our completed family of 4's life's adventures......

We Have A Kindergarten Student In Our House!

2010-08-23T19:46:00.003-04:00

It's amazing to think how quickly Paige is growing into a beautiful (inside & outside) human being......I swear it was yesterday that I held her in my arms leaving the hospital with her.....I was so proud to be her mom then and I am so, so, so proud of her being brave and so excited to start her "life" outside of mommy's safety bubble.

I snapped this picture from her classroom door window after we all said our goodbyes...my sweet little one being so brave, all alone :(, just breaks your heart, no?

When I showed Paige this picture this afternoon she said, "Mommy, I didn't cry, but the tears were in my eyes, but I didn't make any noise so my teacher wouldn't hear me."

Here she is walking down the hallway with her buddy, aka, Daddy on the way to class.

cute picture no?

The 3 ladies ready to go to kindergarten! YAY!

Lily was ready to join in on the ride to school and scope out her future school! What a little peanut......but a very BUSY & determined peanut :)

WE LOVE YOU PAIGE!!! And look forward watching you learn life's lessons, school lessons, make new friends, and become the person God put you on this earth to be!

post to follow: mommy & paige meet after school and celebrate the day with a visit to Friendly's just the 2 of us. (no worries, Lily was home with Grammy & Pop....so mommy could hear all the day's stories from Paige)

2010-08-03T12:11:00.005-04:00

OK, we've certainly been delinquent in putting up new pictures of Lily, especially since she's changed so much in the last few months. Here's one of Paige and Lily together that was taken when their cousins from St. Louis were in town. We'll make sure to put up more very soon.

Paige's Preschool Graduation!

2010-05-28T18:12:00.006-04:00

Here is her graduation cap made with her handprints! This preschool is so very creative with things like this.....

Ready to go to the ceremony in her "Burberry" dress, we bought in China.......I think she looks like Alice, from Alice in Wonderland with this pose, no? Lily had her matching "Burberry" dress on that night too :)

Here is the Graduate with her gift from Mommy & Daddy, a book she has wanting for at least 6 months: Pinkalicious! You can tell from the picture she didn't like it at all :)

She brought in the car to the ceremony and started reading it, and finished it in bed with her lantern flashlight that night. She is a reading maniac! I cannot believe how well she reads--I swear she is 10 not 5!

Here she is with some of her classmates ready to perform for all the proud mommies & daddies! Paige's best friends are Madison (standing right next to her in the wine colored dress) and Isabella (the first girl on the right of the photo in the white dress--paige calls her "my little sweety")

And then we went out to dessert to celebrate this momentous occasion, on the menu for the graduate was ice cream with chocolate sauce.......yummo!

Congratulations Paige! Mommy & Daddy are so proud of your accomplishment! We love you all the way to the stars, the moon, Africa, China, & back home again!

happy 40th daddy.......

2010-05-22T11:16:00.003-04:00

complete with birthday crown made by Paige!........

90 days!

2010-05-21T18:27:00.003-04:00

..........so it's been 3 months since our scrappy little Lily was placed in our arms, and I don't know how it's possible, but we fall more in love with her every single day.

She is doing very well, much, much better than Jack or I had planned and we are settling in as a family of 4.

The biggest change over the last month would be Lily is much more vocal with making sounds.....so I am waiting for her 1st words to come shortly......food wise the child will eat anything! except watermelon......string beans, easymac, eggs, cheese, chicken etc., so very different from Paige at this age.......she is weaning off her bottle nicely, I am doing it slowly because it seems like that was a big comfort to her.

She gives the best kisses ever! I love every drooly, dribbly bit of her kisses! I am just sitting back and soaking in every stinking moment!

Here is Lily at around 6 months, what a change in such a small period of time! Thank You for blessing us to have her (and Paige) as our little one--let her birth parents know she is well taken care of and so, so, so much loved!

PS:paige graduated preschool last night WOW! and Jack's 40th birthday is tomorrow, so give me some time to get up graduation pictures next week!

60 days.....

2010-04-21T17:22:00.003-04:00

A mere 60 days ago this miracle was placed in my arms in Guangzhou, China. 60 days just seems too short a time span, I simply cannot remember my life without the two miracles God has blessed me with as a mother. Thank you again God. You Rock!

Now don't get me wrong, the past 60 days have not been filled with butterflies and ladybugs flittering happily throughout our home. But there have been many extremely cool moments, utterly exhausting & overwhelming moments (those would be my moments :)...moms as a group just have too high expectations of themselves when it comes to their families.

But overall, the past 2 months have gone really smoothly, we are very lucky and blessed.....she went through a "velcro baby" phase where she would not allow herself to be put down when Jack went back to work. I think that it was seperation anxiety from her daddy. That was rough on me, as I wanted to give Paige my undivided attention when she needed it, but w/ a 17 pound person attached to you makes that a little hard........now over a month since Jack is back to work my Lily Blu Bird is equally attaching to both of us.....YAY! remind me to post about the flight home from China.....poor poor jackson!

She spends loads of time with both sets of grandparents which she recognizes and enjoys......and when she goes to jack's parents it includes a sleepover with her big sis Paige...it's a nice quiet time for Jack & I once a week. Can you say we are very lucky in the grandparent department?

Paige is loving being a big sister, but will close the baby gate to the playroom or go in her bedroom and say, "Mom, I just need a little quiet time by myself like you do when daddy comes home from work." Which I look at as a good thing, she is over the moon about Lily being home, waiting impatiently for her to wake up in the morning or from her nap....., and cooing over her like a little mother.........I hope it lasts until the end of time and they are both best buds like me and my sister today.

In the past 2 months, Lily has slept in her crib.....since we went to Ikea and bought a new 2 inch mattress so she could stop scaling her crib like a jailbird nightly. Well that thin mattress and footie pj's to stop traction.

Lily has learned to kiss, this kid LOVES to kiss.......we have afternoon kiss sessions everyday!....started by her!

She can now walk-YAY! I like this one alot!

She can say HI! Babbles non stop......

Has figured how to escape 3 strollers after being strapped in.....I turn around and she is STANDING in the stroller w/ the 5 point

harness still clipped! (I found one she can't get out of at a consignment shop and when I put her in it and walked around the store and she started screaming I knew we had IT!) wish there was a way to check her family tree to see if she is related to Harry Houdini........

Her bloodwork and other "samples" came back perfectly normal, she's had 2 shots and due for 3 more next month. Our pediatrician was extremely surprised and pleased with how great Lily's progress is--Yay Gaozhou Social Welfare Institute!

So as far as 60 days goes, 60 down the rest of Lily's life to go!

And the 3 years 8 months 26 days we waited for you was worth every single second! For the waiting parents reading this, stay strong, it will happen, and when it does you won't forget this so difficult time of waiting, you just are so happy to have your little one home, your brain just doesn't let you go there!

Let the games begin!!

2010-03-22T16:39:00.002-04:00

I think the videos say it all, but it was certainly an exciting day in our house today. Lily has been standing up and taking a couple of steps here and there, but nothing significant until now. She is one of the flower girls in Cousin Melissa's wedding in 3 weeks and we are hoping she can walk herself down the aisle. This is going to be fun.

2010-03-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long, but we are HOME!

2010-03-07T21:47:00.002-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize that it has been so long since our last post. To those that do not have access to Catherine's or my Facebook pages, I'm sorry. Anyway, we made it home last night. Flo (Catherine's Mom) stayed over to help us out. Thankfully she did. Lily cried, slept, cried, slept, etc. None of our internal clocks have adjusted, yet, but we all needed some sleep. Having Flo was a big help and then Catherine's Dad, Jack (yes, same name), came over in the morning to help, too.

Paige is already a great big sister, but Lily doesn't know her yet, so she's a little hesitant when Paige gets too close. It will all come in time, we know, but I hate to see Paige get discouraged when she's trying so hard.

Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures we can put up of the new sisters together or of the whole family (they are on Flo's old fashioned camera...you know, with FILM.) I will put them up when I get them and can scan them. I will put up a few more of Lily from the trip, though. Now that we are home, I'm sure Catherine will get back to posting more regularly. As you can imagine, it gets hard to do from another country with a new kid in a cramped hotel room.

