Gung hay fat choy

Happy Year of the Dragon!

We celebrated Chinese New Year with other families in the FCC (Families with Children from China). There were games, crafts, vendors, dancers, face painting and a lunch of noodles. Norah had a great time for over 3 hours at the celebration. We will definitely be going again next year.

The year of the dragon is supposed to be very lucky. We are hoping that some of that luck rubs off on us as we look for a house this year and keep our fingers crossed that Norah's speech and schooling continue to move forward at the same amazing pace. The only thing that could have made the day better is if the rest of our family had been here to celebrate with us.


Lori

SNOW!

Well, there were rumors going around this past week that we would be getting some snow this weekend. About 10:00 this morning Norah came running to tell us that it was snowing outside. Really snowing! So we did what any other sane people in a tiny apartment would do. We suited up and went for a long walk to the grocery store in the snow. It was beautiful! The best part is that we were all home to enjoy it then it stopped after about 2 hours and started melting off. The grocery store was PACKED with people. Just like when it would snow back home. We picked up a fire starter log at the store because we thought that it would be fun to have a fire. This log was apparently dipped in somekind of stinky chemical. As it stands right now there is a smoking fire log laying in the snow out back and all the windows and doors are open and the fans are going. Do you think that the neighbors are wondering what is going on?

 This is my first project on my new sewing machine that I got for Chirstmas. I am not a sewer so I picked something that I didn't need a pattern for or instructions. I think my next thing will be two big pillows for Norah's room.

Lori

Photo Friday: Disturbingly Funny

Woke up to this in Norah's room.Wow!Glen says he didn't do it and I know that I didn't do it. That only leaves one more person.

Lori

More Zoo and New Year

More pictures from the zoo and from New Year's Eve. We are not in any way big partiers. The only way that I was even awake to watch the fireworks being shot off the top of Space Needle was because Norah was crackin" out and would not settle down and go to sleep. Glen had a really bad day with his back and spent most of the day in bed or laying on the floor with his legs propped up. We did manage to get together with Mike, Melissa and Eli to let the kids play, the adults visit and to beat the snot out of a pinata with a rolling pin (cause we are flexible like that, no baseball bat, no problem just use the rolling pin.) On the New Year special from Seattle there was a deaf man that asked his girl friend to marry him. I know it sounds dorky but it totally made me start crying.

 Norah isn't picking her nose (although she does plenty of that) she is thinking about how to put the puzzle together. She has gotten to where when she is "thinking" she taps her cheek with her finger.

 Can't you just hear the theme from the Lion King?

 When we couldn't get the pinata to crack open hanging in the tree we just put it on the ground and beat on it there.

 Yeah! Candy!

After the beating of the pinata we all went out for mexican food. I think it may be a favorite for all of us. Then we had to say goodbye to our friends because they were leaving out the next morning and we were in no shape to keep going that night.
Glen and I did our best to try and talk them into moving here so that we can see each other much more and get to see Eli grow up. If not we are going to end up spending quite a bit of money on plane tickets over the years.

Happy New Year!

Lori

The Zoo

We had a rare sunny (but cold) day, so we took the kids to the zoo. They ran all over for about 3 or 4 hours and we still didn't even scratch the surface on all the things and animals to see there. It was our 7th or 8th time to the zoo and we saw things that we had not seen before. We got there at a perfect time and were able to see the poison dart frogs and the gorillas get fed. Then we went to the penguins and the kids both got to feed them some fish.

We sure are missing Mike and Melissa and I think that Norah is actually going through Eli withdrawls.

Lori

Norah feeds the Penguins at Seattles Zoo.

Seattle Aquarium

We are having lots of fun running around with Mike, Melissa and Eli this week. Norah and Eli have really taken to each other and are enjoying having someone to play with each day. Having them all here has made our first Christmas in Seattle a special one.

Lori

Merry Christmas

 I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We had a great time and I was even able to catch a few pictures of Norah. The one with Roman sums up their relationship, Norah is really excited about having a kitty again while Roman is still  very reluctant about the whole thing. Norah got some nice gifts this Christmas, including an actual mermaid tail! (Thank you Mike and Melissa) She has had to wear it in the tub every night since she got it.

 We were also very lucky to have Mike, Melissa and Eli come to visit. Eli and Norah play very well together and seem to have developed a real fondness for each other. Eli told his Mom and Dad that Norah is family and Norah told me that she loves Eli. It is so sweet to watch them together.

We had to eat our Christmas dinner the day after Christmas because our power went out on Christmas day. We all ended up driving around till we could hunt down a Chinese food resturant on Christmas day to eat dinner at. The food was yummy and the company was even better. If we had had a lamp with a fishnet stocking on it would have been like scene out of A Christmas Story.

 Lori

The December Catch-Up

 After 87 pictures I finally got two decent ones! Norah decorated the Christmas tree this year all by herself. She did a fabulous job and may from this point on be the holiday decorator in our house. Her school is out from now till after the New Year so we went out and stocked up on crafts and games for the first week off, THEN the second week we will get to spend with Mike, Melissa and Eli! Yeah!

 We also have a new addition to our family this week. Introducing Roman. Roman is a 3 year old Bengal/Tabby mix. He is getting used to us and we are getting used to him right now. He seems to be a very sweet boy and has already let Norah pet him several times without incident. Which is saying A LOT. We were thinking about a kitten but they are so small and delicate. Roman can hold his own with Norah, so it was a purrfect (Ha!) fit. I am really glad to have a cat around the house again as I have really missed Kitty. Roman came to us from a very caring Mom and Dad that could not provide what he needed and found him a new home. Lucky for us.

