I have been reminded several times by different people that I have not been keeping up with this blog. Well there is a very good reason for that - I have a three-year-old --correction- I had a three-year-old - as of today I have a FOUR YEAR OLD! Happy Birthday Alexa!

The summer has flown by. I can hardly believe that Alexa will start preschool two weeks from today. Her teacher came to visit us last week. She also had a tooth removed and one capped in an outpatient surgery procedure last week. My daughter is one brave little girl - and extremely strong. It took three nurses to hold her down when she was waking up. She was not happy! She settled down though and then did great. The tooth fairy came even though we didn't get to keep the tooth.

Alexa is growing and is now officially big enough to be on the growth chart. She is now at the 3rd percentile - so 97 percent of the children her age are bigger than she is - no suprise there! She is officially 36 inches tall and 27 and 1/2 pounds!

We have had a very busy summer - I will try to give a few highlights but I am sure I will miss something.

The end of June we made a trip to see Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins. Alexa and I visited a children's museum that we had visited a year ago. Last year I pointed out where China was on the big globe out in front of the building - this year Alexa pointed it out to me!

Alexa had a great time with her cousins.
I participate in a dragon boat race that was a benefit for organ donor awareness. Alexa got to sit on the boat. She looked much cuter than I did! By the way my team came in last but we had a great time. I hope we can do it again next year!

Later the same weekend Alexa was in her first tractor pull - the pedal tractor pull! She was much smaller than the other participants but she gave it her all and got a participation ribbon!

Last year we met Jenny who is also from Alexa's orphanage and we were very fortunate to meet her and her parents for a nice morning at the Chicago Botanical Garden. We had a great time and I hope we can keep the connection up for the girls. They are SuiXi sisters.

Of course we made it back for the Boone County Fair with the cousins and a visit to Grandpa's garden and a birthday celebration for Alexa.

One morning Alexa was a little upset with me because I would not let her put on makeup so she found a marker and "did her nails". Her toenails were matching! Thank goodness for washable markers!

Last weekend a couple friends came over for a playdate. Alexa had a wonderful time with Raina and Hayley. She really misses them at daycare.

Well those are some of the highlights from the summer.

There have been others that don't have pictures. Like the day she put a TicTac up her nose. I was ready to head to the doctor but fortunately she was able to blow it out. I don't think she will try that again. That happened the same week that she was locked in the garage by herself - twice. She has always liked "driving the car". I want to make it clear that she has never had my car keys but when we get home she would sometimes sit in the car and put one of her stuffed animals in her car seat or sit behind the wheel and I would walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail and then we would go inside. Well this particular day she found the garage door openner. I had left my purse with the house key in the car. I had the car key but no way to get into the garage where my little girl was. I knew she must have been terrified but I couldn't get to her. I stayed calm and went up to the door and yelled as loud as I could - Alexa, hit the button again.... and up the door went! I was so relieved. She wanted to stay in the car so I took the garage door openner with me and trimmed a rose bush right by the garage door. Evidently I hit the button on the openner when I leaned over and down the door went. We both were rather upset then but we talked about it and agreed that she accidently closed the door and then I accidently closed the door.

And that is it for now.