Fling Poo

FYI...

I've got the sickness...

The Disney cootie train continues.

Will be back to highlight trip when I'm feeling a wee bit better.

Merry New Ground Hogs Gong Xi Tine Day*

Card.

It's all purpose.  That was the plan all along.  Swear!

Don't judge...it's the new black.

You'll so be doing it next year.

*Now with 50% more Patrick.

(Note:  We know it's early for CNY (of course the rest is late), but other important upcomming events force us to post this early.)

Sweeney Tot

Did you blink?

I must have because somehow in less than two years, we went from this...

To This...

Yep...the most magnificent, marvelous M turned 5...did you get that??  FIVE!!

I'm getting toothpicks for my eyeballs and putting on a Superman cape to fly backwards around the earth and turn back time.  Just for a little bit.  Maybe just one more night in the rocker, or falling asleep during dinner, or...sigh

** Disclaimer - This wondrous event happened back on October 19th. But due to my suckitude, I am only just blogging about it now.**

I'm starting to notice a trend....

It seems that from October to January/February "blogging" goes to hell.  They are our busiest months, we can barely get done what we need to get done let alone any extras.  As soon as we get in the swing of this having a kid thing and more stuff gets piled on.  So apparently we will have to continue our parenting by-the-seat of our pants style for the foreseeable future. 

Anywho...moving on.  My poor mother has requested photos a gazillion times.  Let me kick things off again with....

A Halloween picture.

Our M...practically perfect in every way.

A special, special thank you goes out to Momere (mum) not only supplied her grand daughter with the best accessories, but sewed her long Poppins coat.  I wish it showed better in the picture, it was fantastic and received much praise on the candy trail.

Arrrggggghhhhhhhh

10 minutes of prep.....40 minutes of fun!

One Sunday while K and I were out with M doing errands I got the idea to do a treasure hunt for M.  One stop at the local party store and I walked out with a mini treasure chest, gold doubloons, a light up ruby ring, nifty compact complete with comb, a musical top,  and of course the obligatory scorpion guarding the loot.

When we arrived home I set about making a quicky treasure map outlining the location of said loot and buried it in the backyard sandbox.  I also sprinkled a few extra doubloons for good measure.

Firstly we needed to get decked out in our pirate treasure hunting outfit.  Complete with the proper hunting tools. (Shovel & Pail)

This spot has potential...

Blimey....its treasure!

Locks...schmocks.

LOOT!

I am so glam.

But I don't have to...

do them in order.  Meh.

See this girl?  She looks happy no?

Let's look again.

Sure she looks happy.

BUT!  Will it last?? That's the critical question for the ages.

Why?

What are we not telling you about the photos?

dun dun dun.

Well it was the first day of school dontchaknow.

See!

But again you ask yourself, why so ominous freaky flingpoo family.  What's the big whoop about school?

Well this wasn't ordinary school.  Far from it.  It was the first day of a potential lifetime of WWE smackdowns at the fling ranch.

It was the first day of  Chinese language school.

School that is conveniently held at 1:30 on Sunday afternoons.  Right smack dab in the middle of the day on a blessed weekend.  Yep.  We will get to that part later.

So here I sit looking at the pictures of that excited (and not so excited) girl, wondering to myself.  How long before she hates it?  How long before she hates us for making her go?*  The blush is already wearing off and we are only in week 4 now.  She got a timeout on her way from the car today.  But I must say her behavior was pretty dang good after that.  Go figure. 

In a weird way, I think she is somewhat bored (?).  We are doing the simple words and for the most part it seems as though she isn't paying a lick of attention but when her teacher gets in her face she turns to her and hits her with a Wo de mingzi shi "M", said with precision tone and then turns back to her coloring or cookie or whatever.  To be a doting mother for a moment, it would seem that she was quite the talk the first day of school due to her "good tone".  Of course in my brain that's what I was counting on since she was in China for 3.5 years and only with us 1.5.  We were banking on her remembering something in all of this.  Anyway, she did well today so the jury is still out.  We are keeping our fingers crossed and maybe a little breath holding.

Other interesting notes about school.  We are  one of only 3 adoptive families in the school.  I was quite surprised, and interestingly enough the other two families haven't even said boo to us.  Not even one of those I see you I acknowledge your presence but don't approach me nods.  Strange. 

