where the story really started

one of the most difficult things about any adoption journey is lack of information...be it about when you'll get a referral, how long it will be until you can hold your child, how all the paperwork is being processed, how your child is growing and being cared for, your child's birth parents and their life and circumstances, or your child's family medical history.


way back in may of 2010 we were presented a gift...the possibility of the opportunity to learn, firsthand, more about where leo's life began.  WOW!!  (click to read) aptly describes what we were feeling at the time.  and WOW!! still seems appropriate today.  we were given such a wonderful gift - the chance to travel to the city leo was born...to talk to the people who cared for leo's birth mom...to see where she lived...and to gain further insight into the culture and way of life of leo's birth families.  when we realized that we could actually do this, it was like a dream come true.  and, today it still feels like an amazing gift.  we are so glad we ventured out of seoul to see the place...the actual place...where leo's life began.  it's huge for us...and, i know it will be huge for leo when he's older.


despite how happy we are with having gone to busan, the trip down there was not exactly what we had planned.  last minute changes had us travel down there the same day we met leo - our first day in korea.  we would have liked to have been more prepared for the meeting (in terms of prepared questions, activities to entertain drew, and in hindsight, should have hired a translator). and, we would have liked more time there to check out the infamous beaches, the aquarium, and other shopping districts and markets.  but, in the end, all that really matters is that we got to explore more of leo's story.  what we did see and hear, we loved.  and, cannot wait to go back.


[i just pray to god that our lack of preparation, jet-laggedness (if that's a word), and wild child did not put a big stop on allowing other families after us the opportunity to travel to 'mo sung won'.  i hope they liked us.  i hope they understood that we were there because we care...really care...about leo and his birth mom.  i hope they know that the time we spent with them was absolutely priceless to us.  i hope that know how grateful we are.]

from the three & counting blog, 9/2/2010:

Korea: Day One - the day we met Leo (part 2)

After we said goodbye to Leo and his Foster Mom, it was time for us to continue our Korean adventure.


Chapter 3 - Busan, back to the beginning
We learned from the agency staff that Busan was not affect by the typhoon and that our trip there could continue.  Up until the night before we left home, we thought we'd be going to Busan on Friday the 3rd and be able to spend the entire day there.  Plans changed.  We'd take the 11:40am fast train out of Seoul Station and arrive in Busan at 2:20pm.  At 3:00pm, staff from 'Mo Sung Won' would pick us up and take us to the campus that Leo's birth-mom stayed at and delivered Leo.  And, we'd head back to Seoul that evening in time to be back to our hotel around 10pm.

We got to Seoul Station, got our tickets and enjoyed a delicious lunch of New York hot dogs (Damon's at least had bulgogi on it) and strawberry smoothies while waiting for our train to depart. It was Drew's first train ride and it was obvious he was very excited.  He talked really loud and could hardly sit still.  Trains are not like planes.  Traveling on a train is like sitting in the quietest library you can imagine.  Drew's loudness stressed me out.  I so did not want to be the loud and rude Americans with a bratty kid.  I so wanted him to nap so that the odds would be in our favor that he'd be good and patient at 'Mo Sung Won'.  He did not nap.

Other than Drew really just being a kid and most likely annoying the other passengers, we really enjoyed the trip down to Busan.  Seeing the some of the Korean countryside drew me even closer to this beautiful country.  With the mountains and green vegetation, Damon even commented that it reminded him of Hawaii.  I totally agree.

Busan is the 4th largest port city in the world.  The city is built into the mountains.  We loved it instantly.  The city kinda reminded us of a huge, European-like, warm climate Duluth.  Or, something like that.  We had a bit of time to spare before being met to go to 'Mo Sung Won' so we just hung out at the big fountain by the train station.  While hanging out there Drew drew the attention of many older Koreans...smiles, pats on the head, and high fives.  He was a good sport about it all and suddenly my own annoyance with his behavior on the train disappeared.

