Happy Thanksgiving!!

Five year anniversary of our first day home from Vietnam! We went over to Katie, Jacky and Jim's house for dinner with Jim's parents Miranda and Don, as well as Luke who is Jacky's nephew. No one wanted their picture taken- which I can understand. I don't like to have my photo taken either. We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and some other Disney shows all day. It was Don's birthday, so it was a Thanksgiving/Birthday party. We had more cakes and pies than we had people!! Jim, his mom Miranda, Jazz and Katie. These little girls didn't really eat anything except for chocolate turkey (one each), birthday cake, and some hot chocolate! Outside riding their Razors. We had a really fun day:)

ZooLights....

We go to ZooLights every year. It was a good night to go- "members only" week, so there were not the massive crowds of people. Plus, there were almost twice the number of exhibits. It was really nice in past years, but even more impressive this year. It was 60 degrees, but Jasmine insisted on wearing her coat and hat:). Then she told Santa that she wanted a "Magic Kit"- which I had heard before. Jasmine said, "Now I KNOW I'm going to get a magic kit". I thought I had the Christmas shopping done, but no...now I have to find a Magic Kit:)) The biggest attraction for the kids is "Jenga the talking giraffe". He is a slightly sarcastic funny giraffe that talks to people. I'm not sure where the guy doing the talking is hiding, but he can see everyone. He makes fun of people's pants, their hat or hair, tells goofy jokes, and just talks back and forth with the kids. Really pretty cactus forest.

Wax Museum...

Today, each grade at CEE was putting on some type of skit or performance. I saw lots of pilgrims, Indians, and animals going in and out of the school. The two second grade classes did a "Wax Museum" consisting of life cycles of various species. There were chicken embryos, eggs, baby chicks and adult chickens, frog eggs, tadpoles and adult frogs, various stages of turtles, the human life cycle and then... the butterflies. Leila was the egg, Jasmine- the caterpillar, Audrey- the pupa, and Ashley- the butterfly. The parents/grandparents/visitors had to go up to each group and push a "button". Each child would say a few sentences in a robotic voice about their particular stage of the life cycle":) It was hilarious. Jasmine said "Hi, I am a caterpillar- part of the butterfly life cycle. I have 12 eyes and 6 legs. Caterpillars have various ways of defending themselves. Some look like bird droppings. That is a bit about me":))) It was really funny, and they learned alot. Now we're going to skating practice, then Zoo Lights! Each group even made their own backdrops for their performance:)). The little boy in front is covered in frogs eggs (balloons:)

My little Woodstock baby....

Today was the last Musical Theater class for the year. The class put on a short play "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". Very informal. Just in the classroom, not on a stage. Jazzy played Woodstock and did really well:) Woodstock, Snoopy (in purple), Lucy, and Linus getting ready to go "onstage". Linus, Woodstock, Lucy, and Sally making Thanksgiving dinner consisting of popcorn, toast, candy and pretzel sticks. Peppermint Patty and all her friends will come over and be upset that they didn't make turkey and dressing:) Singing "Thank you for being a friend" from "Golden Girls":)

November 18, 2008....

Five years ago today, it became "official". Happy Adoption Day Jazzy! Cookies for the class:)

Adoption Day Gifts.....

Each year on November 18th Adoption Day, Jazzy gets a little gift that I purchased in Vietnam. Here is a little dragon beaded change purse. The silver coin I purchased recently on ebay- Year of the Dog 2006 with the Chinese Zodiac on the back.

Day with the Keepers....

To celebrate Jasmine's Adoption Day anniversary, we went out last night to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant "Pho Van". Jasmine saw some people she knows from Power Brain Training... some teenage girls. She seems to know everyone wherever we go:) *I* don't know them, but *she* does. So, today we spent the day at the Phoenix Zoo with the Zoo Keepers who are responsible for training the show animals. They have a program where you can pay a ridiculous amount of money to spend the day and eat lunch with the keepers. We have only done it once before with the Reptile Keepers, but the show animals were much much interesting. As usual, my photos didn't turn out too well. There are 7 full time trainers who "train" several types of animals- not on regular exhibit to the public. Every morning at the zoo, there is a "show" which might consist of any of the hawks, parrots, large (and I mean large) African porcupine, Eagles, and large rabbits. Each morning, they decide just before going on stage which animals are going to "perform" depending on which ones seem grumpy or good- natured that morning. We spent the first hour or so learning about "clicker training" and how it is done. The kids (only 3 of them) each took turns being the animal vs the trainer. If the animal does something you want it to do just by chance, then it gets a treat and a "click" from the clicker. After many days and sessions, the animal finally learns that it gets the treat or the click when it does that particular move. Even the wart hogs are trained to open their mouths on "command". The hogs are trained much better than most people's dogs and cats. They said that no matter how many exotic birds, eagles, and other animals that go on stage, the favorites are always "Barry White" and "Earl Grey", the two giant rabbits who are trained to sit up on their hind legs. Learning about "clicker training". Jasmine the trainer, and Luke the "animal". Earl Grey:) Barry White:) Josh the Eagle trainer. This particular eagle was approximately 2 yrs old living in Montana when somehow her wings were damaged. They try to get her in front of an audience every single day so she gets used to as many people as possible. Not a good photo at all. He is also the wart hog keeper and has trained them to open their mouths on "command" for teeth examination, etc. That would be *really* nice if people could do that with all of their animals at home:) Josh with Jasmine and another little girl discussing "Barry White".