9/29/10
My boy is a hoot!
Alec is playing on the floor with this electronic Dora toy. This toy has a microphone and you can sing along to a little diddly that is called Vamanos. The song goes Vamanos, Vamanos, lets go, lets go, lets go. Yep it is catchy tune that you will find yourself singing. My musical son has made up his own words. He sings Vamanos, Vamanos, go dog go. A little bit of his new favorite book thrown in. I couldn't stop laughing when I heard him singing his new lyrics. I even called Daddy to leave him a message at work with the new lyrics.
9/28/10
Little changes are happening
Every day the kids change, grow, learn a little more. It really is amazing to me. One year ago they didn't know English and now they are motor mouths. Haven is starting to become a tattle tail. Even when I catch her in the act, she says "Alec did it". Yesterday I awoke to Haven yelling "Alec did it", "Alec did it". When I went into their bedroom, Haven and Alec had both taken off their overnight diapers and thrown them across the room. She is totally nude in her bed, he has his pajama top on still and she points at him and says "No No Alec, naughty, Alec did it". She is always trying to mother him and tell him what to do. His response to her is usually a scream of NOOOOOO back at her.
Haven is an interesting person. Sometimes she baffles me. We will be reading and I will ask her to find something simple on the page of the book...like the dog. She will point to the wrong thing on purpose and laugh and say no that's not it. She sometimes refuses to find the right object even when she knows what it is.
She has had some difficulty learning her colors. She will tell you the wrong answer with that as well and I don't always know if she is kidding or really thinks the orange is brown. So we have been using the color flash cards to see if that helps her.
Just when I think she might not learn the way I'm trying to teach her. She blows me out of the water with proof that she is listening and taking the information in. She likes to get on the digital scale. She stands, sits and lays on it to see the numbers light up. The other night she got on in full clothes after dinner and she was 27 pounds. I told her how much she weighed and showed her the 2 and the 7. The next day she got on the scale in her underpants and only weighed 24 pounds. She looked at me and said "where did the 7 go?. You could have picked my jaw up off the floor.
One of our friends gave Haven a magna doodle for her birthday. This has become the favorite toy of both Alec and Haven. They "color" on it and make pictures with shapes and we use it to write numbers and the ABCs. I then identify each letter and give the letter a word to help them memorize. Yesterday as I was buckling Alec into his carseat he pointed to the "d" on my Wicked shirt and said "Mommy D for Daddy." I was so proud of him. They both point to letters on envelopes or the tv and say ABCs. So I must be doing something right.
Alec's new favorite thing is "The Wiggles". Yes it is Wigglemania at our house. The horrible thing is I get the stupid songs stuck in my head and can't get rid of them. But they enjoy it so much!!!
Alec also now gets the joke, "Just say yes Mommy". He finds it very funny and when I'm scolding will laugh and say "OK Mommy" with a big ole smirk on his face. He is a funny kid. I'm a little worried we will have a class clown on our hands. He is always trying to make the other kids laugh.
Each day they amaze me. Even on the days that need a do over...they are so brilliant.
Haven is an interesting person. Sometimes she baffles me. We will be reading and I will ask her to find something simple on the page of the book...like the dog. She will point to the wrong thing on purpose and laugh and say no that's not it. She sometimes refuses to find the right object even when she knows what it is.
She has had some difficulty learning her colors. She will tell you the wrong answer with that as well and I don't always know if she is kidding or really thinks the orange is brown. So we have been using the color flash cards to see if that helps her.
Just when I think she might not learn the way I'm trying to teach her. She blows me out of the water with proof that she is listening and taking the information in. She likes to get on the digital scale. She stands, sits and lays on it to see the numbers light up. The other night she got on in full clothes after dinner and she was 27 pounds. I told her how much she weighed and showed her the 2 and the 7. The next day she got on the scale in her underpants and only weighed 24 pounds. She looked at me and said "where did the 7 go?. You could have picked my jaw up off the floor.
One of our friends gave Haven a magna doodle for her birthday. This has become the favorite toy of both Alec and Haven. They "color" on it and make pictures with shapes and we use it to write numbers and the ABCs. I then identify each letter and give the letter a word to help them memorize. Yesterday as I was buckling Alec into his carseat he pointed to the "d" on my Wicked shirt and said "Mommy D for Daddy." I was so proud of him. They both point to letters on envelopes or the tv and say ABCs. So I must be doing something right.
Alec's new favorite thing is "The Wiggles". Yes it is Wigglemania at our house. The horrible thing is I get the stupid songs stuck in my head and can't get rid of them. But they enjoy it so much!!!
