Carson Talks About China...

The other morning, the kids and I were having chocolate chip pancakes (a rare treat in our house) and I asked Carson if he ever had pancakes in China. Surprisingly, that question prompted a conversation where he shared quite a few memories of his time in China. Meggie and I loved hearing him tell the stories!

First off, no, he did not have pancakes in China. What did they eat for breakfast? "Noodles." He also told us that he had to drink from a baby bottle in China...and apparently he didn't like it. "I'm not a baby, I don't need a baby bottle!" he told us. I suggested he maybe needed a Transformers cup (like the one he was drinking his milk from at the time). He said, "We not have big boy cups, just baby bottles. But they make the hole bigger."

When prompted for more memories, he remembered having shoes that were too small. He said they were black and had straps (he made the Velcro-opening sound when he tried to show us how the straps opened) that wouldn't stay closed because the shoes were too small on him. Poor little guy...no wonder he loves being barefoot!

He also remembered having to "sleep backwards" at nap time. When I asked him what that meant, he leaned back in his chair...showing that they had to sleep on their backs. He also added, "Molly has to sleep backwards, too." Since having a flat head in back is very common in Chinese culture, that information was not surprising. Interestingly, Carson NEVER sleeps on his back now.

When asked if his bed was comfortable in China, he said, "No, my bed in China was hard, not comfortable. My bed here is comfortable!"

The last question we asked was if there was anyone he knew in China that he misses now. His answer...Molly. (No, he didn't know her in China.) While that last question clearly wasn't a memory, it was still pretty cool that he was able to remember and share so many things about his life in China! What a great breakfast conversation!!

ANOTHER Prize for the Raffle!?!?!

Yep! Jaime (the wonderful woman who donated a Blogspot blog makeover) connected me with a wonderful woman named Sheri who has donated this charm...
...from her Charm Addiction Etsy shop (which you can find if you follow this link). I have never heard of Charm Addiction and know nothing about Etsy shopping, but I gotta tell you folks, I L-O-V-E the charm she donated!! LOVE IT!!

Many thanks to those of you who have donated to our fundraiser already...$925 raised so far, which is AMAZING! Only 14 more days until the fundraiser ends and we hold the raffle for the fabulous prizes! Please spread the word about our fundraising raffle. (Of course, if I had already donated, I wouldn't spread the word in order to increase my odds of winning one of the prizes. But if you spread the word, we'll probably raise more money...)

Thanks bunches!!

Another Milestone...

...and I forgot to tell you about it! (What IS wrong with me lately?!)

Carson had his annual follow-up appointment with his orthopedic doctor three weeks ago. Very routine, very to-be-expected. The doctor was quite impressed that Carson had "graduated" from occupational and physical therapy in such a short period of time. He was also impressed with Carson's much improved ankle flexion. As we ended the very routine, very to-be-expected appointment, I just had to ask: is there a chance he can get a break from his AFOs (aka Spiderman boots)?
For those who don't know, Carson is forced to wear his AFOs 23 hours a day...including while he sleeps. He is very compliant with this and never complains. He basically gets them off to take a bath at night and then puts them back on to go to bed. I don't know about you, but I would HATE that!

The answer to my question? YES! (OK, the doctor didn't shout it like that...) He is allowed to take a six-hour break every day from his AFOs. Since Carson's favorite thing in the world (next to watching TV) is being barefoot, this was GREAT NEWS!

However, he only owns two pairs of shoes...and they are both designed to be worn over the clunky AFOs. Oh, well, that just meant we had to go shopping...
...for his very first pair of sandals! We also bought him a very cool pair of Superhero flip-flops, but the poor guy can't figure out how to walk in them. (He slides his feet and looks a bit like a cross-country skiier!)

I wonder how many more years he'll have until he gets to ditch those AFOs. Knowing my determined Little Man, it won't be many...

This Raffle is Getting So Good...

...I want to donate to our fundraiser to win a prize!!

I got an e-mail today from a wonderful woman named Jaime (well, I don't know her, but she SEEMS wonderful in her e-mails) who has offered an awesome prize for our raffle...a Blogspot blog makeover! (Oh, I REALLY want this prize! Wait...I can't win...) She heard about our fundraiser/raffle through one of my Yahoo groups and e-mailed me the offer. Her blog design business is called The Daydream Designer and you can follow this link to see some of her creations. I'm sure if you don't have a Blogspot blog...or if you do have a blog but don't need or want a blog makeover...you could always donate (or sell) your prize to a friend!

Jaime, thanks so much! The kindness of strangers should NOT keep surprising me like this!!

It's Starting to Feel More Real...

As our paperwork is suddenly flying through government offices with all the approvals coming fast and furious on Molly's adoption, Meggie decided we really ought to start getting ready for her arrival. Yes, her room is set up and decorated. Yes, we have bought her an entire wardrobe of clothes.

But are we ready?

We have very few "girl" toys now that Carson and his superheroes, swords, and sports have taken over the house. We also have NO "girl" movies on DVD. Yes, we have Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, Cars, Tom & Jerry...you name it. But Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast?? Nope! OK, so we have a bit of shopping to do before we travel. (YIKES!)

