Chinese New Year {Sunday Snapshot}

I know most everyone who celebrates Chinese New Year is finishing things up, but we just got to our dinner last night. We had a lot of fun! 

 Prior to going to the dinner, though, we had to try on the kiddos' silks to make sure everything still fit! They decided their outfits were more suited for superhero work & flew around the house jumping & running & screaming.

 Once they calmed down a bit, I was able to catch them being sweet!

 Last night was our official celebration dinner. Milo was in rare form. He had fun, but wore his mama & daddy's nerves thin. If we didn't let him do just exactly whatever he wanted to do, he did the classic kid drop-down & began screaming. In the pic above, he was protesting something, though he was still in a good mood... that changed at some point during the night.

I think one of my favorite things about the evening was getting to watch the kids from the Chinese dance class. They were beautiful!!

We had a great time (wish the food had been a little better, but I suppose that's what you get when you have a French chef trying to fix Chinese food...). Xandra has expressed an interest in learning the Chinese dance. I'll have to check into that.

Off to get back to my homework!! Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!!

Check out some more beautiful pictures by clicking the link below!

Bath {Wordless Wednesday..Almost}

*The water is a funky color because the kids threw a couple of those fizzy color changer tablets in there*

Just a bucket of water pouring out like a fountain... 

Who knew it was so fun?!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Please excuse me for using other folks' pictures & drawings on this post.
I have every intention of getting my babies' pics in their silks... soon.
My poor Xandra-bear has had a fever for 3 days. Last night up to 102.

(Amanda Richards/Flickr)

Lantern Festival, Shanghai, 1/23/12
(Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)

We will be attending our local FCC New Year's celebration this Saturday & 

I.

Can't.

Wait!!

Promise- pictures will be posted!

Grains of Rice {Sunday Snapshot}

We had a bit of a winter storm hit us Friday night. Not much snow. But we got at least 2 good layers of ice overnight. And frigid temperatures. I would have loved to sent the kiddos out to play... but I'm not that mean! 

So... how to keep them occupied? 

I attempted the usual iPod & iPad in the morning.

After breaking up a couple fights, and calming some tantrums, the electronics disappeared.

(except mine - these are the perks of being the mom! I remember my mom telling me I could write the rules when I had kids of my own... & I did!!)

I headed over to Pinterest to see what fun I could find.

RICE!!!

I have rice in my cupboard!

Hey! That means it's virtually free!

Pots. Pans. Cups. Spoons. Whisks.

Check, check, check, check, check!!

"Hey kids!! Wanna come play at the table?"

I poured all the rice into a leftover sugar container-
LOVE that container!

A good cook always smells the utensils prior to using them
(honestly, the girl smells everything! not sure why)

Milo decided to see what uncooked rice tastes like...
not so great appaently.

In case anyone was curious- this is how Milo carries multiple (often large & heavy) items around.
This is how we see him a lot of the time. 

They spent almost 2 full hours (that's non-stop people!) playing with the rice. They probably would have played longer, but I called it quits when little hands began throwing it. 

Matt ventured out to the store later in the afternoon & picked us up a bag of dry beans (that's not all he picked up- I'd have been pretty ticked if he made that trip for one item!). The kiddos played with that too, but declared the rice more fun. I'm thinking as long as we have it on-hand, we may just end up mixing them together.

Have I mentioned how much I ADORE Pinterest?? Because it's the BOMB!! 

(It has unfortunately also assisted me in gaining almost 10 pounds, though. Boo! I need to learn that moderation lesson...)

Princess Party {Fav Foto Friday}

Last weekend, Xandra was invited to a princess party. 

How awesome- right?

Unfortunately, she had had to stay home from school on Friday because she threw up a couple times. But the doctor couldn't find anything wrong (in other words, she didn't have strep). I really debated if I ought to let her go to a party on Saturday. But all her friends from daycare were going to be there that she hadn't seen too much since Kindergarten started up. And as mysteriously as her "illness" came on, it disappeared lightning bolt fast. 

Come to think of it, the symptoms disappeared pretty quickly after I told her she wouldn't be going to school. Hmmm.... She better not be pulling that stuff already!!!

So, obviously I let her go. It helped that one of her bestest buds was going (which gave me the opportunity to hang with one of my besets buds- his mom!). 

Landon was the only boy invited to the princess party. But I don't think he minded too much. Landon had also stayed home from school that Friday- he actually had something though.. croup. Yuck. But he got meds & wasn't feeling too horrible.