Daddy Daughter Day

2010-02-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

Lily and I had a great Daddy Daughter Day today while Mommy rested. We took a tour with some of the other families and went to a Buddhist Temple, an Art Museum, and a Market. Lily was such a great little girl today. She didn't fuss at all, fell asleep in my arms for a little while, and relaxed in the stroller. Afterwards, Mommy, Lily, and I went to the Swan Room (kids' playroom in the hotel) for a little playtime and then out to dinner. It was a great day.

It's official...

2010-02-22T03:06:00.003-05:00

After getting Lily yesterday, we went back to Provincial Civil Affairs Office today to be submit our adoption registration and notarization. After being interviewed by the Registry Official and then by the Notary, Lily is now officially ours.

Afterwards, we went to Carrefore marketplace, which is like a crazy version of Wal-Mart. We were told we had 70 minutes, to which I scoffed like that was an eternity. Well, about 60 minutes in, we had a cart and a half full of stuff and only half our list crossed off. We bailed on some unnecessary items, took off for the formula aisle, and got back to the bus.

Tomorrow afternoon we head to the Passport Agency to apply for Lily's Chinese passport.

So far, Lily has eaten well and slept almost 10 hours last night. She is napping right now and will have another bottle when she wakes up. She was a little cautious yesterday and cried just a bit, but today she has been laughing and smiling with us a lot. This is a true blessing.

I am having difficulty updating pictures to the blog today, so please check our Facebook pages. All the pictures are on my page (Jack), but I will set the pictures to be viewed by Catherine's friends as well. Now...time to update our health insurance plan at work!

Here's the baby!

2010-02-21T19:30:00.003-05:00

The bus leaves in 10 minutes!

2010-02-21T01:11:00.003-05:00

This is it, no turning back now. We leave for the Civil Affairs Office in 10 minutes. That is where the Nannies and Orphanage Director are meeting us with our Lily. The next time you see this blog, it will no longer be about "the completion of a family", but rather "a family complete"!

We made it to Guangzhou! Tomorrow is Gotcha Day!

2010-02-20T09:25:00.002-05:00

We made it to the White Swan hotel in Guangzhou. We didn't get in until about 8:30pm, so we got our keys, ordered Room Service, and started unpacking. Tonight is our last sleep before we get our Lily tomorrow!! Call the Dr., Catherine is officially 10 centimeters dialated and she's ready to push.

One More Sleep..............

2010-02-19T20:23:00.003-05:00

...............until sweet Lily is in my arms!!! After all these years of waiting and wondering and dreaming, I can't believe it is tomorrow.

Our time in Hong Kong reminded me a lot of our honeymoon in London. Lots of walking, people watching, doing some touristy things, shopping, and talking and laughing with each other. There is no cell phone, no Paige :(, no regular phone, no tv, etc. to interrupt us......it's just been us. And you know what? We still "like" each other over 8 years of marriage!

So we are more than ready for a little interruption named Lily!

Our agency guide, will be picking us up at our hotel in Hong Kong this afternoon at 2:30pm and then we stop at another hotel to pick up our remaining travel group, and then we leave via bus for Guangzhou, China. This is where we will remain the rest of our time in China. The bus ride is estimated to be 2 1/2 to 3 hours. And considering the bus is all adopting parents from overseas, we will not be pushed, shoved, or tripped the whole time! :)

First half of our journey is complete, now come on 2nd half! We are so so close to you, Lily! We are coming my sweetheart, sleep well tonight!

Last full day in Hong Kong

2010-02-19T06:29:00.004-05:00

So, Catherine spent the morning resting while I went out and walked the town taking pictures. I hit the promenade walk overlooking Victoria Harbour, Canton Road, Kowloon Park, and a few other spots. I took in a traditional Chinese Dragon demonstration along the way. It was a cool morning. Catherine and I went out in the afternoon and hit the Ladies Market in Mong Kok. We picked up a few souvenirs, had some dinner, and called it a day. Tomorrow we pack up and head to Guangzhou! Below are a few pictures from today. The first and third pictures are taken from our hotel room!

Some pics of our trip

2010-02-18T05:28:00.003-05:00

Is it possible that all 1 billion people in China are in Hong Kong this week?

2010-02-18T05:11:00.003-05:00

Here are two videos of me just to show you how crowded everything is. I feel like I'm doing a documentary, but it's fun. The first is from Disney yesterday and the second is from the tram to Victoria Peak today.

We had a great day today. We started the morning off with a phone call to Paige, who we miss more than words can express. A couple of more hours of sleep and then a couple of Egg McMuffins later (one each, thank you) and we were off. We headed to the Star Ferry and went across the harbor to Hong Kong Island. We took the tram up to the top of Victoria Peak. It was chilly and overcast but still much better than yesterday's weather. Then we went to Stanley Market. Catherine is pretty exhausted, but still loving every minute of it. I'm having a blast, too. Only two more days in Hong Kong and three more sleeps until until we get Lily!

Day 1...Disney!

2010-02-17T07:33:00.005-05:00

OK, OK, before you bash us, let me set the record straight. We had not intended to go to Hong Kong Disneyland until our last day after having seen all the sights. Well, the weather today was horrible...45 and rainy. The rep from our agency that's here in HK said it was the worst day of the winter. Since we couldn't see the top of Victoria Peak from the bottom, we figured we couldn't see the bottom from the top. So, in hopes of getting clearer skies tomorrow, we went to Disney today (thank you Scott and Ellen!).

For those who don't know, it's Chinese New Year. If you've ever been to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando for New Year's, you know how bad it is. Well, this is WORSE...MUCH, MUCH WORSE! I'm not kidding. The place was packed and apparently the Chinese culture is to push and shove to get where you want to be. It was interesting to see HK Disneyland, but it was chaos. I plan to upload a video later, but for now, you'll have to enjoy this photo.

We made it to Hong Kong!!

2010-02-16T10:34:00.002-05:00

It took 26 hours of traveling, 2 flights totalling 18+ hours, 11,000 or so miles and we are finally here. We are missing our little girl, Paige, but we are excited to get our other little girl, Lily, on Sunday. Now, time to get some sleep and hit the town tomorrow.

2010-02-15T04:12:00.002-05:00

Our bags are packed, all the preparations are complete! Jack & I finally leave today for Hong Kong. We will go to Guangzhou, China on Saturday and meet Lily on Sunday, Feb.21!

Paige is staying home with both sets of grandparents and school to keep her busy. But I couldn't help but notice her head hanging a little low yesterday :(

Jack and I can't wait to really take in Hong Kong and relax and have fun.......and then really try to remember as much as we can about China so we can tell Lily about her "birth" into our family..........but then the mom & dad in us, wants the trip to go so fast, so we can get back to Paige and have both our girls in our arms!

During the next 3 weeks, if you have a spare minute after 11:30am m-f, could you give Paige a call, please? I just know she loves getting phone calls!

That's all from now in the US of A, will touch base once we sleep a bit in Hong Kong!

love to you all!

ONE Month From Tonight.......

2010-02-06T22:14:00.003-05:00

I will be able to hold BOTH of these angels at the same time, in the same country, same earth, same time zone, same EVERYTHING for as long as God lets me!!!!! How totally lucky am I?!?!

After all these years, months, weeks, days, and minutes of waiting - just ONE more month and my dream comes true!

We leave February 15th and return March 6th! Jack & I are having a little bit of a 2nd honeymoon in Hong Kong for a couple of nights, then we meet up with our group on Feb. 20th......take a bus ride from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China ( I was personally told by our Adoption Agency co-owner and operator, no poop in bus only pee :) )

Then our Gao Ai Qun (Lily's Chinese name) will be brought to us the NEXT day, Feb. 21st! So if it rains where you are on that day, those are my tears of happiness coming down from heaven......

I am going to my best try not to cry, because I don't want to scare Lily, but I can't make any guarantees!

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for our family for all this time....we love you all!

Give Me A "T"! Give Me An "A"!........

2010-01-27T19:09:00.002-05:00

........What does that spell?!

TA!

.....and what does that mean in the world of China Adoption?

TRAVEL APPROVAL!

