the crazy days of hayes

Crazy Days of Disney

2008-11-13T19:34:00.024-05:00

Well, considering we're back WEEKS, I'll give the re-cap. It was a great trip: exhausting, touching, crazy fun, crazy frustrating at moments, and we can't wait to go back. As you'll see from the pictures, the kids were awesome on the plane. Just give Evan a headseat and a TV screen and you won't hear a peep out of him. Abby had fun too, but needed to move around a bit - but she was still a piece of cake as usual.

The day had started at 4:30 am, so we hesitant to start going to any parks that first day. We decided to eat at the Rain Forest Cafe and go Downtown Disney to the Lego Store, etc. and get to bed early. The Rain Forest Cafe freaked Abby out - between the gorillas, and thunder she was nervous. She did pretty good, but every time you heard an ape start to go crazy, she grabbed onto Scott's shirt for dear life. After lunch, she spied sequined Disney ears and asked for them. Of course Scott ran right over and bought them. Unfortunately, they didn't stay on very well, but she did wear them (until she got to make her very own princess crown and that was it for the ears). LOL Evan loved the Lego store and we could barely get him out of there. The kids were very freaked out by characters the first day, but eased up considerably by the next morning.

Our first full day started out great with the Chef Mickey Buffet. Scott and I kept smiling at each other like two idiots - it's so much fun to bring your kids to Disney for the first time. Seeing them at the Magic Kingdom was awesome. Abby warmed up to characters very quickly and had no problem hugging them, etc., while Evan kept his distance until the very end of the trip. Hands down, Evan's favorite ride was the Haunted Mansion - Abby wanted nothing to do with it and so Scott and I switched turns. I think we each rode the Haunted Mansion ride 10-15 times! LOL We didn't care though - we love it too! It was hard to get them on alot of the rides surprisingly - Evan gets very overwhelmed quickly - and it was really hot too. The first day we came back and took a nap, but were just too tired to go back to any of the parks, so we just stayed in the pool and turned in early.

The 2nd day was probably one of my favorites. We slept in, grabbed breakfast and got to the Magic Kingdom around 11 am. We were going to have lunch at Cinderella's castle at 1 pm.. Scott and Evan went on some rides, and Abby and I went into some of the shops while we waited for the boys. Abby saw the "glass" Cinderella slippers and a light up magic wand. She just looked up at me and said, "Mommy, could I please have these?" Of course I just whipped out our room card and she became the proud owner of Cinderella shoes. Abby just thought she was the cat's meow at this point - it was hysterical. Lunch at the castle was amazing. She went right to Cinderella and took great pictures (although you can tell she's a little nervous in them). Evan behaved really nicely through lunch and Abby took pictures with every princess. Scott and I sat there so choked up - it sounds silly, but it's soooo cute and you just can't help it. It was awesome too, because we met another couple on line ahead of us that adopted from China, and there was a group of about 4-5 families that had traveled together sitting across from us that were celebrating their adoption day anniversary. It was so cute to see all these Chinese princesses and how happy they all were. The lunch or dinner at the castle is definitely worth it if you are planning a trip to Disney!!!

Evan loved Indiana Jones and the Star Wars show. Even though he's an outgoing kid, he gets very shy when it comes to volunteering to go up on stage, etc. Scott was a trooper in the heat and stood out in the blaring sun with the kids for the Jedi Training Sessions, I think about 4 times! UGH!

Everything really went well - Evan was either very on or very "off" and difficult - and those times get to you, but then he'd snap out of it and it would get better. We definitely pushed them some days harder then we should have and it was sooo hot. I don't think I'd go back in September again - although lines - What lines? That part was wonderful. We liked everywhere we ate with the food plan and were really glad we did that as well. I liked the hotel, too - maybe if we go back I'd change it up a little, but for our first trip, it was perfect for the kids and the money was right.

We had another great photo-op with Abby and Mulan at Epcot. A fellow FCC Mom, Ann, told me to bring Abby's Mulan costume with us - I'm glad she did because I never would have thought of doing that. When we got to "China" Abby was in her costume and Mulan was outside of the "Temple of Heaven" taking pictures. As soon as she finished, she walked right over to Abby and crouched down with her. She took so many beautiful pictures with Abby, and then Mulan strolled with her all through China. Again, sounds hokey, but I was standing there with tears in my eyes. The pictures came out so amazing. I even wrote a letter to Disney about the girl that played Mulan - she was so sweet to Abby and spent so much time with her. Abby was thrilled beyond belief.

