I know, I know, I am way overdue with an update!

Wow, it's been too long. I still want to record the memories Chelsee is making, but it sure is hard to find the time.

Let's see...I left off last time in March when we celebrated Chelsee's 2nd anniversary of being part of our family!   We all love Gotcha Day.  There were some transitions and changes to come for Chelsee.   At school, she was trying to adjust to her substitute teacher which had its ups and downs.   There were also some subtle signs of re-attachment going on.  As she learns more, she thinks more, and she is beginning to ask some questions about her life in China before we met.  We always talk about China whenever she wants to but it is usually about our time together there instead of her time there before us.  She has some very specific memories and she has shared them with me throughout her 2 years with us but she has just now starting asking questions....like, why?, how?, and why? again.   I like the ease in which she can discuss her past.  I pray that continues.

So in April, a little dude by the name of the Easter Bunny stopped by to pay a visit to Miss Chels.   Egg hunting is a real, real fun time in our house cause that Easter Bunny is a sly fellow.  S/he hides them in the strangest places which makes for all kinds of giggles.....not so much from big sister anymore cause apparently it is a complete diss when your little sis finds your big Easter basket for you!  Hmmmm!   Also...and this is a biggie: Chelsee became a soccer star!   I believe she has been waiting for this moment since she came home!  She joined her first ever soccer team, the Purple ummm, well they were the Purple Dolphins, Purple Butterflies, and when it was Chelsee's turn to choose the nickname, they were the Purple Seahawks (like her big sis' high school team).  Chelsee quickly learned which way the ball was going and when she played well or not so well.  She sweated out there and ran her heart out....she is turning out to be a pretty quick runner which no one, I mean no one, would have believed just 2 years ago!   Those early Saturday morning games were pure joy!   Nothing better than watching little girls (and big girls) playing soccer!   I especially love how the shorts go down to their knees and the socks go up to meet the shorts, adorable!

Then May, oh May is Chelsee's favorite month of the whole year.   Of course it is...it's her birthday month...and she has been telling everyone she was "5 and 3 quarters" for the last few months and was DYING to be 6!  I mean dying.....how many more days, when is it coming, WHEN???  Tomorrow?  WHEN???   She reminded me of Junie B. Jones during that very long time between birthday month starting and actual birthday day arriving!   We had all been informed that her birthday dinner was gonna be baby back ribs.   She loves them!   Gets them all over her face and hands and stuck in her teeth, but LOVES them and can devour 7 of them at a sitting!   I don't know who ever gave her one of those things but she has never been the same since!   So we all made our plans for visiting One Hot Mamas for Baby Back Ribs on her birthday!   For weeks, it was all she talked about....then she awoke on her birthday and announced, "I want to go to Boathouse!"  (It's another restaurant on the island that we all like and where her dad now works as a valet).  I wondered why she changed her mind, but she explained it like this: "I didn't really want to go to One Hot Mamas, I just really felt like going to Boathouse...but when I am 7, we can go to One Hot Mamas!"   Sheeesh!  She hadn't even turned 6 for three seconds and she was planning her 7th birthday!   Needless to say, we had a wonderful time at Boathouse ~ she ordered macs n cheese and soup (New England Clam Chowder).   She is a trip!   She loved her special birthday present:  Ivy, the American Girl doll who is Asian and best friends with Julie, a '70s American Girl.   Julee passed down some of her special AG clothes and accessories to Chelsee....kind of a sweet moment.   Julee was sure to give Chelsee her favorite soccer outfit for the dolls.

May also had alot of really great events for our extended family.  Chelsee loves each and every one of her family members ~ and loves to share in their moments too.  We celebrated cousin Emily's magnificent achievement of graduating from William & Mary Law School at age 21!!!  It was the first time all of the Hunt grandkids were present at the same time.  I really really love how everyone just scoops up Chelsee as though she has been part of us forever!   The love is so important to her, I can tell she feels it.  It warms her heart.  And it was a special moment for me to introduce Grandma Cheech to Chelsee.  Grandma Cheech is Emily's other grandmother and she has been an avid follower of this blog since long, long ago!   What a pleasure to see the two of them meet.  Amy, you are next!!

I just want to give a real shout out to my trouper Chelsee!   Did you know that this child attended TWENTY-SIX soccer games from the end of March to the middle of May?????   Only a few of them were hers!   She just comes along where ever I go and brings her crayons, a treat and some water to pass the time.  She finds a friend at every game and at the end, asks if Julee/Garrett/Lydia won or not??   She is amazing.   And thank you to all of you who help me watch her during the games so I can actually watch the games myself!!   And congrats to Julee, who brought home the most impressive and amazing 3A Girls Soccer State Championship title!  Beyond exciting!

So now that we are in June, school is out and Chelsee is officially a first grader.  She will move to a new school and has been accepted into the Hilton Head Island Elementary School's Chinese Immersion Program.  This will be the second year this program has been in place and what a fabulous opportunity for her to learn her first grade curriculum in her native language.   She doesn't remember much Chinese but she did complete what they call Kindergarten while enrolled in Love Without Boundaries' Education program at the Lu'An Children's Welfare Institute.  Her progress reports showed a keen understanding of the language, math and reading so I am very curious to see how she can handle reliving some of her earlier lessons.   Thankfully, I do not have to help her with her homework in Chinese...I just have to read to her in her home language, which is of course English now.   I will try to post about how she is doing in this program.   I am most excited about her being exposed to (and remembering) her culture and heritage again.   They tell me the children this year have been simply amazing to watch.   Good luck, sweetheart, I think you are amazing.

So even though I am working more hours than I care to, we are spending lots of time at the beach and the pool.   I will be sending Chels on some local field trips through the Rec Center this summer.   And Chelsee has come up with her own list of things to be learned during the summer of 2011:

• Tie her shoes
• Wipe herself (if you know what I mean)
• Ride her bike with no training wheels
• Swim with no floaties (learned last summer but forgotten this summer)

And already an update is in....she tied her shoes 20 times today and swam without floaties (or my permission) at her friend's house yesterday!  That kid!