Bella's 2nd Birthday...Where Oh Where Did the Baby Go???

Soon I will have a 2 year old in my home. She knows how to operate a mouse, click on things on a computer, and play some computer games. She knows how to host a mean tea party. She loves eating Kimchi and is finally learning that veggies are a wonderful thing to eat. She loves to be a Mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her Hello Kitty (otherwise called affectionately Kitty). She still loves to hug. She still loves to be held. She is still very much a Momma girl but loves her Daddy as well. She loves her big brother and sister. She loves to talk on the phone.

She sings the ABC song, can count to 10 on occasion, , loves to smile and lights up the room when she does, has an infectious laugh and so much more. She loves her Omma and I know that her Omma loves her. She loves her puppy (and her puppy loves her too!!) and when she calls her puppy to come Maggie will go to her (but not to the other two kids).

We talk about puppy dogs, butterflies, Dick and Jane, letters, Elmo, Hello Kitty, her dolls, music, flowers, her wanting to help, Korea and more. We talk about her mentor, Jen, and how she came from Korea too. We still wave hi to the First Lady that Bella is on a first name basis with when she says Hi Michelle all while waving at the TV at the First Lady.

My little girl who came home 2 days before Thanksgiving was so afraid of us and then afraid that I would leave her sight so much so that she had a deathgrip on me for about 48 hours. Slowly that grip loosened to the point where she felt comfortable to have me out of her eyesight but within hearing. She took no time to warm up to her siblings and her siblings took no time to warm up to her. She slowly started solids and has had little problems except for a few allergies/intolerances that she seems to have to dairy and to berries. She disliked most veggies at the beginning but now loves beans, corn, broccoli, and a few more. My little girl who tells me every day love you and then smiles. My little girl who tells me hug me please and then says thank um afterwards.

Where did my little baby go???

She grew up into a wonderful 2 year old

~Jen

PS You'll see the traditional photos we take after the party this weekend with our family and friends.

Today's Events Part II

This afternoon, after the kids napped, we watched the Inaugural Parade. Jeff and I had to convince the kids to have dinner at the big table (the one in our Breakfast Nook). After dinner, they could watch the parade. Bella sat on my lap after dinner on the floor of our family room and waved at Michelle Obama every time she saw her wave. My littlest one then started in with "Hi Michelle" every time Michelle waved. I'm not sure if Bella thought The First Lady was waving directly at her or not. It was so cute just the same.

My oldest two were excited...they waved their flags and jumped for joy. I printed off Obama paper buttons for them to wear and they wore them for as long as the tape lasted.

So I hope that President and Mrs. Obama know that my 4 1/2 year old son wants to work to rebuild America and my nearly 2 year old just wants to say "Hi Michelle". All of my kids loved to wave their flags, both of them...their Korean flags and their American flags.

~Jen

Thoughts about Today's Events

As soon as I came down the stairs of our home and went into our family room, I turned on the TV for today's events. I mention to the two oldest that I know of somebody who is there...who is in that sea of people that look like little ants since the pictures are coming from buildings like the Washington Monument. My oldest was shocked that I knew one person in that crowd of people...that his Mommy knew of somebody who is there right now.

We watched history unveiling herself in front of our eyes today. My kids are too young to understand it all yet...too young to comprehend what this means. We are decked out in our Red White and Blue today...just like the colors that I vote in.

We heard that the National Mall reach capacity of 1.2 million people and is closed to more people at 9:15 this morning. We heard the cheering of the crowds who lined the streets as the motorcade went from the White House to the Capitol Building. We watched in awe that these events were happening right in front of us, in front of the world to see. We heard the heard the words from Bruce Springsteen "no retreat baby no surrender".

We saw the eyes in the crowd fill up with tears of joy to see this event.

Katie had to dress up for the occasion with her tiara, butterfly wings, high heels, princess wand, necklace, and pink princess skirt on.

The kids waved their flags. They saluted all of the former presidents just like the military guards did. They cheered with the crowds. They screamed out OBAMA (OBAMA-MAMA, or OMAMA) all on their own. They pointed at each time an American flag was on the TV and waved theirs in return. Bella waved hi to Michelle Obama as she waved at the crowd there. Ryan and Katie took the oath of office just like Vice President Biden did. They took the oath of office just like President Obama did. They cheered, they jumped around the room, waved their flags, and screamed out OBAMA afterwards. Bella "sang" to our National Anthem.

During Obama's speech my kids ate lunch in the family room (something which we rarely do) but it was important for them to see him in this historical moment for our country. Obama had mentioned that starting today, and I'm paraphrasing here, we need to work to remake America...so Ryan pushed back the chair from the table, stood up and put down his spoon and said "okay I'm ready to work". My four and a half year old was serious and wants to help...so where do I sign him up to help our country??? I'm thinking being a good citizen, being helpful and kind towards others, clean up the world around him, and more.

At the end of the speech, Katie screams out that she sees Kathaleen there and Ryan says and I see Maggie. It was too precious. I didn't have the heart to say that I didn't think so...not after seeing them with so much pride.

