Uncle Al

Alex is going to be an uncle! One of our older daughters is expecting a baby in January. Last month they sent us the baby's first picture. DH said to her "Wow, what a cute baby!"

We can't wait! We're also imagining the day when we have to explain, yes they are all ours...these two are our children, and this one is our grand-child. This coming week DD has the sonogram appointment where they should be able to tell her the gender. I can't wait to find out if I'll be busy buying more baby boy clothes, or more baby girl things. What fun!

On the China adoption front, the CCAA (official government body in China that handles all the international adoptions) announced this week that they have completed the review of all dossiers received in June, 2006. That means our dossier went through review without a single question. Completing review means we've been approved for adoption. Next step is referral. We have six and a half months of other applicants in line in front of us, so referral is likely to be still some time away. We're still hoping that it will happen in 2008.

Something to smile about

A year ago we were in the throes of waiting for the court process in Taiwan to end. We had been receiving monthly updates about Alex for five months, and were anxious for a decree that would let us fly to Taiwan and bring him home. Month after month we received photos of a very serious baby.




We wanted to see him smile. DH said it best when he said that he was anxious to have him home so we could give him something to smile about.

What a difference a year makes!

The boy is in perpetual motion, a giggle and a grin accompanying just about everything he does.

Summertime Fun

We're having fun in the summer. Here are just a few random shots from the last couple of weeks. Alex modeling his new sunglasses, which much to our surprise he leaves on his face. Alex eating his first ice cream cone. And check out the new Tonka truck. This is the biggest dump truck Tonka makes. It wasn't home 24 hours and he'd figured out he could get in it and go for a ride. He was in heaven.

Sometimes haste sends the wrong message

I love shopping at thrift stores. You never know what you're going to stumble upon, and there are some great bargains to be had. Especially when it comes to little boys toys. I found the perfect car at a thrift store last winter - big, but not too big, with wonderful large black wheels. Yes, it's turquoise and pink. And it's a Barbie car.



But I have no worries that playing with dolls will make him less of a man in the end. So after the car had been traversing the house for a few days, devoid of occupants, I whipped myself out to the garage and pulled down the huge plastic container of Barbie paraphernalia we have been moving and storing for upwards of 20 years. I had to root around for a Barbie that had all her appendages (gotta love that dog), but finally found both a Barbie and a Ken. Two new occupants for the Barbie car in hand, I rushed back into the house to demonstrate the delight of having drivers in the car. In my haste, I paid no attention to their attire, or lack there of. The point was to have somebody in the front seats of the car. He's too young to manipulate Barbie clothing, so why worry about something as trivial as clothing? In the end, Alex was unimpressed, and promptly ejected them. I tried valiantly to demonstrate the coolness of drivers and passengers (and drivers who could put their arm around the passenger...ok, Ken was a little large for the car), but he was having none of it. The car had wheels and that was all it needed as far as Alex was concerned. So Barbie, in just her little white panties , and Ken, in his fleshcolored, molded plastic briefs, have been hanging out at the bottom of the toy box for some time.

That is, until last weekend, when apparently they were rediscovered. I was away on business and Alex's big sister was visiting for the weekend. Armed with her camera. Checking my email one day, the top picture is is what greeted me. Man I wish I'd taken 10 seconds to put a shirt on that doll all those weeks ago.