tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77739395884777848812024-03-05T05:08:32.672-05:00Grace XueInformation and pictures beginning with the 2007 adoption of Grace Xue.
Note: To see any picture in detail, click on the picture for full-screen view.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-91855832236736377132012-12-18T00:02:00.005-05:002012-12-18T00:02:50.186-05:00Today is the Day -- and every Day HereafterThe massacre in Connecticut was Friday. On Sunday, we held Grace's 6th birthday party (early, since the holidays are so busy). I will post pics from that but suffice it to say, every parent in the room was drinking in the sight of their happy, lively children. I hope that by the time G is old enough to read this blog without assistance, Congress will have enacted the strongest gun and ammo control this country has ever seen.<br />
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Now, to lighten the moment, allow me to post my favorite picture of this year, taken this fall at the zoo by my mother (nice job, mom!). Grace is sitting on a large, bronze tortoise on a gorgeous, sunny day in November. Okay, maybe a few more....<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-58726663067039311852012-08-27T23:59:00.000-04:002012-08-28T00:41:15.402-04:00Gotcha #5 and KindergartenWHY DO I STILL HAVE A CRAPPY CAMERA??? WHY, WHY???? Maybe Santa will bring me a grown-up camera for Christmas, or sometime before our baby turns 21. Did I mention she had monster truck tattoos on her arm today? Not that you could tell by the resolution of this cereal-box prize of a camera.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-35948914324830874042012-08-27T23:40:00.000-04:002012-08-27T23:40:58.086-04:005 Years of Grace Xue and a New BeginningToday marked the anniversary of our introduction to Grace in Hunan, China. She was such a tiny, delicate little person with an intense gaze and fully formed character. Now, still petite, she packs a wallop physically and inter-personally, and we are so very happy she is who she is!
Yesterday, G and I capped a long, sweet and fiery summer (both the weather and her will) with a trip to the gym -- rained out before we could hit the pool, we kicked a soccer ball around a racquetball court and bemoaned our late arrival -- the rock wall was closed. I suggested we cross the street to see if "Brave" was at the movie theater. It wasn't playing any longer, so we saw "The Odd Life of Timothy Green." Spoiler alert -- they adopt a Chinese girl about Grace's age. Why hadn't I brought TISSUES??? Or read a review? Despite this particularly heart-string-tugging twist, which left me bawling and Grace staring at me, we both enjoyed the movie. She pronounced it better than Brave would have been. I think she was saying so to protect me because she knew that the heroine in Brave wrestles a bear and she was thinking I would not want to watch that (I don't like human on animal violence on TV...although I think I could've handled the flick...).
On the way home, we saw a massive, full-color rainbow over a wet soybean field. She wanted me to chase down the pot of gold, not knowing I already had and it was strapped in a Britax clutching "Baby B" (Beth, thanks for that receiving blanket -- it's still receiving lots of love from Grace). She also tried on, for the last time, her outfit in which we received Grace in 2007. The shorts were fine (pants then, I recalled) but the "Ethnic Baby" inscribed tank was quite snug. Just as well - I am happy to report she has grown more than an inch since May and half of that in the last month.
The next morning, Grace awoke excited but scared -- Gotcha Day had arrived but equally as important in the annals of Grace's life, today was the first day of Kindergarten!
I fed her anxious tummy some scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese (isn't that what we all crave when we are nervous? No? Well, I do!) and we bustled into the car for the quick trip to the bus stop (tomorrow we will walk).
She had brushed her hair, put on her shoes, stuffed her backpack and was ready to go. First one at the stop, she cheerfully greeted each kid as they arrived (she knew only a few of them but was happy to host). She also chased cats, looked for bugs, compared backpacks, dodged the paparazzi and the mamarazzi, and generally behaved like no one who professed to be scared. I sought and got a big, strong hug before the bus was in sight and positioned myself to film the boarding. Too bad I wasn't using ESPN's fast-action videography equipment -- she shot out ahead of the pack and raced up the steps without even looking back. Later, she told us she had waved from her seat but it was hard to tell through the tinted windows. No, I didn't cry -- all used up in Timothy Green and anyway, this was a day for celebration!
After school we got the full debrief -- she made a new best friend (her words, delivered with much enthusiasm), "Kayla," and learned many rules. They went to gym class, music, recess, and so forth. She had time to eat lunch but no one responded to her raised hand to help open her water bottle (oh, bad mommy -- need to change the vessel tomorrow). She needed only one reminder (uh oh, already!) to listen to the teacher (she was deeply engaged in making that new BFF). Her homeroom teacher noticed her special anniversary on our family info sheet and gave her the privilege of taking home the summary of the day's activities (teach is also an adoptive parent and familiar with Gotcha Day). Grace shared with me the fact that they mentioned God in the Pledge of Allegiance, so we discussed some concepts of religious freedom. We also talked about her likes/dislikes as far as lunch and snack options (tuna cups and yogurt with cinnamon is out, plums, apples and dried seaweed are in).
Then we let her choose the Chinese restaurant, fill her tea cup with packets of sugar and generally revel in her big day. One of our fortune cookies had the word for "wife," which is pronounced a lot like "cheese."
Enjoy the pics, finally!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-6846259467431203612012-04-30T01:39:00.001-04:002012-04-30T01:39:11.027-04:00Still Kicking!Okay, I am a bad mom -- I haven't touched this blog in nearly a year. My main problem is not trusting my computer enough anymore to download pics and then upload them here. Need to get over that this year, as once in a while one of you, our dear friends and family, actually check in to see what we are doing. I am not a Facebook person, as you know, so this will have to suffice. <br />
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Let's have some quick stats --<br />
G is 5 and still in preschool, Kindergarten in the fall. She weighs about 2-3 lbs more than last year at this time. She is active and happy. She is still swimming and playing piano. Looking into horseback lessons this summer and maybe Mandarin after a visit from her special Auntie and Uncle (Donna and Al). We had a great visit with them last year in the U.K. Photos attached. <br />
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Still isn't really pronouncing her "r's" too well but I am not concerned. Still loves animals deeply and wants to grow up to save them. Tonight, she brushed her teeth wearing her Veterinarian costume. Could read "Animal Hospital" on the back of her uniform (!). Came to Take Your Child to Work Day and charmed the pants off everyone. Loved the pedometer we bought -- walked over 6000 steps in about an hour...(really? really?) at the park today. Beat me in Memory (but just barely) before bed. <br />
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Here are some pics from last year (ack!): <br />
