Wild, wild horses

In DC, heading to the Zoo tomorrow. Yesterday we went over to Ocean City, hung out on the beach, stayed overnight. This morning we went to Assateague. Had a work phone call just as we got to the visitor center....ick. Drove back in the evening; the girls actually played nice if rather boisterously in the back seat most of the way.

J slightly scared of being bitten by a wild horse, finally got over that. They made a "friend" with another little girl and had fun digging in the sand.

Turns out a woman on the next beach chair will soon be an aunt to a little girl from China. I'm sure it was bizarre to have us plop down right next to her while she's thinking of her brother and family on a plane bound for China!

Hoping for a meltdown free day tomorrow....

I should become inspired to take lots of pictures and post regularly.  Instead, I'm updating after reading a friend's blog at atlanticbeachlife.com.

J was invited to a playdate sleepover today so JJ got a taste of what having mommy all to herself is like.  Her fondest dream.  Unfortunately mommy's sciatica acted up.  Who cares...not JJ!  

Very happy that tomorrow is another day off.....it's been a beautiful weekend so far and I'd not want to be back indoors just yet!

The Enchanted Kingdom

I took the kids to the "Enchanted Kingdom" today at the UU church. We were there for FIVE hours.

Each room was a different theme; the fairy princess room full of dressups and a teaparty table, the castle had all sorts of "royal" dressups, a "banquet" table, and two thrones. Made magic "wands" out of sticks and feathers and beads in the Forest Room, the kids loved the "under the sea" room, and we made paper lanterns in the "Far East" room.

They had so much fun; I hung out and chatted with some other parents and the UU people we've met when we went there a couple of times and through Jemma's school.

October

It's cold. I'm up too late. At least Jing is sleeping through the night tonight (so far). Last night was rather rough; she was having very angry dreams and apparently it went on through the night and into the morning. Woke yelling at the top of her lungs several times and even when I brought her in with me, was ... angry. In the morning wouldn't look at me; wanted Jemma to take her hand.

What things she must be working out in her little psyche. To topit off, I took both kids to the dentist and learned their appointment was NEXT Thursday. Jing was upset - she likes doctors and dentist visits. Jemma had left the house without socks or jacket and looked like she was just out of the rescue mission. (no offense to those who use such, it's just that she was wearing no socks and my jacket with the sleeves rolled up).

Pretty much just one of those bad starts to a day. Tomorrow is Friday with lots of Halloween doin's happening around these parts tomorrow and Saturday. I am toying with the idea of going to a contradance in South Amherst and taking the kids to the child care provider down there.... we'll see.

Off to bed.

September

What a gorgeous weekend.  Yesterday my landlords worked on putting vinyl siding on the front screen porch. It will look great (though losing some pretty architectural flourishes) and I'm glad their doing it despite the pounding.  I decided around lunch time to take the kids to McD's for lunch and some errands.  I'd hoped to sit in the sun at McD's and read "Kabul Beauty School", which Peter gave me for my birthday in Jun. 

Unfortunately 'tis the season for yellowjackets, or "meat bees" as I've heard them called so it cut short my reading and we came home.  The kids played on the playground and I actually hung out for awhile on the merry go round thingie......I'm still getting over whooping cough and so it was nice to just hang out.

Lots to do at home today, but I have two opposing forces here to contend with that I'm in the middle of....Jing wants to go, go go somewhere and was disappointed when I decided against going to the UU church we've attended for the last two weeks. J, on the other hand, has watched two movies so far today (Homeward Bound and Dinosaur)and would happily slug out on the couch for hours.  

So, it's looking like I'm going to have to boot myself and my cough and stitch or whatever it is I've done to my ribcage into gear and do something.  Most likely it will be the Garlic and Arts Festival up in Orange.  Cheap and low key, hopefully, without blaring midway rides or gimmegimme kotschke stuff.  Let's hope, anyway!

Another Jemma

I haven't posted in awhile but was just in Blogger because I learned of another little "Jemma", age 3 years 6 months, and she is from Gaoyou!

Thought I'd say hi on Jing's blog, since it's been almost a year since she came home. She had a great year at Pre-K and is right on target for Kindergarten. She is going to day camp at Camp Lion Knoll with Jemma this week...a big adjustment though she had a good time yesterday, I know she was exhausted and would really have loved to stay home today -- Peter is visiting.

Thank gods we are on vacation next week. I know we are all ready for it. More soon!

Five months later....

Okay, rather than try to backtrack on getting Jing, and our first five (!) months, I'm going to just pick up here.

This morning we awoke to a quiet and dark house....the electricity had gone out.  After checking with a neighbor I learned that a pole was down, and a transformer blown.

No tv.  No coffee.  No landline. Jing asked me to read her a few books and we did, all of us on my bed:  Me, Peter, Jing, Jemma and Chloe the cat.  Last night Jing and Jemma surprised me after their bath by being all jammied in their new pink footies and it was one cozy group this morning.

Jemma had also given her new American Girl doll a new do, braids in front and a ponytail.  I love that she is really enjoying this doll!

