and the winner is......

Lilly B who was entrant number three on the giveaway entry. Random.org picked the winner at 9:00pm tonight. There were a total of 16 entrants and I'm thrilled to be able to bring a little something back to the handful of you who follow our story and journey together. Lilly B, enjoy your year membership to ClickinMoms. I'll contact the administrator and let her know you're on your way.

One Last Day

Tomorrow we'll be picking a winner for the ClickinMoms membership giveaway so make sure you get your entry in before 5pm tomorrow. Just leave a comment for me. Your comment is your #.

Party Girl

Last night I caught Em in the corner of the living room singing and humming. When I asked what she was doing she said it was a "SUP-PIZE" She had her halloween party at daycare today and the kids put on a cute little show singing fall songs they had learned. Em had a little stage fright but I saw her mouthing ALL the words and doing the little hand gestures. She was adorable as were all her little friends. After an afternoon of fun she is all tuckered out.

YUMMO

Last night Em and I made a yummy beef stew and she wanted biscuits to go with it (not sure where she learned about biscuits). We improvised with yeast in a can but dinner was a hit.

NOT ME MONDAY

It's been hectic over here the past week and I am suffering from mommy brain but that surely does not give me a license to be a bad mommy. NOPE, not me. I did NOT forget to buckle my little peanut properly into her carseat this week so she gave a little YAHOO while turning a corner. I'm a responsible parent who takes driving very seriously! (Em buckles herself in on top and I do the bottom. She actually was in on top but didn't have that extra and necessary additional security) I did NOT tell off some insane woman who was talking like a truck driver in the presence of small children. No, not me because I am a lady and never want my daughter to see me act like that.

Finally Some Fall Fun

We've had a chaotic few weeks with everyone being sick. Today despite colds we decided to just get out of the house and enjoy the 65 degree day. We went to a local halloween children's festival and had a great time with friends. You've never seen a girl wolf down lo-mein until you've dined with Emme. It is QUITE the sight. After dinner we just sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful sunset that went from hues of blues and pinks to bright orange. It was a great day.

Welcome Ryan Michael

Congrats to friends Andrea and Chris on the birth of your second child; a son. He is absolutely precious and I was thrilled when he was handed to me when I visited Andrea in the hospital. He had the most beautiful skin; not a mark on him. Andrea, Chris and Madison are yet another example of the gifts I've received through adoption. If I didn't have Emme, I wouldn't have met them. Our girls adore one another and spend each day together at daycare. You'll also find them chasing each other and having simultaneous meltdowns when it's time to leave gym class. I don't want to get a beating so no pics of the beautiful mama, just the babe.

NOT ME MONDAY

This week I did NOT convince my daughter that the darkened sky from nasty weather was merely darkness in an attempt to get her to bed earlier so I could have a little time by myself. What kind of a mother tricks her kid? No, not me. Unfortunately it didn't work so the joke's on me. Like someone else you may know, I did not kill the inside of my brand spankin new oven by putting potato skins on the wrong baking pan and have them fly all over the place sans cheese. Oh no, not me. I always bend down and get the proper cooking items to ensure this never happens. Do you think I promptly cleaned the aforementioned mess? NO NOT ME. Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The Weekend Report

****** Update Several of you inquired as it does appear Emme may be left handed. She is L dominant but she uses both. We had a very low key weekend after running around way too much lately. Between moving and being sick we just needed some time hanging out at home. Friday night was a lot of fun and proved to be the best $10 I ever spent. We put together Em's new easel and she spent about 3 hours creating various masterpieces. Back in the day my nana painted in oils and acrylics. A few years ago she painted a portrait of me using my pre-school picture. She is going to come over once a week and give Em a painting "lesson". We have a little corner in our kitchen where it fits perfectly. Papa and Gigi came over for dinner and hung out with us and then Em, RaRa and I settled in for a fun night of pillow fights, Wonder Pets and cuddling. Today we laid around the house, watching movies with popcorn and wearing football regalia. Em took an afternoon nap while I successfully upgraded the memory in my computer. It took all of 5 minutes and now I'm flying just in time to start an online class tomorrow. Em perfected her "Naked Chinese Drum Dance" (video to follow). All in all a great weekend.

My First Giveaway

I realize I'm a nobody special in the land of blogville but figured so many people have done something special or good as a result of something I've posted. Last year you may have donated to my Toddler Toes and Precious Piggies fundraiser for Qianjiang Orphanage or you may have recently given your daily Starbucks allowance to a photographer who tragically lose her son last week to H1N1 or you may have offered me your ear, advice and support while I was having a meltdown in China. Perhaps you just come by every now and then to see how we're doing or maybe you just got lost and didn't run for the exit sign. Regardless of the reason, I want to do something nice for YOU. So here's the deal. The fine people at CLICKINMOMS are going to give one of my lucky readers a one-year membership (value of over $50). To enter, just leave me your first name and last initial (if I don't know you). You can't do anonymous posting for this. Tell me what you'd like to learn about photography. We'll do the drawing on Halloween. In case you didn't know, CLICKINMOMS is a tremendous community of women (and a few brave men) who love photography. Whether a novice with a point and shoot or a seasoned professional, it's a wonderful forum that is filled with knowledge, tips, tutorials and a membership that spans the globe. Since joining, I've learned so much and have turned that knowledge into taking beautiful photos of my daughter and my life. Good Luck!!! PS. In order to win the prize you cannot be a current member.

Brought to you by the letters F and U

Rocky

A one inch cut under the lower lip and a bloody mess brought to you by "petite Chinese girl who jumps on bed"

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. As for me, I did NOT send my daughter off to mom-mom's house for the afternoon on Saturday, secretly hoping she'd spend the night so I could get some much needed rest. What kind of a mother wants to get rid of their child? Certainly not me. I also did not go to the doctor for a complete physical, get results of slightly elevated cholesterol and celebrate with a delicious and most fattening cupcake. No, NOT ME, I take these issues seriously and to heart. Needless to say I did not go on an immediate diet nor walk a mile. Lastly, I did not have the aforementioned physician run one of THOSE tests because what kind of irresponsible woman would I be to let THAT happen? Needless to say the result came the next day in the need for a trip to the drugstore.

A Community of Caring

Tracy, a valued member and vendor over at Clickinmoms tragically lost her son to complications from the H1N1 virus this morning. Like most of us who don't think it will ever happen, this family is not equipped to handle the extraordinary costs of a funeral. However this is Nate, their 4 year old who has every right to go peacefully and receive the same respect and dignity as anyone else without regard to financial hardship. If you can help, please do whether by sending messages of support or making a $5, $10 or whatever you feel you can give to help offset the costs so Tracy and her family may bury their baby with every dignity he deserves. Just click the title and you'll be at OTSS where donations are graciously being accepted.