FALL HAPPENINGS

As I’m typing this, I am thinking that we are already in November and Christmas will soon be upon us. Man, time flies and it really does get away from you if you aren’t careful. We’ve been in school for two months already and pretty much settled in our routines. School is going well for both Jake and Rachel and fall sports are about to end. December will bring a new season of basketball, which Jake is really looking forward to and Rachel will start her third session of dance class which she absolutely loves. And before we know it, we all will be hustling and bustling preparing and enjoying all the holiday festivities.

Time did get away from me, because I didn’t even write about our family trip to Disney World nor did I post pictures and we’ve been back a month already! The positive side of the trip was that it was great to be together as a family and to spend some time together and we got to experience some great new restaurants and fun themed dinners at O’Hana’s, Mickey’s Back Yard Barbeque, and the 50’s Prime Time Cafe. We traveled with my in-laws, Dave’s brother, wife and two kids and my single friend, Andrea came too. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach which was fabulous and would recommend to anyone. We were perfectly located at the resort where transportation was just a 30 second walk and the food court/restaurant was a 2-3 minute walk. The pool area was also close by and I will have to say that the pool area was magnificent and the pictures will prove it! The kids had so much fun. I just wish we had allowed more time at the pool. There were water slides and sprinkler like things to play with and I really think the kids enjoyed the pool more than they did the parks.

As you all know, Disney is not a relaxing vacation and every day is jammed pack with parks, restaurants, traveling, parades, etc…quite overwhelming for my just 2 year old princess. She absolutely hated the trip! She was NOT a happy child the entire week. The Friday before we left should have been a sign for how the trip was going to go. Jake didn’t feel well and had a 102 degree fever. Needless to say, we had to make a quick trip to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection and was put on an antibiotic. He didn’t start feeling well until about the 3rd day into the trip. He suffered from horrible headaches and the sun and heat didn’t help him one bit. It was HOT in Florida. On day 3 of the trip, we had to take Rachel to an emergency care facility because she started with a fever and major crankiness. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and was put on an antibiotic. The next day, Dave had to drive himself to the emergency care facility where he was tested for the swine flu. The test was negative, but he had a sinus and ear infection and felt really bad. The next night, our 5 year old niece was taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with the flu. It was one illness after another and upon our return home, my mother in-law, sister in-law, niece and I got sick! Rachel wasn’t happy with anything we did in Disney. She hated the characters, until the end, where she warmed up a bit to Mickey and Minnie. I guess it’s because they were the smallest in size compared to the other characters. She was so whiney and clingy and I couldn’t even use the restroom without her freaking out because I left her for a minute or two. The early mornings and late nights caught up to her and the rest of us very quickly. We really made an effort to take the kids back to nap most days, but because their schedules were so thrown off, they had difficulty falling asleep. There were 3 nights in a row where Rachel cried during the night which of course caused restless nights for everyone else. If I had to do it over again, we would have waited another year or two. We got home at midnight on a Saturday night and when Rachel woke Sunday morning, she was the happiest clam alive! She was thrilled to be home in her own environment, sleeping in her own bed, watching her own television shows and playing with her own toys. Our vacation was not a total bust, but it was a very challenging and exhausting one. Hopefully our next trip to Disney (not for a few years!) will be more magical for Rachel and the rest of us!

Gosh, before we knew it, Halloween snuck up on us. Thank God for MomMom, who bought Rachel’s Minnie Mouse costume while we were in Disney. And honestly, she was the cutest Minnie Mouse out there. Rachel even won for the “cutest costume” when we went to a Boo Bash in Center City with our friends Ashley and Sophie. Jake wanted to do something easy, so he dressed in Goth this year. He wore all black with a Pirates of the Caribbean t-shirt (again, thanks to MomMom) and Dave’s black boots. Yes, Jake can wear his Dad’s size 12 boots! He wore black lipstick and had a fake piercing in his lip. Friends of ours gave him an arm sleeve that looked like tattoos up and down his arm. I would never tell Jake this, but he looked pretty cute with black lipstick! LOL! He wore a spiked collar, belt and wrist band. He was definitely rocking the Goth look. We trick-or-treated with our friends, the Cardarelli’s, and unfortunately, the weather was not very cooperative. We were able to get a few houses in before it poured on us. Jake pretty much went off with his friends, within ear shot of course, and we walked Rachel to some doors where she knew exactly what to do. She said trick-or-treat and she used her manners by thanking everyone who put candy in her bag. It was so cute watching her. She wasn’t fond of the houses that were all decked out in their scary décor. The rain definitely put a damper on things, but we had a good time while it lasted.

