Look at that smile...

Going to the GYM.....

The girls are signed up for Gym class and loving it! Dakota took Gym all last year and is very good at it. She was glad to get back after the summer break. She is in the shooting stars and is out on the main Gym floor, while Shiloh is in a small room for toddler Gym. She did great for the first time in a Gym. NO FEAR!!! (Scares me, but this little outgoing girl will hopefully excel.) With going on Saturdays, Chuck and I can trade off helping Shiloh in her class so we can each also watch Dakota.

Shiloh goes to daycare...

After dropping Dakota off at school, I took Shiloh to daycare. She cried of course when I left but I made it to work without tears. I worked for a while, went to the eye doc and worked a little more. I called to check on her and the director told me that she cried for about twenty minutes but was holding the teachers hand and doing OK. She evidently tried to leave her classroom any time the teacher put her down. The director told me that she stopped her 6 times and finally Shiloh gave up. I picked her up after nap time and they were outside playing. When she saw me she immediately burst into tears and cried for 2 minutes or so. I guess she was relieved that I did come back. She shakes her head "no" about going back tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. It is so hard to do this and not be upset but this is our life and she has to get use to it. I have to work. No choice there, but I also know she will learn a lot and I have missed work. So for this three weeks we will do a few days a week and see how it goes. Our time home will be up soon enough and then our life will be back to "normal".

Twigs...

Ok, so I am not into hair and all he frilley girl stuff, but God gave me these two girls both with a mind of thier own. I asked Shiloh is she wanted some hairbows and she brought me three rubber bands. I put a little pony tail on each side but she knew she brought three bands and wanted one more, so I fixed it again like we did in China and she was instantly happy, checking her hair style out in the mirror. She wore this style for two days. I call her Twigs!Shiloh will go to daycare for two days this coming week. (Tues. & Wed.) Not sure how this is going to go for her...she played for a little while as long as I was there on both days we visited. She still kept checking back to see that I was there. I will take her on Tues. and Wed. each week until I go back to work full time....she has to get use to it. Our friends from Savannah came by yesterday. Brandi and Trent have two great daughters and A son from Henan China. Talent is such a cutie and Shiloh's future boyfriend! It was so nice to see them all for a little while. We hope to get to Savannah sometime this fall for another visit with them. Now for tomorrow, trying to get her in the church 2 year old room with her new teacher there. I have gone with her twice, but now tomorrow will be the test. Dakota stayed with her last week but it was the big sister who wanted mom and that didn't work out, so tomorrow Dakota goes with her new teacher in the 5 year old room. Little sis will go to hers and we will see how it goes.

Nana and Shiloh at play....

First Day of School...Dakota goes to the big K!

Dakota started K-5 today. Chuck, Shiloh and I walked her into her class where I had to kind of peel her off of me and place her in her seat. I could not get a smile for the first picture until I picked her up! She enjoyed the day but said the the most fun was the afterschool program, of which she started even though I am off, so she can learn the routine. At least none of us had any tears....we are too excited for her.

More fun at the rink...

We took Dakota skating last Saturday. She does pretty good once she gets warmed up so we want to go more often so she can do even more. I have decided I am officially "old!" I put skates on myself and although I use to skate very well, I could not do much even on the carpet. I guess 25 years takes it's toll! Chuck turned in my skates and traded for a pair of tiny tikes for Shiloh and that girl did great. She is little but we keep forgetting she is big in heart and almost three. She wanted to go everywhere that Dakota did, but she needed help. She could skate a little on her on in the kiddy carpeted area. Too much fun....!!!

Rethinking the Bedrooms...

