Spring Break ends.

:(

At the end of two weeks the kids are all settled into a home routine.  They're nice. To us and to each other.  We say we've got them back. 

Then this morning it was back to school.  Packing lunches while forcing Jia to get up and function. Directing the boys step by step.  Rushing to be on time.  Arg. 

After school they scattered.  Too tired to even deal with each other.  Luk was beyond exhausted.  Feet turned all the way in.  Hardly moving and slower than usual. 

Jia found a flicker feather at school and wanted to dip it in ink and write with it.  I offered her pink paint instead and that kept her painting for a while. 

It was my flex day so Eric and I stuck around for assembly today.  Kai just doesn't get what is expected.  I think next flex day I'll sit with him.  He moves all around, bumping and rocking into the kids near him.  Talking.  Kicking his feet out and up and down.  Thumping loudly enough for the whole school to hear.  Took his shoes off and on. Waved his arms around over his head.  Bent over and had his mouth on his shoes.  So.  Ya.  He's likely bored to death and finding ways to amuse himself.  The principal although nice enough is boring to listen to.  Not the biggest problem in the world but I feel if someone helped him do what is expected and then praised him it might improve.

Brought a cat toy home for Esmei and had some good fun watching her play tonight.  I'm easily amused.

We went to Victoria on Saturday.  Met Debbie and girls for lunch.  Jia and Emily were thrilled.  They took Jia home with them for the afternoon.  We got to shop without her!   So calm and peaceful.  The boys love shopping.  We even went to Value Village.  Boys picked out a bunch of t-shirts each.  I've been looking for a black zippered kangaroo jacket.  Thought VV Boutique would be the place.  Still no black but found a great grey one and flip flops for Jia.  So we're set for Disney now.  Then we met back up with Debbie and family for dinner at the family favorite, Spaghetti Factory.  Jia gorged on her mizithra and then slept all the way home. So the drive was peaceful too!  The day felt holidayish.  

We also made our first foray into wheelchair shopping.  Didn't make much progress.  More confused by options than before.  Luk is super excited about a chair. I was over thinking as usual.

Kai's one year post placement was on Sunday.  Went well enough.  Quick and simple.

Tonight at bed time Kai came for his hug.  I was busy so Eric told him to ask for a hug. He said 'hug uh uh'.  I stopped, got him to look in my eyes by holding his face and asked him to say MA MA. He tried a couple times and then he did it!  First Mama!!  With m's!!

These two are so sweet together.

Paper play sets from Wendy's.  Kept them amused.

He just doesn't love photos.  Just before this shot he was jumping up and down because he found mini trains like his at home.  Both boys bought another one so they were pretty happy.

Waiting for it to move.

Quick attack.

Retreat, hide and wait for more movement.  She picks it up by the tail. Too funny.

Our Little Owl

Woke up this morning to this little sweetie perched on the roll of our foot board. 

Movie Set

Sue took me to a movie set yesterday.  A local house from 1893 (I think).  I've always wanted in it.  Grin.  It was pretty cool.  Amazing to see how they transformed the house.  Dirt, dust, painted on mold.  Sue's boyfriend is working there.  The set is coming down, movie with Casey Affleck is done.  Then they'll clean and repaint leaving the place all nice again. 

Treat

Lili, Fei and I went shopping and out to dinner.  Girls didn't find bathing suits but dinner was great with cherry/vanilla cokes. 

Mario Carts

The boys are getting ready for bed and the girls are playing Mario Carts on their DS's.  The boy's are peaceful, listening to bed time stories.  The girls are screaming, screaching,  laughing maniacally and trash talking.  It sounds pretty wild.  I'm thrilled that the big girls are playing with Jia. Not sure how long we can allow this noise to continue though.  DS's might be one of the best toys ever.  Lili and Fei haven't played with theirs in years, they still work good as new.  Amazing.

Holly Molly

I joined a Spina Bifida group when we were at Children's.  If you're born in BC you are connected but because Luk was adopted we missed that que.  I overheard the nurse telling a new Mom about the group and asked if we could join too.