Some of you may know already from Facebook, but we have a new unexpected addition to our family. Bam-Bam, our 8 week old kitten has come to live with us. It hasn’t even been a week yet and we all are already smitten by him. He is so incredibly cute and is quite the little love bug. He runs to the top of the steps when he hears us coming in the front door. He fits right in because he’s just as feisty as Rachel. He loves to play and chase our feet. We took him to the vet last night and he only weighed one pound! Isn’t he tiny? We really hope he works out for our family. About 2 ½ years ago, we adopted an older male cat from the SPCA and it only lasted five months. He didn’t like men and constantly clawed Dave and Jake. It got to the point where Dave and Jake had to walk around the house carrying a squirt bottle to keep Scottie away. What really forced me to find a new home is when I saw Jake opening the door slowly to his bedroom and running to bathroom before Scottie could see him. Scottie was adopted by another loving family. I was surprised how hard I took it even though he was only with us for five months. Hopefully the kitten will get used to each of us and love us, especially Dave who isn’t the most comfortable around animals. He wasn’t raised with animals, so he tends to be a little on edge around them. It’s cute when I see Bam-Bam sitting on his lap. Anyway, we got Bam-Bam from a family who also adopted from China. The Kaufman’s traveled with us when we got Rachel. While visiting them last Friday night, they brought out the kittens in the hopes that we would fall in love and take one home with us. Well, their scheming plan worked! LOL! Bam-Bam came home that night with us. Rachel adores him and won’t leave him alone. I’m hoping it wasn’t a mistake taking on a kitten with Rachel being so young. She does look forward to seeing him everyday when we come home from MomMom’s house.

We are heading to North Carolina to visit family for Thanksgiving. We visited last April, so they will enjoy seeing how much Rachel has changed in the last 6-7 months. I never look forward to the drive, especially when coming home. It’s just so long and that time of year, we always hit a ton of traffic no matter what time we leave. It will be nice to see everyone and then before you know it, Christmas will be upon us!

I hope you enjoy the photos from our October! Happy fall!

Rachel's First Day of Nursery School

Today was another exciting day for the Crist household! Rachel started her 2 year old nursery school at First Baptist. I wasn't quite sure how the day would go, especially since last night at her dance class she gave me a taste of how she might react and it wasn't good.

We've been talking up her first day of school for weeks now, especially the last couple of days. She was excited about going to school but a little disappointed to learn that she won't be taking a school bus. Rachel loves school buses. We count them every morning on our way to mommom's house. We went shopping last week and bought her a Ni Hoa Ki-Lan backpack for her school papers and we even bought new shoes with the birthday gift cards she received! We had a conference with her new teachers last week so that she could get to know them before today. The exciting thing is that Rachel has the same nursery school teacher that Jake had 9 years ago when he went to First Baptist. How special is that? We feel so blessed to have Mrs. Melito again.

Our morning started off well and she even went into her little classroom without hesitation. I was even able to snap a few photos. She sat on Mrs. King's lap and was playing with the other kids and as soon as Dave and I went over to kiss her good-bye, well the sobs came. She cried and screamed so loudly that I heard her all the way out the front door. I was hesitant about leaving, but I knew this would be good for her. I cried all the way back to my office and I cried to my sister and my mother in-law on the phone. I felt like I completely abandoned her. I left her with total strangers and to expect her to feel comfortable and safe is ridiculous. The more I kept playing the scene in my head, I just wanted to run back to the school and snatch her up! They told me they would call if they couldn't calm her down. I was sure the phone was going to ring. I waited 30 minutes and decided to call the school myself. I couldn't stand it anymore! Apparently, she cried for about 20 minutes uncontrollably, but Rachel allowed the teacher to hold and comfort her, which is a great sign. After that, she got up and participated and there was no more tears! Amen! I was so happy and relieved. Believe me, I kept one eye on that clock for the next hour which is when I could leave and pick her up. This week they are only doing an hour and a half vs. the normal two and half hours which will start next week. When Dave and I arrived to pick Rachel up, she was being held by the teacher peeking out the door waiting for us. What a wonderful sight I must say! She was in very happy spirits and so very happy to see us. She didn't seem grief stricken as I thought she may and she even said she wanted to go back. The teacher commented on how intelligent Rachel is and that she spoke very well and was such a well-mannered little girl. Of course I was beaming ear to ear. Rachel is a smart little girl which is one of the reasons I knew nursery school would benefit her in so many ways. I'm so relieved that her day went better than I had anticipated. I'm curious what Thursday will bring. I guess it can go either way. She will know that we are leaving her, but she may end up loving it and not crying a tear. Me, her mother, that may be a different story!