On our last day full day, I was able to very easily convince Abby to do the Bibbity Boppity Salon. This is something relatively new to Disney. The girls can go in and get the hair, nails and makeup done. We bought the "cheapie" package because Abby already had her costume. the other packages are very expensive, and the girls can pick out costumes - and they are the most beautiful dress-up clothes you've ever seen. Just gorgeous. Anyway, Abby picked out hair extensions and was all pampered. When she got out of that chair, I swear, she turned 21. She just thought who she was and it was soo funny. After we got back to the hotel, she stood in front of the mirror, puckering her lips and brushing her hair back. I think we've created a little-diva monster. ;)

The other awesome thing we did was to buy tickets for the "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" - I think the tickets were about $40 pp, but worth every penny. You're able to stay at the Magic Kingdom and it's only open for the party. All the characters are dressed up for Halloween - the Haunted House has extra things going on (and you KNOW we rode that! LOL) The kids can trick-or-treat at different stops and they load them up with candy. They have "villian" shows and the parades and fireworks are not to be believed - absolutely awesome. The parade is so good that we watched it a second time. That was our last night there, which was great because we really left on a high note. The kids wore their costumes and we had such a great time.

And so, back to reality...I'm so glad we took the trip - I'm hoping we can get back there in another year or so, but maybe early to mid November - I think it will be just a bit cooler. Other than that, we can't wait to go back! :)

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Sooo behind!

2008-11-06T19:45:00.002-05:00

I know, I know - we got back from Orlando WEEKS ago and I still haven't posted. I'm so behind, but I promise, faithful readers (is there anybody left at this point!?) that I will get my act together shortly. Really, I will.

Hugs,

We're off to see the Mouse!

2008-09-16T11:34:00.003-04:00

Well, we're just about ready here. A few more things to do and then we can relax and go to bed early. The kids are starting to flip out with excitement! We're really looking forward to this - it's our first real family vacation! We'll take lots of pictures and I'll update here when we get back. Scott and I cannot wait to see the kids experiece Disney for the first time!

Hugs to you all.

I have a niece!

2008-09-16T06:32:00.003-04:00

I just spoke with my sister, and she received Katie at around 4 pm. I thought she was going to already have had her for hours by now. I finally got through to them around 6, and they were doing well, and had only gotten back to the hotel a few minutes earlier. My sister is having a little trouble feeding her, but luckily my dear friend Vicki is close by and can try to help Jen out. Katie may be stressed, and sometimes the babies won't eat right away. I'm hoping Vicki will get over there sometime later tonight or tomorrow - if I can get pictures today, I'll post them. We're leaving for Disney tomorrow am, and I won't have access to a computer.

My mom said Katie is very, very tiny - 6-9 month clothes, which I thought would be the case. Abby was in the same size as well, although I know Katie is older than her. Katie was smiling when they brought her in the room :)

Congratulations Jen and Rupert, and big brothers Alexander and John-Ryan! We are so happy for you and for Katie too! Welcome to the family Katherine LiLing - we love you!

Well, off to get Evan to school! :)

Hugs,

Katherine Li Ling

2008-09-15T20:31:00.007-04:00

Well, it's 8:34 am in China right now, and my sister is just hours from getting Katie. The flight to your child's province feels so much longer than the actual flight to China does. Here's a great link to my sister's blog and to a cute little video that they made of the updated pictures they had received of her.

http://www.katieliling.com/web/do/site/link?ID=406335
(Click on "view website")

Wait until you see her hair - it's so adorable!

I can still see every moment of the day I got Abby in my mind, just as I can the day Evan was born. No matter how your children come to you, it's a miracle.

Can't wait to see you with your little miracle, Jen!

I'll post when I know more :)

First Days of School - Sorry so late posting!

2008-09-15T20:10:00.005-04:00

Here's Evan in his spiffy "summer uniform". At least they don't have to wear the tie at the beginning and end of the year now - those poor boys just get off the buses so sweaty and gross. Dorky, yes, but much cooler for them so who cares. ;)

I really wanted to put Abby in a cute dress, but I didn't know if they would go outside to play, so I didn't do it...she looked so cute in her size 18 month denim skort though, didn't she? She's so cute and such a little peanut (who corrects you every single time if you say she's small or tiny or whatever - she's a BIG GIRL)( Excuse Me) It's the Napolean complex.

Well, Evan's 1st day went well and he loved his new teacher, Mrs. Baumstein. He originally wanted Sr. Marge, but I think he's really happy with his teacher now. Both 1st grade teachers in the school are fabulous and you can't go wrong. The bus situation was crazy - there is a new driver and he doesn't know the route at all - so he was an hour late for his 1st day of school and it was only half a day. That had continued the whole next week until parents just started flipping out - the guy had no idea where he was going and Evan was on the bus for an hour one day. Now they have a driver that knows what she's doing and things are back to normal.