At 3:00pm we were picked up and taken to 'Mo Sung Won' by the director and her intern, who kindly translated for us.  Her English was a million times better than my Korean, but often it was still difficult and we were lost in translation.  We were told before we left home that we'd get to meet some staff and get a tour of the campus.  (The campus was HUGE!  Not only is 'Mo Sung Won' a mother's home, but it is a full service social welfare organization with schools, housing, hospital, etc.  It was an impressive sight tucked up in the mountain side.)  Well, as you can guess, things did not go as we thought.  We were taken to a hot and humid small room with a table and six chairs and not much of anything else.  The director, her intern and the head nun (Sister Monica) were basically just there to answer any questions we had.  Oh how I wish I had prepared some questions!!!  And, Drew.  He was not a happy camper...not much sleep in 2 days...in a hot room with no toys...whining, pouting, pushing the roller chair around the room.  It was a sight to see.  I thougt for sure they were going to call Seoul and put a stop to our adoption due to our obvious poor parenting skills.  I tried to be funny - "I have no idea how I am going to handle two boys....please pray for me!" (Sister Monica just rolled laughing...that means she'll pray, right?).  And, I explained our recent travels of basically a 24 hour travel day for Drew with no sleep.  We talked for about 45 minutes.  And then Sister Monica offered to show us the room Leo's birth mom had stayed in.  We went upstairs and took a few pictures and then headed down stairs to leave.  It was a short visit - but an important one for us.  We have the beginning of Leo's story...even if it's not the specifics of his birth mom and situation...and that will go miles in helping Leo understand who he is and where he comes from when he's older.

Since we didn't have too much time before heading back to Seoul, our tourist options were limited.  But, the staff recommended that we go to Busan Tower and the infamous fish market.  So, that's exactly what we did. Those two places gave us a wonderful insight into the city and its people.

As soon as we started up the path to Busan tower I put Drew into the carrier - it was more than obvious that he was way beyond tired.  He fell asleep almost instantly...and that gave Damon and I a few hours for a "date" with Drew strapped to my back.  We loved exploring a little part of Leo's birth city...it was a great way to spend the day after just meeting him.

(Drew slept...and slept...and slept.  He does not remember much of Busan, the train ride home from Busan, or the taxi ride to our hotel.  And he continued to sleep for about a total of 10 hours.  Wish I could get 10 hours these days!!)

So...here is Busan...through our eyes...we hope we captured it well...enjoy!

in seoul station ready for busan

first train ride...with daddy & a strawberry smoothie

see all those white building - they're what drew calls 'lego city'

welcome to busan

the statue that greeted us coming out of the train station. pretty cool!

the room leo's birth mom stayed in with another woman
(i don't think we were supposed to go in, oops!)

with sister monica at 'mo sung won'
(on the bulletin board are pics of birth moms and all the activities they do while there)

looking up at part of  'mo sung won' - all the buildings with blue roofs

heading up to busan tower

still heading up busan tower!
(this climb should really be on the amazing race)

from the base of busan tower
(which is as high as we went)

fishing supplies

that's a lot of fish!

part of the harbor

you name it- clams, octopus, muscles, all kinds of fish

on the public walkway in front of the fish market

still sleeping at a cafe in busan station

{{i love busan}}

Until next time...hanging out in our temporary neighborhood circa 2010

the day we met in korea

last year, we started september 2nd roughly 14 hours before everyone back home (thanks to those “silly” things called time zones). september 2nd was an incredible day – natural disaster, taxis, trains, hot dogs & smoothies, water fountains, statues, a nun, a room with a view, endless stairs, fish, a sleeping boy…and most importantly LEO! we went into the day excited…nervous…and completely unsure of how the day would unfold. all in all…it was one of the best days of my life. the day ranks right up there with the day i married damon, the day drew was born, and the day leo was placed in our arms forever.

every day we were in korea, i made it a point to write about our experiences of the day. i know at times damon thought i was nuts…staying up late (really late), missing play time at the pool or in the table tennis room. but, i would tell him that i had to do it…i wanted to do it...because, i was too afraid i would forget some detail if i didn’t. looking back, if there’s one thing i’ve done right in the last year, it was thoroughly documenting our experiences and emotions while we were in korea. i am so glad i took the time because over the past few days i have really loved re-reading the story of when we met leo for the first time and how we spent the last days preparing to officially welcome leo into our family and bring him home. it’s a wonderful story and i cannot wait to share this story with leo as he grows up!

