Birthday Weekend

Chloe turned 6 today!  Today she woke up super excited to be 6! It has been a whole weekend full of fun events.  

We started on Friday with a movie in the park.  Chloe found a friend from School that we sat with she has made several friends and it is nice to actually meet a few of them and their parents.

Saturday morning Chloe had cheer camp, she had a blast.  She get to preform at 1/2 time in next weeks football game.  We ended up at lunch and Chloe ended up taking a much needed nap.  After nap we watched Cinderella the new one.  I am absolutely in love with that movie and I think Chloe likes it.

This was after I had to leave Costco and let Jim finish the shopping because someone needed a nap! 

She thinks Jim's old iphone should be her's it is a little amusing.

Her party was at 2 at the local pizza place.  It was just family this year which turned out to be very nice.

Jim painted this for pin the tail on Rainbow Dash, it was Awesome!

She got a ton of My Little Ponies stuff and other fun things and she has been playing ever since we got home.    

We also said goodbye to Jim's sister and her family as they will be moving to Texas for the next part of their adventure in life.  I barely made it with out crying, Ok, Chloe and I cried a little after they left.  I know we don't we each other very often especially during the summer but it has always been comforting to know they are close.  They will do well in Texas but I selfishly hope they find a reason to find their way back to Washington, soon.    

 

Busy Saturday

Yesterday, we had a pretty busy day.  No busy-ness was planned it just needed to be done.  

First off Birthday Party Maddness - We have had a few things going on lately so Chloe's Birthday party has taken a back burner.  So yesterday Chloe and I set out to plan a party.  We were able to reserve the room at the local pizza place, get some My Little Pony Birthday stuff and order a cake! Then in the lazy mom way I texted most people to let them know and created a Facebook event for the rest.  

I remember Chloe's first Birthday home it was HUGE!  I had all the decorations just perfect ordered her a special outfit, invited everyone with homemade invitations, had a menu and prepared the food, ordered balloon bouquets all several weeks in advance.  It's all gone down hill from there.  Oh well what I have learned in the end she is happy and that is all that matters.

While Chloe and I were running the errands, Jim had a project of his own.  We have a VERY small kitchen and there is really no room to store our dry food items.  So years ago we bought these armoires from Shopko to put our food in.  They have done a decent job but they were not meant to hold heavy items so after years of use they were ready to die.  We didn't feel having less than stable furniture was a good idea with a toddler coming into the house so we bought a pantry.  Like a real pantry, one that is meant to hold can goods.  

It was delivered Friday so Jim spent the day putting it in.  It was a pretty big project but we are so happy with it!

After the errands and while Jim was still working on the pantry, Chloe and I decided to re-arrange her room to make room for the crib!  It was a challenge but we did it.  I don't think you can fit any more furniture in that room but we did it!!  An added bonus Chloe likes it!  It was then my challenge to put the crib back together.  It only took 3 tries!  Jim helped with getting it out of storage and some of the more difficult furniture moves and attaching everything to the wall.  

All in all a very productive day!

Going Back

We are so excited to be going back to China.  We hope to be there in November to pick up Little Miss the Second!  Things have changed since we adopted Chloe and we can't post specific details until she is truly part of the O'Huffman clan.  However, she is already so loved we can not wait to meet this little one. The process has changed a lot too.  We have steps that we didn't have before so sometimes I feel a little lost and I'm not sure how close we really are.

Chloe is also excited about seeing China now that she will be able to remember it.  We talk about our time in China all time but now she will walk the Great Wall for herself! I am so excited for her. We get mixed reactions when people find out we are taking Chloe with us but I could not do it any other way.  Would it be an easier trip without a 6 year old, perhaps, but we can not deny her this opportunity to be a part of building our family.

I am so excited to begin the next chapter.

Laid Back Weekend

Not much happening this weekend, so we attempted to clean up the house.  That really didn't happen we kinda of made more of a mess.  Next week some time we should be getting our new pantry so all of our food is currently residing in boxes in the living room and on the kitchen table.  We destroyed one of the armoire's that was housing our dry groceries and the other one's fate is sealed just waiting for the pantry to arrive.  The armoires were not ever meant to hold heavy things such as canned goods and it showed.  They were getting a bit dangerous and if we are going to be having a toddler in the house again then we need to make sure the furniture does not fall apart on top of her.

