Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

Lia especially loves "reading" to Rosie, and Rosie enjoys being a captive audience...

A Christmas Tree from the Culinary Institute

At Uncle Tim's, the girls had so much fun with their cousins Katie and Maddie, and of course their Uncle Mark.  Hard to believe there's no Christmas decorations in this photo...trust me that Tim did a fabulous job decorating...as usual!

New pajamas and getting ready for Santa to come...(how are they going to sleep?)

Christmas morning blueberry pancakes...

Christmas dessert was a chocolate peppermint cake.  It seemed like it came directly from the North Pole.  Very magical...

Lia noticed that Twinkle the elf had magically disappeared.  Twinkle's antics kept the girls on their toes through all the excitement! They miss her.

Sending Tidings of Joy

 I just get a kick out of seeing Rosie and Lia dressed up as angels.  They usually get crazy and goof around plenty, and we take a ton of photos.   This is one of my favorites; I thought this photo truly shows what fun they have together and how happy they are to have each other.

The girls are fascinated and curious about Santa.  Santa IS truly watching them (and waving to them)!

This is Rosie's first picture with Santa.  He offered her a present, and then she was OK with sitting on his lap.  Lia wanted nothing to do with it.  Usually when Lia sees Rosie being so brave, she will join her, but it didn't work this time.  This was a photo that Keith took at my ATA Holiday Party.  The girls had such a great time!  Hopefully soon I'll have a photo of Lia and Santa...be patient!

Happy Halloween!

So here's Periwinkle and Tinkerbell from Secret of the Wings.  It's a really sweet movie that Lia's cousin gave her (pre-Rosie). Before we adopted Rosie, Lia would watch the movie over and over again, and we'd dream of her.

Lia wanted a photo of them with their wings back to back as in the movie...it was hysterical seeing them try to manuever themselves, but they finally did it (for a second!)!

As soon as it was time for the littles to go trick or treating, it started to rain.  Lia used my Mary Poppins umbrella and did her best keeping themselves dry.  Lia broke her wrist 2 days ago, but she held that umbrella without complaining.  Occasionally she'd let me know that Rosie was squishing her. Every driveway in our neighborhood is steep, so I hauled these littles (a total of 50 lbs.) up and down slippery driveways, but it was a lot quicker and easier than walking!

Lia Turns Four and Rosie is trailing 3 months behind...

Last Saturday we had a get together with a few close friends to celebrate Lia's birthday.  It was so much fun!   We lined up the crockpot meals, had enchiladas, and a homemade ice cream cake from a new store in the area.  Less fussing, and more enjoying of the things that are truly important...our friendships and building good memories with everyone.

I love this photo of Auntie Esther and Lia reuniting.  Esther babysat Lia last year.  What an amazing role model for Lia.  Esther is the reason why Lia often bursts into a chorus, "Come thou font of Ancient wisdom...".  If you are around Lia enough, you'll hear it!  We are so thankful for Esther and all of our friends that have been a huge part of Lia and Rosie's young lives.

Lia is now embracing Fancy Nancy, Hello Kitty, puppies (battery operated of course) and accessories!  Here we are going to the mall...the day after her party. Lia loved choosing her outfit, including her glitter Hello Kitty shoes. (Keith's car is embellished with glitter and he's totally ready for getting the car detailed again).  The hat is made by my dear friend Loure.

Lia cashed in her free birthday ride coupon on the carousel, which included a ride for Rosie also.  Lia is so excited that her feet fit in the stirrups. It's super hard to get both girls to look at the same time, but Rosie  also had a great time!

Catching our breath...

I'm sorry, fellow blog readers!  It's been a while.  Hey, I thought technology makes your life easier?  My old Mac laptop was on overload, so I finally got a new Mac.  Then the new Mac wouldn't cooperate so I had to make an appointment. Now my cell is on overload with photos, and we need to buy a new printer for the new computer.  Ugh...So, I am going to get you guys all caught up with 3 months of photos.  It actually gave us some time to adjust, well needed time.  

One month after being back from adopting Rosie, we went to Martha's Vineyard.  It was not an easy vacation.  The girls struggled in the hotel room, but the beach was very calming to them.  We made the best of it, but it was definitely stressful at times.

