MARCH

So March started out with a bang

March March March !!!! Sophia's favorite thing to do these days...Funny story..Sophia always says to us Hurry mommy hurry daddy a marching band is coming or Marching band is going to get us. We have no idea where this came from or how it started. She is pretend playing of course and thinks it is hilarious to drag us around the house running from the Marching band. Well earlier this month we went to Disney with our friends the Gonzales from our travel group. We had a great time with them at the Magic Kingdom. Sophia and Stephanie love to spend time together so we try to get together whenever we can. So that brings me to us trying to get down Main Street at the end of the night. We had to move to one side out of the way because Low and behold a Marching Band was coming! Sophia was right a Marching band did get us LOL any way just had to share that with you all..

on the 5th we signed Sophia up for school for next school term. She is totally loving school. She is learning so much. Sophia has learned left from right and now tells me what way to turn when I take her to school. She can now button and/or zip her sweater on and off herself. She can pour water from a pitcher into a smaller pitcher without spilling a drop. She is learning her letter sounds and shape as well as her numbers,colors and shapes. She can now count in Spanish to 10 easily and knows the parts of the body in Spanish as well. Every single day she comes home and either shares something new with us that she has learned or demonstrates something that she has mastered.She is amazing and I love watching her little mind unfold right before our eyes. She is making lots of new friends with the other kids in the class and in the other classes too. It is so cute to see and hear her talk about the other kids especially the younger ones. She is very motherly about them. She was happy to tell me that "Silas (one little boy in the class) does not cry anymore mommy, I helped him" . Next year Sophia will move up to the Primary room along with a few of the kids from her current class. The teacher had talked to us about possibly moving her before the end of the year but between the four of us (Me, Riz, Sophia and Ms. Helen) we decided to let her finish this year with the kids she has grown so close to and then let them all move to the primary class together.

On the 6th we went to Disney with the Gonzales family.. :)

On the 8th (my dads birthday) we went to Orlando to be fingerprinted for USCIS (Immigration) FINALLY! We had the chance to meet a couple who is also working with EACI and completing their paperwork for an adoption through China. Omi and I have talked on line and by phone several times but that was the first time we had met in person. It is nice to talk to someone else who is exact where you are in the process with the same agency.

of course we celebrated St. Patrick's Day on the 17th. The tricky Leprechaun came during the night and dies Sophia's milk and peanut butter green (Wink Wink). We had a corned beef cooking away while we were at work. I was so looking forward to a traditional meal of Corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. Well when we got home I knew right away it was not going to be good. It smelled awful for some reason. The Corned beef was super fatty. It just did not cut the mustard..I decided right then next year we are having Guinness Pie to celebrate St.Patrick's Day...We did have green apple juice and green ice cream for dessert.

Sophia and her cousin Christopher had shared their first Slurpee's together last Sunday at our brand new 7-11 on the cornorcorner just down from our house.

We have been planning for Sophia's Birthday and I think we have it all nailed down now. Her school party is going to be on March 23rd I am bringing into her class Fruit Kabobs, Party Hats, plates (with a jungle theme) and a take home treat for each kid in her class. For her regular Birthday Party that is going to be at The Little Gym. We have invited a bunch of her little friends to come. IT should be lots of fun and stress free for mom too. The nice thing about having a party at The Little gym is they do all the work and you enjoy the party with your child. The only thing we have to supply is the cake and goodie bags for the kids. I think everyone will be happy with the goodie bag I put together. I can hardly believe that Sophia is about to be 3 years old. I am so very proud of her and what she is becoming but sad to that my baby is growing up so fast.

We wanted to wish a few very special people Happy Birthday this month.

Wendy and Kate Happy Birthday to you both we miss you and love you guys very much.

I have been reading a book called Silent Tears: A Journey Of Hope In A Chinese Orphanage by Kay Bratt. It is a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is or has adopted from China. It is heart warming and heart wrenching at the same time. A true must read for any adoptive family who has adopted from China. Her encore addition is coming out on March 30th 2010.

UPDATE: Today we received the long awaited approval from USCIS (Immigration). This gives us approval to adopted a foreign born orphan and permission to move forward with the adoption of our second child... WoooHoooo!!!