Today I went out to the garage to deal with some laundry, and when I walked back in, both girls were in the recliner, and Mary Joyce was "reading" Go, Dog, Go to her little sister. In case you can't translate what Katherine says toward the end, Mary Joyce had just turned the page to one with cars on it, and Katherine said, "Car!" and "Round and round!" That little girl loves her cars. The whole thing was too sweet. I wish I had more of it on video.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Little Miss Sunshine
Katherine's hair is now long enough for dogears/pigtails (whichever term you prefer). How is this for cuteness?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
A Tonggu Family Reunion
Our travel buddy, Kim, and her 2 youngest children, Jaiden (one of Mary Joyce's Tonggu "cousins") and Jared, escaped the bitter cold of Minnesota for a visit to sunny Florida, and we were able to spend a good part of today together. We hadn't seen each other in person since we left Guangzhou, China, in September of 2006. It is really a neat thing, though, when you go for so long without seeing someone, but when you get together, it is like hanging around with a friend you see all the time. It was a beautiful day, and we had a really enjoyable time. We will get to see them one more time on Sunday, too, so that will be a nice bonus. Here are some pictures from today:
Jaiden and Mary Joyce playing dolls:
I had to include this one because of Mary Joyce's goofy facial expression:
A new favorite Katherine picture. (I just wish she didn't have the drop of drool on her chin!)
Reading Books
Katherine says, "Forget those kiddie books and hand me John Grisham!"
Katherine at Lunch
View from our Lunch Table (Those are brown pelicans.)
Everyone except me after lunch. I was making the picture.
The rest of these are from our visit to the "blue playground," as Mary Joyce calls it...
Jaiden and Mary Joyce playing dolls:
I had to include this one because of Mary Joyce's goofy facial expression:
A new favorite Katherine picture. (I just wish she didn't have the drop of drool on her chin!)
Reading Books
Katherine says, "Forget those kiddie books and hand me John Grisham!"
Katherine at Lunch
View from our Lunch Table (Those are brown pelicans.)
Everyone except me after lunch. I was making the picture.
The rest of these are from our visit to the "blue playground," as Mary Joyce calls it...
They've Got Wheels!
The weather down here has been absolutely gorgeous lately, so yesterday we took the girls out and let Mary Joyce ride her tricycle and let Katherine try out a couple of different riding toys. Mary Joyce is getting more proficient with the trike, and is learning to steer it finally. (Pedaling was easily mastered early-on.) Katherine thinks she should have pedals like her sister, and ended up putting her feet on the front wheels of the red one and pulling down to make herself go backwards. It was pretty funny. They had a great time, and would have stayed out a lot longer if they could have.
Katherine using her wheels as pedals:
Mary Joyce announced that she was going to ride her tricycle on her tummy. I asked if she thought that would really work. Her answer..."Nope!" Then she went and tried it anyway. :-)
Katherine using her wheels as pedals:
Mary Joyce announced that she was going to ride her tricycle on her tummy. I asked if she thought that would really work. Her answer..."Nope!" Then she went and tried it anyway. :-)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Doctor's Appointment Update, Prayer Requests, & Other Stuff
I had my now bi-weekly regular doctor's appointment this morning, and all is well. I did get very nicely chastised for forgetting to put on sunscreen when I had the yard sale this weekend. My arms got a bit toasted, to say the least. Other than that, though, everything is looking good. I go back 2 weeks from today.
Blogging has been slow lately. I'm still playing catch-up from the yard sale week, and we have Revival services next week. I should have some good blog pictures, soon, though. Our China travel buddy, Kim, is in Orlando with her 2 youngest kids, Jaiden and Jared, and we will get to see them on Friday for the first time since we left Guangzhou, China, in Sept. 2006. We are really looking forward to that.