The lighthouse beach at Edgartown

The girls are really into baby dolls.  They take good care of their babies, and Lia lets me hold her baby often.  Rosie has a baby panda as well as 2 baby dolls that she takes good care of.  One evening, we were playing downstairs and Lia was wondering where her doll's baby blanket was.  Rosie quietly went upstairs and brought it down for Lia.  It was so amazing to see Rosie's sweet heart.  Rosie just adores Lia.

Grammie and Grandad's front steps

This photo is taken at my house where I grew up.  I used to sit on those steps with my doll!  

Grasslanterns!

And here they are running around the yard, with some skylanterns that had landed on the property the night before.  The girls had a blast with them!  This was the last time we were there, since we were finally selling the estate.

I went back to teaching in September.  One evening, we had to grab a quick bite in a nearby pizza place.  The pizza delivery car was the cutest, just the right size for the girls!  Just had to take a picture!

Lia has definitely become the peaceful Lia we all know and love.  We overheard her one night telling Rosie, "We love you Rosie.  You are so beautiful.  Don't worry.  Everything is OK".  Keith and I were so blown over by the sweetest words we have heard.

Periwinkle/Fairy Godmother combined into one 

One evening, Lia decided to try to turn Rosie into a pumpkin.  Rosie had on a crocheted hat that she found ( a little big, huh?).  Rosie took the wand on her head all in stride, while Lia kept trying to get the wand to work. Thank goodness the wand didn't get stronger and stronger on her head when it wasn't working...Lia's going to be Periwinkle for Halloween, and Rosie is going to be Tinkerbell.

Waiting...and waiting....

And here is the infamous Easy Bake Oven that I was told, "Everyone has to use once"! Yes, we did use it once, and now it is officially off the bucket list (yay!), and ready for the garbage (the insides are coated with baked on brownie).  The girls waited and waited for the lightbulb to cook the cookie sized brownie, hence the pajamas and the tired looks on their faces.  The anticipation was so exciting and the girls got the biggest kick out of the oven.  The brownie was uncooked, (no kidding?)  and very, very gooey, but the girls thought it was the best thing.  Just today Lia was talking about making her birthday cake in it, but I told her, "Won't it be soooooo  much fun to use mommy's oven?".

big sister Lia rocking my sunglasses

Now we're getting ready to celebrate Lia's birthday.  She is so excited to be turning 4 next week!  She sings all the time now, chats a lot, and loves wearing bandaids as rings.

The Yin and Yang of Things...

"In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin-yang (simplified Chinese: 阴阳; traditional Chinese: 陰陽; pinyin: yīnyáng), which is often called "yin and yang", is used to describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world; and, how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many natural dualities (such as male and female, light and dark, high and low, hot and cold, water and fire, life and death, and so on) are thought of as physical manifestations of the yin-yang concept. The concept lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine,^[1] and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung) and of I Ching.

Yin and yang are actually complementary, not opposing, forces, interacting to form a whole greater than either separate part; in effect, a dynamic system. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation".  

-Wikipedia

OK, love the part about interconnected, not opposing but complementary...Here's what I always thought about Yin-Yang-------What would salt do without pepper?  What would hamburgers do without ketchup or hot dogs without mustard?  Or Abbott without Costello, or sunshine without rain?  How about chocolate covered pretzels?  I'm sure you could add to the list...I just never thought that it would also pertain to my daughters...

As we are learning more and more about Rosie, we see some really interesting things going on.  We just had corn on the cob tonight...those who know me know that I've been really into nutrition, so I've not been into corn on the cob for the past three years.  Hence, Lia hasn't had corn on the cob...But tonight we had wild salmon, corn on the cob and wild rice.  Lia delicately tried it out; Rosie bit into it! Then it was bathtime; as always, Lia endured her bath, Rosie savored it (She pours water on her head!).

But to recap my day....Today I had the most interesting morning.  I was so exhausted that I dragged myself to the sofa and rested for a while.  Rosie hung out with me, but she suddenly put her head back and hit my left eye area super hard.  It smart.  A few minutes later, Lia woke up and joined us on the sofa.

About 2 hours later, we were walking around the house, and somehow Rosie's shoe and my left pinky toe had a huge get together, and I ended up breaking my pinkie toe.  The pain has been unbearable!  So here I am with Lia who has been so delicate for almost 3 years of having her (!), and here's Rosie that has made my day very, very memorable!  My dear Kimberly came over to babysit, and I went out to go food shopping...it was my very first day out by myself,  with my black eye and broken pinky toe.  That kind of thing never happened with Lia!  Rosie sure is adding a lot of spice to our lives, making us realize what we have been missing!  (And I was thinking that "Ricky was in trouble", ha! God is definitely speaking to my heart and letting me know it's not about me anymore).

