aye nah too

This is said in a very pathetic tone of voice by Sam and translates to "I don't want to." Ah...the twos.

Princesses

Today Ted had a playdate with Maggie. They played all sorts of games outside and even went to the park....all dressed up. Hee hee. Ted had his 3rd violin lesson today and it started off a bit rocky, but again she turned it around and he did a great job. She taught him how to hold his violin, complete with sponge and sticker (for a place to look while it's heading for his chin.) Really good lesson today-whew!-and we celebrated with a DQ sprinkle cone (well, Ted did anyway.) He is excited for group on Friday when he can 'be a statue' with the other kids. :-)

Referrals are being worked on!

This is the news from Beijing! They are working on them now and the March DTCers should get their referrals at the end of next week! Eeeeee! It's a little disappointing that referrals are being pushed into the next month but...hopefully they'll have ALL of March finished. April is next and then it is OUR TURN!!!!

We just watched "Casablanca." My dad thinks it's funny that we are into the 'oldies' but they're great! I love the scene in Rick's when the soldiers are singing their German national anthem but then the French take over singing theirs! It's so great! And what an ending! We watched a Chinese film last night and typically, it was very open-ended. What is with that?! I like the firm endings!

5 bags

This weekend I went through all the boxes and bags of clothes for Mae that were given to us so generously. Wow!! A large box of 2-3T clothes are up in the closet and beautiful dresses, cute playclothes, shoes, coats & snuggly jammies are hanging in the closet..from 3month through 24 month. Thank you all so much! Five bags of extra clothing will be donated to our local DAV. Next weekend I hope to start painting!

TGIF

What a day! Ted was certainly run ragged with swimming at 8:30, preschool from 9-1 and then Violin Group from 5-6! He really loved Group...he is so social and buddied up with a little guy named Bennet right away. The group teacher also teaches beginners and all her students start right up with tiny violins. You could tell Miss Vari's students, all with their little boxes. It was quite long but he was into it the whole time and not ready to leave. That's encouraging.

Tomorrow we have a photo shoot at a park for our babysitter Heather's Christmas card. Such a cute idea...she babysits for 3 families primarily and she's getting those 5 kids together in the park for her card. So cute!!!

Otherwise I hope to sort through all the clothes we've so generously been given and donate the excess. Now that Sam is successfully sleeping in the crib with the tent, I can finally move in and really start doing something in there. Danna and I are going to hit the Wallpapers R Us (or something silly like that) store tomorrow. Once I have the wallpaper in hand I can take it to Home Depot and they will dye the paint to match. Sunday we have a 4pm Rosh HaShanah music class to go to at the preschool which should be really fun.

Happy weekend everyone!

Zai jian!

A family from our synagogue that has 2 daughters from China came for dinner tonight. Their girls are exactly our boys' ages (3.5 & 2) and WOW!! Ted and Rachel got along beautifully! She is a little roughneck and Ted adored her! Sam and Molly hung out in parallel play mode. They brought us tons of clothing and shoes and baby things....so exciting! I'm happy my daughter will have these girls as friends and role models!
As they were leaving Rachel's dad said "Can you say Good Bye in Chinese?" and Rachel said "Zai jian" and Ted (who had just watched Big Bird in China that afternoon) replied "Zai jian Way-chul!" hee hee! They were so cute together, buddies right away.

In other news, Sam is in the crib tent tonight so we'll see how that goes. So far they are giggling away in there. We also had a lazy day at home today, complete with mud puddles.

Wish us luck tonight!

Happy Clown Ice Cream Night

Tonight was Back to School Night. Ted marched in, dressed in a lilac princess dress with bridal headdress, high heels, and a purse. He and Rach played together all night and then we went to Sweet Buddy Roo's for the famous Clown ice cream (a scoop of ice cream with a cherry for a nose, 2 chocolate chips for eyes, whipped cream for a mouth, and a cone for a hat. Lots of whipped cream with sprinkles on the side. Everyone loved it.

