goodbye January

eyes in your back

She cracks me up when she says......................................
"Momma please do not see me with the eyes in your back" (meaning eyes in the back of your head).
Obviously she is doing something she should not be at this point - OMG cracks me up!

reminded of how much she has been through

I thought keep this reminder private or share???  Than I thought some may read this and it may help them??  Some may read this and it may remind them??  So I share............
Laney found joy in being asked to be a 1st time flower girl in an upcoming special wedding. So we got the dress and had to go for a fitting just to take it in a tiny bit.  As she tried on the dress and looked in the mirror (mommy and daddy both by her side) she smiled and politely said thank you to the nice tailor complimenting how adorable she looked. She giggled at her fashion self in the 3 way mirror and than the tailor reached for a pin and the screech could be heard from far (very far).  The tears were flowing and she panicked.  She cried so much and it was awful!  The pin never came near her but she screamed "no needles, no pinch, no needles".  It was pure and utter fear in that girl and it was awful!  Long story short we talked calmly once at home. We cuddled and she sobbed and said "I not sick,  not want needles, not want blood, not want pinch".  We may never know but the poor girl may have been thinking who knows what from China, all the medical tests she went through trying to leave China, all she went though when she came home and we found the milk allergy and the years of living with that.  I tried to prepare her and explained what the fitting would be like before we went but the fear of seeing a pin took over and it was like flashbacks went through her mind.  All I am saying is some people have said to me "oh she does not remember any of that stuff from her past" I say BULL! No one can say for sure what memories, what fears she has. How can they say, they have not been adopted, they have not been in an orphanage, they are not my daughter.  It just reminds me all she has been through and I for one am amazed by her brave and amazing self.  The fitting may not have been what I expected but this little girl is everything I could have ever dreamed of!!!!

CNY in pictures

We spent the day doing dragon crafts and than did a dragon dance parade - FUN . We read books about Chinese New Year. We than went to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. The food is soooooooooo good there we cannot find it like that anywhere else (except how I long to go back to China and eat all that out of this world food of course). We tipped our waitress with a red envelope and we talked to the husband and wife owners and their son who is 1 year older than Laney it was fun. We gave Laney some little gifts and had a real nice small family gathering. On the way home we agreed  we did miss seeing our other friends and the connections with the other little girls adopted and dressed up in their traditional Chinese clothes.  We missed seeing the loads of families and the love of those other families too. Laney said on the way home "Momma where all my cousins from China - LOL! I think she meant her friends who were also adopted from China. Oh and I know no family photos but I have to say I really bought incorrectly in China for myself.  I bought 3 things, all fine, thin silk and all short sleeve - brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  I don't live in the correct climate for that.  And DaddyO well we were waiting in the car for him in the driveway so we could rush off to our fav place to eat (which is out of town).  CNY on a weeknight is not as easy as on a weekend ;) sooooooooooooo no family shots (yet atleast). CNY is a celebartion that lasts 15 days ;)

CNY 2012

Chinese New Years Day is January 23, 2012 and it marks the 4,710th Chinese New Year! This year it is the year of dragon! The dragon stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.

Laney made it very clear to us she had no desire to see a dragon this Chinese new year as we have in
the years past.  She would say "dumplings, soup and out to eat Chinese yum but no dragon, no red envelopes in dragons mouth".  While saying this she gets this fearful look on her face so we will keep it small, quite, mellow and full of our special family love (with no dragons).  Hope to post pictures soon.  Happy Chinese New Year to so many near and dear to our hearts.

January FUN

we have been having some January fun:

Leela

I'm not the elf on the shelf that you know.  I do not fly though the ice and snow.  My job is simply to stay here and play. You can touch me and squeeze me and love me all day.  AND Laney named her............. "Leela"
Pretty cool if your family has adopted the Elf on a shelf tradition. She did tell me today she misses "Dumpling" - LOL!
http://www.wackyplanet.com/elf-on-the-shelf-small-plush-pals.html

always singing

It is seriously hard to get a picture of this little one without singing (or talking) she is a non stop motor mouth.  BUT hey it is still a cute picture ;)

gonna be 4

It is still months away but this is how our conversation went:
Momma: Laney what kind of birthday party do you want to have?
Laney: A Happy New Year birthday party for 4 please.
Momma: What will we do at your Happy New Year birthday party Laney?
Laney: Have lots and lots of spunfetti .... LOL - sounds like spaghetti but she mean confetti ;)
Ok gotta think about this one ;)

proud squeals of excitement

Proud of little Miss for practicing her letters.  We are working on our lower case for the "a" but all in all she is enjoying her parents proud squeals of excitement ;)

Adele and Lady Gaga

Laney loves to sing!  It was/is a lot of Christmas songs and loads of kids music but it is also adult music too. I want to remember this (I gotta get this on video too). We go into the post office or a store and if either of these songs are on the radio there Laney says to whoever will listen........"This my Mamma's favorite song"  Than she breaks into song and sings (in Laney's own words) Adele.....
Never mind someone like you
I wish the best for you
don't forget me
member you said
sometimes last in love
sometimes hurt instead
Never mind someone like you
It is a really good song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCya1yiFFP4&feature=related

Laney does the same................"This my Mamma's favorite song" Than she breaks into song and sings (in Laney's own words) Lady Gaga.....
You and I, you, you and I
Oh Yeah you and I, you, you and I
lipstick on your face
you and I, you, you and I
It is a really good song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hck2qaJQxXs

Happy Mail

At Mommy and Me school she often plays dress up (this time it was a mail lady - LOL)

New Years EVE - FUN

Countdown to 8 O'Clock was a blast!  2012 is HERE!!!!

Christmas Morning 2011

Llama Llama Misses Mama book (she was so excited she did not have to bring this one back to the library).

Yes the dogs got presents too

Love the face ;)

new "worker" stuff

New fuzzy bathrobe

OK posting a pic of us 1st thing in the a.m. not so good but family time rocks showered or not ;).  Laney is holding a little family book we made.

Christmas Morning 2011 was wonderful.  At 8:30am she said "I awake in my big girl bed, did Santa come?" Special times with the love of our lives.

Christmas EVE

Christmas Eve 2011 - special times ;)