Swimming & Glimpses of a Teen-to-be

Mia's godmother takes Mia to swimming lessons once a week. She got a couple cute pics of Mia loving the pool.




After swimming, I guess she needed to text someone. Can you just see the teenager she's going to be? Yikes!

Just So Sad...

Tina just posted on her blog that the finality of her journey came tonight. Her agency has handed out the last of the referrals they will be able to give before the September 1st deadline. This just breaks my heart for Tina and for everyone else who has been grasping with all the hope they can muster that they could be matched before the deadline. Tina especially though. Because of her own adoption from Vietnam. Because of her heart to return to her birth-country and volunteer at an orphanage. Because the orphanage she chose was my daughter's orphanage. She was a blessing to my child and to me personally. I didn't know it at the time she was there. I didn't know her. But, she found me on the internet through a picture I had posted of Mia's orphanage. She sent me the youngest pics I have of Mia. If anyone deserved to build their family through Vietnam adoption it is this woman. She has lobbied for VN adoption, she has personally cared for the orphans. This just breaks my heart and quickens my prayers that VN will reopen, ethically, soon.

I'm sorry Tina. I am so sorry and I hope you find peace in your heart.

Hijacked Blog

Since I don't have a blog specifically for my other kids (they would be MORTIFIED!), and I don't post pics with their faces on my other blog, I'm hijacking Mia's blog to post about her big sissy. Big Sissy just got back from her internship in Mexico. She had a great time, but she's exhausted and a little bit sick with sniffles. Of course she hooked right back up with the kids she's gotten to know in the orphanage she worked in. This is her fourth year there. I know she's struggling emotionally leaving them again. She gets really attached. She writes letters to them throughout the year and sends birthday and Christmas gifts to them. It is her desire to actually live in Mexico doing medical work after she gets out of college. We'll see. Here are some of the kids she loves. And what is so funny is that as much as she complains about her younger brothers, she attaches really quickly to the little boys. She loves the girlies too, but the boys are her favorites.

An Angel's Face

click on the picture to enlarge and look at that face! sweet baby girl!

Little-Miss-Mia is now Little-Miss-Clingon. I left her for five days to go to a conference for my job (amazing conference!). Three of those days she spent with her godparents who spoiled.her.rotten. haha That's okay though, that's what godparents do. She had a great time with them and has talked non-stop (what else is new) about her time with them. But, since I've been back she's been attached at the hip. She even has wanted to fall asleep with me every single night. And this is the girl who puts herself to bed.

I left her today at her grandmother's house so I could go to work and she wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving town again. She's not traumatized by any stretch of the imagination, but I was away, her big sissy has been in Mexico for two weeks, and it's all been a bit out of her norm. I've been happy to get some extra snuggle time from her though. Usually she's a hug and go kind of gal.

These past few days since I've been back have been nice with her. Although, we've had a couple of times where her attitude has needed adjusting. She's gotten quite free a couple times with blatantly telling me "no!" and sternly refusing to do what she's been told. I guess she's figuring out boundaries again. But even in those times, I just look at her little face. She overwhelms me. She has the face of a little angel and I just want to squeeze her tight. When I look at her I thank God all over again for her. And, even when she's being a defiant almost four-year-old, I just can't believe God chose me to be her mommy. Amazing.

I love the two photos in this post. They were taken at her godparents' home back in May. And, embarrassing as this is, the man holding her is her godfather's brother...and I can't remember his name. Mia is so blessed to have this extended family that loves her so much. Her godmother jokes that we're going to have to hyphenate Mia's last name. ha!

Independence Day

I hope everyone had a happy Independence Day. I get all emotional every 4th of July when I think of how amazing our freedom is. We are so blessed!!! Woooo-hoooo FREEDOM!

We decided this year just to stay home and cook out, just for our family (the six of us). However when husband went to start the grill (his temple of manly maleness) he found an unwelcome mouse guest. There was a huge deer mouse in his grill. I cannot tell you how hilarious it was for me personally to see his shrine had been invaded. When I say that the man covets his grill I kid you not. It's not just any grill, it's like an extension of his manhood. And trying to get the mouse to exit, haha, oh that was hysterical. I actually felt bad for the mouse. Trust me though, husband was not amused by insistence on over sterilization (is there such a thing really) of the grill once mouse was gone. Flames for a long loooong time.

Mia was excited all day about the "boom-booms". It was all she talked about and actually started crying when the sun wouldn't hurry up and give nighttime a turn. Finally we went to do the fireworks. We went outside and as soon as we got out there my stupid %&#$@$# neighbor set off a screamer near Mia with no warning and scared her. She started shaking. She wanted back inside immediately. All the pleading in the world and I couldn't get her back out. I was so mad, not at her, but the *&%&%#$ neighbor. I even tried to get Mia to watch them out the window. She wouldn't have it. She just wanted to play. She finally let me go stand on the deck outside her playroom so I could watch my other kids and husband have fun. My daughter did get some photos, they didn't turn out too hot, but I got to see a little of what I missed.





What I got to watch instead of fireworks, Mia playing with her laundry machines:






Sigh... Oh well. Happy July 4th!

Ways to Find Fun Part 2 (photo heavy of course)

Mondays are fun days. (sorry Bangles, they really are) I'm off on most Mondays, and so is Kimberlee's mom. Monday is usually the day we get the girls together to play. This past Monday we met at the park about 10 in the morning. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect. The park is next to a lake and the breeze coming off the lake was awesome. Mia's favorite part of the park is the sandbox. (Which happens to be my least favorite part of the park.)



Mia is trying to motivate Kimberlee to play in the sand too.


Kimberlee is much less impressed with sand and wants to play elsewhere. Isn't she adorable in the glasses!?!


We picnicked next to the water and enjoyed the breeze. Check out Kim's face. I gave her something she didn't want to eat. I don't remember what it was, but her expression was killing me!





One thing I've noticed between Kimberlee and Mia, is that Kimberlee is way more brave than Mia. Mia would not go down the big slides until Kimberlee had done it over and over. She finally got up the nerve. And, of course, she loved it.


Pet Peeve Alert! People who let their kids put dirt or sand or whatever they can find on the slides and 1)don't correct the behavior and 2) don't clear the mess off!


I'm so proud of Kimberlee. She can pump her legs and swing waaaay high in the air. It's amazed me because she's so small. She's three but she's tiny.


Mia will swing, but not for long. She doesn't seem to enjoy it after a few minutes. She's never on the swing long enough for me to teach her to pump her legs. She still prefers the baby swing. Again, Kim is just more daring than Mia is.


This is "Mia's Castle". It's a log fort structure at the park. The snarky look is because if you'll notice the body limbs hanging from the top of the structure, well, Mia wanted them off of her castle.


By the way, if you click on the picture they'll get big enough to see. I didn't realize when I uploaded them how small they'd show up.