Morgan Lela Qian

Alright, let's see...There was Xmas and a birthday...

2010-02-10T09:16:00.004-05:00

The holiday season was pleasantly subdued for us as a family, but fortunately the first year that Morgan has had the opportunity to share in the various festivities at school.
We were not able to travel south, but will be visiting in March for a short spell.
The New Year was also modest as Morgan and I stayed close to home, Chaz traveling to and from Atlanta in time for 2010.

Morgan's birthday was a bit disorganized by weather and illness, so we have yet to celebrate with our traditional 'birthday weekend'. That will most likely entail another trip to Atlanta for the Metro Zoo or up to Chatanooga for the Aquarium and Zoo there.

Sweet Pea is doing very well in her class, either at speed or ahead of the curve. Her DIBELS results came back surprisingly advanced, but we can't be sure how fair the rating scale really is...
She continues the thrive, now reading simple sentences on her own and relishing easy readers. Her speech is also starting to show more improvement, not nearly as difficult as it was a few months ago.

This year brought a new addition to her heirloom furniture. To join the bunk beds and cradle Pop Pop made for her, Grandpa Jim provided for a substantial dollhouse...large enough for her stuffed animals and dinosaurs to play in! :)

Morgan's weight is steady, have not yet seen 40 without her being covered in a parka, scarf and snow boots...but I'm happy that she's creeping up a bit. She has a very healthy, if particular, appetite.
Her length continues in spurts - I believe she's just over 42 inches now. Long and lean. Can wear 6 in a top but the bottoms have to be a 'little girl' five. (5T is too short.)
6 fits but I have to adjust the waist so much that it doesn't feel comfortable to her. Anything with regular elastic is just too large.
I think in a few months she'll be able to jump up again.
Old Navy makes a slim, long legged jean with a regular rise, which on her is still closer to mid-ish...but at least we have that. Will remember this the next time I go nuts trying to find things of appropriate length.

Not much doing with us right now, except that we've been enjoying the snow...even got to ride my ancient toboggan down the street a few months ago when everything iced over and then got topped with a mere inch of snow. I'll take whatever I can get. ;)

Here are some pictures, as I pull them from various files:

More pictures...

2009-12-17T10:56:00.001-05:00

ACK, finally got back in here...

2009-12-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

Password kept getting kicked back...ugh.

OK, so, LOTS to catch up on now.

Morgan is doing very well in her Kindergarten class, seems to have made friends with not only every classmate but every other kid in school. I'm not kidding, she has a knack for it. Even the oldest know her by name and speak sweetly to her.
Watching the boys already, as there are two in her age range that seem awfully sweet on her. I don't mind that, but I've seen a kiss planted on her cheek more than once...easy now, son, y'all are only 5, OK? Thanks.

We took a trip down to Florida in October to visit with my parents and then spent the Thanksgiving holiday in and around Cherokee, NC. Yes, the strange twist of celebrating such an event while vacationing on a Reservation is not lost on me, certainly gave more food for thought.

Mo has her DIBELS testing this week...with most everything she is at the appropriate level and with some aspects ahead of the game - the challenge comes with the pressure of testing because much of this is 'how much knowledge recited in a minutes time', not how much have they learned since August, which is yet another scale to be evaluated some time soon...so, we'll see. I know what she's soaking in so am not so concerned with how well she does on the test itself. I mean, she's READING, doing light fractions and adding...none of which was happening in August but is now.
Have a good working relationship with her teacher, Mrs. Kramer (nice lady) and Mo and I follow through on any problems teacher may make note of...I'd already prepared worksheets of my own which proved handy.
Mo has a healthy homework load...math, 'logic', reading, spelling, everything phonics...there are weeks where it seems oppressive and others where it isn't so bad, even if the quantity doesn't really change.

Mo is developing well, maturity level is where she should be...though we are certain she is occasionally 14. She calls herself a "little girl teenager" and I can't argue.
She has her own tiny Dell laptop (pink) that she uses for Noggin-cum-Nick Kids games...nothing more. Sorry, no Face Book for Mo.

Still Panda-crazy. Nuts about those things. Pandy's family continues to grow.
But turtles still rock. We got another one while in North Carolina, to be kin to the retiring Turtley Turtle who now spends a great deal of time on Mama's bed keeping me company. The elderly have to stick together, don'cha know?
But this new turtle is not from the Sea...nope, it is a land tortoise and she will be quick to point that out. She named the turtle "Spring". I think she said it's a boy, but...

What else? I think she surpassed 43 inches in height, have to check the wall, Weight is 37-38 pounds. Wearing 5's...some are long enough, some don't even come close. Have to cinch the waist in on everything. Still just 19, 20 - 21 inches on a well-fed day. Got to go get some boy's sweat pants because the girls variety we bought back in August or September (Oshkosh or Carters) are already floods. Shrink and spurt combined. They fit, but cool socks are needed to made it not look quite as much like the accident it really is.
She'll be SIX at the end of January.

Her best friend is Hanna, a sweet girl in her class. Second best buddy would be a boy named Kash that seems to have a real thing for her. Watching that, too.

Kindergarten 2009!

2009-08-21T11:31:00.003-04:00

Mo has completed her second week of Public Kindergarten and is looking forward to each school day...daily grades reflect her eagerness and I'm glad to say she's right in-line with all the other kids.
One sweet girl from Mo's former Pre-K is in her class and everyone seems to get along quite well.

Homework started this week and so far Morgan also enjoys completing whatever assignments. Nothing terribly complicated - her math book so far deals more with logic than actual number crunching, but I'd already started her on addition and subtraction this summer anyway...

The school is just down the road and takes mere minutes to reach, but the first few days were a bit insane...that pick-up and drop-off thing is all new to me and everyone was a bit spazzed.
It has normalized to the point that bringing her in is a smooth, quick process...pick up is still a matter of getting there 15 minutes early to wait in line but only 5-10 minutes once the kids start loading.

It would be great to just park and walk over, which I'd prefer, but the lot is so small that this isn't really an option. Parking in front of someone's house a street over is a bit...well...I'm thinking the neighbors wouldn't dig it.

If it were just a bit closer and the daily trip not involving such an incline...

When she gets older she can ride her bike. But for now, Mama taxis her to and fro'.

What else?

Hummingbirds finally came around - quite late this year...and the garden is slowly blooming. Things take MUCH longer to grow around here and I'm still getting used to that.

Morgan and I spend the early morning outside having breakfast if the weather is cooperative, and also lunch or afternoon snacks...

She is now nearing 36 pounds though this fluctuates greatly, dropping back if she doesn't eat well for a day or two...height is this month at 42.5 inches. Waist is about 19 inches. Looong torso. Looong legs. VERY lanky. Her appetite is improving, starting to really put the food away. She burns it sooo quickly.

I'm not sure if we've got colds or if this is the regional allergy kickin' us in the head again...she's stuffy, coughing...gurgling. I'm raw with a raging sore throat and just...UGH. Hot, cold...head hurts. BLAH. But the allergies around here are like that...Huntsville has some Native American history as a valley of illness, despite us living so near Monte Sano; the Mountain of Health.

That's it for now, will write more as I think of it!

Ooooh, yeah....meet Cassie:

2009-06-24T17:55:00.006-04:00

Mo had enjoyed the tire horse swing thing at the October Festival last year -so much- that we decided it would be a sure thing to find one for a tree here, somewhere...

Only to find that there weren't any to be had.

Finally found one up the road in Tennessee and brought him/her/it home.

Well...since I can't leave anything alone, I asked Mo if she wanted this somewhat typical rubber contraption to become a zebra or a unicorn? Unicorn won.

And my fun began.

Here's "Cassie" as she is now, still awaiting a new neckerchief more in line with her mythical being, and the hanging from our Maple tree in front closest to the porch. Perfect branch there.

Jungle Gym is still in the picture, just have not settled on size and location.

Tomorrow is the last day of Pre-K. Time for Mo's summer vacation!

2009-06-24T17:32:00.009-04:00

Mo and I had gone to Target and picked out two Thank You cards for her teachers...only to have her tell me the next day that nowadays she actually has 3 or 4...
since I can't keep that straight from week to week, I decided the best thing to do would be to make each of them a card, so I folded some construction paper and let Sweet Pea have at it.

She has said that she will miss her instructors, assistants and classmates but does not yet show any great sadness...she liked everyone (a few mentioned more than others) but didn't seem to bond with any one child in particular. No 'best friend' yet to replace Mama. I'd hoped she might find someone to buddy around with, build a friendship, but that has to be on her terms and at her own speed. With Kindergarten at Chapman Elementary (our zone) comes a whole new world and a greater exposure to many, many possibilities. Pals in the making, soon to come.

It will be interesting to see if after this last day she has a tinge of sorrow or if she is not yet at that level of comprehension.
Thinking we'll stop off on the way home tomorrow night and celebrate this milestone with a vanilla malt...she never finishes one but enjoys it all the same.

I have to verify whether or not she starts Public elementary on the 6th or 10th of August...Chaz and I will be enrolling her during the next few weeks. Very strange to think that I'm about to put Mo in to school...I don't have that weird "Oh, my baby!" thing going on...but it is a little disturbing on some low level. Proud and fearful, both. Glad she's moving forward, in want of healthy progression...hoping she's well-enough prepared for these new challenges.

We'll keep this updated.

Family Day 2009 (4th year together)

2009-05-18T17:10:00.005-04:00

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEWING:

Mo is just about finished with private Pre-K and readying for the BIG-K...she should be starting late this summer at the local public school. It will be quite the jump for her...but we'll see how she adjusts to full days, 5 days a week...less play and more homework.

She is maturing rapidly. My toddler occasionally turns teenage on me, but paybacks are hell, aren't they, Mom? ;)

I was just informed today that YELLOW is Morgan's new favorite color...however, she also pointed out that it was unnecessary to purchase everything in the current favor because she "likes so many colors now".

Turtle is slowly being set to rest...not being taken everywhere anymore...and she's probably grateful as she holds herself together by the last few remaining threads...does still have to sleep with Mo.
Pandy has a baby now, that Nana sent up for Easter...a tiny Beanie-like creature that immediately became "Baby Panda". Now those two, er, three are inseparable and Mo continues to take Pandy everywhere...I even bought a sling and fabric bassinet to keep them better contained.

Mo is still slight...I doubt she'll ever be plump...but her height is around 43-44 inches now...I marked it but haven't measured yet...weight is still in the mid-thirties but we're getting to the high end...she burns it off so fast...is now wearing 5's...YEAH! Some 4t still fits, or more specifically, little girl's 4, which is longer...but I've got her in some 5's if the waist is adjustable or elastic. Shoes are a toddler 9, just coming out of 8.5.

She enjoys helping me do anything...dishes (I let her put the plastic stuff away...) watering the plants...and she helped me plant some roses as soon as the frosts were over (writes as she sees a forecast low tonight of 39...uh...this is Alabama and it's almost summer...then we have a high of 80 a day later...crazy weather here.)
Mo now wanders safely around the property, checking the woodland garden with me and draws with her chalk on the steps and front porch. She is learning to read. Still working on shoe laces, basically because she doesn't wear lace-ups very often yet...

She gets along with the other kids in her class and deals well with the troubles that come along - is able to shrug off poor behavior where-as in the beginning she took it quite personally. I have come to notice that the one boy she said "bothers" her actually LIKES her...we thought he was harassing her. Ha! Not exactly. He pays a special attention but being a boy gets kinda...well...you know.

I'm watching her right now from the window as she struggles with the hose to wet her own garden under the Dogwood - it's a long hose but she's determined.

That's pretty much it for right now...we're possibly going to take a road trip to TN next w/e for a night in a cabin...and through-out the summer work on the landscaping and paint what still needs it. Come F/T school time I be able to really get the house in order and studio up and running...hard to do with Sweet Pea as a constant distraction. :)

The missing images:

2009-02-01T16:01:00.005-05:00

From November/T-Day, Monte Sano, Home and Aunt Edna's in Auburn:

Wintery mix

Nana and Mo:

Mo's drawing of Bullseye:

Crashed-out on the way back to Huntsville with a new pal...

Aunt Edna's house:

Auburn playground:

T-Day

Monte Sano

A few miles up the road:

Chinese New Year Celebration:

BIRTHDAY!!!!

(It's a long story...)

Pre-K Worksheet

G is for GARDEN:

The birds I made for her class (birthday celebration)

Taking over Mama's laptop, 5 going on 15...

Mo making stuff for Nana and Pop-Pop:

The NEW BIKE!

Walking DOWN to the park...

SHE is FIVE!

2009-01-28T16:10:00.006-05:00

What a wonderful day, except that the snow Mo wanted turned to slushy rain instead...

We've reached several new milestones, including Morgan's latest big girl moment -- starting Pre-K twice a week, full days. She is completely out of pull-ups during the day, and doesn't even mind the fact that there is no 'squishy seat at the school facility (her classroom has one adult-sized throne, unlike the other Pre-K classroom we were originally shown with all those tiny toilets).

She has adapted well to the idea of 'higher learning', loves being with the other children and is thriving on the limited but valuable education she receives during the school day...making friends - all the kids are nice to her, except perhaps one Little Emperor who seems a bit put off by everyone. Her teachers are quick to report any advances and all praise her manners - was told she is the politest child one assistant had "ever seen".
Chaz said that was kinda scary...but to me that means Mo is trying to behave well, consistently, and succeeding.

Her speech is still a bit difficult at times - focus matters there. Her writing is quickly improving. We'd been working on that at home but now surrounded by other children she is a bit more excited about achieving certain goals - when she sees that someone else her age can already do something, it drives her to try a little harder.

We're going to tackle shoe laces again - I think she's nimble enough now where before she had trouble manipulating the knot.

Her birthday today is as she wished for - Care Bears - although she since Thanksgiving has had a new favorite doll...(I know, getting hard to keep track).
Nana and Pop-Pop gave her a panda bear while we were visiting Aunt Edna's in November and to everyone's surprise this plush critter immediately became numero uno. She already had two other pandas which did little to stir her imagination, but this one was in her eyes the PERFECT bear.
So since then, "Pandy" as she is called, is the thing that goes everywhere with her...and Turtle. Yes, Turtle is still hanging with us, as important as anything else in her life. :) A bit worse for wear, Turtle is still her preferred pillow and occasionally Pandy's, too. Oh, and Turtle taught Pandy how to fly.

Ok, let me explain...

One day while Mama was being silly (Who? Me? Never!) I showed Mo how Turtle could 'swim' through the air using her flippers, which of course looked more like flying...
Pandy is quite soft and unconstructed, so she can walk, run...and now "fly".
The flying Panda.

Bork, the kitten doll that was, prior to this, a loner living in Mo's bedroom, is Pandy's best friend. BTW, she named the cat Bork two years ago - was her first 'real' naming of anything. And then the cat was basically set aside.

So Pandy rates so high that she even got her own Xmas present. I scored some fingerless mittens off EBay in an infant size (which are still huge but what we needed) to complete her 'winter' outfit...a hand-knit scarf and hat purchased at the local craft fair two months ago.

So that's explains the panda in the previous pictures.

Next.

The pink triple bunk beds...Pop-Pop (my father) made those for Morgan and brought them up when they visited...had to hide all that until Xmas. Now that is in Mo's bedroom under the canopy (works better than the bed did) and all her most beloved (currently cherished, anyway) stuffed animals and/or a few hard toys sleep there. She also has the Victorian cradle Dad made her a couple years ago on the other side of her bed, where her baby dolls rest.