of course i wasn’t able to capture everything. there will forever be more thoughts and feelings tucked inside our minds about the trip. thoughts and feelings that will be stirred by a smell, a sound, a taste, a vision. but, for the most part, i honestly believe the posts from our time in korea capture the best of our experiences there. i will forever treasure the trip and the opportunity to explore leo’s birth country. and, the gift korea gave us.

september 2nd has come and gone in seoul.
it’s time to start our trip down memory lane.
thanks for coming on this journey with us again.
enjoy.

Korea: Day One - the day we met Leo (part 1)

Chapter One - Typhoon Kompasu
Our first day in Korea started off early and like nothing I could ever have imagined. Drew was still up at 2 or 3 or something like that. We laid together in his bed talking, snuggling and just trying to get him to fall asleep. Before he did fall asleep, he kept asking "what's that noise?" It was just the wind I told him. Drew finally fell asleep and I was able to post the last blog entry. The lights flickered twice as I finished up on the computer - strange. And then I heard on the radio something about strong winds, 3 to 6 inches of rain, and stay home unless absolutely necessary. I thought "what!?!? where?!?!" and quickly looked outside. Oh yeah, it was windy and rainy and not looking good. My next thought was obviously about Leo and whether or not today was really going to be the day that we'd finally meet.

The power in the hotel did go out. We had one light on near the entry. I showered in the dark and didn't have to worry about blow-drying my hair. The room was hot (no AC) and the last thing I wanted to do was put on any make-up. But I managed and we headed downstairs to the lobby to request a cab and head to breakfast. When we asked for the cab, the answer put me in total panic - she said that she will try but they had not been able to get any cabs because they were all too busy since a subway line was out and everyone was using taxis and buses. Oh, no. How the heck were we going to get to Leo?! She kept trying while we had breakfast.

We are staying at a wonderful extended stay hotel...so there are many families here with kids that are attending school in Seoul. I knew we were really in trouble when we overheard a mom tell her son that just walked into the breakfast area that school had been canceled. That statement and the view out the second floor window of the trees being blown completely horizontal had me completely panicked. Power was out, trees were down, Stadium roofs were blown off...I was nervous enough about meeting Leo and his Foster Mom...I did not need all this added anxiety of not knowing if or how we were going to see them that day. I ate a piece of bread with jelly, three bites of eggs, and some OJ. Damon and Drew had no issues eating.

We also did not know if our plans for Busan where going to work out - and left us wondering what the heck to take with us to the agency. We planned like we were still going and shoved all our raincoats and umbrella in the backpack. Grabbed the gifts for the agency staff, case worker, and Foster Family and headed back to the lobby to see if they were able to get us a taxi.

Still no luck arranging for a taxi to get us. Our options were not looking good and we had 40 minutes to get there. We decided to head outside and just try to hail a cab - all dressed up with gifts in hand - in the crazy wind and rain. Hotel staff stopped us, grabbed an umbrella and went out for us (thank you!) and sure enough, as soon as he got out there an available taxi pulled up. It was honestly surreal and obviously meant to be the day we met Leo - that is, of course, assuming that Leo and his Foster Mom can make it to the agency.

As we know know...this was "Seoul's worst seasonal storm in 15 years". Maybe Leo should have a new nickname - Kompasu?!?

Chapter Two - Leo
We made it into the taxi and counted our blessings. The ride to the agency went quickly - I wasn't so nervous thanks to the distraction of viewing all the destruction. Many businesses did not have power, but we knew the agency did since our taxi driver called there for directions.

We made it there at 8:40 - we were supposed to arrive at 8:50 for paperwork before meeting Leo. Leo's case worker was an hour away from the agency so another staff member helped us. After waiting until 9:10, she took us to the playroom where we'd meet Leo so Drew could be more entertained. Waiting in there...just the three of us...was hard. I just hoped Leo would be able to make it.

