Happy Father's Day!

Happy to report that a fun time was had by all the Dads at our place yesterday! Riley made ginger snaps for all of them and Hannah made a very cute book at preschool for Rob. Papa Walt grilled up some mean BBQ chicken and Rob got stung in the *** by a bee providing a wonderful comedic moment for all to treasure. Riley lost a tooth in the midst of it all. The Sciclunas joined in the fun and I must say it was a really great time!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey!  My girls impressed me with some handmade presents(including my new necklace made by Hannah in preschool - see photo) and breakfast in bed all without the help of Daddy who's in Boston teching a show.  Then, Riley, Grandma and I went to see "The Miracle Worker" and had a good cry followed by dinner at the Japanese hibachi joint.   The flowers in front of Hannah in the picture were sent to me by my very thoughtful godson, Alexander.  A very fine Mother's Day.  I'm a lucky Mom.

Belated photos

Found my camera! Happy Easter, Birthday, Spring everyone. Enjoy the pix!

Hannah's 1st day of school!

Well, I was a nervous wreck, but Hannah did very well!  No potty accidents and Miss Sally said that she was focused for most of the 3 hour stretch.  (The last 45 minutes she was ready for Mommy).  We're so proud of her and she really liked her new preschool and teachers!  Hooray for Hannah!

Happy Birthday Riley and Happy Easter Everybody!

So, it finally happened to coincide - the Easter Bunny arrived on the morning of Riley's 8th Birthday!  We had ALL the relatives over to celebrate and had a fantastic time.  Egg Hunts, presents, lots of candy and desserts, it was fun.  I have foolishly lost my camera in all the hubbub but I did borrow my wonderful friend Lisa's camera to get some shots of Riley's party with her friends yesterday.  Her new zip line courtesy of her grandparents was a big hit and we could not have asked for more beautiful weather.  We love the new house even more now that we can eat and relax on the deck outside!  In other big news, Hannah will be starting preschool this Tuesday!!! I think that she is going to love it - she seemed very happy to be there when we visited and we're starting off slow with just 2 mornings a week.  I cannot believe that BOTH my girls will be in school in a couple of days!  How did that happen so fast?

A milestone for Hannah

So, this is kind of a strange thing to keep track of, but today marks the first official day that Hannah has been with us longer than she has been in her orphanage.  It makes us so happy to know that her time spent with her family now is longer than her time without us.  It's been a glorious 19 months and as bizarre as it sounds, I really think that she has really blossomed into herself in the past few weeks!  She is a true chatterbox, she has ditched the diapers and she shows so much unbridled affection that she fills my heart with love for her every day.  We are so lucky to have her in our lives.  We love you so much, Hannah En Ming.

Hallelujah, we have big girl underwear!!!

I have waited a verrrry long time to post this but after a whole week with only one accident, I can now officially declare my Hannah "potty-trained" and somewhat ready for preschool!  Whew, that is a load off my mind.  I can make no claim toward this achievement as Hannah made a sudden decision in the midst of a DOUBLE ear infection last week.  Now, if it were me, I think I'd be a little more prone to wetting my pants if both of my ears were infected and I felt really cruddy but my Hannah continues to surprise and amaze!  I do think that I will hold off on dropping her at school until summer but I am looking forward to some precious free time in 3 more months.  We're all very impatient for warmer weather now that April is almost here but the gals had a blast hunting for eggs at Riley's friend Olivia's house yesterday even in the chilly rain.  I am very excited for spring to arrive with our first Easter in the new house, soccer and playtime at the Tots Park!  Oh - in other big news - Riley is getting orthodontic work done to prepare her upper jaw for future braces.  She's taking it well considering the ban on gum, taffy and all sticky candy right before Easter.  The best part is that it's all happening on the roof of her mouth, so her smile will look the same for now.  Riley also got a no cavities report from the dentist today and an amazingly wonderful report card on Wednesday!  Her teacher tells us that she's reading at a mid-third grade level and is doing so well that she's practically ready for 4th grade!!  We are beyond proud of our kids this week.  Life is good.