Last but not least...

Today we celebrated Declan's 9th Birthday...it was a beautiful fall day, almost more like summer with temps in the 80's! We decided to go for a walk in the resevoir that is literally just up the street from our house. Declan of course took his football, we took the dogs, Emma, and Nora with the stroller knowing that we would end up carrying her or chasing her the entire time. The foliage is not in full peak yet but it is hard not love New England on a day like today...so peaceful and picturesque (well, minus Nora's annoying habit of screeching everytime she sees a dog or wants to get out of the stroller. We found a nice quiet place to sit by the water...did I mention this is a resevoir? Yes, so this water supplies drinking water for many surrounding areas...there are very strict rules about people, dogs, things NOT GOING IN THE WATER...well, I don't think I have to set up this story too much..you guessed it, Nora playing near the water ended up with Nora running into the water, sneakers, clothes and all...I literally ran in after her shoes and all...we were very thankful that the MDC police were not making rounds at the moment Nora decided to take a dip! The dogs were very jealous that they did not get a chance to break the rules today! So, we took a sopping wet two year old back to the car, all of that swimming must of have worn her out because she fell asleep in her stroller on the way back...not much phases this child. Getting ready to have cake with Gramma and Buddy and then our fall birthday fests are officially over...I guess it's time to think about Christmas! K

Birthdays...

So I have been really bad at keeping up with this blog...we have four fall birthdays in this family, three within days and weeks of one another and it is just an insane time of year...I actually prefer Christmas craziness! Our oldest Emma turned 14, Owen turned 11, Nora turned two and Declan turns 9 in one week...phewwww!!

I feel like we have been on a never ending roller coaster since Sept 1st, but we are slowly getting into a groove here. Once again I am amazed at how well my older children have adapted to so much change in their lives...as I am typing this the boys are taking Nora for a walk and selling pies for a school fundraiser ( I am getting more creative with how I incorporate some mommy time for me!!) They are such a big help to me and I am continually amazed at their patience and understanding on days when mine has all but run out.

Nora turned two on the 21st, we had a very small family celebration with her favorite ice cream cake and she seemed to love being the center of attention for the day (or every day for that matter...). We are still working on some very basic behaviors, she is still a non stop child, running, climbing, jumping, swinging...really, anything that she can figure out to do she will. I love this quality in her but it is downright exhausting on most days!!

I hope to be better in keeping up with the blog but in all honesty it is getting harder and harder to carve out the time...
Adding some pics of birthdays...Oh, Declan is going toa NY GIANTS football game for his birthday so he is one lucky boy!

K

It's almost time for school...

can you hear the excitement in my voice?? Honestly, I have such mixed emotions as I am sure my kids do about starting back to school...This year I will have three at three different school, three different starting and stopping times, bus stop times, schedules..oh my..I hope I can keep my head on straight. This is a big year for E and O, freshman in highschool and starting middle school, I am looking forward to all the new opportunites that will be opened up for them but a part of me is sad that they are growing up, so fast..too fast.

I am going to miss watching Owen and Declan walk to the bus stop together every morning, they are so different,..we call them Felix and Oscar...but they watch out for one another, one runs and one walks to the bus stop, one with his hair combed perfectly, the other one barely dressed...this year they will all be on their own but hopefully they will always know the comfort in having a sibling to turn to.

Tomorrow we are going to head to the beach one last time to soak up what is left of summer...here's to a great year ahead.
Stay tuned for First Day Pictures!! I posted a few of my favorite First Day of School pictures over the years...sniff sniff.

Blog From The Eldest Daughter

It seems like just yesterday she was sitting in a hotel room, and now she is humming a song below me in the kitchen. I take that back, it does not seem like just yesterday...to many tears,tantrums, laughter and m&ms have gone into this. Throughout the summer my parents and I would say to each other, "Today we were on the plane," "Today was the day you got caught in the door," "Today we discovered that really good mandu place," "Today was the day we met Nora,"

When we met Nora, we were all so nervous. My Dad had foolishly worn a long sleeve jacket and long pants, and I had spilled on the dress I was supposed to wear, so I wore a different one. My dad and I sat on the hotel room bed watching the travel channel while my mom buzzed around the hotel room, cleaning and getting ready. At one point she made me go upstairs to the lobby to acquire some scissors to cut wrapping paper with. When the time came, we were so nervous. We climbed into the cab, and the drive seemed to take so long. I actually think it was only 15 min. But for us that seemed like a hour. The people on the street walked around, selling food and rushing to work. The building was small and squished between others, but that didn't matter it was our doorway to Nora, the pathway to what would soon be ours. Now, one year later, she is ours. Or, I should say....We are hers. We gave her a home, and she gave us laughter and the gift of patience. For years she was a name, a photo. We could say "one day Nora will be eating Easter dinner here" But she wasn't there. We couldn't stroke her hair or kiss her "boo boos" When she came to us, she completed us. Now she runs through the kitchen, her feet so loud you can hear them in the upstairs. You can hear her screaming for the dogs to come (probably so she can try to wrestle them) and you can hear her babbling on the phone to some poor telemarketer. We are family.

I love you Nora. You little troublemaker.

Almost Two, but showing you FIVE...

24

In one month Nora will turn two!! Posting 24 facts because I don't want to forget what she was like at two..

1. Favorite word..No
2. Calls Steve "my Dad."
3. Loves Elmo and Curious George
4. I am "Mom Mom"
5. Drinks anything and everything
6. addicted to my ipad
7. loves her soft blanket that I sent to her in Korea
8. first word "dog"
9. second word "m&m's"
10. gave up her crib months ago
11. says "one, two, three" when jumping off the bed, the stairs, a chair...really anything she can climb.
12. Loves gum.
13. calls my mom "Gaga." as in Lady Gaga.
14. loves to climb and climb and climb
15. LOVES her brothers and sister
16. prefers my lipgloss to her chapstick
17. hates to have her hair combed
18. loves to play in the kitchen sink
19. helps herself to the ice cream in the freezer
20. cannot walk past a dog without petting it
21. rubs my face before falling asleep
22. fascinated with buckles
23. hates her diapers
24. has started to say "i love you."

One Year with Nora...

I haven't posted anything since the end of the school year...I wanted some time to just enjoy the summer, my children and life without wake up calls and schedules...but today as I was putting Nora down for a nap and watching her drift off I realized that I need to write a post about our first year home with her...So many emotions, so many moments of joy, frustration, giggles, tears, and triumphs...difficult to capture in words.

We are adjusting every day, we are learning what it's like to be a family of six, to share, to brush off hurt feelings, to miss nights of tucking in and reading to my boys, to go to bed before my 14 year old because I am just so tired...to realize that it will be close to another 10 years before we have a weekend get a way!! Despite all of those challenges we have the amazing priviledge to be this childs mom and dad, I have learned so much from this past year...I have watched my children become wonderful big siblings, they have changed diapers, shared toys, entertained Nora for endless hours, played hide and seek and chase, delighted in her accomplishments, and shared in her many "firsts" with us. In all of the confusion of life they have been my constant, they have taught me what it means to keep going, to turn the cheek and wake up with a new attitude the following day. I thought I had prepared myself for the challenges of adoption but it is more complicated on somedays then I could ever explain...but they underdstand and I am thankful for those moments.

Nora is a busy, determined, funny, curious little girl...growing up before our eyes and we love her with all of our hearts...

We had a great family day together at the beach, we shared one pizza on the beach and it wasn't enough for everyone...Nora finally decided she liked pizza! Life is never what we expect...

K