There was finally a knock on the door and in walked Leo's Foster Mom and Leo. There was not any staff present to translate - I wanted to make sure they had a safe trip to the agency...I wanted to say hello and it was a pleasure to finally meet them...but since I couldn't say anything, I just hugged...and I cried.

Leo's Foster Mom put Leo down and called for some staff. Our meeting lasted about an hour and we had three different agency workers translate for us at different times. It was a great meeting. Leo LOVED watching Drew. And, Drew LOVED being watched. After giving Leo two balls, Leo came right to me and gave me the most amazing...most wonderful hug. Words simply cannot describe how that felt. It was a wonderful visit. And, drew keeps asking, "Was that my real brother? Or was I just dreaming?" It's really him Drew-man. He's real.

in the taxi on the way to the agency

hugs speak louder than words

the hug i've been waiting for

checking out daddy

our handsome son!!!!!

we were given a photo book with 160 pictures...going through them with leo's foster mom

my absolute favorite picture

We see Leo again on Monday and he will be placed in our arms forever on our way to the airport on Tuesday. How awesome will that be!!

Until next time...when the journey continues to Busan!

8/31/10

One year ago today we flew half way around the world.

Leo had no idea we were coming.

We could not wait to see him. Hug him. Love him forever.

Our little three & counting was about to become all accounted four.

Until next time...typhoons & leos, oh my!!!

reflecting

the next seven days are big ones here at all accounted four.  it was one year ago tomorrow that we (known then as three and counting) boarded a big beautiful blue plane and traveled half way around the world to finally...finally...be with leo.  it was a big deal then.  and, it's still a big deal now.  and big deals deserve some attention.

becoming all accounted four took time and patience and lots and lots of love.  tomorrow marks one year since we began that final stretch of waiting to complete our family.  that time was so special and important that i want to take the next seven days to revisit and share the posts of a year ago - remembering the incredible time we had in korea and reflecting on how far we've come as a family that is truly all accounted for.  but, before we do that i also want to share some thoughts about this adoption journey that we're on.

supportive family and friends make all the difference.

in the beginning...before we even filled out and returned our first piece of adoption paperwork...damon and i were stalkers.  we scoured the web in search of adoption information and found you tube videos and blogs.  before those people even knew we existed, they became our supportive friends. friends we'd refer to by the name of their blog.  and, thankfully, we eventually came out of hiding and have become honest to goodness friends with some of these amazing families (whether we've met in person yet or not).  i feel so honored to be on a first name basis with some of these ladies.  truly honored.  i can only hope that somehow through this blog and through my interactions with others i can provide the support, encouragement, and wisdom that all these new-found and amazing people have shown me to others. 

once we announced we were adopting...which, thinking back, was an exciting yet nerve-racking thing to do (would people be supportive? were we prepared to answer questions? would our families shun us?)...i was overwhelmed with the support of friends and family.  from our parents to wine club to co-workers to the teachers at drew's school.  it was an awesome and amazing feeling to finally share our news.  still is.  damon and i feel so blessed to know we have so many friends and family members we can count on.  to all of you...thank you.  thank you for being there for us.  and thank you for accepting and loving leo from day one.  it means the world to us.  and, please know that as you are and have been there for us, we too are there for you whenever you need our friendship and support.

we took drew with us to korea…and we’d make that decision again in a heartbeat.

from the very beginning of the adoption process, i think deep down damon and i knew that drew would be coming with us to bring leo home.  bringing a newly minted four year old on such a long and emotional trip might sound crazy to some.  but, whenever we pictured meeting leo for the first time or stepping off the airplane back home, drew was there with us.  he is part of our family…the family leo was joining…and therefore we knew he should be the first to meet leo right there with us in seoul – not via pictures on the computer or as part of a group of people at the airport.  we all belonged together...even if that meant seeing, doing, and eating differently in seoul than we would have had just damon and i gone.

we also thought it was really important for drew to see korea and experience leo’s birth culture.  drew had shown a lot of interest learning about korea throughout our wait to bring leo home…learning (and liking) different korean foods, learning to count in korean, enjoying drum and taekwondo performances…that not taking him to experience all this firsthand just seemed wrong.

and…personally…i really, honestly, truly believe that having drew there in korea and on the plane home helped make leo’s transition into our family a thousand times smoother.  and, likewise, drew’s transition into big brotherhood a little easier.  kids like kids.  and, i think leo was really comforted knowing there was a kid there with him and for him.