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More to come!<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Tintagel (King Arthur's castle) in Cornwall </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grinning at a train station outside London</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotcha Day 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulan, Halloween 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tending to the Jack O'Lantern, 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snack break on hike to daddy's bridge site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the bridge site with Daddy</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-39636522565212286142011-06-04T23:26:00.000-04:002011-06-04T23:26:30.139-04:00Another milestone: SwimmingForgot to mention that Grace swam her first few strokes without assistance at lessons on May 28 and again in the pool with me on the 30th. So exciting! She started lessons in December and is getting very confident at floating, putting her head under water and jumping into the water (at someone). Pics to come. As of now, she is 32 lbs, and easily sees the tops of all counters and can turn on all light switches. She also can buckle her own child safety seat, clip on her bike helmet and write her first and middle names. Guess she'll be wanting the car keys next....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-1324828439743081542011-06-04T23:21:00.000-04:002011-06-04T23:21:40.109-04:00Grace, Mary, and Old MacGrace had her first piano recital today. She played "Mary's Lamb" and "Old MacDonald." I lost the cable that will allow me to sync the video and pics from our camcorder to the computer and upload them here, but I hope to find it or buy one this summer before our big international trip. Anyway, she has only been nervous in the last two days, but has willingly given preview performances to anyone she can pull over to our piano. We got dressed up today, complete with a special gift of painted toe and fingernails (purple) and McD's nuggets (we were running late). She wore a chinese dress (fuschia, with colorful butterflies) from Alan and Donna, and white tights and red patent shoes (her fave, from Maya M.) and her REAL grown up pearl necklace from China that she will get to keep when she is 16. We clipped a little white flower barrette in her hair. She fell asleep five minutes before we arrived at the recital hall (nothing fancy, finished warehouse space that doubles as a music store) where she woke up and readied herself. The video is shot from behind; wish I could see her expression as she went through the following steps: Walked to the bench, slid up onto the bench. Sat for an eternity while people whispered "She SO SMALL!" until her teacher realized the bench was too far away for Grace to reach the keys. After a quick scoot forward, Grace placed her hands on the keys and...sat...and...finally...played! Flawlessly! Methodically, with excellent pressure and timing, and not a note out of place. It was magical. Everyone was so polite and quiet and patient and when it was all over, she gave a hearty bow to the audience. (I was so proud and happy, of course I cried!) Later, after all the other kids finished and everyone was eating and drinking refreshments, she joined the crowd of kids at the piano and squeezed in to play another song, a practice piece, that we hadn't realized she knew from memory. It was great to see her enjoying the piano and her new skills. Puts all that drama from practice behind us...at least until tomorrow.<br />
Thanks to Miss Lorna, her wonderful teacher, and all of G's fans who have cheered her on since she started in February. It bears noting that she has often remarked through the sturm and drang of practice, head in her hands, elbows on the keys, "I wish I'd never said I want to learn piano!" Well, today, we are all glad she did. Good work, Gracie!<br />
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Will also post photo of the program, in which she is the first student to play, as well as her medal (engraved with her name) from Lorna. No shots of her black nose, which she gave herself by rubbing the program over it a few minutes before the performance. Cleaned that up quickly. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-434826865524113472011-03-08T02:41:00.000-05:002011-03-08T02:41:13.318-05:00WebcamDon't know how to use it, I admit. Well, I do know how to point it at me and Grace and snap a pic. See?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0Axp_LJ_VU-Hm3oHsxcgmc3quVRQB-xcQ64SJQrLdtRuJ_DqKh0jbo0PeneacpVJcmQLZ_VBUBzPTp6EfMPM7hG1Q1x3PCG9K-LqZxsi1K_Gky2minkH97V1Btzbse95NQ-OalPujg5Y/s1600/Snapshot_20100930_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0Axp_LJ_VU-Hm3oHsxcgmc3quVRQB-xcQ64SJQrLdtRuJ_DqKh0jbo0PeneacpVJcmQLZ_VBUBzPTp6EfMPM7hG1Q1x3PCG9K-LqZxsi1K_Gky2minkH97V1Btzbse95NQ-OalPujg5Y/s320/Snapshot_20100930_4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAk_dbphw-8KlveYy6xsw-D_RMc8gz5I5ULR8L_8rAv4YVsYr2tObXM9ktaZJYxoNY-KPNzj5pI83ENljNcZgeXNJ9r1NlJU39fzAlCB_0EUfyUtnZ7fKjOngDm7G37Ux13hw3-BHEoVw/s1600/Snapshot_20100930_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAk_dbphw-8KlveYy6xsw-D_RMc8gz5I5ULR8L_8rAv4YVsYr2tObXM9ktaZJYxoNY-KPNzj5pI83ENljNcZgeXNJ9r1NlJU39fzAlCB_0EUfyUtnZ7fKjOngDm7G37Ux13hw3-BHEoVw/s320/Snapshot_20100930_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-64958268187861984592010-12-06T00:47:00.000-05:002010-12-06T00:47:50.709-05:00Headed to FourJust a quick note to let you know all is well with Gracie Xue. She turns four very soon and we are planning great things for this month. This weekend, she attended her second musical of the fall (and a third one is teed up for next week). She is a great theater-goer, and has the etiquette down pat. She also had her first swimming lesson which went -- well, swimmingly! <br />
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I am taking a few days off before Christmas and will use some of that time to update her photos and current interests. It's been a rough year for technology at our house, and the laptop we currently have is finicky and difficult to use so please bear with me. I hope next year is one filled with reliable hard drives and no little software goblins. Speaking of goblins, Grace went as a ghost this year for Halloween. Don't think daddy got any pictures and mommy was out of town but we did get a few at her preschool parade. Hope to post updates soon -- no major changes (although she is over 30 lbs and 36 inches now) but still as beautiful as ever. Happy Holidays, everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-76217640717445530712010-09-05T21:44:00.000-04:002010-09-05T21:44:17.494-04:00Gotcha Day 2010 Campout!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For our third Gotcha Day Anniversary, we had a cookout on the deck and then Grace and I slept in a tent on the deck. We were joined in the morning by one of our dogs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3kGA0SDUzi4O34WqV45NN1aO_UNz4ufO6nci9ezoQKCScGYjjgZcm1oTrY_ez1UJ5kHV52ouU_X6LRvsu7BpghqKtMPPRk8wS_a2KdYlDXMo0Mr5PPFMEmb0E7u_vy4SHYM_-bNzHPQb/s1600/100_0899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3kGA0SDUzi4O34WqV45NN1aO_UNz4ufO6nci9ezoQKCScGYjjgZcm1oTrY_ez1UJ5kHV52ouU_X6LRvsu7BpghqKtMPPRk8wS_a2KdYlDXMo0Mr5PPFMEmb0E7u_vy4SHYM_-bNzHPQb/s320/100_0899.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOhJE448jh0mVOECQVt3ONsJ6D9BFJ6qwRhhz3H-VHqZyBrc0A2bdrr_JiKU80BN56mmFqpaeMLipS_nSBGWLlmECnpe7LmlhGxJCaI7a33PRKUyT0aGRhmFgntB6T4uYMxOT3sIK0XxV/s1600/100_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOhJE448jh0mVOECQVt3ONsJ6D9BFJ6qwRhhz3H-VHqZyBrc0A2bdrr_JiKU80BN56mmFqpaeMLipS_nSBGWLlmECnpe7LmlhGxJCaI7a33PRKUyT0aGRhmFgntB6T4uYMxOT3sIK0XxV/s320/100_0900.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FUgtuh7-Jf1Y-86NdeOXkugC0Hdy3j6CaPgwW7dtrf30NZcgr1por10KjpJ5VbDMK9SFPgnkkA_raQOwn_rwTJX0Oxm8AV9FCJgYEgipN8p6CVt1Gta5kReIRnPi4Zd34pFyrdTvsl1K/s1600/100_0901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FUgtuh7-Jf1Y-86NdeOXkugC0Hdy3j6CaPgwW7dtrf30NZcgr1por10KjpJ5VbDMK9SFPgnkkA_raQOwn_rwTJX0Oxm8AV9FCJgYEgipN8p6CVt1Gta5kReIRnPi4Zd34pFyrdTvsl1K/s320/100_0901.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqNtG-MDQkSNAzCrnPoDzRbtiaEsx7AgY8vny0vHV8zRZaAHfDQt0jFe988jZY0mFi6coMDpncnrsTKpQGw-L306FADhoix88eP-7TVgF7TrmJr9QaLJk-9Xkw7fDHX17Pm9j7mxPgIi3/s1600/100_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqNtG-MDQkSNAzCrnPoDzRbtiaEsx7AgY8vny0vHV8zRZaAHfDQt0jFe988jZY0mFi6coMDpncnrsTKpQGw-L306FADhoix88eP-7TVgF7TrmJr9QaLJk-9Xkw7fDHX17Pm9j7mxPgIi3/s320/100_0902.