Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Pum Pum
Ned really, REALLY likes Christmas music. (So much so that I think we'll still be rotating Christmas CDs in April...) She sings along (loosely, of course) with several songs, but Little Drummer Boy ("Pum Pum", as she calls it) takes the cake. She hears the song and starts jumping up and down screaming, "PUM PUM! PUM PUM!" with this huge grin on her face.
So we've been trying to capture her Christmas singing on video, but the second she sees the camera she stops the antics and sits there looking at us blankly. Grrrrr.
But one day she was tired. And quietly singing some Pum Pum. And she forgot to stop. For nine whole seconds. Bliss.
Other Christmas songs she likes: White Christmas ("Deaming...white...Kissmus"), Feliz Navidad ("doot doot doot doot doot"), and Baby It's Cold Outside ("Baby colt........'side").
Kid is funny.
So we've been trying to capture her Christmas singing on video, but the second she sees the camera she stops the antics and sits there looking at us blankly. Grrrrr.
But one day she was tired. And quietly singing some Pum Pum. And she forgot to stop. For nine whole seconds. Bliss.
Other Christmas songs she likes: White Christmas ("Deaming...white...Kissmus"), Feliz Navidad ("doot doot doot doot doot"), and Baby It's Cold Outside ("Baby colt........'side").
Kid is funny.
Christmas Day
Ahhhh, Christmas morning. We've been patiently waiting to give Nedy a gigantic 'worky' (workbench Ned-style) for over a month. There it sat in the basement just waiting to have its destiny fulfilled as the Christmas morning gift. Ned's been infatuated with Baba's workshop for months now, so a couple months ago we got her a tiny laptop version of a worky and it's gotten extended daily play ever since. (Hence our excitment about the gigantic worky's potential to put all other gifts she'll ever receive in life to shame.)
So, she wakes up, rolls over and says, "Mama? Coffee?" (Ned has chocolate milk every morning. She calls it coffee. It's pretty funny.) Anyway, I respond, "Hey! Merry Christmas, Ned! I wonder if Santa came?!?"
"Santa," she says. "Yesh, go sheee." Slippers (a.k.a. 'shippers' or 'house boots') on, she heads down the hall. I guess I should add that we never really explained Santa or how it all works.
So she blows right past the gigantic worky in the middle of the floor to the window. ("Santa. Yook 'side. Santa?") Okay, okay, so my moment was delayed and not quite as magical as planned, but I think the gigantic worky (HUUUUUUGE, as Ned calls it) is a hit. She was so excited that it has a vise. Hooray for girls who dig tools. Hooray that my kid is one of them. So far, that is. :)
Ned's obsession with the Little Drummer Boy prompted this last minute purchase... Rumpumpumpum, rumpumpumpum, rumpumpumpum.
Of course, being the worky expert she is, Ned thought Baba needed help with assembly. Here she's asking him, "What doing?" in the most I-know-you-have-no-clue-what-you're-doing tone. Ahhhh, 2.
And then Nana and Papa came over for lunch.
I asked my Mom an Dad if I could take their picture in front of our tree. My Dad threw his hat on the table in preparation and Ned grabbed it, put it on and jumped into their photo with the most serious look on her face. Kid cracks me up.
And then we put on our jammies with a plan for a 7:00pm bedtime...but before we knew it, it was 8:45. Because that's how we roll.
So, she wakes up, rolls over and says, "Mama? Coffee?" (Ned has chocolate milk every morning. She calls it coffee. It's pretty funny.) Anyway, I respond, "Hey! Merry Christmas, Ned! I wonder if Santa came?!?"
"Santa," she says. "Yesh, go sheee." Slippers (a.k.a. 'shippers' or 'house boots') on, she heads down the hall. I guess I should add that we never really explained Santa or how it all works.
So she blows right past the gigantic worky in the middle of the floor to the window. ("Santa. Yook 'side. Santa?") Okay, okay, so my moment was delayed and not quite as magical as planned, but I think the gigantic worky (HUUUUUUGE, as Ned calls it) is a hit. She was so excited that it has a vise. Hooray for girls who dig tools. Hooray that my kid is one of them. So far, that is. :)
Ned's obsession with the Little Drummer Boy prompted this last minute purchase... Rumpumpumpum, rumpumpumpum, rumpumpumpum.
Of course, being the worky expert she is, Ned thought Baba needed help with assembly. Here she's asking him, "What doing?" in the most I-know-you-have-no-clue-what-you're-doing tone. Ahhhh, 2.
And then Nana and Papa came over for lunch.
I asked my Mom an Dad if I could take their picture in front of our tree. My Dad threw his hat on the table in preparation and Ned grabbed it, put it on and jumped into their photo with the most serious look on her face. Kid cracks me up.
And then we put on our jammies with a plan for a 7:00pm bedtime...but before we knew it, it was 8:45. Because that's how we roll.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve day is our big family get-together day--Dan's family in the early part of the day and mine in the evening. We woke up to our first real snow this year (we have this "warmer by the lake" in winter thing that sometimes means we get rain while others a few miles inland get snow.) Anyway, Ned's been eyeing her shovel in the garage for a couple months now and finally got to try it out, along with her big green boots that made for some cute tip-overs. The verdict? "Yike snow."
Nothing takes the chill out of snow play quite like a huge ham feast at Dan's parents' house.
Here Nedy's telling Grandma that she plans to use her pickle prize of McD's gift certificates to buy her "owns Wrench Fwies." "Owns." It kills me. She did inform me, though, that she can't drive until she's "Bigger...OLDER...Eighteeeeeeeeen." Yep, Ned's decided on 18 for driving. Sounds about right to me.
