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!
It is a tradition to stomp on bubble wrap - usually done during the Chinese New Year to mimic fireworks. We do it every year at our reunion with the families we traveled to China with - kids love it!
We took Jemma to her first concert at the Hollywood Bowl last night. She was so excited and kept saying the word "orchestra" over and over. It was really wonderful to hear Dvorák and the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Gil Shaham. And it didn't hurt that we had free box seats. Jemma listened quite well and hardly whispered any questions.
We had a great day at the beach with Jemma's best buddy, Zoela. The girls spent the majority of the time down at the water running from the waves. But the photos we have show the kite flying and sand playing fun. The dogs were loving it, too!
Our little bug is a hat girl - and to think, we almost named her, Hattie! Back in 2006 we took pictures of her in the same hat - my, how she's changed!
Jemma finally went to her first baseball game last night. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost to the Rockies, but all the way up until the bottom of the ninth, Jemma kept saying, "But they could win, right?" Gotta love the positive thinking. We were impressed with her attention to the game which lasted the full nine innings. When I had to go to the bathroom she was quite concerned, "Hurry, Mom, or you'll miss the game!" She asked questions like, "Why can't the ball go past that line?" and "Why are they combing the dirt?" and "Can I have more peanuts?" I think we have a budding fan on our hands! At the end of the night we walked down to the field and sat on the plush grass to watch the wonderful fireworks display. These photos were captured on my iPhone - not bad!
Jemma has graduated to a two-wheeler with training wheels and she loves it! Her best trick - honking the horn while riding in traffic - another typical driver in Los Angeles. And don't tell her she shouldn't ride in a dress with flip flops either or she'll do more than just honk the horn!
Couldn't resist sharing a silly morning ritual at the Lawler home... Notice Jemma is already in her bathing suit - she likes to wear them any time of year, whether she is going swimming or not!
The rain was not a deterrent for our little water bug. She walked ten blocks with it drizzling on her face trying to catch as many drops in her mouth as she could.