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkybapDxWHWj8k9A1PAGHzQhA_O2i2EHltiRBamDnT0hP_YXs5AIg_guffaBz1qq2m6ddm317qZKauzi2xRxVOvZ5d5bgp9YlTyEo-JGrpiDPMYTLCB1JchMX-5n_hVtDVagEiMxHYRqY8/s1600/100_0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkybapDxWHWj8k9A1PAGHzQhA_O2i2EHltiRBamDnT0hP_YXs5AIg_guffaBz1qq2m6ddm317qZKauzi2xRxVOvZ5d5bgp9YlTyEo-JGrpiDPMYTLCB1JchMX-5n_hVtDVagEiMxHYRqY8/s320/100_0903.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5WEOvPATNjmxhxNkus-H7a_nDcGCn7Yk-diBUAamsH_qR9wAAF1l4Scu7jUkIVegAyaaTOZ54KwJJNHDdCl9h3c8R84xof1r6lQcJwPvmRgBb-O6YHaaBESc1JKHbjO0YZ4L-h0l_BCW/s1600/100_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5WEOvPATNjmxhxNkus-H7a_nDcGCn7Yk-diBUAamsH_qR9wAAF1l4Scu7jUkIVegAyaaTOZ54KwJJNHDdCl9h3c8R84xof1r6lQcJwPvmRgBb-O6YHaaBESc1JKHbjO0YZ4L-h0l_BCW/s320/100_0904.JPG" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-46920168982139563162010-09-05T21:26:00.002-04:002010-09-05T21:38:06.829-04:00Lemonade for Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Grace's first foray into commerce. Although the advertised price was 25 cents, if asked she would reply "Five Dollars!" She loved counting her money.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgepC1UfVQN5OAgJwUDUR-EMDaniEi_9170Qv1BoSLTynY77SJRgM4nyH6ts2sEjLyy6isLC5ZnkKOJp68Tn523-jJecfJK6lGh7J3Tcr3ApPmDkjtltgK9h-pmhrIpIklJChgn5e1Kqn/s1600/chef+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgepC1UfVQN5OAgJwUDUR-EMDaniEi_9170Qv1BoSLTynY77SJRgM4nyH6ts2sEjLyy6isLC5ZnkKOJp68Tn523-jJecfJK6lGh7J3Tcr3ApPmDkjtltgK9h-pmhrIpIklJChgn5e1Kqn/s320/chef+square.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL-2hIr0vYUsTxCV9MvE6Z0Tq2xoYGpHTkqw2ERiC_8RDpLtV0SIrwA34ve3olIGbuMprhB8T5XuWmIER7Mppv9ghVs-8IoMHNBbSjf7ItjR1TMR3XKV6D0zmABLcXMB01EAEdnXwfvhI/s1600/100_0961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL-2hIr0vYUsTxCV9MvE6Z0Tq2xoYGpHTkqw2ERiC_8RDpLtV0SIrwA34ve3olIGbuMprhB8T5XuWmIER7Mppv9ghVs-8IoMHNBbSjf7ItjR1TMR3XKV6D0zmABLcXMB01EAEdnXwfvhI/s320/100_0961.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2U5Yh0Jm9xyaN5TN9Ytcxqj-U_-hQamUgmCr7YwGcX1jIv-WW-JTAOA0FUbZWI55Z296-Li8lsCibS3xm8LOhvWE6bYf9p35kSjdTiam33MT_gjtwqXhI36d2EMvJvcgOKZJslvCoHDrl/s1600/100_0969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFOZ6BMn9imkDyOhg1xGWvdgmod_F3Mgdb2jAoHSqhDMzkgmAzWbyOoVTa_Bw10Kt0cZORILNowRL03RrYzsgPFG1lFwl9JYRr-d5LJV2lywcbmf1HGGH65N3AnO3wfidmjaULMlxPyZ8/s1600/100_0830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFOZ6BMn9imkDyOhg1xGWvdgmod_F3Mgdb2jAoHSqhDMzkgmAzWbyOoVTa_Bw10Kt0cZORILNowRL03RrYzsgPFG1lFwl9JYRr-d5LJV2lywcbmf1HGGH65N3AnO3wfidmjaULMlxPyZ8/s320/100_0830.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlixpTytu3qGaKhR9I1m7gV3FZksk507n2LV_5YPkcde8PtvsYE1wzvGHemoKneuM_UGXLZaNluAfLEUoV_G3WKhjdvVHnPj060rizWP1XBSsFHfb3nXkmnmoW0nc3XSGsXoxSP8Q5Dt/s1600/100_0831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlixpTytu3qGaKhR9I1m7gV3FZksk507n2LV_5YPkcde8PtvsYE1wzvGHemoKneuM_UGXLZaNluAfLEUoV_G3WKhjdvVHnPj060rizWP1XBSsFHfb3nXkmnmoW0nc3XSGsXoxSP8Q5Dt/s320/100_0831.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZOrpyI5mDBzzTlORKCH-VBAf8kBNQEl68qUAV5DeRwZa47R0uhZI5gJts556-Q__nrZEQ1fKa-JmJZE3GROUZUy6DYhHjFQ5QedomCRgoOLlv42YrJCvHxOGvm9HUC2CB1YZyDODcL4V/s1600/100_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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Rats. Most of the photos you see in the last posting are from the lost files, so this blog is the only place in which they exist anymore... And where is that, anyway? In the "cloud"???? <br />
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So, now our computer is repaired (cross fingers) and I will be backing up BEFORE reformatting the SD cards (lesson learned). New photos coming soon. She is changing by the minute.<br />
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Also, some milestones passed while we were off the grid, notably, the third anniversary of "meeting" Xue Chun via the referral and pics in July 2007 (was it the 9th? I think so.)!!! What an amazing time that was, and how time zips by, and oh so many changes have occured here in our family. More to come. We have the third Gotcha Day coming up in August -- maybe I'll organize a party this time to celebrate beyond just our family of three. <br />
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Oh yes, and it's HOT HOT HOT here. Dogs are drooping.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-9635256099584233022010-06-30T05:32:00.000-04:002010-06-30T05:32:58.653-04:002010...at the halfway markBusy, snowy winter; scarlet fever and hives; trips to LI, Rochester, and more coming up. This is one active three year old. Still in preschool, she is writing her name and other letters. She sings a lot, makes up some stories once in a while, hates to be videotaped, still loves her blankets and stuffed animals (Baby B, Pink Stink, Meow Meow and a host of new additions). She eats everything (even tried mussels and said they tasted "different" but refused to eat the foot; can you blame her?). She has only gained a few ounces since December but has grown about an inch and a half. She turns on lights, crawls onto the bath vanity to brush and floss teeth. She is fascinated by the little black and red box elder beetles that scatter when she pokes the cluster of bugs on the side of the gazebo. She is still crazy about animals and can recite the text of many books, especially those with animals (Roly Poly Pangolin and Puffling are her latest). Last Sunday, she saw her first in-theater movie, Toy Story 3 -- she was great and at the end immediately posited that there would be a 4 and 5. She loves to ride her bike or ride in a seat behind me or her dad. I gave her her first big haircut, a bob, around Memorial Day to help keep her cool. She loves short hair and hates to be sweaty (especially, for some reason, on her feet - couldn't keep her in socks or slippers this winter).<br />
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The computer has been on the fritz for many months but I just got it back and will upload some pics. Here are a few from February to May, including Easter egg dying, Valentine production (which stretched into March - sorry we never sent them!); the SNOW (nearly 50 inches in one week); and more. Missing are pics from her gymnastics performance and her new haircut -- they are on the video camera and phone camera and I need time to figure out how to transfer those files. More to come, hopefully by August. Grace and I are headed to Maine where I hope to pick blueberries with our little Sal. Coming up on three years together this summer with this amazing child. Love to all and thanks for your support!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWfs08mYicILRbeKuilR1BdT_zA1u9lpWyqVLX9IlJwzDy6uLBpW5oi1PRSEPJAe40_UmooByySH8mKWeemSu2EMY0JhGw8USknJrAAJXogJRKvpyD6fjpGOyBw4QHJ7gmCrk7T2uwqjF/s1600/103_0703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWfs08mYicILRbeKuilR1BdT_zA1u9lpWyqVLX9IlJwzDy6uLBpW5oi1PRSEPJAe40_UmooByySH8mKWeemSu2EMY0JhGw8USknJrAAJXogJRKvpyD6fjpGOyBw4QHJ7gmCrk7T2uwqjF/s320/103_0703.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCj2LLNyOHCYkOCdKb0aUr8yYyU4608wKrrzv8Q8WA9K6fujmZ6kNiboxC6CRm8qnyuyJWw0IPpbGF4Kb5Zzl5vqt-CGwcvtIRdnqR5TwiN-0iA6ekjc4kFm1Gh-AWbFbGO4Pzwr1O7-3/s1600/103_0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCj2LLNyOHCYkOCdKb0aUr8yYyU4608wKrrzv8Q8WA9K6fujmZ6kNiboxC6CRm8qnyuyJWw0IPpbGF4Kb5Zzl5vqt-CGwcvtIRdnqR5TwiN-0iA6ekjc4kFm1Gh-AWbFbGO4Pzwr1O7-3/s320/103_0688.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvdHEhn18jpcwdkwWJLlxxNa-gvn8pAfoE1ZqC-uNenNP9w7Qvik1lfA2MtXGEkLFoyptGxUBa_HVxTsEx7f4rFX1aSBzFhMvVFRr-JQZgbE3tDSUkjkLbtioX79nv9fq4XWlXWagugLw/s1600/103_0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCXWViEW2AEGX6NNRrXlZHtDekyInjpaX9cPhd8ksCkrSzI_rQxPYxJt3pDT54iFgEMt4dGemdWQKDKRnc-C6zMiwoXfaUnopTav_G8D9RqcsBWVhFjvNbF-nsRK-zsQeEtuWv394mxOh/s320/103_0458.