I've been extremely lax in posting lately.
I'm not sure why. I think that I was ready to throw in the towel with blogging after our year home with Everest and then door number 2 presented itself unexpectedly.
A little update on the Lentz family...
We just got back from a wonderful trip visiting my parents in Florida. It was so great...I can't even begin to explain how good it was to get away to relax somewhere warm. 5 days was not nearly enough. We came back to an icy snowy mix. Not a fun reality to get back to. However, the big wase missed us terribly and was probably wondering if we were going to show up with another loud Asian child since we'd been gone so long in his little cat mind.
Everest is growing like crazy. He is 90% of the time a complete joy to be around. The other 10% is probably when I am suffering from extreme PMS. He amazes us with how he has progressed in one year. Coordination....he used to fall every 30 seconds (not exaggerating) when he ran. We didn't have a single fall while in Florida and we ran and ran and ran. (again, not exaggerating). Drawing/Coloring....Everest didn't know the meaning of staying in the lines. He is now coloring up a storm on a level pretty close to his peers. He loves to draw. His specialties are butterflies, hearts and families. Thanks for that 4K girlfriend classmates. I guess I'd prefer that over the guns and swords that he probably wants to draw.
WARNING - PARENTAL BRAGGING BELOW:
Everest is still enrolled in Chinese school, which he tolerates but I don't know how long that will last. He just doesn't have the patience although he would do so well if he tried. We also got him into swimming lessons. He had his first this past Wednesday and he seriously rocked it. No fear. He was supposed to be in the less experienced class and within two minutes of being in the water the teacher said he needed to be in the older kid class. He was the best swimmer in the older kid group. Head underwater, jumping right in. There were times I wanted to cover my eyes. The other two kids were not having any part of it. Everest kept on saying, "I will show them how to do it." Everest also had his first gymnastics class. I wasn't able to go so I had a text update from Ryan that said, "Everest is the only boy. 6 girls all in pink skirts." Hilarious. Again, not sure how long that will last but we think it's going to be great for his coordination and muscles. Ryan said he couldn't even do a sit up. Afterwards Ryan thought - enough with the pink skirts. This boy needs some hockey. I then got a text picture of Everest in our garage, bundled up in layers, with Ryan's hockey stick. First thing he said this morning when he woke me up, "Mommy, Daddy said that I could get a hockey stick today." I go away one day and look what happens. I have a mini-Ryan.
On the Kingston front...
Our I800A application has been received at US immigration. They should process it in about 2 months. We're almost one month into the wait. In the meantime, I'm gathering all of our dossier paperwork together and authenticating it at the Chinese Consulate. We are rolling right along.
I am so thankful for Everest in that he keeps me so busy that I have no time to worry about paperwork, timing, etc. I'm enjoying our time together as a family of three for the last few months. Being an only child myself has me fearing the addition of a sibling for Everest. I have no doubt Ryan and I will adjust just fine. I worry about my baby. I worry that he will think he wasn't good enough. I worry that he will think we don't love him enough. I worry how the trip to China will cause him to have questions that he won't ask. Everest adjusts so amazingly well that I almost feel like we ask too much of him - that we keep on piling on the changes. Hi kid, come to the US, meet a bunch of people, learn to love these people. Ok kid, let's go to China, the land you came from and let's go pick up your brother. Oh and by the way, having a brother means that you don't just share your toys - you share us, you share your grandparents, you share our friends. Big stuff for a 5 year old just learning to love and trust.
The fundraiser is next Saturday. I'm really excited about it. Everest thinks it is a Chinese New Year's party. We're not disagreeing with him. Too hard to explain what it is. We hope to have a good turn out. We have some great friends who have donated some great things for our silent auction. I think the Red Rock will be an awesome place to have the event. We will be having an appetizer buffet, as well Miller Lite until the barrel runs dry, $3 rail drinks, $4 house wines. They even threw in a tank top for the lovely wife.
Other businesses I'd like to thank:
Betty Brinn's Children's Museum
Lake Front Brewery
Salon Thor
Shawnimals
A huge thank you to all of our friends and family who are coming out to support us. I can't wait to recap the event for everybody next week.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A New Day
Last night I accomplished 11 hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep. Extremely hard to come by. I woke up a whole new woman. Well kind of. I wasn't any smarter or more attractive. Just felt better.
Last night when I picked Everest up from daycare I saw signs in some of the classrooms that alerted parents to pink eye. I longed to go into said classrooms, rub my hands all over everything and then stick my fingers into my eyes.
Tonight it was more wishful thinking than longing.
We're making progress.
The fundraiser planning is under way. I feel good about the place we landed on - we will all fit, it's a great private space and I think we'll put on a good party as the Lentz's always do. It was a tad touch and go for awhile but we're working through it. Good company always plays a big part and if our friends are there, we'll make it work.
Everest said shit three times in a row today at school when he didn't get to play with the polar bear toy that he wanted. He used it in the correct context. Way to go kiddo. His response to my lecture, "Well mom, I had a good nap today."
In all seriousness, what the heck is that all about?
