Has it REALLY been two years?

Yes. Yes, it has really been two years since we were first blessed to meet, hold, and love Josie Dong Dong. By far, one of the happiest days of my life!  She has grown and changed so much in the past two years, but still remains and will always be, my little baby girl.

The day we first met Josie and became her parents.

She was tired from the long trip to the City from her orphanage and she had a little bit of a cold.

At our hotel on the same day, Wim managed to hold Josie for a few moments without her screaming. She was scared of Wim as she had not seen men during her life at the orphanage.

Josie was very shy and clung to me from day one.

In public the first few days in China, Josie would not look around at the sights, her head remained down or in my shoulder.

Shortly after we returned home from China,  Joise started to try out her legs and walk.

She was very wobbly for a few months before she actually started toddlering around the house.

Her silly personality really started to show.

A year later, Josie's personality had more than blossomed. Mommy and her little Funny Pants making silly faces.

Josie's shyness was beginning to wane and she became more adventurous-- willing to go from my lap and play and try new things.

This past year brought Josie and us many new experiences-- the biggest of which, Josie's transition to being a big sister.

Reflecting bring one big question to my mind-- How does a Southern China Girl transform into a burly New Englander? For those not familar-- Southern China climate-- think Texas-- think HOT!

New England, think cold-- much colder and cold waters along the coast.

I guess the answer can be found in all the pictures I have posted over the past two years. Because here is Josie from this past weekend. Frolicking at the beach on a sunny day, high 60s and water temp ~45F.

The definition of carefree.

Her shyness is all but gone. Josie has truly blossomed into a fun loving, adventurous little girl who rarely shies away from much of anything (unless it is a bug, frog, worm-- you get the picture).

The definition of Funny.

The definition of LOVE, FAMILY, and FRIENDSHIP

A Big Taste of Spring

We finally got some nice sunny weather here in the Northeast, followed by some warm sunny days.

The girls and I have enjoyed some good times at the playground and Josie is very happy to be on her wheels again tooling around.

Clara Rose is ever so jealous because her legs aren't quite long enough yet to peddal.  Much the same as Josie this time last year.

Josie started cruising so well, I bought her a bike helmet before she gets into a big fender bender.

Josie and Clara Rose are acting more like *sisters* these days. We still have a share of fights to mediate each day, but they are much less. The fighting is also coupled with lots of playing between the girls. Josie is being more considerate of Clara Rose on her own-- referring to her as her "mommy-baby" that she needs to take care of. It is sweet to watch and more than makes up for the squabbles.

Josie noticed Clara Rose couldn't ride her bike yet and was crying because Josie was all over on her bike.

Josie invited Clara Rose to "get on my back" and Josie took her for a ride.

Hmmm, I think I need to get a bike helmet for Clara Rose as well. 

Josie is one speedy rider-- even with a passenger on board.

We enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather this past weekend. On Friday we met with a few other friends at a local beach. Much to my surprise-- Josie and Clara Rose were extremely happy to go in the water. The water is about 45F according to the news-- with cautions to people to not go swimming yet.

 I tried to explain this to Josie and Clara Rose-- with their freezing bright red feet and legs-- but they weren't hearing any of it.

"Mommy Mommy! My legs berry fweezing!!!!"

"I go back in water now!"

Clara Rose and her new friend Liliana-- who also braved the cold water for some fun splash time.

It wasn't long before my girls had stripped themselves of their sweatshirts AND their pants-- down to undies and diapers and no way were they letting me dress them.

Many of our friends: Little Grace in the far back looking beach chic in rolled up overalls and a hat; Josie in the front half dressed and Clara Rose dressed similarly kneeling at the bucket; Liliana in red rolled up pants, and big Grace in blude who decided to dress similarly to Josie and Clara Rose.

The girls had a great time meeting each other and all playing together. It is so wodnerful to see our playgroup grow and expand-- we are missing two of our friends in this picture. We are going to have quite a crowd if we can ever manage for us to all get together at the same time!

As much as I enjoyed watching Josie and Clara Rose play with their friends at the beach, my heart did flips all over the sand when whil looking at the girls playing I noticed-- with a start-- that Josie and Clara Rose were missing. 

