The Dragon Boat Races that Weren't, Yet Again.

We had thought that we'd miss going to Chicago for the dragon boat races this year as I had to work and there wasn't anyone to cover for me. Luckily for me, my coworker's plans were canceled due to extreme heat, and he volunteered to work for me. I called Kevin right away to see if he still wanted to go. YES! I rushed home from work, packed, made some phone calls to tell the other adoptive families that we're coming, and find out where to meet up. I think we broke a family record to be able to pack and get out the door in only an hour.

Hannah slept nearly all the way to Chicago. It was a blessing not to hear, "Where are we going? How we know where to go? Which way? How we get there?" on this multiple hour trip. I Pricelined and got a great rate at a downtown hotel, and we went out for some Greek salad and Giordano's pizza. Mmmm! Hannah tasted the anchovies on the salad and remarked, "I can't like that." Uhhh... I did not taste the anchovies on the salad, and I can't like that either!

Friday night there were some pretty bad thunderstorms that quickly put down several inches of rain. This caused flooding on the Chicago river, and the dragon boat races were canceled due to flooding for the second year in a row, but we still had plans to meet up for lunch with several Taiwan adoptive families. Our little family went to Chinatown for breakfast and ordered a box of buns from one of the many Chinese bakeries along Wentworth Avenue. Kevin likes egg and ham best. Hannah does well with a hot dog bun. I want to taste them all!

We did a little shopping, and can always find interesting things. My buys were two pairs of Chinese brocade shoes for Hannah for only $9 each, several pairs of hair sticks for $1-2 each, a book about the dragon boat races at the Pui Tak Center Chinese Christian bookstore, and a package of sour green beans made in Taiwan. The best find was found in a cardboard box inside one of the Chinese groceries. I spied the spikes of pink and green and knew that's dragon fruit! We've only had dragon fruit in Taiwan and wish we could find it near home. They are so beautiful, and taste a lot like kiwi... just don't make you pucker so much.



Lunch at Lao Beijing was wonderful, as always. We dined on pot stickers, Dan Dan noodles, orange chicken, vegetables, and some kind of delicious spicy lamb that the other family at our table ordered.

Before kids, I was really good at taking photos of our food BEFORE dinner. Now, I'm grabbing chop sticks out of little ones' hands when she starts using them like a sword, keeping her occupied when she's really hungry and wants to know where the food is, and preventing red punch from being spilled all over me, the table cloth, and others at our table. All I've got are photos of our leftovers and my empty plate!




The fun really started when the kids were winding down with their dinners. Several parents gave their kids their cell phones to play with. There were little hands holding iPhones everywhere playing Angry Birds and snapping photos of other kids. My favorite photos are of Hannah and Miss E taking turns photographing each other with my phone. They were so sweet!


After dinner we attempted to take a group photo. This is the best I could do. The kids had just been cooped up in the restaurant for two hours, it was really hot, and they were ready to jump up and down and run off some steam.


My favorite thing about the whole day happened during the group photos. S, the boy all the way to the right in the green and navy striped shirt, jumped up, pretended to have a microphone in hand, and started jamming to music that no one else could hear. He hopped all over his stage while we parents put our hands in the air shouting his name and egging him on. It was hilarious! Love that kid. Love that three of these kiddos all lived together in the same baby house at the same time, and now live only a few hours away from each other. Lots of blessings crammed all together for a photo on a hot summer day!

Had to have some boba tea and shaved ice drinks before our departure, of course.

And a dash and splash in Millennium Park's Crown Fountain.

I'm so thankful that we were able to make this trip work at the last minute. It's less than three weeks until our big gathering of Taiwan adoptive families in Texas. So excited to meet lots of mamas and kiddos that I've come to know through pictures and phone calls!

kids say the darndest things

While shopping in Chicago's Chinatown yesterday Hannah whispered to me, "There's a lot of stuff from Mulan in here."

married

Before bed tonight Hannah started talking about going to parties, because I told her that I had just bought a new party dress. She started chattering on about birthday parties, and how much she likes them, and all of the things one has at a birthday party. Cake, ice cream, presents, balloons, birthday cards, etc. I reminded her that she had also been to wedding parties where someone got married. "You got married, Mom?" I replied, "Yes, I married Daddy." Then Hannah asked, "I get married someday, too?"

