Our photo was featured in a follow-up article about child trafficking in China. We were interviewed along with many other families who have adopted from China. Here is the link to the story:
For Halloween this year, Jemma's costume was conceptual (again). She was, "You Can Count On Me", inspired by her recent obsession with numbers. We glued numbers all over her, painted them on her face and created a sash that said, "Count On Me". The crown was the highlight, boldly displaying a gold number eight. Needless to say, she was a big hit with the crowds. The weekend before we had a great time carving pumpkins with her friends Grace Li Qi and Anna.
Jemma and her friend, Dasha, celebrated Halloween a little early by putting on last year's costume. You gotta love these sweet girls, even if they do turn into Thing 1 & Thing 2 sometimes!
When you have a treadmill? At the beginning of the summer we had dinner with a few families at our friend's house and after dessert, our hopped-up children found a new and amazing way to use the treadmill. We adults were so amused that we had to capture it on video.
Every summer we reunite with the families we traveled to China with. It is so much fun for the girls to reconnect with their Chinese sisters, and the adults have a hoot, too. This year, like last year, we met up in San Luis Obispo for two days and nights and took over the Embassy Suites hotel. We had crafts, a Chinese banquet, a bouncy castle, swimming in the pool, a visit to the apple orchard and of course, a trip to the beach. After the reunion we drove up the coast to Big Sur to relax in the spectacular nature. We finished our week-long trip with a night in Cambria, where we got to visit the Elephant Seals once again.
Every year we count the days to till the next Oak Glen Nursery School campout. Only 292 days to go until the Oak Glen Campout 2010! It's hard to describe what makes this annual event so special to us. Perhaps it's being surrounded by beautiful Sycamore trees that the children climb with abandon. Perhaps it's the gourmet food and wine all of the families bring to share with one another, or the sing alongs and storytelling around the campfire. Then there's the beach in walking distance and the glorious hikes up the mountains... Last year we had a family of quail residing outside of our tent, this year jack rabbits were hopping everywhere. It's a very special way to experience community with our families at the nursery school and I know that Jemma will treasure these campouts for the rest of her life.
I am very behind on my posts, so our timeline might be a bit wonky here... Nonetheless... back in May, I helped organize the fundraiser for Jemma's nursery school, Oak Glen. We had a hugely successful event and I was so proud to work with the other mommas and poppas to create such a memorable evening. I spearheaded the food for the event under the guidance of two famous LA chefs, Thomas Boyce and Kim Boyce, who happen to be Oak Glen parents but couldn't be part of this particular event. Hard to know if the photos give it justice, but everything was done so creatively - the lighting structures, the live music, the handmade crafts - i.e. the lanterns created out of photos of our kids - so incredible - and all set in the most lush landscape in a gorgeous, eco-modern home.
Jemma is obsessed with cats and asks for one all the time. Of course, our dogs say "NO WAY"... plus, we're both a little allergic. Nonetheless, Jemma has a wonderful way with cats and they always come to her. Here she is with Frankie, our friend Amy's new kitty. Also, that's Wally, Amy's dad, who is a big pussycat as well!