What else?

I gave her several Care Bear oriented gifts; Birthday Bear necklace, new warm (and impossible to find) pajamas, a calendar, big girl britches and a fuzzy pink child-sized backrest for lounging...not over-board as the holiday just passed was generous. However, Chaz and I agreed it's time for a big girl bicycle, so tonight we will tell her that this w/e she gets to pick one out! :)
She has to be in on this because of her size - we have to make sure she and the bike are compatible.

Later, after she finishes cleaning up her playroom (4 days and counting...;)) we are going to, together, make a Care Bear cake. I found a cake pan in the shape of...one of them...and Mo picked out the flavor and icing (white cake, cream cheese icing). She is then going to decorate the cake however she damn well pleases, so those pictures might be rather amusing. :)

I think that's all for now. I will update later after the day is over.

Holiday images

2008-12-28T18:41:00.007-05:00

Once again, back to this neglected blog...(one year anniversary in Alabama.)

2008-12-16T03:30:00.006-05:00

November was rather eventful; we drove down to Auburn to spend Thanksgiving with my Aunt Edna, who some years ago relocated to warmer climes from parts much further north...and Morgan was able to hang out with her Nana and Pop Pop - up from Florida - who we've spoken with every week but not seen since this time last year.

Mom and Dad came back up here with us, spent a few days and while here were privy to a bit of snow (just a bit), more sleet and a few familiar deer. I cheated -- went out and spread some peanut butter in the feeder I've placed in the woods. That in addition to the usual supply of water and mineral licks managed to bring them around. :)

The weather has been quite cold most days, and I'm digging it. Making use of Merino. This year I made sure Mo had adequate clothing to allow her playtime even when it's chilly and then some...we get more rain than snow and that large storm that just came through last week (whitening New Orleans) dissipated right as it hit Huntsville...that would have been a spectacular snowfall, but alas, not meant for us.

I have been working on the house (never-ending) and took down those awful, dusty drapes that came with the residential purchase. Now I can see my windows, for better or worse. Making plans as to how we will improve the living room and take the style back 100 years, but I am fairly certain the application will be long in coming.

As for the upcoming holiday, I've graced the front porch with a hand-strung Juniper garland for Yule and for Morgan specifically decorated the two tiny fake trees we have...one is her pink tree from last year which she has in her playroom and the other is one Mo's Uncle C and Aunt S gave us at some point...4 footer, kinda small for the living room but that's where it is...not going overboard as Chaz and I are both actually secular, but all enjoy a good celebration.

I have, as usual, much in the way of images to add, but later.

All Hallow's Eve (Halloween in Huntsville)

2008-11-05T03:27:00.008-05:00

Quite a bit happening around here, and I have a crazy amount of pictures to show for it...

We've been enjoying the milder weather, having already had more than a few freezes in October, rendering the yard almost chigger-less. Mo can now frolic around the property, collecting leaves and basically doing kid stuff I wish she could have done this summer. Next year - lawn service.

Went to Lynchburg, TN to visit the Jack Daniels distillery, which surprisingly Mo enjoyed. No samples, just a tour.

Also had a great time two w/e ago at one of the local farms a bit north of us, where they had a family day set up in celebration of the Autumn harvest. Pumpkins like you've never...and a petting zoo, cotton tossing wagon and a corn kernel bin to sink in to...was cool. Mo had a blast!

This area is not big on Halloween, reasons varying from religious issue to, well, just not wanting the bother...it's a nice change from the overblown circus in FL, but still...a drag for my daughter who was looking forward to her first street strolling.
Anyway - the neighbor across from us does have children and she's IN to the holidays, so we walked over there and hers came over here...and that was IT for trick or treating. They had ONE kid (Morgan) and I had THREE (theirs).
The highlight of the evening was attending a Halloween party at our friends' house in town; Jen and Dave and several of their guests. Although SweetPea was the only child she managed to make the best of it, running around outside with her black balloons and a new bear friend Jen gave her to accompany 'Sleepy', the everywhere Bedtime Care Bear. :)

Tonight, er, last night, Mo learned about the voting process and is already quite well-versed...seems the Berenstain Bears had an election recently...heh.

I'll add some images in a short while, gotta do that from upstairs from the main box and not this laptop.

Until then, good night!

A few more:

2008-09-13T23:48:00.006-04:00

Around 7am I looked out the window and saw one of my favorite neighbors...

BEFORE:

CHANGES:

AFTER:Lawn needs a cut...

(Still waiting on custom shutters, another layer of paint on the doors and some patching/replacement under the copper roof...)

Morgan singing Happy Birthday to her Uncle John (BIG 50):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsxtX7sYTrA

Quick blip of that young deer this morning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an8L_45XUis

(UPDATED 09/23/08) Yep, we're still here...

2008-08-22T00:28:00.013-04:00

We've been occupied with several other things...but now I'll try to bring us 'current.

Mo has a NEW favorite! Now, don't get crazy thinking TURTLE is out of the picture...nope, Turtle will be by her side until the shreds of fabric can no longer be sewn back together. However, her new buddy who tags right along with Turtle is Bedtime Bear, as in one of the Care Bears. Morgan is completely taken with ALL THINGS CARE BEAR. Blows Dora and Elmo right outta the water. Caillou, second rate Canadian. No one comes close to this enamor.

CARE BEARS.

So as she has requested, we will be having a Care Bear birthday in January...Mama is gathering up as much an array of these pastel, helium-squeaked monsters as I can, in whatever form I may find them.

Pink is still the color, but she'll be quick to add that she loves blue and green and lately yellow is good, too.

Her hair continues to lengthen and she delights in brushing it herself (Hello Kitty brush, have not found a Care Bears brush yet...) and pull it in to all manner of accesories...yes, did find some Care Bear hair clips in eBay. ;)

Mo is over 41 inches tall and 32.5 pounds...iSh...more or less depending on how much I can encourage her to eat. Last check-up just a week ago had her over 34 pounds, but that was fully dressed.
;) Now wears 4t proper, rarely the 5 she almost is. :)

Favorite 'real' foods: Mac and Cheese, cheesy noodles, hot dogs/corn dogs, deli meat, smoked sausage, deviled ham, almost any Progresso or Chunky soup, any kind of pasta - loves pesto and Alfredo sauces best, rice, beans, fish, Diego drinkable yogurt, milk, apple juice, V8, some fruit...green beans (some times), peas, corn on the cob, potatoes (some times), slivered carrots. No longer what I'd call a meat eater...chicken is difficult to make palatable for her, beef even more so. She'll take a crack at a meatball but has no interest in hamburgers...chicken has to be either prepared to remain juicy but not overly sauced or dark meat...she likes plain chicken wings. Any cheese is good cheese.

Sweets:
We had discovered back in Florida that chocolate was just a really BAD idea and cut that out of her diet completely. She literally turned in to Cornolio, foaming at the mouth. Bad things, man!
She has never complained. Instead she relishes the treat of vanilla (cookies, pudding, blondies) or peanut butter flavored goodies, but the real bonus is maple candy...she loves maple candy. And peanut butter fudge. Peppermint sticks - Mo is nuts about anything minty. White 'chocolate' Kit Kats.

We plan to enroll her in a Pre-K program here that has qualities similar to that of Montessori. Met with the administration and were quite taken with the class and instructors - it is an actual learning experience with the day split between Science, Math, Languages, PE, multi-cultural education and practical knowledge (life skills). Mo LOVED the school and especially the tot sized toilets in the adjacent restroom. There are already several Asian children enrolled and a few of them fellow adoptees.
We're looking at getting her in to start in December as she still needs her medical updates before being allowed in...and we still need a doctor. Narrowing all that down, but it looks like the cost of private school will eliminate, at least for now, the possibility of dance class or kid gym. I have a feeling the benefit of Pre-K will make up for any other recreational loss. She needs friends and enjoys learning = win/win.

In other news:

The house is getting a face lift. We had planned to start other repairs first, but Spring showed us just how badly our home exterior needed remedy. Lots of rotten siding, which we'd been told was Hardiplank...is not Hardiplank. Some other generic composit...contractor called it "cardboard".
Well, since finances do not currently allow for the complete removal and replacement, we will fix what needs it. We both quite dislike vinyl siding, so will have to keep this house well painted and continuously check for new problem areas. I think the previous owners did not ever bother with that, instead attempting to mask an issue instead of addressing it. This girl has many, but we are determined to make her right, all still in love with the house.

We've had a fox or two visit from time to time, which I welcome. However, a month or so ago Mo saw something run across the back yard that she could not identify as something she knew and we suspect it might have been a coyote. She is never outside unattended and only allowed on the deck during warmer climes because we have a slight CHIGGER problem...don't even get me started. Let's just say that Alabama grass is not my friend. :I

I'm in the process of moving plants around as I see what isn't going to survive otherwise...the woodlands are proving difficult to manage so I'm bringing most of that over to the front butterfly gardens or Mo's garden under one of the Dogwoods. I have some Hosta, Caladium and various lilies in the woods...but it's so dry that even the ferns I had planted withered. Pulled them and replanted. Should come back. Am also clearing the 'extra' lot, not so much cutting but cleaning out scrubby underbrush (invasive "Honeysuckle" shrubs and P.I) and have found that area to be a good place for some of my concrete stuff. The neighbors like me.

I'll post a huge assortment of images and try to come back in the next day or two to explain what I haven't already...if Chaz doesn't step in for me.

I did not tweak these so they might be a bit fuzzy from the load. Certainly could benefit from cropping, but...

FOURTH OF JULY

CORNBREAD FESTIVAL: Mo does not like clowns.

RUBY FALLS:

THOMAS: (cold and raining)

BECAUSE SOMETIMES YA GOTTA BE A PIRATE!

No, Mommy, I don't need a nap....Zzzzzzzz.

Playroom antics:

New additions:

FIGMENTS FELT BIRD

MY COPY

Summer fun!

BUSTED! (Will explain later...)

GOOFY FAMILY (can't wait to get these braces off):

Sweet Mo and Daddy:

A homemade cookie for Mo (someone's wife at ______ is starting her own business).

OK!

I will be posting more later...have other images of what I'm doing in Mo's room to dress that up. Time to start her bathroom redo. And the house as it nears exterior completion.

And this last week/end we celebrated our third year as a family!

2008-05-23T19:36:00.015-04:00

FAMILY DAY, 2008.

In a quiet way, we all spent some good, quality time together and Morgan asked to see the many "baby pictures" we have stored on the computer from our early days together...had some tasty Hunan chicken and tofu while Mo consumed large quantities of Egg Drop Soup and emptied the contents of a Crab Rangoon...watched a new Dora video, played Go-Fish, a rather chill evening.
The highlight last Saturday was finding a delicious Mediterranean café where we bought sandwiches and brought them to the large park downtown -- Mo's new favorite location for blowing bubbles.

As for updates, we have Sweet Pea back on track following a regression, with her toilet training, weening off the pull-ups she 'fell back' in to...speech is still suffering but when she concentrates can annunciate rather well...vocabulary is at or above her level, picking up adult language and the addition of Spanish from Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Dora/Diego...no interest in the learning program we have for Chinese...Kai-Lan on Nick JR. appeals to her, must find something more interactive and visually entertaining for a real instructional experience.

And on a purely girlie note, Mo has stressed her desire to grow her hair "long" over the past year...so I struck a deal with her that she could if she stopped 'feeding her hair' so much...(much easier to get knots out of a chin-length bob) and since then she's become neater about where the food goes...still some times on the face and hands instead of the mouth, but much less in the hair...so watch as she beams with her first real pigtails, anxiously awaiting the day that she can have a ponytail.

Finally done with that...on to the next room:

2008-04-04T17:59:00.028-04:00

No more stuffed animals, please...(time to sort and donate toys!)

Playroom update:

2008-03-19T16:38:00.004-04:00

Have you ever noticed that on HGTV they never show you how many touch-ups they faced before the work was finished? Heh.

Morgan's playroom (spackling, sanding, painting)

2008-03-14T17:54:00.007-04:00

First, for Yoli:

Sara(h) with straightened hair...

For Nana and Pop-Pop:

Sweet Pea making a 'CREATIVITY CAP' with inspiration from PBS SPROUT...we love Sprout. Yes, we do.
Mo decided this one is for me, since she already has two.

Good thing - I could use the help.

The dreaded OH-SO-FREAKING-ORANGE playroom.

Now...I like orange. I like orange quite a bit. Perhaps even much. But this is TOO MUCH. Beige trim and doors (which conceal the even earlier DARK teal blue that encompassed every piece of wood in this house, inside and out) and the WOW, ok, that would be BLUE window valances...
somebody was a tad colorblind.

So the orange has gone away.

But not before we discovered that the amateur (but pretty well done) faux finish (save it for stucco, kids) was applied over ancient WALLPAPER.

Did I mention the wallpaper? Did I mention that I basically hate wallpaper. Strongly, fervently dislike. Yep. Got to concede that nowadays, there are some pretty spiffy choices out there (Anthropologie has some cool offerings, and I saw a sweet vintage Alice in Wonderland print the other day...) but this all dates back to, say, 1985. And even then, it was ugly. I'll take pictures of what wasn't painted over so you can see I'm not exaggerating or being the least bit snotty. Nope, this was whatever was on sale and passed over by everyone else.

That bad.

So, one should normally remove wallpaper before painting, but since there be already 5 coats of heavy-duty enamel on top of it, I decided to join in the sinnin' and just go right over, ripples and all. It's fully intact, just got some 'tells' at the corners.

The rest of the wallpaper in this house will come down...steamer and scraper are waiting for me.

Did I mention that I also ~~hate~~ strongly dislike removing wallpaper?

(And now we know why she chose this particular technique.)

Spackle is my friend. Wood putty likes me, too.

OK, so now that the orange is gone and the green is up, I remind myself that this is a playroom and it should be FUN. I have the green, a couple of pinks, yellow, cream, a slate-like blue, tan...gonna stripe and spot and decorate however Mo and I decide, since we're staying for a while. Let the next owner curse me as much. It does seem to be a tradition. ;)

Three walls have a tree, all different, though I have not finished any of them yet because I am continuously sparked with new ideas...which is driving my husband crazy. Hey - it's a work in progress. Lighten up, honey. XOX

More pictures as it continues. And after this, the crazy, colorful bathroom will begin!

The Huntsville Snowman

2008-03-08T17:44:00.018-05:00

The WINTERY MIX we were promised, a few inches shy but still welcomed.

And sadly, within hours, SPRING had returned.

(The various plants currently residing in my large bath tub, most awaiting the last frost to pass so they might be planted.)

And three favorites from Atlanta a few weeks ago...

2008-02-22T15:01:00.003-05:00

Mo at the hotel, readying for her FIRST babysitter - err, big girl sitter...we made a deal that Mommy and Daddy could go see a very loud punk rock show if we would later take her to a "Morgan concert". So as we hold to our agreement, the three of us will be attending a DOODLEBOPS show at the end of March. :) Similarities? Pink hair.

Chaz running around with the camera in between bands...

Me, happily in the corner, experiencing my second childhood.

Long over-due (time to catch up)

2008-02-21T21:17:00.018-05:00

But where to start...

The move was...hmmn...horrible. Not fun. Hard on Morgan. Not for the reasons you might think. It was the stress she saw us combat and the boredom of limbo...just not really fair for a not-quite-four year old, ya know?

Staying at the hotel was a balancing act, renting the apartment miserable. No kids to play with and neighbors I was almost ready to harm. YUCK.