A quick scan of the beach and then behind me-- there they are-- my two girls, sisters, playing with each other on the beach.

It was a really great afternoon!

We had so much fun at the beach on Friday-- we decided to take Daddy to the beach on Saturday!

The girls spent most of our time their tackling Wim and laughing at him using thier baby panda shirt as a turban of sorts to keep from burning his forhead.

In addition to this past weekend marking the end of Winter (hopefully) and the beginning of Spring-- it marks the end of another era for us. 

Here is Josie Dong Dong in her big girl bed for the first time.

It is a bit overdue, but Josie loved her crib and doesn't always do so well with big changes. It is definitely time though. She has been waking up dry since-- since, well since our China trip-- I think. I can't hardly remember the last time she woke up with a wet diaper.

The crib we bought her came with everything needed to convert to a toddler bed and that was helpful.  Both Josie and Clara Rose LOVE Josie's new bed.

Daylight Savings on a Rainy Day

I had all kinds of plan for this morning, but I ran into one tiny little problem-- I forgot that today starts Daylight Savings. I didn't actually forget, I set all the clocks etc., I simply forgot how hard it is to get up and get going in the morning. So instead of all my plans, today turned into an all day jammie day for me and the girls.

Josie and Clara Rose are very into wearing tights these days. As soon as Josie gets home from Preschool, she rips off her pants and puts on some tights to run around in. Of course, Clara Rose follows suit and is never far behind, but she tends to add a tutu to her outfit.

So today, for them is a jammie top and tights day.

All I can say is Lady Ga Ga watch out and meet the Ladies Goo Goo!

Clara rose and her baby panda this morning. She is wearing her jammie top, blue tights with poodles on them, a pink tutu, Gabrielle's old sandal flops.  She also has on her purple Dora backpack but it is not visible from this direction.

Josie prefers to jazz it up a bit. She is wearing her Blue jammie top with bright red tights. She has her beloved piggy and is also wearing a purple Dora backpack not visible.

The girls were a bit on edge, which tends to put me on edge-- what to do? Quick, I broke out some playdough and most of our accessories. The girls were really excited. I am so glad I reserve things like that for rainy, yucky days. It makes things so much easier.

This is really a burger machine, but Josie refers to it as a cookie machine.

Josie was very into making a bunch of cookies. She made a whole plate full for me, another for Wim, and even gave a couple to Clara Rose. Of course, I am sure Phoebe managed to sneak a few. Oh well, it is non-toxic and it makes picking up her poop in the yard A LOT easier!

Clara Rose having fun with playdough.

The girls had a yummy lunch-- a little before thier body time, but I did manage to get them up a little earlier than usual, so it all worked out-- inlcuding getting them down for their nap at about the usual clock time.

Getting them up after their nap wasn't so easy.  Here is Josie,

"Hey! I am still tired!"

"What do you mean it is time to get up?"

I did what any good mom in my position would do-- I bribed them with an offer to make real cookies!

"Look Mommy, I made a cookie ball! These are going to be delicious!"

Clara Rose is a little on the prissy side, so I had to help her make balls from the cookie dough.

"When can we eat them?"

It is a good thing it doesn't take long to bake cookies. I almost had a mutiny on my hands!

Once done, the girls happily enjoyed the cookies "they" made while watching, Yi Ya, a chinese cartoon that is a favorite of Clara Rose.

What's Dis Big Book?

A couple nights ago, after what was a really exhausting day, I hear Josie exclaim, "Hey Mom! What's dis big book?" and there she was with her adoption story book. This is the one I made for her and gave to her for her 3rd Birthday. The adoption story book that she has shown NO interest in at all-- until now.

I've often mentioned to Josie-- when we adopted you in China and several other interjections encouraged by adoptive family resources, but until this night Josie has never really asked or commented about it. Not to mention that she tells people that, "We dopted Clara Rose. She is from China." At these times I always pipe in with, "The same way we traveled to China to adopt you."