Earlier this year we bought bunk beds for Dakota's room as we thought the girls could simply room together. A few months before leaving for China, I was looking at Dakota's room and thinking that it was just that..."Dakota's Room". I knew then I was making mental plans to make Shiloh her own room, which meant Chuck would lose his trout room. (It was all decorated in Trout fishing.) So little by little I got the plans together and with a visit to target and a few gifts from the shower at work....Shiloh has her own room!!! Dakota's room has the Blues, greens, Purples and Pinks with the bunk Beds and now Shiloh's has the pink, orange and green. Shiloh's room has a Queen Bed and so the rails we had fit perfectly and this works better for her sleeping in this bed instead of the bunk beds. So each night the Turner's all lay down in Mommy and Baba's king bed.....when shiloh falls asleep she is moved to her bed and when Dakota is asleep she is moved to hers. Then sometime in the middle of the night Mommy ends up in the bed with Shiloh and sometimes with Dakota and sometimes back in the bed with Baba...it works for us. Hopefully this will give Dakota a better nights sleep for going to school. (Mommy will still probably be tired going to work when she returns....oh well, you cannot have it all!)

Karate Kids!

Lately Dakota has been hooked on the Karate Kid Movies...the old ones we use to watch when we were teens. She has been trying the stance for the last kick and of course Shiloh give it her best shot too!

Fayette Sheriff and Rescue event...

Last week we took the girls to the Fayette Police Event where we had them photographed and fingerprinted to keep on hand in case they are ever lost or taken. (You cannot be too careful!  We just thought it was a good idea...thanks for reminding us Nana!) Dakota got to put out a real fire and both girls got to stand on the helicopter and of course there were clowns.

There's a first time for everythng...

This evening we had dinner at our favorite Mexican Restaurant and right in the middle of dinner, Shiloh (Who was standing up in the booth beside me) suddlenly said "Mama" and leaned over to give me the biggest hug out of the blue. Chuck got one recently and was tickeled pink about it. Of course we hug her all the time and we ask for hugs and get them, but it is great to get one we didn't even have to ask for. Earlier today, Shiloh, Dakota and I headed out to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for Shiloh's initial dental check. (I really hate they could not do this when we were there last Friday as all that happened was the Dentist looked inside her mouth for all of a minute or two-of course with her screaming.) Shiloh has a number of cavaties that need to be filled and this is not really a surprise and very common for children who have not had good dental care and this can also be common with Cleft Palate kids. So at this point, we know she will need anesthesia to have all the cavities filled. We have the appointment with the ENT Monday the 9th and so if Shiloh need ear tubes then this can be done along with the dental surgery at the same time. So we will wait another week to see what the pan will be. Shiloh is talking more and more and I love it when she is playing and sings a little Chinese Nursery song...I wish I knew what she was singing, as she hums this tune all the time. The best part of my morning is when she wakes (And she does wake first!) and she lays in bed with me and I tickle her and remind her to giggle quietly as Dakota is still sleeping most of the time. Then when Dakota wakes we all tickle and laugh until we are ready to get up. Dakota usually goes and gets dressed and brushes her hair and teeth, while I do the same for Shiloh. Then I send them to play while I take my shower. This seems to be when they play the best together. I hear lots of giggles and Shiloh copying what Dakota is asking her to say. Dakota is so good with her until evening when everyone needed a longer nap and they aggravate each other. (I remember being a sister and how this work! Love ya Wendi!) So this is our last week home like this as Dakota will start school on Monday the 9th. Then we will have a different routine. Shiloh will start daycare at some point in the next few weeks depending on when her surgery is scheduled. I turned in all the forms and her shot record to the daycare and so she is set to begin when we are both ready! We did meet her Teacher Ms. Felicia and shiloh went to her for a few minutes and then got down to play as we were outside with all the climbing equipment. (She kept an eye on me to make sure I stayed...not sure how it will go when I do have to leave...we will give it a few practice runs before I go back to work.) So As I sit here writing this, both girls are asleep right here beside me. (Haven't moved them to their own beds yet...which I have been doing each night after they are asleep.) I look at Dakota and I cannot believe she is going to kindergarten....how did she get this old? Still, she is very bright and I am excited for her. She has been talking a little about the girl in her class that she sat beside on the bus ride she got Saturday. She also is excited about her iCarly lunch box and her first day outfit. She will do well, but we have to work on an earlier bedtime with her, but that is going to be tough with the little person spinning wildly until afte 10pm most nights. After our dinner tonight we went to a Fayette County Police event for a while. We got both girls fingerprinted and photographed for safety. The girls got to see a helicopter up close and police dogs too. Dakota was able to put out a small fire and see how an extinguisher works. It was a lot of fun from 6 to 8pm but the temperature was still well over 95 and very humid.....

