Send Spring...STAT!

Sigh. What a week. Although I like the change of seasons, I've had enough of winter.

Couple that with all the sadness going on around here, and I think a big ol' dose of spring would do us all some good.

As I posted about earlier, our dog passed away about 2 weeks ago. Also recently, we've had a couple of friends experience the loss of a loved one and some personal tragedies.

And now, just last week, one of my grandmothers passed away. (At the age of thirty-something-something, I was lucky enough to have both of my awesome grannies around until just last Wednesday.) Anyway, Granny S was a fabulous person and I'm not sure I did her justice in the remarks I prepared for her funeral. But we loved her so much and she will be greatly missed.

Since my hubby lost his oldest brother this past fall, we've had our share of discussions with Q about death and dying. He asks a lot of questions and he's trying to make sense of it the best he can. And I'm trying to help - not hinder this - the best that I can. This weekend, we had the added element of a graveside service after the funeral. He hadn't been to a cemetery before, so there was some more explaining we had to do. He thought it looked like a big rock garden. Which is more or less the case.

Before we went to the cemetery, when he saw the hearse and the pallbearers, he asked: How will they know how to get grandma to Heaven?

I got all teary at this. It sounded so sweet. So innocent. And I could hardly speak.

Thankfully, one of my sisters was nearby and she told him that God would take over. That seemed enough for him.

So, with all the hub-bub going on, I haven't downloaded any new pix of the kiddos. In the meantime, if you are really desparate for a new photo, go here and then click on the Conner Prairie album. There are 22 photos in all and you'll have to go all the way to #21 to find Miss K. And, it isn't even a great photo. So don't say you weren't warned.

The photo was taken by an Indymoms.com photographer at Conner Prairie a few Fridays ago. We had a little cabin fever so I took the kids out for a bit of play at CP's Discovery Station. The photog apparently couldn't resist Keira's charms. But here's what I liked most of all. When she asked for her name (we are using first names only, she said), I said, "Keira". She replied: Do you spell that K-E-I-R-A? I nearly hugged her. She may be, so far, the only person who got that right the first time. Yippee!! (Hey - it's been a bleak month - I take joy where I can find it!)

Hope you all are faring better. And soon, more bright and shining faces here!

Tag! I'm It!

I've been tagged. And for a change, it's not by Quinn during a chase scene in our basement.

I've been tagged by cc at This Good... to join in this book meme.

This is my first official blog-tagging of any sort. As you can imagine, my readership is limited, I think, primarily to my friends and family who don't post comments (ahem, ahem) and aren't bloggers. But, I do have a few blogging friends, so I'm not a complete blog-o-sphere loser. Anyway, here goes.....

These are the rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences.

5. Tag 5 more people.

Well, I'm sitting in the family room and the nearest reading material doesn't qualify - Sunday and Monday's Indianapolis Star, this week's TV Guide, and 3 children's books on Chinese New Year.

But wait - here is a qualifier....Walt Disney World with Kids 2008. I have this book on loan from a kind friend, who also recommended the book The Pillars of the Earth [way before Oprah did], which is upstairs, bedside, with way, way, way more than 123 pages...explaining why it has been bedside for months now!

Anyway, here are sentences 6, 7, and 8 from page 123 of WDW with Kids:

...(The exact time at which you can get another Fastpass is printed on your
current Fastpass ticket.) Periodically, there's buzz that Disney may change the
system and let people get multiple Fastpasses, but at present, it's still one to
a customer.
Fastpass is so popular that Disney is always looking for
ways to expand the system, and you never know when they'll be offering some new
perk....

Hmmmm...this is all Greek to me at this point. I think I'd better get cracking on this Disney stuff between now and June!

OK, so who to tag....

How about Liene, Jenni, Cybil, Sarah, and Mary? Let's see what reading material is sitting around out there. Can it possibly be more thought-provoking than WDW Fastpasses???

Playdate Flunkie

For the first 3+ years of Quinn's life, I was a working-outside-the-home mom. Which meant that he was a daycare kid. So, when I wasn't at work (evenings, weekends) I was trying to cram in some quality time in a variety of ways - none of which involved scheduled playdates. He was already happily playing with his buddies for 8-10 hours a day. Who could ask for anything more?

