The deed is done

Mim is pleased, but I think she had hoped it would make her hair longer too. I think all 3 of my daughters look great!! Tuks had to get in the picture as well.

Ve wants school to start tomorrow to show her friends her hair. She has been wanting to wear her hair in a pony tail style for since well forever and she has been grinning from ear to ear since I did her hair.

I know straightening the girl's hair is controversial, but they wanted it done. I think it looks great and as we were driving today we saw in a car next to us a black mom and her daughter, both with straight hair. So it is common practice around here. I feel comfortable with it by stating that I color my hair lighter and sometimes darker than my natural color to cover my gray hairs, and when I was a youngin' I permed my hair for curls....often. So my point is we all do it if we want to have a different look. I don't think it needs to be as big a deal as we like to make it out to be.

Christmas break--so far

December 25th,

Christmas night at Aunt M's & Uncle J's

Mim enjoying her hand-made scarf and new book

Ve enjoying herself opening even MORE presents

Tuks at her pile of new presents

Evening of the 26th we visited with family at my brother's house and stayed late--no pictures

Then on December 27th, we visited with friend B, her two kids, and friend W and one of her sons. All the kids enjoyed swimming together.

Tuki swimming

The whole kid crew in the pool

Later in the day, after a lunch of soup and crackers, We took the kids sledding down the local hill. Mim's first time and she loved it.

Mim in front, Ve in back heading down the hill

Mim getting ready for another trip down

The girl crew, Ve, L, Tuki and Mim...the 2 boys stayed far away from the girls, I wonder why?!?! LOL

Ve heading up the hill carrying her sled Haitian style

L very patiently sledding with Tuki, and walking her back up the hill.

Friend B and her two L & B, stayed over night. We played a few games and the kids had a camp out in the living room. They loved it. For being overly tired, I think the kids did pretty well for a busy day.

Today, the 28th, B and kids left for home this morning, and WE doing work around the house and taking the girls hair down. I think I will straighten their hair tomorrow. It's time since Ve's hair is getting so long, and she is so tender-headed and REFUSES to get it cut. Mim wants it straight too.

Christmas Morning

Present from Santa - baby stroller

Play make-up for Ve

Barbies from Aunt D & Uncle JS

Dress-up clothes from Aunt D & Uncle JS


Barbie Clothes
Dancing down with Hanna Montana Dance mat

Dress-up clothes

HM Head set

Feeding the baby doll


Ve pouting..she has an attitude of not getting as much as others, and here she is feeling sorry for herself. We are working on gratefulness and not always feeling sorry for herself.

Dance mat moves



Tuks with baby doll

Mim with her computer


Tuks playing with the princesses

Again more baby doll

All playing Barbie together

Mim with baby doll- look at her expression...priceless

All of our slippers

Nice thing with my girls is that they share nicely, or mostly share nicely, and so they will play with each others gifts and all tend to be happy, unless they get into the feel sorry for themselves mode..see earlier picture..

The Weather Outside is Frightful

* A MIX OF RAIN... FREEZING RAIN... SLEET AND SNOW WILL CHANGE TO MAINLY RAIN THIS MORNING THEN CHANGE TO MAINLY LIGHT SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

* ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... WITH A MINOR ICE ACCUMULATION OF LESS THAN ONE TENTH INCH POSSIBLE.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

We are sitting tight for a further update as to the conditions of the roads before we head out to Aunt M's. Good thing we have all that food.

More Christmas Photos to follow later tonight from this morning with the girls and their presents.

Christmas Eve Musings

Amidst the last week and half with co-workers who were crabby and tense, teaching students how to forecast the weather and use Kodak videos, I have one daughter who is acting stubborn and challenging, another who is just moody and crabby upon waking and sleeping, and the middle child who is easy natured, yet full of excitement (thus a ball of energy) for Christmas and HER birthday, I managed to bake cut-out cookies (girls helped me decorate today), rustic nut bars, snowballs, German nut butter horns (don't look good, sure do taste good), tortellini soup, a chicken and rice dish and Ve's birthday treats for school. I think I am insane, I know I am tired and I feel I may have to give up my hopes of ever trying to capture the Christmas traditions from childhood since my Mom was a stay at home Mom and I definitely don't have that opportunity.