So today we had the fanfare...we had the pomp and circumstance. We had the jumping for sheer joy that Obama is president. We paid respect to the former Presidents that are still living. We waved hi to Michelle Obama. We stood and took the oath of office ourselves. We saw and cheered with the crowds there. We are decked out in our red, white and blue.

Now we have the lull until the parade so we are playing with toys until then.

My Dream...

Like MLK, I have a dream. Like him, I hope that one day that our founding forefathers' words on the Declaration of Independence will ring true...that all men (and women) will be created equal.

I hope that one day my children will not encounter racism anywhere and to dream big (and if the dream of theirs is to become President of the US that is fine with this mom).

I hope that my children will be able to have open adoption relationship with their First Mom.

I hope that one day all children that are given up for adoption are truly orphans and aren't sold or stolen from their First Families.

I hope that one day men, women and children aren't bought and sold into slavery.

I hope that we can live in a society of peaceful existence without any prejudices or stereotyping.

I hope that one day I can say that I don't have any white privileges since all races have the same rights and privileges as I do.

I hope that my readers do something to help the world that they live in whether that be the world inside their homes, outside their door or the online world.

I hope that my readers understand that racism does indeed exist (whether it be subtle or not so subtle) and do stand up against it.

These are my hopes and my dreams today.

~Jen

MLK Day and Insights from My Oldest Two Kids

Today is the celebration of a man who was shot so many years ago due to beliefs that he had. He had hope for this country that people would live in harmony and equality and that hope that he started so many years ago still lives to this day. He hoped that a black man and a white man could be like brothers without prejudices, without stereotypes, and with love. He truly believed in the phrase that all men are created equal as stated in the Declaration of Independence signed by our forefathers in 1776. His dream lives on today.

I told my kids in simplest of terms for a 4 and 3 year old to understand about a man who stood up to the mean people during his time, who talked to many different people, and changed the country forever. I told my kids that Dr. King wasn't mean back to the mean people but instead did peaceful things to start change. I told them that he was kind even when people were mean to him.

I told them that even though they are different from each other (Ryan being a boy versus the two girls, each of them having different learning abilities and more), they are human and human beings should be nice to each other and be helpful to one another. I then explained that even though they are different than me, we still need to be nice to one another, treat each other as we want to be treated, and do and say kind things to one another. My kids agreed.

During lunch time, Ryan mentions that he doesn't like The Mean People. I asked him what mean people. He responds the people that were mean to the King (Dr. King). He thinks that people shouldn't be mean to each other and should be nice and helpful. He doesn't understand why people are mean to each other...he wants people to get along with one another and help each other. I told him "so do I sweetheart, so do I".

I talked to Ryan and Katie about President-elect Obama with his swearing in ceremony tomorrow in Washington DC. Ryan and Katie want to watch an African-American man become President for the first time in US history.

Tomorrow our TV will be tuned into the the events in Washington DC and hopefully my children will get something out of the events.

~Jen

Conversations with Daddy

Let me set the scene:

It's our home about 9 pm in the girls' room. The girls should be sleeping however Jeff can hear giggling and talking from their room. In walks Jeff through the girls' bedroom door...

Daddy: Are you two sleeping in here?
Katie: (sitting straight up) I'm sleeping!!
Bella: (sitting straight up) I sleepin'
Daddy: So how is it that you are sleeping and sitting up in your beds?

Bella and Katie lay back down
Jeff exits out the bedroom door and closes it

So what you do all think?? Were the girls sleeping?? Or were they having a party in there room with lots of giggling and talking??

Next morning scene is that Bella is still sleeping however Katie is up and cranky. Do you have any ideas as to why she might be so cranky??? Could it be that she stayed up past her bedtime and woke up at her normal time???? Naw couldn't be that, could it?????

~Jen

Elephants, Counting, Tea Parties, and Music

Elephants

Ask Katie what her favorite animal in the world is and she'll tell you...ELEPHANTS!!!!! We took out books from our public library and she was quite upset when we had to return them. She'll tell you the parts of the elephant (from the tusks to the tail). She'll tell you what the Mommy, Daddy and baby elephants are called. She was absolutely delighted to get elephant stuffed animals and books on elephants for Christmas.

I asked her recently what she wanted to do when she grew up and besides being a Mommy who adopts, she wants to take care of animals and have an elephant as a pet. Boy my girl can dream big here!!!! Jeff and I have tried to tell her that we can't have an elephant as a pet in the home and her response was "okay how about a baby elephant??".

Someday we're going to have to take this girl to go see elephants in person. I can't begin to imagine her reaction to elephants then.

Counting

Ryan is doing really well with counting...especially after I created a little game that just he, Katie and I do right now. Before he could count up to 50 with quite a bit of help. Now he can count up to 100 with some help (mainly the 10's spot).

Tea Parties

Bella loves to host tea parties. She cooks in her little kitchen, pours the tea into tea cups, and hands out the goodies to eat as well. She is a very good hostess most of the time.

Music

All 3 kids love to sing and listen to music. Ryan will sing songs that he has learned from PBS Kids or from his computer along with Katie. Bella loves to sing along to me singing "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" and so far this is her most requested song. I think that if she could, she would put Mommy on repeat all day long.