Yesterday, Tuesday, was Ted's 2nd violin lesson. It started off strange, where he wouldn't go over to his mat, so I had 'my' lesson first. Then she coaxed him over by letting him sit on my lap. We did rhythms but he wouldn't do them for her. She reminded me that it's the PROCESS not the PRODUCT...ie, as long as he's learning the rhythms and everything else at home, it really isn't a big deal that he doesn't 'perform.' Sadly, the stage mother in me wants him to perform well and be great! I have to curb that. He learned 2 new rhythms this week (Colorado Colorado and Popcorn Sniff! Eat), how to pick up his violin correctly and "Playing Feet." Friday is the first group class and he's supposed to bring "his Feet" and his "violin." It's at 5pm so I'll be able to take him, which is nice.

Ted had a hard day at preschool today...he's just so tired that he cries easily and also gets angry easily. He took a 2 hour nap today! As a result, he was very happy and well-behaved tonight. Anyway, tonight was fun. Dennis is here, Paul's childhood friend. Paul had soccer tonight so Dennis went along and then they went out. It's nice to see him...he's never visited us before.

Phew! 'Nite!

monday monday

I should have taken a picture...Jack came over to play today after preschool and the boys were so good. They played completely on their own for about an hour. Then Ted started to have sharing issues so I had to help out. (He is so completely fried from lack of sleep...it's really sad.) Mondays are their after-preschool play dates and it gives Jack's mom and me an afternoon off every other week! Good deal.
We put the boys to bed separately tonight...Sam in his crib and Ted in his room. Ted is so upset about Sam not being with him that he's still awake, mad and sad 45 minutes later. I hope he conks out soon. He is sooooo emotional. He definately needs more sleep that he's been getting! I am wiped out from dealing with 2 fragile souls all afternoon (when it was rest time Ted INSISTED on sleeping in his room, promising to be quiet. Of course Sam was up in about 5 minutes...so he didn't get a great nap either.) They were both so whiney and temper-tantrum-y all afternoon that the second Paul walked in I grabbed the dog and we escaped. Ahhh. It was so refreshing. I'm really at my wits end with this situation. I know an easy solution: sit in the chair in their room til they fall asleep. But, that's not how I want to spend my evening and besides, that could go on for YEARS...but this late night business is really frustrating. Oh well. Maybe in a month I'll re-read this and be happy we stuck with our guns. I hope so.

Soccer Sunday

Today Paul took Ted to a CU Woman's Soccer game-and they won! They had a good time, so I sense a new ritual in the making.

Look at that picture...isn't it sweet? Well...tonight, in a stroke of genius, we put Sam to bed at 7 and Ted at 8. Sam was sitting up reading books and the fun began. We went in at 9 (after all, no one was crying) and they had torn apart the closet....all the dresser drawers opened with clothes everywhere. Mayham ensued. I spent the next hour organizing our closet so there is now room for both boys' dressers. I have to say, that was theraputic and it looks pretty good! I'm disappointed that they would destroy a room like that, but at least nothing was broken or ripped. I'm starting to think Sam and Mae might be better off sharing a room!! We'll see. Perhaps tomorrow night will be better since there is absolutely NOTHING in the room now save their beds and the night table behind Ted's bed. Sam is sleeping in his crib tonight (I don't even know how long he screamed in his room...probably at least half an hour) and Ted is passed out in his bed. I really thought it would be 3-4 nights of giggling for an hour, followed by sleep. How wrong I was!

We also got Fishy a new tank with a filter (his tank was getting pretty cloudy!) It is so pretty, if a bit noisy. I'll take a pic soon...(the water has to get filtered for 2 days before he can move in. This fish thing is lots of fun! Fishy seems happy with us and eats more food than the fish food bottle says he should. Paul thinks we should get him a fish friend or 2...maybe for Hanukkah or Ted's birthday

Choo Choo!

Today we took the boys to "A Day Out With Thomas." It is really fun that Sam is old enough to enjoy these things now. We met up with Chase & Cara and Lucy & Jake and that made the Thomas ride even more fun. Temporary tattoos were a hit, as was the music in the Roundhouse. There were plenty of trains to climb around on and explore too. We finished up the day in the Merchandise Tent (gee, thanks!) and squirraled away some little things for when I'm in China. I plan to have a grab bag of little toys, books, stickers etc. that they can pick from each day til I'm home. I hope that will make it more fun.

