We had such a wonderful day yesterday. We made progress towards our move, that was a great psychological boost. We also received amazing news regarding a friend's health scare. The word benign had us exhaling in relief, and made me tear up. Then we had the crap fest that was today. I was able to talk to three very supportive individuals, and received the same advise. P is royally pissed, but I know that he is hurt. I wish I could say I'm surprised, nah, not at all. I am tired though, disgusted that this is even an issue. I was not offended, and it sucks that I wasn't, because it means that it was expected. Right now my focus is on getting ready for the next chapter in our lives. SS is an amazing creature, she is loved by so many. She is not worth less because she is adopted, we hurt for her just like we would for a bio child. If only the rest the world would feel the same. Bottom line is I refuse to waste my precious time and energy ruminating about this. I reached out but did not get the courtesy of a call back. Like JJ said "FUCK IT!"
12 days til M day...
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Sleep deprived, yet surprisingly productive.
SS did not go to bed until 4:27 a.m. Being the Energizer Bunny, she was up at 8:00 a.m. What could keep such a young child up so late? SS was not sick, she was in a Leg0/InnoTAB haze. We allowed SS to open her gifts as soon as she came home yesterday, thinking that she would have them out of her system by bedtime. Man, this is not our first rodeo, yet we managed to underestimate our daughter's ability to hyper focus. Is not like we have had years of experience with her creepily similar older brother. I desperately needed to sleep, but SS kept herself busy, without a care about the time.
I could not ask P for help, because this is his crazy Friday. He works until 5 or 6 in the afternoon on Thursday, goes to be at 7:oo p.m., then goes to work at 1:00 a.m. I don't think I will be missing his crazy Fridays. P comes home, eats lunch, then naps for a few hours. Not today, because we planned on getting rid of a few big items. P asked his coworker and friend M,(aka Michelle‘s eye candy) to help, because I can't lift more than 10 pounds. Unlike the insomniac he married, P does not do well when he is sleep deprived, but today he absolutely amazed me. We are definitely running on "we are finally returning home" adrenaline.
Since I could not sleep, at 3:00 a.m. I set up utilities for our new home, and reserved the moving truck. Gotta love the Internet, gone are the days of standing in line, or waiting 40 minutes while listening to crappy elevator music when moving. By that time SS was done with her Leg0s and had moved on to obsessing about her new InnoTAB game. Abuela and Abuelo, rest assured that your money did not go to waste, SS LOVES her InnoTAB and we have a feeling that it will be heavily used on the long drive south. The tab can play movies, MP3s, games (we only allow SS to have educational games), and has three art programs. By the time SS said "Mama, I'm done, I have had enough," I was beyond tired. What happens when I'm at that point? I can't sleep. UGH.
When P came home I was FUBR'd. The plan was to dispose of our gas grill, the sleeper portion of the sectional, coffee and end tables, and patio table. I had reserved a small U H@aul truck for the task. I was a tad sad to see the grill go to the county dump. I asked P to inquire if anyone at work wanted it. I bought that grill as a Father's day gift to P; just like I had given him a much less expensive one as his first Father's day gift almost 15 years ago. P was adamant that the grill had weathered too much time outdoors, under inclement weather and was not salvageable.
When M arrived he was met by a smiling SS, who thinks of him the same way as her Aunt Michelle. :) When he saw the grill he told P that he had friends who could really use it, and asked if it was OK to call them. M's friends are students, struggling financially, and in need of the basics. Not only did they want the grill, but the sofa, coffee/end tables, and the patio table (JJ is taking the chairs). P was surprised at how happy and appreciative they were. Those guys saved us between $70 to $100 in dump fees, they were doing us a favor. I am glad that the grill is going to get more use. It was not that expensive (only paid about $400), but it held sentimental value. I know I will be getting a better one for P in the future. And now we know better, our next grill is going to be stored in the garage during the rainy season. It felt good to be rid of those items.
13 days til M day...
SS's first Leg0 figure, her Baba.
SS built a car for herself and Baba.
