Home one year!

Right now I am listening to Quinn and June play babies together - they are getting along (although they are still really loud) and having a lot of fun together. It is so nice when they decidde to enjoy one another, rather than setting their minds to irritating one another! We celebrated a whole year as a family by heading to Wisconsin Dells for a few days. It was the first time we had taken the kids there and it was a lot of fun! Some were more adventurous than others, but they all had a fantastic time. Waters slides were a huge hit for the big girls and lots of swimming and splashing around were in order for June and Quinn. June has actually become a pretty good swimmer already, after a few lessons from our great neighbor!! The kids have so rarely stayed in hotels that it is still exciting for them to do that; Riley has hoarded all of the shampoos and lotions from the hotel. Some life lessons I offer to others after going to the waterparks:

1. When getting a tattoo, consider your ability to maintain your weight for the rest of your life.

2. When buying a bathing suit, consider its ability to hold your boobs in place when going down slides or playing in the wave pool - saw way too many strange boobs while we were there.

3. Just because the seams didn't split, doesn't mean it fits.

4. Sunscreen, people, use it.

5. My ability to enjoy a waterpark would have been enhanced by the ability to enjoy alcohol, waterslides, and hot tubs (darn this baby : )

6. Watch your kids; quit drinking! Too many unattended kids making me nervous.

One highlight of the trip was getting to stop and meet June's friend from the SWI in China on the way home. Ava (Yun Yun) joined her family in Wisconsin earlier this summer, and we were lucky enough to see her today. I know that June remembers her - they were in school and large groups together, but not in the same care group - but she was a little shy seeing her today. The girls didn't really talk, but we got some cute pictures and were able to chat with her family about how the girls are settling in. We hope to get together again soon so the girls have a chance to get more comfortable with each other and create a friendship.

June also enjoyed a visit from her cousin Molly for the two weeks before we went on our getaway. We did pools here, played with the cousins, went to the zoo and had a good time enjoying summer.

A year of being home, sounds crazy! I really remember feeling all disheveled and crazy to get home at the end of that plane ride last summer. I couldn't believe how happy June was to meet her family that day, and how well she settled into our group of girls. Her English is amazing, and her attachment has been wonderful!! She truly loves her family and tells us so all the time. She can still be quite challenging when she doesn't get her way, and is easily frustrated with Quinn. We are working on some habits that have been hard to change (like laughing when people get hurt). I think it is also time to revisit the ENT as everything she says is at an uncomfortable decibel level. She will also be visiting the eye doctor soon, as she didn't do so well at her kindergarten physical. She is quite ready to head off to kindergarten and has been working on some "homework" to prepare. She will be going all day (whatever will I do with myself?) and looks forward to having real homework, eating lunch at school, and taking the bus (nervous mom). She says she would like to visit China, but only if her family comes with - she's so cute! She has moved into her shared room with Quinn in preparation for the baby, and this is going well so far; we are thinking about decorating and what colors they would like for their space.

It has been a whirlwind year and I can't believe we will be adding to the chaos soon. Talking about the baby has led June to create the idea of her own baby, baby Diego, who is "living in my stomach". She worries about eating healthy food for him. He is growing all the time, she says.

We love this kid!