Long-awaited update - November 2006

Yeah, I know, it's been a loooong time since I've blogged. Well, nothing earthshattering has happened, just a flurry of end of the year and holiday activity. I've been telling people I'm lucky to leave the house each day fully clothed. Blogging fell down on the priority list somewhere below dusting. Anyway, I'm back. I figure I have two ways to go on this - lots of short posts detailing the last two months, or a long one. I'll shoot for November at least... And I have been taking photos, so I'll add a lot of those to make up for the dry spell.


Trick or Treating -



It was fun. Temperature was comfortable. Lulu was only scared at a couple of houses decked out with moving ghouls. Collected a lot of candy, most of which is still in the pumkin on the kitchen table. I guess it's time I dump that thing.

Mom's Trip to Alabama -

Had to go for work. This was the first time I had to leave Lulu alone for any real period of time. It was just three days. It was good for both of us. I enjoyed the non-mommy time and Lulu got three days of ultra-spoiling at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She missed me some, had one conversation waaay to close to her bedtime when she got a little weepy and said, "Mama, you no belong to Alabama, you belong me!" I have to agree, though I didn't really get to see any of Alabama as I arrived in a storm, never left the confines of the Birmingham Marriot, and left in the dark.

Lulu's Office -



Had to take Lulu to work with me one day before or after a doctor's appointment. She's not been there often, but she does like to "do her work."

Christmas Card Outtakes -

I certainly have a patient child. (Or a total ham) I took 100 photos of her in this hand-me down holiday dress. Definitely wasn't going to go in and get a portrait taken. I figured if I couldn't get a decent shot or two with my digital camera and a wrinkly sheet backdrop, then the money I spent on that undergraduate degree in film was wasted. Anyway, these didn't make the card, but I just loved them so much I had to put them somewhere.
















































































And this goofy shot, it, well, I don't know. But I had to post it too...

















Thanksgiving Feast at School -

This year's thanksgiving feast made me wax poetic about where I was just one year before. Lulu had already started school, but she was NOT a happy camper there yet. I think she had attended about 4 or 5 days by feast time last year. The two and three year olds dress as indians and the four and fives dress as pilgrims. So this was year two for Lulu to wear the feather and seed adorned indian paper bag vest and hat. She still looks uncomfortable in it, but I continued to flash back to last year when we had only been home a couple of weeks and the look I got from my new daughter was something on the order of, well at least in China we didn't have to wear paper clothes! But, what a difference a year makes. Last year she was still in somewhat of a daze and this year she took the camera and photographed all the parents and kids. She is a total natural with that thing. She knows how to review pix, enlarge, zoom, run the video.















And the other Thanksgiving feast -

Well, next in the order of things was thanksgiving. Small by normal Portuguese standards - I think we were 14. Man, there were years where we crammed 30+ people onto folding chairs in my grandparent's garage. Anyway, my nephew Brian was able to come and anytime Lulu and Brian are together, there pretty happy campers. They play so well together that it almost makes me think that a good choice for child number two would be an older boy. But Lulu wants a little sister so much, and is such a good helper/mentor to the little ones in her school it's hard to know what would be best.