Wal-Mart IS everywhere

Today was a day to just hang out. We went to Wal-Mart which was very different from ours. Notice the smile has gotten much larger.

nerd day

Today at Sara's school was NERD day and not surprisingly we had plenty of nerd things around the house. It is part of the red ribbon week for "DON'T DO DRUGS" The girl with Sara is her best friend.

She also had her fall band concert. The kids got to dress in appropriate costume for the concert, Sara is the clown playing the flute, which was followed by the band masquarete dance/party.

Then she is off to her friend's sleep over birthday party~~we will see her tomorrow at noon. Ruth is loving the attention w/o sister :)

welcome to the family

Today we have had Sara for one day, but today we did the paperwork and it became official. Notice that today Sara is all smiles. She looks so little, resting with Jeff.

Do you notice that each year the cake is larger. Soon we will have one the size of a wedding cake :)

GETTING SARA

The next day we flew from Beijing to Nanchang. We arrived, dumped our things at our hotel, and we were off for our babies. We loved seeing our new friends getting their beautiful babies. The three from Fuzhou were a little late-one being Sara one her best friend that we meet later~Mailia.

Finally in came the three and at first I did not recognize Sara. Understand we only had 3 photos of her and they were old, but she had on the backpack that I sent her with a dragon fly that I sewed onto it. I had made a smaller dragonfly just like it as a pin that I was wearing. She was crying and so frightend. I wanted to just scoop her up and hug her, but I also remembered that we were just strangers to her and I did not want to frighten her more. The director showed us the huge stack of school books that she brought along. Too bad they searched her and too away all other personal items that she posessed which were trivial.

AND, just in case you were wondering, yes, we were all crying, and I cry just remembering this day---the day I became a mom to a beautiful little girl and the day our other little girl Ruth-whom I was missing so VERY much- got a sister .

District Cross Country

Today was the large district cross country meet. There were about 8 district school participating and it was held at a very nice park about 30 mins from the house.

SARA CAME IN 8TH! She was on the A team again, making it every time. This is the top 7 runners in their grade~~they are the kids who are wearing the pennies over their uniforms as an honor to them.

This is her all time best and she ran the 1 1/2 miles in 10.29 minutes. She really pushed her self at the end and no one passed her...I am a very proud mama! Note: She wears a bright green thing in her hair so I can find her easier. . . smart girl!





Needless to say due to so VERY much rain, it was a mud pit and it showed on every runner's legs.

GREAT WALL~BEIJING

The next day we did the Great Wall. It was impressive. I did not climb the wall. The steps were very uneven and irregular. Jeff did go up some though.

3 years ago

. . . we were in Beijing doing the tourist thing. We were so excited and our group we were with was great. Only another couple of the 7-8 already had children, so we were amused by the newbies. This was the forbidden temple and Tienanmen square.

Sara scores

This is Sara one on one with the other team's toughest player. We won 5-1. Sara kicked an awesome goal from the left and it was a beautiful arch going just below the upper bar-way out of the way of their goalie.

Note the chicken legs, surprised that she has such strength in them :)

WAY TO KICK SARA!

Sara's first dance

Today is the 7-8th grade dance at school. Sara had many boys ask her to go to the dance with her, but like a good girl she sent them all away in pain. She even got asked by two boys who she did not even know! Yes, she is the social butterfly of 7th grade, even according to her principal when I spoke to her lately~~~look out world.

It was finally decided that she and two of her girlfriends went together and had a great time. One dance down-oh so many to go!!!!

hair braiding

We did a double french braid in Sara's hair when it was wet. She then wore it for 3 days that way. When we took it out, it was beautiful too and she wore it 3 days like this to school.

Doggie hospital

I was upstairs and Sara was down having a before I go to bed snack....I guess another growing spurt. I hear her yelling at Jessie-the 10 mo old Chawennie and then smack him. I tell her not to hit the dog. When she comes up, I ask what happened. She had put her plate, with a totally denuded chicken bone, on the kitchen table, then turned to get a glass of water. In that few seconds, Jessie got onto the chair and took the chicken bone and it was gone....gone. I asked Sara if she looked around and she said yes, it was not to be found. SO, a call to the 24 hour hospital and was told yes, bring him in. This is at 9:30 in the rain and fog with a scared puppy. Jeff stayed home with the girls to put them to bed. Since Jeff works such long hours and I am home with the dogs ALL day long, Jessie was more comfortable with me, so off we went. Luckily the hosp was only 20 minutes away up a fwy not too crowded.