Then, one day in the summer of '06, I took leave of my corporate job (in the pharmaceutical industry...go ahead, hate me now, but at least it wasn't the health insurance or tobacco industries!). I became a stay-at-home mom. I did my best to entertain and educate. But Q kept asking when he could play with so-so and so-so again.

I shall schedule a playdate, I thought! Of course! I felt all so SAHMommy like.

I contacted mothers of 2 of Q's friends from daycare, only to discover SAHM Playdate Lesson #1: Hard to schedule playdates with son's friends from daycare because their moms still work! Duh! I took leave from my job, and apparently leave from my brain, too. Anyway, luckily the moms seemed to have Fridays off, twice a month, so we worked something out.

And then, Lesson #2. Prior to that first playdate, one mom asks what she can bring - bagels for the moms? Snacks for the kids? Yikes - I have to feed people??!! I think. Guess this just isn't 3 boys playing in our basement for a couple of hours, eh? I politely declined helplful mom's offer (to appear that I knew what I was doing) and made a note to buy some pastries and sort-of healthy kiddo snacks.

The playdate ultimately went off pretty well, and we got invited to a few in return, so all was not lost.

Fast forward to the arrival of Miss K. Quinn was fully entrenched in preschool and our playdates with his buddies consisted primarily of meeting at parks or museums and the like.

But now I feel the need to be sure Keira is being properly socialized.

Luckily, we've met all sorts of wonderful people through the miracle of adoption and K has a handy-dandy playgroup of her own now. Although I usually feel like a thorn among roses, the girl with 2 left feet in a roomfull of ballerinas, a SAHM flunkie in a room of PhDs.

Why, you wonder? I seem so competent online, you think? (I'm trying to keep a straight face here.)

Here's why....Super SAHM #1: serves fabulous, freshly brewed coffee (and has tea for those who prefer). It's like Starbucks in there. Me? When I host a playdate I ask - Diet Coke? Or ice water?

Awesome SAHM #2 actually does the cool crafts I read about but think, yeah right - who really does those? Me? I get out paper and stickers. The Crayola Color Wonder paints if I'm really feeling in the groove.

Cool SAHM #3 brings Rice Krispie treats for all the other playgroup kids. Heart shaped. With sprinkles. That her girls helped make. Me? I hand out prepacked Teddy Grahams.

I could go on. But you get the idea here.

Mysteriously, luckily, graciously, we are continued to allow to associate with all those who are in the know. Perhaps the SAHM PhDs feel sorry for me. Maybe they were once in my shoes. Maybe they hope to turn me from Eliza Doolittle (Mommy Do-little?) into My Fair Lady? Maybe they take pity on my kids, the hapless victims of my ineptitude.

Or maybe they are just that nice. Which is probably the case.

Anyway, we are so thankful to have found such friends. And I hope a little bit of their great mommy prowess rubs off on me... probably just about the time I decide to head back to work.... Where, when asked to please get my PowerPoint presentation ready for such-and-such committee review, I'll say PowerPoint? What 's that? Can I turn in my Crayola Color Wonder graphics instead?

My Funny Valentines

Here they are, the sweetest Valentines I could ever hope for.

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I find myself wondering, daily, how did I get so lucky?

We Will Miss You, Doggone-it!

All Dogs Go To Heaven.

It's a movie I've never seen, but I believe in the concept.

And today, dog-heaven had its population increase by one. By one very fine canine.

Our dog, Odie, passed away this morning. He lived nearly 15 years. He was a Humane Society Hound. We adopted him in 1993 when we lived in southern Indiana. He was part black Lab, part Chow, but 100% lovable.

We didn't know many of our neighbors at the time. But once Odie became ours, we knew the whole block. He was a real kid-magnet in his day. We were one of 2 kid-less couples on the block, but we had the only dog. So believe it or not, our house was often kid-central. Our neighbor girls made him the Grand Marshall of their 4th of July Parade one year. They even had a birthday party for him once or twice. They gave him dog treats and homemade dog toys. And he always had a front-row seat for their frequent talent shows.

When we moved a few years later, and a few years after that, we were still one of the only kid-less couples on the block, but the ones with a dog. Again, Odie helped us get acquainted with our new neighbors. Obviously his social skills were superior to ours.

Odie endured the addition of a cat to the family, and then eventually a baby, and lastly a toddler. He was a good, faithful friend.

