Our 2 Little Girls

January 31, 2008. The day we met our daughters.

Here's another excerpt from my journal:

Today we met our 2 little girls. Oh girls, you are so amazing!

Sasha (Lexi), you are such a tiny little thing! The same blond hair as your brother and sister. Stuffy nose, all sniffles today. Big blue eyes. You wore a white dress and a big red bow on top of your head. You are a quiet little girl so far. You haven't had much to say yet, but you sat in my lap and played with some toys. You've been a little nervous about your daddy, but just you wait little girl. He is going to be your best friend very soon. We can't wait to be with you for keeps.

Liza (Natalie), another beautiful, special little girl. Big blue eyes. Long dark blond hair. You came into the room ready to play. You wore a purple shirt and jean jumper with a humongous purple bow in your hair! Such a good big sister. Ready to help Sasha and the other children. Unlike your sister, you had a lot to say! Chatting away from the moment we met you. Naming pictures in books and reciting rhymes. You are so smart and outgoing.

Our daughters. We love you already. We just wanted to scoop you up and bring you home today! Why, oh why, must it take so long?! It was such a special day. We will always treasure this day we first met you. Girls, may you always know that you are God's perfect creation.

Here are a few pictures of our first visit with Lexi and Natalie:

What Were You Doing 2 Years Ago Today?

We were meeting our son for the very first time.

Here are bits and pieces of what I wrote in my journal that night.

A letter to Justin...

January 30, 2008
8:45 pm

I'm so tired. 30 hours of traveling and we've barely slept. But, I won't close my eyes before I tell you about The Day I Met You.

You live in an orphanage in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. It's faded blue and 3 stories tall. There are 60 children in your home. Boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 7.

You are 4 and a half years old.
And today we met you for the very first time.

Soon after arriving we were led into a playroom. We took some time to speak with the people who have helped you and taken care of you. We found out a little about your birth family and when you first came to stay at the orphanage. We listened to a social worker, a woman with long, dark graying hair, a mouth full of gold teeth and quite a mustache. Her name was Valentina. She bragged about what a good boy you are. How you are helpful and play nicely with other children. Clearly, she cares for you and is certainly proud of you.

Then, before we were able to talk much more, suddenly there you were!!! A caregiver had led you in, and there you were! Politely saying hello. Big eyes. Dark blond hair. We give you two Matchbox cars, which you gently take with a smile. I'm sitting on the floor, playing with you, but I'm in another place too. Just thinking how this is so amazing. HERE YOU ARE. The words keep repeating in my head. Finally. In front of me. And you are just perfect.

Yes, little one. You are just perfect. I am so thankful that God has been watching over you. You are the answer to my prayers.

Here are a few pictures from that first meeting, 2 years ago, that I never posted:

The next day we would meet the girls. More pix and journaling to come. (Really!)

Snowball Fight!!!

This pretty much sums up life in the Mocabee family!

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Click here to see last year's jib jab! Thanks Grammy! Keep 'em coming!

Thankful.

Happy Halloween 2009

The kids had a great time on Halloween. That's what's important, right?

But I've got to say, the Mom side of this holiday is a completely different story! Is it just me, or does anyone else get overwhelmed by it all? Keeping track of the different activities throughout the week, the different costumes each event requires, making said costumes work with the weather, the million different things I've signed up to bring, and the candy! The amount of candy the kids brought home was ridiculous! After a few days of snacking on the mountain of sugar piled on the kitchen table it was time for an intervention. On the advice of a good friend, I presented the kids with a tantalizing offer.

It went something like this:

You've heard of the Tooth Fairy, right? You know that teeth are very important to her. She especially loves clean, healthy teeth. Well, did you know that the Tooth Fairy has a cousin? Yes, it's true. Her cousin's name is the Candy Fairy. The Candy Fairy wants to make sure your teeth stay clean and healthy, so they'll be ready for the Tooth Fairy. Tonight is the night the Candy Fairy visits the houses of all trick or treaters. Here's how it works... If you want to, you can pack up the rest of your candy and leave it on the front porch tonight. When the Candy Fairy flies by, she will check our front porch to see if there's any candy. If there is, she'll take it with her and leave you a special present in it's place!