[more morbidly thinking, i just hated the thought of leaving drew at home and telling him we were going to go get his little brother – i mean really, what if the plane crashed and damon and i both died?!? i had my self convinced that drew would forever think that we’d just stayed in korea with his little brother and just never came back for him.  so, with thoughts like those…the decision was made.  drew was coming with us!!]

we could not have picked a better hotel to call home in korea.

we often hear drew say “i miss korea”. but what we know he more specifically means is that he misses the breakfast at the hotel in seoul.  (and maybe the pool and playing table tennis at the hotel.) but whatever it actually is that he loves.  It brings complete joy to me to know that he misses korea.  he has memories that…without doubt…will last a lifetime.  memories that he will share with leo and strengthen their bond of brotherhood throughout their lives.

as for damon and I, we loved the hotel too.  we loved it’s location.  we loved the comforts and ease of staying there.  we loved the big bathrooms, the cozy beds, the view of n seoul tower.  (we loved the breakfasts too).  we would stay at the fraser suites again.  in seoul or anywhere in the world.

we should have asked people to take more pictures of us as a family of four.

believe it or not, we don’t have any pictures of just me, damon, and leo…or me, damon, drew and leo in korea.  it flabbergasts me.  it makes me sad.  and, i am sure surprises and shocks anyone reading this.  but, slowly i am getting over it.  it’s just one of the negative aspects of meeting leo on the morning of a typhoon (and traveling with a four year old, i am sure).  thankfully, i know i don’t need pictures of four of us together to remember the events and happiness of those first moments and days together.  i just hope that in the future, leo doesn’t need them either.

we do have lots of other pictures...and some great ones with leo's foster mom.  i think those are important too. and, in the long run probably more important since we can't get those shots anymore.

we miss seoul…long to explore more of busan…and think the 2018 Winter Olympics would be a great time to re-visit.

what an honor it will be to take leo back to korea and all explore his birth country together!! i cannot wait. this longing to travel back to korea is a constant reminder to me that our adoption journey did not end the moment we stepped off the plane in the states.  nor did it end the day we finalized the adoption.  or does it end on september 7th when we celebrate leo's first family day.  this journey our family is on lasts a lifetime and will be full of culture and learning.  it's a journey i would not trade for anything in the world...and a journey i am so proud to be on with the three most amazing boys in the world.  thank you damon, drew, and leo for being my all accounted four.

Until next time…prepare to travel back to korea with us!

five ~ belated

two sundays ago drew turned five. FIVE. it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that he is already half a decade.  those years seem to have just flown by…just as this past week has.  but i know in reality they really haven’t.

drew’s birthday weekend started late last friday afternoon in the car on the way to pick up pizzas and balloons for the big lego themed party that night.  and, more specifically, the birthday celebration officially began once drew heard mindy of the absolutely mindy show on siriusxm’s kids place live read off his name and give him his birthday missions.  in order to turn one year older, drew had to take a cross-eyed picture with friends or family; repeat a tongue twister three times; and have damon and i sing him the story of when he was born.  these missions were completed by saturday morning…leaving no doubt that drew would turn five on sunday.  [the song we sang was a kind of duet, i think…with damon’s parts much more musically gifted and my parts somehow turning into a very pathetic rhyming rap of sorts. the words though were what was most important, and i don't think that got lost on drew. he really seemed to enjoy hearing the story of his birth...in a crazy song kinda way]

the birthday party. drew chose a lego theme of his party…and it was an absolutely perfect choice.  the ideas and options were limitless and i think we chose some fun things for the party guests to do - build lego guys, a team building project, a relay race with legos, and taking turns hitting the all important pinata.  i feel like we only cracked the tip of the iceberg in terms of decorations, games, food and favors.  if drew or leo chose this theme again, i would be happy.  and, so would they!!

