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.

Mim home 1 month and Cousin C's wedding

This was a big weekend. First it marks the one-month mark for Mim's homecoming. She is still doing very well. Yes, at times she acts like a normal child and has her moods, especially morning. She does not like getting up early and I have come to accept that I should not judge how she is doing or how she feels about the changes based on her morning mood. She is a great big sister, and the three girls are starting to form a cute 3-way bond.

Then there is this issue about Cousin C's wedding. The girls have been anticipating it for a LONNNNGGGG time. The anticipation of wearing their new dresses and dancing almost made the wait almost unbearable. The girls had a REAL good time. Now, the many pictures from the special day.


all dressed up and ready to party


in church before the ceremony. They all did great during the wedding vows. VERY proud of them. We sat with with cousin E and Grandma J.



Cousin L, Long time friend of the family J, Aunt D, Uncle JS

Cousin N & Tuki, after the ceremony


Uncle JS dancing with Tuks while we waited for pictures


Uncle JG goofing around with Ve.


One of the attempts of a family Christmas photo, not easy with 3 kidlets and a Mama that feels too heavy, so I HATE all my pictures. LOL

The whole family along with the bride and groom


Lovely Mim


Beautiful Ve


Dancing Diva Tuki


Once the music started Mim and Tuki were on the dance floor literally almost non-stop for 3 + hours


Mim and Ve


Aunt D dancing with Ve


Another attempt at a Christmas photo


Dancing Diva


Jammin' Mim


Uncle W and son Groom C


Mama and Mim


Uncle JS, Aunt D dancing with Tuki


Exhausted Mim, but she wouldn't quit dancing......


Ve all tuckered out on j and Grandma's lap. Ve took a little convincing to get on the dance floor, but then she danced hard, and then konked. I have realized that Ve goes all out, until she drops and then she is done for the night...



Morning after (this morning) at breakfast, Uncle JS, D and their daughter E.

After breakfast, I took the girls swimming before we left the hotel.

beautiful Ve...again


My incredible gifts that brings me a whole range of emotions, of course mostly joy and love....