Countdown has begun

Time is ticking faster than usual I think.  China is just around the corner and for the most part I have most everything ready.  It is good to know that when David comes(later, and would be burglars I would not waste your time at my house....of course we have a house sitter coming as well as those two watch dogs and the chickens, oh and the security system and the fact we have nothing that anyone would want) that he can bring me anything I need or have run out of (peanut butter) LOL

We had to square away typhoid shots for H and me and so last week we went to the county health dept(yep that was an experience) H wanted me to go first and so I happily did, and she was brave up until the last minute and then fell apart in a heaping mess of tears.  But we got it done and she milked it for everything it was worth.  She kept asking us to carry her because she had an injured leg.  We obliged that evening, but then it continued into the next day.....mind you I had the same shot(same dose) in my arm and by then it barely felt like a bruise.  So we carried her downstairs and told her she would just have to problem solve and figure out how she was getting around because we were not carrying her on demand the rest of the day.  So she hopped for about an hour and then decided she wanted to swim, well I told her I thought since she was injured that was not a good idea.  It was like the miracle hand of God....she was healed:)  Now she reminds me how brave she was when we got our shots!! 

We have some activities booked this week for her to keep her busy before leaving so she can see her friends and mommy can wrap this trip preparation up.  The reality of 26 hours of travel and one of those flights being 15 hours long is setting in.....I mean she is 3.5 and how much patience can I expect from 3.5 year old trapped on a full airplane for 15 hours???  I guess we are about to see huh??  I have so many activities ready that I certainly hope we can barrel thru.  We talk about the flight everyday and everyday I remind her that we are going to be on the plane for a really long time and that we have to sleep on the plane and she always responds with: "I know mommy, night time sleeping"  We will just see how it goes, we might never return because the fear of getting back on the plane to come back might just be TOO much for me to handle!!!  Maybe Daddy and Hayden can fly home together and mommy will come on another flight:)  LOL

Anyway, we are excited and I just can't wait to see how H's mandarin lessons pay off in the sense that she should just explode with language after the amount of time we will be there.  Oh and I forgot to mention that there is just one other person that can speak English......yep Shiyu, no one else in her family speaks any English.  So while Hayden is working on her Mandarin, mommy will be working on my game of charades and using my phone with google translator:)  Should make for a really good time for all. 

I will blog from China(hopefully) and I might even be more frequent in my postings.  We will see how wifi connection goes and just  how exhausted we are in the beginning.  Yup 12 hour time change, and did I mention that going is not that bad(surprisingly) but coming back is a trip straight to hell and back.  Again another reason we are staying so long, why get use to the change only to turn around and come right back home???  duh!!!

ready for a week of activities

right after getting her typhoid shot....yep she is still pissed off!!!  those are chigger bite scars on her leg....I know, I know. 

The Chicken Wrangler

Hayden and Judy Moody(New Hampshire Red)

We are just moving along and enjoying the very warm and early spring(we didn't actually have winter)  Really happy it is warm, but concerned that the summer is going to be another beast.  Just keep reminding myself we will be gone for so much of the summer that I shouldn't worry, but man  if it is like last summer......Holy Batman HOT!!!!

Hayden is "the chicken wrangler" she let's them out each day so that they can forage and be free range.  She is an expert in feeding them bread and even better at wrestling them up to get them back in the coop.  She chases each one and picks them up and puts them away.  She feeds them, she makes sure they have water, she checks for eggs 17 times a day and she knows all the different breeds of all 7(yes you heard me right....we now have 7; don't ask)

She hangs with them in the coop, she talks to them.....she is an excellent chicken owner.  I couldn't be more proud. 

Hayden has 3 alter egos now....Judy Moody, Gloria who Rocks and Mary Seriously.  I have no really clue where they came from other than Judy Moody(she loves the movie) But she let's you know which one she is and she prefers and will remind you to call her the appropriate name:)

Spring break was quiet and we actually stayed home.  We have so much travel planned starting in April that is was decided that we needed to stay put pretty much until the 5 months straight of travel begins. 

Some pretty big stuff going on here in the next week or so that is going to have us pretty occupied, but we will be back shortly.

Back to school this week which makes Hayden so HAPPY!!!! 