In his prime, he loved a good game of frisbee or chase (or chase the cat) and looked forward to long walks. Recently though, he had a hard time getting around and he developed canine cognitive dysfunction - aka Alzheimer's in dogs.

I never really knew such a thing existed until, after several frustrating months/years, we discussed his behavior with our vet.

I also never knew having a dog would be so great.

And I never knew I'd miss one so much either.

Worth 9000 Words? You Decide!

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that's the case, here are about 9000 words for your perusal. I couldn't come up with any better words on my own today, so you are specially treated to these visual ones. Hope you enjoy a look at how we managed to get through that eternal month known as January.

Oh, Rats!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Happy Chinese New Year!
Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

And in our case, we are calling it the Year of the Mouse. As in Mickey and Minnie. Thanks to grandma and grandpa, we are heading south in a few months to the Big Mouse House. It should be a fun way to kick off the summer.


In the meantime, we are hoping to survive the rest of the crazy Indiana winter.....although with wild weather from China to the southern US, and everywhere in between, what's going on here doesn't seem so bad.

Nonetheless, we are counting down the days until spring.

And the days until our Week of the Mouse.

And the days until I no longer have to answer questions about exactly when we are going to see the Mouse. (This is the part where hubby says I told you we shouldn't have told them about it yet....!)

Blessings and peace to you and yours this New Year!

An Idea You Can Warm Up To

If you haven't heard about the snow storms crippling China, just google "snow storms China" and you'll find plenty to read. On the NBC Nightly News this evening, Brian Williams referred to it as China's Katrina. Even southern provinces, like Guangxi - where Keira is from - have been hit hard. When we were there last December we only ever needed a light jacket in the evening. So I think it would be an understatement to say that they aren't used to this type of weather. Many, many, many are without electricity and have been for days. There are stories of people using their life savings to buy coal to keep warm. There are stories of people trying to get home in time to celebrate the New Year (Chinese New Year begins this Thursday).

And then there the orphans. I don't hear their plight mentioned on the news. But as you might imagine, the orphanages in the affected regions are struggling mightily as well.

If you feel a little pull on your heartstrings, please consider donating to Half The Sky and their Emergency Mouse Fund. Half the Sky is an organization that was formed in 1998 by a couple who had recently adopted a daughter from China. HTS is committed to helping orphans in China and has some very wonderful programs on-going. They have a specific fund set up now to help the orphanages in this time of crisis.

Please consider giving. It would mean a lot to those who are so little.

She Likes It! Hey Mikey!

After some hits-and-misses with Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious (about sneaking veggies into kids' food....more on that in another post), I found a definitely hit with this Summer Corn Fritters recipe that I found in Parents magazine. Yeah, yeah, I know it isn't summer. (I'm a little behind on magazine reading, can ya' tell??) I just substituted some canned sweet corn for that which was supposed to be cut freshly off the cob.

Keira loved them. She ate about five. Quinn managed to eat one, with a little coaxing. But Keira was completely devouring them. She would scream when we gave her another one. Not a hey-stop-taking-my-toy scream but an oh-my-gosh-i'm-getting-a-treat kind of scream. And, in a reversal of roles, she was eating off Quinn's plate!

Hubby and I really liked them as well. But I think I liked them even more just because Keira did. There are 3 veggies in these things! Three! That's about her monthly intake...awwww, who am I kidding...that's about her lifetime intake of veggies so far (except for force-fed baby food, way back when).

Basically these things are like fried little cakes of corn bread (we all love corn bread here - we live in Indiana, you know) with some shredded carrots, zucchini, and corn mixed in. Yummmm, yummmm.

I know it sounds crazy to be giddy over corn fritters, but to see Keira eat a nice little meal - with chicken, vegggies, and fruit (she tolerates applesauce now) - well, it made me feel all so successful-mommy-like.

That is, until the bedtime meltdown over toothbrushing. But that's another story. You know how those successful mommy moments go.

The Facts, Ma'am, Just the Facts: Keira, One Year Later

I don't think I've given an update yet on how far our munchkin has come in the year since she's been home. The other week, K had her 2-year check up at the pediatrician's office. She weighed in at 24.5 pounds and 33 inches. That puts in her the 25% (weight) and 30-35% (height) on the US CDC growth charts. Not bad for a girl who, last year at this time, wasn't even a dot on those charts. She grown 6 inches since we met her and has gained 7 pounds. And given the way she eats at times, she proves that indeed you can make something out of nothing.