fun building with legos

ten five year olds ready to take on the pinata

and, thanks again to christine at leapfrog lane for her creativity and incredible talent! she designed some amazing decorations that once again totally made the party actually feel like a party!  thank you christine!!

finally sunday came...drew's actual birthday.

at 1:24am, drew turned five.  damon and i peeked in on him just after midnight to watch him sleep, whisper “happy birthday” and give thanks to god for the blessing he’s given us.  drew is an amazing kid…an awesome son…and a very cool big brother. (and i am his extremely proud mom!)

drew’s birthday day was a very good reminder that our little drew-man is growing up!! drew spent the lunchtime hours at a friend’s birthday party (drew and this buddy from ‘school’ share the same birthday – so we coordinated party times so they and their friends could attend both) and with leo asleep in the car and damon and i eating our drive-thru lunch in the parking lot, it totally felt like life fast-forwarded and damon and I were empty-nesters not knowing what to do with ourselves on our kids birthdays since they weren’t with us.  it was a strange feeling.  thankfully, drew was back with us by 1:30 and we were ready to celebrate as a family again!!

i am pretty sure that drew’s been asking when he can play hockey since he was three.  make that two.  the answer has always been the same, “when you’re five you can play hockey.”  well drew is keeping us to our word.  and, therefore, his gift from us – all the gear he needs to become a mini-mite this fall!!

goal!

ready to be put on a hockey trading card

later in the afternoon we all headed to open skate so drew could try out his new equipment (it all worked great...and he looked like such a big boy out there on the ice!!)  then we finished out the big birthday celebrations with dinner at red lobster and ice cream at coldstone...where drew allowed the workers to sing happy birthday to him.  a very happy birthday it was!!

two brothers. ready to hit the ice.

running into the restaurant after working up an appetite at the rink

now, before i end this belated birthday post...there's some things you should know about drew the five year old:

drew is determined and competitive...he loves racing, and sports, and puzzles, and keeping his mind and body active

drew still loves his guys: lego guys, hockey guys, baseball guys, football guys, soccer guys, army guys and has the best imagination when playing with them all 

drew is the healthiest eater we know...there's not a veggie or fruit he does not like, scolds us for eating too many treats, and thinks he's allergic to cheese (unless it's feta or on a pizza) and butter/margarine (but he's not)

drew is sensitive and caring...especially when it comes to bugs, animals, and his little brother

drew has the longest eyelashes of anyone i have ever known...so long in fact they've been known to get stuck tucked into his bottom lid so he isn't able to open his eye without assistance!

drew is a great big brother...he shares, he helps, makes leo laugh, and sometimes he even puts his little brother in his place

drew's favorite color is blue...or green...but not pink or purple

drew is ready to start kindergarten next week...with his shark backpack filled with school supplies and lunch code memorized and ready to use!

until next time...a week of milestones galore!!

two

we’ve got a two year old in the house!

leo turned two on friday…but it seriously feels like we’ve been celebrating this big birthday for days; rightfully so having missed celebrating his first birthday with him in person.

thursday there were cookies and a birthday crown at school

friday (the real deal day) we opened some gifts, hit the community pool, and enjoyed some delicious korean food for dinner (which included new chopsticks for both drew and leo from the market next door to the restaurant since i forgot theirs.  luckily, they had a 'stage two pair' for drew and for leo, they had a crong.. the perfect match for his pororo set at home. and perfect because now i can use one of the two pororo sets we have at home.) leo must have thought it was a very fun-filled day...he fell asleep in the car on the way home at 6:15 - and slept through the night!

ahoy!!

someone else was pretty excited for this gift

practicing with crong before the food came

quite happy with his new chopsticks (and even happier when the kimchi came)

the two birthday boys

the waitress positioned us just so...to make sure we got lots of mother of pearl in the picture

saturday we celebrated with a puppy dog themed party! dog house picture frames, puppy chow in dog dishes, hot dogs for dinner, bow wow and puppy paw cupcakes, and doggie bag treat bags.  it was a really good time celebrating with so many friends!! and the perfect theme for leo (and no, leo did not get a puppy for his birthday. but, our neighbors picked up their first family puppy dog that day, and I have a feeling leo will be pretty excited about that!)

