"No matter how motherhood comes to you, it is a blessing."
Maeve's Fashion Style
Around November of 2009, Maeve decided she could dress herself all by herself in the morning and did not need any "advice" from Mommy. This decision prompted some interesting clothing choices. Usually she dressed herself in some variation of pink and "Dora", but sometimes her mood took her elsewhere and we ended up with some very creative dressing options, such as the one to the left.
This look to the left was composed of her shorts & shirt, knee high Valentines Day socks and her water shoes. Needless to say, we turned
a few heads while we were out and about that day, but who am I to stifle the artist within. :)
Other days we end up with more normal looking outfits, such as the one to the right.
But a clear favorite and worn many times throughout the month of November was her Halloween costume. Here she accessorized with eyeshadow, just like Mommy (as she told me...hmm, maybe it's time for a makeover.)
We did wash off the make up before we left for our Saturday errands and my little fairy and I had a wonderful day.
Time to get up to date on this...
It has been awhile and so much has happened in the past year, so here are some of the highlights. I'll start with October 2009...
- Vacation in Michigan for the big Hayride party at our cousin's house. We also had plenty of quality time with Grandma & Grandpa and lots of play time with all the cousins.
Of course...still "Tooning" with Grandpa.
Grandpa's "Hayride". They loved it!
Grandpa and his grandkids.
Spending time with Grandma doing something they both love...reading.
All the cousins at the Hay Ride Party.
Then back home and on to all the other activities planned for October.
Lots of fun at the company picnic...
Later in the month, we went to the "Movie in the Park" showing. Can you guess which movie? :
Halloween at last! Maeve was a fairy with a really nice costume from "The Children's Place". She loved it!
Webster's Definition of "Spoiled"
According to www.merriam-webster.com, the definition for "spoil" or the inflected form "spoiled" is as follows,
a : to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise b : to pamper excessively
Let's see if this definition fits Maeve...
This past Sunday, I woke up at 7:30am to a three year old poking me and hollering, "Wake Up MOMMY!" in my ear. (My little angel had actually let me sleep in a hour past my normal wake up of 6:30am. No spoiling there, just a generosity of soul that recognized Mommy needed a little extra sleep that morning.) Next, after a quick breakfast, a certain small person convinced me a trip to the pool was just what we needed. Something about asking the same question, "Mommy, go swim?", fifty different ways has a certain persuasive aspect to it. Off we went for the next hour or so. (With my best interests still at heart, my little angel realized I might need a little refreshing and the ice cold water was just the trick.) Then it was back home, where the little general graciously allowed me time to do the yard work and a few household chores. (My angelic cherub even grudgingly picked up almost half the mess she had made with her toys in the living room.) Shortly into the afternoon, my little angel, decided she didn't have time for a nap, when the world was desperately in need of a princess and in her big pink foo-foo dress, complete with crown she certainly fit the bill. So, sans the nap, but with global peace and an environmental campaign to save the rain forest in mind, Maeve headed off to the local grocery store with me.
At the store, Maeve became a little cranky (now who can blame her, after all saving the rain forest can cause some stress in a three year old), so Mommy resorted to her tried and true method of offering her a treat to eat while in the store. "Do you want some cake?" I asked, meaning a plain cake donut that has satisfied her during past trips. But this trip to the store didn't include regular Maeve, this was mighty Princess Maeve who was on a quest for global peace and rain forest restoration. This Maeve quickly located and insisted on having a 1/4 chocolate sheet cake decorated with various flowers and trim. A cake that was not complete until three ballerinas and a fanciful "Maeve" was added to it.
Now, I could have said "No", but it wasn't truly spoiling. After all, Maeve did recognize that Mommy was a little tired and what better to fix that, then a quick sugar fix. Plus Maeve knows Mommy loves chocolate too. Besides, who can say "No" to the mighty Princess Maeve, promoter of world peace and champion of the rain forest!
Happy Birthday to Me!