So cute that the SS figure is playing with a tire. Where does she get this stuff from?
SS would look at the instruction booklet, then meticulously look at the diagram on the bucket, to discern what she needed. That diagram was overwhelming to us, no idea how SS found what she needed.
SS was very demanding about me taking pictures of her masterpieces.
When SS stated that she was done with the Leg0s for the night I was ecstatic. Silly me, it only meant that SS was ready to burn hours playing with her InnoTAB. While happy that she loves her gift from the Abus', I was less than enthusiastic, I really needed to sleep.
Waiting at the U H@ul rental place. SS just can't get enough of her C@rs games, story and art activities.
I could not ask P for help, because this is his crazy Friday. He works until 5 or 6 in the afternoon on Thursday, goes to be at 7:oo p.m., then goes to work at 1:00 a.m. I don't think I will be missing his crazy Fridays. P comes home, eats lunch, then naps for a few hours. Not today, because we planned on getting rid of a few big items. P asked his coworker and friend M,(aka Michelle‘s eye candy) to help, because I can't lift more than 10 pounds. Unlike the insomniac he married, P does not do well when he is sleep deprived, but today he absolutely amazed me. We are definitely running on "we are finally returning home" adrenaline.
Since I could not sleep, at 3:00 a.m. I set up utilities for our new home, and reserved the moving truck. Gotta love the Internet, gone are the days of standing in line, or waiting 40 minutes while listening to crappy elevator music when moving. By that time SS was done with her Leg0s and had moved on to obsessing about her new InnoTAB game. Abuela and Abuelo, rest assured that your money did not go to waste, SS LOVES her InnoTAB and we have a feeling that it will be heavily used on the long drive south. The tab can play movies, MP3s, games (we only allow SS to have educational games), and has three art programs. By the time SS said "Mama, I'm done, I have had enough," I was beyond tired. What happens when I'm at that point? I can't sleep. UGH.
When P came home I was FUBR'd. The plan was to dispose of our gas grill, the sleeper portion of the sectional, coffee and end tables, and patio table. I had reserved a small U H@aul truck for the task. I was a tad sad to see the grill go to the county dump. I asked P to inquire if anyone at work wanted it. I bought that grill as a Father's day gift to P; just like I had given him a much less expensive one as his first Father's day gift almost 15 years ago. P was adamant that the grill had weathered too much time outdoors, under inclement weather and was not salvageable.
When M arrived he was met by a smiling SS, who thinks of him the same way as her Aunt Michelle. :) When he saw the grill he told P that he had friends who could really use it, and asked if it was OK to call them. M's friends are students, struggling financially, and in need of the basics. Not only did they want the grill, but the sofa, coffee/end tables, and the patio table (JJ is taking the chairs). P was surprised at how happy and appreciative they were. Those guys saved us between $70 to $100 in dump fees, they were doing us a favor. I am glad that the grill is going to get more use. It was not that expensive (only paid about $400), but it held sentimental value. I know I will be getting a better one for P in the future. And now we know better, our next grill is going to be stored in the garage during the rainy season. It felt good to be rid of those items.
13 days til M day...
SS's first Leg0 figure, her Baba.
SS built a car for herself and Baba.
So cute that the SS figure is playing with a tire. Where does she get this stuff from?
SS would look at the instruction booklet, then meticulously look at the diagram on the bucket, to discern what she needed. That diagram was overwhelming to us, no idea how SS found what she needed.
SS was very demanding about me taking pictures of her masterpieces.
When SS stated that she was done with the Leg0s for the night I was ecstatic. Silly me, it only meant that SS was ready to burn hours playing with her InnoTAB. While happy that she loves her gift from the Abus', I was less than enthusiastic, I really needed to sleep.
Waiting at the U H@ul rental place. SS just can't get enough of her C@rs games, story and art activities.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Finally five.