MY HEART MELTED.

"Yes, baby. You can get married someday, too. Someday when you find a boy that is just as special as you are, and who loves you lots and lots and lots."

Redirect: In search of families for waiting children

Here's a post on my friend Cindy's blog about children waiting in Taiwan to be matched with families. Their adoptions can be facilitated by our agency For Every Child, and more information on the children is available at Rainbowkids.com.

my little artist

My little artist drew roads and lots of H's with chalk in the driveway tonight.
She's also making the letters O and T, so we can write HOT.
It's going to be in the 90s all week, so we can make good use of the word HOT.

at age 3 and 1/2

dear hannah,

someday you'll be an adult and won't remember what you were like at 3 and 1/2. this is for you to read 30 years from now. :)

you want the same thing for breakfast EVERY morning. "chocolate bread." what's chocolate bread? of course, it's nutella on a piece of white bread, folded in half, with the crust torn or cut off. we add in orange juice, milk, grapes, ham slices, cheese, and other stuff too of course, but there's always "chocolate bread." you like to pick out your own clothes from the closet, and usually want to wear "a dress and no pants." when i pick out your clothes i hear complaints "that doesn't match" and have to convince you that "khaki shorts are a neutral and go with everything." what do i know? you are completely daytime potty trained, but wear pull-ups at night. sometimes the pull-ups are dry in the morning, but usually not. you usually dress yourself with a little assistance. you rarely get your clothes messy while eating and we don't use bibs at home anymore, only when eating out. you don't like having messy hands, and use multiple napkins during dinner time.

you ride your tricycle like a speed demon in circles around the living room. it amazes me how much better you've gotten with steering around obstacles this summer. we bought you a power wheels car and your cautious personality shines through. you are worried about hitting people and obstacles with your car, and tend to drive it in a constant circle to avoid problem situations. you swim like a little fish with your floaty jacket on and have a lot water confidence in comparison with how confident you are with other activities.

socially, you're pretty shy. you will not talk to strangers and avoid looking at them in the eye. going to child watch at the ymca has been a good experience for you so you have to interact with different kids on a regular basis. there's another older little girl that the ymca that really loves on you. gigi is a little older and likes to "little mommy" you all of the time, and you like it. she wants help you take your shoes on and off for tumbling time. gigi likes to hold hands with you and share the same chair. it's pretty cute. i think gigi helps you feel safe to leave your comfort zone and try new things, and that's great. last week gigi was not at tumbling, and you refused to participate. your teacher had to come get me because you were sad. that made me frustrated, but i get it. i'm so looking forward to sending you to preschool this fall. so excited to see what you learn every day, and what friends you'll make. i feel like my baby bird is getting ready to fly!

we snuggle to read books and watch movies together. you still ask to be rocked, especially when you are tired. i'll be so sad when you're old enough that you don't want to be rocked anymore. i love you so much, baby girl. i'm excited to see you grow up, but i still savor the little bits of baby that are left in you at 3 and a half.

TAF camp

I'd like to raise awareness of the Taiwanese American Foundation's summer camp. Campers as young as 1st grade may attend. :)

Redirect: More fun with Allie and Hannah Claire!

Lora's posted her pics from last week's "Taiwanese sisters" playdate. I have a feeling that Lora may not be serving my daughter anything with shredded cheese next time we visit. Well, unless she puts down a tarp under Hannah's chair first. :) I haven't peeked at the pics on my camera yet. Hope to have a chance to soon!

mini driving lessons

We picked up Hannah's first set of wheels this weekend, a itty bitty Mini Cooper. Hannah and Daddy put it together last night. Kevin would ask for a wheel, and Hannah would bring it shouting, "Here, Daddy! I get it for you!!!" When Kevin would ask for the windsheld. "Windshield?!?! What's a windshield???" So funny! While I was at work today, Daddy said that she sat in her car most of the day waiting for the battery to charge up. After dinner Daddy gave Hannah her first driving lesson. We learned that she's a little too short to press the pedal down all of the way. Kevin has put a towel behind Hannah's back to scoot her forward a bit so she can reach the pedal. It's so cute to see that huge smile on her face when she's sitting in her car. Love that girl!