Abby started school the following week - she's going to nursery three afternoons a week. She couldn't wait to get ready! I was glad that she was so happy about it. She did great - she was a little nervous walking in, so I walked her into the classroom. She gave me a great big kiss and off she went. It was hectic with all the parents, and I was concerned for a friend of mine whose son was hysterical. It didn't hit me until I dropped her off the other day and she practically leaped up the stairs - that my baby is getting big and I'm not ready to let her go. I'm not ready for her to be my last one. I'm not ready to never drop another one off at nursery school for the first time. Ugh, here come the tears - I've gotta go! LOL

Day Before School Breakfast

2008-09-15T20:05:00.004-04:00

Notice the pink key in Abby's pocket. She thinks she's sooo cool. She has to push the button on the keychain because it sounds like an alarm. I have to get a picture of her talking on the pink princess cell phone with the hand on her hip. We're in trouble, I tell you.

This year, we started a new tradition. I am taking the kids to Friendly's for breakfast on the last day of summer vacation. The kids love having breakfast there. Abby got pancakes with colored M & M's and Evan got a HUGE pancake that was made into a face - bacon for "ears", whipped cream hair and M & M's for eyes. We had a great morning together - it was a nice "last" day. We were all set for school (especially ME) LOL

Teaching good things...

2008-09-14T09:29:00.005-04:00

At the end of school in June, Evan's teacher was trying to get the kids to do service projects - figuring out something that they could do that would teach the kids compassion and how good it feels to help others. Lots of kids send things home asking the families to donate cans, school supplies, etc. We talked to Evan and decided that he could send home a letter asking for monetary donations for cleft bottles. With Jen going to China to adopt Katie, who is cleft affected, we thought it would be a nice way for him to "honor" his cousin and get cleft bottles to the babies who so desperately need them. We made up a flyer, and Evan brought them to every classroom in his school. His teacher reported that he did a great job and was very polite to the teachers, asking that they please give the flyers out. The school community was awesome - we had one family alone give us a check for $50! Kids sent in envelopes with money from their pggy banks, which was so touching. My dad also brought the flyer into work and he raised quite a bit of money as well. All together, Evan raised about $400 for cleft bottles. We went online and were able to order 216 cleft palate bottles! How great is that!

Our dear friend Vicki just adopted her newest son, Noah. She willingly brought along 10 smaller boxes of bottles to the Sichuan Province, where her son is from. Sichuan is the province where the earthquake hit and it was so amazing knowing that the bottles were going to go someplace where they were really needed. The children from the orphanage in Chengdu City had been up until recently, been living in tents. We knew the bottles would be helpful. Thank you Vicki for bringing them for us. When Vicki sent me the picture of her giving the director of the orphanage of the bottles, he saw himself on the picture on one of the boxes and his eyes got real big. He thought that was really cool, and he could see that the bottles actually got to China. It's bizarre, because just about everything you see is stamped "Made in China" - but cleft palate bottles are not available in China. And virtually every orphanage has cleft lip/palate affected children.

My mom is bringing 10 more small boxes - 60 more bottles, to Guandong Province, and we have other friends with Families with Children from China that will be traveling, and we'll ask them to bring some bottles too.

Blowing kisses in the wind to all those little babies, and we hope that your bellies feel nice and full soon.

Good job, Evan!

The Last Days of Summer

2008-09-14T09:00:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from the last few days the kids spent at the beach. This was a weird summer - it was very busy and wasn't as relaxing as it usually is. We usually go out on my parents boat and Scott and I didn't get out on it once. Having the floors done was like loosing the month of August, and my parents have been busy, especially with my mom getting ready to go to China with Jen to get Katie. Next year, I vow that it's not going to be so crazy. We wanted to take Scott's truck on the beach and have dinner since he has the permit to bring the truck on the beach, and we didn't get to do that either! Oh brother!

Our kids love the beach. Evan will dig and dig for hours at a time and so will Abby. On this particular day, the man who runs the swimming program took out the big net for the kids to catch killies and whatever else they could get. Evan loves to go crabbing with Scott, but they didn't go as much as they would have liked. That's why I'm looking forward to our upcoming trip to Disney. I just want to hang out with the kids, and not have the pressures of home, of regular life. Just to not have to cook and clean will be awesome. We're always running and busy, and our kids deserve to have us all to themselves - and you can't not have fun at DisneyWorld!

So, summer 2008, farewell...On to Florida, watching my sister and BIL become parents again, to first grade and to nursery school. I'm sad to see the summer go, but I love the routine of school too. Evan does better when he has a routine and it'll be good for all of us when school starts.

PMS Cake

2008-09-14T08:48:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe in a Good Housekeeping magazine a couple years ago, but never made it. We were going to our dear friends Lauren and Larry's house for their daughter Lily's birthday. There was going to be tons of kids, so I decided to give it a shot. It's officially called "Chocolate Crispy Cake" but I like to call it PMS Cake - it's got chocolate, M&M's and peanuts - the perfect combination of sweet and salty. It was crazy easy to make, only took about 10 minutes and it travels beautifully. The grown-ups loved it as much as the kids!

