Flashback Friday

Nobody puts baby in a box...

September 19, 2006

First Day of School Foto Frenzy

Yesterday Lindy started back to preschool. She is now in Miss 'Berta's 4 year old class and this is her last year before she starts kindergarten next fall (yep, I'm already fretting about that).

It was a rainy day (yea) and that seemed to make Miss Sleepyhead move even slower than normal in the morning. The princess does NOT like to be rushed.

I snapped a couple of shots but she wasn't cooperating too well, we were running late, and I was trying not to get my camera wet or topple over in the mud.

I didn't want to take it so far away but she wanted her lunch bag in the picture. Subsequently, she covered her leggings and all you can see are her scuffed shoes. I've learned not to send her in good shoes because they get TRASHED!

Ever since she turned four in May, my normally exuberant, independent child has been going through more anxiety about new situations and showing greater hesitance when leaving me. She was experiencing a bit of that yesterday morning.

However, she got over that hesitancy once she saw her AWESOME teacher!

She had a great first day and came home very happy and pretty worn out, too. I am really excited for Lindy and all that she'll experience this coming school year. We're proud of you big girl!!!

Mensa should be calling any day now

The other day I surprised Lindy by serving her lunch on these lovely princess paper plates I had gotten on clearance at a local craft store. Well, it is definitely the little things with that girl and she squealed with delight when she saw them. After she cleaned her plate, she was admiring their pictures and talking about them and, of course, missing Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle. Then she said, "Momma...Ariel can't stand for this picture; she's a mermaid."

Gotta run...The phone is ringing...I bet that's the local Mensa chapter calling to invite her to the next meeting...

Lindy's Thankful Thursday

Periodically, I share a Thankful Thursday list on our family blog. Lindy and I talk a lot about a lot of things. Today I decided to ask her for some things for which she is thankful. Here is her list.

1. Mommy
2. Daddy
3. My friends
4. God
5. Food Mommy & Daddy gave me
6. Bugs--the rolly pollies...then butterflies, caterpillars, and ladybugs
7. My room
8. Pajamas
9. Clothes
10. The earth God gave us
11. Trophies, I think
12. My family and grandma and grandpa

Prayer request that she threw in: "Help my baby to come here soon."

The Best Days

One of my favorite artists to listen to these days is Taylor Sw*ift. I really, really like her songs. I don't know if I'm going through some desire to relive my youth or what but even at 41 (gasp, choke,--BREATHE) some of her lyrics hit home. On one of her albums there is a song that I just can't listen to enough and I just can't stop crying every time I hear it. It is simple, sweet, and part of it makes me just want to be a little girl again and the other part of it makes me want to stop the hands of time because everything seems to be going too fast sometimes.

I am not the first one to want to stop the hands of time from moving and I know that isn't possible. However, I can choose to make every day a "BEST DAY" with my little Lindy...

And so I share with you...

PS...Turn up the volume and you can hear the song...

The Best Day
by Taylor Sw*ift

I'm five years old it's getting cold I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides look now the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you're not scared of anything at all
I don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop till I forgot all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out he's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house
And I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine and I didn't know if you knew
So I'm taking this chance to say that I had the best day with you today

Signs...

Kind of makes me wonder what things will be like when she's a teenager.

Of things purple, pink, and sparkly

If you've met Lindy, she's probably told you her favorite colors are, "Pink, purple, and red." She may have also told you her favorite animals are, "Horses, ponies, and unicorns." You also probably know she's all about the sparkle and shine.

Well, the other day we were making an "in and out" trip into a particular store to make a return. I was not going to stop and look at anything. Alas, the sirens of the shoes were working against me and wooed my daughter to the above shown shoes. In a matter of moments it was apparent we weren't leaving the store without them. She had taken off her sandals and was prancing around on her tip toes in these. She was in love.

I admit I am a bargain shopper. I look for sales and rarely pay full price--especially when it comes to Lindy (and me) because it just seems silly to me since they grow so quickly. These shoes were not on sale and they were the only pair. I was at a tough spot here. The practical side of me told me to not give in but I knew it was purple and pink perfection in her mind and I'd have a very disappointed little girl if we had to walk away.

I guess you know I bought the shoes...I did the quick, "Are you sure they fit, do they feel comfortable, I don't want to hear they hurt your feet later" speech. She doesn't ask for things when we're out (usually), so I also made sure to tell her this was NOT going to be a common practice.

