Citizenship

It is interesting what we take for granted.  US Citizenship, for example.  I never think about my own status as an American but I am sometimes reminded of it for Grace.  As an adoptive parent of a child born in another country, I visited Guatemala in 2007 - of course to meet Grace - but also so that when she entered our country she would immediately become a citizen.  That date was March 11, 2008 when my mom and I were so nervous in the Houston airport going through Customs and Immigration, holding a manila envelope that we were told to guard with our lives.

As soon as we were able, Grace got a United States passport - a document that would prove her citizenship, if it were ever questioned.  For me, having that passport is security of all the rights and responsibilities of living in the country.  Unless you plan to travel outside the United States, most people probably don't have a passport.  For us, it is a necessity.  Especially as a read articles and hear accounts of people (children) who face deportation because their parents didn't take care of the necessary documentation to make sure their child's citizenship was never questioned.

Today, we went to renew Grace's passport.  I told her it was a big deal and she needed to take it seriously.  She understands that when we go through TSA security at the airport she must listen and not mess around.  Grace chose this adorable outfit for her appointment to review her paperwork for her 2nd US passport.  My big girl...

Overnight in Columbus

Unfortunately, our spring breaks were not the same this year so we couldn't plan a family vacation. And, Grace was VERY sick all week with the flu so by the time Friday rolled around, we all needed a change of scenery and some time having fun together.

We drove two hours to Columbus where we all had our first experience with Cosi - a hands-on science museum.  

I always thought "Co-si" stood for Columbus Science Museum but we found out that its real name is Center of Science and Industry, which makes sense when you consider that some of the exhibits had to do with energy conservation and progress and inventions from the 1800s until now.  

Inside, we could see that it takes a lot less energy to light the new lightbulbs than incandescent and LED when Grace used her own energy to turn a wheel.

In the dark and mysterious Ocean exhibit, Grace climbed inside a submarine and a remote operated vehicle (ROV).  We could see her on a video screen in the waiting area.  She said there were a lot of controls and it sounded like the waves were crashing outside.

There were a bunch of areas to get wet like water canons, balancing balls, and PVC pipes to move water to another location.  I know the kids were supposed to learn about laminar flow and cohesion but I think it was just plan fun!

The Gadgets area had a lot of things that kids could take apart and put back together.  We laughed at our competition to throw balls into the funnel of an air canon, tried to work as a team to coordinate three pistons, and Grace used a pulley to raise herself on a moveable seat.  

It was a busy day and we didn't do everything they had to offer!

Kyle had a great idea to go to the American Girl store after dinner.  It was so pleasant to be there without the crowds and Grace got to check out the doll of the year - also named GRACE!

When Grace was about three, we went to the American Girl store in NYC with Nana.  But she wasn't too interested back then and I don't think she remembered it.  When we got to the store this time, she said, "This is like a dream!" and "I wish we could have all of this in our basement."  I wish I could give it all to her.

Grace was allowed to choose one thing that wasn't a doll.  She opted for the Feel Better Set with crutches, casts, an Ace bandage, etc.  I think it was a great choice and Isabelle (her doll) felt much better that night at the hotel since she somehow "broke" her ankle while we were at the restaurant for dinner.

We did go back to Easton shopping center the next day.  When we went into the American Girl store it was so packed with little girls and their parents that you could barely walk.  I was so happy we had visited the night before!

Layered paintings

Today, Grace and I visited the the Akron Art Museum.  Their front lobby is a glass atrium and the lighting is just amazing, even on a cloudy day.

When we pulled up to the museum Grace said that she remembers being there before and reminded me of what it looked like inside and that she played with giant blocks in the main entry.  That was two years ago!  I love how certain things have an impact on her.

She was excited to walk around looking at the paintings and sculpture.  In each gallery we entered we chose the one piece we liked the best and told each other why. There was a furniture exhibit (we liked everything - modern but comfortable)...

...and she had fun mimicking some of the statues.

The real reason we went to the museum today was for a kids' studio art class.  There were about 20 kids and two instructors.  Grace said they took a tour (she giggled about the nude paintings) and then went to the classroom to learn how to layer paint and etch a design.

The art classroom was pretty cool!

I think she had a good time and it was a fun way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.  Hopefully this will be one of the things she remembers the next time we are there. 

March Royale

March has marched in like a lion - no surprise, this is Ohio, after all. The lake is still frozen and there is snow and ice everywhere even thought it is March 8.

But today there was a little feeling of spring in the air when we went with Grace to Kent State University's School of Music and Performing Arts for the Ohio Music Teachers Association (OMTA) Ribbon Festival.

Grace has been practicing "March Royale" by Melody Bober.  It is described as "a cheerful and triumphant march in F major with with the occasional use of eighth notes and a variety of articulation to add character."  Grace had to go into a room with a judge and perform the piece from memory.

That has to be a pretty difficult thing to do.  This was her second year in this festival and her teacher mentioned when she was done that this was her hardest piece of music so far.

Next week at her lesson, Grace will get a report of how she did and from that, her teacher will set goals for the next year.  No matter what the report says, we were very proud of her!

Singing the whole time

The echo in the bathroom is not lost on the next singer on the Voice.  Grace was so funny making up her own songs! Laughing and singing (and making sure I was taking photos) the whole time.

Setting records

It is super cold here.  Record-setting cold.  Today it was -14 with the wind chill.  So....no school which means Grace and I spent the day together.  It included getting nails done, getting a haircut, going out for lunch, and shopping for new winter clothes.  We both loved this North Face fleece and added in some mittens for the snow!  I wish we were shopping for spring clothes, though!

Grace's Glorious Moments

The entire second grade had a timeline project to do over the long Presidents' Weekend.  They have been reading biographies of famous Americans so this fit in with the important events of other people's lives.  We looked back at the blog books from Grace's 7 years and she chose events that were significant to her.  It was a lot of fun remembering how little she was and I was really happy that I have been taking photos and recording milestones.  We even had exact dates of when these things (and many others) happened.

For her "glorious moments" Grace chose:

• The day she was born in Guatemala (May 23, 2007)
• When she moved to Ohio (March 12, 2008)
• The day she walked 8 steps on her own (July 27, 2008)
• Getting her first pet (she doesn't consider Daisy "hers") - a goldfish named Dorothy (May 1, 2009) 
• Going to New York to meet Connor and Ryan (July 13-17, 2009) 
• Starting music/piano lessons (February 25, 2012) 
• The first day of kindergarten (August 24, 2012) 
• When she lost her first tooth (January 2, 2013)
• Starting ballet (September 2, 2014) 
• Getting her ears pierced (December 26, 2014)

This one is my favorite photo from today....I told Grace to pose like a 3rd grader!  She has been telling me she is getting closer to being in 3rd grade every day.

Of course, Buddy needed to come see what was going on.  Look at how BIG he is getting! That cat is always hungry and we find him eating Daisy's food several times a day.