Sleeping has been...interesting. Last night was the best night ever. They went to bed at 8ish and were asleep by 9 (not without some serious intervention, of course!). Sam lasted til about 4:30am when he had to be put in his crib because he wouldn't stay in his bed. Not bad though...the best yet. He naps like a champ in the bed at least.

I went to Home Depot today to find the pink gingham wallpaper (below the chair rail), a coordinating border for the top of the wall near the ceiling, and a matching pale pink paint for above the chair rail (the pic to the right is an example of the 'look' I'm going for. Sadly, there was no pink gingham wallpaper to be found, so I'll have to look elsewhere. I'm sure I'll find it somewhere. In other adoption-related news, I've received a few more squares for the quilt and they are all so gorgeous. Dr. P (a prof from CU) actually stitched the cutest tree with birds and an owl and the coolest little spider. It's really something! The deadline for the quilt lady is Oct. 20 to have it done by Thanksgiving. We should be receiving our Waiting Child Packet next week! That's the big milestone for Month 4. It will have things in it like what number to call with referral information (!!) and other exciting tidbits! Wish us luck on sleep tonight. I really hope they will get the hang of it soon so I can feel secure about re-doing the nursery. Peep peep!

Breakthrough!

Today Ted was able to pat out the Mississippi Stop Stop and Down Ditty Up Ditty rhythms! I got a bit unconventional and abandoned the idea of 'a practice session.' We did the rhythms all day long, being goofy. We'd do them on each other's cheeks, on our heads, on our knees etc. If he was reluctant I'd promise to tickle him after he did it (that always works!) By the end of the day he could do them, no problem! Hooray! We also worked more on matching the A pitch. I thought to take out my violin and play the A string for him (duh...that's how she found the pitch) and seeing the violin was enough to get him excited enough to try. Yesterday I wondered what if anything he would be ready to do on Tuesday. Now I know he'll be fine! Very exciting.

Now, about the sleep. Ugh. Last night was actually really good. We put them down at 7:30 and while it was rocky, by 9 they were asleep. Granted, Sam woke up at 12:40am screaming and Ted was so tight we had to neb him. We ended up putting Sam in his crib at 1:50 and everyone slept til 7:30. Tonight we got them in bed at 7:30 again but it's almost 9 and they're still up. There was a time around 8:30 when it was quiet and I think Ted was just drifting off, but then Sam opened the door and now they're on their 2nd wind. What a PAIN. I can actually handle the initial fooling around, but the middle of the night waking/scream fest is really annoying. Let's hope...

Zzzzz...

Well, last night was a bit of a joke, but Sam napped successfully in his new bed today for 3 hours, so that's got to be a good sign, right? They finally fell asleep at 10:30pm and then were up again at 3:30am. At 4:50am I put Sam back in his crib and he was up for the day at 7:30am. Ted slept in til 8:15 when I finally woke him up for preschool. Tonight will probably be more of the same. Because I think it's funny, here is the rundown of last night:

In Bed: 7:00
7:08 books thrown around, yelling, banging
7:25 quiet.....
7:32 amazing, long crash of thunder
7:38 still quiet...
7:43 much laughter from Sam...
7:50 door opened, Ted went to poop
8:00 opening & closing door, put them back to bed and warned that if I had to come in again, Ted had to sleep in his own bed and not Sam's.
8:10 Ted peed...arguing to have toothbrushes in bed
8:15 more peeing...put them back in their own beds. As I left they were blowing kisses to each other.
8:25 loud yelling from Sam...Poor Sam is sooo tired.
8:32 who knows...Ted again...
8:50 Ted peeing...got them down. Ted saying Shhhh...Sam yelling Mama!
9:09 banging on the door. granted, it IS thundering like crazy...
10:00 Sam this time...Ted is passed out.
10:30 SUCCESS! Sam finally fell asleep. Ahhhh....
3:40 they're up!
4:50 put Sam in his crib
7:30 Sam up for the day
8:15 woke Ted up for preschool

More info than anyone needs, I know, but it will be interesting to see how it goes tonight. It's too bad we chose to start this A) when Ted has a cold and B) when there was a major storm raging. Today our summer weather was gone and we were firmly into Fall. Ted practiced violin today before rest time...we got through about half of what we were supposed to before he couldn't stay focused. We'll pick up where we left off when Daddy comes home for his 'concert.' Ted has got the bow down, though! We need to work on patting the rhythms with his hands...that seems to get him. He can say them and do them, but not say them AND do them at the same time. Without sleep, this is feeling like a really long day....

