First track meet of high school

Maria participated in her first high school track meet on Friday.  Her coaches wanted her to start with one race and build on that.  So, she did her 100m.   Last year we spent a lot of time with GLASA in Chicago getting training.  Friday, I picked Ella up and we drove about an hour away to the meet.  It was cold, but thankfully not too windy and no rain!  Ella was excited to see Maria race (she is really Maria's biggest fan).
We sat on the cold metal bleachers and watched Maria warm up on the other side of the track.  Ella was beside me cheering "Go Maria, Go!"  Even from where I was, I could tell her form wasn't correct.  Since her coaches don't have a lot of experience with wheelchair racers, I ended up on the end of the track helping her get into the correct position.  The upper classmen (with a boot on her foot) thanked me for the little training I did with her.  Since Maria was in a better position, Ella and I went out to watch her race.  She did great.  A really decent time for her (I'm thinking weightlifting for PE has helped build her arms up more).  She did amazing at keeping all 3 wheels in the lane with one of the back wheels just touching the inside of the white line.  Her time was 10 seconds faster than she has done in practice.
She was quite proud of herself too.  And I think she is more motivated to go faster......I'm trying to help her and give her motivation.  We will be having track meets twice weekly through April.....hopefully I will have the time and energy to update everyone on her progress.  The goal is for her to get as close to 20 seconds as possible on the 100m.....although it might take all of high school to get there (hopefully not).

A year

I can't believe it has been a year since I did a blog post.  Life got busy.  Life got hard.....really hard.  Since last March:

Maria has been home 4 years (it will be 5 years in June)

Maria finished middle school

Maria got her permit to drive

We made many trips to Chicago for track events

Maria got to race against other wheelchair users (a first, although not easy situation)

Maria went to wheelchair basketball camp and loved it (I cried leaving her there)

We visited our friends in Ohio and Maria reunited with more friends from her orphanage

We went to see a drive in movie (Finding Dory)

Ella is potty trained (except at night)

Ella has been home one year

Ella turned 4!

Maria started high school!

Ella started a new daycare/preschool

Maria ended up in the hospital and missed homecoming (thankfully no surgeries)

Ella had to stay with my friends and now is in love with my friend's husband

My mom moved into her new duplex with my grandparents next door

Ella went trick or treating as a minion and loved it

My mom, brother and I got to be with my dad when he passed away on Election Day

Organizing a funeral isn't fun at all

Being excutor of an estate isn't fun either

Surprise sweet 16 birthday party for Maria

Maria began basketball with her school team (practice at least)

We celebrated Christmas with family....it was hard without my dad

I got in a car accident and totaled my car (not fun at all)

Got a new used car 

Maria started track

Maria had her driver's evaluation and got to drive (planning on drivers ed this summer)

Looking for a bigger house 

Ella is learning so much at daycare/preschool

We went on spring break in St. Louis

That has pretty much been our year.....lots has happened that I have forgotten I'm sure.

March

Busy month for us!

  

Maria got her driver's permit!  She and I have an agreement that she will take driver's education prior to graduating from high school. She is rather nervous about driving and getting into an accident.  Which I'm glad she is concerned verses thinking it won't happen to her.  One of my plans this summer is to look into what kind of hand controls will be the best for her and to slowly get her behind the wheel and start some car basics.  

We also are gearing up for track season which starts next week!  Personally I'm not ready for the track meets, but I'm excited to see how Maria does this year.  I have a feeling Ella will get a kick out of watching Maria too.

The other weekend we ended up meeting up with some friends a few hours away for the weekend.  They were in the state for a robotics competition and we took advantage of spending time together.  At one point I was in charge of 5 kids.  We ended up having fun and playing in the pool at the hotel.  This was the first time Ella has really gotten to spend time with these friends.  She was very hesitant at first and did a lot of crying when they first approached her.  Fairly quickly she warmed up to them, especially their almost 8 yr old son who requested hugs and kisses from her all weekend.  He said she was his "angel from candy heaven" and a "marshmallow with caramel on it".  She also likes their older daughter who is 13.  We spent the last night avoiding the rather loud crazy wedding party in the hall, while the kids turned off all the lights and had a major glow stick party of their own.  I'm not sure who had more fun, but Ella was right in the thick of it yelling whenever someone opened the bathroom door.  They all had lots and lots of fun.  

