Had to share this one!

I know that Tim finds it hard to go to work all day and just talk to Joy on the phone during the day. So I know that when Joy wants to get her boots on and her coat and waits at the door for Daddy's truck, it's pretty special for him!
Definitely, Daddy's Litte Girl!

Doggie Kisses for Breakfast

Well, we didn't need to worry about Joy and the dogs! When Joy wakes up in the morning, the first thing she does is look for Katrina. Katrina will then crawl up to her and kiss her and wag her tail. Squeals of delight and laughter follow, with "ikat, mama".

Katrina is a god-send! She loves her nap after lunch. And guess who will go to sleep with her?! Yeah!!

And today, when I put Katrina in her crate so we could go to the store, Joy leans in and says, "wo ai ni, Katrina" (I love you, Katrina). Very cute!!

It's been a whirlwind here, as those of you with toddlers can imagine! I'm not sure what I had thought it would be like. I don't really think I let myself imagine that. But I'm pretty sure that whatever I was thinking is maybe what it will be down the road from here.

The language issue is more profound than I thought it would be. I don't mean to sound naive - I knew it would be a challenge. But what I thought would be hard isn't, and what I hadn't thought of is. First of all, I have to say her name about 6 times to get her attention sometimes. Either she's daydreaming, thinking of what she wants to do next, or it just takes a while to go, oh yeah, that's MY name!

She is in constant motion too! So talking to her to tell her what I want is sometimes like talking to the wind! I've started the "ikat" thing with her, and pointing at my eyes. That seems to be making an impression.

She is learning words and phrases and repeating them all day. On and Off. Front/back. Help me. and No....

Naptime was better today. And her eating was great today too! We went to the doctor who said she was in the 50th percentile on the American growth chart! She's grown about 2 inches since the beginning of December. So I'm not going to worry about the 4 Cuties (tangerines) and the half box of animal crackers that were eaten today!

More growing & learning for us both tomorrow!
Margaret

Snow Angels, Tissues and Carmex

Mama trying to get some work done. HAHA!


Not so sure about Daddy being at work


Snow is not as bad as she thought it was going to be! Especially since she got new boots to go with it! Her first experience of getting dressed for going outside was full of "bu yao" which means "I don't want to"! (I've heard that a lot lately....) But once she got outside, and the hat came off, and the gloves came off --- she was happy!

I guess she'll learn that cold hands make it not as much fun, but not today anyway!

Tim and Joy made snow angels and we tried to play Fox & Geese. That wasn't nearly as much fun as playing fetch with Katrina later today though! Tonight, when we went out with Katrina after dinner, Joy was exploring on her own, walking all over where Katrina was running. I was hoping it would wear her out more than it did. We'll have to run around more tomorrow for sure!

Today, I discovered the need to have tissues in every single pocket of every coat, pair of jeans or purse pocket. Just in case! And carmex is a magical thing! Her poor little nose and lips are not adjusting to the dry climate all that well. That's in every pocket as well!

The dogs came home from the kennel today. At first we had tears, but now she can't stay away from Katrina. Scarpia laid down and she went and covered him with her blanket and said, "ikat (look) mama, sleepy!" Katrina goes upstairs, I think to get a little peace and quiet and she's calling her right away. Katrina tries to lay down and Joy is petting her (not always in the right way). Poor dogs - they are both mad at me I think. They probably both wonder when this little creature is going to leave. Oh well. They will just have to be disappointed!

We went to Italco today. The idea was to show Joy where Daddy works so that when he disappears tomorrow, she'll know where he went. I am not sure that was understood, yet. I do know that she was terrified that we were going to leave her there! She didn't really relax until we got to Target. We were buying things there for her and I guess she understood that. She happily said "Hi!" to absolutely everyone! There is something fun about buying new clothes, I have to admit!

There are so many things that we take for granted. When we get in the car, or when someone leaves and says, I'll be back, we understand that. She doesn't yet. She is so dependant on what happens in the present. She is constantly looking for clues from us about how to behave, what's coming next, what words to learn.

Her little brain sometimes goes on overload - I found out today that her repeated phrase from yesterday and today is a made up phrase. She told two people who could translate for us that she didn't know what it meant either! That was a relief!

She has already learned that repeating what we say will usually illicit a laugh and a smile (especially my "wait" or "so ---"). But she's also learning that saying "thank you" gets her what she wants faster. And "I'm sorry" is the right thing to say when someone gets upset. That's a good start.

