Summer here I come.

We have had some rain, but the sun is back and we are beyond giddy about it. If the good weather holds,we should have a week in the high 70s to mid 80s. That is our kind of bliss, we love us some sun and we (SS and I, for P it is genetically impossible) are looking forward to tan our hides. P came home at 12:30 but he was pooped and succumbed to a nap for a few hours. He then went to run an errand, while SS and I played outside. Once Baba returned, SS was in full activity mode, showing off to her number one fan. Our girl chose her clothes today, and we think she did a good job. She does look good in board shorts and a long sleeve T-shirt. There is some yellow on her shorts, that are an 18 month size. SS's tiny hiney strikes again, and she has a diaper to help her fill them.

SS spent a few hours running around, playing with her cars and cracking us up. A few things SS said that were new to us, and other SS moments:

* "Stand back Baba (or Mama)", running away from us, while holding one hand up.
* "Wave Mama (or Baba)", whenever she climbed on her tiny play structure.
* "Baba I can't do it", referring to opening the door of her C0zy C0upe, while skillfully doing just that.
* She counted to seven, but only when she handed us stones to throw. Stone throwing is becoming a favorite hobby. We are hoping it is not something we are going to regret teaching her.
* When she handed P a stone she said "1, 2, 3, throw." When she handed me a stone, she said "1, 2, 3, tira." Baby steps.
* "Kiss it", said to P in a very demanding tone after scraping her knee. That one got her in trouble immediately. P has finally regrown a spine and is calling SS on her manners. I am relieved because I do not tolerate disrespect, and that made me the bad guy.

And just being SS, that is enough to keep us entertained. She is not the most coordinated child, and it is behind in some developmental milestones that are glaringly obvious to others. But only P, JJ and I know what she has overcome, and why it is such a rush to watch her running around, eating, drinking, with normal vision, normal hearing, free of upper respiratory problems, and spewing simple sentences only intelligible to us. We also realize that her bossy side, her demanding side, her stubbornness and determination are born from her fighting spirit. Only a fighter would emerge from her birth and first fifteen months of life circumstances, to travel to the other side of the world, become engulfed by two different languages, customs and multiple cultures, and be able to hold it together. SS is a fighter, just like JJ is a fighter, and it is because of that spirit that we have them both to love and enjoy today. They are truly remarkable creatures. Also, both have survived our parenting, an even bigger deal. Just think of all the oops we admit to in this blog. Now imagine the many, bigger ones we are too ashamed to share. Then they manage to trip on air or bump into a wall, and we wonder...