Today, Wednesday, January 27, 2009 the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs has notified our adoption agency that we have been approved to come into China to bring home our Lily!

Our last part of our paperchase waiting journey is waiting for the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China to make our appointment to get the ball rolling to make Lily a U.S. Citizen.....this appointment typically takes place the day before families fly home at the end of their China trip......

Our agency is 'guesstimating" we should leave February 18th-19th.....and Jack & I are planning leaving a couple of days before that to have little second honeymoon for a couple of days in Hong Kong.......

YAY for our TA! Our family is growing, and I am sooooo overjoyed! See prayers really do get answered!

Thank you all for your kind thoughts & prayers for us! :)

New pictures have arrived!!

2010-01-20T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of new pictures that we got of our Lily. One of the things they tend to do to the children is bundle them up all nice and cozy. Can you see how many layers of clothing she has on? Oh well, she's still adorable and we can't wait to bring her home.

Where Lily Waits For Us....

2010-01-19T09:34:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures I found of the GaozHou City Social Welfare Institute in the Guangdong Province of China. This is where Lily is waiting for us.

This is where her referral pictures were taken, it is called a playroom......

this is one of the baby rooms and the type of crib Lily is sleeping in...

the outside of her orphanage.....the left side is a school and the right side is the orphanage.

Our "Lily Bird's" Full Name........

2010-01-18T16:03:00.004-05:00

Jack & I have decided upon Lily's middle name:

Hope is the thing with feathers that Perches in the Soul
and Sings the Tune Without Words
and Never Stops
at all.
...Emily Dickenson

Without hope in this mommy's heart, she never would have made it through this extremely hard experience in her life. She foolishly thought the pregnancy in her heart would be easier than Paige's pregnancy under her heart. But with hope in her soul, God in her life, Jack's help & her sweet baby girl, Paige, she was able to survive the last 4 & 1/2 years.

So ladies & gentlemen, our new daughter's full name is

Lily Hope Adler

......has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

I Think Paige Is Turning Japanese! I Really Think So!

2010-01-12T16:03:00.003-05:00

here she is with her new hair do, styled after a Japanese Geisha Girl! Looks good huh?

I am a very talented hair stylist in Japan, you didn't know that about me did you? :)

The Side View.......

The Front View

and a very short video of Paige's Japanese language comprehension thus far :)

have I mentioned how much I love my kiddo?

2010-01-12T11:14:00.002-05:00

a momentary blog break from our china adoption & our now 5 year old!, daughter paige:

My very precocious 4 year old niece, Miss Claudia, no she's not Hannah Montana; is getting ready for a vacation with her family to California.

You know how you never really "know" what a child thinks in their brain? For example, Paige who spoke to her Aunt Thel the other night, (Aunt Thel lives in Tampa, Paige lives in Orlando for those of you new to my blog- a little back info) so Paige says after hanging up the phone, "The next time I go to visit Aunt Thel do I need my passport? Because Tampa is in another state, you know Mom!" Can you tell Paige's parents are gearing up for a trip to China? There is MUCHO talk about passports, visas to China, etc. etc. etc.

Ok, so back to my precocious niece, Miss Claudia who is getting ready for her vacation to California, she says to my sister, "Mommy, I need to pack my jewels!" (she is obsessed with her plastic beaded jewelry) "And we should see Miley Cyrus' house while we are in California!"

Ummmmmmmm, yup! Claudia so very much "gets" her upcoming vacation to California! Get your Aunt Catherine an autograph while you are there & some Harry Winston jewels while you are at it! Love you kiddo!

We Had Someone Better Than Santa At Our House Today!

2009-12-30T20:43:00.003-05:00

The FedEx Man! In his delivery TWO new pictures of our Lily! Sorry Santa, but that's hard to top!

I just cannot wait to kiss that sweet head.....

.......and rock her to sleep......

P.S. Santa: thank you for making all my wishes come true :)

Some More Pictures From Our Lily Day Yesterday!

2009-12-30T09:31:00.002-05:00

We get the call from our agency, we can go to their office & see Lily's face!

Family of 3 about to turn in to 4!

1st Family Photo of 4!

A sight I never thought my eyes would see, my two baby girls!

And after more mountains of paperwork, it only gets better from here!

Meet Our Daughter........

2009-12-29T17:26:00.005-05:00

Our Lily

........this moment is worth every minute of our 45 month wait :)

she is 10 months old

birthday february 26, 2009

waiting for us: GaozHou City Social Welfare Institute, Guangdong Province

her favorite toy are toys that make sound, she is a deep sleeper :), and is closest to care taker......

we hope to leave in 4 weeks or 7 weeks to travel around the Chinese New Year......WE ARE READY TO GO TOMORROW!

We Have Received Our Call, Today Is THE Day!

2009-12-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

and we will wait no more, today our red thread brings our Lily to us.........we're off to the agency, we shall return with a picture to share!

We've Got A Feeling About Tomorrow.......

2009-12-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

.......that the stork just may be flying tonight! this V-E-R-Y night! Fingers crossed and many prayers being said.......stay tuned!

Ummmmmmmm....Rumor Queen Post Tonight...

2009-12-24T19:08:00.003-05:00

All I can say on this Christmas Eve is Thank You Santa & Thank You God......

Paige & I just got back from lighting candles & saying prayers for Lily at our local Shrine, and I get back to this post on the Rumor Queen website (for those that do not know Rumor Queen, it is a website that is like the bible for waiting parents who are adopting from China, she posts daily about what rumors are being said in the world about waittimes, the special needs program, travel approvals coming through, EVERYTHING) and this is her post tonight:

December 24th, 2009

"An agency has posted that the CCAA’s internal box has changed to show matches through April 3rd.

Usually we get a lot of agencies reporting this when it happens… but with today being Christmas Eve? We may not see agencies confirming it until Monday.

I’ve been peaking in occasionally this morning, but our out of town family will begin arriving soon and then I won’t be able to check in as often.

With only one agency saying it, it’s hard to give it an R rating. It is definitely not an R4 or R5 until we get more agencies saying it, though.

If the cut off is the 3rd, that would be very disappointing (unless you happen to be included, of course). Here are the projections. I really don’t want to have to make a smaller column."

WE ARE AN APRIL 3rd FAMILY!!!!!!!!! It appears our time is edging closer, and closer.......what an amazing Christmas Gift!

I am SOOOO happy to post this!

2009-12-24T09:50:00.014-05:00

"Welcome to Child Referral

Traditional Program Child Referral

April 2006

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

CCAI's LID -

4/03/2006
4/04/2006
4/05/2006
4/06/2006
4/12/2006
4/17/2006
4/20/2006
4/24/2006
4/25/2006
4/29/2006

12/23/2009

Working On The Next Set Of Matches

We believe the CCAA is currently working on the

next set of matches. We do not know the cutoff

date on the next set of matches at this time.

We will update this website as soon as more

information becomes available.

We wish you and your family a wonderful

holiday season!"

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! Right now in China our

Lily may already to MATCHED to our family!

As Jack always says, "We're Adlers! We're FIRST!"

So with that theory Lily's filed has probably already

been matched to our family's file! I knew there

was more than one reason I loved Jack!

Santa, do you think you have room for

our match in your sleigh tonight??!!

During Our Being "Next" Time........

2009-12-24T09:06:00.004-05:00

There have been sharing ice pops & lolly pops with daddy.........

passing a little bit of boredom.......

.......and definately ALOT of silliness while waiting!

Oh Lily just you wait until you meet your family

and

discover how silly we are

and

how much we already love you!

Next!

2009-12-24T08:48:00.002-05:00

China has matched up until March 31, 2006! Which means WE ARE NEXT when the next set of referrals come through. It will be a long month or more!

This set of referrals arrived December 2, 2009. We have at least 18 to 52 days until receiving Lily's referral--after waiting 44 months, now that we are down to days, I can handle that!

Paige & Her Imaginary Cousins In Action! #4

2009-10-22T19:25:00.002-04:00

Last video/post! just gotta love my kiddo!

Paige & Her Imaginary Cousins In Action! #3

2009-10-22T19:02:00.002-04:00

Video/post #3 continued in "imaginary cousin" video series!

one more to follow! :)

Imaginary Cousin, Video #2

2009-10-22T17:49:00.002-04:00

........this one is continued from the video/post below so scroll down to see it.