Beds & Violins

Big day today! The boys moved in together! Yowsa! Sam hadn't climbed out of his crib on his own, but we wanted to give him plenty of time to get used to the idea before his sister arrives. Ted is psyched to have him in there. We put them to bed at 7 and there have been 2 loud outbursts, including a thunder clap, and Ted got up to poop, but now, at 7:55 they are up but quiet and giggly. Ted is in Sam's bed with him because "I love him." Wish us luck!!

Ted had his first violin lesson today with Miss Vari. It was SO CUTE!!!!!

First she sat him down on his mat (carpet square) with his violin (box) next to him and asked him questions like "How old are you? Who else lives in your house? What do you like to do?" (he said, violin, lol) and stuff like that.

Then she had him stand up and she traced his feet in 'rest position.' Then they practiced rest position and bowing with the violin (1-2-3-up-smile).

Then they worked on 2 rhythms, saying them and then saying them with hands patting thighs (that he couldn't do.). Mississippi Stop Stop then Down Ditty Up Ditty.

Then she showed him "This is your Violin Hand (L). This is your Bow Hand (R)". And did cute things like "Where's your Violin Ear? Your Bow Foot?" etc.

Then she tried to get him to sing "A" on pitch but that didn't happen, LOL.

They ended with a bow. Then the Suzuki thing where the student says "Thank you for teaching me." SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!

Then I got to do the whole thing, faster of course. Next week I'm to have a special bag of "violin toys" to keep him busy during 'my' lesson. I also got a head start on 2 new rhythms he'll learn soon (Colorado Colorado...16th notes and Popcorn Sniff! Eat...8ths, rest on 3rd beat).

Sweetest of all was his total adoration of her and complete attention. It was about 15 minutes I think, total, of him and her interaction. That will gradually lengthen as he ages and gets more used to it/her. The 45 minute slot will be divided between us, with him getting more and more time as we progress.

We 'practiced' for Daddy after work today, basically repeating the lesson. He's not as attentive to me, of course, but we got through it and he was having fun. He is NOT happy that he doesn't get a real violin yet but that will come.

Did I mention this was SO CUTE?!?!?!?!

Whew!

What a weekend! Saturday my mom, Ted and I went to the Highland Games in Estes Park. It was really windy! But a great day...and we met some other Clan Ross folks, so that was fun. Ted was more into climbing the rocks than the fiddlers this year, although he loved 'the pipes' and the sheep-herding alot. My mom is going to work on getting kilts for all THREE children for next year's Games.

Then Sunday was Sam's birthday party, which was a blast. The kids had so much fun with the jumpy castle and, of course, the pinata. In between was the fast and furious pinata-making!

Mom left Sunday night and we got the pictures up on the homepage. Thanks so much to Erin for taking over with picture duty when our camera bit the dust! This is one of those weekends I need a weekend to recover from...

Paper Mache

We are all helping Paul make a paper mache dragon for Sam's party on Sunday. So far, the flour and water solution is working well for the newspaper strips but is impossible to get off of my arms, legs, face...you get the idea. This should look really cute at the end though. Mom (who is visiting) took a pic at stage one, so we'll keep snapping them as we move through the 2nd and 3rd application of flour goo before filling with goodies and finally painting this dino. Hopefully Ted will help with the paint part. Pics to follow. This is very cute!

Pablo Casals

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe,
a moment that never was before and never will be again.
And what do we teach our children in school?
We teach them that two and two make four
and that Paris is the capital of France.
When will we also teach them what they are?
We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are?
You are a marvel. You are unique.
In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you.
In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been a child like you.
and look at your body - what a wonder it is!
Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move!
You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.
You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.
And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?
You must cherish one another.
We must all work -
to make this world worthy of its children."

