Yee Haw

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to the Rodeo. That was an easy one to answer, Uh, hell no. Come on she said, Lily would love all the horses and Rosie would too. I thought about for a second and said I'd ring Jacob. That was a bad move because he said yes. I bought 4 tickets and we went this past weekend.

Call me crazy but when I go to an event and have purchased tickets for said event I expect to be able to park my car. Am I wrong? Well the parking situation was chaotic to say the least. Hubby decided to just do what everyone else was doing and park anywhere. Thank heavens for SUV's. He pulled up on the grass, over the curb and parked next to a trailer.

We headed into the arena. Dear lord was it smelly. Lots of bull and horses mean lots of, well you get the picture. I am walking along with my nose all scrunched up and we head for our seats. Oh just sit anywhere is the theme of the day, so we did. Little boy scouts are going around selling popcorn, soda, cotton candy etc but how on earth can anyone eat anything at this germ infested poop bowl? By the time it all got going I had purelled my hands at least a dozen times and the kids were staying really close to Jacob so I couldn't get them again.

Things were finally picking up when over the loud speakers came a voice asking the owner of a Blue, blah blah blah, license plate, *&^ J*Z please go and move your car, the horses don't have enough room. We looked at each other rather sheepishly and Jacob left to move the car. Once I was sure he was out of sight I sent him a text saying he would never find a parking space and that perhaps we should just leave. He ignored me and not 5 minutes later came sprinting back up the bleachers. Dang!

It appeared that they all were having a good time. Lily truly did love seeing the horses and the barrel races. I just sat in my little purelled section trying not to breathe. Finally they announced the bull riders. They were the other end of the arena but we could see them. The clowns came out and were really very funny and then the first bull and rider were introduced. Before I had even figured out where to look he was off of the bull. This pattern continued for a few minutes until I got in the zone. Taking photos was virtually impossible from our vantage point.

Finally it was time to leave and I was about to be back in my car and able to breathe!
Next time Kelly asks me if I want to go to a rodeo I will say, no thank you and forget to pass the message on to the rest of the family.

I forget what these girls are called but they ride in a really intricate routine

flag holders

I love how everything is blurred except the riders. They really do go fast.

Roping
barrel races

Lily barely even looked at me she was so engrossed in what was happeningHe got free!
crazy.
Silly girls

Oh happy day

Last week our friends Pam, J.C. and their 2 boys, Noah and Adam, flew to China with Pam's Mum (Nanna) and today is their Gotcha day.
Here is Emma with her forever family. Awww, it just makes my heart all happy to know that their family together at last.





You can follow the rest of their trip HERE at Pam's blog.

Congratulations "P" Family we can't wait to meet Emma.

That is the very same room where we met Rosie for the first time. Oh such a memorable room. Hmm, Emma's reaction to her family is a little different than Rosie's to ours.

Running the ING

We have a huge fancy marathon here every year, it's the ING. Each year Lily's school is asked to participate. I have always thought it would be amazing to be involved in it but Lily, not so much. As any evil parent would do, I pointed out all the stuff that I have to do that I do not care to do :O) Since school started she has been running in PE and keeping a log she was up to 25 miles so all that was needed at the ING was another 1.2 miles.

Today was the day. She was kitted out with her ING shirt and her ING shoelaces but for my little fashionista that wasn't quite enough. She needed matching orange hair doo-dads and orange bracelets to feel like herself and not just one of the crowd (read millions).

Ready to roll, I mean runOutside of her school waiting for the bus
HEr little group of runners.

Rosie wished her luck and then we departed.


The students were bused down to the event. Parents had to make their own way there. Rosie and I took the skank train, she loved but I was stuck in germ hell. We hopped off of one train and onto another and got off right in front of the finish line. Yeah, I gave myself a pat on the back!

This side of the street was for the 1/2 marathoners and behind that orange barricade is where the pro's were running.
The atmosphere was electric. Old, young, handicapped, fat. thin, they were all there and all giving it their best. It was quite touching to see.
Rosie proudly holding her sign.


We cheered for everyone. We saw her coach run by and then the other PE teacher and then some of her school mates but I did NOT see my girl. Their were so many of them that I missed her and she missed me, I was really sad. She made it to the finish line but I have no idea when. With a really heavy heart kidlet and I trudged back to the trains and headed home to meet her at her bus. Jacob didn't join us as he didn't get home from work until 4.00am. I rang him to say the trains were taking forever so could he pick her up and I would meet everyone at home.

He did and boy was I glad it was not me. True to form my girl was not at all impressed with the whole affair. Not at all, not one bit. She banged into the house like a thunder cloud and asked where I was when she crossed the finish line. Um, I was there what about you? She told me again that she didn't want to do it and that it wasn't much fun.

You see, the problem with Lily is this, if she ain't gonna win she ain't gonna play! I asked to see her medal, she showed me and then took it upstairs to put it in her drawer. That's where all the medals she gets for participating as opposed to earning fair and square, go.

I took it out to take a photo of. Heck it's the only medal that's ever going to appear in this house from a marathon.




That happy smiley kid that was beaming before the race actually did have a good time. She doesn't want to do it again and that's fine with me. She truly detests doing things where you don't compete you just participate. I detest that she has to win all of the time and I want her to experience as much of life as she can.

Frankly I think today was a winning day all round.

We tried to like it

One of my local adoption groups posted about a new Chinese New Year celebration in town. It sounded terrific. Considering how multi-cultural Miami is we have very little for CNY.

