Class Parties - Rejoice!

The big kids wrapped up their school semester with a fun class celebration. I was thankful for the opportunity to join both of them for the fun crafts, yummy snacks and lots of fun with their sweet, sweet friends. And an added bonus was that David watched the other kids, so I didn’t have them in tow. (Except for Joshua who joined me at Daniel’s party.) It was nice to be able to focus on the older kids individually and not have the distractions of the little kids. Something that doesn’t happen very often. I took advantage of the time and joined Caroline and her class on the sport court while the classroom was being set up for the party. I think she enjoyed dragging me around from one activity to the next! I know I did! During Daniel’s party Joshua was quiet and reserved. He stayed close by me and didn’t interact with others much...okay, probably not at all. But he did enjoy seeing a picture of Daniel that had been framed, he loved the cupcake once he gave it a try, and he was very impressed with the shinny star balloon that he was given. It was interesting to see Joshua’s mood change once he was out of the classroom. He headed out the door with Daniel and didn’t have one bit of concern as to where I was. At one point I watched him even venture away from Daniel. And in the parking lot he was being a total ham, bouncing around without a care in the world. So we’ll take it all in stride and continue slowly exposing him to different group settings. The kids’ school is definitely a good place to start!

Two Peas in a Pod

These two....what a mess! They are trouble with a capital T and super duper sweetness all rolled into one! One second belly laughs. The next second yelling and tears. I’ve really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. It’s been fun to watch Lilly really come along side her brother and help him understand things. I’ve enjoyed watching Joshua force Lilly to learn the concept of “sharing”. It’s funny...she knows the sign for “share” quite well, but the act itself is quite hard for her. Then again, she is two.

When we first started talking about adopting again the question came up...younger than Lilly or older? My immediate response was OLDER. She was my baby...16 months old at the time...and I could not imagine her as anything but my baby. There was a 28 1/2 month gap between Lilly and Abigail. Plenty of space for another child, and if spaced just right they would all (based on their birthdays) be in separate school grades, one right after the other. When I first saw Joshua’s profile I couldn’t believe it when his birthday was EXACTLY...TO THE DAY...between my two little girls! As we started moving forward in the process I was reminded that children from orphanage settings are often delayed emotionally and developmentally therefore we were essentially adopting a virtual TWIN for Lilly! Uhhhh...! What? Say that again! A what??? Twin...really...are you sure? Twin TWO YEAR OLDS at that!?! Oh my! What have we gotten ourselves into!!!

I don’t know that Josh is delayed a full year, but regardless he and Lilly are a piece of work! They definitely give each other a run for their money...and at the same time they have so much fun together. Joshua loves to tattle on Lilly, which I’m thankful for because it keeps her in check. And Lilly loves to push Joshua to the edge and then give in the moment he cries for help...with the sweetest possible voice in the whole world. i.e. “Here ya go buddy! Here sweet boy...you want this!?! Here, I share with you honey!” No joke, she’s a riot!

Some of the things they’ve done together:

• played babies (both carrying a baby and purse) 
• emptied every single book from the book basket, laughing all the while
• emptied every mitten, glove, scarf and hat from that bucket...again full belly laughs 
• fought over puzzles, blocks, balls, baby dolls you name it
• escaped to Daniel’s room to play Legos together
• chased each other countless times around the house
• Lilly has guided Joshua to find certain toys, find certain snacks, complete tasks, etc. 
• Lilly has bossed Joshua to share toys, share snacks, go to the potty, clean up, etc. 

If there’s a mess to be made...they will make it together! If there’s fun to be had...they will do it together! They truly are two peas in a pod! I love it!

Family Fun

Ah yes...the blog has been quite neglected since being home. Partly due to computer problems, partly due to jet lag, partly due to a stomach bug that invaded our house, partly due to life with 5 kids and minimal “alone time” at the computer. So I guess you could say things are working their way back to “normal”! Slowly but surly...and in some ways way too quickly!

Joshua has done so well in all regards. He’s trying new foods and liking most of them. He finally ate cereal for breakfast this morning -- YEAH! He is making himself at home and enjoys exploring the house and discovering new toys. His favorites seem to be cars, blocks and a building set that was given to us by Cousin Matt several years ago. He’s tried his hand at dress up, kitchen set, and baby dolls as well.