A rousing game of newfangled Scrabble...
Cousins. She adores them. I guess the look on her face gives that away, eh?
And then on to celebrating at my sister Lisa's that evening. Lisa's cat loved on Nedy a lot--she thought that was pretty cool. And I think it left her wondering what the hell is wrong with her mao mao. :)
Good times. :)
Nothing takes the chill out of snow play quite like a huge ham feast at Dan's parents' house.
Here Nedy's telling Grandma that she plans to use her pickle prize of McD's gift certificates to buy her "owns Wrench Fwies." "Owns." It kills me. She did inform me, though, that she can't drive until she's "Bigger...OLDER...Eighteeeeeeeeen." Yep, Ned's decided on 18 for driving. Sounds about right to me.
A rousing game of newfangled Scrabble...
Cousins. She adores them. I guess the look on her face gives that away, eh?
And then on to celebrating at my sister Lisa's that evening. Lisa's cat loved on Nedy a lot--she thought that was pretty cool. And I think it left her wondering what the hell is wrong with her mao mao. :)
Good times. :)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Court
A court appointment later, Ned has a Wisconsin birth certificate.
Our adoption was finalized in China, but social workers recommend what's known as "readoption" in the family's home state for the sole purpose of getting a local birth certificate for the child for future school enrollment ease, etc. We are lucky in Wisconsin, as in some states you have to hire an attorney and the readoption process is pricey and drawn out. Here it's a simple process--filing a couple forms, $10 fee, and a brief court appearance with your social worker.
At first Ned was intrigued and thought the microphone was pretty fun, but soon after it started her feet were up on the desk, thumb was in and turtle was over her face. Court got a lot cooler for her after the proceeding when the bailiff brought her a toy. They do this for all readoptions. Nice, eh?
So, that's it. Aside from one last report to China in February, the paperwork is complete. For this, I am THANKFUL. :)
Our adoption was finalized in China, but social workers recommend what's known as "readoption" in the family's home state for the sole purpose of getting a local birth certificate for the child for future school enrollment ease, etc. We are lucky in Wisconsin, as in some states you have to hire an attorney and the readoption process is pricey and drawn out. Here it's a simple process--filing a couple forms, $10 fee, and a brief court appearance with your social worker.
At first Ned was intrigued and thought the microphone was pretty fun, but soon after it started her feet were up on the desk, thumb was in and turtle was over her face. Court got a lot cooler for her after the proceeding when the bailiff brought her a toy. They do this for all readoptions. Nice, eh?
So, that's it. Aside from one last report to China in February, the paperwork is complete. For this, I am THANKFUL. :)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Haircut!
Ned's been home nine months now, so it was high time for a haircut, don't you think? (We tried a couple months ago, but...well, it just...wasn't Ned's time for a haircut, if you catch my drift.) I've been getting my haircut at The Establishment for years now. It's a couple blocks from our house and owned by some of the coolest cats on earth, a husband and wife team, Carly and Howie.
A couple weeks ago I took Ned to watch her cousin John-John get his haircut at Vic's Barbershop in Cedarburg. (My Dad's been going to Vic for years, and all I can say is that his troll-like personality is clearly not the draw of the place...but that said, I'm not sure what is...but I digress.) Anyway, John-John did a great job of responding to my "Oh boy, aren't you having fun, John-John??" and plastered a nice big cheesy smile on his face while the troll trimmed him up. After that, I asked Ned if she wanted to get her haircut like John-John and she said yes, but of course the big test would come when she was the one in the chair with a big, shiny shears pointed at her head.
So, after a couple weeks of daily haircut talk, today was the day. And all I can say is that my baby's split ends are a thing of the past. (She didn't appear to enjoy the experience, per se, but she sat perfectly still--aside from a few head turns to keep an eye on Carly and Howie's weiner dog, Otis--and was pretty proud of herself when all was said and done.)
So here you have it, Ned's first big girl haircut. Thanks, Carly. :)
A couple weeks ago I took Ned to watch her cousin John-John get his haircut at Vic's Barbershop in Cedarburg. (My Dad's been going to Vic for years, and all I can say is that his troll-like personality is clearly not the draw of the place...but that said, I'm not sure what is...but I digress.) Anyway, John-John did a great job of responding to my "Oh boy, aren't you having fun, John-John??" and plastered a nice big cheesy smile on his face while the troll trimmed him up. After that, I asked Ned if she wanted to get her haircut like John-John and she said yes, but of course the big test would come when she was the one in the chair with a big, shiny shears pointed at her head.
So, after a couple weeks of daily haircut talk, today was the day. And all I can say is that my baby's split ends are a thing of the past. (She didn't appear to enjoy the experience, per se, but she sat perfectly still--aside from a few head turns to keep an eye on Carly and Howie's weiner dog, Otis--and was pretty proud of herself when all was said and done.)
So here you have it, Ned's first big girl haircut. Thanks, Carly. :)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Happy Birthday, Baby!
Our baby is two! We spent today--a balmy 65 degree day at that--capturing Ned's version of 2. (Doesn't everybody do their 2 year old's photo shoot in a 5th Ward industrial lot full of broken glass and debris? And to think I scouted this spot out in advance...) Anyway, there are nearly a million photos in this post and there could have been nearly a million more. I know I'm biased, but she is freakin' adorable, isn't she? :) Oh, if you can see Ned's necklace in the photos, it's a jade pig (she was born in 2007--the year of the Golden Pig) we got for her in her province in China. She was so excited when it came out of the box today.
Happy birthday, Ned. You are loved to the moon and back...and then to the moon again.
Happy birthday, Ned. You are loved to the moon and back...and then to the moon again.
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