The other night Norah and I were coming in from running an errand. I had both hands full so she was hanging on the string from my sweatshirt like usual. Normally we have Norah walk beside or in front of us but that night she was trailing behind me and distracted by trying to play on my phone and walk at the same time. Well, Norah also happens to be the perfect height to smack her forehead on the metal, yes metal, fire extinguisher box in the hallway, which is exactly what she did. This luckily just resulted in a small goose egg. The corner of the box is sharp and could have very easily cut the skin . After some, ice, ibuprofen and holding she was just fine. Now I have to find some sort of foam to hot glue to the corners so that it doesn't happen again.
The surgery center has been very busy lately. Everyone is trying to get their surgeries done before the end of the year since their deductibles are paid up. I am sure this coming week will be hectic but I am off the whole week of Christmas! Yeah! We are all going to use that week to play and hang out with our friends and have a good time. Have a good week everyone.

Lori

Dress Up

Norah playing "Dress Up" with Glen's glasses.

WalMart Santa

Norah is totally jazzed about Christmas this year. We bought a small five foot Christmas tree at WalMart and then let Norah do all the decorating. She had a blast and the tree turned out great. She keeps signing to us that Santa Claus is coming but we have to wait. We have another Advent calendar up to help her count down the days. It really seems to help her grasp how long the wait is and lets her build up the excitement for Santas arrival with presents. She even told me today that Santa is going to come down our chimney with presents. She was so excited to see Santa at WalMart that she literally leaped into his lap. Now if we could just find a Santa that knows SEE she could give him her list for Christmas.

Lori

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

This is our first Thanksgiving away from my family in 20 years. I have not had to actually cook for Thanksgiving dinner in 20 years. I make the deviled eggs and veggie platter, my Mom does everything else. Yeah MOM! So we are now in the situation where we have to man up so to speak and cook our own dinner. Sad, I know. I can feel the sympathy oozing off of all of you that have been hard at work in your kitchen for a week getting ready for this event. Our dinner is going to be simple this year due to the fact that the kitchen in this apartment is terrible and if you set the stove higher than 350 the fire alarm goes off. This kitchen was NOT made to cook in. There is also no prep space. Anyway, I called my parents house this afternoon and talked to my brother and Boo while everyone else worked on their dinner preperations. This is the text that I got while still talking to my brother on the phone.

It is a picture of the turkey that they just took out of the oven. Do you think that they are rubbing it in? I think they are trying to lure us back with pictures of the bird. It might work if there was a decent school there for Norah.  We are thankful that we have family that loves us enough to try and bribe us with turkey. I think I can smell it from here.  Other things that we are thankful for:Boo and JessMom and DadEugene and BronwynAnli and her familyMike, Melissa, Eli and Maggieall of our extended familySeattleNorah's schoolThe teachers at Norah's schoolA roof over our headsEnough money to pay our billsMy jobNorah's cochlearsSign language (SEE and ASL)RainPleanty of food to eatOur healthThis list could go on forever and expand to include thing like the sun and the moon, ect. We are very fortunate in many ways. Happy Thanksgiving Lori 

Wow! I haven't posted in a while.

This is my favortie picture of Boo and Norah.

I have been BUSY my friends. The surgery center is hopping! After only NINE days of orientation I have been on my own all this week. YEAH! In some ways I like that and in some ways I am like "What the heck are you people thinking." So far it is moving right along. Glen found me a surgical instrument app so that when I come across something that I don't know I can look it up. It has been very helpful. I have to say, even though hearts are stressful I still miss knowing what is going on and where all of my supplies are and what the Dr. might need next. There is a lot of comfort in that. It will just take me a while to get to that point at the new place.

Norah has been doing well at school. She is starting to pronounce the words that she uses now more clearly. At school that is. When she is at school she talks more and clearer than when she is at home. We really have to keep on her because she will get lazy at home and just grunt and point because she knows that we know what she wants. She has even thrown out a few new signs that she learned at school but that we do not know yet.

Glen has been attempting to hold down the fort and deal with appointments and put the truck back into the shop. So he has been busy as well.

We have gotten down a routine where Glen and Norah drop me off at work in the mornings on most days and then pick me up after I call and tell them that I am done for the day. A huge bonus is that work is not to far away so if I have to I can walk home. I tried to convince Glen to just let me ride my bike in the mornings but it is very dark right now in the mornings and I guess he doesn't want his sugar mama getting hit by a bus. That's another thing, I am trying to figure out the bus routes here and I guess that I am just going to have to get on one and ride around to find the best ones in case I need to take the bus to work. In the summer though I am TOTALLY riding my bike.

We are going out today to look around at houses and see what is available in our price range. It should be fun. I will try to remember to take some pictures because I have been sorely lacking in that department.

Lori

Snapshot Saturday.

I totally missed Photo Friday! There is way to much going on right now. So here is Snapshot Saturday! Ha! I guess if I miss I can just make up a new name. It works that way for adults right?

This picture was on Glen's phone from earlier in the summer. Norah went from not even wanting to get her feet wet to running around picking up anything and everything off the beach.







 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Norah went as a mermaid this year. Since we don't know where the good trick or treating neighborhoods are this year, we opted for a local mall where the different stores were handing out candy. The apple store was not participating. Apparently they did not make enough money off all the new iPhones to allow them to hand out some candy. Boo! There were so many cute costumes. It was a lot of fun.

P.S. I started a new job today. It is at a small ambulatory surgery center. I was very fortunate to find employment after looking for only a week. Now just 90 more days and we will actually have health insurance again. Yeah!

P.S.S. We really missed having Boo with us for Halloween. Love you Boo.

Lori