Cady Chase

Birthday Cheer

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-25T13:30:30-07:00

The group of friends who came to celebrate have been together since they were all in diapers. Which (sigh) wasn’t long ago in my eyes, but was forever ago in my daughter’s life. We’re so glad that all of her best friends were able to attend the birthday celebration.

Letter of rejection

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-18T09:08:52-07:00

So, with his ego a bit deflated, but being the doting father he is, and wanting her to be able to express herself, and also to know how to spell words correctly, he told her how to spell it, d-o-n-t. ...Sometimes a girl just has to write down how she feels at the time, then it’s all done. I suppose we’ll be getting her a diary the future, and she’ll be the type of girl to use it often.

Adam and Eve STARTED IT!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-17T08:59:34-07:00

When you’re wondering why your children won’t listen to you, take comfort from the thought that even God’s omnipotence could not stop His first two children from disobeying. ...A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was wasn’t too pleased! ...God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

30 months

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-16T23:22:33-07:00

ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

Randomography

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-12T20:21:21-07:00

She was over tired, and became meltdown-ier when we started reacting to her tude by losing book privileges for the night, and then lost the ability to snuggle with me before bed. ...I mean, if periodical attitude kept her getting her needs met when she was 6 months old, 12 months old.....15 months old, then she’s entitled to keep the stubborn attitudes, providing the rest of her personality continues to blossom as well. And WOW her charm, her smile, her intellect, her happiness shines so brightly, I’ll gladly accept the “Once-in-a-while --Where-did-this-cone-from--Is-she-really-as-smart-as-I-thought-she-was-10-minutes-ago-?”

Stages of a paper-expectant parent

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-09T22:38:40-07:00

The following article is written by a woman who recently adopted internationally, and she sums up all the stages of the process of adoption, for me anyway, quite nicely. ...Families may find themselves rushing to pick up their child far earlier than they had planned, or families may feel like they are giving birth to an elephant as they have waited far more than nine months. ...When a referral is given, the family receives the most exciting news of who their child is and what he or she looks like.

Self regluated restraint?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-04T08:33:03-07:00

The other night, Cady came up to me and advised, “Daddy is now in charge of my stampper!” ...So, I put the stamper on Daddy’s computer desk, and made him in charge. ...The smeared on, stamped ink is water soluble, and was barely there by the time I looked at it.

I'm in charge!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-10-03T00:53:38-07:00

I’m in charge of the B U B B L E S ! ! ! !

Words

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-08-31T21:08:00-07:00

Then she looked a bit puzzled and said, “OK I see all the tea spoons but which one is the coffee spoon? ...When we were in China, the guide and his coworker both said that the girls born north of the Yangtze river are taller. ... She’s very well proportioned but is still taller than most of her kindergarten friends who are already 5 years old.

Simple pleasures

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-09-04T20:20:00-07:00

Sometimes when I come home from work, we turn on the automatic sprinkler system in the front yard to give it an extra (but small) soaking from the hot days. ...At first I wanted to wait till we went back to China for Melody, but now with such long waits, we might have to take the plunge sooner than expected. ...It’s enough time to alter the shot from a perfect shot to a side angle....which also sometimes is a perfect picture anyway.

A new and welcomed guest

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-08-26T21:17:10-07:00

I really do think it’s a combination of being without a “mommy” at the orphanage for 16 months, and wanting closeness at night, which she probably did not get much of there as well. ...If she did not notice Cady went to bed by 8pm....well, let’s just say, Sleepy Time Fairy will be able to sleep in the next morning without the worry of not doing her job the night before. ...She watches the clock, tells US when it’s time to go to bed, gives a kiss and gets a book which one of us reads to her, then off she goes to Slumberland, so as Sleepy Time Fairy can wake up and get back to work.

Waiting for Melody

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-08-22T21:58:00-07:00

There’s not a day that goes by, in which I do not think about her, wonder about her, feel a connection to her. ... It’s going to be a room full of love when Cadence and Melody finally meet......someday these sisters will be united, but for now, we wait for Melody.

First days of Kindergarten!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-08-19T21:10:01-07:00

I would love to continue with this school past Kindergarten, but when we decided to adopt a second child, we knew we might possibly be foregoing private school in the future. ... Otherwise, with both Scott and I working, she would be in daycare for probably 5 hours a day after Kindergarten in public school, and we’d be paying for that anyway. Those were not the driving forces behind Scott’s desire to keep her in private school, and if he has his way, even though the schools here are very decent, he would have her continuing in private school till 6th grade.

...So why am I not prepared?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-08-16T21:27:00-07:00

She was quiet, but seemed to like the newness of our faces, the hotel room, her first bath, the little toys we brought with us. ...She’s been able to go to the school daily, and spend time with her teacher and many of her classmates, who also came from the same preschool as she did. ...

Wedding dance

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-07-26T10:36:23-07:00

Some are beautiful, some cost a lot of money, and some are ......well, even though they touch my heart, they can be boring at times. ...It was beautiful, did not cost anyone a lot of money, and if anyone was going to be bored, it wasn’t going to be at my wedding. ...

