Dakota's Graduation

She's a high schooler now!!

Yesterday Dakota graduated from Middle School and Mackenzie and I went to her ceremony. For all you Aussie's middle school is grade 6 through to 8. Mackenzie and I had to get up and ready a lot earlier than what we are used to, but we made it there on time, unfortunately without my morning coffee! Dakota, along with 439 other 8th graders were dressed in their finest to take their walk across the podium. It was a nice little ceremony.

Dakota taking her walk...look closely and you can see her!! :)

Mackenzie did a good job for most of the ceremony. As it got time for the kids names to be called she started getting a little fussy, so I got up from my seat and moved over to the edge of the garden so we didn't bother everyone. Of course by the time I can see that Dakota's turn is coming Mackenzie starts to make a little more noise, so I'm trying to juggle her and the camera, while telling her just to wait a few more minutes for her sister's big moment. By the time Dakota's name is called Mackenzie's out of patience so I click my photos and run away with my screaming child to find a dark, secluded place to feed her. I couldn't believe that out of all those kids and all that waiting around she picks Dakota's moment to pitch a fit!!

A quiet Mackenzie at the beginning of the ceremony!

Once she was fed and happy again we went back to watch the remainder of the ceremony. Watching all those kids go up there I started to think that maybe I'm getting a little too old, because some of those girls were dressed up like they were 18 not 13 or 14!! Some of them were walking in shoes I couldn't even walk in if I tried!! Mackenzie ended up falling asleep right at the end of the ceremony so I thought to myself, 'great! now I won't be able to get photos of her and Dakota together!'

Dakota and I

My first attempt at a sister shot!

Determined that I was going to capture the moment I had Dakota pose beside a sleeping Mackenzie! This photos cracks me up!! Mackenzie was passed out and not going to wake up for anything!! I love how her mouth is open, and I imagine if you were to look close enough you could see the drool coming out of her mouth!!
She eventually woke up however and I was able to get some real pretty shots of Mackenzie and Dakota together. It was great too that Mackenzie didn't cry when Dakota held her because that's what she normally does and it was starting to worry Dakota!




It was a real nice ceremony and Dakota looked beautiful. It seems like every time I see her now she is changing into a beautiful young woman. John is going to notice the changes when he gets back I think. She doesn't seem to be his little girl anymore. We are going to meet up next week for lunch so I'm looking forward to that. Her plans for the summer is to help look after her little sister Jordan and she's also going up to L.A. to spend time with her cousins there.


An attempt at a self portrait (please excuse the bra!)

Mackenzie and I haven't been up to much else. We have just been hanging out at home. Her eating has become better, especially now that I've changed spoons. There are moments when I wonder just what I thought I was doing in deciding to have a child. There is so much to learn and sometimes I feel a little over my head! The whole spoon thing is one of those times! When I went to buy spoons and bowls and stuff I found this set that contained everything I thought I needed. At first when she started out and was mainly sucking the food off the spoon she was doing a great job, then as time went on she wasn't opening her mouth much and I was beginning to feel like we were going backwards instead of forwards! Out of frustration I decided that I would try different spoons to see if that would help. When I went to the store to get some I saw that there are different sizes for different ages and the ones I had at home were 9 months +! No wonder the poor girl wasn't eating the damn spoon was too big for her! I felt terrible!! We now have more age appropriate spoons and she can't get enough of her food! Why can't they hand out some kind of manual when you leave the hospital with these poor, defenseless children!?!
Her sleeping is coming along, but not as good as John would like it! A lot of it is me. I want her with me. (there I admitted it!!) I went to visit my old co-workers yesterday and one of them (she's Filipino) told me that is normal for them as it's a cultural thing and she had her children in her bed until they were quite old. John likes to call me Asian (it's a little in-house joke with us because Australia is in that region) so today I told him that she's sleeps with me because as I'm Asian it's a cultural thing and he wasn't buying it!! She goes down for her morning nap in her own bed without a problem...it's just all other sleep times that the screaming starts!!
Below is how I found her asleep when I went to check on her today!! I guess it's time to think about removing the border!!