Getting Elizabeth... and Rachel

Out of the mouths of babes...

So Hua Hua and I are sitting on the floor together, having a tender moment.  She's in my lap. Our faces are very close. We're laughing. We're cuddling. Then this concerned, serious look crosses my daughter's face and she very gently, lovingly, takes my face in her hand and says, "mama, why do you have all those lines around your eyes?"

"Because, Mama is getting older sweetie, and that is what happens when you get older. You get lines around your eyes."

And with that she drops it. And I start to wonder just how wrinklely ARE my eyes? Leave it to a kid to tell you how it is!! what is that cream that is supposed to make those pesky lines go away anyway?? maybe i need to invest in a tube. Sigh.

The cookie MONSTER!!!

Back in August some halloween catalogues arrived at our house and the girls and I started pursing them. Want to be princess? A doggie? A lion? Snow White? The girls loved to look at the pictures and the magazines are literally falling apart. But thru the pictures some decisions were made on this year's costumes.

Hua Hua? She'll be tinkerbell. Dan bought her costume a couple days ago and she's thrilled. And Rachel? She'll be cookie monster. We ordered that one on e-bay. All set. Whew! And then yesterday, the cookie monster costume arrived....

Real Sisters?

We were minding our business at a kids resale clothing store right next to our house when the woman, a grandma, said, "Is their dad Chinese?"

I should have known it was coming. The grandma and her two adult daughters were fussing too much over my kids, saying how cute they were, how beautiful, how sweet. They were curious. And they were putting it on a little too heavy, as people so often do right before the questions start.

As I held a dress up to Hua Hua I looked over at them and politely answered, "No." And then turned my back on them, ignoring them, when the daughter stepped in.

"My mom asks because my husband is chinese," the daughter said. "And I just learned I'm pregnant, so my mom is trying to figure out how our kids might look."

So I relaxed a little and let them start talking. The relaxing was a mistake.

catching up

This has been another busy week sprinkled with a couple meltdowns from hua Hua, a few sleepless nights, and the inklings of a cold, that we've so far have mercifully  fought off. But amiss of the tough stuff, there have been so many wonderful moments.

We went apple picking with Grandma. the girls loved it and we were nearly the only ones in the apple orchard on a beautiful warm fall day. Grandma bought the girls wings, tutus and magic wands. They loved them and both immediately wanted to wear them, running all around the yard playing in costume.

Rachel is now coloring. Of course her coloring is more like a few scratches on a sheet of paper, but when i hung her artwork on the refrigerator next to Hua Hua's, she was so excited! When Grandma came to visit she took it down to show her, saying, "rach-el. Rach--el." Even now, pretty much every day, she takes it down to show me so i can fuss. Then she takes Hua Hua's down so i can fuss over that, too. it is so cute.

And there are so many moments when the girls simply play together, tell each other they love each other, give each other hugs, and laugh and laugh. Those moments are my favorite, when being a Mom is the best.

A Big brother .... please!!!!

Every day, for the past week, Hua Hua and I have a conversation that goes soemthing like this:

Hua Hua: "Mom, can I have a big brother. Pllllleeeeaaassseeee."

Me: "Sweetie, why do you want a big brother?"

Hua Hua: "It would be so much fun! I want a big brother from China, Mom. I think he should be 5, or 6. Or 7, or 8. I think you and dad should go adopt him."

Me: "But Hua Hua, we don't have any plans to go adopt another child."

Hua Hua: "But Mom, we really NEED to get a big brother."

Me: "Hua Hua, if we adopted a little boy to be your and Rachel's big brother, it wouldn't be like you think. He wouldn't speak English. he would have to learn it. He would only speak Chinese."

Hua Hua: "That's ok becasue I speak chinese!"

And from there she recites what she is learning in chinese school, typically followed by a few songs and dances in chinese from her "Learn to sing and dance chinese with mei Mei" DVD. And so it goes.

We survived!

Our first week of fall activities, that is: Ballet and tap Monday; Preschool Tuesday; Preschool Wednesday; Gymnastics Thursday; Friday preschool; Saturday chinese schoool and Sunday church.There are a couple lessons I learned, with this new "school' schedule. Here are the highlights:

Organized. I need to be this big time. Everything from meal planning and grocery shopping to laundry and house stuff to homework due dates and rachel's nap times -- if I am not on top of it, it all falls apart.

Holding back. I wanted to do the same bible study we did last year but for this year anyway, we're not doing it. It is too much for Hua Hua, too much for me, too much for Rachel to have bible study the same day as preschool - which is the only choice out there. This is a bummer for me, because it is something I enjoy, but I'll just have to be more regular about doing devotions with the kids at home.

Weekend restraint. One activity is all the kids can handle per weekend. Last week in addition to our normal stuff we had a birthday party saturday and some friends over Sunday for dinner and a visit. The result? Way, way, way too much.  Kids can't handle it, and neither can I. One activity per weekend. period.

Sleep. I need to go to bed by 11:00. Staying up later is at my own peril.

