Happy 5th Birthday, Amelia AiChun!

Since Amelia's birthday always falls on a holiday weekend, we always end up with a weekend full of activities. This year, she had a mermaid swimming party on a Saturday. Her cousins spent the night on Friday and Saturday. On Monday, we met our friend Cece for a special lunch and took cake to soccer practice. All in all, a LOT of festivities for a 5-yr-old birthday!

Random Fall Fun

Our fall has been overrun with activities! First, Papa and Grandmama have moved in with us! Yes, you heard it here first. Our household now consists of Papa, Grandmama, Mommy, Amelia, MaoMao (Grandmama's cat) and Isaac (a stray that showed up at our house, and Amelia promptly declared, "his name is Isaac and I'm his mom!"). Second, the Chunster has been playing Upward Soccer. Soccer does not really seem to be her gift, which makes for a long season. :) The Chunster has also been taking ballet, which she does seem to have some talent for. We have been going and coming and going and coming! Just think, 3 yrs ago, I lived alone - -no parents, no children, no pets. Now I have parents, children, and pets coming out of my ears! But it's SOOOO much fun. I am very blessed.

Back to school

The Chunster is back in school. She wasn't 5 yet by the deadline, so we are doing Pre-K all over again. We are SOOO blessed to have Mrs. Torres again. We LOVE her. She is beautiful inside and out, and is teaching Amelia so much about China. She has continued teaching Amelia Mandarin, and now Amelia is even writing "Ai Chun" in proper Chinese characters.

Top Ten Things I Love About The Chunster

I have a longstanding tradition of "Top Tens," but I haven't done "Top Ten
Things I love about Amelia" in a while. So here's what I am loving at the
"I-will-be-5-in-October" stage.

1. Her enthusiasm about her birthday. Currently, she is planning a purple
ballerina bowling party. Of course she has 2+ months to change her mind. She
talks about her birthday almost daily.

2. Her use of the word "babysitter" - as in, "Mommy, what will we do when Susie
is done babysittering me?"

3. Her complete fascination with Asian children/families. We saw three tiny
children with their parents at a resturant recently, and Amelia kept getting up
to look at the fish - only what she really wanted to see were the precious
little children. She kept saying "Oh, Mom, aren't they cute?"

4. How, at the end of every prayer, she says "OH Lord, please let everyone be
so nice to me." This went on for several weeks before I began suggesting that
perhaps this was not quite the spirit in which the Lord might have us pray. So
now she prays that and then adds "And Lord, help me be so nice to others."

5. How she continually beseeches the Lord for a brother AND a sister. I would love to adopt again, but 2-for-1? That seems a little ambitious.

6. Her total and complete devotion (read: addiction) to cartoons. She LOVES,
LOVES,LOVES cartoons. I told her she was going to turn into a cartoon, and she
said "really?" as if this was not an altogether bad plan.

7. Her use of various phrases that she picks up while out and about in the
world. The other day, she told me, "Mommy, you are what you eat." She's my new
diet plan. Or how about "What in tarnation was she thinking?" I don't know
where she picks this stuff up. For the record, I don't use the word tarnation.

8. Can we say Fancy Nancy? The child insists on wearing only dresses. Every
day. With fancy (sparkly) flip flops. Carrying a matching purse with chapstick,
sunglasses, and of course, her wallet with Starbucks card.

9. Speaking of fancy, she also insists these days on sleeping in a floor-length
silky gown, and extra points if there is a matching robe. This is not an
inexpensive endeavor for the Mama.

10. How she never gives a halfway hug. If she's going to hug you, it's going
to be the full-armed, big-squeeze, I-love-you-to-my-last-breath hug. She gives
the best hugs.

My life is SO richly blessed to have this precious girl as my daughter.

Amy B

Tea Party!

The Chunster decided she needed to have a tea party. She called our good friends Sara and Cece on the phone, made her plans, and decorated her table. Right before the scheduled time, she informed me that I was not properly dressed. She then went to my closet and picked out her favorite dress of mine and asked me to wear it. As for her...well, if you are The Chunster, the only appropriate attire is your Minnie Mouse dress, pink fairy wings, a tiara, and fuzzy leopard slippers.

Visit with The McGees

My dear friend Kim brought her boys, Sam and David, to visit. Her hubby, Matt, couldn't make the trip, but we sure enjoyed being around Kim and the kids. Kim is expecting Baby #3...could this one be a girl?! I don't know, but I sure have enough hairbows to share!

4th of July Festivities