tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54374491741385275132024-03-05T22:33:25.257-06:00Cliodocumenting our adoption story...Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08904312596252519993noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-76412684213031391912011-12-11T17:50:00.003-06:002011-12-12T09:53:18.282-06:00Three is a Magic NumberThis blog is (over) three years old, Evie is three, we're a family of three. It's a number that traditionally represents unity and completion. I've been feeling for months that my blogging is complete and finished, but I've left things open to the possibility of another adoption and my potential desire to write about that process.<div><br /></div><div>But a couple of things have happened to change that. First, J and I have both experienced a growing feeling of peace about being done with the adoption process. As the last year and a half has progressed we haven't felt more and more anxious about being chosen by a birth family, but instead more and more peaceful about not being chosen at all. This is not to say that our family is finished, but that we are ready to leave infant adoption behind and wait a few years before considering foster adoption of a child younger than Evie. My thought is to perhaps wait until Evie is in middle school and then adopt an elementary-aged child. We'll look at that more closely in a few years.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other thing that happened recently is that I switched e-mail accounts and didn't realize that by deleting my old e-mail, Blogger would delete all of the photos on this blog that were attached to that old account. Even though I authorized my new e-mail as an administrator of the blog, the photos were lost. I still have them on my computer, but I don't have time to go back and re-upload them all back into the posts where they belong. Grrrr. Technology strikes again.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, blogging is done for now. I haven't been good about posting or keeping up with other blogs recently anyhow, so it's a no-brainer decision. I'm Facebook friends with some of the women I've met in the infertility/adoption blogging community, so I still keep up with people that way. E-mail me if you'd like to friend me there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Evie is doing great, but I really don't have anything to write about parenting that isn't being said on a million other mommy blogs right now. It's challenging, it's fun, it's a daily blessing and I could brag about my daughter for many, many paragraphs. :) As far as blogging about our open adoption, I'm not feeling as comfortable with that right now. We definitely have adoption-related issues, conversations, etc., but as Evie gets closer to the age where she'll "get it" I am less and less comfortable writing about R & G online at all, and I am careful what I say to people about them, especially around Evie. She's the classic little pitcher with big ears.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhow, unless God intervenes between now and February (when our home study expires), this is it for Clio. I've been immeasurably blessed by the relationships I've formed by participating in the online ALI and mommy blogging world, so thank you to everyone who has read the blog, cared about my family and offered prayers for us over the years!</div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08904312596252519993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-37043002568976765292011-07-03T14:06:00.001-05:002011-07-03T14:08:22.425-05:00Happy Independence Day!Evie's first sparkler was a big hit:<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V64vzXQQz7c/ThC9-djT2VI/AAAAAAAACxw/5gw1dr_J2so/s1600/IMGP5642.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V64vzXQQz7c/ThC9-djT2VI/AAAAAAAACxw/5gw1dr_J2so/s320/IMGP5642.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625204815368018258" /></a><br />Hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-84205563835106423422011-04-20T14:10:00.002-05:002011-04-20T14:11:22.788-05:00California VacationWe just got back from a week's vacation in California with Evie's Nana and Papa, and it was a great time:<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SzKC655pYPY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-84452461908272570022011-04-07T07:13:00.003-05:002011-04-07T07:36:41.603-05:00Gone Fishin'<div>Evie and I went to a local children's farm yesterday, where she had a blast feeding baby goats, gobbling at a male turkey, seeing her first bald eagle and catching her first fish! I have to admit that a nearby dad who was there fishing with his son taught me how to put a worm on the hook, and then helped me get our fish off of the hook and back in the lake. Next time I'll know how to do it myself, which makes me feel like supermommy. Let me assure the rest of you who might have the same hesitations that I did...worms don't feel nearly as gross as they look, and they don't bleed when you put them on the hook. It's not nearly as disgusting as you might think. Anyhow. Unfortunately, we were too excited about our little fish (it was silver...small trout?) and forgot to get a picture of it for posterity. But we did get a few other pictures from the day.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UIeioTksu-E/TZ2tHsguONI/AAAAAAAACtE/XpLRkOmUP9U/s1600/IMGP3788.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UIeioTksu-E/TZ2tHsguONI/AAAAAAAACtE/XpLRkOmUP9U/s320/IMGP3788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592816659983120594" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w-ysYjZLG0w/TZ2tHXZZN6I/AAAAAAAACs8/IGtB6ibgwbU/s1600/IMGP3794.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w-ysYjZLG0w/TZ2tHXZZN6I/AAAAAAAACs8/IGtB6ibgwbU/s320/IMGP3794.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592816654315239330" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cr4JSMKwnac/TZ2tHJdW1DI/AAAAAAAACs0/a8IFJ6DJRD8/s1600/IMGP3832.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cr4JSMKwnac/TZ2tHJdW1DI/AAAAAAAACs0/a8IFJ6DJRD8/s320/IMGP3832.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592816650573763634" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLoA2EQiyaA/TZ2rGRGWodI/AAAAAAAACss/LsM8FRCw3V8/s1600/IMGP3856.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLoA2EQiyaA/TZ2rGRGWodI/AAAAAAAACss/LsM8FRCw3V8/s320/IMGP3856.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592814436421640658" /></a>(My friend is helping Evie hold her rod while I take the picture, and Evie's little friend is a second away from petting the worms.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-55374015824393763752011-03-19T12:05:00.007-05:002011-03-19T23:59:47.711-05:00Two and a Half<div>Evie is two and a half today! Growing up, my family celebrated half birthdays with a special outing and called it "Karen Day" or, now, "Evie Day." We aren't going anywhere today, but we took Evie's special trip on Tuesday to the Mall of America, with her Nana and Papa. She got to ride in the Wonderpets' flyboat and also the carousel, Ferris wheel and a Diego ride (all in the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park there). It was "Toddler Tuesday" and Evie got a ride wristband for about 1/2 price. She loved it! Today we had a little chocolate cake after lunch and if you ask her, Evie will tell you "I am two and a half now!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a picture of our sweetie from yesterday, enjoying spring weather outside. The socks make the outfit, don't you think?</div><div><br /></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JOChw-LFn68/TYTjMzh_bSI/AAAAAAAACsc/c-bLLN_rqys/s320/IMGP3740.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585839246976970018" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XMAz0NkymTM/TYTjq2pRYEI/AAAAAAAACsk/ttxqJuYHxlA/s1600/IMGP3703.JPG"></a><div>One more recent picture, here is Evie getting her first haircut last month. Her verdict: "I don't like haircuts." But she cooperated and now her hair is a tiny bit shorter with the baby wispies trimmed off. Since her hair is curly, you can't really tell any difference before and after the cut; she didn't really need the haircut, but I thought she might have a few split ends so it would be good to trim them once in awhile:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XMAz0NkymTM/TYTjq2pRYEI/AAAAAAAACsk/ttxqJuYHxlA/s1600/IMGP3703.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XMAz0NkymTM/TYTjq2pRYEI/AAAAAAAACsk/ttxqJuYHxlA/s320/IMGP3703.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585839763208888386" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the rundown on Evelyn at 2.5:</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*29.5 pounds (59th%)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*36 inches tall (53rd%)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*size 7 shoe</div><div style="text-align: left;">*teeth: all 20! (and no more drooling!