August 2nd, 2010 ~
Here is a text from your Wai Gong – the day after you went home from spending the night.
Dear Mali,
Me and all my backyard buddies miss you very much! We all eagerly await your return and can't wait to hear you laugh and see you make all of those goofy faces. My mighty limb will be ready to swing you and leaves will protect you from the sun!
We luh lu!
Mr. Ash Tree
and Wai Gong & Co.
Tuesday was a doozy. Oh boy – what is going on? I picked you up at daycare and you were soooo cranky, fighting me every step of the way. I even had to give you a time out once at the car for hitting and kicking when I picked you up to carry you to the car! Wow, you are stubborn! But, I also had to stifle a laugh as you mimicked me later, after time out, holding my chin and making me look at you, saying “Look at me” (just like I do to you when I want to make eye contact to make sure you are listening). You are such the little big shot.
Once home, I realized that this particular day you were extremely tired (sleeping 3 hours for nap!), but also you have been more obstinent upon leaving school lately anyway. Dawdling, goofing around, insisting on walking out on your own, stopping to wash your hands before we leave, etc, etc…it’s driving me crazy since it takes nearly 10 min to leave school. I suppose it’s part of your developmental stuff (increased independence and all), but geesh! I also know your favorite teacher, Miss Amy, has not been there the last few days, so perhaps that is the problem too. You have not been pottying for any other teachers either. You must really like Miss Amy.
Aside from not pottying for any other teachers, at home you are a bit overzealous on your quest for M&M’s! You will go potty a few drops, then get your M&M, then about 5 minutes later head back for a few more drops and another M&M. Way to work the system, kid – you’re no fool! Tuesday brought one of your first really purposeful poops on the potty which resulted in the coveted two M&M reward. Below is a photo of your triumph – two thumbs up!
Sorry for the graphic nature of the photo - no one necessarily wants to see poo, but hey, this is a BIG deal!!
Singing along with John Denver in the car is another joy of yours this week. You really do know the chorus for Country Roads. I’ve got to try to get this on film, it’s so dang cute!
Well, on Wednesday the box was not checked for “kept hands and feet to myself” on your progress report at school, so I asked the teacher and Miss Adrienne said you are starting to swipe at other kids. Although, I am not so sure you understand what you are doing because when they told you that it was not nice and asked if you would like that kid to do that to you, you emphatically said “yes!” with a big grin. We’ll have to keep working on this one. I guess you have to take the good with the bad when it comes to things you are learning at school. However, this must not be hurting your relationships with other kids since upon leaving school today, things got kind of crazy. Not only did the kids want to give you a hug today (as usual), but they literally jumped off their cots and swarmed you! It was like you were the latest celebrity. I had to pick you up and out of their reach as some of the kids even started fighting with each other to get to you! It was surreal. I know you’re lovable and all but, what is up with that?
Lao Lao came to pick you up tonight after work and you went for ice cream and to the playground. You had a ball and came home in such a good mood, all silly and full of giggles. You definitely love life!
This afternoon I also surprised you with your big girl bed that Daddy had put together late last night. Your reaction could not have been more priceless and thankfully I got a little video of it. You wouldn’t sleep in it for naptime, insisting on sleeping in our bed and wanting “hugs” (aka to snuggle with me). Who am I to argue, right? But you did go to sleep there at bedtime, until about 2am anyway! Pretty good for a first night, I’d say! Although, I definitely had my own selfish misgivings about you sleeping on your own. I went into your room and kissed you goodnight (again) before I went to our bedroom, but it felt so weird. You seemed so tiny in there. I know it’s all part of growing up, but I missed you not being asleep next to me when I climbed into bed. Oh well. I suppose this is one of many firsts that will be hard for me as you grow into the beautiful young woman you are destined to be…I guess I’d better get used to it.
On Thursday night, Mamaw and Papaw stayed with you for a couple hours while Dad and I went out to grab a much needed beer. You had fun and when we got back, Papaw said you were a "ball o' fire"! Yep, you sure are a busy little lady!
On Friday morning, we had a talk with you about keeping your hands and feet to yourself at school, both at home and then Daddy did again right before dropping you off. When I picked you up, you had done just that all morning at school. I was very pleasantly surprised with that and so very proud of you for listening, and taking to heart, what we had asked of you!
