Kitchen Set

 

 














We all worked together on Anita's Christmas present this evening.  Grandpa will be very proud that Anita knows how to use a screwdriver and wasn't afraid to get to work.  We almost had it done but Anita was ready for bed. 

Family blankets



blanket from Uncle Jim/Aunt Judy



blanket from Aunt Velma (gma cline's sister)

Saturday visit

Javier, Lucy, Lula and JoJo

JoJo, Holly and Anita

Fabian

Anita and I went to visit her biological family yesterday.  We had fun making pretzel treats and playing with the kids.  All the kids had a job with the pretzels and the two little ones had the most fun with putting sprinkles on.  Anita wanted to help out but instead ate a pretzel and was happy.

Anita's Christmas present

Ordered Anita a kitchen set on Monday and it arrived today.  It's so heavy we don't want to haul it to the basement which means that I will have to put it together this weekend and celebrate Christmas early!!!  yahoo!  Anita won't know the difference and she can start enjoying her present now.  Jim already opened the box for us and we all dug in checking it out.  She has bitten the stove and door handles already to make sure they are full functioning.  I will do better next year and wait until the week before Christmas to shop for her.  Atleast the decorations are still in the basement. 

Also, went to see Grandma Cline today and Anita showed off her walking skills.  Happy Birthday to Grandma as she turns 88 tomorrow!!  She gave us a quilt that her sister Velma completed after their other sister Doris had started but passed away before finishing it.  This is a very special quilt that we will treasure.  I'll put pics up tomorrow because my camera is in next to a sleeping baby that I do not want to disturb.  She is wore out from helping to work on her present.

Baking cookies

Dora hat = hair net

uses both hands to stir

decided to try a little taste

final product, was a little uncertain

delicious!




 

Anita's been having a tough couple of days with her teeth so we stayed home today.  I'm also waiting to get my car from LeMars and finally heard the fuel pump is out.  Hoping to pick it up later this afternoon.  We've had a fun morning with baking cookies, playing and listening to music.  Aunt Sue and cousin Anna came over to play for a little bit too which helped to distract Anita.

Fashionista does housework

showing off her fashion sense

working the eyes/smile to avoid chores

didn't work, had to sweep

Anita has been busy working on walking this week.  She is making laps around our house and at gma/gpa's.  My car broke down on Thurs. and remains in LeMars.  Thanks to dad, mom and Anita for coming to pick me up and getting me back to work.  It was a great reason to enjoy some ice cream while I waited for them to pick me up.  This weekend we have mostly been home just playing and doing a little cleaning today.  Anita was happy to help out.

Mom and Dads Anniversary

Happy 42nd Anniversary to my parents who are also now helping to parent Anita.  I am so lucky to have their help and support every day especially with Anita.  She has a loving place to be every day while I am at work and gets to watch all the action at grandma and grandpa's.  There are days she is home playing with both of them, enjoying lunch, getting rocked to sleep and enjoying kisses when she wakes up.  On other days they are at the mall, the gym, going to lunch or picking up Kristina.  Anita knows this is where the action is, and the cat so she doesn't want to miss it.
On another note I am trying to decide what to do for an adoption party for Anita in March once everything is finalized.  I've been looking online at ideas and today came across a great poem that someone put on an invitation to their party:
Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own.  Never forget for a single minute, you didn't grow under my heart- but in it.  Author Fleur Conkling Heylinger

Christmas lights are up

Jim put the lights up today and we only left them on for a few minutes to show Anita.  We'll wait until after Thanksgiving to turn them on for good.  Anita has not felt the best this weekend but turned it around this evening.  She was having fun playing hide and seek, reading her books and playing catch.  We all enjoyed popsicles after turning the Christmas lights on.

Socks and other accessories

She chose the shirt, I chose the socks

Bribery with phone/purse to keep the socks on

Socks off, hat on

Learning to color and not eat the crayons.  Socks on

Anita has a love/hate relationship with socks.  She loves to pull them off and chew on them.  She also likes to open her dresser, take a sock out and put it in the trash can.  Luckily, she doesn't mind wearing her pants and will even put them on her head.