We are finishing up spring break too.  A pretty quiet weekend at home.  We did a have a full day with specialist.  The good news is Maria doesn't need to see Ortho or neuro surgery for 1-2 years!  Ortho was happy with how Ella was doing, but also said she will need a new AFO soon because when hers was made, it was harder to keep her foot in the neutral position.  She also gets to wear her AFO to bed at night....so far she isn't objecting much to this.  I did get to talk with neuro about her shunt some and I hope she will be able to use the same neuro surgeon that Maria has had.  

Maria also got to do some climbing this week.  She loves climbing and it is a place that is very accepting of others.  It isn't unusual for others who are climbing to come up and talk to Maria and her friend like equals.  In fact this time, Maria was waiting for the rigging to go up for the equipment she normally uses.  She was watching some climbers climb on the wall and asked if I thought she could do that.  I said I wasn't sure, but to ask the gal in charge if she could try.  Well, the said yes and made a path 7-8 feet high with lots of hand holds.  Maria had maybe two spots where she needed help, but was doing the rest of it herself (with breaks of course).  

Track clinic

We did a whirlwind less than 24 hours in Chicago this weekend.  It was exhausting.....too many hours in the car for all of us.  We ended up getting to the Chicago suburbs around 9:30 Friday after a full day of school, work and daycare.  We went straight to bed and woke up at 7am.  Had breakfast at the hotel and checked out.  Then drove to Lake Forest for GLASA's track clinic.  One of the things about racing chairs is pushes and strokes.....something to learn on top of making sure you are positioned correctly.  I know Maria needs some help with positioning, which I think we have figured out this weekend.  Most wheelchair track athletes actually are positioned with their legs directly beneath them...Maria can't do this due to one of her legs only being able to bend as far as 90 degrees.  So she has to sit in the chair.  She was able to try out a roller, which was neat for me to see......Ella liked it too, however she got in trouble for pushing Maria's wheel while Maria was in the chair, which made Maria and the chair drift off the roller.  Thankfully I was right there to catch Maria and the chair.....Ella learned not to touch the wheels during workouts.  

We ended up finding out that for Maria to really be in the correct position she needs an additional strap for her back too.....but this is something that would be beneficial for other racers too.  

After getting done at the track clinic we went to the Bulgarian grocery store in Des Plaines to pick up some goodies.  The girls were thrilled with the treats.  Maria was excited that they also had Martenitsas for Baba Marta Day too.  

After that we stopped by a friend's home quickly to drop something off and then we're on the road again.  We finally got home around 8pm.  It was a long trip, but worth it.  On a happy note Ella did much better on the longer car ride than I expected!

Skiing

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=pSM6QhPm0m8

Our friend took a nice video of Maria skiing down the large hill.

Maria

Maria continues to do very well at school.  She is excited about archery and continues to make improvements.  She is also getting ready for the upcoming track season.  In fact this weekend we are going to a clinic to work on strokes and pushes....completely a wheelie thing.  Maria got to go skiing recently.  She did well with it and had a lot of fun getting to experience this sport again.  Maria has really grabbed onto sports and loves the accomplishments she gets from her experiences with them.  She continues to really favor climbing right now.  

It is hard to believe that in a few short months Maria will be done with middle school and moving onto high school.  She has been studying hard for her driver's permit test (which slightly scares me, but she also needs to do for herself).  It is so hard to believe she is the same quite girl I brought home close to 4 years ago.  She is growing into a lovely young lady.....I just hope and pray she continues to have the successes she has already seen.  I know how hard change can be for her and this mom does worry about the changes coming in the next few months and years.

New KAFO finally!

Skiing with the amazing LT as an instructor!

Balance is extremely important!

Archery competition.....almost done with the season!

Almost 6 months home

Friday will mark Ella being home for 6 months.  Wow, it has been a busy p, crazy 6 months.  Life with a toddler is more than I expected in some ways and not in other ways.  Ella is growing....she has grown to 33 inches tall and is now 22 pounds.  She loves to talk and exert her opinions and wants.  Usually these are in 2-3 word phrases.....sometimes she will use more words.  She loves daycare/preschool!  She is always happy and excited when I pick her up.  She is even starting to participate during circle time answering questions correctly!  She identifies her name and a few other letters.