[a big HUGE thank you to christine at leapfrog lane for designing and making the absolutely perfect party decorations!! i am sure the theme of the party wasn’t the easiest for her at the time (she just lost her beloved dog roxy)…but as i told her, the decorations were amazing and it was obvious roxy was on her mind when she did them.  without a doubt, roxy was still spreading love and joy with all of us at the party.]

sunday we celebrated damon’s birthday…and leo carried the helium-filled balloons around the house looking to share part of his party with daddy!

now that all the festivities are over (at least for leo…we’ve still got drew to celebrate before the end of the month! hooray!!)…there’s more time to see that my little toddler is indeed slowly but surely turning into a big boy.  lately leo has really been starting to let his personality shine and express his likes and dislikes.  it is so fun to see!  here’s a little glimpse into leo, the two year old.

he’s a counter.  you ask “how many?” and leo starts counting whatever it is in front of us…cars, trucks, books, legos.  it is fascinating to see his brain working and carefully and skillfully point to and count things.  the first time leo counted for us he got to thirteen.  that was a month or so ago.  just the other day he counted to twenty.  seriously. twenty.  (we must count a lot in the house)

and, by the way, if you want to know how old leo is, you probably won’t get an answer if you ask him “how old are you?” though, your chances of a response are much better if you ask “how many are you?”  :)

his favorite color is green…or at least i think it is because it’s the only color he correctly identifies and proudly announces to whoever will listen when he sees it.  but then again, maybe it’s black because lately it’s the most sought out and used color of crayon – he just must not know that to call that color yet.

“oooh maaaan” is a common phrase we hear…usually followed up with a super cute “all better”.  i want the sound of those words to be forever imprinted on my brain.  they are too cute and oh so sweet.

the kid is drawn to water…must be his busan roots. bubble baths, showers, bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, sprinklers, hoses, rivers, lakes, pools, ice rinks – makes no difference, leo is in heaven when he’s with water.  needless to say, the pirate ship water table we got him appears to be the perfect gift! and, i see many more trips to the community pool and swim lessons starting up for him this fall or winter.

he keeps growing and growing (despite his sharp decline in consumption of fruits and vegetables over the past six months or more)…when he was measured at the cottage on the fourth of july, leo measured in at 36 inches  (that would be an inch taller than drew at the same age – yikes!). we shall she how much he's grown in a month tomorrow at his check-up appointment!

but he’s getting “big” in other ways too…in the last year he’s shown us that doesn’t need (or want) a lot of things anymore: a pacifier, his highchair, gates around the house, sippy cups (much to my chagrin; they’re so convenient and the no spill clean-up factor makes me such a happier mom…but, i suppose he can’t use one forever).  now if only we could get rid of diapers.  [seriously though, what a huge year of growth and development and independence! great job leo!!]

he’s resourceful and helpful…when he’s on a mission, there’s not a chair or stool that he hasn’t been pushed or carried to put into place up high or get to a sink for some water.  and, leo especially wants to help his big brother  – wanting to help drew clean up toys or share anything and everything he has with him (even if drew doesn’t anything to do with what he’s being given) or hand drew his shoes and hat saying “drew-drew’s shoes. drew-drew’s hat” when it’s time to leave the house.  there was a time when i wasn’t so sure, but i think these two boys of mine are going to be great brothers and great friends with each other too.

leo still loves music…playing musical instruments, singing, and dancing.  we listen to a lot of kids place live on xm radio (did you hear absolutely mindy read leo’s name and give him his birthday missions on july 27^th!?!) and drew has been singing out loud in the car much more lately…to which leo now knows is acceptable behavior and sings too.  how he knows the words is beyond me…and way too cute.

happy TWO leo!

until next time…there’s leftover cupcakes and ice cream that need to be finished and i’ve got a lego party to plan!