I had my parent meeting today with Miss Vari, Ted's violin teacher. We talked mostly about philosophy and the goals of "Pre-Twinkle" level. We have a gummy bear box stuffed with paper towels and one package of real gummies, all contact-papered in a wood pattern with a painting stick taped under it, for the neck of the violin. This is what he will start on; I assume to learn proper positioning and etiquette before starting on a real one. Very cute. I am looking forward to this journey we are about to take! His first lesson is next Tuesday at 1:30.

Lean, Mean, Green Machine

Thank you, Stacy & Tara! We have discovered a juice that tastes like apple juice but has a full supply of dark, leafy greens in it! Hooray! Sam is great at eating spinach and broccoli, but Ted will only eat sugar snap peas-not quite the powerhouse of green veggie that we'd like. Both boys LOVE this juice (I do too, it's really yummy) so they each get a 6oz cup per day. I'm so happy that they like it.

Sam had his 2 Year Well-Check today. It was fun to have a check-up with no shots! He weighs 28 lbs (50%), is 35 inches tall (75%) and has a head circumference of 20 inches (93%). He has really grown taller in the last 6 months although he hasn't gained much weight. He chattered at her non-stop all about trucks and the dog toy in the room and the colors of the trucks on the toy....it was all we could do to carry on our own conversation! She pronounced him healthy as could be and right on track. I told her about the juice, since she has a toddler too. She also is willing to give us a prescription for antibiotics, should Mae be sick when we meet her. I'm happy that she's 'that type' of doctor, since some refuse to prescribe it without seeing the patient first. I promised her I'd call her with symptoms if I think she might have an ear infection or bronchitis (common issues.) The problem is that you can't leave the country with a child who has a fever...but what do you do if the doctors at the clinic don't pronounce your child sick enough for antibiotics?! I'm happy I'll have a stash with me.

Fishy

It's really hard to take a picture of a fish in a fishtank. "Fishy" is a blue Betta. He is beautiful and very active. Ted says that Fishy loves him, mostly because he feeds him. Ted feeds Ole already, but somehow feels very important that he now has a fish to feed too. Hopefully the cats won't terrorize him too much. Bettas are very territorial so we can't get him a Betta friend, although other tropical fish are possible roommates. They have a lifespan of 4 years (!!) so we've decided that if Fishy makes it 6 months, we'll get him a tropical fish friend, of the non-agressive variety. I'm not really a fish person, but he is beautiful, and he responds to the sound of your voice, which is cool. Welcome to the family, Fishy!

In other news, I won the first round of Mahj tonight-yippee! We play once a month plus a pick-up, but I can never make pick-ups since they're on Wednesdays (Paul's soccer night) and last month we were on vacation. It was nice to be back. Mahjong is not as fun as bridge, but it's similar, so I enjoy it. I hope to find a nice Mahj set in China. It cracks me up that Mahj is played by Jewish and Chinese women. I will HAVE to teach my daughter!

We love Gymbo

Last week Sam and I took our 'last' Gymboree class. Sadly, I explained to the owner, Kristy, that due to finances, we'd be taking a break from Gymboree for the Fall. But, I promised, we'd be back in the Spring with Mae. Ted started at Gymboree when he was 6 weeks old and one of the kids has been going once a week since then. Well, lo and behold, in Saturday's mail was a letter from Gymboree. Inside was a gift certificate for the Fall semester from Kristy. I was so moved by her generosity! What a sweet person! So, Sam can continue for the Fall session, and then his little sister can take over when she's ready. Wow, I will have put in over 3 years of Gymboree by the time she arrives. It just goes to show that if you tell people what you need, they will help if they can. Thank you Kristy!

We went to the zoo for Sam's birthday on Sunday. The boys had lots of fun (pics on the website) and I came down with the flu, or some such ailment. It really knocked me down. I'm feeling better now, but not up to snuff completely. Oh, and I also managed to burn (really burn!) my fingers fixing dinner. So Paul was such a help cleaning up the house and keeping me in ice bags. What a night! Today the burns don't hurt at all (whew!) and my headache is mild and the nausia is not too bad. Blah! I hope the boys (all 3 of them) don't catch it.

Happy Labor Day to everyone! Hope everyone has a nice extra day with the family!

