OBX "school-cation" {11 years of Nuggety Goodness!}

Though it would be nearly four years before our family would benefit, eleven years ago today the world gained one of my very favorite people.  

And because she doesn't always believe she is worth all the fuss, we did a little extra decorating to make sure she knew just how happy we are to celebrate her 11th ride around the sun.

And the location?  Well, before we scheduled a somewhat last minute "school-cation" to the OBX, we did check to make sure being away from home on her birthday would be acceptable .  

She whole heartedly agreed.  After all, if a "school-cation" is awesome, then a "school-cation" for your birthday is AMAZINGLY awesome!

My nugget.  Now at eleven she's starting to dance in that space between "I'm still a little girl" and "I'm almost a teen."  Today though, Stitch and HoHo the monkey are still her favorites.

While the decorations were greatly appreciated along with breakfast donuts, the day didn't go without hiccups. 

Wifi went down just as she and Nicholas logged onto their morning meeting, so she missed her birthday shout out from her teacher.  And we were headed to Jeanette's Pier to explore when heavy fog in Nags Head turned us around.  

Thankfully those details didn't tank the day.  Her requested dinner (meatloaf and mashed potatoes) brought that signature smile.

And presents sure didn't hurt.

A Starlabs sweatshirt, a Stich squisimal and a GoPro.

But the best smile came with her cake.  Fourth year running (I think) that she's requested the Pioneer Woman's buttermilk chocolate cake with Nutella ganache.  

I may not have the best cake decorating skills (I'm okay accepting my shortfalls) but it's made with love.  And it sure tastes good.

And I could probably put Stitch figurines on a box mix cake and she'd likely love it just the same.

And so begins her 11th year of bringing big emotions to the world...

My spicy Nugget,

You bring so much to our table.  More carefree laughter, more retrospective memories, and, admittedly, on occasion, more volume. While you're often reluctant to admit it, you have a hunger for learning that spans both knowledge for school and your forever family history.  I am frequently in awe of your ability to make connections from the bible into life today.  You are a no-nonsense sort and tell it like it is.  But there's a soft side of you too, and you are often the one that keeps us connected to family memories.

I pray that you will see yourself in the light I do...as one of your favorite shirts says, "Brave, brilliant and beautiful!"  Keep asking the tough questions because you help all of us to be a better version of ourselves.

I love you my sweet bit of Nuggety Goodness!  I'm so blessed to be the one you call Mama!

All my love,

Mama

walking buddies

As we've settled into this delightful cooler weather, we've started walking again most days.

Today we were shadowed by the littlest pair.

 

Yeah, they melt my heart too...

a Halloween zoo day!

Field trip days are the best days!

Even when it's a humid, drizzly Halloween day outside.

Being out of the normal routine of the classroom makes everything better!

The only bummer about having 4th grade "twins" is that means two kids to try to be with on chaperoning trips.

The teachers offered for me to have both kids, but as that meant Nat was going to be placed in my group of all boys, she opted to stay with her class and travel the zoo with some of her friends instead.

We covered about 4.5 miles of trails over the course of 3 hours.  Nicholas was wiped out by the end, but the lure of getting to the harbor seals and the polar bear was a good carrot to dangle in front of him and his friends.  Thankfully with the slightly cooler weather those animals did not disappoint.  The seals and sea lions were entertaining and Nakita was having a grand time swimming in his pool!

I carpooled to the zoo with the mom of one of Nat's friends, so both girls chose to ride home with us...Nicholas opted for the bus to hang out with his friends.  It was a quiet ride after the first fifteen minutes!

Proof that an early morning and lots of walking is exhausting...

Thankfully there were no bus issues and so we got home with plenty of time to get ready for trick or treating!

single digits no more!

Today found her swinging into double digits...

...my baby girl turned 10!

This one lives life big.  She wears her heart and her emotions on her sleeve.  While that does inevitably lead to the occasional meltdown, it also gives us a girl who allows us to know exactly how she's feeling.  No guesses necessary.

She is pure.  She is real.  There is no modeling herself after someone else...she is herself.
Judy Garland could have been talking about Nat as a model when she said, "Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else."

And apparently, kids are drawn to authenticity.  This passionate girl has friends as sweet and loyal as they come!

too bad a still photo can't capture the squeals of excitement when these two saw each other unexpectedly at Nat's birthday restaurant of choice! 

Speaking of close bonds, I present my "N twins."  While they often bicker, they are closer than your average sibling set.  Most mornings before school I can hear them whispering upstairs and rare is the weekend that they don't ask for a sleepover which consists of one sleeping on the floor beside the other's bed.  She inspires loyalty...

Nicholas had to give his twin a gift and nothing says "You're my best friend like a stuffed puppy and a whoopee cushion!

Nat is in a fun stage right now with her interests, with one foot firmly in the tween years...thanks to her older sisters...and the other still in little girl mode thanks to the friends she loves to play creatively with.

Her requested gifts this year included rainbow loom bands, a "husband pillow," and her blue hair tips.