Of course, Kevin is already researching all of the mods that one can do to kid's ride on toys. Apparently three year olds need a place to hook up their iPods and extra accessory lighting for their Power Wheels cars.

ode to Matilda Jane

Opening up a box of Matilda Jane is sweeter than candy. "Oh, Mama! Let's open up my package!" and out comes flowers, butterflies, stripes, polka dots, ribbons, ruffles, and bows. Her eyes flicker with glee, a dimpled smile is revealed once again, and she dances in circles with delight as the fabric swirls around her. In a world where kids grow up too fast, Matilda Jane helps us savor the sweetness of our precious little girls for as long as we can.

then and now at the neighborhood 4th of July block party

July 2, 2009
I loved this dress. Hannah was barely walking, and I think I just
might have had my camera out about every day, savoring every step.


July 1, 2011
Today she picks out her own clothes out of her closet and dresses herself.
Hannah wanted to wear purple, her favorite color.
I couldn't talk her into wearing a patriotic red, white, and blue Hello Kitty t-shirt.

sneaking into summer

Beautiful day... and a beautiful smile.
Waiting for Nana and Papa to take her with them to a wedding reception.
Hannah likes to eat all of the icing and leave the cake on the plate.

Tomorrow marks ten months since we were told to expect a referral for our adoption #2 in three to six more months. The wondering when our lives are going to change is beginning to get to me all over again. It's been hard to keep telling myself "any day now" over and over again for months and months. I've started holding on to Hannah's clothes she's growing out of, just in case it's a girl... and thinking of all of these little girl names that I love. At the same time, I'm itching to start putting together a space themed nursery that I've been thinking about for months and months.

Hannah's getting much better about her fear of bugs. We were on a nature walk this past month and she loved taking pictures of bugs with Daddy's phone. "There's a pill bug! Oooooh! That's an ant!" Funny kid.

It has finally warmed up! We're spending our evenings outside in the back yard grilling out dinner, hanging out watching Hannah go town her slide, and building sand castles and roads in the sand box.

A few firsts happened this week. We registered Hannah for two day a week preschool for three year olds at an area church. Preschool begins the end of August. Hannah also started tumbling class at the YMCA and is excited about doing somersaults with several little girls ages three and four. As Hannah is slow to warm up to new people, I hope that the experience of tumbling class without Mom or Dad there is a good primer to preschool.

Alert the media. I have a reader!

I opened yesterday's mail while Hannah at her breakfast this morning. She pointed at a mailing from the zoo and asked to open that envelope, a plain white envelope with text on the outside. Because it contained our annual zoo passes, I told her that she could open some other mail but not that piece. All of a sudden, she told me that the envelope that she wanted to open was from the zoo. I was floored. Am I hearing this right? I asked how she knew it was from the zoo and Hannah pointed at the big bold letters that spelled out "ZOO!" I have a reader! I nearly cried. I grabbed my phone and made this little video. Luckily, she read the word to me again so I could catch it on video.

reflecting on referral day

Saturday was the three year anniversary of Hannah's adoption referral. THREE YEARS. Wow. Seems like yesterday. I was sitting right where I am now... up way too late (like I am right now), checking my email over, and over, and over looking for any news from our adoption agency (like I am right now). I told Kevin that I was giving up and going to bed, but checking my email one more time... and there it was. THE Hallelujah!!!! email. Life changed when we found this message in my in-box. Hopefully it will change again with another Hallelujah email!

