Getting Ready

Always getting ready for something.  This time it's the xmas concert, formal night on the New Years cruise, Disney, the road trip, a little weekend getaway to North Vancouver and all the kids upcoming activities.  It's good to be busy especially if the busy is fun stuff!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Way early for me.

I needed the stockings to see how Santa is doing at filling them.  Which meant digging out Christmas stuff.  It's in the glory hole behind my closet.  We have to empty a third of my closet to get the door open.  Figured I'd go ahead and pull out everything we needed.  Jia got involved and helped.  She decorated the fake tree on her own this year.  Actually feels good to be ahead of a dreaded chore.  Still haven't dug in to see how the stockings are doing though. 

Morning collaboration.

A new suit for the Mister.

Getting excited about formal night.

Minions!!

Oh how we love Minions.

I bought these three years ago on a massive clearance after Halloween.

Kai refused to try it on and they were put away for another day.  The day finally came.

Jia wore hers last year at Universal, it's getting short but still ok with pants.  Kai's is a bit tight in all directions so we're packing safety pins.  So I asked the boys if they wanted to 'be' minions at Universal and it was a loud resounding yes!  So that's super fun.

Uh oh Kai, what happened?

We're thinking the excitement level got too high.

Ok.  Calming down and back to some fun.

Fingers crossed this is fun for them at Universal!

Pirate, Detective, Conductor. 

The whistle is a train whistle.

More morning fun.

A half hour together.  Kai had his phone to watch and I was watching tv.  ;)  Loving the new bike.

Suits for the boys!!

Just because.

They don't know Eric got one too.

Have to figure out hemming now.

After years of so many girl dresses it was crazy exciting to buy suits for the boys!  

Luk and Kai were both pretty happy this morning when they saw them.  Luk said "hey this looks pretty stylish". Swoon.

Family photo shoot.

It went well.  We've worked with Anya before.  One of her sons is graduating with Lili.  Small town.  We won't see her pictures for a couple days.  I snapped a couple for the blog.

Hahaha.  Zoom into see Sasha.

Aww. I love them all sooo much.

Made it to Shawnigan so Lili could receive her award.

Treats afterwards.

Back home. Dinner is in the oven.

The storm is brewing. Super windy out.

I'm chilled so I came up to snuggle with Sasha under the duvet.  She's busy hanging with Millie instead.

We're all ok.

It's been pointed out to me a couple times now that I haven't blogged.

We're all good.  Just busier than usual.

In no particular order here is a list of going ons.
- Family photos being taken Saturday.  It took a bit to arrange.  Dogs are coming ;)  We're all wearing cranberry except Sasha who doesn't have that color.  Haha.
- Lili won an award for the highest theory exam make in level 7.  She can't go get the award...it's the same time as the family photo shoot.
- Jia is still loving her animation and coding class.  We have to scoot from there on Saturday to get to the family photo shoot.  Which means Eric has to pretty up the boys.
-  Eric, Kai and I are counting calories.  It's going great for all of us.
- We can't get the school to stop feeding Kai.  Today they gave him milk.  He's allergic.  Oy.  Also an apple.  So at least 200 calories.  When Luk stepped in to say Kai isn't allowed to have food from school he was told by the EA that apples don't have calories.  Double oy.
- Lili has an appointment to start the process for contact lenses.
- Fei has been working to get her math mark's up and yesterday got a 94.  Yay.
- We're hosting the fcc xmas sing-a-long so that planning has started.
- I still have to decorate even though we're away.  For Jessica :)
- Eric has suddenly gone nuts on the basement projects.  He learned how to do spray foam insulation and fixed some issues with the old front porch.  He's dry walled the ceiling in Fei's new room and framed walls for a bathroom and closet for her.  Today he put window frame and mouldings in Lili's room.
- Eric ordered a pumper toilet system.  So that's new for us.  I had to ask Eric today if he knows what he's doing.  He said he likes to think so.
- We spent some time in Home Depot together picking out closet doors, bathroom door, vanity/sink/taps/shower & mirror for Fei.  As well as replacement tubs for the main floor and basement bathroom.  They still make and sell metal tubs!
The goal is to move Lili out of her room and make it the guest room before the holiday.  Lili has graciously agreed to be uprooted for a bit.
- I've been shopping online and getting in on some sales.  Queen bed, linens and mattress for Lili.  Duvet cover and duvet for Fei.
-A new bed frame for the guest room.
- A replacement  excercise bike for me.  Mine smells oddly like weed and Eric won't bring it in the house.
- We've got Kai walking on the treadmill every day.  He does it joyfully!!  He watches tv.  Last night the Wiggles were on and he was so happy and doing a bouncy walk.  Too cute.
-Lili booked her grad photos and she needs to shop for shoes before her gown fitting.
-Frozen ll is out and we're trying to figure out a time to see it this weekend.
- Luk had a cold.  Then I got it.  Then Lili brought home a cold and I've got that one too.
- It was Luk's gotcha last Saturday.  We did lunch out.  Then he and Kai went to a friends bowling party.  Which was fun.  At one point Kai picked up two balls and hucked them both down the lane.
- Our last foster kitty Millie is ready for a home of her own. 