She's growing up right before our eyes, but one thing has stayed the same for the last several years is her choice of cake. Pioneer Woman's buttermilk chocolate cake with Nutella ganache and CocoWhip frosting!

My dearest Natalie,

You live life out loud and I admire so much about you.  From your passion for justice, to your sincere concern for others to your ability to light up a room with your smile, you are a social butterfly.  I am so thankful that you are my girl!!!

All my love,
Mommy

"Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening."

– Nelson Mandela

early birthday "Evie hair"

Back in the summer Nat asked if she could dye her hair.  We weren't sure at the time if it was a true desire or if she was just testing her limits. 

But we told her that if she really wanted to we could do it for her birthday, deciding that if it were a true desire she'd be willing to wait several months.

So I contacted our "house calling" hairdresser to see if it were even possible to get the desired "Evie (from Disney Descendants) blue" hair.  Anna told us it was indeed possible and even went to the lengths of researching exactly what brand and color of hair dye they used for Sophia Carson's wig.  (Sapphire blue is the color in case your little Descendants fan is wondering).

And this evening following a 3 1/2 hour process, my girl had her long awaited "Evie blue" tips!

Six years of spicy

When a family expands, there are growing pains.  We have learned through experience that adding a new personality to the mix changes the dynamic.  

One thing that can be a particularly challenging aspect of growing a family through adoption is when the new member comes home at an older age.  Suddenly you've got a tiny human with a full blown personality trying to figure out what being in a family even means, let alone understanding family guidelines and boundaries while not speaking a common language.  

In the beginning it's often a great big beautiful mess.

September 2, 2013 was one of those colorful, crazy days.  I find that I can't look back at Nat's Gotcha Day pictures without getting emotional. Just shy of four years old, our spicy one had no idea what was going on...but I know her well enough now to see that she knew it was far, FAR beyond her normal. The look of uncertainty in her eye that day slays me. We were in the room with several other families and suddenly she walked into the chaos, unsure of herself and her surroundings. We learned later she had never even seen a photo of a Caucasian...(the care package we sent never arrived at her orphanage) my poor baby girl.

And then I look at her today. There is an air of confidence about her. Her natural inclination is to be larger than life.

This is now a girl who knows what she wants and has skills in place to get it.  Today, at nearly 10 years old, she loves sushi, anything related to the Disney Descendents movies, playing imaginatively with her friends and siblings and her stuffed monkey named HoHo.

She isn't afraid to go for it, she loves to help, and she is known to be a loyal friend who will stick by your side and take on trouble to help you out.

Most days she's happy in athletic shorts or leggings and a t-shirt, but she also likes to dress up on special occasions.

And today she's also confident about her place as a cherished daughter in my heart.  The contrast of how she feels now compared to our rocky start is striking.  

Below is a journal excerpt from September 2, 2013, the day we met.  

"One day, two wildly different experiences for my baby girl and me. For me it was a day I had long anticipated and therefore a dream come true.
For her it was a total shock...though her ayis at the orphanage tried to prepare her, how can words about family, a concept completely unknown, explain the total change...she lost all she had ever known and therefore a nightmare."

I'll never forget her screaming, hitting and doing everything she could to get away from me.  I knew from minute one that she had spirit and tenacity and prayed that one day she'd use both to draw in to our family.

This picture shows the answer to that prayer...she now leans in instead of away.

Nugget, thank you for being the firecracker in our family.  You keep us on our toes and I love each and every little spark of you!

typical "N twins"

I'm not even sure why Ian built them beds...

marking the homestretch to double digits

Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland

So be you my love...the spunky, brainy, fiesty, loving, inquisitive, nurturing you that I love and admire so much! 

Happy nine and a half birthday (celebrated a few days late so you could savor your beloved Krispy Kreme)! PS - How can you be on the homestretch to double digits???

spring break is for...

...sibling sleepovers.

#lovemylittles

the N twins

Admittedly they often drive one another crazy. But there are also moments like this when they are the best of friends. 

And these moments make enduring the bickering a-okay.

eye surgery...again

My sweet girl.  Today we found ourselves at Duke Eye Center for a fourth surgery in attempts to control the glaucoma in our Nugget's right eye.  The pressure is unrelenting and continues to keep tension on her optic nerve.  Left unchecked, she could loose all sight in that eye.

Dr. F is not willing to give up just yet, so Stitch, Nat and I  checked in (Ian is still getting over the souvenir he brought home from Disney...the flu) mid-morning for a second Baerveldt drainage implant.  

As frequently happens, the cases before Nat ran long, and we didn't get called back until mid-afternoon.  Poor kid, I know she was just about starving...I even snuck breakfast before we got to Duke and I was really hungry by the time she got taken back.

Thankfully, once she was taken back, the surgery itself was textbook and it wasn't crazy long before I was by her side in recovery.  She was groggy and grumpy but after some coaxing, the nurses and I managed to convince her to eat and drink enough that they were satisfied we could head home for the evening.

Time will tell if with this intervention we managed to tame the glaucoma...