A Day of Fun from Beginning to End!! Part III - Smores!!

Mmmm...is there a summertime campfire treat that's any better than smores? I don't think so!

These pics need no explanation (other than names) so I'll let them stand alone.

Ryleigh

Austin

Ro

Ree

Perfectly toasted marshmallows. Thanks Mark!

We had such a great time visiting with you Stacey and Mark!! Thanks so much for the delicious supper and smores afterwards!

A Day of Fun from Beginning to End!! Part II - Bloggy Bash on the Beach!!

What an amazing treat it was to meet up with some bloggy friends on the beach in Monterey! It was pretty cold when we arrived and we thought we might not stay for long but we got to talking, the kids were playing in the sand and before we knew it the sun was out, it warmed up for a bit and it was beautiful!!

The bloggy group consisted of (from l to r) Kayce, me, Stacey with Ryleigh and M3 with Ro.

I'd had had the privilege of meeting Stacey in February at a CNY party but this was the first time to meet Kayce! We hit it off immediately and just like so many other times when I've meet bloggy friends, it was like we'd known one another for years. Following one anothers blogs allows us a glimpse into each other's lives so meeting in person is just a wonderful extension of that online friendship!

An added part of the excitement is that Kayce and her husband Mike have a LID of March 29th so only 6 days behind me. It was wonderful to get excited together and talk about baby stuff knowing that we'll both be receiving referrals SOON!!

Stacey and her adorable Ryleigh chit chatting with us in the sand while big brother Austin and daddy went crab hunting. Guess they were successful! Poor Stacey about freaked out (and I don't blame her!!) when one of these crabs got loose and decided her pant leg was the next place to climb. No thank you!!! Someone quickly grabbed it thankfully!

The girls using Tuba Dad as a human monkey bar!

Ro enjoying some Daddy time while

Ree enjoys some time with Mommy.

It was a wonderful afternoon of talking, laughter, chatting about referrals and so much more!! It was great to see Stacey again and so good to meet you Kayce!! Next time I'm in town we'll have to get together and we'll have the babies with us!! Wheee!!!

A Day of Fun from Beginning to End!! Part I - Monterey Aquarium

Saturday was a wonderful day of family fun!! We began the day bright and early and headed to the Monterey Aquarium. What a great place with tons of beautiful fish and so many other interesting things too! Fun!!

Daddy helping Ree climb her favourite rock

Ro imitating the fish that swim with their mouths wide open

Ro and the shiny fish

Climbing the seahorse in the seahorse exhibit which was fascinating!

A huge school of fish! They were so interesting to watch!

Family fun at the hands-on water exhibit

My mermaid impression.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Hi Dad! Sorry we can't be together today but so happy we were able to celebrate together last week! Soon you'll have another granddaughter to add to your day of celebration!!

Love you!!

This morning we're enjoying a slow, leisurely, quiet morning at the Villa da Salsa. I woke early suddenly panicked that I wouldn't have any way to recored 'THE CALL' should it come in the next month, so hopped online and began researching the 'Flip' that I've heard so much about. After reading many reviews, discussing the different model options with M3, and being thankful that they've recently been made available in Canada, I went ahead and ordered a Flip UltraHD Camcorder. I'm excited for it to arrive within the next week or so and get familiar with it! Guess this means I should finally file my taxes for 2008! (In Canada we don't have a filing deadline when receiving a refund so they're technically not late even though I am letting the govn't use my teeny, tiny bit of refund money. Better change that soon!)

While I was doing my research I could hear little girl voices giggling downstairs. With it being Father's Day I let them hang out with mommy as they prepared him breakfast in bed for daddy. You can imagine my surprise when a short time later b'fast was delivered to me too!! Mmmmm.... a happy face made of toast, cheerios and bacon! Served with Cherry Coke to drink. These girls know me well!!

While M3 and I were chatting the little girls decided they needed my comforter to make a bed for themselves so that they could nap on the floor. After explaining to us that they needed us to whisper so that they could 'nap' (which lasted all of 3.2 seconds!!) they were off to hang with daddy once again!

The time difference also allowed me to call my Dad and Grandpa too to wish them a Happy Father's Day! Cool!! Mondern technology rocks!

Now, I'd best finish this post and get myself out of bed before M3 thinks I'm waiting for lunch to be served in bed too! Although, what would be wrong with that??

**Update**
This is what I found when I went downstairs a few minutes ago. Looks like M3 found my chocolate stash while she was was preparing b'fast in bed. (Don't worry Scott, she's only a milk chocolate kinda gal so yours is safe!) Oh well, her eating this ENTIRE chocolate bar for b'fast makes for a good story and this afternoon I'll hit the store and restock before packing tomorrow. All being said, I'm guessing it's a really good thing that I can do my final restock at the airport just prior to flying out as she and I have polished off more chocolate this week than either of us will admit!!!

Thank You and Friday Fun at the Pool!!

