My Birthday Girl

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.

Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.

Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.

Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own. --- Rita Laws PhD

Fishing

Mike and I took Jake and Jie Ling fishing Sunday thinking we'd only be able to have our poles in the water for a couple of hours until Jie Ling became incredibly bored and started whining, or until she became totally disinterested and started whining. She did neither. She LOVES to fish! I showed her once how to hold the pole, and how to reel in her line, and that was it. She's a pro!! I told her, "Jie Ling you're a fisherwoman!!" She answered back, "I'm fishing mama, I do it my-felf!" How can you just not love this girl to pieces? She is so cute and so much fun to be around (usually). She held her adult-sized pole with such precision you'd swear she'd done this before. It was so great just to watch her enjoy herself, getting absolutely filthy, telling her to try and not get her stumpy wet (prosthetic leg) while she walks right in the water. (I suppose she can't "feel" it getting wet, so it musn't be getting wet? ) Over Mike's objections I let her climb up a dirt embankment by herself, she made it with a little help and I snappd a picture, which is the first picture in this post. What a girl she is!!!

Since this is my online diary I wanted to keep track of all of Jie Ling's newest quirks. I have terrible STM & LTM and with almost 6 kids to keep track of I need to write this stuff down!! (STM=short term memory) you can figure out the LTM one.

* refuses to wear jeans, ever.

* any other pants/shorts come off at the front door

* hates socks, will only wear if absolutely forced

* socks come off at the front door

* hates coats/sweaters, prefers to be cold

* hates her hair fixed

* messes up and pulls out barrettes. forget any pony tails ever.

* hates blankets on bed

* throws them off the second she goes to bed

* hates pajamas

* I don't even put them on her anymore

* Loves her diapers, and does not want to sit on the potty

* loves dresses, though lately would prefer naked-ness

* demanded for me to undess her in the cereal aisle today at Safeway. Almost had a meltdown, but her clever mother asked her to help put things in the cart which worked and the clothes stayed on! YA!

* Will pretend smoke for hours, and I mean she's obsessed with this one. (101 Dalmations??)

* Tries to talk underwater calling for her fadder (father) during bathtime. She's always inhaling water scaring both of us, but it won't stop her. (Pinocchio??)

Okay looking at this list you'd think she has some sensory/tactile issues going on, or she's preparing herself for her future career as a stripper?? just kidding...

It's Officially Official...AGAIN!!

We finally completed Jie Ling's readoption on Friday!! Now she can get a WA state birth certificate, and hopefully save us and her a few headaches in the future.

Just look at our precious girl raising her right hand!! She's too much and just way too cute!

4th of July @ Gasworks Park

What great fun to spend the day and night at Gasworks Park in Seattle. It was not as crazy as I thought it would be, and all the activities for the kids were free! Jake and Jie Ling made kites, and went on a couple of rides. The fireworks and music were amazing, and I can't wait for next year. It will be so much fun with two babies!! (?)

It's Potty Time...

It would be so great if she actually went potty on the potty!! It might also help if I didn't follow her in there to take pictures, but really she's almost three and has only gone potty on the potty one time. The potty though does make a great step stool for her, and also doubles as a chair to watch tv in. I'm really not stressing too much, as long as she uses the potty before kindergarten.

She's Fast!!

It has only been about 8 months since Jie Ling lost her foot, and for a long time she really only hobbled around without her leg on. I really just noticed the other day how incredibly fast she is on one foot. She really has gotten used to her "stumpy" as she calls it, and I think she may actually run faster than she walks, if that makes any sense? Maybe smoother is the word I'm looking for.

( These darn photos aren't in order! When I try and move them around they disappear?? ) So they're not showing her true lightning speed!!!!!!!!!!

Summer Fun

Jie Ling is so lucky to have Nick for a big brother. He loves to play (and tease) and sure knows how to get her to laugh!!