More funny moments

We've had some really funny things happen - this morning was the one that really cracked me up!
Eb, Graham and I are mucking around at wake up time and somehow something came up (between Eb and Daddy) about 'lady'. Daddy decided to explain to Eb that Mummy is a lady and yep! she said it .... that's not a lady...that's my mummy! I couldn't believe she said it...but she did!

Eb also hates being restricted in any way (never used to be a problem) so as soon as she gets in her car seat she starts....'too squishy'. Well yesterday, when we were on our way to Wangaratta for her to see the dentist we hear this voice from the back say 'I'm uncomfortable Mummy'! Can you believe. Something happened when Eb turned 4 - all of a sudden words of all kinds are coming!

Birthday fun

What a wonderful day for my darling little four year old!
She had an absolute ball.
I was up early making the cake...and I loved doing it as usual...and was very happy with it!

We left home about 11 and did a few things in Albury, had lunch at Cafe Borella and then checked-in to our Motel. The fun really started there as the photo's will show! My brother, sister-in-law and their 2 daughters Beccy (6) and Lizzie (4) are joining us for the party and back at the Motel for the night, so we got a family room which has a queen bed in a separate room and 4 single beds in the main area - well Eb decided it was great fun to jump between the beds!








Then it was off to 'Rumble Tumble's' in Albury for fun, fun, fun! As you can see, Eb thoroughly enjoyed her time at the play centre. I think the words say much more than I could!


Eb and her friend "Kai' from Kinder

A big kid and a little one!...







...the final cake presentation!



...now which cake will I pick!?!



...pressie excitement....

ok Mummy, it's time for more play..now more pressies for now!!!




Then we went back to the Motel where Mark/Bern/Beccy and Lizzie presented Eb with their present to her....a beautiful dark haired, dark eyed doll. Lizzie has one and Eb is ALWAYS wanting it!.....now she has her own :)

Then it was out for dinner at the Commercial Club in Albury where Lizzie and Eb danced the night away!






It was such a fun day - I didn't want it to end....and either did Eb or the girls! It was very hard getting them all of to sleep but we managed it by about 9. Then we were all exhausted and went to bed...ah well, tomorrow's another day!

4th birthday fun...peacocks no fun!

Today has been an amazing day. Amazing mostly because of the changes I see in my little girl in comparison to last year. I can't get over how well she is communicating now that she can use her words better. She was quite 'shy' when we first went in to her room this morning and she didn't remember it was her birthday! When I finally said to her 'why is today really special'? she kinda twigged and with some prompting said 'my birthday'! I said what do you get on birthdays - expecting 'presents' but she said 'lollies'!!!!! Typical!

Being a bit coy when we went in!


Talking to Nana (my mum) before presents are even open!


Our present to Eb...


We didn't get home from Melbourne until 12.15 AM this morning - so I was glad she didn't wake until about 7.45 and as a result I decided she needed a sleep. We had an 'incident'. I was cooking and Eb was on the bar stool watching me when I saw a Peacock from next door outside our door on the deck...


I was amazed but my amazement made Eb look around and she just totally freaked! She launched out of her chair and ended up hysterical on the floor. I picked her up and soothed her and then headed out to check out the Peacock. It got itself in a position where there was no way out so I had to 'help' it. Eb was still really concerned and in floods of tears but at least I was able to get the (usually welcome) Peacock to fly down of the deck. Here's how Eb felt about it!


I was then very easily able to put her down at about 11.30 while I cooked and iced cupcakes and she slept all the way until about 2 - it was great because it put her in a much better place for her 'party'. (here's my Angel sleeping peacefully...in our bed! with her snugly and her 'Somersault' baby!).



Because we're having a party at an indoor play centre in Albury on Saturday I didn't want to do too much today, so we invited Tanya and 5 month old Austin and Tanya with 2yo Stella (who Eb gets on very well with) and little Eve who is only 4 weeks old. My special friend Christine also came along. The party started at 3pm and it was all action stations for Eb and Stella - they were desperate to get into the cake, but I needed to wait for Daddy to get home! Eb opened presents (and immediately wanted to share them!) which was so sweet. Finally Daddy arrived home and the girls were into it. It is such joy for me to watch Eb enjoy her special day. We had a ball.