She could just barely crawl when we met her, and now she runs, jumps, and dances like there's no tomorrow. She can "sing" and is learning new phrases every day - like "daddy did it", "gege eye" (this translates to Quinn's crying), and "mine Kiki's" (apparently making sure you really, really know whose milk/cookie/blanket that is).

She is now taking a gymnastics class, which she loves. And she's also started her first "Panda class" --- a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds learning to sing songs, count, recognize colors, etc, all in Mandarin. So far, she thinks everything is blue and all numbers are 2. This may have something to do with the Colts obsession in this house and the fact that she just turned two.

And speaking of the Colts, another new K phrase: Go Colts. She YELLS this anytime she sees their horseshoe logo or sees a football of any sort. And unless you recognize and acknowledge what she is saying, she will say/yell it repeatedly until you too say "Yes! Go Colts!" Then she breaks into a big grin. And says it another 5 times in a row. Have my methods of indoctrination gone too far?.....Nah. Didn't think so.

And for now, I think that about sums it up. Other than her baby obsession, her love of her music class, her obsession with Quinn's crash-n-go speedway and The King, her love for Go-Gurt and mashed potatoes and Catalina dressing (not all at once) and so on and so on.

What can I say? She's a girl and she's complex.

And, as Q says: the sweetest sister in the whole wide world.

So there. :-)

Doctor, Doctor, Gimme The News

We've got a bad case of.....of MSMD, actually.
I can't remember where I first heard of this affliction. Could've been my mom. She had 4 kids, so likely there was a lots of MSMD going on in our house. Oh yeah, and if you're still wondering, MSMD = Monkey See, Monkey Do. Miss K has a Grade A case. Anything Quinn does that seems to get him any sort of attention, good or bad, she's sure to copy. Quinn burp at the table? Keira is bound to follow up with a "burp" of her own. (And if we hadn't already laughed at Quinn, we are definitely chuckling at a 2 -year old's attempts to fake a belch.) Quinn pretend to sleep in the car when we get home from preschool to try to trick me? Keira is "sleeping" by the time I get over to her side of the car.
The other day, Quinn was pretending to be a Pacers basketball player (sans the nightclub-associated arrests, thank goodness). I tried to get an action shot, but he stopped and said, "No, no - watch this!" and he posed as you see to the left.
Moments later, Miss MSMD grabbed her own pint-sized basketball and tried to copy big brother's pose. Unfortunately, her balance isn't the greatest yet so she was having some trouble. But lucky for her, big brother to the rescue. Cheeese, cheeeeeeese! she said. She'll rarely stop long enough for me to snap her photo when I want to, but if she's trying to catch up with Quinn, she'll cheese for minutes on end.

They aren't quite Reggie and Cheryl Miller yet, but we're working on it.


And in case you haven't figured it out yet, we've moved on to basketball since the mighty Colts fell to the Bolts a couple of weeks ago. It has taken me a while to write about it, but the therapist says it is good to get it out in the open. ;-)
And as I've learned from all my friends who are Cubs' fans, There's always next year!

Dreams of All Sizes

I wanted to write something really eloquent, really thoughtful about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But all my attempts seemed to fall short. There is so much to say about how important his messages are. About how they apply to everyone. About how the world would be a much better place, a more peaceful place, if only the dream would come true.

But, like so many things, I find a child’s point of view puts it best.

Quinn’s preschool class learned about Martin Luther King last Thursday (since they had today off of school in honor of the MLK holiday). He was happy to come home and tell me all about it.

Mom, this guy Martha Luther King says that you should be kind to everyone.

Well, that’s a pretty short synopsis of a lifetime of work, but a fairly decent one: Be nice.

What impressed me even more that day was how it put this into practice. Daddy was off work that day, so in the afternoon while K was napping, Daddy stayed home with her and Q and I headed off to Target to spend his Christmas money from Aunt V. Q chose a set of cars from the movie Cars. There were 8 cars in the set – Lightning McQueen, The King, Chick Hicks, and 5 other Piston Cup racers. On the way home from his big spending spree, Quinn told me he was planning to share the cars with Keira.

She likes cars, too, mom. She loves the King. I’m showing her kindness.