Alec also now gets the joke, "Just say yes Mommy". He finds it very funny and when I'm scolding will laugh and say "OK Mommy" with a big ole smirk on his face. He is a funny kid. I'm a little worried we will have a class clown on our hands. He is always trying to make the other kids laugh.
Each day they amaze me. Even on the days that need a do over...they are so brilliant.
9/23/10
She is a big girl now.
We have been working on potty training Haven with M&Ms as rewards. She is doing a very good job. Today she went the whole day without one accident in her panties (as she likes to call them). It has been a challenge to get her to stop playing to go to the bathroom. All I had to do was bring in the candy and things improved. Of course she does barter. She wants to make sure she is going to get some candy before she walks down the hall. And she has even been known to negotiate for her brother to get a M&M too.
Today Alec was sick and needed more attention and holding, so the best way for Haven to compete for attention, scream out "I have to go potty". Of course I have to stop whatever I'm doing and help. It didn't take long for her to figure out the power of potty training. Smart girl.
She told me today she didn't want to wear pullups only panties. That was a big accomplishment for her and she was so proud when she told me. Haven wants to be a big girl. She likes to play with older kids and do "girlie" things like play with my makeup. But there is a part of Haven that wants me to still feed her like a baby. I'm so proud of her. She has grown up so much in one year.
She is so funny because when she is in the bathroom, she announces "Here comes the pee". ???? Where did that come from? I don't say that, Naing doesn't say that. Funny girl.
We are hoping for continued dry pants and no more diapers at night for her. WooHoo one almost done potty training and one to go.
Today Alec was sick and needed more attention and holding, so the best way for Haven to compete for attention, scream out "I have to go potty". Of course I have to stop whatever I'm doing and help. It didn't take long for her to figure out the power of potty training. Smart girl.
She told me today she didn't want to wear pullups only panties. That was a big accomplishment for her and she was so proud when she told me. Haven wants to be a big girl. She likes to play with older kids and do "girlie" things like play with my makeup. But there is a part of Haven that wants me to still feed her like a baby. I'm so proud of her. She has grown up so much in one year.
She is so funny because when she is in the bathroom, she announces "Here comes the pee". ???? Where did that come from? I don't say that, Naing doesn't say that. Funny girl.
We are hoping for continued dry pants and no more diapers at night for her. WooHoo one almost done potty training and one to go.
9/21/10
Every day is Wacky Wednesday...
There is a book my children have called "Wacky Wednesday". They love this book. It is a silly story about a young boy who wakes up and there is a shoe on his ceiling and all the wacky things he sees that day. Certain events in the book have become an ongoing joke between Haven and Alec. It is so funny to listen to them tell each other the "wacky" thing and listen to them laugh.
They will be sitting in the car, or in their beds and you will hear one of them say "Socks in the shower?" Nooooooo, insert laughter here. The second event they find so humorous is the tree growing out of the toilet. Alec finds it so funny all he says is toilet and he starts laughing. They do this all day long and crack themselves up.
Last night after Alec had gotten up in the middle of the night. I put him back in his bed and crawled into mine to hear coming over the baby monitor "socks, shower, toilet"....Alec's laughter, before he went back to sleep.
I do so enjoy my kids' sense of humor. It always amazes how funny and silly they are. If they can go through all they have been through the first year of their lives and laugh. Everyone can laugh. That helps me be less serious and enjoy the lighter things in my day.
So if you are having a bad day just remember a tree growing out of a toilet is hilarious!!! and laugh like a toddler.
They will be sitting in the car, or in their beds and you will hear one of them say "Socks in the shower?" Nooooooo, insert laughter here. The second event they find so humorous is the tree growing out of the toilet. Alec finds it so funny all he says is toilet and he starts laughing. They do this all day long and crack themselves up.
Last night after Alec had gotten up in the middle of the night. I put him back in his bed and crawled into mine to hear coming over the baby monitor "socks, shower, toilet"....Alec's laughter, before he went back to sleep.
I do so enjoy my kids' sense of humor. It always amazes how funny and silly they are. If they can go through all they have been through the first year of their lives and laugh. Everyone can laugh. That helps me be less serious and enjoy the lighter things in my day.
So if you are having a bad day just remember a tree growing out of a toilet is hilarious!!! and laugh like a toddler.
9/15/10
One Year ago on Sept 14th.
It was one year ago yesterday that we got to hold Haven and Alec in our arms for the first time. We finally became a family. Oh the joy, tears and nerves that were experienced in the minutes we waited for the nannies to bring in our babies. I was in a terrible state of mind, because I didn't know who I should hold first. But that was decided for us, they brought Haven in first.
So began our journey as a family trying to get used to each other and the things that they like and don't like.