"Dis is Josie's? Dis is Josie's book!" She says pointing to her name

(she is able to recognize her name in writing).

Me: Yes Josie this is your adoption story book. Mommy made it for you. It is about when Mommy and Daddy traveled to China to adopt you. This picture is of you holding Mommy's finger while you were in the stroller.

Josie: Why

Me: Because you were scared to ride in the stroller, but you felt OK when you held Mommy's hand.

This is the piece of paper we received from China saying they believed we would be good parents and would find a baby for us whose birthparents are not able to take care of a baby at this time.

Josie:   Mommy loook! It is baby Dong Dong.

Me: Yes. These are pictures we were sent telling us we could adopt you and bring you home forever and ever.

Me: These are pictures of Mommy and Daddy in the waiting room in China to meet you for the very first time.

Josie: What dis page Mommy?

Me: These are pictures of when we first met you. You were nervous and scared because you didn't know Mommy and Daddy yet.

Josie: Why?

Me: Because you were born in China and you lived there in an orphanage until we were allowed to come adopt you.

Josie: Tank you for coming to get me Mommy. I love you.

Me: I love you Josie and nothing in the world was stopping Daddy and I from coming to bring you home.

Josie: I love dis page mommy-- as she bends over to give it a kiss.

The book is filled with lots of other pictures-- it is a pretty big scrapbook-- pictures of Josie in the orphanage with her Ayi, pictures of us while we waited for her, lots of pictures while we were in China.

I also included a few pictures (quite a few) pictures of Josie's firsts with us from her first year home.

Her 2nd Birthday-- her first with us, her forever family.

Her first Christmas.

The last page has a few pictures of me and Josie and a note I wrote to her about her future.

Throughout the entire time looking at this book, Josie kept going back to this page and saying,

"I love this page" in a soft little voice and giving it a kiss.

I love this page too-- It is my favorite page in the whole book.

I managed to get through all of this without crying, although it brings me to tears now. I'm not sure why, maybe because I know this is just the beginning and as open as I am and want to be with her about her adoption, I am really NOT looking forward to the hard questions that I know lie ahead.

A Little of This , A Little of That

So much to do with the girls, especially Clara Rose-- I don't know what we are going to do when I return to work in the next few weeks.  I am spending lots of time throughout the morning working with Clara Rose and her speech. So far she can say: more, mine, bwink for drink, uhhh for up, no (thanks Josie), nong nong for Dong Dong and O-E for Josie and ata for Daddy; plus the regular Mommy.

The girls are doing better interacting, although there are moments (!); I know, I know, get use to it because they will always be here. We're down from days (of a moment) to no more than half a day if Josie really in a mood.

Josie has taken on more the role of big sister and playing Mommy.

Josie feeding her baby Clara Rose.

The girls playing in Josie's crib after their nap.

Josie has also started swim lessons and dance lessons. She likes the swimming much better, but still needs for me to with her in the water during class. She is able to do all the skills and then some for the class-- really she is ready for the next class in terms of the technical skills, but she is not socially ready-- she still wants mommy with her. She did let the intsructor take her around the pool on a mat and she enjoyed that. She screamed her head off the first week of class when they did that.  Her first dance class didn't go so well. She pretty much stuck to me and didn't do much. Wim took her this time and actually dropped her off. She was fine and danced 25 minuted of the 45 minute class. Maybe she'll become more interested as time goes by.

Josie in dance class. She refused to wear the tutu she "Had" to have.

We have a membership to a local Children's Museum and I am trying to take the girls one afternoon/evening per week.

Playing on the sail ship

Playing in the grocery store

Playing on the Tree Slide

Everyone's Fave-- the STEAMROLLER

Another favorite, colored translucent building blocks and shape peices on a lighted table.

They really look like they are glowing.

I am going to try and post at least once a week until the last week of March, when I return to work-- barring hitting it big in the Lottery. After that, I'm not sure how often I will be able to post. Aside from Josie's activities, Gabrielle and Xavier are taking fencing. Wim and I also have to figure out how we are going to fit in Special time to work with Clara Rose on language and speach development.

I expect that we will not have too much left over time.