Today, with me, we were testing limits. So bathtime was full of "bu yoa" and crossed arms and shaking of head. But the tub flutes were great (thanks Tina!), and eventually, we decided it was okay, especially after getting to splash mama. Then getting dressed. Then eating breakfast. Then picking up toys - everything was a test today. But when we got to Italco, she wanted me to carry her and had her arms wrapped pretty tightly around my neck.

I must not be all that bad!

Daddy is scary sometimes, because when he says to do something, he has "that look". But he's pretty great too! He plays Tickle Monster and Pirate Ship. And he knows how to throw the toy for Katrina. That's definitely a plus.

Little does she know that he knows how to cook too! Our refrigerator has all sorts of green things in it that I've never even seen before! And I've had more rice in the last week than in the last year, I think! Her diet consists of fruit, juice, rice, ham or pork chops, some kind of green veggie and some yogurt. But when in doubt, McDonald's chicken nuggets will always work! That was a special treat there, so she will eat that with gusto! Including the french fries. Especially the french fries!

Oh, and Animal Crackers and Goldfish!

Bedtime part 1

Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009
We knew sleep was going to be an issue, for all of us at least for a little while! Last night, Joy wanted to sleep in her own bed, but then didn't really. She started to get upset and started saying the same thing over and over again. I asked her if she wanted Daddy and me to sleep in her bed and she said yes. But then agreed that we wouldn't all 3 fit. So she went trooping downstairs to our bedroom. She pointed at our bed and pointed upstairs, talking the whole time. I really think she wanted us to move our bed upstairs into her room! lol!

So we started out in her room, went to sleep in 4 minutes, but was awake in 30. And came looking for us! So, she slept in our bed. I think we won't get her in her bed for a whole night for awhile. We did do a nap in there today, but she told me I was the only one who slept. Could be....

Today has been a day to learn new words. I'm pretty sure that her repeated phrase means, "what is this called". So we have learned, or heard lots of words today. The one she likes best is "beautiful"!

We are watching "The Sound of Music" at the moment. She is entranced! We walked down the aisle with Maria and now we're singing "Auf wiedersehn" and clapping with the audience. I found out something today - she knows solfege! For my nonmusical friends, that means she knows Do, Re, Mi, etc. She was singing back to me a little song in one of her books with nonsense words, and then all of a sudden, she sang the solfege syllables. I was just thunderstruck!! They weren't all right, but they were mostly right. So I sang a scale to her and she sang it with me and then backwards (like, do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do-ti-la-so-fa-mi-re-do). Not an easy thing to do! I sang "good morning, it's great to stay up late" from Singing in the Rain the first morning. She just sang it back to me. I have my work cut out for me!

more later!!
Margaret

Home is a WONDERFUL Thing!

We're home!

Hard to believe and oh, so wonderful!

That's how Tim and I feel. Imagine how Joy feels!

Thanks to some very special friends, Mike and Sharon, our arrival and trip home were very special. I'm sure there was a part of Joy that thought, "okay, now who are these new people I'm supposed to say hello to and surely I'm not supposed to stay with them, right?" She did really well with that.

In fact, she did really well the entire trip!! There was a little meltdown in the plane coming home from Seattle. I'm sure she saw all that white snow and the mountains (lifting off in Seattle) and thought, I'll never see green things again! For all she knew, we were taking her to Antarctica! ;)

So a few tears and crossing arms and telling me to go away basically. Then we looked through our book with her friends and she talked to one picture with her primary caregiver for a while. Then the Happy Joy was back. Just amazing!

Of course, it didn't help that the worst part of our trip was the Seattle part. The hotel was, understandably on Christmas, understaffed. The airport was crowded and also understaffed (at least at United) and with the extra security, it took much longer than it should have. We stood in line for "special handling" because we had paper tickets. Not our choice - Eva air issues paper tickets and because of the difference in the names and passports, we were probably going to encounter a delay getting checked in anyway. Joy has dual citizenship and a Taiwan passport for now. Her Chinese name is on the passport and therefore on her ticket. Once we get her USCIS paperwork back, we'll be able to change her name legally.

We made it on the plane okay. And got settled okay. And the plane took off okay. And then I burst into tears!

Here was this little girl, just fascinated by the blue engine on the plane, the planes on the ground and who wasn't scared a bit at takeoff. When the plane tilted to turn and the ground was all she could see in her window, she squealed with delight! She pointed to the snow, the mountains, the cars in the parking lot - all with anticipation and wonder. This little girl who is so smart and capable and a real survivor wouldn't have had a chance at any of these things in Taiwan. Because she is native Taiwanese, she has been labeled as excelling in (and not excelling in) certain things. She would wear that label for the rest of her life. Now that I know more of her and her personality, it just struck me how enormously different her life is going to be because we adopted her. We worked hard and diligently to make this happen - and there is no doubt in my mind that we are all better off for it!

