Getting Cultural

We have started learning Chinese! I checked out Play and Learn Chinese with Mei Mei from our library. It is a DVD, 45 minutes long. I put it on while I'm doing house work, and listen as the children count, learn body parts, play games and sing songs. It's really quite easy and fun! I can say hi, bye, count to ten, I love you, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and I know the word for bottom (not sure why that's the only body part I've caught onto). I didn't know Chinese was so tonal - it's kind of hard to catch.
Koen loves watching the video and begs for it. He's watched it at least twice a day for the last three days. I know that's a lot of time in front of the TV, but it's hard to say no when it's so educational! I'm not sure why he likes it so much. He can say hi in Chinese, and every now and then will copy something they say. Yesterday he pointed to his neck and said the Chinese word for it. He's brilliant!

One thing we learned from the video too, is that we've been saying our daughter's nickname, Mei Mei, wrong. We've been pronouncing it "My My", but it is actually pronounced "May May." Oh well, it's too stuck to change the way we say it now!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is Chinese New Year, and the first time that Chinese New Year has felt significant to me. The nannies at my daughter's orphanage are likely celebrating. I pray the children get to be a part of the festivities and are not forgotten on a day like this. Welcome to the Year of the Ox - prayerfully, the year we will bring our little girl home.

Our paperwork should head to China in the next two weeks, as it is currently being authenticated in San Fransisco. Then we will be DTC, and can decide when we want to start looking for a "match" on the CCAA's lists. I hate having so much control, and just pray the Lord guides us in the decisions we need to make. We've been researching many different medical issues and trying to decide what we are ready for, and not really feeling adequate for anything.

Koen's Dancing Debut!

Due to the snow storm last month, our church Christmas program was postponed until last night. Here is a video of the preschoolers (2-5s) performing last night. Koen didn't sing (although he knows the songs) but he sure did dance! He is the brown horse front and center. His buddy Isaac is the gray donkey just to the right. The thing in Koen's hand is a car that ends up being a distraction for Isaac who loves cars.

*Premature Excitement

So, my post last week was a little premature. We thought it was the last of our paperwork, but we had a couple issues with our medical forms. We had to get them resigned, and add some letter explaining the medications we take, which put us back a couple days. On Thursday we dropped the last piece of mail at the post office, and on Friday our agency sent our last pieces of paperwork to the state to get authenticated. I believe that we should be DTC (Dossier to China) in the next couple weeks, but I'm not totally sure what all needs to be done.

I joined two yahoo groups about adopting from China - one for the special needs program, and one for adopting toddlers. We are still unsure what special needs we are open to, and are finding this is a good way to learn more about them from adoptive parents who have experience.

We went to the zoo with friends yesterday, and as we were walking through the tropical rainforest, and cute family with two young Asian girls and two very white parents walked next to us. I was unsure of how to ask, but really wanted to know, so I blurted out "Did you adopt?" The mom graciously answered, and was excited to hear we were adopting from China too. It went well, but my friends couldn't believe I had asked. The children could have been their grandchildren, or from a previous marriage, or foster kids.... Do you have any advice about how to ask without offending?

My other concern was that their girls were old enough to understand our conversation, and I didn't know how comfortable they were with talking about their adoption, or feeling like their family looks different enough to get these questions. The mother didn't seem to be concerned, but having not been through it, I'm not sure how to approach the subject with them listening. I probably shouldn't in the future, but I love, love, love to see adoptive families!

*Done with Phase 1!

Today I dropped our last pieces of paperwork in the mail. We were waiting for my medical appointment, which was on Wednesday. Today we got our medical forms signed and notarized, and we are done! It's good to be done, but it only means the rest is out of our hands.

I talked with our agency this week and was discouraged to learn more about the process. We really did enter this blindly. The most discouraging news is that we will likely wait 6-9 months to travel once we are matched with a child. Can I just say TORTURE!!! My little girl will be that much longer without me. I had my mind prepared for 3-4 months like with Vietnam, but this is double that wait. I'm not sure why it takes so long - is it just because the CCAA is understaffed? Or is there some kind of paperwork happening during that time?

Our agency also said that it is up to us as to when we want to start looking for a match. They recommended we wait a couple months after our paperwork goes to China, as this will likely decrease the time that we have to wait to travel (the torturous part of the wait), but still keep out total wait about the same. I'm not sure I understood, but I will research and trust their judgment.

In the meantime, we pray hard for Mei Mei, and trust the Lord to watch over her and bring us together. We also trust the Lord to provide the funds we will need to pay in the next couple weeks when our dossier goes to China.

