Memorial Day fun

We made our trip to PA for my parent's annual Memorial Day Party.  It's funny because the girls now remember it from years before and will talk about what we are going to do!  

But this year, my mom surprised us by adding a contest.  I'm SUPER competitive so I was on it as soon as I got the invitation.  All guests were supposed to decorate a Red Solo Cup for the party.  This is me, obviously.  I don't know exactly what happened during the judging (I was having too much fun) but I do believe that I had THE BEST CUP!  I mean seriously...how cute are we?  

Last Day of Pre-K

  Eliana had two WONDERFUL teachers this year and we are really going to miss them, but this girl is soooooo ready for Kindergarten.  

Not a Baby Anymore :(

My baby's pre-school graduation.  PRE! SCHOOL! GRADUATION!  What????  When Sasha graduated pre-school, it was easier for me because Eliana was just a baby.  Now, my baby is going to kindergarten.  WATCH OUT WORLD!

Lunch on Park Avenue Dahling!

This is my absolute favorite picture from the whole day.  I caught her walking down the aisle and she stopped for a quick pick.  A blurry picture but full of pride.  This was however, the only time I cried during the whole ceremony.  

I don't know.

She missed her sister who was at acting class.  Despite the GIGANTIC Pool beside her, she chose to fill up the water table and play in that.  

Piano Recital

Eliana has been taking keyboard lessons for the past 3 years at her pre-school.  She's awesome!  She was even moved UP to the highest group this year because of her "advanced skills".   Here she is at her recital, hamming it up for the camera and totally rocking a chin band-aid for a teeny-tiny cut she found that morning.  

Crafty?

This is as crafty as I get!   Eliana had to pick her favorite letter for one of their end of the year celebrations.  She chose 'M' because she loves marshmallows.  Here is the shirt BEFORE she wore it.  I did not take one when the day was over but let's just say, 'M' is not Hardy.  And surprisingly (or not), all of the marshmallows were missing.  That's kind of gross but I didn't ask and she didn't tell!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day Shabbat at JCC 

Yes, my new bike helmet says "Nutcase".  What can I say?  

My "HINT" that I wanted a bike for Mother's Day.  This bike as a matter of  fact.  

SHORT

 

Her new short 'do.  Look at those cheek-bones!

That's my girl!

Teacher Appreciation Week was last week and we did the best we could to appreciate all of our teachers. I KNOW how hard it was when I was teaching and I KNOW it's even harder now.  I LOVE OUR TEACHERS!!!

Sasha made this awesome picture for her teacher.  I just LOVE the "Good times" speech bubble.  Who couldn't use some good times??

Cousins

Sasha, Eliana and my cousin's son.  They always have so much fun together!

Killer

Chloe, our smallest dog, has killed 1 rats, 2 moles, 2 teen possums and countless lizards.  She looks so sweet and innocent in this picture, doesn't she?  I also thought we moved to the "city" but apparently we have more wildlife here than in our "country" home.  Regardless, I love my girl.  She took some work and she's a work in progress but she's such a sweetheart.

            

Skating

Eliana is getting there on the skates and Sasha has no problem flailing around the rink, falling, getting back up and flailing some more!  I have a blast!  

 

Special Order

Not a lot of people like to talk about it but it's a really important part of adopting.  Part of the adoption paperwork is a questionnaire about what "kind" of child you want.  Some questions are simple: Boy, Girl, Either but some questions require a lot of research: What medical conditions are you willing to accept?  I think that most parents, adoptive or biological would answer "a beautiful, healthy child who will never EVER talk back to us or write on the walls with permanent marker.  One who is respectful to everyone all the time.  One who will become successful and happy and live close to home but not AT home and one who will provide us with lots of grandchildren who are just like them".  

When does that happen?  NEVER!  Eliana is smart and beautiful and healthy but for some reason wrote the letters, in marker, "F H" (in very good penmanship I have to add) on the FRONT of the playroom door.  Not sure what 'F H' means nor do I really want to know.  Sasha is also smart, beautiful and healthy but mumbles under her breath and rolls her eyes every single time I tell her to take a shower or brush her teeth or wash her hands.  She apparently hates good hygiene.

Writing on doors and good hygiene are not characteristics any parent gets to pick.   As adoptive parents, we do have to think about a lot and it's hard to be honest with yourself because you might miss out on an opportunity.  Some parents are waiting for a gender specific child.  Some parents are waiting for a caucasian or hispanic or African American child. Some parents are waiting for a birthmother who is healthy and doesn't use any drugs.  But as hard as it may be to specify what we want, it basically comes to do the fact that we are all waiting for the child who was Special Ordered for our family.  

