I seem to have been taken in by a family from a nomadic group of Chinese about which I was previously unaware. They don't seem to settle in one place too long and like to graze hotel all you can eat buffets. I was well prepared for my very own, brand new family, but I have to admit I thought they were going to move in with us. I was really sad at first. I really miss my foster grandmother a lot, and the rest of my family, but I'm hoping we'll visit soon.
I'm still sad, but things aren't too bad with these folks. They like to buy me things, and give me all sorts of treats that my foster grandmother wouldn't let me have. Candy, ice cream, sweet milky drinks that I still don't know what they're called, more candy and so on. As a matter of a fact, these people do a lot of eating. I'd worry about my waistline, but they're making sure I walk it off. In the past two weeks, I've walked enough to circle all of China at least once. I've learned that all I have to do is stand in front of my new mom and act like I'm about to cry, and she'll pick me up...but she insists on carrying me in her arms. Doesn't she know I'm easier to carry strapped to her back? Her choice, I guess.
Their Chinese is getting a little better, but we still have a lot of communication problems. I'm patient though, and hopeful that they'll get the hang of it soon. My mom has a few phrases that she utters. I think she really thinks she is talking to me. I appreciate her effort, and sort of nod, when she gets close. I talk all the time, thinking that they'll pick it up soon.
They've taken me to what must be a very rural area. We were on a plane for a long time, so it must be in the far corners of China. When we were driving to the hotel, I saw almost no other cars on the street, maybe only a couple hundred. And people...where are the people? The sidewalks are nearly bare of people. And the sky...where is the sky? They've got some odd blue haze covering the sky here. I hope it's not toxic.
I've met my other brother and sister. Their Chinese is much worse but we all speak the international language of "play". We played all morning today and had tons of fun. They must be joining us on our journey now. I hope so. It's nice to have traveling partners. The more the merrier. They also keep talking about a person named "Maggie". Maybe we'll meet her soon.
I really like this hotel though and hope we can stay awhile. It's much larger than the others. There are all sorts of plants outside, but they don't eat any of them. And the toys...there are toys all over the place. I need to remember this place. Maybe they do birthday parties. Oh, and they don't boil the water here. I freaked out a bit when they brushed my teeth with tap water, but so far, so good. My stomach is still intact.
It's really cold here too...must be Northern China. Still, they don't bundle me up in all those cloths that me and the other kids in my old neighborhood were forced to wear by our grandparents...why did they do that to us? I mean, it's 21 degrees Celsius outside; beautiful fall afternoon, and I've got three sweaters on over my long underwear and under a snow suit. Can't they see I'm sweating?
Tao Tao
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
flight
WE got to the Marriott in Hong Kong a little after midnight last night. It is now 10:35am Hong Kong time and we are waiting to board our 11:40 flight to Newark. Maggie is doing great. Going to Brook alot more and allowing him to carry her when my arms are give out. She still doesn't like him to put her shoes on. Please pray for good weather in Newark and Nashville so there will be no flight delays. We will make a post once home our homecoming and recommendations on lodging, stuff to do and what to bring and not bring. I will say that the Garden Hotel was the best hotel. I would be my first choice above the other common places like the White Swan, China Hotel (marriott) and the Victory. Will go into the why's later.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Here's what we want to do when we get home
Stefanie: She wants to take a bath in water that she knows isn't contaminated. She wants to drink a glass of wine that she's heard of and isn't made in China. She then wants to eat a hamburger. Before she goes to bed, she wants to brush her teeth with running water.
Brook: He wants to sit in the chair in his bedroom with a beer by his side and watch football...doesn't matter who, just American football. During commercials, he wants to flip among TV stations that are in English. At halftime, he wants to wander into his backyard, maybe the garage, and piddle.
Graham: Misses nothing and would like to bring Nashville to China. Assuming he could somehow import his toys and, in particularly, his Wii...then he'd be cool here. Oh, he'd like to play with his brother and sister too.
Brook: He wants to sit in the chair in his bedroom with a beer by his side and watch football...doesn't matter who, just American football. During commercials, he wants to flip among TV stations that are in English. At halftime, he wants to wander into his backyard, maybe the garage, and piddle.
Graham: Misses nothing and would like to bring Nashville to China. Assuming he could somehow import his toys and, in particularly, his Wii...then he'd be cool here. Oh, he'd like to play with his brother and sister too.
