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!!!

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!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

It's always exciting as the anticipation builds up for Santa's arrival! What's more exciting is watching your child as she is amazed at everything holiday related. She liked Christmas last year and remembers we had apples on the tree and liked snowmen because they have hats. But this just turns me into mush as I watch her try to learn every word to every song...and she knows them, too! And as she asks me to drive around so we can go look at lights. "I love looking at Christmas lights, Mommy!"

We went up to Dixon to cut down a tree and enjoyed riding the "sleigh" (a tractor) and the ATV train. As we were coming home, Delaney asked, "Are we going to put up the tree up now?" And she would barely let me take our "Traditional" picture of her on top of the car with the tree so we could put up, and I quote a two-year-old...."The Best Christmas Tree EVER!"

She was so good about the presents, never even tried to open them, but I told her we couldn't until Santa came and we wore our Christmas pajamas. But, every day, a few times a day, she keeps asking...I think just to check!!

We went to a party and my friend had a snow machine and boy was that a hit! Christmas is so very different and wonderful through your child's eyes! She saw Santa at the town square where there small groups perfroming and the kids dance and sang and Delaney did not want to leave. And what was really cute was that after she got of Santa's lap, she told me, "I only said two things, Mommy!" Like somehow she knew she should not read off her entire list to him. (And she has a list....he he!!)

Good Morning America!

Did you see us? We were on GMA Weekend on Nov. 4th! A crew came to the house the day before Halloween and was here all day for our two minutes of fame on national TV! AND, my DVR went out, so I lost the recording and can't get the producer to send me copy! UGH! If anyone recorded it and can send me a copy, Delaney loves seeing herself, "in a timeout!" It was fun and the segment was about Grandparents Vs. Parents and how parents my generation are raising kids differently than our parents raised us. My mom on GMA, said...."I spanked...and they listened!" he he! But, the story was done really well and just showed how the opinions are different these days.


Here are some pics of mom getting interviewed, I was too, and then us watching the show when it aired! Thanks to family friend, Linda K., who called from Idaho to say we were on! They didn't tell us when it was going to be on! If can ever get a copy, I'll post it and share the link!