heading 'home'

I can't believe I haven't blogged all week. It's been a busy one with a lot of summery late nights for the kids. Tomorrow morning we leave for our annual trek to Dubuque, Iowa and then on to Chicago. The 2-day drive should be interesting. Once we arrive all will be well since there are lots of cousins to amuse Ted & Sam. All 5 of us sleeping in one room sounds terrible but we will see how it goes. I admit, I am not very excited about the trip this year. I am excited for Paul's family and my parents and friends to meet Mae, yes. But I have only been home from China for about 6 weeks. I am only just starting to settle into a routine and the kids also are just learning their new roles, sleeping arrangements, summer camps, etc. To pick up and drive for 2 days and plop everyone into a new situation sounds like a nightmare to me right now. But, who is more important in this equation? The family on both sides who have been so supportive? Or my personal comfort? I think the answer is obvious. So, buck up I will and we will make the best of it. I'm sure we will have fun once we are there and somewhat settled in.
I think Sam is ready for the bunkbed. He must already know he'll be in the bottom bunk?

it's all about the food

Our little girl loves her food and bottles. Mealtime/bottletime are her favorite times of day, hands down. Here she demonstrates 'eat' (note how grumpy her little face is...) and 'more' (I caught it a bit late; she signs 'more' with her left hand balled into a fist that she pounds into her right hand.) 'Dog' and 'kitty' are coming along too. 'Hi' and 'bye' are good, although like any child, she will wait to do the sign til we are out of sight of anyone. Oh well! We had a lovely morning with Charlie and his brothers and a mellow afternoon. Tomorrow both boys have JCC camp in the morning and I rescheduled my court day and van tuneup. My goal this week is to be nicer with the boys...not as much yelling and threatening. So far, so good.

Mae's party

Mae's party was so much fun. Tara wanted to officially welcome Mae and had a great BBQ with our playgroup friends for her. I like this picture because I look like I'm actually paying attention to Ted...sometimes (well, most of the time lately) I feel like my patience is thin and I snap at him too quickly. I mean, he's only 4 years old! The boys were good as gold tonight, after a cranky morning, so we all had a terrific time. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and such a supportive community.

busy but fun

Where has the time gone? When I go a night (or 2 or 3) without blogging, you know our lives have gotten a little too hectic for me to handle. There is also the 2-boys-in-one-room issue. I'm happy to report that we have had an easier time this go-around. They don't wake up in the middle of the night and play anymore and they are usually asleep within 15 minutes of putting them down. There is a catch though. I'm not particularily thrilled with it, but it's working for now. One of us sits in there til the first one falls asleep. Usually it is Ted and Sam is great about being quiet (not quite sure what he does in there) and not waking him up. We have never 'helped' our children go to sleep before but...it is the quickest way right now. In reviewing the drama we experienced last time, this time is going quite well. Sam wakes up at 6am on the dot, or earlier, and miraculously comes out of the room and closes the door (!!) and comes to get me. I pop in a Baby Einstein or Blues Clues, fix his milk and cereal, and get another 45 minutes of zzz's in. It's not ideal, but it's not bad. I love love love having Mae in her own room. Hopefully this will continue to get easier and we will be able to extricate ourselves from this ritual. Everyone is much happier this time around though, so ...I'm glad we're doing it this way for now.

In other news, Thursday Ted refused to stay at sports camp so I didn't get to the court or to get the van serviced. Oh well. Friday was a short but fun swim day and tonight we had a joint potluck with the other 'young children' chavurah. It was lots of fun. Ted had Jed's bday party today at a jumpy place and I can't believe he made it so long without crashing. He was even in a good mood! Good stuff. Our social worker had her first post-placement visit with us this morning at 8am and that was painless as well. I can't believe we've been home 6 weeks already. It feels like it's always been this way. Tomorrow Tara is throwing Mae a party for our playgroup so that will be fun. Hopefully I'll have some pics tomorrow.

ahhh....