Well, this past weekend, we did something at home to get ready for Molly's arrival...and it cost us NOTHING...
...we washed all of her clothes! It really hit me that this is coming up quickly when I saw those cute little sundresses and coordinated outfits drip-drying in the laundry room. Our baby girl is coming home in the next few weeks!!! And you know what? It's a good thing, because Meggie has taken to torturing the Little Man lately...
...and he's so sweet, he takes it with a smile! (Do you think she is looking forward to dressing up her little sister in cute outfits?!)

Come on Travel Approval!!

Happy 16th Birthday, Meggie (Part Two)!

I promised another post about the Megster's birthday, but we ended up being busy until late last night and I was too tired. (Sorry, Meg!) Meggie invited her best-friend-since-second-grade, Lauren, and her family to join us for her birthday dinner. Only Lauren and her mom, Missy, were available to join us. No worries...fun was had by all!

Since Meggie is the Queen of Indecision and will NEVER pick a restaurant, Carson was more than willing to do the honors. Guess where we went? Yep...the Chinese buffet! Of course, you'd never know it from Meggie's plate...
Who gets chicken fingers, potatoes, and mac and cheese at a Chinese buffet?! What a goof!! See, Meggie...
...Lauren has the right idea! When Carson eats his first mouthful of Chinese food, he always makes the same face...
...as he dreamily enjoys his favorite dinner. Isn't that face hysterical?! Oh, look...
...Lauren got dessert, ice cream (the flavor was called "birthday cake," which we thought was quite appropriate) with sprinkles! Want some, Megster?
Apparently, Meggie was not in the mood for dessert. When Carson saw this picture...
...he scolded Daddy for not smiling. (Nice try, Carson, but you're gonna lose that battle. Take a peek at our wedding pictures...no smiles to be found from anybody in Daddy's family. But I digress...)
Does she define "class" or what? The drinking-straw-up-the-nose trick is SO sophisticated, Meg! Carson leaned in to give Meggie a birthday kiss...
...and she clearly wasn't in a "kissy-face" mood...
...but Lauren was! Uh-oh, what will Audrey say about that? Or Kelsey? Or Toria?? Carson, dude, you are such a player!

Carson got his hands on the camera and here are the pictures that made the cut (after I deleted the endless pictures of cups, bowls, and tabletop that he took).
Missy looks shocked in that one, Lauren looks confused.
Now Lauren looks disgusted AND confused.
Oh, Lauren, what a LOVELY face!
Really, Meggie? Picking your NOSE at the table?!?! "Class" doesn't begin to define you, Teenager!!Nice sideways picture of Daddy!
Where was I when that one was taken? I was sitting next to Carson at dinner! Must have been when Missy and I were getting dessert. Missy made Meggie a birthday sundae, then snagged a flower vase off of a cart as we headed back to the table and gave it to Meggie...
...which Meggie clearly enjoyed! (For the record, the flower vase was just a loaner...we left it on our table after dinner. No crimes were committed in the making of this blog post.)
Awwww, how cute is that picture of me and my Little Man?
OK, cute just turned into odd. Carson, you gotta stop spending so much time with your goofy big sister!

How's this for a before-and-after of these long-time friends? Before (as adorable third-grade cheerleaders)...
...and after (as beautiful teenagers)!
Carson kept trying to get in a picture with the girls...
...and apparently decide to shed his human form in that one. Yikes, Carson...that is one frightening face you're making!
Meggie is so sweet to share her birthday sundae with her little brother. Watch out...you're dripping! After the ice cream, Carson was on a sugar high...
...that ended up getting him put in time-out. He was kneeling in the middle of the restaurant, shouting and being ridiculous, and refused to listen when we asked him to come back to the table!
Daddy had to make Carson stare at the table during time-out so he couldn't see how hard the rest of us were laughing! (It is so hard not to laugh when he's in trouble because he is so dramatic!)

We ended the evening watching the much-hyped episode of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" with Missy and Lauren -- don't get me started, you KNOW I hate that show -- then said our goodbyes.

Missy and Lauren, thanks so much for coming all the way out to our neck of the woods and brightening Meggie's birthday! We had a great time!!

Oh, yeah...and Happy Birthday, Megster!

Happy 16th Birthday, Meggie!!

This post will be short and sweet...with more coming later, including pictures...but I didn't want the morning to pass without wishing my firstborn a Happy Birthday!

I feel like it was just yesterday that she came into our lives...all 8 pounds 14.5 ounces of her...and yet, here we are! She has evolved into a beautiful young woman, inside and out. Anyway, before I get too sappy and embarrass her, I'll stop here...for now.

Happy Birthday, Megster!

Have You Ever Been Recognized...

...because of a scar?! I have!

I was working at the front desk in an Orthopedic Clinic at Children's Hospital on Thursday and noticed a family checking out...a mother and two adorable Chinese girls. (Of course I noticed the adorable Chinese girls!) I turned back to the desk (with my back to this family) and heard someone say, "Teresa?" I turned around...and that same voice (the mother of those adorable Chinese girls) said, "I thought that was you. And when I saw your scar [from my neck surgery], I knew it was you!"

