Writing

For the longest time, Katie didn't have much interest in writing. Now it has become something she likes to do a lot. When I got home from school one night, she was showing me the letters she had written. I was shocked when I looked at one of the papers and saw that she had spelled "HORSE." I asked my mom is she had helped, and she said no, so I just knew that Katie was a smart cookie.

I was so proud that Katie could spell that word even if she had copied it. Then we asked her to read it. With no hesitation and a great big smile, she announced, "It says cow!"

It made us all laugh!

Anyone can see that this says cow.

Behind the Ear - Part 2

After Katie figured out she could hold things behind her ear, she decided she might as well put that ear to work!

My ear is a perfect spot for my wand.

Just Like Rapunzel

Katie was drawing one morning when she very slowly and intentionally put her crayon behind her ear. I laughed because we don't usually store our writing tools behind our ears, so I asked her about it. "That's where Rapunzel puts her paint brush!"

My ears are pretty handy!

An Old Find

My sister sent me this picture the other day. We had been out Christmas shopping, and Katie loved this bear she found. We had to get a picture!

This was the best bear ever!

Four Years Ago

Four years ago today, I received my referral for Katie from China after a very long wait! It was the perfect way to spend a rare snow day. I still remember the excitement and anticipation of opening the email with the first pictures I ever saw of her!

I've grown up a lot since my mom's first picture of me!

Accessorizing the Stuffed Animals

Katie was playing with her stuffed animals one day. She began the day by making them ties, hats, etc. out of construction paper. She ended the day by sharing some of her personal accessories. She was very proud of the end result!

My lion was looking pretty fancy in his clip and necklace.

Meanwhile my dog looked ready for some sun!

Dressing for my Story

I always love to see who Katie will choose to dress as for her story. Sometimes I recognize a character, and sometimes it's someone completely unique!

Tonight I'm putting together my own costume.

More Valentines

Katie was so happy to get two more Valentines in the mail!

Who wouldn't love a pink envelope?

It was Hello Kitty!

Ian wrote me a very nice message!

My second Valentine was from one of my China friends. We used to live in the same orphanage.

I was so happy to get a Spiderman pencil with her Valentine!

I can't wait to use it!

A Play Date

Katie was thrilled to go over to Kai's house with Aunt Jennifer. When she got home, she reported to me that she had married Kai. Somehow there were no pictures of the wedding!

 I was so happy to see my friend again!

We enjoyed a green Kit Kat from Kai's trip to Asia! It was yummy!

Kai has a fun shopping cart that I can run with! 

We both like to run no matter what we're doing! 

He showed me around his toy kitchen! We had fun cooking! 

When it was time to go, Kai hugged me good-bye! 

Thank you for having me over!

A New Dance Teacher

When Katie went to dance class a couple of weeks ago, we found out that she has a new dance teacher. Her former teacher is now there on other days. Katie handled the change very smoothly and is just happy to still be with her friends. She's excited to get to know Ms. Emily!

Ms. Emily has a quiet and kind voice! 

She helped us with our ballet positions. 

We got to try some deep plies! 

She also helped us practice our tiptoe walk!

A New Sled

While Katie had her castle tent up, she decided to turn it into the setting for Frozen. She quickly grabbed her favorite box to make a new sled.

All of my dolls enjoy a good sled ride! 

After the ride, they came into the castle with me!

A Summer Dress

The other day, Katie told me that she wanted to wear a dress. As she explained what she wanted to wear, I couldn't place it until I realized that she was describing one of her summer dresses. Who wouldn't want to wear that dress in the middle of winter? It matched the sparkly pink shoes Aunt Jennifer bought for her!

I was warm enough all day in my summertime dress!

Looking Tall

It seems as if Katie has been going through a growth spurt lately. Sometimes I look at her, and it just seems that her legs have gotten so long!

I can't help it that I'm a growing girl!

Happy Valentine's Day, 2015!

Katie was so excited about Valentine's Day this year. For her, most of her excitement came from the opportunity to make cards to celebrate the day.

I had also told Katie I would take her to the zoo to see the special Valentine's Day activities. However, we drove to the zoo to find it more crowded than I had ever seen it. We gave up on getting a parking spot and went to get a small gift instead. It was a fun day!

I started my day by making Valentines, using all of my art supplies! 

After we couldn't get into the zoo, I got to choose one small gift at the store. 

I chose the unicorn that I've been wanting for a long time! 

Then we got to go and get lunch! I love restaurants! 

I had two special Valentines in my mailbox. 

The first one was from Grammy Noreen and Grandpa Joe! I loved it! 

The next one was from Aunt Lois. 

It had a cute dog and cat on it! 

Then I made Valentines for all of my friends. 

Every time I made a Valentine for someone, I wanted a picture with them. 

My dinosaur liked to hold his card with his tail! 

Bingle kept running away from her card, so I just caught her and gave her a Valentine's Day hug instead. She loved it! 

Sven enjoyed his card, and... 

…so did Marshmallow! 

After I made Olaf a card, we had a snack together. 

To end the day, I tried on the crown I made for my mom. I discovered that her head is a lot bigger than mine!

My Baby

I was getting ready to read Katie her bedtime story when I turned around and found her on the floor. I asked her how she ended up there, and she said, "I was just standing there, and my baby tipped me over!" When I questioned her further, she added, "My baby turned around so fast to give me a big, giant hug, and it knocked me over. My baby is a wild beast!" Sometimes I don't know where she gets her vocabulary, but it makes me laugh!

My baby has a lot of power!

Just Stretching

Sometimes when we find Katie stretching her legs, it just looks unnatural.

I think this is pretty comfortable!

Look What I Found

When Katie opened the closet, she found the air rocket that she had played with last summer. It was a happy discovery!

I remember exactly how this thing works! 

Just slide the pieces together, and... 

…let the air do its magic! Blast Off!