We get there and I give the first huge deposit for the privilege of visiting after hours. They try to take Jessie's temp as I hold his front end, I got a quick head but from him, and we decided that taking the temp was maybe not so important. Then the doc took him for a complete body X-ray to see were this bone was......nowhere!

I walked in the back and we both looked at the X-ray and it was no where to be seen.....where was it then?

I call back home and tell Jeff to look around the family room and yes, it was tucked in the cushion of the Lazy-boy and Cooper had not found it yet. It seems that Jessie had taken the bone and when Sara yelled, he dropped it, without her seeing it and she assumed that Jessie ate it.

SO, I gave the rest of my life savings and we left, with a CD souvenir of Jessie's insides......

....the moral of this story....never assume anything. AND....keep all bones higher from Jessie :)

Cross country #2

This evening was Sara's second cross counry meet and she came in 11th. They ran in a light drizzle and the ground was soaked since it had rained all day. The course included hills this time and it was touch. She was the first girl from her school to cross the finish line. Notice the kids all lined up to begin the race...far away with a super zoom lense.

SWINE FLU in the house

Last week Sara ran a fever for 5 days-with a sore throat for the first 2 days and then a slight cough for a week. Nothing over 100 though.

NOW Ruth....she never has been one from birth to do anything in a small way. When she was a baby she would get many ear infections and we would not know until she spiked a fever over 103....and she still did not act sick. Don't worry, after 9 months of arguing with the Ins Co, she did get tubes at 21 months and is still good as gold. In 1st grade, she did not just get Strep, she got Scarlet Fever-yes, it does still exist. Then it was the chicken Pox...post shot...in 3rd grade....3 weeks to the day after we brought Sara home.

Well, now she has a fever of 102 with no symptoms...so we took her to see the doctor and yes, it is the swine flu! I suspect this is what Sara had last week-same symptoms.

Cross country meet

Today after school is Sara's first cross country meet. She made the A team-the top 7 of her grade. I knew she would make it-she runs like the wind. They had team pictures before school. My only concern is the uniform-obviously an adult small is way too large on her. Since this uniform is borrowed from the school, I can not alter this...I hope she does not run out of her shorts :)

WE JUST GOT BACK AND SARA CAME IN 7th out of @150 girls! Sara has the red penny on because she is on the "A" team-the top 7 of the girls. Note the photo just after the race-dead tired. WAY TO GO SARA!

school activities

Today Sara's school band played for their football team. This was all new to us and it was fun for the kids. For us parents who attended, we sat behind the band and networked. I am not sure how many games they will be playing for, but I hope not too many~~it interferes with the homework time...game over at 8:00 making for a very long day.

Silly girl

Dear sweet Ruth decided that she could fit through the little doggie door and she did, but barely! She is such a funny girl and keeps us laughing all the time.

flowers everywhere

This is our yard. The rain has helped much.

Lazy days of summer

The aminals in this house rule the roost. Notice that Jessie(brown) and Cooper (black) love to sleep in the chairs in the front room. This allows them lazy access to the windows so they can bark at any living thing that crosses the front of the house--sterio doggie alarms.

Our old cat Puff selects from week to week her favorite spot. This week it is a serving tray on top of the ottoman in the family room. She just curls up and fits perfectly. It also helps that it is directly under the ceiling fan-notice the year round fur coat that she has.

While we were cleaning out our closets, I found a pair of pants I used to wear-size 2. Sara tried them on. I can not believe that I used to wear those pants~~back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth :)

soccer begins

Today was Sara's first soccer game of the season. She was so excited and nervous-this is a new team she is playing with and most of the girls are 8th graders. About the second play, she got slammed in the stomach with a kicked ball and took her down for a little bit, but then she was up and going again. She is either really tough or stubborn, I am still not sure, but I think it is 75% of each-yea I know that is more than 100%, but you would have to know her :)

It was a really hot day and the girls got two extra water breaks. Then home and resting. Her fever is still with us for the 5th day and not sure what the problem is. She did take an hour nap which helped.

multitasking-HELP

Well, we are into the 5th week of school, and already we have completed our first fund-raiser for Sara's band. Ruth is into the Volleyball camp-late Mon pick-up. Sara has her first cross country meet on Wed-until 9pm. Sara is running for librarian for her band-making posters.

