Some Videos

Below are some very cute videos of the girlies. Enjoy and stuff.

The Girlies Eating a Banana



Sally and Amelia Playing Catch



The Girlies in the Garden



Sally Crawling and Amelia Clapping



Playing with the Girlies in Central Park

DeYan Helping with the Girlies

So if you have been reading the blog up to now you know all aboot our good friend DeYan (I say 'aboot' because that's how the Canadians say it, and Canadians are funny because they have a sport called 'Curling' which is basically sweeping ice with a broom - they are nuts). Anyway, DeYan has been helping us a lot with the girlies (that is a huge lie - she has been helping Kim - I have been at my exciting job getting into email arguments with people who won't do what I say).

DeYan is usually at some exciting camp during the week (soccer, architecture, cage fighting), but last week she had some time and came over pretty much every day and helped Kim feed the girlies and play in the park.

The girls just love her and it is quite wonderful to see them developing such a strong bond with her. DeYan was one of the first people who knew that Kim and I were adopting from China and she has been excited about this since we told her 2+ years ago. Now that they are here, it is exactly what we hoped it would be - she loves them, they love her, and our girlies are so lucky to have DeYan as their big sister and wonderful friend.

Here are two pictures:

DeYan with the girlies in the park

Another one of DeYan and the girlies in the park

Mike's Mom comes to see the Girlies

My mom came to see the girlies the week after Kim's Mom - she came with Don (her husband) and as you can see in the pictures below we had a terrific time. I still don't have anything funny to say - sorry that I am becoming boring (I blame the Germans) but I have to go to Mexico City at 6 AM tomorrow (Sunday) for an exciting week of core banking system workshops.

Enjoy the pictures:

Judy and Don on our child-friendly concrete and steel staircase with no railing or gate

The girls in our garden - we have been taking them out there in the evenings (with their Exersaucers) and they love it

Don looking sinister (Don recently retired from the insurance industry, but back when he was working he was known for his intimidating, tough-as-nails methods of dispatching his enemies. Do not mess with Don, as this picture clearly proves.)

Judy with Sally - Judy was holding Sally with both hands and couldn't cover her face

Judy and Don next to the peace sign at 'Strawberry Fields' in Central Park. By the way, Kim goes there right by there every morning because there is a nice place to lay out the blanket and let the girlies play a bit. This Strawberry Fields area is filled with dirty hippies who all come and pay some other dirty hippy for flower petals so they can make a Peace sign. Other dirty hippies play guitar and sit and meditate and chant. It happens every stinking day. And the tour groups (mostly Germans) walk by there by the hundreds and stop and pause and reflect on how great John Lennon was and how great it is to be a dirty hippy (or German). You know what I say? Enough with the whole thing. John Lennon was great and all, but enough with the flower petals and the silent meditation and the dirty hippies. Frankly I preferred Paul McCartney anyway.

Judy and Don with the girlies

Judy with Sally, teaching her to be athletic

Kim's Mom Comes to See the Girlies

Kim's Mom (Mrs. Hoppin, Bud's wife) came to see the girlies shortly after we arrived home. It was fantastic - they loved her and she helped us get into a routine that is still working today. In fact, at this very moment (8:11 PM on a Saturday) they are asleep and will probably sleep until 7:30 AM - they eat when they are supposed to, take a 2-hour nap at 1:00, Kim takes them to the park twice a day, and they are for the most part quite happy. The best thing ever was getting them into a routine, and Kim's Mom helped get that routine going.

I don't really have anything funny to write, but below are some photographs that you can enjoy if you want to. Also, Kim's Mom has some really good photos from the trip, so we can send you the link to www.ofoto.com if you want us to.

Kim's Mom with the girlies in Central Park

Kim's Mom with both girlies

Sally on the blanket in the park laughing goofily

Kim with Amelia, who is very happy about something (I think she just deposited something in her drawers)