A pair of beautiful bathers from Tanya, Ben and Austin

A guitar from Stella (and Tanya, Gav and Eve) and a gorgeous apron and spade from Christine, Alistair, Hayden, Jordy and Lachy....


Cake #1

Blowing out the candles...

Doctor's set from Aunty Di, Uncle Lyndon, Jess, Chris and Renee...

making sure the Dr's set works!!!

Guitar in action...

Gotta love those bathers! fashion parade :-)


We had guests arrive for the B&B just as it all ended (which was kinda lucky really) and then it was a quiet night....with a few more pressies before a shared cupcake..and bed!
Eb was so blessed with beautiful pressies. Because we got home in the early hours of the morning we weren't able to check the PO box and therefore there weren't many pressies in the morning - but she didn't care at all. She would have been happy with what she had then! (not sure it will be the same next year!!!!).
We gave her a battery operated car which she experienced in Sydney when we stayed with our friend Daniel, Vicki and little Stephanie Ming. Eb loved it and I was lucky enough to pick one up at the Target toy sale.

Four years old today

and what do I love about you?....
I love.....
the whole 102 cm's of you
the whole 15.8kg's of you
the fact that your first words in the morning are 'mummy'.... or 'my mummy'
the way you hug me with both arms first thing in the morning when I go into you
how you still don't get out of bed without me getting you out
the many precious, childlike questions you ask
your gorgeous, deep brown eyes
the beautiful raven black hair that frames the beautiful face I've come to know and love
your appetite to learn...and to eat
the way you bring me 'flowers'...even if they are weeds at time - I don't care, it's the thought
the way you fall asleep...still so much the same as 2 years 8 months ago - only without the grief

....you still 'purse' your lips and do the sweet suckling motion you did way back then
if you're sleeping in the car, you hair falls over your beautiful face and you toss from side to side and inevitably you wake disturbed

your gorgeous round face
your near perfect teeth
your chubby little fingers
the feel of your breath on my cheek
your teardrops on my fingers as I wipe them away
your amazing and beautiful inner beauty
your smile - that one that lights up even the dullest days
the fact that there are very few dull days these days
the companionship I have with you
the feeling when you wrap your tiny little fingers around mine
your anticipation leading up to your birthday
how much you love cooking with me....and eating the cooking!
how much you anticipate mealtimes...and then can't decide what you want!
how you line up the breakfast options...and milk/yoghurt if I'm in the shower
how you still don't want to be away from me on kinder mornings
how your are starting to want to dress a certain way or in a certain colour...or shoes!
how you love being active and can easily walk/ride a lap of the lake...with the playground thrown in

how you call the playground...'playgroup'
how you tell me 'I love you' without prompting now
how you say 'thank you for my...dinner/play/walk....or quiet time!'
how you love to watch 'Mama Mia' and 'The Sound of Music'
the way you play 'rumble in the jungle' with your Daddy
the way you are starting to 'reason' with me
the way you are starting to show real signs of fear and being scared (of 'things'...the dark)
the way you can now show me when your feeling have been hurt
your 'coy' look that appears so often
the funny laugh you have at the moment that I can't possibly put into words!
your enthusiasm for life
the way you sing your way through a day...something even people comment on when we're out shopping - they can't believe how happy and sweet you are singing your heart out in the trolley

So - so many ways - and I know there are more.

My little girl has now really appeared...nothing to show of my baby and little of my toddler - now a beautiful, happy, spirited and loving little girl.
As a mummy - what more could I ever, ever ask for?
Enjoy your day sweet child - I love you more than even these words could really express.

Somewhere in China.....

......there is a woman who I owe so very much to.
Today is the day she gave birth to a beautiful little girl - all approx. 7.7lbs (3.5kgs) and 50cms of her.
How does she feel today? I owe so much to this woman who is nameless and faceless.
Tears overflow onto my cheeks as I think of the pain she went though to bring this darling baby girl into the world. Did she know before Ebony was born that she would have to give her up - or was it Ebony's sex that determined her fate? Does she still grieve her today.... or does she live in a world where a calendar doesn't even exist? My heart so desperately wants to believe that she does grieve....but I will never know the answer....and either will my precious daughter. All I do know is that I am .... and always will be ..... grateful for her sacrifice. Grateful that she chose to give my darling little girl a life. I know that, if she does think of her today, she must wonder where she is and there is no way on this earth that I can let her know that her little baby girl is completely safe, completely loved and deeply cherished.
What an experience adoption is. The emotions it brings with it...especially on days like today are almost too difficult to put into words.
Thank you special 'China Mummy' - from a depth in my heart and my soul that really knows no bounds - I am forever grateful and humbled beyond measure for the gift you have given me...and for the child that my Lord chose for me.
Happy Forth birthday sweet daughter of mine. You are my sunshine...........

