Home from Myrtle Beach

Well, we are home from the beach! We had a great time relaxing, swimming, hanging out at the beach and playing putt-putt. Olivia has really loved swimming this year. She can now do a cannonball and swim from one side of the pool to the other without assistance. Sophia is enjoying the water too. I am afraid I am going to have to get her some private swim lessons as this group session did not really teach her much as there were (in my opinion) too many kids in the class for her to get much individual instruction. She is trying her version of the cannonball and is having so much fun. I know all you really want is to see pictures so here are a few:

Off to the beach!!

Today we headed toward Myrtle Beach. We stopped for the night in Spartanburg, SC. I usually don't take my laptop but since one of my best friends is in China right now adopting her third daughter I had to bring it. I know she would disown me if I didn't check in on her daily. LOL. Well I also had hoped to update the blog with pictures while we were at the beach but sadly I didn't bring my camera cord so the pics will have to wait. I knew I was forgetting something!

Today was also the last of the swim lessons. Olivia jumped off the diving board without being caught and swam to the ladder with little help from her teacher. We are so proud of her! Sophia did well to and hopefully will do better next year.

Swim lessons

Well, the girls started swim lessons last week and they finish them up this week although we did miss one lesson last week due to Olivia having strep throat and Sophia waking up with a bark like cough. Olivia is improving on what she learned last year and Sophia is just getting started. The water is cold and we've had much crying and getting in and out of the pool but since we have a pool in the backyard not taking (or finishing) lessons is not an option.

Sophia with her teacher (in blue):

Olivia jumping off the diving board:

Holiday World camping......or not.....

This past weekend was supposed to be our annual trip camping to Holiday World. This would have been the 4th year in a row going. After watching the weather all week, we decided that being in a trailer at a campground was not our idea of a good time so we decided not to go. Instead our friends came to our house Friday night for a cookout and swimming. Saturday we went to the Newport Aquarium and had a great time.......

Agency picnic

Our agency has a picnic every year and we have been to them since 2003. They have had their share of ups and downs in recent years but I must say yesterday's was fun and I hope they use the same location next year as I really disliked last years location. As usual we got together with our travel groups and had so much fun! Sophia and Londyn were as cute together as usual and Olivia was in heaven with Emelia. Londyn and Emelia are sisters (along with Baelyn) whom we had the awesome pleasure of traveling with both times. Audrey,Maggie and Jami were there as well and a good time was had by all. We usually spend the night in Lexington but this time we didn't. We were to the K's hotel where the girls swam and played in an unused area of the hotel -- something we have done in this hotel since 2004! To say the girls had fun is an understatement! While we were in the pool area, I saw a woman in the pool with a newly adopted baby and recognized her from her journey on one of the journey hosting sites. I remembered her because I thought her baby was from Yugan and I was right! It was great to meet another Yugan mommy and baby! Lydia was so cute and reminded me of one of our travel mates daughter L. Also, the girls were able to participate in a first for them -- they got to ride/drive a paddleboat with their daddy! I really hope our agency goes back to this park next year!! They had a great playground and lake.

Must give props...

...to my great pal Marla (http://lifewith4js.blogspot.com) for giving my blog a makeover! She made the fabulous header and changed the background color. She saw the pics on my Father's Day post and decided she had to to do something with them. She and I chat every Thursday night and have for going on 3 years. We met in the February 2003 DTC yahoo group (the Firecrackers) and then were in the February 2005 DTC group (the Love Bugs) together. She is someone who is truly a good friend and I hope to meet her in person one day. Love ya girl! Love the new look!! Thank you so much for being there through the years!

New hair do

Well in an effort to make my girls look different (so we might not get the twins question) I decided that maybe they need to have different hair styles. I decided to get Sophia's hair cut since she is the youngest and hasn't been verbal about her hair unlike Olivia. It was pointed out that Olivia would look better with a shorter 'do since her face is thinner than Sophia's but another friend said I at least needed to ask Olivia if she wanted hers cut. Well I asked and she said no -- well that is until it got time for me to leave with Sophia and she decided she wanted hers cut. I wanted to cut bangs into Sophia's hair but when we got to the shop and were talking with Amber (their beautician) she said she would have to go way back to give the bangs because of Sophia's forehead and the little hairs growing there. So we went with a short cut and no bangs. Here is a few photos of the new 'do:

Happy Father's Day.....

