Dinos and a new friend!

 Annie Kate and Jinx Jinx checking out the dinosaur displays at the Museum Of Natural History In NYC. On the drive to NY Annie Kate said: I's finks day have lotsa bones dare."
Yes they do I replied.
 "Yas and all da bones to-getter is ...a... is...hum...I's forgets da word."
 Would you like me to tell you the word?
 "No fanks."
An hour later we stopped for a drink and walk around a bit (buy Annie Kate new shoes at the outlets) Back in the car she excitedly announced : " I fought of dat word. Is skell-a-tons!"
Yep that's it... She is so determined!

 At the dinosaurs with Jinx Jinx. " Mommy I cannots beweeve hows huge dem is!"

                                          Can't we just sneak in here to look a little closer?
When we returned home daddy asked where Jinx Jinx was from.
"China, just yikes me."
"Oh does she speak English or Chinese" he asked.
 Annie Kate replied; " I finks I heared hers say Eng-ish but most she is just quiet and do not say nuffing."

"Hey, Mommy wooks, I am berry good at balwincing on dis." ( Until the security guard yelled from across the room for her to get down off of the top of the bench. Hummm... where was her mother anyway?

Not so "special hand!"

                                                       This is one very tough little girl! 

                 For the past several months she has periodically complained out her "special hand" hurting. At times it looked like the little finger buds were cracked where attached to her hand. We put on lotion, neosporin and other remedies. Some worked for a time. While in Fl last month Annie Kate cried out in pain when her hand bumped into something. I looked at it and it appeared to me to be red and swollen.

             Annie Kate heard me tell her daddy we were going to Urgent Care to have a Dr. look at it. She said: "Mommy da dock-ster is at da e-gent cared?" 

"Yes" I said. 

"Oh, I fought day is posed to be at da hops-is-till!"

           They bandaged her hand and for a time it was ok. This weekend she was really complaining about it. Finally, in the middle of the night, she came into our room screaming. She had (in her sleep) apparently tried to push her hair from her face and several of the hairs were wrapped around the sore little finger bud. I had to cut her hair to get it untangled. Poor thing was half asleep, frightened and in pain.

          In the morning I called our Pediatrician of 31 years, Dr. Nirgudkar.  He said to bring her right in but it may need surgical exploration it he cannot find anything around it.

         This sweetie asked 50 questions before he even got started. "Why yous got dat yite" , Whats dat for? Can I trys it. I need to yook inside dat too...."

        As the Dr. had to manipulate her little would be digits, Annie Kate cried out, "dat hurtses me".  She held still, whimpered and craned her head to get a better look at what the Dr. was discovering.       After he had unwrapped "stuff" and placed it on the gauze Miss Annie Kate needed to examine it intently. She had to use all the instruments in the entire office to fully inspect the item that had caused her the discomfort as if to be sure to recognize it should this occur again. I had to hold the microscopic "stuff" as she announced: "Since Mommy's hand is "berry, berry white, is hards to sees it too good so we needs a yite for it to be sees better." Satisfied we were finally able to throw it away.

        As we exited the office a van with a wheel chair lift pulled up. As the ramp dropped and before I could move Annie Kate was at that van door firing questions at the patient and driver alike.: "Whys yous got dat fing on yous car? How do's you gets outta dare. What's dis for?"

       The occupants were very nice. The women explained she had hurt her foot and..."Ohs I hurt my pecial hand too but da dock-ster he fixed it and nows is all better and I's was berry, berry braves. Are yous gonto sees da dock-ster too?" 

"Yes I am"
"Ok Annie Kate say goodbye and have a nice day to the people."I replied.
Darting out of their van Annie Kate yells: "Bye, has a nice day..." spinning around she adds: " tries to be berry braves."

5 years old!

                 Can this really be the face of the scared little girl we first met 16 months ago? Her 5th birthday was a huge success. Although Annie Kate still seemed a bit confused and slightly stressed at all the attention and people, especially all these kids that were touching and playing with her toys.                                                  When it came time for the piñata I handed out little baggies for the kids to gather up their candy. I held onto Annie Kate's baggie until she pulled her pink string for her attempt to  open the piñata.( no violent waiving of wooden sticks and blind folds any more) As another child's turn caused the candy to start flying I heard Daniel calling my name. As the kids all scrambled for the treats I looked at Daniel. He was trying to tell me to give Annie Kate her bag. In a panic, I was thinking how could she scoop up the candy with one hand and no place to put any of the sweets. As my eyes found Annie Kate she had managed to collect and retain as much if not more candy than any of the, many older, kids.
               This child's language can make you cry with her sentimental words and laugh with her correct usage of anything she may have heard even once. Last weekend after repeatedly stating that her "nappy-kin" had fallen on the floor she agitatedly said: " Trust me... my nappy-kin feld on da floor!"
Saturday afternoon after her party had ended, her dear friend and sitter Marissa pulled into the driveway. Running out to greet her Annie Kate informed her sadly, " You missed-ed da party. Is all ober now. I am very truly sorry."
                 Last week's "church school" assignment was for the child to state their prayer for the world as the teacher ( Marissa) wrote it on the paper next to the picture of the world Annie Kate had colored. Annie Kate's prayer for the world: " that everyone has families that love them just like mine does." She then pointed that the blue color was "da o-seen" the brown was China and the green was "her home!" When we came home from church school and talked about her prayer she said: " I finks my fiends in China wans a family dat loves dem too."
               Her attitude shocks us at times. On the way home from Fl a few weeks ago she announced:  "Mommy I finks is good idea I's has a pecial hand."
                "Why?": I replied
                 " A cuz if i'd have two pecial hands den I not be ables to open fings or writes my name, or do's my homeworks. Is good I goes one pecial hand annd one udder hand right?"
               When I heard Molly gasp and say, "Mom, did you hear what she said?" I knew I had heard her correctly. She is amazing!
                 I can melt on the spot when Annie Kate will say: " Mommy, yous is my bestest fiend, we wills be togetter for eber and eber. I wills neber, eber yeave you! You is da bestest Mommy in da wholed wold!"
          For over a year we have continued to ask, what did we do to deserve this gift called Annie Kate!