Xandra & Landon's buddy K was there. K has a *slight* crush on Mr. Landon. Every time I turned around, she was chasing him (or as above, had caught him), and tried to kiss him!! Too cute!
(BTW- K is totally 100% a-dor-a-ble.)

The party was only a couple hours (as most are), but both Xandra & Landon were tuckering out pretty fast. There was quite a bit of whining going on in that house (thankfully, not all of it came from my kiddo... but a lot did).

We had fun, and Xandra loved showing off her goody bag full of candy to Milo. But her glee was short-lived. Bad mama that I am, I made her share! 

Have a great weekend everyone!! It looks like we will be getting quite a little winter storm tonight (blegh!). Hopefully, I'll be able to con persuade Matt to entertain the kiddos while I get some homework done. :) 

What's He Thinking? & Play-Doh {Sunday Snapshot}

I've had a few starts to posts for a while. Since I'm swamped with homework right now, I figured you all wouldn't mind if I just throw a couple of them together & call it done. Sorry they don't really "go" together. 


I was once again scouring my favorite adoption blogs (anyone who knows me, knows this is totally normal, almost nightly behavior for me).
I found this awesome blog {My Overthinking}. 
Instantly loved it! 
Cause she's funny. 
One of her recent posts had me laughing & I had to share it with Matt. 
He chuckled, too, so 
I created something similar totally ripped it off.
Below is what I think might be going through Milo's head.. 


(This is in the span of about 30 seconds)


1. Hi, Mama, Hi
2. I want the iPad?
3. iPod?
4. Iphone?
5. I want what Sister has
6. Sister won't give it to me
7. I'll just take it
8. Why is Sister making all that noise?
9. Ok, I'll give it back 
10. What you doing?
11. What can I do to be a part of what you doing?
12. What can I do to make it harder to do what you doing?
13. Hold me
14. Hi, Mama, Hi
15. Put me down
16. What would happen if I did this?
17. Will I get in trouble for this?
18. Oops.
19. Sorry, Mama, Sorry
20. What’s that?
21. I want that. 
22. I will get it myself.
23. I don’t want help.
24. HELP
25. Tank you
26. Hi, Mama, Hi
27. HOLD ME!
28. I want the iPad
29. iPod?
30. Iphone? 
31. NOW
32. Put me down
33. I don’t want these clothes on
34. Much better
35. Need a snack
36. Need a snack
37. Need a snack
38. STARVING
39. Fruit snacks!
40. Yay!
41. I’m cold
42. These ARE my shoes
43. I will only wear these shoes
44. Oh no! My shoes keep falling off!
45. Almost fall down!
46. No shoes
47. Hmmmm…..
48. What’s that?
49. I’m going to dump this out
50. CRAYONS!
51. Mine
52. SERIOUSLY, MINE
53. Okay, here. I’ll share.
54. Want a big boy cup
55. NO! Not sippy cup!
56. Sister has big girl cup
57. Fine I'll take sippy cup 
58. Tank you Mama
59. I wanna go upstairs
60. No Mama- you not come with me
61. But I want to play with Sister's toothbrush in the toilet
62. Fine, you come Mama
63. Hold me
64. Don't hold me
65. I love you, Mama

*****
A few days ago, I pulled the Play-Doh out & the kiddos had a blast! It's not easy to keep Milo's attention on anything very long (except the iPad), so he came & went a few times. We had a little bit of a power struggle when he tried to take the Play-Doh with him into the carpeted Family room... 

Admit it! You like the smell of Play-Doh too!!

Xandra, of course, stuck with her "project" for over an hour. I love seeing her be able to concentrate that much! Especially on crafty projects. She's just like me (in more ways than I'd care to admit). Love these 2!! 


Hope everyone had a great weekend! 
Check out more pictures on the link below!

2 Days' Difference {Fav Foto Friday}

I am officially back to school now. Homework & all.
I had a "light" day Tuesday, so when I got home, I took the kiddos outside.
Who could resist?

And 2 days later...

Granted, this is what it's supposed to look like outside..

But I still don't like it!

They told us to prepare for 3-4 inches.

Thankfully, this was the extent of it. 

But the temps have dropped 40 degrees in 2 days.

DROPPED 40 degrees!!

It's frickin' FREEZING! 

BBBRRRRR!!

I can barely type!