We had a spare minute so I asked Eric to drive us to see a rec lot in Nanaimo.  Loved it.  Want to retire there.

Eric has been bothered by the lack of proper insulation since we moved here 15 years ago.  

He's pleased.

I had to deal with an entire giant storage closet that was FULL.  It's going to be a wee bathroom for Fei.

The Salvation Army was thrilled with all the new toys and gifts still in packaging.  I do like a good purge. 

These two. Sigh.  Melt your heart cute.

I'm up to my elbows making dumplings and they rolled around the floor for two hours.  Talking into their Grossery Gang cans so they sounded like they were underwater.  Cleaning up the plastic from the ocean floor.  Once it was clean they would scatter the mess and start again.

Happy forever family day.

Gotcha at our house even though this term is often frowned upon in adoption circles.  Our kiddos think that's just silly.  

Bowling boys.

She's still asking for riding lessons.

I got her boots at the thrift store so she can do a couple trial lessons.

Walter.  We aren't purging him I promise.

Miss Millie.

Ready for a family of her own.

We simply can not keep them all.

She's pretty sweet and silky soft. 

Let us know if you'd like to meet her.

Sasha Pictures

So in love with this little dog.  Sweetest creature ever.  She has the whole family doting on her.

New fleece jammies.

Our little one is freezing.

Finding extra small dog clothes on aliexpress.

3 in the morning.  The look on Esmei's face...hahaha

Totally "what are you doing on my bed?!"

Wouldn't matching jammies be the cutest?

Imagine trying to get them on Isabel though.

I bought this kitten house for Sasha weeks ago but she wasn't interested.  I guess it got cold enough because suddenly it's one of her go to places.  Right beside the radiator in the kitchen so she can see us during the busy times.

Love. They cuddle all the time.  Sasha gets so excited to see Walter or Oliver and just spins and jumps.  They are her favorite peeps.

Genetic Testing and DNA

Had Kai been born here he would have had genetic testing at birth.  Because he was adopted we weren't granted that right and we had to apply and appeal three times.  He was finally granted genetic testing.  It's pricey and rare.  We just got a definitive result this week.  He has Bardet-Biedle Syndrome.  Which we all knew already but his pediatrician wanted it official.  We did genetic counseling to make sure we would be ok if the syndrome was different than we were anticipating.  We all agreed it would be better to be prepared.  Then when the result was in and the geneticist called she told me there were two variants confirming Bardet-Biedle and no other variants detected so no other syndromes added.  Wow.  And that possibility hadn't even occurred to me.  So it was good news after all.  It does feel good to have that battle closed and the official diagnosis.

Onto DNA...

All of our kits came back. 

Lili is 100% Chinese (which is rare we're told)
Fei is 99.9% Chinese (smidge Korean)
Jia is 99.3% Chinese (Northern Asian)
Kai is 97.6% Chinese (Japanese, Korean, North American)
Luk is 97.8% Chinese (Vietnamese and Indonesian)

None of the kids had any relative matches closer than a third cousin. 

I'm 74% British/Irish, 13% French/German and then a bunch of other backgrounds in small amounts including Spanish and Italian.  I had a first cousin  I don't know show up.

Eric is 51% Finnish, 15% British/Irish, 10% French/German and the rest European.  Eric's uncle Mike and cousin Gina showed up.  So we know it works. 

Piano Recital

https://youtu.be/Iqicnrc7ZGs

Lili playing.


https://youtu.be/QlFpqu4IXkI
Fei's playing.

Graduation Dress Shopping

Lili picked her dress out today :)  She has been out shopping already at Grad Central in Victoria.  She's looked at hundreds of dresses on line.  Today we went to Bliss in Nanaimo.  It was strong like the instant she saw it.  I told her she needed to love it.  Haha.  She isn't really ever going to 'love' a dress.  So strong like it is.  Now she can stop thinking about the decision.  I love her dress...Fei loves her dress...everyone who has seen the pictures loves her dress.  Next we need alterations.  The ladies at Bliss were amazing, it was a wonderful shopping experience.  Lili was less than impressed with grad central where they won't let the girls take pictures unless they buy the dress. 

Halloween Fun

Such a fun school day.

They were too busy too pose ;)

Kai put the costume on willingly this year but he still didn't want anything to do with the parade.

He absolutely loved sitting with Gramma and talking about the costumes instead.  He was so happy and had lots to say.

Identity Theif.

We didn't get a picture of me but I was looking lovely.  

The night time crew.

Pals since Kindergarten.

They're off.