip and didn't have a car seat and found it rather difficult to get from the airport to the hotel without one. We managed but learned a valuable lesson so we broke down and bought this. It is a great concept but the quality just isn't there for either a stroller or car seat. It converts rather easily but in coach class seats, it doesn't quite fit. We had to get a seat belt extension. The belt fits right across their chest so they are pretty restrained. I found it difficult to strap into the car too. I ended up just using the standard seat belt each time she got in and out on top of the harness. It was pain but it worked. It was great having her both her seat and stroller and fairly easy to get around with it when she would sit in it. She loved to push it by herself.

We arrived in Kansas City, Mo, rented a car and drove to Iowa. Once we got there, I stopped and picked up some flowers and went to the cemetery. This was very difficult. I tried to explain to Chani that it would be sad for me and I would probably cry which I did. She just looked at me funny and kept saying, "Mommy's sad." They have a pond there with koi in it and as a child, we would go and feed them bread. We did this every time we went out there so Chani and I did that too. The weather was perfect and nearing evening. We walked around the pond, sitting at one point and had a blast tossing in the bread. We left and I told her that I wasn't sad anymore but was happy again. We went to our hotel, checked in and went to sleep.

The next morning, we went to my Grandma and Cleo's new place. They had sold the house and all their belongings and moved into a retirement community. They didn't have quite enough room for us to stay with them and the local hotel was booked so we had to stay about 30 miles away. We made it there just before lunch time. My aunt came down and we had a nice dinner. After our nap, we drove to a different town another 30 miles further away and met up with fellow bloggers Michael and Kimberly and their little girl Miaya. She was adorable. We found out that Kimberly grew up in a house that Cleo's parents had built. Cleo would be my step-grandfather, I think. He's married my Grandma awhile after Grandpa died some 20 plus years ago. We've always called him Cleo. Chani calls him "key o". We stayed for "supper" and wayyyyy too late and had to drive an hour to get back.

The next day, we drove back to Grandmas and spent the day with them. Along the way, I drove by my old house where we grew up. It hasn't changed much but it was fun to see it. My Grandma is the best cook. She is 93 years old and still makes homemade noodles. Oh, they were sooo good. She also makes homemade rhubarb jam which I was so fortunate enough to bring home a couple of jars. We went out and picked some rhubarb and also went to the cemetery again. When Chani saw where we were, she said, "Mommy's sad but she's happy now." It's funny that she connects the two things. Later on that afternoon, we did manage to leave a bit earlier and went to the hotel to pack and settle in for the night. Leaving was difficult too.

I'll do another post to wrap up the visit as this one is getting too long.

At the pond, feeding the fish.

My Grandma and Chani.

She adored Cleo.

My Aunt Pat

Love this photo of their hands.

She adored Grandma too. She loved sitting on her lap.

She loved walking with Cleo.

And Pat.

Miaya.

Finally playing ball.

Gift Giving.

Chani on Miaya's prized tractor.

Both girls.

Our last day with Grandma.

Mother's Day

2009-05-19T12:13:00.000-05:00

On Mother's Day, I woke up early in the morning as usual when it's still quite dark. For some reason, I came down the front stairs instead of the back stairs as usual. I plopped down to check messages and then decided to go make my coffee. It doesn't take much to startle me and this time was a huge balloon. There was also a huge bouquet of flowers and a card. Awww, how sweet. Matt woke up early and came to fix me breakfast but since we were going to have a huge lunch, I told him I didn't want to eat breakfast.

Later, they took me to the Melting Pot where we feasted on some yummy food. I've only been a time or two so it was a lot of fun. We were so stuffed when we left so we went to walk it off with some shopping. It was a great day!

Crazy Bird

2009-05-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

For a little over a week now, on a daily basis, this red bird pecks at the windows and tries to get in the house. It will peck at the glass or screen several times before giving up and trying a different window and then he'll fly away. He usually tries at the bay windows in the back but has moved to Matt's office upstairs and then this morning, the front door. It's pretty funny to watch this one persistent bird. I did capture him a couple of times before he was scared off.