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite toy: umbrella/parasol</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite book: whatever is new and different (e.g. library books)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite character: Kipper</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite color: blue</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite activity: going on a walk</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite song: Brahms Lullaby (words by Daddy)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite food: "mush and raisins" (cream of wheat)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite clothes: naked, or pajamas</div><div style="text-align: left;">*favorite shoes: <i>running </i>shoes</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*fears: drains (!), strangers, small appliances (sometimes they are loud)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*dislikes: getting out of the bathtub, new foods, brushing teeth, bedtime</div><div style="text-align: left;">*challenges: she's recently started playing favorites; yesterday she only wanted Daddy and told me to "go away!" but then today she called out "I want Mommy!" when J was trying to get her upstairs for a nap. She's also started asking both of us for something she wants, if the first parent she asks says "no." So we're working on the united front. And if we both say no she starts up with the whining "pleeeeease?" We're staying strong and hope to extinguish the whining by not giving in.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*potty learning: so far, so good...only a handful of accidents in the last 6 weeks</div><div style="text-align: left;">*sleeping: doesn't nap unless she's sick or had a short night of sleep. Generally she's sleeping 12 hours total from about 7 pm to 7 am.</div><div style="text-align: left;">*drinking: about 16 oz. of 2% milk and/or soy milk each day and about the same amount of water</div><div style="text-align: left;">*eating: picky, picky, picky...a typical day is toast with jam for breakfast, PB&J sandwich and fruit for lunch, trail mix for a snack and peas, black beans and something else for dinner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">*gross motor: can gallop, run faster than my jogging pace (!) and do most playground equipment by herself (except big kid stuff like monkey bars)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*fine motor: much less messy with a spoon these days</div><div style="text-align: left;">*verbal: "no" at 2 years is now "I don't <b>want </b>to" at 2.5 and this morning she said "Mommy, you need to put on some socks; your feet look kinda cold." Her grammar grows every. single. day. She's also full of questions. Reading a book produces a lot of "what's that?" questions and when we are driving somewhere I have to answer "where are we going?" about every 5 minutes. A few times she's gone on "why?" binges as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;">*cognitive: she can count past 20 by rote if she wants to (if she's focused on it) and if you put 5 or fewer objects in front of her and ask her to count them she'll get the right number by pointing to each item as she counts. If you give her more than 5 items she tends to skip some or count some twice and arrive at the wrong number.</div><div style="text-align: left;">*social: understands gender and mostly knows whether people are "boys" or "girls" and is very interested in feelings. When a character in a book is not smiling, she often asks "what is his mouth doing?" which is her way of asking "what is his emotion?" If I am feeling frustrated or tired, Evie will quiz me with "Are you happy, Mommy?" over and over. Sometimes the question improves my mood and sometimes it doesn't. :) She's also learning to share, if we're there to remind her to do it.</div><div style="text-align: left;">*play: the pretend play stage is here! J and I are encouraged to nibble on a piece of mulch that is a "cupcake" or coo at the invisible baby she's rocking in her arms. My absolute favorite is when she reads books to her stuffed animals.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We're looking forward to the return of warm weather and the fun we'll have in the back yard this year with Evie's new water table, and in the park with her bike. Her third birthday will be here before we know it, and Evie already knows what she wants: balloons and chocolate cake.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-86876698915195569112011-02-06T21:38:00.005-06:002011-02-11T00:04:05.399-06:00ButterflyLast fall we visited the "Butterfly Palace" in Branson (fun and cheesy vacay with Nana and Papa!) and learned that some caterpillars actually liquefy themselves within the cocoon in order to undergo metamorphosis into a butterfly. J and I kind of feel as though the past few days have been our chrysalis stage as a family and we truly entered this week parenting a baby and left it parenting a butterfly. No, wait, a kid.<div><br /></div><div>The book we used for potty learning emphasized the importance of parents sending a clear, confident message to the kid that "You are a big girl/boy and we believe in you! You can do this!" J and I definitely got this message through to Evie and she will adamantly tell you now that "I am NOT a baby." This week we went from diapers to panties. We went from afternoon nap to reading time. We also put her high chair downstairs and went permanently to her booster seat. It's not a big deal since she had already been in her booster 80% of the time, but it sent a clear message. Finally, we rearranged her room and put her crib totally out of commission. She'd already been mostly sleeping in her toddler bed, but again, it added to our "big girl" message.</div><div><br /></div><div>What worked:</div><div><br /></div><div>*sticker charts: she got to put one tiny Dr. Seuss sticker on a sticker chart every time she peed and the charts were numbered 1 to 26, so she got a special reward on #26 (a favorite movie or game). By the end of the weekend, less than a week into training, she'd already weaned herself from the sticker charts by getting bored of them and not asking for stickers every time she peed. Yay!</div><div><br /></div><div>*naked bottom time: at our house this is "nakey jakey time." We didn't start this until a few days in, but it has worked really well. If I need to get something done and let Evie take more responsibility for her own bladder control, stripping her bottomless with access to a potty has worked really well. She hasn't had any accidents so far when she's going "nakey jakey." This approach has its limits when it's time to go to school or on an errand, but if I need to do the dishes it's very handy.</div><div><br /></div><div>*the timer: as J said this week "Pavlov's dog!" If <i>we</i> told her to go potty she might obey or she might resist, but when the timer went off she quickly ran to the potty without argument. The timer removes the human relationship from the equation; it's an inanimate object telling her it's time to go instead of her mother saying it...her mother who also tells her to stop walking on her books and to eat her macaroni with a spoon...the bossy mom who must be defied because Evie is 2 and is her own woman now! Anyhow, the timer was great for about 4-5 days, until we all got used to the new routine and weaned ourselves from it. Now we use a combination of parental prompting and Evie responding to signals from her bladder. Yay!</div><div><br /></div><div>What didn't work:</div><div><br /></div><div>*hand washing: Evie is prone to eczema and in those first few days of training while she was going every 20 minutes, she started having bad rashes on her hands from washing them so much. We've backed off from the hand washing and are only enforcing it for after poop. Urine is sterile anyhow. We'll re-introduce it when she has more bladder control so that it won't affect her skin so much. And we are enforcing it when we're out and about in public restrooms and guest bathrooms.</div><div><br /></div><div>*panties at night: the book we used suggested that Evie could learn to hold her bladder at night, so we gave it a (very) brief try. The first night I woke her up at about midnight when I went to bed and took her to potty (and she was dry!), but she cried and asked to sleep in our bed. Ack! The last thing I need is a toddler in big girl panties coming into bed with us...we don't have a waterproof mattress pad! I did get her back asleep in her own bed and I set my alarm for 7 am to wake up before her. I planned to wake her up and whisk her right to the potty, since many kids pee as they wake in the morning. But when I went in to wake her she was already soaking wet and VERY sad to be woken up from sweet dreams to find a stinking wet bed and pajamas. FAIL. So now we are using "special nighttime panties" (pull-ups) for bedtime and will wean her from them when we think she's ready (i.e. when daytime dryness is easy).