Thursday Night Fireworks

Many years ago, we had a dog named Belle.  She always hated New Year's Eve and the 4th of July.  The fireworks would freak her out.  I am currently trying yo get Elana to sleep.  It sounds like they are setting the fireworks right outside our window.  Luckily, she has not paid much attention.  Who knows how it will be near 12:00.

A Long Day

We are still out running around.  After eating, we we to an outlet store in Orlando.  If you ever visit and go to the outlet stores, you will find where all the tourists go.  It took 15 minutes to find a parking spot.  We went through the Disney store.  They were just getting rid of 2015 stuff and generic clothing they could not sell in the parks.  Then, Angie wanted to go to a Vera Bradley store to use a certificate.  Now, we are leaving BJ's after getting some food.  Next up, Interstate 4.  It should be like driving in China during rush hour.  Unfortunately, it is the same direction as Universal and Disney.  Everyone is heading there for New Year's parties.

Taking a Swim in Florida?

Before you take a swim in fresh water in Florida, look around.  There may be a guest in the water.  We were at the Sonny's off of 95.  To the side was a water runoff area.  They build these all over the state.  This one had a fence.  Right in the middle was a baby alligator.

A New Food

After Kayla's, we stopped by Sonny's BBQ.  They had adeal that if you gave them a review on Yelp, you could get a free fried Okra.  I quickly got out my phone and did a review.  When the food got to the table, the girls tried some.  Elana actually liked it.  She ate many bites of it.  Michelle liked it, but did not like the seeds.  Even Mia ate some.  Haley spit it out.  Kiersten did not bother to try it.

Kayla's Progress

We went to Kayla's monthly meeting.  She is doing great.  They are preparing to get her ready to step down to a smaller facility.  It will be closer to home.  Angie still needs to visit the facility.  They will add her to a waiting list.  This is great news.

Made it Through the Night

Elana made it through the night.  She did move a little.  She managed to get a good night's sleep.

Pearly Whites

The dentist was a quick in and out affair.  I did have x-rays.  Then, he did the part I hate the most, the poking and prodding.  That led to a polishing and a quick floss.  At least, there was no mention of crowns, other than asking about the last one that had to be replaced.

Welcome to the Dead Zone!

I am working the day before New Year's Eve.  It is a ghost town.  I bet if I went to eat out today, I could come back and get the same parking spot.  I might leave early, but I don't know if it would be worth it.  I do have a dentist appointment.  Hopefully, it is just a cleaning.  I don't want to hear the word Crown.  The drive home may not be that bad, since so many people take off today.

5:20 AM!

Elana decided that she wanted to play for a little tonight.  My alarm goes off at 5:30.  I'm pretty sure she finally went back to sleep around 5:20.  At 5:30, she did not budge.  I hope this part does not become a habit.

It's 3:00 AM and I Know Where My Child Is

3:00 AM.  Elana is wide awake.  I changed her earlier tonight.  Now I am guessing she is just waking out of habit.  Hopefully, she will go back to sleep.  I asked if she planned to.  Her response: nah.

May the Force be with Imax

This week, Imax broke a record, in addition to Star Wars records.  It made $100M faster than it did with Jurassic World.  Next up is China.  They have a huge amount of Imax screens.  I just wish this news would increase stock value.  It is going the opposite direction.

A Jump Ahead

When I got home today, I brought Elana out on our trampoline.  Michelle asked why.  I told her that she likes to come out here.  She likes to see the sun.  She does bounce her body.  Eventually, she stand and jump. She has to get used to it.

Death of a Basketball Player

When I was a kid, my father took us to see the Harlem Globetrotters.  It was a really fun experience.  He even went out of his way to get an autograph for us.  Over the years, I would catch them on TV.  I may have also brought my girls, but I can not remember.  I was saddened to see that Meadowlark Lemon had died.  I looked to see if he was on the team when we saw him as children, but he was not.

A New Place to Sleep

Haley has a new room to sleep in.  She had been sleeping on a mattress in our living room.  The main problem she has is that she does not go to sleep.  She like to crawl around.  She moves fast.  I would describe her crawl to be crab like.  She is getting really good at using her legs.  She still can not walk.  We moved a crib into the master bedroom.  This way, we can keep her confined in one place while she sleeps.  She did manage to sleep a little, last night.

