Adoption Group Cookie Exchange and THE MESSIAH!!!

There is a nice adoption group in the area that plans playgroups, "field trips," and this time was a cookie exchange. Many of the kids are girls from China, but there are a couple of boys and a couple of other countries represented. We all brought a lunch dish to pass, there were cute crafts for the kiddos, everyone sang Christmas carols and played games, and had a great time.



Sometimes people ask me how we talk to Tonito about adoption. It is a very natural conversation that comes up in some way every day. For example: Maya is learning how to walk better and better. Vivi says "I used to crawl when I was a baby, and then I walked." Then Tonito says "I was a baby in China." And I say "And you used to crawl when you were a baby too! And then you learned how to walk." Since we don't know much about his first 3.5 years, and I don't want to invent anything that isn't true, I try to stick to the basics. I don't want him to think that the beginning of his life is this black hole of info (lack thereof) and then we sweep in and all of a sudden he has a life. That is completely not true: he hit many, many milestones in China, and we all know the first couple formative years are important.. I just wish there were a way to find out more about Tonito, but we are trying to incorporate what little stories and info we have about him, into everyday conversations. I also made copies of the couple of pictures we have when he was around 2 (?) and framed them around the house. He is so proud of these photos, and tells visitors "this is when Tonito was a baby in China" with his huge dimply grin. We even found a picture of him on-line on a mission trip's web site, sitting on a woman's lap!!!! I emailed the web site, who put me in touch with her, and she sent me 2 pictures she had of him from when he was just under 2! Amazing. She said he was a happy little boy who wasn't scared. Another girl who went on mission trips to Urumqi also remembers Tonito to be a very smiley and happy boy. We missed so many special moments, but we are trying to make up for it by living large and making new family memories.

So that was the Cookie Exchange (which was so fun! I had never been to one before- we brought home 6 dozen cookies!!!!). Then in the evening we went to the Civic Opera House for the 2008 Do-It-Yourself-Messiah!!!!

http://www.imfchicago.org/diymain.html

"The music of Handel comes to life in Chicago every Christmas with his magnificent Messiah performed by an audience of thousands, featuring world-class soloists and a full orchestra of local amateur musicians."

First of all this is FREE. You bring in your tickets, and then you pick your section: soprano, alto, bass, tenor. We had no idea what to expect- here we come with our 6 pages of just the lyrics printed out, and they are selling 280 pages scores in the lobby with all music, etc. Thank God we bought the scores:), so we could actually follow along and sing with the rest of the audience! It was awesome, there is no other way to describe being swallowed by this gorgeous energy. How exhilarating. We were on the border of alto and soprano- next year we have to sit farther from the sopranos, who-wow- a couple of the seasoned members were really, really obnoxiously loud (I'm not saying they were bad, just LOUD- they even had their scores in a three ring binder with notes).

Anyway- amazing experience, and I hope this becomes a tradition if we can get the tickets each year!

I will post a video clip as soon as my sister gives it to me.

Celebrating Vivi's 4th birthday (oh year, and mine)

My 2 brothers...

We celebrated 3 birthdays: Vivi's 4th, and my birthday and Tonio's mom's: 3 saggitariuses (is that a word?) who all are optimistic, adventure-loving, and free-spirited:). Vivi has always, always loved animals, and because of that we have no baby dolls, but a growing collection of Schleich toy animals (so realistic!). She loves making them talk, making them rescue each other, playing with mommy and baby pairs, having birthday parties for them, picnics, parties, you name it, she loves, loves animals. So this year she "discovered" ponies, and her coolest present was a large wooden stable that my dad made, with a collection of the Schleich horses, and horse blankets that my mom made. This picture is the only one I have- it is a weird angle and for some reason Vivi doesn't look happy, but really she LOVES it! This is one of those toys that keeps Vivi entertained for hoooours- it is so cute to hear her pretending!


She mixes the realistic ponies with the "My Little Ponies," and tells everyone that they are all friends:). So keeping with tradition, we each got our "own" cake, and I made a Mexican feast: homemade guacamole, salchichas with lime/cilantro/chile, jicama with the same, sopa azteca (sopa de tortilla), homemade chicken tamales, beans and rice (of course, for Vivi), and other goodies.

I can't believe Vivi is already 4!! She is an eager learner, my queen of imagination, curious about everything, independent, strong-willed, giggly, compassionate, intuitive, animal-loving, future-cross-country-running, world traveling, silly, singing, dancing, artistic, book-loving, no-napping, fruit-loving, dramatic, playful, cookie-making, beautiful, smart, and precious princess. Her preschool teacher told us she is a natural-born leader who includes everyone in her very imaginative play, and we couldn't be prouder of our sweet Vivi.

Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Toys: Animals
Favorite Food: Black beans/rice, any fruit, peanut butter, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes
Favorite Movies: most Disney (with the "scary" parts fast-forwarded), Land Before Time, Cri-Cri, Monster's Inc
Wants to be a Mommy and an animal doctor when she grows up

Here is a recent picture of Vivi organizing a dance party in the dining room- she got everyone dressed up and requested blasting dance music. Tonito and Maya happily obliged:).

Time to catch up! Vivi turns 4!

We celebrated Vivi's 4th birthday with a "kid" party- a first for our family. She is very good friends with several boys in her class, and wasn't exactly thrilled that her party was going to be just the girls. So we caved in and invited the entire preschool class, knowing that many wouldn't be able to come because it was the first weekend of break. It worked out perfectly! Vivi had 2 of her good girl friends (Ana Maria and Marisol were out of town, but Isabella and Danielle came) and then many of her boy friends (er, friends that are boys) came, which also thrilled Tonito.





We first decorated goodie bags, then played the bean bag toss. To burn some energy, we danced to several song, including our old favorites: bean-bag dance, and bop until you drop.







After getting wired, we brought out the piñata. Traditionally in Mexico the piñata is used during Christmastime, but we're close enough! I was really, really nervous about an indoor piñata, and in the dining room no less with ceramics, and plates on the wall and our chandelier. Fortunately my parents, Tonio's mom, and another mom and dad stayed to help. I think with that many adult bodies I felt "safer" among the bat-yielding, sugared-up 4 year olds. The piñata was a huge hit!!! (haha, no pun intended). I filled it with tootsie-pops, goldfish baggies, and curious george snacks. The adults then secretly redistributed the candy more fairly while the kids ate lunch.





After the piñata, we sat down for lunch. We made mini bagel pizzas, hot-dogs wrapped in croissants, carrots sticks, grapes, and a choice of apple juice or milk:).




After lunch, the kids really, really wanted to open presents. This was mass chaos, with all of the kids throwing their presents at Vivi, some of the kids opening their own presents and then showing Vivi what they got her, cards were mixed up, and I really don't know which presents were from which kids (I caught a couple at the beginning). I was hoping for a little more organization so that I could write thank you cards, but everyone was way too excited!!

After presents we used foamies to make picture frames. While the kids were eating lunch, I printed the picture of all the kids on the couch. Then with all of the extra adult help, the kids decorated the frames, and we stuck in a picture for each child to take home in their goodie-bags. They turned ou really cute and Vivi and Tonito both proudly display their "friends" in their rooms. After the craft we had cupcakes (egg-free for Vivi!).

Reading all of this, I am getting tired just remembering how looooooooooong 2 hours can be with 9 preschoolers (it seemed like there were more than 9!?). WIth 15 minutes left and no more activities, I quickly read a couple of books, and then brought out our box of instruments for marching around the dining room to music. I think my 7 years as a camp counselor paid off 10 fold at this party. Forget my years as a high school teacher, at this party I had to be a goofball clown, losing my voice, and dancing around to keep them entertained, corralled, and smiling. I was so exhausted after the party, and that evening Vivi asked "Can I have my birthday again tomorrow?" I think that means it was a success:). "No chiquita, we have to wait a whole year before we have another birthday for you."

Our shared birthday: winter preschool program and Navy Pier with Luke

What a busy, busy day it was! Today is both Vivi's and my birthday- yes, we share a birthday even though Vivi was due Dec 7th, and I was induced Dec 17in the early morning. Against all odds my first baby was born on my birthday 4 years ago and since then I have never aged another year;).

In the morning we went to the preschool's winter program- so cute! The kids had learned so many songs to sing for us, and kept waving and smiling at their fan club in the audience. The paparazzi was incredible- the amount of cameras and handycams easily rivaled the Grammy's, although our artists were shorter, cuter, and better behaved.

We let Vivi open a couple of presents, since it was her "real" birthday today, and we wouldn't be celebrating it until Abuelita came from Mexico on the weekend. This year Vivi got some new outfits and some My Little Ponies (her newest discovery!).

The next day, we headed off to Navy Pier to meet up with Tonito's buddy from Urumqi! His dad was in for a conference in Chicago and we took advantage of it to play at the Children's Museum with them. Tonito talks about his friends (he calls them brothers) from China ALL THE TIME. He still calls them by his nicknames in Chinese for them, although we keep trying to reinforce their new names (which are not new anymore!). So apparently Tonito used to call Luke "Bo-Bo," because we can't convince him otherwise. Anyway, he and Luke just took up where they left off, exploring the museum together and acting silly on the pretend ice skating rink:

Lily is as adorable as ever, and Vivi LOVES to play with her and imitate anything she does. It works out perfectly that we each have a son and a daughter around the same age!