The girls both had to have medical tape and tape their toes up like I did...

And Rosie made a great exit for the night; she actually went potty for the first time, and then did not even whimper while going to sleep with can you believe it, pajamas on!  Rosie is sure of surprises...and is adding a lot of spice to our lives!!!!!

Ricky might be in trouble...

We've been back almost 2 weeks and we're trying to find normalcy!  I still have an occasional bout with vertigo, but all in all, there is a new rhythm going on here.  Laundry is still insane and we're still enjoying take outs and drop ins at favorite restaurants (and new ones too; Crooked Rooster is awesome!)   It's actually been very helpful talking and listening to just you "regular", seasoned parents. We've also been just using common sense and at times survival tactics (divide and conquer, contain, etc.)!  We definitely are dealing with a lot of Parenting 101 issues that surface when you have 2 or more children.  Adoptive Parent sunglasses go on occasionally, but for the most part, we are realizing we are just parents, period. Just regular people with 2 kids.  And loving it more each day.

Lia and Rosie continue to get used to each other, while they struggle with sharing...sharing me!  So they will kind of grab my leg and assume their position, increase their stability by taking on a wide stance, get very determined and push back as necessary. Push back me, or each other, wherever the tension is coming from.  If I try to pry them off, they combat me with a stronger hold.   As sweet as it is, it is not easy to end this battle of "She is MINE! and I love her more!".  Keith is a great referee, and usually finds a way to get them off within a few seconds.  I dreaded him going back to work, because I couldn't imagine how I was going to end this scenario.  I can understand their stronghold, because my love for them is just as strong and continues to grow stronger every day.   I just don't cling to them!!!!

When we were at Lucy's in Guangzhou, I kind of started to realize I have a Lucy and Ethel situation on my hands.  Lucy is the fiery one, constantly moving, impulsively thinking up things that could possibly get herself in trouble.  Ethel is the devoted, logical friend that just loves Lucy.  Ethel grounds Lucy.  Can you figure out who's who in my family (OK everyone, I mean the girls, not Keith and I! Yes, I do get him into trouble occasionally but it's always unintentional)?   I just dread the fact that I could be the target of conspiracy one day...so I just constantly watch out of the corner of my eye...sometimes I see glimses of what will be.  Today they played so nicely in the living room, and then came into the kitchen where I was doing dishes.  They came in holding hands, smiles beaming, looking up at me, not saying a word, but just giggling.  I was a little suspicious to what would happen next, but it was so sweet and innocent!  But as my friend Loure would say, "Be on the alert!".  Rosie has a sneaky side to her; Keith and I can feel it!  But so does Lia.

Last Summer, my friend Loure and I ate up in a cute little cafe in Clinton Corners. I bought 2 cookies; one for Lia and one for me.  I took a bite out of my cookie, and Lia worked on hers very quickly.  Her hair needed to be adjusted with hairclips...as I focused on her barrettes, she switched plates without me knowing.  Loure burst into laughter...As long as I live, I will not forget that moment of victory that Lia had.  And then there's the story Doreen tells me.  When Doreen babysat Lia for the first time, Doreen was thinking how quiet and sweet Lia is.  And then Lia came into the kitchen up to Doreen, and said, "Boo!". My mind immediately goes to just a few days ago at Uno's when Lia started dancing to the music before the food arrived...she dances so crazy sweet.  It drives me insane.  So Rosie snuck down from the booth and started to rock on.  Hysterical!  What was she doing in the orphanage?  Breakdancing?  Did they put on the music and let them dig the beat?  Just didn't think she was dancing over there, but maybe so.  Anyhow, Lia truly does have a lot of things up her sleeve.   Just hoping I don't have 2 Lucys here.

And so the friendship began...a short lived, quiet moment on the official adoption day in China, before doing official fingerprinting documentation.

And today in Hannaford's...driving (us crazy? just kidding) 

Seeing any simularities????

Not yet?

Lia took a nap, while Rosie skipped hers and then did errands with her dad, including getting free balloons from CVS.  No wonder why Rosie is not taking naps...

Update...After I came out of the shower, Rosie and Lia were each in a section of the mesh divided laundry hamper.  "Who's idea was this?"