Some more firsts

2009-05-16T17:39:00.006-05:00

Today was Chani's first dance recital and she was just adorable. We ordered their costumes way back at the end of last year and still had to return it and get a smaller one. Once we got it, we were set to go. It even came with its own bow!
Who would have thought that her dance recital would make me such a nervous wreck?! I packed her stuff and was ready to go earlier than I needed to. Camera, flash, video camera, costumes, all charged and packed. Once we got to the place, we changed into her first costume only to find out that I FORGOT THE BOW! How could I forget the bow? But, Amanda came to the rescue and located a spare with the generosity of a previous dancer. Now, we were set to go. All the girls gathered and walked to be photographed but I'm not even sure they got a shot. A couple of them were scared and crying. I thought for sure Chani would be the one crying but she was an angel. We then corralled them into the hall behind the stage and waited for our cue when another first happened.

A woman (Hi Shari!) came up to me and asked me if I was Kathy. I told her I was and she recognized me from my blog. She also mentioned knowing Susan. This was the first time this has happened. Her little girl is a couple years older and was just adorable in her costume.

The girls went up on stage and went to their numbers. Chani was concentrating so hard on staying on it but she did pretty well. I was so very proud of her and fighting back the tears. I felt like a complete idiot for crying but my baby was up there dancing and I was just so dang proud. When they walked off the stage, all the moms went back there and most of them were crying to so I felt a bit better.

We went to our room, changed costumes and went back out for our tap dance. No tears on this one and the girls were all over the stage. They had the audience laughing. it was adorable. All the girls received their own engraved "toe fee" (trophy) and a lollipop. I don't think she has ever had one so she didn't know what they were. When I told her it was candy, the lit up. Too cute!

We ran into Rachel and she had another little Chinese girl in her class so we went to meet them. It was quite a day.

Yesterday, we went to her first pool party. Of course, I forgot our swimsuits. What is it with me forgetting everything now? I didn't used to be this forgetful. Anyway, Natalie came to the rescue and had a spare suit of Savannah's that we were able to use so at least Chani was able to get wet. Our first swim of the season. Chani had a blast and didn't want to go. She sat down on the ground and threw a fit. "No Mama, I don't want to. I don't want to go home." Over and over again. I just let her cry it out. She rarely does this and thankfully it is short lived.

She is growing so fast and changing into her own little person. She has opinions now and carries on conversations. She tells me if she wants two pigtails or one. She knows what she likes to eat and knows her name, "taine e" She can't quite get the Ch sound yet. She's a loving little girl and warms up to most everyone. She has been the perfect match for us. I love her so very much.

I rarely have time to post anymore. I feel like I have tons to write about but it just takes too long to upload photos, sort through all the thoughts, wondering what people would want to hear and what would be just gibberish and get it all down in half way coherent sentences. Not to mention my lack of proper paragraphing. I never did learn to do that right. Oh well, it is what it is.

Oh, and one last thing, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!!

Professional Picture Day - These are obviously not them.

Pool Party

The girl loves Legos! I've never seen her play with them like this.

All but one of the girls waiting to go on stage

Cute Little Tushies

My precious ballerina

My precious cowgirl

Many ramblings

2009-05-01T14:38:00.001-05:00

Just some ramble thoughts.
We were at the park the other day.
There was a mud puddle and she thought it would be fun to stick her head in it. I have no idea why.

She was so proud of her muddy hands.

I've also completed a sample board of my bows. I've posted about them over HERE in case anyone is interested.

I've packed my bags and am ready to go visit my Grandma. This will be Chani's first visit with her and a few other family members who have yet to meet her. I'm a bit anxious about traveling alone with her. Matt is staying at home this time so it will be just Chani and me. Hopefully everything will run smoothly. We're also going to meet some bloggy buds, Michael and Kimberly. They are from a small town that my Dad grew up in and they actually know some of my extended family. Can't wait to finally meet them! They brought Miaya home not quite a year ago.

We also plan on spending a day in Kansas City. My cousin and nephew both live there so we're going to have lunch with one and dinner with the other one, in between a discovery kids museum and the zoo. It is going to be a fun filled fast vacation. I almost wish that I had another couple of days.

So excited

2009-04-22T13:09:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited about this but I'll spare you the picture. Chani did her big business in the potty chair. She got up and asked, "What's that?" I told her what it was and then she said, "yay!" She was so proud. She had to take it in to show Daddy. I thought he would scoff at it but he didn't and praised her too. I think we're getting close to being ready.