Hateful Eight Screening

Of course, I saw the 70MM showing of this movie.  It was really good.  It was a mixture of Reservoir Dogs meets Django Unchained.  I was looking at movie sites and I see where some shows were plagued with issues.  Our show ran perfectly.  I guess other theaters were not ready to show the movie on film.  Believe me, I know how easy it is to mess up film.  If not threaded correctly, all sorts of issues can happen.  It can scratch the film, snap the film, burn the film, etc.  Once there is damage, the film does not run the same or it just looks bad.  

Catching On

I've talked about panhandling in the past.  One area I pass every day has the same people standing at two corners.  I have even seen them group together.  On that day, I was wondering if they were having an Employee's Meeting.  I guess others have grown tired of their panhandling.  The other day, I was driving by the section.  No one was at the corner.  Posted up high on a light pole was a sign that warned people not to give money to these people and called what they were doing a scam.  The sign did not last long, but I have not seen anyone there lately.

An Unexpected Surprise

I had written about my daughters staying up late during their break.  Every day, I or someone has to shut off an alarm that Michelle has set.  She even claimed to have turned it off the other day.  I had to tell her that I had turned it off.  This morning, her alarm started its beeping.  I went back to turn it off.  To my amazed eyes, Michelle was actually getting up to turn off her own alarm.  I asked her who it was.  She said Michelle.  I told her that I did not think Michelle woke up until 10.  I later found out that she went to bed early last night.

The Witching Hour

Elana woke up again at 3:00.  This is becoming a habit for her.  She wets her diaper.  After changing, she does not go back to sleep.  She starts playing with toys and working on her talking skills.  I try to encourage her to go back to sleep.  Eventually, she does.  I just wish I could encourage using the bathroom, but I have to wait until she starts potty training.  I tried once to put her on a baby toilet.  She freaked out.

Winter Break

My daughters have been having a ball.  They have been staying up late and waking up late.  They will have a rude awakening in a week.  Elana has managed to stay in her sleep schedule.  Of course, she did wake up at 3:00 this morning.  I convinced her to go back to sleep.

They have been playing with their toys.  They have also been running errands with Angie.  When possible, eatch movies I got for Christmas.

One Holiday Down, One to Go

Back at work.  Christmas vacation went by too quickly.  I did get to do things with my daughters and see a movie I have been waiting for.  Next up is New Year's.  I really don't find that to be much of a holiday.  It's not like China.  When they celebrate their New Year's, they go all out.  We only got to see the tail end of it.  In our country, it seems to be about party's, with alcohol, and football.  After Concussion, I don't really want to see football.  On New Year's night, I will probably be in bed by 8:00.  I used to stay up to watch the ball drop.  It has gotten really annoying.  I'm not really a fan of lip synching music groups.  I can catch the ball dropping the next day.  I just hope that the fireworks do not wake Elana.

Snow and Ice Show

Harbin, China is preparing for their annual snow and ice show.  I keep seeing articles about it.  This year, they are building a huge building out of ice.  Keep an eye out for it in the news.  One of these years, we hope to visit during the event.

Cleaning Day

I am trying to help clean.  Elana does not like me doing anything.  Every time I get up, she screams.  I did take apart a crib.  I have help bring the many pieces of clothes out to the living room.  I feel like I have made a small dent in our mess.  Elana is gone, I need to try to do something else.

Mia's Emoji Face

Yesterday, Mia's sisters got emoji pillows.  She decided at that moment that she decided she wanted one too.  Angie went on Amazon and let her pick one out.  If you want one, check it out.  If you have Prime, you can get one for about 5.00 with free shipping.  It did take some time.  It came from Hong Kong.  Later, she showed us her emoji pillow.

Old Style Movie Presentation

The Hateful Eight was presented like an old fashioned movie.  The movie begins with a red screen and orchestra music.  Then, it fades into our story.  I did not have to sit through 8-10 previews.  After two hours, the movie has Intermission on the screen and the lights go up.  In addition to these things, they also had programs.  Overall, this is a great movie.  It is worth paying for, I did.

A Custom Job

When I started in theaters, they had a 70MM projector.  I got to work with Far And Away.  It was three times the size of 35MM.  Now I am getting ready for The Hateful Eight.  Our projectionist is answering questions.  He said the projector had to be installed.  The corporation asked him to run the shows.  The theaters are used to digital.

Elana and Haley' s First Christmas

It started out with screams from Elana.  Haley was still asleep due to having a rough night.  Elana would not open anything.  Fast forward to tonight.  Elana has had two gifts open.  She hit the ball once or twice.  She got a light up/musical bee.  She is still playing with it.  Haley has opened some stuffed animals and a pillow pet.  She seems happy with it.

