Kerri Potter

Kerri is obsessed with all things Harry Potter. We have watched all the DVD movies 2,999,999,561 times. And now she has changed her name to Kerri Potter. She wants a magic wand for her birthday. And Kerri has decided she will attend Hogwarts Kindergarten class instead of public school. Alas, she has to deal with the fact that her parents are Muggles (non magic folk).

Today she hid her hands inside her sleeves and told me she made them disappear. Then - voila! - they magically reappeared at her command. And she is getting good at making her own spells. Her favorite one is "Action!", which makes Pookie run around (at top speed) in circles around the house.

I am hoping she comes up with spells to pick up after herself.

Life with Kerri is magical!

Busy, busy!

Nana and Kerri

Here Nana was tickling Kerri, and Kerri was trying hard not to laugh!

Kerri picking flowers for Mom:

Nana Jessica took all of these pictures, thank you Nana!

Kerri dancing to the "Chongalicious" song:

According to Kerri, that is the "best Skittles EBER!"

My two favorite girls, and Kerri's favorite teddy bear from Bobe:

Life has been so busy, I have not had much time to blog, sorry! We are preparing for an outdoor party for the neighborhood kids this Saturday, and on Monday the "adult" version for hubby's birthday. I decided to split the parties up so I would not be totally exhausted for our departure for Florida.

And then there is Kerri. She has started her sleep issues again. We think it is because she misses her Nana, or maybe it is because of the upcoming trip. So we are all running around a little more tired than usual.

Life with Kerri sometimes keeps me up at night!

Weekend updates!

• Nana is here for the weekend, and we wasted no time in going out for retail therapy at the mall.
• Kerri now owns a great school wardrobe, courtesy of Gymboree. She is going to be one well dressed little girl!
• We had Shawarma for dinner yesterday, yum!
• And we watched Harry Potter again, for the 1,989,652,599th time.
• Today hubby and I are going out on our first "date" without Kerri in two years! Thank you Nana for babysitting for us!
• Kerri is loving having her Nana over!
• Her newest game with Nana is to lead her around the house with her jump rope, pretending it is a leash and Nana is a puppy dog. I have to wonder about my girl sometimes...
• I will post pictures tomorrow!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and remind the special people in your life that you love them.

Life with Kerri is precious.

Duh!!!

Yesterday I did something very stupid. I put diesel fuel in the unleaded-only gas tank of the Mama Mobile. Go ahead and laugh.

The gas station close to us recently remodeled. Unbeknownst to me, they switched the pumps around. So I drove up to the regular pump I always go to and never saw any signs advising it was now a diesel-only pump. I also did not notice that the pump did not ask me what grade of fuel I wanted. I thought the nozzle was not fitting properly, but it did go in and I just assumed the new nozzles were made for Canadian cars and maybe American gas tank holes were different.

Assuming always gets me in trouble. Are you laughing yet?

I did not get far in the pouring rain. The Mama Mobile did the herky-jerky all the way home and then breathed a sigh of relief when she was towed by CAA to the dealer (she was just there the other day for a complete check up and had passed with flying colors). The CAA tow truck drivers did their best, but they had a hard time hiding their laughter. Actually, they were cracking up.

Today the dealer called me to tell me that we did not need a new engine (thank G-d!) and that the $35.00 worth of diesel I pumped into the tank now would cost me $383.12 in repairs. They were nice enough to not laugh at me, but with me.

So my lesson for today is never assume. And it's OK to laugh. Oh yeah, and from now on, let hubby pump the gas.

Homeless

Yesterday Kerri and I headed out to the dollar store to buy some items for the upcoming royal birthday party. And sitting to the side of the entrance of the store, was a homeless person. He had a hat out on the sidewalk, but he did not beg, nor make eye contact (or speak for that matter) with anyone. He just sat there, with his head between his knees. My husband had told me that the homeless shelter in town was being torn down and rebuilt, and therefore all the homeless people had been displaced. We have been here over two years and have never seen a homeless person anywhere. Until now.