A small girl with BIG questions

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-07-10T18:16:13-07:00

Cadence: I want to know how babies get into the mommy’s tummy. ...Dad: Well, when a mom and dad love each other, they co-operate and work very hard together to get the baby into the mommy’s tummy........ ...I know I said earlier not to underestimate the “get it” powers of a child, but hey, I’M not ready for this one yet!

take a number

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-06-17T00:00:32-07:00

ImageChef.com Poetry Blender Today marks the 26th month since our paperwork has been logged in with China. ...Ah well...more time to save money till the big event, and more time for our love for her to grow in our hearts.

Showcase

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-06-08T22:00:01-07:00

We have an opportunity to keep her in this particular class as she moves to Kindergarten in the Fall, because the dance teacher has classes in the Elementary school also. ...And although I’m so anxious to see who she evolves into, I’m a mess, knowing that I’ll never have that little baby back again. ...

Summer awaits

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-05-31T00:23:09-07:00

(null)

Reporting to the Next Idea

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-05-07T19:48:49-07:00

We’ll see if the idea takes off, and if we can have enough to talk about to have more. Note that the site is heavily QuickTime oriented(download and install for free right here), so please just clicky on the star to visit. When you get to the next page, to see the podcast, click on the next star, or click on the tab at the top that says CadyCast.

Too much happening

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-05-07T18:30:51-07:00

I love these kinds of events and the special time it gives Cady and me to be together to celebrate our mother/daughter bond. ... I’ve been wanting a sapphire ring for a long time now, but every year we run in to budget issues, so every year it becomes a part of my wish list for the next year. But when I get those cute little hand made goodies of love, somehow it just doesn’t matter any more what else was on my wish list.

Some nights, it's difficult

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-05-04T22:52:13-07:00

At that time, I wavered between feeling good that we had chosen to adopt a child whom we knew was older than the normal toddler, but worried more so, knowing that she could have been harmed in that time without us. ... And even though it hurt, knowing Cady was without us for all those months, we felt a need to ask again for the same age range (12-26 months old). ...But it also felt sad, and lonely, because it was the first time that I really thought about being here with Cady, cuddled in, reading her a book, feeling happy....yet knowing that her sister is most likely out there, without us.

Thanks for the info!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-29T18:41:30-07:00

Scott took this photo at work, and every time I look at it, I laugh. Corporate America at it’s finest!

A-OK

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-28T21:10:57-07:00

What this means is that they don’t have any questions for our family about requirements to adopt another child from China. ...If that’s any indication for us now, and IF things speed up as all indications are pointing, it means that we’ve endured 1/2 the wait, or more for Melody. ...But no more hurdles, except of course for the idiotic ones here in the US, which force us to possibly reapply thru our own governmental paper-pushers after the current applications are so old that they’ve expired.

Easter catch up

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-26T18:03:36-07:00

It seems by the time I start to blog about something, the event has lived out it’s time, and it’s on to the next thing. I wanted to still post pictures showing our Easter fun, if nothing else, to show that we actually had Easter here. ...Needless to say, she didn’t catch too many, but at four years old, it’s the going, not the getting there that matters more.

Preschool pictures

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-18T10:04:07-07:00

Our baby girl got her preschool pictures taken, and along with them are the graduating pictures for this year. ...I think the two of us parents are going to be crying as we sit in the audience....a lot! ...As I fumbled through all of the pictures on my computer to find her preschool photos, I couldn’t help but think of the song Bookends;

24 months

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-18T08:26:27-07:00

Well, as of yesterday, we’ve been waiting to hear back from China’s matching team (CCAA) for 24 months now. ... Or another way to calculate it is by way of this equation: ...

More please!!!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-04-06T19:05:28-07:00

Scott was a trooper for allowing me to spend time with my son, and taking care of Cady by himself. ...But in the end, we spent 3 days/2 nights, spectacular dinners, open bar, and we both walked away from the weekend only spending around $100. ...With the live band on the balcony at the right corner, and the singers on a balcony on the left corner, and all the spectacular acrobatics, I don’t think any two people would ever experience the same thing at the same show.

Goin' to Vegas

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-03-26T23:05:23-07:00

The managers announced it in my office last month, and it was a real shocker, because every year I think there are others who are so much better than myself at sales. ...This year, Cady is not quite old enough to spend the night with others, even though she feels comfortable around close friends and family. ...He’s now 25, and I think the last time I did anything carefree like this with him, was probably when we went to Disneyland when he was 8.

Two songs

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-03-24T06:04:47-07:00

One is giving hope for us now, and one is giving hope for the hereafter. ...

Gotcha Day gratitude 3 years later

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-03-20T19:42:30-07:00

Thank you for writing a journal for her, and the beautiful picture you drew for her when you knew she was going to be matched with us. ... Your love for her was evident in your eyes from the pictures we saw of you with her, as she waited for us. ... It was in your eyes when I turned to look at you - looking at her, knowing it would be the very last time.