We got ours!  Eliana does look like me and Sasha TOTALLY looks like Matt.  We didn't ask for that specifically but that's how our family came together.  My children have issues just like any other children in an any other family but I know for sure that they were meant to be MY children.  

How did that happen?

Last Day of 9!

First Day of 10!

Birthday Dinner Dessert at Colorado Fondue Company

 

How in the world did Sasha turn 10!?  Really!  What happened?  I remember searching stores for size 2T clothes when we first brought her home and now her feet are almost my size and she's soon going to be taller than me!  Thank goodness, she is still my sweet, fun-loving "little" girl.  She rolls her eyes sometimes but she still hates to take showers.  She walks away mumbling under her breath when I ask her to do something but she still tells me that I'm her "most favorite mom".  Even though 10 seems so far from that tiny 3 1/2 year old princess we brought home, I'm pretty sure I still have a few good years left with her before she becomes too big for Mommy.

We had a FUN FUN FUN birthday party at a nearby equestrian center with a few GREAT and super sweet kids.  Everyone, including the adults had a blast and Sasha declared it the "Best Birthday Party Ever"...at least until next year, I'm sure.

Chloe Being Chloe

She loves to be under the covers.  When the alarm rings in the morning, she gets up, stretches and goes under way down by my feet.  

Apparently she enjoys a good bag, too.  

Yep, that's me!

So Big!

Her hair in this picture is so big that she needed her own post!  She and I decided to get her hair cut shorter for the summertime.  We spend so much time in the pool and it gets tangled so easily.  After last weekend's giant tangle (Mommy was away.  Daddy was in Charge.  Hair was not a priority.), it was time for a "trim".  I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding between me and and my hairdresser and Eliana's hair was CHOPPED.

Hands up for any of you who have every had a bad haircut.  Mine is raised high!  So high that I can't even look at the pictures of me during that time.  Plus, it was the 80's.  Anyway, I had soooo much anxiety all night about Eliana's hair.  I knew it was frizzy after the cut because it was combed dry.  I was just imagining what it would look like when she woke up in the morning.  I knew we would have to style it.  I told her that we would wet it in the morning and it would be great!  We wetted it...and it was ok but, little stinker was totally fine and is OWNING her hair. She wants to wear it down all the time...even during track!

You go girl!  (She won first place in this race, fyi.)

Run Girls! Run!

We found a great track program for Sasha last year through Dreadhead Sports and this fall added Eliana to the team!  They absolutely love it and are both REALLY good at it.  Both girls are winning ribbons in their events every week.  I'm so proud of their determination and great sportsmanship!

More Wildlife Photos

More Florida Wildlife  We have had a lot of woodpeckers this year.  I love it!

Love this little guy who took the opportunity to get a free drink from our fountain.

Out West

Due to unforseen and unfortunate circumstances, we hadn't been to Colorado for 2 years.  I hadn't see my youngest niece or nephew for 2 years!  :(  I could go on but if you don't have anything nice to say...(Not speaking of my sister, Kerri--FYI).  

FINALLY, all the kids had Spring Break the same week so Kerri and I jumped at the chance and planned our trip.  Matt's busy with his new consulting business so the girls and I made this trip and HAD A BLAST.  Sasha was FILTHY, think Pigpen from the Peanuts, every single day.  She still had the never to roll her eyes at me or my sister every time we told her to shower at night.  It was just great being all together again and the girls are already asking me when we can go back.  

The cousins!  Jake 12, Kris 10, Sasha 10, Juliana 6, Eliana 5

My super cool, super CREATIVE nephew Kris.  

My newest fur-niece, Blue.  She's a beautiful 8 month old Staffy-terrer-boxer mix and deaf.    In this picture, she was cold and was sleeping UNDER my legs UNDER a blanket.  I LOVE her.  

The beautiful pond that Kerri and Paul built!  

Sasha's version of heaven=a trampoline with dogs!!

Yeeehaaawwww!

You can take the girl away from Cinderella but you can't take Cinderella out of the girl.  

We went to a wolf sanctuary.  It was amazing to see these beautiful animals who had been neglected and mistreated being so loving towards humans.  I was kissed by a wolf and I survived!  ;) 

Again...Sasha's Heaven!

Beautiful.  Just plain Beautiful.

Jumping cousins!

Dirt, Mountains, Horses...oh my!

My favorite oldest nephew and I chillin'