Easter 2009

2009-04-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Easter has come and gone but I just had to post a few photos. We did several egg hunts this year and visited with the Easter bunny. He came a few days early to our house because Chani and her Daddy went to visit with her Grandparents over the weekend. Here are various photos of different days.

Our 2nd hunt was at the Bounce House where we went with our playgroup friends. They were limited to ten eggs and then they could play. Once we had our ten, we had to leave as she was having a huge meltdown. Later on that day, we visited the Easter bunny for a photo. I failed to bring my camera to the first egg hunt. I so wish I had it there. The ground was covered with eggs!

Our next hunt was at Katie's house along with coloring eggs.

Chani and Katie sitting down for a chat.

Coloring the eggs with our friends.

Chani's really into the blue one.

All lined up for the hunt to begin. Chani looks so small compared to all of them.

Finding the eggs.

After they did that, they went out to play.

She's really getting brave with her climbing.

Our next time was a home where the three of us colored some more eggs.

The morning after the Easter bunny visited. She had a blast and was finding eggs all day long. We had a couple casualties which she thought was so funny.

Then, they left bright and early the next morning and I went to work cleaning.

Katie's Safari Birthday Party

2009-04-19T14:21:00.005-05:00

This weekend, we went to a really cool birthday party. I'm thinking Chani's was pretty lame compared to this one. The theme was Dora but focused more on Diego. As we approached we saw a huge bounce house with Dora on the front, and a huge blow up slide. The smell of popcorn was in the air as well. Dora and Diego were hung there on the window greeting all the guests. After everyone arrived, we headed outside to go hunting on a safari. Each kid received an adorable orange backpack, a pair of binoculars, and an animal hat. They ran around the yard searching for little hidden animals. Chani ended up tigers, giraffes, leopards, a hippo and others. It was so cute! Afterwards, they shunned the shoes and jumped in the bounce house and slid down the slide. They also found their way to the swings, slides and sandbox. The kids had a blast! Afterwards, we went inside and had sandwiches and cake and then opened presents. It was quite the creative party.

On our way to the party. It was a beautiful day!

Playing in the Hula hoop with the birthday girl as we waited for others to come.

Ready for the hunt! How cute is this?

Finding the animals! Also, isn't this adorable?

Going on a safari! I think Katie's Grandma made the backpacks.

See the hippo? Chani had a little trouble seeing it.

This LOOKS fun as long at Thorsten is there!

Pure terror!

That was fun! Again!! And, she did a few more times. Poor Chani, Momma forgot the diaper cover. Whoops.

Yummy! Chocolate Cake!!

Missed Them

2009-04-16T05:49:00.000-05:00

I didn't know how I could ever miss someone so much. Matt and Chani are finally home after four nights without them. The two of them went on a mini vacation to Pennsylvania to visit with Matt's family over Easter. Air flights were pretty reasonable a couple of months ago so I booked one for them and then next month, Chani and I will fly to Iowa to visit with my family.

I stayed home and did some MAJOR cleaning and I mean MAJOR! I cleared out all three floors and did some major organization. My largest task was to get the basement done. You see, it is unfinished and when we moved in three years ago, we just used it as a storage. Over time, it has become a mixed up mess of crap and junk everywhere with no rhyme or reason and it has been driving me crazy. I had wanted to get it cleaned out before we went to China but that never happened. So, while the family (I love saying that) went to PA, I donned my grubby clothes and headed to the yucky dirty basement. I spent the entire time I was awake except for about two hours each day cleaning. I unpacked boxes, moved things around, dusted and swept. It was a huge job.

We seem to have a problem with spiders and ladybugs down there. I swept up a ton of dead ones and then I texted Matt to tell him about it. I told him that I wish there was a demand for ladybug carcases then we'd be rich. He texted me back, "We have each other and Chani. We are already rich." Matt rarely and I mean rarely ever says things like this without a follow up comment. Guess he was missing me too.

It's really good to have them back home again, although it was nice having a couple of days to myself. I didn't quite finish it all but 90% of it is done and one day when I have a couple of hours, I'll be able to finish it up. It does look fantastic now though!