Happy Father's day to my wonderful husband. We spent the day at my in-laws for lunch and then we came home and went swimming. The girls were up very late last night as Derek and Adam came over. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the swimming. I normally don't dress the girls alike but today Olivia actually wanted to be dressed like twins. Sigh.......

Final T-ball game...

Well, Olivia had her last t-ball game and I think she was very excited about that. She liked playing in the beginning but had decided about 3 or 4 games in that it was more fun to play in the dirt than to play ball. She actually played very well Thursday night and even said she "might" want to play again next year.

Prayers needed

I can't give any details but some good friends need prayers for a decision they are having to make. If you pray, could you lift them up?

Thanks.....

Are they twins??? (ETA: They are 21 months apart)

I have been wanting to blog about this for some time but today I read another blogger's post about an exchange she had today and it reminded me I wanted to blog about this. To say I get this question a lot is an understatement. It happens every time we are out and usually more than once. I realize I get this because Sophia is almost the same size as Olivia BUT other than them being Chinese they look nothing alike. Olivia is truly beginning to hate hearing this question so I needed to find a good response to the question. Last night here is our exchange with a restaurant hostess:

RH: Are they twins?

Me: No. (As I am getting the "look" from Olivia)

RH: They look a lot alike so they could be twins.

Me: Actually, other than being Chinese they look nothing alike. (In my nicest voice of course!)

That actually caught her off guard and shut her up. So on the way home I thought of something for Olivia to say the next time we get the question. I would really like for her to say "No Ma'am (or Sir). Why do you ask? We look nothing alike." She likes the response but wants me to deliver it. Does anyone have another good response to this question?

Our graduate

Well, Olivia had the first of her graduations earlier this month -- her Pre-K graduation. While I am VERY proud of her, I had mixed emotions about this graduation. I tried not to make a huge deal out of it but other things/people did. I know others may disagree with me I just feel like kids today have too many graduations (here they have Pre-K, Kindergarten, 5th and 8th grades) and by the time they hit high school it becomes "just another graduation" to them and I want my kids to value their education and know that high school and college graduations are the most important. Anyway, they had a graduation (complete with cap and gown) and a program showcasing some things they learned in school this year -- they did song of the days of the week to the tune of the Adam's Family, Months of the year to the Makarena, the Pledge of Allegiance and a few other things that are escaping me at the moment.

7 points....

This is what your face looks like when you realize you lost by just 7 points! David drives trucks for a living and this past Saturday our state had their State Truck Driving Championship. Unfortunately this is the only photo I got from that day. I did have a few pics of him driving but they called another persons name so I didn't think it was really him and I erased the photos. Turned out it was him and he did great -- probably because I wasn't watching! At the banquet, they announced that there were only 7 points separating the top 2 finishers in his class. He came in second! I was so proud of him. If he had won, he'd have gone to the National Championship and this year it is in Houston, Texas. I was a little leery of him winning because the Nationals are usually around the first week of school in August meaning I'd either miss his competition or Olivia's first day of Kindergarten. But one great thing about the Nationals being in Houston I could have tried hard to meet my awesome e-friend Marla for the very first time! Also, I would have been able to meet up with a travel mate from Olivia's adoption. Oh well, I am still very proud of my hubby!

Tagged.....

My dear friend Julie of http://emmaandtheboys.blogspot.com tagged me a few days ago so here it is:

So here are the rules...post three things about yourself...link to the person who tagged you and tag 5 other bloggers (let them know by posting a comment on their blog).

1.) I absolutely hate to put clothes away and I have no idea why. I manage through though....

2.) I have every Danielle Steel book in hardback.

