My little drama queen

A month ago for her birthday I took Hannah to the musical "Beauty and the Beast". I knew she had fun but today I really found out how much she enjoyed it.

I don't why it took her a month to do this but she wanted to play "Belle" and of course she was Belle.
I played the parts of the Beast, the Prince, and Belle's father. She told me the scenes she wanted to play and then we acted them out. She played Belle mad, sad, and very happy. Boy did she nail all the emotions complete with appropriate body language.
It scared me a little bit how well she acted out meeting the prince when she said "I really really love you Prince" and gave me a big kiss on the mouth. Oh my--she is only five.
I think I may have an actress on my hands.

This princess thing has really gotten to her bad. I decided I have to do some reprogramming after we had the following conversation today at her pretend kitchen:

H:--Lets eat together
me: Okay, lets have soup.
H;--You make it
me:--Aren't you going to make it?
H--No, I don't like to cook
me:--but I would like your help
H:--Princesses don't cook!

Another great day

Had another awesome day.

It started out with the best part. I made oatmeal for breakfast and we were just sitting there eating it when Hannah turned to me, put her hand on my arm, and said "You are my best Mom forever. I don't want to get another mom ever". I just smiled, hugged her, and reassured her we would be together forever. I sure do love that girl.

Had a morning birthday party for one of her classmates at "Bounce World". The party was a good time and the kids had a blast. Afterwards Hannah and two of her friends, Zara and Peter, stayed and played in the bouncy houses for another 90 minutes. It was fun to sit and talk with the other two Mom's during that time and discuss all kinds of kid things and also get to know them better too. Hannah and her two friends had such a good time together--it was so fun to watch them.

The three hours of bouncing really wore her out. When I told her it was time for a nap, she said "Yay" and practically ran to the bed. That has never happened before.

Tonight I hosted a little play date at our house. Two of my friends came over --one has a two year old and the other has a three year old and a one year old. They took a little while to warm up but all the girls played very well together. Toys Toys everywhere but so much fun.

That is my life now--the best days are when Hannah has a great time and I can enjoy it too.
I love my life!

5 years old

My baby is 5 years old and is quick to tell me that she is a big girl. She has progressed through all the stages so fast since coming home that it seems like I had such a short time with her as a little girl so I miss that and yet I enjoy her more and more every day so I can’t wish her to stop growing and changing. It just keeps getting better which seems impossible because it is so good now.

We had such a fabulous birthday weekend. Now I am sitting here on Sunday evening with my baby sleeping and quietly enjoying the feeling of how perfect it was. It is hard to imagine life getting any better.

Friday was the actual birthday day and it started out with a visit to the International Adoption Clinic for a one year follow up assessment. We talked a lot about Hannah, what she is doing, how she is acting, how our days go, etc. We had a two hour visit and our Doctor was amazed. She confirmed to me that Hannah is transitioning and bonding very well and appears to be a very happy and stable child. She does not see the normal concerns that come with institutionalization or the possibility of alcohol exposure and is was very pleased with everything she observed and heard. At the end of our assessment she really validated me by saying “We have talked all about Hannah but this is not all about her--this is about you too, You are a great mom and are doing a great job.” Of course, that made my day. She did not recommend anymore follow up with the International Adoption Clinic unless I felt the need at some point. Yay!!
She is really growing since coming too--at five years she is 75% for height and 90% for weight. Guess I am feeding her a little too well!

We had to travel to Minneapolis for that visit and it ended just about noon so we walked to Applebee’s and had Hannah’s birthday lunch. I had French dip sliders with a spinach/shrimp salad--so yummy--and Hannah had Mac N Cheese. Then she got a free brownie and ice-cream for her birthday. When we got done, Hannah said “That was a really yummy lunch Mom-thank you.” She is so sweet. She napped most of the way home and we had a fun evening just playing together.

Saturday morning was a whirlwind as we ran around town picking up birthday cake, balloons, and last minute details for her “My Little Pony” party. I was a little nervous but it all worked out so well. My sister and her daughter came for the weekend. Her daughter is 8 years old and Hannah just idolizes her so that made her birthday that much more special. And the cake--it turned out cute. When we went to the bakery Hannah described what she wanted by saying “horses with grass and flowers and clouds”. The lady taking the order seemed a little perplexed so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. The cake decorator must really understand kids because it turned out better than I could imagine. Hannah absolutely loved it and was so excited that it had “just what she wanted”. I love that bakery.