</div><div><br /></div><div>*3 day potty training: the book is called "Potty Train in Three Days" and it took much longer than that for Evie. Day 1 and 2 were very stressful as she could only hold her bladder for 15-20 minutes at a time. Day 3 was better, but Evie still hadn't made the brain-bladder connection. Day 4 was hopeful...only 2 accidents! Day 5 was bliss, no accidents! (But we were still prompting her to pee each time and she was taking no responsibility for it all.) Day 6 was only one accident. Day 7 was horrible; we went to storytime at the library and she was terrified by the big, public toilet there. She refused to go on the potty and had an accident at the library, then repeated the pattern 2 more times that day...putting a tiny bit of urine into the potty and saving the majority of her bladder contents for her clothing. By the afternoon I was despairing and in tears, wondering if I needed to put her back in diapers. But we survived, and the next day was her first day back at "school" (parent's day out). She stayed dry through school!!! Since then it's been a breeze; each day she can hold her bladder longer and is more apt to tell us "I need to go potty!" instead of letting us remind her to go.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't believe it...I am a mother to a little girl with curly pigtails, skinny legs and big girl panties. There is very little baby left in my Evie Bea. But if I close my eyes, kiss her cheek and breathe in her sweet scent I can still grasp those memories of the chubby infant she was, not so long ago. My baby is only 2 and I'm already sentimental about her babyhood! </div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-15962451154581739762011-02-01T19:55:00.003-06:002011-02-01T20:31:49.585-06:00BIG GirlToday Evie officially became a big girl. We are having a blizzard, like much of the country right now, and Evie's school (Parent's Day Out) was canceled, so I took the opportunity to start 3-day potty training (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Potty-Train-Three-Days-Kleint/dp/0971639906/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">this is the book</a>).<div><br /></div><div>This morning I put Evie on the potty in the morning, threw away her diaper and put her into panties, then had her help me load up all diapering gear into trash bags and take them to the garage. (Changing pad, wipes, diaper cream, swim diapers, EVERYTHING.) We talked about how she was a big girl now and not a baby and it was time to say goodbye to diapers and use the potty from now on.</div><div><br /></div><div>(I have to add, here, that we have been slowly potty learning since she was about 14 months old and so by this time she knows exactly what to do on the potty, how to pull her own pants up and down, how to flush and wash her hands independently, and how to push in her bottom to make herself go. She still needs some help with wiping and with knowing when she needs to go. She has been putting about 60% of her poop into the potty for the past few weeks, as well. She was very prepared to start today. At least *I* knew she was prepared even if she didn't.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I won't go into the specifics of this particular PL (potty learning) system but just say that it involves positive reinforcement and the parent keeping a close watch over the child to prevent accidents. We had several accidents this morning because Evie has been the type of child who pees tiny amounts into her diaper all day instead of having learned to hold her bladder. It is frustrating to have her pee a tiny amount on the potty and then wet her panties 10 minutes later, but it's all a part of the learning process and I have faith that it will get better tomorrow and the days after that, as she learns bladder control. This afternoon she did much better and kept the same pair of panties dry from about 3 pm until bedtime! </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, she did wet her bedtime panties about 10 minutes after lights out, so we'll need to leave more time tomorrow night between dinner and bed so that she can leave her dinnertime milk in the toilet. The book we're using suggests "fortifying" the bed with extra mattress pads and sheets and limiting liquids before bed--giving the child a chance to learn night dryness instead of automatically using pull-ups at bedtime and sending the child the message that "you can't stay dry at night." We're going to give it a few days and see how Evie does, but we won't bat an eye at going back to diapers for nighttime if she needs it. But right now our plan is to wake her up to urinate before we go to bed and hope she is sleepy enough to go right back to sleep. My parents used that method for my brother and I for years and my mom swears that it works.</div><div><br /></div><div>I might be crazy, but along with this major milestone I'm combining a second one by letting Evie drop her nap. She's been showing signs for weeks now: fighting her nap for over an hour and then sleeping too late in the afternoon and then fighting bedtime, or taking a good nap and then refusing to fall asleep until 10 at night, or skipping her nap altogether and then going to bed like an angel. So today I sat her down after lunch and told her "You're a big girl now, wearing panties, etc... and big girls are allowed to say 'no thank you' to nap time. Would you like to say 'no thank you' to a nap today?" Of course she said yes as soon as she understood what I was saying. So I told her that instead she and I would have a reading hour in her room. I put a "magic reading carpet" (beach towel) on her bed and I sat in her rocking chair. She read picture books and I read my novel. I only got about 5 pages read between talking to her, reading to her and taking her potty 2 times (plus one accident), but it's a start. I hope that our reading hour becomes a huge success as we continue; I love the idea that I still get a little break of silence to have some time for myself, besides that I'm modeling a love of books for Evie. </div><div><br /></div><div>She did very well this afternoon after reading hour and fell asleep at about 8 pm after lights out at around 7:15 (much of the 45 minutes in between was spent singing "Peas Porridge Hot," going potty and having her panties changed). Forty five minutes to settle down and fall asleep is pretty normal for Evie, but it's a long time considering the lack of nap! Hopefully she'll settle quickly into the new routine. </div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, she <i>is</i> getting rewards for using the potty. Every time she urinates with a dry pair of panties she gets a sticker on a reward chart and when the chart is full she gets a special treat (like playing a favorite game with us) and when she poops in the potty she gets a piece of gummy candy. The gummy thing is not a great tradition, but I started it a couple of months ago and, what can I say? Gummy is very motivating for my daughter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wish me luck with day 2!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-87422082498659832462011-01-31T16:13:00.001-06:002011-01-31T16:13:55.275-06:00Awwwww...<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q5WbSfz5ovY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-39107373994606364142011-01-22T17:21:00.008-06:002011-01-23T00:36:05.892-06:00Evie the Artist<div>I've been reading a new (to me) blog in the last few months, called <a href="http://www.artfulparent.typepad.com/">The Artful Parent</a>. A friend sent me the link and it's been an inspiration for doing art with Evie. One book recommended on the blog is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Art-Experiences-Toddlers-Twos/dp/0876592221/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295738744&sr=8-1">First Art</a> and I've enjoyed having that at home as a resource as well. On a rainy/snowy/too hot/sick day at home with a toddler, it has a wonderful array for ideas for art projects with a little 'un. Not to say that art is only for boring afternoons, but it's nice to have the book on the shelf when I need some new ideas. I remember feeling frustrated a year ago because Evie was a young toddler and when I tried to do art with her on those long winter afternoons, she tended to eat the crayons, or suck the water out of the aquadoodle pen, or put the stickers on herself instead of the paper. Yes, I got over myself. But anyhow, this year is much better and it's exciting to see her interest and skills develop. Here are some recent pictures.</div><div><br /></div><div>Decorating our windows with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crayola-52-9765-Window-Crayons-5-Pack/dp/B001QKNOZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1295739150&sr=8-1-catcorr">window crayons:</a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtndtg2y6I/AAAAAAAACsQ/MJDSfQtM95w/s1600/IMGP3373.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtndtg2y6I/AAAAAAAACsQ/MJDSfQtM95w/s320/IMGP3373.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565155524677651362" /></a>Evie learned to cut with scissors today! She has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Educational-ChildSafe-Scissor/dp/B000VNVVK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1295739219&sr=8-1">safe scissors</a> that won't cut clothes or hair:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnIHEbiEI/AAAAAAAACsI/SpSEjikQZVY/s1600/IMGP3481.