Happy 11th Birthday, Kyle

Eleven years, a sweet boy  was born in South Korea.  On September 2, we received a phone call from our agency, Holt International, that we had son - Kyung Dae Ho.  Wow!  A son!  How was I to care for a little boy?  We already had a sweet girl who would be turning 4 soon.  Three months later, on December 18, we packed up and headed to the Philadelphia Airport to meet this little one.  I remember being so nervous all day because there was snow storms in Chicago and this is where Kyle would be flying from after the long flight from Korea.  I kept going out to the O'Hare Airport's website and kept refreshing it to see if Kyle's flight was going to be cancelled.  There were a lot of flights being cancelled but as of 4 pm he was still going to be coming in.  As we were walking out the door, Robby looked at me and said "His flight was just cancelled" and I literally teared up.  Robby was quick to tell me he was just kidding, barely avoiding a flood of tears.  God was with us (and Kyle) as his flight ended up being one of the only ones to leave Chicago that night.

We arrived at the airport with a lot of time to spare.  We were able to visit with another family who was waiting for the actual little brother of the little girl they had adopted.  This was all pre-9/11 so we were actually sitting and waiting at the gate.  Finally we saw the plane pull up to the gate.  I couldn't believe I was finally going to hold my son.  I began to tear up again as I saw the lady escort come up the walkway with Kyle.  The other lady was bringing our new friends' son to them but I had eyes only for Kyle.  He was crying and the lady looked tired.  So I tried to wait patiently for all the formalities to be done - checking paperwork and arm bands to make sure we were getting the right boy.  I had no doubts.  I had been looking at his little face for months in the little picture that they had given us.  He was in a carrier strapped to the lady.  They unstrapped the carrier from the escort and put it on me.  I had my boy!!!  I think the poor boy cried for 45 minutes.  He didn't want to eat and he was dry.  He was just tired from the long trip and scared of all the changes.  He finally fell asleep in my arms as we walked to a different gate to await my dad's arrival from Arkansas.  He was supposed to be there when Kyle arrived - he was driving.  But due to the bad weather, he had turned around and went home.  Robby and I had bought him a plane ticket and he made his first of many flights to come spend some time with us.  Kyle slept  for the next hour and woke up just as Dad's flight landed.  After that, I don't think the sweet boy cried very much... not even in the car seat on the way home - which Caitlin hated for the first 2 years of her life.

He was so full of life, always looking for ways to make us laugh.  He certainly wasn't perfect as there were so many things he did that frustrated his parents so much.  He drove his big sis nuts when she wanted to play a game because he was like Godzilla and would crash  across the boards just to watch the pieces go flying.  But I remember more all the times we laughed at him and I guess that is how it should be.  When he would fall out the chair at the computer because he got too excited, we would clap and say "yea!"  He would then get up and take a bow and say "Thank you... thank you very much!"  He would have us stand at the pantry doors in the kitchen...he would clear his voice...then start singing some song that sounded something like "Celery...cha cha cha".... and we would dance across the kitchen floor.

He loved being with other kids and had some wonderful friends in our neighborhood.  Their moms loved and treated him as their own.  I used to worry a little bit that he might like them better.  But when it was all said and done, he always wanted his  mom.  I did put him in pre-school 2 months before he died.  He LOVED it.  That first morning when I dropped him off, he went in and made himself at home and didn't even tell me goodbye.  I don't regret putting him there.  I just wish I had done it sooner.

I wonder, Kyle, what you would be like today if you had lived.  You loved playing games on the computer at age 3.  Would you still be on the computer all the time, or would you be outside with the boys in the neighborhood playing ball, swimming, driving your sister nuts?  I imagine you would have been one handsome little man today on this 11th birthday.  Hope you are celebrating in Heaven sweet boy.  Someday we will meet again and there will be no more tears.  Until then.... happy birthday, sunshine, I still love you to the moon and back.

Cheerleading and Our two girls

What a busy week we have had.  On top of all of the busyness, sickness hit our household.  M got sick with a horrible cold last Sunday running a low grade fever Sunday night.  By Monday the poor kids eyes were watering and were puffy and their was a constant drainage that eventually made her run from us when she saw us coming with yet another kleenex or napkin.  Although a low grade fever persisted, I assumed it was just a cold so I let it run it's course.  

Tuesday morning C woke up with 101 fever and a headache.  She was in a panic.  This was their last week to practice for the cheer competition and her team was counting on her.  Of course I couldn't send her to school.  By the time she woke up she was fine.  No  more fever.  My guess is that her body was so run down because she stayed up late AND from being out in the cold on Saturday waiting to get into the Winterjam Concert in Greensboro.  We will go with that theory anyway.