We leave tomorrow!! Can't wait. Emotionally, I'm out of here. Really, as I was thinking about it earlier tonight, I was pretty close to miserable at the end of our Guiyang portion of the trip, but Guangzhou has been nice. Nice city, nice hotel, nice people, and we're getting along nicely with Maggie. Still, I miss Davis and Corinne and I can't wait to see them in person rather than a computer screen. I can't wait to pick them up and hug on them, and give them a big kiss. I can't wait to play little jokes on them when they aren't expecting it. I can't wait to give them little treats to make them happy. I can't wait to love on them.
Really, I don't know how Maggie is going to do when we touch down in Nashville. I think she is pretty well accepting us as parents. I think her foster grandparents prepared her for us pretty well, and I also think it's her personality. However, in Guiyang, I think she grieved, in part, because I think she was expecting us to move in with her foster Grandparents...there was room on the floor. Now, I think she is expecting us to go to the airport to pick up Davis and Corinne to move into this hotel room with us any day now. She's going to be shocked when we touch down and she's suddenly in the minority.
That said...I actually think she is going to do pretty good. She's got a strong personality. Graham having been here is turning out to be more important than I thought it would. I think he'll be the link to Corinne and Davis, and she is going to love to play with them, and them with her. She'll learn to love them, and the rest of us, later.
To the rest of you adults...it will come a little later, but your going to like her and we can't wait for you to meet her...now to bed...packing tomorrow and can't wait.
Brook
Maggie is talking away in this video. Just wish we knew what she was saying
Really, I don't know how Maggie is going to do when we touch down in Nashville. I think she is pretty well accepting us as parents. I think her foster grandparents prepared her for us pretty well, and I also think it's her personality. However, in Guiyang, I think she grieved, in part, because I think she was expecting us to move in with her foster Grandparents...there was room on the floor. Now, I think she is expecting us to go to the airport to pick up Davis and Corinne to move into this hotel room with us any day now. She's going to be shocked when we touch down and she's suddenly in the minority.
That said...I actually think she is going to do pretty good. She's got a strong personality. Graham having been here is turning out to be more important than I thought it would. I think he'll be the link to Corinne and Davis, and she is going to love to play with them, and them with her. She'll learn to love them, and the rest of us, later.
To the rest of you adults...it will come a little later, but your going to like her and we can't wait for you to meet her...now to bed...packing tomorrow and can't wait.
Brook
Maggie is talking away in this video. Just wish we knew what she was saying
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Bedtime bottle. She doesn't need the extra calories but she enjoys it.
Post swearing in Ceremony at the US Consulate
Maggie having about her 5th cookie. The Chinese Tea lady would not stop giving her cookies even though we kept telling her no more.
Trying out different teas. We all decided Ginseng Oolong is our favorite
Davis, you would be so dissapointed. All these turtles are waiting to be someone's dinner
Maggie loves food, she even snacks on the potty. Here she is having a little dried mangoGraham's Blog
Today was one of our best days, probably our best. The first thing that we did was get ready and go down to breakfast. Maggie didn’t do so well at that. After that, we went outside to walk around the street then we went to a tea shop and we tried all different types of tea, then we bought tea. Then after that we went back to the hotel and met our guide Aron and went to the US Consulate office for an hour and I had to do school work. Then we came back to the hotel to order our dinner of fried rice. Then we went out to the street again to go look at restaurants to eat at. We went to a restaurant and I ordered cake. I shared part of the cake with Maggie. A lady brought out bread sticks that me and Maggie ate. Three bread sticks that we ate, I had a side, and Maggie had a side and then we ate it down until we were really close to each other and then I gave it to Maggie to finish. When we were leaving, Maggie gave us all a kiss. Then we went down the street to look at other restaurants and then we went back to our hotel. In the hotel, me and Maggie slept in a bed together for maybe 6 minutes while I fed her a bottle. After that, we put Maggie in a crib and she did a lot better than she did a lot of other nights. Then I got in my bed to do some dot to dots, but then mom and dad said I had to get up here and write what I’m writing now. When Maggie gave me a kiss and I was able to give her a bottle, it made me feel good. I wish she could have slept with me tonight and hope that she can sleep with me one day soon.
