MOVING THIS BLOG TO NEW ADDRESS

We’re Moving Our Blog!

Please Follow Us!

I am moving this blog to my NEW BLOG.  Click here or go to http:monkeyshinesduo.blogspot.com

I am sorry for the confusion.  If I can figure out how to automatically redirect this, I will.

"Why Did You Pick Me?"

Yesterday, Natalie and I were having a Mommy - Daughter moment.  She was trying on pretty dresses in her bedroom......modelling them for Mommy.  Both of us were laughing.  Natalie was standing on the bed, while I was unzipping her Easter dress that she had just danced around the house in.  Suddenly, she stopped laughing.  Natalie turned to me, all serious now.  "Why did you and Daddy pick me when you were in China?"   Whoa!  Now you have my undivided attention!!!!!!!   Without even thinking, words came out of my mouth.  "Honey, Mommy and Daddy did not pick you.  GOD picked you to be our special little girl a long time before we went to China!"  Immediately I thought.....Wow, good answer.  I then started to go on about how we picked her name, and the events that made her name so special for us.  But I could see that I had lost her.  She was off in her little world of princess and unicorns again.  Our Mommy - Daughter moment was gone.  But it will never be forgotten.

Snippets of our Day-to-Day Life

When JJ's miserable...Everyone's miserable!

Daddy-Daughter Dance Princess

Getting into sister's snacks

Enjoying Banana Treats

So Tasty!

Mr. Clean enjoys dinner!

So many pretty colors!

I Love to Draw!

I know, but mom made it - so I HAVE to wear it!

Are you talkin' to ME?!

Groundhog Day Snow-mageddon, 2011

I don't get this.....but, OK!

Winter Wonderland

All right, I'm here....now what?

And this is Fun why?

MOM!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's how it's done!

Our Snow Bunny!

5 years and counting.......

Yesterday was our 5th year anniversary of Natalie's referral day!  I can not believe that she has been in our lives for 5 years.  It seems like yesterday and forever, all at once.  

Jon and I will never forget that wonderful day.  We knew that we were going to be getting our referral call, the referral packets were due to arrive on the 25th from China, it was just a matter of them coming from the airport to our agency.  We knew that the delivery service usually comes just before noon, so at about 11am Jon and I began our pacing.  The hours passed and still no call.  Thankfully, we live in the computer age, because without that we would have been frantic.  We found out that the delivery service had gotten lost, delayed, waylaid, or something, but the packets were 'in transit'.  So we continued to pace.  Just before 6pm our time, the phone rang.  Time stood still........Neither one of us moved.....we just looked at each other....one second, two seconds......then we both scrambled to the phone.  "Congratulations, you have a beautiful daughter!"  

 We rushed to the computer, waiting for the e-mail that would contain a tiny picture....THE picture!  Of course, it took   f.o.r.e.v.e.r!  Slowly the e-mail came up, slowly her precious face was revealed.  And in the blink of an eye, our lives were forever changed.  We fell hopelessly in love with a tiny little girl in a over-sized red outfit.  Two more pictures followed, but they were just icing on the cake.  We looked at those pictures, tears streaming down our faces, amazed at how perfect she was (and still is!).  What had we ever done to be so Blessed?  

 

 I can't remember much more of the conversation with our agency, just that our referral packet would be arriving in the next couple of days and IF we wanted this child???  our acceptance letter was in the packet.  We would need to fill it out and send it back.  I do remember thinking "IF? IF? Are you kidding me?!!?!?"  Needless to say, the minute we received our acceptance letter, it was signed, notarized and overnight-ed back!  


Both Jon and I knew that the moment we answered the phone, that our lives had irrevocably.  We had become a Family.  

I have said that the moment I saw Natalie's face for the first time, the clouds opened, the sun began to shine with a new glow and color returned to my black & white world.  To this day, I still feel this way. 

Honest-to-Gosh Walking!

I know that I posted earlier that Jake had taken his 1st steps.  SInce he does not feel as thought he  needs to prove anything to anyone, he decided to leave well enough alone.  He likes crawling, he is good at crawling, so why walk? 

This afternoon, Jake had his PT appointment (for his torticollis) and he decided that today was the day!  He took 16 consecutive steps - without holding on to anything.  He was so proud of himself, he was shuttering with happiness at his accomplishment.  He then proceeded to walk, in bits and pieces, clear across the room and back (and this was a long, rectangular room).  He was so excited that he forgot himself and 'Hi 5ed' the therapist!!

Of course, on this monumentous occasion, did Mommy have a camera? Heck NO!  But the moment was indelibly marked in my heart.  I will never forget how joyous he was, grinning from ear to ear.  Way to go, Jakey!

Not that I didn't get excited when Natalie took her 1st steps, but she was so matter-of-fact about it.  She needed to get from point A to point B and walking seemed, to her, to be the most efficient way to get there.  She is my practical child. 