End of the Marathon

I had planned to see Sisters on Wednesday.  A better opportunity opened up.  The Hateful Eight is playing in Orlando and is in 70 MM.  I am a big f as n of the directors.  This will be my last film in a theater for the year.  I'll have to wait for sneaks to start up next year.

Good Night's Sleep

I had a good night's sleep.  Everyone else stayed up late.  For the girls, they were excited.  They were. Also assisting with the wrapping.  I did not have much to wrap.  I usually take care of Angie's gifts.  She does the rest.  Between the two of us, we did not ask for much.  Now the girls are asleep and we are about to see Kayla.

Who Knew!

Michelle got a special gift today.  Santa gave her a box of Nerds.  He must sense something that she refuses to admit.  She won't pose with her candy.

Screaming in the Yuletide

Elana made it through her first Christmas.  She did so in my lap screaming the whole time.  I did find something to interest her.  Wrapping paper.  She played with that.  When I gave her a toy to play with, she would get upset.  Hopefully she will open some later.

Merry Christmas!

The girls are getting up.  Time to open presents.  Elana is not waking all that fast.  She keeps giving out screams.  Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas in China

When we went to get Michelle, it was in December.  I don't remember many decorations.  I do remember the hotel had a Santa in the lobby.  From the many articles from China, it seems they are embracing Santa more.

A New Feeling

I brought some of the girls shopping.  I just wanted to get them out of the house.  At the mall, we found a comic book store.  I went in to look.  I even pointed out The Walking Dead to Michelle.  She responded that she was starting to feel like a nerd.  After, she said she had to leave the store because she did not want her friends to see her.

First Day of Winter, Break out the Shorts!

We celebrated our first day of winter and I wanted to wear shorts.  Our air conditioner is running.  The sad thing is that it just does not feel like Christmas this year.  Maybe the spirit of the Grinch is in my body.  I did not really know what to ask for for gifts.  I just hope my daughters have a good one.  I hope next year, it will be a more festive time.

Star Wars A Trip Back

Sitting in the theater waiting for Star Wars.  They are actually checking tickets before entering the theater.  We never had to do that.  I guess the bigger the theater, the more you have to check. Stay tuned for my spoiler free review.

Here is my review.  I figured I'd change this post a little.  I was having troubles getting the post to upload at the theater.  When I got home, I realized I had about 7 drafts and two of the same posts.


It was an amazing movie.  It took me back to when I saw the original trilogy in the theaters.  It hits you when the Star Wars logo appears and the crawl begins.  They did an excellent job integrating the old movies into the new ones.  It will be a movie that fans will go back to for a second or third viewing.  The new actors were great and it was good to see some old faces.  After you watch the film, check out the cameos on the web.  It's pretty interesting.  JJ Abrams does nod a lot to the past movies.  Look for those scenes, as well as dialogue.  I look forward to the future movies.  Now to see if there are any toys I might want.  

The Force has Awoken

Sitting in the theater waiting for Star Wars.  They are actually checking tickets before entering the theater.  We never had to do that.  I guess the bigger the theater, the more you have to check. Stay tuned for my spoiler free review.

I Must be in the Front Row (My Review of Concussion)

That statement reminds me of the Bob Uecker commercials when I was younger.  Unfortunately, it's not so great when your seats are in the front row of a movie theater.  They held our sneak of Concussion in one of the smaller theaters.  I was not right in the front, but close enough.

The movie was great.  Will Smith does an excellent job.  Gugu Mbath-Raw did a great job as a women who becomes the wife of Will Smith's character.  I saw her in a film in 2014 called Belle.  If you have not seen this movie, you need to check it out.  I did not know if I'd like this movie, but it was really good.  Rumor has it that Gugu Mbath-Raw may be joining Star Wars Episode 8.  I hope so.  She is a really talented actress.

After seeing this movie, I would not be rushing to have my sons play football.  That is if I had sons.  My question would be what is it worth?

I want to add one last thing.  I try not to go to much into the movies.  I hate reviews that spell out everything.  For most you either want to see it or not.  Maybe my review might push you if you are undecided.  I don't like to know much about a movie before seeing it, so I don't want to do the same to people who might want to.

At the movie, we had one of the regulars in line.  He fashions himself a film critic.  He was in rare form.  He was on a rant about Sisters.  What made his rant so funny is that he sounded like George Costanza from Seinfeld.  He was very excited about how much he hated the movie.  I had to hear his rant three times.

Concussion

Tonight's the big night.  Hopefully it will be good and not feel like I have been through a concussion watching it.  I'm wondering if there will be a lot of people going to see it?  Being Christmas break and Star Wars is already in theaters.  I will be back later with a review.  It may have to wait until tomorrow.  The movie starts at 7:30 and is probably at least 2 hours.

