November Update

Are the months going by faster or are we just getting busier? November was another month which we packed a lot of fun into.

Sophia and I took another trip to the Zoo. It was a beautiful November day this time around. We visited all the animals and feed the giraffees. Sophia loves seeing the animals and enjoys looking at the map to find the animals she wants to see. We did a lot of walking and Sophia never complained. She is such a trooper.

Steve, Sophia and I took a weekend trip to Williamsburg. We had a great time. On Saturday we went to Historic Williamsburg. We listened to Thomas Jefferson and then checked out some of the shops. Sophia loved seeing the kids march in the parade. She followed behind them marching along. She even got a drum afterwards so she can make her own music. We took a horse and carriage ride too.

On Sunday we went to Jamestown. Sophia loved seeing the fort and ships. They had a lot of hands on stuff for us to do. Sophia enjoyed grinding corn, scrapping out a tree to make a boat and trying on the armor. We had a great weekend.

We had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Nick and Katie joined us, so we were all together. Grandma Bev made turkey and stuffing and we brought the fixin's for a true feast. Sophia made Pop Pop's favorite pumpkin pie cake. We all enjoyed spending time together. These weekends seem to go too quickly.

FOUR years old

My goodness! Where does the time go. Sophia turned four today. It is so hard to believe. Over the past few months she has really starting to look forward to special events. She could not wait for her party. We had such a fun-filled day. It started with our tradition of a cupcake and balloon being delivered to her first thing in the morning. She also opened her gift from China. This gift from her birth county hopefully serves as a symbol that her roots are important to her and us and will never be forgotten. This year's gift was a puzzle of China.

We then had a party at the music school where Sophia takes lessons. This was her first birthday party which she celebrated with her friends. She loved every minute of the party. She loved all the attention, games, songs, dancing, cake and presents.

Baba saved the day with checking on the cake order on Saturday. It is a good thing because they never had record of us ordering her Thomas the Tank Engine cake. She loves Thomas and had picked out Thomas favors and we made a Thomas craft project. She could not wait for her special cake. I can not imagine going to pick it up only to find out they lost the order. Baba went to another store and they rushed the order for us. They had the cake ready Sunday morning. What a great Dad!!! He saved the day.

We celebrated with Grandma Beadle, Grandma Bev and Pop Pop Skip. We all went out for dinner and then came back for more cake and presents.

Needless to say at the end of the night Sophia was all partied out.

Halloween

What a Halloween! Sophia could not wait for Halloween. She has been talking about it for months. She started out over the summer planning her Halloween costumes. We had everything from Mickey Mouse, a banana, an elephant, a witch, Dora, a dinosaur and Minnie Mouse. We finally told her she needed to make a decision and stick to it seeing we were going to buy the costume. She decided on a purple butterfly. We got her wings and a purple outfit. She even went to the zoo in this costume. Her mind was made up... until Halloween morning when she decided she wanted to be a race car. She finally settled on Minnie Mouse, a costume that her cousins had given her. Seeing that she had the costume in her closet we decided it was okay for her to change her mind.

She had a blast walking around the neighbor and getting candy. She was very polite, thanking everyone for her treats. It was a great night.

October update

We had lots of fun in October. Nick and Katie came down one weekend. It just so happened that it was the weekend of the Family Day Picnic at the adoption agency we used when we adopted Sophia. It isn't often we are able to do things like this as a whole family. Nick enjoyed himself playing soccer with some of the boys there and Sophia was her typical outgoing self, running around and playing.

Later that month Sophia and I took a trip to visit Grandma Barb. We all had fun. We went out to eat with Grandma Barb, went to the beach (even though it was COLD) and went to Aunt Linda's to celebrate her birthday. Seeing Stephanie, Hollie, Sophia and Auntie Linda all have fall birthdays we had a little birthday celebration with cake. Sophia loves playing with her cousins.

Gearing up for Halloween we went to the zoo for Boo at the Zoo. Sophia went as a butterfly. She loved getting the candy and visiting the animals. Unfortunately it started raining so we weren't able to feed the giraffes but I am sure we will get back there again soon.

We had fun playing in the leaves. I remember the joy of jumping in piles of leaves as my Dad raked them up. Watching Sophia do the same reminded me of my childhood days. Life is so carefree when you are young. It is about enjoying the moment and not trying to finish the task. It made me pause and enjoy the moment without worrying about getting the leaves in the bags and heading in for lunch. It is great to have a four year old around to help us remember what life is all about.

Disney Cruise

Where should I begin? The Disney Cruise really is magical. Believe all the advertisements you see. From the moment we boarded the bus from the airport to the ship Sophia was captivated.

I was a bit worried about her seeing the characters. She was not thrilled with all of the of the characters but she LOVED seeing Mickey and Minnie. She took pictures with them several times. She even took pictures with Goofy and Cinderella.

She loved the pool. The best part was her and Katlyn could run in and swim with Heather and I sitting pool side. They entertained themselves for hours.