I’ve loved watching him interact with the other kids and seeing how their personalities mesh. Each child seems to bring out a different quality in him and he brings out qualities in them too. He and Lilly laugh so much together...in fact he can make her laugh like no other. It is so much fun to watch. Of course as the days have gone by she has gotten quite a bit more bossy with him and I don’t think he cares for that much....who would! I love watching Abigail step up as the big sister with him and really watch out for him...checking on him to make sure he is okay and has what he needs, coming to get Mommy if he needs help, etc. Daniel has enjoyed having a brother to rough house with and has already instructed Joshua in the game of football. Surprised? Caroline has been less involved than I expected. Probably due in part to the fact that she has not felt well. As always she is very helpful and loving and has probably helped mostly with the practical stuff (getting him a drink, helping with PJ’s etc.)

I think we are finally overcoming the jet lag and getting back into a normal sleep routine. Of course, as soon as the two jet lag girls started sleeping through the night, Daniel and Caroline started waking up with their stomach bug. No fun at all. I’d take jet lag over vomit any day! Thankfully David has taken care of most of it! So very thankful for that! Joshua continues to wake up 2-3 times a night, usually calling for Mama...probably not meaning me, but he does calm down when I comfort him, so for that I’m thankful. We are going to start putting him down on a palate in our room as opposed to the boys room. We’ll see if that helps any. It’s hard to see him so sad...and a little wearing on the nerves at 12, 2 and 4. He usually goes back to sleep rather quickly once he realizes I’m there with him, but I know we’d all benefit from a few good nights of sleep!

I can’t believe how quickly he is picking up on English and sign language (Signing Time - love those videos!). His vocabulary improves daily and he tries to mimic nearly everything we say. Of course, much of what he says is very hard to understand due to his palate still being open. But he’s trying, so that’s good! The sign language has really come in handy and helped keep him from getting too frustrated with the communication.

We are so thankful to have him home. So thankful to have everyone together. So thankful to be discovering the new normal. And so thankful for the many blessings the Lord has placed in our lives. We are indeed blessed!!!

Enjoy the pictures from our first warm day outside since being home! Yes, we really did let them play in the water sprinkler. It didn’t last long, but it sure was fun to watch! I can’t wait for spring!

Christmas Preparations

The day after we arrived home I began putting up Christmas decorations. I knew if I did not take the opportunity to do it now, while my body was full of adjustment adrenaline, it would not get done! So the tree, although small, is up and decorated. The stockings are hung (I love our mantle!) And the manger scenes are displayed...my favorite part! We did not hang lights on the house this year, but wreaths decorate the windows, and that’s good enough. I do love the sights and smells of Christmas...and the constant reminders of Christ’s birth. His love so Amazing....so Divine. I love the chill in the air, although I can do without the intense cold...not that we experience much of that in Texas, thankfully!

Another thing I love during this time of year is Christmas Chapel held at the kids’ school. This year I was a bit distracted, trying to manage three little ones and keep them quiet and entertained, but usually the school Christmas Chapel is a GREAT way to start gearing up for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Caroline and the rest of the kindergartners sang “The Friendly Beasts”. Caroline was a dove and stood on the back row. Daniel, and the rest of the 2nd grade class recited Matthew 2: 1-12. The lights were so bright that he looks angry, but I promise, he’s not! At the end the entire school came together to pray and sing Silent Night. I do love this time of year, and this year is extra special as we celebrate with a family of SEVEN!

Merry Christmas to you and your family. I pray that each of you have the opportunity to slow down and remember the TRUE reason why we CELEBRATE!

Home Sweet Home!

All 5 kids finally slept through the night last night, so I’m ready to stay up past 9 pm and get this blog posted! Yipee! (Thanks for hanging in there with me...the past 5 days have been great, but the nights have been a bit rough!)

The flight home was uneventful and the kids did great. We arrived at DFW ahead of schedule and were greeted by sweet friends and family. Friends continued to trickle in as we waited for luggage. It was so, so good to see familiar faces, so good to hear a familiar language, so good to see my sweet Daniel and Caroline, so good to see all my kiddos together, so very, very good to be HOME! As I watched my kids together, and watched our friends and family gathered around, it was hard to believe we were actually home...WITH OUR SON! As I talked with Caroline she agreed that the trip went by a lot quicker than expected! I was thankful for that since she had been my wild card the weeks leading up to the trip.

The first 4 nights were full of musical beds, relay wake ups by the three little kids, and the highlight was Joshua at 11 pm shaking his head no every time I nudged him towards bed followed by Lilly puking all over our clean sheets. Good times! But like I said, last night was better, so I’m hoping for more of the same tonight! We’ll see!