The fear of being a bad Mom and the fear that my children that have been through so much, will somehow be more messed up because of me as their Mom.
This has been the most difficult year of my life as well as the most amazing year of my life. Alot of my difficulty was not only in becoming an instant Mom of young children 9 months apart, but also of kinda loosing myself along the way. Being a stay at home Mom is so much harder than I ever thought it would be.
Here I was a Manager that ran a successful Vet Practice for 10 years and managed 12 employees. I thought this would be a piece of cake....more like humble pie.
It has taken a lot for me to adjust to this new role of not working outside the house (totally my choice), not making my own money and other people defining me as "only" a Mom. The first time a went to a party after the kids came home and was asked "What do you do?" When I said "Oh I'm a stay at home Mom" I saw the veil of non-interest come over the lady's face who asked the question. I was shocked at the lack of interest in talking to me, when I have always been the smoozer at the party that talks everyone. I have had to struggle to keep the idependant me alive and not disappear into Motherhood.
Now that a whole year has past (doesn't seem possible). Things are getting better because I have established a routine. The kids are doing very well and growing like weeds. Haven and Alec have large vocabularies. Both of them speak 3-5 word sentences. Both of them are very active and if you turn your back, they are into trouble. The have great sense of humors, love books, our dogs, music and now each other.
I still have my moments with Haven when I loose all patience with her because she is so defiant and strong willed. Our new joke is just say "yes Mommy". She is a strong willed Ethiopian princess and she reminds me of that every day. I want her to be a strong woman, but I have to admit Alec is a lot easier to deal with because he is so easy going. Granted he is moving into the terrible twos and does tell me multiple times a day "I don't want it", no matter what it is.
I know everyone tells me that it will just get easier from here on out. Here is hoping year number 2 is not as difficult as year number 1. But I wouldn't change a thing. I love them so deeply, I can't even remember life without them.
I love hearing them talk to each other in the morning and giggle, best way ever to wake up. So beats an alarm clock.
I still have the fear that I'm screwing them up, but that happens less and less. I know look at their accomplishments and how they have grown and think OK I'm doing somethings right.
Happy Family day! The best is yet to be.
So began our journey as a family trying to get used to each other and the things that they like and don't like.
The fear of being a bad Mom and the fear that my children that have been through so much, will somehow be more messed up because of me as their Mom.
This has been the most difficult year of my life as well as the most amazing year of my life. Alot of my difficulty was not only in becoming an instant Mom of young children 9 months apart, but also of kinda loosing myself along the way. Being a stay at home Mom is so much harder than I ever thought it would be.
Here I was a Manager that ran a successful Vet Practice for 10 years and managed 12 employees. I thought this would be a piece of cake....more like humble pie.
It has taken a lot for me to adjust to this new role of not working outside the house (totally my choice), not making my own money and other people defining me as "only" a Mom. The first time a went to a party after the kids came home and was asked "What do you do?" When I said "Oh I'm a stay at home Mom" I saw the veil of non-interest come over the lady's face who asked the question. I was shocked at the lack of interest in talking to me, when I have always been the smoozer at the party that talks everyone. I have had to struggle to keep the idependant me alive and not disappear into Motherhood.
Now that a whole year has past (doesn't seem possible). Things are getting better because I have established a routine. The kids are doing very well and growing like weeds. Haven and Alec have large vocabularies. Both of them speak 3-5 word sentences. Both of them are very active and if you turn your back, they are into trouble. The have great sense of humors, love books, our dogs, music and now each other.
I still have my moments with Haven when I loose all patience with her because she is so defiant and strong willed. Our new joke is just say "yes Mommy". She is a strong willed Ethiopian princess and she reminds me of that every day. I want her to be a strong woman, but I have to admit Alec is a lot easier to deal with because he is so easy going. Granted he is moving into the terrible twos and does tell me multiple times a day "I don't want it", no matter what it is.
I know everyone tells me that it will just get easier from here on out. Here is hoping year number 2 is not as difficult as year number 1. But I wouldn't change a thing. I love them so deeply, I can't even remember life without them.
I love hearing them talk to each other in the morning and giggle, best way ever to wake up. So beats an alarm clock.
I still have the fear that I'm screwing them up, but that happens less and less. I know look at their accomplishments and how they have grown and think OK I'm doing somethings right.
9/2/10
3 suitcases, 3 carry-ons, 2 carseats, 1 play & pack 4 people and 8 days
Yes it is true traveling with small children is not for those with weak constitutions. We set off for an 8 day visit to Toronto for our niece's wedding. Naing's brother was so kind to come all the way for our wedding, we wanted to do the same. Also the little thing of showing off our children to Naing's family was an incentive as well.
