Tampa

Amelia and I took our first solo trip and went to Tampa to visit our friends. Of course, I forgot my camera, so these pics are courtesy of Nana Susan.

Hair washing method #

Eggstravaganza

Easter 2009

Easter Chapel

Amelia's preschool had Easter Chapel and an art show last week. The mouse below was Amelia's artwork on display. What I really loved were her comments on the card at the bottom.

As dictated to her teacher:

My mouse is 3 years old. He lives in a cage and eats flowers. He loves to see people. He loves to play with children. He likes to be a monster and a robot.

.....interesting....I know a 3 year old little girl who likes to pretend to be a monster and a robot.....

Singing her heart out in chapel

Trip to DC

The weather was cold and grey for our trip to D.C. We had a great time anyway! We hit the American History, Natural History, and Holocaust Museums. Although the subject material was somewhat over her head, Amelia had fun too. Of course, she has fun most anywhere. She was a little trooper, behaving beautifully through two formal military promotions, 3 museums, and a day climbing around all the memorials in the FREEZING cold. We would love to go back when she's a bit older and in the spring time!

Korean War MemorialAbe Lincoln's hat
Jefferson Memorial

This is how Amelia travelled throught the museums

Lincoln Memorial

Outside the Capitol

Preschool Small Town

The Preschool had a really cute event called small town. The gym was converted into a small town complete with a bakery, post office, garden shop, car wash, veterinarian, pet shop, police station, fire station, beauty salon, photo shop and of course, a church! The kids visited each station and participated in an activity at each one. Each kid had pretend money and they paid a dollar for each activity.

At the post office, she "wrote" a letter to Keith and Adam, put on the stamp and dropped it in the mail box.

Amelia's Preschool Class

Here she is with the flower she planted in the Garden shop. The contorted pose is indicative of the fact that she needed a potty break :) which is precisely where we ran right after this photo
The "car wash" was set up with a bubble machine and the kids drove the cars through for a wash. Amelia washed her car about five times. I had to bribe her with a cookie from the "bakery" to get her to move on...

Doesnt she look excited to be at church?

Valentine Party

Amelia thoroughly enjoyed her preschool valentine party, mostly because the main activity was decorating and eating a pink cupcake. Instead of decorating the cake, sister girl dumped her sprinkles into her cup of icing and ate it with a spoon. who needs cake when you have a cup full of icing and sprinkles?

Preschool Pajama Party

A's preschool had pajama day recently. Everyone wore jammies and they ordered pizza for lunch. I love her preschool. Her teachers are awesome and she loves going. The only time she every gets a "behavior report" is for talking and giggling and running around during chapel! :)) She's shorter than everyone in her class by at least a head--especially the boys, but Ms. Janet recently commented to me: "you dont have to worry; she can really hold her own on that playground!!" I started to ask her what she meant but decided not to worry about it. When you are both the youngest and the shortest kid in class, you have to make it up in spunk...and she's got spunk to spare.

Inaugural Ball

Amelia and I staged our own ball on the night of Obama's inauguration. We saw no reason to miss the festivities and are sure our invite was lost in the mail. Though I thought she would choose an outfit like the bottom picture--the one in the fancy dress and tiara, she actually chose this little pimped out number from the dollar store :)

I guess she figured the dress and tiara were better saved for an average day feeding baby dolls in her kitchen

Chinese New Year 2009

Posing in front of our house before Jill and Seth's New Year Party. She doesnt take ballet but talks about ballet all the time. She loves the Angelina Ballerina book and i'm going to have to break down and add dance lessons to our weekly activities.Nothing like a good belly laugh

The girls decided to play "take a trip" in the jeep here. First they went on safari and then to the beach, I believe.

The kids (and some of us moms too) painted fans and Chinese lanterns. such a great activity for messy little painters! :) I hung Amelia's lantern from the light fixture over the kitchen table. The next morning at breakfast, she noticed it hanging there and said in a voice full of awe....

"ooooh mom, dats bootiful up der!"

so of course, it still hangs there today and probably will for a while....:)

Chinese New Year 2009--Playgroup

We had a great Chinese New Year! Lots of good food and good friends. Our first party was with our Adoptive Family Playgroup. After eating and working on some New Year craft projects, we all went outside to scare the bad spirits away. The kids jumped up and down on large bubble wrap instead of actual firecrackers, but I'm quite sure the spirits were terrified just the same!Afterwards, Amelia did some sword dancing with glow sticks --notice the chocolate covered mouth :)
...and then came the Lion dance

Christmas Day

Opening gifts and the aftermath...

We have a creek running though our back yard and the kids went down to explore after lunch

...and then played a game of hide and seek. Amelia doesnt like to hide or actually go look for anyone....she mostly just likes to cover her eyes and count!

doesnt everyone love to be photographed mid sentence?

I cant decide if Paul looks scared or amused by this gift

The Christmas princess relaxing with a snack after an excitement filled day

Christmas Eve

Makeshift Santa's workshop...dad in the the living room Dancing in front of the church Christmas Tree
Amelia sang with the children's choir at the beginning of the Christmas Eve service. After the song, the children were instructed to walk down the isle and find their parents (the parents were asked to stand so the kids could see them) Amelia shot down the isle like lightning--leading the pack. I shot this photo just as she reached our pew. she nearly took out a couple of parents on her way!

I love the Christmas Eve candlelight service. Its one of those things without which, Christmas would not be Christmas. We now go to the early children's service which includes a live nativity. Its not exactly a serene service, since the pastor instructs parents to not scold the children if they are loud....hence the title: CHILDRENS SERVICE. a nice concept, but a little noisy and chaotic :))) There is nothing more special to me than taking my daughter to church at Christmastime.

The Christmas Eve handstand

After church, we changed into jammies, had dinner, some eggnog, lots of christmas cookies, and each opened one gift.

Checking Daddy over with the new doctor kit.....

After gifts, we sprinkled reindeer food in the front yard, read the obligatory but still charming: Twas the Night Before Christmas, and put little missy to bed. She woke in the wee hours of the morning and asked "Did santa come???" To which I replied "not yet, please, please, please, go back to sleep" and she did ...whew!