WOOHOO.....A BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!!

Dialogue on our ride home from the amusement park tonight:
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Big D
Derek: Daddy
Norm: What
Derek: Mommy, Daddy...I LOVE YOU!!!!

Me & Norm...instant tears of joy. Our first time hearing Derek tell us that he loved us and for us to both enjoy it together was so awesome!!!!

He is the coolest!!!!!!

On the way to the park we were passing a McDonalds and Derek said: Mom
I said what Derek and as we passed by McDonalds and I looked back at him he pointed and said: HEY!
Probably the first time we passed a McDonalds without stopping for him to get a "CheeBurr"!!!!!

Well we have decided to enroll Derek in the Daycare/Preschool Program just 1/2 mile from our home. It is a great little center with wonderful staff. He will start going 2 days a week for 4 hours per day and then increase to 2 full days and 1 half day in about 3 weeks when school starts for the girls. It was a hard decision but we feel he needs the structure and social time and also that he may take to learning there better than he is at home. They even potty train and have a super record of successes. We are working on it here at home but I think they have a better set of nerves than I. I am packing his bag of clothes and undies for his cubby and he starts on the 18th. We know he will love it and that it will be us who have to work through the tears and transition.

As you all know I am trying hard to divert Derek's attention to racing. Any racing will do....Nascar or Dirt Track. Wednesday we found out about a local track in our area that Kasey Kahne would be holding a charity race event. I of course made the decision that we would be attending. We headed to Walmart early in the afternoon to buy ear protection for Derek (pictures below). He didn't want to take them off from the time we tried them on until the races ended. It was a struggle keeping them off of him. It all ended up that we sat 30 feet away from the flag stand where they had Kasey & Kyle Busch stand to do interviews. What a thrill to be so close. The race was awesome!!!!

CUTENESS.....

We have had the wonderful opportunity of staying in close contact with 2 of the families we were fortunate to adopt with, The Haags, & The Harwells. This past weekend the Harwells flew into Pittsburgh, the Haag hometown, and we jumped into the van and drove to all meet again together since our stay in Vietnam. What a wonderful time. It was so surreal to all be together again and to now be able to share and compare stats about our children. The kids were so cute together and played as if there wasn't an eight month gap since being with each other. They had so much fun. It was hard to return home and even harder to say goodbye to the Harwells as we knew that would end our kids' time together for another period of time. Be sure you check out the matching outfits on the kids which they wore to the awesome BBQ that Matt & Lauren planned for friends and family. Thanks Lauren for the cuteness you created!!!

Check out these beautiful pictures that Alyssa took on her Art Club field trip.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013970&id=1394828307&l=2f4a4bb7e5

RANDOM PICTURE POST....

Derek looking as cool as ever

Taking the "Caregiver /Survivor Lap" but Derek got tired and requested a lift

Derek's first ice cream cone



Looking Dapper!!!!

Alyssa being less than thrilled to head to the prom 2009

Hey just passing on a great opportunity to all of you readers. Visit Laurie over at
http://www.goodhappenings.com/
and get in on the DadGear Giveaway she is offering. Not to mention she has a house full of delightful little ones and is alot of fun to blog with. She always has something amusing going on there!!!!

A moment of thrill just came across me as I had a few moments to sit and think through my calendar of upcoming events.....
May 8th---My beautiful daughter will attend her 1st prom!!!!
May 10th--Mother's Day
May 12th--My mom's final chemo appointment!! YAHOO!!!!!!
May 30th--See Matt, Lauren & max & Jeff, Michelle & Linhly!!!!!
July 20th--Spending a week in sunny California with The Harwell's!!!! VERY EXCITED!!!!!

Introducing The Future Pit Crew Tire Changer For The #17 Matt Kenseth Team......

We got Derek a workbench that has carpenter tools on one side and when you flip it you get a car engine to take apart and put together. I guess I don't need to tell you that Derek can do it in record time. It also came with this car that you can do repairs on and he learned how to change the tires quicker than I learned how to cut hair!!!! I am pretty sure that the #17 team will be recruiting him when he is old enough. Does anyone have a connection to Matt or his crew??? We would love to have Derek meet him (okay secretly it is me who wants to meet him). Huge Fan!!!!! Go Matt, or as Derek says Mo Matt!!!!!!

LOOKING FOR A PLAYDATE.....

The swingset should be all done this week since the weather will be warmer. The house is invitingly fun and the picnic table just needs a few cutie pies gathered around it. Anyone interested?????

Derek Hangin' With His Buddy (Pap-Pap)...

Random ADORABLE pics.....

DEREK"S FIRST ICE CREAM CONE

He wasn't too fond of this and didn't get very far with it. Guess I'll be having a fattening summer at the ice cream stand this year.

DEREK'S FIRST EASTER EGG COLORING & EASTER EGG HUNT...

He even found a prize egg which supplied him with the big chocolate bunny he is chewing the ear off of.

We have had so much going on and it is too much to talk about here. I just realized it has been almost a month since we blogged so I am going to leave you with a new picture of Derek until I have a little more time to write the novel.....

Here's Derek showing his culture. We thought ths would be appropriate to wear for the Tet holiday!!!! I had to throw in this picture of him snapping a picture of Tinka with his camera that Santa brought him.

I have been "face" inspired by Jenna over at Stoll My Heart. Thanks Jenna for taking such awesome pics of Ella since it has made me realize that taking a cute picture doesn't always mean it has to be posed. Here's one I took that I love!!!!

Since there is no local Tet Celbrations in our area we had to "ad-lib" our own. Today Derek colored some pictures depicting the Holiday!!!! We also spent time browsing through our pictures from our adoption trip.