Today is first soccer game-the rain FINALLY stopped, of course she has been running fever for 5 days and am not sure why-keeping track of fever and what she takes and when and how much fluid she is taking in. Doing laundry, cutting the yard, playing with the OCD dog who wants to chase his ball all day, waiting in carpool pickup lines-thank goodness for good books to read. Weeding the huge flower bed, trimming back bushes, cleaning mud off of everything. Getting ready for fall, changing wardrobe for the season-Erin, another box will come soon.....and yes, the list goes on.

The girls think it is funny when I can not remember what I was about to do . . . I call it mommy brain and assure them that some time in the distant future, they also will have it so laugh away. In the meantime I am grateful that they help me remember what direction I am heading, or supposed to be heading.

FINALLY RAIN, BUT WHEN WILL IT STOP

It began raining on Friday, and as of today, 2 days later, we have 10 inches of rain! I am thinking that the lakes are all full now. I have learned to not complain about the rain, at least not too much. We put out all of our buckets to catch the rain and they were full on Friday.

So today we have peaked out at boared and so I watched a BRATZ movie with the girls, we played Phase 10, and snacked, and the girls actually decided to make their names out of pretzel pieces! That is very creative.


Even our little toad is seeking higher ground, poor fella. He is standing on top of a part of a downspout. His toad hole is full of rain for a while, but I think once this is all over, he will have plenty of mosquitoes to eat!

cross country running

Sara has completed her first week of cross country-BEFORE school! When my sisters had kids and complained about the very pre-dawn drives to practice, I had no sympathy, having no kids. But now, when all of then nieces and nephews are finished with college, I finally get it!

Now I am doing two carpools, Ruth's I do every morning and Friday afternoon. Sara's I take her to track at 6:30 and pick up her and 3 friends and take them all home.....I am the stay at home mom aka she has nothing to do but help take care of everyone else's kids....but I am glad that I can help as long as I feel appreciated. Once Sara is done with Cross country, I hope she is back on her bike.

Now, the first day of running, Sara ate a banana and off she went....not a good idea and I got to hear what happens when you do this. Next I got to hear how one of her friends had a huge bowl of cereal and milk before running....twice not a good idea! The funniest story is on Thursday when they had to run 10 laps and the coach said that you could not walk. Now Sara is the rules enforcer and passed a girl that was walking, and she quickly reminded her to pick up the pace, keep going....and the girl said "I can't...I'm black" Now, none of us are sure what that meant, but I got a good laugh out of it. All I could think of was that movie "White men can't jump"

9-11

. . . . and still I weep, along with the country. My flag is out and I discussed the day with the girls. Wouldn't it be nice if we practiced overcoming each other's differences and look for understanding.

FULL MOON

This is through out telescope with my camera. Not too clear, but we had fun looking at the moon.

We survived the first two weeks of school.

FUNDRAISERS: for those with children in school, you will understand this fully~~~~I HATE FUNDRAISERS!!!! We are completing the first one-for Sara's band. Some very overpriced cookie dough. I really hate having Sara asking neighbors to buy this stuff. First~they brainwash the kids-having them focus on the cheap little prises they get for selling this stuff. Then, they make them set a high goal of what they need to sell-peer guilt if they don't. Then they go on heavy about what a great deal it is for the consumer.....basically they are asking kids to sell their products for them at incredibly inflated prices so the school gets a small portion to go towards a goal-in this case the band field trip. I refused to buy the stuff!

This is the one and only fundraiser that I will do because if you know Sara at all, she does not know how to take no for an answer and she does the selling herself, while dragging her sister with her to the neighbors, don't worry, I know all of them very well and they take my cell phone with them.

On the way home today they noticed a mouse, or at least the back end of a mouse, in my neighbor's yard. We helped her bag it since she is a single mom who freaks at these little partial gifts her cats keep bringing her....we are going to buy her a shovel with a very long handle tomorrow :)