Imaginary friends

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-03-16T22:38:12-07:00

My stuffed animals were kind of real ummm imaginary friends to me, but that was the extent of it. ...When I tried to engage with her about these two invisibles, she quickly told me that they’re HER friends, not mine. And then she proceeded to inform me that I can’t see them, followed by a shake of the head and roll of the eyes.

Cinderelli

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-03-08T13:53:12-07:00

We’re always looking at each other with astonishment when she comes to us with new quotes from movies she watches, especially when they have songs attached to them. ...The song in which Cinderella is trying to find a dress for the ball, and when the step-sisters and step-mother call her downstairs, the mice take it upon themselves to decorate the dress. ...

22 months waiting

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-02-16T22:02:15-08:00

22 months down..... Who knows how many more to go?!? Slowly but surely, we’re coming, Melody.

'Round and 'round she goes...where she stops, no-body knows!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-02-13T22:54:49-08:00

And Daddy bought her a large stuffed unicorn for Valentine’s day. So, when I got home from work, she showed me her prized possession, and then came a series of questions that shows her wit. While I tried to get her to talk about Valentine’s Day, she must have decided that Valentine’s Day is overrated.

Dear God

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-01-27T21:51:07-08:00

I’ve been keeping the letters that she writes and am preparing them as a journal, along with pictures that she makes for Melody. The latest picture she made of herself and Melody standing side by side, she said, we were to mail to China for Melody. She had it already put in an envelope and told her Daddy address it to China for her, so that she could mail it.

Best friends

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-01-17T18:57:27-08:00

They’ve been best friends for more than two years. ... But I started seeing them constantly on the playground together when I would pick Cady up from preschool. They find flowers in the grass together, and special rocks that everyone else has overlooked.

Christmas pictures update

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-01-17T18:29:29-08:00

By the time we get the pictures off the camera and on to Scott’s computer, then transferred on to my computer, the event has usually already played out it’s welcome and moved on to the next event or holiday. ...I remember having one as a child, and watching her go ‘round and ‘round. I was just as excited as she was about this one.

Finally out of rehab

andersenscott@mac.com — 2009-01-10T20:22:34-08:00

Rosie is finally home, and appears to be getting along wonderfully. Thanks to all of you who wished her well. Cady and I will most likely be visiting her later this month.

Prayers and Good Will Thoughts are requested

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-31T00:06:06-08:00

There’s still a lot of love in me for her, and even though we both went on with our lives, I think we both became a bit lost after losing one another. ...She’s nursing the baby, so between wanting to be with her baby more often, trying to heal her body, and being unable to have her first Christmas with her first baby, I’m sure this has been very difficult for her. ...If you’re so inclined, please drop her a get well note on the comments section, and let her know you found her thru me (or she won’t have a clue why she has certain responses to her posts)

Couldn't have planned it better

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-27T23:15:36-08:00

I don’t know some family members as much as I used to any more, and perhaps that’s because we met face to face, learned what we needed from each other, and then there was no more reason to stay closely connected. Or perhaps we had learned the smaller things, and knew there was something larger to tackle, and we each backed away from it, leaving us somehow distant. ...They are both very different, but my love and appreciation for them in my life is deeper and older and stronger than I can put in to words.

To Wonderful Girl

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-24T22:19:02-08:00

He went on to say that he was having a party the next day, and asked if it was ok that his friends and family parked on our side of the street. ...When I handed it to him, he accepted it with both hands and bowed slightly as he said his thanks. ...“Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the Love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds of the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.”

Track Santa on Christmas Eve

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-21T08:41:33-08:00

...The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. ...In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD.

4 basic rules

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-19T20:31:32-08:00

Never tell your four year old what you got your spouse for Christmas. ...When, as the parent, you ignore rule #2, and your four year old brings out the gift after you’ve shown it to her, and let her hide it, and says to your spouse with a beautiful smile on her face, “This is for you” don’t laugh, smile, or give any hint that you think she’s cute. ...Realize that your four year old thinks, “Don’t tell him what it is” is not the same as “Don’t show it to him”

Two more months

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-17T01:26:30-08:00

...And when you mix the glitter of Christmas with conversation, it makes for some talks that are beyond adorable. ...A difficult concept to understand, because we don’t know if she’s born yet, and we don’t know anything about her, except that she is spiritually walking the same path as us.

JibJab

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-12-04T20:17:30-08:00

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Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Ankle ties

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-11-25T22:13:32-08:00

Somehow or another, it’s become customary for these girls to wear a hair tie scrunchie on one ankle. ... Most likely, someone got tired of their scrunchie falling of their ponytail and decided to keep it on her ankle. Then, perhaps, another girl noticed it, and thought it was “the” thing to do....and on and on till they created the trademark that denotes their status.

Chutes and Ladders and cheaters and Fluffy

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-11-15T14:36:15-08:00

Fluffy, her loyal stuffed doggy then came out of her bedroom to play Chutes and Ladders with Cadence for a few long minutes and he did not cheat. ... In fact, Cady won that game, and proclaimed victory in a way that should have made Fluffy muster a tear. ...I guess I was supposed to be envious that she decided to play the game with Fluffy and not me.

