What A Week

It's been quite a week around here. Briana started explaining to me on Monday afternoon about a situation at school (some girls were ignoring her) which left her in tears. Sobs more like it. It is so hard to see your kid hurting.

This situation (just 2nd grade drama) dragged on for the entire week - and now it is Friday, thank goodness.

The good news is that I think we got the situation resolved (fingers crossed).

There is a bit of a story to tell, but it will have to wait until after the weekend because I am too drained to explain it right now.

I am just glad my Bri is happy again and ready to move on.

Bri will be just fine, but I'm not sure I will survive elementary school. Ugh.

Disney Photo Albums

Well, it only took me 4 years to get this first set of Disney vacation albums done...

Our first trip to Disney World was in November of 2009. I would sit down and work on the albums a little while, need to stop and then get sidetracked for months at a time. I just couldn't seem to get it done.

While Bri has been in school this year, I finally sat down and finished this project! I printed all the pictures out myself. I added every sticker and taped/glued every snapshot by hand.

The albums turned out really nice and I am proud I got it done, but I decided that there was no way I was going to do my 2010 Disney World vacation albums the same way. The 2009 albums were a LOT of work.

So, I decided to make albums of our 2010 trip (we went in Nov also) through Shutterfly (and these only took me a week)...

They turned out amazing and I am so happy with them.

And the reason I wanted to get these done? We will be heading back to Disney next year. I couldn't go on a Disney vacation again without my albums being done! Ack!

It has been three years since we went to Disney World. Doug and I got pretty burned out on Disney after the 2010 trip and we had no interest in going back for quite a while. We are feeling that itch again, and I think Bri being there at age 7 will be awesome. She has already told me she doesn't remember much from the other two trips (which is not super surprising but does make me sad), so hopefully she will remember more from this one. It will be good family time for Doug, Bri and me - just the three of us.

11/12/13

Just posting this because it is pretty cool.

November 12, 2013.

Veterans Day

Both of my grandfathers served as Navy Seabees in WWII. Three of my uncles went to Vietnam. I have a cousin and cousin-in-law who are currently serving in the U.S. military.

Thank you to all of our service men and women for all you have done and continue to do to protect our country.

S'mores

Our neighbors/friends, the M family, invited us to sit around their fire pit on Friday evening and eat s'mores. 

Their pit is so beautiful and very warm...

The night was very chilly, but Bri and E ran all over the backyard playing and laughing like it wasn't cold at all. They were so excited to cook their marshmallows...

The s'mores were absolutely delicious - and the clear night and conversation were even better. Love hanging out with good friends. :)

Yet Another Week In Bri Fashion

Yet another Briana week in fashion - enjoy!!!

Monday ~

Tuesday ~

Wednesday ~

Thursday ~

Friday ~

Oh my gosh. My girl was so divalicious on Friday morning. She said she felt like a "movie star" in her outfit, and her photo poses definitely prove it. LOL!

I had a glimpse into Bri's teenage years that day and I am very, very frightened. ;)

Really Looks And Feels Like Fall Now

A few weeks ago, I complained on my FB status that it wasn't looking like fall in my neck of the woods. It seemed to come a bit later than usual. I was thinking "where is all the color?" Then the last week in October, it started to come out...

This was the color on the day of Briana's soccer tournament...

The day after Halloween, Briana blew bubbles in the yard and it really felt like a beautiful, fall day...

Yesterday it looked like fall, but it began to feel more like winter when the temperature started to drop in the afternoon. We met some friends for a play date. I couldn't believe the kids took their coats off. I guess that happens when you play hard...

And fall also brings the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen...

I absolutely love fall and I try to really soak it in when it is here. It never seems to last long enough for me.

Best Friends Forever

Briana holding Pink Baby's hand as she slept (taken the night before last).

You know Briana's love for Pink Baby.

It is still very strong. Best Friends Forever.

Final Private Speech Therapy Session

On Tuesday, Briana had her very last private speech therapy session.

If you have been a long time follower of my blog, you might remember that I have always had issues with Briana when it came to speech. She was a late talker. I went to "Babies Can't Wait" when Bri was almost three and was shooed away by them because she wasn't "deficient enough" according to their standards to receive any help. It was a total joke in my opinion. There was no doubt that B really did need some help. She could not say full sentences until was over three years old. And when she did finally start talking in full sentences, she had a lot of trouble saying certain letters. She had a really big issue with her "l" sound in kindergarten. She was assessed by the school at that time and once again, Bri was not "bad enough" to get help. So many people around me kept saying she would "grow out of it" or "it would come in time." But deep down, I knew she needed that extra help.

