WHERE is Spring?

Tomorrow my tiny nieces are going to Yale to have their hips examined. I panicked when Jen told me, but apparently they routinely look at all baby girls who were in a breech position, because many have hip dislocation problems. Who knew? Tonight Shao & I will stop over and visit for a little bit. We need a baby fix! And I need to unload some of the "loot" I have been collecting for the girlies. Seems like I can't stay away from ebay, where they're concerned! :o

My mom is home from Florida. I'm glad. I don't see her all that much, even though she lives downstairs from us. But when she is GONE, I am restless. What WILL I do when the awful time comes that she dies? Oh, dear. I have to face it one of these days. She will be 86 in June. Thankfully, she is in great health, goes to the gym 3+ times a week, "takes care of old folk", cleans houses one day a week, and is constantly on the move. I can't keep up with the woman!

Just a few weeks away from Easter. Shao & I met one of her many "adopted grammas" at a mall last weekend, and Gramma Bonnie insisted on buying Shao an outfit and shoes for Easter. Oh, my, she got the most BEAUTIFUL dress! Funny girl...I picked out a dress I thought was lovely (very sweet, classic, etc.) Shao picked out one she liked (very cute, trendy, hip). She tried them both on, they both looked great, and I left the choice up to her. She came out of the dressing room and shocked both Gramma & I...she choose the dress I picked out. I questioned her, as I wanted to be sure SHE was sure. Yep! She said she thought she would get more wear out of it, as it was a cotton sundress look, so she could wear it all summer. Wow! My girl is growing up. I miss my baby, but I sure do like the young lady who is taking her place!

Speaking of Easter, Shao & I will be heading south to Pennsylvania for Easter. We always spend it with my BFF Kim and her husband Henry. I am getting excited! I love them, and we always have such fun. I have friends, of sorts, around here, but my truly GOOD friends are spread all over the US, so I treasure any time I get to spend with any of them. I would say that most of my truly dear friends are from College days, with a smattering of adoption buddies and others thrown into the mix. I am blessed with the precious people in my life...I just wished they all lived nearby!

No other real news here. Still quite cold...when WILL Spring arrive?!?!? I know...March 20th...only 8 days away. But I am not convinced, notwithstanding the MANY robins I have spotted recently. AND the signs for pansies at every nursery! :) It can't come soon enough for me!

Blessings...Nancy

February Vacation

Whoa! Haven't posted in a week! What's up with THAT? Trust me, it's not because my life has been scintillating! No, quite the opposite, really! We're in the midst of February vacation, and have done very little. And truthfully, I like it that way. So often we have tons of things scheduled, and are running around like crazed chickens. This is a welcome diversion. Even the ballet school closes down for vacation!

Of course, Miss ShaoXi is bored to death. But I don't feel too bad for her. She has had a friend come for a sleepover, and has gone to another friend's for an afternoon. But that's not much for the social butterfly. I told her to call someone today and invite them over. The problem is, her bestest friend, Krista, is in Puerta something or other, soaking up the sun. And her best friend Bianca, from her old school in Cheshire, just called to say she CAN'T come to spend the night tonight after all. Poor Shao, she is SOOO bummed!

Yesterday we spent a few hours watching the babies while their mama went on errands and grocery shopped. That girl is amazing. The babies were 3 weeks old yesterday, and Jen is on the move, no problem. PLUS she has lost almost ALL the weight she gained...83 pounds!!!! SHe has lost 68, I think! Amazing. At this rate she will be back in her little two piece bathing suit this summer! :)

Guess I should go accomplish something around here. Have no idea WHAT, but I am sure there is plenty to do!

Blessings....Nancy

Monday...AGAIN!

Sometimes Mondays feel like that movie "Groundhog Day." Which is pretty funny, today, because it IS Groundhog Day. But, seriously! It feels like Monday was just YESTERDAY, and here we are again, trying to get through another Monday. And it's not even that it's so bad. It's just...well....it's just that it's MONDAY. You know, the day after a hopefully lovely weekend, where you didn't have to do ANYTHING you didn't want to do! (Yeah, like THAT ever happens!)