Tuks showing off the tree

Ve and a few of her birthday presents



We didn't make it to Christmas eve service tonight due to the area's ice/winter mix storm, and I asked NOT to host the Family Christmas gathering this year, knowing that with Mim's homecoming and then the gathering would have sent me over the edge. Sort of like last year when Ve came home 2 weeks before Christmas. The food I made is just for us and any company that happens to stop in.


The tree after Santa brought 1 present for each of the girls, the rest are from Mommy and other family

Ve did open her birthday gifts from me tonight and we will wait until the New Year's eve gathering for her family celebration with cake and crown. LOL

And now, I am sitting here blogging, and except for the Christmas lights and Heathcliff chewing on a bone, the home is dark and quiet. And so I end today with a heartfelt cheer ..

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!

Dancing & Happy Solstice Day

between independence and bonding/dependence is the issue in our household lately.

Mim is certainly struggling to be a big girl and act like an independent teenager, yet back stepping for connecting and bonding. I am doing the same dance, except I try to determine when I should give her, her independence and when I need to rein her in and connect with the family and a family lifestyle. It is like doing a dance with two people leading and the other not following...we get a lot of toes stepped now, on a daily basis right now, BUT we keep dancing for there really is no other way in these murky waters of older child (tween) adoptions.

Tonight's Conversation

The girls were getting ready for bed, while I was with them supervising teeth brushing, medicine taking (Ve for bladder control), hair prepping and covering.

All of a sudden Ve says "my belly button sticks out".

I tell her, "yes, she and Mim have outies and Tuki and I have innies".

Ve then asks "where does the belly buttons come from". I proceed in telling her that "when she was growing inside her Haitian Mama's belly, she was attached to her with a cord that was attached to her belly button. Then when she was born, the cord was cut, and her's was cut near her belly just like it looks right now". Tuki then asks "where does my belly button came from" and I re-sate my previous answer only this time using Guatemalan Mommy....

Then Tuki asks "where does our head and face come from". I told them that "your birth Mommys and Daddys and Jesus made you look like you do". Ve said, "but he gave me brown skin and I want white skin". I then said, "oh no, you have beautiful brown skin", and then Tuki says, "and I have beautiful white skin", then I said "yes, we all have beautiful skin because we are all beautiful people. Right?!" They both shouted "YES!" Follow me.....LOL

Mim was in the bathroom too, but just listening.

We have had a few rough spots with Mim lately, but actually not anything I didn't expect considering her age. I'll post on it later.

Pre-Christmas Activities

Last week Tuesday, I had a training after school, so our good friend Kiki came over to watch the girls. Kiki utilized Ve's great hair braiding skills in re-braiding his beard. He said it takes him two hours to do it, while it probably took Ve, at tops 15 minutes from comb out to braiding...She did a great job and was real focused at it too.

see her focus

Kiki enjoying it too

Then mid-week Ve and Mim had their Christmas concerts.

Ve after her class sang 4 songs. She did a wonderful job.


Mim coming in for her classes part. She sang and played the recorder, not bad for 5 weeks home.

Both girls, in a "I don't want to pose, after the concert in front of my friends pose" As you can tell, I was the embarrassing Mommy anyway and had them pose....notice the joy in their eyes. NOT!! LOL

Then on Friday, Tuki's Dance Recital

Mim enjoying the dance performances


Tuki tap dancing to "Rock around the Christmas tree"

I think she did a great job too, but she says that she wants to go back to gymnastics.....Kids!!!

Ve home one year today

Taken this past weekend


Taken last year around the same time on the airplane coming home.

We talked a lot today about her coming home a year ago. We have trudged thru many issues with Ve, yet we have skipped and ran thru much more. She has come so far and I know with each passing year, and maturity her confident and trust level will catch up with her ability to feel great love and compassion.

We are happy she is our girl and wouldn't change a thing about her, yet I will continue to help her smooth off some of the edges. I guess that is what parenting is all about. LOL

Snow day - no school

and Mim's first huge snow storm - she loved it!!!

the trio trudging thru the snow



Tuki and Mim

Tuki




Mim

Ve

making a snow angel


of the chicken kind, Louise is the only feathered girl that decided to venture out and check out the snow


Charlotte and the rest of the flock basically stated "no way" by staying inside the hen house LOL



the result of the snow storm

what the boys, Heathcliff and Einstein, thought of it...BTW - Watson has permanently moved to Kiki's home to be a buddy with his other dog Alley.