Nothing extraordinary... just life with the girls

Cowgirl Frances at a western-themed birthday party...

Frances is horse crazy these days. Hopefully she will have some opportunities to ride a horse this summer. We have a friend who owns a horse, out in Norco, and she has offered to let Frances spend time at the stables with her. We have been there once, and Frances was able to help groom Zena & give her treats for doing tricks, as well as to sit atop Diesel, the biggest horse we have ever seen.

Abby is learning to use the potty. Anything Frances can do, Abigail is determined to learn to do!

Nothing tremendously new or exciting here, but I thought that I should update the blog. Frances and Abigail are learning to play with each other a little more these days. Fran is starting to be more quiet and gentle with Abby, and Abby is becoming more accepting of her sister's overtures. Abigail is starting to become slightly interested in TV (probably because Frances likes it so much). Frances is limited to 12 hours of TV per week! Frances has started helping around the house lately, perhaps to be more of a "big girl." She helps me roll the big trash cans out to the curb, and helps bring them up beside the house the next day. She washes her own hair, and wants to take showers occasionally instead of baths. Yesterday, I needed to use the bathroom without an audience. Whenever I shut the bathroom door, Abigail gets really upset if she is on the outside! I asked Frances if she could entertain her sister for a minute, or at least keep her safe while she pitched a fit! When I came out of the bathroom, Fran and Abby were in Abigail's room, playing quietly. I gave Frances a dollar for a job well done.

We've just been going to school and work, an occasional birthday party, waiting for spring break and summer vacation. Frances' school and mine do not have the same spring break. Oh well.

This was another party, with a jungle theme. The children could have their faces painted to look like jungle animals (Frances chose a polar bear...?). Fran won a "roaring contest."


The jungle party favors included magnifying glasses. Abigail was not quite sure how to use hers...

My girl loves to experience food to the fullest...

We had pizza last night, and at the end of the meal when I was going to clean Abigail up and get her out of the high chair, I had to take some pictures! I have never seen her get soooo into a food before! For this tidy mom, it was truly a Kodak moment. The pictures don't really do it justice, because they are a little washed out. Abigail was totally covered in tomato sauce. Frances and I were laughing our heads off, and I told Frances that I have a picture of her at this same age, looking just like this!

Abby's picture day

I recently had to take a day off work (no childcare available that day) so I decided to take Abigail to the mall to have pictures taken. Frances was the "most photographed child in America" when she was little, so I thought that I had better help Abigail catch up! I put her in a ladybug dress that I had bought in Guangzhou. While we were waiting for the portraits to be printed up, we walked around in the mall. Abigail was wearing her "squeaky shoes," a requisite purchase for most families adopting from China. There is a squeaker in each heel, and Abigail is so happy when she wears them! She can't say "squeaky," so she calls the shoes "fifis."

A Day at Knott's with the Waite family

On Saturday, March 7th, Fran's buddy Colby (and his family) brought us with them to Knott's Berry Farm. It is strange for me to let Frances be a "big kid" and go on the big rides with her friends, but as she grows up, I am going to start having to let go. Sigh... I did go with her on Ghostrider and Boomerang. One of her favorite things was the swings. She likes to close her eyes, fling her arms out to the sides, and enjoy the sensation of flying!


As many of you adults will remember, planning your day at an amusement park is serious business. Here, Frances and Colby take an ice-cream break, and carefully consider which rides to do next. Frances was tall enough for many of the really cool rides, but was bitterly disappointed that she was too short to go on Silver Bullet with the other "big" kids.


Abigail had a fun day too, going on several rides (including the Log Ride, which she did not care for!) and just taking in all the sights and sounds.

Here are Frances and Colby, eagerly awaiting the "train robbers" while riding the big steam train.

Abby the Candy Bandit!

This morning, while the sitter was on the phone, Abigail and 2-year-old Mya crept into the kitchen...
When Amy hung up the phone, she found the girls at the kitchen table, eating candy as fast as they could! They had munched down a Snickers bar, red licorice, and I'm not sure what else! No photo evidence of this one, sorry!