I hope I have the wisdom to remember all of that on the days when she frustrates me beyond my limits! I'm sure there will be those days too....

Back to the homecoming -

She stood in awe in front of the Christmas Tree with all the lights and presents (but didn't touch it!), then raced from room to room asking a million questions! I had no idea what she was asking, but I just said something about each room and that seemed to satisfy. She somehow knew her room was at the top and that's where we had to go in a hurry! She said "ahhhooo" at the playroom and all the puzzles on the table, but didn't touch them. Then ran to her room and just exploded with laughter!

Jumped on the bed. Grabbed every toy she saw and put them on the bed (except for the doll that Jaycee gave us which came with her back downstairs). Got a book out of the bookcase and when I said yes, those are yours, she just giggled with delight. Her closet with clothes in it seemed like a big mystery. I'm sure she'll figure that out soon enough....

We came back downstairs where she pointed out every picture of Zach and Courtney we have up. And she picked up every picture of herself that she saw. Like, I belong here!! She pointed to a picture of my mother and said, Nai-nai (grandmother) with authority! She's counting days until she sees each of them - the dogs are Monday, Zach is Tuesday, Courtney is Saturday and Nai-nai, Joy told me, is going to be the next Wednesday, just so you know, Mother! ;)

We then had a Playdoh session (had gotten a lovely package in the mail with a little playdoh set in a backpack - Thank you, Erin!). She certainly knew that the backpack went on her back! She tried to carry it around that way, but we put it in the toy bin in the living room instead.

That was while Tim cooked a wonderful meal, thanks to Mike and Sharon having loaded up our refrigerator!! How sweet was that!! So we had a nice relaxing meal at home with friends and a very happy little girl.

I want to post some pictures here, so I'll write about BEDTIME in the next post!

Thanks for all your prayers for a safe journey. We were certainly a little anxious traveling today, but we are home, safe, sound, and happy!
love,
Margaret

And Christmas Lasted a LONG Time!

It's been a long day, but a great one! Alexandra Joy is now a United States Citizen with all the rights and privileges thereof! I have to admit that I am now relaxed. For some reason, I was waiting until that part of the process was finished before I let myself really let go!

A word to the adoptive families after us, you may have to wait a while for your paperwork to be processed at immigration. You go to one line, and then they usher you to another line - this is Seattle - where we waited until the agent had finished admitting everyone from our flight. At least we were first in line for "special handling", but we still waited another hour to get through that. I'm glad I still had new things in the bag of tricks that came with us on the plane. The Mazes book was a big hit! So, make sure you use the restroom in the plane if you can before you leave. It might be a long wait....

I have to tell you about how wonderful this child has been! She never broke down, not even when woken up abruptly or told she couldn't sit on the floor, or that she had to hold my hand NOW. She was so obviously tired and hungry, but didn't cry at all! We started to get that worried look, and thankfully, food arrived at the hotel restaurant just about then. She was SO excited about the plane ride! There were squeals of delight when she saw the lights on the runway and then the plane took off and we left them behind. There were more squeals on the last part of the trip, when we could see how close the plane was getting to Seattle (on the Compass function on the tv). And more squeals when we landed! She also slept for about 6 hours straight on the plane, which helped.

I'm just in awe! She always seems to be in a good mood. She has been well trained and knows she needs to pick up things, to wash her hands, (the wiping part is still a hit or miss thing), and she knows that she's supposed to eat her food and chew it and then swallow it. However, that last one is still a battle ground. We fought it when we absolutely needed to, but not too much. I only got mad when the blue M&M came out of her mouth because she was upside down on the couch in the Lounge and then it left blue marks. She got to hear the Stern Mama voice. It did have the desired effect. This time at least...

I also want to thank all the people who helped us on this journey home. They won't ever know about this blog or really know how much I have appreciate their kind words or help. One young lady was coming home after teaching English in Korea for a year. She had 4 and 5 year olds in her class and she just adored Joy. She answered all sorts of questions (or what we thought Joy was asking). Some were obvious - like, what is that on your fingernails? Fingernail polish? Ohh, Mama, I want some of that! And can I have that pretty sparkly ring too?