I missed Ted today-he was at Sports Camp til noon and then went to a friend's house afterwards. Paul picked him up at 5:30pm and they got home around 6ish. It was a remarkably easy day though. I'm sure if I had 4 children I'd think 3 was easy, so I'm not knocking the # of kids a person has or anything holier-than-thou like that. It was so relaxing though. Sam and I hung out in the am (really he played by himself most of the time) and then we all went to the pool. Home for naps for both of them and then a quiet afternoon of playing and a quick Baby Einstein for Miss Fussy...I mean Toothy. I got 3 loads of laundry done and put away, dinner made, lunches ready for tomorrow...it was very productive. Bedtime was rough but not impossible. Hopefully they won't try and go downstairs to play AGAIN tomorrow morning (3am morning, btw, not 6am morning...) Our last piece of paper arrived today from CCAI so tomorrow I will take all the paperwork into the Boulder County Clerk to have Mae re-adopted in the U.S. (she is a permanent alien right now since Paul didn't travel to China.) It feels SO GOOD to have all of that finished!!

Last Friday one of our babysitters gave me some free hours as a gift (wonderful!!) and she took this great picture of Sam. He is such a cutie.

cute!

snippet

As told to me by Sam's preschool teacher:

Sam: (screaming wildly just for fun, headfirst into the sensory table, sound echoing like crazy)
Renee: Sam! Sam! (trying to get his attention) Sam! hey Sam!
Sam: (head popping up) What?
Renee: Can you use an inside voice please?
Sam: Why? Is somebody sleeping?

Bwa ha ha ha!

sticky mango designs

I have to plug my gf's new business for all of you moms-to-be (or moms already who want something cute!) I love my 'sticky box' (i.e. diaper wipes box) and it's a great gift too. Check out her website HERE to check it out. The fabrics are really cute. I love the Asian silk prints for girls. The boy prints are way fun too. I'm not sure that it's up on her website yet but she also does cute T-shirts, jerseys etc with sparkly logos for girls and sporty ones for boys. My boys have soccer shirts that are SO cute. I also bought a bunch of adorable white socks with sparkly ladybugs on them for everyone in my travel group. Her stuff is perfect for gifts because you can personalize things. Enjoy!

sweet good night

Last night we moved the boys in together (that went reasonably
well but not great...tonight seems to be going a tad better) and Mae got settled into her nursery...finally! It felt so good to give her her bottle in the rocking chair and just sit awhile while waiting for a burp, peacefully rocking and humming. And to have the freedom to walk in and out of my bedroom at any time of day...ahhh. I am glad she is in her own room at last. Now, if I can just somehow get through to the boys that bedtime is SLEEP time we will be all set.

reunion picnic

We all had a lovely morning at the reunion. The Lion Dance was a huge hit with the boys as were their special balloons and cotton candy. It was a fun day and great to see some people I haven't seen since China (especially Joanne!...twice!! and Megan...) and to just chat with people who all have something in common. What a great event.

Zoe and Mae had a good time playing together. Angelina was off designing T-shirts with her mom much of the time, but it was fun to get the girls together since I missed our playgroup on Thursday. We also got to catch up with the Steinbergs, which is funny since our children go to the same preschool, but somehow we never see each other. All in all, a lovely day.

face-planting (and standing too)

Wow, it's Friday already! Tonight there was a family service at temple that was a bit too long but fun, with a picnic afterwards. Ted had a blast because he finally got to play with Jaren again. Sam skinned his knee which pretty much ruined his evening. Mae was her happy self, as usual. It was a very cool day today so she got to wear my favorite dress...with pink tights! I was in heaven.
Mae's new thing is standing. She can pull herself into a standing position if she's holding our fingers, and once up, will let go with one hand and just grip with one. She LOVES that and insists on it most of the time. The other thing, which will lead to crawling soon, is face-planting. This infuriates her, but she does it constantly. She'll be sitting, see something she wants, twist into a crawling position and then fall on her face. So frustrating!! Babies have such hard lives! She is just blossoming every day...it is so fun to watch her interact with the boys. They are all having a nice time together. Life gets calmer every day.
Tomorrow is the CCAI Reunion Picnic from 10-2. Should be a fun day.