Castaway Island, Disney's private island, was amazing. Sophia and Katlyn loved swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. They went to the kids club for a musical scavenger hunt so Heather and I got to check out the adults only part of the beach. It was beautiful.

I can't think of a better vacation for young children. I can't wait to go back again someday with the whole family.

Sophia says, "No more pictures Mom!!"

Summer is winding down

Katie went back to NJ at the end of August. Steve started school. We are back into our routine.

Sophia and I went to the State Fair with Heather and Katlyn. Sophia rode her first roller coaster. It was pretty fast and she looked scared the entire time but she did it. Katlyn held on to her and that made her feel safer. It is so nice to see the bond they share.

Sophia started a music class which she loves. We go every Friday night. The class is really structured very well. They have the kids constantly moving. Parents join in. She gets homework every week. The teacher said she had perfect pitch at our trial class. That must be a birthparent trait because it did not come from me!! No doubt her love of music has been fostered by Steve.

We are still going to gymnastics. Sophia loves the class. She is picking up new skills every week. She still knows no fear.

Sophia has taken an interest in scrapbooking!! Yippee. She did her first few pages of our recent trip to the beach.

We are looking forward to our mom and daughter 3-day Disney cruise next week. We are going with Heather and Katlyn. We will have lots to scrapbook after this trip.

We have had better days

On August 25th Sophia had major dental work done under general anesthesia. She had four caps put on and many cavities filled. Her teeth were/are in really bad shape possibly caused by lack of pre-natal care/vitamins.

We found out that she needed this work back in June. They never really could tell us just how bad the teeth were since Sophia did not cooperate when they tried to X-ray her mouth. They even tried it a second time a week before the procedure with laughing gas. Would you believe Sophia is immune to laughing gas? Her strong nature and the fact that she was hyperventilating when she was screaming meant most of the gas never got into her. What an ordeal.

We were really worried about how she would react to the mask used for general anesthesia, especially after the laughing gas incident, but she was great. We arrived to the hospital and she was nervous (as were we.) Sophia somehow managed to be brave about the whole thing. She did not resist the mask. It may be because of the sedative they gave her orally but I don't want to discount her wonderful attitude through out this morning.

The work took 2 1/2 hours. We were getting antsy in the waiting room but finally the doctor came in and said she was doing fine. She said they did a lot of work and there was a lot of bleeding but all looked good. Sophia woke up after about 30 minutes of being in recovery. She was scared and could not wait to go home. Shortly after she was home she was herself again. I had to stop her from jumping on the bed!

The next day Sophia cried when I brushed her teeth. Could it be pain? The doctor said to give it one more day to see if things got better. They didn't, they got worse. She screamed the next day. We made an emergency trip into the dentist and the dentist pushed on the gum where Sophia said was hurting and sure enough it is infected. After a round of antibiotics (and a rash from the antibiotics on the eighth day of treatment) things are finally back to normal.

Sophia now gladly brushes her teeth. She in no longer in pain. Her teeth look good. Let's hope things stay status quo when we visit the dentist again in December.

Visit from Leslie, Emma and Will

We were fortunate to spend time with Leslie, Emma and Will for a week in August. They stayed with Mom, Skip and Grandma Beadle so they were not too far away. It was so nice just to hang out and get caught up face to face. We went for walks, swimming, ate wonderful dinners and played games. Katie spent a couple of nights over Grandma Bev's so she could chill with her cousins. The best part of this visit was when Leslie told Steve and me that they are planning to move back here within the year. It will be so nice to have them close. I grew up seeing my extended family on a weekly basis. We have only been able to really do this with Steve's parents and Grandmother. It is nice to add to our local family, especially when you really like the family members!!!

Family Day

We celebrated three years as a family on August 14th. We started the day taking our annual portraits. We then hung out at the mall for a while before heading to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It was a great way to remember one of the most important days in our lives.

3rd Reunion

Every year it gets better. The families that traveled together to China three years ago to bring their daughters home have been trying to get together yearly for a reunion. The first reunion was at Grandma Bev's and Grandpa Skip's house. We got together for the day and enjoyed a day in the pool. Last year we all traveled to Jae and Mary's house in Maine for the weekend. This year we did it big. We planned a week at Lewes Beach. Heather found a great house that would hold the families that were staying. Four families stayed the entire week. One family came in for the weekend. One family, unfortunately could not come.

It is hard to describe the week. The girls had a blast playing with each other. We had four 3 1/2 year olds, a 5 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old and 13 year old when we were at our max. Everyone got along so well. Yes, there were occasions when someone would not share, there were a few tears but overall the girls got along beautifully. The parents even enjoyed a night out without the children.

The beach was great. We were on the bay so the waves weren't big. The girls enjoyed running in an out of the water. They found hermit crabs, conchs and sand crabs. Unfortunately, two girls and a dad "found" a jelly fish.

Heather arranged a treasure hunt for the girls. Todd has a family member that really looks like a pirate. He came and helped the girls find the clues to find a buried treasure. The girls each got their own little treasure box filled with goodies. This was a blast!! Sophia was a bit afraid of the pirate at first but joined in on finding the treasure and forgot all about being scared.