So we are embarking on another journey of Rachel's life and I'm feel utterly blessed to be a part of it. Rachel is such a blessing and I'm so excited to see what my little sponge absorbs in the new chapter of her life.

Jake is embarking on a new journey

in middle school this year! How crazy is that?! My little boy has entered the 6th grade of middle school today and it is a bittersweet time for me. Honestly, it feels like yesterday he was going to nursery school and then kindergarten a couple of years later. Ironically, Rachel had her nursery school orientation today at the same nursery school Jake attended 9 years ago and she will have the same exact teacher Jake had too.

The start of middle school didn't go quite as Jake had planned. Last evening, while at friends for a Labor Day picnic, Jake had an accident playing football. While running, Jake hit a ditch in the ground and fell on his wrist. After about an hour, a bump that formed on his wrist forced us to make a trip to the emergency room. We spent a couple of hours in the ER where they x-rayed and splinted his arm until we were able to see an orthopedic today. Well, the orthopedic confirmed a fracture of Jake's growth plate in his wrist. He will be casted for four weeks which will include the time we are on vacation in Disney later this month. Not quite the way Jake wanted to end the summer or start middle school. He's in good spirits and has a good attitude. The water-proof cast will not hinder most day to day activities like taking a shower, but football is out of the question!

We are so proud of Jake and we hope his middle school years are as great as his elementary years. He has been such a great student and other than the reputation as the class clown, Jake has been complimented for being a well mannered young man. I hope he continues to make wise choices and takes advantage of the education offered to him throughout the rest of his school days. He is so incredibly smart and I know he can do whatever God has planned for him in life.

A Drummer in Training?

Rachel loves playing the drums and Jake loves showing her his moves. If you listen towards the middle of the video, Rachel counts to 10 all by herself! We didn't even know she could do this! We knew she was a smart little girl, but this took us by surprise (you can hear our reaction in the video). Rachel loves anything to do with music and dance. This summer Rachel and I participated in a Mommy and Me Petite Feet Dance class and she absolutely LOVED it. After her first class, she ran out of the dance studio telling everyone "fun fun fun" while dancing for them. She made everyone smile. This video makes us smile! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Excuse the mess around her! We are cleaning out closets. LOL!

GUESS WHO GOT THEIR FIRST HAIRCUT???

I know, you are probably thinking, what hair does Rachel have to get cut? But believe it or not, she is getting hair. She doesn't have a lot, but she does have hair. She had quite a bit of stragglies in the back that just looked thin and uneven. We went to Tornambe's in Audubon and Wendy cut her hair. She was such a trouper, thanks to the dum dum that was offered to her. She went to town on that lollipop as Wendy cut her hair. I don't think she even realized she was getting her hair cut. She just sat there sucking away. It was so cute. I'm surprised at the difference that little trim made. Her hair really does look thicker in the back. Now we just need to grow more on top! Afterwards we went to lunch and she announced to the hostess at the restaurant that she got her hair cut! So funny!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!

Today we celebrated our baby girl's 2nd birthday. What a blessing to be able to share another birthday with her. Friends of ours invited us to the Please Touch Museum and we couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate her day than a day where she can be herself! Happy Birthday Princess! You bring so much joy to our lives and we love you to the the moon, stars, heaven and back!

Rachel's birthmother will be in my prayers tonight. I'm so glad God spoke to her heart to give Rachel life so that we can be Rachel's parents! I will always have a special place in my heart for this woman and I pray that God will give her peace in her heart.