My next goal is to get all the garage sale stuff priced and taken out to the garage over the next week for the huge neighborhood sale. I'm pricing it all very low so I can get rid of it. I know for sure it's not going back into the basement!

Preschool is a success

2009-03-24T10:42:00.006-05:00

Well, she LOVED it. She walked in there all proud of herself and walked right back to her classroom. She went in and although a bit standoffish, she did rather well. She knew that we were going to be leaving her and she was perfectly okay with it. She hugged and kissed us both good-bye and then waved to us as we were leaving. My little girl is growing up so freakin fast. She wants to go back so we officially enrolled her. We're going to do a trial independent class for gymnastics next Monday so that will free up our Tuesday. Hopefully she'll be okay with that one and we'll be all set with scheduling.

We had a couple more firsts this week too. I had picked up a toddler bed frame at a consignment sale and finally got it cleaned up and when she saw it, she wanted to sleep in it so we gave it a shot. Again, she loves it. She hasn't come out of her room yet which I'm sure will be just a matter of time. When I hear her up, the last couple of times, she was standing at her door. Also, when I peak in on her with the video monitor, she is sideways in the bed. Way too cute!

She's pretending to sleep.

Yesterday, we finally met Randi's little Emma. This little girl is so ADORABLE. Randi and Lisa were two of the very first adopters that I met when we first started our adoption journey about three years ago. Now, all three of us finally have our babies. It was so much fun seeing all three girls together.

Trial Day - A HUGE step

2009-03-23T06:34:00.004-05:00

This last weekend, Matt, Chani and I decided to check out one of the local preschools. They had an open house and it seems like all of Chani's friends will be going to one this fall so we wanted to look into it. I had decided that I didn't want to put her in one quite yet and would wait another year at least. After all, she is only 2 whereas most of her friends are all about a year older than she is. We went to check it out with the intention of putting her on a waiting list or whatever we would need to do for the fall of 2010.

The place was clean and had separate areas for different ages. There were many stages in the room for different activities. They even had a bathroom sized for little ones. In the two year old class, she will be learning colors, shapes, how to share and interact with other kids. Each classroom has their own door that goes to the outside fenced area with slides, swings, bikes, a patio, etc. They will be planting a garden and each child will be able to help with that. They are fed snacks and lunch. There are different programs and one is twice a week for 3 1/2 hours each.

It sounds like a great place so why am I so apprehensive about taking her? I've been a wreck the last couple of nights and have decided that I'm just not ready for her to leave me yet. But, I had already committed to a trial day for this morning. I got her up and ready for the day, including breakfast and milk all before 8:00, talking about how great and fun her day would be and that we would pick her up after lunch.

Matt got out of bed and went with me. Again, I was feeling quite nervous about leaving her. We walked into the place and she felt really comfortable. We walked back towards her classroom and walked in. She was fine. She wanted to take off her jacket. She then went to a chair and was so comfortable. She knew we were going to leave her to play and was perfectly okay with it. She hugged and kissed us both and waved good-bye. I was pretty floored as to her reaction. I thought for sure that she would cling to me and not want me to leave but she was nowhere near that reaction. Now, if I can only get through the next 2 1/2 hours without her. I'm anxious to see how she liked it and if she wants to go back.

If I sign her up before the end of the month, they will waive the registration fee so I have to make a decision pretty quick. They also have the space available right now so while all her friends are waiting until Fall when the school session starts, this particular class is year round and she'll start right away. I will need to adjust her gymnastics class but I think it's doable. It will be nice to have a few hours a week to myself.

Daddy-O

2009-03-10T05:32:00.005-05:00

This last weekend, at the last minute, we decided to continue with our tradition of spending our anniversary in a town, city, state or country that ends with the "e" sound. So far, we've been able to keep up with this tradition which just happened to fall into place the first couple of years.

We headed up to Tennessee. We received a flier in the mail advertising a new water park up in Sevierville so we decided to go. We dropped everything and headed up. It was such a short trip that it's all just a blur. Chani did great on both car rides. When we arrived, we had expected a one bedroom suite. Well, we ended up with a studio, complete with full kitchen and a murphy bed. Well, in order to get the one bedroom, we had to open up the go between doors. So, basically, we rented two rooms. The second room had three beds and a microwave and refrigerator. I kind of felt ripped off. Not too happy with the place.