Lia's reply, "Rosie and me".  Kind of says it all.  We're heading into lots of adventures!

 To be continued...

Red, White and Blue Daze

We did pretty well with our flight home.  We got to the gate just in time even though we had gotten to the airport early, and we were fortunate to have had no delays taking off.  Our flight actually came in 45 minutes earlier and Rosie became an American as she put her foot down on the ground.  Immigration and Customs went well, as I behaved myself and didn't take any photos; last time I did (in baggage claim, coming back from same route of Hong Kong to Newark when adopting Lia)  and got myself in trouble...How exciting to know that my bro Tim, good friends Doreen and Kimberly, and my cousin Linda would be greeting us! Well there they were...the first people that we saw with a beautiful star spangled happiness banner Welcoming Lia and Rosie home!

We then drove up home and I actually fell asleep with my head on my backpack.  (How did I do that?  I never can sleep anywhere, but it was easy!).  When we got home, it was raining cats and dogs.  Our good friends Loure and Bill also came up to see us, and we had a little Welcome Home party.  The girls pushed their baby doll strollers up and down the hall and were very content.   It was so good to be home and with our dear close friends.  Not to mention the delicious mango cake for Lia and raspberry cake for Rosie!

We're still pushing through jet lag.  Last night, the girls were very, very wide awake in the middle of the night.  Going to sleep is still frustrating for Rosie, but we think we are on the verge of figuring it out.  We think it is due to new surroundings and the jet lag.  Totally makes sense since when we slept in Guangzhou the first night, Rosie slept on my chest the whole night and wouldn't have it any other way.  Please pray for Rosie...that she learns quickly to trust and not be so fearful.  At times, the adjustment seems so tough, but as a dear friend reminded me, God has orchestrated this adoption every step of the way.   If God is for us, who can be against us?

Rosie continues to make great strides everyday.  Today she learned how to say thank you.  So thank you to you all for everything you have done to encourage us.  And thank you to the anonyomous friend who put a beautiful plant by our door, and American flags on our garage!!!!  You know who you are!

Happy 4th!

The girls at the local parade, eating all American Lays and Doritos...Rosie is the newest American in town and loving it!

Little Rascals style beat up red wagon; courtesy of Brimfield Antiques Fair, 
including rusty and bent up frame with squeaky wheels
Decorations; courtesy of Doreen and Kimberly, 
reused from our Welcome Home Party

Heading to Hong Kong, and Then a Direct Flight Home!

As we were going up to the border, I got very anxious.  Rosie was playing with Keith's shoe.  The lace was totally off and she was content.  She was very interested in lacing the shoe...Although Rosie had to be distracted often during the 3 hour drive,  there finally was a calmness that took over.  Lia was playing with her doll and interacting sweetly with Keith.  The line took forever!  At the border, the trunks were all open as we waited in line for passports to get stamped.  And who knows what.  Tension.  The driver opened the sliding door so that passport photos were matched to us.  At Customs Declaration, we had another checkpoint with documents, and they even checked the girls' temperature.  There was third checkpoint, but it was rather quick.  Keith said the first checkpoint is for leaving China, the second one for entering Hong Kong...

There was some confusion since the driver dropped us off at the wrong hotel at the airport.  Then when we checked in at the right hotel, we had no tub.  The bellhop was very, very kind to me and immediately got a room change, and then waited for me to approve of the room.  I will never forget Simon.  He even let Keith know that he will be coming tomorrow morning to help us with the suitcases.  Another angel unaware. 

We had a really delicious dinner, and then got ready for sleeping. Rosie still gets upset; she will take off her clothes by herself, but then struggles when it's time for putting on pajamas.  We gave her a choice of pajamas and she still refused.  She finally put them on in her own time...maybe that's the key?  Lia was totally wired so I was resting with Lia while Keith held Rosie.  Rosie and I kept staring at each other, and waved to each other every once in a while, until she fell asleep.  She has been making huge strides each day.  Crazy about that kid, you know? 

We'll be up early to catch our 10:25 a.m. flight.  We're so excited to be going home!!!!  Wish us luck as the flight is 15 hours and 40 minutes. 

BTW; we've been adding photos to new posts later on.  We've developed a rhythm of blogging first, then entering photos a day later, so please be sure to check back a post or two to catch up on newly added photos!  Also, I had 2 posts for Friday;  don't miss "Saying Goodbye to Guangzhou"!  It was a fun day!