The party was at our local Nature Center and we had 17 kids enjoying the fun. The Naturalist at the party did a little show so the kids got to learn about toads, frogs, and salamanders and also touch them all. The Naturalist did a great job. He captured all the kids attention and kept all 17 kids orderly, quiet, and entertained for about 40 minutes. Then we had pizza, cake, and ice-cream and about 10 minutes of kids running around like crazy before the party was finished. The kids all had a great time and Hannah was so happy which made me happy. Most of the parents stuck around too and they all seemed very pleased. Several of the kids and their parents stayed after the party and enjoyed the animals and small museum that the center has. It gave Hannah more time with her friends and kept her busy while I cleaned up the party room. Overall a huge success.

I have a group of local adoption friends that all have younger kids than Hannah. Including them with our class party would have been too much but if I could add anything to the Birthday weekend it would have been to get together with them also. They are such good friends and have been great support to me.

Saturday evening we attended our Civic Theatre’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”--the Broadway Musical version. We went with my sister and her daughter and a good friend of mine with a daughter Hannah’s age. It was beautifully done. The girls were enthralled and we all enjoyed it. A highlight for Hannah was getting to talk to Belle after the show. The one bummer for me was that I didn’t bring a camera so I couldn’t take a picture of her and Belle.

It was about 10:15pm when we got home so Hannah fell asleep in my arms during our prayers. When she woke up in the morning the first thing she said to me, “Mama--can we see Belle in the show again later?”

Sunday was church of course and she was very well behaved--my big 5 year old girl. Then another meal out for Hannah’s birthday--this time breakfast at Perkins. Then back home for more playtime with her cousin which was the best part of the whole weekend. Watching those two girls play was heart-filling. They had toys spilled out all over the house and were very creative in their play. Most of the time they were playing together but occasionally separately (side by side) but they were always content. It made me realize the value of siblings. I never once heard “Play with me Mom” or “Can I watch a movie” which is what I hear when I can’t play with her. My sister and I were able to enjoy conversation time without interruption.
Since a sibling is not in the plans, I have resolved to make sure she spends more time with cousins--there is nothing better than loving family.

It was a sunny day with temps in the 70’s and despite the strong winds, it felt like a summer day. Hannah and I went to the park after my sister left. She seemed really ready to just play with Mama and we had a fun time--the playground equipment is our castle and sometimes she wants me to be the mean king that chases her and sometimes the good queen that saves her. Since it rained all last night we came home from the park a little muddy so a bath followed right away. Then on to swimming lessons which is a highlight of her week always.

It was almost bedtime when we got home and I had one happy but tired girl so bedtime was easy and once again she fell asleep in my arms--this time she made it through prayers but just barely.
So…as I said at the beginning of my post…I am sitting here recounting what a perfect weekend we had and wondering how my life got so good. I believe other parents who say it just keeps getting better but right now it is hard to contemplate “better”.

Mommy is all better

Just a quick update:
Mommy finished her second round of antibiotics and is finally back to her old self. Hannah happily welcomed the old routine back and decreased her won TV watching time. When we got home from school today, she said "No movies today Mommy--just play with me". So--we have been having fun evenings again.

For two full weeks I have gotten great reports regarding Hannah at school--she has been focusing and listening well, no problems with her best friend, and she has been helping her teachers more. She has been really great at home too. I am not naive enough to think this will last forever but I am sure enjoying it now.

Funny story:
Last night during prayers Hannah said "Thank you God for a very fun day" and then she immediately lowered her voice to sound manly and loudly said "You're welcome Hannah"--As if God was answering her. I couldn't help but laugh outloud.

