busy day....

Today we attended the Canine Carnival in Tempe. Jasmine was her usual social butterfly self, walking around to the various booths and talking to everyone all day long, while I and another vet, Dr. Beth Dutton, answered questions about homeopathy and acupuncture for people with their dogs. Santa was there and Jasmine was not afraid of him this year.
Later we went to the Santa's House event in Chandler, which was just alot of fair food, a Santa who had a very long line to see him, and *alot* of people. Later, they were lighting the Chandler Tumbleweed tree.... which we did not stay for.

Bobbing for hotdogs event
AJ Chandler park for the Santa party

First Cheerleading Class tonight:)

Tumbleweed Recreation Center
Warm up
Class taught by Miss Sissily.

DBG Finches

Today at Desert Botanical Garden Seedlings, we studied finches. We didn't really see any finches when we went birdwatching, but we saw cardinals and lots of other birds, especially the obese quail that follow everyone around for food. Since we had lots of bird seed out in the kids play area today, there were probably about 100 quail out there just having a hayday. In the "lab", we looked at various types of bird nests, did experiments with floating vs sinking, and matched the magnetic birds with their eggs. We had a bird snack and made a little bird craft, too.

The garden paths are lined with poinsettias and luminarias for the season, plus we saw a huge Christmas tree made of poinsettias. Perfect 75 degree weather.

Waiting for class
Getting ready for birdwatching
Circle time
looking at bird's nests
Bird craft

Thanksgiving/Arrival Day!

Two years ago today, first day in Jasmine's new home!

Today we went to the movie "Tangled" at the Chandler Metro Center Theaters. Thanksgiving morning, and it was crowded! Lots of kids! I thought I would avoid the crowds by going mid-morning.... but no chance. The movie was rated PG, and was a bit too violent for Jazzy. She cried during parts of it, and wanted to go home. She is really really sensitive to any kind of violence or even a crying cartoon character.

Now we are roasting our little Tofu Turkey with stuffing and vegetables for the two of us!


This morning at breakfast.
Two photos from Thanksgiving 2008 at Grandma and Grandpa Blakeman's house.
Playing with Uncle Jerry.

Flying home....

Two years ago tonight, Jasmine and I were flying home from Vietnam. She became an American citizen after going thru Immigration at LAX. She mostly slept the entire way home and woke up in her new home. Her first full day home was actually Thanksgiving Day! Here is Jasmine with her biological grandfather saying goodbye at the orphanage.

Today at school, Jasmine's class made "trail mix" for Thanksgiving. She ate the entire bag by herself... then put little chocolate chips in her ears. When I picked her up, she had brown chocolate goo dripping from both ears down the side of her face!! We went directly into the shower upon arriving home:)

Jazzy's first piano recital....

Tonight was our first recital at Ms. Karen Nalder's studio/home. It was really only for the kids to get to know one another. There weren't even any parents there for kids over the age of 5 yrs. The older kids each walked up in front of the audience, did the Suzuki bow, adjusted their own seat and blocks under their feet, played their piece, then bowed again. All were very talented.

The younger kids were just supposed to walk up in front and bow. Jasmine apparently didn't know that because she went up to the piano and began adding blocks and adjusting the seat. She climbed up onto the seat and began to play... not a song, of course.. but just some nice relaxing notes. She played for a *long* time and took her bow again. Everyone clapped.... which she thrives on! Most of the other little kids went up and did their bow, but didn't want to play. The teacher was amazed. I wasn't surprised because Jasmine is a performer and likes to be on stage dancing or doing something. During dance recitals... she always says to me "When is it *my* turn"? .... every minute or so. Unfortunately, the lights were dimmed and the photos of her playing turned out dark.


waiting for the recital to begin
playing at the piano
sugar overload after the recital with her new friend
taking a bow after her performance. You can't see it very well, but she is right next to the piano.
Jazzy and her friend (Salika?) - velcroed together for the entire evening.

Celebration at pre-school....

National Adoption Day was celebrated today at Dayspring Preschool in Tempe!:) Initially, the teacher.. Mrs. Slama... suggested I explain what adoption is to the school! Ha ha... That is very difficult if not impossible with a group of 4 year olds. We talked about it very briefly, then read the book "A Mother for Choco" which is a book for preschoolers that explains adoption. It is about a little bird Choco who has lost his mother. He looks and looks, and finally spots Mrs. Bear. She takes him home to be her child along with Hippy, Ally, and Piggy.. the hippo, alligator and pig. It is a cute story that shows how mothers don't have to look the same as their children and can even come from different environments.

We talked for awhile about Vietnam- how it is very far away- and what an orphanage is. I showed alot of photos of Vietnam in some impressive picture books I have, as well as some photos that I took in Vietnam of men driving cyclos and motorcycles, Vietnamese houses and buildings, and a market close to Jasmine's orphanage. We even showed where Jasmine was born on the map of Vietnam. I brought some brightly colored conical Vietnamese hats which the kids decorated with glitter glue and all kinds of little stick on things.

Later, we had a snack of Vietnamese egg rolls- otherwise known as "rollers" by Jasmine. They were catered by Pho Van restaurant and catering- close to our house. We also had some coconut cookies made by Donna's Asian Bakery in Tempe.

It was a fun day and a nice way to at least introduce the word "adoption" to the other kids.


Ready to go to school with her Vietnamese doll - which was her adoption day gift

decorating hats

eating eggrolls and cookies

making a turkey decoration for next week