A couple of prayer requests--
A little girl named Tong Min Yun, also from Tonggu like Mary Joyce, was scheduled to be adopted by a Canadian family. When the parents arrived, they found out that Min Yun had been badly burned in an accident at her foster home, so she was unavailable for adoption. The adoptive parents, and I'm sure the foster parents, are devastated by the situation. The little girl is receiving medical care, and the Tonggu Yahoo group is doing what they can to help with the child's medical bills. The adoptive family did receive a referral for another child, but this is still a very tough thing for all of them to go through. Pray for Min Yun, the adoptive family, their new daughter, and the foster family.
Also, a friend of mine who attended the same school as I did from grades K-12 and is only a year older than I am has had a stroke and is hospitalized in Louisiana. He is married and has 2 young sons. Please keep this family in your prayers, as well.
Blogging has been slow lately. I'm still playing catch-up from the yard sale week, and we have Revival services next week. I should have some good blog pictures, soon, though. Our China travel buddy, Kim, is in Orlando with her 2 youngest kids, Jaiden and Jared, and we will get to see them on Friday for the first time since we left Guangzhou, China, in Sept. 2006. We are really looking forward to that.
A couple of prayer requests--
A little girl named Tong Min Yun, also from Tonggu like Mary Joyce, was scheduled to be adopted by a Canadian family. When the parents arrived, they found out that Min Yun had been badly burned in an accident at her foster home, so she was unavailable for adoption. The adoptive parents, and I'm sure the foster parents, are devastated by the situation. The little girl is receiving medical care, and the Tonggu Yahoo group is doing what they can to help with the child's medical bills. The adoptive family did receive a referral for another child, but this is still a very tough thing for all of them to go through. Pray for Min Yun, the adoptive family, their new daughter, and the foster family.
Also, a friend of mine who attended the same school as I did from grades K-12 and is only a year older than I am has had a stroke and is hospitalized in Louisiana. He is married and has 2 young sons. Please keep this family in your prayers, as well.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Very Quick Update
Things have gotten a lot better since that rough day last week. I just haven't had a chance to update the blog. The girls have been sleeping well, which is the norm around here. That means more sleep for Mama and Daddy, which is a very good thing. The Magic Eraser took the crayon off of the wall, so we no longer have built-in artwork. We are having a garage sale Friday and Saturday this week, so that is consuming pretty much every spare moment of my time for now. I will be glad to get through with it, for sure. That's about it for now...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
My Alexander Day
I don't know if you have read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day or not, but it is about a little boy having one of "those" days. You know the kind--the ones where Murphy's Law seems to be in full effect. Everyone has them, I know, and I've been having one today. (My college library science professor referred to them as "Alexander Days" because of the book, and I think it is a very appropriate term.) Anyway, please excuse me while I vent a little...
Last night, Katherine was fussy and up off-and-on all night. Thankfully, Chet split the time with me, or I wouldn't be functional at all right now. It culminated with her waking for the day at 5:30 a.m. Again, thankfully, Chet was up, morning person that he is. I did try putting her in bed with me to see if she would go back to sleep, but no luck there. So, my normally mellow child was a walking tantrum all morning. Not fun.
Somewhere in the midst of this, Mary Joyce, who had been playing quietly in her room came bouncing into the den and announced, "I wite on wall in my woom!" Lovely...she is always so good about only writing in her coloring books or on paper, so I had moved the crayons down where she could get to them herself. They have been down for a month or so, and never a problem. Needless to say, the only writing utensils currently within her reach are the Color Wonder ones. Here is the masterpiece:
I will be investing in a Magic Eraser this afternoon at Wally World since mine has been used up, and I haven't bothered to replace it yet. Besides, I want for her daddy to see this in person before it goes away.
Shortly after the crayon incident, I heard her once again in her room, and then heard the unmistakable sounds of a radio. I knew that she had somehow managed to reach the little CD player on top of the book shelf. How? She took her bathroom step stool, put it on top of the wicker toy trunk, and stood on the stool to reach the stereo. Now, how is that for safe?!?! Stressed out mama, yet again...
I fixed lunch early because I knew as soon as I picked up Katherine, she would fall asleep, and we would be facing the same night time experience all over again. (She gave up her morning nap months ago.) So, she sat in her high chair fussing while I fixed lunch, and then when it was finally time to eat, she started eating, got about 1/3 of the way into the meal, and...
