A Week In Review.

Today is our 2 year anniversary of Rosie's Gotcha day. I have been thinking more and more about gotcha days lately. When we first got Lily it was a huge day. Something that we noted on a monthly basis and then the huge first year anniversary and then as the years passed it became less noticeable. To me the most important date is the day you receive your referral and see their face for the first time. Rosie became part of our family when we sent in our application. that is when I started to love her. My love for her grew and grew and the day I saw her face in a photograph was the most important day for me. Of course the first time I got to hold her and touch was important but that was just a formality if you will. she was already mine. I cannot explain it but maybe some of you who have adopted can understand how I feel. So today is important in some ways but this day 2 years ago was so very, very hard on Rosie that it seems unkind to celebrate it....she was already part of my heart long before so I don't need to remind her of the day we broke hers.

The roofers are here and all I can hear is the pounding and scraping of roofing supplies all day long. The whole house shakes, the smoke detectors have been found dangling from there wires and the pictures are all cock-eyed. With regard to the noise and the shaking of the house this must be what it is like to live in a war zone. I researched this company thoroughly before hiring them. Roofers and movers seem to be career fields that attract scammers and I was not about to be taken. My diligence paid off in more ways than one. On Wednesday my next door neighbour came marching over and accused the roofers of going up on to her roof and stealing 2 of her roof tiles. The roofers were able to produce before photos of our house and also ones showing her house that just happened to show the exact 2 roof tiles already missing. So much for her little scam to get her tiles replaced. I cannot wait for this job to be finished and am oddly giddy about the idea of a whole new roof.

Rosie had her 3 year old well visit with her pediatrician on Thursday and pretty much blew her away. It was 12 months ago that we saw her last and it was at that visit that Barbara became so concerned due to her weight loss and referred us to the gastroenterologist and nutritionist. This time was completely different and she was beyond happy to see the changes in her. According to her scales, Rosie weighs 28lbs but we know this not to be true as she weighed her in her clothes on a very cold day and she was wearing, a coat, long sleeve shirt, corduroys, socks and heavy shoes, and the other doc only weighs her naked. When I pointed this out to Barbara she said that she needed to do the same but I asked her not to so that I could bask in those high numbers for 2 weeks before we see Katouby again, Barbara laughed and obliged me and then noted in her chart that Rosie was wearing clothes and that I am nuts! She has grown another inch and is now in the 75%tile for height and if the weight proves to be true the 10%for weight. We talked about many things for nearly an hour. Rosie is very very tiny...I already know this, but she in very healthy. We talked about her issues and Barbara says she is so pleased that we are so in tune to Rosie and understand what she is going through and what she has had to deal with in her life so far. We talked about temper tantrums and how to deal with them with the negotiator and then she asked Rosie some questions and while she was answering them she was buttoning up the tiny little buttons on her shirt and Barbara stopped talking and starred at her and said, is she doing up her own buttons? I said she was and was then informed that that is 4 year old behaviour and that Rosie's has incredible fine motor skills. She then zipped up her jacket and Barbara just looked at her and wished me luck with her and walked off to get the nurse to bring her a shot! Rosie is in the in between phase with shots. She is big enough not to cry just for being at the Dr's and still to young to cry for shots so she took it like a champ. Next year she will start howling like a banshee just like her sister has started doing I am sure. She did get upset when she looked at the band aid on her finger from the blood draw and each time her voice got sadder and sadder so by the time I got to the car I ripped it off and all was well. She would not let me take the band aid off of her arm for 2 days and when she would notice it her arm would magically hurt her so when I took off her shirt I maneuvered it in such a way that I was able to pull off the already half off band aid. When she asked where it was I said it was gone and she said, "oh good". Silly goose.

One night this week when I put her to bed she told me she loved me with all her heart and "salt". Lily immediately cracked up laughing and told me she loved me with all her heart and pepper.

Lily had an incredible riding lesson this week. There is a horse at the stables that is particularly difficult and he goes by the name of Red Beauty or more affectionately as Bucking Beauty. When we arrived on Thursday Lily went bounding up to Gema and was informed that she was in for a surprise. She was riding Bucking Beauty. The "big" girls all kindly offered words of encouragement but Lily, being Lily was stoked about the whole idea. To her it was another challenge on horseback and one she was going to embrace. I will admit to being nervous and as I listened to the list of don'ts I couldn't decide if I wanted to watch or if I wanted to walk around and not bare witness to this event. I ended up doing a little of both and when I watched I was amazed to see this 49lb child of mine ride a full sized horse with her feet out of the stirrups and get bucked at least 30 times and remain in the saddle. She made this Mama proud. Towards the middle of the lesson Gema placed dollar bills between their knees and the the saddle flaps and whomever still had theirs at the end of the lesson would win all the money. My girl left the arena looking like a banker as she waved her wad of cash. She beat them all, every single last one of them, the 10 year olds, the 12 year olds and the other 7 year old and the others in between and she was smiling her Lily smile from ear to ear and Gema was smiling for her cos that horse was a tough ride but she did it. I don't like to brag but she is good and she loves it. She has a competition coming up soon and I really hope that she places as this will be her first in her new age category and she will be the youngest in the group. I know she can do it.

One more thing before I go. what is with the weather? I cannot remember a winter as cold as this one that has lasted this long. I have always liked the cold much more that the heat but this year I am freezing all the time. I just cannot get warm. I am in no hurry for the hot Florida temps to come back but can someone please send me a parka!

Hmmm, a week in review is a lot to post. I really should post more often shouldn't I?

I have no idea when I took this or what she is doing but it makes me giggle and I figured after reading all of this you deserve a picture so here you are!