Mo was very emotionally high-strung. She didn't want to go back to Florida, she just wanted this, that place which we were stuck at, to progress...so we could finally be stable and she would know where we were going TO STAY.

She reverted, regressed, was tearful and defiant...started wanting me to feed her like a baby, stopped peeing in the toilet (back to trainers 24/7) and became very needy...her speech is in decline although her vocabulary continues to flourish. We will be interviewing a speech therapist at some point this year.

But then we closed on the house and SNAP, I have a four year old again. She came around so fast and made HUGE maturity milestones, jumping over the roadblocks that seemed so daunting a month ago.

We are in our house, have been for weeks now, though boxes remain packed until we purchase a few more pieces of furniture to put the stuff in or on. We left behind all the junk that was not worth moving which left us with little to use when we got here.

Like a TV stand.

Which we still don't have.

And a dining table.

Which just came Monday.

As soon as it warms up a bit more, I will paint the china cabinet (milk paint) and unload the 600 cardboard monsters taking up my dining room.

Mo is hooked-up, though...she inherited a BIG GIRL bed from my folks which has passed down three generations now...the crib/toddler bed is in her playroom where she uses it like a daybed sofa. With the appearance of a double bed and new PINK and GREEN stuff to go on it, old sleep issues went away. All of a sudden, she was telling us she was tired and wanted to go to sleep in her bed. And she has only had two rough nights since moving in. One was when we first moved in, a ridiculously windy night (we get a strong wind 'up here' and it had me a bit edgy, too) and the other was when I had to rouse her from bed after the Tornado siren sounded two or three weeks ago. Yeah, that was special.

She is upstairs with her bedroom ("mountain" view) connecting to her personal Jack&Jill bathroom, the opposite room (woodland view) being hers as well. That's where the toys live. She has a play kitchen, toddler table set, tiny rocking chair...precious furniture given this past Xmas and birthday. We bought a small TV (all things SPROUT/NOGGIN and the occasional Chowder or Spongebob) and DVD player and have that in there as well...so she basically has one side of the house up there. (Swank. When I was her age, I didn't even have my own closet. Seriously.) But the house affords this sort of luxury with the way it is layed out and I promised her a playroom of some kind - we just lucked out by it being an extra bedroom and not some small cubby.

Next on the list of one-of-these-days is a cedar playset for the wooded back yard and a large dollhouse ($ OUCH! Have you priced these things lately!? Definitely on the back burner.)...and I'm going to make a large papier mache cave complex for her many, many dinosaurs.

Meanwhile Chaz and I have been sleeping on air mattresses in the playroom. G.e.t.t.i.n.g. v.e.r.y. o.l.d. But the iron beds we ordered from Brass Bed Shoppe are to be delivered tomorrow. I talked my husband in to cool, old-fashioned beds for our new old-fashioned house. An 80's version of a folk Victorian farmhouse...we'll tweak the outside to bring it around and put wood where the carpet is...tile the vinyl...little this & thats with time that will make this house perfect. Even with the flaws now, we are all quite happy here. Mo says so, unsolicited, on a regular basis. She loves this house. I'm digging the fact that I will finally have a studio, mine, in the finished basement, when we get to it through the boxes.

There is work to be done in here...the bathrooms are really, very much in need of redo. Leaky faucets. Busted pipes. Warped, water damaged cabinets. Peeling, ugly wallpaper. Crooked fixtures. (Buy a level. And a measuring tape. Use it!) Stuff that doesn't work and things that should have never been done. (Do not paint over popcorn ceilings with high-gloss enamel in AQUA and TAN. Please. Welcome to my PREVIOUS OWNER nightmare.)

Our master bath is brown. Everything is brown. Varying shades of brown. The jet tub, the sink, the shower...the toilet. The tile is...DIY, badly. Sharp edges, bad cuts, unprofessional grouting...the walls are missing plaster under the wallpaper. Eeeks. The showerhead just snapped off while I was in there...

But there is a glorious view of the back yard...imagine soaking privately while watching the deer nibble my planned wildlife garden away...

I see a sledgehammer in my future.

A clawfoot tub/shower. New pedestal sinks. A pull-chain privy. New lights. And that shower stall, which is one of the oddest constructions I have ever seen - more popcorn and paint - no tile...will become a vanity, cabinet or closet.

Oh, yeah - we have DEER. I finally got to see them for myself this week. Lovely creatures, come out late at night. The first time was just shy of 5 am, but this morning right around 2 am - I had FIVE. One fawn, had trouble reaching the birdbath that I placed nearer to the woods...so I will make a concrete trough for them...again, when it gets a wee bit warmer. We're still freezing on a pretty regular basis.

Oh, and for those who are thinking, uh, how are you going to garden with animals that eat plants? Two words = green house. ;)

Half an acre for me to play with. Half an acre for Mo to play on. Some wooded, some not. Some level, some sloped. Great combination. No neighbors to the back. Just forest.

There are stone-lined planting beds all over the place - very cool. So Mo can plant her own garden (already warned that it might not avoid chomping - she said is was OK if the deer ate her flowers) and I can plant clover and grasses for my visitors...I'll do the butterfly thing in the front to a much lesser degree than what I had in FL, but enough to draw them and the hummingbirds.

Birds...I found a huge list of all the birds found in AL and counted at least 21 different breeds that I have seen on my deck at the feeders so far. Mo loves to watch them and can sit in the dining room, kitchen or upstairs in her playroom and view the critters outside.

The neighborhood is quiet. Blissfully silent. For a suburb, everybody kindly keeps to themselves and the houses are not on top of each other. There are kids here, but we haven't met them yet. Big park down the street, opens again in March.

Chaz and I are in the process of searching out a new pediatrician, dentist, dance instructor, gym class...oh, and some of that for ourselves, too.

Oh, and I don't have the pictures downloaded yet, but I finally got Sara(h)'s hair straightened - hot water, carefully applied...BINGO. A little frizz, but no more boingy bob.
That POOF thing was not doing her nail-biting, mentally festering haircut any justice.

It has snowed a few times...nothing wicked, but enough to make us all giddy.

Enough for now - I'll let Chaz talk some when he gets around to it...those boxes are calling me again.

One More I Forgot

2008-01-19T13:13:00.000-05:00

Here is Mo sitting on her little bench next to Sarah (complete with doll barber action by Trish).

Sarah doesn't look a whole lot like Mo, but enough so that occasionally when I catch Sarah sitting somewhere out of the corner of my eye I think it is Morgan for just a second.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This...

2008-01-19T11:48:00.000-05:00

Chaz reporting...

As of 5 PM CST this past Wednesday, we find ourselves once again among the landed gentry! We closed on the new house, everything went very smoothly and we were done in less than an hour. Prior to the closing, we did the walk-through. As we were leaving snow flurries started falling...Morgan got to see her first snow, meager though it was! Snowed on and off throughout the closing, and for quite a while after. Not cold enough to stick, and the snow was very wet, but it was snow...and the kind of snow this old geezer prefers when there is driving around still to be done. Anyway, seeing snow as we left the house, as well as a rabbit crossing the street in front of us just as we drove off, I took these as two very good omens. During the closing the former owners mentioned that they often see deer in the back yard of the house! Another good omen, and Trish couldn't have been more thrilled.

We will be moving the bulk of our stuff over to the house tomorrow, so we should be technically "living there" by tomorrow night or Monday. We still have most of our "garage-type stuff" in a storage facility just up the road...need to have a radon mitigation project performed on the house before we can fill up the garages. Yes, garages...plural...as in 2 of them! I get 2 garages! Wahaha! We'll move the garage stuff over in a few weeks when all of that is done...no big deal since I won't need to mow the lawn for a few more months LOL. Only thing I am missing is my helmet and pads...there is a skateboard park in town and I am itching to go ride it. Gotta wait for the helmet and pads to turn up though.

It was supposed to snow last night and this morning, but that never seemed to have materialized. Radar showed what was supposed to be snow passing over us several times, but...nothing. Poor Trish, I think she kept waking up all night and looking outside for it, now she is taking a post-breakfast nap trying to shake off a headache (lack of sleep, no doubt). You'd think the girl never saw snow before, she is so excited for it to happen (she grew up in New York's Hudson Valley for those unfamiliar). Me...yeah, I'd love for it to snow, but...we got stuff to do! We need to buy a refrigerator today, can't live in a house with no fridge. We gotta move tomorrow...no time for snow. road closures, etc. Last night was the perfect window, and it didn't show up. Oh well, there's the next cold spell, with the next "chance of snow" forecast, and another week or two of coworkers saying, "We're due this year...".

On to the pictures! Here's one from right around New Years; our birdbath has frozen over several times, but this time it got so cold it froze all the way through...a little Woodstock hockey rink...

One of the things I worried about moving up here, was finding really good Chinese food. We lucked out one night a few weeks back and found a great place...not perfectly authentic but as yummy as most any I have had. I got some Hunan tofu...might not look like much but it sure was good. Of course Mo shared it, she loves tofu too, but my eyebrows were really raised when Trish had some and liked it as well (she does not usually do tofu).

Here's the obligatory silly shot of the post...with apologies for see-food...Mo loves her peanut butter! I got her that hat on my last trip to LA...later saw a picture of Britney Spears coming out of the same boutique. I must be truly hip LOL.

And now, a bunch from last weekend, a nice cool, sunny day, and the perfect time for Mo to get in some tricycle practice...

Here she is going down the little "hill" in front, "Look Ma, no hands" style:

And it's not obvious here, but in this one she is going downhill backwards! Danger Baby!

The day wasn't just good for tricycle riding, but also for THROWING LEAVES! (Note to self...next fall, keep Mo inside when raking leaves)...

Had to throw this one in...Mo going "pirate-stylee" with Daddy's new skateboard deck in the background...that's an OG Z-Boy Wentzle Ruml signature deck for those in the know...

End of the day...either removing her shoes, or explaining how we will make her tricycle bigger, one or the other.

I'll close with this one...here is our terrible apartment, the place we have parked for the last 2 months. It isn't such a bad place, physically...not terribly swank but not too bad, but the neighbors are attrocious. I'll leave it at that...and that we will be glad to get out. Tonight may well be our last night sleeping here!!!! That's our "unit" downstairs that Trish is standing in front of. The Super Target is over the fence to the left. Upstairs....the noisiest, rudest people on the face of the earth LOL.

Morgan and Mama in Huntsville

2007-12-10T17:50:00.001-05:00

Too silly not to publish...

And for the more refined:

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...she's a secret.

2007-12-10T17:18:00.001-05:00

My Twinn: olive, almond/dark brown and dark brown shoulder-length hair, since it was shown as the exact length hers is NOW, having grown some since these first two images. Shoulda gone medium brown and chin-length? Was using the color/style selections as shown on the site, which looked much lighter...sent pictures, too.

Ok, so she's not exact...hair is too long (can trim) and dark, lips are a bit thin and judging by what I've seen as examples, they just don't really have much in the way of truly Asian physiques, but all that aside; here is one of Mo's Xmas gifts...a sister to play with. All her dolls are "sisters" to her.

Now she has one that kinda looks like her, too.

I think she's a keeper. :)

Huntsville UPDATE (all is well that ends well)

2007-12-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

Ok...

Mo and I are staying at the Residence Inn in Rocket City while Chaz bounces back and forth from LA...we will soon move in to a temporarily leased apartment until we find ourselves a home - which I may have already done. Isn't as swank as the grand old Victorian I'd found in Hartselle (she sold right before we got here) but it is on a mountain and has the bones of a farmhouse...if that moves before we do, I'll keep looking. We have 11 months. And a park to play at in the meantime.

The move itself:

Ooh...man...I hate moving. I really hate moving. Anybody that has as much stuff as we do knows WHY I hate moving. Ya got to get rid of stuff, even when somebody else is paying the bill...

And the whole process is made even more aggravating when trying to keep a toddler even-tempered, too.

Selling the house, amazingly, was the easy part, especially considering the market in South Florida. Of course everybody 'round there is setting prices too high to turn-over, while we wisely sold under. The house was on the market under two months and we had an offer, even though we were still right in the middle of repairs and upgrades. Did not even need to paint...they took it as it was.

Sweet.

Downside...the buyer wanted to park his boat where my hard-earned butterfly garden was...so with him in agreement, I pulled as many plants as I could and divvied them between myself, friends and neighbors prior to departure. Unfortunately, some neighbors, while we were out of the house, decided to also take some of the plants I'd placed aside to take with me to Alabama...despite boldly marking the collection as that which was not up for offer. NICE.
Welcome to Florida.

What else?

The inspection was humorous and somewhat annoying...the, uh, inspector, was not quite on the ball; over-filled the soap dispenser with powder while testing the dishwasher and when it caked he announced the brand new machine broken...clearly someone else does the dishes in his house...
when he pushed the wrong button in the garage to electrically raise and lower the garage door and it did not, he proclaimed that to also be defective.
And let's see...oh - the new sprinklers...he didn't know how to operate the system and tried to tell me that we could not use the manual controls to test the zones, even though I'd been through this with the owner of the company that installed it and knew we could (I showed Master Nimrod his error).

We pass the inspection.

The lighting fixture in the MB dies...just like that *POOF*. Chaz buys a replacement.

Chaz's car dies...the one we are going to drive from Florida to Georgia to Alabama...cell went hinky in the battery...fixed.

Then while we were doing the minimal preparation for the buyers (professional cleaning, etc.) somebody BROKE the front door. From the INSIDE. Either the maids or the carpet cleaning crew - we really don't know who or how...but the knob was broken and some part of the mechanism bent...just bizarre. Here we are, on the last day, not even living there anymore, loading up the last of our belongings; that which we are towing on a trailer behind us, and we find the DOOR is suddenly busted overnight. CRAP.

Chaz took it apart...somehow fixed it well enough.

Did I mention that we were LEAVING? Right THEN?

Another hitch: The deed to the property...it seems there was a typo in the original deed prepared for the builder back in the 80's...if I have the story right...and it was processed anyway, passing muster for sale to the first owners and then to us, but when it came time for us to sell the house, our RELO caught the glitch and the title company they employed would not process the transaction...something like two weeks go by and still NOTHING has been done to remedy the situation...the buyers, who really want the house, have limited time because of their pre-approved financing, the clock is ticking and ****** is sitting on their hands. Realtors are stirring the pot...Chaz is making calls...nothing is happening. Chaz finally calls our RELO one more time and warns them that the buyers will not sign the required extension and that if they walk away, ***** will have just purchased the house from us.
I guess those were the right words because the previously doomed closing happened in some manner soon after and we were awarded a payment, mortgage being assumed...
we are FINALLY free and clear.