I also made a packing list for China.  I forgot how much stuff we need to take and I had 4 years to plan the last trip.  I feel much better with a list in had we can start accumulating stuff and be ready when the call comes that we are leaving.  

Chloe went to a Birthday party for her friend from Daycare.  Her boyfriend was there, yes she has a boyfriend he is almost 4 and they are certain they are going to marry someday.  They really are great friends and I hope they stay that way for a long time.  The party was at Get Air, a local trampoline park, she loved it.  They jumped forever, Chloe was a sweaty mess but she had so much fun.  

All in all it was a good weekend.  Now I just need to figure out what to do for Chloe's Birthday in a couple weeks.  Who gave her the right to turn 6!!?  I can't believe she is going to be 6.  She loves My Little Ponies, Rainbows, School, being an anesthesiologist someday and her "boyfriend." She is just an awesome girl!  I can't wait to meet her sister and learn who she is.    

Chloe and the ladder, I think she was the only one I saw make it to the end.

Her boyfriend holding the ladder for her.  She says he has "Prince Hans Hair"  

Enjoying dodge ball 

Just because Jim and Chloe had ice cream without me last week!

Loving School

Chloe is loving school.  She only had 2 days last week and was so bummed, this week she is going all week (except Labor day) and every day she asks "Can I go back tomorrow?!"

They use a color system for behavior so green is good, yellow is a little bad, red is bad and blue is really bad.  I might be missing a color or too but you get the picture.  Apparently Chloe said something inappropriate yesterday, I am still a little confused by what was said but whatever it was the teacher decided to briefly change her color to yellow.  So we had a big talk about what happens if you come home with a naughty color.  I told her that if I ever hear that she was on red or blue she will be in bigger trouble at home.  I explained that she would loose all privileges, no TV, no desert, no Kindle or Innotab, no going to friends houses...you know the things that are supposed to make kids cringe and promise to be good.  She looked at me all serious and said "Can I still go to school?"  I told yes you will still go to school.  She smiled as big as can be and said "Well, that's ok then as long as you don't take away school"      

What are we going to do with this girl?

Impromptu Girl Time

The plan today was to clean the house.  As all great plans go things got changed.  I hurt my back in some unknown way and there was no way I was going to be able to do all the bending needed to clean.  So Chloe and I headed to the far away Wal-Mart and left Jim at home to have his own fun.  We got what we need at Wal-Mart, plus a bunch of stuff we didn't need.  Since it was lunch time and walking through the grocery section it became increasingly obvious that we were hungry we headed to Panda Express on the other side of the parking lot, Chloe's choice.  

It was a fun time to spend with my girl and I never realized it would be so educational.  They had a TV screen set up that showed pictures and facts about China.  Chloe made a list of all the cool things she wants to see when we got to China.  I believe the list included, a real panda, the Great Wall, "herbidden" City, and a Dragon dance.  She really enjoyed it and so did I.  I really can't wait to show her China.

I also worked on skirts for school for her.  We did very little school shopping this year in, trying to save money.  So I decided I have lots of fabric I will make her some skirts.  So far I have made her 5 and they are so easy.  I have also discovered a new found love of bias tape!  Makes the hem so easy and makes a great boarder, so cute. 

All the skirts.

Modeling the Rainbow Dash skirt in her best shoes!

Kindergarten

It finally happened Chloe started Kinder this week.  She is in the dual language program where she will learn Spanish along with English.  I know she will do great, I wish we lived in a better area for her to learn Chinese but any opportunity to learn a second language is amazing.

She absolutely loves it!  She was a little nervous to start but once she got there she had her backpack put away and was saying "bye mom" before I could even blink.

Her newest thing is to say guess what before she tells you anything.  She got home from her first day and she had to head straight to gymnastics I picked her up from gymnastics and she constantly chattered all the way home, then I hear "And Guess What? I want to go back tomorrow!" She is amazing!

Walking to school from Nana's with Mom