One of the biggest things to me was when she started actually cuddling with her dolly at bed time!  When Ella first came home she would throw everything out of her bed.  She didn't want any comfort items or even a blanket.  Slowly she began requesting more item and now closely hugs her dolly to her while she is falling asleep.  It is quite cute to see.  We have struggled on and off with sleep.....Ella tends to scream and cry while in bed.  I have wondered if it was growing pains, muscle spasms, and nightmares......nothing really worked.  Due to the lack of sleep we made the change that Ella's bed is now set up in a different room of the house.  This is working better for all of us.  She is sleeping better and not waking up crying and we are getting the much needed sleep we need too.  

Ella continues to be very attached to the whole family!  She seeks out cuddling time with me.  Frequently requests Maria to pick her up and hold her.  Loves her time with grandma, seriously she is becoming quite the grandma's girl.  She also is learning how much fun her cousin Kru is.  She finds him to be very funny and he loves making her giggle.  And oh does she giggle!

Ella pretty much will eat anything.  She continues to love all soups and pastas.  Oh and if she asks for "mms" she is wanting M&Ms.  She is a good eater, but likes to eat slowly and I have learned I have to make her eat specific things (usually protein) first.  

I'm so proud of the changes and ways that Ella has come out of her shell.  I frequently get comments on how cute she is and how well behaved (so glad she knows when to behave).  We love Ella so much....even when she cries.

Our first family picture last year on trip one....Obviously Ella wasn't as sure about this whole family thing as we were.

Ella and her dolly

Playing at grandma's house

Hanging out while Maria was skiing

Frequently she requests that we brush her hair

A new year

Life keeps happening......I feel like for the most part I have mastered juggling work, home and 2 kids (still had I won the powerball last week I wouldn't be complaining).  The girls and I have our routine which sometimes gets thrown off.  But we seem to have a balance most of the time.  However, when that quiet time comes at night, I find myself needing to relax, talk with a friend, do a little knitting or just turn my mind off by watching a funny tv show (by the way Maria has finally discovered Big Bang Theory).  Blogging has taken a back seat to life.....but I also know people are interested in this crazy world of adoption and life after the kids come home, so I'm going to try to do monthly updates.

December ended with Christmas with our family.....well, this year has actually been different than past years.  Early in the summer my mom and dad separated, they still see each other frequently and care for each other, but it just was no longer healthy for them to reside together.  Because of this the holidays were odd for me.....Maria commented on it too, but she was still happy.  Christmas Eve my brother, his kids, my parents and my family gathered together to open some gifts and have a nice lunch together.  Afterward the girls and I went to my mom's home to spend the night and celebrate Christmas Day together.  We started a new tradition of new pjs on Christmas Eve for the girls.  Ella was also excited that grandma got her a super soft fuzzy blanket (she had been stealing the soft Sherpa blankets Maria and I have prior to this).  Christmas Day brought fun items to play with....Ella loved the magna doodle I got her and Maria was super excited about the Nike Fuelband (only fitness watch we have found that works for people who use wheelchairs).  My grand parents came by for a short time too.  Grandpa (who turns 90 next month) said the highlights were Ella sitting on his lap and Maria playing cards with him.  Overall it was a good day and we loved making memories together.  Also during break Ella had her first of four post placement visits/reports.  We met with our homestudy social worker and talked about what had been happening and where Ella was.  Everyone agrees, Ella is a fairly typical 3 yr old.....some delay in her speech but it is hard to tell if that is due to still learning English or due to being in an orphanage.  Afterward we ended up meeting Maria's friend and went climbing.  Climbing continues to be one of Maria's favorite things to do.

Since break ended Maria has had 2 archery competitions.  She continues to increase her score each competition.  The most recent competition she scored 201 out of 300.  She was happy, but still wanted to score higher.  She is enjoying her new bow and archery equipment she got for Christmas.  Maria has also ended her first semester in 8th grade.....gotta brag she had all A's!  She is doing wonderfully.  In fact she is only going to ELL every other day and I have a feeling she really doesn't need that support, but we will wait and see how she does on her ELL testing this spring.  She is also starting to think about high school.....they have met with some of the high school counselors and have already selected courses for next year (not sure I'm ready to have a high school student).  With going to high school I have had to do some research regarding courses required to enter the university we think Maria will want to go to.  Most state universities require foreign language to me take for 2-4 years in high school....with Maria still learning English, I have wondered if adding yet another language is good for her.  I'm researching different possibilities to see what can be done so that she is able to strengthen her Bulgarian and if at all possible use that as her foreign language requirement.  Maria has mixed feelings about high school and growing up......she is looking forward to the fun classes and events with her friends, but she isn't ready to leave home yet and doesn't want to get older.  We work through these moments when they happen.  

