Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with friends and family. It was truly a good time and it wasn't hard to top last year's flu-infested Thanksgiving. Luckily, no one came to the dinner table looking like a zombie while spreading a virus.

Besides having my family in for Thanksgiving, we were also joined by the DeFonce family and The Coopers came down from Canada to experience a U.S. Thanksgiving.

Northeast Rotax Awards

We went to the Northeast Rotax Awards ceremony. Chloe received his trophy for 3rd place in the NE MiniMax and NY State Champion. Oliver also received an award for kid kart. 

Oliver gets an award

NY state champions

EC enjoying watermelon

MiniMax awards

Run, Ollie, Run!

Our high school track and field team hold a fundraiser every year where they invite the children in the community to race. Oliver participated this year in the 1st grade 1/4 mile run. If you can't tell from the photos, we just kind of showed up and registered and I sent Oliver on his way. It was early morning on Halloween. Oliver insisted on running in his favorite shirt, the plaid button-down. 

In retrospect, I should have shown Oliver how far 1/4 of a mile is--to me it was nothing, to a six year old, it's pretty far, especially when they set off from the start like they are Usain Bolt, passing the boy's high school track and fielders who were supposed to lead and set the pace. Oliver blew by them like they were standing still. Once he cleared the paved track for the turn on to the dirt straight to the finish he was fading fast. He got passed just short of the finish line for 2nd place. 

He was very proud of himself, but admitted he had no idea how far he was supposed to run! Next year, he says he's going to be the 2nd grade champion. 

Getting the first graders ready at the start. 

Oliver led most of the race until the final stretch when he lost power.

Oliver with his medal.

Happy Halloween!

I think Star Wars costumes are the big hit of Halloween costumes.

Oliver (Darth Vader) and Chloe (storm trooper)

The kids went to a Halloween party at Tae Kwon Do and I could barely find them amongst the other Darth Vaders and storm troopers.

Oliver and his pals all dressed as Darth Vader. 

We went trick or treating again with neighbors. I don't believe Oliver walked at all, but ran the entire time from house to house spreading us out and wearing us out. 

The neighborhood crew. Chloe went as herself--race driver. Emma Claire dressed as a kangaroo, one of Chloe's old costumes. You can see Chloe in it here.

Chloe once again went out with her friends in the neighborhood trick or treating--she's too cool to trick or treat with her little brother and sister. 

Emma Claire "got" Halloween this year. While she didn't go to every house, mostly because we couldn't and keep up Oliver, she had fun, especially when she discovered that you got chocolate!

Emma Claire going to pre-school as a community helper-- a veterinarian. 

Emma Claire at the Halloween party at gymnastics. Her pre-school does not dress us for Halloween but does a community helper day (hence the Veterinarian outfit above).

The original Halloween costume, a pink puppy. Very cute, but according to EC, very itchy. 

Learning our ABCs

or better yet, sticking our magnet figures in playdoh.

 

1st Grade

Oliver's 1st grade school photo. He's getting so big and looking less like a little boy and more like a big kid.

NY State Champion

This girl...she had a spin and win to take the New York State Championship title for MiniMax. This was also after she lost a chain during the pre-final and had a race delay because of snow (yes, snow in October).

She had a lock up at the straight, spun and went back to 3rd place only to catch back up, take the lead and win handily.

It was her final race of 2015 and what a final race it was!

Fitter & Faster Swim Clinic



Chloe participated with other members of her swim team in the Fitter & Faster Swim Tour clinic. She got to spend a day learning from three-time Olympian and silver medalist Kara Lynn Joyce and current National Champion Zane Grothe.

 

Kara Lynn let the kids hold her Olympic medals.

Getting autographs.

At the end of the day, the swimmers had a chance to race both Kara Lynn and Zane. Chloe got to go up against Zane. He underestimated her speed and she was the only swimmer of the day to beat him. We recorded the race, you can see Zane gives the kids a sizable head start, but Chloe still beats him to the wall. Not bad for a kid who is almost always the smallest at the blocks. Chloe of course didn't realize until she got out of the pool that she beat him. (Chloe is at the top of the frame, next to Zane in the pink swim cap).

First Haircut

Emma Claire got her first haircut at three years old. The orphanage shaved her head in China and its been a long time coming, waiting to grow her hair out. She had one long piece in the back of her head where it wasn't shaved evenly. Emma Claire was a little hesitant about the haircut, but big sister Chloe was next to her getting her haircut too. Also, a promise of a piece of chocolate never hurts either.

BEFORE. She was acting silly at the track.

AFTER.

