Just Another Day

Well we are winding down the week here at the Manasier house. Not much new to report. We are looking for realtors so we can put the house up for sale, and one of them stopped by this evening. While discussing the possible marketing of my home, my youngest decides to rip off her diaper, abandon it in the living room and sneak into the kitchen to cop-a-squat. Yup...#1 and #2. It was so lovely. The realtor laughed. Sophie laughed. I was really not that amused- more like mortified.

The picture posted tonight is of Sarah doing her homework. I did not think to grab the camera while I was picking up baby turd off my ceramic tile kitchen floor. You'll just have to imagine that one!

PS- Blackberry camera stinks. Everything has a funky yellowish haze. Bleck!

PPS- If you haven't already voted for Sophie- do it now or forever be on my sh*t list!!!! http://www.lifeisahighwayphotography.com/ #20

January 5th- One Day Late...Red Glove Day

I had great intentions on posting yesterday, but alas technical difficulties and shear exhaustion got the best of me.

Please note- there will be no pictures today. Why you ask? Because every camera and cell phone in this house is a piece of crap! But you may get two posts- one now and one later!!!!!

Anyway.....yesterday morning (Tuesday) I was getting the girls ready for school and I gave Sophie a pair of red gloves to wear. Sarah wore these same gloves the day before, but they seemed to be too small (even though I convinced her on Monday that they were stretchy and she would be fine with them) So Sophie is ready and Sarah sees the gloves. The drama soon unfolds...

"Those are MY gloves" says Sarah.

"Sarah they are too small so I am letting Sophie wear them." I say.

"But they fit, YOU said they were stretchy!" says Sarah

"Sarah, Sophie is already dressed to go, lets get you other gloves" I say.

With arms folded across chest and the biggest pout on her face, Sarah states " I am NOT wearing any gloves and I am NOT putting my hands in my pockets!" (humf, grunt, sigh)

"Sarah it's cold and you have to wear gloves. I think we have pink Dora gloves upstairs." I say.

"I want to see them first." replies Sarah.

Up the stairs I go, and down I come with a basket of hats and gloves to rummage through. (note- we have two such baskets. Why one is upstairs and one is downstairs is a mystery)

So I dump everything onto my stairs (there was a great picture of this mess before my Blackberry died) and I found the pink gloves with the snowflakes (not Dora- those were purple)

"Fine I will wear them, but I want to wear those gloves (pointing to the red ones) tommorrow." Sarah says.

So, I walk the girls out to the car with Chris to load them in and ship them off to school. Sophie decides to wipe down the entire side of my car with her red gloves. So I took off the now black and wet red gloves and sent Sophie to school without gloves. They are now in the hamper and no one wore them today. They wore burgundy gloves!

You can't make this stuff up!

Oh, and of course as I mentioned yesterday- today was the 4th anniversary of the day we actually saw Sarah's beautiful face for the first time, Again- time has absolutely flown by. Who would have thought that a tiny little baby sitting in an orphanage 4 years ago would be arguing with me over red gloves today! Love you Sarah!!!! (and of course Sophie too!)

Happy Referral Day...4 years later

Four years ago today we heard the words we had waited for so long - "you have a daughter"!!! In homes around the US, nine other families received the same information about their daughters - the Gao Shao Sisters as they are now often and lovingly referred to. (Sarah, Mia, Annalei, Mia, Annaleah, Lexi, Maggie, Evelyn, Jenna and our little Angel in Heaven -Lacey)

Although we got the basic specs over the phone that Wednesday, we had to wait an entire day to get her file- which contained the pictures (along with her tooth count and head circumference) of our beautiful baby girl. Like an expectatant parent clutching their sonogram, we all now had something more substantial to hold-on to as we waited another two and a half month until we left for China. For many families the wait for their child had been well over a year- for us it was 17 months at referral time, so this day was, and will continue to be a milestone to celebrate.

We love you Sarah. We waited what seemed like forever for you and are thrilled that you are our daughter. XOXOXOXOX

Sunday

It's Sunday. We slept in this morning (9am!), went food shopping, caulked some molding and went to get the girls from Chris' mom's. Cowboys won today- all hail America's Team.

Girls played for a while (Sarah with her Little Pets and Sophie with the Disney Princesses pictured here) when we got home. They are now bathed, but still awake- playing up in their room while we unwind downstairs. Pretty much a great ending to an equally great weekend. My only complaint- and you know I have one- is that it's too damn cold. I feel like I am living in Antartica with the polar bears and penguins. Oy Vey!!! I think instead of NC (who is having a bit of a cold one this winter) we should move to Mexico or Brazil or some other balmy country. (Note to self- purchase Rosetta Stone- Spanish)

Race

Chris and I went into NYC today to see "Race" - the David Mamet play starring one of our favorite actors - Mr. James Spader. This was one of my Christmas presents from my dear hubby and it was a good one! The play, which is meant to be mostly drama, did have some funny parts - however most of them included the use of the "F" word or other zingers I wouldn't dare list here on my family-friendly blog :)

The girls are staying at Nannie's today, so Chris and I will be home solo this evening. Knowing us, we will be in bed by 9pm, and somewhere in Stony Point a 4 1/2 year old and a 2 year old will be fighting to stay awake and watch TV. They have more energy than we "soon-to-be-40 year-olds" do!

The picture posted is the awesome chandelier that hangs in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. If it is an original, then it's been hanging there since 1928. I hope they have dusted it a few times since then.

Happy New Year 2010

Okay - so it's been awhile. Seven months or so, give or take. Sorry- it's been busy and I haven't done a very good job of updating the blog. For 2010 - I am going to "attempt" to update it daily. (note I DID NOT say "resolve") Hopefully 365 days from today, I will have provided you with 365 glimpses into the world of the Manasier household - currently residing in Warwick, NY.

A old friend of mine and I got reconnected through Facebook not to long ago and she did the very same project last year (last entry was yesterday) Her blog chronicled 365 days in the life of her family as well. I can only hope I can keep it up and be as eloquent and entertaining as she was. Thanks Jodi for the inspiration!

The picture posted today is my living room couch. The girls have bounced on, ate on, watched TV on, played on and pretty much "lived" on this couch all morning. At the time of this picture they were upstairs playing hide and seek, and only minutes later were back down stairs looking for a snack.

Ballet Recital- Practice

Pics of the most beautiful ballerina we know... (notice the Sleeping Beauty cellphone stashed in her waistband) Don't you want to just squeeze her?? And then there is also a pic of Sophie sans cast- our curly-haired happy baby- checking out her big sis.

Video took too long to load...sorry!