Thursday, October 30, 2008

Re-Adoption finally Complete!








Well, after two years home, I finally did Delaney's re-adoption! My adversion to paperwork after the adoption process was the hold-up....plus, I need deadlines or else...he he!
The judge was so nice (Delaney nicknamed him "Judgie") and gave Delaney a teddy bear and a balloon and let her sign her name on the part where the form would have an older child sign and then when he said he declared approval of the adoption, Delaney exclaimed, "You get to be my Mommy all the days?!!?" with great excitement!

So, later when I asked her if she understood what the judge had said, she said we were together forever! Then I mentioned, he also said you had to listen to Mommy and be good for me....her eyes opened wide and she said, "I didn't hear him say that part!!!"

We celebrated with breakfast at IHOP and then headed over to a little amusement park we have that for little kids. When I asked her if she had a good day she said yes and, "I'm so happy we are together all the days and forever!" I am so lucky to have this child !!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Wanna Hear A Joke?


This evening Delaney told me her first "joke".....we were playing her Memory game and she said, "Wanna hear a joke?" So, of course, Mommy said yes....

Three year old Delaney: "How does a birdie poke a violin?"

Mom: "I don't know, Baby, how?"

With all the exuberence of a late night talk show host:
"With a HOT DOG, of course!!!!"

Okay, the joke isn't really a joke, and it really isn't funny at all, but it was correctly formatted and delivered!! So she's not ready for Jay Leno, but it was pretty funny and she was very proud of herself!

She proceeded to tell me jokes involving hot dogs and animals and snow all night!
I suspect there will be a lot more wherever those came from!!!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

First Day of Official 3 Year old Pre-K


The big day was yesterday...Here are what decent pictures I could take, lately she will not stay still for any photo or video. I know what you are going through, Jen!

Delaney's first "official" day of pre-school. She went to the same school last year in a sort of "pre" pre-school program in a different class...and went to the same classroom with the same teachers for the summer fun program and we have been there three times in the last week for a work day, interviews and orientaion.....so isn't ALL new to her...

but it is her official first day of offcial pre-school and she was excited and picked an outfit and got new shoes and a new cross necklace.......when I asked her what they did, she said, "Oh, nothing. Well, we just sang, and that's all we did." I said, you sang for three and half hours? Finally last night she told me what they did. Ugh! Getting any info out of her lately is also grueling. She will make a good spy or FBI agent some day!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Family Day #2

Delaney and I and Grandma celebrated Family Day #2 Saturday, Aug 9th, the official day a judge in Russia declared us a family being August 8th! Poor baby was sick this past week, so we changed our plans from the water park to the little rides at Nut Tree, closer to home, as well.



After presents, making our famous heart shaped cake, riding the rides at Nut Tree, and dinner at Olive Garden, Little Missy could not go any furhter, and pooped out on the sofa quite early!





We finished the cake the next day, and she had a blast playing with her gifts! She especially loved her new camera and Candy Land game! I found this really cool "kids" camera and she went outside and took pictures of everything, her swing, the flowers...etc.


I can't believe these past two years...it is trully awsome and amazing to be this wonderful child's Mommy, we both cannot be any luckier! Today she said she was so happy because she had a nice Family Day and that her heart was a happy heart because she loves her family! Can you belive it!!!??? I love this kid more I ever imagined!!!

Here are various pics from the day, plus one two years ago, just after I changed her to take her from the BH! She sure has grown!! Yikes!!!





A Smokey Mountain Vacation





Delaney and I just got back from our vacation to Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains! We had a great time visiting with our Russian Families and two other adoptive families I know, also Russia and Kaz.





We stayed with our friend near Nashville for a few days before heading to meet the other families in Gatlinburg. The kids got to swim, go to the Rain Forest Cafe, make a Build a Bear, and then we visited my friend and her little girl from Kaz for a cook-out (as you folks on the east coast say!).




When we got to the Smokeys, we had fun at the resort swimming and visting and going to Dollywood, where nothing went high enough or fast enough for Delaney, who was one of the youngest of the six kids! She'd be on a ride and ask if this thing went any faster!






We picniced in the mountains and got wet in the streams. And....finally...I got Delaney to pee in the woods! he he! She would not ever do it before, but we finally got her to do it one day, more out of nescessity on a hike, so that pic of her next to the stream is where she peed in the woods for the first time! Who would have thought that was an exciting part of the trip? he he!






We got back to Jane's and the girls had a tea party at a cottage restaurant and then we visited with another family who's kids are from the same BH. I tell you these kids together just pick up where they left off each year! I think they sense that connection and just know it's there...fighting and all! he he!




I didn't realize how beautiful it is there! Very lush and green. Butterflies everywhere! In Gatlinburg we rode the Sky Lift to the top of the mountain for a wonderful view! Delaney discovered Sweet Tea! Apparently, I don't make it as well as Jane! "It's doesn't taste the same ,Mom!"





And, I do beleive my three year old is flashing some kind of gang sign in that photo in the tub.....????????








The Circus



Hi friends! Sorry I have not posted in such along time, it's been a super busy summer and we were on vacation or two weeks ~ post to come ~ and we had colds...well, you know how it goes! It's so hard to get computer time at home and posting on the blogs at work is blocked....dang it! he he!!

I will catch up with posts from earlier this year, but for now ~

We went to the circus this weekend! I hadn't been in forever and it was Delaney's first. Grandma came, because I know she really likes it, too! A friend of Delaney's she takes dance and gymnastics with invited us to join them and we had a blast!


So what does a three year old like best about the circus??!?!

