Mia-isms

I've been so impressed with how quickly Mia picked up the English language. And, as much as I want her to master it, there are sayings that she has that I don't ever want to forgot. She's so darn cute, and sometimes when she talks she just KNOWS she's communicating to you exactly what she's trying to say. Some examples of the little things I love that she says are:

Should be: There it is
Mia says: There it are's (this could just be an east TN thing)

Should be: ladybug
Mia says: ladybup

Should be: Cinderella
Mia says: Cindalalala

Should be: swimming in the pool
Mia says: wimmin in da poo

Should be: what's that
Mia says: wazdat (one word real short)

Should be: who is that
Mia says: who dat

Some little phrases she says:

If someone walks in the room, say me for example, she'll point and say, "Hey look, it's a the Mommy." If she likes something, for example the tv, she's say, "I like a the tv." If she wants you to look at something she'll say, "Look, Mia." And my favorite: "Hey, I poot, shew-weeee" while waving her hand in front of her nose. She has all kinds of these little sayings that are too cute.

Here's a couple of pics with her having fun with brother at the pool.




The Diva eating lunch clad in the tiara and tutu


Ahh, a princess in her crown, wings, and tutu and a cowpoke in his Stetson

She is V-I-E-T-N-A-M-E-S-E !!!!!!!!! (PHOTO HEAVY)

I'm ordering this shirt for Mia. No, it won't fit, but it will someday. Heck, I may even order a few and cut it off and sew it onto shirts that will fit! http://www.anhoi.com/shirts/i_am_viet.html

I get so sick of people asking what part of China she is from! She's from DA NANG, you know, in VIET NAM! Oh, yes, did I not mention she's VIETNAMESE!!!!!! She's Asian, obviously, that doesn't mean she's Chinese. And I DO correct people. And what amazes me is that they get an attitude with me, or even better when they showcase their intelligence by saying something as astute as, "Oh, China Vietnam, whatever. It's all the same to me." Agggghhhh~

The Vietnamese Christian church uses our church's building to hold their services right after our services are finished. I help teach the Sunday school classes for the Vietnamese children. One of our church goers came in to chat with me. Knowing that my daughter is Vietnamese, and that I was preparing to teach the Vietnamese Church children, he asked if I taught them in Chinese or English. I laughed and said, "do you mean Vietnamese?" He said, oh, they have their own language?


And this was the icing on the cake. In the doctor's office one day was a Chinese lady with her elderly mother. The elderly mother started trying to talk to Mia in Chinese. The younger lady asked me how long I'd had her. I told her and she looked at me and said, "wow, she lost her Chinese language quickly." I just looked at her and said, "She never had it. She's Vietnamese." She laughed and was so embarrassed. Her elderly mother didn't see the humor.


And just for fun, here are some of my favorite pictures of Mia and her siblings. They're in no order by age or season, just favorites.







First thing I noticed was she had no seat belt on ~ it's the mommy in me!





*note~ that little brown spot in the background is a LIVE WILD GRIZZLY BEAR (not so little IRL)!





Pig-tails a flyin'


The real reason we're moving ~ to give these boys thier own rooms so they don't kill each other!




Daddy's Big Shoes











(he's not throwing up a gang sign {trust me he's too goofy for gangs!}, he's making the I Love You sign!)

Brat in the Making???

I've been observing some new behaviors of Mia the past few days. I'm afraid I may be making a monster out of my little darling. I so seriously do not want to be the parent of 'one of those kids' aka BRAT. One day last week she went to Kimberlee's house to play for the afternoon while I was home painting. When it came time to leave, she pouted and literally walked in slow motion to get into the car. When we got in the car I told her we were going home to cook dinner. She screamed at the top of her lungs, "NO!" and proceeded to try and kick the back of my seat (which much to her dismay she could not reach, causing more frustration). I pulled the car over and gave her a firm "You Don't Talk To Mommy That Way" and "Legs Are NOT For Trying To Kick Mommy" speech. This led to a breakdown and flood of tears. She came home and knocked out on the couch. I figured she was just tired and let it go.

Since then she's started this little rebellion noise. It's kind of like "weeh weeh" real short like a piggy squeal. If I tell her to do something like pick up her toys or lay down for a nap I hear the pig. Now, she's added a stomp to it. Lovely.

