Happy Hadley Who

Date Night

It's a sad thing when a date night becomes blog-worthy. It's an even sadder thing when your date night consists of shopping at Macy's and then Pottery Barn. We were both yawning before 9PM. It was Elise's birthday and a great friend volunteered to hold down the fort so we could sneak away (Thanks Amy!). We did, however, rally to cap off the night with an appetizer and dessert at the Bristol and we were able to stay out respectably past 10 PM.

not a bad idea for airplane travel, either...

Our Little Saint

Without my influence, Bri has decided that the convent is for her.

While Mia started getting in the act, Bri does her best "E.T."

A Song She Won't Let Me Sing

From the very first few days in China, I started to write Mia a song called "Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'". It was inspired by a prayer my friend Joe said at one of our prayer gatherings for her. He prayed that our waiting for Mia felt like we had been digging through the earth's core and were finally coming out the other side to get her.

That always stuck with me.


So I began to put a silly little melody and words to it. And Mia and I would sing it together during bathtime and whatnot. I really developed it when we got home and, for a while, she would love to sit on my lap and rock back and forth to the tune.


But no longer.


The minute I even as much as hum the sucker, she adamently shakes her head and curtly says, "No!" I honestly don't know how much to read into that - wondering if it's just a typical phase or if I'm supposed to go all pyschoanalytical about it all. Something I suspect that I'll wonder a thousand times over with 4 women in my house.


Well, until I can figure that out, I thought I'd document the song before it's lost forever. Here goes (be forewarned, it's long):

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Well, I got me a girl

She lived far away

In the land of China

And Mia is her name

I wanted to go get her

But I didn't know how

So I wrote a long letter

To CHAIRMAN MAO!

I said, "Give me my baby!

And don't delay

Wherever her castle

The dragon I will slay

I'll sneak past your guards

And I'll jump your mote

I'll lower 'er down the window

And INTO MY BOAT!

BUUUUUTT......THHHEEEE.....

Boat was too slow,

the plane wouldn't fly

The car wouldn't make it

and the train wouldn't try

I thought about a camel

but it would hurt my back

Tried to hail a cab

but the tire went flat

SOOOO....IIII....WENNNNNTTT....

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the earth and the tundra

I went diggin' past Texas

and beyond down under

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the rock, past the pearl

I went diggin' to China

To get my baby girl

Well I got out my shovel

And I picked up my rake

I swung a pick axe

And I didn't hesitate

I got on my knees

and I crawled all around

I dug a long tunnel,

I went UNDERGROUND!

IIIII.....WEEENNNTT.....

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the rock and the quartz

I went diggin' through the desert

and beyond the rain forest

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the mud and the ice

I went diggin' for my Treasure

To get my Asian Spice

WELLL....IIIIIII.....

Thought about a space ship

'Cause it goes really fast

But it's not environmental

And it wastes a lot of gas

I jumped from a plane

Cause I want to sky dive

I hopped on a horse

But it CHAPPED MY HIDE!

SOOOO....IIIIII....WEEEENTTT...

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the mud and the clay

I went diggin' through the jungle

and beyond Caneel Bay

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the dead of winter

I went Diggin' to Nanchung

'Cause I HAD TO GET HER!

WELLL....IIIIII......

Thought about swimming

Couldn't put you on my back

I tried to snorkel

But feared a shark attack

I got halfway

on a long high wire

got shot from a cannon

when I YELLED "FIRE!"

SOOO...IIII....WEENNNNT...

Diggin’ diggin’ diggin’
Through the mud and the ore
I went diggin’ past Haiti
And beyond the seafloor

Diggin’ diggin’ diggin’
Through roots and the water
I went diggin’ to China
To LOVE MY BABY DAUGHTER!

the girls are starting to feel better...

"The Happy One"

"Colonel Sanders"

"I Spy"

Sickfest

All three girls have been sick for over a week now. It's a total "code red" situation. They don't sleep, they don't eat, and they sneeze 4-foot snot strings from their nose. It's very unlady-like. Oh, and they whine like sore losers. Hadley has the junk down deep in the lungs and so our doctor has her pulling tricks like Michael Phelps.

Living Behind Bars

My hope and prayer is that living constantly behind bars will not in some way embed into Hadley's spirit. Someday my sweet you will be big enough to defend yourself and you can live free. In the mean time, it takes creativity and ingeniuty to keep you entertained and alive.

The irony is that usually your sisters camp out on the other side of the gate to watch you.