Birthday

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-26T09:40:53-07:00

Well it’s certainly a little late, but the birthday weekend went through with no issues and lots of fun. I’ve added a Birthday page at the top for photos, and also have video available. This time the video will be much longer than supported by YouTube (19 minutes!)

18 months

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-13T00:57:33-07:00

...At times, though, it’s been very hard on all three of us, knowing that somewhere in China, our daughter will be born and go thru undoubtably traumatic experiences, and want and need. ...This I know, because God has sent us on this journey to her, and it is thru His strength, His Angels, His Love that she will be protected.

September Olympics

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-12T14:11:44-07:00

It was difficult to cut 50 minutes of video into a more viewable timeframe, so this took a lot longer than planned. All the same, here is Cady’s first “Olympic” performance from September

Alright Blogging Photographers

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-12T13:54:42-07:00

The Nikon is a 12.9 megapixel to the Canon’s 10.1 - I’m told that this is not a very notable difference for light hobbyists. The Nikon can shoot video, though I’m really not sure whether this means 30 second clips (not very useful) or 15+ minute clips (only kinda useful) and the Canon can not shoot video. ...The real key here is to be able to get images of Cady when on the move, notably in odd light situations (such as the gym she has gymnastics in)

Things said

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-09T13:54:13-07:00

Cadence: Mom, when bikes are on the road, they have to stop at the stop lights. ...Cadence: Yeah, and if they go past the red light, it also means they’re taking cuts. ...Cadence: You don’t have to say boo hoo about it!

"Mom......

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-05T19:56:27-07:00

I told Cady “Some mommies have babies in their tummies till they’re born, and have babies that way. And some mommies adopt babies after they’re born, and have babies that way” ...I can’t help but think that sometimes it must be so confusing being adopted.

Where does time go?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-10-01T23:02:46-07:00

For the most part, waited for her group to do their thing, then she ran around in a large circle with other children her age, then did a few tumbles, and their individual obstacle courses, with a balance beam, and stood on a platform to SALUTE! ...We then went out to lunch with our friends, and of course rode on a carousal because what would be a celebration of anything at all without a carousal ride of some sort? ...You can view many more of park fun by viewing the link above titled “untitled page” we have a new update to our blog and I haven’t yet found the magic marker that changes the names of groups of pictures. heh

Happy...

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-09-02T13:24:35-07:00

Redesigned website for this one day week only (I hope I can get it back together later) ... ...

Dance like no one is watching

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-09-01T22:39:23-07:00

In fact, it's so nice in there, Scott and I kept finding ourselves wandering into her bedroom after it was all done, and sitting in there with Cady on her bed or on the floor. ...I was able to catch it on film, and although some of it is a bit shaky, it's one of those magical moments that we usually say, "why didn't I have the camcorder?" ...

Guilty as charged

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-08-31T10:47:10-07:00

I told her to stop but alas she continued till she poked her finger on one of the meat wrappers and poked a hole in the packaging and looked up at me, while smiling an impish grin. I picked up the meat with a hole in the seal, and advised her that we would have to tell the butcher so that he can fix it. ... And when I handed it to him, I said, "Cady poked a hole in this, and she's sorry" To which he replied, "Cady, now I have to do extra work".

Hi Mom

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-08-21T22:27:38-07:00

Mom: (concerned that Cady now thinks babies are all "made in China") Cady, where do babies come from? ...Cady (sleeping with no pull ups on-yeah, we tried) woke up from sleeping in her own bed and walked into our bedroom. ...Cady: You're not my friend any more because you make me eat 4 more bites. (then she proceeds to stomp off to her bedroom so she can lay her head on her bed and whine the "Lucy cry" loud enough to hear her from the living room.

creatures

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-07-30T00:15:21-07:00

We really have no bodies of water sitting around our yard for the duration of time it would take a tadpole to become a baby toad. ...I released a pod of them and they hatched, and became these cute little critters you see below....which grew bigger and now hide out in my tomato, cucumber and herb gardens. ...Still though, with all the experience this has given Cady about the food chain, the eco system, nature and nurturing others in our environment, I would have both species in my yard again next year.

Contented

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-07-13T23:47:55-07:00

Tonight as I was rocking Cady in my arms, her blanket on one side and her froggy pillow on the other side, as she started to doze off, she said, "Mama?" ...At that moment, it really didn't matter that we need the tree stump in the front yard ground down, and would love a larger back yard. ... At that moment all that really mattered is that she (we) liked "this place".....the house?

The 4th-ish

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-07-13T18:30:02-07:00

We had purchased fireworks the day before, and found out that no fireworks could be set off in their county. The county display was not even going to be happening this year, all due to the fires. When we got home, we invited our friends over the next night, and had our own fireworks display.