I rushed Kerri into the store so she would not see him, just so I could get change. We made our purchases and I prayed he would still be outside when we exited. And then I explained to Kerri that there was a man outside who needed our help, and I gave her a bill. She said "that is a lot of money", so I explained to her why the homeless man needed it. And that she would be doing a mitzvah (good deed) by helping him. We held hands, and walked over to the man, and she knelt down and gently placed her bill among the coins in his hat. And then she looked at him and said "Have a nice day.". The man looked up, almost surprised that someone was speaking to him, and he mumbled "Thank you, you too.", and then Kerri gave him a huge smile. And he looked like he was going to cry. He put his head quickly back down in between his knees, and I quickly ushered Kerri back towards our car.

The whole way there, and the whole drive home, Kerri asked questions about the homeless man. She wanted to know why he was homeless, why he did not work, where was his family. And as I answered each question, I found myself telling her that "not everyone is lucky enough to have someone to take care of them. Even in the orphanage, you had a place to sleep indoors, and someone to feed you.". And I cringed as I said it. Kerri felt lucky to have been in an orphanage, instead of homeless. And I hated every minute of that conversation. And I guess in a way she is right, she was lucky. But I did not tell her that her stay in the orphanage was not ideal. Or that her circumstances could have been much worse. Some things don't need to be said, for now.

I thought I was teaching Kerri a life lesson, to help those less fortunate. But the reality is that every time I try, she ends up teaching me one, or reminding me of something my Mom told me long ago.

Life with Kerri is our blessing.

Pho fun!

Last night we decided to try something new: Vietnamese food. We went to a Pho Noodle restaurant. Kerri loves soup and noodles, so she absolutely loved Pho! Hubby gave it a two thumbs up. And even though I am not a big fan of soup, even I had to agree it was delicious.

Kerri also tried Bubble tea. It's not really tea, but a very sweet fruity drink that has tapioca "balls" in it, and is served with a very wide straw. The tea was too sweet for my taste, and hubby said the "bubbles" were an acquired taste. In hubby-speak, that means he thought they were disgusting.

The hot tea they served with the meal was very interesting, and there were tea leaves in our cups. And the meal was not that expensive. We will be going back for more Pho!

In other news, we are planning hubby's 39th birthday party. The neighborhood kids were all invited by Kerri, so they have now split into committees. That I know of, Kerri is in charge of games, and our neighbors Haylee and Vanessa are decorating (painting a huge sign). I now have a separate outdoor party to put together for the neighborhood kids (weather permitting)! Kerri insists on a pinata and "Pin the tail on the donkey", and it looks like the theme will be "King Corey's Chocolate Castle and Royal Court". So tomorrow, I start searching for party supplies and tiaras.

Life with Kerri is Pho-fun!

Party planning!

I need your help. I am planning hubby's 39th birthday party before I head out to Florida. And I need your help to pick a theme:

• Pirates of the Canadabean
• That 70's rock show (think Wii Guitar Hero and Kareoke)
• Corey's Castle and Royal Court

Please help me pick a theme, or come up with a better one! And while you are at it, any ideas on fun family friendly party games?

Thank you!