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gZ90_iEj11ezqhibVUMuSNSrfPK__f-PuMOxS0wRVg8BWpywVBELsw0dwUsxCPSIFKSRadbW0Vd7Y24m90Viu4z-HTdJgE2bX2O1Jr_V8DFvC01fxm15z2pWLFLQAg2BhVlU5xny7Sx/s1600/103_0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gZ90_iEj11ezqhibVUMuSNSrfPK__f-PuMOxS0wRVg8BWpywVBELsw0dwUsxCPSIFKSRadbW0Vd7Y24m90Viu4z-HTdJgE2bX2O1Jr_V8DFvC01fxm15z2pWLFLQAg2BhVlU5xny7Sx/s320/103_0358.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMonsKdypsnD4Hal0Wp3aMMvux0EkhmX8C1QSZNFcpM7ntkE1Yj7QaUF6PLwKqekPIAr9bK8mg2tsqU7c6HNhsrbvpXAQhwJnNrMwPTfiEWWqkO7wBOrBjpmKMdzq7jr67rMEhQ8rl1jpO/s1600/103_0378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMonsKdypsnD4Hal0Wp3aMMvux0EkhmX8C1QSZNFcpM7ntkE1Yj7QaUF6PLwKqekPIAr9bK8mg2tsqU7c6HNhsrbvpXAQhwJnNrMwPTfiEWWqkO7wBOrBjpmKMdzq7jr67rMEhQ8rl1jpO/s320/103_0378.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdptqe-tmgeRkECthNXqzPPz6eOs-TOxpYgUHplZxbrbIgQGRLraOUREA36EkgCJRCB2P8-WmAquRYlwVZ0At_2r5S3b1doEE-mC7rNuhwQ50MtrPffWEUD2ZeJzn3caGr9bVNNojxfsRW/s1600/103_0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdptqe-tmgeRkECthNXqzPPz6eOs-TOxpYgUHplZxbrbIgQGRLraOUREA36EkgCJRCB2P8-WmAquRYlwVZ0At_2r5S3b1doEE-mC7rNuhwQ50MtrPffWEUD2ZeJzn3caGr9bVNNojxfsRW/s320/103_0388.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6Id73soqLQIKfLJzati3JTjAH6cveiPPWgPklqzCmRw7soi4AIs6MQYq352NLgmwsqZlJCSXmG9Z7ZXN1dWXajNu58ysXKA6TL7m8C5qezEOi12IXxBQOQmBlTAebgWZsXQmAEnT1QZr/s1600/103_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6Id73soqLQIKfLJzati3JTjAH6cveiPPWgPklqzCmRw7soi4AIs6MQYq352NLgmwsqZlJCSXmG9Z7ZXN1dWXajNu58ysXKA6TL7m8C5qezEOi12IXxBQOQmBlTAebgWZsXQmAEnT1QZr/s320/103_0450.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpJiMeOfHlfzk0VGHEqnTPIOThJ0WAV25ifaeba4PespANCVQ6CIYz-TPvKdFgRNCHpIHZF_zbRvRv0pbc-UCNC56cVj_3zJE1ZFxjyB0MV14Gtjh54qmnHnN2xCH-MkR0m2Qbn8ujiaS/s1600/103_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpJiMeOfHlfzk0VGHEqnTPIOThJ0WAV25ifaeba4PespANCVQ6CIYz-TPvKdFgRNCHpIHZF_zbRvRv0pbc-UCNC56cVj_3zJE1ZFxjyB0MV14Gtjh54qmnHnN2xCH-MkR0m2Qbn8ujiaS/s320/103_0452.JPG" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-34071149544559300132009-12-20T19:15:00.001-05:002009-12-20T19:17:01.932-05:00School Holiday Pageant!Check out our cute little reindeer....first video is simply kids getting ready, second is the big performance. Sorry about the poor video quality -- Santa, bring me a video camera!<br />
<br />
Awww, shucks. Just tried to upload and blogger won't take .mov format. Anyone have any suggestions?<br />
<br />
In the meantime, while we sort out the technical difficulties, here are some pictures of our big snow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjxXZ4bjInJG8c5ooKbq6kT3RHIudF5Ng36eBAEqLb28Rmn8Kg8emX6V8OeAj30ZjJNhdqa92ity7riFjFtYW9NQ-IHgTk64c7f7bxf6bQ48G9GMxvqnVH2cWTMR0kKrulvwJ6sHkcNFl/s1600-h/102_9847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjxXZ4bjInJG8c5ooKbq6kT3RHIudF5Ng36eBAEqLb28Rmn8Kg8emX6V8OeAj30ZjJNhdqa92ity7riFjFtYW9NQ-IHgTk64c7f7bxf6bQ48G9GMxvqnVH2cWTMR0kKrulvwJ6sHkcNFl/s320/102_9847.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2D42HVTQoYcKN50WeQJKRx5TGQJSN_9GxHt23bHc_EZHbIALRJP8CuGHPSRUrWd3ntGB5TA_ej5ZEzP-mKBlxOrtV2KJhKl8aDOsCLmOMZZ6W2o983L-xcuWkE3m1DgzFmX_z26AzYb31/s1600-h/102_9832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2D42HVTQoYcKN50WeQJKRx5TGQJSN_9GxHt23bHc_EZHbIALRJP8CuGHPSRUrWd3ntGB5TA_ej5ZEzP-mKBlxOrtV2KJhKl8aDOsCLmOMZZ6W2o983L-xcuWkE3m1DgzFmX_z26AzYb31/s320/102_9832.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYq8PzXbKoLNlXfJRaj7cOumMzlCDh-mMbq9mCEwnv5sIjEUygaafGnkyiJOBtOzJNEFoC8RJ7Q5Lyq51Fr8a09Pkn5k_LpfQ62OBJErOVVBGy9l70uHcIvtwWyjhve_0R3WQ69iw9Hpb/s1600-h/102_9838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYq8PzXbKoLNlXfJRaj7cOumMzlCDh-mMbq9mCEwnv5sIjEUygaafGnkyiJOBtOzJNEFoC8RJ7Q5Lyq51Fr8a09Pkn5k_LpfQ62OBJErOVVBGy9l70uHcIvtwWyjhve_0R3WQ69iw9Hpb/s320/102_9838.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrczUgADjudkJ_B4hiPF0fguyUeBy0SluLHnBT1PFOzsVUaQLA24iefQfmNN7gqD7U5mP2U6zvyQRQ812PJ-UXN0rFgYm_wAT0IJMSBJi5VNrqMo_UpWhJafndBC-KDJNeDLFKOiRXKk_/s1600-h/102_9855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrczUgADjudkJ_B4hiPF0fguyUeBy0SluLHnBT1PFOzsVUaQLA24iefQfmNN7gqD7U5mP2U6zvyQRQ812PJ-UXN0rFgYm_wAT0IJMSBJi5VNrqMo_UpWhJafndBC-KDJNeDLFKOiRXKk_/s320/102_9855.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-11092446945701481482009-12-14T03:44:00.003-05:002009-12-14T21:55:42.549-05:00Working our way back to August in Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYjvPfPXC_Wd-HPWjKCoWqVJLUThBI1r9bHrxbGA4IkFl7ea5vsHr2Whs3h5De_jASe3Lq_fUDgw8Drygc8Ub4EMe4mxkwmKbvRkPfmOLxC21y1yQDU3otwRsDauSdqYhreLZrcoJKRwN/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYjvPfPXC_Wd-HPWjKCoWqVJLUThBI1r9bHrxbGA4IkFl7ea5vsHr2Whs3h5De_jASe3Lq_fUDgw8Drygc8Ub4EMe4mxkwmKbvRkPfmOLxC21y1yQDU3otwRsDauSdqYhreLZrcoJKRwN/s320/misc+2009+fall+116.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72ZJfVoaMLY_dyTKsZt2Am9M8npFyZ7eCuUH-qHJkwsf_r1Tvwl0h7UfyrS11nTtbwI9h8A10YP_XygwUxFc-7IuttdoFlJI97Qe6hFBBSBXVWE7Fwc-Df1Fy4Zyun7Lw-oTnKJcaA1Pz/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72ZJfVoaMLY_dyTKsZt2Am9M8npFyZ7eCuUH-qHJkwsf_r1Tvwl0h7UfyrS11nTtbwI9h8A10YP_XygwUxFc-7IuttdoFlJI97Qe6hFBBSBXVWE7Fwc-Df1Fy4Zyun7Lw-oTnKJcaA1Pz/s320/misc+2009+fall+284.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLO8c27MQsmkCGP3k0pHO1bpRUyF20ksJ9yifbPuT6OnS6fx5aVEyjGKYbuswKTZcqEPAmh8dYj6hP2D-zzANjugljjYV8mqhLVZSQ45aAiSC3QOPqnanBBBL05opc0FKZlyNcNuypsi5/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLO8c27MQsmkCGP3k0pHO1bpRUyF20ksJ9yifbPuT6OnS6fx5aVEyjGKYbuswKTZcqEPAmh8dYj6hP2D-zzANjugljjYV8mqhLVZSQ45aAiSC3QOPqnanBBBL05opc0FKZlyNcNuypsi5/s1600/misc+2009+fall+181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLO8c27MQsmkCGP3k0pHO1bpRUyF20ksJ9yifbPuT6OnS6fx5aVEyjGKYbuswKTZcqEPAmh8dYj6hP2D-zzANjugljjYV8mqhLVZSQ45aAiSC3QOPqnanBBBL05opc0FKZlyNcNuypsi5/s320/misc+2009+fall+181.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfUIf2B1fzu3qqrsoe2C7dAqMZ5CRzowTwfPniTebUHObptCLqSiyDSqnzZDJfeh9iHqHG2VzYzWf1TmqF4JpzzogGHAcWtOUYV8bDdM9r2mWf2riZ7tbfgcdVsintr3T75jMJeUbApBs/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfUIf2B1fzu3qqrsoe2C7dAqMZ5CRzowTwfPniTebUHObptCLqSiyDSqnzZDJfeh9iHqHG2VzYzWf1TmqF4JpzzogGHAcWtOUYV8bDdM9r2mWf2riZ7tbfgcdVsintr3T75jMJeUbApBs/s320/misc+2009+fall+206.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt0-RYDh7_XipqZq9sN-JD4HCfjwpn-Dr_X4KXCLGqPijr7E3G1rDTg2VR61Z7Rjm_50f5oR2qzMXpQPnUD16ZiLqjZu6mas-0yv_MPOB5LHYwOBoZqefX7woRIrJ7ig2udfYV93wSSpd/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt0-RYDh7_XipqZq9sN-JD4HCfjwpn-Dr_X4KXCLGqPijr7E3G1rDTg2VR61Z7Rjm_50f5oR2qzMXpQPnUD16ZiLqjZu6mas-0yv_MPOB5LHYwOBoZqefX7woRIrJ7ig2udfYV93wSSpd/s320/misc+2009+fall+183.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNrjftZjfI6hJXJHlcylrGNsv6Fp2lpsABNheBkBaoquvauhbRBcD8Dy4jEqLFiXcj2P9oFhh6L20nMpcMqQk8w8hUsElzR6vqyqyzIoxxAj6A5RKqwQf_l9pUFQk1kR7CgWOW4DH5PIW/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNrjftZjfI6hJXJHlcylrGNsv6Fp2lpsABNheBkBaoquvauhbRBcD8Dy4jEqLFiXcj2P9oFhh6L20nMpcMqQk8w8hUsElzR6vqyqyzIoxxAj6A5RKqwQf_l9pUFQk1kR7CgWOW4DH5PIW/s320/misc+2009+fall+156.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG1uQgChB4oJOXbpc7_XNqWQyf1d1cJGKZtclV79xVwmLtXWgq7DUY1Bz5SSfUgb7FeW0143XxxfSu251LwifBTq7vO56lDJ-4VToIDDYcsezOK5jOMwbGCQv_F3xepaIn75CSgKi385d/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG1uQgChB4oJOXbpc7_XNqWQyf1d1cJGKZtclV79xVwmLtXWgq7DUY1Bz5SSfUgb7FeW0143XxxfSu251LwifBTq7vO56lDJ-4VToIDDYcsezOK5jOMwbGCQv_F3xepaIn75CSgKi385d/s320/misc+2009+fall+171.JPG" /></a><br />
A few highlights from the collection. <br />
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</div>Pics follow:<br />