Ok...

the hotels:

First one in Palm Beach Gardens...booked NON-SMOKING. Paid for NON-SMOKING. Printed a confirmation. In black and white. Right from the source.
What did we get? A nasty barroom with a bed. Not "oops, somebody was smoking in here..." It was a designated smoking room.
Chaz, though frustrated, did attempt to discuss this with her in a polite manner and had his confirmation form with him.
SHE.
The 'representative' at the front desk, instead of offering an apology and a new room went totally ghetto...it was absurd. Like it wasn't her job to fix the mistake - it was OURS!? Basically, she told us "TOUGH SHIT". Two days before Thanksgiving in Palm Beach County...good luck finding another room at another hotel for anything under $200.00 at 11 pm in PBG. I guess her job description is only to stand behind the counter and pick her disrespected...
SHE said it didn't matter what we booked online, didn't matter what that piece of paper said or what we had PAID FOR...it had been processed as it was (remember, not our error) and stuck - that we had to deal with it.
She actually started yelling at Chaz while he was on the other line across the room with customer service, because he wasn't getting any from her and she had no supervisor or other staff to assist...they at national headquarters were trying to contact her on another direct line but she was already talking on the phone, covering her mouth and looking over at us while we clearly witnessed her ignore the call. When C suggested to the 1-800 Rep trying to get through to the front desk that perhaps the whatever-she-was was busy chatting up her boyfriend despite an incoming call she raised her voice to him and got all-in-his-face...seriously...I was right down the hall with Mo, trying to keep her occupied...but DAMN, let me tell you friend, if she had answered me like that...woulda chewed her to bits. Still going to report her to the main division - this was just SO WRONG.

So the next day we move to another hotel...live, tamed swans in the lobby...Mo was thrilled.

Hotel in GA...again stinky...damn people...and Mo gets her first taste of WINTER.

Here in AL...this room has a weird traveling funk. At first I thought somebody had been smoking in the bathroom, had that kind of rank quality (and I used to smoke - I know that particular combination) but it wasn't fresh...and it wasn't always there.
Mo and I decide that we have a smoking GHOST in the room...
and then I realize it is coming from the vent in our room...when the A/C kicks on, the smell kicks in.
Great...I am not changing rooms again...I'll just deal with it.

Then I make pals with housekeeping - Pam rocks! She's talkative and very hard-working and we joke around. I tell her about the cigarette weirdness in my room...She says AHA - must be coming from right upstairs! This is a non-smoking hotel (with areas reserved for smoking outside) and the very next day, the problem is solved.
Thank you, Pam!

Had some strange happenings with the internet, too, but it looks like I'm finally connected.

So here we are, waiting for C to come home, casually checking out the area as I feel bolder...
went to check out one house on Monte Sano 'mountain' (it's a very large hill) that needs some cosmetic work but has great possibilities, good flow and nice view. Some shopping to get myself some appropriate clothing...kinda ran in to trouble because I dropped a whole hell of a lot of weight since last April, down to 'old self' and didn't have any jeans...or pants for that matter, in my new smaller size. I only have tiny (2-4) or bigger, not AM NOW. Fixed that yesterday - Levis size 6 - yahoo! Been ten years since I wore a 6-ish. :)

I have a bunch of photos but no way to load them right now...will add later.

P.S.
Mo loves it here, keeps talking about the trees ("trees over here, trees over there, trees everywhere!") and mountains and snow...snowmen...
and the people are SO NICE!
We got caught in a rainstorm last night after shopping at Super Target right across the street...bought groceries (lots of shelf goods and refrigerated items) and had to get it in to the truck (which has door locks that are now jammed - can't use my key to open or close) and back to the hotel...well, WE love the rain, really...no problem getting damp...but we were getting SOAKED because my umbrella was...yep...inside the truck...I get Mo in the truck and am drenching myself and the groceries as I hustle to open the topper when someone out-of-nowhere runs up with an umbrella and yells, "I'm here to help you!"
Yes, a kind Alabama woman of her own accord has braved the rain, messing up her styled hair and applied make-up to help hand me my parcels...said she saw me, tried to get to me before to help with Mo but this was as fast as they could make it over...meanwhile it's pissin' down...her husband has pulled his truck up behind us and rolls down the window, also getting wet while noticing my Florida plate, to ask me if I just moved here? Yes, I answered with much gratitude, and I add that this would have never happened in South Florida...instead there would have been someone sitting in their car, BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, pointing at me and laughing...I thanked them genuinely for such a display of kindness.
Thank you Scarlett, where ever you are. Positive karma awaits you.

I LOVE Huntsville.

More later.

Trish

Belated All Hallows' Eve

2007-11-05T17:19:00.000-05:00

'Been a bit distracted...less than 2 full months on the market, we have an offer being processed...16 days until we leave South Florida for Northern Alabama. And not a minute too soon. :)

Kickin' around Huntsville

2007-10-11T18:39:00.000-04:00

House hunting...or really, scoping out the areas around Rocket City. Now all back in Jupiter, Chaz is set to head over next week and Mo and I will follow sometime between then and November.

Ahh...winter will feel a bit more like it this year. :)

Alabama Bound

2007-09-30T22:33:00.000-04:00

Chaz reporting:

We are taking a scouting trip to Huntsville this week...2 days of "preliminary" house hunting. Our house here in Florida is on the market...listed but not yet being shown. The move is getting close and we are working fast and furiously to get ready. We won't be buying until our house here sells, but we are going to start looking and be ready to pull the trigger as soon as we sell...

Mao 1990-2007

2007-09-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

Rest In Peace.

Turtlehead

2007-09-09T21:48:00.000-04:00

Chaz reporting:

Yesterday, standing right in the middle of Target, Morgan put Turtle on top of her head and loudly proclaimed, "Look...TURTLEHEAD!" She is fully aware of the scatalogical implications of the word, and made up her little joke all by herself, and enjoyed it immensely judging by the laughter which followed. Here's a picture of her reliving the moment for Mommy at bedtime:

It would appear the early indications of a sense of humor in this one are bearing themselves out.

Today, on the other hand, we had our first full-blown temper tantrum. She was playing outside with the 2 little girls who just moved in next door while I was working on cleaning up the garage. When I was done, and it was time to go in, I told her so. She wasn't done playing with her new friends, and wasted no time in letting me know. It went downhill, fast, from there, complete with screaming, crying, and kicking. It was very...draining. On the other hand we felt very bad for her, since she doesn't get to play with other kids too often lately and she really wants to. After she calmed down, I think we succeeded in letting her know she could play with her new friends again the next time we saw them, and that her behavior wasn't acceptable. Hopefully it sunk in.

Somewhere, my Mother is laughing at me right now ("Someday you're gonna have a kid just like you").

Dance images 08/28/07

2007-08-29T01:41:00.000-04:00

'Nother August update

2007-08-26T02:32:00.000-04:00

Mo's got her ABC's down pretty well, can say them all and recognize most. Numbers, however, have been something she shows little to no interest in.
Until yesterday.
We've worked on them all the while, until I could see her becoming bored or agitated (to keep learning fun, stop when it isn't) and it finally payed off.
Last night, on the throne (where all our best moments are) we started counting on our fingers to five, then to ten.
Sweet - this is the first time she's been agreeable. BTW, we start with a pinky. Maybe that's the trick?
Anyway, after counting off for ten minutes (really) I said, "HEY - wanna try something new?"
Well sure, if you put it that way!
I grabbed her foam bathtub numbers/letters and started counting them, as in quantity thereof...and she thought that was cool.
Wanna try?
OK.
BAM.
Right up to five, then ten.
I pushed the envelope all the way to twenty and she happily went forth after me, counting all by herself, figures in hand and sorted as she went, proud of her BIG GIRL abilities.

She now knows how to count items, not just rattle off numbers willy-nilly.

I have NO idea where she should be academically, but at 3.5, or maybe we're at 3.75 at this point, I'm pretty damn pleased that she is able to do this. I was starting to worry that SAHM was not as beneficial as we assume it should be, not knowing what she'd be learning in daycare.

Tomorrow we go to 50. Or try to, anyway. We've done it before as a matter of words, but never counted anything of such quantity.

:)

Disco dancing

2007-08-21T17:29:00.000-04:00

Morgan had her first dance class today; a gift from Aunt Sofia which included now beloved Ballet shoes...:D
Mo still has some trouble taking instruction because she gets sidetracked (HEY - this is fun!) but did well with the instructor. Did not need me for anything! I sat there and helped use the right words as needed but Mo is finally to the point where someone else can do their job without my meddling.
(Mama is Disco dancing.)
Colleen was fantastic with the girls and had the right amount of patience needed for the job...
While the basic positions for Ballet were "OK", Mo went off once the Tap shoes came out. That's her thing. Even in a borrowed shoe 2 sizes too large, she was stomping like she'd been doing this for 6 months already, laughing, toe to heel and shuffling...she REALLY liked that...and it was clear to me that a trip to Payless this weekend for her own pair was in order. $19.99 toddler. Buy one get one 1/2 off. So the nice clerk on the phone informed me.
Proper Ballet may or not stick, but the Tap thing - she's down with it. We will go with this until she says otherwise.

FCC Palm Beach County party pics

2007-08-12T23:01:00.002-04:00

More images

2007-07-14T16:45:00.000-04:00

Mo's latest artwork:

A person. EDIT= Mo says he's mad.

Another person. Again, NEW EDIT= mad.

Interesting - she said this is a picture of her and Daddy...she is happy and Daddy is mad. (!?) I guess grumpy 'ol STICK MAN couldn't find his gadget again. Hmmmn. So her version of "happy" does not have a smile...yet. I'll be asking her to illustrate more emotions to see if that changes.
Another way to get those letters practiced...

Spiders.

I cut more shapes, handed her a few paint brushes and a glue stick. One of her many creations.

Good Morning!

Can't decide between...

Morgan wanted to paint our nails - herself...her occasional favorite color. ;)

Tutu as headwear.

Trying to find an agreeable method to store all her toys, sorted by type; trains/cars, Little People, dolls, Learning and musical. 2 months in use, so far, so good.

Got bored, now SLEEPY DOLL BIN looks like this:

Finally, some rain.

Quick update:

2007-07-13T17:20:00.000-04:00

Mo now measures 38" tall and weighs 28.5 pounds...

Swimming lessons 2007

2007-07-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

Last year we had gotten as far as Mo submerging her head under water, holding her breath...but just to that stage...and then the water became too cold to swim (little ones do not retain enough heat, even in Florida).
So now, today at Nana's, we had a break from the afternoon thunderstorms (RAIN, LOVE THE RAIN) and decided to take a dip.
Mo tried one dunk, got water up her nose and would have no more of that...however, she wanted to practice kicking and paddling. I know that floats are not the best way to teach swimming, but to get her back in to the swing, I'll let her use these until she is confident enough for some real practice.
She said we could try 'underwater' again next week. ;)

P.S.
Yep - those are braces I'm trying to get my lip over.

4th of July

2007-07-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

It's only Rock and Roll!

2007-06-11T23:44:00.000-04:00

PUNK ROCK ABC, Mo style.

TWINKLE TWINKLE!

Upload Video - Top 50 - Get Video Code

WOW.

2007-06-11T14:47:00.000-04:00

Morgan has asked again for a BROTHER.

All on her own, out of the blue.

This is the second time she has clearly requested a male sibling, but the first time she has agreed to the idea that she would have to 'share' her toys, home and most importantly - MAMA and DADDY.

She agreed.

I said we'd have to wait and see, since we have the hurdle of moving to surpass before anything else can begin.

I told her I would need her help, that she would have to be nice to her new brother...that he might cry a lot and often, being scared of us and uncertain of everything around him.

She told me last night that "the boy can sleep in my bed". She was offering him a place to crash, so he wouldn't have to sleep on our couch.

I asked her if she wanted an older brother or a younger one. Younger, she thinks...

I'm sitting here, watching her in the next room waiting for Pingu, wondering if I'm up for round two.
It must be akin to childbirth...a year ago, maybe even 6 months ago, I thought NO...I'm DONE. Too OLD!

But here I am, smiling as I ponder a brother for Morgan.

We'll see.

A few new:

2007-05-29T18:52:00.000-04:00

FAMILY ANNIVERSARY, marking our second year together!

2007-05-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Pretty low-key, being a Wednesday...had some Chinese food and gave Mo a few small gifts which she appreciated - a Sterling 'big girl' necklace with tiny abstract turtles (her favorite) and two more roaring dinosaurs to compliment the one we found in the dollar bin at Target while on vacation. Mo really likes dinosaurs, too - the ones that aren't "scary" or "too noisy", anyway.
She decided that they are a family, too, and are now 'sleeping' in her room next to her bed in a converted shoebox; Daddy, Mama and baby dino.

NOW:

THEN:

Even more amazing than our first year milestone, this day (which is otherwise referred to as 'Gotcha/Metcha' by the adoption community) brings with it so many more advances.
Mo is no longer the same timid child we met; she has blossomed in to an extraordinary example of social adeptness. Her learning and growth continue to thrive and I am often stopped by her conversations. She doesn't simply regurgitate information. She processes and applies knowledge and already makes her own determinations - which is something I did not think a toddler could quite do yet...

Opinionated. Strong willed. Emotional. Smart.

She looks forward to moving "to the mountains" and having her own playroom. Shows no bones about leaving here...whenever that finally happens.
She wants to design her next bedroom. Herself.
She is in love with the Pottery Barn Kids catalog ($!) and enjoys discussing with me what we can do, uh, thrifting, to recreate some of that stuff Daddy won't be buying...the idea of finding something and refinishing it; helping Mama paint it whatever her favorite color is that day and then calling it her own. That thrills her. "Yeah, yeah, Mommy! We can do that!"

Morgan likes to take care of things, animals, people.
Not all the time, of course...some times she just wants to be a typical kid focused on herself. And she still has selfish, harsh moments, but not very often. She and our cat Mao will never have an easy relationship.
But that she so often displays compassion and is discovering empathy makes me think we're on the right track. I can't say how much of that is US and how much is HER, pre-disposition and all, but she has it in her.

She is practicing letter/number recognition. Draws, writes and scribbles on the easel every day - we pick a letter or number each day and work it a bit. She sings a lot - loves to take a situation (cleaning her room, picking up toys, Mommy's in the bathroom, whatever...) and put it to lyrics while dancing around the room - it's hysterical.
She still has a great artistic interest and the range is growing - we just made her first collage for Nana. I cut the pieces out, glued the backside and gave them to her to arrange on the paper as she saw fit. Then she added a few crayon spirals and signed it. I think next time we'll have to incorporate buttons, shells and beads...:)

VACATION!

2007-04-27T20:39:00.000-04:00

Trish posted the pics, Chaz reporting, providing captions...

First, we should explain Morgan's new short haircut; Trish went to give her a little trim one day, but Morgan wouldn't hold still. So, in an effort to keep things even, it just kept getting shorter...and shorter...and shorter. But we think it works for her!

We had been kicking around the idea of checking out some more places in the American South, and I have been wanting to catch a few stages of the Tour de Georgia bicycle race (I went up in 2004 and watched Lance Armstrong show 'em who's boss, haven't been able to make it back since). So, the idea for a trip was hatched, and when AirTran announced a fare sale, it turned into a fly-and-drive event...gave us more time for more cities, more fun, without the 4-or-so extra days we'd need to drive up and back. So...of to Atlanta we flew. Morgan did great! She was a little nervous when we first got on the plane, but she held our hands and squeezed when she was afraid...that lasted all of about 2 minutes. Concurrent with the hand-holding, since it was take-off and ear-comfort maintenance is paramount, we gave her a lollipop. Her first one ever...turns out she liked it. She really, really, REALLY liked it. No complaints over her ears, either. She was fine the rest of the flight, and even insisted on getting out of her seat and climbing over me to look out the window, once the pilot turned off the light.

