First Day of School

Her: I'm NOT taking a picture! My make up looks awful!
Me: Fine, head off to school, I'll meet you there to take it.
Her: Cheese.

Welcome to 7th grade.

Lexi was super excited. Sof didn't want to be left out.

Despite the look of her legs, I swear we feed that 4th grader!

Then I headed off to my school where I greeted children eager to show me what they can do...

and lots of new school shoes...

Too sweet:)

Signs Summer is Ending

They were all around us this weekend. Sunflowers have bloomed,

the tube is destroyed,

babies are getting bigger,

dance party was weak(apparently they're out of moves, so it was more like a pillow fight and an ending pose),

the water is warmer than the air,

the speedboat is out of the water,

and this little girl is getting too brave(she can also crawl out of her pack and play!).

For every ending there is a beginning. The farm stand down the street from our cottage had the beginnings of their pumpkins out. That made me excited for cider mills, jeans, and fall leaves. Tonight my kids are clean, their hair was blown dry, and even their nails got clipped and painted. That hasn't happened in 3 months:). Everyone has new clothes layed out for the big day tomorrow. In the morning I will go to my classroom where all the crayons, pencils, glue sticks, and markers are new. Who doesn't love new school supplies? There will be a fresh batch of children and parents coming through my door, full of expectations for the year. I will take their children under my wing and promise to love and protect them day in and day out. Some will cry(parents not chidren!), and I will tear up too because I know what a big day it is when your child goes to Kindergarten. Endings can sad, but beginnings are full of excitement, promise and potential. Here's to fresh starts:)

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Our last lake weekend of the summer started off hot! No complaint here though, that's what you want for a lake day. We knew the weather was going to cool down though, so we really took advantage of every minute that day. The kids' kneeboarded, we spent time at our friend's beach, everyone swam, and we didn't come up to the house until 5:00. That's the way it should be on a lake day...

Sof is getting so brave in the water!

Showers are way more fun outside with your cousins!

Farewell sweet summer lake days of 2011!

Hard Mommy Day

Today I went to work for the first real day. I've been in to set up my classroom and make preparations, but that's different because it's my choice! Today I had to be there on time, and that meant taking Sof to daycare. It was hard. Harder then the first day because today she knew what was happening. When we pulled into the parking lot she started saying, "Bye bye?". As we walked to the door I was explaining that Mommy was going to work and Sofie was going to school. Her bottom lip came out and she said, "School?". We went to her classroom and she cried. A sad, sad cry. I put on my best strong Mommy face, kissed, hugged, and handed her over. I went to my car and cried for her. I cried the first time I left my other girls too, but this is different. My heart breaks thinking about her perspective on it. Is she thinking this is her new home, wondering if I'm coming back? At work we started by going around the room and sharing best memories from our summer. That got me emotional again. I called at lunch to check and see how Sof's morning went. Her teacher had lots of positives to tell me. She said Sof had really come out of her shell and shown more of her personality today. She engaged with other kids and participated in games. Then it came to nap time. When the teacher started getting the cots out Sof said, "Night, night?". Then she started crying and specifically said, "Mama". That broke my heart, and yes, made me cry again. Here's the deal though, it IS different then my biological girls. Sof just got a family, a Mommy and a Daddy and sisters, and she likes it. She wants to be with us. It's hard to leave her behind. In reality though, it would be much worse if she didn't miss us. The best thing that happened today was that she remembered me, wanted me, and even asked for me 4 hours after I dropped her off. She isn't happy with just any caregiver, whoever is on shift. She wants her Mommy. That means she has a strong attachment to me, to us. It is the biggest hurdle every adopted child and family faces. We are SO over that hurdle. By 2:30 Mommy and baby were reunited and all the ups and downs of the day were left behind. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her Tree House.

This little girl is going bye bye to school. Great role play, except the dog's driving...

Happy Birthday Grandma Ree!

My sister's in-laws are in town for the month. Marie has become Grandma Ree to my kids also. We celebrated her birthday on Saturday with dinner, cake, and of course a dance party from the girls! Steve took her out to run some errands and the girls were so excited to yell "Surprise" when she came in. I'm sure she had NOOOOO idea we were celebrating!;)

No Natalie, we're not singing yet!

Emily got her a sweet necklace with the girls' names on it.

John had the girls make cards, and in the process he decided to make one too! Old softie:)

The dance party took on more of a catwalk style tonight. Lots of different costumes strutting their stuff!

What's a birthday without cake? Sof loves dessert! She really is my girl:)

End of Summer Performance

Today we had one of our last performances of the season at a local festival. Adrienne and my nieces danced, and Adrienne and Lexi both sang. As always I was super proud of them. I never tire of watching these girls perform!

I was especially proud of Lexi! She has just recently found her voice, and her confidence. It was a really big deal for her to get up in front of an audience like that! Adrienne does it all the time, it's second nature for her. Sof sat and watched and tried to sing along and dance too! I have a feeling she will be following in her sister's and cousin's footsteps!

6 Month Post Placement!

Yesterday our social worker, J, came for our visit. Ironically, it was 5 months exactly since we touched down on American soil with our sweet Sof. It felt like show and tell in Kindergarten. We couldn't be more proud to show off our Sof and how far she's come. J said, "She's a keeper". I'm sure she doesn't say that to ALL her clients! It was cute to see Alexa's excitement over J coming. She got Sofie dressed, fed her, and played with her while we waited. You could just tell she felt as proud as the rest of us! One of the questions on the new Russian questionaire is, "How many articles of clothing and shoes does the child have?" Really? You want me to answer that in front of my husband? J said she would just answer plenty:) Here's a pic of the girls waiting...