Keeping Busy

A few weeks ago, Megan & Shanna had their first dance class. 

This one was a private lesson so the teacher could get to know them.

They had a wonderful time. The classes with everyone do not start until March. The girls can't wait.

Shanna was in need of a good haircut to even out the many layers and lengths she had.

She, however, did not agree.

Nephew, Benn, a hair stylist, gave her a nicely shaped cut. We love it long, but as Benn explained, it needed to be cut in order to grow out properly. Shanna really wants to have her hair long, like her sisters. I think she looks cute with it short, too!

After! And happy again.

This is a valentine Megan made for her friend. She has written many words at the top. It says "I love old toys school I can." The two tall things on the side are flowers.

Shanna made this picture for her friend, who gave her a bag of valentine treats. She is so extra special sweet; she comes home bursting with the story of  "Flora! Food! Backpack! Share! Shanna!" then she ceremoniously and seriously divides it up among me and her siblings. The cellophane heart bag was empty and torn, but she saved it to show Daddy when he came home, before she capriciously tossed it in the garbage.

Finally! My basement is painted and the carpet is in!! Of course, now I have to wait for Eric and Matthew to bring all the stuff back from the other side (the workshop side). I cannot even get in the door there. My Fung Shui is all messed up!!!

This is the beautiful closet Eric made me. It still needs shelves and doors...........

Boy, babies are loved in our house. Megan is learning by Shanna's example to care for her babies and give them lots of love.

But none so much as this one. Baby gets carried everywhere. Do you know how much longer it takes to do EVERYTHING with one hand?? I didn't, until now. Again, Shanna is so funny--She snuggled in bed with me yesterday morning (of course, Baby, too) and said "Oh! Shanna forgot! Feed Baby dinner!!!" Then she dissolved in squeals of laughter. Well, there was some maternal guilt there, but mostly just giggles. I assured her that Baby understood that mommies get busy sometimes and that if she has really been all that hungry she would have told her.

Shanna's language is growing by leaps and bounds. She already is saying complete sentences and questions such as "Did you make that?" and "Megan, that is so beautiful"! She told me yesterday "Mom, Dad, I drew you a picture." all of which makes it really easy to enjoy talking to her about lots of things. For more complicated ideas, and when she gets excited, it can be very difficult for me to understand what she says. She is talking about such a variety now, and using so many words in the same sentence. The words are often not the exact word we would use, and they are all mixed up in order, which sometimes changes the meaning. Sometimes Megan sums it up by saying "Shanna, we don't understand what you are trying to say." Which is also pretty darn cute.

My little friend Lilly is still struggling to recover from her open heart surgery. Her heart is beating well and she is off the breathing tubes, but she has not slept since the surgery Wednesday more than a few short naps, and she stops breathing when she falls asleep, which sends alarms and doctors running. Please continue to think of her and her family, going through so much.

And the happiest of news, Sweet little AnXiang (10 years old--and on the far left), Shanna's friend from Shantou, has a family adopting her!! I am so excited for AnXiang and her family. She will have a 12 year old brother and will live with him and her mom & dad in South Carolina! Hopefully, they will be able to travel to get her by the summer. Ji Ying (8 years old--and on the far right), another good friend, also has a family and will hopefully go home in May to her brother, two sisters and mom & dad in Oklahoma. It is so wonderful to be able to share the journeys and keep in touch with these precious friends of Shanna's.

I love this picture of Ji Ying and Shanna!

This is Shanna with Emily (I think she is 6 now, previously Li Huang), who was adopted from Shantou to a family Arkansas. Emily's mom & I have been helping the girls Skype with each other and they have had "playdates" where each plays with her toys and "shows" the other. Emily is very talkative in English, having been home since July, but Shanna is a little shyer. I thought they would want to talk in their dialect, but nope! Just English. The internet, although it has its drawbacks, is an amazing thing.