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[Note: Haunted barn a bit scary. She was concerned that the skeletons might eat her. I noted that they can't eat anything anymore, as they don't have stomachs.] <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTeFy2pD9zE9uQJwjJkuras-SgJl4rrI1FWIqagbKukYIfrBcD7mEV6Ezrq38V9EqhK1mqcPXT99iN2gEDs9qg0KLkcHk1UBffJpFk_rDr6GuUmWaBhFgT_EzREOsflpjRBkTpazvCX-a/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTeFy2pD9zE9uQJwjJkuras-SgJl4rrI1FWIqagbKukYIfrBcD7mEV6Ezrq38V9EqhK1mqcPXT99iN2gEDs9qg0KLkcHk1UBffJpFk_rDr6GuUmWaBhFgT_EzREOsflpjRBkTpazvCX-a/s320/misc+2009+fall+308.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpGUPVrHLxfZHhyphenhyphenPGpykprGhMi-nPuEjsDKNrFEJablVA3pjDb8JOpocpdoHA1ZpDzNpxpKQ_kqiREklrdIITH02FRPQIDxmZoDnxLY6Shy1rT0I6w7IHJ-mzLcQSBeV2f_AihvTY_CNJ/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpGUPVrHLxfZHhyphenhyphenPGpykprGhMi-nPuEjsDKNrFEJablVA3pjDb8JOpocpdoHA1ZpDzNpxpKQ_kqiREklrdIITH02FRPQIDxmZoDnxLY6Shy1rT0I6w7IHJ-mzLcQSBeV2f_AihvTY_CNJ/s320/misc+2009+fall+309.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWdZN1cxn2eOeBqd2aweHJ8tBJaDF8PCFCLvXnQ8hT4ly6SQ6Y-DIiNaldsRlpxiKLeX71XQNgwE5CK1yxCZ5AIWN3pz-bqhIWwMazDuamP0xpLOpq_aWsNKeoTBMSaQVapi1NkhBj41C/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWdZN1cxn2eOeBqd2aweHJ8tBJaDF8PCFCLvXnQ8hT4ly6SQ6Y-DIiNaldsRlpxiKLeX71XQNgwE5CK1yxCZ5AIWN3pz-bqhIWwMazDuamP0xpLOpq_aWsNKeoTBMSaQVapi1NkhBj41C/s320/misc+2009+fall+316.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9yI062a0YQ-4JLEATJ_lgxIwzWpJNr3lBMro2El7ELCfyhky6MdN_vY3EQtSNlRQF4i1L-aPjfPGspuQS6o9Pb3RYFGftczPPbLxfKTUKuNwzNfLjXu5s6dqmzGy_lXvRq8PGYc9_iV2/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9yI062a0YQ-4JLEATJ_lgxIwzWpJNr3lBMro2El7ELCfyhky6MdN_vY3EQtSNlRQF4i1L-aPjfPGspuQS6o9Pb3RYFGftczPPbLxfKTUKuNwzNfLjXu5s6dqmzGy_lXvRq8PGYc9_iV2/s320/misc+2009+fall+318.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPXBAgJVvJGI8Gi35OnvbB273irI0b2C81IwD3mv6-fMkeh62N17rMw3X8xkyeCM-d9OUGrSB0xS9MMn5yT_x_mYrNBX1gwrS7rff1EvtSICbEufmYMdfqfhtLGUkpYYjLnFw5TfOTnKm/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPXBAgJVvJGI8Gi35OnvbB273irI0b2C81IwD3mv6-fMkeh62N17rMw3X8xkyeCM-d9OUGrSB0xS9MMn5yT_x_mYrNBX1gwrS7rff1EvtSICbEufmYMdfqfhtLGUkpYYjLnFw5TfOTnKm/s320/misc+2009+fall+320.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAJgArRbwFWOk40PMqP0bYJpRMp7XDWlFSWtXdxNuX2czLtEPR3y626RHcTnXVOXa12o3pGkwMVOL76exGjV4zuMQtv4wimEjeZNUFBuldmaOge5-DwWX73a537AK6HnvdUAbUGsx_lu/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoAJgArRbwFWOk40PMqP0bYJpRMp7XDWlFSWtXdxNuX2czLtEPR3y626RHcTnXVOXa12o3pGkwMVOL76exGjV4zuMQtv4wimEjeZNUFBuldmaOge5-DwWX73a537AK6HnvdUAbUGsx_lu/s320/misc+2009+fall+323.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6RvNovNhXdcOJ056cRqfIcvyWE4rXmgYQbNWXiRF6PWySlzgER3QKvO4YN7GinxhNtM8pErFxMTO_Ds717WAy_SacHK2FMZX0-zupgZG8igkB5kW21soOicTQCGVc_XCNMMt24Cf61OI/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6RvNovNhXdcOJ056cRqfIcvyWE4rXmgYQbNWXiRF6PWySlzgER3QKvO4YN7GinxhNtM8pErFxMTO_Ds717WAy_SacHK2FMZX0-zupgZG8igkB5kW21soOicTQCGVc_XCNMMt24Cf61OI/s320/misc+2009+fall+329.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVAVY4_flwqaSVZ_xrqm0b6DuAhXDLt8PhNyYNlWZOAICs7srnPK_hcCqrCocnC23PCtidTS_InX-z5FlrqvRfBmVR0HL0rE-VxaLm08jqQPqdfJzyxu5wMErn85zk_LLQSyTnbWXg_S0/s1600-h/misc+2009+fall+334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVAVY4_flwqaSVZ_xrqm0b6DuAhXDLt8PhNyYNlWZOAICs7srnPK_hcCqrCocnC23PCtidTS_InX-z5FlrqvRfBmVR0HL0rE-VxaLm08jqQPqdfJzyxu5wMErn85zk_LLQSyTnbWXg_S0/s320/misc+2009+fall+334.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-18014674332147895272009-12-14T02:40:00.000-05:002009-12-14T02:40:39.092-05:00In line for Santa....She was great. It was late at night, close to 9 pm. Lots of children waiting in cheerful outfits, lots of parents in sweatpants and sloppy shirts. Grace told us that she was going to ask for "another Audrey" (favorite doll) and wanted to tell Santa she could go to the North Pole to help him make presents. She was excited and pretty patient. A cute little 15-month old boy ahead of us discovered he was no longer shy and persisted in trying to hug Grace, but our girl played coy (or more like Lucy to Charlie Brown's football) and dodged little Gabriel every time. Finally, just as we got close to Santa's big chair, Gabriel burst out crying at the sight of Santa. Grace ran forward and gave the little guy a nice hug. He was all smiles then, at least long enough for one good pic for his parents. Then it was Grace's big moment. She said "Santa!" and ran forward, scrambling into his lap. And then....nothing. Just like the Easter Bunny in 2008, or the Santa later that year. Silence. She stares off into the distance, looking as though she had just eaten a raw frog. Finally, she climbed down and came to us. "I didn't feel like talking," she explained. That's okay, Santa knows.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-41957614091284263322009-12-14T02:31:00.002-05:002009-12-14T02:31:56.939-05:00Santa, Baby!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw5l5Jj-WoSIFwk-hfb4OepJkFJBzECcBAXh03B1qEfLc2sRhWt19mPCNCxOyxAw0A_bVym8Ju_H3vRf5B05hIYZwdfBuf0ufwguqSIcyPtFF2SaqpE-KfJ4JcU-eQ_0PBy3n9odI08TM/s1600-h/Fall+%26+Dec+2009+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw5l5Jj-WoSIFwk-hfb4OepJkFJBzECcBAXh03B1qEfLc2sRhWt19mPCNCxOyxAw0A_bVym8Ju_H3vRf5B05hIYZwdfBuf0ufwguqSIcyPtFF2SaqpE-KfJ4JcU-eQ_0PBy3n9odI08TM/s320/Fall+%26+Dec+2009+073.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-71234300592459849132009-08-30T03:15:00.000-04:002009-08-30T03:15:31.386-04:00Grace - born in the The Year of the Fire DogI re-read G's zodiac description and now, with her personality in full swing, I find it even more appropos! I draw your particular attention to references that would validate her tendencies toward quality control and her night-owl (or should I say "night dog"?) habits. Oh, and with respect to the final sentence below, let's not forget her favorite question -- "Why?"<br />
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Here's one take on Fire Dogs (quoted below from <a href="http://www.astrologycom.com/firedog1.html">http://www.astrologycom.com/firedog1.html</a>) :<br />
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<blockquote>The Dog in Chinese astrology expresses its principle qualities of loyalty, faithfulness and unselfishness. The Dog is active and honest and is appreciated by his superiors and those under him due to giving priority to the collective interests of all rather than his own. His best role is as a prophet of future events and he barks to draw attention to the events of the day as well as to the injustices of the world. He does look to how wrongs can be corrected. He's forever on guard to look after his property and so anxiousness is a characteristic of his personality. Money is important for his family and so he will earn it to support them; however, he thinks of it as mere 'paper'. He delights in anything to do with the occult, the mysterious, the bizarre and the unusual so he yearns to investigate these things in his life. <br />
<h5>Wild and Romantic</h5>The Dog's favourite places are wild, romantic landscapes and the remote regions of the world. He feels at home in the wilds of Tibet or Mongolia, the windswept islands of Scotland and the jungles of the Amazon. For this reason he is an explorer, but he also prefers the comforts of peaceful evenings by the fire where it's far from the business of the everyday world. As a profession he is suited to be a manager or head of companies, but he cares very much about the quality of the work <a class="kLink" href="http://www.astrologycom.com/firedog1.html#" id="KonaLink1" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" target="undefined"><span style="color: green ! important; font-family: "lucida sans unicode",verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid green; color: green ! important; font-family: "lucida sans unicode",verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; position: static;">environment</span></span><span id="preLoadWrap1" style="position: relative;"><div id="preLoadLayer1" style="display: none; left: -18px; position: absolute; top: -32px; z-index: 4000;"><img src="http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif" style="border: 0px none;" /></div></span></a>. He can be a priest, nun, missionary, teacher, nurse, magistrate, judge, lawyer, doctor, scientist, researcher or preacher. More than any other animal of the zodiac, the Dog is always asking itself, "What am I doing here on earth and what is my purpose in it all?"<br />
