Snow Day #2 and Easy Bakin' It

We were stuck in the house once again yesterday, yet we were able to get down the street and around the corner to visit our friends/neighbors for a little snow time fun. It was so cold though that we ended up going inside and letting the kids do some inside play. I did manage to snap a few fun snow pics...

And before the snow storm, Bri and I spent a lot of Saturday and Sunday using the "E@sy Bake Oven." The nibbles that we came up with were, um, interesting to say the least. :) Some undercooked. Some overcooked. Some were extremely sweet. But all of it was super fun for Briana and that is what counts...

A couple of friends of mine posted a link on FB with some cheaper and yummier recipes for the oven. I'm going to try them! Click here.

Snow Storm 2011

The weather forecasters were right! Sometimes I'm not so sure when there is so much hype if the storm that is predicted will really pack a punch. But this one did! We got about 5.5 inches in my neck of the woods - and in the south, that is really significant. Everything is shut down today. It is not really the snow that is wrecking havoc, but it is the layer of ice that decided to form on top of the very powdery snow we got last night. There was no snow at 9PM my time, but by 10PM, it looked like this...

I got up with Miss B this morning and made her some French toast. Afterward, she, Daddy and I headed out for some cold fun!

See how deep the snow is?

Trying some snow (It's clean, I promise. :D)...

Mmmm, cold...

All bundled up. Doug is ready for the game tonight in support of Auburn. War Eagle!

On the deck...

Pretty snow...

Deep footprints...

My poor duck...

Ice...

Some sledding. We have to get this poor child a real sled!

Snow angels!

Me and Miss Sassy Pants...

Bri asked me to hold a block of ice for this pic...

Building a snow fort...

Another snowman!!!

 

This is the layer of ice covering the powdery snow. Not good for driving...

Walking through the woods behind my house to get to the golf course...

The golf course...

Daddy and his princess...

This is where my kitty enjoys the storm from...

Trying to warm up by the fire with hot chocolate...

Looking at the roads and the fact that the temperature is not rising today, I'm thinking no school again tomorrow. We'll just have to enjoy more time in the snow!

Painted Nails and Dress Up

We've enjoyed a quiet weekend - much needed from the wild and crazy ride of December. Doug got up with Briana this morning and let me sleep in. So nice! As soon as I headed downstairs, Briana started playing dress up. She dressed up as a cowgirl fairy princess. Yeehaw. :D

Bri begged me on Friday afternoon to paint her nails, so I decided to paint them all different colors - and she got a big kick out of it... 

It looks like a big winter storm is hitting my neck of the woods tonight. Snow/ice - not sure what I am going to get, but it is definitely going to be something I think. Looks like Bri will be missing school tomorrow. I better get out some more nail polish.

She Told Me She Misses Them

I often struggle with how much I should share on my blog. I don't want to share everything that Briana and I talk about because I really don't want to divulge Briana's private thoughts. But I do want to share something that happened last night - I just won't go into too much detail.

Last night, I was drying Briana off after she took a shower. Totally out of the blue, she said to me in a soft voice, "I miss my China Moms" (meaning her birth mom and foster mom). I was so surprised because it was very unexpected given the moment and the fact that we had been talking about all sorts of regular every day stuff up until then. We talk about adoption every now and then and it is usually when she brings up the subject. But this was the very first time she used the word "miss" when referring to them. I hugged her and told her that it was ok to miss them and that I completely understood that she misses them. We had a conversation about them as I helped her get into her jammies. Sadly, I had to tell her a lot of "I don't knows."  I asked her if she wanted to read the lifebook I made for her before bed and she said yes. But she asked me if daddy could read it to her - which he gladly did.

It is so hard to look into my daughter's eyes and tell her "I don't know." But I do try to follow up with information that I do know (what little I know). It was so hard for me to hear her say that she misses her China mothers. Not because I feel threatened in any way, but because I know I can't fix this for her. I can fix a scraped knee or a broken toy. It is a mother's instinct to try to fix things for her children, but this is something I cannot fix. I know this is just the beginning of the questions, statements and feelings that will come from her. I hope I said all the right things to her last night. I hope I will continue to say the right things to her. I know can't take her confusion and sadness away, but what I can be is her sounding board and a shoulder to cry on if and/or when she needs one. I hope my heart is ready for this...

Looking Back On 2010

 (I took the above shot on the way to school with Briana this morning.)

2010 was year of mixed emotions...