We had an early morning flight. Waking children up for at 4:30 to get ready and go to the airport, not fun. Their mood never really improved the whole flight. Even though we had to buy Alec a ticket, things were not any easier. He didn't want to be buckled in and fought with me the whole trip about staying in his seat.
Air Canada has great little in flight entertainment, but he did not appreciate this one bit. Haven was having a little attitude issues as well. I pity the people that got stuck next to us.
We managed to survive the 5 hour flight and land safely in Toronto. Going through immigration and customs with all that baggage and 2 small, tired, cranky children didn't add to our moods either.
By the time we found Naing's brother we were all rather cranky and tired.
Our nephews were kind enough to give up their beds and room to us. So we got set up and settled in for a week of fun with the family.
Mind you I had never met Theresa, or my nieces and nephews, or our grand nephew. I didn't know what to expect. They were all so welcoming to our family. The best thing about staying with them was the music in the house. Both Tun Tun (Naing's brother) and his wife are musical. My kids were in 7th heaven to have someone play the piano and sing for them
And best of all Tun and Theresa's youngest is 3 years old. Oliver and Alec hit it off big time. The were running and tackling each other. Having a great time being boys. But Haven also enjoyed her time with Oliver and they both are still calling out his name "Oviler" is how they say his name.
We had an early morning flight. Waking children up for at 4:30 to get ready and go to the airport, not fun. Their mood never really improved the whole flight. Even though we had to buy Alec a ticket, things were not any easier. He didn't want to be buckled in and fought with me the whole trip about staying in his seat.
Air Canada has great little in flight entertainment, but he did not appreciate this one bit. Haven was having a little attitude issues as well. I pity the people that got stuck next to us.
We managed to survive the 5 hour flight and land safely in Toronto. Going through immigration and customs with all that baggage and 2 small, tired, cranky children didn't add to our moods either.
By the time we found Naing's brother we were all rather cranky and tired.
Our nephews were kind enough to give up their beds and room to us. So we got set up and settled in for a week of fun with the family.
Mind you I had never met Theresa, or my nieces and nephews, or our grand nephew. I didn't know what to expect. They were all so welcoming to our family. The best thing about staying with them was the music in the house. Both Tun Tun (Naing's brother) and his wife are musical. My kids were in 7th heaven to have someone play the piano and sing for them
After a few days in Toronto it was time for a road Trip. Naing and I took the kids to Niagara. It was about a
2 hour drive, but oops we forget to borrow the stroller from Isabel. Oh well how hard can it be...hahahaha.
We walked down and got our tickets for the Maid of the Mist boat ride and to go behind the falls. We stood in line and it was a lot warmer outside than we anticipated. I was so hot and then you add the plastic poncho
yikes I was baking. We got into the boat and tried to find a spot to see that the kids could see too. Once the first bit a mist from the falls hit us, Haven was not too happy about it. So Haven and I sat on the interior of the boat and Alec and Daddy got to take the pictures and get soaked. Alec LOVED it.
The falls were beautiful and Niagara is a cute little touristy place. We stopped to get a drink and sit for awhile before we needed to walk down to where you go behind the falls. Well there were a few unwelcomed guests at our little rest area, wasps. Tons of them. Haven got stung. Thank goodness she didn't react to the sting. We walked down the boardwalk trying to find a place were they were not flying around and chasing my kids cuz they had orange soda spilled on their clothes. We found a cute little grassy area and Alec found a friend.
We lost all track of time and realized we had 4 minutes to get down the boardwalk to do our behind the falls trip. 
We didn't make it. Called it a day and headed back to Toronto to get ready to go to Kingston for the wedding. Another 2 hour drive. But this time we are staying in a hotel. I'm excited cuz the beds we had to sleep on were too hard for me. I ended up sleeping in Haven's bed cuz it was a little softer than the bed for Naing and I. Big, cozy, king bed here we come.
The wedding was very nice and I learned a new wedding tradition. At the reception, the guests got up and sang love songs to get the bride and groom to kiss. The guests were funny and creative in their song choices.
I wasn't able to take many pictures, Mr. Alec was very grumpy the morning of the wedding. 
The next day we all packed up and headed back to Toronto via the scenic route. Tun showed us some cute little towns and we took a ferry ride (Haven's favorite part). Most of the family went swimming in Lake Ontario, the water was perfect. But our kids were crashed out sleeping in the car seats so I didn't go in. They finally woke up and got to dip their toes in the lake.
A good time was had by all. Before we knew it we were packing to come home to Portland. We had a wonderful time and the kids are still calling out Oliver's name.
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| The Three Amigos |
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| Auntie Yvonne holding the Princess. |
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Uncle Gerald playing with the "naughty boy"  |
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