Keith here...

Sunday morning 00:45 a.m.(Hong Kong time).   Our bags are packed and ready.  It's very strange and also hard to be sitting here in Hong Kong blogging and realizing that we will be on our way home in a few hours.  We've waited and planned for this trip to adopt Rosalie for many months, and now it's almost complete.  It's been a hectic two and a half weeks with a lot of adjustments and changes for each of us.  Of course there have been some tears, but that's to be expected when life changes so dramatically for a child and for a family.  One thing I can say for certain, God has definitely taken care of us, kept us healthy and protected us this entire trip.  Some days Amy and I have gotten only 4 -5 hours of sleep, and yet we've been able to keep going(I know jet lag will set in soon). Every time I or we have ventured out on our own, whether for sightseeing, for dinner and or just going to the grocery store, we've been able to communicate with the Chinese people, either by hand motions or God providing someone who could speak a little English.   For me it's an honor and privilege to be Rosalie's father, as well as Lia's father and to share this role of parenting with Amy. Amy is a great mom and has so much love to give.  I love her dearly and appreciate her so much.  Thirteen years ago being parents to two little girls from China was not even in our thoughts.  I thank God for blessing us with Lia and Rosalie!  With out mentioning names, because I'll forget someone, I say thank you to all that had a part in Rosalie's adoption this year and of course Lia's adoption in 2010.  Amy and I also often think of and pray for both Lia's and Rosalie's biological mothers and fathers.  I want them to know that their girls are loved. As this part of the adoption process ends, I look forward to getting home and living life as a family of four. 

The Top Ten Things We've Learned About Rosie

1. She can put socks and shoes on in a blink of an eye, as well as brush her teeth.
2. She smiles super easy.
3. She laughs at the drop of a hat.
4. She hates hats.
5. She knows very well how to give you "the look".  In many angles.
6. She will put the charm on as soon as she meets you.
7. She toddles, as a true toddler.
8. She loves congi with chicken.
9. She wakes up with a smile, and is rarin' to go!!!!
10. She loves her family; especially her mama! (And we love her!)

Saying Goodbye to Guangzhou

Today we went to the Beijing Lu Shopping Street.  It was very loud and busy.  We also went down a market street that went on and on; loaded full of things to buy.  After buying dresses for Rosie and Lia, we walked the Pearl River with our friends Vicki, Heidi and little Meila.  It was very neat to see bicycles speeding past us on the scenic sidewalk with huge boxes, delivering.  Off in the distance, we saw the Canton Tower.  We walked all the way down to Shamian Island.  Just love that area...the kids got to play on a playground, had lunch at Lucy's, and then did a little more shopping! I bought the neatest sandalwood necklaces (that are on elastic and can also be worn as a bracelet, and smell really nice) that are from Hai Nan.  Really fun.  Photographers were taking pictures of models everywhere.  It was the perfect day for photos!  I just had to meet Amy at Amy's Place and she told me that Rosie is a spicy girl...yes, indeed, she is!  Saw Michael again, at Michael's Place.  (We had bought a few things from him the other day, including a stamp of Lia's name.  Rosie had gotten one as a gift from the orphanage).  He gave Rosie and Lia a high five, and we were off to do more shopping.  Rosie usually greets people on the street with a wave, big smile and a "hi!".  Wait until you meet her!!!

Ah, they are both asleep.

Rosie ate congi as if it were ice cream!

The thought crossed my mind that I could use a nanny like the one behind me!

My little Ruby.This photo is one of my favorites.  (I also have a photo of Lia 2 1/2 years ago at the very same place).

Tomorrow we start our trek home.  We'll be staying overnight in Hong Kong at a hotel at the airport, then taking a direct flight into Newark.  Looking forward to seeing Doreen, my brother Tim and my cousin Linda at the airport. We're so excited to be going home and having a small party with dear friends.  However...we'll miss our new friends Vicki, Heidi and Melia, who we've enjoyed eating out with, hanging out with, and sharing adoption experiences with.   We even did a Garden Hotel photo op with our Rosie and Vicki's daughter Melia on the "purple sofa" in our hotel room! Heidi (Vicki's sister) and Keith took a ton of photos.  Ha! The White Swan is closed, but yes, we started our own new tradition...check back for purple sofa photos soon.