That's great, sweetie, I replied. I'm sure she'll like that.

Yeah. Martha-Marthin-Mar-Tin-Lu-ther King says to be kind to people. (He finds the name a bit of a tongue twister. Can you tell?)

Yes, you're right Quinn. I'm glad you were listening in school today.

Later that afternoon, he was playing with his new cars on the floor in the family room. He was re-enacting a scene from the movie, where the "mean" car, Chick Hicks, runs The King off the track during a big race. In Quinn's version of the scene, though, he changes it up a bit - he has all the other cars rally around McQueen, and McQueen (McQuinn) says this: Hey guys, let's show Chick Hicks some kindness. If we show him how to be kind, maybe he'll know to be kind later and he'll stop being mean to the King.

I would've fallen off my chair at this point, but I was sitting on the floor. I was so proud of his little moment. Usually he claims not to remember anything he did at school that morning. You know how the conversations go...What'd you do at school today? Nothing. Did you play outside? I don't know. Who'd you play with? Everyone. And so it goes....

But this message today. About being kind to everyone. It seemed to be sticking. And I was happy about that.

Then as I was making dinner that night, Quinn walked into the kitchen to see what was going on. He noticed my glass of ice water and asked for a drink. Sure, no problem. Afterward, he said that one of his dreams came true that day. Really? I say, wondering if he was still in an MLK frame of mind. talking about dreams and all.

Yeah, he says, I've always wanted to drink out of a real grown-up glass and now I have.

He puts the glass down and walks away.

Oh. OK. Obviously all dreams aren't created equal. Some are bigger, way bigger, than others. But as parents we owe it to our kids to do all we can to make them come true just the same. The little dreams, and most importantly, the really big ones.

Dream on.

It's All Relative

As most moms do, I imagine, I spend some time here and there wondering what my kids will be like when they are all grown up - what will their interests be? their careers? their mates? their families? I hope and pray that they will be well-adjusted and decent people and that they become good, productive citizens.

I sometimes think especially hard about Miss K. How will being adopted affect her? A little? A lot? And how about this business of being transracially and transculturally adopted?

Thankfully, there are many who have tread this territory before us. Many we can learn from. I like to see how families with older adopted children are doing. I especially enjoy hearing stories from adult adoptees and getting a little insight into their upbringing and how this affected their life's path. Through our church, I've come to know a woman about my age who was adopted from VietNam as an infant. She now has a family of her own - built both through birth and adoption. And every now and then, when Keira and I are out and about, we are approached by some kind soul who might say something like, "You remind me of me and my mom when I was little..." or "Excuse me, is she adopted? I was adopted from...." So far, the conversations have all been warm and fuzzy. But will they always be that way?

The New York Times has a blog on their website entitled Relative Choices: Adoption and the American Family. A whole host of authors contribute, each involved with adoption and yet each with a different viewpoint or experience to offer. There are adult and teen views. Birthparent and adoptive parent views. Entries from adoption professionals and entries from regular people touched by adoption.

A recent entry was brought to my attention by the friend mentioned above. Read it here, if you feel so inclined. I thought it was wonderfully written. The author, who was adopted from Korea as a 3 year old, is now all grown up, married, and pregnant. She offers her thoughts on this, concluding her entry as follows:

Ultimately I want generations after me to know this about the culture of blood and the culture of adoption: That blood is thicker than water, but love can be thicker than blood.

I couldn't have said it better myself. And someday, I hope Keira is thinking the same thing.

Tea for Two

The two weeks between Christmas and back-to-school were a little dicey here. Mostly, the kids got along just fine, although with new toys comes new fights over what's mine and what my sibling is not allowed to touch.
I am happy to report, however, that both Keira and her brother seem to love this Disney Princess tea set that K got from my sis. They have nice little tea parties in the family room while I'm making lunch or whatever. It is really refreshing not to hear "Keira's touching my Ben Ten watch" from Q or "Toppit!" (Miss K telling Q to stop any number of crimes against her loot).
My dear hubby, on the other hand, was a bit concerned over Q's love of a good tea party.
Not to worry, I say. He puts an all-boy spin on it. The other day, he offered to pour me a cup of tea.
And then he promptly informed me it was burping tea. The more you drink the louder you burp, he says, like this [insert forced, fake belch].
Ahhhh yea, a nice tea party. I'm sure this is how the British do it, eh?