While I questioned my decision at the time, I am glad I bought them. She has danced and pranced around in them for the past week and has declared her love for them many times, and more importantly her thanks. She's so smitten she's even asked to wear them to bed and has worn them with non-matching outfits. YIKES!

It is likely pink and purple and red won't always be her favorite colors, so I'm going to enjoy these pinkalicious and purplicious moments while they're here.

China Camp 2009

One of the highlights of Lindy's summer was to attend China Camp during the last week of July. Over the past 18 months or so, I've been fortunate to meet a really cool group of women in the area who have been blessed by adoption and who all have Chinese daughters--most about six months younger than Lindy. Early in the summer, Shawna, one of those mommies, said she wanted to put on a China Camp for the girls as a way to teach them about their Chinese heritage, as well as grow their friendships with one another. Well I already knew Shawna is creative, organized, hard-working and a go-getter but I was BLOWN away by the amount of effort and planning she put into making China Camp super special for the girls and mommies, too. For three days from 9:30-1:00'ish, we gathered at Shawna's house for a host of activities, games, arts and crafts, and lunch. Highlights included:

• Using a map to locate and mark the province and city each girl is from
• Making Chinese fans, lanterns, and plates
• Having a dragon dance
• Playing games
  
• Making (and eating) Chinese dumplings
• Learning about three cultures in China and praying that they someday would know Jesus
  
• Eating Chinese noodle soup, lettuce wraps, and moon cakes
• Learning about panda bears
• Feeding the dragon with chopsticks
• Show and Tell of something from each girl's province
• Learning to get along, share, work as a team, and be sweet friends

Lindy's turn to lead the dragon dance and wear the coveted dragon head

The dragon boat relay race

The relays turned into a bit of a contact sport. Lindy, that'll be a 15 yard penalty for pulling on Ava Claire's tee...

Story time with Miss Shawna. Love Grace Lin books!

Making colorful Chinese lanterns

Showing off her Chinese lantern and fan

Enjoying Chinese noodle soup

Lily showing a picture of a panda during Show and Tell. Each girl brought something native to her province.

Lindy showing Maliah her silk embroidery from Hunan

Olivia showing off her embroidery ball

What's going to work??? Teamwork!!!

Using chopsticks to "feed" the dragon during the relay race

Making Chinese plates or is it china???

Making Chinese dumplings

Eating the dumplings...YUMMY...

The girls...
(On the ground) Lily,
Seated (L to R) Lindy, Ava Claire, & Olivia,
(last row L to R) Sioban, Maliah, & Libby

My gift from God (and China)

Having tea for the first time. Thankfully, decaffeinated!!!

More tea please...

What's a tea party without sweets???

Pure sweetness enjoying pure sweetness

Learning about the legend of the red thread and getting a red thread bracelet.

The girls enjoying a video about panda bears

It was three days of non-stop fun and activity. Thank you so much, Shawna, for being the hostess with the mostess.

"I saw that going differently in my mind"

Wow! Why did I let myself get so behind on this? I'm really paying for it now.

One of the things we were excited about this summer was putting Lindy into swim lessons and the prospect of her learning how to swim or at least learn some basics. I am not a swimmer and Don is not a strong swimmer, so having Lindy learn how to swim is super important to both of us. She usually really enjoys being in the water, so we thought for sure she'd love the experience and be really pumped about learning to swim.

One of my favorite movies is Hitch. I laugh like it is a new movie EVERY time I watch it. One of my favorite quotes is when Hitch says, "I saw that going differently in my mind" after a botched first date with Sara. I am the QUEEN of getting my feelings hurt, being disappointed, and let down because I envision how I think things should go and what should be said. It is a huge character flaw of mine and it leads to a lot of disappointment. It is something I've become acutely aware of over the last two or three years and it is also an area of my life I'm trying to improve. In keeping with my struggle, NOTHING, I mean NOTHING could've prepared me for the tremendous battle I endured for two weeks. We thought she'd love it. Instead, I'm thinking this was the hardest two weeks of parenting I've encountered. I am fully aware that says a lot and the huge blessings attached to that statement but still I was befuddled, bewildered, and beaten down after it all.