On Saturday morning, I took you running with Abby. I love my morning runs, however they look much different than they used to - you were in the stroller eating your yogurt and cheerios for breakfast, as Abby ran alongside us, and about half the run, I was talking to Lao Lao on the cell's speaker phone! I'm getting pretty good at mult-tasking these days. You seem to enjoy these runs as well, every time I put on my running shoes, asking if I am going running and wanting to come too. We got out your butterfly net once home and walked up and down the street looking for bugs. You and your bugs! Thanks to Wai Gong, you do a great impression of a locust too.
We took you with us a little later to talk to some people at a seminar for EAC about adoption and to tell our story. It is really important to both Daddy and I to give back and help other people who are interested in adopting, since our experience has been so absolutely wonderful with you. I can't imagine you not being a part of our family.
Then tonight, I watched a video about an organization (ICC - International Concern for Children China) that helps many children (including those with disabiliites) of China to either stay in their birth families, or if that is not possible, have a better quality of life in general, participating within their communities, etc. It was extremely touching and really put things in perspective again with the situation in China. I ended up in tears as I thought about the difficult decision it had to have been for your birth parents to give you up in the hopes of a better life. I often think about how they are missing all of the amazing things that you do every day. They don't know how smart you are, how funny you are, how kind, friendly, and loving you are...the list could go on and on. It really makes me want to be able to take you back to China someday (of course, only if you would want to as well) and visit the village where you were born, where you were found (in front of a hospital), and perhaps even put up posters in an attempt to locate any members of your birth family. I know this is a sensitive area for many people who were adopted, so of course we would never do this without your permission and complete willingness, however I just want you to know that Daddy and I are more than willing and would love to be able to go on this journey with you, should you ever feel the need to learn more about your heritage, your beginnings, your birth family, and any other aspects of your past that we can try to piece together with you. Once I was done watching the video, you came over to me as I sat there crying. You gave me a hug, then said, "Happy?" Of course, I said that yes, I was sad but that your hug cheered me up and helped me feel better, and that you can always make me happy. Then Daddy and I started singing "You are My Sunshine" to you, however you countered with "Sunshine on my Shoulders", complete with the arm motions that I do for you in the car (I didn't even know you were paying attention) - it was the most adorable thing! You kept singing it for us and then every time you would give me a hug, you'd say "Happy?" I was laughing in a few short minutes. You are amazing! Yes, you definitely help me feel happy!
So, after all the emotion of last night from watching that video and thinking about you and how you came into this world, we took it somewhat easy, relaxed and had some fun today. On Sunday, Lao Lao and I decided to take you to the Ohio State Fair, your first trip ever. It was a blast! You did really well, with your favorite thing, by far, being the petting zoo. You zipped all over that place, from animal to animal, feeding them carrots and asking for more and more quarters to keep getting more feed out of the little vending machines. You were a riot! I love that you are such an animal lover, just like Daddy and I, and really everyone in our family actually.
You also rode your first carousel with me. You weren’t so sure about the carousel horses though, so we sat on one of the benches, but you enjoyed it all the same. We pretended to give the carousel horses carrots (just like Wai Gong and Lao Lao used to do with me) and you loved it! Then Lao Lao took you on another ride called Monkey Mahem. Very appropriate name for you, I thought! You had fun with that too and did really well. However, when we tried you on the actual pony rides, you weren’t having that at all. We tried twice, the first time you wouldn’t even sit on the pony, but the second time you did, however as soon as the pony even changed positions of his feet and moved a bit, you were outta there! I guess we’ll try it next year.
We watched the pig races too and I was surprised by how much you got into cheering for the pigs. Who knew you were a racing fan? You just kept yelling “Yay piggy!!” and clapping like crazy. Then Lao Lao and I took you over to the Department of Natural Resources section and Lao Lao had Smokey the Bear say hi to you by name. It’s this huge, and I mean huge, mechanical statue of Smokey that talks to all the kids and waves. When he said, “Hi Maliana”, you brought your sunglasses down on your nose and looked at him as if to say, “Smokey Bear say what?!?” It was hysterical! In fact, all day long, you had Lao Lao and I cracking up at all of your various antics. We also ran across a bluegrass band and you of course had to jump up and begin dancing which was adorable. You are such a fun little kid!
Here you are with a little bluegrass air guitar! You go girl!
You fell fast asleep on the way home and slept for 2 ½ hours! Even after downing a nice sugary Icee right before the leaving the fair, you were pretty exhausted after such a long day. It was a really great way to spend the last day of the weekend.
Love,
Mama
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