Our first day, after landing in Atlanta and stopping for lunch, we headed up to Chattanooga, TN, which was to be the finish point for the day's stage (Rome, GA to Chattanooga). While I wandered off periodically to check out the race status on the HUGE tv they had set up (and to watch the lead group, of 12 or 13 riders, finish about 30 minutes ahead of the pack) Morgan and Trish held court in the big field next to the finish line. I should add an aside here, one of Morgan's favorite things to entertain herself with outside is a stick. Forget toys, forget scenic hikes, if she finds a stick on the ground she will stop to pick it up, play with it, draw in the sand with it, whatever it is that 3-year-olds do with a stick. It would become a recurring theme on this trip. Anyway, here she is with her stick-du-jour, and a couple of young friends she just met. They amused themselves in various ways while Trish relaxed and I watched the race. Day 1 - success!

Downtown Chattanooga was really nice place. This was a neat-looking fountain, designed to look like the sidewalk erupted.

After the race, we drove around Chattanooga a bit, then went up Lookout Mountain to enjoy the drive and the scenery. I've always enjoyed driving up there, and today we went all over the place. We ended up at Point Park, near The Incline, and got out to stretch, walk around a bit, and enjoy the view. Here Mo is sitting on a little stone wall in front of someone's property...looked like it used to have a house there but now just had a garage, part of the foundation, some trees, and a whole lot of "No Trespassing" signs. I guess it would have killed the owners to allow people to enjoy the view from their property. Yeah, I know, liability and all...

Day 2 and we are back atop Lookout Mountain. This one was an individual time trial (riders go out one at a time, a minute apart, ride alone the whole way as fast as they can) ending at Rock City atop the mountain. I learned many things on this trip, the first of which is that Rock City is actually in Georgia! Grew up my whole life thinking it was in Tennessee, but Lookout Mountain spans the state border and Rock City is on the other side. Mama and Mo entertained themselves as best they could while I watched the racers come in. They found some shade, and for a short while enjoyed a marching band entertaining them. I about lost when I heard...wait...this sounds familiar....no...yes...it's....IRON MAN! Marching Band Sabbath!!! Mama and Mo, in various stages of amusement...I'll spare y'all the pics of Levi Leipheimer (won the stage by 40 seconds or so), Tyler Hamilton (I believe Tyler....was not his old self yet...2 minutes down and looking very tired) and the rest.

If it's Friday, it must be...Huntsville, AL! After the races on Lookout Mountain, we drove over to Huntsville and got set up for a couple days' recon work. Lunch Friday was at a deli near downtown...Trish shared some of her sweet tea with Mo...

...while I enjoyed a fried pickle! I got these as an afterthought with my sandwich and boy was I glad I did! Yummy. As we left, on another whim, I refilled my drink cup with some Dr. Pepper. Hated the stuff my whole life, decided I needed to try it again, and liked it! Go figure.

March update: Leaps and bounds!

2007-03-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

Mo had her '3 year' check-up this month (even though she turned three in January) and was again reported as on-track and healthy. She now measures a full three feet tall (36 inches) and is still on the slight side, only weighing shy of 27 pounds on their scale.
She is beginning to be able to wear age-designated sizing, instead of always being 6 months to a year behind...
She just had a growth spurt - noticeable because I'd bought some Boho ankle-length prairie skirts for her a few months ago which were either making her trip or simply too long. Shelved. Today she grabbed the longer of the two and chose to wear it - she came out and it fits perfectly - not even grazing her foot.

Other HUGE news...I mean HUGE news...

She is fully in to pull-ups and taking care of business like a BIG GIRL. Elimination is now done in "Mama's toilet" on her squishy seat, completely by-passing the training potty. She doesn't even need me in there with her anymore unless the task is unusually unpleasant (and for that I can't blame her). She's got the blot-and-wipe down pat...front to back and not the other way around. I've been explaining that to her from the very beginning as I changed her diapers, so it is ingrained.

Her language skills are steadily improving, though she reverts back to a bit of babble on a regular basis. When she speaks most clearly (spot on) it is directed to her toys, which she now plays with as companions instead of disposable things...she assigns them all personalities, though few have individual names - I think truthfully because she has not had much exposure to the vast amount of titles available. She has named Turtle (officially "Turtle Turtle"), her others Mama Turtle, Daddy Turtle and Baby Turtle, Bork the Cat, Noodle Monkey, Monkey Monkey...who am I missing? Seems there are one or two more that have real names of some sort.
Everyone else is named "Kelly". I can thank Bob the Builder for that, I'm sure. ;)

Her favorite programs are Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, PINGU, Berenstain Bears, Caillou, Clifford, Barney, Jakers...and on Disney, Charlie and Lola, Doodlebops...and she's crazy about the original Disney characters.
Favorite movie is still TOY STORY I & II, though we rented INTRODUCING PINGU (the only one they had) and have been watching that steadily...gonna have to buy a few of those, for sure. Even Mama and Papa are sure to sit there and watch along with her.

Mo doesn't actually view anything alone - I'm either right there next to her or 10 feet away with my ears on.
This helps her actually learn from the programing as we go over the lessons, either moral or educational. I have found more than a few child-targeted cartoons not appropriate for viewing...not about violence, boundaries I thoroughly understood as a youngin' watching Warner Brothers and early Disney...but some of this new stuff is all about entitlement attitude and disrespectful sass. No thanks - I'll have enough of that to deal with without encouraging it.

Writing skills - we're slowly working on that. She can still whip out a clear O or 0, I and H, sometimes an A...M is tricky - she's got the idea but the execution is a bit spazzy. She signs her name with a great squiggle. I'm in love with her squiggle. Numbers are also being practiced, but she seems slightly less interested right now.

Her memory is sharp, picking up things I would assume she isn't paying attention to. Wrong. Her mind is a catch-all.

Mo's personality is a very interesting combination of ultra femme and tumbling rowdiness. She can keep up with the boys, sometimes leaving them in the dust, but LOVES-LOVES-LOVES all-things-girlie.
Tutus, pretend make-up, and yes, folks...my worst nightmare...her new favorite color is P.I.N.K.

My friends and family are rolling on the floor right now. I hear you - cut that out.

Her former favorite color, which is now secondary; BLUE. Blue is still good, she tells me, but pink is what she wants all new things to be.
I'm sincerely hoping that green will be of interest in the near future. Heh. ;)

Pictures from Saint Patrick's Day and my belated 40th birthday.

QUICK PICS from PALM BEACH COUNTY FCC New Year Festival

2007-03-03T18:21:00.000-05:00

John Prince Park. Lake Worth, Florida.

Her fancy dress (seen in the Tampa pictures) stayed on for less than ten minutes - there was a play area that required her immediate participation, so we threw on some 'ol stomp-and-romp and had at it...

Details and more images later.

First trip to the dentist!

2007-02-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

THEY took pictures, too! :D Mo (and Mama) on the wall with all the other "first-timers".

GUMS = healthy. Need massage, otherwise dandy.

TEETH = healthy, despite some physical irregularities.

PROBLEM = she has a loose tooth (and inflamed nerve) in front, which should not come out naturally until she's 6...caused either from a fall (danger baby) or from the aggressive oral sucking applied to the right forefinger which has deformed her top alignment (quote, "Messed up"). The finger only goes in when she's tired, but she's done that since day one, judging by her already callused knuckle in China. I have been encouraging her for several months to break the habit, and now I'll have to be more insistent...or else we'll be having nerve surgery or an empty spot where a tooth once was.
I finally got her to eat healthy, crunchy food and whole slices, only to find out now that I need to cut them up to prevent further aggravation. So she can chomp as long as she uses the back teeth, which she's doing pretty well on her own...but pizza and "tough" foods that would pull on the front tooth have to be made easier to eat.

Apple juice is a no-no, even with the very diluted concoction I let her have. Instead she'll have to settle for h2o...maybe some flavored "fizzy water" that she likes so much...milk is fine if we brush as often as we already do (often) and Nana came up with the substitute of V8 (already a favorite) instead of something more sugary. Soda isn't consumed by either Mo or I and candy is literally a special treat, not an every day snack. This has worked in our favor.

Plaque inside her molars was the other concern - instead we've been focusing on her front teeth which hide under her plump top lip, making it difficult to get right up next to the gumline - but I was doing a better job than I thought. No complaints from the dentist there. They showed me a better way to get her lip up and that I need to brush her in a circular motion, not up and down...and we just need to spend some more time in the back. In her grab bag there is a timer which will help me win the argument that we need to brush LONGER. Frequency is not an issue - Mo LOVES to brush her teeth (especially by herself)...but too quickly. So we'll take turns with both of us doing it.

They gave her a tiara (oh boy), plaque rinse (she loves it!), another toothbrush (we have 4?), a stretchy bracelet and ring that she "bought" with a special token right there in the prep area...and they have a wall of child-appropriate video games (Nemo, anyone?) and wooden puzzles to entertain the little ones.

It was cool!

Morgan; the painter.

2007-02-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

Using BLOGGER upload, which isn't the quite the same quality as PHOTOBUCKET...but I wanted to see if it was actually working today. ;)

Yes - she painted these all by herself, this time without any coaching from Mama...
Mo doesn't have much interest in drawing (just a once in a while thing) but there is no doubt she's in to paint and brushes.

Happy New Year!

2007-02-18T15:50:00.000-05:00

Quick pics from the Great Wall Adoptions New Year celebration in Tampa

2007-02-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

Mo singing "Happy Birthday" with a little help...

2007-02-09T13:59:00.000-05:00

2007-02-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

Some crazy, sideways disco dancing at Disney - Mo style!

2007-02-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

The SWAY and HOP:

A little old-school break-dancing, then an Alternative swirl...

Watch out...(no moshing at Disney, Mo...)

Yep...I see dance classes in our future!

Disney and Sea World (Mo's 3rd birthday / January 28th)

2007-02-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

THE DISNEY HOTEL

Morgan's absolute favorite; TOY STORY! She adores Woody and Jessie...we watch TS 1 and 2 almost every day...
Chaz reporting:
We stayed at the Disney "All-Star Movies" Resort. I haven't stayed at Disney itself since I was a kid and doing it on my parents' dime; they ran a special for Florida residents, $64 a night, how could we pass it up? We ended up in one of the "Mighty Ducks" buildings, not by choice, but what're ya gonna do?

The last day we were in town, we headed over to the "Toy Story" buildings so Mo could see Woody and the gang. She was in hog heaven.

Here we are sitting on, not in, RC Car. It had rained the night before and there was still some ook in the bottom of the seat...Mo, being the proper little lady that she is, would have none of it. Solution: sit on top, while Dada hangs on so she doesn't slide down the slippery sides.

Morgan, contemplating the reality of a 3-story tall Buzz Lightyear.

Disney (Pirate and Princess party)

In the morning we went to EPCOT, and of course our first stop was the big aquarium with the new Nemo ride. My company USED to sponsor this thing, but quit a few years back. We USED to be able to skip the lines, go in a back door, have some OJ, and get in before anyone else. Those days are gone, and I'm just a snack for Bruce.

"Remember: fish are friends, not food."

We ate lunch in "Mexico", to the great delight of the gathered seagulls and ibises. A few just sat right by our table the whole time and wouldn't go away. I was basically happy with this arrangement as long as they didn't poop on our table.

It was rather humorous (and I'll refrain from commenting on the social implications), our little dark-eyed pirate girl in the midst of all the fair-haired princesses. SHE STOLE ALL THEIR CANDY LOL. Not really, but she did enjoy dancing at the little disco they had going on in "Ariel's Court"...it is night time now, and we have moved from EPCOT into the Magic Kingdom for their "Pirates and Princesses" party. Mama and Mo had their pirate hats on, I got to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (which was closed when we were in Disney last year - had to incorporate Johnny Depp into the ride in a ew places, I guess). On the whole, Mo enjoyed the party...except for the fireworks. They did an "extra-special-good" job on the fireworks, which ordinarily would have meant it was pretty spectacular. But since Morgan HATES fireworks (too loud for her, unless far away), it meant they were going off from literally EVERY corner of the park, we couldn't get away, and Mo got upset and demanded we leave. Oh well, lesson learned...no fireworks for Mo unless we have a good escape.

Look at the camera, sweet pea...

Uhm, look at the camera, sweet pea?

OK, never mind...

I just remembered Morgan's pirate head spinning light thingy (she's holding it in her right hand). We saw these for the first time in China (non-skull version) and dubbed them "baby-crack balls" for the hypnotic effect they had on literally every kid who saw them. This is Morgan's 3rd...the lady at the pirate plaza we bought it from told us we could return it if she "got it out in the dark and was too scared of it." Obviously, she didn't know our little pirate girl!

I didn't have to dress like a pirate..I AM a pirate!

SEA WORLD

If it's Saturday, it must be Sea World. No matter where we go, mountains, theme park, wherever, if Mo sees a playground or sandbox that's all she wants to do.

Another proud Dada moment...Mo and I make=ing her very first smooshed penny. There would be many more that weekend (plus a few others before this she didn't know about yet). It probably says something about our society that we can not only afford to destroy money, but will pay money for the privilege of doing so...not all bad, either.

Morgan LOVED the dolphins...we were able to get close, but none ever got close enough to touch. She was squealing and laughing the whole time...until I had to shift her a little (got tired holding her for such a long time) and she thought I was going to throw her into the water. Oops. Later, we got to go under the pool to a viewing area where you can see the dolphins underwater...she liked that, too.

This little piggy was out in front of a barbecue shack in Sea World. They played dirty..the sweet smell of bbq permeated the whole park, and got stronger the closer you got. I found myself wondering whether they had any barbecued tofu...

I don't think Trish planned on me posting this one...

Downtown Orlando (James and Jessica)

On Sunday, before heading home, we stopped of in Downtown Orlando to visit with our friends James and Jessica. We had brunch, and let Morgan play for a while at Lake Eola park. She liked it there (and at the nearby playground, of course), and I think James and Jessica enjoyed seeing her for an afternoon.

Mo and Grace (a new friend) :)

2007-02-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

January 28th - Morgan's 3rd birthday.

2007-01-24T17:44:00.000-05:00

FYI

We'll be taking a looong weekend in Orlando so that Mo can have her first experience at Sea World (she loves sea creatures) and another go at Disney - some sort of PIRATE something or other that we'll be part of...

I think this will be a memorable birthday celebration! :)

More My Gym Antics!

2007-01-24T17:11:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Y7uhT1v3Q

Leaps and bounds! January marks a turning point!

2007-01-18T02:26:00.000-05:00

Things are happening quickly around here! Not only is Mo now all-about using the potty, but insisted on trying for #2 in the toilet using her padded seat. Didn't happen, but I think tomorrow...oh, make that today, will be the BIG day.

Her language skills are steadily improving and she has real conversations with us...I can't tell you how cool this is!

She was the most interactive and ambitious I have ever seen today at My Gym, wanted to do everything AND with the instructors - was not running back to me to assist her as she previously did.
She has finally reached a comfort level and understands that she can do this with someone else just as well! I even had the opportunity to fill out an enrollment form away from the activities while she practiced her exercises with "Miss. Lauren" and "Miss. Lee". Mo looked around, saw that I was doing something other than sitting there behind her and decided that was alright - she kept with the group and did not complain!

A few weeks ago marked my first trip alone outside this house (for more than 10 minutes in the middle of the night) since April 2005!
And I can report that Mo handled it very well. She had her own date with Daddy, running errands, running around a playground and eating noodles!
Father and daughter dropped me off where I hooked up with some old girlfriends and went on a historic home tour (one of my interests), walked around the neighborhood for a few hours, grabbed a bite to eat (you know sake, I know sake!) and then Chaz and Mo came to retrieve me from the restaurant.
So, maybe 4 hours total? That's better than I expected!

When's the next tour!?