.....more to follow my people!

Paige & Her Imaginary Cousins In Action!

2009-10-22T16:55:00.003-04:00

So Paige played "Super Model!" today, she was trying on her holiday 2009 & going to meet Santa outfit today and needless to say her reaction to it was "LOVE IT MOMMY!"

Then, she started talking about her "imaginary cousins" which infiltrate our house regularly these days.........and I got it on video, there are a couple of videos so I will post more in different posts here, stay tuned for more "Paige Moments" and tell me if you think she needs counseling! :)

P.S: our phone started ringing in the end of this video, so it is NOT your phone ringing!

Paige Is Now Taking Musical Theater & Loving It!

2009-10-19T09:54:00.004-04:00

Yes, my little ballerina has decided this year, she would rather take Musical Theater! So we hung up the leotard & tights and put on Paige's rather "outgoing personality" and love of putting on shows and sent her to Musical Theater!

Here she is right before her 1st class, as you can see by the video she was a little excited to say the least!

FINALLY Some Good News On The Adoption Front For A Change!

2009-10-16T19:43:00.003-04:00

It seems I only have negative things to post about Lily's adoption, so I am THRILLED to finally have some positive news to put out there in the blogsphere!

Tonight we received an email from our agency letting us know that our pre-placement packet was ready to be downloaded from our agency's website for adoptive parents!

Believe it or not this is the LAST packet we will receive from our agency BEFORE we receive Lily's referral.........after 42 months of officially waiting & thinking many times this just isn't going to happen, we have finally received our preplacement packet! this is good news! It proves we are 1 to 2 months from receiving referral!

Fly China Center of Adoption Affairs stork, FLY! FLY! FLY!

The best part of this blog post, is this little gem:

Paige, the sweetest, funniest, smartest gift from God (thank you God!), handed me this picture she made for me. "This picture is Lily finally coming home to our house."

She is bald in the picture because I have told her numerous times that Lily may have a shaved head when we bring her home. She keeps saying, Lily will have cute pony tails and I don't want her to be disappointed. She is clearly listening to me!

She handed me this picture less than 30 minutes before I received the email telling us of our preplacement packet........I think God is clearly talking to my girl, don't you!?

Thank God For Madonna!

2009-09-24T09:35:00.004-04:00

......and her song with Justin Timberlake (love him!) 4 Minutes.........

Paige LOVES this song and so do I, so no complaints from me! The less Barney, Wiggles, and Playhouse Disney playing in my car the better :)

So this morning we are grooving and dancing our brains out on the way to preschool, we pull up to the drop off spot at her preschool, a teacher's assistant opens the car door, and for the 1st time ever in Paige's school career.......she CRIES and wails, "I want to go home Mommy!"

All of the other teacher assistants & the school's director, looked shocked and start whispering.....Paige is the kid who bounds out of the car, tells anyone who will listen what she had for breakfast and that she likes their shoes today......so this was a different Paige, one they had not seen.....yet!

I pull the car out of the drop off lane, and talk to my kiddo.........what's wrong, why do you want to go home?, are you scared of something?, tell me the truth.....Now there was a large part of me, that wanted to pull out of that school lot, take my babe home and make snacks and watch movies all day with her :)

Finally, she says, I need to hear Madonna one more time.......and so 4 Minutes is cued up on my ipod and we sing and dance without the constraints of a seatbelt & car seat harness. And oh we danced! I can imagine what the teachers thought.......We drove around to the drop off spot again, teacher's assistant asked if she was ready now, Paige responds, "Yes! I just needed to dance with Mommy to my favorite Madonna song again!"

that a girl, miss Paige!

I am working on a Madonna playlist for my ipod for Paige, care to share your favorite Madonna song that you think should be included? Leave it in the comments section of the blog!

Channeling Ray Charles' Spirit.....

2009-09-21T17:50:00.002-04:00

From beyond...........

My Grandpa would be so proud! He was a huge harmonica player!

This just tickles my pickle!

Watch Out Vanessa Hudgens.......

2009-09-21T17:21:00.003-04:00

Paige is learning your song, "Gotta Go My Own Way", learning slowly as you can see on this video, but learning!

We just love our little rock star!

Cousin Melissa Is ENGAGED!

2009-09-21T16:41:00.002-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA & LEE! (a.k.a. by Paige : Sport!)

I am ashamed to say, I do not have a picture of Melissa & Lee on my computer, shocking no! So I picked this pic of my beloved Jack, with soon to be bride, Melissa!

We are so thrilled and excited for you two to start your new life together!

My advice to you both:

Live every day as if it were your last

And

Live every night as if it were your first (of course I mean after you're married, but I may forget to tell you this at the wedding--you know, wine!)

And

ELOPE!

We love you both oodles!

I Need An Epidural, Please! Or.......

2009-09-21T16:12:00.005-04:00

I'm gonna strap myself to a rocket like Paige and shoot me over to China to find out when the heck we are going to get our referral!

Here is the reason I am so excited this month: referrals (the pictures of the babies and their pertinent information for the waiting parents) are due to hopefully arrive this week.

Last month China matched waiting families whose paperwork was logged in in China through March 24, 2006. We are logged in April 3, 2006--VERY important information for a waiting parent.

Well there are rumblings around the Chinese Adoption Community that China may refer waiting families with log in dates through March 29, 2006. When I read this I REALLY paid attention! We've been waiting so long, that you get immune to a timeline because you just get burnt in the long run......

Well, if they do get up to the 29th, we will receive our Lily's referral NEXT month!!!! Holy Shasta people!!! But this probably isn't going to happen and it won't be until November or December, there is a slight chance this could happen! So I am on high alert and ready for my epidural about yesterday!

:)!

1st Day Of School was A SUCCESS!

2009-08-24T16:59:00.002-04:00

Paige received 5 awards for using a polite word......yes she said FIVE polite words in 3 hours people!

......AND

Received a "GREAT DAY" report card sent home to Jack & I!

that's a fantastic job Paige, Mommy & Daddy are very proud of you!

.......and no, sweet child of mine, you are not getting a prize because you got a great report card........

yes, she asked...."just something little mommy to play with"........oy! these kiddos!

1st Day Of School!

2009-08-24T16:27:00.004-04:00

yes, it is that time of year again and Paige was THRILLED to start school again! She really missed her friends and the routine........

here she is with her reading & math teacher, Miss Heather
here she is ready to get in the car and GO TO SCHOOL!

....here she is playing legos with her friend who was in her class last year at Meet The Teacher last week....

......walking in to Meet The Teacher day last week, watch out Miss Lucy & Miss Sara! :)

Styling at Meet Your Teacher Day....she picked out the dress, shoes, & hat :)

And lastly, a video of my girl ready to rock her way into Preschool for one more year!

10 Years Old!

2009-07-01T18:09:00.004-04:00

Our niece, Allyson, turned 10 years old today! She was the flower girl at our wedding.....and now she is TEN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My "Baby" Survived Her 1st Day At Camp!

2009-07-01T17:59:00.004-04:00

For all the years that I have known Jack, I hear stories about his "growing up years" at the JCC (aka: the Jewish Community Center)........

Well now years down the road, Paige will have her own JCC stories!

Today was her 1st day at JCC Day Camp! This was her 1st lunch "away" from any grown up that I know.......she brought her lunch and ate it, all by herself! Without Mom to open her yogurt! Where have the last 4 1/2 years GONE!? WOW WEE!

Here's my girl with her camp counselors........

.......and here she is ready to rock...........she is soooooo Eloise in this picture, no? (Eloise = the little 6 year old that lives in the penthouse at the Plaza Hotel in NYC.....)

Thank you to Grandma Carole for taking Miss Paige to camp!

Lily's Adoption Update:

2009-06-25T18:41:00.003-04:00

Referrals were delayed a little last month due to the Swine Flu.........but we officially have 14 log in dates ahead of us before we see Lily's picture when we get our referral!

October is shaping up to be our month for our referral! I don't know if I believe I will see my Lily's face in less then 4 short months......after almost 4 years since we started the adoption process, can it finally be our turn?!

