Cowboy dreaming

The Kid woke up very, very early this morning and she was crying. This wasn't her normal nighttime cry, this was her 'get in here NOW because I'm about to have a full scale freak out' cry. So, I go into her room and rub her tummy and ask her what's wrong.

Her answer?

"I don't want to play the cowboy game!"

Actually, that is the translation. What she actually said was "I want play cow boy game!" I know she means 'don't want' because everytime I set a meal in front of her with mushrooms in it, she will pick one out and say "I want eat mush roooooom! Yeeeeeech!" But I'm still unclear as to whether she was dreaming about cows (often called cowboys by TK) or cowboys (like John Wayne). And what could this game be? Curious.

Babies on planes

There was an story on all the news sources today about a family that was on a plane and their 3 year old daughter would not stop screaming and crying so they were kicked off the plane.


It's a good thing China Southern didn't have the same policy.




















On a totally unrelated note, the picture above was taken one year ago. I can't even believe that that is the same little girl. She looks so scared and tiny and sad.

What a difference a year makes!

A perfect day

Somedays as a parent, I feel like I do a much better job than other days. Today was one of the really great days. We didn't have any fights over getting dressed, fixing her hair, putting on her coat, getting strapped into her car seat. The Kid was in a great mood, I was in a great mood. We went to the playland and every few minutes, she would come over and give me a hug. (That's pretty unusual....she normally only wants to hug when I want her to do something she doesn't want to do.) Everywhere we went, some stranger was stopping us to say how well behaved The Kid was. I don't really care what people say, but it is nice to have them commenting on the good things. Usually, people walk away from us raising an eyebrow and shaking their head. This is usually right after The Kid has been acting like a lunatic and I know in their mind they are thinking 'glad that's not my kid'.

It's funny. A couple of years ago, my definition of a perfect day would have been so different from today. I probably wouldn't have spent ANY time at a mall playland. I wouldn't have made up silly songs and sing them in public to make my daughter laugh (I would do just about anything to hear that laugh). I would have been the one raising an eyebrow and shaking my head at some mom who was having a difficult day with their child.

I wouldn't trade places with 2-years-ago-me for anything......today, that is. We'll see about tomorrow.

Snow Day 2007

ABC about me

A - available or taken: Available (Do you HEAR that Orlando???)
B- best friend: I have a few very close friends that I would consider my best friends. And that includes family members
C- cake or pie: Costco cake
D- drink of choice: Coffee or Diet A&W Root Beer
E-essential item you use everyday: Pens, phone, my hands, my feet, my brain.....
F-favorite color: Green or purple
G-gummy bears or worms: Gummy Bears
H-hometown: Ankeny, IA
I-indulgence: St&rbucks coffee on occassion
J-January or February: February. It's different than all the other months.
K-kid's names: Miss R
L-life incomplete without: My daughter and the rest of my family (that includes friends!)
M-marriage date: 11/11/11
N-number of siblings: Two sisters
O-oranges or apples: Apples and sometimes oranges if I'm feeling brave
P-phobias or fears: Unripened fruit, feet, clowns, bugs....the list goes on for days
Q-favorite quote: "I never did mind the little things" and "NO, Steven! Only when I say so! Only when I say!"
R-reason to smile: My daughter's laugh. Hugs and kisses from her, too.
S-season: Winter! I LOVE snow! I wish we had gotten the snow instead of Colorado!!!
T-tag 3 people: Nah...I just did it because Donna did it.
U-unknown fact about me: I am teaching myself how to play the psaltry.
V-veggie I don't like: Brussel sprouts
W-worst habit: I mutter to myself constantly
X-xrays: My back a few years ago.
Y-your favorite food: Pasta with tons of garlic and mushrooms
Z-zodiac: Libra
.

Weekend Conversations

TK: What do, momma?
Me: I'm fixing breakfast.
2 seconds later...
TK: What do, momma?
Me: I'm still fixing breakfast, sweetie.
2 seconds later...
TK: What do, momma?
Me: The same thing I was doing 2 and 4 seconds ago, honey.
-Pause-
TK: What do, momma?
Me: What did I say before?
TK: What do, momma?

After breakfast, as I am heading into the loo
TK: Where momma go?
Me: I'm in the bathroom, honey.
TK: Oh, yeah!
TK: What momma do?
Me: Where is your Squeaky Mouse?
TK: Squeaky Mouse! Oh, yeah! Squeak squeak squeak!