Here's the recipe:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 TBS of butter or margarine
1 bag (10 1/2 ounces miniature marshmallows
6 cups (6 oz) of rice krispies cereal
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup M & M's Mini Baking Bits (the store didn't have mini's, so I just used regular)

1) Spray 10-12-cup fluted baking pan (such as a Bundt) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, heat chocolate and butter in the microwave oven on High for one and mixtminute, stirring once during heating. Remove from microwave, stir chocolate mixture until melted and smooth. Add marshmallows to mixture. Heat in microwave on High 1
minute longer; stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
3) Add cereal, peanuts and M&M's to chocolate mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated and mixture is well combined.
4) Transfer cereal mixture to prepared pan, pressing mixture down with fingertips. Let stand at least 1 hour to set chocolate. (In warm weather, refrigerate to set cake.)
5. To unmold, with knife or metal spatula, loosen cake from side of pan; invert onto serving plate. Cut into slices to serve. Store in covered container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Y U M!

Again, more silence

2008-09-14T08:41:00.003-04:00

Apparently, my children have a great love for writing on themselves..

At least this was just sidewalk chalk - no big deal. Definitely beats the time when Evan was about 18 months old and gave himself a Hitler mustache with permanent black marker.

The Green Monster

2008-09-14T08:35:00.002-04:00

Of course, it was too quiet and I should have known better.

Why, though, is it always when you are running late and have to be somewhere on time (we were going to a surprise birthday party) and now you have to give them a bath?

Always beware of silence.

Holy Doormat Batman!

2008-09-14T08:17:00.002-04:00

Check out the fluke that my brother in law Bill caught! It was 14 lbs! The thing was so ridiculously huge - Scott was just freaking out. We were really happy for Bill - it was almost as big as Evan! LOL

The garden grew great this year - lots of tomatoes. The sunflowers got as huge as dinner plates - I'm so mad at myself for not getting the kids to stand by them one more time. Evan's pumpkin grew the biggest this year, and Abby's plant got two little sweet ones. I love that the kids are so into gardening. They love helping me pick the tomatoes; sunflowers are awesome for them to grow because it seems that they grow a foot in a day! I hope it's something that they'll always want to do with us!

Summer Re-cap -

2008-09-14T08:02:00.004-04:00

Well, the painting is done and the floors are all finished and came out beautiful. It was alot of work with the kids and I'm beyond relieved it's over. Everything came out beautiful and we're back to normal. Now I can catch up on posting!

When we were still at my mom's, we went to an Olympic's party hosted by our friends Missy and Greg. The kids had a ball. To our surprise, our friends Sharon and Eric, who we traveled to China with, came with their daughter Katie. Abby and Katie were in the same orphanage together. In just about all the pictures we have of Abby there, Katie is right next to her. When you see them together, there is just something about them together- they L O V E each other. They hug each other so hard that most of the times they fall on the ground. It's like the have a bond with each other, it's the only way I know how to describe it. Katie and Abby actually sat and watched the Opening Ceremonies and were cheering. It was adorable. I love what Katie does for Abby - just brings her out of her shell. Sharon and Eric have become such great friends of ours - we just love 'em and feel so blessed to have them as part of our family.

We thought the Opening Ceremonies were spectacular! We knew the Chinese would not disappoint - it just meant too much to them.

Thanks for not giving up on this blog!!!

Hugs,

My poor blog, I'm not ignoring you

2008-09-12T08:13:00.001-04:00

I have so much to catch up, and I want to get everything updated before Disney, so I can post pictures when we get back...I'll update tonight and over the weekend. Thanks for your patience! I hope we still have somebody out there reading! LOL

A true classic

2008-08-16T11:30:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, yes - it's almost that time.

But who's counting ;)
It's been crazy around here - I'll post soon!

Hugs,

Beijing 2008

2008-08-07T10:40:00.005-04:00

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.
Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Ni Hao!

I remember the day that the Olympic Committee announced the mascots for the Beijing Olympics - I was on a flight from Beijing on our way to Jiangxi Province to adopt Abby! They had English copies of a Chinese newspaper and it was totally cool to read about the mascots - I still have the newspaper. We had seen the big countdown sign outside of Tienenmen Square when we were in Beijing - I didn't take a picture of it because we were walking so quickly that day to get to the Forbidden Palace; I wish we could have just slowed down a bit for that one!

So, tomorrow is the big day and we're really looking forward to the Olympics this year because they are in China. Of course I understand the problems surrounding the Olympics with human rights abuses and China's control of Tibet - we obviously do not support China on this. However, I am very excited that the world can get to know China on a more personal level - and that they will see what an amazing culture and land that China is. I have no doubt that the opening ceremony will be awesome. My wonderful friend Missy had a great idea to throw an Olympics party. We are going to spend the evening with other families that have adopted from China watching the opening ceremonies together. It's kind of a big deal for us and a way to celebrate our children's heritage with them. We are very proud of where our kids are from and are excited that the rest of the world can see the wonderful people of China.

Hope you like the pictures of the Olympic Garden in Beijing.