And finally...I cut Morgan's hair tonight. I was so happy to see it grow longer, but the length of it was in rough shape - still a great deal of frazzled 'baby' hair that tangled in to difficult knots within minutes of being brushed.
So I talked to her about it (she loves being attended to) and then sat her down. I didn't plan to cut it as short as it got, but Mo isn't as able to sit still as she professes to be...heh. We had a few 'oops' to even out. ;)
Considering the fact that I am NOT a hairdresser, it turned out well enough. She likes it because she can swish her hair around from side-to-side...something I myself do when my hair is that short. So now we'll let it grow out because I'm not sure I can try cutting it this short again...that was pushing it.

QUICK UPDATE, almost three and moving on, moving on!

2007-01-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

Mo has officially used her potty today. No little tinkle, nope - this was the real deal!

She's been trying all this time, on both the toilet and her potty, but even with the desire she just couldn't sit there long enough (methinks stage fright)...I had finally discovered that handing her a rigid coloring book and some crayons bought several more minutes of waiting, but even that got old.
So we bought some soft baby blue quick dry nail polish and I painted her toes as a reward for trying so hard today (she was determined) while she sat there...she knew she had to stay put and wait for that to dry...

still, nothing.

We decided to give it a break and have some soup.

Ahhh, soup. Let's hear it for the soup!

She sat down for lunch wearing only her Curious George undies, started to eat and it was but a minute before she told me she had to go use the bathroom.
She sat down again and within another minute had filled the pot.
The look on her face - this is the first time she's heard more than a sprinkle hit the potty bowl - this was running water! :D

I'm having a Mommy moment.

She can form an O when attempting to write...so far everything else is just a scribble, but the O looks like an O.

'Recites the alphabet entirely (has trouble sounding V and F) and will count to 10 on her own, to 30 if so inclined (takes me counting along with her)...we've gone higher but she doesn't have it down yet. I figure that's pushing it so she'll do it when she's ready.

What a big girl I have!

(later that day...)

UPDATE on the update!

3 times! She used the potty THREE times; just a matter of fact, "Hey, gotta go!" and then she does!

Go Fly A Kite!

2007-01-12T00:47:00.000-05:00

Chaz reporting:

This past weekend, I went out for a little hike Sunday morning. I promised Morgan I'd take her to the park when I got back in the afternoon...she loves to go to the playground! By the time I got home she and Trish were taking a nap...I took one too. It was dark by the time we all woke up. No park :-(

We have been talking to her about kites - she sees them on TV and wants to go fly one. Tuesday morning while walking into work from my car, I was thinking about the natural area by the beach I spent some time in this past Sunday, and how much fun it would be for all of us to go there. I noticed it was really windy and thought, "Hmmmm...good kite-flying weather." I decided then and there I was going to take the afternoon off, come home and get Morgan, and take her to the beach to fly a kite for her first time...

To say she loved it would be an understatement! She was so happy holding the string and flying the little kite we sent up first (you can see a bigger kite on the ground by her in the 2nd picture...the wind was so strong she couldn't hold onto that one). It wasa a pretty good way to spend the afternoon!

Media bias and professional yet uneducated 'experts'.

2007-01-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

http://forums.adoption.com/china-adoption/281141-paula-zahn-transcript-2.html

Every year, Americans adopt thousands of unwanted babies from China. Now the Chinese are tightening some of their rules. Are they discriminating against people who are too poor, or not attractive enough, or weigh too much? We're bringing this "Out in the Open" next.

Then: the scientific evidence that may finally prove who is smarter, men or women.

What do you think, guys?

Oh, look, they're silent. They're not weighing in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: So how would you feel if someone told you you couldn't adopt a baby because you're not thin enough, not rich enough, nor attractive enough? We're bringing this story out in the open tonight because that's exactly what's about to happen when Americans try to adopt children from China, and some people say that is downright discriminatory. China is the most popular country Americans go to for foreign adoptions. Last year, nearly 6,500 Chinese children found parents right here in the U.S. John Vause is in Beijing tonight and he joins me live. So, John, what are some of these restrictions that are about to be put in place that we need to be aware of?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, the Chinese government says these new measures are all about finding better homes for Chinese orphans, so as of this coming May, all foreigners, not just Americans, but anyone from overseas wanting to adopt a Chinese orphan must meet some of these following criteria.

They must not be morbidly obese, in other words, a body mass index of over 40, they must not have facial deformities, they must not take antidepressants.

On the other side of the equation, they must have a net worth of $80,000 or more. They must earn over $30,000 a year. They must also be, this is one of the biggest changes, they also must be a man and a woman who have, in fact, been married for at least two years, aged between 30 and 50. So in other words, no singles.

In the past, China was one of the few countries in the world who would allow singles to adopt kids. They've never allowed gay adoption but they have allowed singles in limited numbers to adopt kids but it seems that will be changing as well, Paula.

ZAHN: So what is the Chinese government officially saying about this, and why they want to institute these changes?

VAUSE: Well, the Chinese government is making no apologies for the new criteria. An official that we spoke to Friday told us in part, Quote, "Our job is to help the homeless children find warm families, rather than just children for childless families."

At the same time we're insisting there's been no change to the actual adoption policy. They're just introducing a preference system, because quite simply, there are so many foreigners who want to come here that they just outnumber the orphans who are available for adoption, and there are lengthy waiting periods for foreigners wanting Chinese kids. They can wait for a year, in many cases sometimes more, Paula.

ZAHN: John Vause, thanks so much for the update.

Joining me now, an attorney Sondra Solovay, an author of "Tipping the Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight-Based Discrimination." She also has a new book coming out later this year. Welcome back.

Some of these rules, I think, are a little bit easier for us to swallow than others. I think some people think it's probably pretty justified that prospective parents have enough money to care for a children, but what about weight restrictions, what about facial deformities, and how that could compromise someone's ability to adopt?

SONDRA SOLOVAY, AUTHOR, "TIPPING THE SCALES OF JUSTICE": These restrictions are definitely troubling. I certainly empathize with the difficult decision of figuring out which adoptive family is going to be the best for a child and the children we're most concerned about. But you simply can't tell by looking at someone if they're going to be a good adoptive parent. We don't have to rent "Mommy Dearest" to remember that a pretty face doesn't mean a pretty family.

And certainly you can't tell the amount of love a parent has in their heart by looking at the number on their bathroom scale.

ZAHN: But on the flipside of all this, doesn't china have the right to create whatever rules it wants to, no matter how unpalatable some of them might seem?

SOLOVAY: Sure, they have the right, they have the obligation to do what they think is best to look out for their children. That's absolutely true. It's an interesting point as well, because some of these agencies that are in the U.S. are going to be in quite a predicament, caught between two different rules, rules in the United States prohibiting them from discriminating based on disability, based on weight, based on marital status and the restrictions that China imposed so it's difficult for the agencies, too, but I think we need to bring our attention back to the children and the idea is to find the children the best, most loving homes they can, and those homes don't come in a particular weight limit or a particular size.

In fact, we have this idea, I suppose, of a traditional home. But when children come from China to the U.S., many will be placed in homes that are going to be mixed race or mixed ethnicity anyway. These aren't traditional homes and it's the diversity in the U.S. that makes those families understand that they have the same rights as any other family.

ZAHN: How many angry calls are you taking from prospective parents out there about these new regulations?

SOLOVAY: I expect my office is going to be absolutely flooded with calls not only from parents, but from the agencies themselves, wondering about their rights and responsibilities. For example, in San Francisco, you can't discriminate based on weight, so an agency in San Francisco is going to have a difficult time walking that line.

ZAHN: Well, Sondra Solovay, we're going to leave that there and get more reaction now. Thank you for your time. From our panel.

SOLOVAY: Thank you.

ZAHN: One more time. Cenk Uygur, Roland Martin, Solangel Maldonado.

Obviously the Chinese government is making it clear it wants to be more selective will prospective parents, it wants to place these children in the best family environment it can. Isn't that justified?

MALDONADO: Absolutely. I think we all know that China is a sovereign country. It has the right to place whatever restrictions on foreigners who are seeking to adopt their children that it wants. And adoption is really about supply and demand, and the reality is that there are many more Americans, many more Westerners seeking to adopt children from China than there are children available so the Chinese government can decide to do whatever it wants.

MARTIN: OK, why? What's the big deal with Chinese children? Enlighten me, please, help me out.

ZAHN: You understand this better than anybody. Why don't we see more Americans adopting black foster children?

MARTIN: That's my point. What's the big deal with Chinese children? Why the infatuation?

ZAHN: You think it's something with the color of their skin? Is that what you're driving at?

MARTIN: Maybe they think they can adopt a smart kid that is going to grow up to be a doctor? I don't know. They need to realize that's called training, not just inherent, it will happen when they're born.

Angel, help me out.

MALDONADO: Absolutely. This is something I've been looking into for a long time. Americans have this love affair with girls from China. There is this belief, this perception, irrational as it might be that if you adopt a little girl from China, she's going to be intelligent, she's going to be more lovable.

MARTIN: Like the porcelain doll.

MALDONADO: We definitely see that idea of the beautiful Chinese little girl, as compared to do, they really want to adopt a black boy.

ZAHN: What difference does it make if the prospective parent has a facial deformity and the prospective parent weighs 70 more pounds than the scale says they should weigh.

UYGUR: I love the idea of them weighing people. All right. So you know, first of all, okay, so gay parents are out. That's a clear rule, but then also Dennis Hastert's out because he's way too fat. They put him on the scale, sorry. But I'd probably be out.

I don't know, maybe I'd have to go on an exercise regimen, to do the body mass indexes they pinch you in all of these different places.

ZAHN: You can fake it, suck it in.

UYGUR: Not me.

MARTIN: Paula, you raise the question - China, first of all, they do have the right to do it, but the flipside is what is the infatuation by Americans and other foreigners when it comes to adopting Chinese children? That is a real issue there, and why do we avoid other children and not just -- children who are here in America, who are looking for homes, and who just like Chinese orphans want a nice place to live.

ZAHN: But realistically, how are you ever going to change that bias?

UYGUR: I think a lot of people are looking for Muslim children these days.

ZAHN: Yeah, right.

UYGUR: Because we started the Iraq war and there's so many orphans. I'm sure they're getting a lot of Iraqi children, right? No, of course, they think it's cute and they're smart and it's really dumb, actually, of course. Roland's right, it's all in the training and it's a shame because all over the world there's other kids that need to be adopted especially in Africa, but for once, the celebrities are doing the right thing there trying to foster that.

MARTIN: Call the queen of Africa, Angelina Jolie. She can hook you up.

MALDONADO: I think what we need to do is we need to break down some of the misconceptions. For example, people believe if they're adopting a child from China, the child is going to be healthier than a child they adopt in the United States and that is just not true. Even if the child is born ...

ZAHN: It defies logic. The quality of the medical care many of these kids have suffered through the first several months of life.

MARTIN: What also ignores logic is that China is having an explosion when it comes to obesity as well so maybe they should start their own million pound challenge like we started in Chicago to deal with Chinese folks who don't want to have overweight kids.

ZAHN: What are some of the other assumptions you think people in America make about the native intelligence of children based on whether you're Hispanic - We had a guest on the other night when you were with us suggesting that Hispanic parents don't take education as seriously as some other sets of our population. There's a very complicated picture here.

UYGUR: And America is changing and some of the assumptions are going to change because of that. What really happens isn't of course that Asians are smarter. Immigrant families foster a culture where they work hard and emphasize education so Jewish families went through that, Asian families went through that. But now Eastern European families are coming and doing the same thing and African families are coming and doing the same thing. So I can't wait for 10, 20 years down the line, everybody's like I've got to have an African child. Because they're all geniuses.

MARTIN: Remember, those are learned traits that you learn based upon how you have been raised.

UYGUR: Of course.

MARTIN: You are simply not born, hey that, kid will have a great work ethic because they were born to an immigrant family. It simply doesn't work that way because you got some lazy immigrant families. What do you think the assumptions Americans make about kids of Asian descent even here in America, they'll work hard, they'll own their store someday.

UYGUR: They'll be brilliant.

ZAHN: All right. Hispanic ...

MALDONADO: Well the idea about Hispanic kids, it's sort of mixed. I think the stereotypes about Hispanic kids are both positive and negative. They believe that Hispanic kids are likely to work harder than black kids, but they also believe that they're not going to be as intelligent as Asian kids.

ZAHN: Muslim kids.

UYGUR: They're going to grow up to be violent.

Who is adopting a Muslim kid? Has anyone adopted a Muslim kid in the last 20 years in America?

MARTIN: You've got somebody sitting there saying, keep the Muslim kid out of chemistry class. Keep them away.

ZAHN: How about black kids?

Do you think the average American out there makes the assumption they'll be lazy and never make it through high school?

MARTIN: I think they probably assume they're going to sing for them like Jay Z and play like in the NBC.

ZAHN: Anybody would love to have Jay Z's career.

MARTIN: I'd rather have Bob Johnson's. He's a billionaire and Jay Z isn't.

ZAHN: Thank you, Roland Martin, Solangel Maldonado. Thank you, all. Appreciate your time.

So on to another controversial question, who is smarter? Men or women? Coming up next, new scientific evidence that may leave you asking if you're as smart as you thought or just intolerant. We'll be right back.

I also belong to a private Chinese adoption forum, and I must give credit to the CC of letters the members have written articulately admonishing the previous episode.

The transcript, even without having viewed the actual airing, shows me just how 'sensational' and ridiculous the program was...I dare say these folks are as shallow as they claim we adoptive parents tend to be.

RE Paula Zahn Now Panel on China Adoption:

Here is an unexpected development: I received a call from a
producer at the Paula Zahn Show last night. She was very contrite, noted that they
had received MANY comments from adoptive parents expressing their anger
and disappointment at Friday's panel. The producer asked many questions
to be sure they understood our community's views.
She informed me that they had decided to run a new panel on China
adoption "to redress the issue." - which will air tonight. (Paula Zahn Now AIRS: 8-9 p.m. ET on CNN)

We understand that they have invited new speakers, including someone
from the Great Wall Adoption Agency, the president of the Organization of
Chinese Americans (a national group with which FCC is forging ties), a
Chinese journalist, and someone from FCC or another adoptive families
organization.

Thank you to all of you who sent such articulate feedback to CNN
over the weekend. You were heard!
- David Youtz
President, FCCNY

I have heard a great many idiotic opinion about international adoption, all of which can be quelled with a healthy dose of education citing the real complexities of domestic adoption from either a birth mother or foster system VS China or another available program.
I understand that at face value it seems like some of these opinions might have some merit - the average citizen (no matter how enlightened he might seem) does not have the experience of a responsible parent researching all manner of adoption prior to making a commitment...
and the BUY U.S.A. approach to building a family is ignorant of the great monetary and emotional hurdles involved. Things are not as they appear.

We had some solid reasons for adopting from China and not one of them had to do with a factor of "intelligence" or "cuteness".

I wanted a young child - as young as I could possibly manage. The baby I could not myself produce.
Years of infertility, miscarriages and emotional distress had taken the option of birthing my own in any way off the table.

Why China? Really:

I wanted an established venue, one that was above-board, trust-worthy and involved what we considered reasonable risks.

We needed to know that the financial responsibility was regulated and that monies paid were directly applied to the process so that we could be prepared and not left broke and broken from a failed domestic adoption. We are not rich. We do not have a disposable income. We could not afford WHIM.