Graham
Consulate appointment...big steps with Maggie...
...we think...or hope...or pray. As I type, Maggie is lying in bed with Graham, all cuddled up as Graham feeds her a baby bottle with juice. Now mind you, she's turned a bottle away the past few nights because she didn't want to go to bed, and Graham and Maggie were "rough housing"...big time, just 5 minutes ago so maybe she's playing coy so as not to go to her crib...but still, she's doing it.
See, every other day, she's real good with us in the morning, and a little more distant in the evening...other than "rough house" time. With me, for instance, she'll let me be close in the early part of the day, even reach out for me at times. However, later in the day she starts pushing boundaries, and is generally...well, a 2.5 year old adopted child...think my description of the night on the cruise. Tonight, she was still 2.5, but, for at least tonight, she wasn't so "adopted" behaving.
Oh, we all got our first kiss today. Mine was leaving the consulate. I think I was first...but, I'm pretty sure it was by mistake. Stef was holding her as we went down an escalator a step ahead...and below me...and I kissed the top of her head...she turned around laughing...she laughs at almost everything...and kissed my belly. Hey, it's a start.
Tonight, we were just sick of eating. Seems we're always planning the next meal. We ordered in a simple...aka cheap...fried rice for the kids and peeled a few oranges for them that we bought from a local fruit vendor. Then, we went out walking. We stopped at, of all places, a little Italian place and Stef and I shared a bruchetta and the kids split a tirimisu. Everyone was happy. Stef started asking Maggie for a "ching". She went to kiss Graham, but he got bashful and it didn't happen. Then, she walked around the table and actually kissed Stef on the cheek. As we left, she kissed Graham, and finally got her guts up and kissed me...it really was more of a "mush her face into my cheek while laughing" kind of thing...but I'll take what I can get.
Oh...they just finished the bottle. Maggie rolled over to go to sleep with Graham. Graham whispered, "how about a little more juice". Maggie burped. Stef moved Maggie to the crib.
The visit to the US consulate sort of reminded me of the visit to the medical clinic, but in a better way. I was sad seeing all those despondent kids...and parents who were either wide eyed or still in denial. Again today, I saw all sorts of kids, with all sorts of terrible stories. I overheard a grandfather tell about his new grandson. The child is 10, and he's deaf. He was abandoned at a railroad station when he was 6, then spent the next 4 years in an orphanage. For a moment, for those of you with kids, imagine one of your kids living that life. He was adopted this week by this man's daughter and son in law, also deaf. He said that the child has some real problems. Go figure. I don't know what they are...I didn't hear all the details, and adoptive families don't always need to give all the details...but we all sort of know what their talking about. The child has been hurt..not hurt, but traumatized. Maybe even for the rest of his life. His story, just the bit I know, is heartbreaking. I'm sure if I knew the details, I'd cry.
Today, however, I felt excited. With each child was a set of really great parents. I was in a room with people who were willing to not just support these kids, but bring them into their home and give them the rights and privileges of being called "Smith" or "Jones". We've got it pretty easy this time, Stef and I. Maggie...knock on wood...seems pretty O.K. I'm sure we'll hit rough times, but many of these kids are really fighting their parents right now...or will later, but their parents are bringing them into their families anyway. I helps me understand what it means to be adopted into my Fathers family despite my fighting and pushing back.
A couple notes about Maggie. We hit the 7-11 and bought everyone some treats. The big hit was a chocolate thing, that had a coconut thing on the inside. Maggie loved them. More than she wanted to shove the whole bag into her mouth, she wanted to share those little morsels of goodness with her brother. She laughs when she "poots" on the toilet. She will talk to herself...or maybe she's talking to us...we don't know, when she pretend plays. We took a great video of her doing this and we'll get it up later...no way we'll pull this off tonight. It's cute...and kind of long. When I carry her, sometimes I start telling her that she is a sassy little girl...I can do this because 1) she is, and 2) she has no idea what I'm saying....or maybe she does because she will point her finger in my face and start giving me the "what for" in Chinese. I'd probably be totally embarrassed if I actually knew what she was saying...the locals are probably looking at me and saying "I can't believe those Americans don't reprimand their children". She said her first English word today..."woman". Graham calls her woman when they play rough...tonight, she started saying it back. When she plays by herself, she sings. I always kind of thought they were sweet little children's songs...maybe even a Chinese version of Jesus Loves Me. Found out today that she's singing the Chinese equivalent of the Barney intro song. Oh well. That's it for now.