OMG, I forgot to mention that my sister got Travel Approval! She should be able to leave for Katie at the beginning of September!!! We cannot wait!!!! We love you Katie! You can check out my sister's website at www.katieliling.com

Hugs,

Calgon, Take Me Away

2008-07-30T01:10:00.005-04:00

Did you ever just have a day where you felt like you were the worst mom in the world? That's the day I had today.

Overtired, overstressed trying to get everything done, the kids were fighting, not listening, laundry up the ying-yang, Abby would NOT go into her dance class for some strange reason after I showered and rushed everybody to get there, it was HOT, Abby sometimes whines like crazy, amongst a billion other reasons that I let get to me. I yelled, I took no time for my kids today and I was gross. They had no structure, I gave them hardly any attention. I hate days like this. I was a sucky mommy today. They were kinda sucky today too. Evan was watching TV tonight, and I bent over and apologized to him that I was so grumpy and yell-ey today. His response was "Mom, I can't see my show." Yeah, great.

Thank God they love me, and they'll forgive me and tomorrow is another day.

Pizza, the Missing Tooth and a Fairy

2008-07-29T12:11:00.010-04:00

We recently pulled up the old rugs that were in our house so we could refinish the wood floors. The floor guys are coming this Friday, so we needed to finish painting our sun porch, where all the kids toys usually are, where the TV is kept, etc. They are also doing the floors in the dining room and re-doing the kitchen. We also need to empty the china cabinet and move it (u g h ) and pretty much condense everything we own to our living room (the floor in there was already done.) It was a crazy day, the kids were bonkers and Scott and I took turns getting disgusted at trying to get anything done with small kids to cracking up laughing because of the sheer obsurdity of it all. When my parents wanted to see if we wanted to go to Mike's Pizza we were all about it!

We love going to Mike's Pizza. It's kind of "our thing". It's not fancy at all - we sit in the back and eat in the dining room, which is a total kickback to the '70's. It's casual, we can go all icky after working in the yard all day, and we don't have to worry about the kids making a mess. The people that work there all know us and they are really sweet and good to us. We recently found out that Mike's is moving across the street (they have been in the same location since 1969). They are going to re-do everything, but it will still be casual. They want to make it like an old-time pizzeria you would have seen in Brooklyn back in the day. Still, we're gonna miss that funky old paneling and mural on the backwall with the glitter in it.

So, yes, we wanted to go to Mike's - we rushed around throwing clothes on the kids (it had rained all day and we just let them stay in their PJ's). Abby insisted on putting something "Cinderella-ish" on. We went through 3 changes of dress-up clothes before she decided on her butterfly tutu, wings and red flip-flops with the huge flowers on them that are about 5 sizes too big on her. And after all that, as you can see from the pictures, she left her wings at the side door and had the tutu and wings off before we hit the car. Geez LOUISE!

Anyway, finally at Mike's, Evan could barely eat because his tooth was so loose. This tooth had been loose - but not that loose. Apparently, Evan had been teasing his sister two days ago and put her blankie in his mouth. Well, she pulled on that blankie so hard that it really loosened up Evan's tooth. There was blood and crying until Evan realized that the tooth fairy would be back with m o n e y after it came out. Then, of course, all was well in the world.

So, while we were at Mike's it came out in between pizza and getting an Italian ice. He looks like a bigger boy every day. Two down!

When we got home, we got out the 'ole Tooth Pillow that my sister Jen and I used as kids (it was a gift from our Grandma Mary), and it's really cool that now our kids can use it. Abby also put a "tooth pillow" (a little pillow that's on her bed) under her pillow so the fairy could visit her too. Apparently the fairy did visit, because the kids both had dollars in their "tooth pillows" - the fairy must be pleased with the way Abby is brushing these days. ;) I remember that the dentist we went to as kids used to give us these little tiny treasure chests to put our teeth in as we lost them. Funny the things you remember. :)

Hugs,

It's a Wordle!

2008-07-27T17:00:00.003-04:00

Something fun I found on somebody's blog - it's called a wordle. You can either type in random words yourself, or give your website address and it'll take a bunch of words from your blog and wordle itself for you.

Fancy, aren't we?

2008-07-26T22:18:00.019-04:00

Ohhh la la!

How do you like the new look of my blog? I owe many, many thanks to Judi, from Doodlebug Designs, who worked very hard to make it beautiful. Judi is a blog designer who is volunteering her time through Blogovers with Love. Blogovers is a brilliant idea - get blog designers who are willing to volunteer their time to re-design people's blogs. The customers then give a donation, and Blogovers donates all the money to orphanages in China and Taiwan. So, for my donation, I got a beautiful blog and we all helped a wonderful foster home in China that helps medically fragile infants get lifesaving surgeries. Please check out http://www.blogoverswithlove.blogspot.com and http://www.chinesestarfish.org/ to read about the amazing work of The Starfish Foster home. Below is an excerpt from their website as to the reasoning behind the name of this very special place:

"This well known story sums up the entire reason we have dedicated our lives to the most fagile children in China: Medical special needs orphans.
An older man was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned. The boy was walking slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed a beached starfish back into the ocean.
The older man, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, "I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day? Surely, such an industrious and kindhearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time. Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?"
The boy looked up at that man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, "For this one, it makes a difference."