Movie Marathon

It looks like I will be seeing a couple of movies this week.  Tonight is Concussion.  Tomorrow, Angie and I plan to see Star Wars.  Finally, I have a ticket I have to use before it expires.  I was thinking about Sisters.  Check back if you want to see if they are worth your time.

Making My Office Feel Lived In

I came into work early, so I could do a little decorating.  I brought in some of my toys/collectibles.  I brought in my diplomas to hang on the wall.  I still need the family pictures to make it complete.  I have added a mixture of Star Wars and other film characters on my bookshelf.  It will be interesting to see how people react.  Also, I plan to bring in a plant or two.

Riding in a Vehicle with a Blaring System

Elana is not fond of driving around town.  Going to Kayla' s drives her crazy.  She is not the only one.  While driving, she will let out timed screams the whole trip.  I have tried feeding her snacks, but that only lasts for as long as you have food to give her.  Today, I gave up.  I unbuckled and moved her to the back row.  I re buckled and got my belt on.  She started to scream again. I started massaging her feet.  She finally stopped.  When I got tired, I took a break.  Elana had other plans.  She grabbed my arms and put them on her feet.

A Sip of the Straw

Haley took a big step yesterday.  She actually sipped through the straw.  She has had some phobia of drinking.  We think the other family may have forced her.  We will never know.  She is making amazing progress.  It will be great when she finally sees a doctor.  Hopefully, she can get the help she needs.

A Walk Around the Park

I am trying to loose weight.  I know, it's nearing the end of the year.  Everyone turns to weight loss.  I really want to lose the weight.  I decided to go to the park to exercise.  It was a cool day.  I enjoyed it.  Next time, I think I will bring daughter's.

Dance the Night Away

Tonight, I am attending Michelle's dance recital.  There are about 6 girls in her class.  Before the actual dance, they ran through it 3 times.  Michelle did a great job.  Now, we are sitting through the other classes.

One Of Those Days

Christmas is closing in.  Fewer people were at work.  Many of my co-workers got to see Star Wars last night.  I hope to see it, but I do not know when.  I did get tickets to Concussion for Monday.  It looks interesting.  This weekend, I want to gather things to put in my office.  That will take some time, since I have to pull out the ladder.

It's Raining Again! (Think Supertramp song)

It's raining in Orlando.  With that, everyone has forgotten how to drive.  Or they forgot they can not drive like they normally do on wet roads.  Luckily, I made it to work with time to spare.  That does not always happen on days like this.  I think things are going to get worse, but I am safely in my chair with thoughts of work dancing in my head.  

Haley's Paperwork II

So, it seems that we got some of her information from the other family.  They are still holding pertinent information.  This information may be needed to get her citizenship paperwork and social security.  I just don't get why someone would hold information that has nothing to do with their life or their families.  They gave up their rights over her.  In doing so, they should relinquish her information.  That is a part of her history and a timeline of her trip from China to America.  

The Big Short Sort of Review

I went to see The Big Short.  It was a really good movie, with great performances.  It is a film about the financial collapse of the housing market.  The director tells the story using satire.  One of my favorite parts is when they would describe financial technical terms, he would cut away to a celebrity to explain what the term meant.  Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and the rest of the cast did a great job.  I think of it as kind of a cautionary tale.  They show us how it happened and how it may happen again.  Check it out.

Short Line at The Big Short

It's after 5:30 and there are 6 people here.  A screening opened for Ride Along 2.  It is at Universal Studios theater.  You have to pay to park.  I'm not paying to park to see a movie.  I think they charge close to $20 or whatever people going to the theme park have to pay.

New Star Wars Game

Want to play a game?  Anyone recognize that quote?  It's from War Games.  Google has created a new game that works with your cell phone and your computer.  I watched a demo at a friend's desk.  It was pretty cool looking.  Try it out.  It works with the Chrome search engine.


https://lightsaber.withgoogle.com/

Movie Drought

It has been awhile since I have gone to the movie theater.  There is not much sneaking.  The few that have, I don't care to see or did not get a ticket.  Tonight, a little rain will fall.  I have a ticket to see The Big Short.  I think it will be pretty good.  I plan to see Star Wars, but who knows when that will happen.  I'm hoping some more sneaks will open.  I want to see The Revnant and The Hateful Eight.

At the Dentist with Kiersten

Kiersten had her braces taken off the other day.  Now she is visiting the dentist.  I tried to go back with her, but she said no.  They asked if she had allergies. I told them she was allergic to not talking.