Sick Mommy and other random updates

I have learned just how hard it is to be a good mommy when you feel crappy yourself. I have now been home sick for 10 days, am on my second round of antibiotics and am just starting to turn the corner. Hopefully back to work tomorrow.
I have been very thankful for a good preschool so that Hannah can still have some stimulating learning and playing time while I get to rest. Her level of energy is hard when I feel sick.
We have developed a couple new habits that will have to change back when I am full speed again and working again.
--We have slept in--which means about 30 minutes later than usual--and have been able to get ready at a more relaxed pace with breakfast at home. Starting tomorrow we will have to get up earlier, get ready faster, and have breakfast at school again. I hope it goes well as we have both enjoyed these more leisure mornings.
--Movies, Nick Jr., and PBS--oh my. This will be a bad habit to break. I found out just how much Hannah relied on me for her entertainment and play. She is not very good at playing with her toys all by herself and since Mommy was worn out after about 20 minutes of any kind of play, I allowed a lot more TV time than we are used to. As hard as it will be to cut it back down, it got me through so I am grateful for that.
Hannah has been very sweet most of the time. She has cradled my face and said, "I am so sorry I can't make you better." and melted my heart. She has been very patient when I wasn't able to talk, she brings me Kleenix and anything else I need, and has shown great empathy. I asked her what she talked about at church school last night and she said "I prayed for my Mama because she has a bad throat and she has a cough". Aww--melt my heart.
She has also had a level of independence greater then usual as I lay on the couch for a few days and dozed on and off. Sunday afternoon when I took a nap, she found my good scissors and decided she didn't like her hair in her face so she cut herself some very short bangs. She actually did a pretty decent job and she still looks adorable but....we had just grown out her bangs and they were finally fitting in her pony tail. Oh well.

Other Hannah updates:
She completed her first cross country ski race--an event called the Barnebirkie that is held in Hayward, Wi. and had a great time. She skiied one kilometer while her cousins did the longer events--3K and 5K. There are a few hundred kids in the event and every kid that crosses the finish line gets a medal so of course, she felt like a winner and was very excited. It was a beautiful day and I had fun walking along with her on the course. The other benefit was staying in a hotel with her cousins and getting in lots of swimming time--so fun. We will go back next year.

I had the school district do all the special education testing to see if Hannah met the criteria for any extra help before or after starting kindergarten. She was awesome and her test scores amazed the evaluators. She is socializing well, and all her education scores were in the average range--well above the need for special help. Her vocabulary tested average and her mean length of utterance (MLU) was actually above the average for her age. To see how far she has come in the last year has been amazing. She still has some trouble staying focused and for some reason naming her colors is alluding her but everything else was great. I am so proud of my little honey.
Making a kindergarten plan was so stressful for me but I have registered her to attend the private kindergarten at her current preschool--Primrose. They have all day kindergarten and limit the class to 15 students which I think will be great.
Now that I know her test scores and have made a plan--with input from her teachers and the school district--I am feeling very good about where she will be next year.

Hannah has a "best" friend at school. From day one, she and this little girl have been stuck together like magnets. What I find interesting is that this little girl was adopted from the Ukraine when she was 2 years old. It is like they are kindred souls. She is an adorable girl and very sweet. In reality, she and Hannah act more like sisters--they always want to be together and yet they fight with each other and get in more trouble when they are together. It is actually getting to be hard for their teacher. Hannah has been having trouble in school with listening and sometimes she has been refusing to do her work during the learning centers. Then all of a sudden she had a great week where she had no problems at all. It lasted one week and then I learned that her best friend was gone that week when she did so well. I am not quite sure how to handle this except to keep working with Hannah on listening and doing her work. Any advice is appreciated.
For now I have been promising Hannah she can have gum after school if she listens good and does her work. So far, it is working. We will see how long it lasts. It is the first time I have actually used bribery as my parenting tool--not sure if I like the concept or not.

Children's Home Society and Family Services (our agency) had a big adoption party last month and we had a great time. We got to meet up with the other family I traveled with on my first trip so it was great to see them again. They adopted a little boy from Hannah's orphanage and we visited our kids together. He was only one year old when they met him so he is 2 now. The first thing Hannah told their little guy--"I didn't get a daddy--just my mommy". Too funny. I was told that Hannah was a little caregiver at her orphanage and it was funny to watch her take that role back with Drew. She held his hand in the hallway of the hotel and led him around showing him where to go, etc. She acted like a little mommy herself. The party was pretty cool. They had sections for each country they work with and had information there along with free crafts at each country for the kids to do. They had ethnic food served and free drinks for everyone and a main stage that showcased entertainment from all the different countries. They also had three bouncy houses there so there was always something fun to do. It was so fun to see so many people affected by adoption in one place. After the party we got to go to the Wilkin's hotel with them and have fun swimming. All in all, a great day.