If we all did something small, imagine the great things we could accomplish!

Hugs,

Forever a Family!

2008-07-18T13:22:00.005-04:00

"Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical."
Nicole Kidman
Adoptive Parent

Today was Abby's adoption finalization at Family Court. Her adoption really was final in China when I brought her home 2 1/2 years ago, but now her name is legally changed and her adoption is considered final here in New York, and we have a papertrail with NY documents, instead of just the Chinese ones. I can now send away for a NYS Birth Certificate for her, instead of using the Chinese one which is translated. Now we need to apply for US citizenship for her - I've been very slow with all of this - the time got away from me so many times!

This was a cool thing to do with the whole family since we were not able to all be together for Abby's adoption in China. We had to be at the courthouse at 9 am. It is very neat to sit outside the courtroom with all these other adoptive families. We've had Abby home for quite a while, but for some of these families, today is THE day for them, when they officially become a family- I loved seeing all the families that were formed through adoption - it warms your heart!
We were finally called in and the judge was so, so friendly and kind and made us feel at ease. He asked us a few questions, including what we are doing this summer. He double checked the spelling of Abby's "new" official name, etc. Afterwards, he told us that we seemed like a great family and that we should go and have a wonderful life together. Everybody in the room clapped. He asked the kids to pick out teddy bears, and a woman gave them lollipops. The judge also said he would like to take pictures with us. I've heard that judges like to do adoptions on Fridays because it's the happiest thing that they do in Family Court, and they love leaving for the weekend on a such a nice note. I bet that's true too!

Afterwards, we took the kids to Friendly's and let them pig out on ice cream at 10:30 in the am. We'll be paying for the sugar all day LOL!
Hugs to all!

Happy Birthday NANA!

2008-07-15T06:32:00.000-04:00

I'm posting a little out of order here! Scott's grandmother turned 93 on June 30! Every year we have a big party for her at our house with all the cousins, etc. This year, money was a little tight and we just don't have our act together this year LOL Anyway, we ended up visiting Nana at Scott's Aunt Marilyn's house and we had a great time. Scott's cousins were there with their kids, so the little ones had a ball! The kids LOVE Nana! (We all do!!) So, happy, happy birthday Nana! We'll celebrate at our house next year and will have lots of blue-claw crabs for you!

Hugs and kisses, Nana!

The Lazy Days of Summer

2008-07-15T05:49:00.001-04:00

Well, apparently they've hit me, because I've been quite lazy about posting on our blog!

We had a great 4th of July around here - it's always a fun holiday. Our town has a big carnival in the village every year on the 3rd - lots of rides for the kids, petting zoo, games. Typical carnival stuff - only cost $10 for two sand art things - one of which I dropped getting the kids out of the car - and $7 for a 24-cent goldfish that died two days later. But, the kids have a ball and that's all that matters. Usually Scott has to leave me with the kids and go on the fire truck before the fireworks start, and this year he decided not to go on the truck. I was so happy - it was very nice to have him sit with us and watch the kids faces.

The 4th was fun, the weather was gray and it sprinkled here and there, but it held out the whole day! The kids and I walked with Evan's school. The kids decorate their bikes and I put Abby in the wagon. Evan is getting so big now - he rode his bike with his friend John. They kind of rode up ahead of us...he's going into first grade and in some ways, we've lost him a bit - is more independent and doesn't need to be by your side all the time. It goes so fast, and pulls at your heartstrings.

Evan started swimming lessons at the beach, and Miss Colleen is coming once a week for private lessons in the pool. It's expensive, but worth every penny - we are very nervous with the pool in the back! The kids love the pool - I love having it - it's so nice when we're all in there together - it's worth all the work (I can say that because I don't have to do it ;) LOL

Miss Abby started dance lessons too. She kept telling me that she didn't want to do it, and I was like "yeah, yeah, yeah" because she's like that with everything new. My friend Lauren had given me her daughters too-small ballet slippers and tap shoes, which were basically brand new. The day finally came for her to start, and I took out the shoes. Well, that changed her attitude - she is all about the shoes! She put them in one of those Halloween candy buckets (hers is pink with princesses on it) and practically strutted to the dance place. You could see she was nervous when we got in, but we put on her tap shoes and I kind of gently pushed her in the room and walked out. She knows other girls from "Mommy and Me" and my dear friend Susan and her daughter Lauren are going also, so at least she knew girls. The place was awesome about letting us take pictures for a few minutes and then the class started. She had a ball - you should have seen all us mother hens (and Grandma hens - my mom came too LOL) crowded around the window watching them. I have to say it was the c u t e s t thing I've ever seen, and the girls loved it. She is so psyched to go back, and every time with pass the dance studio, she loves to show us - "There is my dance school".