The "Big Girl" Room

Emma Claire has moved from the crib to a big girl bed. Her room is still a work in progress, but the most important news is that she is SLEEPING in her big girl bed, not with Matt and I!!!!!

For two years Matt and I have had out little Emma Claire alarm clock that wakes us in the middle of the night (or morning depending on perspective) and demands to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed. Two years without an uninterrupted night of sleep.

But, it wasn't the big girl bed that made Emma Claire decide to sleep in her own bed through the night. It was a sticker chart with the reward of chocolate in the morning. It took two attempts with the sticker reward chart and she's been in her bed sleeping through the night ever since.

Who knew it would be so easy? Certainly not I or I would have done it a LONG time ago.

All About Oliver

Oliver completed his "All About Me" poster for his 1st grade class and presented it.

Lunch & the playground--those are Oliver's favorite school activities. Love it.

Apple-Picking

 

While BeBe and PaPaw were still here, we decided to go apple picking. The fall color is a little late this year, but the weather was perfect for apple picking. We went on a day that the kids were off school. Oliver went to play at Tae Kwon Do for an open play day so we only had Chloe and Emma Claire.

 

PaPaw helps Chloe pick.

Bebe, PaPaw and Chloe deciding which tree to pick.

 

Final Countdown for the Race Season

The kart race season is coming to a close and we're going out with a bang. The kids started school on Wednesday, September 2nd  and on the Friday of that first week of school we we're heading out in the RV for the Coupe de Quebec race in Mt. Tremblant. Matt went ahead with the dogs in the motorhome and the kids and I came after school was out in the car. Since Chloe's final race, an Eastern Canadian Karting Championship race and Northeast Rotax Regional race combined, was to be at Mt. Tremblant we decided to leave the motorhome at the track so we could make a quick getaway and return in the car.

BeBe and PaPaw came to visit on September 15 and on the 16th we headed back to Mt. Tremblant for the ECKC race. This was Chloe's last big race for the year. The trip was a lot of fun as many other races who compete in the Northeast Rotax came to race as well. Not only did my parents come with us, but Bryan and Sue also made the trip up to watch Chloe race and to see Oliver and Emma Claire.

Emma Claire, Chloe, Matt, BeBe, Sue, Bryan, Me & PaPaw at the track with the ski slopes in the background.

It was a great "last hoorah" for the kart season. Chloe finished 5th in the ECKC, but we know that she will come back stronger and faster  in her 2nd year driving MiniMax. We really enjoyed racing in Canada this race season and have lots of great memories from all the trips we took. We were glad that our family and friends came up to Quebec to share in the beauty of the mountains.

Chloe and Oliver with some of the racers from the U.S.

Oliver, Dillon, Emma Claire, Chloe and Karsten--the usual suspects

Mom and I take a selfie on the drive up to Quebec.

Oliver, Emma Claire, BeBe and PaPaw at the top of the mountain

Oliver introduces PaPaw to poutine.

Chloe on track.

An "Amazing" & "OK" Summer

Chloe made this in a class and brought it home. I really loved the five words that described her summer, especially, "amazing" and "ok".

And, just like all kids, lets forget the summer trips to Canada to race and the vacation, or even that the she came in 11th place in the nation for her kart class at Summer Nationals. No, it was the waterpark. That was the best part of summer.

*SIGH*

First Day of Pre-School!

Emma Claire started pre-school. She goes two days a week, full-day. I'm happy to say that things went smoothly on the first day. She was very excited to start school and enjoyed it so much. She loves her teacher and her "friends" in class.

 

Emma Claire and her classmates at the open house two days before the official start of pre-school.

 Emma Claire came home with her first project from school. Perhaps peer pressure has begun because any who knows Emma Claire knows that pink is not her favorite color. PURPLE is undoubtedly her favorite color. And as for the food, well, it kind of is pasta, but it's really macaroni and cheese.

First Day of School

School's back in!!! Chloe starts middle school as a 6th grader and Oliver is in 1st grade.

 

 

The day before school starts, the k-1 students get to meet their teachers, see their classroom and bring in their school supplies.

Oliver getting on the bus.

Adoption Group Picnic

We hosted a BBQ and gathering for all the local adoptive families who adopted their daughter's from China the same time we adopted Emma Claire. We all had our dossiers logged in to China in October 2006 and have stayed in touch via a Facebook group we've had for some time. We decided that the NJ/NY/CT families should gather and meet face to face. Turns out one family only lives a short distance from us, just a couple of towns over.

The kids played and we all talked. It was really nice to get our children together and we hope to continue to meet up.

Emma Claire (center) and her pals.

Ring a Round the Rosie

Being silly.