Thursday morning, M's fever was near 101 and she cried when I used the ear thermometer in her right ear.  She also didn't want her usual blueberry pop tart for breakfast.  She just laid on the couch and watched "Dora".  I knew I had better take her in.  The flu bug and strep throat were running rampant through the schools and I wanted to make sure that wasn't what she had.  Turns out she had a severe ear infection in that right ear, probably caused by the cold/sinus drainage.  The doctor put her on Amoxicillin for 10 days.  She is feeling better but still not a 100%.  Poor baby!

Friday afternoon, C and the BCA cheerleaders got out of school early and we drove over to Winston-Salem to St. Johns Lutheran School for the competition.  The girls were so nervous but I knew they were ready for this if they could just calm down and have fun.  BCA was third in the rotation and of course they nailed their routine.    C did a stunt  called the "scorpion" where she is lifted high in the air by her team mates and then she brings one of her legs over her back and then over her head.

After the competition was over, a lot of people came up to C and told her what a great job she did with the "Scorpion".  She was so proud of herself.  Unfortunately, we had to wait until the next day to find out how we did and not until the end of the basketball tournament.

We got up EARLY (5:30 am) Saturday morning so that we could be back in Winston-Salem by 7:30 for the basketball tournament.  The girls cheered for both the middle school varsity teams (girls and boys).  At one point during the day, one of the other cheerleaders from another team went out on the floor and did one more back handspring than C had done.  So at the urging of her team mates, C went back out on the floor and did ONE more than that girl had done.  I have to say although I was proud of her for doing  it, it made me nervous.  I wasn't sure she was going to make it over on that last one.

Robby, M and I stayed until the last game was cheered and then we had a mini tailgate party for all the cheerleaders. C had made Butterfinger dessert and sugar cookies for the girls to share.  We took icing and sprinkles and let the girls decorate their own cookies.  I think it was a success and the girls had fun even though it was cold outside.  I was a little bummed to have to leave early but I had promised my friend, Monica, that I would babysit her two little boys for her so she and her husband could have a date night.  I know how important those "dates" can be, especially when  you don't have any family who live around you.  The girls ended up placing 2nd in the cheer competition with C and her friend, L, being asked to be on the all-star cheer squad.  I don't know much  more about this at this time.  We will find out more in a few weeks.  I am guessing there will be an all-star game for the basketball teams and C will be allowed to go and cheer with the other top girls at this.  On top of all of this, BCA won the sportsmanship award, which I think means more than anything, because it shows our kids' hearts.

C and her cheer squad doing their "hitch" .

Another cheer stunt!

Go BCA Royals!

 The 8th grade cheerleaders with M outside Olive Garden.  M thought she was as big as the girls were.  She had so much fun with them.

 Including M in one of their stunts!  The crowd cheered.  LOL!!

My girls!  I am a proud mommy and so blessed!!!!

Two Months?? Really???

I cannot believe that I haven't written on here for 2 months.  I knew it had been while but 2 months????  I am really terrible at this.  That being the case this post is probably going to be LONG as I try to catch up.  Let's see....where to begin.......Hmmmm.....

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Dad and Jean drove out here from Arkansas and spent a week with us.  Jarred, Crystal and the boys drove down from Durham on Thanksgiving Day and Mike and Dana came down from DC to spend Thanksgiving Day and to stay a night with us.  We so loved having so much family here for the holidays.  

This is actually the day after Thanksgiving.  Dana and Mike hung out a little longer on Friday so that C could show off her cooking skills.  She had so much fun being in the kitchen with Dana.

My kids (especially C) misses having family around.  We are so blessed that my dad is willing and able to drive out and see us once or twice a year.  

C loves cooking as I have said in previous posts.  She is all about presentation!  She is pretty good at it too.

I wish I had taken some pictures the night before when we were playing the game Apples to Apples with Mike and Dana.  I haven't laughed that hard in such a long time.  Thanks, guys, for the great time.

Christmas came and went so quickly this year.  Here M and Daddy stop to pose for a quick picture the Sunday before Christmas. Have I told you lately how much I love my family???

Pretty, pretty princess!  She calls her dresses "ballerina".  Took me forever to figure out what she wanted to wear when she would say "ballerina".  Gotta love her!!

This is M with her Puggle friends at our church walking in to see Santa.

I couldn't believe she sat on his lap.  At our neighborhood kids' Christmas party she wouldn't even get close to him.  This is the only picture we have because as usual the battery died on my camera after this picture was taken.  I was so thankful it lasted long enough to get this picture.  She told him she wanted a baby stroller.

