Picture of the Day (Six Years Ago)

Six years ago, today, I met Blythe Jian Jia for the very first time. We were at a hotel in Shanxi Province, China. Both of our lives have forever changed, and I am so happy she's a part of my world. (I love you, Jia Jia!)

Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

Blythe and her best pal on the farm, "Puppy Chow."

Picture of the Day

There's No Place Like Home

Blythe couldn't wait to be Dorothy this year for Halloween. She says, "I love Dorothy: The Movie!"

Picture of the Day

I'm Back--After a Long Break

I have no excuse for not blogging for the entire summer, other than I have been busy. The good news is, I am back and committed to sharing more tidbits from my average life.

The other day, I was driving Blythe to school (she's in first grade now), and the Beatles came on the radio. She immediately perked up and said, "Mom! It's the Beatles! It's going to be a GREAT day!"

Picture of the Day

I Only Speak Mandarin

My daughter has been taking Mandarin Chinese lessons since she was three. Now she's six, and is really starting to like the idea of she and I having our own "secret language." She also likes to learn silly things and then say them to me to get a reaction. The other day, she learned the word for monkey. It is 猴子, or hou zi. We're sitting in a restaurant and she points to me and says, "Mama, hou zi!" (As in, "Mom, you are a monkey.") So I lean in and say to her in English, "Blythe, that is not very nice. I am not a monkey." She looked at me, smiled and in her best Valley Girl voice said, "Um, yeah...I'm not very good at speaking English, so you're going to have to tell me that in Chinese."

Picture of the Day

Big Production of "Dino Show" at the school, presented by grades K - 3. Their big number was "The Dinosaur Two-Step", thus the cowboy hats...

Picture of the Day

Headin' to Knight School...

I Can Do Magic

Yesterday, Blythe said to me, "Mom! I can do magic. Watch me disappear my doll!" She put her doll on the table and covered it with her blanket. Then she waved her magic fairy wand over the pile and said, "Alakazee-alakazam!" Then she removed her blanket and her doll was still there. She looked over at me and confidently said, "This could take awhile."

Easter Bunny

As Blythe and I were decorating Easter eggs last night, she gave me very specific instructions for the weekend.

1. Don't let Merlin the Cat eat any of my Easter candy.
2. Don't let Merlin the Cat get in a fight with the Easter Bunny.

Rules

Blythe and I were in a store the other day and she was misbehaving. I said something very Mom-ish, like: "Blythe, why can't you just listen to me and follow the rules? Stand by me in line and wait quietly. You need to follow the rules."

We purchased our items and left the store. She looked up at me with a grumpy face, and sternly said, "I like to make up my own rules."

She just turned six. Junior high is going to be rough.

Picture of the Day

Yea, she totally hates the camera...

Picture of the Day

The Birthday Princess is still glowing.

Birthday Girl!

Blythe turned 6 today! She was delighted to receive this princess doll in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Grady.

Picture of the Day

How karaoke stars are born...

Picture of the Day

Blythe and the Snowkitty she made during our last snowfall. Hopefully, Spring is well on the way.

Loss

My daughter's caregiver for the past two summers recently lost her battle with cancer. When I told Blythe (age 5), through tears, she said, "Don't cry, Mommy. Doreen loves God and now she can go see him...AND there are lots of kids in Heaven. Doreen will take really good care of them."

Picture of the Day

Yay!

The other night, I was rushing around the house, trying to get Blythe and myself ready to go to her Kindergarten Music Concert at the school. She came up to me and asked, "Mommy, do I have time to play with my castle? I reaalllly want to play." To which I responded, "Blythe, we have to get going. We only have 5 minutes before we have to be out the door." And what did Blythe have to say? "Yay! I LOVE 5 minutes!"

Picture of the Day

Tooth Fairy Arrived

Blythe lost her very first tooth on Friday, at school. The photo looks kind of disgusting, but she wanted to make sure everyone could see where the tooth fell out.