Appointment at US Consulate completed

Keith here, thought I would add my thoughts.  It's 5 a.m. Friday morning, China time.  Amy and the girls are sleeping peacefully.

Thursday morning we were up early, had breakfast and were in the hotel lobby before 8 a.m. to meet our guide to drive to the US Consulate for our 8:30 a.m. appointment.  Amy, Lia and I, along with eleven other families took the adoption oath together and then one by one we were called up to a window to complete and sign the last document, DS-230.  It was an awesome feeling to once again be back in the same spot as we had been with Lia three years ago. We now wait for Rosalie's US Visa and brown envelope that we'll give to US Immigration when we land in Newark on Sunday. 

In the afternoon we ventured out and took a taxi to the Guangzhou Zoo again. It was nice to walk around and see some animals that we missed the other day.  Unfortunately the Panda exhibit was closed so we were not able to see them. It was nice to let the girls run around the grounds and stretch their legs a bit since there so much time is spent being couped up in strollers, hotels, taxis, restaurants, etc.. We had snacks and some ice cream(to ease the heat).  Rosalie really likes ice cream, just like any other child (since it's so new to her we have to limit it to small portions since she is not used to the coldness and dairy).  It's really hot and humid in the afternoons. We've had several afternoon showers as well these past few days and one just feels like a drenched rag, hot, wet and sticky.  It reminds me of my childhood in Africa during the rainy season.  Since it is the rainy/monsoon season here, all the grass, trees and flowers are blooming nicely.  Nice to see all the greenery in this large city.

Rosalie is adjusting well to all the new foods we put in front of her.  She'll try and eat most anything. She's adjusting to eating in restaurants as well... which of course is much different then the orphanage.  She's only broken one Chinese style ceramic spoon so far.  The other night at dinner she was gently tapping the table with a spoon.  Then quick as a wink the tapping turned into banging, which of course led to one crack, just as my hands reached over to catch the broken end of the spoon which was flying across her place setting.  Result... no Chinese ceramic spoons for Rosalie for awhile.       

Lia and Rosalie are adjusting and settling in with each other.  There are times of jealousy and tension, then times of pure joy and laughter.  Please keep them both in your prayers as they continue to adjust.

During our stay here at the Garden Hotel in Guangshou we've had the opportunity to meet many other adoption families from all over the US(California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee.  Plus one family from Australia.  Just like Amy and I, there are several families who are adopting a 2nd Chinese child, and one family adopting their 3rd.  One thing in common with each family... a deep love for their new child. It's amazing to think that God, who created us in His image, gave us all the capacity to love... what a great gift it is!  

Miracles are Everywhere

It all started when Lia was fussing about the sun in her eyes while strolling through the back streets of Guangzhou.  Rosie was fast asleep in her stroller.  This elderly lady approached us and suddenly covered Lia's eyes with an umbrella.  She walked with us for a few blocks and then we all stopped before crossing the street.  She noticed the bug bites on Lia's face and we communicated with our hands a mosquito, and a bite.  She totally got what we were expressing and told us with hand motions to wash her face later and put on this cream from her container.  She insisted that we take her little container.  I think it is tiger balm but I'm not sure.  It has no label on it.  It smells like ecyclaptis (sp).   I put kisses on my hand and gave them through the air to the elderly woman...



Didn't notice the bag when I met her, but check it out!  "Say yes, Hope", etc.



I told Lia, when I get old, I want to be just like that.  Kind to strangers, and with a giving heart.  What a beautiful person. And we watched her walk away.  She walked away smiling as she disappeared.  It reminds me of the verse, that sometimes we entertain angels unaware.  Truly an angel to us.

Then this afternoon, we were getting ready to meet our friends in the lobby that adopted a little girl. We were going to go out to dinner with them. They are 2 sisters, and just really wonderful.  So much fun to be around.  We had to be down in the lobby in 10 minutes.  And then it happened...Lia and Rosie started to hug each other.  I tried not to look so I wouldn't ruin the moment.  It went on for 5 minutes, and ended with them rolling on the floor, hysterical giggling.  We had to pry them apart!  As we put them in the strollers, we just looked at each other in shock.   As we were waiting for the elevator, Keith told me to take a seperate elevator because they were soooo wound! I decided to stick with them, and the girls calmed down rather quickly.