And that sad part is...most of us live our lives longing for Friday. But what that REALLY means is that we are wishing away our lives, one week at a time. Personally, I can't think of a worse thing to do. Seems to me we don't get enough days to truly live out to the fullest, never mind just making do and getting by. I so love my life, with my girl, and with my Lord. And you have to know, that at times it is a really HARD life, in some ways. No "real" job, struggling each month to pay the rent, never really making ANY ends meet. But you know? I'm okay with that, in the greater scheme of things. We are blessed to be surrounded by people we love, and who love us. Shao and I often play the "20 Questions" game, starting off "I'm thinking of a person." One of the first things she will ask is, "Is this person in our family?" And if I say no, then the NEXT question is "Are they in our EXTENDED family?" This is because we have folks in our lives who are truly family to us in our hearts, if not by blood. Shao is so blessed to have multiple sets of Aunties and Uncles, a very special Gramma in her former school nurse, a VERY special Gramma & Grampa in Florida, a wonderful Auntie who lives near the FL G & G. Oh, the list goes on and on! The folks we adopted with...they are DEFINITELY family! My friends from college...oh, yeah. Like I said...we are blessed beyond belief!

So, it's Monday. Normally Shao would be at ballet right now. BUT...today she had band practice from 4:30 to 5:45. I picked her up, we're home for a few minutes, so she can change into her outfit for modern dance. This week is "parent observation" week, so I will go in with her to modern, for awhile. Then it is getting out a half hour later, at 9PM tonight, because TOMORROW they are performing with a local high school's winter choir concert. I guess they are dancing to at least one of the songs they sing? I don't know...we will get more info tonight. So that means she will miss her Tap class tomorrow night.

And on Wednesday she will miss both her ballet AND jazz classes, because it is HER band concert. So much for mom observing those classes! But I will go in on Friday to watch her pointe class, which should be SO cool...first time to see her on pointe!

Meanwhile, it's hard to believe that Cadence and Hayleigh are 5 days old! They came home yesterday. Daddy will stay home for 2 weeks to help, and after that it's all hands on deck. I have the following week off, so I am definitely gonna get my baby fix THAT week! This Fri., after Shao's class, I am going over with pizza, for supper and a small baby fix. The girls are already proving to be a handful, and Jen is worn out. She is nursing, so it is difficult to give her a break. In a month, her milk supply should be in, and then maybe an occasional bottle might be fine, so she can sleep!

Gotta go...girly just advised me!

Blessings...Nancy

Drum roll, please!

In the early morning hours, a snowstorm arrived that blanketed the state. I think I can safely say that every school in CT is closed today. It's not that we got that much snow...but NOW the freezing rain has begun, and it is supposed to continue all day long. YUCK! Suffice it to say, we are home, and home we will stay!

That said, something much more important arrived this morning, as well! Or should I say 'somethingS'???

Miss Cadence Rae arrived at 7:46 this morning, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces, followed 3 min. later by Hayleigh Christina, who weighed a whopping 7 pounds, 12 ounces! No WONDER Jen was so miserable! Due to the storm, no one will be able to go up and visit today. But according to their daddy, they both have tons of hair, are absolutely beautiful, and have already nursed! Cannot WAIT to cuddle these little girls! Tomorrow afternoon can't come soon enough!

Nothing can top that, so I won't even try!

Blessings...Nancy

Baby alert!

So, I confess. I really am computer illiterate! Okay, breath deep. I know it's a shock (well, not to those who know me "in real life." I can assure you, they are not the least surprised...right, Lor?!? Thanks to my dear friend Lori, whom I traveled to China with way back when, to get our babies, soon my blog may look less "institutional", and more...hmm...well, beautiful, because Lori, aka the Queen of Scrapbooking, has kindly offered to put my blog out of its misery, and do some decorating! I cannot WAIT! Lori does some of the most elegant scrapbooking. You could show me a page anywhere, and I SWEAR I would recognize Lori's, because of it's style and beauty! :)

On to other things...spent some time with my sweet niece Jen this weekend. Oh, my. That child needs to have those babies POSTHASTE!!! Her poor feet! She is at the Dr's as we "speak", for her weekly appointments. I hope they say "You know, we'd better do it today!" But if NOT, then it's only 2 more days until Cadence and Hayleigh will be in our arms! Please pray at 7:30 AM EDT, for Jen and the girls. That is the scheduled time for the C-section. And I MAY get to be up at the hospital earlier than I had hoped, because the weather forecast looks like there may be no school on Wednesday, due to an incoming snowstorm. If it is not TOO bad, I will drive to the hospital in the AM, to get a peek at those sweeties! If there is school, thus work, I will be going up Wed. afternoon, once I get through work. Shao is taking the night off from dance, to go with me and cuddle babies. Can't wait! I spent a bit of time helping fold tiny clothes, etc., and looking at the HUGE row of outfits hanging in their closet! Those poor kids better get used to outfit changes, because trust me, there will be a lot of that going on! :)

Shao & I went to a movie on Saturday, "Hotel for Dogs". Cute movie. It was fun to go with her, as we very seldom go to movies, as they are a costly luxury, in my book. But I worked Sat. morning with my sister, cleaning up a recently vacated house that was going on the market, so I decided to use some of that "found" money to do something fun with my girlie. In between that, church, visiting with Jen, I managed to several loads of laundry. Not an easy thing, since we don't have facilities, thus I have to take it all over the place, to willing relatives' homes who DO have washers/dryers! :)

Today is Shao's first day to go on pointe. She is excited. I think that will wane quickly, once the pain of pointe shoes becomes a reality! Ah, how we must suffer for our art!