It was a busy & exciting day today. I took the day off from work and Maeve and I headed off to Court first thing this morning for an 8:30am court appearance. Now before anyone thinks Maeve has busted me out & they are sending me to the big house for forcing her to go to swim lessons, think again. I simply finally filed for her re-adoption in our state and today they finalized it...again. I say again, because the adoption was finalized and legally recognized two and a half years ago when Maeve first came home, but every state differs in how the parents obtain a modified birth certificate. It is not necessary (I have the Chinese one), but it is convenient and a nice thing to have later in life when it is needed (signing up for Little League, etc.) Now, while some states just require you to turn in copies of the finalized adoption paperwork & presto bingo, the new birth certificate is mailed to you automatically, my state requires that I go through the "re-adoption" process. Basically, a whole lot of paperwork, $20 fee and a court date.
So off to court we went this morning. My choice of attire was dictated by my desire to look least like a felon (not that my wardrobe has any items that resemble that I hope, but my initial trip to the court house to file the needed documents had exposed me to the wide variety of clothing choices that people make when they appear in court. I now see why judges lose patience and the jails are full.) Maeve, I dressed for maximum cuteness, pink dress, high pony tails, huge flower hair pretties. This was deliberate on my part, not for the picture I wanted when we were done, but for the mayhem my very active child was bound to cause. We arrived in plenty of time and waited with the rest of the folks outside the court room. There were three adoption cases, including ours, and a bunch of misdemeanor cases. Maeve & I were first and headed back to the judges chambers. Maeve greeted the solemnity of the proceedings by jumping up and down on two of the judge's very plush chairs, then moving to the sofa for more bouncing enjoyment. Meanwhile, I'm trying to answer the questions, keep her under control and pray silently that he doesn't kick us out. I thought I was in for it, when Maeve hid behind me and kept jumping out and hollering, "Peek-A-Boo" at the top of her lungs at the judge. I was picturing contempt proceedings and I don't even know what contempt proceedings truly are, but the judge & his clerk just smiled and were actually completely amused and entertained by her antics. (Maximum cuteness dressing strategy pays off again. I use it for the airport too.)
After all that, we got our picture (now Maeve played shy) and headed back into court to wait for the paperwork to be finalized by one of the clerks. Meanwhile the judge came out and started to hear cases. Thankfully, he turned a deaf ear to the ruckus that Maeve was causing (where are those nice rooms, like they have at church when you need them.) I did feel very fortunate, because while waiting I watched both of the other adoption requests go south. Both were family adoptions (someone within the family was trying to adopt the child out of foster care), but not all the requirements had been met and each petition was denied at that point. Even though the judge handled it very nicely, it was heart breaking to watch. Also hard to watch was when the court officer explained to all the misdemeanor folks their options on paying their fines. It didn't really catch my attention, until he came to the part where he told them that if they couldn't afford to pay the fine (out of work, etc.) they could do the jail time. The officer was very nice about this, not an ounce of judgement in his tone, just explaining the options. Glancing around, I realized by the looks in a few faces that jail time was a real option for some. That was very sad. Needless to say, I was happy & relieved to leave. I always knew that Maeve & I were fortunate & blessed, but sometimes it really drives home.
After that, what was a good Mom to do on her birthday, but drop Maeve off at the babysitter and head out to see a movie on her own. Yeeesssss!!! A movie without animation, 3D glasses, six trips to the bathroom (4 of them false alarms), and I could eat all of my own popcorn. Such heaven is normally only dreamed of, never actually experienced. :) But that's not the end of it, then I went shopping, leisurely shopping (no rushing around to get everything done before a toddler's patience wears thin) and even took in a class at my beloved Apple store.
