My PreSchool Graduate & TV Stars

For weeks now Logan would wake up and ask me if it was summer yet. He asked countless times "Monny, when I come home from school will it be summer?" Well, summer is finally here. Logan is an official preschool graduate. I am excited that he has a few weeks off before starting what we call in the special ed world ESY or Extended School Year. Logan and his teacher for the past 3 years. We are going to miss her! She helped Logan so, so much.

His teacher opening up the gift from the class. We got her and the classroom aide gift certificates to the local outlet mall and a picture of the class with all of the kids' names on the matte.

Back in February I attended a luncheon/auction for one of the places that Logan receives therapy at and attends summer classes at called Hattie Larlham. Hattie is an incredible place that does SO much for so many kids. Many of them are profoundly disabled. One of the "items" up for auction was to have your kids be a "Bus Stop Forcast Kid"......basically the kids are shown on the weather at our NBC affliate so people know how to dress for the day. Well, I bidded (that word looks weird??) on the auction and won! Today was our filming at the station for the "Summer Fun Kids". I went to great lengths to plan their outfits and props and it all went by so fast. Logan did AWESOME! Devon....not so much. She did NOT want to stay on the white background and when she did, she just cried. Oh well. Such is life. At one point, Logan said "Baby sister is done"......lol. He knows how to call it!

The spots are going to start airing on June 8th and run through August. The station manager said that he would send a VHS tape in a few weeks so. He also gave us a tour and Logan and Devon got to sit behind the news desk. It was really fun and cool.

Logan with his dino umbrella and Devon skipping town....lol.

Why can't we film on the morning show set??

Momma's "Anchorman" with Devon and Daddy being silly in the background.

Since we were downtown, we decided to hit a Cleveland Central American restaurant called "La Feliz Tortilla (aka The Happy Tortilla). It was sooooo freakin' yummy. My mojito was out of this world and so was the food :) Devon gobbled up the fried plantains and frijoles. Daddy and Logan had a Cubano sandwich and I had a tamale (came steamed in a banana leaf) and enchiladas done on a round crispy tortilla with red sauce, cabage and eggs. Way yummy! We will be back.

Dude, where's my food???

My boy loves his salt!

Devon kept saying "Happy" when she was eating her plantains. She DOES look happy, huh?

Lordie Lou, is this schtuff gooooood!

I Covet this VAN!!!

DUDE!!!! VW is coming out with a van this Fall called the Routan. Do normal people get geeked over stuff like this? We are major Vee-Dub fans around this house and I was so bummed that they didn't offer a van when it was time for me to turn in the old Passat. I did some reading up on it and it appears that it is basically a Town & Country with the cute little happy VW circle on the front. I'm down with that because I already have a T&C and like it plenty. Now I need to wait until my lease is up in June of 2010.....lol. I'm sure they'll have ironed out all of the kinks by then :)

I'm feeling SUPER sentimental today. Today was Logan's last official day of preschool. It was toy washing day :) Tomorrow we go to a park for a class picnic. Then he moves on the big world of Kindergarten. His teachers are so incredible. They made us scrapbooks with pictures and art and little sayings from throughout the year. I read it and had a big, fat cry. My baby is growing up!

Two Zoos and a Beach

Holy Hamburgers! Have we been busy! I'm not complaining.....we've had a blast and I've loved every minute of it.

We started with our 1st zoo adventure with Logan's class to the Akron Zoo. I was so thankful that Curly took the day off from work to join us. He and Logan rode out on the bus and Devon and I drove out in the van. We had so much fun with his friends from school. We've been to the zoo plenty of times but this was the 1st time that Devon "got" that you were there to see animals. She was off the hook jumping up and down in her stroller shreiking "doggy" and "kitty" at all of the animals that were neither doggies or kitties....lol.

