More Balls Than Dolls....

Any visions I had about rearing a child and enjoying tea parties, dolls, and tiaras have been soundly laid to rest since The Chunster arrived on the scene. The child enjoys a ball. Baseball? Loves it. Soccer? Wants to sign up for the fall season when she turns 4. Basketball? Limited exposure, but likes the bouncy action. See the last photo? This is when I walked through the living room and found her sitting with her baseball gear in her lap watching golf. I am not kidding. Chunie's referral documents said she liked "boy toys," and I self-assuredly thought, "well, she's probably never had a girl toy." Friends, I am here to tell you that the child has been exposed to so-called "girl" toys, and she prefers her sports gear, tools, and train table. There's no 'splainin it, so I just go with it. Case in point: I took The Chun-bug shopping for new jammies. She was quietly mulling over the Dora, Princess, and butterfly offerings when she exclaimed, "I see the ones I want!!!" and darted across the aisle (yep...to the boys' section) to pick out the sports jammies. She was thrilled to see a set with a soccer ball, baseball, and basketball on them. And here's the news flash: I bought them!!! Yes, navy and red. Yes, from the boys' section. Nope, not a tiara in sight. She is The Chunster, and she is her own person, and I just love her...balls and all!

Here is Grandmama's new kitten, Mao Mao, with The Chunster. He kept coming into The Princess Room (where all Grandchildren get to spend the night) and trying to sleep with The Chunster. Amelia took her bedfellow far better than I anticipated she might. She thought it was funny that he wanted to sleep with her.

The Park is COMPLETE!

Thanks to the kindness of our good friends Steve, Brian, Michael, and Lindsay, who gave their time to build the thing, Amelia's park is complete. She loves it!

Praying for Sichuan

I know many of you may have been watching the news from China this week and have probably been saddened by the images. At our house, it's very personal and sobering. You may recall that The Chunster is from NanChong, Sichuan Province. I don't know the exact location where her birth family resides, but I feel sure it is in Sichuan and is probably not terribly far from where the earthquake and its aftermath were felt. Her foster family lives in NanChong, which we know from reports have felt the aftershock and suffered some damage. In fact, we hear that NanChong Social Welfare Institute No. 2, the orphanage to which Amelia was assigned (but never lived), sustained some structural damage. We also know that children in Chengdu, Chongqing, and other areas were temporarily evacuated from the orphanages for safety. At least one of these orphanages is working to have services restored. I am asking for your prayers on behalf of the Sichuanese people and especially the Sichuanese children who do not have parents to comfort them or hold them during these frightening times. The Sichuanese people are no longer people far away to me - they are my family. They are special to me in away that words could never describe. Their loss and their pain is my own. Please continue to lift them up before Our Heavenly Father.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day. Mother's Day is one of those days that is joyful for some and not so joyful for others. First, a special Mother's Day "shout out" to my mom, Debra. I love you. Amelia loves you. You are the best mom ever.

I am the joyful mother of The Chunster only because two other women could not be. Those two women have been present in my heart and thoughts every single day since the moment Amelia walked into my life. I hold them especially close on days like Mother's Day and Amelia's birthday - days that I stop and dwell on the miracle of the fact that I am this child's mother only by the grace of God and the movement of His Hand. I pray that His presence surrounds these two women today and always.

There are others I think about today: women struggling with infertility; women who have lost children; women who have placed children for adoption; people who have lost their mothers; children with mothers who are not honorable....the list could go on and on. Suffice it to say that there are many people who will be in my thoughts and prayers on Mother's Day.

Amelia's Park

Yes, I was the one who was said, "a plain old metal swing-set was good enough for me." Yes, I was the one who said, "I can't believe people would shell out that kind of money for a playground for their backyard." Yes, I am now eating my words. This is one of the MANY things I have "eaten" since becoming a Mom. HAHA. However, Amelia is thrilled to be getting her very own park (this is what she calls it) in her back yard. Construction is underway!

Amelia's First Mani-Pedi

I wanted to take her to a nail shop, but I didn't think she would let a nail technician come within a mile of her, so Mama did the honors. Always before, she has declined to let me do her nails. This time, she reluctantly agreed to let me paint her toenails petal-pink. She immediately LOVED the results and insisted on having her fingers done, too. She may love baseball and fishing, but there is some girly-girl deep inside!