Mickey, Here We Come!!!

I booked this trip last November not even sure it would happen and now it’s here and we’re ready to go!!  Mickey is ready for us and he even sent Hannah a post card this week telling her how excited he is about her upcoming visit!  She was pretty excited and that little post card has gone with us everywhere since then.

We’re packed and ready to leave bright and early in the morning.  By the time this post comes up we’ll be on the road.  Today is a day of travel and tomorrow will be our first day in the parks.  Disney’s Hollywood Studios is on the schedule and I’m excited for Bec and Sharon to try out Toy Story Midway Mania.  It’s new since we were there together back in January of 2008.

When we go to Disney, part of the fun is the prep that goes into it.   I seem to pack everything but the kitchen sink but in the long run it makes a Disney more enjoyable.   Some of the tips I’ve learned from others about things to pack that are a little out of the norm are:

Dish soap soaked sponges that have been left to dry.  Great for cleaning refillable mugs, sippy cups and more.  On a similar line I was also able to find some disposable sheets of laundry detergent.  I’m hoping to avoid laundry but should the need arise we’ll be ready.

A couple of times Rebecca and I were there at Christmas time and we decorated our resort room window with Christmas lights and posters.  This year we’re trying something new with these little ribbons decorated with colourful Mickey Mouse heads courtesy of the paint chips at Home Depot.

I also have little cards ready that list the park we’ll be attending each day, park hours, show and parade times as well as any dining reservations we might have that day.  It’s nice to have everything in the same place so that at a glance we can see what’s happening that day.

The final thing is something I hope the others enjoy.  I found someone on Etsy who makes personalized iron-on patches so I ordered them for the 4 of us.  I’m hoping one day we’ll have fun wearing these matching t-shirts.  Heh, Disney brings out the kid in all of us!

And so, we’re off!  I won’t have Internet while at Disney so won’t be posting for a  little over a week while we’re away. 

This trip is a dream come true!  A dream I’ve had since I first began Hannah’s adoption back in 2005.  A Disney trip with my amazing little girl!!  Hannah is well aware that we’re going to ‘Mickey’s House’ tomorrow and while she may not fully understand what that means, I have a feeling she just might be dreaming sweet dreams of Mickey too!

PS – Happy 2 1/2 yo birthday Hannah XiaoFen!!  For your 2nd Birthday we celebrated with a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme and for your 2 1/2 birthday we’ll be with Mickey himself!  Fun!!!  Cannot wait to celebrate this special day with you my sweetie.  I can’t believe you’re 2 1/2 already!  Slow down my love.  Life seems to be flying by at lightening speed.  I’m so thankful for the next 9 days of being with you without the distractions of normal every day life and work.  9 days of fun with family is the best!

A Moment in Time: Oh Canada Flag!

Hannah absolutely loves finding Canadian flags when we’re out and I’ll tell you, she’s good!!!  We can be driving in a completely new area and she’ll spot them in the hardest to find places and excitedly shout, ‘Canada Fwag!!!’ 

After she calls out it’s not unusual for me to hear, ‘Sing Mommy, sing!’  from the back seat.  Earlier this summer I began to sing the Canadian National Anthem with her when she first took a liking to Canadian flags and I’m really impressed with much she’s learned!

On this day we were driving in the car with Mom and Dad so I was in the back seat with her.  I started to sing, ‘Oh Canada’ but my independent Miss let me know that she could sing it herself thank-you-very-much!  I think she did GREAT, especially when I remember she’s not even 2 1/2 years old yet!  I giggle in a couple of places because of the way she’s added her own flare to the song.  ‘Oh Canada’ becomes ‘Oh Canada Fwag’ and each time she sings ‘Stand on guard for thee’ she changes it to ‘Stand on guard for the end.’  Heh….so cute!

Great finish XiaoFen! 

I know right now she’s all about Canadian flags but I hope at the same time I’m also instilling a love for our amazing, beautiful country in my daughter. 

Outtakes of our Referral Day Celebration Photo Shoot

On the blog I try to find that one great pic and pop that into the post.  Easy, right?