Hanna Hu!

Epin & Scott from our Yahoo! board got their referral call this morning! Miraculously, Hanna is in the same province that Epin grew up in (she's Chinese), just blocks from her parents' home (her parents still live in China)! They are hoping to fly in the next few days and stay with their parents til Gotcha Day. Then they can visit Hanna in the orphanage. We are all so happy for them..the first referral of ''one of us!"

TGIF

Whew! What a day. The first day back to 'work' was fine, but tiring. I met with 4 out of 7 students and got some basics nailed down. I got some rep assigned which is always a relief. It was nice to be back in a way; now that I know what I'm doing it feels comfortable to be there. I'll be car-pooling with Erin, which will be great for the commute as well as the $3/gallon gas prices.

Ted had a fun day at preschool today and Tara picked him up which was a treat. Apparently they sang a song about I have a Shabbos feeling in my tummy...at Shabbat Sing today. How cute! Need to get the words for that one! Sam took a killer nap today for the sitter, from 11:30-2:30! And both boys were in bed by 7...ahhhh.

A 3-day weekend ahead! We hope to go to the zoo on Sunday/Sam's bday. That should be fun. I love long weekends. Sam's present is going to be what Aunt Jayne sent-a Chevron transport truck with cars in it. He will LOVE it and we'll all get a sense of how Ted reacts to Sam getting presents when he doesn't...hmm.

CCAI received ALL of February today and the expediated May group, so Epin's referral is there! They will start the calls tomorrow at 9am MT. I am impressed that they are going to work on Saturday because they usually don't. That goes to show how much they care about their families. It would have been a long weekend for everyone if they had to wait for a call on Tuesday. I can't wait to see the picture of Epin & Scott's new child...boy or girl...how old...etc. Very exciting! Only 2 more groups and then it is our turn.

Have a good 3-day weekend, everyone.

Time flies

How did my baby grow up so fast? Wow! The first year of Sam's life was so difficult that when we attend Parenting classes at CCAI, I nod and agree with so much of what they're saying about "difficulty calming themselves" and "bonding problems" etc. We went through it all with Sam that first year...wow, he was a toughie. Now, I have to say, while he is still a "passionate" child, he is so much easier and more fun! Now that he is talking (perhaps shouting is a better term) non-stop on the verbal front, and running and jumping on the physical front, he is so happy! It is really something to see just how TWO he is. What a cutie!

We went to see the quilt lady today and have a drop-off date of October 20, to be ready by Thanksgiving. Hooray! The boys each picked out some fabric too; working on wishes for their sister should be really sweet. Ted picked a firetruck fabric (should go nicely with the pink sashing!) and Sam chose a blue print with dogs on it-very cute. We talked about the sashing (light pink, matching the pink flowers on my backing) and border (a darker shade of pink.) Very exciting!!

Ted and I also observed another violin lesson today. We thought the first boy was good! This kid was great! Both boys have played in tune so beautifully that I am starting to think this might not be too bad! His little sister, from Hunan Province, was there too...so that gave their mother and me something to chat about while the kids played on the playground afterwards. It seems like wherever I go, there are Chinese children. I love it! I hope this means there will be enough similarity in the schools and activities for Mae to feel somewhat normalized. This little girl had had her first lesson today, so she and Ted will probably be in the same group class. Hooray!

Tomorrow is my first day back at UCD. Blah. A short day, though, which will be nice. I enjoy the first day, where handing out the syllabi and talking about expectations take up the whole period! I hope that they will use next week to choose their repertoire and then we can begin in earnest on the 16th. Farewell, summer!

Speaking of which, that 100-degree day is a distant memory already! It has been downright chilly...jeans and sweatshirts! We will probably have another heat spell before summer gives up the ghost, but fall is on the way! That's OK...bring on Thanksgiving! Referrals are late this month...they are due to arrive at CCAI tomorrow with calls going out on Saturday or next Tuesday. This has the August group in agony and the September folks are getting worried too. Hopefully the delay means that CCAA included the ENTIRE month of February DTCs and can stop splitting up the months. Our friends from our yahoo board are getting their expediated referral in this batch. It is so exciting to see them come in.

Not long now and it will be our turn!