Are you kidding me?!

The mother in that scenario was none other than Micheline, the China Family Coordinator for The Shepherd's Crook. We have only met twice before (I think) and I honestly didn't recognize her until she recognized me and we started talking. (Sorry, Micheline!) But even though we have only met twice before and e-mailed a few times, chatting with her was like reuniting with an old friend.

Micheline actually met me randomly and introduced me to the wonderful ministry of The Shepherd's Crook. Carson was listed on their web site while we waited to travel and Molly is listed on the web site now. Micheline reminded me that donations made to Molly through TSC are tax-deductible. (Molly's Chinese name...Dang Yu Han...needs to be noted on the donation.) I had completely forgotten about that! (Again...sorry, Micheline!) I don't think of TSC as a donation source, I think of them as prayer partners who want nothing more than to bring these sweet children into loving homes. But I thought I'd share that info anyway, in case anyone wanted to know.

So glad my scar was so recognizable...and that I know at least Micheline is reading my blog!!

Carson's Preschool Graduation...

Shame on me...the Little Man graduated from preschool two weeks ago and I never blogged about it! Bad Mommy!!

(For the record, Meggie HIGHLY resents that he has already had a graduation ceremony. She has attended four different schools and has yet to don a mortarboard and file into an auditorium to the sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance." LOL!)

Let's start at the beginning...
...the first day of this school year, with his teacher Peggy Sue. (Remember, he called her "Piggy Suit"? Hysterical!) Thankfully, she wasn't his teacher all year because, while she might be a nice person, she was NOT a good preschool teacher. Bless the Director of his preschool for taking parent complaints seriously.

Carson has accomplished so much this year in preschool...he learned to love books and library time, he can count to twenty-teen (is that a number?!), he learned his colors and shapes, he found his future wife (pictures later in the post), he learned how much fun it is to play hookie with Mommy, the list goes on and on. So, now we're at the end of preschool. Here is the Little Man, trying to look cool on the way to the graduation ceremony...
Hmmmm, it's hard to look super cool in a car seat, isn't it?! When we arrived at the school, I was able to photograph Carson with his teacher, Miss Jenny (the wonderful woman who replaced Peggy Sue)...
...his favorite aide, Miss Paula...
...and, Miss Jeannie, the afternoon aide and Carson's biggest fan.
Those three women worked together to make preschool a wonderful experience for the Little Man. And the obvious love they have for the kids in their classroom made it so easy to leave him there all day without needing to worry how he was doing.

I was trying so hard to get pictures of Carson but was having trouble zooming in because the pictures kept turning out so dark. I took a group shot from afar...
...see him in the front row, directly to the right of the girl with the bow on top of her head? Anyway, they started to sing songs with accompanying hand gestures and I thought it would be cute to get a bit of video. Bear with me, but do you mind watching a few seconds of one of the songs they performed? This is so cute...


He practiced that song constantly at home and it was fun to watch him perform in front of the crowd. We felt so bad for him, though...it is such a struggle for him to lift his arms over his head and every song they performed required it. No wonder he looked so worn out at the end of that song!

I love this video...


Isn't it adorable how big those mortarboards are on those little kids?! So stinkin' cute!! After the graduation ceremony (which included a dance performance by the ballet class and a musical rendition of "First Grade, First Grade" sung by the graduating kindergartners to the tune of "New York, New York"), the kids were all given a balloon and led out to the parking lot.
While waiting for all the kids to come outside, I thought I'd take a few pictures...
...and what could have been a cute picture of Carson, Jacqueline (Meggie's friend), and the Megster turned into a goofy picture with Grandpa B's head stuck in the middle. We love you, Grandpa, but you are such a nerd!
Much better picture, ladies! After all the kids made it outside, it was time...
...for the balloon launch! The kids LOVED seeing all those balloons heading off into the sky! After the launch, I thought I should get a picture of Carson and his future wife. Remember when he told us he was going to marry "Andre"? (Which we later found out was really "Audrey," thank goodness!) Well, here is the beautiful couple...
While I truly do not condone dating in preschool, you gotta admit they are ADORABLE together!! When Audrey's mom and I started talking about the two of them and how cute they are, they started to get a bit shy...
...which was even MORE ADORABLE!!! Ahhhh, childhood...
A manly hug goodbye for his best bud, Cameron (who is not going to the same kindergarten next year, unfortunately) before heading to sit on the curb and dig through the gift bag Miss Jenny gave all the kids.
After a family pic (in front of the handicapped parking sign?!?!)...
...and a picture of Carson with Grandpa and Grandma D and Grandma and Grandpa B...
...we headed off to Carson's favorite restaurant, Red Robin, for dinner and ice cream! After dessert, Daddy let Carson play a couple of video games -- a rare treat --
...and then we headed home. One milestone down, about a million more to go in the Little Man's lifetime. I'd better buy more batteries for the camera!