Heh….not so much!  Here are some fun outtakes of the pictures from yesterday’s photo shoot.  I think you’ll quickly get a sense of how it went.

Lisa commented that this one almost looks like she’s looking into a mirror only it’s her referral picture.  Love that!  Thanks Lisa!

‘No more pictures Mommy!’

’Can we negotiate?’

‘OK, so this is fun after all!’

In the end I got a number of great pics of my sweetie with her referral pic.  You have to know that the best ones were taken when I said, ‘Don’t you sit here with that picture!  Noooo!!  Don’t you dare!’

Oh yes, we have reached the age of reverse psychology and I’m not afraid to use it!

The Day My Life Changed Forever In The Most Wonderful Way!!!

2 years ago today I received the call I had been waiting almost 3 1/2 years for….I was a Mom and Hannah XiaoFen was waiting for me in China!!  She didn’t know about me but she had been living in my heart for a very, very long time and I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms!  It was instant love for me and with each detail that Deborah shared with me during her referral call the love grew deeper and deeper.  (Referral videos will be at the bottom of this post.)

Today we shared a wonderful day together, just enjoying having fun and being together.  We read stories, coloured, played and went for lunch with Grandma and Grandpa.  A low key day full of lots of laughter, giggles, snuggles and fun!

August 21, 2009 was the day God planned long ago to introduce me to my daughter.  I would still have to wait another long 10 1/2 weeks until I finally held her in my arms but just knowing who she was made my heart soar!!!

Those thoughts crossed my mind tonight as Hannah drifted off to sleep with my arms wrapped around her.  She has become quite the cuddle bug and it’s not unusual for her to fall asleep snuggled up next to me with her little forehead touching mine.  As she was preparing to sleep she rested her little hand on my cheek and whispered, ‘Love you forever Mommy.’ 

Oh what that did to this Mommy’s heart!  How could I be so blessed to have such an amazing daughter?  I whispered back that I loved her forever too and my voice was catching as I fought back tears….tears of joy.  Her gentle spirit caught the change in my voice and she asked, ‘Ok Mommy?’  ‘Yes, sweet Shaoey, Mommy is ok.  These are tears of joy as you are the love of my life and I love you with all my heart.’

Forever blessed by my sweet, loving, amazing, energetic, caring, wonderful daughter!!!

Each year I take a picture of Hannah with her referral picture.  This is today’s picture of my tutu wearing two year old.

2011

2010

2009

If you want to learn all the wonderful details about August 21, 2009 from start to finish, can read about them here.

Referral video – Part 1 (These videos still make me cry!  )

Referral video – Part 2

I love you Hannah XiaoFen.  I am forever thankful that God created you and I to be mother and daughter.  Family….forever!!

Love, Mommy xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Let’s Talk Disney-Part 3: PhotoPass

Disney has a neat option available to all who enter their parks.  Like some other places they have photographers scattered throughout the parks who are available to take pictures of you with Disney landmarks or with special characters.

One of the nice things about the Disney photographers though is that they are available to take your pictures but they won’t ask you so it saves being hounded over and over again.

The photographers are easy to spot as they wear the tan vests pictured on the gal on the left in this pic.  They are located near all the major icons of the parks (castle, sorcerer Mickey’s hat, Epcot ball, etc.) and can also be found at most if not all character greetings.  Disney photographers are also happy to take pictures of your family with your camera so pass them your camera and ‘smile!’

How the PhotoPass system works is that the first time a photographer takes your picture they will scan a PhotoPass card and give it to you.  One suggestion I would offer you would be to write down the number and/or take a picture of the back of the card showing the card number.  This way if you loose your card or it is accidentally given to someone else you can still claim your pictures.

As you go through your vacation carry this card with you and let the photographers snap away like crazy!  If you happen to forget your card in your resort room no problem, just get a new one and continue to have pictures taken.  At the end of your vacation you’ll be able to view the photos on all of the cards you’ve collected over the trip.  If you go to a waterpark I hear they even hand out PhotoPasses on wrist bands so that you can carry it with you throughout the water park.  Yes, Disney sure does seem to think of everything!

