Playing Catch Up

Holy Cow!! Where does the time go? So sorry to keep all of our faithful viewers/readers waiting when so much has been going on. Hope everyone hasn't given up on us. I haven't been near the computer for more than a week. We have all been sick and out of town for the past two weekends. I'll try to catch you all up quickly.

First and most importantly, we celebrated our 1 year Family Day on 2/25. We met the Lazars in Charlotte, NC for a (too short) weekend of reminiscing and good times. We feel so fortunate to have gained not only our forever family with our beautiful Maya but a forever friendship with the Lazars. Maya and Ella shared a room at the House of Grace and we have every intentions of keeping these girls connected. Shouldn't be too hard since we have such a great time together. We love those guys!
We visited a kid's library called Imaginon and a kid's museum called Discovery Place in Charlotte. We all had a great time and are already looking forward to our next get together.
I can't believe it has already been a year. But in the very next thought I can't believe it has only been a year. So much has changed in the past year. Maya has grown and flourished into such a peaceful soul. We are so blessed with our sweet girl. So, so blessed!!
We didn't do anything out of the ordinary for Family Day except drive back home from Charlotte. Every day is a celebration with Maya.

Our girl is a multi-tasker. She can color and give herself a neb treatment at the same time. Poor girly was so congested. Thank goodness she didn't run the 104 fever that I did. Man, a fever sure makes you feel like crap! She loved the dragon mask on the nebulizer. We would say "let's do a dragon" and she was ready. She really didn't mind the treatments but would rather do it herself than have me or Mike help her. What a big girl. The treatments worked like a charm. So far, she's all better.

We're still enjoying our Clay Center membership. We really have a good time when Klaire and Emma come. Unfortunately, we missed our Family Day celebration day with them. They all went to see Nemo on Ice but we had to skip it because of the crud we all had.

Mike was kinda cat napping on the couch and Maya was playing around behind it where her kitchen is. I had to leave to get my hair cut. So, I woke Mike up and gave kisses all around. Mike says this is the next thing he saw. Yes, that's dirt from the ficus tree all over the floor and Maya and everything else in the general vicinity. I'm still sweeping dirt up off the floor. She doesn't look guilty or anything, huh?

Last week we decided to try playing in the snow again. I don't think Maya hated it as much as she did the first time but still didn't care much for it. The sleigh ride was not fun. Fisher barked and barked and the snow blew up into Maya's face. All she really had to say about it was "DONE!"

Then today it was 75 degrees! We were nothing but happy!! And tomorrow we will probably be sick again.

And lastly, a big ol' THANK YOU for all of the bows we received doing the bow exchange. We love them and Maya can't wait to wear them all.

The Year of the Rat

A few days late of course but a happy Chinese New Year to everyone out there. A few days late for Chinese New Year is still okay since they celebrate this holiday for 15 days in China.
On Thursday, we had a quiet New Years Day dinner at home with take out from Bamboo Garden. Maya still loves Chinese food and so do we. It's on the menu about once a week.


I never knew just how fast a 21 month old child could climb up into a chair. This is where we find Maya most anytime we turn our back on her and we are in the kitchen. And it's never to sit in the chair, oh no. Only standing will do.

Then on Saturday we got Maya all gussied up in one of her cute little dresses that we bought in China. I can't believe it still fits and actually has a little room to grow.

We went outside to try to get some good pics but there is nothing pretty about brown and muddy. (Or a deck with a ladder sitting on it). But our girly just looked so pretty in her dress that the background didn't matter.

We got together with our local China adoption group for our annual Chinese New Year celebration. Last year we were leaving for China the week following the party. It is hard to imagine just how much things have changed in a year. We went to 2 CNY parties with our group before we had Maya. It was so much different being there as a parent than as a waiting family.

Maya could not have had a better time at the party. She ate like a champ and then ran and played with all of the other kids. She can be a little shy sometimes but not today. She was the life of the party.

I thought this picture was so cute. I love the little blondie in the sea of dark hair. And our girl is smack in the middle of it all!

Maya and Darrah.

Maya loves dragons. I thought we might have to buy this one and take it home with us. It was just the perfect size for a kiss from the princess.

It's all fun and games until someone falls into the drum.

Blaaahh

We hate this time of they year. It's cold and wet. It's usually a big 'ol mud puddle outside. So not much has been going on around here except for waiting for it to get warm again. Maya is still in LOVE with Snoopy


Still loves the kitchen. She took my hand today and lead me downstairs so she could play in her kitchen.

Don't be confused and think that someone is supposed to sit on the stool.

You never know what (or who) you might find in the fridge.

If it's blueberries, Maya will help herself.

We did get a little bit of sun today. It only lasted for a minute.

We wish if felt like this outside.

I am very excited for the bow exchange! As you can see in the pictures, Maya has to have a bow in her hair all of the time lately. She will ask for a bow before she gets out of bed in the mornings.

Bow Swap

Nancy at Waiting to Asennd has come up with this great idea. The following is from her blog.

I have come up with an idea for a swap as I have been walking around at the Mall lately. I think it would be fun to do a bow swap. I think it would be nice to trade names with 2 or 3 other people and send a couple little bows totalling no more than $10. I don't think the postage would be much either.

If you would like to participate, or if you would like to let others who read your blog know about it, please send me an e-mail at npoellot24@yahoo.com.

My goal is to get names out and try to get this going be early Febuary.

I am also thinking about doing a swimsuit swap for the summer.

I can't wait to get in on this little swap! Maya gets a hair clasp in her hair every morning before she even gets out of the bed. We could always use more bows.

Caught in the Act

These are the little monkey bowling pins I mentioned in my last post. I am still finding them and the Little People critters setting neatly around. The monkeys were all sitting around the rim of Maya's potty just a few days ago. Needless to say they all had to get a bath! LOL!!
Here is Maya caught in the act of setting up the monkeys all in a neat little row. Must have been the Tide commercial with the Charlie Brown song on the TV that distracted her from getting the last two monkeys set up. Our girl is obsessed with the Peanuts characters and shows. She LOVES Snoopy.


This is what we were left with.

Life is good!

(You can barely see two monkeys setting at Mike's foot. Maya set those up there too. They are always facing the same way.)

Enjoying our Christmas Present

Mike gave Maya and I a Clay Center membership for Chirstmas and we didn't waste any time using it. We were happy that Klaire and her Mommy could join us last week.


Maya in the fish bowl.


Klaire too.


We were very suprised when we were joined by two more girls from our local China adoption group (and a cute little 13 month old boy who just loved all of the girls, and crayons). The girls all enjoyed The Stray Dog and coloring their own dogs after the story. We are looking forward to a new story and craft at the next Wee Wednesday.


This has nothing to do with the Clay Center but I just had to throw it in. I have been finding a lot of things like this around our house lately. Little things all in a row. Usually it's her Little People toys but she has some monkey bowling pins that get set up in a row too. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and all of the toys will be placed neatly instead of scattered all over the place!

This is January??

On Monday and Tuesday, the weather was plain ol' crazy. It was nearly 70 degrees both days. Even the dandelions don't know it's winter.

It was very windy on Tuesday but that didn't deter us from playing outside for most of the day.

If anyone had any doubt that this girl belongs to us, here is all the proof anyone who knows us well needs. She is a true tree hugger just like her Momma!

And don't forget the kiss.

Maya played at this tree forever. She hugged and kissed it. She did ring around the rosie around it. She picked the bark off of it. She hit it with sticks and threw rocks at it. And she said "tee" six thousand times. But when it came time to go inside all she could say was "NO"! (or maybe it's "Nah")