Our baby is officially five years old, and could not be happier. We are left wondering where did the time go. We sang Happy Birthday to SS at the ungodly hour of six a.m., bathed her and sent her to school. Kind of rough to have to go to school on your birthday. At least SS is still in the I love school phase. Let's see how she feels next year. SS you will always be our baby, and we are so lucky to have you in our lives.
SS came home to find a few gifts waiting for her. We wanted to save some for her actual birthday. SS received C@rs and C@RS 2 DVDs from Grandpa, and a big bucket of Leg0s from Abuela and Abuelo. We gave her a game for the InnoTAB Abuela and Abuelo gave her for Dia de Reyes, and a car from the movie SS coveted. And SS is not done with gifts yet. P wisely asked Nana to hang on to SS's presents until we are settled in our new home. That means SS should be getting them in about two months. We are pooped, and have hardly made a dent on the many things we have to do.
SS is playing with her Leg0s as I write, and provided another deja vu moment. Seven hundred and four pieces, so many cool possibilities on what to build. But like JJ, she immediately began to work on the figures. I remember many Leg0 men scattered around when JJ was her age. I remember stepping on them and how much it hurt. Not looking forward to that.
If things go according to plan, we have fourteen days left here. It's crunch time, countdown time for SS. We have decided to downsize as much as possible. I am ashamed to admit that I am a pack rat, and have no idea where that comes from. Mami was not that way, and Abuela is OCD, enough said. I always find an excuse for hanging on to something, claiming it can be useful in the future. We have things in our garage unpacked, from our move almost four and a half years ago. If we have not used it, we do not need it, and will be getting rid of a lot. P is surprised by my new found willingness to part with things. It does feel good to know that we have to pack and unpack a lot less. That is enough incentive for my lazy self to keep throwing things away. Plus, we have also gained a little person, and the many things that little person has and needs.
14 days to go...
She is so not going to eat.
Quirky little thing, wonder what's this about.
SS came home to find a few gifts waiting for her. We wanted to save some for her actual birthday. SS received C@rs and C@RS 2 DVDs from Grandpa, and a big bucket of Leg0s from Abuela and Abuelo. We gave her a game for the InnoTAB Abuela and Abuelo gave her for Dia de Reyes, and a car from the movie SS coveted. And SS is not done with gifts yet. P wisely asked Nana to hang on to SS's presents until we are settled in our new home. That means SS should be getting them in about two months. We are pooped, and have hardly made a dent on the many things we have to do.
SS is playing with her Leg0s as I write, and provided another deja vu moment. Seven hundred and four pieces, so many cool possibilities on what to build. But like JJ, she immediately began to work on the figures. I remember many Leg0 men scattered around when JJ was her age. I remember stepping on them and how much it hurt. Not looking forward to that.
If things go according to plan, we have fourteen days left here. It's crunch time, countdown time for SS. We have decided to downsize as much as possible. I am ashamed to admit that I am a pack rat, and have no idea where that comes from. Mami was not that way, and Abuela is OCD, enough said. I always find an excuse for hanging on to something, claiming it can be useful in the future. We have things in our garage unpacked, from our move almost four and a half years ago. If we have not used it, we do not need it, and will be getting rid of a lot. P is surprised by my new found willingness to part with things. It does feel good to know that we have to pack and unpack a lot less. That is enough incentive for my lazy self to keep throwing things away. Plus, we have also gained a little person, and the many things that little person has and needs.
14 days to go...
She is so not going to eat.
Quirky little thing, wonder what's this about.Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Relief and immersion.
We are feeling very relieved this fine evening. JJ was approved to take four days off the last week this month. He is off from March 28 to April 1. He is going to drive here, drop his car at the airport, then fly back to head home. I told SS the good news,, and she grabbed a (non operable) phone to have a chat with her brother. So cute, "JJ I'm happy you are coming to our house. It's pretty, we have a yard. Now we can play in our yard and share a bedroom." Crud, must start preparing SS, make it clear that JJ is not moving in with us yet.
