Happy Elf Day

Emilia has declared December 20th Elf Day.  Don't argue, just roll with it.

Advent Calendar Day 11

Ice-skating with daddy was a big hit and something Ella did not expect in her Advent calendar.

IAC 441-443

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 441 which was held on October 11, 2018:

1) German dossier from May 2012 referred a male child aged 7 years and 2 months with features in health status

2) US dossier from July 2012 referred a female child aged 1 year and 6 months with features in health status

3) Italian dossier from January 2014 referred a female child aged 8 years

4) French dossier from February 2014 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status and a family history

5) US dossier from May 2014 referred a female child aged 4 years and 2 months with features in health status and a family history

6) French dossier from July 2018 referred a male child aged 10 years and 6 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from July 2018 referred a brother and sister aged 10 years and 4 months & 9 years and 4 months with features in health status

8) US dossier from October 2018 referred two waiting children (#3407 & #3408) with profiles on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 442 which was held on October 18, 2018:

1) Norwegian dossier from April 2012 referred a female child aged 1 year and 5 months

2) Luxembourg dossier from April 2012 referred a male child aged 1 year and 1 month

3) Italian dossier from June 2012 referred sisters aged 6 years and 5 months & 4 years and 9 months

4) Italian dossier from November 2012 referred a male child aged 3 years and 7 months with features in health status

5) Spanish dossier from May 2013 referred a male child ages 8 years and 7 months

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 443 which was held on October 25, 2018:

1) Dutch dossier from May 2012 referred a male child aged 3 years and 2 months

2) Spanish dossier from June 2012 referred a male child aged 1 year

3) Italian dossier from July 2012 referred a male child aged 7 years and 8 months with features in health status

4) Spanish dossier from July 2012 referred a male child aged 5 years and 1 month with features with health status

5) US dossier from August 2014 referred a female child aged 9 years and 10 months

6) Canadian dossier from August 2014 referred a female child aged 1 year and 6 months with features in health status

7) Canadian dossier from June 2015 referred sisters aged 6 years and 9 months with features in health status

8) US dossier from June 2016 referred a male child aged 2 years and 3 months with features in health status

9) US dossier from February 2017 referred a male child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status and a family history

10) Italian dossier from May 2017 referred a female child aged 10 years and 7 months

Kicking Off The Christmas Season

I am a grinch and if it were up to me, we could skip December altogether.  But as a mom of three still young kiddos and one whose favorite season of the year is Christmastime, I feel obligated to celebrate.  So, yesterday, we kicked off December in a big way.

In the morning, Ella and I joined volunteers at a local church to pack meals for orphans in Swaziland as well as children in need in Cincinnati.  Our team of 12 completed just under 2000 meals in one hour for a total of nearly 45,000 meals packed by all teams who worked the same shift as ours.  Ella had the perfect job at the end of the line, counting and putting the finished meals into boxes.

In the afternoon, we went to the Christmas party at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  This is an annual highlight especially for Emilia.

Shaking a leg with the legend himself

Enjoying some live Christmas music

And finally, Ella and I attended a class on nature and recycled holiday crafts at the Cincinnati Nature Center.  We made ornaments, reindeer food, toilet paper roll stars, and more.

I also put together an Advent Calendar just for Ella.  There's nothing material in any of the envelopes, but rather things to do together or special privileges, such as skipping one of her daily workbooks, ice-skating with her dad, a holiday breakfast with her tutor, Short Girl Appreciation Day, going to a Christmas play, pajama day, and baking cookies with me.

Today, we're at home, putting up a few holiday decorations (the tree won't make its appearance until next Sunday), playing board games, riding bikes in the neighborhood (it's a sunny 60 degrees), reading, and watching movies.

Happy December, everyone!

Being Of Service

No matter what an individual's personal challenges, I believe everyone can be of service.  Rex participated in an after-school event today brown-bagging meals for the homeless.  He was able to decorate the bags and add chips and napkins.

How thankful we are that our son is growing up in a place where he not only benefits from the service of others, but is able to pay it forward, too.

Home School Community Service Project

During this season of gratitude, I encouraged Ella to complete a community service project. We brainstormed ideas and eventually decided that she would email St. Joseph Orphanage here in town to see if they had any needs.  We heard back quickly that socks were in very short supply, so Ella held a sock and soap drive in our neighborhood.  In the course of a week, she collected 226 pairs of socks and 75 hygiene items.

We boxed everything up and personally delivered it to St. Joseph where Ella got to speak with the volunteer coordinator and learn about the differences and similarities between this "orphanage" and the one where she lived in Gyumri.  It's difficult for Ella to share about her years in Armenia, but she did well having this conversation.

We're so proud of Ella for seeing this project through beginning to end and grateful to live in a neighborhood that so generously supported her.

Emilia's Together Forever Day 2018

Seven years ago today, we took this beautiful Bulgarian girl into our family. She's the face of love and joy, the face of deep trauma and continuing struggles, the face of perseverance and courage, the face of all that matters.

We treasure you, sweet girl, and will sum it up this year with the loose adaptation of the Culture Club classic that you like to sing with us every time we ride in the car:

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma Emilia
You come and go, you come and go
Loving you is easy 'cuz your colors are like our dreams
Red, white, and green, red, white, and green.