My friend, Kim, left today for China to meet her little baby Annie. So very exciting!

And another friend, Tina, will most probably get her referral NEXT month...just WEEKS away!

This is starting to finally happen PEOPLE!!!!!

Please keep praying, we are close, but not there yet and we need your prayers still.

The Swine Flu is lingering in the background of families travel to China. I know of one American family who was quarantined at their hotel for 7 days because they showed signs of the flu when arriving off the plane......the father had a positive culture for Swine Flu and is now quarantined in a Chinese Hospital. The USA has issued a travel alert to all citizens traveling to China.......so this journey is still far from over for many families.......

She Danced Her Brains Out.....

2009-06-25T18:38:00.002-04:00

.........with such poise & grace!

Mommy & Daddy were so very proud of you & your accomplishment!

Paige's Dance Recital "Speech"......

2009-06-25T18:17:00.003-04:00

This was a HUGE accomplishment for Paige, because at dress rehearsals she put her head down and cried when it was her turn to say her name.........we practiced all week, and I am so proud of her!

The recital video will be a while, I have to ask Jack to download it for me, but we have it and it is GREAT!

Music Mania - Dance Recital 2009!

2009-06-25T17:51:00.003-04:00

The dance studio, which is owned, run, & taught by the one of the sweetest & most calm woman on the planet, Miss Lorraine. She started her career in entertainment at the age of nineteen when she began dancing professionally with Six Flags Productions. She then performed on different cruise ships and with professional shows throughout the country.

This is Miss Lorraine's 1st Dance Studio, and Paige has been dancing with her since day 1. It was great to see her studio's attendance SOAR from last year to this year's recital! She says she is living her dream and it's nice to see that happen to someone soooo nice & special in Paige's life!

Before the recital started she had the students who were awarded trophies this year, come up on the stage and announce their names to the audience.

Here is my lady "Joyfully Performing" before she announced her name to a full house.

Here she is celebrating during the costume parade! I love that my lady is just so HAPPY in her life!

Paige Earned Her 1st Trophy EVER!

2009-06-25T17:29:00.004-04:00

Paige completed her 2nd year of dance with our neighborhood dance studio in May. She was BESIDE herself when she received her dance trophy!

I am proud of my little girl, for choosing an activity and sticking with it!

She is taking the summer off from her dance lessons.....since this will be the last summer she is my only daughter, and we have been reading loads of books, learning American History by watching Little House On The Prairie dvds :), (Paige will say can we watch "history" mom?) We are waiting for some Little House books & American Girl Kirsten books to be delivered from our library........to continue our "history" lessons during the rain/thunder/hail storms we get every afternoon around here.

I am spoiling her rotten........Yes, I am guilty!

I can say with confidence that this will be her last summer as an only child, next summer my Paige will be a BIG sister!

So I am enjoying the heck out of these days.........but we are both excited to have Lily join in our daily adventures....

....A Little Girl's 4th Birthday Dreams Come True......

2009-06-25T17:18:00.003-04:00

My niece who shares Jack's birthday had a most amazing birthday with her mom at the American Girl Cafe!

Paige & I went with our "chosen family" Cheryl & Kirby last summer so when I talked to the birthday girl on the phone we were able to discuss the special pink lemonade, the bright pink gerber daisies on the table, the appetizer spread with pretzel rolls, strawberries, melon cut into gerber daisy shapes.......she was a little confused as to how I knew so much about the restaurant she was sitting in with my sister, while I was not there!

Here is my little niece gabbing away to me during her special lunch........it kills me!

The great thing about all the technology our world has is that I was able to experience her American Girl lunch like I was sitting across the table from her!

Glad you had such a special day! Cathy Loves You Kid!

A Bit of a "blogging break" For This Mama!

2009-06-25T16:55:00.002-04:00

........no I didn't just get off the island after my stint on Survivor, do you REALLY think I would EVER EVEN ATTEMPT that show? Amazing Race, yes....they have toilets, food, & 12 hour REST periods!

So I am back! And will be blogging again to my best ability.......

It's Somebody's Birthday In Our House........

2009-05-22T16:09:00.005-04:00

It's Jack's (a.k.a. Paige's Daddy's) birthday!

Paige is currently on "vacation" AGAIN, this time with Grandma Carole & Papa George in St. Louis. She is visiting Aunt Rachel (Jack's sister), Uncle Scott, & cousins Allyson & Daniel.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you so very much!

Today is also Claudia's, our niece's, birthday! She turned 4 today.....and is enjoying a day with her Mommy, my sister, in NYC! Claudia has been calling with updates about her special day. She called after her horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park and during her birthday lunch at the American Girl Cafe......she was tickled that she was drinking pink lemonade.....Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet Claude-hope all your birthday wishes come true!

Prayer Works!

2009-05-22T09:10:00.006-04:00

China FINALLY sent referrals for this month! Families with log in dates from March 8 to March 14, 2006 received their referrals! We are April 3, 2006....things are slowly moving along! YAY!

Fingers Crossed & Praying To God......

2009-05-18T16:59:00.003-04:00

There has been a "rumor" out in the China Adoption Community that the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs has suspended referrals until September 2009 due to the Swine Flu.......needless to say that makes Jack & I sick to our stomachs and we are HEALTHY!

We spoke with our agency today, who told us that they believe referrals should be received the end of this week. Now no one knows how many families will receive referrals, but we would be THRILLED with any amount of referrals......it would bring us one tiny bit closer to our Lily..........

We know you all are praying for our Lily......can you please say one extra prayer tonight?

Family Is A Good Thing.......

2009-05-17T19:42:00.006-04:00

.........this picture was taken after a fun-filled but long and hot day at the Magic Kingdom.......Paige just loves having her cousins visit!

Wildfires Are Awe Inspiring Works Of Mother Nature....

2009-05-17T16:37:00.004-04:00

.....last week Paige and I were sitting in our living room catching the latest episode of Toot & Puddle, when out of the blue there was this lightning strike that sounded like it landed right on our sofa!

....we both jumped out of our skin, and then poor Paige freaked out more when she saw her mama was really freaked out......

1st we shut off Daddy's plasma T.V., (I would not want to live through the experience of something bringing harm to Daddy's T.V.)

2nd we started reading all the Toot & Puddle books we picked out together at the library

3rd within a few minutes, Paige says, "I want to look at the sky and see if I see rain yet." So off we go to the patio, where I can see the traffic behind our house is at a standstill and fire engine lights......

4th "Hmmmm......Paige lets go out the front of the house and see what's going on"

.........and this is what greeted my eyeballs........do you see the flipping FIRE TRUCK & SMOKE that is DIRECTLY across the lake from our house?!?!?!?! That lightning bolt started a fire in the conservation area next to our house!!! OMG!

........It takes a few seconds for my brain to process what my eyeballs are seeing, and then Paige & I race back to the house, & "Smart Mommy In An Emergency Situation" grabs her CAMERA and goes back out to take PICTURES, by the time I got there the flames were low.....phew...

I tell Paige to get dressed (she was in a nightgown) and think to myself, "Get cat, get dogs, get Paige & get Mommy and Paige's sleeping blankets".......(NO THOUGHT to the house insurance papers, pictures, passports, birth certificates, nope just the cow blankets Paige & I sleep with!)

Now mind you, while these thoughts are racing through my head, Paige is running around the house in underwear freaking out like her mother (poor kid is doomed).

But then after a call to Daddy, who called our neighbor Bruce, who went out and surveyed the wildfire situation and declared an all clear......Paige put back on her nightgown & Mommy had 2 glasses of wine.

........and here is a picture of Bruce, "assessing" the wildfire situation!

Our neighborhood was VERY fortunate, there are many other local central Florida neighborhoods that are being evacuated due to wildfires.......and some families lost everything......

I personally wanted to run up to those firemen and hug them! A huge thank you to all those firefighters who are keeping people safe!

It Sure Has Been A While!

2009-05-17T15:58:00.004-04:00

.......please accept my apologies for not posting! Life just sometimes gets in the way of blogging!

Since my last post:

.....Paige got a new "fancy" flower hat in her favorite color, pink, of course!

......had a couple of sleepovers at Grandma Carole's & Papa George's house....