We wanted to have a better chance of adopting a child without fetal alcohol syndrome or complications from a drug-addicted mother. Having no other children, I did not know if I was made of the muster required for a special needs child. I'm not trying to sell myself short - that is straight-up. I did not know my own ability. I did not want to sign with such a broad stroke. Now I know my limits, how far I can be pushed and still function and have further explored the reality of SN so that if we were to adopt again we could choose this as a possibility.

I honestly feared the real possibility of a domestic adoption going bad; being reneged, disrupted or facing the difficulties of an open adoption having two active mothers raising the same child. That to me always seemed to be a quasi-foster situation where the adoptive parent accepts entirely the legal, financial burden, but...

And the one, genuinely selfish reason? I had always dreamed of a little girl; that I would have a daughter. I could not by my own function. Time had chastised me for my delay. To know that there was a young girl in China that no longer had a mother...I'll tell you that this was the ONLY romantic part of the entire adoption process.

I dearly love this little girl.

My Gym videos - Mo having a blast!

2007-01-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

Used our digital camera to capture the moment in movement. That lighting is always a challenge - not the greatest quality but good enough to share!

2007-01-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

We've been busy keeping busy and I only have a few minutes now because Mo is messing around with the TV remote again while announcing, "That's kinda weird!?"...

'Xmas 2006' by Morgan Lela Qian (not yet three years old) with some additional holiday disco for Nana purposes, by Mama. If it were for me, I'da left it as simply abstract (see further below), being rather floored by what the kid did left to her own devices. (Mo's getting good at this painting thing...)

Chaz comments in italics: yup...the girl can paint! Gonna be an artist like her Mama!

We had a wonderful holiday and Mo enjoyed visiting friends and family. This year she decided Santa was alright because he "brings presents" but not cool enough to sit with. That's OK; I'm not in to traumatizing my kid. The fuzzy old man in the funny suit can wait...

She found a Vtec laptop 'computer' and an activity easel come Xmas morn, and despite the other hopefuls these were the biggest thrills we managed to show her.
Then it was time for Nana and Pappa, and they gave her a handmade wooden Victorian style doll-baby cradle and bedding that my father fashioned himself. 'Beautiful' doesn't quite cover it and Mo was permanently right aside that once she discovered it.

Oh boy - big THUMP and crash coming from the nursery, so this has to be REAL SHORT!

Pictures now, unedited and a few out-of-order...more words later.

Happy New Year, everyone!

The holiday portraits marking our time together:

2005; so tired I couldn't see straight, Mo weeping and wiggling...

We never did send out last year's cards. D'oh! Mo was very tired and crabby that morning, and in no mood to have her picture taken. I think she still managed to look quite dignified! She is holding Monkey, which is sooo last year. Nowadays it's all about Turtle.

2006: a bit better? ;)

Turtle is right there, just off-camera. Shiny happy people, the trick this year was to get Trish to look at the camera instead of looking at Mo. I, on the other hand, look like some sort of Frankenstein version of a "normal person." My glasses do NOT help me look any more dignified...but my grey beard just might...

And you'll notice the backdrop in this picture is the exact same one as in our 2005 family portrait above. Love that Wal-Mart photo studio magic!

The Addams Family Next Door LOL

Jupiter (Our house)

When I stuck the "For Morgan" message up on the board it was all uneven and messed up. Mo straightened those letters right out! Maybe her handwriting will be nicer than her parents'...we can hope anyway.

PGA (Grandpa Jim and Great Aunt Linda)

Mo stormed into Dad's place like a whirlwind, and in no time was running around the kitchen, turning flips in the living room, and being her usual high-energy self. On the other hand, that's me almost off-camera on the left...or my knees anyway, sitting still and nursing a cracked rib or two (skateboarding incident earlier that day). Sitting between Mo and myself is my Aunt Linda, my favorite aunt growing up. Side note: Dad and Linda's Aunt Edie (my great aunt), real name Lela, is where one of Morgan's middle names comes from. Later that night Dad handed over a copy of the family eggnog recipe. I felt like a made guy in the mob :-) .

Wellington (Nana and Pappa) Silly Sanderson pictures

COOKIE!!!

Can you say "Cheese"??? Sure, I knew you could.

Eek! Who gave her chocolate?

Mo's artwork pre-disco...

Jupiter (Aunt Sofi, Uncle Jim and the girls)

Mo loves visiting her cousins...and they are all so nice to her! Always fun...

Ham..she'll be helping make dinner in no time...

This has to be my new all-time favorite picture of me...

It was a very, very good Christmas this year. Having a kid changes everything...in a good way...

More images...

2006-12-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

An attempt to capture an Xmas shot for Nana, which, well...didn't quite happen. But the images do convey the Morgan we know and love. :)

We went...camping? OK, not camping - CABINING...this past w/e. Some big GeoCache to-do that Chaz wanted to be part of, so we three rented a cabin in the middle of Johnathan Dickenson State Park and rummaged around for two days. Mo enjoyed it well enough - next time we'll try the mountains!

Some pictures I took today at her My Gym Terrific Toddler class...she varies week-to-week, but this day she was ON and fully loaded! The little blonde girl with her is Emma; seemingly advanced for her age and someone Mo pays close attention to. They usually get along pretty well. :)

Some not-so-quick Thanksgiving images...

2006-11-30T00:37:00.000-05:00

We're in between our old MSN 56k dial-up subscription and hooking up the new BellSouth broadband (or whatever it is we'll soon have) and am currently connecting at...31.2 kbps...which makes any online task almost unbearable.

In the meantime, a few images to bring us up to date:

Warranty Service, Yummy Burritos, and South Florida Sunsets..

2006-11-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

Chaz reporting:

Not too long ago our beloved Canon S-230 point-n-shoot camera died on us. It was a 3 megapixel model, a few years old, took compact flash cards, and was the camera we took with us to China. It was a sad day, but the new Minolta digital SLR we have been shooting with for the last few months eased the pain. We didn't really want to have to pay for a new point-n-shoot, but we didn't really want to do without either. So, I looked into service options.

I looked on the Canon website for service centers, but something else caught my eye...there was a service bulletin issued that said they would fix the camera for free, regardless of warranty status, if the imager failed. That seemed to be what was plaguing us, so I called 'em up, sent it in, and waited. Actually, we went on vacation ;-) . Long story short, when we got back we found not our old camera fixed, but a replacement waiting for us...a newer camera (SD450) with higher resolution (5 megapixel), smaller (like fit-in-you-pocket-and-take-everywhere small). Only issue was it took SD cards instead of compact flash...but new memory cards have gotten so cheap it really wasn't an issue. Nice.

The shakedown cruise was spent riding in my pocket last weekend while we ran around and did the errand thing. First stop was Target for Halloween candy and to look for a costume for Mo. Go on the candy, no-go on the costume, but we did get some seasonal Jones Sodas as a bonus: Creepy Cranberry (yummy, reminded me of the cranberry-and-ginger ales I used to get in my non-drinking days, would be good mixed with vodka or even champagne), Lemon Drop Dead (I liked it, Trish didn't...weird tangy-tart-sweet finish, would be good with vodka), and some tiny cans of Candy Corn soda (knew it would be punishment, had to try it anyway, I couldn't drink it, oddly Trish liked them).

Next stop was the new Chipotle for dinner. For those who do not know, it is a minimalistic burrito and taco chain that specializes in simple, fresh food. A lot of it is organic (or at least no antibiotics, no hormones), most all of it is made fresh daily (or even several times a day), and it is YUMMY. Oddly enough, the chain is owned by McDonalds, but seems to emrace and personify everything McD's is not. Those of you who know Chipotle, well, you know what I am talking about (I personally think they put crack in the burritos to keep us coming back). Anyway, we all love their food; here's a shot of Morgan eating some beans and rice (burrito minus the wrapper)...

She ate the whole thing.

Next up was a trip to Wal-Mart where we did get some costume stuff for Mo. On the way in I stopped to appreciate the sunset for a few moments. Now, I learned something many years ago while working on a movie with a California crew. They wanted to get a scene shot with the sunset and kept oohing and ahhing over how nice it was, and how nowhere else had sunsets like Florida. I had never really noticed until that day, but have always taken the time to notice since. There is much to dislike about living in South Florida, but the sunsets are beautiful, and some days just spectacular. This one was pretty darn good...

Trish decided we needed to hold Morgan up against the sky, right there in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and snap a few more. Here they are...

There is beauty all over the place, even in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Sometimes you just have to stop and notice it.

An early bewitching

2006-10-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

The costume a bit make-shift...not caring for the pre-packaged variety we found, am instead using a boy's 'monk' chemise, the only dunce we could find close enough to fit and a crocheted capelet purchased previously for other purposes. Mo is even cackling...tomorrow night should be great fun!

My bizarre Jack O'Lantern...not my best work, but it's been 20 years since I last cut a gourd...:I

And 'Ghostie', who has been with us now for almost 10 years, even once or twice surviving the earliest hurricane winds before Mama could bring'er in.

Some Vacation Pictures

2006-10-16T17:39:00.000-04:00

If this is Tuesday, it must be Greenville...

Pics postings by Trish, commentary by Chaz...

We started with a few days in Augusta, GA, visiting an old friend and his family, ate some yummy food, had some movie work to do. Then it was off to Greenville, SC and the nearby mountains for a week or so. Had a couple of side trips into NC, once to Hendersonville to pick apples after lunch with former co-worker of Chaz's who has moved to G'ville, and once to Asheville to visit some of Trish's extended family. Spent some quality time hiking in various woods, and visiting old houses Trish had looked up online. Wound down with a trip through the mountains of northern GA (overnight in the tacky tourist mecca of Helen), with a few days in Atlanta to visit Chaz's old stomping grounds and a few friends before starting the long trip home.

Silly Somewhere In Asheville

North Carolina and the very northern areas of South Carolina (Greenville, Traveler's Rest)

Okay, these shots are taken at an overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Pisgah National Forest, in the shadow of Mt. Pisgah (it's over Trish's shoulder in one of the pics), and just south of Asheville. The day we went up to Asheville wasn't the coldest day we had, but once you got up to the level of the parkway (around 4000+ ft) it got pretty chilly (hence the jackets and sweaters). Morgan got to see and destroy her very first dandelion here...you might be able to see what's left of it in some of the pictures.

This site is significant in that, in 2003 I think, Trish and I started a hike up Mt. Pisgah from this lot. I don't know how far we got (no GPS at the time) but we eventually had to turn around and head back without getting to the top of the mountain since it was getting dark (no, really...well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it). It's hardly mountaineering, but it's not the easiest climb either (I slipped and fell once on the '03 climb, lots of spots walking right close to pretty scary drop-offs) so we didn't want to attempt it with a 2-year-old in tow. We will be back...someday...I *OWE* that mountain a climb.

Morgan, clutching Turtle and eyeing a pigeon that spent far too much time on the ground and in harm's way (you can tell when Mo is getting the devil in her when her bottom jaw starts to jut out). She chased the pigeon around mercilessly while we tried to keep her out of the street. Downtown Asheville.

Morgan hopping and hamming around with her cousin John...first time they met and they got along famously. Asheville.

John checks his phone, oblivious to the suffering Elmo is forced to endure at the hands of an NC hillbilly...

:D John surprised us by having his mother join us...Morgan's ex-Aunt-in-law Ann (or something like that...Trish's brother's ex-wife). Ann was kind enough to perform our wedding ceremony for us 7 years ago Tuesday. Downtown Asheville.

Elmo's Indignities...I don't think he's very tickled by this.

Shhh...don't tell anyone but here we all are waiting for Trish to finish changing Mo's poopy diaper...

At Granddad's Apples in Hendersonville...contrary to the dour look on her face Mo *REALLY* enjoyed the pumpkin patch...she just didn't want to sit still for pictures. She also liked the goats and llama, and we all enjoyed some yummy apple cider that day (I had 2 cups!). You could pick your own apples, but after playing there a while Mo was starting to get restless, so we just picked some out of the bins in the store rather than off the trees. They were some of the best apples I have ever had in my life, no kidding. Sometimes it is the simple pleasures that are the best...

It was slightly cool out the day we drove northwest from Greenville and ended up at Table Rock State Park in the NW corner of SC (after a wrong turn that took us up Caesar's Head Mountain on US 276...fun drive!). Absolutely beautiful park and mountains...you can see the Table Rock peak behind Mo before we hiked a spell. At 3600 ft. it is relatively small compared to its neighbors in NC, but still pretty impressive to this FL boy. The hike to the top of Table Rock is another one I have added to my list of "To Do's"...someday...

And here is Mo somewhere along the trail leading up to Table Rock...she has the devil look going on so she must have just been splashing around in the stream right behind her.

The first day we pulled into Greenville and deposited our stuff at the hotel, we noticed a small mountain right nearby and decided we needed to get to the top of it ASAP. A short drive later we found ourselves at Paris Mountain State Park where we took off for a short hike along a mountain stream, and later sat by a lake for a spell. Now and then you could see spots where the leaves were starting to change...

Atlanta

When I heard the Atlanta Zoo had pandas I knew we would have to stop by there on our trip. I wanted Morgan to get the chance to see these beautiful ambassadors from her homeland...it's not every day you get the opportunity. She was delighted as you can see from the picture! I think what really made it for her was the glass walls allowed the panda to be right there, literally an inch or so away, leaning on the glass and munching on bamboo. So there sat, presumably, Yang Yang the male (the female Lun Lun gave birth to a cub not long agao and spends most of her time caring for it, so I would be surprised if this was Lun Lun). The first words out of Morgan's mouth as she ran up to the window to see the panda was, "We get?" I guess she thought we could take one home with us. Trish wanted me to add that Morgan only got to see the panda for a little bit since she wouldn't stop smacking the glass trying to get his attention!

And here's Morgan and Trish with some filthy goats. Mo acts all bad around animals, like she is the little tough-girl and all, but once she got in the pen with them this is as close as she would get to the goats. Just as well, they'd have probably tried to eat her shoe or hat or something.

And some mayhem on the slide at the zoo's playground, with some new friends:

Augusta

Grooving on the tall poofy grass in front of our hotel and blowing bubbles at the park...

And here is Morgan with her new friend Madeline entertaining her. In the middle pic you can see this crazy hoppity rabbit bouncy thing Madeline had...and it made crazy springy "boing-boing" sounds when she bounced on it.

Was a great trip, a nice vacation, a good chance for Morgan to see her first mountains, and a welcome opportunity for us all to relax and shed the stress of everyday life. When's the next one?

Yes, an update is forthcoming!

2006-10-13T17:17:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a two week vacation in and around the Carolina mountains and have a great deal of images to sort through and events to recall...soon.

Morgan/mountain/good!

HaPpY fUrRy MoNsTeRs

2006-09-20T18:06:00.001-04:00

Boynton Mall play area and Nana's house.

2006-09-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

Mo learning how to "share" with other kids!

Not as easy as it looks...

Ever the performer:

Thursday was Tutu day. ;)

Tropical Trickle Ernesto

2006-08-31T00:14:00.000-04:00

(Juno Beach, 5pm)

In our ever-growing butterfly garden

2006-08-23T03:27:00.000-04:00

Morikami Taiko Festival

2006-08-16T17:29:00.000-04:00

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1081921/a/Soh+Daiko.htm (see sample collection for an idea of how cool this performance is)

We went down to Boca for the annual festival and were caught unaware of how popular this event had become...the Morikami park and museum is quite lovely and large, but no where near capable of holding as many people as must have been there. HUNDREDS. It was packed and difficult to maneuver the stroller much less walk without constantly running in to someone either stopping, stopped or coming from the other direction. Trying to purchase food from the restaurant required at least a half an hour on line - which started at the bottom of the stairs and slowly crept upward and around...and the heat was sweltering...I had to continually insist that Mo drink more water because she was melting before my eyes.
All that aside, she loved the drums and was very well behaved during the whole time we were there, which was a welcome change from how some of the other ADULTS were acting. HMMMN...