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnIHEbiEI/AAAAAAAACsI/SpSEjikQZVY/s320/IMGP3481.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565155153580623938" /></a>Look! She's getting the idea of coloring! Before this week we've never seen her color in the focused way you can see with the blue hat:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnH4sokxI/AAAAAAAACsA/L7j2eWmG1fk/s1600/IMGP3484.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnH4sokxI/AAAAAAAACsA/L7j2eWmG1fk/s320/IMGP3484.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565155149722718994" /></a>And finally, some early attempts at representational painting. I don't know why Blogger rotated this picture because it should be rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise. Anyhow, the green is grass and the blue is sky, and the yellow smudge is a sun. The orange and purple are flowers and birds, according to Evie. I think all kids draw these types of things at first; it must be because they see the green grass, blue sky, etc. so much in picture books, right? I remember reading that even kids who live in smoggy cities draw blue skies:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnHhbTNtI/AAAAAAAACr4/VMUzmczBWw0/s1600/IMGP3483.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TTtnHhbTNtI/AAAAAAAACr4/VMUzmczBWw0/s320/IMGP3483.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565155143476000466" /></a>Our fridge is covered with masterpieces. Fun!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-46043272517651182652011-01-15T22:04:00.003-06:002011-01-16T00:08:16.737-06:00Talking about Adoption with a ToddlerI read somewhere that kids can't truly understand the concept of adoption until they are about 5 or 6 years old, and that every conversation you have with a child before that age is really just practice for the real thing. I think the hardest thing for me about talking to Evie about adoption is finding words that are at her comprehension level to express such big, important and somewhat abstract ideas. She's still a little fuzzy about the terms "boy" and "girl," so the concept of "first parents" and "adopted" are way beyond her ken.<div><br /></div><div>Tonight we read the book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wished-You-Adoption-Recipient-Creative/dp/1934082066/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295152024&sr=8-1">I Wished For You</a></i> at Evie's bedtime, and afterward had a conversation:</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: "Evie, you know you were adopted just like Barley!"</div><div>Evie: "Adopted."</div><div>Me: "Yes, we adopted you. You know that R and G are coming to visit us tomorrow; they are your first parents."</div><div>Evie: "First parents."</div><div>Me: "Yes, when you were born you came out of R's tummy and then Mommy and Daddy adopted you."</div><div>Evie: "And we eat cake!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, at least she has positive associations with adoption at this point? :)</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-53828073654904221332011-01-01T23:02:00.007-06:002011-01-02T14:41:28.477-06:00Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!We spent Christmas with my parents, Evie's Grandma and Grandpa, and my brother and his family--including new twin nephews! It was a wonderful trip despite the long travel time to Washington D.C. I had fun holding 3-month-olds again and enjoyed changing poopy diapers and getting spit up on...at least for a few days. <div><br /></div><div>Here is one of my new favorite pictures, of Evie with one of her twin cousins:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSArm_n054I/AAAAAAAACrQ/9NsoDE8FctU/s1600/IMGP2894.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSArm_n054I/AAAAAAAACrQ/9NsoDE8FctU/s320/IMGP2894.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557489889088694146" /></a>Here are Evie and her cousin C before Christmas Eve church:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALztEBNSI/AAAAAAAACrI/NQ-i0WiUoWM/s1600/IMGP3007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALztEBNSI/AAAAAAAACrI/NQ-i0WiUoWM/s320/IMGP3007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557454923072877858" /></a>Christmas morning, playing with her Uncle D's squishy rat (a stocking stuffer) which looks like a rubber rat until you throw it on the floor and it turns into a puddle of goo before it pops back into its original shape. Of course, Evie was more fascinated with this than with her own stocking stuffers:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALzfu6d4I/AAAAAAAACrA/loTxDHKAvn8/s1600/IMGP3097.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALzfu6d4I/AAAAAAAACrA/loTxDHKAvn8/s320/IMGP3097.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557454919494694786" /></a>Evie and her cousins in front of the tree before gift opening on Christmas morning:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALzLEb6GI/AAAAAAAACq4/D_7dI2AHjEw/s1600/IMGP3108.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALzLEb6GI/AAAAAAAACq4/D_7dI2AHjEw/s320/IMGP3108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557454913947822178" /></a>Evie received a new cowboy hat and boots from her Grandma and Grandpa, but since her rocking horse and stick pony were left at home, she had to make do with a decorative rocking horse as her steed:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALygISxzI/AAAAAAAACqw/DS57aItvNcA/s1600/IMGP3147.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALygISxzI/AAAAAAAACqw/DS57aItvNcA/s320/IMGP3147.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557454902421276466" /></a>Evie also received some dress-up masks; a mouse, duck, bunny and an elephant:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALyNdGyBI/AAAAAAAACqo/6Vc-BIZKbAc/s1600/IMGP3169.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSALyNdGyBI/AAAAAAAACqo/6Vc-BIZKbAc/s320/IMGP3169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557454897408296978" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">On the 23rd, Evie tripped outside and face planted, scraping up her nose (she was our Rudolph for the holiday). On Christmas she scratched her scab and started it bleeding again, which makes for a fun family portrait...Evie with her Dora bandage, squinting at the camera flash! Here she is with my parents and her 3 cousins:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHt9G2wMI/AAAAAAAACqY/-NvM06501JY/s1600/IMGP3228.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHt9G2wMI/AAAAAAAACqY/-NvM06501JY/s320/IMGP3228.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557450426254016706" /></a>Rudolph (she LOVED having that bandage on her nose):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtis2isI/AAAAAAAACqQ/fXWzh6d37UI/s1600/IMGP3243.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtis2isI/AAAAAAAACqQ/fXWzh6d37UI/s320/IMGP3243.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557450419165629122" /></a>I love how the good light in this playroom (at my friend Jen's house) brings out the blue in Evie's eyes:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtXj9BOI/AAAAAAAACqI/6Rn1sonlFMw/s1600/IMGP3325.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtXj9BOI/AAAAAAAACqI/6Rn1sonlFMw/s320/IMGP3325.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557450416175514850" /></a>Ready for bed, the night before we left to drive home, wearing her new "princess" nightgown and holding Grandpa's stuffed armadillo, which she slept with that night:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtOT3VqI/AAAAAAAACqA/QcGTTcEeJeo/s1600/IMGP3350.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TSAHtOT3VqI/AAAAAAAACqA/QcGTTcEeJeo/s320/IMGP3350.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557450413692114594" /></a>It is humbling to learn about the real meaning of Christmas from your toddler. On Christmas Eve the church we attended had a living nativity and Evie spent a full five minutes staring at the youth group dressed up in pageant costumes, Mary holding a very fake-looking baby doll (and no live animals). She didn't want to go home because she was so fascinated by the pubescent wise men and the shepherds carrying stuffed animal sheep. I tried to lure her away with the promise of one gift from under the tree before bedtime, but she responded "no, I don't want a present. I just wanna look at the nativity." From the mouths of babes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our family has been richly blessed this year and we look forward to what 2011 will bring. We hope that our family will include a second baby by next Christmas, but after the joy of adopting Evie we feel content to wait patiently for God's will. It is SO different this time; we both feel peace and hope instead of anxiety and pessimism.