The water park was included in the price but it was a bit cold so we didn't stay but for a couple of hours. They did have some really nice play areas. Chani had a great wading pool with swings, slides, water shooting from fountains, falling from buckets, etc. She loved the slide.

Along with our room, we got free u-pick tickets. So, instead of playing in the water the second day, we decided to go to some of the attractions. We went to Ripley's Believe it or not which was actually kind of cool. Not so much for Chani but I thought it was interesting. We also went to a maze of mirrors which also was kind of neat. We had free admission to the aquarium so we went there also. After all of those, we hopped in the car and before we had it in reverse, she was out and we headed home. She slept for a good hour and then was wide awake. For some reason, she started saying Daddy-O. Matt would then call her Chani-O. They went back and forth at least 100 times, long and short, soft and loud. It was really cute.

We stopped by an A&W/Long John Silvers and both Matt and I ended up sick.

We had to rush home because I had to go work at a consignment sale Tuesday morning. Since I was sick, I was dragging so much by the end of the four hours. I hadn't eaten at all all day and even though I stopped and picked up a hamburger on the way home, I couldn't eat it. When I got home, I had a slight fever so I took a bath and climbed into bed. This morning, it took all I had to choke down a bowl of cereal. I just am not hungry at all and even though my fever is gone, I'm still not 100%. But, the presale was today so I did manage to go there and found a toddler bed and picked up some play kitchen tools that I saw come in yesterday.

And now, for a few photos.

Toddler area

Shot of the indoor water park

Leaving the hotel

An outside shot of the water slides. These were too big for her.

She loved sticking her hand inside here to find out what was inside.

We were able to touch this sting ray as it swam around. It was slimy.

Walking along the footbridge from the aquarium to shopping area of Gatlinburg.

The huge chair at Ripley's.

The mirror maze

February Recap

2009-02-26T15:14:00.001-05:00

February started out with Chani's birthday party at the Bounce House. Eleven little ones attended and we bounced for an hour or so and then munched on Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets and chicken salad sandwiches. I decided to save a few dollars by making cupcakes. She blew out the candle and then opened her gifts. She had a great time. We are so lucky to have so many good friends. The very next day, we boarded a plane and headed to Miami for our cruise which I previously wrote about.

Once home, I organized and tagged some stuff for a consignment sale that was last weekend. I was also a vendor at the sale and worked on bows to take. I did okay at the sale on both items. It's quite a chore getting everything organized, entered and tagged.

This next weekend, I have another sale and will also be a vendor. I took all the stuff that didn't sale and retagged them and added quite a bit more. I've also been working on bows when I have the time and trying to get them restocked. I think Matt has been working on the website so I hope to get it up and running soon. Of course, I don't know how many times I've said that!

My friend Randi, is currently in China and has just received her little girl, Emma. We are so thrilled for her and can't wait until she gets home so we can meet her. We've been waiting almost as long as we did for Chani.

Another friend, Jackie, should be receiving her referral in the next week or so. Her baby shower was this last weekend. We've been waiting almost as long as well. It's so exciting to see others receive their little ones.

We celebrated Valentine's day with a little party. We gave and received tons of treats and made a Valentine's day decoration.

More storytimes and playdates and girls nights out. It's always so much fun to get away for a few hours.

We also started painting pottery regularly. Yesterday morning, our first morning in awhile, I painted a couple of ceramic eggs and Chani did her flowers. She's getting quite a collection of them. One day I will attach a ribbon and hang them in her room.

We have two birthday parties to go to in the next couple of days. So, as you can see, we have been pretty busy these last couple of months.

One more thing, I wanted to mention to those of you on facebook. I'm really sorry but I can't quite seem to figure it out. As to all of the applications, am I supposed to allow access for it all? I don't know how to do all the quizzes or how to even see the gifts people have sent or how to send them. I'm quite clueless on it and feel bad since I don't respond back. Just please know that I would like to but just don't know how to. All I can really figure out is how to post what I'm doing now.

That wraps up another month.

Recaps

2009-02-25T14:34:00.003-05:00

I thought Christmas time was busy and that it would slow down since all the holidays are over but it really hasn't. It seems like we're busier than ever. Here are a few recaps of things that have been going on.