Dinner was a bit difficult. Lia hasn't been the usual eater that she is at home.  Rosie did OK.  The service was a bit slow, but we finally got out, and Lia looked totally exhausted.  She gets fussy when she is tired.  When we got home, we had to get the girls to sleep.  I went to take Rosie's shoes off, and she got hysterical.  I calmed her down and then tried with unzipping her dress to put on her pajamas.  I had to stop the transition since she was so very upset. This has been the norm; she usually clings to me, and won't let me undress her to put on pajamas.  (Bedtime has been very trying for me, since both girls want me to themselves).  For some reason, I started to sing Amazing Grace (remember the director playing Amazing Grace on the piano in the playroom?) and she immediately calmed down.  I just kept rocking her, and she was making simular tones at times, as if she was singing with me.  "I once was lost, but now I'm found" seemed very very relevant as she quickly fell asleep. 

Truly a day full of miracles. 

I wish I could show you the video of them rolling around on the floor, in pure bliss; you just wouldn't believe it.

BTW, I'm having a difficult time with videos on to the blog.  Any ideas are appreciated! Just comment below! :))))

And if  you've been praying for Lia and Rosie, God has very definitely answered your prayers! Maybe you prayed too hard...LOL, but thank you!  (An ah ha moment here---Wondering how hard my sister-in-law prayed, "the laughter is getting ready to break loose... in prayer for each of those needs..." See Rosie's Heart/Comment section).

Side notes;

• Every morning we are surrounded by adoptive families eating breakfast.  It's totally fascinating to see the kids, and how they are all doing so well. 
• This morning, we went to the Guangzhou Zoo and had a blast!  Tomorrow we have a 8:30 US Consulate appointment.  It's a red, white and blue day for us. We are slowly assimulating back  into American culture, as we are working toward getting Rosie's Visa.
• A toddler that is learning to speak Chinese gets adopted by Americans?! This poor kid has been frustrated with expressing herself in Chinese (great comprehension though), and is also going through typical developmental stages of independence, assertiveness, testing, and dealing with a new sibling...so, it's been a bit trying at times here.  But we are starting to see big breakthroughs each day...

Happy Meals in China

Strollling down the sidewalk

Daddy's three tired girls

Grocery and department store close to hotel

Having fun....

Just a quick post her of our fun on Monday and Tuesday. 

On Monday we went to the hotel indoor playroom and had some play time.  Lia and Rosalie loved it. Then after nap time we ventured out and got happy meals for the girls at McDonald's.  Late Monday afternoon, Keith, along with one family member from our group met with Jack our guide to go through and organize the adoption paperwork for our US Consulate appointments on Thursday.  Thankfully we had everything and there were no surprises.  The Jack took us all, three families to a Chinese restaurant a block away from the hotel where we had some great Chinese food. As we walked in we passed the seafood kitchen portion and saw some amazing things; long Chinese gray worms squirming in a bowl waiting to be cooked and eaten, raw fish on a slab being cut up by a cook and a cook smacking a live fish in the floor, trying to kill it and maybe tenderize it a bit.  A new experience.  Dinner was awesome... and NO, we did not order any worms or fish. We felt we should leave those delicacies for the Chinese*.    

On Tuesday morning after breakfast we all ventured to the 4th floor of the hotel to have some fun in the pool.  Rosalie loved it!  She splashed and loved playing in the water.  Lia loved her new goggles.  In the afternoon Jack took our group to Shamain Island to do some shopping and eat at Lucy's (an American style diner restaurant).  

We'll add pictures later.    

(*Keith forgot to mention the cool turtles swimming in a tank...---Amy)

Daylight come, and I'm thinking of home...

Just had the best moment with Rosie at naptime...she totally freaks out whenever we want to put her down in the crib.  We think it reminds her of the orphanage.  As I held her while she was in the crib,  I kissed her face a few times, and then she turned her head and kissed me back. It was so unexpected...wow.  Super sweet kid, I mean super sweet daughter!

Lia is seeing Rosie's struggles and has been stepping up to help.  Things are slowly getting better.

Today we toured Guangdong Provincial Museum.  Since we were there before, we just enjoyed each other's company.  It was really neat to take photos in the same spot that we did when we adopted Lia.  For dinner, we ate at a Thai restaurant called Banana Leaf.  The dinner was great, and they had entertainment.  It was hysterical to hear Chinese people singing a Chubby Checker song, wearing Mexican clothes.  In a corny way, they were really good.  Only in Guangzhou!  The dancers encouraged kids to come up and dance with them.  Of course, they came up to our table and sang, Day-O (maybe they could see that I'm getting anxious to go home).  Rosie and Lia loved the music and dancing!  All in all, we had a great day today.  Tomorrow we are free until 5, since we have to prepare paperwork for the Consulate.  There's less paperwork this time around, so it won't be too time consuming. 



