The Playgym is Finished!!

Olivia drew this picture - two smiling flowers holding hands. One flower is Brooke and the other is Olivia. It gives us hope, since there are still times when Olivia gets furious (and jealous) and declares that she wished she hadn't asked for a sister and she wants to give Ke Xin away. From what I've heard, she's behaving like a typical sister.

It was time to start decorating the lawn for Halloween. We really got into it this year. It was fun and Olivia was very proud of the final product. Ke Xin had no idea what in the world we were doing.

I plugged in the lights along the porch and driveway every night. Mark said it was like coming home to landing lights at the airport. The neighbors were very complimentary. (I think they were worried we wouldn't stop adding to the display.) No one else on our street did anything, so we had to make up for them being lazy.

I just don't see a curly perm in Ke Xin's future.

But Olivia has definite possibilities... (over my dead body).

For some reason, the following picture won't load correctly. It is my nephew, Garrett's, 18th birthday cake. Very cool!!

This is David and the girls waiting for Garrett to come home from his birthday dinner of sushi with his best friend Zack, who has the very same birthday. The rest of us preferred something cooked, so we had a separate "birthday" dinner of pizza without him.

But, he was late getting home and I had to get the girls in bed, since Olivia had school the next day. We missed Garrett cutting his cake. Olivia cried because she wanted cake (frosting). But a few days later, Garrett and the whole gang, including his girlfriend, showed up at our house with a whole cake for the girls to make up for the cake they missed. It was a wonderful Halloween cake! Garrett was a sweetie for bringing it to the girls and they were VERY thankful.

Ke Xin's favorite part of the cake is the frosting. This cake was made of several layers with frosting between each layer. Ke Xin actually took the cake apart and scooped the frosting off all the layers.

And then, something wonderful and unexpected happened...

Mark finished the playgym!!!!!!!

The same playgym that was supposed to be finished by the time we got back from China (July 11th). Truely - better late than never. The girls LOVE it. Yeah!

Here are Mark and his "supervisors".

Before he could get it finished they were trying to play on it.

Doesn't Olivia look like a shampoo commercial?


I love the little ears on Ke Xin's Hello Kitty quilted jacket. I better enjoy clothes like this now, because she'll probably start fighting me about them pretty soon. Olivia wouldn't be seen in anything that cute (baby) these days.

TA-DA!!!!

Pretty neat!!! The reason it took Mark so long to put it up was that we got it second hand and he had to make several repairs. But he wanted it to be soooo "perfect" that he got discouraged. We had to remind him that it didn't have to be perfect - just sturdy. It looks great to us and it is very strong and safe, and fun! What more could you ask for? Great job, Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

Peek-a-boo!! I love this pic of Ke Xin.

She is very proud that she can get onto the swing seat all be herself and hold on. Olivia will have her swinging by herself before long.

Ke Xin also loves to... vaccuum!!!! (Olivia still runs away screaming from the vaccuums.) She is in charge of keeping the kitchen floor clean. (The thing against the wall is the raised bar we cut off in back of the stove top, making way for a larger, flat work area of granite.)

And, of course, she is perfectly happy to vaccuum in the nude...

Next up - Halloween!