Kinder dance

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-07-07T18:40:31-07:00

One of Cady's dance classes is all about beginning ballet and tap dance. The Kinder dance teacher comes to the school, and teaches the positions with song and poetry. There was a very small performance at her preschool, for the parents to see what the children are learning.

Firey hot

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-07-07T18:19:42-07:00

And because of the smoke from the fires, the heat of the sun is getting trapped, making it hotter than normal. ...We have some pictures from a few weeks ago, when Cady tried out her new Slip-'N-Slide. ...Other than that, I have to admit, this child's smile is full of sunshine!

The BIG guy

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-06-18T18:21:01-07:00

Last week, we discussed God, and that he is bigger than all of us, and made everything on earth. Yesterday the above conversation took place after she digested what we told her earlier in the week. Aparently, the BIG Guy is okay in Cady's books.

Quite a few updates

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-06-01T23:41:57-07:00

And the day after they left, Cady's Bear got an unexpected tea party....fancy wrist bracelets and all. ...Cady was able to convince Daddy to paint her toe nails, something I haven't been able to do yet! ...Ahhh yes, and what school year would be complete without school pictures that introduce the bangs still growing out, and a cheezy smile?

Making Money

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-05-21T23:25:55-07:00

Cady turned her scooter upside-down, and turned the wheel, then magically, ice cream was produced, and she handed it out, and asked for pretend money. ...When I made the ice cream, I told her it would be a dollar fifty, ...She then went to her desk, tinkered around a bit, and came back with cards that were used as money,

I wanna go there

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-05-21T05:31:28-07:00

Yesterday Cady sat down in Scott's desk chair and put her hand on his mouse, then announced: ...I guess they really do pick up more than we think from TV. So, we lead her thru the maze that got us to pbskids.org and she worked her way around some fun online games.

Overdue updates

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-05-19T15:40:17-07:00

Video will come soon, though it isn't as well filmed as last year's Winter dance. I've taken the time today to finally get pictures up on the site as well. ... Look for the picture links along the top black bar to see everything missed from Easter of last year up to current.

When God created mothers

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-05-11T13:51:55-07:00

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.” ...Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.” ...Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick... can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger... and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”

A tribute to mothers

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-05-10T10:05:12-07:00

This is for the mothers who have sat up ...This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids ...This is for all the mothers who sat down with

The crush

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-04-13T15:45:02-07:00

Xander is a boy at Cady's preschool that we have not met yet. ...She told me that today she asked you to marry her. ...To which you, Xander, simply replied; "No, I don't like you."

Her Niche

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-03-30T00:36:16-07:00

And by the second day we were in China with Cady, we knew from her movements and her grace, and her body form that gymnastics was something she would grab onto and never want to let go of. ...The Tot's class is just to get them to feel comfortable with their large motor skills, and next it will be Kindertots.....same thing really, but more "fun" But when she turns 6, look out world! This Gymnastics place is fairly close to where we live, so as long as she shows interest, she will go there, and I'm going to be excited to see if she wants to compete as she gets older.

2 years ago

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-03-21T21:27:36-07:00

So, of course, as expected, we all gathered that morning around 6 am, and after breakfast, we snuck around to that meeting room, hoping for the chance to see the girls brought in, and catch the nannies off guard. ...He knows that he and Mommy will be saving all of these messages for you so that you can have them always, and you can see the joy that we have shared with our friends. ...If we do our jobs right, by the time you are reading this, you will already know how I can tell you this even now before we have ever touched, held hands, or held on to each other "oh so tight".

Your sister will not be purple

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-03-09T09:26:29-07:00

Not a day goes by without Cady making a picture, writing a letter, or at least mentioning something about going to get Melody, or how she will take care of her sister and share things, and so on. ...We worry about the time frame a little, and that poor Cady just doesn't grasp the amount of time we will be waiting until that magical day we can all have Melody in our home. ...These situations usually reveal themselves when she can no longer hold her story straight, and she makes that mischievous grin, revealing that she really did know reality, but just wanted to take me on a trip of the alternate possibilities.

self regulated swimming lessons

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-03-03T23:27:41-08:00

Who says you have to wait till summer for swimming lessons? ...Why wait when you have a built-in swimming pool in your own bathroom? ...A few diving toys, and

Self portrait

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-24T22:44:40-08:00

In fact, I could probably devote an entire post to mostly the pictures she's drawn in the past month or so, on her dry-erase board.... ...And finally, pictures of Cady with her styling new haircut, standing next to her self portrait tonight. She did say that next time she's going to go to my hair stylist to get her hair cut.

Brought to you by the letters Z and N

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-23T18:35:47-08:00

She got really queit, but was playing in the tub so I didn't think anything was happening of any significance. Well, I had left the scissors in the bathroom, and she had gotten out of the tub and cut her bangs further. As far as I can tell, she flipped her hair forward and cut it from the back, creating not only more bangs, but a higher forehead.