We shared lunch with them and then we had to say good-bye because they were off to visit some other friends in the area. It was so good to see them, and Tonito really enjoyed being able to see Luke in person. It is hard to explain distance to him- Tonito frequently asks if we can go "play with Xin Suo (Drew)" and I try to explain that he lives too far away. So then he asks if we can go to China to visit him. Well Missouri is not THAT far away:). I hope that we can continue to maintain the kids' relationships with each other- how valuable!! As far as Tonito is concerned Luke and Drw are his brothers, and Gillian is his sister, and he loves them so much.

Monkeying with our cousins

We love to play with our cousins Nate and Sam! Nate is just 1 and Sam is 2 (and here Tonito is 4, Vivi 4 and Maya 1). They are from Taiwan, and as Tonito says "they are cafe, just like me!" (cafe is brown in Spanish). He loves that they look like him, have his same black hair and black eyes. As you can see from the pictures, 5 smiling, posed kids turn into 5 wiggly, distracted kids really quickly. I am so happy that the boys will grow up having each other as cousins!

It's too quiet in here...

I haven't updated in a looong time! Vivi had her birthday, our inlaws were visiting for 2 weeks, we went to Wisconsin for a mini-break, and now the kids are back in school (whew). So I'm attempting to catch up! The picture is Maya emptying out Vivi's dresser. I knew it was too quiet!!!

Our little Maya turned 15 months at the end of November. She is now walking, climbing, and TALKING. This little girl says so many words and always lets everyone know what she wants. She knows some sign language (more, eat, milk, drink). She beats her chest like a gorilla, uses her arm to be an elephant's trunk, claps her arms like a crocodile, bounces 2 fingers like a bunny, and howls up to the moon like a wolf (aa-oo). She says baa, woof, wow-wow (dog), mao (meow), oink, moo, kak (quack). Maya calls papi "baba" (about a million times a day) and mommy is "mama," she says Vivi and "To-to" (Tonito). She also can say "co" (Nico), "Mimi" (Emily), "een" (Colleen), Tim, Didi (Christy), and uma, umpa for Grandma and Grandpa. She loves saying "up" and her absolutely FAVORITE word is NO. I have to tape it (it would be hard to tape Maya without it appearing) because the way she says it is hilarious. She sounds like a cross between my Grandma M half-laughing/half-scolding someone and a preteen with an attitude. She says so many more words: baby (bebe), mas (more), book, look, choo-choo, ya (all done), me, owie, gracias (seriously she says gracias!), agua, 'eche (leche=milk).

She is really, really clingy sometimes and her favorite place to be is on my hip, sucking her thumb and twirling/playing with her hair. Frequently while I am making dinner she is just holding onto my leg and sucking her thumb, following me around while I chop, season, and stir. She doesn't like her car seat and prefers that someone hold her little hand in the car (she has us completely trained as our arms fall asleep twisted from the front into the back seat, and if we dare to let go for a minute she screams and we immediately appease her again). Maya LOVES books, and will sit for hours if you read (and re-read) her books. She also loves baby dolls and rocks them kisses them over and over, hugs them, and pats them.

The one definitive action that is completely Maya is her little dance. She has been a dancing baby since she was about 6 months old, and now whenever I sing or we put on music she likes, her shoulders and hips start wiggling and bopping. It doesn't matter if you are rocking her to sleep, making her breakfast, or changing her diaper (or even in the middle of a tantrum)- if you start singing, she will start dancing and smiling. It is way too cute, I think she is going to be a salsa and merengue dancer.

Trying to take a Christmas picture....

After many, many, many attempts, we finally got our Christmas picture:) (see last 2 pics). What did we do without a digital camera??? Actually I just got our digital camera less than a year ago, and I am so glad I did! Trying to get 3 kids to look at the camera and possibly smile (or at least not cry) was a challenge!!! Let's just say one of the pictures in the running was #74.

Dec 1st- First Snow!

My favorite time of winter is the "warm" snow, that is wet enough to roll into a snowman, solid enough to dig a hole through to make a fort (and oh so heavy when it is time to shovel!). We got up early and got ready as fast as we could so we could play in the snow before the bus came. Tonito said that they used to have snow in China, but that they were not allowed to play in it. We think maybe they didn't have the appropriate clothes, or at least enough for all of the kids. Plus if there was no heat, it would be hard to dry off and warm up after playing. Regardless of no previous experience, the kids jumped and ran and fell and threw snow at us, Vivi taught Tonito how to do snow angels, and we were enjoying the snow so much that we missed the bus! Maya's mittens kept falling off and so I think she was the only one who didn't enjoy it as much (her hands were icicles!).

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Dec. 10th update: OK, now I had to shovel our looooooong driveway a couple of times. The kids still love the snow, but my back is wishing for a snowblower this xmas!!!! Especially when the neighbors have a snowplow clear the driveway in all of 2 minutes!