I’d also recommend having pictures taken at your favourite places more than once and at different times of the day.  When the parks first open the photographers will be busy but there are enough that hopefully only one or two families will be in front of you.  It’s also great to get pics in the different light that happen throughout the day and the night-time pics…wow!!  The Disney photographers have cameras that are set to take beautiful pictures even at those difficult times of the day and night.

Another thing Disney photographers can do are called ‘Magical Shots’.  The photographer may ask you to do something special but you won’t know why until you look at your pictures later.  Feel free to ask photographers if they do any magical shots.  Another tip is that it’s often photographers that don’t have tripods that are more prepared to do the magical shots.

So, now you have a card (or cards) full of pictures, what does that mean? When you get home sign on to Disney PhotoPass and view all the pictures taken during your trip.  Note:  Photos are only available for 30 days from the day that you first logon.

Once you look at your pictures there are many options available although I’ll say they come at a price and personally I feel that price is steep.  You can order prints, make gift items or do other things too including adding borders and autographs.

There is an option to pre-purchase a CD before your vacation which will include all the pictures taken during your vacation.  You then have the rights to all the pictures and can print as many as you want wherever you want.  The cost of the CD is $149.95 but there is a previsit offer available which offers the CD at a cost of $99.95.  When you get home from your visit if you don’t feel there are enough pictures on your CD that you want you can request a refund and Disney will return your prepayment to you.

Another pre-visit special available right now is the offer to purchase the CD + a Gift Book that you will create when you get home for the price of $149.95 (normally $229.90). I have never pre-purchased the CD but decided this trip to give it a try so have bought the CD and gift book offer.  I’m hoping with a 9 day trip that we’ll get lots of wonderful pictures together and it will take some of the pressure off me trying to take so many pictures myself.  I think that’s a good thing while chasing a busy 2yo around Disney!

Should you pre-purchase the CD I’ve heard that it’s good to tell the photographers as they know you’re serious and will take more pictures than normal. 

A picture is worth a thousand words!  Have fun with the photographers and bring those pictures home with you.  Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words!

For more details about Disney PhotoPasses you can go here.

Previous ‘Let’s Talk Disney’ posts:

Part 1: Where Do I Begin?

Part 2: Booking a Disney Vacation

A Weekend of Fun with Nana and Papa!

A couple of weeks ago Hannah and I loaded up the car, hopped over to the town next to ours to pick up Tor Tor and Josh and headed north for a weekend of fun with Nana and Papa! 

The weather was beautiful and after a quick lunch it was time to head to the beach.   The water was warm and refreshing on this hot sunny day

Hannah’s favourite part by far was playing in the sand!  

Not sure if it’s more fun to wear the sand or play with it!

Exercising on the beach.

An evening boat ride on Uncle Scott’s boat

Helping(?) Josh and Nana with a bedtime puzzle. 

Morning cuddles with Tor

Breakfast with Josh

On the drive home we took time out to stretch at a great park!

Just hanging out.     

There are times when even my, ‘I do it all myself’ kiddo needs some help.   Thanks Tor!

Summer weekends are the best!

Thanks for a great weekend Nana and Papa!  It was such fun for all of us to spend the weekend together!

(Sorry Nana and Papa.  Realized when I got home that all the pics this weekend were of the kiddos.  I’m sure you don’t mind a post full of memories of time with your grands!)

What Used to be ‘Normal’, Just Felt Different

Earlier this summer my mom called to say that she and dad wanted to find an evening to take Hannah so that I could go out.  I didn’t need to clean the house (even though it desperately needs it), it was just a night for me to go out and have some fun.  You know me well and know that I have a ton of fun with Hannah but there are a few things that just aren’t quite possible with an oh-so-adorable 2yo by your side.

So, last night was the night.  Wednesday AM mom had called and said that she and dad wanted to watch Hannah either Thurs or Fri night if either of those worked for me.  I chose Friday.

When we were preparing to go to Bonnie’s in the morning I was packing a 2nd bag alongside her daycare bag.  This one contained diapers, a night time diaper, pj’s as well as her swim stuff.  As we went through our morning routine we talked about Grandma picking her up at daycare and she was excited!  Hannah absolutely adores her grandparents and loves spending time with them!  They’re pretty crazy about her too! 