On Friday I had a "Girl's Night" and I haven't done that in eons. My BFF's and I went to a salon for mani's and pedi's. I treated myself to French on the nails and toes. I broke my will and had pink and white acrylics put on. I haven't worn them since Logan was born and I looooooove them :)

Hanging in front of the waterfall
Logan and his teacher......tomorrow is his last day of pre-school :(
Mama's little Happy Feet
Soooo cute :)

On Saturday we headed to the Cleveland Zoo for an annual picnic that our adoption agency has. It was so awesome seeing friends that we made on our visit and pick up trips and fellow bloggers. The weather was beautiful! We had a parade behind our country's flag throughout the zoo and then came back to the pavillion to the song "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond. It gave me goosebumps. Devon was a dancing fool! My girl has mooooooves! I was so impressed that our agency invited Dignitaries from Guatemala to see how happy the children and families were. We wanted to put a face to the paperwork, so to speak. Right now, adoptions are on hold for new cases in Guatemala and friends who started before the closing are in a terrible holding pattern waiting to bring their children home. I really hope that it changes for the better. It keeps me up at night thinking about the children who cannot be placed and don't have room in the overflowing orphanages.

Thumbs up for balloons and cotton candy!
Oh pu-leeez! No autographs! LOL
Marching in the parade of nations.
How pretty is she her?
Dancing her sandals off!

I am sooo happy that the weather turned out OK today. They were predicting rain but we ended up dodging it. We took out Uncle Shawn's new boat and caught some rays. We did a little swimming but the water on the lake was still kind of cold from all of the rain and cooler temps in the past weeks. We cooked up and ate, ate, ate!! A few of my favorite things :)

Bathing beauty alert!
Here wanna eat some of this sand?? It's tasty.....NOT!

Logan, Daddy, Aunt Fannie and Uncle Shawn on Unc's new boat. Sweet ride!
Aunt Schell's in the smoking section on the boat
Vogue!

Giggles Devon and Aunt Fannie :)

Well, tomorrow is Logan's last official day of pre-school. I cannot believe that my little man is growing up and on to Kindergarten next year. We have another fun filled week in store and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Devon's Re-Adoption Day ~~ We're Official!

Exactly 1 year and 3 days from getting out of PGN was Devon's re-adoption ceremony and name change. We officially added Devon to her birth names that have so much meaning to us.

Wow, it was such a beautiful day and what a difference a year can make in your heart. We are beyond blessed to be this sweet child's parents and we love her with every ounce of our souls. To know her is to love her. She's that special and we are that lucky :)
Of course no day would be complete without some Logan-ism's....lol.....so here are a few for ya: He sat in the witness chair and tapped the mic and said “Is this thing on??”. Then he told the judge to “spank her hammer down” (the gavel). She asked him if he was excited that his sister was going to officially be adopted and he answered “Yes judge. I want to be a doctor”. (He wants to be a back Dr.). He can make you smile no matter what.
We were so happy to have Curly's mom and Sis and my Brother and Sister-in-Law there with us to celebrate. Our attorney was none other than my fabulous college roommate. It was so awesome to have such great support.
Afterwards, we went out for an early dinner and my folks met up with us. We went for a little Italian which is one of Devon's favorites.

Ahhhhh, today rocked!! In the parking garage with Daddy. We waited to put her dress on once we got there after experiencing the massive "take off blow out" on our flight home....lol. We are so wise!
So happy!

More in the parking lot....camera happy momma!

Don't they look like they are dancing here?

My Silly Boys

Monkey-ing around on the steps is as fun as you can get in court

Steps are SOOOOOO fun!

Me & Mi Princessa :)

2 Kids trying to bolt from their parents

Aunt Fannie, Logan and Uncle Shawn

Do you love this stink face or what???

All of us

More all of us :)

Pushing down the County Seal as a FAMILY!

Devon's still pushing!

We're done!

Outside the court room

I want pizza, pasta, meatballs, cheese and juice please :)

Phew! All of this re-adoption business can wear a girl out!!