Another Christmas gift that has been a success is the Candyland Castle game. Santa left this little gem for Miss Keira. And the kids play this game together nicely. Yes, you heard right. They play together nicely. A parental dream come true. The little castle functions like a slot machine of shapes. You pull the candycane handle, and if the shape you get matches one on your gingerbread man, you keep it. The first to fill his or her card wins.
Mysteriously, Q wins almost every time.
K is just happy to find a match.
And as luck would have it, it is a match made in heaven.

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And for one last peek at the dynamic duo, here they are.............

The Princess of Peace and her side kick - the Prince of...ummm...Silliness?

Whatever their official titles, they think they rule the roost here.

And they do.

As long as they do what I say. House rules.

Why It Stinks To Have a December Birthday - Reason #38

As a faithful reader of the blog and an adorer of Miss K, I'm sure you'll recall that she had her birthday the week before Christmas. My brother and one of my best friends also have birthdays in close proximity to Xmas, so I thought I was fairly prepared with the "right" way to handle this.
But one thing I didn't think of: the threat of snow cancelling birthday plans.
Yup, I live in the midwest and I didn't even think of this. Maybe because I lived within 5 miles of both sets of grandparents and nearly all other living relatives, unlike the situation my kids find themselves in (grandparents, cousins, etc scattered in either direction).
So there we were - the Saturday before K turned 2, and about 6 inches of snow, ice, and other assorted weather maladies plaguing our fine city. We were scheduled to have family and friends-like-family in to celebrate the milestone in Miss K's life, but decided to cancel due to weather.
Quinn said - No problem, we can reschedule for January. Yeah, easy for you to say buddy, not your party!
Anyway, we never really rescheduled - with Christmas and NY right around the corner. I know, I know. Horrible mom.
In the end, though, Keira ended up with a "slow-release" birthday. (Yes, the term was coined by one of her 2 pharmacist parents!) The 4 of us celebrated on her actual b-day; the day later my parents came up to visit; and then that next weekend, she celebrated with cousins and aunts and uncles (including my aforementioned December Bday Brother who turned 40 that day!!)
So below, Little Miss Three Birthday Cakes grins as she gets sung to. Again! And by the way, she still walks around the house singing "Happy Doot-Doo to ooo!" She may have gotten a little too used to the attention.

And in the other pic, you can Keira making a move on her Minnie cake. The pointing finger on the left side of the photo is Quinn, staking a claim to Minnie's big brown chocolate-frosted ear. Apparently, birthday brothers are second only to birthday girls themselves.

So since I've been schooled on the various hazards of December birthdays (and now, as of this past week, I know that the hazards include an increased likelihood of illness), I'm thinking K's next party might be a half-birthday party in June. Less snow around here then. And fewer major holidays. Although we'll have to work around Father's Day and Flag Day, so we'll see.....

Merry Christmas - Part II

Before church on Christmas Eve (above). Q with big, cheesy grin.

Modeling some of their great gifts from Granny & Gramps (below). This time, K has the big, cheesy grin.

We've had a great Christmas (despite almost daily fights over new toys....) and are looking forward to an even better 2008. We wish the same for you and yours!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Peace On Earth, Goodwill To All

Last year, we spent Christmas in China. On Christmas Day itself, we were in Guangzhou for the last leg of our adoption trip. We had a medical exam scheduled for that morning (needed in order to get K's visa to come to the US). The picture above was taken on our walk back from the medical exam.

And then that afternoon, we had a pretty neat experience at a local Buddhist Temple.
I didn't blog about it at the time. Not sure why. I think maybe I just wasn't sure what everyone back home would think about it. You know, Christians in a Buddhist Temple. On Christmas Day to boot! But I had no qualms about going. There was going to be a small service there, where the monks would offer a blessing for the babies. I thought that it would be a neat experience. Part of K's cultural heritage. Plus, I was curious. You don't get a chance like this very often in the midwest.

So off we went. The place was beautiful. The Temple was not just one building, like I had expected, but rather it was a collection of buildings, courtyards, gardens, and a pagoda. The photo of K hugging me was taken near a little water garden there. It was a very peaceful place. The baby blessing was lovely as well. But as we strolled around, I still thought about the irony of being there on Christmas Day.