Hoping every ones spring is off with some beautiful tulips....mine have already bloomed and fallen:(

mish mash of december

Pajama day at school.  It was even more fun to run errands after school in pj's.....H thought this was hilarious!!

gift from my dear friend Yony.  You can't see the real beauty of this picture.  The color and the metallic finish is to DIE for.  It is seriously one of most beautiful photographs I own or seen!!  I cried when I opened it.  If you are thinking of doing pictures and you live in our area I can't stress enough that you should use YLK Photography  she is SO talented and more than that she is one of the nicest people you will EVER meet!!!  She brings joy and laughter to me every single day!!!

Binka update.  Well we have been without the binka since Oct 23, and while Hayden talks about the binka EVERY single day, she has done okay without it.  She misses it terribly and that does not seem to be waning.  She tells me almost everyday that binka is coming back tomorrow!!  It is sad:(

Right now she has a terrible cold and seems to be in a terrible mood and so she asked to watch Elf(for the 100th time) and I had some sewing for a customer to do.....so I said sure.  Well I got to sewing and thought "wow it is really quiet upstairs" USUALLY AN INDICATION THAT SOMETHING IS AMISS!!!

I walked upstairs to see what was going on and this is what I found!!  I guess she had found a long lost binka somewhere and just couldn't take it anymore!!!  She was peacefully asleep after a long day at school.  She looked so peaceful and it was so sad and pathetic that I just let her sleep on with it.  She went to bed that night without it again!!!  But it has for sure prompted a STRONG desire to have it again. 

Man......everyone promised "oh a few days and she will forget all about it" well 8 weeks later she can't seem to think about much else.  I am waiting to hear her say that she is asking Santa for her binka's back:) sigh

Hayden has been taking gymnastics for almost 2 years now and they had a holiday show last weekend.  Hayden was not so sure about this performance....too many people, and they were WAY TO close to where she was suppose to be:(  So a lot of tears.  However she REALLY wanted that medal and she got herself up and did her performance(while bawling her eyes out) but she did it and has the medal to prove it!!
These are her twin friends Addie and Sophia.  I think that pic of the three of them is so sweet and cute!!!

Scout is watching.....

Our elf "Scout" arrived last Wednesday to a proper elf breakfast he had prepared for us.  For the most part Scout has encouraged some really awesome behavior.  We have found him in some really funny places and in some precarious situations.  Last night it doesn't seem as though Scout flew to give The BIG SC a report....because it would have been a disapointing report.  So hopefully Scout flies tonight and we will see where we find him tomorrow morning(it is the highlight of each wake-up)

Rocking my hairbow....a photo expose

For those that know my pipa personally will no doubt laugh at these pictures and the many faces of Hayden......If you have ever wondered what she might be like in person......right here in this post without a word spoken from her and you will completely understand her inside and out!!! 

"A hot Atlanta mess"

Sassy, funny, daydreamer, temper, SWEET, confident, mischievous, curious

Zone

I am swamped right now with all of the final details of Taiwan R.O.Cks that is in 2 weeks!!  So excited, and will be so relieved to get to the fun part!!!  But anyway that is the reason for my lack of posting and lack of excitement around here.  Plus it is a 147 degrees outside and we don't even want to go out back to swim it is so hot right now.  You know it is hot when you are giddy that there is a 20% chance of rain in the forecast as well as a forecasted 98 degrees tomorrow.....seriously we live in hell!!

Okay so I have to tell you that Miss Priss walked in my room this afternoon with only her 2nd change of clothes today(man the changing of her clothes is a bit obsessive) she is dressed again in something that I have put in the "to give to the babies" pile and she has a briefcase.  She looks me dead in the eye with all seriousness about her and says "excuse me is my zone boarding yet"??????  I think this child has been on one too many trips!!!  I could do nothing except bust out laughing and take her picture that she happily posed for because she felt as though she was in all of her finery.  There is not a dull moment in our house with this child that is for sure:)

On a VERY happy note, last night we plugged in a nice new, bright nightlight and lo and behold we rocked, got in our own bed and went to sleep for 12 hours......can I get an AMEN sister??  I was not so lucky to get the 12 hours too, but I did get to sleep in my own bed without being kicked to death.  So please wish us luck again tonight.  We have made a HUGE deal of how awesome she should feel and how proud we are, and so on and so on.  So I will give you an update next week, but hopefully this was the real issue....she kept telling me she was scared....If it doesn't work we will go back to our co-sleeping arrangement.  I slept on and off on a cot or sleeping bag in my parents room until I was probably well let's not get into the details, but I was for sure in school.  Terrified of the dark, terrified of storms.  So if a nightlight helps then by all means a bright nightlight it will be!!!