Trip "Up Nord"

Trip to Grand Marais was great, in spite of the 38-degree weather and wind that sunk the Titanic (yes, in June). You'll see Gia is a hiker in training. Also, we stopped at the World's Best Donut Shop, where predictibly, we had great donuts. We ended the trip with a visit to our favorite rock store where Gia checked out the gems for her future wedding ring (hint, all you interested parents with sons, start saving!).

Cousin Patrick's Wedding

May 30th---Cousin Patrick's wedding to beautiful Nicole in southeastern Minnesota. The trip that was predicted to be a 2 1/2 hour drive was more like 5 hours, and with a toddler, you feel every one of them. (You'll notice pictures of Gia and her beloved cousin Addison---they wrestled in her white dress. Such lady-like behavior at a wedding!)

The weekend was beautiful and the wedding was great!

Grandma Stoebner Working the Slide

Gia's got Grandma Stoebner wrapped around her finger (well, all of the grandparents wrapped around her finger). She loves getting Grandma Stoebner worked up over her daring stunts on the swingset. (Rob and I....we're not so impressed, we taught her the tricks).

Mother's Day

My Mother's Day request---please let me sleep in! Which was granted. And afterwards, Gia and Rob gave me all kinds of fun handmade gifts (and one from a special jewelry store) and we took a hike to the lake. I will add, Gia ran during most of the hike, and when we got home, fell asleep at 5:00 pm and didn't wake up until the next day! So how was my first mother's day? Pretty special because I'm the mom of a great little girl!

Daddy Saves the Girls from MOA

So today was Gia, Mommy, and Grandma Stoebner's first shopping day. We started at 10:30 am and didn't get back until 7:30 pm. No nap, hard core shopping. Well, not quite. At about 3:00, when Grandma and I decided it was time to head back for Gia's nap, we discovered my jacket, with the car keys, was missing. M-I-A. No where to be found, nada, nien, ixna. Not in the stroller, not in the shopping bags, not in Nordstrom's, not in Banana Republic, not at Caribou, and not at Wolfgang Pucks. Oh sure we made several trips to every dressing room, bathroom, and restaurant we even came within 25 feet of, but, nothing. No keys. Not anywhere.

Dramatic phone calls to Rob, to Grandpa Stoebner---help! We're stuck at the Mall of America with no way home and a two-year who hasn't had a nap! Help, help, help! Eventually we got a hold of Rob (now 3:45 pm), who left Reserves to drive back to our house, pick up the extra set of keys, drive back to the MOA, and save us. Meanwhile, floating on our life raft called the shoe section of Nordstrom's, we were able to snag an additional two pairs of shoes, that were not on sale and cost us, well, let's just say more than the extra trip in gas, missing keys, and missing jacket combined. Hanging out an additional two hours at Nordstrom's, we were able to make quite a few extra friends while advising many other women on the shoes they should purchase (because frankly, our stroller was full of bootie). Gia was a hit, with everyone....strangers came up to us constantly to comment on how beautiful she is, she should be a model, "here little girl, would you like some candy?" (no joke, that actually happened), and so on. We also were called upon to give advice to mothers of other little girls on how to style their daughters hair.

Finally, Daddy was able to find us, and we were all rescued! To celebrate the fiasco, we had dinner at the Good Earth (now entirely beyond Gia's bedtime), and ushered in a new round of "ain't she beautiful?" All told, Gia was a trooper. I only had to peel her off the floor twice, and we learned that she too, loves shoes--though at this age the shoe attendants prefer it when she doesn't try on the floor models.

Naturally we're looking forward to our next shopping day (when I redeem my Banana Republic bucks), and hopefully, it won't be quite as exciting. In the meantime, if you see my keys anywhere at the Mall of America--give them back!

Big Girl Can Talk!

Gia has started putting short sentences together. We were a little worried as her language skills seem somewhat delayed but yesterday she put her first complete sentence together, and ironically, it was to correct Rob! Rob was singing her favorite song, "Gia's here today, Gia's here today...." when Gia said, "No! It's 'Gigi's here today!'" Gigi is Rob's nickname for her and I guess she needed to remind him of that! Poor Rob, now he's got two women in the house nagging him!

Gia's other big event was getting to hold a REAL baby! She loves putting her dollies to sleep, rocking them, reading them books, kissing them, diapering them, and so on. So it didn't come as a surprise that when she met Paul, a 4-month old little boy (the younger brother of her future husband Tommy), that she immediately wanted to hold him. Paulie's mommy was a good sport and let Gia hold him. I had to help a little, and in doing so, I could feel Gia's heart pounding with excitement. Maybe a brother or sister isn't too far away??? You never know.