She survived.  But, we have to come back in two months for a filling.

Idiots on Parade

I finally get to post.  This morning was bad for traffic.  I even left early.  Right before getting on I4, we had a twenty minute wait.  All because some idiot had to run a light and get t-boned.  Then, 4 was slow.  I found that there was another accident near my work.  Luckily, I made it on time.  Life in Orlando.

Elana's New Skill

Elana is getting so close to forming words.  She will sit there and jabber in baby talk.  One impressive thing she does is to mimic her sisters.  She is picking up words and things from Haley and Mia.  She also sounds like them when she does it.  Angie said the other day, Mia was asking if you are hungry.  That is her way of telling us she is hungry.  When Angie went to get the food, she did not see Mia.  She was in the bedroom.  It was Elana.  Last night, we heard Haley cry out.  We turned to find out that it was Elana.

A Room with a View

I moved into my new office today.  That is why I did not post.  My computer was detached when I got into work.  I think I have the office the way I want it.  I just need some things from home.  I'm planning a family picture and a Star Wars one of my daughters.  I want to add some plants.  Angie says that I can add some of my collectibles.  I don't know about a movie poster, though.  I'd have to have the right one.  I don't want it to get bleached out from the light.

1000th Post and Counting!

I started writing this, it was for Kiersten's adoption. I guess I was not as motivated as I wanted to be.  It also didn't help that China stops anyone from blogging.  I decided that I would pick it up again.  At first, I had to come up with a writing style.  I kept wanting to write first this happen, then this.  I hope I have overcome doing that.  In the beginning, I would have 10-50 people a day read this.  Now, I am up to 125-150.  I would like to thank you for tuning in.  I hope that I have been informative, as well as, entertaining.

Service with a Smile

The other day, CCTV posted a story about a stewardess, who fed a man who was having troubles feeding himself.  This reminded me of the all the great service we have received from Asian airlines.  I wrote a comment about how we were impressed with our last adoption.  I let people know how our cabin crew comforted Elana for almost the whole trip.  That would be unheard of in the US.  We would have been thrown off the flight.  I need t look up the airline website to tell them this.  It was Shenzhen Air.

A Scream Queen is Born

Elana has been in rare form today.  Everytime I put her down she would cry.  When we hit the road for Kayla's she would scream every couple of minutes.  It was almost like she was screaming S.O.S.  Nowthat we are out of the van, she is calm.

Bottomless? Yes, Please!

We brought the girls to Red Robin today.  Angie had a free burger for her birthday. Before we went, I saw a post that said they had bottomless kid's pasta.  You should have seen Michelle's face light up.  She ordered just that.  When it came to her, I was worried she would not like it.  She took a bite and fell in love.  She only made it through two plates.  I thought the promotion would end after Michelle had gone through.

Share the Road

After work, our team went for pizza.  On the way there, I turned onto the road that the business was on.  Less than a mile ahead of me was a person on a bike.  He did not seem to be peddling.  It looked like it was on the lowest tension.  In Florida, we share the road with people on bikes.  Sometimes there are bike lanes.  This was not one of those cases.  I was expecting him to pull over to the side.  He puts his arm up and drives in the center.  I thought he was getting ready to turn.  He did not.  I had to get passed the crest of a small hill to get by him.  He continued to block the road with his slow peddling.

Original Documents

Angie went to the other families house today.  They reluctantly gave up Haley's Chinese Passport and other paperwork.  They didn't want to give it up, but the lawyer convinced them to.  I don't know why you would want to keep information from a failed adoption.  Now we can progress with getting the insurance.  Next up doctor's appointments.

Ready for my Closeup!

Mia had her big show last night.  She was part of the 1st grade ensemble.  Before that, we were entertained by the kindergartners.  Elana was good up to the 1st grade.  Then she started to get restless.  Mia was up on the stage with an oversized Santa hat.  The hat covered half her face.  Their group sang three songs.  I made it through two.  At that point, Elana had had enough.  She started her screaming.  I led her into the hallway.

When we got home, I asked Mia if she was the star of the show.  She answered yes.  I asked her if she was ready for Hollywood.  She answered yes.

Words are Coming

We were preparing for Mia's play yesterday.  I had Elana in my arms and she was babbling like she does.  I said that I was going to tickle her and she goes "Naw".  The funny thing is, she said it just like Mia does.  I noticed that she is starting to pick up more words.  If you ask if she is hungry, she will answer cookie.  It will be nice when she is saying things and not just screaming.