Dressed in our Chinese Best...

Shiloh's Craniofacial Visit...

Friday Shiloh, Poppy and myself headed downtown for a visit the the Craniofacial team at Chidlren's Healthcare of Atlanta. This is the team that will take care of Shiloh's palate issues. We saw a number of team members including the physician, speech therapist, social worker, nurse, and she had a hearing test done which she passed. It looks like for now we work on her speech and let her adjust to the family. Next week we visit the Dental Team and then the ENT. The Palate physician said he would want to do surgery to raise the nose and to close a hole in her gum sometime around the age of 5. (The ears are full grown at around 5 and they use cartilage from the ear to raise the nose.) Depending on her speech he may need to lengthen the palate at that time if her speech is not good. The dental team may want to put her to sleep to clean her teeth but they will only do this if the ENT decides that she needs ear tubes...that way she is only given anesthesia the one time. This is the good thing about the team, they work together to make everything best for the child at one time. So we should know more on this next week. The ear tubes are important for helping her hear better so she will be able to speak better. After finding out that her heart issues are very minimal with no further need for medical care and now seeing that all she needs for now may be ear tubes and teeth cleaning.....we feel incredibly blessed. When we first got Shiloh's file we were worried that her diagnosis might be more than we could handle, but it was such an easy decision. I know know why...God knew all along this was our child and that she had what we could handle. Shiloh continues to adjust pretty well. We still have some nightime hours of crying but she does well all day. Let me just say SHE IS BUSY! I think we have a hyperactive child here. I cannot get one mess she made cleaned up before she makes 3 others. She climbs anything and everything and you never know what you will find where? Example....I was rinsing dishes to put in the dishwasher and found a pair of flip flops in the sink...how did that happen? She and Dakota play pretty well but again it hasn't taken long for them to each learn how to aggravate the other. I cannot hold Dakota for very long before Shiloh tries to push her out of my lap. It is pretty interesting when both want to be in my lap. At night, we all 4 get in the king bed and watch Hannah Montana or iCarly until the two girls doze off. Then everyone is moved into thier own bed for the night....or not!

Dakota's school visit

Yesterday morning we spent two hours at Dakota's school. We met her teacher Ms. Gable and took a tour of the school. Dakota stayed in the classroom while I went to the cafeteria to listen to the priniciple and PTA folks. Dakota was very independant and wanted me to leave, so I suspect the first day of school will not be very traumatic for her. They took the kids for a ride on the bus and Dakota hopped on the bus but told me I had to wait on her instead of ride with her...as I said Ms. independant. This is one of the highest rated schools in Georgia and I can see why. They have a lot to offer the children...computer media lab weekely, art lab, PE, Music, and the list goes on. Dakota even gets a choice at lunch... for now between two lines and after christmas the Kindergarteners can visit the salad bar. I think they get them ac climated little by little. Dakota will start school on Monday the 9th and she will also begin going to the afterschool program so she can learn the routine. (this was suggested by the afterschool ladies, who said it would be best for her to start with everyone so there is no question about the routine and where she goes when school is over.) So while I am off work, I can pick her up early from the program, but she will be able to get use to the routine.  The day visit to school was fun and though I thought I would be sad, I wasn't....I am so excited for her and she is too!

Skating Rink Fun...

Dakota wanted to go skating with her friend Kaylynn and so we went along. This is the first time Dakota has had on real skates instead of the kind that fit over your shoes and don't roll backwards. She did great for the first time out, kind of walking and rolling and then an occasional spill. I was proud of how well she did. Meanwhile Shiloh played in her socks out on the rink since it was not very crowded. She enjoyed all the lightst that sparkled and flashed on the flooring to the music. She also had a good time crawling and climbing all over the carpeted seats.