</div><div><br /></div><div>My resolution for 2011 is to put myself first more often, knowing that a mom who gets enough sleep, exercises regularly, has a strong marriage, spends time with friends and studies the Bible daily is a better mom than one who is sleep-deprived, weak, stressed, lonely and ultimately depressed because she has put everyone else's needs in front of her own. I remember getting that same advice from magazines and friends before I was a mom, but some lessons we need to learn from experience before they really stick.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy 2011 everyone!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-47104635651747435422010-12-15T21:27:00.003-06:002010-12-15T21:34:48.996-06:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIfLzFcdI/AAAAAAAACl0/HamWqBrF9Pc/s1600/IMGP2829.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIfLzFcdI/AAAAAAAACl0/HamWqBrF9Pc/s320/IMGP2829.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551118085035225554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIevrzfSI/AAAAAAAACls/4urbnuJwiSo/s1600/IMGP2834.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIevrzfSI/AAAAAAAACls/4urbnuJwiSo/s320/IMGP2834.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551118077488495906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIebOk5xI/AAAAAAAAClk/vXuktWT_pyM/s1600/IMGP2841.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmIebOk5xI/AAAAAAAAClk/vXuktWT_pyM/s320/IMGP2841.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551118071997196050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmId3h_S4I/AAAAAAAAClc/yk9Hkq8cdzs/s1600/IMGP2847.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TQmId3h_S4I/AAAAAAAAClc/yk9Hkq8cdzs/s320/IMGP2847.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551118062414941058" /></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-86332554787695952182010-12-01T18:05:00.002-06:002010-12-01T18:15:32.667-06:00Happy Birthday to Me<div>Thank you to my loving husband who baked me a cake today, took us out for lunch and bought me too many thoughtful gifts, as usual. :) Notice Evie's businesslike attitude in this video: "Yeah, yeah, it's Mommy's birthday. Whatever." Right before this was recorded she was singing "Happy Birthday to me!" with much more enthusiasm!</div><div><br /></div><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hW5A3Sltq-A?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hW5A3Sltq-A?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>33 is feeling great so far!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-56930825351464718742010-11-30T19:58:00.002-06:002010-11-30T20:38:34.175-06:00Great Offer for Bloggers from Shutterfly!I heard about this promotion from a few of the other blogs I read, and I'm happy to pass it along because it is a product I love! Shutterfly is offering 50 free Holiday photo cards to bloggers: <a href="http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/">sign up here</a>. <div><br /></div><div>If you have never designed a photo greeting card before, you are in for a treat! <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards">There are over 800 different designs to choose from</a>, and browsing through the options is almost as fun as receiving your cards in the mail and getting to see them in print for the first time. I love being able to use more than one photo from the past year, <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/with-love-chartreuse-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93496">like this style</a>, and also that there are beautiful religious-themed option <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/good-blessings-religious-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93496">like this one</a> with its subtle Christian imagery. Last year, we chose a card that featured the word "Joy" <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/glitter-glamour-joy-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93496">like this one</a>, because it perfectly fits the experience of sharing Christmas with a toddler! </div><div><br /></div><div>The variety on Shutterfly's site extends beyond the colors, layout and wording. <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery">You can also choose from different sizes and types of paper</a>. There are 4x8 designs so that you can easily slip your family Christmas letter inside the envelope, flat stationary cards so that you can have a photo on one side and write a personal message on the back, or 5x7 folding cards that look like traditional Christmas cards and will stand up on Grandma's mantel.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've also spent some time recently designing <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars">calendars </a>to give as Christmas gifts. We create one version with just pictures of Evie to give J's side of the family and I collaborate with my sister-in-law each year to create a calendar with pictures of Evie and my nephew(s). Recently my grandmother said to my mom "it's sad to get to the end of my calendar; I love seeing my great-grandkids each month" and my mom had to chuckle "ummm...you know you'll get a new one at Christmas, right?" I love that we can include custom dates like birthdays and anniversaries, so that nobody's special day is accidentally forgotten.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to Shutterfly for such a generous gift to bloggers!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-33604928867936842642010-11-26T09:45:00.003-06:002010-11-26T09:49:16.973-06:00Happy Thanksgiving<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xy3n3TuRkPM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xy3n3TuRkPM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-79278065268862824042010-11-21T22:58:00.002-06:002010-11-21T23:32:58.053-06:00Evie update at 26 months<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TOn58HIII9I/AAAAAAAAClQ/oA8YaVkQDiE/s1600/IMGP2635.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TOn58HIII9I/AAAAAAAAClQ/oA8YaVkQDiE/s320/IMGP2635.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542235627556709330" /></a>The Good:<div><br /></div><div>*spontaneous "I lub you"</div><div>*singing the call-outs to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with me</div><div>*choosing a tutu and cowboy boots for our morning at Bible study</div><div>*waking up in a good mood in the morning</div><div>*less separation anxiety when I drop her off at the church nursery and PDO (parent's day out)</div><div>*easily distracted from meltdowns</div><div>*loves to learn new things</div><div>*happiness is as simple as going outside and wearing sunglasses</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bad:</div><div><br /></div><div>*post-Halloween fixation on the glories of CANDY</div><div>*will only eat healthy foods now if she's promised CANDY afterward (sigh, I brought this on myself)</div><div>*has started hitting us, herself and objects when she's frustrated or angry (we're working on labeling her emotion for her and talking about alternate ways to vent)</div><div>*resists sleep by singing to herself (this would be fine in theory except that singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "The Wheels on the Bus" etc. for over an hour cuts into her total sleep time and leaves her chronically tired.)</div><div>*Is in the testing limits phase, which is normal, healthy, expected, and exhausting</div><div><br /></div><div>The Quotes:</div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm a baby." No, Evie, you're not a baby. Do you know what you are? "I'm a toddle. I'm a women."</div><div><br /></div><div>"I have a idea! I wanna ride a elephant."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Mommy, Daddy, Evie. We a family."</div><div><br /></div><div>What would you like for breakfast this morning? "How 'bout candy?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"I only have one shoe! That's silly."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Mommy, you wanna come in the other room an play with me?"</div><div><br /></div><div>How can I choose dishes over that?!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-39896146212424476832010-10-31T19:57:00.004-05:002010-10-31T20:14:28.473-05:00Happy Halloween!<div style="text-align: left;">Evie had two costumes this year, patched together from thrift shop finds and things we already had around the house (and her birthday party hat). She won a prize for "cutest costume" at our church Halloween party this evening for her pirate girl costume:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TM4Rmumcp1I/AAAAAAAACk4/ik3YTtxt_Ek/s1600/IMGP2314.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TM4Rmumcp1I/AAAAAAAACk4/ik3YTtxt_Ek/s320/IMGP2314.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534380349126911826" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And on Friday she was a fairy for our playgroup Halloween party. When I secured the tiara on her head in front of the mirror, she said "I pretty!" So I guess the pretty princess phase has officially started and I have only myself to blame for encouraging her by buying the tiara in the first place!