Gia Becomes a US Citizen

April 23, 2009---Gia becomes a U.S. Citizen. It's a big day...the judge officially declares us an American family--made with U.S. and Ethiopian parts. This is our first, and hopefully last, time in juvy court.

Easter with the Cousins---Mayhem!

Four kids, four Easter baskets. Need I say more?

Gia Reading a Book

Gia loves books!!! Rob and I are so relieved, since this is our life.

Gia Gives Daddy a Heroes Welcome

Rainbow Hair

This only took about an hour to get in place....and another hour to remove. But it was pretty fun and really easy once it was done. All the kids in daycare liked her colorful bands.

Making Cookies with Grandpa

Gratuitous Cake Photo

Hanging Out with the Dudes at the Car Show

Gia at the car show with the Stoebner/Schryver "men." Her fave car---the Smart Car.

Gia Gia Quite Contrary

Last week and this week Gia has started demonstrating a new behavior---kicking her toys. At daycare. And at home. Rrrrr! Apparently this is to be interpreted as "testing her boundaries". Of course, I always work with her to pick them up and put them back nicely, but it's the oddest thing. She just....kicks them. No [apparent] trigger, no warning, just a good 'ol fashion drop kick. I'm seeing soccer in her future.

Water Park

Rob, Gia, and I along with my brother and his family (Renee, Conor, Parker, & Addison) hit the water park over their Spring break. We had a GREAT time!

We were pretty proud of Gia---she went down the slide, by herself, over and over and over and over, and even---face first! Not sure if she'll do this when she's three--but for a two year old, she seemed pretty brave.

Eating Peas!

This is how you get children to eat vegetables...encourage them to play with them!

Gia Playing with Daddy

Gia has way more fun playing with Daddy than with me. Pictured here, she's squirting him with a water bottle (an empty water bottle). Wait until I surprise Rob and put some water in it! Ha, ha, ha.

No Runner Up in Ethiopian Cooking Contest

Last week I was jazzed to participate in an Ethiopian cooking contest judged by none other than the head chef/owner from Queen of Sheba. Of 25 or so entries, I did not win. I "accidentally" sneaked a peak at the scorecard. Apparently my Misir Wot (lentiles), were too runny, but---delicious. I noticed the three winners all had meat as their main dish---clearly a case of vegetarian discrimination. In any case, Gia enjoyed a sampling of the various dishes (as you can tell from the picture).

Try, if you can, to find the two tiny braids I inserted in the front of her hairline. No joke--I had to use a toothpick to get them out. It will be a while before I braid again....she is really wiggly and it hurts my poor back to chase her around bent over, braiding.

The picture of her on the chair was taken when I spent 3 hours with customer service trying to figure out why my computer wasn't working. Gia sat quietly for the last half hour, watching the drama unfold. This was the climactic point where the customer service rep had me take my hard drive apart and tighten any loose wires. I'm proud to say I now know how to rip apart and put together a hard drive.

Gia Had a Great Week!

Gia had a great 2weeks (sorry, I'm getting behind in my blogging). We've had some challenges in the evenings on daycare days where she just wants to be held, doesn't want to eat, and doesn't want to play. She's starting to figure out the drill. After daycare, she gets a snack, Mommy makes dinner, Daddy talks about his day at work, we eat dinner, then play, then bathe, then books, then bed. She seems to understand the routine a little better, but by Friday (my day off), we go into the weekend routine (also known as Fun! Fun! Fun! and very little structure). Mondays are a little painful. Overall, she's picking up on the various routines, which has been good for her and us.

Some highlights of the past two weeks:
1. The Fruit Frenzy: Last week she ate 3 bananas and 2 tangerines for a snack. This continues to amaze me. And yes, she did eat lunch and dinner later.
2. Lovey-dovey Gia: She now says, "I love you", and says it frequently to both Rob and I. It's totally great, and even if it is a phase, we're suckin' it up.
3. Future Chef: She poured Hidden Valley Ranch on her Cocoa Puffs---and ate it! Don't ask how the two items ended up at the same meal.
4. She can count to ten in English, Spanish, and Amharic, with help. Still, I'm impressed.
5. She continues to call Rob by his first name, "Rob! Rob! Rob!" It's quite hilarious.
6. She's losing her baby fat, but turning into a very pretty little girl.
7. She's pretty comfortable with all members of our family, except my Dad (who she finds interesting from a distance), and my brother Jeff (who is downright scary. You'd be scared too if someone stood four feet taller than you and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Call me the King!").
8. The teacher in her daycare said she and one other little boy were the two children with the most self control. I had to blink a few times and ask, "What????? My child?????"
9. She's always the first one finished with her meal and always wants second or thirds at daycare. No surprise there.
10. She is a great little helper. She helps a set of twins get their jackets on everyday at daycare and gives them a hug before they leave. She carries laundry from one room to another. She wipes up messes on the floor. She feeds the dog. She wants to wipe my bottom when I go to the bathroom (that is where we draw the line).....She, well, you get the point. She wants to be a big girl.

