Every day is a day of firsts.

This is the first time I've ever created a blog. This blog is dedicated to the most precious, most beautiful, smartest little girl in the whole universe - Joie Tian-Tian.









Mom and Dad are slightly behind in creating a blog. (We've been home from China for seven months.) As we update this blog with current events, we will also post past events and eventually be up-to-date on Joie's Big Day.

Joie is watching one of her Elmo programs. While she's preoccupied, let me fill you in on a few of her accomplishments:

She signs - she knows her manners - Thank You, You're Welcome, and Please. She knows Bird, More, Banana, Pain. And most important, she tells mommy and daddy "I Love You!" We are all learning the alphabet now.

She knows her animal sounds - Tigers and Lions - Grrr; Cows - Mmmmoooo; Joie - Waaaahhhh!

She loves Elmo - "MOOOO!!!"

She's not too much into sweets, but she sure likes her chips and popcorn flavored rice snacks, and KETCHUP- YUM!!!

And all that ketchup means it's bathtime:

She's also getting into that copy-cat mode. We went for a little walk a couple weeks ago down the drive-way. The dogs went with us, and Sissy was getting quite a ways ahead. I did the two-finger whistle to bring her back. Joie decided to whistle just like mom - with her fingers up to her mouth - "Whiii-Wheee!"

She loves any song she can sing where she uses her hands - "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Down Down Baby" so far. More to learn, I'm sure.

She also thinks the laundry basket (or any basket) is her sit-upon basket.

Today after Sesame Street, there was a program on about Japanese Monkeys. She kept pointing to the monkeys yelling "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Hum... I wonder what she means...????

The weather is beautiful this afternoon. So we're going to take a walk down the driveway and check the mail.

Tata for now.