A Star is Born

Tonight, Mia takes the stage in a kindergarten acting debut.  She is really excited about it.  In the past, her class did a show.  She just sat there.  Now that she is becoming more energetic, I hope she has been given more to do.  I'm just worried about her health.  She has not been feeling well.  I hope that does not affect her.  When she is not feeling well, she withdraws and gets a little mean.  Believe me, I have the scratch marks to prove it.

Haley Paperwork Updated

Since the parents are refusing to give up paperwork, it looks like the lawyer will be requesting the information through the courts.  Our main concern is her health.  We want to know what is going on.  She constantly tries to walk, but her legs just don't seem to want to work.  With her hearing, we might be about to assist there.  If she is deaf, we accept that.  We won't know anything until she starts seeing doctors, which is being held up.

It looks like reason has won out.  They are going to hand over her original paperwork that we need to get her things taken care of.  I love these ups and downs.  It makes my life a soap opera.

Haley Setback

We are still trying to set up her insurance.  Unfortunately, they require a Social Security Number.  To get that, we need Hayley's adoption information.  To get her citizenship paper work, they want originals.  The other family is refusing to give up any original paperwork.  We'll have to keep chipping away.

Moving Right Along

In a couple of days, I get my first office.  They are preparing for some moves at work.  I can't wait.  I was thinking about bringing in some pictures, collectibles, and maybe even a poster.  I will have to think about that one.  I don't want to over do it, but I want it to represent me.  A bunch of my fellow co-workers have collectibles.  One is even adding Star War's posters.  I will not be copying that.  It will also have to be business appropriate.  Maybe, I will frame some of the picture we took in China, as well as my family.

Adopteen Rejection

I brought up Adopteen to Kiersten.  She turned it down.  She did not even want to hear about it.  It's sad.  I thought it would be something that she'd like to do.  Michelle wants to, but you have to be 13 to do it.  I might call to see if there is a way, but I am doubting it.  I will tell them she is a very mature 10 close to 11.  From the itinerary, it looks like a lot of fun things and a chance to make new friends.

New Food Dish, Equal Dislike

I found a new thing at the store the other day.  It is called gnocchi.  It is a think dough dumpling.  I thought it would be good.  I bought a four cheese sauce to go with it.  When I brought it to the table, everyone did not like what they saw.  When it came to taste, only Haley and I would eat it.  Even Elana did not like it.  You know this, when she spits it out more than once.  No more gnocchi for us.

Scary Times

When I was in high school, we learned about the Nazis.  You'd think that something like that would never happen again.  Yet, we see what goes on in North Korea and no one does a thing.  Now, in the US, we have a candidate that is acting a lot like Hitler did.  The scary thing is, he has a lot of followers.  You know, his followers are willing to attack people at rally's who speak out against him.  This candidates rhetoric blames others for America's problems.  Just like Hitler did when he blamed others for Germany's problems.  If someone like this gets elected, we are in trouble.  Who knows where there hatred will end.  They might even single out my children to get returned to their country.

Adopteen Organization

A person who friended me on Facebook belongs to an organization called Adopteen.  I looked it up.  It is made up teens that were adopted from China.  They are doing a conference near us in Conyers, GA.  I thought Kiersten might be interested.  We'll have to see.  I think she would have fun and make friends.  Stay tuned!

When is a Gym like a Car Dealership?

We went to a gym yesterday for a tour of their facility.  I knew we were in trouble when I looked in their window.  They had tables set up like a car dealership.  We were in for some wheeling and dealing.  The first thing we did was to drop off the older children in the Kid's Area.  Then we sat down.  The person started out his sales speech.  Angie let him know we are just touring and trying to find out about pricing.  He gave us a quick tour.  It was like any other gym.  It was time for the sales speech.  Once I heard about the one time 200 fee, I tuned out.  He even talked about special deals, but would not mention unless we were ready to sign up right then and there.  It was already out of my price range.  Luckily, Angie has a benefit through her insurance that allows her to get free membership.  At least, she will be able to exercise at a facility.  I, on the other hand, will have to start doing it the old fashioned way.  Maybe, I can encourage my daughters to join me.

Red Alert in Beijing

I just read that the government had to declare a Red Alert due to smog.  That's sad.  Kids are being kept home for their safety.  I wish they'd get that under control  Beijing is a nice place to visit.  With warnings like that, I can't blame people for skipping it.  I feel for the people that live there.  Kiersten lived there for the first 7 years of her life.

