Tripper Treat !!!

Smell my feet....................you know the rest. LOL. I have tried unsuccessfully to convince her that it is pronounced 'trick' or treat. So Tripper Treat it is. And she cracks herself up every time she sings the "smell my feet" part. The first time I said it for her she said "gwose mom, that's skusting", but now it's hilarious. LOL.

Spidey is worn out now and is in bed fast asleep, probably dreaming of candy! This was her first time at 'tripper treating'. This time last year we were in China and had known each other for just two days. Probably just as well, since had she been here for Halloween last year, I had a Tinker Bell costume all picked out at Target, and there is no way on God's green earth that I would have gotten her to wear it. LOL.

Happy Halloween! Here's some pics of Spidey and her loot!

Halloween Preparations

We are ready for Halloween! Mailia scooped the goop out of the pumpkin, I carved it, then we made cupcakes for school. The Spidey costume is in her backpack for a party this afternoon. Life is good!

Autumn in Michigan

We are home from an absolutely wonderful long weekend in Michigan. Couldn't have asked for more. The weather was cool (ok cold) in the mornings and late evenings, but warmed to the mid 60s in the day. Colors were awesome. We visted an apple orchard for fresh, made on the spot, apple cider, along with home-made apple cinnamon and pumpkin pie donuts! We were able to visit many, many relatives on both sides of our families and Mailia enjoyed every one of them, even if she couldn't remember all their names. LOL We also enjoyed a very special fall get-together with family on Sat. night, including a chili-dump, hayrides, games, and hotdogs cooked over the bonfire. The moon was full and although a little chilly outdoors, everyone came dressed for it and it turned out to be a great night we will all remember for a very long time. Mailia had the time of her life and was quite sad to have to leave. She was waving and saying "bye Michigan" out the airplane window. We're hoping to plan another trip north after the first of the year. She wants snow, and lots of it! Personally, I could live without it, but for a kid there is just nothing better in the winter than sledding hills, snowball fights and snowmen. I hope we can make it happen.

Now we are ready for Halloween. The Spiderman costume is carefully laid out on her dresser. :-) But first, tonight, we will celebrate ONE YEAR with Mailia! One year ago today, the little girl who captured our hearts in photos, suddenly became a real live, walking, talking dream come true. And what a year this has been for all of us. One year ago I was literally on the other side of the world, becoming a mom for the very first time. And one year ago today, Oct. 29, 2006, a little orphan girl named Fu Miao Li, became Mailia JoLee Hauer and received a Forever Family. It just doesn't get any better than that! We are all a little exhausted from our very busy, fast-paced weekend, but we'll be going out to our favorite Chinese restaurant tonight for a celebration dinner.

And for my sister Linda, here is my wishes for a very, very Happy Birthday!

Love and hugs,

S.

Mailia's Mom

It's Sports Day at School

So who else would my kid choose as her favorite sports hero????? None other than #48 Jimmie Johnson! She LOVES Jimmie! And she lives to rub our noses in it every time Jimmie beats Jeff. LOL We've got a serious NASCAR fan on our hands. LOL As she celebrated another Jimmie victory this past Sunday, she's jumping and cheering and doing the "nanny nanny boo boo" thing and then very "in your face" says " I telled you he would win"!

This kid is something else!

We are off to Michigan tomorrow morning for a few days with family. Hoping for cooler weather and fall colors. Forecast is showing rain for the weekend though, so I'm hoping that changes. We've got a fall gathering at my sister's on Sat. night..............Bonfire, chili-dump, 'smores, hayride and hopefully our annual trek through the woods with flashlights. It's always a good time and Mailia is going to LOVE it all. She's been counting down the days for over a month now. Cannot wait to see her grandmas and aunts and uncles and play with all her cousins.

She's had her bag packed since Saturday with all the essentials.......her build-a-bear monkey and extra outfits, flashlight, spiderman shirt and hat, paper, markers, dvd player and videos. Fortunately her mom will pack a 2nd bag of misc. stuff, like clothes. LOL

1st Grade School Picture

Do your kids eat squash?

Well mine does! bllech!!! She picked it out herself at the grocery store the other night. She said she loves it and ate it in China all the time. So, unlike all the other "I want"s and "I love"s, I bought squash....... for the first time ever! What mom in her right mind would say no to veggies? I then had to come home and google "how to cook squash". LOL Like I said, I've never bought it before, never cooked it before and neither her Daddy nor I choose to eat it. I sliced it up and sauteed it in a little olive oil with some onions (thanks to Google) and she ate ALL of it! Her only suggestion for 'next time' is for more onions! LOL She also loves cauliflower and green beans (although only fresh or frozen, not canned). And sweet potatoes! Another bllech!!! She eats tomatoes like candy so I send them in her lunch most days. Then last week while watching Survivor China, they showed a local family cooking for the cast, and Mailia suddenly says, "Ummmmmmmmmm tomatoes and eggs". I said "cooked together?!?!?" and she says that yes, they are cooked together, but not like American eggs, only Chinese eggs. Anybody know of a good Chinese recipe for tomatoes and eggs?!?!?!?!? I nearly tossed my cookies at the thought of it. bllech, bllech, bllech.
But lest you think I torture my child by only allowing her to eat veggies, or maybe you're thinking she's a health nut, trust me, she also loves all those other things that we wish they (and we) didn't. LOL Ice cream, candy, chips and cheetos, etc. etc. etc. But I'm not complaining. In my book, she earns them! LOL :-)

Yup, that's my girl. Practicing for Halloween. No princesses live here :-(

Attitude? What Attitude?

One Year Ago - Oct. 29, 2006

The day I met my daughter. She was scared, it showed all over her face, but she walked off that elevator, walked towards me, and called me Mama!

Welcome to My Blog!

This blog exists in order to pick up where we left off in our journey to bring our daughter home from China. Except for family and friends, it will not interest the masses. It is simply a way to document our very normal lives as a family, including events and milestones, for our daughter to read one day.

Her first year as our daughter was well documented via a yahoo group. I have decided to close the group and journal here instead. Those who are interested can bookmark this site and read (or not) without receiving email notices.

For all of you who choose to keep up with our family, we welcome you!

Hugs,
S D and M