We've shut down summer and have said 'hello' to fall, but before we did, we spent a lot of time in the water! She cannot get enough of our pool. I think we swam every. single. day this summer!
We also took her to Galveston for the first time. Poor thing still hasn't seen a 'real' beach, but it didn't matter. She LOVED it! She must have run back and forth from the beach to the water a million times helping her brothers build a sandcastle. Man did she sleep good that night!
We also spent some time in museums. While in Houston, we went to the Children's Museum, a favorite of the boys.... and now a favorite of Harper's. While we were there, all 3 dressed up as a super hero.....
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| Super Harper giving a kiss to her beloved Elmo |
Another museum visit was to the Perot in Dallas. Harper loved the children's area, specifically the arts and crafts section. I had to pull her away from it!
The boys really liked the exhibit where you throw or kick a ball while being filmed....
Before we left the Perot, we had to stop and play on the green frogs.....
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| She thought the frog needed a drink, so she shared her sippy cup |
Another museum opened up, the Bush Presidential Library, so we took the kids down to see that. Harper was getting a feel of what it would be like to sit behind the desk in the Oval office....
Scott's parents were also with us, and Harper pulled her Grandpa around as if she were giving him the tour..
For most of the summer, we layed low and stayed at home. It was actually kind of nice after the crazy Spring we had. Harper has really become a fan of Sesame Street, particularly Elmo, but she also likes Abby Cadabby. I found an Abby Cadabby costume, and she pretty much wore it non-stop.
There were also plenty of tea parties to go around this summer......
Harper has also shown more of her 'creative side' should we call it? She has no problem with self expression :)
She has also dabbled in a a few different mediums. Here we have a few examples of her love for lipstick....
She loves a good eye shadow to get that soft sparkly look.....
But, her real expertise come in the form of painted Sharpied nails....
When I wasn't srubbing her face, or unsharpie-ing her toes, we took time to got to the candy shop on the square,
The carousel at the mall, (and might I add, I am SO grateful for the boys riding with her. That thing does not agree with me in my old age!)
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| first time at a Ranger game |
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| sitting with Brannen waiting to watch his game |
She also had her brothers right where she wanted them..... at her beck and call. She had her own chauffeur
and someone to read her some of her favorite books
One of the best parts of the summer was having visitors. Our friends that we meet in China, and part of our travel group, came down for a visit. It was the first time their daughter, Sydney and Harper saw each other since we've been home. The boys also were thrilled to see Sydney's big brothers. We spent one night at Great Wolf Lodge, and then they came and spent another night at our house. We are already looking forward to the next time we can get together!
With the end of summer, that meant the start of school, and Fall right around the corner. The boys started school at the end of August, Griffin in 3rd grade and Brannen started 6th (middle school....gasp!!)
We also decided to start Harper in a Mother's Day Out. We thought it would be good for her to establish friendships with kids her own age, plus thought it would be good for her language. She has cried every single day I drop her off, but when I pick her up she's always happy. I felt guilty at first, thinking maybe we started her in school too soon -she had only been in the country a little over 5 months when she started school! - but her teachers promised me she only cries for a minute or so after I left. In a weird way, I was glad to see her cry..... there was no denying she had bonded!
Soon enough, she had her first open house. Of course, she cried the whole time we were in her classroom. I think she thought we were going to drop her off. Once we left her room, she was more than happy to show us some of her artwork from class....
Fall also means football!! I think she looks great in burnt orange :)
Fall also means Oktoberfest. Can't go to your first Oktoberfest without getting a chicken hat!
Since she only goes to school 2 days a week, she and I still have a lot of together time, which I love! One of our favorite places to go .... Starbucks. She was first introduced to Starbucks when we were in China. Since it was one of our 'go to' places there, she - and her brothers - have become somewhat of Starbuck junkies.