So what if it takes longer?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-18T22:59:33-08:00

They liked all 4 courses we had to offer, bread from Cady's sandwich, a few doritos crunched up, pieces of Mommy's sushi California rolls....and of course, gold fish food, intended for the brown fish that hung out below the mosses. ...I swung next to her, and for a few moments we were two elementary school girls....me a bit older, she a bit younger, both normally feeling a long way away from that time in our lives, but never before feeling much closer to the wind in our hair, or the memories I've had that she is just barely out of grasp from experiencing. ...But tonight, she let me rock her in the rocking chair, and asked me to hold her like a baby while I sang songs to her.

Horton hears a Who!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-10T22:30:31-08:00

Maybe it's a bonding she has with him, because he, similar to a three year old, still believes in kindness, and love, and things that others cannot see or understand. ... If she's given a choice these days, it's one of those two, or occasionally, How the Grinch stole Christmas. ... We have a few Dr Seuss books that have several of his stories in them.

The Apple of his eye

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-10T18:51:36-08:00

She sooooo owns her daddy!!

CNY

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-02-09T20:22:25-08:00

It was a horrible flu that made us all feel sort of like we were taken over by the plague for three days each. So, now that things are back to normal in our home, we've been able to enjoy a bit of the Chinese New Year celebration. ... We were thrilled when we realized we were going to have photos of Cady enjoying the same waterfall again, outside of the production.

Ugh

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-01-08T11:49:32-08:00

I somehow caught some kind of cold around Friday of last week, and spent the weekend trying (and failing) to keep Cady and Mommy from catching the same. ...I'm over the worst myself, which afforded me time to sit and pick through some video not yet offered to the world. ...

I knew there was a reason

andersenscott@mac.com — 2008-01-06T22:22:58-08:00

But then, it's possible that she understands that Melody has been conceived already, which would make perfect sense since children her age do not really know the difference between life inside or outside the womb. If she was conceived in September, that would make her a June 08 baby, and then, with the longer times its now taking to get a referral (expected to be closer to 3 years than the 9 months we waited to get Cady's referral, Melody's referral would be around March-June 2010, making her about 18-24 months old upon referral, and making Cady's prediction on target that she's alive (if even in the womb), now, and waiting for us in China. It's very odd but I do think that Cady has a very strong link up to her baby sister, even though she probably is not born yet.

Christmas 07

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-12-25T10:35:49-08:00

She thoroughly reviews everything she has and takes inventory as she receives it. ...Apparently, Santa tried to make a bike for her when it was too late, and the Elves had all gone to bed, so Santa decided a scooter was more fitting for Christmas..... Maybe in the spring, the Easter Bunny will leave more of a surprise than bunny pellets and a few eggs.

....and to all a good night!

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-12-24T21:58:41-08:00

(null)

Merry Christmas to all

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-12-23T15:51:17-08:00

(null)

Winter Extravaganza

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-12-09T18:34:51-08:00

Another spectacular performance. (Just under 9 minutes in length)

No Tooth Fairies allowed

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-11-27T22:10:39-08:00

Today we were looking at the pouch and I told Cady that it's for putting you tooth in, when you loose your tooth. ...Dad: "OK, let me fix it" (pushing down on her teeth) OK You won't lose your tooth now, ever" ...And with that, the announcements of the coming Tooth Fairy were silenced as abruptly as they were heralded in, just a few short minutes earlier.

Thanksgiving

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-11-25T15:05:08-08:00

She was very good thru the day, but around 6 pm, she looked up at the clock and asked her daddy, "Is it 8 o'clock yet?" ... I fed her a bit early, and while she was sitting there, with bread in her hand, as if a wind up toy was on it's last round.....her head started to bob and her eyes shut. ...By the time we were ready to go to the hotel for the night, she was playing with the girls in her cousin's bedroom, and when she saw me come in the room, she quickly jumped off the bed and insisted nicely that I leave them alone, as she shut the bedroom door.

What few words can describe

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-11-13T21:15:58-08:00

...such a beautiful little girl

Halloween 07

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-11-02T21:06:31-07:00

Cinderella never looked so pretty.

Birthday girl

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-27T21:31:00-07:00

Then today, we went back to her preschool for a Halloween festival, then back to our house with a small birthday party shared with a close friend, and my adult son. ...And this year, it was replaced by two others (just in case one of them breaks this year, we have a back-up now). ...While she was playing with it, she brought out a stuffed turtle and started saying that she was making 'turtle soup' After she made some pretend soup, and put the turtle's head on a plastic bowl, we realized that the turtle soup was actually....soup for the turtle.

Rain, rain ....come back again another day

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-23T23:03:23-07:00

So, it was no surprise that she wanted to go with her daddy on an adventure to get the mail, the first day it rained here. ... To view the world thru the lens of my daughter's eye, would be a painter's dream. Dance, stomp, rejoice in the splendor of the rainbows, sweet child, and keep me in your world.

Pumpkin farm, and no pumpkin

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-20T18:23:40-07:00

When we arrived to the town, I thought that it might have just been a nice drive. ...We thought for sure that she would need me walking along side her the entire time. ...We didn't even think about bringing a stroller, but she walked along side us thru most of it.