</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TM4RlmorlRI/AAAAAAAACko/LLJMMfVTN_g/s1600/IMGP2499.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TM4RlmorlRI/AAAAAAAACko/LLJMMfVTN_g/s320/IMGP2499.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534380329808925970" /></a>After our church party this evening we trick-or-treated up and down our street from about 6:45 to 7:15 or so, and Evie did a great job saying "trick or treat" and "thank you!" She had a tootsie pop and some gummy candy before bed but she was so worn out that it didn't keep her awake for a second. When I asked her before bath time whether she liked Halloween she replied "one more time?" So, yes. Happy Halloween everyone!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-57797272347526043022010-10-25T00:36:00.002-05:002010-10-25T00:57:35.669-05:00Quick Update<div>I actually have a lot to say, but no time and energy to say it right now! Here are a few pictures from the last month.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the pumpkin patch:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ01PDdNI/AAAAAAAACkg/90Bltiz-XeQ/s1600/IMGP2127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ01PDdNI/AAAAAAAACkg/90Bltiz-XeQ/s320/IMGP2127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531856112728634578" /></a>My little fishy with her Nana:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ0g3fHGI/AAAAAAAACkY/10lz6x5ZjIs/s1600/IMG_0470.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ0g3fHGI/AAAAAAAACkY/10lz6x5ZjIs/s320/IMG_0470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531856107261074530" /></a>Releasing butterflies at a butterfly exhibit:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ0fDBmRI/AAAAAAAACkQ/UgGEJ9CSjU8/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZ0fDBmRI/AAAAAAAACkQ/UgGEJ9CSjU8/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531856106772601106" /></a>The worst service ever at O*ld C*hicago Restaurant, but the chocolate chip cookies were yummy:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZz110A3I/AAAAAAAACkI/kDCc_wwMsvY/s1600/IMG_0532.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZz110A3I/AAAAAAAACkI/kDCc_wwMsvY/s320/IMG_0532.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531856095711331186" /></a>Evie's new favorite toy, her very own "little umbella" which is just as much fun in dry weather as in wet:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZzg_YAPI/AAAAAAAACkA/EMBwIPR7czM/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TMUZzg_YAPI/AAAAAAAACkA/EMBwIPR7czM/s320/IMG_0557.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531856090114294002" /></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-65364226560506104962010-09-19T05:02:00.001-05:002010-09-19T05:02:00.523-05:00Happy Second Birthday to Evie!I'll have more to say later on, but for today...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uvHeTxK4_0Q?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uvHeTxK4_0Q?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-67212851065107569702010-09-11T23:52:00.000-05:002010-09-11T23:52:51.029-05:00Teaching Babies and Toddlers<a href="http://embracingchallenges.blogspot.com/">Richele </a>posted a comment on Evie's 22 month post asking about our schedule and my methods for teaching Evie, so this post is in response! Thanks, Richele, for the suggestion because I enjoyed writing this.<div><br /></div><div><i>However, I am also hesitant. I'm a first-time mom to a toddler and my teaching background is with teenagers, so I am far from an expert. But I always enjoy reading about what other moms do with their kids, and often get ideas from them, so I'm happy to share my thoughts in that spirit and not as an authority on the subject. Please read my tone here as conversational, not as preachy. I am under no illusions that Evie is "gifted," especially since I tell her many times a day to take the (pencil, toy, rock, etc.) out of her mouth and remind her that we eat food and play with toys, not the other way around. If she were gifted, wouldn't she have figured that out by now? Anyhow.</i><div><br /></div><div>First, our schedule. There's really nothing special about our routine, compared to the average SAHM (stay at home mom), except that not every SAHM gets out of the house with her kid(s) as much as I do. We go somewhere (playdate, park, swimming, shopping, etc.) almost every day, usually in the morning. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's as much for Evie's stimulation and socialization as it is for my sanity. Since she was an infant, she's been a social butterfly and tends to get cranky when we stay home all day. My mom says I was the same way and would cry as she carried me back over the threshold back into our house, while Evie tends to whine in the car when we make the turn into our neighborhood and she realizes we're headed home (of course this is usually headed home for lunch and nap, so she might just be starting her nap protest). </div><div><br /></div><div>As we eat breakfast each morning, Evie inevitably asks me "go bye bye?" and I tell her where we are going that day. Sometimes I tell her our schedule the night before, and then she'll prompt me at breakfast "go park?" or "go simmin? (swimming)." We rarely go anywhere further than 20 minutes away, so her time in the car isn't too bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhow, I don't have a specifically scheduled time during the day to sit down and teach Evie anything. Instead, I try to use teachable moments throughout the day. Catching a teachable moment is like catching quiet alert time with a newborn. I think toddlers learn best when they are alert, but not hyper, and calm, but not tired. For Evie, these moments happen when she is focused on something, like having a conversation with me, playing with a specific toy or reading a book. Sometimes I'm too busy or distracted to notice her mood, but often enough I do take advantage of those moments to teach a new word, demonstrate a fine motor skill or reinforce something else that she's learning. </div><div><br /></div><div>As far as teaching goes, it's challenging for me to write down a set of things I do because most of it is automatic/intuitive. My mother is an early childhood educator and did many of these techniques with me when I was a pre-schooler. Although I don't remember much of my early childhood, I think that I must have unconsciously learned from her? Anyhow, after thinking about this a lot I think there are 4 general principles that I follow as a "baby teacher."</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Follow the child's natural interest; everything is easier to learn when you're interested in it, no matter what age you are.</div><div>Example: A couple of months ago, Evie's favorite books were <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angelina-Ballerinas-Shapes-Katharine-Holabird/dp/1584856165/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280441259&sr=8-2">Angelina Ballerina's Shapes</a> </i>and Todd Parr's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/ToddWorld-Silly-Shapes-Todd-Parr/dp/0316057096/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280441315&sr=1-1">The Silly Book of Shapes</a>. </i> She also loved to play with her shape sorter. So I started pointing out shapes to her in the world while we were out and about, and identifying the shapes of other things she played with. I didn't push the issue, just followed her interest and supplied the words she needed. Now she can identify and name all of the basics (circle, square, triangle, heart, star) and also some harder ones (oval, rectangle, diamond).</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Learning is fun and fun is learning<b>; </b>for toddlers, play is their job, it's the primary way they learn anything.</div><div>Example: When we are at the park playing, I have the opportunity to teach Evie about: </div><div><ul><li>looking <b>right </b>and <b>left </b>when we cross the street</li><li>grass is <b>soft </b>and cement is <b>hard</b></li><li>you're swinging <b>up </b>and <b>down</b></li><li>going up 1 2 3 4 5 steps</li><li>let's go down the red slide and then the blue slide</li><li>be careful because that baby is <b>littler </b>than you</li><li>that boy can swing on the monkey bars because he's <b>bigger </b>than you</li><li>keep your hat on to protect your eyes from Mr. Sun</li><li>it's <b>hotter </b>in the sun and <b>cooler </b>in the shade</li><li>if you put your feet down you'll go <b>slower</b> on the slide and if you pick them up you'll go <b>faster</b></li><li>the sign says n-o-s-m-o-k-i-n-g "No Smoking"</li><li>etc.</li></ul><div>3. General principle: Books. Lots and lots of books.