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| No, she doesn't get her own.... she talked Griffin out of the last little bit of his |
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| She and Elmo sharing a nice box of milk at Starbucks |
One particular trip to Starbucks, I had to use the restroom, which meant she had to come with me. Once we stepped in the restroom, she noticed the drain in the floor. She looked at it, looked at me, then in one quick motion pointed with one hand to the drain yelling "Potty!". She then tried to pull her pants down, and for a very brief second I had no idea what she was doing.....
Then it hit me.
She thought it was a squatty potty!!!!
Oh. My. Gosh!!!
I could not stop laughing. Just goes to show you..... You can take the girl out of China, but not the China out of the girl :)
Fast forward to October, and we headed to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. This was Harper's first flight since coming home from China, and ironically, we were headed to the same city that she first stepped her tiny size 7 feet on America soil.
While in Chicago, we tried to visit every tourist place it had to offer. Our efforts were somewhat hampered when 2 out of 5 Henry's were hit with the stomach bug. Up until then, we did do a lot.
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| Harper and our niece, Kaytie, hailing us a cab |
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| Harper, my brother Chris and Scott looking out on Chicago from Willis Tower |
Of course we had to visit the Skydeck on Willis Tower. If you notice in the pic, it freaked me out a bit.... I'm still clinging onto the carpet of the building! Haha. Harper walked out on the Skydeck without hesitation. Maybe she has youth on her side? Or, maybe she's just a natural dare devil.
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Even Elmo stepped out to experience it!
5 Henrys and my brother on the ledge. His wife, daughter and our mom were back at the hotel.
One other bonus of being in Chicago, cousins on the other side of my family live there. I hadn't seen my cousin in about 20 years, and had never met his kids. We had a great time catching up, and our kids loved meeting and hanging out with their cousins.
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| Harper was back at the hotel, and not in the pic |
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| She was a little concerned when one of the goats took the cup out of her hands |
Harper is doing really well with her words considering she's only been here just about 8 months. At the pumpkin patch we used the cows as a teaching tool.....
And thanks to one particular cow, the conversation went south.....
Soon enough they each picked a little pumpkin to bring home, and I got a couple of pics before we left.
I wondered what Harper would think of Halloween since this would be her first. As is Harper's way, she took it all in stride. We got a lot of wear out of Harper's costume. Her Mother's Day Out had a little parade and they all wore their costumes....
She was decked out like a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, and every time the Cowboys are on tv now, she wants to run get her pom poms and play the part.
Our niece got to join us this year in trick or treating. She's 9 months younger than Harper, and for her, this was her first year to really get into going to houses and collecting candy. We pulled them in a wagon, and after a couple houses, they each were fighting to get out the wagon first and get more candy. It was hilarious! I think Harper's mind was blown at how many suckers she had in her bag. It was like she hit the jackpot!
October was soon shown the door and November has rolled in. We decided to have Harper's cleft repaired sooner rather than later. This past Tuesday was the day. I have sat many hours and nights in the hospital with Brannen and Griffin and their asthma, but this hospitalization made me nervous. Nervous because I wasn't sure how she would do, how she would handle the anesthesia, and what amount of pain she would be in.
Harper went through it all like a champ. She is one tough little girl. The surgery was about 2 hours, and she was in recovery for about another hour.
We were moved up to a room soon after, and once she had shaken all the anesthesia out of her, she was up playing like nothing unusual had happened that morning. In fact, she played and played in the playroom down the hall, and the only thing I wanted to was take a nap since we had been up since 4:30 am! She amazes me.
And finally, if you haven't noticed, most of the pictures in this post has one thing in common..... Elmo. I don't know what it is about Elmo, but she was totally drawn to him. Scott bought her a little Elmo a couple months ago, and it is never out of her sight. We were afraid we would lose that Elmo, so we bought a second to have one on hand in case the original ever got lost. Well, she didn't like second Elmo.... at all. Praying Elmo never gets lost!
So, that, in a very big nutshell, is what we have been up to these last few months. Thanksgiving is just days away, and there is much we have much to be thankful for. This year, however, I am especially thankful our Thanksgiving table is now complete.
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