Summer's been great so far, although I just had the kids at the doctor last Friday - Abby was definitely not herself on Thursday at the beach - extremely whining, clingy and she fell asleep in her beach chair, which is unheard of. By the time I got her home, she had 102.5 temp and I felt sooo bad for her. Evan was complaining of a sore throat too. So, turns out they both tested positive for strep. So, they are both on antibiotics and we're just taking it slow. I kept them home from the beach yesterday and took the kids to see Wall E (great movie, btw). Abby fell asleep in the movies, so again, she's not up to snuff yet. I'm going to take them for arts and crafts at the beach today, let Evan take his lesson and then come home - they can rest up, shower and then we'll head over for Abby's dance class. Plenty for one day ;)

I see London, I see France...

2008-06-29T19:47:00.000-04:00

Well, we have a new fave around our house - Abby Cadabby! Sesame Street has a new little star on their show - she is 3 years old, loves her magic wand and saying "That's so magic!" Pink is her favorite color too. Hey, I bet you can't say you have your name on your underpants, can you? I didn't think so! ;)-

Are you lookin' at ME? - Update on Katie Li Ling - Now AKA as "Mao"

2008-06-27T22:15:00.000-04:00

Well, Jen did get updated information on Katie. She's gained maybe another pound.... We can see from the pictures that she can stand, but she looks like she's leaning more than standing. Abby was the same way. We have to laugh at her Mao hair and her expression - she is so adorable and looks so perturbed. You can tell that she is out of her routine and doesn't understand why the heck she is being made to model on some crazy playground equipment.

Oh Sweet Girl, we are blowing you kisses all the way to China!!! Mommy will come get you soon - she's trying so hard!

xoxo
Ayi (Auntie)

The sound of silence...

2008-06-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

Evan and Abby started swimming lessons today...we're going to have private lessons once a week at home. I don't think you can ever be neurotic enough with a pool in your backyard, so that's why we decided to do it. Evan learned basics last year, and he's tall enough to stand in the pool now, which is great. Abby wasn't too keen on taking the lessons, but the teacher, Colleen, is a sweetheart. After watching her big brother for awhile, she went right to her. Abby was adorable, she kept looking at me to see if I was watching her. I stayed with the kids for this session, but afterwards I'll leave Colleen in the pool with each one for half and hour. Abby was very proud of herself afterwards and has officially decided that she likes swimming lessons.

Evan will also take swimming at the beach - those start Monday am. This is my favorite part of the summer - we get into a nice, relaxed groove and spend lots of days at the beach. Our village has a really cute beach right on the bay - everything is fenced in and contained. The kids love it because we don't have to hover over them every two seconds - they can go to the park, dig - try and catch killies, all that good stuff. It's so weird sometimes being back in the town where I grew up. I remember hating it here and my best friend, Vicki, and I couldn't wait to get out. But when I look back, it was a nice childhood and I'm glad we live here and the kids can grow up on the bay. Evan already loves fishing and crabbing!

My parents took the kids to Cedar Beach Marina today - my dad brought the boat over today. My mom picked the kids up at 11 am, right after swimming lessons were over. She didn't bring them home until almost 8 pm tonight. It was so quiet and calm at home today! I got so much done and it's awesome to start the weekend off without being overcome with laundry, etc. Thanks Mom and Dad for the free babysitting - one of my favorite gifts! LOL It was weird having the house to myself and then Scott came home and we were out in the yard together, just chatting with no interruptions. It was really, really nice. Of course we missed the kids, but it was nice to get the chance to have a conversation without having to stop and wipe a kid's butt.

So, my mom brought them home, all happy and tired. We chucked 'em in the tub and they were asleep about 2.5 seconds later.

Took some pictures of the garden today. I planted the purple clematis last year and it's just beautiful this year. I missed the roses - they are pooping out already, but now come the lilies and hydrangeas. The last couple of years the kids have planted pumpkins, which is so much fun. The pumpkin vines got so long last year - one grew from the side of our barn, up and over forsythia, into one of the tomato cages. It grew a huge pumpkin too! This year, the kids planted sunflower seeds with Scott and they are starting to get B I G. I meant to have the kids stand next to them when we first put them in the ground, and keep taking them, but of course, I didn't. So, I'll take them next to the plants tomorrow anyway. My herbs are doing great - I love going out and pinching off fresh basil and parsley and cilantro. Yummy! Sometimes that even motivates me to cook! ;)

Introducing our new niece!