The days have been great. I took some homeopathic “No Jet Lag” medicine on the plane...who knows if it really works or if it’s all mental, but either way I don’t feel like I’ve been too affected by the jet lag. Affected by the sleepless nights, yes! But if it weren’t for my kiddos I would have no trouble sleeping during the night! Joshua is doing so well. The first day he was a little timid around the house, but by the second full day home he was exploring the house and making himself at home...and at HOME he IS!!! He loved interacting with Mamaw Abbott and Grammy while they were here and he really seemed to love the attention from them. By the time they headed home Joshua could clearly say “Maaamawww!” It was so cute!

Daniel and Caroline have been as sweet as I expected. They have always been very nurturing, and this experience is no different. You can see in the pictures that they are so sweet with him. And he absolutely LOVES them! Today Daniel came home after a long day at school and as soon as Joshua saw him he went over and kept saying “Aniel!!!....Aniel!!!!” (He can’t quite pronounce the “D” sound) and started hugging Daniel and trying to tackle him! Yes, he’s already picked up on that!

He’s already experienced so much. Already learned so much. Already made so much progress. But rather than go into detail I must go to bed while I have the opportunity! I’m hoping to get another blog posted tomorrow, but we’ll see. Lots to get caught up on!

Headed HOME!!

Well, the day has come! We are HEADING HOME!!!! Just typing that brings tears to my eyes! Daniel and Caroline I am so home sick for you...in other words I miss you both very, very, very much and I can’t wait to give you big hugs and kisses!!!! I must admit the days have passed quicker than I expected, but I’m oh so ready to be home.

In 6 short hours we will be loading our bus and heading for the airport! Just about the time you all are starting to enjoy your dinner we will be getting on the plane. And as you sleep we will be inching closer and closer to home! I think the next 31 hours are going to be the LONGEST of the entire trip!

Our last day in Guangzhou was extra special. We had the opportunity to meet up with Barb and Mike and their newest addition Nora. We first met them back in 2007 on our trips to pick up Abigail and Nina. Barb has been a great encouragement to me, especially in the early years as I really struggled with some attachment issues. It was so refreshing to see her face to face, share struggles and joys, and remind each other why we are on the path we are on...because it’s the heartbeat of our Lord! Barb and Mike, thank you so much for taking the time to come visit us today! It was such a blessing! And how awesome that the Lord would give us the opportunity to meet up again in China!

So, I spent the morning packing up our belongings, and the afternoon enjoying sweet friends! We ate lunch at Lucy’s...this time I went with the old faithful grilled cheese with french fries, and was not disappointed. We let the kids play for a while at the park. And then we strolled the island for a bit before they headed back to their hotel. We enjoyed our last dinner with some take away from “The Cow and the Bridge” Thai Restaurant . Definitely our favorite dinner location this trip. Then finished up packing while watching TV.

Bags are packed, backpacks are stocked, we are ready to go!!! We can’t wait to introduce you all to our newest addition!

Red Couch Photos

In China red symbolizes good luck. It’s a long standing adoption tradition to take pictures on the red couches at the White Swan hotel after a child’s adoption is finalized. Today our travel group gathered to take pictures. You can tell by the picture above that Joshua is not a big fan of people standing in front of him with a camera trying to make him smile! The boy just won’t do it. But just wait until you see other pictures from the day...absolutely PRECIOUS! I mean SERIOUSLY, he is so stinking cute!

Today was such a great day. Lilly is finally starting to feel better although she still has a little cough and snot. Her appetite is finally coming back, along with her personality. Joshua has given me so many kisses and hugs today, and has even asked to be picked up quite a few times! The first week we had him he would moan every time we tried to pick him up...now he’s requesting it! We’re making progress! After the red couch photos, David headed to a group meeting for information about departing Guangzhou. So the kids and I hung around the White Swan and enjoyed the pond, waterfall, view of the Pearl River, huge bird cage, and other sights of the hotel. At one point we were playing “hide and seek” although the only place we had to hide was behind a couch and behind a table! The kids still loved it, and after a few rounds Joshua just came over an attacked me with kisses. I had the camera in my hand so I flipped the viewfinder and started snapping pictures. He was cracking me up...and cracking himself up. It was so sweet.

I’ve noticed on several occasions he’s picked flowers from the many flower beds around. He always gives the picked flower to Abigail! Sweet boy! And tonight my heart was filled with joy as I watched he and Lilly bob down the sidewalk enjoying their ice cream cones. They were so cute together. As I watched them I couldn’t help but think about Daniel and Caroline and how I can’t WAIT to have ALL my kiddos together. D and C it may take Joshua a little time to warm up to you, but once he does, you are going to have so much fun together! He is so eager to learn and laugh!

Just two more sleeps and we’ll be HOME!!! Enjoy the many great pictures from today! Isn’t Joshua so handsome in his traditional Chinese clothing!?!