Summer gymnastics update

Ally is still loving gymnastics. She has some sore muscles which is a bummer, but part of the gymnastics life I hear. She has mastered most of the level 3 skills for USAG and keeps improving every week. Her coaches have commented on how out going and vocal she has become this summer. She asks questions in an effort to improve whatever she is working on. 

Currently she is working on an Aerial (no-handed cartwheel) and a front tuck (standing position somersault in the air). It's amazing to watch. 

But three hour practices are long and hot in the gym, so at her request we've been going swimming right after practice.

Ally is squeezed into a size 4T swimsuit that I had in the car. I wasn't prepared for swimming this day. But she loved it.

And we love her.

Guatemala Adoptive Family BBQ

This year we again attended the Guatemala Adoptive Family BBQ that Gabi's family hosts on the last Saturday of July every year.

The planned craft this year was tie-die so we made tie-died sugar cookies to bring along with Popsicle cut outs decorated in the American and Guatemalan flag colors.

It was great to see Ally with her friends:

Gabi, Rosa, Ally and Roxie eating corn on the cob. Alice was there too, and 40 other kids!

Ally and Roxie

Rosa and Ally trying to walk on stilts.

Roxie, Ally and Becky playing some kind of game.

The girls and chalk.

Then it was time for posed group shots

Alice, Rosa, Roxie, Ally and Gabi

Flashback photo to 2010. From left to right then: Ally, Alice, Roxie, Gabi and Rosa. 

The moms too!

Mary Beth and Becky looked great in their matching stripes.

Ahhh the love. Rosa and her mom Julie.

We even had someone take a picture of our family!

And our kiss sandwich!

As we drove home and later that evening Ally seemed upset. We talked at bath time about how almost all the kids at the BBQ were from Guatemala. But it wasn't until bedtime that it came out. Ally is starting to process what being adopted from Guatemala means. She talked about how poor it was there and how bad she felt for people there and then expressed how she was feeling bad because she too was one of those poor people from Guatemala and so were all the kids at the BBQ. And it didn't feel that great to her to be here in the USA and not there in Guatemala. She was feeling guilty. Guilty for being adopted out of poverty. 

Ohhhh it was a sad and difficult conversation. Lots of tears and lots of hugs. I told her that we are so happy to be her parents and that we love her very much. I told her I could understand her feeling that way, but that it wasn't her fault. Any of it. And we would listen and help her in any way we could.

I share this here in the blog because most of you who read it love Ally too and I want everyone who loves her to know that this is a common feeling for adoptees and we all need to validate how Ally feels and continue to shower her with  love and support.

If I have one word to describe Ally I usually say kind. She still amazes me how kind she is. At 8 years old to realize these huge thoughts and feelings. We are grateful she talks to us about them. 

Ally's First Job

Charlie and his family are away for a week and they asked if Ally would cat sit for them. Of course she said YES. One of the benefits is raspberry picking all week.

Here are some pictures of her first day:

First she got out the food and put the right amount in each bowl.

Then on to scooping the litter boxes:

She was pretty happy for scooping poop and pee.

But even happier when she was done!

Good Bye Tooth #8

Ally lost another tooth today! At camp during rest time. 

Coincidentally she had her 6 month dentist checkup and cleaning yesterday. All is good. Dentist said after this 4th lost tooth this summer it will be a few years befor Ally looses any more teeth. And it will take about 6 months for these 4 grown up teeth to start to come in! Guess we should get used to her new look.

No cavities, which was great. And while we all agree, even Ally, that she will probably need braces in the future to straighten her teeth, it looks there is enough room in her mouth for her teeth. Turns out her teeth are small just like the rest of her. Perfectly proportioned I should say. 

Summer Birthday Party

 

Liem’s little sister Khai turned 6 this week. Khai is at summer camp with Ally this year, and the girls have been having fun getting to know each other a little better.

There was lots of bubble fun. Stella was catching them with her hands.

Ally still loves bubbles.

Flashback pictures from 2008:

 

The cake was pretty clever in the shape of the # 6.

But most touching of all is that Khai made sure there was a frosting-less cupcake for Ally. At 6 years old she remembered that Ally isn’t a fan of frosting and she made sure to leave a cupcake unfrosted on the display and told everyone it was for Ally.

Ally ate every bite of her unfrosted blue cupcake.

Relaxing on the tennis table with Stella and the birthday girl Khai.

Saturday Fun Day

Ally’s friend Olive got a new puppy last week – a Chihuahua mix named Rita.

Puppy love.

We had to go meet Rita right away, so even though she was at the Tiny Hanger shop with Olive and her mom, off we went for a visit. The girls were so excited about the puppy. Ally even cleaned up Rita’s pee and poop from the store room floor when they were playing with her.

Then later that day we gave Ally a mermaid tail. She has been watching TV shows about girls with special powers who turn into mermaids H2O is the name of it. So we thought we would let her try it out but with out the  magic powers.

 

Ally loved it! Becky brought her to the pool and reported Ally was loving it.

3rd tooth of the summer lost!

Yesterday Ally lost a tooth while at gymnastics practice! It was very wiggly before practice, and we tried to get her to pull it out, but she said it hurt.

Then about half way thru practice right before she was about to do a tumbling pass with her round-off back handspring she ran up to her coach with her tooth her in her hand! They all clapped for Ally. Ally promptly brought me her tooth. I wrapped it in tissue and put it in my purse.

When we got home I took out the wrapped tooth and put it on the table. Becky thought it was trash and threw it in the kitchen trash can! Ally cried until Becky dug thru the trash to find the tissue and rescue the tooth.

After all that, the Tooth Fairy did come and left some extra special.

A dollar bill and a new Bea.nie Boo animal.

3 missing teeth! One more to go for a symmetrical smile. Its loose now so its only a matter of time. Ally is thrilled about all this, because she is now catching up to her friends who have lost so many teeth.