Five

My oldest turned five yesterday.  I dare not post any baby pictures for fear of my tears short circuiting my keyboard.  With all of the paper shuffling and cost of the adoption, the birthday was a very simple affair.  She and a friend met up at Lilly's Bead Box for a little necklace crafting time. 

 I have to confess that at first I wanted to "control" the crafting time- but I quickly saw the light and let the girls pick the beads in all the colors that there little hearts desired- red, yellow, orange, bright pink, a touch of aqua, and a silver ladybug and butterfly.  The 10 cent bead bowl was an instant friend and all the $5! individual beads were averted.  The sweet owner tried to help the girls along a little bit by adding some dangling bits, but we both concluded that they were happy just creating on their own. 

I think it worked out great.

Two doors down, a cupcake shop gave the little ladies a chance to giggle at a table all to themselves.  

A simple, sweet affair that I would easily do again.  

Her actual birthday fell on a preschool day, and I decided that would be enough of a party with her friends.  

We brought homemade cupcakes that Madeline decorated herself and it was funny watching the kids choose  their cupcakes based on the decorations.  Not to mention the various eating styles.  Some ate all cake- no icing, and some licked the icing off the top only to lay aside the cake.  I caught one of the teachers sneaking an abandoned candy egg from a munchkin's plate.  

 Did you know that Fab 5's sing Happy Birthday interspersed 

with shouts of "Eat more Chicken!" and "Cha Cha Cha!"

If I had one word to describe you right now it would be "fierce".  

Fiercely independent

Fiercely loyal

Fierce in determination

Fiercely opinionated

Nothing holds you back, your curiosity abounds, imagination is limitless, never a dull moment.  

Where to begin?

I've been meaning to put together this post for weeks on end... but wanted it to be just right, the post I have been imagining publishing for years, and here we are almost two months later, sharing our news in blogland for the first time.

WE HAVE A SON!  WE ARE MATCHED!  HE IS ADORABLE! WE ARE COMING!

I was shocked to find out how much paperwork has to be shuttled around upon receiving a match.  A little frustrated too.  I wanted to spend my time buying polos, khakis, and all things blue.  I wanted to start packing. I wanted to flaunt his picture to anyone who would glance my direction.  Instead, I spent time at FedEx, my e-mail screen, multiple notaries, and the copy machine.  I am grateful, do not misunderstand, but I wasn't prepared.  I would move like fire through paperwork, turning it around within a week, take a breath, and find more the day after I sent it off.  One week I went down with strep- yes strep!  And the following week, the rest of my family comes down with the stomach bug, one - two -three!  We are in a bit of a holding pattern right now as we await the next batch of paperwork to come through, so I am busy doing anything else I can- buying gifts for the officials and orphanage workers, and prepping the house for our families to come and care for the girls in our absence. 

But back to little handsome.  Our fella is just over a year old, crazy cute, and in foster care!  In fact, we are now sponsoring him- but more on that in another post.  He has a special need- a left ear that is "closed" as my pragmatic husband calls it- so, no hearing on that side, but perfect hearing on the other.  To me, it looks like a flower that hasn't unfurled it's petals.  We anticipate traveling to get him in May.  I am desperate to scoop him up.  

So, this post is not perfect, not at all what I imagined, but I am at long last finally typing the words that we are going to China!  

Snow