We got our first support package for Luk.  Wow.  10 kids books, a DVD and guides for teachers as well as a binder of general information.  Nothing much I haven't gleened from the Internet but a really great array of books for Luk.  One all about leg braces that he can share with his class. 

Today the group contacted me to find out if they could help financially.  Very cool.  His afos are covered with the at home program.  So we're good.

It's been suggested we move Luk from a stroller to a wheelchair.  I did my first search today for a kids wheelchair.  The prices are shocking.  I think we're covered for the chair too.  Now to break it to Luk.  Of course I'm likely over thinking things.  He is exhausted and it's going to get worse once he has the leg braces.  He'll probably love what ever break the chair can give him.

Cheetah

Luk wanted a cheetah for his jungle project.  Posting a cute picture of him to make up for the last post :)

Jia and Kai want to trace on the window now too.  Printed a Dory fish for Kai.  Looking for something for Jia.  She wants a bunny for her castle.

Keeping it real.

I wanted a picture of the new bathroom floor.  Kai is devastated to have a towel wrapped around him. ?  Luk wants in the bath and we just caught a bad face moment.  When I pushed for a better picture they both reacted badly.  So...isn't the new floor great!  I love it.  It's soft so we're hoping the cats don't scratch it to shreds. 

1980 Disneyland

Mom dug out Disney pictures from when I was 14.  Same age as Lili and Fei now.  Fun blast from the past.  Dwayne was 12.  Mom still had red hair!  Love the picture of Dad studying Big Al.  Funny she would pull these out same time I joined a vintage Disney group.  

The Long Lost DS!

Jia's ds has been missing for well over a year.  We have LOOKED and LOOKED.  She has moaned and moaned.  I refused to buy her another one because I knew it was in this house.  I even bought her a few games in the thrift over the last year knowing it would turn up eventually.  Well, today is the day.  Fei was playing hide and seek with her and they found it in the bathroom cubby playroom.  And it's still fully charged.  She will be over the top when she finds out she has her own Nintendogs!

Kids Crafts

When you're overwhelmed with chores to be done and a zillion little things to do and dear hubby is away at a bike event you should spend hours and hours making paper crafts with your littles instead of doing anything productive.

Didn't take pictures.  Projects are all just started so will catch up with pics later.

Beauty and the Beast

Wow.  Loved this movie.  Beautifully done.  Jia wore a princess dress, so that was fun. 

It was a work day at home.  Laundry,  sorting, tidying, cooking and cleaning.  The dreaded, laundry sort and putting away job.  Caught up.  I earned my movie outing! 

Luk broke another tile in the main bathroom .  That made three.  Eric thought he'd replace them with the extra tiles in the basement.  Turns out they're very close but not a match.  So he did the very messy job of removing tiles and he's putting in a new sub floor and vinyl.  Pretty happy to get rid of the last of the tiles.  Looking forward to lino!  Nice clean linoleum!

Memories

This picture was on Facebook memories today.  She was soooo stinking cute.  Time is whipping by so fast.  Our beautiful little baby girl Jia. I don't normally miss the baby days but right now my eyes are tearing up and I'd like a baby snuggle with her.

Waste of a day.

12 hours to get off this island, one appointment and back home.  For no reason.  We're tired and miffed. Now in bed listening and unsuccessfully ignoring
Miss Jia.  Who missed us and is in silly over drive.

Our pediatrician applied for Kai to have genetic testing. To confirm his syndrome difinitivly.  We didn't personally care about this step. We got a letter in the mail with an appointment so we are just going with the program. Turned out that the appointment was a follow up to his previous family's appointment and not at our request.  Which has been denied again. Sigh.

So total waste of a day.  We learned nothing.  She weighed him and charted his growth.  She was happy to see big changes.  Speaking.  Calm.  Slimmer.  But, again, seriously, 12 hours to chart his growth?! 

Also not doing difinitive testing because we're all just sure he has his syndrome.  Bardet-biedle. 

Kai mostly enjoyed his day.  Both parents to himself all day.  He did freak on the ferry when we were getting in the car and it was extremely windy.  Had to wrap myself around him and help him in the car.  He calmed down right away.  Tad scary for all of us because we've never seen him react like that before.  Also with the Dr. he was upset and adament he wouldn't put down a toy and tears when she touched his hand. I packed him cheerios for dinner so he was pleased about that :) He was pretty happy to get home.  Late night for him.  He crashed.