We'll see how we do remembering all these lessons. The last two will be particilarly challenging. (wish me luck!) A new week is here, so here we go!!

First day of preschool

Today was the big day. Hua Hua's first day of pre-school. She was so excited. Monday night we gave her a "big kid" backpack -- something her school requests the kids have for art projects, show and tell, suplies and such. And today was the day. The pictures are of Rachel and Hua Hua leaving the house. The second one is of Hua Hua and her very good buddy Leah holding hands as they run/walk to the door of their school. The third is of the girls waiting to go in the room. And the last is how Hua Hua and Leah looked when Leah's mom and me left them. Happily playing away!

Hua Hua did great. She listened. She followed instructions. She made new friends. And she played and played and played, as she said, in a gush of excitement.

And me? Well, ... 

the dancing girl

Today Hua Hua started ballet and tap at a new dance studio. There was nothing wrong with the studio she was at: top of the art studios. Video cameras so parents could watch. Huge school, top rate teaching. Maybe too top rate ... at the old school kids start competiting for company at age 6. they start taking classes every day of the week then, too. By high school many drop out to dance all the time, opting to finish their degrees homeschool. And many graduates go on to professional careers, all of which caused more than a few concerns.

So when i heard about a christian ballet studio near our house I was intrigued. Last spring we checked it out, and this summer we signed up. Today was our first day. So how was it??? in a word, AWESOME!

Hua hua absolutely was besides herself that it is in a REAL ballerina class. (last year the class was pre-dance and the kids wore tap shoes.) Parents got to peek in the studio (a big no-no at the other place), and i could see her just beaming. The teachers taught the girls real ballet moves but when they danced the teacher encouraged creativity, having them pretend to be princesses, or pretend to dance around a castle -- talk about right up Hua Hua's alley! Then for tap, the kids were animals in a jungle, again doing real dance moves, learning real steps, all the while to upbeat music, having so much fun i wanted to join in!

Another bonus to the new studio is two of her buddies from playgroup dance with her. Hua Hua had so much fun, and the studio was so cool, i will definitely be recommending it to everyone i know! next week i'll take some pictures (the new studio allows this too, another no no at the old place!)

Tomorrow: pre-school.

Ni Hao!

This morning Hua Hua started Chinese school at a church near our house. She was so excited to go even though we were without power for 13 hours friday night and Saturday morning. This kept us all up. Horrible sleep. Yet Hua Hua, once i told her it was the day chinese school began, quickly turned her mood from sour to excited, by far becoming the first one ready to go.

Today parents and students met in the sanctuary at first, and then the classes were released one by one. Hua Hua looked a little nervous, watching the bigger kids get up, go to the front of the large room and walk out behind their teacher. I think hearing most of the talk in chinese also was a little intimidating for her. But by the time it was her class, she was ready. She eagerly waved good bye and marched out behind her teacher.

There are 11 kids in her class. Her class is for kids whose homes are English speaking. probably half of the kids in her class are adopted. It looks like some really nice Christian families, really nice kids. Every school day starts in prayer. She'll be memorizing scripture in chinese. Will learn 37 characters, and much more this year. It also appears parents are a key part of the school, volunteering for culture days, gospel days, chinese new year, regular days, snacks, etc. I'm really excited about that. I think the hardest part of all this will be getting dan and i to learn some, so we can encourage her. This is soemthing the school strongly encourages. I have the CD to memorize -- hua hua has the workbook. I'm sure Hua hua will pick it up much easier than Dan and my old brains. Wish us luck!!!

Last lazy summer day

Today was one of those days that I just didn't want to end. It was an awesome, wonderful, lazy summer day. The girls were well behaved. The weather was beautiful and sunny. And we spent most of it outside, playing in the sprinkler. I just totally enjoyed the girls today, hanging out, riding bikes, playing with toys, getting wet, being silly.

And tomorrow it will all change. Our unscheduled summer will officially be done.

We have gymnastics starting tomorrow. On Saturday it's chinese school. On Monday it's ballet - a REAL ballet class with real ballet shoes as Hua Hua points out breathlessly. (last year's class was pre-dance with tap shoes.) And then on Tuesday it's preschool. Wednesday it's bible study and preschool. And thursday is gymnstics again....You get the picture.

We will be busy with something going pretty much every day. Hua Hua is a kid who likes to do things, likes to be with people, and she is besides herself with excitement. She keeps asking me to go over with her all that is about to begin. "Oh goodie!" she'll say, clapping her hands. "I can hardly wait!" And as for me, well, i think her schedule is insane. But i keep telling myself we could drop gymnastics or ballet if it is too much. I've shared my schedule anxiety with other much more experienced moms than me who have encouraged me not to worry. They say for some kids, who are outgoing and like every thing such as our Hua Hua, this schedule is good. Plus, they point out, nothing lasts very long. 30 minutes of ballet on one day. 2.5 hours of preschool on another. 40 minutes of gymnastics on yet another.... No problem!

And tomorrow all starts up. By next week it's full force. Ready or not, here we go!