Hot enough for ya!?

Taiko performers

Connor, Dawn and Mo, who decided not to eat her dinner but keep her bib on anyway...

Lake of Fire; lanterns lit to honor ancestors

2006-08-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

2006-08-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

More to come later!

2006-08-07T15:19:00.000-04:00

July update :)

2006-07-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

Mo is progressing steadily and in some cases rather quickly.

She has begun to learn how to swim and I have her practicing to hold her breath for underwater dunks. This will take some time, as she has a better understanding of 'blowing' than 'inhaling'...but she loves the water and paddles as I suspend her in Nana's pool.

She can fully dress herself, although the clothing might be on back-wards and inside out. ;)
She has just mastered buttons and now wants to button and unbutton and button...everything that has a button, no matter the size or difficulty involved.

Her table manners are once again improving (we had a small regression) and she handles an adult sized dinner fork just as well as anyone else...can and some times prefers to drink from a small, lid-free cup.
Drinks from straws without fussing much (previously too much fun).

She LOVES V-8, so we have stocked up on the low sodium blend...if I can't get veggies in her the traditional way...

Her vocabulary is immense although not yet precise. She is counting, singing her ABC's and usually right-on with colors. Tell her something once and she retains the knowledge. I wish I were that sharp.

She tumbles on our exercise mat, peddles her tricycle and has a great dexterity. The trampoline is her favorite 'she's going to kill herself' toy. She still stands on the seat of the tricycle...steady and challenging, she knows she's not supposed to, but grins with a sense of accomplishment every time I catch her.

Is starting to draw more but isn't very interested in learning how to write yet - prefers to "pretend" to do it instead...

Her sleep is still quite often disturbed and I am still a bit weary from it, but she willingly goes to bed on her own - and on most nights I now have Chaz putting her to bed for me. We were both very, very sick two weeks ago for almost two weeks, something bordering on bronchitis...it was the first time that she had been seriously ill since we met (she is very healthy, despite allergies and an aversion to sleep) and I was met with the greatest challenge trying to do the usual 'up every two hours' 24/7 while feeling a bit like death myself. Had us both out of sorts. 'Glad that's over.

She does not yet have the attention span to sit through a whole program of any kind, be it 'My Gym' or the movie 'Emo'...
Speaking of My Gym...she has grown a back bone when it comes to the bullies and I'm glad for it. While I instruct her in kindness and sharing, I don't want to her be a timid little flower waiting to be trampled...and yesterday she made me laugh out-loud. She has mastered the Hoppy-hop thing (large rubber ball with a handle 0 big in the 70's - I remember the Hoppy-Horse commercials) and was bouncing on one of two that they have in the play area...well, she fell off and had hold of it to get back on when some rough-housing boy about her age ran over and forcefully ripped it right from her hands. The look on her face was one of disbelief, and I was rather surprised by it, too...there was another one across the room near where he'd originated from still left unused. She gathered her muster, marched right up to the brat standing a few feet away and tore it back from his grip, mounted and hopped off. I really did laugh - I couldn't help myself. This from the docile little girl who had previously endured several aggressive interactions with the other kids, allowing her self to be screamed at, pushed and shoved, sometimes falling to the ground from force. Where are the parents? In the corner, on the cell phone or muttering to themselves...I was waiting for this boy's mother (or father) to call me out about what Mo did - I would have enjoyed explaining the event that lead up to his being cut down to size.
I don't want Morgan to be a bully (another word in my mind) but I do want her to stand up for her self. She did that just fine.

I have been busy working on a butterfly garden in the side yard (going to encompass the whole section) and she "helps" me when it isn't too hot or muddy...then we sit on the couch by the window and watch as various creatures frolic among the flowers and baths.

I'm sure I've missed some milestones here, but this is all that comes to mind right now.
I have so many pictures to sort through - when I can I will post those here (later).

Special delivery

2006-06-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

Mo has been keeping me quite busy! Being another do-it girl, we are both always looking for something to entertain ourselves...she has begun to display a trait I myself had as a child; this I discovered after finding her Asian baby doll covered in red crayon scribbles. I did inform her that it would be better not to deface her "babies" in such a manner, but truth told, I was amused and excited by her artistic adventure. I don't want to squash her creative impulses, so it will be harder to draw the line here.

Chaz is involved with the local FCC chapter, and one of the members organized and had translated submissions for a group memory book to travel back to the orphanage with a family in the process of adopting. It is hoped that they will be able to deliver the scrapbook directly to the orphanage where Mo came from, otherwise giving it to the Orphanage Director when going over the various medical/progress reports after Gotcha Day.

Being left with little time and no experience in such matters, our page is one of the more subdued (OK, boring) entries. If there is an opportunity to do this again for a later album, I'll remember to doodle a bit here and there and to include some hand-written jots in English on the card stock so that other families who peruse or purchase the keepsake can actually know which family we are! ;)

I have several pictures and stories to post some time soon...but not now - Mo is not much in the mood for me to be on the box, as is the case most days nowadays.

Post-Father's Day Ramble

2006-06-21T01:45:00.000-04:00

Chaz reporting:

This past weekend was nice - we got to celebrate Father's Day both days; Saturday with Trish's folks and Sunday with Chaz' family. Slipped into the middle of it all was a brief visit with our social worker for our final homestudy update. It was nice to spend some time with our families, and Mo seems to appreciate them more every time we see them.

Morgan was in a great mood all weekend, she likes to get out and visit folks and go places. She was even very chatty when Miss Donna (social worker) visited, which is not her usual MO with strangers - she usually clams up for an hour or so then slowly comes out of it, but Saturday she was as talkative as ever from the get-go. It was a nice feeling having the visit with Miss Donna - always a pleasure seeing her but this time augmented by the realization that we have just completed the FINAL PIECE OF MORGAN'S ADOPTION. We have no more obligations whatsoever, the adoption is done, final, etc. I got a BIG smile on my face when I thought of that Saturday afternoon.

Morgan continues to challenge us with her behavior. She's not a bad kid by any stretch, but she is 2 and it shows. Primarily, she is headstrong as all get-out and doesn't want to listen when we tell her things she doesn't want to hear (yeah, I know, what else is new, right?). I am starting to figure out that handling the frustration with humor as best I can helps...not always easy when she really pushes our buttons but I try. On the plus side, she still wants to help us all the time, and she is actually getting to the point where she *can* be helpful with minor household stuff. It's kind of neat to have a pair of willing and becoming-more-capable hands around the house...of course I am wondering if it is appropriate to have her start mowing the lawn now or if I should wait until she turns 3. :-D Yes, I'm kidding.

A strange thing happened at work today...I nodded off in a meeting for a few moments but when I woke up I had been dreaming of China! Now, I will freely admit that while I was there, and for the first weeks after our return I was not always happy to be there, but over time I have come to miss much about our time there (and apparently to forget about having to use bottled water for everything, the lack of personal space, the dirt & pollution...). Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of the pampering we got at the Hotel Dolton in Changsha...I think Morgan's first dinner with us there as well as our daily trips down to the breakfast buffet are some of my happiest memories about the trip. Not that I am all piggy about the food (never got to eat that much, since I was always running around getting stuff for all 3 of us to eat while Trish tended to Morgan's immediate needs), more that it was always a few minutes of very relaxing family time (once the food was gathered) before whatever demands the day would bring. I was looking at some travel information on China online today, I guess that's what set me off when I nodded off briefly. I want to go back, I want to have time to explore the sights, the cities, as well as some of the more remote places to see the "real" China (or more correctly, the "other" China removed from the insane progress in her cities today). And, yes, I would like to have some time to see more of Beijing, to explore Hong Kong, and to see Shanghai. I want to take Morgan back to Hunan, to the hottel we stayed in with her as a baby in Changsha, and to the city where her orphanage is...and even a trip to the orphanage if we can swing it (becoming increasingly more difficult these days, I hear). It will be several years before she is old enough to appreciate any of this, but I wll be ready to go back when the time comes. Now I just gotta start working on Trish....

Yuan Xiao Qian

2006-06-05T16:50:00.000-04:00

(More) recent images

2006-06-05T11:39:00.000-04:00

Moving pictures

2006-05-30T17:18:00.000-04:00

(I shrunk these a bit too much...I'll fix that later. :I)

LOTS of photos

2006-05-30T15:54:00.000-04:00

With LOTS more to come later...Photobucket is having some trouble right now.

Mo with a picture of "baby Mama"...

Celebrating her 1st anniversary with us! :)

Morgan at her best!

Blowin' the Blues

Mao doing crime

Mama and Mo

More music:

And the tepee

Time to catch up a bit...

2006-05-30T03:49:00.000-04:00

I've been a little pre-occupied lately but now find myself WIDE AWAKE (3:47 am) and still suffering from the remains of an unpleasant cold/flu/somthin'.

Morgan is entering a new stage and Chaz and I are a little set back by her moodiness...a few weeks ago, something set her off - scared her, and she's been what I can best describe as manic since then...some days are alright and others are very frustrating. She will appear extremely happy (gleeful, shining) and then fall in to a tearful, wailing dismay. SNAP. I do not yet know what the triggers are, but the weirdest part of this is her new-found fear of things previously familiar to her. What was formerly comfortable is now a threat. There are noises that send her crying toward me and places she is wary to travel. I don't know if this is normal toddler stuff or if something especially quirky is beginning to surface.

When she wakes at night crying, she babbles on about something indiscernible and repeats over and over, "Mama, Mama, Mama..." even if I am right there and holding her.
I continue to sleep on the futon in her room with one eye open and ears alert, listening for her as she tosses around...again, we'll have a night or two where she sleeps well and I am relieved (now if I could only do so well...) but most nights still have some if not several disturbances. Her behavior and the result of it make sticking to a strict schedule difficult...will today be a one nap or two nap day? Some days, she refuses to rest at all no matter how I try to convince her it would be in her best interest. She is very difficult at the end of that day.

Busy weekends carry over some unpleasantness - she becomes agitated from too much stimulation (although this would be 'normal exposure' for most kids) and doesn't easily shake off the energy. Because of this, I have found that 9 am Monday is the wrong day for My Gym...she is too...too...whatever it is, and not in want of participating. That and if she happens to be under the weather from lack of sleep (or visiting a sick pal the day before) it is too early in the day to get it together in time...we had a make-up session on another day at a later time, and she was completely responsive to the change. A much better fit; she was singing, dancing and generally having a great time participating, where-as during the Monday class she doesn't want any part of that circle, just wants to play at her own pace.
We'll be making a scheduling change with the new enrollment...

She continues to grow taller but not wider. She weighs somewhere around 25 pounds and is 33 inches tall...18-24 month pants are still falling off her hips, much too large at the waist. We do better with skirts and dresses.

Toilet training has stalled (no pun intended) because she isn't yet able to determine when she has to go before hand...but she'll sit there and try, so we do.

BLUE is Morgan's favorite color. I'm not sure we thought to mention that before now. We have stocked the house with as much inexpensive blue things as we could without going over-board...so she has her BLUE bowls, BLUE plates, BLUE sippy cup, even BLUE plasticware...she'll agree to another color if BLUE is dirty, but she always asks for BLUE first.

We bought her a nylon tepee as a 'Gotcha Day' gift, which is set up inside the house...she likes it quite a bit and has decided to keep many of her toys and trinkets in there...

We are hoping to be able to travel up to Georgia and the Carolinas next month (fingers crossed) and have a look-see...I have been gently preparing Mo for the move we plan to make sometime this year, telling her about "Real" trees, mountains and SNOW...and reassuring her that Nana and Pappa can come visit. Chaz and I are both in agreement that South Florida is not the most ideal location to raise a child...not the kind of child we wish to raise, anyway. I think it will benefit all three of us greatly to move the family to a more genteel South - something with a view.

I have a whole lotta pictures to post, but since I think I am running a fever (that or menopause is kicking in - yep, minor hot flashes for a while now...) I think I'd better try to get some sleep...

It Was One Year Ago Today...

2006-05-17T01:15:00.000-04:00

Chaz reporting (cross-post from a post in another forum):

...That Trish and I, and ten other families, climbed the 3 flights of stairs in the dirty staircase in a government office building somewhere in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. The power was out, but we emerged into a sunlit room full of chatting nannies and 11 babies standing, toddling around, or just being held by their nanny. Without hesitation and without even seeing her face yet, I knew this little girl holding herself up by the edge of a table was our daughter, and snapped my first picture of her...

Each family had a number, 1 through 11, and we were called up in order to receive our babies. We were family 9 of 11 so we had a bit of a wait. I didn't remember much about the actual moment we got her other than that she didn't cry, until we finally watched the videos many months later. In retrospect we just quietly held her, held each other, and cooed over the sweet little baby we now had in our arms, who quietly patted her new Mama on the back. Here is Yuan Xiao Qian moments after she got her own family and became Morgan Lela Qian:

She was dehydrated, had an ear infection, and was pretty calm and nonresponsive. She drank 2 full bottle of water on the spot.

When we got her back to our hotel she took the cookies we gave her and munched quietly away at them while tentatively exploring a set of stacking cups. Within an hour or two she had spoken her first word of English to us, softly whispering "duck" back to us as we kept repeating the name of the toy we had just given her over and over. Not long after that I elicited the first smile from her when, after she shook her head "no" I repeated the gesture back to her. She stopped dead, her eyes got really big, and she shook her head "no" again. I responded in kind once again and she got a huge grin on her face...the first of what must have been tens of thousands to follow.

Morgan has been our daughter for a year now and I would be lying if I didn't say it has been the most astounding, happy, trying, awe-inspiring, difficult, and rewarding year of my life. It has been a year of so many firsts...first steps, first sentence, first pizza, first plane trip, first hurricane, first trip to the beach, first milkshake, first swimming lesson from Mama...

Today she is a very very happy little girl, quick to laugh or play a joke on people, with a huge vocabulary that grows daily. She is smarter than I would have ever dreamed, and already shows talent in music, dancing, and art. At the same time she is strong and independent, and crazy in a wild and free way that makes her fit in with us perfectly. She loves her family fiercely, and is loved in return. She is no longer a baby, but has become the most special little girl I have ever known. I am her #1 fan...

Happy Gotch Day/Family Day, Morgan!

Mo and Co :)

2006-05-05T15:03:00.000-04:00

History is being made today...

2006-04-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

Morgan and Turtle are currently in the living room; the room right next to me (in the den), and 'both' contently doing something that almost passes as playing...this is the first time that I have ever been able to sit on the computer and have her occupy herself with something other than me!
I'm not sure how long this will last, but right now she's happy. :)

I did some major work in the bedroom yesterday, moving furniture and sorting piles of STUFF...both Mao and Mo were banned from the area, for safety reasons. She could peek at me from the hallway and I gently asked her a few times to stay in the living room while I did "Mama's icky work", and she obliged me. I think it helped that the cat was also told repeatedly to stay away, so M didn't think she was being punished for something. Heck - I just didn't want either of them to get run over as I tugged furniture around with full body weight as leverage...

Medical update: the last of her shots were given this morning - no more needles until she's 4!