Shortly after we arrived home (think it was only two weeks) with SS P found out about the Mandarin immersion program in our city. He immediately decided that SS would enter the program, and P would get his wish, a child who speaks English, Spanish and Mandarin. We attended an orientation at the School of the Arts last month. The program is very popular, enrollment is determine by a lottery. So when I completed SS's application last November, it was for naught. They have only 50 spaces for kindergarten. They accept children into the program only until the first semester of first grade. By that time the children have acquired approximately 80 words and characters, and it is difficult for a child to catch up past that point.
Given that they had over 200 applications, I was not too hopeful for SS. What really sucked even more is when the principal discussed how to gauge if a child would succeed in a program that is heavy on the performance arts. She was describing SS to a t. We were very concerned about SS attending any other school here. After two plus years being the only Asian kid in the school, we were hopeful for more diversity. There are quite a few Korean and Chinese children in the immersion program. We are feeling much better about SS attending school now, because our new home is definitely diverse. On our drive home from So CA I told P that it felt amazing not to be as conspicuous, I am really looking forward to absolute anonymity. At that moment P realized that while there were smiles, waves, and "she's cute" remarks, we did not have one person go bonkers over SS and her looks. Oh yeah, totally looking forward to our new home.
The closest Mandarin program to us is a forty-five minute drive. SS is going to undergo a lot of changes, the last thing she needs is a ninety minute daily commute. Our future school district has a Spanish immersion program. I was surprised how quickly P got over his disappointment, and jumped on the Spanish immersion bandwagon. The important thing to P is that Sula not grow up monolingual. If you guessed that is another P issue, congrats because it is. The man has another boulder on his shoulder. He is ashamed of being monolingual. I frequently remind him that it's not that big of a deal, and that I had no choice in the matter. We are sure that we will be able to find a weekend Mandarin class. Hiring a tutor is another option.
I called the school and made an appointment for SS to be assessed for kinder readiness. The appointment is April 3 at 10:00 a.m. We are crossing our fingers that SS has a smooth move and transition. The assessment is basic, letter/color/number recognition, counting to 20, and writing her name. It should not take longer than twenty minutes. The director stated that they get many applicants without preschool experience, and they like to make sure the child has the basics.
An interesting thing about the program is the Spanish to English ratio. The Mandarin program here (and other immersion programs I know about) is 50-50. Children begin their day with Mandarin, then in the afternoon they learn in English. The Spanish program starts at 80% in kindergarten, they reduce by 10% every year, until the children are taught 50-50. That does not happen until fifth grade. If the Mandarin program was like that, I would have had serious reservations. The Spanish program requires that the students work with a Spanish speaking tutor beginning in second grade. Luckily SS is going to have a tutor from day one. I hope it helps even things out, there are those 16 months when she only heard Chinese.
I asked SS if she knew what day tomorrow was. She self assuredly answered "My birthday is tomorrow." We congratulated her for remembering, and SS answered "I know it is, because it is on the calendar at my preschool". So stinking cute. The pictures below were in my cell phone, and I have no idea when they were taken, but sure that they are from this year.
SS diligently working on her first broken bone(s).
Shortly after we arrived home (think it was only two weeks) with SS P found out about the Mandarin immersion program in our city. He immediately decided that SS would enter the program, and P would get his wish, a child who speaks English, Spanish and Mandarin. We attended an orientation at the School of the Arts last month. The program is very popular, enrollment is determine by a lottery. So when I completed SS's application last November, it was for naught. They have only 50 spaces for kindergarten. They accept children into the program only until the first semester of first grade. By that time the children have acquired approximately 80 words and characters, and it is difficult for a child to catch up past that point.
Given that they had over 200 applications, I was not too hopeful for SS. What really sucked even more is when the principal discussed how to gauge if a child would succeed in a program that is heavy on the performance arts. She was describing SS to a t. We were very concerned about SS attending any other school here. After two plus years being the only Asian kid in the school, we were hopeful for more diversity. There are quite a few Korean and Chinese children in the immersion program. We are feeling much better about SS attending school now, because our new home is definitely diverse. On our drive home from So CA I told P that it felt amazing not to be as conspicuous, I am really looking forward to absolute anonymity. At that moment P realized that while there were smiles, waves, and "she's cute" remarks, we did not have one person go bonkers over SS and her looks. Oh yeah, totally looking forward to our new home.
