A is for...Adorable
B is for...Brilliant
C is for...Crazy (and such a proud) Mommy



Who needs W, X, Y, and Z anyway? We're constantly amazed at how fast Leila is picking up English and how fast she learns. She is a little sponge these days, just soaking up all she can --- good and bad. The funny part about this new talent is that I had NO idea she even knew the ABC's. We were driving to church for an Awana event last week, when all of a sudden I hear this little voice start singing from the carseat behind me. I looked at Jason and said, "They HAD to have taught her that at the orphanage." Jason said he doubted it, and that he had sung it to her a few times. I explained that she would have to have heard it way more than a few times to have picked up the entire song when Madison, from the back seat said, "Mom. I sing it to her every night when we go to bed." Oh. So that's what they are doing up there! Having an almost-10 year old is fantastic for so many reasons!

I think I've mentioned Leila's newfound love for baby dolls. My Grandmother Ross, as well as my friend Teri, bought her a few dolls prior to the adoption, and I've just been waiting for her to figure out what to do with them. She is now very excited about pushing them in the stroller or the grocery cart, and does a fine job of putting them to bed with a hug, a kiss, and a firm "close your eyes.' Like I said, she's soaking up every single word we say.

Leila has had a great week, even going to Sunday School (Saturday night, actually) with NO tears, I couldn't believe it. Going to the 3-5 year old class with Rudy helped, but still, it was only the third time we've tried childcare so we were very proud of her. After class, she was excited to show us her picture that she drew and she went on and on about how she went outside to the playground ("Outside...Rudy...Wheee!"). It's amazing to watch Leila learn to trust in the fact that we will, in fact, come back to get her. We tell her this every time: "Mommy will come back" and "Mommy and Daddy always come back," even if one of us is just running to the store or when either of us goes to work. She'll often repeat us saying "Mama come back" or "Baba come home,' and you can almost physically watch her as she learns that she can trust us, and that we will never leave her.

We are looking forward to summer---our neighborhood pool opens THIS Saturday. We can't wait to see what Leila thinks of it! We're also headed to a kids' festival here in KC this weekend, which should be a lot of fun. When Jason and I were at TCU, our friend Natalie introduced us to a great band called "Trout Fishing in America." They are a folk band and have recorded many albums for kids, as well as adults. We've been playing their music for our kids for years, but they have never seen the duo in person. We can't wait to see them at the Jiggle Jam this weekend...hope to post pictures next week.

Thanks for checking in---we love hearing from you. Have a great week!

Love,
Alissa