THANK YOU for all your comments of excitement and encouragement! As M3 and I were talking in the car tonight after another great day together (will blog more tomorrow) we talked about what a wonderful blessing our blogs and the friendships they have introduced us to, are!! I am humbled over and over again by the people who have taken an interest in my little corner of the world and more importantly, in Hannah's adoption!! I have had the privilege of meeting many of you in person and many new friendships have been formed in person, or here via the blog. Even though many of us have never met face to face, you are appreciated and thought of as friends! I said to M3 that I feel badly for those who have missed this opportunity of meeting people who share such a unique bond. You have been and continue to be an encouragement as Hannah and I prepare to meet one another. Also, many of you are ahead of me and already have your children home and you will be my source of contact when I face the many new situations that will come with having a daughter who will most likely have spent the first number of months of her life being cared for in an orphanage. Your experiences will be ones that I draw on again and again. Hannah's referral may be just around the corner but our friendships have just begun! That's exciting!

Also, kudos to M and M for picking up on the pictures taken at home before I left for vacation. Just prior to locking up my desk to head out I remembered to take a series of pictures of potential referral groups. I must admit that as I took more and more beads out of the jar on the left and moved them to the right, my heart beat a little (ok...A LOT) faster!! I can't wait to go back to work on Tuesday and move the beads for real! Wow...6 beads over and only 3 left!! (The stats located in the sidebar will also be changed once returning to work as those files are located on my work computer.) An updated referral statistics chart (tracking referrals for the past 3 1/2 years) will be uploaded then too.

For now I want to share some pics and videos of Friday afternoon's pool fun. The girls have changed immensely as these pictures show.
Ree 2008

Ree 2009

Ro 2008

Ro 2009














Check out how independant they are this year!!



Using me as a human jungle gym which you can tell I don't mind one single bit!!


During our time at the pool Tuba Dad came home from his business trip. I saw him coming so was able to catch the girl's excitement on video. Too cute!!!


Once dad was there he was the only one they wanted to be with and who could blame them!! Catching Dad up on all the adventures of their week.

Happy Father's Day Tuba Dad!!

Hanging Out with Wela and BobBob

The days are flying by at an alarming rate and I just want them to slow down!! M3 and I comment often about the time we spend together just enjoying doing whatever it is that crosses our path. We're often found playing with the girls or reading to them and other times when they're at preschool or napping we blog (surprise, surprise!), tidy the house, shop or talk. talk and talk some more!! The friendship we share is a precious gift and I am oh so thankful for it! 18 months ago I'd been to CA exactly once in my life and now I've been blessed to be here 4 times in the past year and a half and each one of those trips has been a precious gift of time with a treasured friend and her amazing family!!

Speaking of family, M3's doesn't end with herself, Tuba Dad, Ro and Ree. Her parents, fondly known as Wela and BobBob, are part of the Salsa package deal and I couldn't be more thankful! Tonight we loaded the girls into the van and headed to Wela and BobBob's for a yummy salmon dinner. Deeelish and made all the better when Wela served up some of her famous Apricot Dream Bars for dessert. (Uh oh! Just typing that caused my mouth to water and my mind to wander to the container on the kitchen table housing the Dream Bars Wela sent home with us. Oh the quandary...blog...enjoy a snack...blog....hmmmmm.... I'll let you know what won out at the end)

After supper we went for a beautiful walk near their home. Wow! So much to see! Deer, wild rabbits, bee hives and fruit I normally only see in the grocery store. BobBob plucked a delicious orange right off one of his trees for me!

The girls were super excited to go for our walk after supper and introduce me to, 'Da big gwass hill!'

It didn't take long to see why the girls loved this hill...they were able to toboggan California style! I'm not sure if it was a first for them or not but from the giggles and laughter and shouts for 'More pweese, more!' it was easy to see that this would become a new activity at BobBob and Wela's!!

It was great and I have to say, there is a lot to be said about tobogganing on the grass: it's warm; the hill is much easier to walk up when not covered with ice and snow; it's warm; and probably my favourite: there's not the snow pants, coat, hat, scarf, boots and mitts to stuggle into over a 15 min period only to hear your child say, 'I have to go to the bathroom!!!' Oh yes, we Canadian's know it well!

I took my turn taking the girls down the hill but somehow managed to lose Ro as she did a nose dive into the grass. Oops! She climbed right back on and off we went. Pulling a 'toboggan' in blingy flip flops.....who woulda thunk it?? (And yes, I'm still in lurve with my flip flops and now have made it my mission...and taken M3 down with me...to find another pair before headed home. Must-have-more-Yellow-Box-flip-flops! Don't worry Carol, I'll pull you into this dark hole of flip flop lovliness with M3 and I! Joybells, come join us!)

Back to the tobogganing fun. BobBob, ever the handyman, rigged up a rope to help pull the toboggan up and down the hill. I can't hazard to guess the number of times he pulled 2 adorable, laughing, screaming, giggling, hysterical little girls down the hill only to hear them beg for more before the sled had even ground to a stop at the bottom! (M3 caught some great video! Check back on her site tomorrow to catch the fun in action!)

