Week in review & FFF

I have been out of town for the last week; I left Sunday morning for a technology conference in Seattle. In order for me to leave town I usually have to ask help from my friends. Kiki takes the dogs. My sister and her family took care of Tuki (she loved it), and my friends R & W took care of the birds, Tuck the classroom chinchilla, watched over the cats and the turtle. Finally, my neighbor A picks up the mail for me. When I sit back and think how lucky we are to have people to help out like this, it really humbles me into realizing how wonderful our lives truly are.

The night before I left Kiki, Tuks and I took the dogs for a long walk, sat down to a KFC supper and finally witnessed the wrestling and horsey match between Kiki and Tuki. She loves to rough-house with Kiki. Tuks can go forever once Kiki shows up. Too funny!!


NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT
Getting ready to take a ride


Ridem Kiki


Her favorite position, upside down...why she loves gymnastics

The next morning, I dropped Tuks off at my sister’s home, then four others and I flew out to the conference. I learned a great deal, had fun, but was also ready to come back on Thursday (last night). I was missing Tuki terribly by the last day. When I returned last night, she hugged and kissed me and said I wuv you mama. Very cute!!

SEATTLE

Looking toward the water front


Nacho Grande, one of my favorite foods, but this one was almost too pretty to eat


Captured between conference sessions


Nightime view

Tonight Tuks, cousin N and a bunch of kids belonging to my co-workers came together and went trick-or-treating for about an hour or so. Buckets were full, and the kids had a blast. Later we went out to eat at a nearby restaurant. Overall, other than a few bumps in the road, it has been a lovely week.

TRICK OR TREAT

Waiting for cousin N to arrive


The gaggle of kids she was with
She was running from house to house



Tuki and cousin N

Later in the evening, totaling enjoying herself

My pumpkins last dance on Wednesday night

Tonight was the last night of her gymnastics class. She will be starting another session next Saturday. I switched her to a older class that runs for 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes. I had to get the OK again because the class is for 3 - 4 year olds and she won't turn 3 until midway through the session. I think she will be just fine.

She is also pooping on the potty at home, but no go at Angie's school yet. Not sure of the problem, but I can tell Angie is getting exasperated with Tuks holding out on the poopy.

Photo's are from tonight. Lighting was poor. Parents were able to photo and participate with the kids tonight, and it was cute because Tuks was SOOO excited I was in the class with her



warm up animal song


jumping on the blow up, it is blown up on the last class of the session


mastering her front rolls


running on the blow up

Poopy on the potty suggestions

Need many suggestions to encourage Tuks to poopy on the potty instead of her diaper....stickers and candy does not seem to be the answer.....HELP!!

All over the place

I finally went shopping for the girl's bedding. I am putting Ve and Tuks in twin beds in one room and Mim in a full bed in another room. I felt since Mim is so much older she will appreciate her own room. I didn't buy anything today, But I did find what I had in mind at Target. So now, I will slowly, before their homecoming, buy the pieces that I want. I still don't have the twin beds put together yet, nor have I ordered the mattresses and box springs for the twin beds. WHY, you may be asking. Well I learned with Tuk's adoption not to do anything too soon otherwise you are left waiting and waning for the kids that are not there yet. I put Tuks bedroom together within weeks once I knew she was coming home, and I'm sure I will do the same for my two in Haiti. which I still have no concrete dates for homecoming.....

Now on to another topic, Tuks will be 3 in 6 weeks. She has stated she wanted a back pack, so I told her I will get her one for her birthday. So, when we were shopping today she found a backpack that she really liked, and it was on sale. So guess what, I bought it for her and reminded her this was one of her birthday presents. She was totally cool with it. I will probably buy her things to put in the back pack because she has been hauling it around all night putting things in and out.


Front model of her backpack, doesn't she look like a young girl getting ready for school?


Side modeling. The back pack is too big for her little body, but I will watch how much she puts into it.


