This was the pic I wanted to post of my mom and Jia...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
78 days
In just 78 days my baby boy will be getting married...at this time I cannot help but to think about my parents...my mom and dad (especially my mom) thought the world revolved around Justin. I have a sister who is 15 years older than me and the youngest grandchild at the time Justin was born was 15 years old and when the other grandkids were young I was also so my mom was raising kids and had grandchildren and did not get to enjoy the others being babies. My parents were excellent grandparents-when we lived in Tennessee they would come to visit for a week and stay at a hotel and keep Justin with them and take him to all the sites. He would spend a week with them at christmas and at spring break and also for a few weeks in the summer. When we lived in Cincinnati they would make the almost 4 hour drive down to watch him run cross country and track and would also drive to other parts of the state to watch him run. I am glad that they were able to meet Justin's fiance' Jill before they died. When my mom was dying she said she hoped they would get married so as the weddign date is approaching I cannot help but think of them.
Monday, January 11, 2010
I have long hair
Every day Schwen asks when will her hair be long and we tell her by next christmas...well, since we still have our christmas tree us she thinks that will be at any time...so I now tell her when she is 7 her hair will be longer. It appeases her for a day or so and then the same question....long hair christmas? Several years ago Jia was into the princess stage and I found many of the princess wigs at Big Lots...she never liked wearing them and I remembered I still had a Snow White wig still in the packaging. I gave it to Schwen and she was elated and all night long she kept saying "I have long hair"...she even put it on after her shower and wanted to wear it to bed. She can't wait to wear it to school and show her teachers.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
It's beginning to look a little like Christmas
the lights are on the outside of the house, the decorations are up and we do have a tree-it just isn't decorated yet.
We took Schwen to church for the first time-she did OK...not great but ok and we did not have to leave the service. I will take them to the christmas cantata on Sunday but not even attempt christmas eve services b/c they do not begin until 7:30 and it is way too crowded, plus I will not get home from work until 6:00 or so. We will do our traditional appetizer dinner on Christmas Eve and then drive around and look at the lights.
Last weekend was a busy weekend-way too busy. Beginning in January things ARE going to slow down and we will turn down many opportunities. The girls go to school during the week and we only have two hours from the time I get home to eat, do homework and get ready for bed. We need to start spending QUALITY time at home with just the four of us. Beginning in 2010 we will only do ONE activity a weekend,if they have chinese class on Saturday then that is it..we will not do nothing else other than church on Sunday. Life just has to slow down for us..it's going by way too fast.
On a humorous note..Schwen walked into the bathroom with a necklace and bracelet and asked if she could wear them to school. I said yes to the necklace but no to the bracelet (it was one she got in China) and told her I was afraid she would lose it at school. She walked into the other room and Adam asked where her bracelet was...she told him "Mama loser"...ok that is what is SOUNDED like...he was cracking up...I then explained what had happened...her english is coming along but still not 100%...what she actually said was Mama lose ah meaning I said she would lose it...oh well.. I'm sure in 10 years she will actually be saying Mom is a loser...and Dad too!
We took Schwen to church for the first time-she did OK...not great but ok and we did not have to leave the service. I will take them to the christmas cantata on Sunday but not even attempt christmas eve services b/c they do not begin until 7:30 and it is way too crowded, plus I will not get home from work until 6:00 or so. We will do our traditional appetizer dinner on Christmas Eve and then drive around and look at the lights.
Last weekend was a busy weekend-way too busy. Beginning in January things ARE going to slow down and we will turn down many opportunities. The girls go to school during the week and we only have two hours from the time I get home to eat, do homework and get ready for bed. We need to start spending QUALITY time at home with just the four of us. Beginning in 2010 we will only do ONE activity a weekend,if they have chinese class on Saturday then that is it..we will not do nothing else other than church on Sunday. Life just has to slow down for us..it's going by way too fast.
On a humorous note..Schwen walked into the bathroom with a necklace and bracelet and asked if she could wear them to school. I said yes to the necklace but no to the bracelet (it was one she got in China) and told her I was afraid she would lose it at school. She walked into the other room and Adam asked where her bracelet was...she told him "Mama loser"...ok that is what is SOUNDED like...he was cracking up...I then explained what had happened...her english is coming along but still not 100%...what she actually said was Mama lose ah meaning I said she would lose it...oh well.. I'm sure in 10 years she will actually be saying Mom is a loser...and Dad too!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
All I want for Christmas.....
is a cookie..yes, this is what Schwen told Santa...of course she had NO idea that Santa actually brings TOYS...Christmas will be so much fun this year with both girls. Jia is such a sweetie...she only asked for Littlest Pet Shop and Ponieville toys and a Buckeye Valley (her school) sweatshirt. And, as you can see from the picture...Jia lost her first tooth...she was SO excited.