Brook
See, every other day, she's real good with us in the morning, and a little more distant in the evening...other than "rough house" time. With me, for instance, she'll let me be close in the early part of the day, even reach out for me at times. However, later in the day she starts pushing boundaries, and is generally...well, a 2.5 year old adopted child...think my description of the night on the cruise. Tonight, she was still 2.5, but, for at least tonight, she wasn't so "adopted" behaving.
Oh, we all got our first kiss today. Mine was leaving the consulate. I think I was first...but, I'm pretty sure it was by mistake. Stef was holding her as we went down an escalator a step ahead...and below me...and I kissed the top of her head...she turned around laughing...she laughs at almost everything...and kissed my belly. Hey, it's a start.
Tonight, we were just sick of eating. Seems we're always planning the next meal. We ordered in a simple...aka cheap...fried rice for the kids and peeled a few oranges for them that we bought from a local fruit vendor. Then, we went out walking. We stopped at, of all places, a little Italian place and Stef and I shared a bruchetta and the kids split a tirimisu. Everyone was happy. Stef started asking Maggie for a "ching". She went to kiss Graham, but he got bashful and it didn't happen. Then, she walked around the table and actually kissed Stef on the cheek. As we left, she kissed Graham, and finally got her guts up and kissed me...it really was more of a "mush her face into my cheek while laughing" kind of thing...but I'll take what I can get.
Oh...they just finished the bottle. Maggie rolled over to go to sleep with Graham. Graham whispered, "how about a little more juice". Maggie burped. Stef moved Maggie to the crib.
The visit to the US consulate sort of reminded me of the visit to the medical clinic, but in a better way. I was sad seeing all those despondent kids...and parents who were either wide eyed or still in denial. Again today, I saw all sorts of kids, with all sorts of terrible stories. I overheard a grandfather tell about his new grandson. The child is 10, and he's deaf. He was abandoned at a railroad station when he was 6, then spent the next 4 years in an orphanage. For a moment, for those of you with kids, imagine one of your kids living that life. He was adopted this week by this man's daughter and son in law, also deaf. He said that the child has some real problems. Go figure. I don't know what they are...I didn't hear all the details, and adoptive families don't always need to give all the details...but we all sort of know what their talking about. The child has been hurt..not hurt, but traumatized. Maybe even for the rest of his life. His story, just the bit I know, is heartbreaking. I'm sure if I knew the details, I'd cry.
Today, however, I felt excited. With each child was a set of really great parents. I was in a room with people who were willing to not just support these kids, but bring them into their home and give them the rights and privileges of being called "Smith" or "Jones". We've got it pretty easy this time, Stef and I. Maggie...knock on wood...seems pretty O.K. I'm sure we'll hit rough times, but many of these kids are really fighting their parents right now...or will later, but their parents are bringing them into their families anyway. I helps me understand what it means to be adopted into my Fathers family despite my fighting and pushing back.
A couple notes about Maggie. We hit the 7-11 and bought everyone some treats. The big hit was a chocolate thing, that had a coconut thing on the inside. Maggie loved them. More than she wanted to shove the whole bag into her mouth, she wanted to share those little morsels of goodness with her brother. She laughs when she "poots" on the toilet. She will talk to herself...or maybe she's talking to us...we don't know, when she pretend plays. We took a great video of her doing this and we'll get it up later...no way we'll pull this off tonight. It's cute...and kind of long. When I carry her, sometimes I start telling her that she is a sassy little girl...I can do this because 1) she is, and 2) she has no idea what I'm saying....or maybe she does because she will point her finger in my face and start giving me the "what for" in Chinese. I'd probably be totally embarrassed if I actually knew what she was saying...the locals are probably looking at me and saying "I can't believe those Americans don't reprimand their children". She said her first English word today..."woman". Graham calls her woman when they play rough...tonight, she started saying it back. When she plays by herself, she sings. I always kind of thought they were sweet little children's songs...maybe even a Chinese version of Jesus Loves Me. Found out today that she's singing the Chinese equivalent of the Barney intro song. Oh well. That's it for now.
Brook
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