The closest Mandarin program to us is a forty-five minute drive. SS is going to undergo a lot of changes, the last thing she needs is a ninety minute daily commute. Our future school district has a Spanish immersion program. I was surprised how quickly P got over his disappointment, and jumped on the Spanish immersion bandwagon. The important thing to P is that Sula not grow up monolingual. If you guessed that is another P issue, congrats because it is. The man has another boulder on his shoulder. He is ashamed of being monolingual. I frequently remind him that it's not that big of a deal, and that I had no choice in the matter. We are sure that we will be able to find a weekend Mandarin class. Hiring a tutor is another option.
I called the school and made an appointment for SS to be assessed for kinder readiness. The appointment is April 3 at 10:00 a.m. We are crossing our fingers that SS has a smooth move and transition. The assessment is basic, letter/color/number recognition, counting to 20, and writing her name. It should not take longer than twenty minutes. The director stated that they get many applicants without preschool experience, and they like to make sure the child has the basics.
An interesting thing about the program is the Spanish to English ratio. The Mandarin program here (and other immersion programs I know about) is 50-50. Children begin their day with Mandarin, then in the afternoon they learn in English. The Spanish program starts at 80% in kindergarten, they reduce by 10% every year, until the children are taught 50-50. That does not happen until fifth grade. If the Mandarin program was like that, I would have had serious reservations. The Spanish program requires that the students work with a Spanish speaking tutor beginning in second grade. Luckily SS is going to have a tutor from day one. I hope it helps even things out, there are those 16 months when she only heard Chinese.
I asked SS if she knew what day tomorrow was. She self assuredly answered "My birthday is tomorrow." We congratulated her for remembering, and SS answered "I know it is, because it is on the calendar at my preschool". So stinking cute. The pictures below were in my cell phone, and I have no idea when they were taken, but sure that they are from this year.
SS diligently working on her first broken bone(s).
Monday, March 12, 2012
Cars, cars, everywhere cars.
We are shamelessly admitting that our age has caught up with us. We spent Sunday hanging out, an euphemism for recuperating from spending two hours around children. They were more like banshees. Kids are high maintenance creatures, and it works out better to just have one young child at a time. Worked out beautifully with JJ and SS. They have a sibling, but raised as only children.
SS chose to open Aunt D's gift first, because she spotted something related to her new obsession. SS received a puzzle.
A poster.
A Star W@rs coloring book.
J gifted SS a giant C@rs coloring pages. Just before leaving J's mother approached me, and stated that J mentioned SS was a C@rs fan, not to get her a girly gift. But J's mom was surprised at the extent of SS's fixation. I told her about SS's new found love for D@rth V@der, and she was impressed. The mom began to gush about how cool SS is. D and I were surprised, because her daughter is a princess, glitter, pink loving child. I recall SS's frustration at J's birthday party when all the gifts were princess related. And here was her mom dissing princess loving girls and squealing over how cool my child is. I'm a pretty lousy mother, but at least I don't dis my kids. As in to others, I dis them privately.
From L, a C@rs giant balloon, a dinosaur DVD (L is into dinosaurs) and a back hoe. L knows his girl well.
JJ reminisced about the many T0nkas he had as a child. He is right, it is a shame that they are now made of plastic, it's just not the same.
That's a lot of paper.
We were surprised that SS received these three cars, they are pricey. They talk, make other noises, and the headlights work.
JJ bought a neat Finn McMissile Secret Spy Attack toy. It talks and has a lot of cool gadgets. JJ was not aware that FM was a spy, since he has not seen the movies. When he realized how cool the toy was, he took it to work to show his friends. It won't be long before JJ gets one for himself.
We shamelessly reused the C@rs bag JJ used for SS's Christmas gift. It was big,, nice, and we were being kind to the environment.