Who, her?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-14T09:06:54-07:00

So, when Char - Daniel's girlfriend sent these in a Cinderella Halloween card, we couldn't resist helping her out a bit. Now, if she comes home from preschool on the back of a motorcycle, we're gonna know we made a mistake! But that will never happen, because her daddy already announced several months ago that she's not going to date till she's old enough to move out of the house (and out of college).

Dancing queen

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-04T19:06:46-07:00

From the Family Fun Challenge, posted on Loving Lydia's blog; Here are some pictures that sum up our Cadence. ...The conetestants on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the stars, and even Napolean Dynomite. She watches their hand movements, and their foot movements, and mimics them as best she can, with every move.

WOW Half the Sky is going the distance

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-10-01T21:53:14-07:00

Today, she is in the number 1 spot, and has reached an amazing 9,034 votes and you can actually refresh the screen to see it go up at times. It's such a beautiful thing to know that there are so many people that want to see HTS succeed. ... Even if the cause is only to vote for someone deserving a spot in the Olympics torchbearers.

Half the Sky and the Olympics

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-09-30T19:09:59-07:00

She had noticed that her toddler would not look at her in the eyes and realized that babies in orphanages were not receiving the cuddling and holding that they needed, in order to thrive. ... Now we feel blessed every day to know that she was not only in the program, but in such loving care by those hired thru HTS. ...She still needs a lot of votes, but I cannot think of one person more deserving than her, that has made a greater contribution to the children of China and to the children that have been adopted.

Cady and her grandma

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-09-24T21:54:01-07:00

It's really amazing to know that we have so many friends online, and some that we have never met, but feel wonderfully connected to. ...Tape a piece of paper on each index finger, then tap them on a table top and recite the phraise "Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. ...We once got Mom to do this at a restaurant, telling her that we had forgotten the rhyme, while all of us adult children watched and giggled at her silliness.

Dorothy Louise 1918-2007

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-09-21T23:06:40-07:00

But we would also talk about many other things from mood rings to raising boys on a secluded ranch to animals at the pound which lead to why her animals should be fed too much, to Bible scriptures to stories about amazing things that had happened to her, in her lifetime. Many times I would visit her for a week or two in the summer, and we would stay up till 2 am talking about anything and everything together, just she and I sharing our thoughts. ... I don't think there ever has been, nor ever will be another person in my life that can see in to my heart so closely and love me as deeply.

goggles and disco

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-09-09T22:01:02-07:00

For Cady it was all about .....well, eating on the couch, and wearing her own cool shades, a new pair of purple goggles. As it turned out, she too was movin' to the groovin' when A Taste of Honey sang Boogie Oogie Oogie. ...

Gotcha Day-revisited

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-08-12T13:07:30-07:00

We will be forever grateful to Cathy (someone we had met just the night earlier), for getting out of her taxi as she was leaving the hotel, because she noticed the children being rushed in to the hotel lobby. ...But the day will always be etched in my mind, and so near to my heart, that it also seems like just yesterday. ...Scott updated his iMovies application for Apple, and used our Gotcha Day video to experiment with.

Too cute

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-08-11T20:15:05-07:00

This photo was just too damn cute to pass up without putting it on the blog. ... Scott is the only one that's played with it so far, but it seems to take fairly decent photos. ...Here are a few activity photos from the iPhone that I think are just adorable.

Are we there yet?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-08-04T23:09:26-07:00

I had a really difficult time waiting for Cadence after the first 6 months, because we were, for all practical purposes, supposed to get her after a 6 month wait for her, after we were DTC (Documents to China). I attributed that to the fact that, indeed, the wait was longer than expected by another 4 months, and it dragged on after the 6th month because of that. ...I'd like to think that I miss her because she's already born and there's an unexplainable pull toward her because of that.

On any given day

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-07-18T20:06:55-07:00

From over 50 fairy stickers on one sheet of paper, she took off one that is identical to a picture in her room, and said "It's the same as the fairy in my bedroom". ...To which her father said, "No, the box might scratch your back, and then it would hurt you.....(then more explanations that she probably didn't want to hear) ...(I have to also interject that Scott has a buddha statue and I have a heart shaped card which she made me for Mother's Day, both of which are currently sitting on a shelf, and visible from the bathroom)

What happened?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-07-10T22:26:31-07:00

He was laying on the bottom of his tank for several days, coming up to just splash out of the water once in a while, then back down to the depths of his beta sized tank. And there he would stay, lifeless, till the next morning when I would ask myself all over again, if today were the day that I'd be flushing him in to the deep tunnel of porceline to meet and greet on the other side. ..."Well, honey, Slippery Fish missed his mommy and his daddy, and he wanted to go find them, so we let him do that.......umm.....like Nemo did.