Ella continues to do well at her preschool/daycare.  They started attempting to potty train her, but she isn't having much success yet.  She is saying more and more words all the time.  She does not like snow at all, but will play in it if she has to.  She continues to be quite stubborn about not using her weaker hand (which I suspect will be a life long issue for her).  I am trying to encourage her to use it with highly motivated games and activities.  We got some fun magnets that she and Maria are both very interested in, but she has to use her weaker hand with them.  She isn't fond of that and if my back is turned will attempt to use her stronger hand.  I'm anxious for summer to come when I can really focus on a few things she needs to work on and be consistent with them.  Her current daycare is very consistent but I also haven't asked them to attempt to make her use the weaker hand.  I do know it will come with time and at some point she will understand the need to use it.  Ella has also moved into a big girl bed!  She does like it!  She has also decided that grandma is a favorite person.  She still prefers Maria and myself, but grandma is up there.....probably because grandma lets her eat non-stop and gives into her every demand.  Ella is quite busy and into everything, like typical 3 year olds.  I'm also working with her on getting out of bed when she wakes up and coming to get me.  Her typical behavior is to whine, cry and scream until I come in.  Now I can call her name and tell her to come to me....this is helping because she isn't crying as long and is less likely to wake up Maria.  Overall it is working well.  

Second archery competition

Last night Maria had her second archery competition.  She was excited to use her new bow (of course it is pink).  I wasn't sure how she would do.  The first competition she only scored 66 points out of 300.  She was disappointed since she is quite the perfectionist, but I was quick to remind her that this was her first year and she hadn't been able to go to all the practices because of basketball and my work schedule.  I ended up talking with one of the coaches and we figured out a way for her to attend more practices now.  

First let me tell ou archery competitions are kinda long and not the best for active 3 yr olds.  As a result Ella and I spent most of the time in the hallway where she could run around, be loud and hopefully not get in the way of any flying arrows.  Ella did really well waiting in the hallway.  She made friends with a little 11 month old girl (who was slightly smaller than Ella is).  Ella also was able to get a little iPad time.....I normally don't allow her technology time, but she was getting bored and needed something to do.  She isn't quite ready for unsupervised technology time yet, but she did like Elmo's Monster Maker app.  

Finally it was time for Maria to shoot.  At first she didn't seem to be doing very well.  She made a few adjustments and improved.  In the end Maria ended up with a score of 134.  More than double what she shot in her first competition.  Ella was quick to tell Maria bravo.  

For those who don't know we had a Paralympic archer within our area of the state during the last summer Paralympics.  This with the area being full of hunters (we have an extremely healthy deer population), archery has become quite popular among the kids.  Although I highly doubt Maria will ever go out hunting.

Ella update

Throughout the month of October I became more and more worried about Ella's childcare arrangements.  The adults who were suppose to be taking care of her seemed to be sabotaging things frequently.  At the end of October I finally hit the brick wall and found a new place for Ella to receive childcare while I work.  Best decision ever!  Ella is finally being treated like a 3 yr old not a baby.  She is playing and getting dirty.  She is having the structure she needs and being taught pre-academic items too.  I couldn't be happier with where she currently is at!  Not only have those things changed, but Ella has reduced several behaviors she picked up and was getting in trouble for at home.  She is a stubborn child, but the testing has dramatically reduced since she has a similar structure across settings.

Ella has finally decided that grandma is a lot of fun and ok to spend the day with.  It took her some time to realize that it is ok to like more than just mom and Maria.  She loves her big sister and looks up to her all the time.  Maria handles things well and enjoys Ella too (as long as she isn't crying).  We really saw this when we went to see Santa.....Ella was great until the big guy started coming towards her and then, wham full on ugly crying face ready to release the banshee scream (yes, it is that loud).  Maria stepped up to the plate and held Ella while the picture was taken.  As long as Ella was in Maria's arms she was fine.  

Ella is also our protector of the Christmas tree.  She is bound and determined that the cats should not be under the tree.  When they go under it, she will stomp over to them and give them a firm talking to, while trying to shoo them out from under the tree.  Needless to say this is very entertaining to everyone except the cats.  

I'm sure there is much more, but I'm tired and will try to do a better job of keeping things updated.