</div><div><br /></div><div>Example: We've been reading <i>Goodnight Moon</i> to Evie every night since she was 6 months old or so, and she's gone through many phases with it. At first she was unimpressed, then went through a phase where it was the only book she'd sit still for. Then she was bored with it, and then figured out the game of finding the mouse and was fascinated once more. After another phase of tolerating it, now she has developed an interest in the text and will point to the words and say "A B E C L M P X Y" or something to that effect. One night last month she pointed to the words on one page and correctly said "Goodnight stars." Of course she can't read, but she has memorized the words to this book from constant repetition and has now linked the picture, text and phonics together, which is a step toward learning to read some day. Most recently, she likes to hear us read the book to her while she nuzzles in our necks with her blankie. It's so familiar that she doesn't care about the pictures any more. But when we are drawing pictures with crayons she asks us to draw her a pink moon, and then she says "goodnight pink moon." She has many books in her library, but her intimate relationship with this one book has given her the opportunity to relate to it in many different ways.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>4. Sing. Songs use rhyme, rhythm and the vocal instrument to exaggerate and emphasize phonics, grammar and storytelling. Thus, they lay the groundwork for future reading skills. They also get a child's attention, so they are a great distraction from misbehavior.</div><div><br /></div><div>Example: Awhile back we were reading books at bedtime and telling Evie that her Nana and Papa would arrive for a visit the next day, which ended in J and I singing a duet of "Tomorrow" from <i>Annie</i>. Evie did not criticize our pitch. Anyhow, now anytime I tell her something will happen "tomorrow" she starts singing "Tu-marra, tu-marra, I lub ya, tu-marra!" in jubilant tones. It's cute and silly, but it is helping her learn the concept of future time, and delayed gratification. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the comments, I'd love to hear from everyone else about their techniques for teaching little ones. </div><div><br /></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-5166874737029774962010-09-05T14:41:00.003-05:002010-09-05T15:10:16.841-05:00Spread ThinWe are staying very busy these days. <div><br /></div><div>We spent 2 weeks in Mississippi visiting my brother and sister-in-law while she is on bed rest with twin boys, dilated to 3cm. Praise God, the babies are staying put a little longer and hopefully will be born around 35 weeks, healthy and strong. As I said before, Evie and I will probably visit them again once the babies arrive, to help out in our limited, crazy, mommy and toddler manner. Evie had a great time with her 3-year-old cousin, but the chaos she added to house pretty evenly balanced out the help I was able to offer with laundry, shopping, food prep and playing with my nephew.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that we are home again, Evie is going to start a parent's day out (PDO) program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I'm going to start a bible study on Wednesday mornings, we'll attend toddler story time at the library on Monday mornings and Evie has started gymnastics class on Tuesday evenings. I'm excited to start our little routine and get done some things around the house that desperately need my attention. For example, I haven't washed windows in a full year, and haven't dusted the blinds properly in months. I've always been an efficient housekeeper, but now that I'm a full-time mom I'm a veritable whirlwind of cleaning energy when I have time in the house to myself. Watch out house, I'll be home Tuesday morning at 9:30 and I'm breaking out the microfiber cloths and having my way with you. On Thursday, I might just pull out the orange oil and polish furniture! On top of everything, I'm tackling a big project at church of re-organizing all of the cabinets in the classrooms and kitchens and the pantry, cleaning the shelves and lining them all with contact paper. This kind of thing is right up my alley as a Type A neatnik.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhow, until I get through this period of busyness, which I think we all experience in the fall, I'm going to be taking a blog break. I'll post for Evie's birthday in a couple of weeks, and I'll post if we hear anything about the second adoption, but other than that I'll probably be silent. We'll see. Here is a fun picture of Evie from our trip to Mississippi:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TIPy_PPaPEI/AAAAAAAACek/msByUUFg3CA/s1600/DSCN1409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TIPy_PPaPEI/AAAAAAAACek/msByUUFg3CA/s320/DSCN1409.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513517537068465218" /></a><br />and a short video of her jumping off the diving board at the pool there (in Mississippi):<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6gbK2EeBtE8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6gbK2EeBtE8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><br />The floatation device she's wearing is this: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Puddle-Jumper-Basic-Jacket/dp/B00364E0C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1283717167&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Puddle-Jumper-Basic-Jacket/dp/B00364E0C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1283717167&sr=8-1</a><div><br /></div><div>I can't recommend this product highly enough. IT ROCKS. It gives Evie total confidence in the water and almost complete independence. Using it, she's learned to kick her legs and propel herself through the water, spin in circles and jump into water by herself. I'm not receiving any kind of incentive to promote the puddle jumper, I just think it's awesome. In my opinion, every kid 30-50 pounds who can't swim yet will love it.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-73040614841391581142010-08-22T23:24:00.002-05:002010-08-22T23:48:06.891-05:00In Brief<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6JGVRgZI/AAAAAAAACcc/XMV4aMZwtyk/s1600/DSCN1437.JPG"></a>We are in Mississippi, visiting my brother, sister-in-law (on strict bedrest with 31 week twins and pre-term labor) and nephew. My mom is also here helping out. Things have been...eventful. Here are a few highlights.<br /><br />Evie and her cousin gamboling like puppies on the golf course near the house here:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6I2FIAKI/AAAAAAAACcU/kVPXjbHP4RM/s1600/DSCN1447.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508458849113735330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6I2FIAKI/AAAAAAAACcU/kVPXjbHP4RM/s320/DSCN1447.JPG" /></a> She won't be two until next month, but somehow she already looks it in this picture, doesn't she?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6IT44JZI/AAAAAAAACcM/OEkeWPHDd4c/s1600/DSCN1409.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508458839935559058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6IT44JZI/AAAAAAAACcM/OEkeWPHDd4c/s320/DSCN1409.JPG" /></a> </div><div>Evie is learning a lot from her cousin, like baseball, bowling and football. He's allowed to tackle her, gently, on the grass:<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6IO7dpoI/AAAAAAAACcE/RfXn45Efux8/s1600/DSCN1451.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508458838604228226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/THH6IO7dpoI/AAAAAAAACcE/RfXn45Efux8/s320/DSCN1451.JPG" /></a></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-44348638727290882182010-08-07T22:27:00.003-05:002010-08-07T22:29:15.153-05:00Wordless Saturday<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TF4kZhN08_I/AAAAAAAACbs/k9G-b8Q7Q9A/s1600/SAM_1610.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502875815525020658" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TF4kZhN08_I/AAAAAAAACbs/k9G-b8Q7Q9A/s320/SAM_1610.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-49111450516383011122010-08-02T20:50:00.003-05:002010-08-02T20:59:43.993-05:00Hang TimeIn my last post I referenced putting something in the back yard for Evie to hang on, so that she could have a positive outlet for hanging energy (as opposed to hanging on the edge of the kitchen table). We did install the hanging gizmo (like a trapeze on one rope) last Saturday, and in only 9 days Evie is already begging for "hang time" and doing this:<br /><br /><div><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-QUFwkPeTUQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-QUFwkPeTUQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div>Success!