Hi friends!
I thought I'd give a little month-in-review for the Wartmans!    The kids have started back to school and are all happy.  Camille moved to the middle school and after the first day asked if she couldn't please do 6th grade at her wonderful elementary school.  She's adjusted now and is loving middle school.  Martin is in 8th grade at the same middle school and enjoys his classes, teachers and friends there.  Calvin is a Junior and is loving music - he's in the marching band (saxaphone) and concert band (bassoon)  He's taking bassoon lessons at Northern KY University from a nice bassoon instructor who, interestingly enough, played bassoon with the Dayton (OH) Symphony when the McLain Family Band played with them about 25 years ago.  Georgia has just begun college - we miss her daily and think that cell phones and internet are ever so handy in keeping in touch.  Adelie is home with mom and we're having fun every day.  Tom is able to be home with Adelie when I'm doing Usborne book events and shows.  My business is going very well - it's a fun thing to have a home business that can work around the busy family schedule.  Tom's business, Neonworks of Cincinnati, is getting ready to move to a new location - they'll be an active part of the American Sign Museum - very interesting move.

At the dinner table each evening, Adelie asks everyone to tell their "story".   Here are a couple interested stories of hers.  I'm going to blog as much as she says about her orphanage, as she may be remembering and now has the words to tell us about it.
 
7/29 "Once upon a time (I was) born in China. (I) wait and wait and wait a (at) Jinjiang (orphanage). Jinjiang a sad and scary. A mommy get me (and bring me) a home a family (for) ever and ever."

8/31 "Once upon a time there were 3 little pigs called Roast Beef and a big bad wolf that came a life.  The end"
(that's not about her orphanage, it's just cute)

9/1 "I cry at Jinjiang cause I scary (scared).  I stuck in crib.  Put me...rocking (there was another room with rocking Little Tikes toys).  I want to see what nannies doing."

When Adelie was at Jinjiang, the children were often attached to their cribs so they wouldn't climb out - the rails were very low.  That could be what she's referring to when she said she was "stuck in crib."  She also wasn't walking yet and she would have been put on the rocking toys and I can see her wanting to know what the nannies were doing and unable to walk to see them. 

Adelie has been home for 18 months and is loving life.  She is talking more and asks us to talk with her.  She LOVES to be read to - we can read books for over an hour at a time - we're usually the ones who stop - she'd like to keep reading.


We've been enjoying our cool rain barrel and garden this summer.  We just have green beans, corn, tomatoes, cantalope and lettuce in our garden this year.  We hadn't ever created a garden spot at this house, and after living here for 15 years I guess we thought it was time.  There's nothing like eating fresh tomatoes!!






This is Adelie's grandma Betty, who visits us for several days each month. 


Here's our fun grandson, 2 yr old Hunter...


BIG DEAL for us - Georgia goes to college!!  She's at Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY - just about an hour away, which is great.  We're very pleased with Georgetown.


Adelie and Hunter dot painting - we love these!!


Adelie LOVES carousels!!  This one is at Kings Island.  There's Daddy in the background!!


Calvin is in the marching and concert bands at school and is loving that.