Finger Pampering

Jasmine also got a wonderful surprise, her first professional manicure. Priscilla was definitely the one to introduce her to that particular indulgence. The dresses, shoes, nail polish, hair fashion, love of jewlery and most importantly left-handedness all point to Jasmine definitely taking after her grandmother.

The Big Mirror

Jasmine loved the mirror wall in Granddad and Grandmom's room. She could play in there for hours. At her school, Anchor Center, they also have a large mirror for tap dance class.

Very Scary

I'm not sure what to say about this one other than it scares me in a future-high-school-bail-sort-of-way. I was also scared in a present-sort-of-way that he was going to do something very unfortunate to Priscilla's crystal and we'd have to chop off a hand or something.

Stop and Smell the Roses

My sister and I share a certain sensibility. She had all the sensibility when I bought the vase; she gave some back to me when I gave her the vase, seeing that I could obviously use so.

I appreciate having someone who likes to share oddities as much as I do. I guess that means we'll soon be taking turns babysitting for each other.

Working on the Eeee-vil Smile

I pointed the camera at Rowan and he smiled ... and smiled ... and smiled. I'm used to the plasticizing of my kids' smiles when they realize the focus is on them, but this was slightly creepy. I took the picture just to get him to stop. When he got the chance to see the photo, he was thrilled. "I'm practicing my evil smile, Mom!" I think he has a little way to go.
Rowan teaches Jazz the finer points of a swift uppercut.
A slinky always has a bit of magic, especially when the weilder has an expression like this one.

A Traditional Xmas

Nothing like a traditional xmas with Cleo-medival-princess (Jazz) and Ralph-Bakshi's Fritz (me).

Faces of Kai

Goofy Kai and Kai who is bored, thinking, sleepy, sad? I think he was sleepy given some of the other shots in the group. But, he does spend quite a bit of time fretful, anxious, pensive. I worry that some of my less desirable mental traits have been passed on to him through genes or environment. I guess every parent worries about that. I suppose my best plan is to try and guide him through any similar problems (and do I have the experience with that), while avoiding exacerbating them with my own symptoms.

Since it was a long car trip he could have also been about to ask "Are we there yet?" See, I'm doing it again.

Photographically, I like the color tone on each. In the pic on the left, like the comfort at home (though I suppose the setting only comes across as inside). On the right his mood is not so vibrant outside. I like the in-your-face whimsy and eyes shut trust of the first; the second is distant (illustrated by the seatbelt in the foreground) and the tilt of his head to the side isn't actively engaging the viewer.

I'm so artsy-fartsy.

Model Shot

This is one of the few recent shots I've gotten of Jasmine where she's not laughing her head off. If she hadn't been talking a moment later, I would have thought she was sleeping. Wow, those glasses are going to be really useful when she hits high school.

Two years ago, when we started her in preschool, like Theo, I could hardly have imagined that she would be ready for the 2009-2010 kindergarten year. She could barely walk in 2006 (http://kai-rowan-jasmine.blogspot.com/2006/08/theos-gotcha-day-0802-letter-home.html), was in diapers, wasn't eating solid food and had a nearly non-existent speaking vocabulary. Now she runs around like a maniac, recently figured out the potty in two week's time (even wiping and hand washing -- those of you parents will understand what a huge and remarkable thing that is), can eat raw carrots (she'll spew them if she starts laughing, but then who doesn't?), and won't stop talking. She's also now in independence the stage of "mine", "I saw it first", "Jasmine do it", "I said 'No, Mama,", etc.

She's zooming through each stage of development Kai and Rowan did, but in slightly different orders and a massively different pace. I've noticed most recently is her enjoyment of books. She's enjoying dialog and plot, understanding (and even telling and making up jokes), as well as remembering books the we haven't read for months. Before books were really about shapes and sounds, identifying objects and people and their relationship to one another. Now she's venturing deeper. Interestingly, and very amusing to me, is listening to her make-believe play with her Barbies. (Barbies make me shudder, but she seems to really enjoy them and concentrate on their "relationships" to each other in a way I never did.) When there is a dialog between Melissa Barbie and Nikki Barbie, Jasmine will throw in bookisms just like Kai and Rowan used to. Here's a typical example:

"Then Melissa says, 'Hi, Nikki. It's nice to meet you.'" Nikki says, "I'm wearing a pink beautiful dress.' Melissa says, 'Knock knock'. 'Who's there?' 'Boo' 'Boo who?' 'Don't cry, it's only a knock knock joke.' Then Jasmine giggles for them both.