Lia and mommy in 2010.

Rosalie and mommy in 2013.

Rosie's Heart

We went to the medical clinic today.  The clinic was in a different and larger location, in the center of Guangzhou.  Jack got us through the clinic very fast.  We were only 2 families, so I think that helped us out alot.  Rosie got weighed first, then went to another office and had a general check up. The check up included  measuring the circumference of her head, and having a specialist come in to check her heart. She is a special needs kid and had a congenital birth defect at birth.  A year later the hole in her heart in her heart had healed. They checked for murmurs but everything was fine.  We were so surprised how Rosie cooperated in every office.  She lay on the table until they let us go.  I didn't dare ask any questions to the staff...last time, I asked about Lia's eye...she had a clogged tear duct and they were very rough with her.  (I guess the mother bear comes out in me though!).  They asked me to sign a form stating that we would get Rosie immunized at home! Could we really be so lucky?The last station was immunizations/TB test.  I still couldn't believe our luck about the shots so I wasn't totally convinced about this since lots of kids were in front of this one door (with Christmas decorations on it. "A new festival?" I asked Jack, just to break the tension), and they were all hysterically crying.  A nurse came out and took Rosie from me, and I wasn't allowed in.  The door shut.  I waited for quite a while, while Lia and Keith went to the bathroom.  It was so sweet seeing all these kids with adoptive parents, comforting their newly adopted children.  Finally, the door opened, and Rosie walked up to me, both with our arms open, not a tear in her eye, but emotionally upset I am sure.  The nurse told me to put pressure on Rosie's bandaid.  I was at eye level with her.  I actually was very grateful for the test, since Rosie really needed something to know that I am always going to be there for her.  So as we waited for Keith and Lia, I asked Jack about the regulations.  He said that they changed it last year.  The TB test procedure also had improved; now it has become a bloodwork test and doesn't have to be checked out, so we are totally done with medical!  What a nice surprise to have it go so smoothly...in the evening we went to eat Mexican, and then went to the mall.  Couldn't resist buying Rosie squeaky shoes.As Rosie went to sleep, it was hard to get her new shoes off; to her, a symbol of happiness and a symbol of ownership.

I've got to talk about bonding though...Rosie has been giving me such a hard time the past few days.  She is truly testing the boundaries.  Not only is she going through the process of adoption, but she also has a lot of 2 year old behaviors such as testing the limits, and asserting independence.  And some orphanage behaviors too. But in the morning, when I changed her in the hotel lobby's bathroom, I had reached my limit.  She then started with sucking her thumb again, and I took charge.  I lathered her thumbs up with liquid soap, and then confidently walked out of the bathroom.  Totally different tone.  It was the beginning.  A huge step.  The air suddenly cleared. Emotionally, I've been exhausted.  She seems to hear Keith's tone though, and  listens extremely well to him. He then gives me updates on her;  he always tells me about Rosie's self help skills.  I've seen some of them...she helps a lot with putting on clothes, and sweetly sits down to put on socks and shoes.  So we are on our way with Rosie learning that we are her parents, through the good and bad. And then last night again, the sweet, gentle sobs came back.  Bedtime is painful for Rosie.  You can just feel it, that she's missing her friends.  (I know the feeling guys....I miss you all out there).  Rosie's heart is in the right place.  Now about Rosie and Lia...they are also having some struggles.  They're learning to give each other some space since Lia and Rosie can sometimes just get to close to each other, if you know what I mean.  Lia has been broken hearted with "sharing" me and doesn't totally understand that I still love her!  I guess she doesn't developmentally understand that I could share my heart with them both, and still have a ton of love to give.  Anyhow, Lia tries so hard to control her emotions, but it's tricky for a 3 year old!  By nighttime, when she is tired, it is just too much for her.  The other day, she made a little bed out of towels for her little Rosie doll (renamed!) and I encouraged her.  Then she mentioned it was a stink bug bed. Ugh. We're hopeful that Lia will come around soon since she also has a sensitive heart. Two different types of kids, but two sweet hearts.