Swinging Good Time with Daddy

Wim and Josie Dong Dong had a good dose of one-on-one time yesterday while I went to an adoption conference.

Josie has started going on the 'big girl' swing at one of the playgrounds that does not have a baby swing. She typically tries out every single swing at the playground.

Josie Dong Dong also enjoys climbing to the top of the spiral slide and sliding down-- by herself!
The sliding down is fine and dandy, but her trying to climb up is enough to put her mommy into cardiac arrest.

"I'm really tall up here!" "Wheee! This is my favorite!"

Wim only got a few pictures while at the playground. I think Josie Dong Dong really kept her Daddy running on his toes.

The regular week didn't really have anything new and/or exciting to report on. It was just a typical week.

Josie does enjoy trying on my glasses and wearing them around for a little while. Then she usually wants Wim to wear them and then her Bear. I draw the line when she tries to them on Phoebe (our dog). I really believe that Phoebe also appreciates this.

Of course all the kids had some hang-time with nothing in particular on their minds.

One Year and Counting

Hi Everyone!

It is hard to believe, but tomorrow marks our 1-year anniversary since Love's first glance at our little Josie stole away our hearts.

I can re-post much of the same sentiments as I wrote for our 6-month anniversary. Time has flown by so quickly and our lives have been filled with so much added joy and love with Josie part of our family-- it hardly seems like a year.

Josie has grown and changed so much since we first welcomed her into our home and her into her heart-- a year hardly seems like enough time for everything.

When we brought Josie home, she was 17 months old, very clingy to me, and not walking.

Today, she runs around, dances, hops like a bunny, and is now doing a little gallop skip that she thinks is the funnest move yet.

She is talking up a storm enough to sometimes tell Mommy, "no Mommy-- Mommy AWAAAAY!"

Josie Dong Dong is becoming a very independent and head strong little person. She still has some clingy moments, but she definitely likes going off and doing her thing.

Here is a little walk down Memory Lane . . .


Mine and Josie's first hug . . .


A few days later still in China-- Josie is feeding me some Cheerios.


At a family picnic a few months after arriving home.

Saying 'HI' to Elmo last weekend.

In China, not happy about being held by Daddy.

Today, nobody can tickle Josie Dong Dong's tickle bone better than her Daddy.

Josie was a little nervous the first time she met her big brother and big sister.

It didn't take long for her to realize how much she would have playing with them!

Today, she loves hanging out with her big sibs!

A few pictures of our lovely little girl growing-up this past year . . .

In China, Dong Dong Josie was very shy during her first shopping trip.

Josie Dong Dong was all smiles in just a few days time!

Not long after arriving home, Josie was really trying out the walking business.

Before we knew it, she was all over the place, scaling the furniture.

Today, Josie Dong Dong is a regular little dancer.

And, she is always ready to party at a variety of social engagements.

It's been a GREAT YEAR!

Spring Fever!

I guess the gods heard us with our winter-time woes. Last week ended with a beautiful weekend and we are enjoying another mild weekend as I type. I have no idea why blogger is underlining this beginning-- but I'm not going to try to figure it out. It stops down below.

Now it stops. This thing can be so weird sometimes!

Last weekend we did some yard work and cleaned our grill so we can begin putting it to good use.

We were so busy enjoying the 60 degree weather last weekend, I didn't really get many pictures. Most of these pictures are from this weekend. It is a bit more brisk this weekend, but still nice enough to spend time outside playing.

Our local YMCA is having special events this weekend to thank their members. Josie and I have made the most of both the events and the nice weather.

We kicked off Saturday by having a nice visit with Elmo. Josie was very happy to see Elmo.

"Mo Mo!!!"

Josie was a little hesitant to approach Elmo by herself, so we both walked up to see him. After we hung around for a little while, I told Josie we were going to leave and go play at the park. While I was packing her bag she yelled, "MO MO!" and went running over to Elmo and gave him a big hug good-bye.





We had lots of fun playing at the park and we were quite surprised to find ourselves to be the only ones there! Josie had lots of fun playing on the slide. She is big enough now, she can walk up and play on the smaller slides by herself, without me going with her. It is such a big difference from last year.

Josie also enjoyed playing on the swing. She still doesn't seem ready to try the big girl swing, but luckily she still fits in the toddler swing.

After our fun morning, we went home for lunch and Josie had her nap. She was pretty worn out from all the fun and she really needed to rest-up.

After her nap, we headed back to the Y (yes, we spend a lot of time at the Y) for some fun swim time. Daddy didn't come with us so I don't have pictures of us swimming. Josie loves the water and to go swimming. Swimming on Saturday afternoons is one of our favorite activities!