Briana did get the "l" sound on her own, but she still had a few issues with "sh" and "th" sounds and major issues with her "r" sounds (the "r" sounded like a "w"). She was reassessed again by her school in 1st grade and finally got into speech therapy toward the end of the school year. Summer came around quickly though, and I didn't want months going by again without help for her. I got a referral from a friend of mine in the China adoption community for a private therapist - and that is how we met Sarah. Sarah listened to Bri one time and agreed that Bri definitely did need extra help. Bri literally could not form her tongue in the correct way to say the "r" sound. No matter how hard she tried. Within several months, Sarah had her saying all of the sounds she had trouble with like she had never had any issues at all. It took several weeks for it to click with Bri (I was worried she might never get it!), but when she finally did, she ran with it and never looked back.

Bri will continue with speech in school for the time being, but Briana's private therapy is over. I can't believe how far she came in such a short time. I know all this will help her so much when it comes to spelling words (she can hear the sounds correctly now). It will also keep her from getting teased by other children (luckily that didn't happen to her - at least that I know of).

I'm so proud of Briana. And I am so thankful to Sarah - who was so awesome. I love to hear all these amazing sounds coming from Briana's mouth. You will see in the videos above.

Soccer, Soccer and More Soccer (Big Update)

Wow - it has been an amazing soccer season! And I am sad it is over (for now). We start back up in March, and I'm looking forward to it.

I really enjoyed being "team mom" and Doug loved being assistant coach/ref.

Here is my silly soccer player...

A few weeks ago, I snapped some pictures of Team Argentina's game. It is a game that my parents were able to attend (and the girls won!)...

And this past Saturday, it was the big tournament day...

We had to go to a different venue that day to play. The Y provided their own refs for the games. And the girls played not only a team from our Y center but played two teams from a different Y as well.

A bit of practice and warm up before the tournament started...

It was chilly, but it was a gorgeous day...

And off they went...

The girls won their first game - actually coming from behind. Rock stars!!

They played two more games - winning one and tying one. This got them to the championship game!!

Here are the girls in their strategy session for the championship...

Once they started to play, the girls realized the team they were playing had waaaay more experience than they did. This was our girls very first tournament ever. There is no doubt the other team had played in a tournament before. And it was impossible to beat them. The other team hadn't lost one game the entire day...

So the girls ended up in second place. They were quite thrilled with it...

Briana receiving her finalist medal...

The second and first place teams...

I cannot tell you how proud of am of these girls (and their coach). The girls knew nothing about zones and strategy when starting this season, and they ended up with a second place trophy.

As for Bri, I was a bit disappointed in her performance during the tournament. I am not upset because she didn't score a goal or anything like that. Her heart just wasn't a 100 percent in it that day. I am not sure if it was nerves, intimidation, burn out or a combo of all three (Bri said it was nerves) - but Bri wasn't mentally or physically all there. She showed a limited amount of aggression and she just didn't try all that hard. Not like I know she can. And I could really tell because I go to every single game and I know when she is giving it her all. Saturday, she wasn't.

I had a long talk with her about it afterward. I told her that tournament time is a very important time and that she needs to give 100 percent (all the time but mainly during the tournament) because her teammates are counting on her. I am still proud of her because she has played well throughout the season and she has learned so much, but I just need to see her "want it" a bit more next season. I told her we will sign up again in the spring, but then she needs to assess what she wants to do after that. Soccer takes a lot of time and dedication. I know she really, really likes soccer, but does she love it? Can she get aggressive enough to always fight for that ball (when she is not a super aggressive kid)? Can she learn to shake her nerves when the pressure is really on? I don't know. I want her to be happy and have lots of fun too. We will see what happens.

Last night, we got the team together for a small team party and (participation) trophy ceremony. 

Bri with her friend G...

Eating yogurt...

Briana getting her trophy. Her biggest strengths are being a forward (point) and dribbling the ball...

Team Argentina gave coach a small gift as a token of appreciation. The girls wanted to see the card...

Team Argentina (with one added sibling - future Team Argentina soccer player. ;D )

Bri with her coach...

Team group hug...

Bri with her trophy...

Looking forward to the spring season! Go Team Argentina!!!!