Last night I had a late meeting. When I got home Princess was up, running around in her tutu, wings, tiara, and wands...as usual. I told her to take off her outfit, it was time for bed. Well, "weeh weeh" went to " NO!", throwing the wand at me, and grabbing the tutu so I couldn't take it off. She lost that battle.

My husband told me that when I was gone she'd decided not to eat because she wanted a cookie. He told her to eat, so she stuffed her mouth and refused to chew. This was his first battle with her, without me. He finally got her to spit some out and swallow. Then she swiped her cup into the floor...very slowly, purposefully, while staring at him. She didn't get the cookie.

Today when I picked her up from her godmother's house, she wanted her tiara on RIGHT NOW. (Yes, she wears the darn tiara EVERYWHERE with the too-too. This was the second one she's had because I stepped on the first. The wings have to stay at home because I can't get her in the car seat with them. Have I mentioned she's a priss-pot?!) I was trying to talk to her godmother and then Mia wanted a cookie RIGHT NOW, a drink RIGHT NOW. She didn't get either one. I got her in the car with full pouting lips and swinging feet, again attempting to kick me. I pulled over again, but this time before I even got out of the car the water works started. I think she cries to drown me out, or ignore me. Or just to have a fit that she didn't get her way.

Once home we were fine. We had a fine evening. Until I told her to pick up her toys. She threw them (and this girl has an arm!) in the (direction of the) toy basket. I just looked at her. She glared at me, stomped her foot, straightened out her too-too, picked up her wand and marched to her room.

I do believe that Princess is about to be dethroned. The cuteness has officially worn off! My other daughter was SO NOT prissy. She was a pure hellcat when she was between a year and two years, but not the same way. I'm not too sure how to deal with just rotten. I love her spirit and the fact that she just knows she's beautiful and no one will ever convince her otherwise (and better not attempt to either ~ or mom will have them!). I don't want to crush her spirit, but somethings gotta give. I do believe it's time to learn that toys and tiaras are a privilege and can be taken away when thrown. The tough part of being mommy to an almost three year old has now started.

What fun!

Happy Freedom Day!

As I was driving down the one of the main streets on my side of town, headed to Walgreens to buy safety lighters, I was brought to tears. On the left, right, in front of me and behind me were fireworks shooting up from the streets of surrounding neighborhoods. It really struck me the freedom I enjoy, and the freedom that my daughter will have.



While I waited to go back to adopt her, I prayed for her freedom. Not just from a (horrible example of a) communist nation but freedom from her orphanage, from poverty, from the circumstances that she was born into. I used to pray a scripture, Isaiah 45:2 ~ "I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break down the gates of bronze, and cut through the bars of iron." I find no irony in the fact that the VERY week I was in VN to adopt Mia that typhoon Xangsane tore through her orphanage, destroying the metal gates and breaking down the iron bars on the windows. She was set free!

And free she is in this wonderful country ~ her new country. I feel so blessed to know that she now lives in a land where every opportunity will be afforded her, and no matter her dream, she CAN pursue it. She has the freedom to grow up to become whatever she puts her mind to, the right to speak out for or against whatever cause tugs her heart, and to worship however she sees fit. She is free.

I thank God for those who gave their lives for this freedom. I thank every service man and woman who voluntarily, and through draft, have given and lived their lives for the liberties that this nation represents.



As I saw Mia hold her first sparkler and look in awe of "boom booms" an unexplainable joy filled my heart. I hope one day she'll too know how blessed she is.







Daddy lighting Mia's first sparkler (her grandfather, who is Mr. Safety, would curl up somewhere to retreat to his happy place if he saw this!)





Wow!




Mia says, "I like a parklet"

She did have a good first 4th. We started the day at a picnic with our local FVC group. We met a water sprinkler park. Mia wasn't having the sprinklers, too cold! After the picnic we hit the stores. I found AWESOME deals at Old Navy and got her a shirt that reads in glitter, "I'm Kind Of A Big Deal" ~ Ha! I Love it! Then we came home and hubby grilled out. After that we lit a ton of fireworks.

I was trying to explain how patriotic all fireworks made me feel to my 16-year-old daughter. She just looked at me and said, "I don't think all these people are really all patriotic. I think we just live around a lot of red-necks that like to play with explosives." Alas, she's probably right.