best dressed baby

Erin H and I had a good morning at the outlet mall, buying out Hanna Andersson, Children's Place and Stride Rite. Why pay $40 for a pair of CUTE SHOES when you can pay $9? Mae has 4 new dresses for the summer and 4 more for next summer. Even Ted got a new pair of PJs. I love love love Hanna and always have, but her stuff for boys is a bit...precious. Once my boys were in 2T it seemed more appropriate to dress them like little boys, not babies. With girls, however, the prettier the dress, the better! And I love the baby combo of the short little dress with matching pantaloons. Too cute. None of the kiddos napped in the afternoon so we headed to the pool to cool off in the 100+ degree weather. (Ted was at Jack's house...I can't do 3 kids at the pool for a few more days...) Sam had a blast (he started jumping in backwards...hmmm) and Mae really enjoyed it...lots and lots of splashing. Henry is a maniac in the water and is so exuberant that you can't help but be happy along with him. We snarfed pizza for dinner and the younger 2 were down by 6:30. Paul got home with Ted about then and it took forever to get him down for the night, in spite of Sports Camp in the morning and swiming with Jack in the afternoon...perhaps the call from Aunt Nancy was just too exciting for him to handle. It was so great to talk to her and we can't wait to see her, and Ayi SuSu too! in about 2 weeks!!!

First tooth!

It's in! Mae's very first tooth popped in sometime last night. It's the lower left center one. The right is right behind and should be in tomorrow or the next day. I am excited for teeth...she is so eager for table foods, but even a tiny chunk of apple makes her choke. Hopefully with teeth she will be able to eat more of the food she prefers. Bye, bye, baby gummy smile!

Today was a royal day of Mom-chauffering. Sam got dropped off at 8:30 at the JCC, Ted at 9 at camp. We returned at 12 to get Ted and then had some lunch at the J while waiting for Sam. Got him at 12:45 and headed over to the pool for Ted's swim lesson. He did AWESOME and loved it. Everyone fell asleep in the car and didn't nap once we got home. Grrr. I have a Girls Night tonight (at the Med...yum!) so I am looking forward to 5pm! Still, another busy but fun summer day. Geesh, where is my camera when I need it?

more milestones

I can't believe I've forgotten to blog about these 2 amazing milestones is Mae's life! She has started signing hi and bye when people come and go, especially if we are standing at the front door in the process. It is so cute. She also signs hi to her stuffed animals. Coincidentally, if she turns her hand a little, it means milk...she seems to have figured that out too, although that one is not 100%. All done and bath are pretty solid now. I love it! Talk about a quick study!

The other, slightly sad yet good, event is "no more chinese bottle." For the past 3 nights, she has refused her Chinese 6 scoops rice cereal/7 scoops formula bottle. I assumed because she always eats such a huge dinner she just wasn't hungry for it. Well, last night I asked Paul to fix an American bottle (she gets 3 6-8oz bottles a day of just Enfamil) and she gulped it down!!!! She actually prefers it! I can't believe it. That was less than a month of being home and already off her one comfort food (she has yet to get any congee, poor thing, but she does get a fake-steamed egg in the morning!). I brought home a lot of Chinese formula and have more than half of a big tub left...oh well! I also have rice cereal left over but I have been putting some in her baby veggies to thicken and she seems to like that. Rice and pureed prunes are actually a favorite dessert of hers...?! She is adapting so well..we are all so lucky!!

In boy news, Ted survived his first day at MiniHawks Sports Camp and really liked it. He preferred basketball to soccer today and ran out of water but was happy. We hit the pool this afternoon which was soooo refreshing. Thank goodness for Erin & Anna. Ted was doing the slide in the deep end, Sam was in the baby pool, and Mae was screaming because she decided she needed yet another nap. I'm not sure we would have lasted without their help. Paul arrived at 5 and dealt with the little ones while Ted and I got some fun in. I love the pool.