What she did, more than spend some time distracting Joy from our anxiety about getting on the plane, was treat her like any 5 year old who was curious, smart and polite. Joy just glowed when she said goodbye to her. Thank you!

And to the young woman studying to be a Buddhist priest. Thank you for understanding how a little girl could be upset about your shaved head. Thank you for answering her questions in English and Chinese and being sweet and laughing with her about it. I appreciate that especially since this child has already told us, through the translator that she wants to grow her hair long. They have to keep it short at the orphanage, but now that she has her forever family, can't she have it long? Yes, sweetie, you can. And no, you won't have to shave your head unless someday you choose to.

Thank you to the father in the hotel who just offered up that he had 2 little ones from Ethiopia and told us how impressed he was with Joy, and with us. He commented on her beauty and her quickness and calmness. He also told us that as adoptive parents of a child from another race, be prepared, because now it starts. The questions and the looks and stares. He said there are 2 ways to handle it, but he has gotten tired of taking the high road. After all, he said, these children are now YOUR children and God means for you to protect them! We couldn't agree more.

His words came at a good time for me too. In the airport in Seattle, Joy had tried to talk to a pretty young girl, about 7 I would think and from California, I think, based on what her parents were talking about. This little girl just stared at Joy instead of answering back. Joy had even said, Merry Christmas! I watched as Joy felt the lack of response. She was hurt by it, on some level, I'm sure and we don't have the language skills to explain to her that the other child was the one who was wrong. I hope we do before too long...

We are now asleep, after protesting for about 5 minutes. Tim is also asleep (he beat Joy!), and I'm soon to follow. I had a rough plane ride. I have NEVER, EVER gotten sick in a plane, but I must have had food poisoning somewhere, because about 2 hours into the flight, after fighting cold sweats for a while, I used the paper bag in the seat back pocket! I've never done that! And the funny thing is, I had told Tim to remind to locate them at the beginning of the flight because Joy has a little throwing up tendency when she's stressed. There are a few coughs, then a plea to go to the restroom that proceed it, so I wanted to be prepared in case we couldn't get to the restroom. Little did I know that it would be ME who couldn't get to the bathroom! Oh well, that's what they are for and the stewardess didn't yell at me or anything when I handed her the used bag! I'm fine now. But I need to go to sleep because tomorrow is going to be a big day too!

HOME!

love to all! We can't wait to see you and for each of you to meet Joy soon! She's a charmer! ;)
Margaret

What A Christmas Day to Remember!

Merry Christmas!

Finally, it's here! We can hardly wait to be home, but our excitement pales in comparison to a little girl's! Joy told everyone at the Executive Lounge today that she was getting on a plane and going to America today. And staying in another hotel tonight and then going HOME!! And that she had new shoes, would they like to see them?

She has been so excited all day, I'm sure she's going to collapse once we finally get in the air. Chung Yi called us this morning to ask how things were. They also talked to her and reminded her that today was the day she was traveling. She already knew though! They were great - telling her that if she felt lonely and missed the kids at school to look at her book and see how happy they were that she was going to America. She has her necklace on that the staff gave her as well. She asked them if she could come back and visit Chung Yi someday. Of course!

We didn't bring a Christmas present with us, as all of this has seemed like a big present to her. But the staff gave her one, so we opened that this morning. It's an adorable doll that has a music box. The staff at the executive lounge has been especially generous! They gave her another gift today (Hello Kitty candy). The front desk clerks gave her a stuffed bear ornament. And one sweet lady upstairs gave her a book about a little girl being adopted. And a very sweet note telling her how brave and good she was!

We went for a walk, in the drizzle and the azaleas were blooming. Couldn't resist a picture for my mother! Santa came to the dining room this evening as well, and handed out balloon baskets with balloon apples in them. Joy squealed with delight and also screamed "apple!" when she was handed one!

Her language skills today are just amazing! She repeated things all day, including the parts in French in the Tom and Jerry cartoon we had running! We've learned UP and DOWN by pushing the buttons for the elevator. We've learned the BOTH means 2 hands. Take my hand and Stay with Daddy are completely understood (which I was somewhat worried about before we met her). And colors and also the days of the week just spurted out of her today, complete with a song about each.

We've also been hearing a lot of Mandarin today! She sat for about 30 minutes and told me a long elaborate story, complete with laughter and hand motions! It didn't seem to bother her that I didn't understand, as long as I laughed at the right moments. She was totally amused by herself!

