A Little Wonky

Today we celebrated family day!  One year ago today we adopted our little M.  The year has flown by, yet I can barely remember our life before she entered it.  We had a big celebration with cake AND cupcakes (as requested by the kids).  They both got scooters, books and G a telescope, M a sit n spin.  G called it our family’s birthday.  :)  We had a wonderful time!

{P.S. No cupcakes were thrown on the roof this time!}

Here is what I made tonight to be donated to the craftforchina project!  I’m so excited.  Love Without Boundaries is my absolute favorite charity!  I love donating money and seeing it really make a difference for a little one’s life.

So the kids were eating cupcakes in the backyard after dinner while I washed dishes.  They both usually just lick the frosting off and maybe eat a bite or two of the cake part.  I was peeking in on them through the window and occasionally looking down at the dishes.  So I noticed that G’s cupcake was suddenly gone.  I went outside to ask if he was done with it.  He said he was.  I asked him where it was.  He said, “I threw it on the roof.” 

 !?!

 At first I thought there was no way he could actually throw it all the way up there, but when I looked up at the roof - there it was!  I really really tried hard not to laugh.  At least we know he is a creative kid…

I know the photo is terrible, but here is how G is drawing now!   

He’s been rocking the smily face for awhile and I was already in love with them.  Then all of the sudden and out of the blue…. Arms!  Legs!  Hair!  and BIG Eyebrows!  Even ears made an appearance later on.

 He also sounds out and writes “i luv yo”.  He just started doing it all on his own.  Awww…  A mama’s dream.

 M is making big swirls now.  And she holds the pencil like an adult!  It is amazing.

First like this… 

Then like this…

Happy Chinese New Year!  Most celebrations in our area seem to be in the next few weeks, so today we are celebrating at home.  We watched Ni Hao Kai Lan on Nick Jr. and lion dancers on YouTube.  :)  Here is G practicing his own lion dance. 

Both kids were excited to wear their new clothes, which we bought when we were in China last spring.  I was so happy that they both fit!  G couldn’t wait to put them on.  A *big* change from last year!

Here’s how he felt about it last year, when we actually had a party to go to:

Though after we got there, he was happy!

Anyway, for lunch the kids ate some long Chinese noodles for a long life.  Each had their own strategy for eating these noodles.  M’s strategy was to cram it in her face and let the rest fall to the floor.

G’s strategy was to slurp them one by one directly from the plate.

As much as I enjoy being conked in the face by plastic-head dolls, I have a special spot in my heart for soft and cuddly dolls like these Waldorf-inspired creations.  The little one was a Christmas gift for M, and the other two were birthday gifts (one for each).  I made them from kits and even made their clothes myself.  I have to admit that my kiddos don’t dig them as much as I do.  :)  Actually, neither of them has ever had a “lovey” or special blanket or anything soft to drag around.  Hubby says it is because *I* am their lovey.  It may be true as little M would sleep on top of my head every night if I let her. 

When G opened his doll, he asked, “Is he 4, just like me?”  Too cute.  He is obsessed with being 4.  He says he can do anything because he is 4.  But he can’t drive a car!  And he will go to the bathroom by himself when he is 5.  Oh yes, and he will have his own house when he is 100!

Looking at this picture, you might forget that they fight half the time. 

Today I worked on purging the filing cabinet.  I shredded a big stack of old paystubs of hubby’s from like 1999.  (With his permission, of course).  I looked it up and it appears that once you have your W2 for the year, you don’t really need to hold onto your paystubs anymore.  Luckily (?) for me, hubby’s past companies are all defunct, so no worries about double checking anything to make sure it is right.  (This is life in small-tech company world…).

 I also came across some receipts from our wedding!  Which reminds me that I really need to decide if I’m keeping my dress.  Well, I’ve kept it almost 8 years already, so I guess I made a decision while not making a decision.  Oh my gosh, I am SUCH an indecisive person.  It is awful.  So is hubby.  Every night when the “what are we having for dinner” question comes up = ugh.  Yeah, I should meal plan but whatever.  I’m still not sure about the names we picked for the kids.  I’m even renaming my girl’s dolls sometimes.  I graduated from college 10 years ago and I’m STILL not sure what to major in.  :)  The only decision that was ever easy was when hubby asked me to marry him.  I said “Of course!”.  I’d known him 4 months at that point.  Hee hee!  But that’s another story.  Hey!  This was supposed to be about the filing cabinet!