Toothy Crossroads

All kinds of big happenings at our house these days!

After several weeks of wiggling,

and a little less giggling,

maybe a few tears,

Josie lost her very first tooth!

She was quite happy about losing it once the initial shock of

actually losing it wore off.

Clara Rose had a DR. appointment but decided

to bag-out of it.

Her BFF Bat Girl took the hit for her! 

Because the tooth fairy is just

too super cool ---

Josie lost her second tooth just a couple days after the first!

The tooth thing was old news to her this go around-- no tears, fuss, or drama at all! 

Our little daisy patch is in full bloom! 

In between all the rain, we managed to get a few pictures

of Clara Rose and Josie the morning of . . .  

Clara Rose's big Graduation Day from Pre-K! 

She is super excited to be going into Kindergarten! 

As if all that isn't enough . . .

Josie graduated from Kindergarten! 

She is quite proud and excited to be graduating and

attending Elementary school next year! 

We are very proud of her and all her accomplishments! 

The Letter "C" First Letter in the Foulest Word Ever!

I have sad, heartbreaking news to share today.

We recently learned that one of our dear family friends is waging a war against Cancer. I cannot begin to tell you how many of my friends have endured wars against this terrible disease in the past several years.

Robert was recently diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and prostate cancer. He has endured one surgery already and is facing another, in addition to treatments and recovery. Despite a double diagnosis of cancer, he is committed to fight both cancers head-on. Robert sees the smile on little Angeline’s face and finds the strength to fight on because he very much wants to be in Angeline's life supporting her as she grows  up.



Robert helping Josie roll Angeline in a tube at a party



Angeline is the same age as Josie and was on of Josie's very first friends after we adopted her and brought her home.



Josie and Angeline playing about a month after we arrived home from China.

  

Josie and Angeline during one of their many play dates.



Angeline hanging out with us a month or so before we adopted Clara Rose.



Angeline was on of our first friends to come for a play date after we adopted Clara Rose.

Robert is such a wonderful Dad; quiet, patient, loving, and has always been such a joy with the girls.



Robert Playing with Angeline and Josie.



Robert was often behind a camera taking pictures, so pictures of him are hard to find.

 We are absolutely heartbroken with this news.

Kathi, Robert, and Angeline greatly appreciate any support folks might be able to provide to help defray their mounting medical bills that are not covered by health insurance. Anyone who has ever dealt with a major medical situation knows there is often just as much that health insurance does not cover as what it does cover.

The link to their site is below. You may need to cut and paste it into your browser for it to work.

http://www.gofundme.com/35knag

Everyday and Momentous Occasions

Just a few picts of some regular times--

 or not always quite so regular

I managed to get through all of last year without

one trip to Chucky Cheese.

I am not sure how I managed that!

We were long over due and made a time of it one evening a couple months ago.

Josie and Clara Rose in the screen shot while

on a virtual roller coaster.

They used most of their Cheesy coins to play games and win tickets.

Clara Rose hit the jackpot! 

Their winnings!

They were so super proud of these little pieces of candy they were

able to purchase with their tickets. 

Chucky Cheese Pizza and game tokens: $30
Extra Game Tokens: $20
Small packets of candy that cost ~$30 in game tokens but are worth about $2
Proud and Happy Daughters: Priceless.

We went to a dumpling making event sponsored by a local Chapter of China Cares.

Josie had a great time making (and eating) real

homemade Chinese Dumplings with her playmate. 

The reclusive Xavier trying out a new hairdo. 

Phoebe getting her much desired admiration and love

from Gabrielle. 

Gabrielle and Wim on the night of her Junior Prom. 

Clara Rose and Josie at Healthy Kids Day. 

Lastly, this year's session of China Cares is over.

It was a great year and we all look forward to participating again next year. 

Springtime, Fairies, and Super Heros

A nearby Museum/Mansion hosts an Annual Fairy Festival that

the girls and I like to attend.

Fairy attire is encouraged.

This year the girls decided to send two alternates in their place.

I was quite honored to be escorted to this event by none other than . . .

the one and only . . .

Bat Girl!

She said she would protect all things Fairy at the festival

with her Super Hero powers.

Also accompanying me, is the ever so lovely, Sparkle Fairy.  

Bat Girl and Sparkle Fairy next to the fairy house they

made in a wooded area where many other young fairies

were building fairy houses as well. 

There are many crafts at the festival.

Sparkle Fairy and Bat Girl made Gnomes out of little pine cones and felt. 

At this table they made necklaces to carry fairy dust.

Bat Girl was very serious at this table.

She just new it would be a likely target for villains! 

There is also various forms of entertainment--

Some kind of Irish dancers complete with a small accordion player. 

All is well dancing around the May Pole. 

Bat Girl, Sparkle Fairy, and their friend Grace

showing off the fairy dust on their arm from the tooth fairy. 

Bat Girl and Sparkle Fairy-- in the background

the tooth fairy in blue and another marching band,

"The Ladies of the Rolling Pin." 

After all the crafts, dancing, and a picnic lunch, we ventured

onto the grounds and gardens.

This lovely area was full bloom with daffodils.

We wandered down to the shoreline. . .

and the sea-side of the Mansion.

Call me crazy, but Bat Girl has a very strong resemblance to

Clara Rose. 

This is always a fun event to attend.

This year was even more special thanks to the

presence of Sparkle Fairy and protective services from Bat Girl! 

Space! The Final Frontier!

Our last touring day of D.C. we all headed into the National Mall area yet again.

The first and primary stop for me, Clara Rose, and Josie was the

National Air and Space Museum.

Wim, Gabrielle, and Xavier also came to this museum, but blew through it fairly quickly

and then moved on to some of the other museums.

Josie and Clara Rose really enjoyed this museum.

They liked it more than the Natural History Musuem,

but said the Zoo was their favorite.

Once again, I had my hands full simply keeping track of them

and taking pictures upond demand.

I think this was the space hatch (door)

to one of the shuttles or Apollos  . . .

The driving controls for one of the

shuttles or Apollos. 

This museum also has several rooms or 'wings'

and lots of airplanes on display--hanging from the ceiling.

You are able to go in several of them! 

The Pilot area of a large passenger airplane.

We went to this museum on a Saturday and

there were lots of craft table with aviation

themed crafts set-up throughout the museum. 

Among other crafts, the girls made an aviator scarf. 

This room had a humongous murial

of several types of place throughout the

years flying in the sky.

It was really awesome! 

One of the rooms is basically a kids

museum with many different type of interactive

displays that kids (an adults) can try out.

We probably spent close to an hour in this room.

Josie and Clara Rose had a blast trying out all

the differnt stuff. 

There were so many different rooms with

really awesome displays! 

This room had a running large screen movie

of a shuttle being blasted into space.

The girls got to pretent they were

Flight Directors at NASA. 

I think we spent clost to five hours at this museum

and I pretty much had to drag them out.

There was one more sight I wanted us to see on this trip.

And just a few blocks away, we found it. 

It was an awesome sight-seeing trip!

The girls amazed me!

We planned this trip without any big expectations.

I've been to D.C and I knew it would be a lot of walking.

I had told Wim that he and the big kids could go and do whatever and we would

meet for lunches here and there and I'd take care of Josie and Clara Rose.

They walked and walked (and talked and talked) for three solid days 

without any whining or complaining.