This afternoon I threw the girlies into the car and headed to the festival. Some friends called and asked if we wanted to go bowling but I told them we were heading to the festival. Jenny thought it sounded fabulous and decided they would meet us there. Let me just say that I tonight I surprised she is still talking to me.

Now in all fairness I think it is wonderful that someone stepped up to do something positive for CNY and I mean that with all sincerity. As we approached the streets where the festival was taking place we saw policemen directing traffic as the street was closed. In my head this was a good thing as it meant there was a lot happening and the cars were prohibited from driving through the area. In reality that is what they were doing but the festival consisted of 5 little tables selling cr*p and a bounce house. Alrighty then. It was at least 8000 degrees this afternoon and the world and his brother were crammed into this tiny little area. At the end of the 5 tables was an open area where some chap, not Chinese, started pounding one of those enormous drums. With every beat the crowd was jolted backwards and forwards. When he was done, at least I think he was done but I can't be sure as my eardrums are still pounding a dragon dance broke out. The dragon dancers were very good.

There was a craft table set up near the bounce house so Rosie made a mask and they both were given fans

I finally managed to find Jenny and we made a fast exit and headed for the park.

This photo just makes me giggle. I think she is saying, " if you think I am going to smile for your photo after you dragged us to that stinkin' festival you are wrong"

Evan needed to just chill for a few minutes. I love his gappy smile.
Happy girl
Fake smiles but I love the shot.
cutie.

Helping to hold up the sky

On February 12 2012, girlies are going to be doing a walk -a -thon to raise money for Half The Sky. The walk is being organised by another HTS mummy, through our local FCC group. (Families with Children from China)

Half the Sky is an organisation that our family is passionate about. Rosie is a Half The Sky child and without them I shudder to think of the care she, as a special needs child, would have received.

No child ever deserves to be raised in an orphanage but if it has to be, one can only hope it is run by HTS.

Below is a photo of Rosie and a brief update about her from her Nanny. This article was in one of HTS's newsletters a few months after we bought her home.

(click to enlarge.)



We are asking all of you to scrounge down the back of the couch, check the pockets of coats you haven't worn in a few months, check your old handbags and kindly donate that money by sponsoring Lily and Rosie.

Lily set up her own webpage for the event and you can donate directly though this link.

Lily and Rosie's HTS webpage

No amount is to small.

Thank you so much.

Double header

About a month ago I posted about Lily finding a wallet at school and handing it in. She received the Student of the Month award for integrity for doing so. Since December was a short school month the awards were given today in a ceremony that combined December and January. January's character value is, kindness. Rosie received Student of the Month this month for displaying kindness.

This morning I took two little girls to school who were all excited as they were both receiving awards on the same stage at the same time. Rosie couldn't wait to actually see her sister in school. It seems that their paths rarely cross during the day even though they are at the same place.

Rosie, of course, displayed her usual anxiety about having to be somewhere different than the rest of her classmates and worried about who would take her back to her classroom so when I dropped her off we talked to her teacher and quelled her fears.

As Jacob and I entered the patio area we immediately spotted Rosie sitting in the front row and walked up and gave her a kiss. She was beaming as she told us how she could see Lily from her seat. We then made our way towards Lily who was also all smiles and she too told us she had seen her sister. Cute little girls.

Rosie's class was the first up on stage and to my disappointment once she was done the teacher whisked them back to their class so I was not able to get a photo of both of my girls together, holding their awards.

One happy girl with her friend Saywer. Lily and a classmate. They called all of 4th grade but didn't call Lil's name so she mouthed, what happened, did they forget me? Her award was from a speciality teacher so she wasn't called until all the grade levels were accounted for. I was beginning to think she had been forgotten.
Waiting for her award.
Aww, isn't she sweet?

A typical Lily move. Nothing but a blur. She flew up on that stage like a speed racer!For so long this award eluded her and now she has won it twice since August. She looks so pleased.
Yepper, she is proud.


It makes these parents proud to see the values of kindness and integrity in our girls.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Lucky for us the Chinese New Year started on a Monday which meant the hubby was home to celebrate with us. How unlucky for us that Chinese New Year started on a Monday because I work on Mondays all day. No problem I just did a little reshuffle and we were all able to enjoy a Chinese meal together.

This is a terrible picture, but you get the idea, they looked cute

Daddy and Ro
Don't get in the way of this girl and her chopsticks....even if they are back to front.

Wonton
Yes, she is drinking soup out of a bowl but it is a Chinese restaurant and you are supposed to.
Some ladies just kept starring at us and would even put their menus up in front of them when they spoke and then the other would stare at us whilst the other one spoke. So Lily gave them "the face"


A funny thing happened during dinner. Lily suddenly said "Rosie" in a loud and somewhat astonished tone. Naturally we all looked at Rosie and found that her top had come completely unbuttoned and she sat their with it flapping in the breeze totally oblivious. Talk about hilarious, even the wait staff had a good giggle.

Wishing you good fortune

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon. Both girls were happy to see their Hong Bau (traditional red envelopes with money in them) sitting on the table when they came into the kitchen. They get 2 each, one has money in it for spending and the other one goes under their mattress for the year. This is a tradition taught to me by a Chinese friend. Today they were able to retrieve their old ones.

Both girls wanted to take something special with them to school tomorrow to mark the Chinese New Year. I have a standard plan for this occasion so we set to to make them.

See that big bag? It's full of fortune cookies, 80 of them.

Counting them out and lining them up
dipping the fortune cookies in chocolate and sprinkles
loving it
umm, a little taste, please mummy.
When they were done they swirled both bowls of chocolate together....it was so good
The finished fortune cookies, all ready for school tomorrow.

Gung Hay Fat Choy.