Where Has The Time Gone?

I can't believe we have been home for 2 months already.  Chris is settling in well.  It seems like he has always been here.  I can't imagine or remember life without his smiles and giggles.  Xuelian is also settling into the new routine.  She had some trouble concentrating at school while I was gone and for awhile after we got home.  Her grades tanked for about a month but I am happy to say that we have come out the other end and she is right back on track.  I am finally feeling like we have a good routine down with the kids.  I am back to doing everything with Xuelian that we used to do.  I know it was hard on her to have her routine upset even after I was home.  I am still working on our daily schedule the last thing to add is keeping up with the household chores.  I know in another month or two we'll be into a new normal for our family.
Chris has learned so much English this past month.  It is amazing. He has about 70 -80 words now.  I do have to admit that if you weren't with him on a daily basis you would probably only understand half of what he says.  He talks mostly about his little people zoo animals.  He loves to play with them.  He can say flamingo, gorilla, chimpanzee, lion, tiger, giraffe and a bunch of others.  He loves to take baths and when he wants one points to the upstairs and says rub a dubba.  He loves to do art projects.  He thinks taping or gluing is the best.  He also really likes stickers.  He is also addicted to the IPAD if he sees it he wants it.  I have to say most meltdowns are because we won't give it to him.  Chris is a kid who needs his sleep.  He takes a 2 hr nap every afternoon and by 8pm is asking to go night night.
We have been keeping busy this month.  My parents come over once a week to visit the kids and they love it.  We meet Uncle Steve for lunch every few weeks.  Chris and I have been to Xuelian's school a couple of times to volunteer.  We've been to the library, bookstore for storytime and the Science Center on Xuelian's day off of school.   I try to keep it to two outings a week and Chris and I stay home and play the other days.

I'll end with pictures from this month.

Chris and Grandpa.  He loves Grandpa's hat.  The other night he tried to trade his Burger King crown for the hat.

 Chris, Grandpa and Grandma

This is what happens on the rare occasion that he doesn't take a nap.  He fell asleep while I was bringing dinner to the table.

Xuelian and I were working on her homework while Chris was having a snack.  He was eating Chinese cookie sticks that you dip in chocolate.  Up until this night he would only eat the cookie sticks.    We were reading and when I looked up at the end of the page he had chocolate everywhere.  I let him go and enjoy the rest.  These are the kind of pictures I had expected to get on his birthday but he wouldn't try the cake.

It is spirit week at Xuelian's school and yesterday was Wacky Wednesday.  This is the outfit Xuelian came up with.

Dad,Chris and Xuelian reading his favorite book Roadwork.  As soon as he saw the camera he started saying smile and tried to get everyone to look at the camera.  I was trying to capture them reading together and didn't want them looking at me.

 Xuelian and her muppet that she got for Christmas.  She likes to sneak up on Chris with it.

Playing in the snow with Dad

Xuelian has spent a lot of time playing in all of the snow we have gotten.  She sled rides daily.  She has had play dates to go sledding at friends houses and we have had many friends over to do the same.  Chris has only been out once.  Tim took him sledding but all he wanted was me.  I don't have the proper clothing for the snow and was watching and taking pictures.  I think Chris would be out there everyday if I could go with him.  I did get a bunch of pictures the day Tim went out.  Xuelian was soooooo excited that dad came out to play with her and her friend Ian.  

 He wasn't sure what to think of the snow.

 Xuelian falling back into the snow

 Getting ready for the snowball battle.

 Chris and dad sled riding.

 Xuelian and Ian sled riding.  They go so fast that I can hardly get a picture.

 Chris wants to play but won't leave me.

 Snow ball battle starting.

I fell in the snow and it's all over me WAAAAAA!

Christmas

Christmas was really nice.  We didn't do everything we normally do but it was what we could handle this year.  We usually go to my parents for Christmas Eve and go to mass at their church.  This year instead we were up late finishing wrapping our gifts.  We even did some shopping that day.  This never happens we are usually ready weeks before Christmas.
Tim's sister Sue came and spent Christmas with us.  We always enjoy our visits with Aunt Sue.  Xuelian had a blast sled riding and playing games with Aunt Sue as usual.  I missed out his time because I have been going to bed early with Chris.  Sue, Tim and I usually have fun catching up in the evenings.  Chris took right to Aunt Sue and had a good time as well.
Christmas morning was great.  Chris and Xuelian were excited to open presents.  He new exactly what to do with the presents since his birthday was at the beginning of the month.   I am really looking forward to next year when Chris will actually understand what is going on.  It will be fun to watch both kids experience the magic of Christmas.
                                     

 Santa left the front end loader unwrapped and Chris went right for it.

 Xuelian told Santa all she wanted was a purple 3DS.

The Bilibos have been a hit for both kids.  They were a present for Chris but both kids play with them daily.

The other thing Xuelian asked for was a tea set for her American Girl dolls.

We played for a little while and then went to church.  It was nice to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with our whole family for the first time.  Chris does well at church.  Our parish does have a long mass.   I think it is normally an hour and twenty minutes.  Chris does well for the first hour and then it gets a little tough.  He starts grabbing his coat and wants to go.   For a two year old who has only been going to mass for a month I think he is doing great.  

Normally my parents and brothers come over in the afternoon on Christmas day.  They decided to come the next day because we were having extended family over.  Unfortunately the big snow came that day.  We got about 6 inches of snow and my Aunts and Uncles were in an area that was getting mostly ice.  Hopefully we'll be able to get together next year.  Luckily my parents were only getting snow and they were able to make it.  We had a lot of fun with round 2 of presents.  We had a wonderful visit with everyone.  I however forgot to take any pictures while my family was here.  We ended the evening watching one of the Sarah Plain and Tall movies that I had surprised Xuelian with a week before.  She had read the book at school while I was in China.   I remember enjoying the movies and was able to get them for her.  We watched one each weekend for 3 weeks.  She really liked having a special family movie night.  I think we had the best holiday we could.  We didn't try to do too much and enjoyed the things we were able to do.

My Silly Boy

The week before Christmas Chris was playing with his mega blocks.  He decided that the container looked like a good place to sit.  He then decided that the blocks should be in the container too.  It was so cute that I had to take some pictures.  This brought up lots of stories of how I used to do the same thing when I was his age.

 I finally caught him smiling.

He really started hamming it up.  He was laughing and making this face.