Have I mentioned that working full time stinks? Of course I have...I hate that I don't get home until 6:00 pm. Luckily Adam is home and can have dinner close to being ready when I get home and we are usually sitting down to eat by 6:20...dinner is finished at 7:00 then it is homework, showers, etc. Jia's teacher wants her to read out loud a minimum of 15 minutes a night, plus she has to practice her lines for the play...just never never enough time. It's already December 8th and the Christmas decorations are NOT up yet and of course NO tree yet. I'm hopeful that it will all be taken care of by this weekend...and if you come over to our house in the month of January and the decorations are still up you now know why.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December
Happy December! I decided I would try to update at least 1x a month...it's getting harder and harder to do so. It 's been so long since I've been on the blog I forget how to change the colors so bear with me.
November flew by. We had Thanksgiving at our house with Justin and Jill, Adams Mom and Dad and his brother Dave. The girls really enjoyed having everyone over and it was a nice day. I did end up going shopping on black Friday and was able to get most of the items for the girls for christmas. This is the first time I've had my shopping done this early. It may be the only thing I get accomplished early! We brought all the boxes of christmas decorations up from the basement and they will sit until sunday. There just is not enough time during the week to get anything done. I need a day off but have used up all of my time off for the year and we cannot afford for me to take a day off without pay.
I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit, especially for Jia and Schwen. I want to bake cookies with them, I want to make christmas ornaments with them, I want to make their teachers presents, I want to take their picture and send out christmas cards. In the end we'll be lucky to do slice and bake cookies and that will be the extent of it. We do have a few upcoming fun events. This week is the COFCC Holiday party and then the girls, Nei Nei (Adam's mom), her friend Nancy and I are going to see a production of The Nutcracker. After having been the the Balletmet's production of The Nutcracker the past 6 years I had decided I was taking a break. Then we had an opportunity to see a different production for half price, plus the role of Clara being performed by a girl from our COFCC chapter. Our only other holiday event (other than dinner for my work) is that we are going to see the holiday production at the Marion Palace. We have friends who will be performing and I think the variety of the performances will keep the girls (and us) entertained.
I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. It is difficult b/c I no longer have my parents. It is difficult b/c there is so much to do. It is difficult b/c there are usually additional demands made on our time. But then there is the joy in giving and seeing the happiness all around. I am goign to have our family sponsor a family this year and Jia's school is having a week of giving to People in Need. This is a good opportunity for teaching.
November flew by. We had Thanksgiving at our house with Justin and Jill, Adams Mom and Dad and his brother Dave. The girls really enjoyed having everyone over and it was a nice day. I did end up going shopping on black Friday and was able to get most of the items for the girls for christmas. This is the first time I've had my shopping done this early. It may be the only thing I get accomplished early! We brought all the boxes of christmas decorations up from the basement and they will sit until sunday. There just is not enough time during the week to get anything done. I need a day off but have used up all of my time off for the year and we cannot afford for me to take a day off without pay.
I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit, especially for Jia and Schwen. I want to bake cookies with them, I want to make christmas ornaments with them, I want to make their teachers presents, I want to take their picture and send out christmas cards. In the end we'll be lucky to do slice and bake cookies and that will be the extent of it. We do have a few upcoming fun events. This week is the COFCC Holiday party and then the girls, Nei Nei (Adam's mom), her friend Nancy and I are going to see a production of The Nutcracker. After having been the the Balletmet's production of The Nutcracker the past 6 years I had decided I was taking a break. Then we had an opportunity to see a different production for half price, plus the role of Clara being performed by a girl from our COFCC chapter. Our only other holiday event (other than dinner for my work) is that we are going to see the holiday production at the Marion Palace. We have friends who will be performing and I think the variety of the performances will keep the girls (and us) entertained.