Jing decided she would read the new book "Pinkalicious" her Aunt Leslie sent to her instead of us reading to her, she (control...) would read it to us.  She loves this book, and it is hers, not a hand me down.  

But since we had no electricity and needed to go pick up Jing's new glasses, we went into Greenfield.  Jing changed clothes 3 times and Jemma twice before we finally made it out the door.  Each wants to be dressed up as much as the other. arrgh. and they're each carrying their doggie purses everywhere.

After breakfast, which only included one Jing removal from the room for a talking to after the volume and temper began to flare, and one thrown spoon, we got the glasses.  And my gosh is she cute in them. She, however, thinks it is a hoot to put them on her doggie purse to wear, and they fell out of her hand onto the pavement within 10 feet of leaving the optical shop.  I give it three weeks tops till they're lost or broken.  At least the Eyemed insurance I paid for since April covered most of the purchase.  I need to check if it covers one pair per calendar year or after another 12 months has elapsed. 

And Jemma now thinks she wants glasses like Jing.  

But by and large, they are getting along really, really well.  For example, right now they're upstairs playing and it's relatively quiet.  We have no plans for the weekend and that feels great after all the hurry-scurry of the past week.

New Year's resolution: Update the blog regularly.

Last night in Beijing

This was our last day in Beijing...and my first opportunity to write here -- Blogger was not displaying yesterday, plus I had some problems uploading pictures from my camera to the ibook. But after setting it to load and letting it do its thing tonight, I realized that it just needed time to do what it does.

Our trip over was long of course. Jemma handled it well but we were so jet lagged and tired that first day. We've still been getting up earlier than necessary and falling asleep (I would if not for blogging!) at a reasonably early hour.

We have done so much. this was the first of our three nights here that Jemma has not fallen asleep during dinner. We've been to the Lama Temple, the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, Summer Palace, acrobatshowand out to eat various times....tonight was Peking duck, last night a good neighborhood local restaurant for dinner, a pedicab tour through the hutong area to a local family's home for lunch. We've been to the government owned silk, pearl, jade, and tea stores and the Friendship Store with its cloisonnes store. Wouldn't I love to buy strings of pearls, jade bangle bracelets and yards of silk for my daughter(s). But instead I let Jemma pick out a gold silk skirt and a neck scarf, we each got a small jade apple on a red cord (mine is pink, Jemma's green and Jing's is lavender). At the Friendship Store I bought two rice paper paintings, one of the sheep and one of the rabbit, as those are Jing's and Jemma's Chinese zodiac signs. And, got us all matching white cloisonnes bangles. And spent enough just on that!

Jemma's handling all of the traveling very well. I've been proud of her. I've been enjoying her company, her questions, and her observations. This has been a good experience for her. (So far!) She's gotten to swim with me two nights and tonight for the third night with the kids of another family with our agency who we toured with this week. It will be nice to see themagain in Guangzhou.

Tomorrow we leave at 8 a.m. Our flight to Wuhan leaves first, then the Wells go to Chengdu and the Reichs to Nanjing I think. We have tomorrow afternoon in Wuhan and then Tuesday we meet Jing Jing. We have been so busy touring in Beijing - Wuhan and the reason we are HERE will be a real shifting of gears. Please think of us as I meet Jing and she learns about us. I'm so worried she will be traumatized..it's probably not going to be easy.

My brain is full...

May I be excused?

Suddenly I'm realizing all the many things I could have done in preparation for this trip, like learn some useful mandarin phrases like, gotta go pee? this is a cheerio. But no.

Ta jiao Cheerio.

So the visas are in the passports and being fedexed to arrive tomorrow. The homestudy addendum is ready to be picked up from the social worker's partner's office. I had my own Rx filled tonight. Did some organizing at work and some with the dossier paperwork. I'll definitely be packing this weekend and yet....have this crazy urge to take next to nothing. I feel like I should check weather.com for Wuhan. My luck, there would be a cold snap in one of the "Three Furnaces" of China if we only take flip flops and sun dresses.

Yes, I am obsessing. I'm also very, very tired. Need to go night night. Weather does concern me, of course.

Today I saw that there were tornadoes in Jemma's home city of Gaoyou that killed 14, destroyed 800 houses. Last month there was flooding in Jing's hometown of Yichang and some folks died, houses were destroyed. A friend reminded me of the fact that late July is typhoon season in South China. Sigh.

Jemma had a playdate with her friend from camp; ironically I've known the friend's mom for years! her new friend is also adopted from china. Small world after all.

This morning i was telling Jemma about some of the places we are going to see in China. I think she's getting excited. This evening she said she is nervous. For good reason, I felt like saying to her. Earlier I said a really weird thing as we were talking about her getting a sister...I said "think of it as a reeeeeeaaaallly long play date where the kid never goes home". I mean come on. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

Fast Forward

We are traveling to China next week! I'm so glad to have today as a "bonus" get-ready day.

The bags are pretty much packed, funds wired to China, and the homestudy addendum should be ready to take along for the consulate, updating the homestudy for our move back to Massachusetts.