.....attended one of her "best bud's", Blace, 3rd birthday party

......had a playdate at our house with Cousins Sam, Molly, Michelle, & Jason from NY

.......went to the Magic Kingdom with her cousins for Sam & Molly's 1st trip ever to see "the mouse"

.......and went to preschool, dance school, had just a couple of meltdowns, and watched her favorite new tv shows: Special Agent Oso & Toot & Puddle a gajillion times with her Mama

.......she now knows her phone number & address by heart

......and right this very moment she is on vacation with Grammy & Pop Pop on Long Island for her other cousin, Claudia's 4th Birthday party TODAY!

.......and in about 24 hours, my little monkey will be back home in Orlando wrapped up in my arms--I sure did miss you kiddo!

Happy Earth Day 2009!

2009-04-22T18:43:00.004-04:00

We didn't do much of anything to celebrate Earth Day, but Paige proudly wore her "Love Her" planet Earth t-shirt........

Happy Earth Day!

It's An Epidemic, You Know........

2009-04-14T08:26:00.004-04:00

In World News according to Paige, all baby dolls & stuffed animals in the United States of America, have the flu...........

I received strict instructions from Paige this morning as she was leaving for preschool: "Mama, if you hear any pretend calls for Mommy, Mommy, you need to get up and check on my babies."

......sweet Pluto.....

...beautiful Daisy, she was the 1st "baby" to come down with the flu last night...so she got the "best bed" in Paige's bookcase.......

......even Donald Duck isn't immune from this sickness.......:(

I think I should be able to hold down Paige's Hospital until she gets home in three hours.....(I love my little girl and her imagination!)

Happy Easter My Blog-Reading.........

2009-04-12T11:06:00.003-04:00

......."PEEPS"!!!

57 + 12 = Grammy's Age..........

2009-04-10T15:34:00.004-04:00

.........that's right people, Grammy is 69 today! .......don't tell her I told you, okay?

.........this year Grammy's birthday is so close to Easter, we were able to get an Easter Egg Cake for her birthday cake.........pretty, no? and sooooo Y-U-M-M-O!

..........Paige especially loved the orange sugar flower......and I am sure her dentist will love her if she gets a cavity ;)

Happy 69th Birthday Grammy.........We Love You VERY, VERY much!

Butter.........

2009-04-07T18:01:00.002-04:00

......this is what I found on my dining room table earlier this week:

1. baby doll with "bare bottom"

2. pretend stick of butter placed on "bare bottom"

When I asked Paige what was the story with the bare bottomed, butter-wearing baby doll on my dining room table, she said, "Oh, Mama, her "tush" hurts and her doctor said to put a stick of butter on it for 6 weeks and it will be fine......."

Life is so not boring in my house......:)

A Blast From My Past.........

2009-04-07T17:47:00.002-04:00

........So, Grammy & Pop Pop came over for a visit today, and Pop was carrying a Target bag, and in it was Smurfette's Mushroom House For......ME!

I loved Smurfs when I was little and haven't really given them much thought in recent years until today, and you know what people? I L-O-V-E them!.............

.......Well, Grammy asked Pop Pop to take her back to Target where she bought me the COMPLETE Smurf Village........and you know what?!

My kiddo loves them as much as I do! Long live Smurfs :)

Three Years Ago Today........

2009-04-03T09:15:00.004-04:00

.......not only was our paperwork "officially" logged-in in China for Lily's adoption.......but this little "wonder" met her "forever family" (a.k.a. my sister's family) on the other side of the world........

......it's funny how waiting THREE long years for our adoption feels like FOREVER, but having my niece as part of our family, it just doesn't seem long enough........I can't remember our family without her!

this video was taken during her last visit to Orlando when she fell in love with Paige's "jewels" and Cheetah Girls guitar........the kid's got talent, no?

Happy April FOOL'S Day!

2009-04-01T06:39:00.005-04:00

Jack is off today, which is usually a good thing. I like having Jack around me, he is funny...........

But.......

.........Today is April Fool's Day and Jack is good at getting me! I trust him too much......and he uses that against me on day's like today!

........it's 6:47am, I guess I could go running into the bedroom and start hooting & hollering, the CCAA referred our LID date!!!!!!!!!!! --wonder if that would get me the same reaction when I told him I was pregnant with Paige - "YOU'RE PREGNANT!?!?" oh that was good, I'll never forget the look on his face that day.......

I think I will lay low today with Lola, she has the right idea.......

..........and Paige has learned the art of snoozing from Lola & Mama!

Happy April Fool's Day my friends, and don't let yourself get fooled!

Happy Birthday Papa George!

2009-03-28T09:26:00.004-04:00

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday Papa George! We love you & hope all your birthday wishes come true!

Miss Paige had a sleepover at Grandma Carole's & Papa George's house, she and Grandma Carole were busy baking a birthday cookie for a special surprise for Papa George.

Paige told Grandma Carole, that her new name was, "Chef The Great".......oh my little girl has such an imagination!

..........here is the finished product....YUMMO!

.......almost done, but Paige was conducting a "poison test" here......

.........oh, and here too! Chef The Great is all about quality control..........amazing there was enough frosting to actually decorate the cookie, no?

.......here she is in action: Chef The Great!

oh my kiddo, Mommy agrees, you are great! love you oodles......

A Video Recap Of Paige's Tampa Vacation.....

2009-03-27T21:03:00.003-04:00

I think this video really sums up Paige's Tampa Vacation.........

........Thanks again Aunt Thel, Mel, & Lee for giving Paige such memorable four days in her little life of four years!

.......and for Mommy & Daddy's little "vaca" at home......we love you guys!

A Recap Of Paige's Tampa Vacation In Pictures.....part 3

2009-03-27T20:45:00.004-04:00

(oops! I uploaded these pictures backwards, sorry!)

Paige enjoyed her 2nd dessert of the night with a free mint chocolate chip Rita's Ice! YUMMO! Every year Rita's gives free ices on the 1st day of Spring........our family DOES NOT miss this delicious fun!

Paige's 1st dessert of the night was Elephant Ears at the Elephant Bar Restaurant......interesting that that was the restaurant they chose after seeing elephant's a the zoo earlier in the day........

Do you think my family thought to themselves while looking at the elephants,

"Selves, those elephants ears sure do look tasty! Let's have them for dessert tonight!"

.....back at the zoo earlier that day.......Cousin Lee helped Paige feed a giraffe!

Feeding the giraffe is mommy's 2nd favorite thing at the Lowry Zoo, and cousin Melissa finally got the picture Mommy has been trying to take forever! Paige feeding the giraffe!

I think I get so excited and caught up in the moment, I physically can't take a picture!

In case you are wondering: my FAVORITE thing at the Lowry Zoo is the orangutans, I could sit there for hours watching them :)

.......and my sweet Paige visited her penquins, you think she likes them?

A Recap Of Paige's Tampa Vacation In Pictures.....part 2

2009-03-27T20:32:00.004-04:00

Aunt Thel, Cousin Melissa & Cousin Lee took Paige to the Lowry Zoo during her "Tampa Getaway"........

..........she rode a pony!

.........she rode a tiger rollercoaster with Cousin Lee.....(thanks from mom for keeping her INSIDE the tiger during the ride :) )

...........she rode on a camel with some random little boy.........

..........and she rode on the dolphin on the carousel, (once again, thank you Cousin Lee for keeping ON the dolphin from Mom)

Can you tell Paige has a little crush on Cousin Melissa's boyfriend? :)

A Recap Of Paige's Tampa Vacation In Pictures.....

2009-03-27T19:47:00.003-04:00

........Paige enjoyed dinner "poolside", her choice for dinner: bacon & applesauce! (hey, she's on vacation - the sky's the limit, right?)

Enjoyed a game of "kitchen soccer" with Cousin Lee..........

..........Paige relaxed in her lavish accomodations a.k.a. Aunt Thel's bed......she also "needed" to borrow Aunt Thel's stuffed hippo and 3 bears, she said the Thelma Bear that is laying on top of her CAN sleep on top of her because she is so pretty......it's amazing their was room for Aunt Thel after Paige and her "posse" got cozy!

........Paige took advantage of the "free" cooking lessons available at her "hotel".......