Sometimes I feel like taking my hair and pulling it out strand by strand. Maybe my eyelashes instead. I won't look good bald but then again, how would I look without eyelashes?
My kitchen stinks.
Why does my kitchen stink?
My cat is perched next to me. His love is unconditional. He does not talk back, nor does he poop in his drawers. Although he does have a litter box.
I wish I could sleep all day like my cat and it might kind of be cool to poop in a litter box.
Maybe that's what my kid is thinking.
Last night when I picked Everest up from daycare I saw signs in some of the classrooms that alerted parents to pink eye. I longed to go into said classrooms, rub my hands all over everything and then stick my fingers into my eyes.
Tonight it was more wishful thinking than longing.
We're making progress.
The fundraiser planning is under way. I feel good about the place we landed on - we will all fit, it's a great private space and I think we'll put on a good party as the Lentz's always do. It was a tad touch and go for awhile but we're working through it. Good company always plays a big part and if our friends are there, we'll make it work.
Everest said shit three times in a row today at school when he didn't get to play with the polar bear toy that he wanted. He used it in the correct context. Way to go kiddo. His response to my lecture, "Well mom, I had a good nap today."
In all seriousness, what the heck is that all about?
Sometimes I feel like taking my hair and pulling it out strand by strand. Maybe my eyelashes instead. I won't look good bald but then again, how would I look without eyelashes?
My kitchen stinks.
Why does my kitchen stink?
My cat is perched next to me. His love is unconditional. He does not talk back, nor does he poop in his drawers. Although he does have a litter box.
I wish I could sleep all day like my cat and it might kind of be cool to poop in a litter box.
Maybe that's what my kid is thinking.
Monday, February 7, 2011
New Location
Just wanted to let everybody out there know that the location for Kingston's fundraiser has changed. We'll now be at the Red Rock Saloon, 1225 N Water Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 - (414) 431-0467. We will have the entire upstairs to ourselves all night and it's big enough to accomodate a large crowd, which I hope we have. More later - I'm exhausted and pretty crabby and anything I write right now would need a major filter.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Digging Out
So we are finished digging out of our snow storm.
Somewhat.
This was Everest's first snow day. I started to explain snow days to him on Monday and my explanations were greeted with shrieks and shrill screams. For a boy with an abnormally low voice, he can shriek pretty good.
So we woke up this morning. Of course on a day we can sleep in he is up at the crack of dawn, which is the norm for such occassions similar to weekends.
At first Everest was somewhat disappointed that show and tell at school that day would not be going on until it was explained that everybody got to stay home.
We made breakfast and leisurely made our way outside to where the snowdrifts covered Everest's head. I had to lift him over drifts to take pictures of the magnitude of what we were dealing with. We actually took his sled and had him slide down drifts in our yard. It was completely crazy and fun. BUT COLD!!!! More than mommy could handle.
I got to take a nap. I slept so good that I drooled. The cat was even kicked out of the room.
We went out for dinner at a local pub - probably the only one open and it was packed. Gotta love Wisconsin.
On our way home we were talking about how Everest joined our family. I think, based on some comments he's made, that he has some skewed views of his being, his place in our family and how he came to be. It's tricky navigation. Anyway, he said, "You came to China and asked to if you could take home the cutest baby they had." WHAT?!?!?!? Ryan thinks perhaps our son is a bit egotistical. Unreal. I know that I've told him that he is the cutest boy in the entire world (because he is) but his brain works in such a way that we have no idea how he internalizes things. Apparently he thinks that we went to China and asked for the cutest boy in the world. We didn't.
But we got him regardless.
Somewhat.
This was Everest's first snow day. I started to explain snow days to him on Monday and my explanations were greeted with shrieks and shrill screams. For a boy with an abnormally low voice, he can shriek pretty good.
So we woke up this morning. Of course on a day we can sleep in he is up at the crack of dawn, which is the norm for such occassions similar to weekends.
At first Everest was somewhat disappointed that show and tell at school that day would not be going on until it was explained that everybody got to stay home.
We made breakfast and leisurely made our way outside to where the snowdrifts covered Everest's head. I had to lift him over drifts to take pictures of the magnitude of what we were dealing with. We actually took his sled and had him slide down drifts in our yard. It was completely crazy and fun. BUT COLD!!!! More than mommy could handle.
I got to take a nap. I slept so good that I drooled. The cat was even kicked out of the room.
We went out for dinner at a local pub - probably the only one open and it was packed. Gotta love Wisconsin.
On our way home we were talking about how Everest joined our family. I think, based on some comments he's made, that he has some skewed views of his being, his place in our family and how he came to be. It's tricky navigation. Anyway, he said, "You came to China and asked to if you could take home the cutest baby they had." WHAT?!?!?!? Ryan thinks perhaps our son is a bit egotistical. Unreal. I know that I've told him that he is the cutest boy in the entire world (because he is) but his brain works in such a way that we have no idea how he internalizes things. Apparently he thinks that we went to China and asked for the cutest boy in the world. We didn't.
But we got him regardless.
View from Backdoor
On Top of our Fence
Sledding Down the Alley
Trying to Walk with Mom
Hanging Out
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