That's my girl

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-07-09T21:34:13-07:00

Brought to you by the letter F

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-07-06T18:52:13-07:00

We got to see my other brother's sons, who were just kids last time I saw them, and we did so many exhausting and fun things that I came home more tired than I was before we went on our mini vacation. ...I tried explaining to a four year old that Cady is only two years old, and she heard me say, "she's kind of like a baby still" To which Cady replied several times, "I'm not a baby!" ...F is for FREAKING big cousins and big brother (cousins on the left/middle and brother Daniel to our right)

Well thanks

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-07-01T20:31:50-07:00

Well thanks to everyone who has asked for more information. Unfortunately, as things go, some things (that cannot be discussed) have caused me to be unable to reveal information at this time. I can say that the unanticipated delay is still a very very good thing, and I will offer more when able.

Just so we're clear on this...

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-26T20:34:01-07:00

I've wanted to cut the hair for quite some time, mainly to get more chicks to look a bit more respectable, particularly in my new job at Apple. ...Well I can't tell yet, as I have signed some agreements not to talk about it, but I think I could reveal more on June 29th (If that's not a clue, then you haven't been looking at any news anywhere). ... The ponytail and long hair isn't a hindrance when in the tech field, but in my field now, and in the field I want to attain, it really is important to dress for the part you want to be a part of.

Move over Richard Gere

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-23T14:04:35-07:00

We went to my friend Pam's hair salon, and asked her to chop off Scott's hair. ...I'd seen pictures of him in his early twenties with shorter hair, but that was a late 80s hair style, and yeah, you get the idea... It looked like a 20 year old, with a fashioned hair style, set in the late 80s.

What do you do when you're bored?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-23T13:53:44-07:00

Stickers from the Dollar Tree Store? ...Pictures of your daughter's last hour of fun with the above stickers? Priceless!

For Father's Day

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-18T06:53:27-07:00

A Conversation at the Grown-ups' Table, as Imagined at the Kids’ Table ...DAD: (laughing) There are actual monsters in the world, but when my kids ask I pretend like there aren’t. ...MOM: I had a lot of wine, and now I’m crazy!

Sock Skating

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-13T19:47:14-07:00

So this may or may not need explanation, but I'll do it anyhow. ...Now, I still think she doesn't understand ice as anything other than that which comes out of the refrigerator, but she definitely understands skating. ...

Some Assembly Required

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-06-11T18:15:49-07:00

Don't read too much into it (i.e. ... We were just putting Mommy's new desk together, and I thought it would be fun. Cady loves the stickers, and we had fun enjoying the concept.

And now for your entertainment

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-05-20T18:29:13-07:00

...Cady was able to perform in several different dances. *proud parent bragging moment* Note that Cady looks much younger than the other girls in her group. ...Sadly, as you will see (or have seen) on the video that during her second performance, her headband went down, and her OCD kicked in as any 2 year old girl can, and she missed out on a larger part of her favorite of the dances, but she loved it, and showed a lot of promise for future dances.

Not just about Cady anymore...

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-05-16T19:17:25-07:00

On Sunday, May 13th, (sometime in the evening, you can't really expect me, a man, to know to ask all the details) Cady lost her status as the youngest in the family. How appropriate that on a Mother's Day, my niece would have her very own little girl. ...Congratulations, Kris, she's definitely a pretty girl.

Who's Melody?

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-05-04T21:24:31-07:00

Scott picked up Cadence from pre-school today, and was confronted by one of the teachers who quickly asked, "Who's Melody??" ...I wonder when she's going to be able to understand how long two years really is. Her saving grace is that she lives in the moment, and would just as soon take a bubble bath as go to China these days.

We have LID

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-05-02T20:59:43-07:00

LID stands for Log In Date - that's the date that CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) has logged in all the documents to their office and the official wait begins. ...I was beginning to think that we wouldn't find out our LID till June or July because I'd called our agency just the other day and the China co-ordinator at our adoption agency said that they haven't even found out the LIDs for their January clients yet. That's not to say that they wouldn't have one already, just that the agency co-ordinator didn't have access to knowing the LIDs yet.

Welcome to the Family

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-04-28T18:04:50-07:00

I've always liked fish, and have been promising Cady a goldfish of her own since plans started for getting the new home. In case you haven't noticed, Cady has a favorite color. ...We talked her into naming the fish something that she is familiar with, and we are just being sure not to let the fish know the true meaning of the (gulp, gulp, gulp, oh no!)

She likes to move it

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-04-27T17:32:53-07:00

This particular performance offered a lot of distractions not terribly conducive to a 2 year old's attention span, but it was still a great opportunity to see that she can definitely follow direction. ...It's not in this video, but Cady went right in line with the older "blue" girls, and started performing with them. ...

Ordered chaos

andersenscott@mac.com — 2007-04-19T22:58:08-07:00

She was so excited to see the Easter Bunny that, when he 'hopped' into the front yard bushes, she became a bit anxious and yelled out for him to come back. ...After all, you can just take the items in your car, or by foot in the kid's wagon, and eventually you'll get it all moved in. ... Two moving days, fifteen car loads, two Uhaul truck trips, twenty-five + walking trips, one trip to the dump, four good friends and one son's help later and we are all moved in.