My boss's father passed away this past week and I went to the visitation on Saturday. I took Hannah with and two of my co-workers rode with us. On the way there Hannah was telling them that she liked to dance with Mommy. My coworkers started laughing and joking--"how does Mommy dance?" "Is she funny" "I would like to see that" and all of a sudden Hannah spoke up quite loudly saying "Stop laughing at my Mommy--she is not silly--she is my Mommy and I like her". My little sweetheart--it melted my heart to hear her defending my honor and secretly I was very happy. I did try to explain joking to her and let her know that my friends were not making fun of me. Then she seemed okay with it.

She turns 5 in just three short weeks and she is getting pretty excited about it. She keeps asking me "Is my birthday ready yet?" I have planned a party at a local Nature Center. The kids will get to touch frogs, turtles, etc. We invited her whole class--20 kids and about 5 other kids. Should be a fun time. She is just growing and maturing so much--I miss my little girl but am so enjoying the girl she is growing into.

We have seen mothers with babies all over the place lately--at church, at school, and at other birthday parties. She is obsessed and has no shyness to walk up to mother's with babies and ask to touch them. It is hard for me to drag her away. Fortunately all the mom's have been very gracious and kind to her. We were at a birthday party where one mom was breast feeding and Hannah had her face right up there asking all kinds of questions. That night, Hannah said, "Mom, I want to be a baby and drink milk from your tummy" so we had to have that talk. If I was younger and richer, I would think about getting a baby for our family but it is just not in the cards.

She has also been telling me she wants a daddy lately too. The other night after saying she wanted a daddy, she announced "I want a new mommy and daddy". My immediate reaction was to joke with her so I tickled her and said "What--you don't want me for your mommy?" and she very seriously said "Okay--I'll take you but I want a daddy".

This single parenting is hard work some times. All though I am still loving every minute of it--in fact it just keeps getting better. Every morning I look at her sleeping and am amazed at how blessed I am.

Adoption talk

We have been more mention of adoption around here lately.
It has never been unspoken. Ever since day one we have been thanking God "for helping Mama go all the way to Russia to find Hannah and bring her home".
Hannah has often talked about being a baby in Russia and about flying home from Russia. She is proud to tell everyone that she is from Russia.

Last night we had the first "mommy" talk and I think it went well. You get to hear it because I want to document it somewhere.
It went like this:
H--One day I was a baby in your tummy?
M--No, you were never in my tummy. There was another Mommy that had you in her tummy.
H--When I was in Russia?
M--Yes honey, in Russia.
H--And you weren't there?
M--No, honey I was not there.
H--Why?
M--Because I was still looking for you. I looked and looked.
H--And then you found me in Russia and brought me home?
M--Yes Honey I did
H--And you are my Mommy.
M--Yes, I am your Mommy forever
Then we snuggled--both happy with our conversaton.

Big Milestone

Hannah has a book she has asked me to read a few times lately about a dog that has lost a tooth and then gets a bone from the tooth fairy.
As we were driving to preschool this morning Hannah tells me "I am going to lose a tooth" and I said "Yes, when you grow bigger you will start to lose your teeth." She seemed content with that answer and just said, "Yes, I am growing bigger now".
I thought it was just a conversation.
We got to school and one of her friends met us at the door to show us her loose tooth. All the kids crowded around her and wanted to wiggle her tooth, Hannah included. Then Hannah starts to tell the kids she has a loose tooth too. I think that she is just noticing all the attention her friend is getting and wants to get in on the action. I start to tell her "No, your tooth is not loose" but she is so insistant for me to look that I finally do and she does have a loose tooth! I was actually shocked and reacted in a way fitting to the big occassion it was. It is on the bottom--the right one of her middle two. She was thrilled and immediately wanted her friends to see it and to show her teacher. She was now the center of attention and didn't even notice when I left.
When I picked her up the teacher let me know that she hopes the tooth falls out soon because Hannah has been obsessed with it all day--going to the mirror to look at it and showing it to everyone that comes into the room which includes every other parent.
I know this seems like a long post for just a loose tooth but it is huge to me (and to Hannah). It is the first big milestone that tells me Hannah is growing up. I missed so many other firsts--first steps, first time using the potty, first words, etc. I am very excited for each step in her life but there is a little piece of me that is saying "I have only had her for one year--I want her to stay little for a while yet".
Guess I better brush up on what the tooth fairy is bringing these days.