The Phantom of the Opera helps out a bit...

Chiara's eczema seems to be back a bit on her face. The best solution we've found is calendula (sp) creme. But it does look a little funny:


And here's Chiara happy as anything to help with the dishwasher. Or maybe she's just happy to get to stand up and hold a spoon (two of her favorite things).

Adoption Party (er... Open house)

Yesterday we had the Party (ok, Open House) for Chiara's second parent adoption. Basically was wanted to have an Open House to make it less presurey for people to show up at a certain time and leave at a certain time. But most people showed up near the beginning and stayed quite a while which was really great. Some of our guests we hadn't seen in quite a while (including a few who hadn't met Chiara yet which says that we need to socialize more).

So in no particular order. We had food (of course): egg casseroles, chocolate chip cookies, crudites, chips, and some really great natural-good-for-you cupcakes that the Sullivans brought but that I didn't take a picture of:



For entertainment, we had toys indoors of course, fantastic conversation and the slip n'slide and kiddie pool outside.



Owen looked great on the slip n' slide (Have a great first day of school, Owen!).



And Monica, Owen, and Willow had a lot of fun in the kiddie pool. Later Owen, Asher, (and then Charlotte and Ezra but I didn't get pictures of them) played a very complicated game of golfbaseballtrampoline. I went out and put a kibosh on the golf/trampoline part but I think that was for the best.


Monica, Willow, Owen, Molly, and Leah look like they're having an fun discussion.



The Libba and Liam half of Team Letton-McCabe



A few group shots of (if I spot everyone here) Willow, Joey, Karen, Robin, Rachel, Chiara, Ezra, Vickie, Tash, Wylie, LD, David.


And normally I wouldn't post both of these pictures but I think it's worth of posting or perhaps contacting Guinness that LD had her eyes open for two straight pictures. What are the odds? Perhaps the hat is a special eye opening magic hat.

Random photos

Well, I'm quite lucky to have gotten these uploaded. The computer monitor seems to have a short in the cable running from the computer to the monitor (yes, I replaced it - same problem) so whether we have a monitor is a bit touch and go (literally). So quickly...

Chiara rolled over the other night and got one of Asher's atlases down and seemed to be studying it quite actively:



We are reading Stuart Little (a big brother gift from Asher's grand-God-mother (or is it God-Grand-mother?) and lately Asher has been a mouse:




Just some cuteness:



And standing:



And there are our first guests... Gotta go.

Queen of the Table

It starts already. All this Princess stuff or maybe being queen of the table. Either way, it looks like a crown to me.


The other day Chiara managed to roll all the way into the tent and then play there quite happily:


And finally, Asher's present for Chiara's adoption day was a Sheriff Woody doll (from Toy Story (and Toy Story II) (and soon Toy Story III) (and in Asher's mind Toy Story IV - Toy Story XIII). Can you see that he likes it a little bit?

Adoption Complete!

Yay and also Yay! We went to the courthouse today to complete Chiara's second-parent adoption. There's not a lot to say about it but we're very happy and the judge was so nice and happy for us. Here's a picture from today with both kids and the judge and one from 10/04 when we completed Asher's adoption.


Another couple was there with us today completing their second-parent adoption to congratulations to Liz and Brooke and Lennox.

On the way to the courthouse, we stopped in the park so Ash could sing a song on the stage:


And to all the people who see the blog and say, "Why weren't there any pictures of you on the blog?" Here you go:



Flirty McFlirterson:

Visit to Houston

We went to Houston this weekend to visit the Levines. We hadn't been in quite a while and really wanted to see them. I guess it was our Summer trip which sounds a bit strange. The first day we went to their swimming pool which is very nice with two pools plus a kiddie pool with a sprinkler setup in the kiddie area. Mitzi make a wonderful dinner of Salmon and beans and potatoes and some other things. Sunday we all went to the zoo which was very hot but a good trip and then to Cafe Express for lunch.

Here are a few pictures of Asher and Alissa playing a board game or making bracelets:


And Jonah posing for the camera:


And we rode the train at the zoo:

Visit from the Sullivans

The first two pictures aren't actually from the visit. But they're darned cute! I feel like in the first Chiara is flirting and in the second she's trying to be a monster.


And then we have some pictures of Chiara and her betrothed (sorry Daniel but Dylan was there first I guess).


And I don't remember but it seems like Molly and Leah were vogueing or something.