Tomorrow Sam starts his summer camp (just Tue/Thu) at his preschool. He is very excited, although he is more excited about getting cheetos in his lunch than being there, I think. He had a hard, emotional day today so I hope he's not getting sick. Everyone gets up at the #$%& crack of dawn around here so we are all in need of sleep. Speaking of, I should get some myself. I love summer!

Happy Birthday to Paul!

Today was Paul's 37th birthday. He enjoyed his Pig Nose scotch in his new drink glass tonight. We went to the annual Boulder Jewish Festival today and everyone had a great time. The Balloon Man and the water fountain were the two biggest hits, although the music, crafts and people were wonderful too. Everyone took a great nap so we had Movie Night tonight and everyone (but Mae) stayed up extra late. Ted starts MiniHawks sports camp tomorrow, for 2 weeks, with his buddies from school. He goes every day from 9-12 (!) and Sam has JCC camp on Tue/Thu. That will be nice down time for us girls, although she may well nap through it anyway!

Touch-A-Truck

This was our 2nd year of the Annual Touch-A-Truck at the local rec center. The boys were screamingly excited on the short walk there; it was so cute to feel their anticipation. Once there, Sam got easily overwhelmed with the infernal HONKING that every boy was relishing at the wheel (Ted was no exception...I think he deafened anyone within 100 feet of the school bus he was on). Ted enjoyed it and was quite good about dealing with the long lines for the more popular trucks (like the firetruck and backhoe). I think his favorite was the touring bus of some band...can't remember the name. I told him the Wiggles have a van just like it that they travel on and he just about keeled over with joy. "When will they get here?" he shouted. Oops. Luckily the bus had candy at the exit! The boys then took a short hike on a little arboretum trail while Mae & I enjoyed some watermelon. After naps, Mae had her first experience with a babysitter (Erin and her sister Anna) and did great!! I think being in her own home with her brothers helped make it AOK with her. We were so grateful to them for babysitting so we could celebrate Paul's birthday with our favorite dinner...oysters and martinis at Jax followed by sushi at Japango. Mmm mmm! Oh, and both of those places have Happy Hour til 6, so we really lucked out. More pics of the truck adventure on moeltini.

1st shabbat

A month ago was Adoption Day...a long morning of paperwork and waiting. Tonight Mae attended her first Shabbat service. She was so good-only starting to melt a little bit around 7ish, and a bottle cheered her right back up. Neither of us look particularily stellar in this picture, but she is really enjoying her challah. It's funny...in so many pictures of my mom and me, she is always looking at me. It drives me nuts because I always want the picture to be of the BOTH of us...well, now I understand. If someone is taking a picture of my child, I don't even think that I need to look unless I'm told...isn't it all about them anyway? Funny how it all comes together.

1 month anniversary

Today is June 8, our 1 month anniversary of Mae Day. One month...seems like so much longer. A month ago today, Mae couldn't (or wouldn't?) sit unassisted. She couldn't eat any solid food (except noodles) because her tongue kept pushing it out of her mouth. She also kept her hands at her side and opened her mouth to be fed. One month later, she feeds herself, sits alone just fine, signs "more," "all done" and "bath" and is doing the pre-crawling twist move. Yikes! She is one smart cookie. We are all having a good time enjoying her antics. I think because she is my last baby, I am having more fun with all of this. The first time it was too stressful and the 2nd time I was too tired. This time it is hysterical. Nothing like your baby twisting around, putting her hands down in front of her and then falling on her head. And her giggle is irresistable. Ted is her personal Court Jester and Sam her personal servant (he is a great bottle holder, burper, and bringer-of-toys.) She thinks Paul is great and Ole even greater. She still prefers me, but no longer cries when I'm not right in the room with her. For a month, she has changed so much. We are so lucky to have her in our lives.
We had a playdate today with Zoe and Angelina and the changes in them were also amazing. Just the changes in them in one week are remarkable. Zoe is going to crawl any day now and Angelina's little cheeks are getting chubby. She is very intense and devotes all of her attention to the toy in her hands. Zoe and Mae HAVE to have played together...they instantly start taking toys from each other and getting mad at the other one - too funny. Those two have very similar features - in the pic, Mae is the one in pink (of course!).