Showing Beatrice her present


Telling Hubble what she is writing


Heading out to wait for "my bus"...

And lastly, a scary tale to tell. The other night she went into the basement, which is no big deal because she plays down there all the time. In a little time, I notice the motion detection light turns on outside, and it is pitch black. Sooo I realize that Tuks opened the basement door and was now outside. I run downstairs and see her pink slippers sitting neatly on the steps, her red boots were MIA, and Watson was no where to be seen either. I head out the door and I yell for Tuks. After a few screams of her name, I hear.

her: "Here I am, Mom" She was on one side of the house, a side with no lights.

me: "What are you doing outside" angrily

her: "I have to see my moon and stars"

me: "you are not to go outside by yourself in the dark, now come on let's go inside"
secretly thinking, cool that she went outside to see the moon and stars, but geeze, it terrifies me to think of what some stranger may do to her.

We are stopped easily 1 out of 2 times when in public by complete strangers to comment on how cute she is or how beautiful her hair it. She now answers "yes' when people say this. I am trying to teach her to say "thank you" and not "yes". LOL So I can't help but be paranoid that people seem to notice her all the time.

So where was Watson?, running helter skelter all over the neighborhood until I managed to entice him back in the house with hot dogs..remember he is the one that is untrained and doesn't answer to his name when running off leash...what a night, glad it is over.

I probably should have stopped and looked at the night sky with her, but quite frankly I was a little rattled, and at the time I still had Watson to secure so that he didn't trouble the hood.

Learning is never ending in this household

I learned with the help of my first vegetable garden that I should not put manure tea onto the plants on a weekly basis..It delays flowering, therefore it delays the growth of veggies. Granted the plants are HUGE, my tomatoes grew nearly 6 feet tall. This picture is the last of the bountiful harvest from my garden. I pulled them all in this weekend because we just ran out of growing season. Now they need to redden indoors. I also learned to thin out your carrots even though you don't want to, we produced A LOT of baby carrots.


I found the sepia color tone on my Photoshop.


That I can overwinter a baby painted turtle in one of my extra sinks while we wait until next spring for a release. A student brought him in a few weeks ago as a malnourished turtle. Don't worry we are VERY clean with it!!!!!


It is more fun to sit on the toilet with your good buddy Hubble.


To line up cups..


and then count the number of cups that are in a line


that "Y" is Tuks favorite letter


matching is fun, here she is matching "S"


it is fun to lay on blanket on the floor at all times

FFF - Sun wakes up

My best summer memory is the sun wakes up discussion with Tuks every day!!!!!!!



Tuks has gained this uncanny sense of the time of day and night. She notices when the sun is out and and when the moon is out. We say in the morning, "The sun is awake and the moon went to sleep", and then at night we say just the opposite,
"It is dark outside, so the sun went to sleep and the moon is awake". Actually I think she leads this discussion each and every day, and always at least twice each day.

Lately, probably the last week, our owl has been vocalizing quite a bit all night long..she does this every year. Well the owl's outside enclosure is about 20 feet from Tuks bedroom window so she hears the owl all night long. So now, when she states that the moon is awake, she also states "The owl will be talking".

We have even created a song to sing in the mornings....

Good morning dear sun
Good morning dear sun
we're happy you're here
to bring us such cheer
and brighten our day.........

then this is quickly followed up with

Thank you Lord
Thank you Jesus
Thank you Lord
Thank you Jesus
Thank you Lord
Thank you Jesus
Thank you Our Lord
for making our sun
for making our earth
for giving us life....

we sing this many, many times every morning on the way to Angie's school.

By the time she arrives at Angie's school and I arrive at work, we are both smiling and laughing ready to meet our day with very cheerful attitudes...It is great!!!

Mim & Ve

Taken by visiting parents back in August.

Oh, how I miss them....


Ve


Mim


Mim and friends


Mim & Ve


Mim