M came down the stairs Christmas morning and saw this shopping cart first thing.  Took her only a few seconds before she started filling it up with her blankie and toys.

You never get too old to enjoy Christmas morning.  C knew most of what she was getting this year, since she picked out stuff for her room.  I remember being C's age and mom having me pick out what I wanted.  Once the fun of believing in Santa goes away, it is harder to buy presents for teenagers without their knowledge.  She did a great job acting surprised!  I did have a couple of things under the tree for her that she wasn't expecting.

"Oh look, Mom!! It's the orange pillow that I picked out from Pier 1.  How did you know I wanted this?"  LOL!!!!

Okay, this picture frame was a surprise.  We ended up going back to Target and getting another one that is similar to this one.  She has done a great job decorating her room and filling the frames with great pictures.

Our neighbors, the Laytons, stopped by Christmas Eve and gave Marissa this gift.  It is a "Tangled" (the movie) table that can be taken apart and stacked into a tower.  She loves it.  It was so sweet that they bought her this.  I think they did this because we had watched their daughter, Caden, the day before.  Ashleigh had to have an outpatient procedure done and we kept Caden all day for them.  Of course, they didn't have to do anything for us.  That is what friends do for each other.

M got a box full of dress-up clothes and you can see the baby doll stroller that she asked Santa for.  I think all in all M had a great Christmas.  Now where do we put all of this stuff?

M & C playing dress-up. Although C says M gets on her last nerve, she is really a great big sister.

Of course, we couldn't forget McGregor.  He loved his stuffed toy animal.  We can put plastic bottles inside it so that it makes lots of noise for him and he can't get hurt.  

C bought McGregor this fine looking sweater.  Isn't he handsome?  We have been pleasantly surprised that he will wear it.  I actually think he likes it.  It keeps our prince nice and warm.

I loved this snow.  Everything had a black and white appearance.  It reminded me of the scenes from the movies "The Chronicles of Narnia".  Beautiful!

Last year, C had no problem standing on the sled and going down this hill.  This year.....not so much.  But Robby got a great picture of her fall and she wasn't hurt so it was all good.  But in her words....FAIL!!!

We took a friend, Pita, with us to sled.  Pita is from Columbia, South America and has been here for 2 months staying with her aunt who lives in our subdivision.  C and Pita really hit it off and did a lot of things together.  This was so much fun, sharing the snow with Pita.  She had never seen snow nor had she ever been sledding.

M loved sledding with Mommy!

My little snowbunny!!!!!

Robby took his turn, while Pita waited in the background for her turn to go again.  See C's scarf hanging on the tree?  We got ready to go and I turned around and saw it STILL hanging there.  I got it and hid it.  We got in the truck and Robby and I kept talking about her scarf...the scarf this and the scarf that.  It took her 5 minutes to catch on and realize that she never got it off the tree.  

C took M outside to build a snowman.  They put M & M's in him for his face and his buttons.  The next day the candy had fallen out but the color of the candies was still in the holes.  It was too cute!

Kissing Mr. Snowman.  Isn't this just adorable?

January brought my brother, Buddy, and his wife, LaDonna, to NC.  They spent most of their time with their boys and their families.  I am so thankful though that we got to spend a little time together.  My girls love them so much.  Buddy and C got to go and do their yearly shopping trip together while M got to spend some great time with LaDonna.  It was so funny..... we could not get M to call them Uncle Buddy and Aunt LaDonna.  She kept saying "Unca Donna" and "Papa".  Buddy's grandsons call him "Pops" so we tried to get her to call him that, but it was a no go.

We grew up eating snow ice cream whenever Arkansas got snow.  I can't believe I have never made this for C.  So Buddy helped us gather enough snow before the sleet came down and we made a big bowl of it.  It was so good.... just like I remembered it as a child.  What a fun memory to share with my big girl.

When we have the fireplace turned on, we tend to back up to it to warm our backsides.  It was funny to catch M doing the same thing that her big sis was doing.  She loves to do whatever we are doing.  It is so sweet.

I have been trying to get M to go potty on her chair but it is  not working.  She just doesn't want to do it.  I have tried putting her in training pants a few times but she will hold it as long as she can and then finally go into the pants.  She is going to be much harder than C was.  Anyway, I bought the thing to sit on the toilet for her to use and chose the Dora the Explorer one.  I thought this might encourage her to go since she loves Dora so much.  Last night I told her "Let's go see if we can pee on Dora."  So she went and sat on the seat and I was trying to get her to go.  She finally looked at me and said "Broken".  "What's broken, M?"  "Pee".  HA!!!  She can say things sometimes that really crack us up.  What will this kid come up with next....