Random Updates

• Hubby has his second interview scheduled for early September. France is becoming a very real possibility.
• Pookie is back to normal. Except he has been more productive than normal. Eww.
• We are trying to decide on a date for our next trip to Florida. It will most likely be in August, since Kerri starts school the beginning of September. I will probably be driving Miss Kerri again, since hubby has to work.
• Hubby is being transferred to the university proper, which is a good thing. He now will only have to take one bus and his commute has been cut in half. He is very happy!
• The weather here has been very odd. This is the coldest summer since we moved here. I am not complaining!
• Kerri came back from the travel group reunion requesting a baby sister. Hubby has said no.
• Kerri decided yesterday that she is going to "get pregnant" as soon as she can when she is a teenager. I definitely said no! Hubby is still recovering from the shock.
• Hubby rocks. Not only did he cook dinner yesterday, but he did the dishes too so I would not ruin my manicure. And he shared his chocolate with me!
• I gave hubby new slippers, and Pookie decided he did not like them since they were black and furry. So he attacked them.
• I have decided that a cheaper shampoo works just as good (if not better) than the over-priced salon shampoo. Frugality is my new motto this year.
• However, I truly miss my cleaning crew.
• The Mama Mobile is heading in for an overhaul. She has some factory defects that should be repaired before my trip (or maybe during?).
• I have decided that tweeting and texting is not for me. I prefer to pick up the phone!
• Kerri's manual dexterity and fine motor skills are greatly improving! She can now cut out shapes very well. And her drawings are getting better. She definitely has a serious artistic side to her. Beyond being a drama queen, that is!
• Today we are taking it easy. It's been storming and raining off and on all day. And I have lots of laundry to do.
• Kerri is in a growth spurt again. She is now wearing size 6 clothes and size 11W shoes. I think she is going to be tall! And not scrawny, either. My girl is solid!
• Kerri has been writing her letters upside down and backwards (almost like Hebrew, from right to left). I fear she may have dyslexia, but am waiting to see what her eye professional says (if we ever get a referral).
• Kerri now loves imaginary play. Her favorite game is to play Mommy/Daddy and take care of a baby (doll). Somehow I always end up being Grandma, sheesh.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Life with Kerri never ceases to amaze me.

Girly Day!

Nana Jessica has been over for a few days, so we have had lots of fun. Yesterday we rented movies, and today we decided to pamper ourselves like princesses. Our first order of girliness was to get our hair done. Then we went to the mega star coffee chain to load up on calories. Next stop was some shopping, followed by lunch at a restaurant. Afterwards, we headed to the girliest place of all, to get manicures and pedicures. And when we got home, Daddy had dinner cooking for us! It was a day fit for a princess, and spent with my two favorite girly-girls.

Kerri and Nana enjoying calories at the coffee chain!

Like our new haircuts?

And check out our toesies!

Kerri picked out the colors: funky melon for Nana and sparkly Princess Pink for herself!

Life with Kerri pampers me!

Questions....

• Why does Kerri want to watch the same movie over and over...and over again?
• Why is it that when I go to the store, I always end up buying and spending way more than planned?
• Why are the words "bum" and "boobies" hysterically funny to Kerri?
• Why does it take me two and a half hours to tidy up the house and Kerri can make it look like a tornado came through here in just under five minutes?
• Why do I always get to the corner before wondering if I locked the door, or turned something off?
• Why does Pookie bark at grass?
• Why is it that Kerri can drive me absolutely crazy, and yet it's all forgotten as soon as she tells me she loves me?
• Why is it that, when I am over tired, I cannot go to sleep?
• Why can't I figure out how to use certain devices but Kerri can turn them on and off and use the remotes?
• How can Kerri use a whole roll of scotch tape in just ten minutes?
• How come Kerri is sometimes shy around people she knows, yet she will yell out "Hi!" to complete strangers anywhere?
• Who leaves just one square of toilet paper left on the roll?
• Where do "I dunno", "Nobody", and "Not me" live and why are they always at my house?
• Where are all the chocolates??!!!

If you can answer any of these, shed some light, or add any of your own, feel free.

Life with Kerri keeps me guessing.

So this is love...

Before you start humming that cute little "Disney" tune, let me warn you: this is going to be one gross post. So if you are eating, drinking, or weak of stomach, stop here. If you are a Mommy, keep reading, because I am sure nothing fazes you anymore!