So, here we are. Happy Chinese New Year, by the way! Year of the Ox. We celebrated Friday night by going out for Chinese food. Yummy!

Nothing much else happening here. Frigid cold, single digits, and minus in some parts of the state. Big snow tomorrow night THROUGH Thursday, maybe. According to Shao, at this rate, she'll be going to school in the summer, with all the snow we are getting. Typically we get the MOST snowstorms in February and some in March, and occassionally one in April. So I think this year is stacking up to be a banner snow year...if you LIKE that sort of stuff! Me, not so much. 5 and half more years and Shao will be in college. At which point, I think I will turn into a snowbird. Beware, all you who live in warmer climes...I may land on your doorstep! HA!

Blessings...Nancy

Still waiting for babies!

It has finally stopped snowing! Sometime in the middle of the night, it quit. A little slippery, driving this morning, but now the sun is out full force. There's even a little melting going on...which, in reality, just means tonight there will be some freezing! UGH!

The birds are flocking to the feeders in the side yard. I love watching them, especially the cardinals and chickadees. Pretty much the squirrels have decided our feeders are impregnable, so have given up. They'll have to find their sustenance elsewhere...sorry, squirrels, can't afford to feed you, too!

I have a new schedule for work these days. My boss decided that my cranky kid, D., was getting a bit out of hand, and put a man on that run as the driver. Poor Francis, he isn't haven't any trouble with D, last I heard, but my little C. is giving him a run for his money! C doesn't adjust well to change, and he is not a happy little camper. I miss C, but truthfully, do not miss D.

My new charge is a little boy who is autistic, and has some self-injuring tendencies. I have an aide, who sits with him to make sure he doesn't "go off." So far it has been peaceful and no problem at all, for which I am thankful. No drama works for me! In the afternoon I drive two kindergarteners home, both of whom are autistic, one much more affected than the other. They are such BEAUTIFUL little boys, really drop dead gorgeous. Makes your heart squeeze a bit to realize the difficulties they and their parents face on a daily basis. "There but for the grace of God", and all that!

No real news here, other than the "pointe info" meeting at Shao's ballet school. I now need to sit down and sew the ribbons and the elastic on the new shoes. Very exciting...no, honestly, it is. Shao has been working VERY hard toward this first goal in ballet. We face it with no little trepidation, knowing that as cool as it is, it can mean pain, blisters, bloody feet, and perseverance. I guess this may be the watershed moment for her. She will have to begin to make the choices necessary to follow her dream of dancing professionally, or to decide to take another path in life. She is already 12 and a half, and a mere 5 and a half years stands between now and college, and some big decisions! She will be JUST 18 when she starts college, God willing. The ride begins...I think I am going to need to hang on for dear life, it bodes to be quite the wild one!

Keep my niece Jen in prayer! Still pregnant, still miserable...at worst, babes will arrive next Wednesday. Best case scenario is SOONER! Can't wait to cuddle them...hurry up, Cadence and Hayleigh, we want to love on you!

Blessings....Nancy

School's in Session...WAKE UP!

So...life back to normal...whatever "normal" is! Up at 5:05 (alright...alarm RINGS at 5:05...I get up countless times, shuffle across the room, hit snooze...and repeat!) Icy roads this morning, but no delays for the school I drive for (I know, dangling participle!) Shao left me a frantic note on her bedroom door. Seems senile mom forgot to get her tap shoes fixed, and her instructor, according to Shao, will FREAK tomorrow night. So, I will take them in TODAY, in hopes they can be fixed while I wait...and that they're even FIXABLE! It's always something, eh?

We wait a bit anxiously around here for the arrival of my two nieces, a scheduled C-section on Jan. 28th, but at this point, we're ALL hoping it is sooner, as mama, AKA Jen, is MISERABLE! Poor sweetie, her feet and legs look like they belong to a VERY large person...and Jen, in her usual non-pregnant state, is a size 4! Cadence Rae & Hayleigh Christina both weigh well over 5 pounds, so any time now is GOOD!!!!!!

Other than that, no news...which, as they say, is good news. We plow on in life, just trying to manage each day. Not always gracefully, but onward we go. After all, it sure beats the alternative!

Blessings....Nancy