*Fun Mail

Guess what I found in our mailbox today.....Our immigration approval already! And, now it is noted on the bottom that a cable was sent to Guangzhou, China. It's official! We really only had to renew our previous approval, as well as do a change of status from Vietnam to China, so that is why it happened so quickly.

Since we sent in most of our paperwork to the agency on Monday, all we are waiting on now is Keith's Birth Certificate and our medical exams. Keith saw the doctor today, and will see mine on January 7th. Then we await blood test results, and signatures, and our part should be done by mid January. We're making progress!

Christmas Highlights

Christmas was nice this year. It was such a blessings to have a White Christmas, even though it did disrupt most of our plans in the days around Christmas. I was forced to slow down, which I think I really needed. We spent several days playing in the snow with neighbors who were also stuck at home. We played games, made Christmas cookies, read a great book.......I still felt busy enough, just less busy than I would have been had I made it to all the social events that were scheduled.

Some Christmas cookie decorating with Koen's buddy, Isaac

We stayed in Washington for Christmas this year. It's nice to be at home and not have to make the long drive to Oregon on Christmas Day like we've done many times in the past. Keith's family went to Boston to celebrate, so we spent the time with my family. Christmas Eve was spent at my Mom's like always. We had a little bit of trouble getting there. We have two identical white Subaru Outbacks that do great in the snow. I headed north to get my Grammi from her nursing home, and Keith and Koen headed south to pick up my dad who was stranded at his house. On Keith's way, he dropped Koen at my Mom's, and then only a few blocks from the house the car broke down. Most cars were stuck in the snow, but our car decided it was time for the clutch to give out. Some nice people helped Keith move it to a side street, and he waited for Tripple A to come, only to be told there were no available tow trucks. That was fine though, because I was able to get him after I dropped my Grammi off.

Everyone arrived safely, just a little later than planned, and we had a good dinner. After dinner we headed to church, but it was a little dissapointing as our church had cancelled it's service. We tried a new one near by and the music was so loud it hurt my ears (makes me sound old, doesn't it!!) Oh well, Keith liked it. After that we spent a couple hours opening gifts, and had a Happy Birthday Jesus cake.

Koen and Grampa on Christmas Eve

A family photo in front of Grammi's tree- tradition.

The Dinner-L to R is Great-Grammi (92), Grammi (Kelly's Mom), Laurie, Kelly, Aunt Carrie, Grampa, Koen and Keith is the photographer.

The Happy Birthday Jesus cake- Koen got to blow out the candles, of course.

Koen's loving the new Cars slippers!

Our desire was to have Christmas morning to ourselves, but we were up so late Christmas Eve that we slept in really late on Christmas Day, and only had time for breakfast and stockings, and a little bit of enjoying the gifts we got the night before. In the afternoon we headed for my aunt's house for a nice open house gathering she has yearly.

Christmas Day we had a few hours are home to ourselves - all Koen wanted to do was play with his new toys, not open more presents. He particularly loved the new play dough set.

The newer tradition - a photo in front of our mini tree-on-a-table.
I made hats for the three of us.

Opening stockings (Look at that snow!!)

That evening we did what we're trying to make our tradition and drove around (or should I say slid around!) to look at Christmas lights with my mom. We went back home and opened a few more presents, and did our last advent (which Koen loved this year!).

Our new Advent tradition - with candles, The Advent Book, and the tree that gets an ornament every night. Koen enjoyed this, especially blowing out the candles.

One of Koen's favorite gifts - the 2 dollar pair of child scissors, was a necessity when opening every gift- weather it had a ribbon or not!

Koen getting to enjoy one of his new toys.

Koen got to the point that he was tired of opening presents! I think it was mostly because we wouldn't let him get some of the new toys out of the box, as he had plenty more to open and he needed to get it done. It seems like the cheaper, simpler gifts are what thrilled him the most: a glowing bouncy ball, a pair of scissors, and a flash light. He seemed to understand that we were celebrating Jesus' birthday. We didn't talk at all about Santa, and he didn't ask about him. We were able to focus on Jesus, and he talked about it often in the days leading up to Christmas. I'm so thankful for that. As Koen would excitedly say "Jesus was born!"

One cute story: One of the last gifts Koen opened Christmas night was a little box of train tracks that Keith had labeled "To: Koen, From: Monkey (Koen's favorite stuffed animal)." After he opened it, he gave Monkey a hug, said thank you and then asked us "What should we give Monkey?" Keith and I were trying to think of something to give Monkey, and Koen ran excitedly into the kitchen saying "Monkey needs a banana!" So, monkey got a banana for Christmas, and all were happy.