Today we went to pick up Pookie. He could not wait to come home, and was quieter than usual. I should have figured it out sooner, but thought he was just mad at us for leaving and sulking. The first thing he did when he got home was drink a ton of water. Then I noticed he was walking funny, all hunched over. And then I noticed something was sticking out of his bum.

Well, I must love this dog, because I decided to try and pull the hard poop out. Ewww, right? Except part of it was stuck and would not budge, and poor Pookie looked as miserable as I felt. So I took him upstairs to the bathtub, and while Kerri cooed at him, I aimed the hand held shower thingy at his tush, and changed the setting to massage to try and loosen the poop. I will never forget the look on the poor pup's face! And once I accomplished my mission, both pooch and Mommy got a bath.

No sooner was Pookie dry and downstairs, that he took the biggest #2 I have ever seen! I think he may have been holding it the entire weekend. Or maybe the hardened stuck thing in his bum acted like a cork in a wine bottle, and nothing would come out until the pressure was relieved. Are you barfing yet? Don't say I didn't warn you.

There was a time when I would not go near poop of any kind. Kerri and my Mom have cured me. Not that I don't find it gross or nasty, because I do! But love sometimes makes you do the darnedest things. And that's my lesson for today.

Returning home!

Four years ago today, we adopted our beautiful Shangrao baby, and Rao Wan Zhen became Kerri Brianna. Happy Forever Family Day Kerri!

This morning we set out bright and early (for us anyway) on the return trip home. We made a few stops to get gas, cash and food supplies for the car trip - and then we were on our way. Kerri ate through most of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. And when we would stop at the service stations for a potty break, she would ask for more food! She claims she was "ungry", but her hunger was limited to junk food, and not the healthier treats Mom offered.

En route I called to check on Pookie, who was comfortably resting on the doggy daycare Dad's lap. It seems Pookie has continued his bad habits elsewhere, but we were relieved to hear he was just fine. Hubby drove the entire day, and we made it home by 10 PM!

We had such a wonderful weekend, and Kerri truly loved the weekend and seeing all the girls. As soon as we got home, she pulled the "red couch" photo of our babies out and asked me to point out who was who. I could barely recognize some of them, the girls have grown and changed so much in the last four years! And I can truly say every single one of them is a blessing, and we are the lucky ones to have them in our lives.

Life with Kerri is our dream come true.

Chinapalooza 2009, Day Two!

After a wonderful morning sleeping in and ordering yummy room service for breakfast, we met our group at the hotel lobby and started our day with a trolley ride to the zoo:

The trolley driver was on break but let us get on and then decided to take us to the zoo.

The girls loved having the entire trolley to themselves!

And posing for pictures, too!

How they all squeezed into one seat, I still do not know...

The zoo is built into the mountainside, so we got a great workout! We took a train ride, and then posed by the otters:

And Kerri got to feed birds up close:

And closer still:

The girls all posed on a rock so I struggled to get a good picture:

But every picture is good, no?

Even if I did not get them all looking at me at the same time!

See?

Then we saw an indoor train:

Here's the train:

And the best part was the wishing well:

One last picture at the zoo:

OK, maybe two:

Then we went to the pool, and after a quick shower and change, we had a lovely dinner at the resort, and later the girls posed outside for pictures:

Want to guess how many times we had to try this?

After the group shots, the girls decided they wanted more photos:

And a group hug:

This was an "awww" moment:

And now for the solo shots:

And then it was time to get tattoos:

And admire the scenery, the deer, the kids playing tag, the balloons flying off in the wind...

And this was the final result:

Yup, Kerri paid attention and figured out how to apply the temporary tattoos, and Daddy was her seventh victim. Check out the bug on his leg (done especially to gross Mama out!):

And so ended day two of Chinapalooza! Tomorrow some of the families are meeting at Julie and Kevin's home again. We think we may just head home in the morning to try and avoid the bad weather and get home before midnight.

We are so glad we came and very grateful to everyone for their hospitality and warm welcome. You all can come visit us in Canada anytime!