Fast forward to Friday at 4:30 when I walked out of my office building.  Suddenly I was overcome with a feeling of emptiness.  It was so weird as I hadn’t really anticipated feeling this way.  Each day as I leave the office I’m hurrying home to be with Hannah and last night that wasn’t the case.  It hit me that for the first time ever I had said good-bye to her at 8:30 in the morning and then next time I would see her she would probably be asleep for the night.  I was glad she had time with Grandma and Grandpa and I had lots planned to fill my evening but still there was a void. 

I gave myself a talking to and quickly realized that even though I love my kiddo to pieces, a few hours to get things done on my own was going to be very helpful. I talked with mom just before she picked up Hannah and asked her to give her a big hug and kiss for me.  I was missing my baby girl desperately!  I wanted to talk to her too but specifically chose to call her before Mom picked her up as sometimes talking to me when we’re apart upsets her.  Mom and Dad babysit her 1 evening a week during the school year so that I can teach piano in our home and when I’ve tried talking to Hannah she normally ends up in tears, asking for me to come to her.  I didn’t want to upset her so didn’t talk to her last night.  That was t.o.u.g.h!

I headed home from the office and ate a quick supper before going fridge shopping.  Fun, eh?!  I sure know how to live it up when I have the time!  :o)  My fridge is still working and hasn’t changed since the first little issue earlier this year.  I think the biggest thing holding me back from buying a new fridge is that they say the newer models just don’t last the way the older ones do.  Even though my current fridge is 14yo it still works just fine, as long as you don’t mind listening to a couple of minutes of dripping noises once or twice a day and it’s on the noisier side.   Do I want to purchase a new fridge that may only last me 5 – 10 years when I don’t really have to?  Still thinking about it as you can tell.

The second part of the evening I met my SIL Trish and we went to see an AMAZING movie together!  We went to see ‘The Help’ and I cannot say enough about it.  It was eye-opening, challenging, had me laughing so hard at times and crying at others.  I would highly recommend this movie to everyone!!  Has anyone else seen it? 

When the movie ended Trish and I chatted about it for a few minutes and then said good-bye.  I was on fast forward to my little girl!   When I arrived at Mom and Dad’s I found out that she was sleeping peacefully and truly, that’s a great thing!  They’d shared a fun evening together going to a park, throwing stones in the lake, eating supper, playing, reading and when it was time Mom fed her her bottle and she drifted off to sleep.  This makes me feel so good as the last time I left her she was still awake at midnight watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when I got home!  Oops!  I have a wedding to attend in about a month and a half so I’m so glad that she did so well going to sleep at Mom and Dad’s! 

So all in all my evening was wonderful, especially since it ended up with Hannah in Mommy’s arms, the very best way to end a day.  Today we spent the entire day together which is a really good thing too.  A day apart is much easier when the next day we get to spend all of it together!

Mommy’s First Bang Trim Attempt

And I think it went just fine if I do say so myself!!

Hannah was in desperate need of a bang trim but I was trying to hold out for a few more weeks.  I had an appointment booked at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom when we’re at Disney later this month but I didn’t think it was fair to make her wait that long just for mommy to have that ‘first’ Disney haircut pic.  We can save that for another trip!

I’ve mentioned before that Hannah and I have the aversion to hair being in our eyes.  We just don’t like it!  I know I hate it when my bangs get too long so I decided not to make Hannah tough it out for the next few weeks.

After supper tonight I kept her in her highchair and got the comb and scissors.  After a quick talk about how only Mommy is able to use scissors and how we never, ever cut hair, (yah….I know it will still happen someday!) the procedure began.  (Mommy was much more confident about cutting a little bit off her little girl’s bangs after M3 asked me to shorten her hair by 2” last month.   That turned out ok too which is a really good thing considering I was shaking like a leaf for the first few cuts, totally afraid I’d somehow mess it up!)

Here’s Hannah’s before pic

And the after.  Please ignore the bits of supper I forgot to wash off before our hair trimming party.

