Cousin Jade's Birthday Party

Ready to go with Jade's present
Giving Jade the present
At the party

Phoenix Children's Museum

Today we went to the Phoenix Children's Museum in downtown Phoenix. Lots of stuff to do there.... painting a house, an art room, a noodle forest, a little market and place where kids can make food out of cloth, lots of interesting things.

Jasmine getting ready to drive
painting a house
sitting at the ice cream parlor
making an oragami bird
sitting on a bear
riding a motorcycle
reading

Little Miss Ballerina......

Yesterday, Jasmine started tap/ballet and tumbling class. It's a 1 hour class with 20 minutes of each. There was a little girl practicing and Jazzy just went right in the studio and started dancing with her. Unfortunately, the parents are not allowed to watch or be in the studio when the lessons are going on, so I won't be able to get pictures:(

Also, the entire Casa Grande Dance Troupe is going to see the "So You Think You Can Dance" Tour. Besides Dora the Explorer, So You Think You Can Dance is Jazzy's favorite show. She tries to imitate the dancers for the entire 1-2 hours. I don't know what we are going to do on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in a week or two when the show is over! When I went online to buy the tickets, I found that the show, which is in November, was almost sold out. The show is on the 13th. I was planning on taking us to Disneyland for the 13th because not only is it my birthday... so I get in free..... but it is the one year anniversary of the day we met. So, we are going to the dance tour instead.... since the cost is the same.... very expensive close to the front seats were all that was left.


Jazzy in her ballet tights, leotard and shoes
Jazzy's tap and ballet shoes had to be special ordered because they were so small!!

Vietnamese Culture Camp

Last Thursday morning, we got up at 3 AM to catch an early series of flights to Minneapolis, Minnesota to go to Culture Camp, which was held in Northfield Minnesota at the St. Olaf University. Northfield is actually south of Minneapolis! Go figure. Anyway, we got there just in time for 5 o'clock Minneapolis traffic, so it took us about 2.5 hours to get to Northfield, when it really should have only taken us an hour or so. It didn't help much that I couldn't find the proper exit, so we ended up taking a series of back roads, asking directions multiple times along the way. Consequently, we missed dinner... no big deal, and made it in time for a carnival... which was fun, but geared much more for older kids, plus it was so cold that we didn't want to stay outside anyway. It was record cold temperatures until the day we left, 65 degrees during the day, and 40 at night. We froze our behinds off, especially since we were staying in the college dorm, and there was no heat. I guess they didn't expect it to be so cold.

Jazzy and I went to different classes all day long so I don't have many pictures of her. On Friday, I went to a movie called "Oh, Saigon" which was the story of a families' escape on the day that Saigon was taken over by the communists. If you look in any book, you will see the historic photo of them... the last family to escape thru the crowds of people as the gate to the US rescue helicopter was forced open. It was a home video and told of their not so happy life in America since April, 1978. I also went to class on "How to Make Great Pho"- pronounced Fuh--- the common dish in Vietnam. It seems that at every restaurant I visited in Vietnam, no matter what I ordered, that is what I always got. It seems extremely complicated to make it correctly, so, knowing me.... I will not be making it. Rice, vegetables and tofu is a very simplified and satisfying version.

On Friday, Jazzy went to play Vietnamese games, made a "lucky charm", and learned simple Vietnamese phrases. Many of the camp counselors spoke Vietnamese to her. She gave them blank stares, kind of like she somewhat recognized what they were saying, but not really. There were 75 camp counselors from all over the country. Some are adoptees themselves and some actually grew up in Vietnam.

We also went to a concert titled ... we are all "Beads on One String". Jazzy really enjoyed it. She was clapping and dancing and having a great time. She slept well that night... but not me... due to the cold. The next day I had blood shot eyes and looked like death warmed over.

On Saturday, I previewed a DVD I am purchasing called Vietnam: Face to Face. It is a video made by a family who has adopted 8 Vietnamese children and has been to Vietnam many times. They made a very scenic video of many areas in Vietnam. It will be nice to show to her over the years. We also learned a Vietnamese ribbon dance that day.

On Saturday night, we had a "culture show". Each group introduced themselves and did a song/dance/skit. Jazzy was in Dragonfly-Group 1. They did a little dance with fans. The theater was not well lit, so the photos and videos didn't turn out very well. Jazzy met a very cute little friend named Kiana. They were inseparable for 3 days. Kiana's father was adopted from the same area as Jazzy, and so was Kiana. Jazzy and Kiana sat next to each other at the culture show and wouldn't settle down... laughing and goofing off. They both fell off the chairs simultaneously and started screaming, so we had to rush them outside. That was the abrupt end to Saturday night.

Also on Saturday in the adult sessions, we had some incredible keynote speakers. The most impressive, in my opinion, was Lac Su who spoke about his life as a Vietnamese "boat person" and his new book "I Love You's are for White People". I am definitely going to read that book. Lac Su is now a psychologist who works with all types of kids and adults. There was not a dry eye in the place and he received a standing ovation. There was also another speaker, Dr. Steve Kanh, a psychologist who spoke about "keeping the connection" when disciplining.

On Sunday, whoever was supposed to unlock the doors to the classrooms forgot, so we had a few of the classes outside. I went to one by mistake called "Living in Vietnam". It was outside and I got fried. It doesn't seem feasible for a foreigner to live in Vietnam unless you are independently wealthy. International students are not allowed to attend Vietnamese schools and must pay outrageous tuition. Just doesn't seem like something I want to do.

Jazzy and Kiana cried when they had to be separated. Kiana lives in Fargo, ND, so we won't be seeing them until next year.
We flew home Sunday, exhausted and flopped in bed.


Jazzy having a snack at 30,000 feet on the way to Minneapolis
Getting ready to have breakfast with her camp counselors.
Jazzy wearing her camp tee shirt and eating a cookie
Beads on One String concert
More camp counselors with Jazzy
Waiting for class to start
Coloring on the way home in the plane
Group photo
Eating Pho with her friend Kiana on the last day.

Last class....

Yesterday was our last day in the Songs for Tots class. We made a homemade "Memory Game" and bubble blowers.

July 4th...

Too hot outside to do anything at all..... played in the sprinkler for awhile.

Fireworks....

Last night was Jazzy's first fireworks experience. It is uncanny how every year, it literally does not rain one drop until the evening of July 3 when Arizona City has it's fireworks..... It poured down rain at about 5:30... for the first time since last November.... right before I went to Vietnam. We went to the pre-fireworks party which was just a band and a bunch of people walking around. The fireworks started late.... around 8:35 and lasted all of 15 minutes. They weren't too impressive. I guess it was a budget thing. Jazz had fun dancing with the band, watched about 3 minutes of the fireworks, then fell asleep. I watched about 10 minutes of the fireworks with her asleep in my lap, then we left. By the time we drove home... about 3 minutes... the fireworks were over and it was pouring down rain again.... so, perfect timing.


Ready to go to fireworks
Playing with her neon heart necklace
Eating kettlecorn
listening to the band
dancing