A floor puzzle and game.
A T0y Story box of projects. It has already found its way to the garage, along with a few things we have bought for the drive down.
They one thing that SS REALLY wanted. P bought her a C@rs activity book, and it had a picture of a Mack truck. SS fell in love with it immediately, but we had no idea if it was made. We lucked out when we went down for P's physical exam. The toy is exclusive to T0ys R Us, we were able to make SS happy. It stores sixteen cars, and SS is toting it around like most girls tote dolls.
As usual, JJ got down to play with SS and explained how to use some of the toys. He's a really good brother.
P was impressed with SS's spy toy. Might have to get him one for his birthday.
Proudly displaying the medallion she received at Chuck E. Ch**se
SS chose to open Aunt D's gift first, because she spotted something related to her new obsession. SS received a puzzle.
A poster.
A Star W@rs coloring book.
J gifted SS a giant C@rs coloring pages. Just before leaving J's mother approached me, and stated that J mentioned SS was a C@rs fan, not to get her a girly gift. But J's mom was surprised at the extent of SS's fixation. I told her about SS's new found love for D@rth V@der, and she was impressed. The mom began to gush about how cool SS is. D and I were surprised, because her daughter is a princess, glitter, pink loving child. I recall SS's frustration at J's birthday party when all the gifts were princess related. And here was her mom dissing princess loving girls and squealing over how cool my child is. I'm a pretty lousy mother, but at least I don't dis my kids. As in to others, I dis them privately.
From L, a C@rs giant balloon, a dinosaur DVD (L is into dinosaurs) and a back hoe. L knows his girl well.
JJ reminisced about the many T0nkas he had as a child. He is right, it is a shame that they are now made of plastic, it's just not the same.
That's a lot of paper.
We were surprised that SS received these three cars, they are pricey. They talk, make other noises, and the headlights work.
JJ bought a neat Finn McMissile Secret Spy Attack toy. It talks and has a lot of cool gadgets. JJ was not aware that FM was a spy, since he has not seen the movies. When he realized how cool the toy was, he took it to work to show his friends. It won't be long before JJ gets one for himself.
We shamelessly reused the C@rs bag JJ used for SS's Christmas gift. It was big,, nice, and we were being kind to the environment.
A floor puzzle and game.
A T0y Story box of projects. It has already found its way to the garage, along with a few things we have bought for the drive down.
They one thing that SS REALLY wanted. P bought her a C@rs activity book, and it had a picture of a Mack truck. SS fell in love with it immediately, but we had no idea if it was made. We lucked out when we went down for P's physical exam. The toy is exclusive to T0ys R Us, we were able to make SS happy. It stores sixteen cars, and SS is toting it around like most girls tote dolls.
As usual, JJ got down to play with SS and explained how to use some of the toys. He's a really good brother.
P was impressed with SS's spy toy. Might have to get him one for his birthday.
Proudly displaying the medallion she received at Chuck E. Ch**seSS's birthday party.
I had the narrative done, a long one, then Bl0gger screwed me by crashing. REALLY UPSET. SS had a blast, and the love of her life (JJ) was present. Even if every kid in her class attended, SS would not have been her happy self if JJ was not there.
Cute birthday outfit a gift from Abuela and Abuelo. And by the way, those are Capri pants.
That is one intense look. SS was probably envisioning the cars she annihilated.
P, JJ and D can't recall what the heck they were looking at in that moment. Aunt D is the woman in the green top.
The idea behind having the party at Chuck E. is to have them provide decorations, food and entertainment. P was hell bent on the Cars theme, so we basically paid twice for the decorations. We do owe SS, because this is her firs birthday party. We missed her first birthday. Her second birthday was celebrated with Abuela and Grandpa, and she shared the celebration with JJ. For her third birthday we took her and JJ to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Her fourth birthday was celebrated at school with her classmates. Yep, we owed her big time.