I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. It is difficult b/c I no longer have my parents. It is difficult b/c there is so much to do. It is difficult b/c there are usually additional demands made on our time. But then there is the joy in giving and seeing the happiness all around. I am goign to have our family sponsor a family this year and Jia's school is having a week of giving to People in Need. This is a good opportunity for teaching.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Two months ago
It has already been two months since Adam and Schwen returned from China. In some ways it seems like much much longer. Schwen has come a long way from those first few days....the fits are fewer, the language much better and there are times I just wonder what is she thinking about all of this?
Adam's surgery was successful. He is fighting a cold which makes recovery grueling. So far the girls have been healthy; Schwen had a bit of a runny nose last week but no coughing or sneezing. Usually by this time of the year Jia has had the "ick" at least twice but so far so good.
Jia's school is having a book swap...the kids get points for each type of book they take, ie. hardcover is worth 3 points, paperback 2 pts, magazine 1 pt...they trade in their books and get points to spend. Jia took in three bags full of books and is going to share her points with children who did not have any books for the book swap.
It's a Wednesday...my favorite day of the week since I work until noon. I can't pick Schwen up until 3:00 so I have a few hours to myself. There are some days I end up working until 3:00 but today I have lunch plans with Justin. It is the last time we will meet at their apt in German Village as they move into their house next week. My little boy is a grown up now with responsibility. He's always been pretty responsible but will now be a homeowner. Wednesday is also the day I actually get to spend more than a half hour of quality time with the girls. I hate the other nights of the week when I don't get home until 6:00 and we are not finished with dinner until after 7:00. By the time we get the table cleared it's 7:15 and we catch the last of Jeopardy then it's homework time, have Jia read or do Chinese homework, read to the girls and then time to get the girls to bed. My goal is to have them in bed by 8:30. I hear stories of others who have their kids in bed by 7 or 8....Schwen could certainly use the extra sleep as could Jia but there just isn't any way to get them in bed earlier with having to work full time. Did I mention I hate working full time??
So hard to believe the holidays are coming up so fast. I hear friends talke about their plans for christmas and I haven't even thought that far ahead. Holidays are a tough time for me. My parents both died 4 years ago, my dad on September 25 and my mom on November 16, and even though I didn't always see them on the holidays they are still difficult. Thanksgiving is next week....I suppose I'll be ready by then. Hopefully Adam will be on the mend a bit more and can do the shopping next week. The weekend is busy and no time to clean or shop. Bottom line is-we will have dinner, just nothing fancy...only food, family and football. What more could we ask for?
Adam's surgery was successful. He is fighting a cold which makes recovery grueling. So far the girls have been healthy; Schwen had a bit of a runny nose last week but no coughing or sneezing. Usually by this time of the year Jia has had the "ick" at least twice but so far so good.
Jia's school is having a book swap...the kids get points for each type of book they take, ie. hardcover is worth 3 points, paperback 2 pts, magazine 1 pt...they trade in their books and get points to spend. Jia took in three bags full of books and is going to share her points with children who did not have any books for the book swap.
It's a Wednesday...my favorite day of the week since I work until noon. I can't pick Schwen up until 3:00 so I have a few hours to myself. There are some days I end up working until 3:00 but today I have lunch plans with Justin. It is the last time we will meet at their apt in German Village as they move into their house next week. My little boy is a grown up now with responsibility. He's always been pretty responsible but will now be a homeowner. Wednesday is also the day I actually get to spend more than a half hour of quality time with the girls. I hate the other nights of the week when I don't get home until 6:00 and we are not finished with dinner until after 7:00. By the time we get the table cleared it's 7:15 and we catch the last of Jeopardy then it's homework time, have Jia read or do Chinese homework, read to the girls and then time to get the girls to bed. My goal is to have them in bed by 8:30. I hear stories of others who have their kids in bed by 7 or 8....Schwen could certainly use the extra sleep as could Jia but there just isn't any way to get them in bed earlier with having to work full time. Did I mention I hate working full time??
So hard to believe the holidays are coming up so fast. I hear friends talke about their plans for christmas and I haven't even thought that far ahead. Holidays are a tough time for me. My parents both died 4 years ago, my dad on September 25 and my mom on November 16, and even though I didn't always see them on the holidays they are still difficult. Thanksgiving is next week....I suppose I'll be ready by then. Hopefully Adam will be on the mend a bit more and can do the shopping next week. The weekend is busy and no time to clean or shop. Bottom line is-we will have dinner, just nothing fancy...only food, family and football. What more could we ask for?
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