Just a little trim and voila, no more hair in her eyes!  M3, I was also really careful to remember your words of advise and only cut the same bangs that had been cut before.  Apparently it’s really easy to add more hair from the top to the bangs because Hannah’s hair grows forward from her crown, thus creating an ever increasing bang.  I like the light, wispy look of these so was careful not to add new hair to the mix.

She was so good and spotted a sucker that had been sitting on the table for a couple of weeks.  After the trim she enjoyed a yummy purple sucker for being such a good helper and sitting so still!

I don’t think I’ll be attempting anything more than a quick bang trim right now but it’s good to know in a pinch that mommy can get them done!

My ‘Go With the Flow’ Toddler!

Today there was a pretty big change in Hannah’s little life but she just went with it and was amazing!!

Hannah’s awesome daycare provider Ange is due to have a baby any minute (literally any minute) so for the next couple of weeks Hannah is going to be going to daycare at a friend’s place.  I’ve known Bonnie since she was just a kid herself and now she’s watching my kiddo! 

I’ve known this change has been coming for a number of months but for Hannah this is all new.  We went for a visit at Bonnie’s place last Friday night and had fun hanging out with her and her kiddos.  Hannah was a teeny bit shy at first but within minutes she was playing with Bonnie’s kids, running around and just having fun with her new friends. 

Last night we hosted an impromptu dinner for Ange and her family (if you can call hot dogs, salad and cheezies ‘dinner.’ :o)  It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed the fresh air while eating out on the deck.  We weren’t sure if Ange was in the early stages of labour last night when I picked up Hannah so rather than have her cook we invited them over.  I love spontaneity and we all had a great time together!

After supper the ‘baby’ felt like ice cream so we all ventured to a local ice cream parlour.   Hey….who am I to deny a baby his ice cream before his big job of being born? 

It was a wonderful way to spend an evening together with friends!  We’re going to miss you over the next month Ange and family but wish you all the best and cannot wait to meet your newest addition!!

On a side note, this pic just made me laugh!!

Take one toddler who wants to show her friends every.single.one of her toys and 2 boys who are excited to see them and this is what can happen in a very short matter of time!  A good time was had by all though and truly, that’s all that matters!

So, back to today.

When I was getting Hannah dressed she mentioned wanting to go and play with Owen and Noey but I said that today she was going to Bonnie’s to play with her cousin Makenna.  She wasn’t too impressed at first and there were a few tears as she asked to go to Ange’s but over breakfast she processed things and was soon saying, ‘I go Bonnie’s house with Kenna!’  (This pic is of Hannah and Makenna with my niece Rebecca/Bec Bec when we were at my parent’s place a week ago.)

When we arrived at Bonnie’s I let Hannah out of the car and she happily began to walk (read: jump, skip, hop….Hannah doesn’t care much to ‘walk’!)to the front porch.  I managed to bring her back for a moment to snap the top pic above.  From there we moved into the house where she removed her shoes and was off!  Running and playing with the other kids and barely found time to come back for a hug and kiss goodbye.  When she did I snuggled her close and in a happy voice said, ‘I love you Shao Shao!  Mommy’s is going to work but will be back soon!’  She was happy which in turn made this transition much easier on Mommy too!

I went to the car without any tears (for me…she was fine!)….until I began to drive away and saw my precious baby girl standing at the front door and happily waving bye-bye to me.  The tears threatened but didn’t spill over.  God had answered the prayers we’d uttered on the way to Bonnie’s house and granted Hannah an easy transition.  God is SO GOOD!!

I did my best and didn’t call until about 3:00.  Bonnie said she was ‘awesome’ and they were having a great time together!  So happy!!  She said the only tears she’d seen were a few when she’d put her down for her nap but she soon drifted off to sleep and slept for an hour and a half. 

I picked her up shortly after 5:00 and she had a craft to show me and told me about their trip to the park.  I mentioned at the time that she’d be coming back tomorrow and she said yes with a smile on her face!

Bonnie, thanks for all your help with Hannah!  I know she’s going to love being in your home for these few weeks and I in turn car focus on work knowing that my sweet, amazing, precious little girl is being so well cared for!