Another Crouching Tiger

I just saw the preview for Crouching Tiger 2.  I don't understand one thing, why is everyone speaking English?  They didn't do it in the first one.  I'd rather see it in Mandarin.  Maybe there will be some explanation.  They could do like Hunt for the Red October where the changed from Russian to English.  The action still looks good.  Judge for yourself.


http://deadline.com/2015/12/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-sword-of-destiny-trailer-michelle-yeoh-netflix-1201657287/

It Felt Like Overtime This Weekend

This weekend went by too fast.  I felt like I was working overtime all weekend.  On Saturday, I had to dress in a suit for a memorial.  Yesterday, I was dressed up for the pictures.  If the weather was cold, it would have been great.  This is Florida.  It was not cold.  It was warm and rainy.  That made the clothing even more unbearable.  Looking forward to next weekend.

The Cat is not Out of the Bag

Yesterday, I posted a picture of Haley on Facebook.  Only a select few would actually know who she is.  Angie does not want me to post anything.  They are probably scratching their heads wondering who this child is.  It's either that or they are going to think it's a friend of my children.  I was going to say Elana, but I also posted a picture of her.  Let the confusion begin!

Picture Day Over!

It' over.  It was a very long day.  We got yo our appointment late, so they punished us by about an hour.  Believe me, it is really hard to entertain young ones for a long period of time. By the time we got up there, Elana was not happy.  We got lucky though.  He was able to get some decent shots. I did get a good one of Elana looking at Christmas lights.

Music Experimentation

Last night, I exposed Elana to some new music.  I played Harry Chapin.  If you do not recognize the name, he is the man who brought us Cat's in the Cradle.  My dad was a big fan of his.  I became a fan from his listening to him.  I decided to see what Elana's reaction would be to me changing from lullabies to Harry Chapin.  She loved it.  She reacted to the breaks the same way.  I just think she likes all music.

Picture Day!

It's that time of year again.  It's holiday picture day for the Fahey's.  We go to Kayla's and gather at a nearby photo shop.  This year, Angie made matching dresses for the girls.  I think one year, we should all wear the dame sweaters.  We don't really have any.  Florida is too warm for sweaters.

Christmas Misunderstanding

Mia is getting older.  She is of the age that she can tell Santa what she wants.  It's too bad she does not understand that he is not going to just give you that toy.  She went up to him and asked for a light up bumblebee.  She waited.  Her sister told her to come.  She was having none of that.  She wanted Santa to produce that toy.  After much scratching and screaming, we got her to tell us what was wrong.  We convinced her that Santa had to go to his workshop and deliver it on Christmas day.

Sitting at Wal-Mart

We are sitting in the van waiting on Angie.  Elana has been screaming the whole time.  Our windows are down, so everyone can hear her.  A black bird flew onto the car next to us.  It started screeching.  I think it thought Elana was talking to him.

Getting Stronger by the Day

When Haley came to us, she did not have any strength.  She just sat and stared with a sad face.  Three weeks later, and she is scooting around the house.  Today, she was playing on the floor and laughing.  It is good to see her greeting around.  She keeps trying to stand and walk.  She can only do this a little at a time.  Angie told me that she has been added to the insurance, but we have to prove citizenship.  Hopefully, the agency and lawyer can assist with that.

Feeding a Picky Child

Elana was having one of her days.  She was screaming and would not stop.  Angie tried feeding her, but she spit everything out.  I got home and tried.  No dice.  She was not going to eat anything.  At this point, I thought about what I could feed her.  I remembered a stay in the hospital that I had.  I was put on a liquid diet.  They fed me Chicken Bouillon, Beef Bouillon, etc.  At first, I did not think that this would fill me up.  To my surprise, it did.  I made up some Chicken broth and put it into a cup that Elana would drink out of.  Sure enough, she drank the broth.  At least I have something to fall back onto, when she is being extremely picky.  

Pay it Forward

Angie had to got to a meeting involving Kayla yesterday.  At this meeting, we learned that Kayla has almost hit another level.  They have four levels.  She is up to or should be as of today 3 day 0.  At each level, she has to be good and stay out of trouble for 30 days.  This is a big accomplishment from where she started.  She is just that much closer to stepping down to a smaller facility.  From there, she would come home.

After the meeting, Angie went to Sonny's BBQ.  It's a local eatery in Florida.  She had Haley and Elana.  Elana was having one of her days.  She kept screaming.  The waitress brought Angie things to stop her from screaming.  She also had patrons from the restaurant approach her to talk to Elana.  Angie got to tell our story.  By the end of the meal, she found out that one of the patrons had paid for her bill and tip.  Not only that, but the waitress gave Angie two coupons for a free meal.  She told her to bring her whole family.