Remember Cowboy? He was going to take a six week break from school, starting in September, due to cranial surgery. He did not return, and SS missed him terribly. The teachers had no information, they just did not hear from the family again. SS talked about her buddy every day, would make drawings and asked us to mail them. We wanted L and SS to at least see each other again before our move. I brought an invitation with postage and asked SS's teacher to please mail it to L. We thought it was worth the long shot. We were delighted when L's mom was the first RSVP we received. L's mom was devastated when I told her we were moving. L was ready to return to school next week, and she was looking forward to their reunion and "watching them grow up together." We decided to keep L's presence a surprise for SS.
It turned out that withholding the information was the right thing to do. L did not arrive until more than half an hour after the party began. P, D and I had our eyes glued to the door, anxiously hoping that he would make it. Until L arrived SS was rather uninterested in what was going on around her. Check out how she gets in between L and H, when the girl tries to encroach on SS's territory. And on her birthday party of all times. How rude! SS's move had all the adults in stitches.
Poor L, seven plus months of social isolation took a toll on him. he was more outgoing pre surgery. At least they have two more weeks together. We are planning to have them keep in touch through Skype, for as long as they are interested. We are also going to create a blog to document SS's move, and will make the site available to her classmates. After all, it's not like there's much going on in our lives now, right?
SS made sure that no one would steal L's attention. We are seriously locking her up until she is 45.
It's interesting that we measure SS's progress different than most parents do with same aged children. SS just does things a bot different, backwards at times. P, JJ, D and I thought there was no way SS would enter the cabin. Even of she could see us, we thought it would upset her. Once she willingly entered (and blew us away) we thought she'd flip when the air began to blow. But again, SS was a trooper, and we are proud of her progress.
Cute birthday outfit a gift from Abuela and Abuelo. And by the way, those are Capri pants.
That is one intense look. SS was probably envisioning the cars she annihilated.
P, JJ and D can't recall what the heck they were looking at in that moment. Aunt D is the woman in the green top.
The idea behind having the party at Chuck E. is to have them provide decorations, food and entertainment. P was hell bent on the Cars theme, so we basically paid twice for the decorations. We do owe SS, because this is her firs birthday party. We missed her first birthday. Her second birthday was celebrated with Abuela and Grandpa, and she shared the celebration with JJ. For her third birthday we took her and JJ to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Her fourth birthday was celebrated at school with her classmates. Yep, we owed her big time.
Remember Cowboy? He was going to take a six week break from school, starting in September, due to cranial surgery. He did not return, and SS missed him terribly. The teachers had no information, they just did not hear from the family again. SS talked about her buddy every day, would make drawings and asked us to mail them. We wanted L and SS to at least see each other again before our move. I brought an invitation with postage and asked SS's teacher to please mail it to L. We thought it was worth the long shot. We were delighted when L's mom was the first RSVP we received. L's mom was devastated when I told her we were moving. L was ready to return to school next week, and she was looking forward to their reunion and "watching them grow up together." We decided to keep L's presence a surprise for SS.It turned out that withholding the information was the right thing to do. L did not arrive until more than half an hour after the party began. P, D and I had our eyes glued to the door, anxiously hoping that he would make it. Until L arrived SS was rather uninterested in what was going on around her. Check out how she gets in between L and H, when the girl tries to encroach on SS's territory. And on her birthday party of all times. How rude! SS's move had all the adults in stitches.
Poor L, seven plus months of social isolation took a toll on him. he was more outgoing pre surgery. At least they have two more weeks together. We are planning to have them keep in touch through Skype, for as long as they are interested. We are also going to create a blog to document SS's move, and will make the site available to her classmates. After all, it's not like there's much going on in our lives now, right?
SS made sure that no one would steal L's attention. We are seriously locking her up until she is 45.
It's interesting that we measure SS's progress different than most parents do with same aged children. SS just does things a bot different, backwards at times. P, JJ, D and I thought there was no way SS would enter the cabin. Even of she could see us, we thought it would upset her. Once she willingly entered (and blew us away) we thought she'd flip when the air began to blow. But again, SS was a trooper, and we are proud of her progress.
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