Wonderful Way to End the Day

Ready ...






Set ...







Fire!





While our wood burns down, I'll tell you about our weekend. Sunday afternoon we got together with a few other adoptive families for potluck and fun. And of course, I took no pictures (grrrr). On Monday, I pulled out the kiddie pool for the kiddies. They played in that all morning. Then we had our neighbor, who is a 22-year vet of the Navy, over for lunch. Then in the evening we introduced the girls to s'mores. Too bad the wind was whipping the heat and ash around.

Zoë wasn't too sure.

Then she decided she didn't like the chocolate. WHAT?!??!

Esther wasn't too sure about it at first, but it was love at first bite.

And Charis just jumps in to all that gooey goodness.

And Mommy loves ending the day smelling like a campfire (SERIOUSLY!).

Moving Up

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity.

Amid everything else I was doing Wednesday (deliveries for Mark, baking, All-Star Reader Celebration for Charis), we were able to tour the school Esther will attend next year. It's a regular public school in our district, but it will be closer to the charter Charis and Zoë will be attending, it starts 25 minutes after the charter (instead of 5) so I'll have ample time to take all kids to school, and she'll be at the same school as a friend from the orphanage. Esther and her friend will have different teachers (which I think is a great idea), the ELD teacher seems very supportive, and the school supports our decision to retain Esther in third grade.

But we have a lot of work to do this summer to get her ready. I am SO GRATEFUL she was getting some schooling at the orphanage, but realistically, she's about two years behind. But she's a smart girl and will catch up.

Esther's last day of school was Thursday. She told me she was supposed to dress up as a super hero. OK. I'll buy that. (However, she had told me the day before she was supposed to bring blankets to school to make a tent. I happened to pick her up from school that day and saw no one with blankets. But no biggie.) So Thursday, Estee went to school as ...



Super E!

Thursday's schedule was another insane day. After taking Charis to school, I took Zoë to the dentist to have her third cavity filled. At first the dentist thought he'd have to do a pulpotomy (alternative to a root canal on baby teeth) on two of them, but thankfully the dentist was able to just fill them normally. Zoë handled it like a trooper! (It doesn't hurt that there was a TV on the ceiling either).

Then there was a little party at Charis' school for all the kids with summer birthdays. Then we had lunch at Chick-fil-A, where I ran into a friend and her daughter. Then a birthday party at the park for another friend. Then gymnastics. Then home to meet Esther off the bus.

And then there was caking to be done for Charis' graduation ceremony. I'm glad I waited until evening since we seemed to have skipped spring (we set a heat record for that day and we don't have A/C).

But cake, complete with a frosted Kinderbear, was made and stored in the chill chest. Half-sheet lemon cake with "Congratulations" written way too small. But at least it's spelled correctly and I won't end up on Cake Wrecks.



And then Charis' big day arrived. Kindergarten graduation. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago that I stood in her classroom, trying (and failing miserably) to hold back sobs as Mrs. Wright read "The Kissing Hand." Now my big girl is a first-grader. Sigh.






Esther, Zoë and Charis after graduation. (Esther fell off her bike a few days ago and and did a good job scraping up her arm).



Family shot

40th Birthday Cake for Sonja

Today is the 40th birthday of my sweet friend Sonja. Her husband Mike wanted me to make a cake for her -- grays and blacks and drab, with the words "Oh no, the big four-oh!" But I had to throw in some roses, so, of course, they're black. The lettering, leaves and trim are in gray with a hint of green.

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And, of course, they put 40 big black candles on the cake -- complete with fire extinguisher nearby!

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The cake is lemon poppyseed with raspberry filling, which was Sonja's request. It is two 9x13 layers stacked.

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This was my first cake since the girls have been home. Esther is very interested in what I was doing, so I'll get her involved when I'm not making a cake for someone else.

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(As a side note, Esther saw the "40" and said, "Oh, that's old." "Really?" I asked. "Is Mommy old?" "No," she said. So I told her that I'll be 40 at the end of this year. She laughed, ran outside, and yelled. "Yeah, that's old!" Turkey.)

A "Must Read"

I came across this blog through this blog. I highly recommend you read this post about love and adoption. I think I need to print it out and carry it with me. Always.

Adoption Decree

I received an e-mail this morning that Haiti has issued an adoption decree for both girls!!!!

PRAISE GOD!!!!

This means, as far as Haiti is concerned, the girls are legally ours! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift!

I'll update more as I find out.