January.
*I turned over the Atlanta adoption group to Ann so someone new could organize it. I had been doing it for two years and it was time for some new ideas to come into the group.

*We started a gymnastics class for Chani. She goes once a week and this last week, after having missed two weeks due to school holiday and vacation, she got right back into it. She felt so comfortable that she was running around and bouncing. She didn't cling to me which although is a bit sad that she didn't, it's a great thing! She loves, loves, loves the swing. It's a belt that they tie around your waist and raise you high into the air and swings back and forth. I am told that she is also amazing at landing on her feet from a backwards flip for being so young.

*Our readoption was finalized and our judge signed off on it, allowing our adoption. It was a bit creepy having him say that but now she is registered in GA and we even received her birth certificate. There's not much to it but we now have it in addition to her Chinese birth certificate.

*We celebrated our new president's election with a cocktail party. So happy that the election is finally over and someone new is in charge.

*We checked out a preschool but decided against it at this time. She is just too young. Besides, I am not ready to let her go quite yet. Perhaps in the fall of 2010 when she is three.

*I hosted Bunco and a Dove chocolate party. The chocolate party was pretty awesome. I wish that I had a larger house so I could invite more people. We drank chocolate martinis and had a great time tasting all kinds of chocolate. Yum!!

*We had a girls night out and went to this really cool painting place. We all gather around tables with easels and a blank canvas. The instructor tells us how to mix our colors and how to paint a picture. Then, everyone in the class paints the same thing and you get to take it home with you. It is so much fun and a great way to spend the evening with the girls.

*We went to the children's museum down in Atlanta. This was another really cute field trip. Chani seemed to really enjoy it.

*I also went to a Tupperware party. My first one. I remember when I was a kid, Mom would go to them. Growing up, we always had Tupperware. At this party, I saw a few things that my parents had when we were growing up. It was cool seeing all of it and I even bought a few pieces. I am wanting to have my own party sometime in April or May so if you want to come, just let me know. That evening coming home, I was in the car all alone and burst out laughing. For some reason, it struck me funny that I had just been to a Tupperware party. It was a fun night.

*Countless play dates at each other's houses, bouncing at the bounce house, story time at the library, etc.

Tomorrow, a recap of February.

Photos

2009-02-17T07:01:00.009-05:00

I don't know what happened in my last post with the photos but they are not there so here they are once again.

Just a not so brief Moment

2009-02-17T05:11:00.009-05:00

Since everyone is asking how the cruise went, I thought I'd wrap it all up in one shot here. I thought it would be brief but it ended up longer than I thought.

We left the cold Atlanta weather - no wait, I thought it was hotlanta - oh well, it was cold then and we loaded up the car to head to the airport. The night before, Christy and I went to get pedicures and I had placed my "travel" wallet in my heavy coat pocket. Upon arriving home, I hung my coat up and switched to a jacket to take with me. Well, the wallet didn't make the switch. I did have our passports so that was my only ID. We stayed at the Marriott on bonus points, THANKS Steve!! And, then met Pam and Steve in their room the next morning, ate a free breakfast and then grabbed a shuttle to the port. Oh yeah, back at the airport, we had a very hard time getting a Taxi due to no car seat. Luckily we were able to get a shuttle but it made us a bit nervous as no one was willing to take us. I see one of those stroller/car seat combo things in our near future.

Back at the port, we boarded after a bit of a wait but it went fairly well. Chani fell asleep on her way in and both her embarkation photo and our souvenir photos she is zonked.

Only highlights of the trip. If you want more details or opinion of ports or ship, just ask.

Day 2 - At sea - Signed Chani up for the kids program but never used it and did the usual first day stuff. This time, we were able to go to the evening entertainment which was really nice. Last year, we didn't want to mess with her schedule so we skipped them all and had her in bed.

Day 3 - Samana, Dominican Republic - There was a tender over to land. Once there, there was nothing within walking distance so our only options were to take the local taxi tour or get back on the boat. It started pouring once we were on land so we opted for choice No. 2 and did boat activities. - My birthday!

Day 4 - Tortola, B.V.I. - Beach! - Chani's birthday!
Day 5 - St. John's, Antigua - Beach!
Day 6 - Bridgetown, Barbados - Beach!

