I think she's got it!

Chloe Grace and her baby, Lucy Two

My muddy babies, Jason and Chloe Grace

Out to dinner with my family over Spring Break. My mom hates lemons, but she just couldn't say no when the grandbabies asked her to join their fun ;)

This time of year is always crazy busy. Our rule with the kids for now is they are only allowed to do 1 activity at a time. Jarod has played soccer since he was 5 & loves it. Madison has tried several things. She's taken gymnastics, horseback riding, soccer & t-ball. Now she's taking piano lessons. Jason has also tried several things. He's played soccer, t-ball and tennis. Now he's taking a karate class. Chloe Grace wants to play soccer, so we'll sign her up for that when school starts in the fall.

Since we've been home from China with Chloe Grace, I've wondered if she really understood that this was the last stop in the road - that we are her family forever. I tell her all the time that I love her always and that I'm her mommy always, but I didn't know if she really got it. At bedtime, I spend a few minutes in bed with Chloe Grace snuggling and talking to her. Lately she talks a lot about when we first met her at the hotel in Chongqing. She also talks a lot about her foster mom, Mama Wang. So last night we're talking before she goes to sleep and she says "I missed you when I was at Mama Wang's house." I told her I missed her too and we got there to see her just as fast as we could. Then she says "I'm not going back there anymore." So I ask back where? She said "Back to Mama Wang's house. I'm not going there anymore. I'm here now." I hugged her really big and told her she wasn't going anywhere! I think she gets it after all!

Finally, some bedtime successes! And an amazing girl turns 10!

I think we've turned the corner with Chloe Grace at bedtime. I still go in to her bed to read her a bedtime story. Then, I stay and snuggle her for about 5 minutes. Before I leave her to go to sleep I tell her I'll be back to check on her in a little while. Most of the time she stays in bed and goes to sleep. Occasionally we'll have a night where she's up a few time before she can settle in, but over all I think we've made HUGE strides at bedtime. She rarely gets up in the middle of the night anymore. If she does, I take her to the bathroom and then put her back to bed. She stays and goes right back to sleep.

We had her 6 month follow up at the cardiologist Friday morning. The doctor was very pleased and said she'd see us back in 6 months to wear a halter monitor for 24 hours to further evaluate Chloe Grace's heart function. If all goes well then, she expects we'll go to annual checkups.

Madison turned 10 on Monday. I can hardly believe it. She's become such an amazing young lady. She got some money for her birthday that she wanted to spend, so she and I spent the day shopping yesterday - just the two of us. We had so much fun together. We shopped, we ate breakfast, shopped a little more, ate lunch and we shopped some more!

I don't know where the time has gone. Chloe Grace has been with us for 8 months - I can't believe it! Jarod will start middle school next year - not possible! I'll have everyone at school again in the fall. Before we came home from China, I'd had 2 years of the kids all in school full time. It was harder than I expected to get used to having a little one at home again. But we've really settled in and I so enjoy Chloe Grace. I'll be sad for them all to go off to school each morning when August rolls around. Maybe we'll have to start paper chasing again :)

I'll leave you with a picture of the girls from Madison's birthday party. We had a girls only slumber party at the Comfort Inn. One of Madison's dear friends is very allergic to cats & just wasn't able to spend the night at our house. So her mom and I got together and decided to take the girls and spend the night at the hotel doing makeovers. We curled their hair, painted their toe nails, did their make up and finger nails. I brought Madison's karaoke machine and the girls belted it out to the Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers. They had so much fun!

Madison & Chloe Grace - M had just opened her gift from CG.