What a fun week we have had! Monday, baseball. Tuesday, co-op and meeting. Wednesday, spanish, baseball and golf - note here that baseball was supposed to have ended last week but the game goes on. Another note, P played his first season of machine pitch baseball and came out with the highest batting average for his team. Thursday, Fall party for MK, pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving fun with family.

A conversation with one of the boys: (I was sitting at the computer reading an email from Ryan. The content was in response to something I had sent to him earlier and it made me laugh out loud.)

Son: "Mom, what are you laughing at?"

Me: "Well, I should just tell you that your father and I may not ever be able to give you everything you could possibly want or every Star Wars item you desire, but we can give you a safe, happy, loving home."

Son: "Oh, well, that is ok mom, you don't have to give us all of the Star Wars toys in the world. (I was looking at him thinking he is so sweet, he just needs us and he understands, aww - but then he continued...) There are only THREE Star Wars toys that we really NEED. (He proceeds to name them) Don't worry though, Santa is coming soon and I think he can buy it all."

Another conversation: (There has been talk of us POSSIBLY going back to China. Not anytime soon - the process is not fast and we will have to iron some things out first. And I should note, for the family's sake, it is all TALK at this point, everyone breathe.)

Son: "Mom, are we REALLY going back to China?"

Me: "Buddy, I just don't know. We would love to. If we do, it won't be for several years due to paperwork, being matched with a child and then waiting to travel. And we wouldn't necessarily get a baby - maybe a three year old or so. We will see. What do you think?"

Son: "I want to go back but I don't want to get a three year old."

Me: "Well, we will see. Why don't you want a three year old?"

Son: "I just want one that will listen to us when we tell her to do something - you know, one that doesn't cry!"

Me: "Good luck with that at any age!"

And, of course, a conversation with MK:

Her class went on a hayride on Monday.

Me: "Mason-Kate, did you have so much fun at school today?"

MK: "Yes!"

Me: "How was your hayride with your friends?"

MK: "Bumpy, me sit on my bottom. Colby sit with her (note he is a boy) mommy."

Me: "Oh, Colby sat with his mommy? Did you sit with Ms. Leila?"

MK: "Not so much."

MK did have a speech articulation evaluation on Wednesday. It showed a two month delay.

This is something I just remembered happened this past week and I want to remember it one day....one will ask at some point at what age did MK know she was adopted. I do not believe that she knows even what adoption means but I do know she is familiar with the words and uses them appropriately even at the age of 2. She loves the book "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes." We read it at least two or three times a week. It is a story for children about Chinese adoption. The story talks of the babies in the orphanage, their nannies, a mother's desire to adopt, the trip to China and back. When we read it together, MK's favorite pages are the ones with pictures of the airplanes....there is one page with a plane going to China - Mason-Kate will always say, "On that plane, my mommy, my daddy, my Pryce, my Col-Col - no Finwey, he at my house." Then there is the page that talks of being on the plane coming home from China and MK will say, "Me, me on that plane with my mommy, my daddy, and my boys." When asked, Mason-Kate will say that she was born in China. This has really been the extent of our talking to her about adoption. Imagine the surprise I had when she announced last week to her speech therapist, "I adopt China!"

The boys in our lives are gone yet again. Last weekend they spent camping with the childrens group from our church and this weekend they are camping with the Boyscouts. With that said, MK and I have had a lot of mother/daughter time to share. MK has always been one to imitate others. On Gotcha Day, MK wouldn't let me hold her at first. Instead she liked sitting on Ryan's lap and playing the "lean and look" game. I would lean one way and laugh and she would do the exact same thing, over and over. She imitates almost anything that she sees and likes, from singing to dancing to sword fighting, etc. - and now words. Apparently I say the word "seriously" too much. Yesterday I was changing her diaper and I was telling her that soon we are going to say "bye, bye diapers" and wear big girl panties. She cut her eyes at me and in a very 'you are kidding, right?' tone she said, "Seriously?"