Now, on all of the beach days, we hired a taxi that was just outside the pier. If we had taken a beach excursion booked with the ship, we would have paid $130 for a beach tour for the three of us. We took a taxi for $12.

Day 7 - Castries, St. Lucia - We took a local tour and went to Soufriere and The Pitons. The first was a volcano that is dormant but the smell of the sulfur - Wow - It was quite pungent. Also, steam was rising as well as some boiling points. We also saw the Pitons which are two mountain peaks. We did some local stopping along the way and tasted a thing called a float. It was like a donut but without much sugar. It was pretty tasty.

Day 8&9 - At sea - Did ship activities and hung out at the pools. - Matt's birthday and Valentine's Day! Every time we saw the backdrop for the photos, she wanted to get her "pee-sure" taken. I did buy a few cute photos but they weren't the greatest.

Our trip was nothing spectacular but it was relaxing and fun. Chani did fairly well and LOVED Pam and Steve. She kept calling Pam, HAM and learned some new words like "Whateva" "Disgusting" "Ewwww" and "Pee-yew" Thanks again Steve!!! She also learned to dip her Cheerios into her yogurt. All her favorite foods seemed "disgusting" to her pallet this week so she lived on yogurt and hot dogs. Not even Mac and cheese would please her. She also, for some reason dissed me most of the week. She wanted Daddy or Pam or Steve but not me. It did give me a break which was rather nice although a bit irritating at times. She ate way more chocolate and desserts that she has had in her entire lifetime. That led to many tantrums and many time outs. She didn't sleep very well either. We tried letting her sleep in our bed but she kicked way too much.

As we arrived in Miami, we were heading down to meet Pam and Steve in the atrium to wait for our trip to the airport. Well, I looked for my phone and couldn't find it. I searched my bags and still no phone. Matt went back to the room to see if I left it there but he came back empty handed. We all searched again but nothing. So, I decided to go check for myself and there it was in the room. I won't tell you exactly which room it was because it's kind of embarrassing as to where I left it. Now it was our time to disembark and guess who fell asleep in her stroller. No, not Pam. We said our good-byes and each took different buses to different airports. At the airport, we found out that we couldn't check in 5 hours prior to our flight. We were leaving at 4:20. We had to wait about 30 minutes before doing so. At 11:18, we attempted to check in but were rejected due to the five hour rule. So, we hung out for a couple of minutes and then it let us. We checked our two bags and went to find some lunch. Let me tell you, the Miami airport is a very old and run down airport. Nor, is there much in the way of food. But, we still had a good time watching the planes and even a little bird had gotten into the terminal so we watched it too.

Back in Atlanta, one of our bags was the very first off the plane. How about that! Then, the second was just a couple later. Sweet! On the ride home, which was early evening, I told Matt that even though it was a long day, I wasn't exhausted like I usually am after a trip. I felt great. After stopping for dinner and picking up Bindi, we arrived home and had Chani in bed around 9PM which is extremely late for her. She woke at 6 the next day so it was another short night for her. We had about a 1 1/2 hr morning nap and then a 2 1/2 hour afternoon nap. We had to wake her from her nap and then back to her normal bedtime. She is also back to eating fruits at least and NO "cock it" chocolate.

With no wallet, I didn't spend much and only came home with a couple of pins, thimbles and pictures.

I'm back to my break, even though I have a lot that I would like to post, I just don't have much time this month.

Bloggy Break

2009-01-22T08:01:00.002-05:00

I think it's time that I've posted that I'm taking a bloggy break for awhile. There are tons of things going on and lots that I would have liked to blogged about just to keep a record of it but the time has gotten away from me yet again. We are getting so busy with so many different activities that blogging has taken a back burner for now. I'll come back when things are calmed down and I have a little time.

Court Date

2009-01-12T17:11:00.003-05:00

Today we went before a judge and asked him to approve our adoption for the state of Georgia. He granted our wish so now we are able to get her a Georgia birth certificate. It was pretty painless and pretty unnecessary since she is already legally ours. But, with a state birth certificate, things will be easier for her in the future when it comes to entering school or anything that requires her to produce her birth certificate. Now, we still need to do our final home study and then her adoption process will be complete.

~*~Our Life with Chani~*~