Later in the day, while coloring together
TK: What do, momma?
Me: I'm coloring. What are YOU doing?
TK: I play, momma. What do, momma?
Me: Still coloring, honey.
TK: Oh! What do, momma?

Repeat these scenes 563 times.
The End.

The funny thing is, I worried about her being delayed in speech. NOW, she won't stop talking. She went to bed tonight at 8:30 and was still talking to herself at 10:30!!!

Chinese New Year Spectacular Highlights

Grandmumsy found this neat video of scenes from a Chinese New Year production. Enjoy!

Christmas Video

I can't seem to get the video of The Kid singing to upload, but here is an equally cute little video from Christmas morning.

Le Google

Someone came across Le Blog today by doing a G00gle search for poo pooped pooing pooping poopy poopies bm stinky. They hung around for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. J'espère que je ne suis pas stinky ou poopy.

Another one came to visit after doing a search on Orlando Bloom. Nice to know that I'm not the only one in need of a restraining order. Clearly, this blog was not what they were looking for.

Predictions for 2007

Greetings! It is now 2007 and instead of looking back at what happened in 2006, I thought I would take this time to talk about what I think will happen in 2007. Sound like fun??

• I plan on taking some sort of a trip with my daughter this year. I so love a road trip and it's about time The Kid got used to them.
• The Kid has been talking up a storm lately and I think that before her 3rd birthday, she will be reciting Shakespeare or the complete lyrics to The Gambler.
• Orlando Bloom will lift the restraining order and start taking my phone calls.
• I hope to take my daughter to her first play this year.
• Two words: potty training (we've actually begun......it ain't goin' so hot)
• I think my daughter will make a friend who's mom is fun and cool and we all become the bestest of friends. Our daughter's will play at the park and my new fun and cool mom friend and I will watch our children adoringly, while sipping our iced coffee drinks from St&rbucks and exchange some of our favorite recipes.
• Speaking of, a St&rbucks will open up on my route to work (PLEASE!!!)
• The Kid will learn to love sleeping in on the weekends.
• In a brief moment of weakness, I will relent and let The Kid watch Nick Jr. (She still does not know of Dora or Spongebob and I'm really okay with that.)
• After my moment of weakness, I will spend a small fortune in Dora paraphernalia.
• Two more words: TomKat: Splitsville.
• I will get The Kid into some type of activity this year: dancing, gymnastics, music, art...
• I will love my kiddo more each day and she will find new ways to amaze me.

I wish you all health, happiness and peace in the new year!

Poll

I'm taking a poll...

Is that the most mischievous little face you have EVER seen??

Christmas 2006 in review

When The Kid came out into the living room Chrismas morning, she totally ignored all the presents and the tree and went straight to Grandmumsy.

Finally acknowledging the presents.

Next year, a KEYTAR! And also note the Blue Mickey Shirt from Santa....a big hit.


















Playing with some of the toys that 'Santa' was too busy (or lazy) to wrap before the BIG fun began.








All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas and hope that all of our friends and family did, too. Check back in a day or so, as I hope to have video of The Kid's first lounge act performance.

Merry Christmas!

For those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! We are hoping Santa will be good to you all this year.

Three birds.....one post

Donna over at Double Happiness is having another Family Fotofun picture challenge. The challenge this week is PIGTAILS! (click on over to see some of the other adorable participants!)

Last week's challenge was PAJAMAS and the challenge before that was Christmas Tree Photos so I should be all caught up now!

Doctor and bed time

Little Miss had her 2 year checkup today (yeah, I know....I'm four months late. Deal.) Anyway, she is on the US growth charts! 10th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight. She also had to have about 15 gallons of blood drawn and some shots. Needless to say, we got ice cream afterwards.

Here's her newest thing.....we have had variations on this for the last few nights, but this was pretty much how it went down tonight. I put her to bed (which she has ALWAYS gone to bed super easy) and as soon as I get her all tucked in, she jumps up and starts saying "nowantgonightnight nowantgonightnight". We finally get settled from that and then she goes to bed. TONIGHT, she wakes up about 2 hours after bedtime, and is JUMPING up and down in her crib screaming "OWOWOWOWOWOWWOWWW! MAMA! OW! OW! OW!"