We took Hannah on our first zoo trip of the year Saturday. It started out with lunch at Daddy's favorite pizza place, Pizza King. You can take the boy out of Muncie, but you can't take the love for Pizza King out of the boy! Then, off to the zoo! Hannnah's been chattering away about going to the zoo all week when I tipped her off that we could go this weekend if it ever stopped raining and got sunny outside.

I have loved watching her peek outside and yell, "Mommy! I think it's getting sunny outside!" She loves the zoo so much and can just chatter on and on and on about all of the fun things to see and do at the zoo. Horsey rides, carousel, lions, goats, peacocks, fishies... she loves it all.

First stop was the horsey ride, of course.

I love this smile!

Of all the things to see and zoo at the zoo, her favorites are often the horses and the goats. There's plenty of rural people where we live that I'm sure would let Hannah pet their horse and for for free, but she loves this so why argue?

Getting that goat nice and clean.

If the electrical engineering thing doesn't pan out, goat farmer might.

Checking email one last time before bed at 2:17 AM looking for news of #2. Got nuttin'. Good night.

Redirect: Taiwanese sisters playdate

We had a grand time last Thursday, as always, at a playdate with Allie and Lora. I forgot my camera at home, but Lora took lots of photos. I love the ones of the girls riding around on a tricycle together as well as the hugs in front of the koi pond.

Lora politely left out that Hannah flipped a lot of sand into Allie's hair accidentally. Lora helped Allie shake out most of the sand in her hair, but Allie waited until Hannah and I were out of earshot to tell her mother that Hannah flipped sand in her and hair she needed a bath to wash it out. What a polite little miss!

lipstick

"I wanna rock."

Sweet baby girl, I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing your words "I wanna rock." We get out one of your flannel baby receiving blankets, turn off the lights, I pick you up, and I rock you in the rocking recliner chair. I hold you like a baby and we whisper. One of our favorite things to talk about while rocking is to name all of the people that love you. You usually start with Mama and Daddy, your grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Sometimes you also include the names of Mama and Daddy's friends. I love it that you include Allie and Allie's mommy Lora. I've always included the names Taiwan Mommy, Taiwan Grandma, Taiwan Grandpa, and Taiwan Auntie... and you're starting to include them, too. I don't know how much longer you'll want to be rocked like this, so I'll savor these moments in the recliner tonight.

more thoughts on potty training

Hannah's gone from wearing pull-ups and telling us "No, I can't want it." when we ask if she needs to go potty... to a week free of accidents with multiple poops in the potty as well. She now thinks that going potty in a public restroom is fun. She'll tell us twice in large stores like Walmart and Target that she needs to go... and off we go to the bathrooms. The big fun is to tell Mommy that I can't come in... and she wants to climb her little hiney up the potty all by herself. "Don't come in! I do it myself!" She doesn't have any modesty issues... she's still a streaker at home. It's all about control and independence with Little Miss.

I think our turning point was at Lora's house. I had Hannah in pull-ups because it was a travel day, but was telling her once an hour that she needed to come try to make peepee with me. Somehow we got Allie to come into the bathroom with us, with Allie on the big potty and Hannah on the little potty at the same time. Apparently that was lots of fun with plenty of giggles and smiles. Never would have imagined that another three year old would potty train my three year old.

Mother's Day

I'm grateful every day, and especially on Mother's Day, for a mother on the other side of the world who chose life for our daughter. Thank you.



These photos were taken by my dad yesterday. :)

panties post

I'm so proud of my big girl. We've turned the corner on potty training. She's wearing panties all the time during the day now. We're even making trips to the grocery and hardware store in panties, and she's being really good about telling us when she needs to go. Last night Hannah even took her pull-up off in the middle of the night, put it on the floor, opened her drawer to retrieve a pair of panties, and put them on. She really likes her new Gymboree panties. I don't blame her. The Walmart Disney panties feel scratchy in comparison. She doesn't want to use the little potty anymore and always wants to go in the big potty. Daddy had a great idea, and put the little potty in her bed room. She can use it as a step stool to turn on and off her lights, and she can use the little potty in the middle of the night if she wants to wake up to go.

the royal wedding

I had not been into the media frenzy leading up to the royal wedding, but decided several weeks ago that I'd wake up before dawn to watch. I'm too young to remember Charles and Diana's wedding, and it was such an event that was and continues to be referred to again and again that I knew that I'd like to watch this royal wedding live.

