A Week Of Smiles & A Week Of Tears

A Week Of Tears:

I finally decided the time has come for Sophie to be potty trained. Well, actually I tried this a couple of months ago, right after her birthday and the Holidays, but we could never seem to get past the concept of using the potty. So this past week I try again. How difficult should this be? After all she is 3 years old (turned 3 in December), and is as smart as a whip (whoaaa...sorry about sounding like my 72 year old father there...smart as a whip...oh, goodness!).

So, I pull out the potty and discuss with Sophie using the potty if she feels "like pee pee is coming." She seems to grasp the concept, and after all, this shouldn't be all too foreign an idea to her since she always seems to join ME in the potty (privacy goes out the window once you become a mom!).

Hour 1: Nothing.

Hour 2: Zip.

Hour 3: Zilch

Hour 4: Nada.

Neil then decides to take the kiddos to the bookstore. Ah-ha! My golden opportunity! All of the kids are told to go potty before they leave (we even make Lindsay and Chris go into their bathrooms in order to demonstrate this to Sophie...Olivia we know MUST go before we get in the car to go anywhere!).

Sophie promptly runs into her bedroom and emerges with a DIAPER! She is telling me, "Mom, can you put a diaper on me?"

No.I.Won't. Sit on the potty and go pee-pee, Sophie. I see that my little, sweet, darling Princess is now showing me her big, fat attitude. Scary. And loud. And lots of tears and snot. Yes, snot.

And yes, I held firm to her going potty (remember, it had been HOURS since she had last gone) if she wanted to go to the bookstore. And yes, she held firm to her NOT going potty.

The battle has begun. I hope I am strong enough to take on 21 pounds of 'tude!

A Week Of Smiles:

Olivia got a new 'big girl booster seat'. She was so excited since her new seat is just like her friend, Aimee's, car seat! And she remembered from when we were in Shanghai visiting Aimee and her family that Aimee can BUCKLE HERSELF in her car seat - something Olivia couldn't do in her old booster seat.

She is so happy. So proud. And I must admit I am lovin' it too! Now I only have once kiddo to buckle into a car seat! Happy mommy!

I can do this!

Ta-da!

Alright, Mom...can you turn on the DVD player now?

Mary

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Neil volunteers for the CA Golf Tournament at The Doral Golf & Country Club, and I get to join him at a Volunteers' Appreciation Lunch (yeah, me!!!):

Oh, lucky us..."Tiger Woods" was there! LOL

Lunch

Neil is one of the Marshalls for Hole 10

Nice view!

The Littles chillin' out after bathtime (Livie on her 'laptop'...takes after her mommy!).

The Littles at Playhouse Disney Live

Playhouse Disney Live

Sophie practicing her b-ball skills in the kitchen.

Livie, The Tiger!

Blessings to you all,

Mary

The Joke Is On Me

Tonight I went to a friend/neighbor's house for a lively game of Bunco (more on this later!). Within the large group of women we exchanged the typical greetings (Hi, my name is X. How do you know CCR/hostess?). It just so happens that I know "CCR" because her sister is the adoptive mom to two daughters were adopted from China...and said sister introduced me to her to her sister, CCR.

While at this particular table, two of the women asked me, "Let me ask you, since you adopted do you find yourself weirdly into Chinese culture...I mean...CCR's sister is so into *it* that she actually had her daughters in Chinese language classes!"

Laughter follows.

"And all of those Chinese dresses.  Did you buy a whole bunch of those?  CCR's sister bought like, one in every size!"

Chuckle.  Chuckle.

How ridiculous.

............Ugh.

How.do.I.get.into.this?

I just want to plan Bunco. Whatever that is.

So, I very lightheartedly explain that yes, when people adopt from China (or any other *foreign* country) that they typically are drawn to that particular country as they love that country because it is the country of their beloved child's/children's birth.  For adoptive families the country (or countries) of their child/children's birth is very special - somewhat like a 'second home country'.

Yes, my daughters love to learn about their Chinese culture/homeland/language. Perhaps not in a structured setting, but let me tell you that Ni hao, Kai Lan is a super-hero in our home!

And yes, I bought silk dresses in every size.  And I still do not think I have enough.

Something happens within the room to grab my table's attention. We are interupted. Thankfully.

I do not have to continue to answer any more questions about China or adoption.

I am just a woman playing some game called Bunco.

And yet, I am annoyed.

Mary

Isn't She Lovely?

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?

Yes, this is the newest addition to my home. To my desk. Ahhhhh...

EXCEPT,

little Miss Mackey runs a bit different than my dinosaur Sony Vaio Notebook. Instead of using good 'ol faithful Internet Explorer I am now using Safari. No biggie, I think. But then I try to view photos in emails sent to me or on webpages I pull up and I am greeted with a big blank square where said photos should be. Annoying. So I ask my All-Knowing-Mac-Friend, Harmoni, que pasa? She tells me that sometimes Macs don't *read* some sites via Safari (this would also explain why some items I was trying to relist and edit on eBay were only viewable via an entire page of HTML codes! Ack!) and that I should also add another web browser such as Firefox. Okey-dokey. I hop on over to this Firefox thing and read...yada, yada, yada...click here to download...yada yada, yada. Click. Click. Click. Firefox is downloaded.

So for you Mac users...please tell me...is there anything else about the Land of Mac that I should know so that I will love my little Miss Mackey?

And by the way...right now I am back on the dinosaur old faithful...

Mary

*Almost* Wordless Wednesday

Our children...born from my tummy and from our hearts.

Mary

Disney-ESPN: The Weekend

We spent the weekend at The Happiest Place On Earth! The kids were happy. Dad was happy (non-stop sports for Neil!). And I didn't have to cook! Neil's whole family went, and our group of 17 people all converged on Orlando. We had a blast.

I have loaded a ton of photos of our weekend. Enjoy!

Two Princess and a lizard dragon!

Sharin' some love!

Snow White 'left her mark' on Sophie! What do you expect from a girl who lives with 7 guys?!

"The Girls" enjoying lunch with the Princesses.

My niece (being pushed in the wheel chair after breaking her ankle at Disney!) and my nephews. This is the view we had of them pretty much all weekend (their backs...gotta love teens!).

My nephews, Matt & Will w/Lindsay

Chris playing b-ball with his cousin, Kaylee.

Neil's dad and brother.

Mark and his daughter, Kaylee.

Neil and Chris

Chris catchin' footballs (the kid could do this all day!).

Got it!

Mary

CCAI Family On Extreme Home Makeover - And Sad News

The Kadzis Family

One of our China Adoptive families (parents to 6 Special NeedsChildren from China), and a CCAI family, received the gift of a gorgeous new home courtesy of Extreme Home Edition and many Tallahassee sponsors and families. While the show will not be aired until April 26th, the family 'moved that bus!' this past Friday. Unfortunately, the husband/dad had been battling brain cancer, and passed away early this morning. According to my parents, this has "been a big deal" and "quite exciting" there in Tallahassee. The mom is evidently a teacher and the dad had been a dentist in the prison system. Please pray for this family as they grieve during this very difficult time.

Mary