We went to the boardwalk on Friday. Sophia rode the rides there and played games to win tickets. Winning the tickets was more fun for her than actually taking home the prizes.

The week went by too quickly. We are already thinking about what we will do next year. I am not sure if we can beat this year's fun.

Sophia's First Cruise

Anne's mom has been wanting to go on another cruise for quite some time. Anne's sister, Linda, wanted to get away with her family. She found the perfect trip that met both needs. Linda booked a 4-day cruise that left out of New York and went to Canada. Linda invited Mom. My mother would be in a room by herself so she invited me and Sophia to join her.

Sophia was thrilled. We would see Grandma Barbara, Auntie Linda, Chuck and her cousins, Stephanie and Hollie. She knew she would be going on a boat. We even checked out the virtual tour online. I don't think she realized just how much fun she would have.

The night before the cruise Sophia could not sleep. She was so excited. She picked out an outfit she wanted to wear on the cruise and could not stop talking about the trip. We took a train to New York. That in and of itself was a treat. Once we got to NYC we took a cab to the pier. Sophia LOVED the cab ride. Little things make Sophia so happy!!

Once we got to the ship she was amazed. She could not believe the pools, the stores, the food and the fun. She spent her days swimming and playing with the girls. She had a blast every night at dinner. The waiter and waitress treated the girls like princesses. They got everything they asked for. We also stayed up really late on two nights so we could see the shows. Sophia loved the dancing. She danced in her seat while we watched.

My mom enjoyed spending time with us. She loved spending time with her grandchildren. I know she loved having dinners with us. Most of all, I think she loved the casino.

I am so glad we were able to do this trip. It made Mom so happy. I haven't seen her that happy in a long time. We planned this at the last minute so George and his family were not able to go. Perhaps we can arrange it so we can all cruise together next year.

Fishing with Baba

Sophia has been fascinated by people fishing at parks. She has been asking for a fishing pole. Baba bought her one and took her fishing on July 5th. She had a blast. Sophia can cast very well for a beginner. They did got catch any fish on this first attempt. The fish were biting.... but biting the worms right off the hook. They are going to give it another try with a smaller hook.

Not catching any fish was fine with Sophia. She had fun trying and then enjoyed some time on the swings. I know she loved this father daughter time as did Steve. I hope these are the moments Sophia will remember.

I am so proud

While there are many parenting books and on line resources available no child comes with a step by step guide to raising a happy, confident and empathic child.

My mother and I have been talking about what parents do to raise children who are compassionate and caring. My mother and father must have done something right seeing they have three children who have these qualities. We wonder about how this was accomplished and wonder if it is just from modeling of those behaviors. Perhaps it is that simple. Be a good person and your child will see that and learn to value being kind, compassionate, caring and empathic.

This week Sophia made me so proud. While I can not say we are totally responsible for this act of kindness I like to think we contributed to it. I have talked to Sophia about giving away things we don't need to people less fortunate. We donate clothing that no longer fits or things we no longer need to Goodwill or people in our community that are in need. We sponsor a child in China in an effort to give back.

This week Sophia called me up into her bedroom after being put to bed. She was holding a stuffed animal in her hand and told me that a child at daycare needed this so she was going to give it to him. She could not wait to go the next morning to give it to this child. The boy was not there the next day and I was sure she would change her mind once she brought it back home but she did not. She woke the next morning and could not wait to get to daycare to present her gift. I watched her as she gave it to this "baby." She glowed with pride, almost as much as I did.

Sophia loves giving gifts. She picks out the gift she wants to give. For my birthday she gave me a stuffed animal (a frog) which she now sleeps with. She gave Steve a car for father's day. She wanted to get him a baby doll but changed her mind when she got to the store. I see that she picks out things she likes in these gifts. The act of giving away one of her toys this week was totally self-less. She acted out compassion and nothing could make me prouder!

There is something to be said about modeling. We encourage Sophia to be independent and at times we talk her through tasks. Well the tables turned the other night when I put her to bed. She has been sleeping in her tent. I lay on the floor to read her stories. When I was getting up one night I asked her to help me up off the floor (she loves to help out.) She told me I could do it myself I just needed to try. She then talked me through getting up. "First roll over. Get on your knees. Now put one foot on the floor....." She encouraged the entire time telling me I could do it if I tried. When I did it she said, "I am so proud of you. You did it yourself!"

Life doesn't get better than this.

Celebrating Grandma Beadle's Birthday

Grandma (Phyllis) Beadle turned 87 years young on July 1. Seeing Nick came down for a weekend visit right before the "big day" Steve, Nick, Sophia, Bev and Skip celebrated with Grandma a few days early. Unfortunately, Anne was away at a weekend interpreting workshop series and was unable to attend. Katie was in NJ. Our hearts were with Grandma as she celebrated her big day.

The day was spent swimming, enjoying good food, laughing with family and of course, cake.