There were so many wonderful and happy moments:

Briana got a passport.
We attended a wonderful CNY celebration in Chattanooga.
Had a couple of snows early in the year.
Bri had her first trip to the zoo.
Bri attended 12 different birthday parties (not including her own) but sadly missed 3.
Bri's 100 Good Wishes Quilt was completed.
We celebrated our 3 year Briana Day.
We vacationed in Hilton Head.
Bri had her Spring Spectacular.
Bri had her first appointment at the dentist.
Briana learned to swim and continued to play soccer.
We went blueberry picking.
I went a little crazy with 4th of July outfits.
Tried to solve a problem like Briana.
I went on a photo walk.
Bri got her ears pierced.
Briana turned 4 in August and had a great birthday party.
Bri started PreK.
Bri starts really noticing boys (this should probably be in the "lows" section. ;D )
Doug and I went to see Bon Jovi.
We went to Huntsville (including the Star Wars exhibit) and visited family.
We went to the Asian Cultural Experience.
Doug and I celebrated 13 years of marriage.
We celebrated the moon festival.
Briana got invited into an "invitation only" gymnastics class.
Bri and I started Mandarin language class.
We had tons of wonderful play dates (including a marathon one).
I went on my first field trip with Briana.
Bri went on three carousels in three days.
Doug and I revisited the 80's.
We went to Disney World for a second time and visited family.
We visited the dairy farm and corn maize.
Bri saw her first Cirque Show.
We rode the Santa Train and visited Rock City.
We went to two puppet shows.
Had a  magical Christmas season. 
We had a white Christmas for the first time in GA since the 1800's.

There were also a few lows:

I had mixed feelings on Shen Yun.
My kitty was diagnosed with cancer (luckily the tumor was removed and she is fine now).
Bri had some fear.
Briana decided to go question crazy on me.
I put myself out there and had "my say" and it was scary (I had a few angry people comment that had a very different opinion on the subject. A few months later, I decided to go back and delete the negative comments. I figured that if someone can't be civil or is trying to start an argument, his/her words don't get to stay on my blog. But I don't regret having my say at all).
Briana didn't want to play with a particular girl at school (but learned a lesson).
I got asked an uncomfortable question (but I got some good advice).
I started feeling uneasy about my upcoming high school reunion.
Bri and I decided to take a break from Mandarin language class (per Bri's request - I'm very sad about this).
I got sick with everything under the sun in the spring.
I had a very heartbreaking loss and a bittersweet Mother's Day.
And I felt a bit blue. (But found acceptance.)

So that is a quick summary of our 2010. And there is a bunch a stuff that I didn't even get to put on list. The good news is that there were a lot more happy moments than sad ones in 2010. And I don't know if I can keep up the Briana pace I had last year, but I am going to try my best. I think 2011 is going to be a year of my trying to find myself again - to figure out what my next move in life is. Life didn't turn out exactly as I had planned in my head for so many years, so now I need to readjust. And I will. I just need a little time.

So onward to 2011. I'm ready - I think.

New Year's Eve Celebration

These above photos make me a bit nervous. I think I just got a glimpse of what Bri will look like in college (paper cup in hand with a smile). Sigh.

We went over to my friend/neighbor Amy's house to celebrate New Year's Eve with her wonderful family. It was an early celebration - one where we were home by 9. Bri was in dreamland by 9:30. :)

Three New Year's Eve cuties..

Mmmm, appetizers...

A little Kinect...

My sweet little family...

I want to thank my friend Amy for inviting us over. It was a perfect way to ring in 2011!

A Few More December Pics

I am posting just a few more pictures from Christmas. Above, Miss B is showing off a shirt she made in school. It is her hand prints. So cute!

Christmas Eve, we tracked Santa when he was in Chongqing. Very exciting!!!

Briana spread the reindeer food on the lawn. Bad mama forgot the oatmeal and glitter, so colored sprinkles had to suffice...

Our family sitting down to Christmas Eve dinner...

Putting out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and the reindeer...

Sleeping angel...

At Gramma's house, Briana ended up with a bunch of gifts including a ladybug Pillow Pet, a new shiny princess jacket and an Easy Bake Oven...

The Tuesday after Christmas, my cousin Jennifer (who was in town from FL) and her family came to my sister's house for brunch. This is Jennifer's beautiful baby boy (6 months)...

It was the first time we all met Mr. B and he is just scrumptious!

Next post - New Year's Eve!!!

Happy New Year

Happy 1/1/11 - hope it will be a great new year for everyone!!!