I had planned on getting up at 4am to get myself ready for work first and be ready to watch at 5am until I had to leave for work. Kevin thought I was nuts, of course. When I reasoned with him that we didn't have a DVR anymore and I couldn't record it he looked at me like I'd grown two heads. "Don't ya think SOMEONE will tape it and you'll be able to watch it over and over online and on TV for the next twenty years?" Oh, yeah. But still, I want to watch it LIVE.

There was a kink in my plans. I woke up at 3:47am to the sound of a boogery coughing little girl being placed in bed with me as she was instructed to lay down next to Mommy. "What's going on?"

"She says she doesn't feel good and wants to sleep with Mommy and Daddy." Sigh. Sick kid in bed means no sleep for Mommy. After 10 minutes of listening to Hannah's stopped up nose, I decided to get up.

I heard the sound of little feet following me into the bathroom. A wide awake three year old asked, "Mommy, what are you doing? It's dark outside." How do I answer that? Hmmmm.

"Hannah, something special is happening today. It's a wedding. A real princess wedding. With pretty dresses, and hats, and flowers, and princes, and people, and lots of horses, and a castle. Do you want to watch?"

"I watch princess movies."

"This time what Mommy is going to watch on TV is real. A REAL PRINCESS wedding. Do you want to watch, too?"

"YES!"

I handed Hannah her pink Nintento DS and she played a game in the bathroom waiting for me to get out of the shower. In true preschooler form, she commented on everything I was doing. "You put pants on? You gonna take your pills? You hang your towel up?"

Finally, I was ready for the day. If I would have known that Hannah was going to be up before the crack of dawn with me, I would have bought pastries and had a little tea set out. My clingy girl with a boogery nose was offered blueberry pop-tarts and strawberry milk. I had an extra big cup of coffee. I was going to need it to get through the day with less than four hours of sleep!

We snuggled in the recliner together with her little pink blanket, pop tarts, and our 5 am drinks of choice. We talked about who the people were, where they lived, that the men in red and black in the fancy car with a crown on top were real princes. This was all real, not a movie. We sat snuggled together talking about what we saw for an hour and a half. Hannah lost interest during some of the singing during the wedding. "I wanna watch *sumping* else. I wanna watch *sumping* else!"

"Uh, no. This is Mama's pick today."

"Okay, I play with play-doh."

Hannah played with play-doh and she did watch a little more when the carriages came out and we watched the horses bring the party back to the castle. When it was time for me to leave for work, Hannah crawled in bed with Daddy to wake him up."

"Daddy, I watch a princess wedding. A real princess wedding. With horses, and crowns, and it had a real prince. He's a good man."

I have no idea where the "he's a good man" part came from. Funny kid.

Redirect: more cupcake photos

I swear, my daughter didn't learn to lick the icing bowl clean from me. Her daddy must do that.

Easter Wishes

Easter is a time for hope and rejoicing!
May the glory of the Lord’s miracle strengthen your faith and renew your hope.
Wishing you many blessings this Easter.



We spent the day with my family. The sun came out after several days of rain, and we were able to spend time outside with an Easter egg hunt and playing with the kids.

Back at home tonight Kevin was in the living room with Hannah while I was editing photos from the day. I heard Hannah talking a lot about eggs. All of a sudden Kevin yelled, "Mommy, you'll want to come see this!" While Kevin had dozed off in a recliner for a few minutes, Hannah opened up an Easter egg coloring kit, put water in the decorating cups, inserted the colored tablets in the cups, and was telling her daddy to get up and get her some eggs!!!! ACK!!! Luckily, she can't open the refrigerator to get eggs, and didn't make much of a mess. She just dripped a little of the colored water onto her jammies. Thank goodness we have wood laminate flooring and got rid of all of the beige carpet!

lady stickers, dress up, and cupcakes

Hannah and I enjoyed a play date at Allie and Lora's house today!



