Pacman, anyone?

Yesterday was the fifth grade's annual pumpkin carving/decorating day. Joseph had been planning for this day for about two weeks. He decided he wanted to make a Pacman. (Imagine that, a child who lives for video games choosing a video game character.)

At first he wanted to carve a pumpkin to look like a Pacman. I'm absolutely carving challenged and was afraid it wouldn't come out right and he'd be disappointed. I suggested we could stay with his idea if we could paint it instead. We looked on the internet and at our Playstation Pacman game to get some ideas. Eventually we decided on a 3-D Pacman game. Joseph thought it wouldn't be complete without a joystick (using a gourd, of course).


Joseph got a chance to do all of the brush painting and glue-gun work. Mom spray painted a couple of parts, Dad cut the board and attached the screws where the ghosts and pacman mount. It was a lot of fun to make, and we also enjoyed seeing the creativity of the other fifth graders.

Homecoming Fun

On Columbus Day, Daddy took off the day with us and we spent some time hiking at a nearby wooded park. The kids enjoyed running around outside, exploring, finding nature's treasures.

Joseph eating a worm to "survive" in the woods

This past week was homecoming week at our high school. Mikaela enjoyed dressing up each day according to that day's theme. She also helped work on the freshman class float for the parade and participated in the football toss during the homecoming games. On Friday night we attended the football game-Go Turks! Saturday evening was the homecoming dance. Mikaela met with a large group of friends (mostly from the freshman class) to eat out at Monical's Pizza. Later some went to the dance, some chose other activities. Here are a couple photos from Saturday:

Jessica and Mikaela

Make a Wish!

We've had a very pink, very frilly weekend here. Maimie turned 3 today and chose Disney princesses for her party theme. I think I know some big brothers who are sooooo ready to go to the football game tomorrow afternoon! They were great sports, actually.
Late Friday afternoon, we took Maimie to the Build-a-bear Workshop at the mall. It was Mikaela's idea, and- wow!- was it ever a hit. When Maimie chose her animal, it was a close race between the monkey and the panda bear. With several monkeys already at home, she ended up with an adorable panda. She loved stepping on the pedal to fill it with stuffing, adding the heart, and most of all cleaning her panda.


Next, Panda was fitted with a Disney princess t-shirt and denim skirt. Mikaela, Jacob, and Joseph helped make a birth certificate on the computer.


Maimie really seemed to enjoy the experience. She insisted on carrying both Panda and her box house all the way out of the mall.

Friday night marked the first night spent in the new bed. Gee, it only took me until her third birthday to finally pull the trigger and take down the crib. Most of our older kids were in a twin bed at around 18 months and all before age 2.


Maimie was very excited about her little toddler bed and played on it before bedtime. I feared she would not stay in the bed since she was able to get out, but she lay down and fell asleep soon after without a peep.

Saturday was Maimie's estimated birthdate. After breakfast we went to Apple Blossom Farm for a couple of hours. We broke with tradition to try out the Farm. Normally Tanner's Orchard is our destination once each fall. Maimie enjoyed playing on the playground equipment, the older kids tried their hands at mining, and then we all ate apple cider doughnuts and drank cider slushies. Probably not the most nutritious lunch, but I didn't hear any complaints!
This evening Grandpa and Grandma joined us for Chinese food, ice cream and castle cake.


We had a couple of little party games for Maimie to play before opening her presents. Later in the evening we viewed some of our videos and photos from our trip to China.


It's been very humbling for me today to realize how blessed we are to be Maimie's family. We have the privilege of watching her change and grow, of spending her birthdays and all other days with her, of hearing her little voice when she tells us she loves us, of seeing her beautiful smile, of feeling her little arms wrap around our necks. I'm so thankful to her China parents for bringing her into the world. I'm forever indebted to them that she is in my life now. I wish they could see her, touch her, know that she is happy and healthy and cherished.

An evening with Echo

With Echo October 2008

With Echo February 2007 White Swan Hotel Lobby
Preparing to leave for the airport on the way to Hong Kong then the US

This weekend Echo, our ISS Hong Kong guide for our China adoption, spent some time in Springfield for a Lifelink get-together. Our family was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit with Echo and some of our Lifelink friends. Echo looked so beautiful and I got choked up just seeing her again. She was such a fantastic help in China and we all have many fond memories of our time with her. Amazingly enough she remembered quite a bit about us, as well.


She was shocked at how much older Mikaela looked and commented on how she was about the same size as Mikaela last time. Not any more. She wanted to know how Maimie's surgeries had gone and reminisced about getting "western" food with the boys.
While there we visited with several families including Lily's family and Olivia's family.

Lily and Olivia

Maimie, Lily, and Olivia playing Hungry Hippo

New blog in the family

What's with the hat?!

Pouting

Since this blog is dedicated primarily to our adoption and family life since then, my husband has begun a blog of his own. His blog is all about rocketry and the launches that he and the boys are having in the back yard.
So here's the part where I stick in a shameless plug for his blog... heh, heh. It's still in the early stages, but the boys (especially the overgrown boy in his mid-forties) are having a blast (pun intended) making and launching index card rockets with a homemade launcher that's connected to an air compressor. Interested? Check out www.mondasd.wordpress.com.