Autumn Moon Festival

Our local Families with Children from China hosted an Autumn Moon Festival celebration. It was great fun. We were able to sample Moon Cakes (the kids chose to forgo the traditional moon cake, and instead chose Moon Pies)

D's Chinese language teacher hosted a "dance party with the kids

Getting ready for the lantern parade.

And ending the evening with a lantern parade, complete with glowing lanterns

Weekend Wisdom

"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it."

James A. Baldwin

She Has Been Waiting Years For This

D is finally old enough to play soccer (she missed the cutoff by three weeks in the spring)

Some of the shots from the first game

(at least from the time she was on the field- there were some tears as the game began- Apparently half the team started the game either crying or refusing to go onto the field)

Wordless Wednesday

Enkutatash- The Outtakes

Yesterday was our local Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) Celebration. The celebration is hosted by a group that provides supports for Ethiopian immigrants in our area, and serves not only as a celebration of the holiday, but also as a fundraiser for the group. Several of my friends- fellow adoptive moms and dads- are also involved with the group. Two of them are photographers and donated their services for the event. In exchange for a donation to the group, they took photos. So we tried for a photo with the kids together.......

To set the scene- large room, somewhat crowded and the photo backdrop is by the door so there is a stream of people walking by. Music playing loudly throughout the room (so A is completely overstimulated), K and D both want cupcakes (which they can't have till after photos) and they had fallen asleep on the way to the celebration so were still cranky from waking up and X who LOVES the photographer is too busy fooling around to actually listen to what he is being told to do. I feel like I should have doubled (or tripled) my donation and his patience with my kids was legendary. Hopefully when we get the photos back from him there will be something good ('cause he tried like crazy to get a good one)

Until we get the "official" photos- here are the "outtakes" from the photo shoot

I think we will keep looking for the photo for the Christmas card this year

Weekend Wisdom

"The ideal of a color-blind society is a pale imitation of a greater grander ideal: where our skin will be neither a badge for undue privilege nor a sign of social stigma. But we can strive for a society where each receives his or her just due, where the past in all its glory and grief is part of the equation of racial justice and social equality. Then we won't need to be blind to color, which in any case is a most morbid state of existence. Then we can embrace our history and ideals with the sort of humane balance that makes democracy more than a distant dream."

-Michael Eric Dyson

Cuteness from before the P-flap

I found this video of D from right before she had her p-flap surgery. I really have not noticed a big difference in her speech (although EVERYONE else does) but watching her here I realize how much the surgery has improved her speech. I will try to get her to perform an encore so you can see the difference. But what she lack in articulation she makes up for in cuteness and enthusiasm