I go in and ask her what's wrong. "Knee hurt mama!"
"Which one?" I say.
"Knee hurt mama!"

I pick up her nearest leg and give her knee a kiss. "Thanks mama."
"You are welcome honey. Now go back to sleep."

I go back to what I was doing and five minutes later hear "MAMA!!! MAMA!!!! MAMA!!!! Oh, no! OH, NO!!!"

I try to tell her that everything is fine and just to go back to sleep but she starts crying really hard. I go in her room and she is standing up in bed again and I see tears on her face (I am such a sucker!).

"What's the matter, honey?" I ask.
"Poo, mama! Chay dia!" (change diaper)

There are no *signs* that she needs her diaper changed, but I take her word for it (big mistake). As I suspected to begin with, there was no reason to change her diaper, so I start getting her all dressed again.

"No caca-poopoo, mama?" she asks. "No honey."
"No fahhhhr, mama?" "No sweetie," I answer.
She stands up and gives me the sweetest hug and says, "I sorry, mama. I sorry."

Light a candle

This was from an email I received...
Today, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith that charges nearly $1,000 for a 30 day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications, is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply visits their website and "virtually lights a candle."

The tally is near 1, 500,000 now.

Please, please take a minute to "light a candle":

http://www.lighttounite.org/

Christmas with Santa

Here is the best Santa picture we have this year.

We went to see the mall Santa a couple of weeks ago and he was a jerk. The Kid wanted NOTHING to do with him so I had to be in the picture with them. All copies have been destroyed....

This was from my company Family Christmas Party. I bribed her to go up to him by telling her he would give her a candy cane. This was her LEAPING out of his lap as soon as she got the loot.

In other news, she DESPERATELY wants a 'blue Mickey shirt' from Santa. I *think* that Santa is going to be able to come through for her as long as the US Postal Service cooperates. She has also mentioned once or twice that she would like a choo-choo train. But I think that is just because ALL SHE TALKS ABOUT IS RIDING THE TRAIN AT THE MALL. Seriously. She is obsessed. This morning when she got up, I asked her if she had fun last night (meaning our Christmas Party) and she said "YEAH! Ride choo-choo train!!" I said "did you ride a choo-choo train yesterday??" "YEAH!!! Choo-choo train!!!" Grandmumsy denies that story.

Tonight when I put her down for bed this was the 'good night list'.

"Nigh-nigh blue Mick shirt!"
*Then mama must repeat*
"Nigh-nigh Santa Claus!"
*Mama repeats*
"Nigh-nigh Aww Pickles!"
*Mama repeats followed by hysterical laughter for a good 10 minutes.

Luck

There is a rumor circulating that come 2007, China will no longer adopt to single parents. When I first heard that, I was pretty upset. Not because I was planning on adopting again (I was going to think about it again in a few years.....but I wasn't committing to anything), but because now I no longer have the option. If I had decided to adopt again, I would have gone back to China because then the two kiddos would have a common bond. I know how close my sister and I are and I would love for The Kid to have that, too. But, as Doris Day sang, que sera sera.

After I thought all that through, then I was worked up thinking about my situation. If things in my situation had happened later, I might not have been able to be that sweet little girl's mom. I might not be a mom. That thought just about brings me to tears. I think about all the other hopeful 'someday' parents who maybe didn't luck into a single's slot like I did or who didn't quite meet all the requirements yet. I can't help but feel for them.

I don't buy the whole ladybugs and redthreads theories and all of that, but I do know one thing. My daughter's Chinese name means New Luck. And for whatever reason, we were lucky enough to both be in the right place at the right time.

Christmas Card tradition BEGINS!

This is the Christmas card picture of us kids that my parents sent out in 1978 (I was 5).

Note the $TAR WAR$ shirt I am sporting. (Nice of me to get all gussied up, wasn't it?? Apparently I didn't get the memo about the striped turtleneck sweaters.)

I have saved that shirt and will be forcing Ms. R to wear it for her Christmas Card picture in a couple of years. Funny, but it will be funky, retro and cool when she does it. I was just a nerd. Maybe she can pass it onto her child(ren) along with my Smurfette t-shirt I wore for my 3rd grade school picture.

Christmas 2006

I forgot to take a picture of her in front of the tree yesterday, so here it is today!

I'm also participating in Donna's Family Fotofun challenge this week. To see the other participants, click here!