Jia is still jammering!! 

Lili and Fei did a great job taking care of Jia and Luk.  Critters were happy.  House was tidy and dishes done.

We had a two hour wait for our ferry. Eric used the stow and go for one of the captain seats and layed a blanket down.  I layed down for a nap and Kai quickly layed beside me.  He was thrilled to get a nap in the car. He was asleep in seconds. Pretty cute. I'm under my coat.

True Excitement.

Fei told me today that Dad said there was something alive in the fireplace.  I was deep in my desk sorting and ignored the information.

So, I have my snack and cold drink, I've snuck away into the living room to watch the latest episode of Scandal and there is something alive in the fireplace! Yikes.  Esmei was extremely interested.  I texted Eric.  Called Fei for back up, always good to have little hands nearby to run and get what you need.  I had my towel in hand, the best way to catch critters.  Eric finally came to help.  He opened the door a crack and a bird flew out right at me and I was no where near getting the towel anywhere near the bird. 

It flew around our heads up at the ceiling at least 20 times before it went into the dining room.  Then it was flying around in that room.  It kept knocking stuff down off the shelf that wraps around the room.  Poor thing was scared to death. It eventually went out the front door.

That's true excitement.  Fei and Jia chatted about it for a while.  Esmei is freaked out.  Hiding upstairs with her owl eyes.

No photos.  Video would have been hillarious.

My desk.

My desk at home is a wooden tray in a corner of the kitchen.  It hasn't been overhauled since Luk came home.  The pile just keeps growing.  It was a total treasure heap ;)  Eric started trying to sort this morning which of course forced my hand because he doesn't understand true treasure.  Three hours later...

It wasn't pretty.  I'm glad it's done. 

Party Shopping

Mom and I made the trek to Victoria today to shop for my Dad's retirement party. We made a good dent in the list.  So peaceful shopping without kids. 

Mom treated herself to an orchid.  Fun watching her try to pick one out.

We don't know any of these people.  Just took the photo to show how many people were at Costco on a Saturday afternoon.  

Luk's AFO's

Luk was fitted for leg braces on Thursday.  Or boots, or orthotics or whatever you want to call them.  Luk says they're so he can run faster.  Which he won't.  His movements will be more limited. Perhaps when he's more upright and they are off.  Hard to explain that to him.  He was a lovely patient.  Very interested and involved in the process.  Quite the charmer.  He picked Superman for his orthotics.  He won't have them until April 10.

Mom and I thought we could do a Costco trip but it was snowing so we scooted home.  Entered the Malahat with the electronic warning sign reading 'heavy snow'. Yikes.  Long scary drive.  It was heavy snow at times but we did fine.  Not eager too do that drive again though! 

I wouldn't let him keep this hair style to go to Queen Alexandra.  Mean Mom.

Pretty cool waiting room.

His legs were cast and he got to wear gloves too.

Love the look.  He was perturbed by the smell of the casting wrap. 

Lili's 15th Birthday .

Quiet dinner at home with family.  Who am I kidding...we're never quiet!  Haha.

Eric and I got up early. Snuck past the boys. We tried to make dough for New Orleans Beignets.  The dough was an epic fail.  No clue where we went wrong.  But we put it in the fridge and carried on with the day.  Eric called during the day to ask what to do with it because it was coming out of the bowl.  Too funny.  When I got home it was still gelatinous, no way to roll and cut.  So we quickly made old fashioned donut dough and got it in the fridge. 

Then it was too stinky in the house so Eric took the oil outside on a camp stove.

The first ones flashed to black in seconds.  He made some blobs with the
beignet dough that actually tasted ok.  Then he finally cooked the donut rounds Jia and I made.

Lots of hilarity.  In the end the donuts were amazing.  I sheepishly admit to eating four ;) 

I think Lili had a nice day overall.  The girls played with sparklers outside when Gramma and Grampa were leaving much to Jia's delight. Then she ended her day with homework.