Jakey Hi-Jinx! Ice Fisherwoman, Natalie and some more Christmas Pics

First, let me say that we have been Blessed with two children that have very interesting senses of humor.  Natalie is into slapstick humor (she can do a very good prat fall) and Jake, well, he is the biggest goofball....ever!

The other night, Jake was in bed with me.  I was asleep, and I thought he was, too.  In between snores, I was awaken by a weird feeling.  Jake had put his pacifier in my mouth!  I guess he thought I needed it.  When my eyes shot open, there he was, sitting next to me, with the sweetest grin on his face, his eyes a-twinkle.  I could not help but start laughing, he was just SO cute.  This kid has his mommy wrapped tightly around his tiny finger ~ and he knows it.

Here are some more Christmas pictures I found on my camera.

Gentleman Jakey!

Not-so-patiently waiting for Santa

Snacks for Santa and Rudolph

Waitin' for the fish to bite - enjoying some hot cocoa!

Merry, Blessed Christmas!

The Stinker and the Angel

Santa surprises Natalie at Lunch

Jake doesn't seem to like Santa

A few small steps!

As we were all either enjoying a full blown bout of the flu, or beginning to feel ill, Jake decided that he was not too sick to surprise us all. 

Jake has been stubborn about trying to walk.  He didn't really see a need to move for himself when he could get someone else to do it, so why bother.  But with Daddy and Grandma coaching him on, Jake decided to give it a try.  I think he really likes it.

And then there was the a Helmet

Our trips to the doctors with Jake are starting to wind down.  Praise God!  One of Jake's issues is that he has tortocollis, stiffening of the neck.  The therapist stretches Jake's neck and shoulders.....which he HATES!  The last of our concerns with Jake is that his head was misshapen from birth.  We did not think that it was a very big deal, but Jake's pediatrician thought that it was bad enough to have the orthopedic doctor do cranial manipulation on his head.  The doctor would take Jake's head between his hands and he would apply gentle pressure, trying to move the plates of Jake's scull.  Gross, I know!  And it did improve things a good deal.  After weeks of that, we were referred to a different PT office for more regular therapy for the tortocollis.  While there, the therapist asked if we had considered putting a helmet on Jake to correct his head more.  After weighing the pros and cons, we decided to go ahead and try the helmet.  Jake doesn't mind wearing it at all, in fact - he thinks he's something special in it.  It's only been 2 weeks and we are already seeing a big difference in his head shape.  So far, so good. 

Did someone say "HOCKEY"?  Go, Penguins!!!!!

More Halloween Pics.....

Getting ready to go out.

Poor, Sick Puppy - Nothing would stop her from Trick or Treating.

Hey, I get a ride AND candy!?!

Halloween, Kindergarten Style!

This picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Cruising at the Autumn Moon Festival

Today we went to our local FCC chapter's Autumn Moon Festival.  Natalie was a little apprehensive at first.  We think that this was the first time she really got that she was "Chinese".  She was adamant about NOT wearing her beautiful red princess dress, she did not want to wear her Chinese dress!  Jake, on the other hand, looked so adorable in his dark blue mandarin shirt.  He didn't care what he looked like.  lol  Once we got to the party, Natalie kept nudging Daddy saying "Daddy, that girl is Chinese" over and over as she noticed all the beautiful dark-haired sweeties.  She also noticed that a lot of the girls were dressed "Chinese".  I really think that this was a monumental revelation for Natalie.  She was a little sad that she had not worn her pretty dress.  But she had great fun making lanterns for her and for Jakey.

Not to be outdone, Jake decided to take Daddy's hand and toddle around.  Here is a short video of him walking with Mommy.  Sorry for the jerkiness, we're new at this.

Jake thought that he was "So Cool" walking around.  But it sure tuckered him out.

We have a 'Cruiser'!

Heaven help us - Jake is now cruisin' all over the place.  He holds on and moves where ever he wants.  Usually this entails mischief of some sort. 

And so it begins.......we are no longer safe!

First Day of Kindergarten

Natalie was SO Excited to finally be starting back to school after the long summer.  Kids!  She will eat those words later in life.  lol   She was a little sad that she would not be with her friends from preschool, but was eager to meet the new kids!  Here are some pics.......

Breakfast of Kindergarteners

I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous!

Through this door, a new chapter begins.......

OK, mom!  No more pictures - PLEASE!

The little student

Finger Puppets

Hey! A Science Room......C O O L!

After a day of school, Natalie was upset when I came to pick her up.  She wanted to ride the bus home.  Jon and I were a little leary about having her ride the bus.  But, putting on a stiff upper-lip, I contacted the transportation supervisor and arranged for Natalie to ride the bus home from class.  Wednesday was her first ride.  She did great - she loved it!  I was a bundle of nerves until I saw the bus round the corner.  They dropped her off at our driveway.  How's that for service!!!!!

She's Home!!