Maria update

Life has been too busy lately!  I have obviously not kept up with blogging like I should have.

The end of October brought Maria's IEP meeting.  The meeting went well overall with the exception of one teacher who means well, but doesn't quite understand how Maria and most other kids learn.  Her method is the kids read or watch a video and take notes.....for someone who is an English Language Learner this isn't usually the best approach.  We are still working through the issue and it seems like it is starting to get better.  Everything else with school has been great.  Maria is getting all A's with really little to no help at all in her classes.  According to the PE teacher (who comes and stays through the whole meeting, this is unheard of) she works harder in PE than most students.  Even the basketball coach and Athletic Director were at her meeting.  

Maria did basketball again this year.  It was a much different experience than last year.  Maria actually participated in practices with her peers.  She had no associate assigned to her or was placed out in a hallway to work on skills by herself.  She was given a game day jersey to wear and even warmed up with the team on game days.  She was included in the team photo....not stuck off to the side, but actually front and center holding the ball with her teammates and friends around her.  Her coaches actually allowed her to take part in a scrimmage in her wheelchair too.  I cannot tell you the number of times during the season that Maria asked me why things were so different this year, why her old school wouldn't do these same things for her.  Those were hard questions, but also reaffirmed that Maria is in a school district that is going to give her more opportunities.  

At the end of October Maria and her friend Suz also decided (with some pushing from their parents) to race in their first 5k.  Both girls had fun, it was a good learning experience.  Maria learned that she needs to work on her endurance and stamina.  So we have been trying to get her to do that when she is working out in PE and at the local YMCA.  The girls are talking about a half marathon in June.....we will see if they are ready for that one.

November brought Maria's birthday.  She is officially 15!   Hard to believe she is so grown up already!  We have been talking about her trying to get her drivers permit.  She is nervous about driving and getting into an accident, but we have agreed that she needs to take drivers ed prior to finishing high school.  She has been taking practice tests on her kindle and learning rules while I drive and talk her through what I'm doing.  When I think about how little experience she has had in cars compared to her peers, it does make sense why she is uncertain about the thought of driving.

Last Saturday brought Maria's first archery competition.  Yes, she is really getting involved this year!  She wasn't able to attend many practices due to my work schedule, but has worked hard when she could to improve.  The first competition she didn't do great at.....she wasn't the worse, she will improve I have no doubt.  She got done shooting and we waited for the results.  As we were waiting we saw a boy who also has a physical disability waiting around for his turn to shoot.  I suggested that Maria go talk to him.  She did and had a wonderful time connecting with someone else who understands.  She was thrilled she wasn't the only one who had a physical disability at the competition!  Hopefully we will see him and his family again.

Middle school dances.....the dread of every parent.  Maria has gone to two this year.  She has had a blast to be honest.  It has been nice just dropping her off and letting her be a normal kid.  We do use glow sticks on her wheelchair for fun on dance nights (plus it helps other drivers picking up their kids to see her).

Adaptive climbing

On the 4 Friday of each month Climb Iowwa hosts an adaptive climb for individuals with physical disabilities.  After the first time we went, Maria was hooked....seriously she still hasn't stopped talking about climbing.  She and a friend get to meet up there and take turns going up using some special equipment.  I get to steer Ella out of everyone's way and talk with friends who understand what it is like to parent a child with special needs.  They have actually been great at providing a lot of important insight on CP (which Ella has).  It is great that both girls love them and our older girls just click.  Well, this month wasn't any different....the girls had a blast.  

While they were taking turns going up a couple came over and started talking to us.  They started a group called Train to Inspire and were very excited to see the girls climbing.  They were excited to hear about the kids and volunteered to invite them to the monthly events they hold.  The group isn't very old and is still figuring out their role.  Part of the issue we run into is that most people do not know the difference between Special Olympics and Paralympics/Adaptive sports.  Special Olympics were really developed and allowed to use the Olympic name for those individuals who have a intellectual disability. If an athlete also has a physical disability they will also accept them.  Paralympics/Adaptive sports are geared more towards those who only have a physical disability (spinal cord injury, blind, limb differences are a few).  The qualifications for this group are much more strict and there are a lot of guidelines to how individuals are classified.  Most assume Maria would be in Special Olympics, but she doesn't meet the qualifications.  Which is why we spend a lot of time educating people about adaptive sports and Paralympics.  Well, this couple was no exception.  It did sound like they want to meet athletes where they are and help them move forward.  The man was extremely interested that Maria was starting to do some weight training at the local Y to help her with track.  I have a feeling he would be willing to help her with more specific weight training if I ask.  We ended up saying goodbye to the. And enjoyed the rest of our time.  As we were packing up, we were told by one of the workers that the couple had paid for the fee for the climb and bought all 3 girls t-shirts.  Needless to say we were shocked and appreciated the gift that they gave us.

