We're going on a bear hunt

We're gonna catch a big one. What a Beautiful Day....

While we were at our travel group reunion in Savannah last month our friends the Palumbos had this book. Sophia took right to it and I knew right away we had to have it for her ever growing library of children's books we have been amassing since before her arrival into our family. Sophia LOVES to read and we do it several times a day always ending the day with the same three books.

Brown Bear a true classic children's book, Good Night Gorilla, an other classic

and a little book I found in our favorite book store in Savannah, Ga~ E. Shaver books.

The book is simply called Good Night.

The main character in the book looks very similar to Sophia so we sort of have renamed the book to be Good night Sophie. We read these same three books every night before bed. I have been adding in one more book that rotates in relation to the holiday or season. We just finished reading a boat load of valentines books and Chinese New Year books. We have now moved on the books about St. Patrick's Day and the Lantern Festival. Any way I got off track there after reading We're going on a bear hunt I knew we had to add this to the collection. I Love it for the illustrations and for the content of the book. It is a very simple story about some children and there father going on a bear hunt and the obstacles that lie in their way. I like this book because the adult in the book is a father. Which has prompted Sophia to want to "Go on a bear hunt" every afternoon with her daddy. She is so cute when he gets home from work she grabs his hand and says come on daddy we have to go catch a bear..going on a bear hunt daddy... I captured these pictures yesterday as Sophia and her daddy headed out on there bear hunt.... I love them..:)

We're going on a bear hunt

Evan

It was a sad day in The Little Gym this past Saturday. Sophia's favorite teacher Evan announced that he is leaving The Little Gym for a great opportunity in a local private school. She loves to go to his class and asks me all the time if we can go see Evan. I think she has a little Baby crush on him, she lights up when she sees him. Evan is such a great guy and a wonderful Gym teacher. He is always enthusiastic with the class. His voice is booming, just what you need when you teach a class full of toddlers under 3 years old. He makes Gym fun and changes things enough each time to keep in interesting for the kids. We are all sad to see him go but wish him well on the next chapter in his life. One bright spot is that Evan will be continuing to work at the The Little Gym on a limited basis doing the Birthday Parties and special activities. This make us very happy because we have scheduled Sophia's Birthday party to be at The Little Gym this year. Evan told me he would be there to do her Birthday Party for sure :)


Good Luck Evan you will be missed...

sorry some of the pictures are blurry it is hard to get pictures of kids and teachers in motion :)

Adoption

The topic of how to talk to Sophia about adoption has been on our minds a lot lately for some reason. I guess because she is growing so fast and learning so much we don't want to miss the opportunity to make it part of her every day language. Obviously she will always know that she looks different from us but the details of that she will have many questions about. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the onslaught of questions that will inevitably come. We don't know the answers and maybe never will but we are searching for a way to express to her that she has always been loved by us, before we knew her and by her birth mother because she chose life for her and by her foster mother because she gave her so much love and care while she was in China before we became a family. Today I received an email from a Grandmother I befriended during "The Wait" . Her daughter was also in the process of waiting for her daughters referral from China. Grandma B sent a letter that I wanted to share. It gives a glimpse at what is in store for Sophia as she grows and a glimpse into the spirit of a child's mind.

The letter frmo Grandma B
"Thought you might like to hear R's story. She is a blond, blue eyed 5 yr old, very verbal and outgoing. She was adopted domestically as a new born. Her mother, M, is often amazed by her antics.The one thing R did not want to discuss was the being adopted...until after Lauren came. Family and friends had a party to welcome her and R was there and thoroughly enjoyed the celebration. A few days later R's teacher called."Mrs. M. it's about R...she is going around telling the other children that she is adopted." "She is"Silence...then an incredulous voice of the teacher asked, "From CHINA???" Seems that the party had convinced R that adoption was a wonderful thing. She also was confused about how China fit into the picture, but that if you were adopted you are from there.At Christmas, R's children's choir was waiting their turn to sing. M noticed that she was wearing an angry face and talking to the little girl next to her. After the children sang their director came to talk to M."Did you notice that R was upset?" "Yes, and I am sorry if she did something she shouldn't""No apology needed...I wanted to give her a big hug. The girl next to her said, "Nobody wanted you and that is why you are adopted." R glowered and replied, "You are wrong! EVERYBODY wants me!"May our little ones always have the confidence and assurance that they are from a special country, and that everybody in their family wants them."

A decision

We have decide to continue this blog as you know from recent post. However, we have decide to take it private. There has not been any real issue, but for a number of reasons we decide that for now the best thing for us is to make the blog private. What this means is that you will have to be invited by us the blog authors through Blogger to be a reader. I have sent out invitations to most of the people I know still read the blog. If I missed you please send me an e-mail and I will be happy to send you an invitation. We so appreciate you sticking around to see Sophia grow and to witness our lives unfold as a family of three. We hope that you will continue to do so in the future....