A special feature of the Dog-born person is that he or she is the one who sits at the gates awaiting nightfall, wherein the Dog will prowl and keep watch. He is a faithful watchdog and is the guide and guardian in the underground invisible worlds and thus, lying at the gates of the underworld, is a figure of the subterranean world of life and death and is symbol of initiation into the rites of death and rebirth. He pleads mankind's cause with the gods and especially brings questions for us all about our life purpose. Cerebus, of Greek mythology, was the dog who lay at the cave entrance by the River Styx, the river that souls crossed in their passage from life to death, guarding the Gates of Hell and Pluto's underworld. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead it was the dog who guided souls on their journeys into the next world. This year then, will bring a certain edge to us questioning why we are all here.<br />
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</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-15167227834934495012009-08-30T03:08:00.000-04:002009-08-30T03:08:02.963-04:00A New Look for Grace's BlogMany of you may notice that I was having trouble with the layout of the photos and text here. In order to use the new and improved layout and editing tools, I needed to update the template. In the process, I lost a few of the old links, to Grace's Chinese Zodiac sign and Scott Simon's piece on adoption. I think that's it, as I have recreated the links (with pics on front page now) to G's referral photos and the link to Rumor Queen (although for fun and balance I ought to add the Canadian one, too). I'll try to find the other two items and add them back. In the meantime, please let me know what you like and don't like. If any of the colors bother you or are hard to read, please post a comment and I'll fix the blog. Thanks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-63277514837627088252009-08-28T15:14:00.012-04:002009-08-30T01:51:23.702-04:00Fewer words, more pics!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcd8dFY0RN3RmF1MJapuQOuAEVinvGGRsPaG_WjaWNSrl1yaBTMQkTWdOdRIsY5nBGTVwi3xLOb2yg8BRoR_HnokpyVsDYKZFVmeLd0PSOCUuRzK0X3E6sV4_XS94g_yifq-JdjehV_s/s1600-h/100_9325.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375106253924858658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcd8dFY0RN3RmF1MJapuQOuAEVinvGGRsPaG_WjaWNSrl1yaBTMQkTWdOdRIsY5nBGTVwi3xLOb2yg8BRoR_HnokpyVsDYKZFVmeLd0PSOCUuRzK0X3E6sV4_XS94g_yifq-JdjehV_s/s400/100_9325.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMX6GeBxY6ENwPebn7nfReCtDdeS0XBDlCg2p7ScRze6c7aBGy1JR6axE0IEQLd3lDF8r24yyrzHVAKt63BsfoqeU9ICgezpJQn_45btsAaXqzG-gw6jMw9jbhQvPCNzhuEb0rLQxaRIW/s1600-h/100_9322.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375106245430269666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMX6GeBxY6ENwPebn7nfReCtDdeS0XBDlCg2p7ScRze6c7aBGy1JR6axE0IEQLd3lDF8r24yyrzHVAKt63BsfoqeU9ICgezpJQn_45btsAaXqzG-gw6jMw9jbhQvPCNzhuEb0rLQxaRIW/s400/100_9322.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr4Z0kAlk8iqowG4SKNxXKGczkW2jL0buAk5FDMwuFPt7PVskOPC28zv6uNTenTc6BTzKHoO6Wm-mMXO-rNorS4m8Y9Ku9em6nqfgom92JqiROZAJepOiYUblN84Yq8TkWgKGC2_h6o1p/s1600-h/100_9307.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375106233735079906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr4Z0kAlk8iqowG4SKNxXKGczkW2jL0buAk5FDMwuFPt7PVskOPC28zv6uNTenTc6BTzKHoO6Wm-mMXO-rNorS4m8Y9Ku9em6nqfgom92JqiROZAJepOiYUblN84Yq8TkWgKGC2_h6o1p/s400/100_9307.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Eat Dessert First. [Actually, it's just my ineptitude with Blogger; can't get the pics to load in the order I'd like.]<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrywUFsJBOJaQPsWHOvK-rMkCYjq_4W_PnLKi3nBiPZROCCu0SAnKePWzRj_W1wzWEw9uTSfK7GfeZqkT-MscStwWlR4p2g9xrfm9Os6yc65DdIPlKDbTcNYbGgMz1c8EltroVd4v9DA1/s1600-h/100_9251.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375105321596843954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrywUFsJBOJaQPsWHOvK-rMkCYjq_4W_PnLKi3nBiPZROCCu0SAnKePWzRj_W1wzWEw9uTSfK7GfeZqkT-MscStwWlR4p2g9xrfm9Os6yc65DdIPlKDbTcNYbGgMz1c8EltroVd4v9DA1/s400/100_9251.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
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She picked these shoes for her outfit because she wanted to run around the restaurant.<br />
(Thanks, Al and Donna, for the pretty dress!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrvAOCqrAp1Hw9MzLOZnhnYHqGW32I0AV8jmFDAn5C3n0jnL8JMOs_1hZ8RPXWFd6FgBNgxl6-_Yfn7n9YDOet43kHgYM3QFG8o7EGo3bH2MHao_d6mN_i2QPAYVR2PnSZdzvKeprCRcu/s1600-h/100_9248.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375105297455162130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrvAOCqrAp1Hw9MzLOZnhnYHqGW32I0AV8jmFDAn5C3n0jnL8JMOs_1hZ8RPXWFd6FgBNgxl6-_Yfn7n9YDOet43kHgYM3QFG8o7EGo3bH2MHao_d6mN_i2QPAYVR2PnSZdzvKeprCRcu/s400/100_9248.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Family Pics Before Heading out for Gotcha Day Dinner.<br />
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Yoo Hoo and the American Flag:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRN1CcZ4D2UiT1yqVtfX8kQMdPeBjJ2rJXqpR1_yB-BFJPg8lZ3gvB9glAzOLDp9bDLWc-zW2I3JPmq3YCl5eWvhC3JvaKQgGjML58qo5hhblRnsXnfr05ApzbtfWWCljkdZz0_lbST21/s1600-h/100_9226.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104532794285010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRN1CcZ4D2UiT1yqVtfX8kQMdPeBjJ2rJXqpR1_yB-BFJPg8lZ3gvB9glAzOLDp9bDLWc-zW2I3JPmq3YCl5eWvhC3JvaKQgGjML58qo5hhblRnsXnfr05ApzbtfWWCljkdZz0_lbST21/s400/100_9226.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
Steelers Fan. No, she doesn't really sleep here -- she likes pretending that she's a "tiny baby" and having me feed her and rock her and climb in this bassinet (it's all we have to play baby with since we said goodbye to the pack n' play and crib last December). I am sure when she grows out of this phase she will realize how immature she was and finally root for Tom Brady and the Patriots.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-68982034513600869132009-08-28T15:01:00.003-04:002009-08-28T15:14:47.477-04:00How We Spent our Summer....Here are some pictures to show you what a wonderful, active and people-filled summer we have had! <br /><br />As of this writing, Grace is unofficially over 25 lbs (maybe more, but if so, that means that I weigh more than I would like, so I prefer the accuracy of my scale to be somewhat nebulous), and quite possibly three inches taller than she was at the start of the year! We'll need to wait for the next doctor's visit to confirm these reports, but we have gone from a size 5 to size 7 toddler shoe in a year, so we have real evidence of growth. Happily, we also welcomed a new baby niece this spring, so someone will be able to use the clothing and shoes that Grace is quickly outgrowing (Yay Bella!).<br /><br />And for a quick update, Grace likes Frog and Toad books, being barefoot, eating ice cream, visiting the monkeys at the zoo, doing flips on the bar at the playground (completely unassisted) and bouncing on the trampoline at gymnastics class (started in July shortly after we witnessed the flipping). She loves her grandparents (all six of them), her Uncle Alan and Auntie Donna from the U.K., her dear "aunties" and "uncles" in the neighborhood. The ocean. Noodles. Watching Kai-Lan, Dora and Max & Ruby. Playing at the playground. Running. Helping to cook, do laundry, set the table, wash the floor. She is less keen right now on washing her hair or going to bed (11 pm....!!!). Brushing and flossing are less fun now that she's met the dentist (really, she needs to understand that the more she does the former, the less she needs to do the latter!). And, she really wishes we would go on airplanes more often as she loves to fly!<br /><br />Here come the picures.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-25170499547495007272009-08-28T13:40:00.002-04:002009-08-28T15:00:20.078-04:00Memories of the Gotcha Day(....continued from 8/26/08)<br /><br />We arrived the night prior, to a sweltering Hunan airport. The tropical plants and palm trees were a change from Beijing's more familiar environment. The humidity clung to everything. We were hustled along in the dark by a young woman who would become our guide in Chang-Sha, "Vicky." She moved us en masse, with all our luggage, into a waiting van. <br /><br />The vans smelled a bit of mildew, which would become a common scent here and farther south in our journey. I had tried to do a little laundry in Beijing the day before, washing it by hand in our hotel room and hanging our thin, microfiber clothing to dry in the bathroom and bedroom. Needless to say, the short turn-around time and relative humidity of China made air-drying nearly impossible, and our luggage was now significantly heavier, as we carted around very damp clothing.