Yes, Ella had to check and make sure Maria was doing ok, several times.

3rd Birthday

At the end of September Ella officially became 3 years old (and she is totally embracing the attitude that comes with the age).

She loved the cake!

One month as a family of 3

Yesterday marked one month of being home with Ella.  We ended up going to a Renaissance Faire with my mom and nephew.  The older kids had a lot of fun looking at things from the past, watching jousting, and even learned a few things along the way.  Ella spent most of the day getting pushed in the stroller with some much needed breaks where she walked around.  We all had a lot of fun and found some special treasures for the kids.  Maria even got to have a henna design on her hand.

 

I have also had a lot of people ask me how Maria likes being a big sister.  Well, most of the time Maria finds Ella to be funny and fun.  She cracks up with laughter when Ella toots (which seems to happen a lot).  She is extremely happy when Ella requests to be picked up by her or wants to sit on her lap.  It is quite obvious that Ella is in awe of Maria.  There are moments where I catch Ella looking at Maria with a bit of hero worship in her eyes.  Then there are times when Maria is frustrated because Ella is touching everything (more specifically her things that are off limits) or Ella is puttin her slobbery fingers on Maria or Ella is crying/tantruming.  In those moments Maria is not thrilled with her little sister.  But those moments are few and far between.  Most of the time we have the silly moments like today when Ella was laying on Maria's legs and saying "tickle, tickle" over and over again.  Or Ella pretending to read Maria's social studies book with her.

I hope their relationship as sisters and friends continues to grow and that as they grow older they will realize how special it is to have each other as sisters.

Bonding

Yes, there is a big difference in Maria and Ella's ages.  Yes, there are times when a crying little sister is not fun at all for Maria (or for me to be honest).  Yes, both girls have special needs.  We spend way too much time in different doctor and specialist offices.  Yes, both girls were considered waiting children.  Neither were chosen by families in Bulgaria to be adopted, none of the thousand plus files waiting for a referral specified a child with their specific needs.  

Against all odds we are becoming a family of 3.  Some days are hard (adopting a toddler in many ways is a lot harder than adopting an 11 yr old).  I feel like I'm juggling a lot of things at once....but it does feel doable right now.  And then there are the moments like these.....

They laugh and giggle a lot.  They tickle each other and make silly faces at each other.  They are sisters.  We are a family.

1 week home

I'm not sure why the last post didn't publish last week.  Sorry for anyone waiting for an update that didn't get one.

Ella has been home a week.  She is currently wearing size 12 month clothing, most recent weight 19 pound and 31.5 inches tall.  Ella is doing awesome!  She pretty much eats anything put in front of her.  She is eating solid foods (which she wasn't doing in February).  She engages in pretend play and prefers playing with her toy dishes the most.  She likes coloring (mostly scribbles, but is using the proper pinch and pocket hold).  Ella does a lot of imitating too.  She talks all the time too, some is easily understood, other words are very much little kid speak.  She has shown an interest in the toilet, much to my surprise.  She is sleeping well and taking a nap daily.  We are working on Ella knowing boundaries within the home and complying when told no/nay and other simple directions.  She is catching on quickly.  She tests her limits frequently, but is learning mom isn't going to let her get away with things that are not appropriate.  

Maria is handling things so well!  She is amazing.  I truly have worried at times about how she is dealing with certain things, but she and I have our talks.  At first Maria was sad that Ella didn't want much to do with her, now Ella has decided that Maria is a lot of fun and should be followed and copied all the time (I think there is a little bit of big sister hero worship going on).  Maria has expressed annoyance when Ella plays specific games like take her shoes off and have Maria put them back on several times in a row.  Maria also has a big first next week....first day of 8th grade!  She is growing up so quickly!

As for me....well, I can say Ella's adjustment is different than Maria's was.  I feel like I am adjusting to having a little one always under foot.  I am figuring out my limits and ways to help Ella learn specific concepts that will make a huge difference.