Shooting in CA

It was sad to watch the news yesterday.  Well, sad because of the tragedy.  It was also sad about how the news wanted to yell, scream and somehow link this to terrorism.  For me, I thought it was a disgruntled employee.  I'm guessing there was some kind of link, but it still feels like a workplace shooting done by a disgruntled employee.  We'll hear more as it is released.

Breakfast with Haley

After getting dressed, I sat down to eat a bowel of cereal.  Haley was watching me.  Then, she started to crawl towards me.  She has not been able to walk.  I can't wait until we get some insurance for her. When she got to me, she had me prop her up.  She started to pull my arms toward her.  It's her way of saying she wants food.  I started to give her the milk from my bowel.  She is not eating hard foods.  She liked what I gave her.  Angie had oatmeal ready for her to eat after I left.

China Fears

I've talked about the fears fellow adoptees have about China.  Some things could be accurate.  Smog is dangerous.  I saw a story where an artist in China vacuumed the smog for a month and was able to create a brick from it.  That's scary.  I'd want an air mask.  There are indoor places to visit in Beijing.
Some families are worried about carrying the adoption money.  We've done 4 adoptions and no problems.  Sure it can be inconvenient.
Hotels are another issue.  Evidently, someone has started a mold rumor at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou.  I didn't see or smell any.  Usually these agencies put you up in the best of hotels.  You can imagine what cheaper places would look or smell like.  The White Swan has reopened.  I read that they are catering to business travelers.

Wild West 2015

We had another shooting in America.  At the same time, gun companies are having record sales.  Soon, it will be like the wild west.  Everyone will pull a gun at every bang they hear.  A car backfires, a soccer mom pulls a piece.  I just hope people don't revert to standoffs, high noon style, to resolve arguments/disagreements.  Our funeral homes would probably like it, though.

Clean Bill of Health

Besides her eyes, Elana got a clean bill of health.  We still have to have her hearing checked.  The doctor did note that she screams a lot.  I don't know if the hearing has something to do with it.  Her weight and height check out.  That was good to here.  I know one thing, she is getting heavy.

The Child in Need

I was looking at the posts from Love Without Borders and they have raised the money for Bonnie Jean's surgery.  I'm sure if you keep checking back to their site, you can find out how it turned out.  If I see something, I will post it.  If you gave thanks.  They also have other opportunities to help children on their site.

Birthday Success!

The dinner went great.  I made ribs with a rub.  I actually used some cocoa powder as one of the ingredients.  Everyone love it.  Elana started to eat the ribs.  Then, she spit it out.  I also baked sweet potatoes.  Elana actually ate it.  I gave her potatoes without butter or sugar.  It was just mashed up sweet potato.  For dessert, we ate cheesecake.  It turned out better than the last one.  Angie got some gifts from the girls.  She had a good birthday.

It was funny, Michelle made a comment I have to put.  As she was getting ready to eat her ribs, she declares "Okay Michelle, time to get dirty!"

Information Received!

We got Haley's court information.  Now she is officially in our care.  There are some problems.  She is listed in her other name.  We don't have a social security number.  Angie is going to see what will happen.  We may need DCF's assistance.  Hopefully, we can get some soon. Haley is definitely gaining more strength.  She was crawling all around the house today.  

A Child in Need

It's sharing Tuesday.  I'd like to share this post of a family in need. This child has had a rough life.  Her father died shortly after birth.  Then, she was attacked by a wild animal.  Her mother and grandfather do not have the money for a surgery.  Please click on the link and consider helping this family.

http://www.lwbcommunity.org/love-in-action-bonnie-jean

Resite Rebute

It seems that the international adoption community does not like the idea of respite.  The person who wrote about trying to set up people in each state got an ear full from others on Facebook.  I know if it happens again, Angie would do it again.  I understand it can be overwhelming, but we've been through 5 and in the process of one more.

Birthday Celebration

I took the day off to assist Angie on her birthday.  I plan to make a nice dinner and I have already made the cheesecake.  Later, the girls want me to bring them to the store, so they can pick something out.  Mia stayed home.  When I woke her, she had a fever.  She keeps going through this.  We're supposed to get Haley's legal info.  This should allow us to get insurance.  Busy day.

Tuesday Sharing

Today, is a day of sharing.  Please take time and review some of my Reece's Rainbow posts.  That would be a great place to give, especially at this time of the year.  Come back later and I will be sharing another post of a place that is looking for donations.