3.) I am working on scrapbooks for both girls and I am in the year 2006.

I know they aren't very interesting.

I am tagging:

Marla at http://lifewith4js.blogspot.com

Natalie at http://planetandersons.blogspot.com

Michelle at http://hannaclan.blogspot.com

Colleen at http://ccyoung.wordpress.com

Laura at http://thegrowingwarehouse.blogspot.com

Has it really been that long....

...since I've blogged? We have been mega busy! Olivia graduated from Pre-K, the girls had their preschool program, then there was Mother's Day and the last day of school. I have lots of stuff to share and will soon but I did want to take an opportunity to answer a question someone asked in the comments of my last post about the Leapster. The Leaster is a handheld game sytem where the games are educational. Some of the games the girls love are:

• Get Puzzled
• Clifford's Reading
• Dora's Wildlife Rescue
• Ratatouille
• Leap Frog's Kindergarten
• Pet Pals

Happy Monday to all!

A girl and a Leapster

Olivia got a Leapster for Christmas and this has been a huge hit. Sophia loves it too and begs to play Olivia's. Olivia is not to keen on sharing it (which I really don't blame her) so Sophia resorted to playing it while Olivia was in school. This is how I found her Thursday....

I wanted to wait until Sophia's birthday to get her a Leapster of her own but she doesn't understand that concept so I gave in a bought her one yesterday -- especially since they have $10.00 price cut on them. Who knows what they would be in December!

It's official......

.......I give up! First we had the flood in the basement. Then today our dishwasher started leaking and tonight I get pulled over for "driving erratically" and I was literally less than 1 mile from our house and was about to turn on to our street. He said I was swerving and wanted to know if I'd had anything to drink. Of course that is a big negative as anyone that knows me knows I don't drink and if I did I would never, ever drink and drive. Period. Just wouldn't happen. I told him I was talking to the girls in the back but as I started thinking once I got home I was actually keeping an eye on him as he was right on my bumper and I thought he was going to run into me. Of course I never knew it was a cop behind me until he turned on his lights. Thankfully he just told me to be more careful and let me go. Now it is 11:30 pm and I just realized that we left the camera Olivia got for her birthday at the restaurant where we ate tonight. Normally that would have been in the car but she spent the night with some friends Monday and left it at their house so they returned the camera tonight. Hopefully the restaurant has the camera. Ugh.......

Flood update

Thanks for all your kind comments! They mean so much to us. As for the water, well it was gone about 2:00 that afternoon. Once the sump pump finally stopped my awesome father in law (yes he reads the blog but he is awesome so I'm not just saying that because he's reading ;-)) and brother in law came over to shop vac the rest of it out. Everything dried out quite nicely although it does smell musty in the basement. I'm sure it will smell like that for quite some time. My husband is so funny when it comes to cleaning up. He spent most of Saturday doing things with the basement stuff while I spent the entire weekend doing laundry. I had clothes stored in the basement for our yardsale this spring and a lot of it was water logged. I had to spin them before I could wash them. Now I think I am just going to donate them because most of it has been in 2 yardsales and hasn't sold yet. I did find a pair of Olivia's capris that I loved. They are 12 months. I tried them on the skinny little peanut and they fit her perfectly in the waist and are the perfect length for Bermuda shorts that have made a comeback this year. Thankfully our new exercise machine survived the flood and works great. Whew! We are expecting rain for the next several days but nothing like last week. Hopefully I can post a few pics tomorrow of my hubby's ummm how shall I say this.... drying of the stuff in the driveway...... It is quite original......

Water, water everywhere

To say we have water in our basement is an understatement! We had 6" of rain last night and our sump pump decided not to kick on and flooded our basement. Unfortunately when I called the insurance agent we found out that this is not covered on our policy and so most of the girls toys are lost as well as a few other things.

T-ball

Well, I signed Olivia up to play t-ball this spring. She has had 3 practices so far and likes it. I was able to take some photos at Sunday's practice. She looks so cute out there! I love t-ball all the kids look so cute out there!