After all the tobogganing fun it was time for 2 tired big girls...and 2 still energetic little girls, to head home! We were all really surprised when we turned a corner near home and this is what we saw...an entire field of goats that had been hired to 'cut the grass.' So much fun!

Once home it was pj time and after a game of Crazy 8's, bed. Wela had bought them some new pj's and oh my are they cute!! Ree on the left and Ro on the right were showing M3 and I some of their fashion posing skills!

M3, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love spending time with you and your family!! I am so thankful that even though we live in 2 seperate countries and thousands of miles apart, that doesn't affect our friendship in the least! You are a precious friend and I cherish the times we spend together! Love you!

Now, about the quandary I faced earlier. I'm not saying what happened but we'll let the picture speak for itself! Mmmmm...night! I'm going to dream of yummy apricot sweetness.

When You're 3, Life is Just Silly!

Phew!! It's 8:30pm and M3 and I are sitting on the couch, recliners out with laptops perched atop our legs. We made it through the day which at times seemed questionable! I tell you...whoever said, '3 is the new 2' was oh so right!!

Ro and Ree are as adorable as ever but today they were ummm, what shall we say, 'spicy'?!! Yes, that's a good word! It was a non-preschool day so we cruised around at a slower pace in the morning. They both slept in...if you can call getting up at 7:12 rather than 7:00 'sleeping in.' They still have clocks in their rooms and know to wait until the first number is a 7 before leaving their rooms. Yesterday morning my door opened and 2 adorable little eyes were peeking in at me. A little voice asked, 'Cafrin?...said with a long A sound....Your cwock say seben?' and when I agreed that it did, Ree did a little skip, jumped up in bed with me and snuggled in. Oh I tell you, there's nothing like lovins from a little one! Tonight Ro came over and suddenly planted a kiss on my cheek. Warmed me through and through!

Back to this morning. M3 and I decided last night to treat the girls to pancakes using the 'Batter Blaster.' Pancakes made easy for sure! The girls love to help in the kitchen and I'm continually amazed at just how much they can do! They help with coffee, baking, cooking and so much more. They require a little guidance but basically with a little help are able to do so much! They even clean up afterwards. Bonus!!

Today's baking adventure started when they donned their gingerbread aprons and ran around the kitchen singing the song, 'Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!'
Ro

Ree

While we eventually had a number of yummy pancakes to enjoy for breakfast (what a great idea to make them dollar size and serve as fingerfood with syrup to dip them in!) our baking time was not without it's challenges. The girl's spicyness came out and the baking was interupted on a fairly frequent basis with one girl or another heading into time-out and then coming back in to pick up with the baking where she left off. I tell you, M3 is AMAZING with these girls and they know their limits. They push them and when they push too far it means a trip into time-out but she's fair, consistant and the girls go without question. Often with wimpers, crying or sad little faces but to time-out they go the very first time they're told. Once again I'm learning so much from this great mom!! M3, I stand in awe at all you do with your precious little girls!

We attempted to take pics of them in the cute outfits they had chosen today but by the way breakfast had gone we should have known it wasn't going to go well. It was a quick photoshoot and we were on to gymnastics. What we didn't know at the time was that it would be their last gymnastics class...at least for now. The girls love, love, love being together and as the title of my post says, 'When you're 3, life is just silly!' Ro and Ree are the cutest little girls who can giggle like none other! Just a glance from the other can cause bursts of uncontrolable giggles to erupt time and time again. A while back M3 put the girls in different gymnastics classes to try and curb some of their energy. Each week one girl was in parent 'n tot class with M3 while the other was in a class with other toddlers where the parents weren't with them. This morning Ree was on her own and had energy to burn. The coach was a younger gal and about half-way through the class Ree was brought back to us and said that she couldn't be in the class any longer. Oops! Guess the girls will be trying something else right now. Variety is the spice of life so it will be neat to see what they try next!

Lunch was a picnic at the park and then it was ahhhhhh.... nap time!! It's days like today that naps are an especially big treat, for us at least!

LOL! Here were our coping mechanisms for the day of silliness. M3 checking out the 'mommy juice'

Yes, that's an ice cube in her teeny tiny glass of bubbly. :o)

Me with the chocolate, peanut butter cup ice cream Tuba Dad bought before he left. Thanks TD!!


The girls woke up still overflowing with lots of energy so we quickly revamped our plans of going out for a crab dinner. The last thing 2 excitable little girls need is to be asked to sit quietly in a restaurant. That just wouldn't be fair to them so we enjoyed a lasagna dinner at home and then went for a nice long walk in the neighbourhood, played at the park and then it was bedtime once again.

While it was a long day I have to tell you that the girls didn't argue or fight. They just don't do that. What they do is laugh, giggle and totally enjoy one another! Today was a silly day and I must say, being 3 rocks!!

When you're 3, life is just silly! And I think many of us would do well to spend a day being 3 every once in a while and take some time to smell the flowers while wearing a tutu and mismatched shoes!