Life with Kerri is why we are here today....Happy 4th anniversary of your Gotcha Day Kerri! Mommy and Daddy love you very much and for always, big to the sky!

Chinapalooza 2009, Day One!

Kerri and hubby pose at the hotel in Buffalo, NY just before heading out for West Virginia. Mommy has either a stomach bug or food poisoning, so I am not in any of the pictures!

Checked in at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia. And Kerri found Daddy's DS!

Hubby sets up the laptop so Mommy can blog later on!

Not sure what she was doing here, I think she was playing the DS.

The view from outside our room - we are on top of a mountain, overlooking a golf course. I really needed Dramamine to get here, it is a winding one lane road to the top! And there are no fences anywhere! But oh so beautiful...

A closer look.

A 25 minute car ride later, and we began day one of Chinapalooza (the official travel group annual reunion name) at Julie and Kevin's lovely house in Pennsylvania.

This is the beautiful Brynn, Julie and Kevin's daughter (one of Kerri's "orphanage sisters", as she calls the girls).

How many girls can fit in one sandbox?

Kerri taking a break to eat (barely)!

After a short game with Daddy, Kerri flung the racket at the net and it landed like this!

Everyone needs a little help from their friends. In this case, it was the Princess...or is that the Queen? One of Beach Mama's (Teri's) girls gave Kerri a push!

The bounce house was a huge hit!

I am not going to comment on this photo, I think I will let you come to your own conclusions!

Kerri and the girls took turns placing marshmallows over the fire to make Smores. Yum!!

Kerri takes her job seriously.

Almost done!

And this dear friends, is how you break a pinata in Pennsylvania:

Buffalo, NY!

Today was supposed to be an easy day: finish packing, drop Pookie off at the pet hotel, and then pick up hubby and start our trip. But as you all know by now, nothing ever works out the way I plan it, and Mr. Murphy always likes to wreak havoc.

So early today, I packed up Kerri and Pookie into hubby's car and off we went to the pet place. Only to be told Pookie could not stay. Apparently, his bordatella shot (which is good for a year) is not good enough for this place, since they want it updated every six months (and Pookie's six months just expired). So I offered to take Pookie to the vet, but they said NO, they would not take him for 48 hours AFTER the shot. Ugh.

I called a friend (still in the parking lot) and she graciously offered to take Pookie in. Yay! Problem solved. And so I went on my day, only to get a call several hours later (two hours before I was supposed to head out) to tell me she could not watch him. Apparently, her hubby had made plans and not shared them with her for the weekend, and they were concerned their cat would not appreciate Pookie. I totally understood. But now I was facing cancelling our trip, since I had nowhere to take Pookie.

Hubby offered to stay home so Kerri and I could attend the reunion. No way, Jose! And then hubby found a doggy daycare and gave me the phone number. It was off the highway, on our way, and the angel on the other side of the phone came to our rescue. So the trip was back on. I loaded everything and everyone (including Pookie) into hubby's small sports car, and went to pick him up from work. And almost got into a bad car accident. And then Pookie (through the closed window) barked at a cyclist, who startled, almost fell off his bike. When I finally got to hubby's job, I could not remember if I turned off the TV. So back home we went!

Pookie was not too sure about the doggy daycare. It is a sprawling home in the country, where the dogs have the run of the house, inside and out. Pookie sniffed and growled, wagged and growled, shook and growled. And kept coming back to Mama. So Kerri and I left hubby alone with Pookie and the caregiver, and by the time hubby came out, Pookie was in her arms and wagging his tail. He will be treated like a family member there, and there are kids and other dogs to play with. I hope he will be safe and have a good time! But I will call tomorrow anyway to check.

As we neared the U.S. border, we saw car after car being pulled aside. We were positive we were next, since hubby is ALWAYS stopped because of the green card he never received and therefore never returned. And to our amazement and surprise, this time we were not pulled over!