And then I saw it. The Peace Pole. Look closely in the photo below and you can see it in the background. It reads: May Peace Prevail On Earth. The other 3 sides carry the same message, but in other languages.
It all came together.

Being here on Christmas Day wasn't really as strange as I had thought. Afterall, at the very time we were in that Temple, our family and friends were likely heading home from Christmas Eve services in their hometowns, where they sang carols praising the baby Jesus, the one God sent as his Gift to us. The Messiah. The Prince of Peace.

I felt a greater sense of peace myself right then. A greater sense of connectedness to Keira's ancestors. For despite the cultural differences we were experiencing, I felt that at the core we all wanted the same thing. Peace on Earth.

I thought then that it had all come full circle. But there was more.

This past spring, after being home with Keira for a few months, I read in our church bulletin that the church was planning to install a Peace Pole. One just like the one we saw on Christmas Day in Guangzhou.

Apparently, there are now more than 200,000 Peace Poles in 180 countries around the world. They can be found at churches, schools, parks, and town squares. At the Pyramids in Egypt and at the magenetic North Pole in Canada. At Allenby Bridge between Israel and Jordan. Poles have been dedicated by political leaders, like President Jimmy Carter, and spiritual leaders, like Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.

And now, as Christmas approaches for this year, we offer you this wish: May peace prevail in your hearts. At Christmastime and always. And someday, may peace truly prevail on Earth.

The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face

A year ago today, we met Keira. She was known as Yi Jiao (Jiaojiao) then. She was just a year old, 17 pounds, and barely crawling. She was very quiet when her nanny handed her to us. And she just stared at us and took it all in. She's really much the same way now when she meets strangers - she gives them a big stare and a very straight face. As one friend told us, "Gee - she really makes you work for one of her smiles, but when you get it...Wow!" And we couldn't agree more.

We worked and worked and worked. Loved, hugged, and bonded. Fed her, held her, and sang the Elmo theme song to her. In fact, once we learned that she liked that song, we began singing nearly everything to her, to the tune of Elmo's World. (Hey - we were desparate those first few days to win her affections, and as you know, ga-ga parents will do most anything!)

Looking back on our trip to China to adopt Keira and thinking about it all has made me a bit emotional today. I find myself thinking a lot about how she came into our family. I wonder about her life in the orphanage and about the 4 months with her foster family. I wonder about those mysterious days that make up the beginning of her life, her entry into the world. I wonder about her birth family. I wonder if her birthmother is thinking about her today, on her birthday. Does she wonder where she is and how she is doing?

When I look at Keira, I can't imagine that her birthmom isn't thinking of her. The girl before me is too beautiful and too absolutely fabulous to be forgotten by someone. I feel so overwhelmingly lucky that she is my daughter. I'm very sorry that someone had to lose her in order for us to gain. Keira makes our lives richer and although I am sad about someone else's loss, I am also grateful that same someone, two years ago, made such a very difficult choice.

I wish I could tell Keira's birthmom that she's OK. That she is more than OK really.

She is safe and healthy and loved.

She is smart and funny and playful.

She is in America! (I bet her birthmom didn't think about that.)

And she licks snow and ice cream and windows (blech!).

She eats macaroni and cheese, pizza, and yogurt. But not noodles anymore.

She laughs hysterically when you press her belly button and when her brother pretends to fall.
She wants to do everything herself.

There is so much to tell. So much that makes Keira the amazing little girl that she is.

I know that we will never be able to tell Keira's birthmom these things. I just hope somehow, in her heart, she knows them.

Princess Jiao-jiao Turns Two!

Last year, Her Royal Highness looked like this....likely wondering if she'd just been captured by aliens.

Today, she looks like this, daring those very same aliens to stop her fun!

As her daddy says, she's got an attiTWOd! And we love it!
Apparently, she's got her own sense of style as well. Nothing wrong with sunglasses and a hat in the tub before 8am. Anyone who's anyone is doing it!


All the cool kids and all Indy 500 winners drink milk. It tastes even better from a new Tinkerbell sippy cup!

With breakfast out of the way, on to presents!

And at last, some cake!

Yummy!

This is how K felt about cake last year.

She definitely had more fun this time around, poking her fingers in the cake with no reservations at all.

Now, if only the paparazzi would quit following her around so she could enjoy her day in peace. It's rough being Princess of this place.