The photos for this entry are of Rob and Gia in her tent. It was hard to get her to smile because I had a new flash on the camera and she was fascinated by it. The other photo is Gia and I hanging out. Look how big she's getting!

Gia's First Valentines

Video speaks for itself. Please, pretty please, pretend like the mascara smeared across my cheeks isn't there. Make-up and wardrobe were off for the day and Mother Nature has been unkind.

Technical Difficulties

Due to irritating technical difficulties, I will not be able to deliver any visual this week (video or pics). It's enough to put my whole writing out of whack, I can't generate a compelling reason of any sort to post anything. There is nothing worth describing in words. Hmmm.

Two Year Old Check Up:
Went well. Pediatrician noted that it was fine and normal for a toddler who is almost potty trained to untrain herself. Will delay potty training until there's a more reasonable climate available....say summer. She's at the 50-75th percentile for height (depends upon who's measurements you trust, the nurse's erratic get-it-done measurements, or my painfully precise measurements). She's about 50-75 percentile for weight. She's 110th percentile for cute and fun. So all is going well. She got her 2 year old shots and screamed like mad until snot came racing out her nose. Success was had.

Valentines:
Great. Mommy got a ring from Tiffany's and Gia got a jar of Jelly Belly's. Was the best Valentines ever. All five of us (Dad, Mom, Gia, Quinn, and Gia's dolly) snuggled in bed Saturday morning, stuffing our faces with chocolates. Made mental note to get the stains out later this week.

That's it for now!

Eat! Eat! Eat!

Gia has entered into a new phase of feeding, and for a while I thought it was because she was in another growth spurt....but....looks like... she just likes to eat. For example, last Friday morning she ate a bowl of Cheerios, a banana, and 4 oz. of yogurt. Two hours later, stuffed her face with Goldfish crackers. For lunch, a McDonald's hamburger, medium fry (she stold my fries), and milk. Snack after nap--Sesame crackers. Dinner--a 6" cheese Subway sandwich, more milk, and a cookie, of course. And then....there's more....she had a big hunk of Ethiopian bread with water.

At daycare, the teachers tell me she's always the first one done and typically wants seconds or thirds. She recently discovered tomato soup---and loves it. And is now eating apples, bananas, and oranges. She loves hummus (can easily down half-a-tub in one sitting) and raisins. Other than potatoes, she still turns her nose up to vegetables. But hey, at this point, I'm not complaining. Compared to six months ago, she's eating several protein sources and fruits. I can't complain.

I'm almost worried about the other problem commonly associated with overeating. Stay tuned, next week she has a physical and according to my calculations, she'll be at the ninetieth percentile for weight for her age. Where she carries this weight, I don't know. She's pretty lean and so of course I'm assuming she is genetically superior and just has a high muscle mass for her height. Hmmm, we'll see.

Erdole Finds Gia (Meretech)

A small world story.... We recently attended an Ethiopian Kids Community event and low and behold, eight kids came running up to Gia yelling her Ethiopian name, "Meretech! Meretech! Meretech!" Turns out this family's (yes, a family with 8 kids) daughter Erdole, who is now 2 1/2 years old, was Gianna's bed mate in Ethiopia. The two girls had shared the same bed for several months and it had been documented in a video the family received about their daughter, Erdole. When we went to reintroduce the two girls, they immediately recognized each other. It was a very touching moment. They were stroking each other's cheeks, hands, and hair, and had sustained eye contact (so unusual for toddlers). Gia gave Erdole a hug. As it turns out, this family lives in Owatonna, MN and we'll be able to see them as the girls grow. As a side story, the family is amazing....8 kids, 7 of whom are international adoptions. Very inspiring (except not so inspiring that I would do it myself...but still).

Enjoy the pics. It was hard to get the action shots with a digital camera, so the full extent of their love isn't really recognized here.