Last night was the bonfire across the street from our house, put on by the Fire company. What a hoot that was. the kids were out on the playground in the dark (Jemma has asked me before what the playground is like at night, and can we go. So this was really fun for her.

I can't get over the size of the bonfire, and people have said it was bigger in years past. It was like standing next to the sun. Stacey and Mike came over before, so we wandered over with our wineglasses and then saw Roberta and Peter and their kids...Jemma and Elaine had a great time together as usual.

So I've decided to resuscitate this blog, though the first few entries were so awfully long ago, and the process for Jing was so long. I hope she has had a good experience in foster care. When I've inquired about her via traveling families, I do hear that she is doing well in foster care and that she laughs a lot and likes to sing.

This is like the week before Christmas when you know there is a very special gift waiting and you can't wait to see what's inside.

I'm going back and reading some of the posts on adoption groups that describe going for 3-5 year olds. Packing is different this time. Bringing things for Jemma as well as guessing at Jing's size, worrying about her American name, how she'll react, how Jemma will react.

Yesterday I went to the Girls Club in Greenfield for an "intake" process on preschool for Jing. I hope it is a good choice for her. It's close to work and our friend Tom will be one of her teachers -- so there will be some continuity for her seeing him outside of preschool as well as at school.

One of my regrets is not being able to take much time off with her as she adjusts Two weeks at home before heading back to work is pretty optimistic, but that's the plan. It's definitely not ideal but I feel blessed that my boss and coworkers have been so supportive. It confirms for me that my decision to come back here, and the job at Franklin, was the right thing to do.

The other extremely exciting thing that happened was that the copy of Jing's "finding ad" arrived in the mail Thursday night! It was from April, 2004, which places it just after her surgery, which was March, 2004. She would have been about 10 months old, and I think the picture is from that time period. And oh! it is the same little face I've looked at in just three small photos. But she was younger and had a baby Jing face with her chubby little cheeks...and it was so sad to see that in the paper, and then a scan of the whole list of children whose finding ads appeared that day. Periodically it stops me in my tracks when I think of the magnitude of the Chinese adoptions. Sometimes at FCC events, sometimes online, sometimes like this when I see a list of 19 girls (and some of the tiny photos look like older children).

Progress

Met with my social worker a week ago and she's finalizing the homestudy. I never expected it to be so long and it's a bit embarrassing that others who petitioned later than me are ready to travel. However, it's not her fault, nor mine, just the way things have fallen together. I've been househunting through this process and of course working full time and raising Jemma Rose.

Who just got her class assignment and will be, as expected, in a mixed first second grade class. I of course have mixed feelings about that as I want her to feel like and be treated as a second grader.

As for the dossier for Jing Jing (Amelie, Bellamy, Rebecca? still thinking through the names) I need to get my financial statement, personal letter and the letter from the Amherst Police Department and should be all set. Hopefully next week and then things can be reviewed by the dossier consultant. It seems so much more complicated this time than when I went for Jemma. I'm also a bit surprised that the agency isn't bugging me, wondering when the dossier will be ready.

Preliminary Approval Received!

I got the call on March 14 that China has approved me to be Jing Jing's mom. I've still got a way to go before my dossier is ready to go to China but this is a relief. She will be mine!

The homestudy visits are all done and I'm writing out answers to a huge packet of questions from the agency. As my social worker says, they are very "thorough". And some thought provoking questions, definitely. Time is flying though, and I need to get the dossier finished. I have had one definite relief in the closing of our Amherst house, and it feels better to be doing the adoption with the proceeds in the bank. Had never planned to maintain two residences, even though I did love the Pioneer Valley.

Today is the last day of March and we have had springlike weather. What a relief, and what a good time for fresh beginnings.

The "Letter of Intent"

I'm a week into the process for my second adoption from China. On January 2, I emailed Harrah Family Services agency, in Spring Texas to petition for "Jing Jing". January 3, I asked a few more questions, and the agency worker asked if I was petitioning for her -- she said she'd gotten in a second petition that morning. Well, I ended up going to the mat for my new daughter before I ever have her; YES I was serious, I petitioned the previous day!

Turned out she hadn't read her emails but it was a less than auspicious start to the process for Jing Jing. She is an adorable little toddler and living in Yichang City, Hubei Province, PRC. Does not look at all like Jemma Rose, and is different; a longer face, different sort of features. But she is cute, cute cute!

The following week I was able to complete my letter of intent which is apparently still undergoing translatioon into Mandarin since last week. One group of 21 other families had their letters go to China from Harrah's last week, there are 7 of us who are petitioning for the children who were not selected in the "preview" round. What a process! Kinda makes me feel a bit funny about all those people who passed "my" Jing Jing by. What did they worry about that I'm not seeing? And I feel a bit indignant, too! She is adorable; how could 21 families pass her by?

Nonetheless, when I looked at the Harrah's list there she was, and I was floored that she was still available! (I'd considered being a preview family but didn't; I just thought I would see who was available without competing with the younger, richer married couples, and letting God/the universe lead me to my child.)

Her "screen name" is Jing Jing and if that isn't the name to get your attention during the holiday season, what is? Every Jingle Bell I heard turned to Jingle Belle.