Catching Up

While it is so hard to believe that over a month (again) has past since my last very short post, what is more amazing to me as I sit and think about "what's new" is that there is so much Willow news to report.

As I mentioned in my last post, one of Willow's friends came and spent the night on halloween. This little friend is one we met in China and the girls see each other about every 2-3 months - although we are working to shorten that gap. Juliette is 4 mos older than Willow and Willow just adores her. I don't think I can capture in words the pure joy Willow expresses when she first sees "Ju-Ju" as she gets in our car at the train station. Her eyes get ENORMOUS and she looks from Juliette to me and back again as if to say "pinch me, I must be dreaming". I swear it is hard to imagine a larger display of wonderment and adoration. For Juliette's part, she's excited as well and it isn't long before the two of them are whooping it up in the back seat. Us Moms just laugh and smile as we try to catch up -but really who can concentrate (or wants to) when our two beautiful little ones are giggling their faces off!! These friendships formed through our adoption are just another unexpected joy -something I never really thought about as we waited- and one we feel so grateful for. We hope to see all of the girls together over the holidays.

Speaking of friends, we have been trying to do a better job of making time to get together with our oldest and dearest this holiday season. We are so fortunate to have many of our good friends close by and we got together with some for Thanksgiving and a week later too for holiday baking at our house.

We've always hosted Thanksgiving at our house and over the years the players have changed some as folks got married, had kids and started their own traditions or moved away. But we can always count on Darin and, for the last several years, Tom and Jen F. Tom & Jen have 2 of the most beautiful and sweetest girls on earth. In years past, the girls stayed behind at grandparents while Mom and Dad slipped away later in the night for "seconds" at our house. This year the girls came along!!! Willow was in her glory as she led them all around playing with her toys or just being really silly. At one point, while the grownups were still relaxing at the dining table Willow, with the help of her two older friends, entertained us by coming in repeatedly with various stuffed animals stuffed up under her dress!! Not sure where this idea came from but she thought it was a riot and I have to say I agree.

Darin, Jen F., Tom F., and me on Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving we went and picked up our Christmas tree and by the week after the whole house was pretty much decorated. We had our mistletoe and our countdown to Christmas sign hung and the advent calendar I ordered arrived just in time to begin a new tradition on December 1st.

Willow is ready to decorate the tree.

On your mark, get set, BAKE!! Holiday Baking Dec. 6th.

The Advent Calendar

I knew when I put a few chocolates in the calendar that it would be a success but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute sheer thrill that Willow gets out of opening the door every night. I hope we'll have a chance to get it on video because you really have to see it to believe it.

We open a door after dinner every night and she usually starts talking about it when she wakes up in the morning. (it has proved a pretty good motivation-when needed- for making "good choices" throughout the day) As I mentioned earlier, what transpires when dinner is finished and we head into the room where the opening takes place is truly amazing to R and I. I am so glad that Papa has been here to share in it. As we search for the door with the day's date Willow is very focussed and serious but once we find it her body is as tense as I imagine the body of one who is being struck by lightning would be. She does not want to be the one to actually open the door and while we each take turns peaking in she is beside herself at times bouncing up and down, covering her eyes or literally climbing from one of us to the other by way of our backs if you can envision that. It is really something. Finally when she can take it no more she tells me to open the door and we all hoot and howl like it is the winning lottery ticket.

One funny story about the calendar. I had strategically placed the surprises with certain expectations in mind -visions really -of my perfectly sweet little girl being thrilled with each surprise and R and I watching as she enjoyed each one to the fullest possible extent before turning to us and saying "you are the best parents EVER and when I grow up I shall write a book to tell everyone about my wonderful childhood recalling in exact detail every holiday tradition, magical family outing, and my whole charming daily life -- a childhood that, of course, became the foundation which would later enable me to solve world hunger, create peace in the mid east and cure cancer." Ok, so now you know where my head was at.

So, the night we were to begin the calendar Willow and I put up some of those gel decorations on the windows. There would be some in her calendar in the days to come and the thought was that if we did these together she'd instantly recognize them and skip merrily away from the calendar to install hers all by her big girl self and it would be a big hit. Well, a bit later we started for our first night of the calendar. To Willow's complete and utter joy there was a chocolate Polar Bear waiting. Remember that Willow had ZERO sugar until just a week before her 2nd birthday and very little candy or ice cream since. So this chocolate bear was a pretty big deal. It was all of an inch and a half tall and I think it took her an hour to eat it. Giggling the whole time.

Putting up our little gel decorations
Explaining the Advent Calendar -- "one door at a time"

The next night, having now a better understanding of what was in store for her, Willow was filled with anticipation the way I described earlier. We went through all the the ceremony, the peaking, the whispering, the shrieking of the adults. Finally the door was opened and Willow stared at the contents with a puzzled expression - "go ahead honey", I said, " take them out (they were window gel decorations) you know what those are..." You can imagine my surprise when my sweet little love nugget yelled NO THANK YOU Please!! and started stuffing them back into their little compartment. So much for my Rockwell moments. But really it was pretty funny. She is teaching me new things everyday. This is going to be a very special Christmas!!

Love to All,

XO

M.