This Saturday, Josie was also able to enjoy an additional treat. The Y set up a special kids gym party. They really put out the works for this one. The had a bounce house, rope swings, big squishy gymnastics beds to jump on, tunnels and slides, scooter chairs, and big blocks.

Josie Dong Dong's little face lit up like a Christmas tree when we walked in and she saw all the fun things to do. She almost fell over kicking off her shoes while exclaiming,

"I pay! I pay! Iiiii PAAAAY!"

She was quite the daredevil-- going down the slide head first.











She didn't seem to know what to think about the scooter chair, but managed to zip around it all the same.

Josie thought it was really funny to crawl through the tunnels and if she saw me peeking through, she'd laugh and go a different way-- giggling the whole time.

"These tunnels are fun! There are lots of different paths to crawl through!"

"I'm not tired! I'm not tired AT ALL!"

Stir Crazy

Top of the list-- Josie is really talking a lot-- she's getting bossy too. It is really interesting because we started noticing a little bossy-ness about 2 weeks ago and now she is really on everyone.

She also refers to herself as "Nong Nong" (Dong Dong). If we ask her, "Where is Josie?" She will respond by pointing to herself and saying, "I Nong Nong."

Dong Dong refers to both Gabrielle and Xavier as either "duys" for guys or as "Guh Guhs." We are not sure what happened to "jie jie." She use to call Gabrielle "Jie Jie," but she has quit.

Second on the list, we got hit with another big snow storm this past Monday and while it was nice to have a free day off with Josie Dong Dong (yes, we got THAT much snow), I am really ready for Spring to get here. This feels like the Winter that came and never went away!

Josie and I did have a fun day though. We spent the morning playing and I helped Josie make a picture for St. Patrick's Day-- she really loves crafts.


"I'm making a picture."

"This is pretty."

Despite the crafts, followed by some cookie making later in the afternoon, both Josie Dong Dong and I were feeling a bit of cabin fever later in the afternoon when Daddy got home.


Josie Dong Dong has resorted to finding new crafty ways to entertain herself. She's discovered that Daddy makes for a better craft than ordinary paper and crayons!

Luckily, Josie has some great big sibs who don't mind letting her tag along for some fun Wii time or nurf gun shooting.

"Away Mommy! I pay wit Guh-Guhs!"

Even with all the attention she gets, if we don't get some fun outdoor weather soon, I think Josie Dong Dong is going to start eating her toys!

"I Nong Nong!"

Stepping Out

It is snowing, yet again. I am more of a summer person and at this time of the year, I think the consensus is that we are all tired of the cold weather!

Josie got some good exercise in on Friday afternoon running around with her big brother and sister-- whom she now calls either, "duys," or "gu-gu."

"It's not really going to snow this weekend is it?"

"When is summer gonna get here?"

Josie had a fun Saturday Morning playing with her friends, Angeline and Grace. Josie and Angeline are within a couple months in age, but little Grace is a whole year younger. It is amazing to watch how she keeps up with the bigger girls and manages not to get trampled!

"Baby Grace is going to help build stuff too!"

After her nap on Saturday, we headed out to Ivy's Garden, a restaurant/banquet hall to celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of the RI Chapter of the Adoption Community of New England (ACONE).

ACONE is a wonderful nonprofit organization that provides workshops, support groups, you name it for all segments of the adoption trilogy. Wim and I began participating with this organization long before we were able to bring Josie home, largely with their support group for waiting families and also with several educational workshops they provide for adoptive parents.

We were very happy to be able to take Josie with us to this kid-friendly celebration.

"C'mon Daddy! It is time to go and I'm dressed to Party!"

Josie seemed both fascinated and a little nervous when we first arrived at the hall. The tables were set-up with fancy plates, silverware, napkins and there was a DJ playing music.
















Soon after we arrived, Josie's friend Clair and Carly arrived with their Mommy and we all sat together. Josie felt better with more people at our table that she knew.















I was really surprised that Josie stood with all the other kids long enough for a group picture. She is in the 2nd row, 2nd from the right.

I think it helped that she was standing next to her friend Carly, who is a big girl. Carly offered her hand to Josie when Josie started crying and it did the trick.

After the big picture taking event and eating dinner, it was time to shake a leg on the dance floor and Josie Dong Dong was ready to dance the night away.

"C'mon everybody! Let's Dance!"

Clair and Carly also had a great time dancing with their Mommy.

"I'm a Party Girl!"