<br /><br />We were very tired, and eager to go to bed. Our hotel was stunning on the inside -- featuring a massive lobby with marble pillars, koi pond and dramatic gold accents along the walls. We checked in to the Dolton, selected our pillow preference (feather and buckwheat for me), changed some money in the lobby and headed to bed. <br /><br />Upon unlocking the room and heading inside, I was struck by an unfamiliar but momentous sight -- a crib, tucked in the corner, awaiting its occupant. All the talk, the work, the expense to prepare the papers, to nest, to pack, and to make the long journey to get to this room, with this crib, was suddenly very much in the past. Looking at the crib, I realized that everything from here forward would be different. We unpacked formula, bottles, a few things we needed in the morning. And although our beds were as unyielding as plywood, we piled on the comforters, said goodnight to each other and the room that would soon be filled with a world we had only imagined...and went to sleep (one of us needing a sleeping pill to calm his anxiety).<br /><br />The next morning, we headed to the hotel buffet. The big event wouldn't occur until after lunch, so we joined our fellow travelers and worked at calming nerves enough to eat a meal. Following a joint meeting in the hotel conference room to review all our paperwork and meet two other families (from Maine and Minnesota), we headed out to lunch (who could eat???) and then to get the babies. Three families proceeded to the county offices in Chang-Sha, while the two others (second-time adopters, matched with slightly older children) settled in for a long drive to southern Hunan for their girls.<br /><br />Two years later, I can't remember if the bus riders were quiet or bubbling with excitement. Three of the six future parents had never experienced parenthood before, so I am sure that even if there was noise, there was nervousness as well! We pulled into courtyard alongside the building and proceeded inside. At each step, we were asked to wait -- just a minute here or there, but it was agonizing. Other vans would pull up and we would get excited, thinking that the babies were in the vans. But one after the other, the vans were just delivering more prospective parents. We started to cluster in the lobby until we were invited into small elevators for a trip upstairs. Again the crowd built, as adults speaking several foreign lanuages spilled into the room. Some took posts along the walls, some in the ornately carved wooden benches throughout the room, and some just milled around blocking the doorway. We quickly prepped the camera for video, having run through the basics in the hotel room that morning (why I hadn't taught him to use the video before this day, I'll never know! Fortunately, he did great). <br /><br />Then, Chinese women carrying babies began to enter the room. People were craning for a look at the children, seeking facial characteristics they could recognize from the pictures we had coveted for month or more. It was an amazing moment to realize that the 2-D image that filled your dreams and palms for so many days was now a physical presence, breathing, blinking and, in some cases, crying in the arms of the young aya's (nannies/caretakers). I saw a baby I thought was Grace, and we craned our heads for a better look. But a Spanish family crowded around her and gathered her up as I stood there, shaken by the thought that I didn't really know what my child looked like. <br /><br />Then our guide returned, with three babies and ayas behind her. The noise was now cacaphonous, with various languages, cries of happiness and relief from the parents and sadness, fear and separation emanating from babies. R. turned on the camera, narrating his top-of-mind thoughts about the crowd and chaos. Suddenly, he spied Xue Chun. R.'s remarkable facial-recognition skills gave me instant relief, as I knew our daughter was finally here. He followed her with the camera as they first offered her and then retracted her until I could present my passport for identification. Xue Chun was staring around, expressionless but alert. When they handed her to me, my arms lifted a bit, overestimating the weight of the slightly built little gift that was now, finally, ours. She gripped firmly to a tissue box that was her comfort or toy -- I had imagined her playing with it on the long drive to the official building and now, needed this familiar object among all that was noisy and erratic and new.<br /><br />She was so very soft, with arms and legs that while not sickly, seemed to have no muscles contained within. I couldn't believe this delicate little child could so tightly grip the tissue box, or so steadlily hold her head aloft. But she did -- watching with intense interest and growing horror at the crying and screaming of her fellow babies. Finally, she started to cry too, a loud and unending protest, her sweaty head and face turning red and anger pouring out of her. I cooed "bu pa" and "wu aie nee, xue chun" (don't be afraid, I love you) and her new daddy started the rocking that would not stop to this day, the swaying to calm an upset child (or maybe parent?).<br /><br />Otherwise, she looked well. Her hair was fine and uneven, evidence of being shaved for some medical procedure (they would reportedly draw blood from the side of a child's head, or for other purpose). She had a few large red bumps on the back of her skull, from heat, we were told. Otherwise, was fine-featured and beautiful. Her clothes were cotton separates, made in India with the odd slogan "Ethnic Baby" imprinted in a colorful orange pattern across the front (just bizarre). Someone has tied up the undershirt strings and rolled down the waistband of the shorts to keep the clothing from falling off her. <br /><br />We were finally removed to the van to return to the hotel, mothers now holding their precious babies, fathers gearing up with bottles and plastic keys and any manner of tchotchkes to calm the children's fears and provide entertainment. One baby peed all over her mother, and we all suddenly realized our daughters were not wearing diapers. Quick diapering ensued, and then we were at the Dolton.<br /><br />At this point, Grace had stopped crying and was nearly asleep, worn out from the effort and the trip and the trauma. I can't quite recall whether we slept first, or bathed first. Either way, both were done as was a successful bottle-feeding. Shi-goo stopped by with the type of formula they used at the orphanage ("Sanlu" -- later found to be the brand contaminated with melamine) -- at the time, we were just thrilled to provide some continuity to our new little baby. After all had rested, we dressed her and went downstairs for a late and quiet dinner. She was calm, quiet and taking in everything with her lovely, shiny dark eyes. <br /><br />I remember tucking her in her crib that night, incomplete phrases from dozens of lullabies and nursery rhymes floating through my head. We snapped a few pictures of our sleeping beauty, kissed her goodnight and went gratefully to bed.