For two weeks I watched my normally easy-going, "whatever," girl fret and be overcome with anxiety and fear. She'd wake up early and cry for four solid hours until her lesson. She would come up with dozens of "what if" scenarios and it was obvious she was petrified. For all but the last two days, she cried the entire time during the lesson. She never threw a fit, never refused to participate but was so miserable the entire time. I wanted to acknowledge her fears and anxieties in a loving way but yet help her try to overcome them. She was a mess. I was a mess. I felt so helpless. She doesn't know how to swim yet but other people have assured me it just takes time. I'm not sure how we'll get there but hopefully we'll get there eventually--just not this year. Here are some shots of the week.

First day. No tears--yet. Just a bit anxious but still open to the experience.

First day. Not loving it so much now.

Second to last day. No tears while using the noodle. Not sure how the breakthrough happened but it did!

They always ended class by jumping off the diving board in the big pool. She didn't jump but was thrown into the pool.

A rare non-crying shot. This was the last day. I think that is the face of relief.

A little celebratory sugar and bling for persevering

Colorado Cousin Camp

View from top of Don's parents' driveway

I'm trying to catch up with blogging on all my blogs as it has been a long time. Stop by Osborn Odds 'N Ends and Make Room For Mei Mei for more family information...I'll be doing lots of updates over the next few days.

On July 5th, Lindy and I traveled to Estes Park, Colorado to escape the horrid heat and spend time visiting Lindy's Grandma & Grandpa Osborn, her Aunt Michelle, Aunt Anne, and cousins Jake, Ryan, Brooke, Livi, and Sadie. Kids outnumbered the adults, so it was a busy, lively, active week as you might imagine! The weather felt wonderful and it was actually warmer than I had anticipated but it was lovely! Lindy doesn't play outside a lot here during the summer because it is so hot. In fact today she said, "I never get to play outside, Mommy. I hate (is that word allowed?) that it is so hot outside. It isn't fair. Maybe come spring..." Anyway, that was a really nice thing about the week--knowing she could go outside, it was safe, and it was literally a breath of fresh air. Lindy tried her hand for the very first time on a little bike with training wheels. At first her little peanut legs couldn't even push the pedals. By the end of the week, she couldn't wait to eat breakfast, brush her teeth and get out to ride the bike. I was so proud of her determination and I think you can tell by the pictures, she was pretty proud, too!

Livi & Lindy...They are only a couple weeks apart but there's a bit of a size difference...

Not even strong enough to push here...

Having fun on the porch

So proud!

Lindy's grandma planned several activities and outings during the week. One day she planned a picnic at a local park right next to the lake. It was pretty fun until the rain and strong winds came.

Pure bliss

Taking shelter from the rain

One of the days we were there we went to a parade to welcome the rodeo coming to town. The kids loved hearing the bands, seeing the horses, and watching the various marchers. I had quite a treat when a horse had a big sneeze and I caught the effects of it in my hair. Aunt Michelle got some of it, too. It was GROSS and I don't think I had laughed that hard or been that embarrassed in a really long time. A friend told me that it is good luck to be sneezed on by a horse. I'm still waiting for that so called "luck!" NO pictures were taken of that lovely episode, thankfully.

Grandma and Aunt Anne with the kids

If you've ever seen the movie The Shining (CREEPY), than you might recognize the Stanley Hotel. It is an Estes Park landmark and it actually just celebrated its 100th anniversary during the July 4th weekend. One afternoon Anne, Michelle, Jake, Ryan, and I went to take a ghost tour. It was quite interesting to hear about Stephen King's inspiration for writing the book, as well as all the non-paying visitors who frequent the hotel...Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo...(Hear Twilight Zone music...)

The front of the hotel

Room 213 (I think). This is where it all started.


The view of town from the hotel

Back during Christmas when we were up in Estes, we drove to Rocky Mountain National Park to see Bear Lake. It just so happens we went during a major windstorm and the sub-zero temps and 60-80 mph winds made it impossible to see anything while we were there. This time our trip to Bear Lake was much calmer, warmer, and scenic.

Sure we can get a snapshot of the lake and all the cousins. No problem!

Bear Lake

Aunt Michelle with Ryan, Jake, & Brooke

Aunt Anne with Livi & Sadie

Me and Lindy

Excited to find a patch of snow and to engage in a snowball fight

Grandma & Lindy on the bus down the mountain

Grandpa didn't get to do all the fun stuff but he did spoil the kids with ice cream!



Grandma and Grandpa, thanks for letting us invade your house for Cousin Camp!