It was heaven, but then it was over and time to go home to take Maeve to swimming lessons. Still continues to be the longest 30 minutes of my life, but we are making headway and I'll update more in a later post. The funniest part of the day happened after swim class, while Maeve was splashing around in the baby pool. She had met a little girl, her own age and they were having a great time playing and splashing with each other. I was sitting next to her Mother and the Dad with the brother was nearby too. Just so you have the complete picture, there is me, completely freckled caucasian, my asian daughter, her new hispanic friend, and the hispanic parents all at the baby pool. A woman and her son walk up and the little boy joins in the fun with the girls. I caught the woman closely observing the girls and glancing up at me. I knew something was coming, but wasn't ready for when she asked me, "Are they twins??". I don't know what surprised me more, the question of twins or the assumption that I was the Mom of both and not the other gal. I'm also not sure who was more surprised, me or the other Mom. I just stated that they were not and pointed to the other Mom...right next to me. Just the right funny ending to top off a really good day.
Below, I have scanned in the birthday card my parents sent to me. Dad handcrafts all of our cards on one of his programs, but you can always count on Mom to add her own personal touch.
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Maeve's Revenge
Meany Mommy has been making Maeve go swim lessons. Even worse, I have already signed us up for the August session. What's a toddler to do you ask? Silly question. Plot revenge of course!First patiently wait for the perfect opportunity. Yes, Sunday night is presenting nicely as the time Mommy is at her weakest. Poor Mommy spent all day doing yard work, laundry and assorted chores, while playing with Maeve and even taking her to the pool in the afternoon (the kiddy pool nearby, no swim lessons.) Maeve, making secret observations, notes that Mommy is pretty tired, well, actually exhausted is more the word by the time 8pm rolls around. Next step is to go to bed with minimal fuss. Must set herself up as sweet angel child. Then simply lie in wait, biding her time, she waits for the perfect moment to strike.
She hears Mommy complete some more chores and finish her prep for the coming week. Then she hears Mommy go to bed. Even though, she knows Mommy probably fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, she waits a hour to make sure Mommy has hit the deepest point of sleep possible....then she STRIKES!
Maeve (poking Mommy's face): "Mommy, Wake UP!!!"
Mommy (very groggily): "Huh? What's wrong? Why are you up?"
Maeve (wide awake with a big smile): "Mommy, Go downstairs?"
Mommy: "No, go back to bed."
Maeve: "Mommy, I hungry. I have snack?"
Mommy: "No, go back to bed."
Maeve: "Juice?"
Mommy: "No, please go back to bed."
Maeve: "Milk?"
Mommy: "Maeve, in the morning. Now you have to go back to bed."
Maeve: "Water?"
Now, groggy Mommy realizes that a game is afoot. She had made sure that Maeve had a full sippy of water prior to going to bed. Meanwhile, Maeve climbs up in Mommy's bed and proceeds to roll over her, ensuring every elbow and knee is well placed.
Maeve (grinning like a mad woman): "Hi Mommy! Read book?"
Well, you can see where this is going. Maeve kept me up, on and off, for at least two hours. If I happened to doze off, there was the helpful poking in the face until I woke back up. If I put her in her room, a small tantrum ensued (which I ignored), only to result in her coming back into my room when I dozed off. Needless to say, I am heading off to work completely exhausted, while "you know who" is peacefully sleeping, catching up on all her beauty sleep.
Has Mommy learned her lesson? Hmm...I don't know, but I've heard swim lessons have been extended into September.
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Ni Hao!!
Just a quick update...have go to work.
Here is a picture of one sleepy Maeve (just up from her nap) with her new Kai-Lan doll, cell phone, Dora sippy & Dora shoes. The doll is new and she loves it. Yesterday's constant chant was "Ni Hao! Ni Hao!" (chinese for Hello), because after all it is Kai Lan from "Ni Hao Kai Lan" on Nick Jr. I saw the Target ad for all the Kai Lan items and showed it to Maeve. She literally freaked out when I asked her if she wanted to get a Kai Lan dolly. "Yes Yes Yes!!!" So, off to Target we went and one short trip later, we ended up with a Kai Lan doll, a Kai Lan game & a new toy cell phone, that she picked up and chatted on the whole time we were in Target...I couldn't resist getting it.
The doll also came with a Kai Lan necklace. She doesn't have it on in the picture, but it is a favorite too and she wore it most of the day.
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