Hannah and I brought a long one of Hannah's favorite activities that she refers to as "lady stickers."



I get a kick out of hanging Picasso-like art on my refrigerator, and I appreciate that the collection of ladies are of a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.



It wasn't long before Hannah said, "I want to wear a crown," and Allie readily shared her dress up clothes with Hannah.



Stinkin' cute, I know!



They're gamers already at age three.



Lora had baked spring time cupcakes and the girls got to eat all of the frosting and sprinkles they wanted decorate them.



Lora's daughter Allie is a master at cupcake art.



My daughter is more interested in shoveling large quantities of frosting and sprinkles into her mouth.



She didn't learn this from watching me, I swear.



Looking forward to seeing you ladies again when it's warmer and we can play outside!

Redirect: Taiwan gives most in world to Japan

The Taipei Times published an article Sunday reporting that Taiwan has donated more money than any other nation to Japan in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

I-600A approval

Our I-600A approval came today in our mail box. We're one step closer to a second child. :)

Last night we has some unexpected sass from Miss Hannah. Kevin asked Hannah to bring him something. She was taking her sweet time. Daddy told her to quit messing around and get to it. Hannah replied in an exasperated tone, "I'm working on it, Daddy!"

That phrase is SO something that Kevin uses with me when I'm telling him to do something! Haha!

Redirect: Peepshi

I so want to do this! Making Peepshi looks way more fun than dipping Easter eggs. :)

expected and unexpected

Expected: "You take pitch-ure and then we get chalk-it candies. Alright?"



Unexpected: Lots of lifting up of our pretty shirt and examining the belly button.

my little bulldog

We've been talking a lot about "bulldogs" at home with my team doing so well in the tournament. Tonight after dinner I called a friend that owns a real bulldog and asked if we could stop by before the game to see her dog. Hannah was very interested in this big snorting wrinkled dog, but didn't want to pet him.

Our team didn't win the national championship tonight, but it was a fun ride. Thanks for the fun, guys. Proud of the Butler Way. Proud to be a Butler Bulldog.

Hannah started preschool aged swim classes today. I didn't realize it until last night that parents wouldn't be in the water with the preschoolers ages 3-5. I was so worried about how Hannah would be on her own with a high school aged instructor aka a STRANGER. She warmed up to Molly way quicker than I could have ever imagined and I beamed while watching Hannah hold on to a noodle and kick her way around the pool. That's my girl! :)

sing-along

Thanks to lots of time spent with Grandma at our house while Daddy recovered from surgery this winter, Hannah knows her Disney princesses. She likes them all pretty equally. Sometimes when Hannah wants to watch Mulan, she asks for "my Chinese movie."

Last night while picking up the house we had turned on Mulan for Hannah on the TV in her bedroom. I walked past the door to her room and heard her quietly singing along with the song "Reflection." I quietly hid in Hannah's doorway and, with tears in my eyes, listened to her sing Reflection and get half of the words right. I sang along with her at the end, revealing my presence. She stopped singing, a little embarrassed. At the end she said, "Mommy, I like that song." Me, too.

immigration

A little before 8am this morning we were wanded by security and entered the waiting room for immigration. Hannah has a cold and isn't feeling well. She held tightly to one of her favorite flannel blankies. The immigration office has rows of plastic chairs that fold up like movie theater chairs. There are glass covered windows and one can talk with an immigration officer through the glass windows. We sat down in the front row of chairs to wait our turn and Hannah loudly asked, "Are we going to see a movie???"

We had a pretty awful trip because Hannah isn't feeling well, but I'll spare you the gross details. The bright spot of the trip was spending an hour in the pool with our little fish! Mommy really enjoyed well deserved time in the jacuzzi tub, too!