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COME FULL CIRCLE

This is a digital scrapbook of our journey to complete our family in Vietnam.

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12/17/2010

The "Why's"

We got another dusting of snow on Thursday so the schools had a two hour delay on Friday morning.  Ava walked into the bathroom while I was applying my make up.  This was the face that was staring back at me for 20 minutes.

Ava is at that age where everything and anything is questionable.  Her favorite question is "WHY?"  One of her questions this morning was why I was putting makeup on with an eye "broom" (instead of brush).  It's funny, but true....why do they call it a brush when it doesn't look like a brush at all.  It does look like a miniature broom ;-)
Ava asked why she sees three Ava's      :-)

12/15/2010

Santa Baby!

On Sunday morning we took the kids out to breakfast before visiting Santa at the mall.  This has become our family tradition for the past three years.  Although this year, I didn't want to put up a Christmas tree in the townhouse because we would only be home for one weekend in December.  But Sebastian begged us to put one up.  Here is Ava posing in front of the tree.
Here is Michael giving Sebastian a lecture on setting an "example" and being a big brother.  Sebastian was scaring Ava by telling that Santa was really a monster in disguise.  She didn't need any encouragement.  She's already terrified of the Easter Bunny, Frosty the Snowman and the Red Robin (restaurant mascot)?
Here is Ava clinging on to Daddy for dear life. 
I was laughing as I took this picture.  This was the Santa line behind us.  Sebastian was already complaining he was BORED five minutes into waiting in line to see Santa.  All the kids were pre-occupied with phones, iPads, eBooks, video games, etc.  Sebastian was begging me for my iPhone.  If he's not busy for five minutes, he gets "bored".  I guess GI Joe's and action figures are not on his wish list since they require "imagination"!
The Santa visit went well as long as big brother was sitting beside her.  Sebastian carried Ava to "make up" for the Santa scare earlier.
Ava tried on this hat to humor her Mommy.

Alive and Well

Yes, we are still alive!  We moved into the townhouse rental in October and have been adjusting to new work schedule and school schedules.  Last weekend was the best weekend ever.  We went out on Friday night and looked at the holiday lights after dinner.  On Saturday Sebastian went to a birthday party and sleepover and Ava went over to a friend's house while Michael and I got to dress up and attend his company holiday party.  On Sunday we got to decorate the tree and watch A Christmas Story with the kids on our brand new sectional.  We even got our first snow covering on Sunday night.  Now if I can get through the rest of the holiday season.....


9/25/2010

Birds of a feather?

I think Ava and Marley have been hanging around together too long.  ;-D

(Tooth) Fairy tales

Notice anything different?  Sebastian lost two of his baby teeth this past week.  You can hardly notice the gaps on the upper row because his adult teeth have crowded out the baby teeth.  

The first time he lost his tooth, he came into our room at 2:30 a.m. to let us know.  Michael was barely awake so I tucked Sebastian back in bed.  I took some money out of my purse and put it on my nightstand along with the tooth.  I was going to put the money under the pillow before we got up in the morning.  Luckily, Ava came in around 5:30 a.m. looking for her blankie and I remembered to fulfill the Tooth Fairy duty.

Later in the day, Sebastian brought up the Tooth Fairy while he was doing his homework.  He said he didn't think there was such thing as a Tooth Fairy.  I asked him how he came to that conclusion or why he was thinking about it.  He said he was awake this morning and he was pretending to be asleep.  He felt a hand go under his pillow.  I asked him to describe what the Tooth Fairy was wearing and he said he couldn't see because his eyes were closed.  But he could tell it was probably Mommy or Daddy.  He said the Tooth Fairy was wearing pajamas.  I think he's unto me   :-(

Michael had a funny story to tell me after the kids went to bed.  He said he almost forgot to put money under the pillow so when he went to make Sebastian's bed, he noticed that Sebastian hadn't checked yet.   Michael pulled up the pillow and slipped the money under.  He noticed that I had already put some money there and took back his money.  In the nick of time too because Sebastian came into the room.  Boy, wouldn't Sebastian have been surprised if there was double the amount left by the Tooth Fairy.  Sebastian told me that his friend got a whole quarter for his tooth.  

Sebastian came into our room at 6:30 a.m. this morning to tell us his second tooth came out.  The Tooth Fairy has to make another appearance tonight.  We'll see how things go in the morning ;-D  I think the Tooth Fairy theory is going to be blown out of the water (from a nine year old standpoint anyway). 

9/17/2010

Another celebration

We went to a spanish tapas restaurant for my birthday over the summer.  Sebastian was spending the week with his Mom Mom and Pop Pop.  Poor Ava had to endure two hours of wine and several mini courses.  But she was a trooper ;-)

Mommy and Ava moment.  Ava had something in her mouth and wasn't sure if she liked it or not.
Hmmm...this isn't so bad, I think.
All right, enough with the pictures...what's that on your plate?
One of the many tapa plates.
Ava not afraid to try anything.
I mean everything! 
Mmmmm, Mommy's favorite....lamb chops.
Yes, please!
Doing the mid-dinner stretch to make more room?

July showers

Every once in a while we would take a break from the swimming pool and go over to the water fountains at the outdoor mall.  

Don't ask me what she's doing. I think she thought it was hilarious to spank her own hiney.

Family Festival Day

It's hard to believe the company picnic/festival was July 20th.  It feels like it was soo long ago.  

This was a shot of our reflections outside Michael's office building.  Of course for Ava, it was like a moth to a flame.
My little man not too old yet for face paint.

It was hot out that day so it definitely called for water ice!
On our way back home.  After walking around for an hour and a half, I don't know how he had the energy to jump around on the sidewalk.  It was really hot (you can see Ava's cheeks all pink below).

Hard head

Yep, this pretty much summarizes how Sebastian plays with Ava.  Except this time, Sebastian wasn't around and Ava was missing him.  Ha ha....just kidding!

Happy and healthy

This was during Sebastian's 9 year check up with the new Pediatrician in July.  I don't know why I get so gushy looking at this picture.  I guess because I caught a glimpse of his baby-ness.  It makes me sad that he won't have this baby face for much longer.

I don't remember why Ava made the reactions but aren't they so expressive?  ;-)