The kids were completely sold! I let them each pick out 3 more pieces to save for later, but the rest was bagged up and placed out on the porch. Goodbye sugar mountain! They were thrilled to find new toys waiting for them the next morning and there hasn't been one complaint about the missing candy. All in all, a brilliant solution!

Okay. I know what you're wondering now. So, what happened to all of that candy? Let's just say, next time you see the Candy Fairy (and the Candy Fairy's husband, for that matter) they may have put on a few extra pounds.

Woody and a couple of kitty cats

At the library, one of the many places the girls wore costumes this year.

I was thrilled when the girls said they wanted to be kitties for Halloween. I was preparing myself for at least another few years of nothing but Disney princess gowns. So, when Natalie mentioned the cat idea, I ran with it! I have memories of my grandma and my Aunt Paula sewing wonderful costumes for me and my cousins. I certainly wasn't up to sewing 2 complete costumes from scratch, but I wanted to actually make something. So, it was off to the fabric store, where I found the cute gray fur. It seemed perfect... That is, until I started cutting it. Oh. My. Gosh. Fur everywhere! The floor was covered. My clothes were covered. It was as if I shaved a gray cat and spread the fur throughout my house. I know I choked on a few hairballs throughout the process. Ack! However, I managed to complete some leg warmers, wristbands, and the all important tails. By chance, I ran across the cute little skirts at Gymboree. Add a set of ears, paint on a few whiskers, and done! A sort of homemade Halloween costume! (Which I will remember for months to come, as I'm still finding bits of gray fur in random places.)

Justin's kindergaraten class put on a little performance. Nothing cuter than a bunch of 5 year olds balancing percariouly on a picnic table. Nothing funnier than the kid that inevitably falls OFF the picnic table. Yes, it happened. Yes, the kid was okay. And thank goodness, it wasn't my kid. At least not this time. Check back in after the Thanksgiving performance.

For their community helper parties at school, Natalie chose to be a firefighter and Lexi was a vet.

Here we are carving pumpkins, then posing with our jack o' lantern faces.

Cool Sunglasses Dude Pumpkin by Natalie and Papa

Crooked Smile, Starry Eyed Pumpkin by Lexi and Gaby

Meowtstanding Kitty Cat Pumpkin by Justin and Mama
Would you believe the pumpkin carving got a bit competitive in our house? Feel free to cast your vote for best jack o' lantern.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the entire haul. This is only a fraction of the goods. I'm exhausted all over again just blogging about it! Hope your Halloween was fun and less overwhelming than mine.

Now....... the Candy Fairy needs to track down a peanut butter cup.

Back to School 2009

Justin was the first to head back to school.
In his words, he is now "one of the big kids."
In other words... a kindergartener.
For the most part, the transition has gone well. Before the first day, he told us he was excited AND nervous. Scott and I got to stay in class for awhile on that first day. After Justin found his nametag and inspected his little desk area for a moment, he hung his Cars backpack on his chair, situated his new pencil box on the desk, and jumped right in on the worksheets his teacher had left for him. Pretty soon, and pretty reluctantly I might add, it was time for the hovering parents to leave. After school, he told me, "I felt sad when you left, but after a little while I was okay again."
Just like that... One of the big kids.

Natalie is in Pre-K this year and really enjoying it. She just loves her teachers and we feel so blessed to know she is in such a nurturing and caring environment. She's such a bright little girl. She loves books, role playing, and is always, always anticipating what will come next.

Lexi is now a preschooler too! I was so worried about how she would handle the drop off and goodbye, but I suppose all of those days we took Natalie and Justin to preschool last year were good preparation. Lexi was as happy as could be on her first day. Gave me hugs and kisses, then set off to explore her new classroom. No tears. No long gazes. Well, at least not from Lexi. I can't believe how fast the time has already gone.

Happy Birthday Little Mermaid

Lexi celebrated her 4th birthday on August 20.
Four.
How can she be 4?

And by the way, forget about calling her Lexi.
It's Ariel to you.
In fact, she now describes herself as having, "Red hair, pink lips and purple seashells."

Our Little Mermaid has grown leaps and bounds this year.
Truly, the perfect combination of spunky and sweet.
It's pretty safe to say, that to know her is to love her.



Hey Molly! Now we're both 4!


Meet our tiny dancer...




Lexi's birthday party theme? Little Mermaid Meets Gymnastics, of course!

You fill our days with such laughter and joy! We love you so much little Lexi Bexi!