Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Random Photos....
Jeff really likes the park, Watch out papprazzi Kacey knows you are out there, Kacey & Mom playing before bedtime, Danielle's family Christmas card photo, very tired girl before her bath.
| posted by Julie at 8:17 AM
Thanksgiving Pictures
Here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving, the family without, Jimmy & Kevin of course, Kacey dissing Nana's camera, then deciding to pose on the steps, hanging out with Brooke after dinner.
| posted by Julie at 8:13 AM
Monday, November 27, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving!
As usual the good photos are on Nana's camera but I wanted to give a short Thanksgiving update on Kacey.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Danielle's house, her Mom and Dad were there from Alabama along with Tim's Mom and her friend Bob and Aunt Joan & Uncle Art there were 16 of us total and enough food for an army!!! A good time was had by all, as usual it took Miss Kacey a little while to warm up to the crowd but turkey & mashed potatoes have a way of making her very happy:)
Pop and I used the 4-day weekend to get a head start on Christmas decorating, we brought all the stuff up from the basement and got the outside of the house shiny and bright, we'll tackle the inside trees next weekend. Kacey isn't very interested in anything but the snowpeople from Hallmark that sing "We wish you a merry Christmas", she pushes the button all day and we all have to sing and clap along while she dances around the room leading the clapping! I'm going to have to figure out a way to set up my video camera without her seeing me so I can catch some of this on tape!!!
Tomorrow is our 2 month "arriving home" anniversary and I know I've said it before but I'll say it again it seems like Kacey has been with me forever, I just don't remember life before her--nor do I want to! The girl loves tractors and fancy knited ponchos what else could you ask for :)
| posted by Julie at 8:35 AM
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Fun with Kacey!
I'm making Nana and Pop chase the ball everywhere, how fun is that!!
| posted by Julie at 1:10 PM
Better turn off the lights befoe we leave for school.
| posted by Julie at 1:09 PM
It's the first day of school and I'm dressed ready to go!
| posted by Julie at 1:08 PM
This playing ball is some fun!
| posted by Julie at 1:08 PM
Let's make muffins why don't we!
| posted by Julie at 1:07 PM
After a tough day of school there's nothing better than picking up the mail with your doggie friend Wendy!
| posted by Julie at 1:07 PM
Kacey's 1st Week of School in Review...
First off let me say I'm so happy that Lois found me!!! Lois, please send me your email address, I can't write back through Blogger, my email is jthomas4760@yahoo.com and I want details on how you and the family, including sweet Kara are settling in.OK, now back to my regular programming...Kacey had a wonderful first week of school that also included my first overnight trip away from her. I said it to Diane this AM in an email and I'll say it again these girls are absolutely amazing, they adapt so well to their situations and just make everyone around them so darned happy!
Kacey is going to school 3 mornings a week from 8:30-12:30 and really seems to like everything but the initial "goodbye moment", according to her teachers and my numerous calls checking on her she settles down immediately after Nana leaves and is fine for the rest of the time. On Friday she even played with the other children, she's been participating in the activities but not interacting much with the other kids until then!! She's learning new signs which she uses all the time at home and brings all of her new skills home to teach me, Nana & Pop new tricks.
I had to go to a meeting in Orlando last week for 2 days too and she did great at home with my Mom and Dad, it's the comings and goings that upset her and once I'm gone she's just fine with them. I'm not even sure she knew I was gone for the night since she slept ALL NIGHT for them, the next night when I got home and she woke at 2AM she just looked at me like "oh good you're here at my beck and call"! This was a great test for all of us since I'm going to have to start traveling soon.
Kacey and I have been together for 2 months and 3 days and I can't remember my old life without her in it, she's challenging, funny, smart and the perfect daughter for me. Oh yeah one more thing, I waited my entire life for the big smile she gives me every single time I walk in the door, whether I ran to the dry cleaners or have been at work all day, it's the same light up my life smile and I look forward to it every single time too!!!
| posted by Julie at 8:20 AM
Monday, November 20, 2006
Let's Shower Maisie with Love!
Today was "Maisie Day" here in GA and we all enjoyed showering her Mommy, Lisa with gifts and love. As you all know Lisa brought the "lucky Georgia 7" together and I think it's only right that she finishes this leg of the journey for all of us by traveling to China with the wonderful Eammon to pick up our long awaited Maisie.