N.Y. was beautiful today, all clouds and clear skies. The drive was very nice, and I am thrilled we are now in Buffalo, about 19 miles away from Niagara Falls. We are not sure yet if we are going to make a detour there or not, since we really need to get to Wheeling, West Virginia on time. We have a bonfire to go to after checking in! I will post pictures tomorrow night.

My lesson for today is a reminder that even when things are going wrong, there is always another way, another solution, if I look for it. And that I should remember that positive thinking is always the better way. And prayer helps! And so does a sense of humor.

Life with hubby and Kerri is my blessing.

Packing again!

Tomorrow we are picking up hubby from work and heading out on a car trip to Buffalo, New York! We will be 19 miles away from Niagara Falls. Then on Friday morning, we head out for Wheeling, West Virginia, where we will be meeting up with our China adoption travel group.

I am bringing the laptop and camera on this trip, so I will be posting every night. Kerri cannot wait to see her "orphanage sisters", and we are super excited for her!

So tomorrow will be a flurry of errands, including dropping off Pookie to his doggie daycare and hotel. Poor pooch, he gets a vacation too!

Life with Kerri is a journey.

Cousin Kimmy's visit!

Yesterday cousin Kimmy and her beautiful daughter Taegan came for an overnight visit. Can you believe hubby used to play tea party with a then four year old Kim?

Kerri fell in love with baby Taegan and asked for a baby sister. She delighted in playing "peek a boo" and making funny faces for the baby.

I love this picture of the girls!

It looks like Taegan is following Kerri's footsteps and showing an early interest in photography!

Kimmy and Nana Jessica hug!

We had a great time, and great conversation! And baby Taegan is just the cutest. We look forward to Kimmy and Taegan's next visit soon!

Life with Kerri is fun.

Nana Jessica's visit!

I caught Kerri early morning putting on a "show" and singing into the Karaoke machine's microphone. She is such the entertainer!

Kerri and her Nana Jessica posed for a picture....she kept her Nana busy at all times!

I love these smiles, they always brighten my day. We love having Nana over, and look forward to many more sleepover parties!

Here Kerri was clowning around at a store while we waited for Nana, who was clothes shopping.

Life with Kerri is entertaining!

Quickie updates

• Pookie jumped up on the table while Kerri and I were out. We know this because he opened and ate a whole box of Tim Horton's Timbits (donut holes).
• Kerri has mastered her Daddy's DS, and is now requesting her own.
• Daddy is hooked on his DS, we've created a monster!
• Hubby had his interview and it went well (we think). So now we wait and see if there will be another one. I am not going to think about this too much.
• "Nana" Jessica came over last night and we all went to the movies to see the new "Ice Age" flick. Kerri stared at the screen the entire time, and we all enjoyed the movie. But Kerri was even funnier!
• I was shocked that it now costs a small fortune to go to the movies.
• Nana, hubby and I had a good time staying up late and playing "Uno". I was on a winning streak!
• Today we are going to probably go shopping. And then reluctantly take Nana home.
• Tomorrow, cousin Kimmy will be coming to stay for a few days, and she will be bringing baby Taegan with her! We are so excited!
• This Friday we head out at 4 AM for a car trip to the States. Pennsylvania, to be exact. We will be spending the weekend at the Oglebay resort with the travel group families from China, to celebrate our daughters' 4th Gotcha/ Adoption anniversary! This will be our first time seeing everyone since our adoption trip. We can't wait! And Kerri is super excited to see her "orphanage sisters", as she calls them.

Life with Kerri is always busy!

Happy Canada Day!

Today we celebrated Canada Day at home. We really did not have plans, but that changed quickly. Our friends Carol and Andre called, and wanted to know if we would like some company. So our casual day turned into a fun afternoon with a barbecue and great visit from dear friends.

I did not take any pictures though, sorry!

Life with Kerri is always a reason to celebrate.