Always something exciting going on...

"This is the life!" That is what I heard out of Chelsee's mouth one day not long ago! It's sort of a saying we use lightly when we are happy doing what we are doing at the moment! And that is exactly what Chelsee meant when she said it as she was laying with her arms behind her head on her green floating mat in our community pool! I giggled at first cause it was one of many sayings she comes out with ... I honestly don't know where she's learned them! Then I really thought about it and I felt fantastic that she said it! I mean, seriously!! How blessed we are to have this child continue to show us what to be thankful for every single day! Never ever forget, sweet girl, that you have made us better people, better human beings and happier just by watching you live!As the summer of 2010 continues, Chelsee has had many adventures! She has been to the University of Notre Dame to drop off her sister at soccer camp...then continued on to Chicago where she rode on the top of a double decker bus looking at all the very tall buildings! That was no easy task to get this kid up to the top of that bus when it all seemed much too scary for her! But brave she will always be! Then we had to duck into the Hershey's Chocolate Store to wait out a very rare tornado warning in downtown Chicago! I thought it funny that's where we got stuck, hee hee! Everywhere we go, Chelsee is quite a hit! At times, Chelsee will ask me why everyone tells me she is cute! I tell her cause she is and to say thank you....but I know one day the questions will come!

And then sometimes, feelings come over Chelsee and she gets a sort of sad look and I can tell she is thinking about China. She of course is still processing all that has happened in her 16 months of being in her forever family! We were sitting at a mall food court waiting for Julee's soccer practice to be over and she was smiling, giggling, eating her Chinese food when her head bent down, her bottom lip came out and she looked so sad. I asked her what she was thinking about and if she wanted to talk. She asked me to hold her and she wrapped her arms around me and said she was thinking about China. I always acknowledge any feeling she has and I let her dictate how the conversation goes. This one lasted a loooong 20 minutes! She asked again about the day we met and how scared she was but now she adds, "That's when we fell in love!" to the story! Yes, I melt every time! Since we were in a public place this time, I managed to keep my cool and say all the right encouraging words but later, oh lordy!!! I appreciate VERY much that Chelsee is able to articulate her feelings and it always seems to come at just the time when I am feeling she is happy and content and very secure! When we talk about her life, it brings me back to the reality that is uniquely hers! A pleasant although bittersweet and needed reminder for me!!!


Ok, this kid is smart! She makes each of us shake our heads in amazement...here is one she pulled last week at MomMoms' birthday celebration. There was one last piece of cake on Julee's plate! Chelsee was sitting on my lap and both of us had our mouths wide open, cheek to cheek, anticipating that Julee's last forkful would land in our mouth, not the other's. As Julee was "airplane-ing" that last bite in front of my mouth, then Chelsee's, Chelsee quickly covered MY mouth with her free hand and the bite landed smoothly in her mouth!!!!!! Hey!!! I hadn't even thought of that, much less decided to pull such a stunt! Ooooh, that brain of hers!!

And when Julee had her friend Tori over for a few nights, I took them to see HarbourFest at Shelter Cove one evening. Just some window shopping, ice cream, a playground and our favorite summertime entertainer, Shannon Tanner. He sings commercial jingles, top 40, oldies, kids songs, etc all for free and we have been going to see him since the 1990's! Love him! We took Chelsee last summer, and she thoroughly enjoyed it! THIS summer, Chelsee walked up to him, put her hand on his leg while he was singing, waited for him to finish and then asked if she could sing a song! This is part of his act anyway, but I am sure he would have said yes regardless. Shannon says the young kids don't pick children's songs to sing anymore....no more ABCs or Twinkle Twinkle for them.....and Chelsee did not deny! She announced she would sing "Hey Soul Sister" by Train and proceeded to belt out into the microphone the whole refrain! The audience erupted and Shannon just shook his head! Get in line, pal, we shake our heads every day! Julee was beaming with pride, by the way! I of course remained stoic, in complete control...NOT!On to the reunion of some of the families that traveled to China with us!!!!!! So exciting....more later!