2008-06-25T01:41:00.001-04:00

My sister, Jennifer and her hubby, Rupert, are adopting their own little sweetpea from China. They have named her Katherine Li Ling. Katie is in Guangdong Province, which is located in Southern China - about a 45 minute flight from Hong Kong. Katie is cleft affected; her lip has been repaired in China, but her cleft is still unrepaired. She will be two in November and we just think she's the cutest. She is tiny for her age; please keep her in your thoughts and prayers so that they can get her home soon! They are currently awaiting their Letter of Approval. After that, they will be waiting for travel approval, and will usually be able to leave for China 6-8 weeks later. They are obviously very anxious to get her home, give her lots of love and food! :) Jen is trying to get updates on her, so I'll post them when and if we get them.

We love you, Katie! Come home soon!

xoxoxo

OD'ing on Disney

2008-06-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

We've booked a vacation to Disney World in September - we're going to take the kids out of school. It's going to be our first vacation in quite a while, and we're totally psyched! Abby is totally into Disney Princesses - if it's pink and has a picture of a princess on it, she wants it! The kids know who the basics are (Mickey, Minnie, etc.) but we wanted to get them more familiar with the characters. So, we started our infamous "Movie Nights". We pull the couch sideways, make popcorn and snuggle on the couch and watch different Disney movies. The kids love it! (Abby loves it until the popcorn runs out, and then she tends to get a little chatty.) Evan is totally digging the princess movies, but every time he says "I really don't like princesses, you know". Yeah, sure, we know, we know.

Today we went to a birthday party for our friend Michele's daughter, Emily. Emily and her little sister were also adopted from China. It's really great because we have met so many friends through our FCC (Families with Children from China) group. We're a pretty close-knit bunch, and it's so great to be able to get together with other families that look like ours. These kids (and there are quite a few boys now too!) have all been adopted from China and they are all growing up together. I think it's great for the girls to have that bond - that you can say to them, "Your friends, X Y and Z were also adopted from China, just like you."

I was recently able to get some information on Abby's foster mom in China. It's taken quite a long time, but we were able to track her down through an online service called chinababies.com Misty, who runs Chinababies is an adoptive mom too, and she has hired people within China to get information for adoptive families. We were initially told that although they had made phone contact with her, that she had moved and they weren't able to locate her. Finally, though, a few months later, they were able to find her. I actually have pictures of her! Her name is Liu Huizhen and she took care of Abby the first four or five months of her life. She is 62 years old and her husband is 66. We were told that she loves having children in her home, because "they bring life" to a home. When she had to bring Abby back to the orphanage, she said she was so sad. She put a red thread on Abby's wrist for good luck and to "keep the ghosts away". It is my understanding that she wants updates on Abby, which I'm thrilled about. She hopes that Abby will get a very good education because "it is so important". My ultimate hope is to get back to China someday soon so that we could possibly meet her. The orphanage where Abby lived after staying with her foster mom is going to be turned over to the local college, and may not be there after the end of this year. I firmly believe you can't just wait - China is changing too rapidly and you just don't know how many things will change if you wait too long to go back.

Before I forget to post it, Evan lost his first tooth on Friday night. He came running up the stairs, "My tooth fell out, my tooth fell out! AWESOME! " My grandma had bought my sister and I a little "tooth pillow" when we were Evan's age, so it's a little over 30 years old - it's so cute - it's a little patchwork pillow with a big fabric tooth sewn on it - we still have it - and so he put his tooth in there. Another milestone. Sigh.

(I haven't figured out how to put a picture on the top of posts, then add a couple lines of text to explain what the pictures are and then post. Obviously, the first one is of Abby's foster mom, then Abby, squeeky clean and ready for "Dumbo" and Evan and Abby chillin' on the couch for Movie Night. Also, Evan's new grin. And last but not least, what I saw, to my horror, when I opened my washing machine today. It's not what I thought it was - it was a rock. Boy O Boys! LOL

To blog or not to blog?

2008-06-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

I wish that I had started this years ago! It certainly would have made it much easier to document the things that are going on with the kids and our lives. But there is no time like the present, as they say!

Evan just had his stepping up ceremony from Kindergarten last Friday. Where did the year go? Where have the last six years gone? They just flew. Scott and I were so choked up at the ceremony. I felt so silly sitting there dabbing my eyes as the kids were singing adorable songs - but how can you not? My first baby is no longer a baby, and you just can't help it. As much as I want to make time stop, it's so exciting to see them grow into these little people. We adopted Abby almost three years ago - how can this be? What a blubbering idiot I'm going to be bringing her to nursery school in September. I really don't want to let her go. But go she must.

The school year was great. Evan had such a great year in Kindergarten. Abby took a Mommy and Me class (that's her playing with shaving cream above). It was with the same teacher that she'll have for nursery school. She LOVES princesses and dress up - I have to laugh at how great she clicks around in those dress-up high heels. Baseball just ended - Scott has coached for the last two years and already it's summer...

And now it's the week after school started and they're fighting and acting pretty gross in general. LOL I'm looking forward to getting into our summer routine of the beach, swimming lessons and going in the pool. But no matter how hard the days are sometimes, they are the loves of our lives.