Eye surgery

We have been patching, changing glasses, doing vision therapy, etc., for over two years. The doctors finally decided surgery was our best option to straighten up Amelia's eyes. We are hopeful that by straightening her eyes, her brain will begin processing the visual input better than it currently does. Right now, each eye can see, but one sees much better than the other, and they don't work well together. It will be a few weeks before we can tell if there is any change in her prescription. Either way, her eyes will now at least appear straight. She did SOOO well with surgery this time. She was apprehensive, but in the end, she walked on her own two feet to the surgical suite, hand-in-hand with the anesthesiologist! After last time, this was more than I even had hoped for. Thank you, Lord, for sending us such a warm and kind doctor.

Where's my prince?

A guest hopped into our house. The family suggested he might be a prince. Alas, he is still a toad...one that lives in our back yard.

Girly-girl

A year ago, I wasn't sure the day would ever come, but it's here in a big way! My girl is a girlie-girl. She wants to wear dresses every day, the twilier the better. She loves that her hair is longer. She plays tea party. She dances. She loves having her nails done. She insists on sleeping in a long, silky gown. Thomas the Train is out and tea parties are in! Enjoy.

In San Antonio

A weekend get-away!

Bad Blogging Mama

I have been a bad blogging mama! I was soooo busy during May, I never posted. Then the thought of posting was too much, so I kept putting it off. Then my camera broke.

The big event in May: Amelia finished Pre-K, part 1! No photos!

Mother's Day and Prayers for Sichuan

Last year on Mother's Day, I was sad for my precious girl's birth mother and foster mother, knowing that every moment of my joy was a moment they were missing. When I woke up Monday morning, I was even more saddened to learn that a devastating earthquake had rocked my precious girl's birthplace. I knew her biological and foster families had suffered great emotional losses, if not physical ones. In Sichuan Province alone, where Amelia was born and lived until she was 2, over 63,000 people died. In Amelia's birth city, 30 people died. In the city where I spent my days during her adoption process, hundreds of people lost their lives. A year later, these people are still rebuilding their lives. Please pray for them.

I continue to thank the Lord for my own mother and for the two mothers in Amelia's life who came before me. May God bless them always.

Odds and Ends in Amelia's world

It's Amelia's world, and we just live in it. She is definitely princess material (as long as the princess can spin in a ballet gown and play a round of golf).

1. A Day Out With Thomas.

I heard Thomas the Train was coming to town, so I did what any self-respecting mother of a Princess would do - -I booked tickets. When Amelia heard we were going, her precise words were "MOMMY!! I ALWAYS WANTED TO RIDE ON THOMAS!!!! And Mommy, YOU made my DREAM COME TRUE!!!!" What can I say? She has a flair for the dramatic.

2. Off comes the cast.

Oh, my word, you would have thought they were inflicting some kind of rare and horrible torture on her. Instead, they were just cutting the cast off. Like I said, she has a flair for the dramatic. Her arm is all well, and I highly recommend the waterproof goretex cast material. Great stuff!!! She was able to bathe and swim in it, and it didn't smell or look nasty and the end of the 4 weeks.

3. A Baby on the Way.

Well, that's Amelia's wish, anyway. She prays every day that God will give her a baby brother or sister. She was originally petitioning for a baby from China, but I told her China says no. So now she is petitioning God that China would change its mind. Right now, no babies for this household, but all my other friends are having babies! Becca, JJ, Ann, Kim, and even fellow singleton Merinda, who is traveling in a couple of weeks to get her new little one from Russia! So thrilled for ALL my sweet friends!

4. School is Almost Out.

Amelia is sad to learn that achool is almost over for the year, but she is very excited about the end of year party. She is couting the days on the calendar. However, she was less than thrilled when she learned she will do PreK again. She is only 4 now and will be 4 when school starts -so PK is technically where she truly belongs! However, I did put her in PK a year early for this past school year b/c she needed the stimulation. , but I am keeping her there to get her back on track with her peers. She is convinced that if she would ONLY learn to read, she could go to Kindergarted. Despite my assertions that this is not true, she requested from Grandmama reading lessons. Now she has been receiving daily lessons with Grandmama and is reading many words. She still isn't 100% there, but she is well on her way. Man, this kid is competitive and driven. She'll give you a run for your money!

5. Golf.

Amelia's new favorite thing is golf. I knew she was interested in baseball, soccer, tennis and football. I never even considered golf as an option. I don't play, and nobody in my family plays. That's about to change. Amelia saw golf on TV and was immediately interested. She spied one of those plastic caddy things in pink and had to have it. Now, she is petitioning for golf lessons. We did take her to play Putt Putt on Easter afternoon. She hit a hole in one on the last hole. Golf scholarship, anyone?

Yes, she delights me. Yes, she exhausts me. Yes, every cell in my body is richer for knowing her.

Amy B