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5437449174138527513.post-73804803385372428352010-07-23T13:25:00.008-05:002010-07-23T14:49:39.638-05:0022 Months Old and More<div>Evie is 22 months old and we are officially waiting to adopt again! I dropped our new profile books at the social worker's office yesterday, and she activated our file. We'll be up on her website in a couple of weeks. We are excited, but also apprehensive about jumping back in the pool of waiting families right now, while Evie is in a clingy phase and my sister-in-law, A, is expecting twins in a few weeks (they are due in October but almost certainly coming sooner since she's already on bed rest for pre-term contractions at 28 weeks). </div><div><br /></div><div>With Evie's adoption, we were only active for 10 days between Lucy's adoption disrupting and being matched with R & G, so technically the same thing could happen this time and we could be matched quickly. You just never know. </div><div><br /></div><div>I hope we wait a few months at least, so that my mom can spend plenty of time helping with the twins without feeling torn and wanting to come visit our new baby as well, and so that I'll be able to travel to Mississippi (where my brother, D, is stationed with the Navy) and help them out as well. Right now the plan is for me to make 2 trips to MS...once to help out while A is on bed rest and again to help out when the twins arrive. Evie will come with me for both trips and have a chance to play with her 3-year-old boy cousin, C. She loves playing with older kids and learning new tricks from them, so I predict Evie will enjoy the trips and I'll be able to be a help to D & A.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another project around here is to fully transition Evie from her crib to her toddler bed before we adopt baby #2. These days she tends to decide NOT to go to sleep, but instead to create piles of stuff. This particular pile is stuffed animals, books and a doll bathtub, which was her project in place of bedtime last night:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TEm01lAo7hI/AAAAAAAACZ0/A9eqNv8GILQ/s1600/SAM_1383.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TEm01lAo7hI/AAAAAAAACZ0/A9eqNv8GILQ/s320/SAM_1383.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497123652743261714" /></a>More photos from month 22...<div><br /></div><div>She gets better at climbing each month as her legs get longer:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y1jptLSI/AAAAAAAACZE/hhfnLhCEOxc/s1600/DSCN1310.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y1jptLSI/AAAAAAAACZE/hhfnLhCEOxc/s320/DSCN1310.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494207747541773602" /></a><br /></div><div>In a woven wrap (borrowed) at a babywearing get-together (she hates being worn and would much rather run around on her own feet, but I still use the Ergo quite a bit for errands):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y3YNJw8I/AAAAAAAACZk/_GtfUAkP-4c/s1600/IMG_6250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y3YNJw8I/AAAAAAAACZk/_GtfUAkP-4c/s320/IMG_6250.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494207778828960706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y3IooOpI/AAAAAAAACZc/3_PbwYCrriQ/s1600/IMG_6251.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y3IooOpI/AAAAAAAACZc/3_PbwYCrriQ/s320/IMG_6251.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494207774649236114" /></a>At Grandma and Grandpa's house in late June:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y2nZEJ_I/AAAAAAAACZU/_WhWQavYF_4/s1600/DSCN1284.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y2nZEJ_I/AAAAAAAACZU/_WhWQavYF_4/s320/DSCN1284.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494207765725587442" /></a>Daddy's Girl:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y2LYcI3I/AAAAAAAACZM/ZitG5VbTAtg/s1600/DSCN1290.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9Y2LYcI3I/AAAAAAAACZM/ZitG5VbTAtg/s320/DSCN1290.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494207758206772082" /></a>She LOVES to hang these days, and unfortunately tries to hang on furniture a lot. We are trying to break her of that habit, out of fear that she'll some day pull something heavy on top of herself, so we really need something like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Swings-Twizzler-Fun-Ride/dp/B000063XV7/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">this </a>in the back yard, since we don't have this in the back yard:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WVk6EHVI/AAAAAAAACY8/JKrsAdkA9F4/s1600/DSCN1318.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WVk6EHVI/AAAAAAAACY8/JKrsAdkA9F4/s320/DSCN1318.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494204999099751762" /></a>Big girl swing:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WVNBHnCI/AAAAAAAACY0/cKmunpTROE4/s1600/DSCN1322.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WVNBHnCI/AAAAAAAACY0/cKmunpTROE4/s320/DSCN1322.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494204992686890018" /></a>How do you go out to eat with a toddler? Stickers:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WUF2QYuI/AAAAAAAACYs/AONW85xq7fs/s1600/DSCN1352.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WUF2QYuI/AAAAAAAACYs/AONW85xq7fs/s320/DSCN1352.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494204973582410466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WTWW6NNI/AAAAAAAACYk/RLYelMsta9U/s1600/DSCN1354.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9WTWW6NNI/AAAAAAAACYk/RLYelMsta9U/s320/DSCN1354.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494204960834467026" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Evie learned about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWfrsSYNhvs">rolling down the sand hills</a> from The Wiggles, so now she log rolls on any hill I'll let her. Here she is on The Lawn at U.Va. in early July:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T-MDcmRI/AAAAAAAACYU/zdZ2DQiQcW4/s1600/SAM_1307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T-MDcmRI/AAAAAAAACYU/zdZ2DQiQcW4/s320/SAM_1307.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494202398267971858" /></a>Doing a dance near <a href="http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/mcconnell/aviat4.html">The Aviator</a>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T9CEY7wI/AAAAAAAACYM/JE0wF1_-fso/s1600/SAM_1317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T9CEY7wI/AAAAAAAACYM/JE0wF1_-fso/s320/SAM_1317.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494202378407702274" /></a>Argh, this would have been a perfect picture of her in front of <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/rotunda/rotundaHistory.html">the Rotunda</a> except for that darn balloon she was obsessed with that day. She'll have this picture up on her dorm wall some day. :)<br /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T7gi4zmI/AAAAAAAACX8/3Plknba0LBw/s320/SAM_1305.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494202352228945506" />Sporting Grandma's hat:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T8HQ2-VI/AAAAAAAACYE/DN0H3yr1YxI/s1600/SAM_1280.JPG"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T8HQ2-VI/AAAAAAAACYE/DN0H3yr1YxI/s1600/SAM_1280.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T8HQ2-VI/AAAAAAAACYE/DN0H3yr1YxI/s320/SAM_1280.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494202362622310738" /></a>Playing drums with Daddy at church:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T7DZXriI/AAAAAAAACX0/OWQIpkHwFGw/s1600/SAM_1371.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zOaL_7adM4k/TD9T7DZXriI/AAAAAAAACX0/OWQIpkHwFGw/s320/SAM_1371.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494202344404397602" /></a>Evie's ABC's (why did I decide to shoot these videos where I have no makeup and workout clothes on? I have no clue):<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8-SqufWtzYg&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8-SqufWtzYg&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /></div><div>Evie has had a cute habit of saying "hopi" for "hold it" for months now, and my mom has repeatedly reminded me to get it on video before she grows out of it. She was right! In the process of shooting this video (in which I purposefully taunt her with an illicit colored pen to get the "hopi" out of her) she says "hold it" for the first time:</div><div><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K1zXXwnI6oI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K1zXXwnI6oI&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /></div><div>Finally, we've been watching Elmo ride <i>his </i>tricycle...<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4ECK62aDJdI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4ECK62aDJdI&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /></div><div>...and that has done the trick to get Evie started riding <i>hers </i>"just like Elmo." Now that she has the idea of pedaling we need to work on steering before we slap a helmet on her and let her loose in the park.<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmQef8KyCso&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmQef8KyCso&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, here are a couple of quotes I want to remember from this month:</div><div><br /></div><div>*[pointing to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate's_Booty">Pirate's Booty</a> on top of the fridge] "Booty Time!"</div><div><br /></div><div>and</div><div><br /></div><div>*[pointing to the cursive letter "L" on my shirt] "<b>EL</b>ephant! Braloo!" (braloo is an elephant trumpeting noise, in case you didn't know)</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com8