.......she also took an artclass or two - this class is called: Painting the Sidewalk with Water & Chalk!

Something I Found On One Of My China Adoption Message Boards That Made Me Smile...

2009-03-22T10:18:00.002-04:00

You Might Be Adopting From China If....

* you know that I-600, I-171, & I-800 aren't highways

* you've been expecting a baby for over 3 years

* you understand that it's 2006 in some parts of the world

* you've "paid for" 3 citizenships, but never brought anyone into the U.S.A.

* you know that waiting for "China" has nothing to do with Tiffany & Co., patterns, or dishes

* your homestudy report is followed by a number (i.e. #3)

* you never know how many days "next month" will have

* you know that babies come in batches

* you've been fingerprinted three times, but never committed a crime

* you look twice when you see a ladybug

* you are more interested in what will happen in March 2006 than in March 2009

* you have friends & family who understand when you talk about 2 day months & 5 day months

* your "due date" hasn't changed by just days, but also years

* you know who Rumor Queen is...AND...understand you don't know who she is

* when you speak of "that time of the month" you're talking about the CCAA (The Chinese Center Of Adoptions Affairs) sending new referrals to waiting families around the globe

* you love someone you've never met with all your heart & soul :)

love you my sweet Lily wherever you are........

Birthday Booty For Mama........

2009-03-21T16:45:00.002-04:00

.........flowers from Aunt Thel & Melissa - (note the orange, my fav color, gerber daisy, my fav flower) and balloons too!

......a custom made backpack purse from etsy.com, made especially with my choice of fabrics from Grandma Carole & Papa George.......

.........the Mickey Mouse House playset, I always look at whenever we are in Disney, from my parents.....yes folks, 37, and still getting toys.....but Paige sure does appreciate it! good thing I share toys, not food (like Joey from Friends) :)

.......AND fresh, salty Disney World popcorn made this morning at the Magic Kingdom from my parents......they literally went this morning to get it for me.....how cool is that?

......if only computers were scratch and sniff.......:)

.........and from my dear husband Jack, a McDonald's fountain coke with no ice and he is hooking up my new "inherited" computer armoire for my "office" in our laundry room today.......thanks babe!

and one last thank you to Aunt Thel, Melissa, and Lee for giving Paige a "vacation" full of memories and Jack and I a little bit of quiet........there will be a vacation post coming soon with Paige's favorite vacation memories.........

Mama' Birthday.......

2009-03-21T16:14:00.005-04:00

........Yes, my friends, I know I don't look a day over 21, but I turned 37 today...(Paige is holding up 3 fingers in this picture)

And it was a good, relaxing birthday........

........There was red velvet cake & a very "special" wish....anyone know what that wish could be??!! :) .....how brave am I to post this not so flattering picture of myself?

.......there was just plain old simple happiness.......

......and there was family.......(starting at bottom left, Grammy, Paige, Aunt Thel, Jack, Pop Pop, & Cousin Melissa.......

........oooooo! & presents too! to be continued see next post.......

While Paige Is On Vaca In Tampa.......

2009-03-20T18:38:00.004-04:00

..........I am having some quality time with our pets, the 1st babies of our family :)

.....Paige is having a complete BLAST and told Aunt Thel & Melissa that she will come home tomorrow to give me my birthday present, but will go BACK to Tampa right after for a lot more nights! (Thank You again Aunt Thel, Cousin Melissa & "Silly" Cousin Lee!)

When Aunt Thel asked her if she wanted to call her Mama, Paige simply said, "No....."

I know my little kiddo, and she thinks if she talks to me, I will tell her it's time to come home! She is my smart cookie!

And I am thrilled that she is living large away from Jack & I.....I am so proud of her for being brave & enjoying a new experience.

This reassures me she will be a-okay while Jack & I leave her at home with our parents while we are in China bringing home Lily........

It's nice to have a little quiet time at home while Paige is on "vaca" but it's just not the same without her.......

I think Dottie (our cat), Emmaline (our yorkshire terrier), and Lola (our chihuahua) are starting to go through separation anxiety.......they seem depressed today......or maybe enjoying a few days without a 4 year old giving them hugs ALL DAY LONG!

Paige is on Vacation.......

2009-03-19T11:05:00.002-04:00

So Paige is enjoying a little "vaca" with Aunt Thel, cousin Melissa, & silly Lee (Melissa's boyfriend) in Tampa!

Melissa works with special needs children and her "office" is a dreamland for Paige...here is a video of my kiddo living large........

.......miss you my Paige, but can't believe how "quiet" the house is......was it this quiet before you came into our lives?

Have fun my cutie pie!

Paige's New Cuddle Baby Has Arrived from Canada!

2009-03-18T19:36:00.004-04:00

As most of you know I am obsessed with etsy.com. This website sells everything from hairbows, clothes & purses, to dolls, paintings & more by very talented people.

Not only are the products unique and awesome, but they are handmade by actual people and not by a machine in some factory....I like that!

So one thing that Mommy loves, and now Paige too are Waldorf Dolls......I picked out one for me (yes, I am about to be 37) and my mom bought her for me for my birthday.....I've had my doll a couple of weeks, and Paige just fell in love with her.....and would "borrow" her some nights when she thought there were monsters in her room and poof! she would be asleep in minutes after cuddling Mommy's "cuddle baby" who Paige named Rosie.

Paige & I decided to count up her piggy bank money to see if she had enough $$$ to buy her very own cuddle baby......Jack donated a bunch of spare and took her to Publix to "coinstar" her change into dollars...she thought this was cool......

She had enough $$$, so onto etsy.com, to order her own cuddle baby made especially for Paige, by a wonderful person named Chris who lives in Canada.

It was a good lesson in patience for Paige, because she had to wait for the doll to be made by Chris, then for the mail man to deliver Baby Lilac (that's what Paige named her) from Toronto to Orlando.........

Here's the video of her opening Lilac........my dad had picked up our mail, when he got back to the house, Paige was in the bathroom, so we just put the package on the floor for Blogging Mommy to get the "video play by play".......

I think we have a tiny glimpse of how excited Paige will be once Lily comes home here!

PS: if anyone would like to order a cuddle baby like Lilac here is the link to Chris' Etsy store

www.etsy.com/shop.php.?user_id=5955705

Don't Mess With Paige........

2009-03-17T19:58:00.004-04:00

......or you could look like this........

What a shiner, my kiddo! We just got back from the Pediatric After Hours Clinic and Paige is going to be just fine!

Something I Never Thought To Teach Paige.........

2009-03-15T16:17:00.004-04:00

so Paige used the bathroom this morning and comes into the living room and says:

"Mama, I don't have to wash my hands, because I didn't put my hands in the water in the toilet this time......"

WHAT?!?!?!? How on earth did she think this was ok to do??!!

.....my adventures with Paige continue on! :)

Two Firsts In Our House Today........

2009-03-10T19:03:00.005-04:00

The 1st "first": a child of mine and Jack's fell asleep WHILE eating!

Judging by the "chubbiness" of Jack & I we clearly take our eating seriously.....so one would think our child would follow suit, no?

Paige was having some fruit loops in the living room and I was watching my new Girls Next Door dvd (I am a reality tv junkie!), I got up after a few minutes to check on her and called out to her while walking into the living room......no answer.......

I get to the living room (not a far walk.....we don't live in the Playboy Mansion) and I find this:

........her hand was grasping a fruit loop and she was ASLEEP!!!!!

.......and yes for a moment, I panicked and thought she choked and died.....

....when I woke her up, AFTER taking my pictures, she confessed to me that when Grammy put her down for a nap this afternoon that she didn't really sleep, "I played in my bed, Mama"......

the 2nd "first"........was this:

........a squirrel acting like Spiderman on our patio screen!

......Have you ever seen such a thing......Paige and I walked out said hi to him, we both got our cameras, took pictures, the dogs barked, and the squirrel didn't flinch!

......and yes, I panicked thinking his fingernails were trapped in our screen & I would have to call animal control or our vet to rescue him........

Oh yeah, and one more "first" now that I think of it, Paige pretended she was a baby doctor this afternoon and "cut out" a baby from my stomach......she used her Captain Hook's hook from the pirate ride at the Magic Kingdom to pretend cut me.......this kid's got some imagination.......

