We found her kryptonite.

Turns out the fearless tiger has a weakness! Beside the fact that she is only 20 months, she has a ,surprise surprise, fear of inchworms! When confronted with one, she runs behind anyone close to her legs.

Here's to YOU Owen.

"Well, it's really happening mom..."

Those were the words that my ten year old greeted me with when he handed me the pile of permission slips that accompany the 5th grade celebration/graduation ceremony. So, I remember getting an autograph book and maybe a cupcake when I left 5th grade, ( I know, I am sounding old...) my 5th grader will get to go out to breakfast with the entire 5th grade class, followed by a bowling party, followed by a 5th grade Continuation Ceremony at school, followed by lots of tears from his mom. For some reason it just doesn't seem possible that I will have a daughter entering highschool and one son beginning middle school...it really hit me last night when Owen gave me all those papers to sign that he is growing up....for so long I have always thought of him as still "five." He was my easiest baby, always happy, always smiling, so content...and the chubbiest cheeks you have ever seen in your life...well now he still has a smile that melts your heart but there is also a little glimpse of some fuzz above his upper lip and those cheeks have slimmed down and he is no longer the five year old boy in my mind, but always in my heart.

Our family has definitely grown this past year, and not in just a physical sense with the addtion of Nora...I have witnessed growth in my children beyond what I could have imagined before we brought Nora home. Owen, especially has really become his own person, he is able to overcome some of his biggest obstacles and continues to do it with that endearing smile of his...which is sure to get him out of alot of trouble someday...or so he thinks! My biggest hope is that middle school will give Owen an opportunity to spread his wings and not just fly but take off!! He has so much to offer his classmates and his teachers, there is something inside that child just waiting to be discovered....there is no doubt in my mind that he will live his life with purpose.

And in case you are reading this Emma...yes, I will write a post about you going to highschool too!! (but I can only handle one kid at a time!!)

Here are some pictures of Owen that make my heart burst with happiness.
K

Nora and Her Sweet Tooth

Nora has an incredible sweet tooth, the first day with her in South Korea, she had a entire mint chocolate chip ice cream bowl. Everyday she cries out for cookies and bangs on our cabinet where the cookies are kept. She just licks out the cream centers of oreos, and with M&Ms with fillings she eats the chocolate part and then spits out the filling and play with it in her hand. Doughnut are no exception, she licks off the filling and sprinkles and then plays with the doughnuts. Do you have a sweet tooth or do your kids? Nora gives her sticky kisses.

Home 9 months.

Nora has been with us over 9 months now and I think we are finally starting to see who this child truly is...a wise woman once told me that when she is with us longer than she was with her foster family is when it will TRULY begin to feel real...I think of Nora's foster family all the time and how much they gave to her in 10 months and it always brings me back to that moment when we met them and had to walk away with Nora in our arms. Nora has so many facets to her start in life, her birth mom, her foster family and now her forever family...it is overwhelming to think of the day when she is going to ask the tough questions, I hope I will do my best to honor them all.

I know in my heart that when Nora kisses me now that they are true genuine kisses and when she has her tough moments and takes it out on me it's because somewhere inside that little heart she is missing someone or something..and a part of her always will. I love when she calls for me, "momma" I love when those little fingers wrap around mine when I kiss her goodnight, I am hopeful that everyday we are turning a brighter corner with our attachment.

I came across this quote about adoption and I think it is the most meaningful one I have ever read...it is exactly how I feel, now and forever.

"She is mine in a way that she will never be hers, yet she is hers in a way that she will never be mine, and so together, we are motherhood." Desha Wood.

Answer Honest.

How much of your relationship is based on appearance? With your spouse, friends, even your parents and children? The other night, my mom made me watch a 20/20 with her, and I don't know if anybody else caught it, but the story was about a mother and wife who was in a fatal plane crash with her husband and family friend, which ended in a fire in the plane, and then caught onto a pile of logs near the plane. Anyway, long story short(er), she had about 60-70% of her body burned or something, and was in a coma for about 3 months, and doctors had to reconstruct her entire face structure, and her arms, and legs were very severely burned. This was about 2-3 years ago, and since then, she has been to numerous surgeries and laser treatments, but at first, even her children were afraid of her. When they first had gone to met her, they had refused to go in. Her 18 month old didn't even know who she was. But this got me thinking, it might be because they repeated this a million times during the program, how much of our daily relationships are based after our appearance? Because, I wether people ask it straight out or just give wary eyes, Nora and I don't look similar. But I don't think it's stopped us from being sisters. We will always look different, always. And one day she'll probably want to talk about this, and nowadays sometimes I think that she knows it. Actually, I know that she knows this, because she's a smart cookie. But this doesn't stop her from running, jumping, tickling, kissing and playing with me. Just like it doesn't stop those kids from loving and playing with their own mum.

-Emma

(p.s. Link to Stephanie's amazing blog, where you can read her full story and probably more accurate one- http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

The Nanny Cam.

Edited to add that this was posted by Emma:) I would never leave Nora alone while I used the bathroom...:) lol.

Me and my Dad.

Steve has been traveling this week and last night after another delayed flight he arrived home very late...I think Nora was probably a bit confused when she woke up crying at 3am and he went in to comfort her instead of me...but that's why he is such a great dad, letting me have a night off!!

We have been visiting the farm down the street almost every day for the past month, Nora really seems to love petting and "chasing" the ducks...shhh...lots of very nice reminders not to do that but she can't read the signs yet:) Nora is still struggling a bit with her speech but she actually said "animals" the other day when we pulled into the farm which is very exciting! A three syllable word!! Yeah! So, today after some bloodwork that she had to have and alot of awful screams, we took her to the farm to visit the pigs, and lambs, and goats...she found two little red benches that she loved to sit on so I snuck a picture in of Nora and Steve on the bench...

I look at her in her little pigtails and her red shoes and can't believe somedays that this spirited, feisty, adorable little one is all ours...so thankful she is.

K

Cousins.

Today we celebrated Declan's First Holy Communion. The sun was shining and so was Declan! We had such a nice day with our family, my parents were surrounded by all 12 of their grandchildren and my sisters and my niece and nephews...you really cannot ask for more. I love that my children are growing up with so many cousins, despite the distance we all make an effort to be there for the really special days and they just seem to pick up where they left off, whether it was last summer on the beach or opening Christmas presents all of them share a special bond that will carry them through their lives.

Nora is too young to realize it right now but she has an amazing group of cousins...I love them all.

So thank you to Jameson, Griffin, Kieran, Aidan, Colin, Adam, Ben and Grace, Emma, and Owen for being there for Declan today.

(and thank you to my husband who took 11 of them to play Laser Tag!)

K