There was also at least one 3 year old meltdown in there somewhere, and I found out the economy is having even more of an effect than we originally thought it was going to on the China travel group reunion we were planning for June. And, Chet had a meeting today that included lunch, so I didn't get my usual lunch time "break." (Which I realize that I'm blessed to have most days.)
Anyway, I just needed to vent and get it out of my system. Now, I'm going to take a nap and hope when I wake up, the afternoon/evening goes better than the morning did!
Last night, Katherine was fussy and up off-and-on all night. Thankfully, Chet split the time with me, or I wouldn't be functional at all right now. It culminated with her waking for the day at 5:30 a.m. Again, thankfully, Chet was up, morning person that he is. I did try putting her in bed with me to see if she would go back to sleep, but no luck there. So, my normally mellow child was a walking tantrum all morning. Not fun.
Somewhere in the midst of this, Mary Joyce, who had been playing quietly in her room came bouncing into the den and announced, "I wite on wall in my woom!" Lovely...she is always so good about only writing in her coloring books or on paper, so I had moved the crayons down where she could get to them herself. They have been down for a month or so, and never a problem. Needless to say, the only writing utensils currently within her reach are the Color Wonder ones. Here is the masterpiece:
I will be investing in a Magic Eraser this afternoon at Wally World since mine has been used up, and I haven't bothered to replace it yet. Besides, I want for her daddy to see this in person before it goes away.
Shortly after the crayon incident, I heard her once again in her room, and then heard the unmistakable sounds of a radio. I knew that she had somehow managed to reach the little CD player on top of the book shelf. How? She took her bathroom step stool, put it on top of the wicker toy trunk, and stood on the stool to reach the stereo. Now, how is that for safe?!?! Stressed out mama, yet again...
I fixed lunch early because I knew as soon as I picked up Katherine, she would fall asleep, and we would be facing the same night time experience all over again. (She gave up her morning nap months ago.) So, she sat in her high chair fussing while I fixed lunch, and then when it was finally time to eat, she started eating, got about 1/3 of the way into the meal, and...
There was also at least one 3 year old meltdown in there somewhere, and I found out the economy is having even more of an effect than we originally thought it was going to on the China travel group reunion we were planning for June. And, Chet had a meeting today that included lunch, so I didn't get my usual lunch time "break." (Which I realize that I'm blessed to have most days.)
Anyway, I just needed to vent and get it out of my system. Now, I'm going to take a nap and hope when I wake up, the afternoon/evening goes better than the morning did!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Doctor's Appointment
I had my regular appointment today. I didn't see the doctor I was scheduled to see, but that was not a big deal. Everything is measuring as it should. Baby is growing well, although she said he will probably be a small baby. That isn't a problem, though. Katherine wasn't huge, either. His heart rate was in the 140's. We actually took the girls with us for the appointment and they did okay. Mary Joyce is still talking about hearing baby Malcom's "beep."
We made a day of it, well, until time to come home for naps--lunch at Chik-Fil-A and a trip to the outlet mall to the Carter's and Gymboree outlets. We came out of there with 3 outfits for Malcom, a casual summer dress for Katherine, and Easter dresses with matching bows for both girls ($14.99 each at Gymboree outlet--can't beat that!). Anyway, it was a fun day, the girls are now napping, and I think I'm off to join in on that activity!
We made a day of it, well, until time to come home for naps--lunch at Chik-Fil-A and a trip to the outlet mall to the Carter's and Gymboree outlets. We came out of there with 3 outfits for Malcom, a casual summer dress for Katherine, and Easter dresses with matching bows for both girls ($14.99 each at Gymboree outlet--can't beat that!). Anyway, it was a fun day, the girls are now napping, and I think I'm off to join in on that activity!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tummy Picture, 30 Weeks
Here are a couple of belly pictures from today. I'm officially 30 weeks and 1 day along. My next doctor's appointment is Monday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)