A funny moment....

We went into Albury to look for a new bed for the B&B.
One of the places we visited was Harvey Norman and Eb remembered that they had balloons the last time we were there. Well - they had them again, but this time we had to kinda walk out of there with one that we weren't offered...the things you do for children! I'm sure they wouldn't mind!....and I would have asked except that everyone was busy and I couldn't get anyone's attention!
...anyway - we had a few places to visit and the balloon was a 'gas' balloon, so if Eb let go it would be gone - so we decided to put it in the car.
Well - we went and did more shopping and then headed back to the car to deposit our purchases. Eb was busy try to get herself in the car when we heard this 'oh no'.... in a very, very distressed voice. We both thought she had hurt herself and went running around to where she was to try and find out what was wrong. It took a few seconds before she finally told us - through her sobs - that her balloon was gone! It must have gone out her door when she opened it. She was heartbroken in a way I've never heard before. Another move toward realization and understanding...in a kind of sad way.

What has been so funny is that I told her it had gone up to heaven and that Jesus would look after it for her- well! you have no idea how often she has asked if her balloon is safe with Jesus! Out of the blue she will ask - it's so sweet!

Meet.......

The beautiful and very cute...Somersault!
Yep - that's what Eb called her.
We found Somersault at Target during their toy sale and I relented and let Eb have her because she was just SO cute and Eb took a real shine to her (I don't often impulse buy let me tell you!).
I asked Eb what she would like to call her and she uummed and aahhed and then came up with 'Jesus'! I told her that there was only one Jesus and was there another name she could think of. She went quiet and I could see the 'wheels turning' and then she said 'Somersault'. I thought it was a very, very sweet name - so it's stuck!
Don't you think she's gorgeous?!
Somersault goes absolutely EVERYWHERE with Eb - she's almost as important as Suixi bear! Even Suixi bear is being moved over in bed to allow for Somersault!
The only thing MORE important is ..... snugly of course!

When or how will I get used to this?

This picture isn't very clear - but it's a picture taken from the drivers seat in my car looking back at an empty car seat. The one and only time I regularly have to look at that seat empty - when Eb's at Kinder. I don't know that I will ever really get used to it - I feel just a little sad every time I look up and my little buddy isn't there.
We've decided that Eb will do 3yo kinder again next year and then do 4yo in 2011 and school in 2012. Why you ask? because it feels right.
I've been praying about it and I feel a real sense of peace about my decision. She may be the only one of the 6 girls that starts that late...and that's probably the only thing that concerns me. Anyone I've spoken to here, whose opinion I respect, says I'm doing totally the right thing. So next year it will still only be a few hours a week that I look at an empty car seat - but for me it's still too often!....but don't get me wrong - I know it's all good. :-)

At last...a beautiful sunny, winter day!

It has been SO wet. If it weren't for the fact that we need rain so badly - I'd be complaining! I kinda like the wet days because they give me a good excuse to stay inside...but I'm ready for some beautiful sunshine on my face. Well - today we got the chance and we took it!
Daddy had to go to Avenel to do some work for his Son so Eb and I jumped in the car and went for a ride around the lake. This time I took the 3 wheel bike that Eb was left by the Gliddon's when the went to Cambodia. It was Josiah's last I think and it's been well used - but Eb loved it. Well her little legs were going 10 to the dozen and I didn't know how she would go - but 2.5kms and a good play in the park and she was still running! She did so well - I'll be taking that one again....I even had to run at times. And you can see the fun she had....







Go girl go! those little legs going super dupa fast...










Then in the playground...

....and finally, Mummy and Eb back at home!


running into my arms!


Singing and dancing while she watches herself in the window!