Jasmine is really a three through five year-old, but I think kindergarten will be great.

Snow!

They are utterly nuts about snow. This was back at the beginning of December.

I think I used to be this excited about all those frozen flakes. Now that I'm old though, snow seems awfully ... cold.

I did go and buy some snow pants for myself in case of any sledding or skiing that may happen this season that might involve me. On this particular day, however, I was quite content to take the photos from inside the house.

Kai and Rowan tried surfing/snowboarding when I wouldn't let them sled off that five foot wall behind them. Jazz was content to examine the snow close up and eat it.

Playing with Water Prism

We have a glass water prism hanging from our south facing kitchen window. It was made by a stained glass artist selling at the Ren Fair a few years back. Since it's in the south facing window, we only get rainbows in the winter. Jasmine discovered this winter's first rainbows. She calls them "Beautiful Princess Rainbows." She tried to hold it, look into it, color her body with it and see if it would cancel out the wacky colored stripes she was wearing. This was a batch of pictures where I actually had too many to choose from rather than the typical one-in-one-hundred problem.

(I don't know why there is a big gap between the writing and the pictures. Weird.)

Birthday Girl

Jasmine turned 5 this November 19th. Amazing. Here she is reading her new (sigh) Barbie book. Her interest in Barbie has skyrocketted since receiving one from her babysitter as a birthday present. Every night she asks where her Barbie doll is so she can sleep with it. In the picture below, she's testing out the fairy wings and tutu she received. She is such a girlie-girl. Oh well. If that's what she wants for her birthday, who am I to argue? At least she likes to do all the same sword and gun fights, wrestling with her brothers, playing cars and playing with bugs.



It's strange to think that she's been with us almost as long as she'd been in the orphanage. This is about the time for Jasmine when adoption experts say that kids adopted from orphanages will be caught up to their peers. That is, one year at home for every one year in the institution. That's not quite been our experience, but then Jasmine had many extra obstacles to overcome. She's sort of a three-thru-five year old.

I've been pondering how many delays were due to lack of care, food and resources and how many were compounded due to her lack of vision. For instance, when we were teaching her how to chew I needed to get about an inch from her eyes, chew open-mouthed, and allow her to put her fingers in my mouth. This is when she actually figured out what to do with all this solid food. How much did this compound her malnutrition?

When we're working on sounds, the same thing applies, I get very close and make a sound (lately the "th" sound) and I point out key features like the fact that my tongue is sticking out from between my teeth. She feels and looks carefully and only then does she really get what she needs to do to make the sound. Basically, we need to do a few extra things to get her to the same skill and knowledge point as a normally sighted child.

It doesn't take much effort to get her up to speed, but it is a different method than what usually goes on. I don't think enough effort and acceptance is given to difference. Many people demonize the homogeneous culture of China for the rejection of people who aren't the norm. But, here in America we have similar attitudes. It isn't as severe, but sometimes (speaking as a weird, atheist geek) it seems the only reason is that there is an American reputation and Constitution preventing people from acting on their instincts.

Way Back Machine

This seems like it was a long time ago. Late July or August?

Right now snow is falling for the second day in a row. The kids are begging to go sledding, but Theo and I are trying to get those weekend chores done and eat up the rest of the Thanksgiving turkey. I feel guilty, but the day's not over. Maybe if one of us needs a nap, the other will go sledding.

I have a feeling that we're going to have snow for at least a few days.

Plaster-Claustro-Fidgety

Here's Rowan making his mask. He wanted to keep his nose and mouth clear so that he could mumble through the process. Unlike Kai, Rowan was very anxious to get the mask off. I don't think he found the experience as relaxing and centering as Kai did. He also wanted to get a look at his face in the mask. I think the Fanta helped in calming creature -- always keep bendy straws handy.

The Young Man in the Plaster Mask

The bestest thing about being a parent is being able to do all the fun projects, arts and crafts, experiments and model kits.

Here we have Kai sitting for a nearly full face plaster cast. He was very patient and lay completely still for 30 minutes. He was utterly silent. I think I'm going to be doing a few more of these masks. Maybe three or four a night. ;)