marmite

Marmite, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marmite is a British savoury spread made from yeast extract, a by-product of the beer brewing process. It is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful taste that polarises consumer opinion and prompts its advertising slogan that you either "love it or hate it". It is similar to Australia and New Zealand's Vegemite and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Umm...where has this been all of my life? In England, I suppose. My English friend Louise has talked of Marmite the way we talk of peanut butter...an everyday sandwich spread. At a playdate on Tuesday, she fixed me a sandwich-butter on bread with a very thin layer of the Marmite. STRONG and salty - almost like cavier - but really yummy. It is very healthy and low in everything bad for you...in other words, perfect for a snack. I am excited - I love to find new, healthy foods! Thank you, Louise!!

In kiddo news, things are going smoothly here. Mae actually got a morning nap today (usually she has to make do with a cat nap in the car) and was quite cheerful while waiting at the dentist's office. We went to DQ this afternoon (too much lightening for the pool) and she got VERY mad when I wouldn't let her eat my ENTIRE cone. Geesh! She is so funny and opinionated. Tomorrow Caitlan and Angelina are coming over for a playdate here at our house. It was 98 degrees today. Ugh!

sippy cups and self-feeding...oh my!

Well. Little Miss Mae has decided to take over her own meals, thank you very much. It all started on Sunday when she signed "more" over and over, demanding her fill of Mac 'N Cheese. Then the next morning she refused her daily steamed egg...until I put chunks on her tray and she "maneuvered" them into her mouth herself. Noodles were another independent hit last night. And today I tried the box sippy with a straw that worked so well with Sam...and she took right to it and drank about 4 ounces of water. I love those sippys! She was 10 months old yesterday and her newest quest is figuring out the shape sorter...WHY won't the circle fit in the square? So frustrating.

makin' challah

Here is a short video of Ted's preschool class making challah. Ted is at the back on the right, in the black shirt...talking...loudly...the entire time. So cute.
We've been crazy busy the last few days but everyone is doing really well. Sam has really come around and seems to be adjusting just fine. I am amazed at how well everyone is doing. Mae is a trip - she has quite the personality and a great sense of humor. Luckily she has a comedian for a brother! Hope you like the video.

darn that camera!

I WISH I had had my camera with me today. Sam had his swim class this morning, so we dropped Ted off at Jack's and Jack's mom & I took the little ones to class. I put Mae in the Ergo on my back and had to stand on my tiptoes to keep her from getting her chin wet, but I managed. She did great and splashed happily for about 20 minutes before getting cold. We then went back to Jack's to go to the neighborhood pool with Rachel & Jacob et al. Mae was TICKED by then at her no-nap status but Ted had a ball and Sam...did OK. The best pic would have been me in the green inflatable innertube with Mae on my stomach. She loved it and I was very comfortable. Fun!! She took an awsome afternoon nap and accompanied me to Red Robin with Danna & Haley...I needed my burger (Boca!) fix. Ahhh...

1st Playdate

Today the Denver contingent had its first official playgroup. We met at Wash Park in Denver, a good mid-way point for all of us. We missed the non-Colorado families a LOT! Angelina, Zoe, Caitlyn & Mae were in attendance. The park was great- a fun play structure, a lake to throw sticks into, a paddlepoat (WAY fun!) and ducks to feed. The boys had a terrific time and the girls seemed to enjoy their little group (Zoe and Mae got to work stealing each others' toys right away.) We hope to meet every Thursday. We really miss the other families...it felt very weird to not have them along!