Lisa, we love you and can't wait to meet sweet Maisie...she has no idea how well she is already loved and how long we have all held her in our hearts.
| posted by Julie at 8:58 AM
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
This should have been a great photo of me, Nana, Tina and Kacey but the young one had other ideas and she won! Oh well, I titled it 3 happy, 1 not so much!
| posted by Julie at 9:42 AM
Kacey LOVES her new PJ's from the Manzos!
| posted by Julie at 9:41 AM
This girl can eat and she LOVED Manny's BBQ ribs!
| posted by Julie at 9:39 AM
Monday, November 13, 2006
Kacey's 1st Day at School
This will come as a major surprise to the 8 other families who traveled with us to China in September but Kacey had a GREAT first day at school. I'm surprised too, don't worry!
She only had to go for 1/2 day but still she had to leave the warmth and familiar confines of her home for the big outside world! Nana and I dropped her off this morning and the report states that I cried a LOT longer than she did, she quickly found her friendly teacher and got a private tour of the facility she then participated with the other kids in ALL the days' activities now that was a BIG BIG surprise. She finished her lunch, a surprise to no one and was happily coloring when Nana picked her up she even blew kisses and hugged her teachers when it was time to go.
Let's hope she does as well on Wednesday!
P.S. The stairs picture is from the weekend, I thought it looked a bit like a shot from behind bars and was appropriate for the first day of school, the other one is life before school just hanging out with Nana & Pop all day!
| posted by Julie at 1:06 PM
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Tea Time with her new talking tea set from Mia and her family...THANKS!
| posted by Julie at 7:18 AM
Kacey saying a sweet bye-bye to Mia!
| posted by Julie at 7:18 AM
Kacey, her people and her dog watching a little TV.
| posted by Julie at 7:17 AM
Weekend Fun!
It was a big weekend at the Thomas house full of fun and out of town visitors galore...just like we like it!
The fun started on Saturday morning when we met our fellow adoptors at the Zoo for the Adoption Month Celebration, November is National Adoption Month and there are many great activities in communities around the country to celebrate Adoption and talk about the benefits to prospective parents. As always our girls were poster children for China adoption, running around the zoo with smiles on their faces and mischief in their eyes! Nana and PopPop stayed home to get a little rest and get ready for part two of the weekend fun.
Saturday afternoon our dear friends the Manzo's came to stay for a couple of days on their way back to Florida from North Carolina. We all lived in the same neighborhood for MANY years and my Mom and Tina worked together too. They are 2 of my all time favorite people so it was great having them. I'll post photos tomorrow since they are on Nana's camera.
Finally on Sunday we had a BIG Italian dinner (thanks to Tina and Nana) and Shannon and her family came to visit from Florida and my friend Martha also came, she's logged in on 11/22 for Katherine somewhere in China. There's nothing like a full house that smells like tomato sauce to make for a good day! Danielle got home from Statesboro so she and her family got to join in on the fun too.
| posted by Julie at 7:06 AM
Sonia shows Amelia & Kacey the BIG snakes, Kacey's Mommy stands WAY back :)
| posted by Julie at 7:05 AM
Hey, where's Chloe? I'm here, Kailee's here and so are Emily & Amelia. Wow, Amelia's Mom is missing too, they must have gone for snacks!
| posted by Julie at 7:04 AM
Chloe and Mom Stephanie ready to hit the Zoo!
| posted by Julie at 7:03 AM
Why in the world do I have ALL these clothes on!
| posted by Julie at 7:03 AM
Monday, November 06, 2006
Welcome Maisie Shanahan!
Maisie Miao Shanahan
Born: October 17, 2005
(I LOVE October babies)
Sichuan Province
WanZhou SWI
The Shanahans have a daughter and Kacey and I have a new friend! After 14+ LOOOONG months of waiting the news that Lisa and Eammon (and the rest of us) have been waiting for finally arrived! Now we've just got to get them on a plane to China and home so that we can meet her in person.
I'll bet that Maisie, Liza and Kacey will certainly have some major October birthday throwdowns in the future!!!
Congratulations Lisa and Eammon we love you,
Julie & Kacey (Nana Susan too)
| posted by Julie at 7:28 AM
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Halloween Fun!
The verdict is in...Kacey loves Halloween! You guys should have seen her last night strutting up to the houses with her cool "click shoes" and costume on (carrying her banana) she was the hit of the neighborhood, we only went to about 6 houses and had to dump her bag twice because it was so full:)
She didn't totally get the concept and tried many times to give back the candy at the next house but she like to open her bag and pick out what she wanted. She was a very good girl and only took one piece though.
After filling her bag she headed home to help Nana and Pop Pop give out candy at our house which wasn't nearly as exciting and soon she was ready for night night! A perfect end to a perfect day for a 2 year old.
| posted by Julie at 8:01 AM