<br /><br />I'll close this post by saying that following the hand-off, Grace never again had a crying spell in China. She woke up the next morning, cheerful and alert. She slept through the night, except when she needed a diaper change. We even realized that when we held her over the potty, she would pee -- an awareness that would later in her life lead to a very easy and early potty training. She was a happy, well-adjusted baby who took her bottles well and tried many solid foods at many Chinese buffets! She could suck a noodle like a champion, and, despite having no teeth, would go with gusto for fruits and rice, eggs, soft meats and other foods. We enjoyed our time with her in China, delighting in her laughter and surprise, her many facial expressions and interests. For the duration of our trip in China, passersby would stop to interact with Grace, saying to us "beautiful baby, clever baby," and we agreed. <br /><br />On this second anniversary of our first Family/Gotcha/Adoption Day, we are no less thrilled, thankful for or awed by our sweet and spirited, intelligent and lovely little girl. We love you, Grace Xue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-51202949154448575712009-08-28T13:32:00.005-04:002009-08-28T16:47:52.422-04:00Happy Gotcha Day 2009!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UEZxPKizlFhL8kMZqFd9JjUT8WR9StAZRfLyAxWjMFcYQIULxsoDMENnEt5Wto1i2rBSPP8QMp4qu4xFoocJFygetTINTkRsKY-0FiHQQeRRsMbsNtQD-x4T6LN5t0DhEfKMnwxtl_-V/s1600-h/China+308.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UEZxPKizlFhL8kMZqFd9JjUT8WR9StAZRfLyAxWjMFcYQIULxsoDMENnEt5Wto1i2rBSPP8QMp4qu4xFoocJFygetTINTkRsKY-0FiHQQeRRsMbsNtQD-x4T6LN5t0DhEfKMnwxtl_-V/s400/China+308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375117753984808962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcxIZg2XOOLlwGu4M0Ksp79mPQAJJ77lGx0qoHdwFNuUSCyW3Kb8IZvg67_ZwBZRPdIdZryedbAi4MUIhoPmCj9E-qFd-tH3gzn2TPRY9gqip6f05QoqALAaf9nlw0PFnppjNPaXZUCEP/s1600-h/China+310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDNwO1L8DpSu5EeUWevkdrhTm44rHh2A5cHhHSuk21gYJRgNBlXaXcBL09xYMvSNKxZykNB-yrktz-BxVwlF1x7OAwfKhAqZM0z3VGgPfp7xBqX_MjT_r_DWD2Fd17xhWFujeeuiL5HCj/s400/IMG_4830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375117734691648482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSyPvysd3q2IUeAEiVLCJDLL1izdM6YkwrXnn0zAnforT-tQMx0VNJs8STV6sw5CNQEDA5ERHJvWlbf6pIbHmoV5UaaH7i16MTZMhOUuXjGChl83mTVCCkNFYgn5zeKz_a8ZKnKdGaKoX/s1600-h/IMG_0806.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSyPvysd3q2IUeAEiVLCJDLL1izdM6YkwrXnn0zAnforT-tQMx0VNJs8STV6sw5CNQEDA5ERHJvWlbf6pIbHmoV5UaaH7i16MTZMhOUuXjGChl83mTVCCkNFYgn5zeKz_a8ZKnKdGaKoX/s400/IMG_0806.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375116827233267090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbz2Gb3zR5CnFE4GSD46cqArsRqgsZM7mPnfelXa6A4BRfJ3__TuJYNlUDaQ-rFjjKCsZHC25Mo_tPbs2kebbhVP_QzDNyPD8Dh33wFUMjoKOct7hCUF3M7raiXlcSWF9nqbQmor15RA4/s1600-h/IMG_4882.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EV8hZzIApS7fCuyDRYPSplwAOYHvR9F5Y3dkthDIeeqIHWIsYk8RHm-kMkdKQ3FT6wRaoHYrcSkb7peBMEsYxVMmW9vGoRVYt1LICSME1_H_coajDAtSh1PlxL1Z5CSGo8ATVUpnvaTM/s400/IMG_4963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375116840871613010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfNIFNjpX-7dtT7Rem_zRJINM6oZ3D2o8gEAk-d9fZolmKlynDTWVo7jMo8zdCufkVwKfNVrNsegjXgxos3M4jGMQFhKT7fPLgvEXuZkK3pPu8jDNqbR61NN9582r0GyM4xo4cVI4MxOt/s1600-h/IMG_4919.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfNIFNjpX-7dtT7Rem_zRJINM6oZ3D2o8gEAk-d9fZolmKlynDTWVo7jMo8zdCufkVwKfNVrNsegjXgxos3M4jGMQFhKT7fPLgvEXuZkK3pPu8jDNqbR61NN9582r0GyM4xo4cVI4MxOt/s400/IMG_4919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375116836781745826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt-6W8QlXLDCu5r2Isg2mOyrpB8kH8VsNMS7fbe6AmNlZr9iecQJBjbDLuT8d8tmEl8FB8Z-40O5vnYb8EiAnwHGJsFLtmTElN1bMT2uwN2i_tb3846gzSrbvwroVKecW9is4wuUkGC0b/s1600-h/IMG_4862.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt-6W8QlXLDCu5r2Isg2mOyrpB8kH8VsNMS7fbe6AmNlZr9iecQJBjbDLuT8d8tmEl8FB8Z-40O5vnYb8EiAnwHGJsFLtmTElN1bMT2uwN2i_tb3846gzSrbvwroVKecW9is4wuUkGC0b/s400/IMG_4862.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375116821534106354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuH6iB_1rL9h1UxrOaZcsrFvulNiGLQhkl2oa9-JAs6tt4hbxVIgFwMeodDWZLIiPJaQ1IOsysHaYN99RBkVcp7kAUB-3SJUGwma8zMrFhxOnWFSKAEEtN-QnVzCDvc5ylplvEjAzQ7ve/s1600-h/China+259.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 389px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuH6iB_1rL9h1UxrOaZcsrFvulNiGLQhkl2oa9-JAs6tt4hbxVIgFwMeodDWZLIiPJaQ1IOsysHaYN99RBkVcp7kAUB-3SJUGwma8zMrFhxOnWFSKAEEtN-QnVzCDvc5ylplvEjAzQ7ve/s400/China+259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375115396422631362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />It was two years ago today (okay, yesterday, the 27th) that we met our Gracie. Last year, I posted the wind up to the meeting... one year later, before the exact memories fade and are replaced by just emotions and "recollections" jogged by the video and pictures, I will attempt to write the story of our first day as a family......<br /><br /><br />The pics in this post are a mix of old and new. Grace is on the left of most of the pictures, in the middle of the three girls on the first red couch photo. The girl on her right in the old and the new pics is C., who just came to visit.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk7b8pSAY649TaavmQnzYpf81DI5n2GGCVli4kMH_LnUYd3EQWOaVypkja_auoaX3jePujY_XMFimwuZq91uoxl7VJ2jZq7eKx6_2EZinaO_rWxyWdNbr8pAWLxjkRIrVP6BBLCUn23pX/s1600-h/DSC04643.JPG"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773939588477784881.post-68379755565374222332009-05-20T22:58:00.002-04:002009-05-20T23:25:10.877-04:00New StuffGrace, her dad and I enjoyed the zoo on Mother's Day. Big faves were the monkey house, where unmentionable habits were the source of much education and amusement for Grace, and the giraffe, who ate leaves that Grace tossed at her. If prompted, she will talk non-stop for several minutes about the antics of the monkey family. Fortunately, there is no reenactment.<br /><br />This weekend, we had a chance to jump in a pool together. She thoroughly enjoyed it, although she didn't seem to remember swimming the previous summer. Kicking came naturally and she blew a few bubbles but in order to get her arms going, I instructed her to pretend she was pushing away her big dogs ("Move, Reese, move!").<br /><br />She has been singing a lot lately, mostly Old MacDonald (whose farm apparently features, in addition to what are mostly ducks, a "big mama" -- e i e i o) and Frere Jacques/Are you Sleeping/Two Tigers (Liang shi lao hu) -- which she sings in all three languages. She also has been role playing with her baby dolls ("You need to listen to my words, baby.") and has frequently stopped me to say "I have a question." But since that is usually followed by a song title ("No Work" for example -- which is really "Never Go to Work" by They Might Be Giants), I think she means to say she has a "request." <br /><br />We are working on grammar -- using "These and Those" instead of "Them" to begin a sentence, and making the correct verb agreement. Next we will work on finishing the phrase "go with [us/me/you/them]" or "take it with ___."<br /><br />One day I told her not to let Reese take the opportunity to steal her food off the booster seat tray. A week later, she was still yelling at Reese to not take her "tunity." I think she thinks opportunity is a food group.<br /><br />She greatly enjoyed watching our neighbor's daughter perform in a ballet ("Twirl, Caroline!"). She also likes the pinwheel she got at the fundraiser/fair where she loved the moonbounce but seemed a bit taken aback when she realized that Elmo was not a freestanding being but was attached to someone's arm. <br /><br />She loves worms and bugs ("Don't bite your tail, wormey.") and fishing and running and hugging and kissing. She doesn't like going to bed, staying in bed, reading new books (just the usuals, please), or eating spicy food. <br /><br />When she coughs, she gets a funny, concerned look and says "That doesn't sound very good." She recently had her fourth ear infection since December. It came with a cold (allergies?), fever and unrelated hives. She may have redeveloped her strawberry allergy. But she's a pro at taking her medicine and is hale and hearty now. She has grown maybe two inches since Christmas and can open the doors in the house without rising on tiptoes. <br /><br />Stay tuned as we approach the second anniversary (in August) of the day we met Grace.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1