Well, we've survived another trip across southern Canada to Rochester, NY, endured the beginnings of preschool and celebrated Gabby's 4th birthday! Oh, and lost the apple tree!

We drove to New York the Thursday after Labor Day to celebrate my grandma's 100th birthday. Grandma was pretty "perky" for being 100! She is incredible...even picked Gabby up to put her on her lap!! Granted, Gabby's only 22 pounds--but we're talking a 100 year old who doesn't do much "heavy" lifting!!! Gabby was fascinated with Great-grandma and all the old people---they had a party in the nursing home's community room. Duncan just ran around with a balloon & had a great time! The following day we went to my cousin's son's wedding. While we were there, we met up with another adoptive family--3 girls. One from Korea, one from Vietnam and one from Russia! All are in their late teens & were quite taken with Gabby and Duncan.

Preschool is FINALLY going OK! It took the other kids about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to believe Gabby actually IS old enough to be in their class--they all thought she was a baby who somehow got "let in"! Until then, Gabby was the class bully--hitting someone every day--usually a boy! One boy bit her on the arm one day. Nice.... Gabby finally has a couple little friends, Kamisha and Lana. The first few days, when we left Gabby, Duncan would cry. Now he's fine--we come home & he goes right in for his very short nap! ("No thumb, Mama?"--we still put socks on his hands to stop the relentless thumb sucking!)

Duncan is VERY proud of himself these days--not only can he say more things, offer opinions and ask questions but he can put on & take off his new pair of shoes!!! They are slip-ons, but he's SOOOO happy to do it "all by self"! His newest word "contortion" is "Baboon" for Balloon! Yesterday he kept talking about the pink & orange "baboons" that he & Gabby got! I'm sorry, I just kept laughing as I pictured 2 monkeys bouncing around....especially one pink & one orange!

Gabby figured out what a birthday was about 2 weeks before her birthday...And she MILKED it! I wish I had a video of us singing Happy Birthday to her--she just GLOWED!!! It was so very sweet! She got more Dora dolls, a doll bed--for Dora, a Dora van, curious George monkey, some clothes and a hop-on ball. Between the Dora's and the hop-on ball, she's been quite happy! The van has caused so many arguments that I've put it away for a week!!!! It's due to come out tomorrow--we'll see how long it lasts!

The apple tree "lost its life" in late September. Between the yellow jackets comandeering the backyard and having to pick up all the rotting apples, I was just sick of the thing. 2 guys cut it down in less than 45 minutes! We had them cut a couple slabs of the trunk...maybe we'll make them into tables! They came back 3 weeks later-last Monday--& buzzed the stump into nothingness. Now we have a TON of mulch to spread on the garden. Actually, Steve has done a fantastic job of spreading it--I've wrenched my back & have not been able to move much since yesterday morning.

Oh, and YEA TIGERS!!!! Win the World Series!!!