.........and no, I do not have pictures of that.........

I am making a note in my calendar of the date, who knows maybe God whispered to her that her sister, Lily, is being born on the other side of the world in China today......March 10th......only time will tell!

The Hole In The Wall..........

2009-03-09T22:13:00.003-04:00

........no, not a hole in OUR wall, the tv show on Fox called Hole In The Wall......has anyone seen this crazy, silly, zany show??

Paige & I watch I Love Lucy, Jon & Kate + 8, Little People, Big World, etc...we're into TLC shows........

Jack & Paige play the Wii (and they play exceptionally well I might add!) and "their" show is Hole In The Wall, where contestants have to quickly make their bodies and their partners bodies into the shape of the hole in the wall that is rushing towards them and not break the wall or fall in the pool after the wall rushes towards them..........

.......the show is pure crazy silliness just like the two loves of my life.........here's pic I snapped last night of them with their "show snacks" cozy on the sofa ready for Hole In The Wall...........I love to see the two of them together like this...........two buddies.....

Cousin Josh........We LOVE You!

2009-03-04T20:08:00.002-05:00

It came to my attention after the Gasparilla Weekend (to be blogged later) that Cousin Josh, or as Paige calls him, Silly Josh, had never seen the blog. He was a little upset and felt excluded. Since many other family members have been featured in this blog, it only seems fitting to give Josh his very own entry. Welcome, Cousin Josh, you have officially been initiated into the blog.

Sweet bow, Man!!

Other Paige News.......

2009-03-04T17:19:00.005-05:00

Paige is growing up soooooo quick! She is 4 going on 44! We are good buddies and have these chats that just crack me up........God has given her such the personality, she talks from the moment she wakes up to the moment she falls asleep--just like me! and her Daddy too!

.............she is quite the fashionista.......she took an extra couple of minutes to put her headband in "just" the right spot on her head......

..........she and Jack play Wii for hours together, and she is SO GOOD! I am amazed to watch her sit and concentrate on her games........I snapped this picture when she was waiting for Jack to come help her with a hard part of her Disney Princess Wii game.....he was doing something in the garage for a couple of minutes and came back to find her fast asleep with remote clutched tight in her hands.........

.........she is also a good mommy to her baby dolls........one of her fave baby's, Ruby, had a rough day this week, and Paige had to give her a "time out"..........Ruby did her time in Paige's time out spot..........she's teaching her babies discipline early on-good job my big girl!!!

Paige from Valentine's Day........

2009-03-04T16:57:00.003-05:00

I couldn't get this video to upload on Valentine's Day, but I got it to go today!

This is my kiddo showing her Valentine's Day Card she "recorded" for Grandma Carole & Papa George.........

We sat in the car in the parking lot at CVS right after we bought it to get the saying "just right"! It was hard work! Jack called us, because he thought we got lost, if anyone was watching us, they must have thought I was one crazy mommy.......

we decided to leave in the part at the end of the card recording where she says "Dear Paige" instead of "love, Paige".........just love this little lady!

On the Adoption Front.......

2009-03-04T16:47:00.003-05:00

News on our adoption.......we're still waiting!

Referrals were sent to waiting families from China who had their paperwork logged in in China on March 3 - March 6, 2006 this week.......congratulations to all the new families!

Our log in date is April 3, 2006.......so there are still 28 days of families ahead of us in the China Adoption "line".........we're not moving quickly, but we are moving.......slow and steady wins the race.........please keep our Lily in your prayers as always.......

Yesterday was our 35 month of officially waiting.........35 months! jeez!

Here It Is Folks!

2009-02-25T17:46:00.003-05:00

The 1st ever performance live from Paige & Daddy's Puppet Theater:

Daddy & Paige Day FULL OF FUN!

2009-02-25T17:27:00.002-05:00

Yes, people it was a day full of sock puppets while mommy rested her back! Thank you Daddy for keeping Paige quiet and giving her a special day with just you!

She feels like she is one of the Gosselin 8, because each of their kiddos are having a special alone day with their mom or dad........Paige loves watching TLC!

They look pretty good don't they?

My two crafters!

Concentrating very hard on the proper eyebrow placement!

stay tuned for their very 1st performance!

May Your Day Be Full Of LOLLIPOPS!

2009-02-14T08:46:00.006-05:00

TONS of them!!! I would like to call this picture

"Pure Happiness"!

My Valentines.........

2009-02-14T01:08:00.002-05:00

Doesn't get much better than this, I get to share my life with my 2 favorite people ever!

Jack and I had a fun day yesterday, just out and about poking around shops and having lunch together. Jack figured this is our 10th Valentine's day together, and we still really, really enjoy spending time together........I had a good Valentine's day with you babe!

(Jack has to work Saturday, so we celebrated Friday on his day off - this is life in the hospitality industry!)

My 2nd valentine LOVES to wear hats! When I was a little girl I wore a sun bonnet like Laura Ingalls alot! It's fun to see my "hat love" has been passed onto my kiddo!

My valentine in another one of her favorite hats!

Enjoy Valentine's day and EVERY day with the people you love!

Valentine's Day Started Thursday In Our House.......

2009-02-14T00:44:00.003-05:00

Thursday, Paige had her school Valentine's Day party........this is what she wore for her Valentine's Party......armed with 9 valentines for her classmates, and 2 for her teachers.....

She came home with a mailbox full of valentines with little candies attached and a pencil with a frog on it from Isabella.....that pencil was a big hit with Paige.......

Friday, Paige celebrated Valentine's Day with Grammy & Pop Pop at Epcot for the day.....

This picture was taken yesterday morning after Paige's shower, while the two of us were enjoying breakfast together......me, Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats; Paige, cocoa puffs..........

I love you THIS MUCH mommy! Had to take a picture of that! I love you more even more than that my big girl!

And this last one, is her with her new My Little Pony I gave her after our special breakfast together-I just love that one on one quiet time with no tv, and Paige telling me her stories!

PS: yes that my little pony has bunny ears......he was from Target's Easter 75% clearance sale last year.......she is learning to appreciate a bargain, $1.24!

Today, Valentine's Day, Paige is spending the day with Grandma Carole & Papa George and having a sleep over too, just don't tell Paige........because she will ask nonstop until they pick her up......"when are they coming? is that a long time? where are they? etc. etc. etc. So we tell her pretty much minutes before they pick her up! :)

Happy Valentine's Day to all our Friends & Family! We Love YOU!

Teach Me How To Be Angry......

2009-02-10T16:45:00.002-05:00

......when Paige drops my camera and says this to me:

......ok, how much do I love this munchkin??!!

Thank You To My Husband......

2009-02-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

........so Jack is the best gosh darn husband ever.........

..........my tummy wasn't feeling too well this morning, and when my tummy feels like this, there is only one thing that makes me feel better, another one of my favorite things ever..........

.......A McDonald's Coke with No Ice!

........Jack went out and hand delivered me one this morning before going to work!

.......who needs Valentine's Day "Mr. Hallmark" when I get this on a random Tuesday!

Jack, I picked this picture for you........remember when our little Lola was this small??

Thank You Babe! I love you!

TOE Ring........

2009-02-10T08:28:00.004-05:00

Is Paige starting to rebel at the age of 4? A toe ring? I remember getting my first toe ring in high school, and I wore it with my friends to Jones Beach as I baked my white body to a crisp!

.......1st......how cute is my baby's foot..........

.......2nd.......I ordered some hair clips for Paige on Etsy.com (have mentioned how much I L-O-V-E Etsy.com??!!) I am starting to think Paige may be outgrowing her "bows", not completely......but I don't want her to be like Nellie Olsen from Little House on the Prairie, ya know?

.......well the store DaisyChains from Etsy, added this beautiful toe ring for FREE with our hair clip order! You would have thought it was encrusted with diamonds to hear Paige squeal with glee! And I got the hair clips on sale too! 3 handmade hair clips for $2.50! can you beat that, Walmart?

"Mommy, they make rings for my TOES?!"

yes, my Paige they do! but I am drawing the line at toe rings.......there will be no belly rings or worse while I am still on this earth!