~ The farting clowns!!! Well, they were pretty funny!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

She said....


She said it would be her favorite thing at the bar-b-que and it was! Little Missy rode that zip line close to 30 times! She likened herself to Deigo...for those of you who have Diego fans in your house! he he! She is such a daredevil at times! Albeit, a small back yard zip line... it was still a good six feet or more off the ground!

Here's a little video of her first time down....



Sunday, April 6, 2008

Some Delaney-Isms.....


At just-turned three and even before, Little Missy has sure come up with some interesting sayings.......thought it would be fun to share them......

*Upon me making a different decision than previously stated: "Mom, you just changed up your mind!"

*When she's had something in her hand for a while: "I've been holding this for a long-time-ago."

*Once I cut her finger while clipping her nails, it bled pretty badly, she cried, and then even harder when she saw the bleeding, "Moooommyy....IT"S BLUE!" ( my blue-blooded Russian!)

*When she wants you to give her something you have to eat: "We're family, we HAVE to share!"

*Upon needing more information about a situation, TV show, or something she sees, "What's this all about?"

*She has never been able to say banana. She understood the Russian word for it when she first came home, "Banan". But it has been, "nana", "by-too" (?), some other things, and now, "bee-anna".

*To stall: "I'll be done any minute now."

*I have had the first "Whatever" just before turning three. I asked her if that's what she said, so now she says, "Did you say whatever?"

*When I want to dress her up and do hair when we go some place nice: "Okay, do whatever you want!"

*There are times I just cannot allow something that's not safe....."But, Mom, how can I use my imagination if you keep telling me no?"
*When she wants touse something of yours: "Can I bother this?" (borrow)
*Did that guy fall in the water, "or something" ? is often added to the end of her sentences.
*This is my favorite: "Blanklet" (blanket)

There are more from my mouthy child....we will save some for later!!!


Saturday, March 15, 2008

Baby Kazahkstan Comes Home!


The VERY best Christmas present arrived home on Dec 23rd! My wonderful friend, Alice, got the most precious gift of all...her little Karina from Kazahkstan! After a pretty long and very tough adoption process, 2 trips to Kaz and a couple of failed flights home, Baby Karina was home in time for the Holiday!

She will be one in March and we went to visit just one week after they arrived home! I always tell people that one of the really nice by-products for adopting is all the great people you meet along the way! And Alice is no exception! Delaney loves her, she and her boyfreind, Nick, love Delaney and we love them and Karina! Delaney calls Nick "Man". (as in Alice's man)

Karina loves trying to follow Delaney around and is a complete sweetheart! We could not have had a better Christmas without her getting home safely! It just warms my heart everytime I know of another little one finding a forever family!

While Alice was in Kaz, we carefully followed her blog and Delaney calls Karina, Baby Kazahkstan! It's so cute, and they are cute together! ( until Little Missy had to part with some of her hand-me-downs for the baby!)

A DVD From Santa

My friend, Bob, who is a voice over talent, and whom I have used for years, helps out Santa by making personalized videos at Christmas time for children. He was gracious enough to make one for Delaney and I taped her (with my digital still camera) receiving her package. There are two parts, carefully watch her on the second one, it is priceless!!
Here they are: or if you can't view them, you can link to them:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8267311385821241330
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6147637201487374592

Grandpa Makes it Snow Again!





A few days after Christmas we went up to see Grandpa. Being California, we just can't count on snow even at the higher elevations. Dad said there was no snow. I told Delaney on the way up there, Grandpa won't have any snow and we will drive up the mountain to play in it.

Well, what do you know? Just below grandpa's house I see snow on the ground. I see fresh flakes on the trees.....we turn up Dad's road and it is white. When we got to the house, there's Grandpa standing on the deck as snow flakes drift from the sky! We got of the car and Delaney says...."You did it again Pamp-pa!" Yep, Grandpa can make it snow! He has gone and made it snow like clockwork every Dec 26th of Delaney's life! Grandpa's can make it snow when it is really, really important that it needs to!

Last year, (that's my niece and Little Missy in 2006), my niece was besides herself to wake up to a good six inches of the white magic. Grandpa took credit, of course. That's a good job for him!

Okay! Long Time, No Posts!






Hello friends! Sorry I have been lazy about updating, but you knew this would happen with me!! he he! The New Year has been SUPER busy, but good! So here's a few updates!





Christmas 2007: Was wonderful !!! We spent Christmas Eve as always at Grandma Bobbie's and had a really nice time! Delaney made reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn and was so excited for Santa to come! I had her sleep with me Christmas Eve so Santa could exchange the crib for the Big Girl bed he was bringing. On Christmas morning when we woke up, after a month of asking if she could open presents and when was Santa coming.....she somehow forgot it was Christmas! WHAT? I asked her who came last night, because I wanted to take her into her room straight away....she said she didn't know. Then she told me Baby Jesus came last night night! Aw!! I am doing something right, Baby Jesus came before Santa! (of course 30 minutes later she was asking, "Are there any more presents for ME?!) She kept syaing how pretty her big girl bed was and was trully amazed at how Santa swtiched the beds while she was asleep!

We came downstairs to find that Santa had left, of course, a pink scooter and a big new kitchen! We opened presents forever and enjoyed family and friends over later that day, with yummy ham and fixings!!!! When Auntie Ne and her gang came over, the doorbell rang and Little Missy said, "It's Baby Jesus!"
She must have taken every single one of our 15 or so guests upstairs to see her Big Girl bed at least twice! And she kept telling me how much she loved her new kitchen. But most of all, she kept wanting to know when Baby Jesus was coming!