Both K and are totally being sweated by one of the 4yo girls in our class.  I will call her Cynthia. Cynthia is a know-it-all.  In my mind her mother mercilessly drills Cynthia with military precision an a daily basis.  I say this because Cynthia fairly shouts out her answers when asked and has really, really good posture. Vs my kid who is slouched in her chair telling me in a loud whisper that she is very tired.  Cynthia is also completely offended by M's lack of coloring within the lines. It really bugs her. Crazy bugs her.  Oh well. Suck it kiddo.  heh.   The only bright note, is that K and I realized today that Cynthia's mother is feeding her the answers when the teacher asks and she doesn't know it.  Score 1 for white bread parents!  We don't help, mostly cause we would probably do it wrong ourselves*, and also we take a wee bit of perverse pleasure in watching the teacher spin in the breeze.  Is that wrong?

Another observation.  What the hell is up with all the F'n cookies and juice?  Today's snack.  2 packages of cookies, a tray of brownies and an entire cup of high-test, full rot your teeth strength juice. It is scary.  I look at it all and just mumble to myself.  Dot, you ain't in Kansas anymore!  Wester, suburban, yuppie parents everywhere would have fits were their child to be given this sort of spread for a snack.  Which ultimately makes me chuckle...as I pour 3/4 of the juice down the drain add water and give my little one one bing gan for knowing the correct word during class.

So back to the times schedule for this class.  Currently 1:30-2:30 every Sunday.  Next year if she stays on target 1:30-3:30.  Oh heck no I'm not bitter.  I am not having an entire running dialog in my brain about how I'm F'd for the next 16 years.  newp not me.  Sundays are officially screwed for the foreseeable future.  And no, I can't let her drive herself when she gets older. She would just go to the mall and lie to me and in my old and dottering state I will suck up her lies and believe them as long as she brought me bing gan.

Here...one more for luck.

Current most favorite word: pai pai shou = clap

* Yeah yeah we shouldn't force her blah, blah, blah.  K and I are in agreement on this.  It is the single most important thing (in OUR opinion) that will ultimately help her learn and understand her culture.  We can give her the ability to communicate easily with other Chinese speaking people.  We want her to be able to get first hand explanations on culture and traditions.  Not just our white American interpretations of them.

** I'm actually doing quite well in my Kindygarden Chinese classes thank you very much.  I know body parts, can count to five and can tell you my name and my age.  I can also sing three whole songs in Chinese.  Two of which sound suspiciously like Frere Jacque.  Go figure.

Three things...

That's my plan...to post three pictures now and then make three future (not that distant I hope) posts expanding on the pictures.

Well I'm gonna try anyway...

oh and a bonus...

Everydays

Scene:  Bedtime Brushing

Characters:  M & Baum

M:  *brush* *brush* *brush*

Baum:  Hold still....let me get it.....stop moving.....sigh

Baum:  What's the deal with glitter??  It sticks to everything and it won't go away!

Baum: You know what glitter is???

Tink:  um....what?

Baum:  Its the herpes of arts and crafts.

I believe he may be right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Additional note:  In searching for a title to this post and wanting something generic..."everyday life" or something like that I thought of M.  M adds an "s" to everyday and it has rather stuck for the entire family.  So for instance....I got to work everydays, or she goes to school everydays. 

Yah I'm lame, I think its cute.  I gush.  Sue me.

Guess Who?? - Updated!

Care to guess who's sleeping in this bed? 

One of M's most favorite buds...he gets very posh sleeping arrangements, and even has his own "room".

~~~~~~~

Huh I sure thought more people would take a stab at it.  Johnny...dude I'm not that twisted.  Besides, K is the one that bought the dead rat pillow from Ikea because he thought it was thematic.

Well anyway....who's sleeping in the bed??

Why its PATRICK!!

Patrick has been with us since  April of '06 .  It was  joked by friends of ours after seeing Kneudson (the rat), that all M needed was a cockroach.  Well I kid you not, K and I went to the grocery store that night ( mum was watching M) and there he was in all his glory.  A "life-like" cockroach, complete with squishy tummy and egg sac.  Yeah it is totally gross...honest I just about screamed in the store the first time I groped Patrick.

A while later, M adopted Patrick and started carrying him around in a clear plastic purse.  Fashion forward as always, why shouldn't her pet cockroach have his own personal carrier complete with air holes.  Finally I asked her, not sure what the answer would be since we had only been home barely two months from China.... What should we call your friend here?  What should we name him?  And clear as day she said... Patrick! 

And so he is.