She also LOVES to ask WHY in Chinese! She has asked the waiter why he wore black. Why did that person have bottles in their hand? Why did that woman in the bathroom put those things in her eyes (contacts)? Why was she wearing that dress? Why did they work there? and on and on....Tim said he wondered if she was trying to hear as much Mandarin as she could before she was totally in an English world. Maybe! In any case, she does have a talent for making people laugh!

The airport is beautiful, and big. We are here early, but that's fine. Joy slept in the car ride once we left the lights of Taipei. We passed a Hello Kitty playland, but she wasn't all that interested in playing. Right now, we're interested in animal crackers!

So it's been a day full of anticipation and excitement. As ready as we are to be home in Colorado, I am hoping that our stay in Seattle for one night will help her be more rested. We want her to enjoy her homecoming and hopefully remember it! We want to remember it too ----- so maybe it's that WE need the rest! :)

love to all!
Margaret

A few Christmas Eve thoughts

It's Christmas Eve here. You can only tell because the traffic has been lighter today and there are a few parties in the hotel. But not much else. Feels a little sad not being at church and then at home, with presents tomorrow to look forward to.

And then a little voice pipes up, "Mama, I love you!" and somehow it just doesn't matter where we are!

I'm so amazed at how much she's decided to relax and to trust us! I know she's waited a long time for this family, and now knowing a bit more of her history, I'm even more convinced that she was waiting for THIS family for a reason. I know we wouldn't be here and wouldn't have her without God's direct help and protection. To have her open her heart up to us after all she's been through as an orphan is just a miracle. I know there will be hard days, or months, but I also know we were meant to be her parents.

I need to tell you how wonderful Tim has been with her (and me)! He is sweet and gentle when she needs him to be. He is big and strong and protects her when he needs to. And he is totally engaged in being there. I'm in awe of it all! I also love the "male discipline" thing - he has to just look at her with a frown, and she instantly straightens up! I hope that lasts a little while at least! Maybe till she's 20? ;)

Merry Christmas to everyone! We are indeed blessed this Christmas!

in Him,
Margaret

A Day to be 3 Years Old Again!

Yesterday, Joy was 5. Today, she was 3 again. We knew it was bound to happen at some point! It was also a day to test limits. Just how far can I go before I make Mama and Daddy REALLY mad? Can I really sit down on the floor at the Subway station? Can I try to touch everything in the toilet today (after being especially grown up yesterday)? Can I pretend to swallow only to cram more food in my mouth and show it off to everyone? Can I try to climb on the railing at Taipei 101? Can I scream in the bathroom just because it has such a great echo? Do I realy have to sit up at the table? Are you sure?

At least all of us had a great night's sleep! We had a teary look when the lights went down, but a kiss and a hug seemed to make it better. And about 5 minutes later, she was out! And slept all the way through the night! Right up until 6:30 this morning.

Today we have been exploring a little bit of Taipei close to the hotel. Took the MRT (subway) to Taipei 101 (the huge skyscraper) to eat lunch in the food court and go shopping. Oh my - it's a good thing Courtney wasn't here! We'd have to leave her there for 2 days just to look at all the stores! Five floors of the very best shops! She'd love it!

We got some new shoes for Joy as well. The sales person wasn't really proficient in English but we were reasonably sure they fit okay. We walked a little bit, but decided by the way she was walking that it was time to put the old shoes on again. So, I was worrying that they didn't feel good or she didn't like them, then at the Executive Lounge this afternoon (for snacks) she just piped up and told one of the attendants there, Debbie, that she got to go shopping and had beautiful new shoes! when Debbie asked her if they fit okay, she said yes. So, I guess we did okay!

The attendants up there have been so sweet. They have given Joy a present every day. Today it was little pound cakes with salt dough figures on top. Very sweet of them!

Here are some pictures. It's been a good day, and tonight we may try to go to a night market. It's Christmas Eve and we'd planned on going to a church service somewhere, but the concierge said it would be a 45 minute cab drive there and then back and the only service in English was at 10pm. I think that's too much right now. We'll see though ---

Joy is definitely interested, and good at music! She can sing back to me a refrain of music she's heard only once. She understands how rhythm works (strong and weak beats) and can match pitch as well as retain pitches (meaning she can start a song on the same pitch every time, even when a few hours has passed). And she is fascinated with ballerinas and tutus! I guess all my time around the Boston Ballet may pay off in unexpected ways!

We are trying quiet time at the moment. I love this picture of Tim and Joy on the bed. We're kinda watching Charlotte's Web and she already is singing the tunes! Amazing!

Thank you for all your sweet comments! We can't wait for you to meet her too!
Merry Christmas!

A few pictures from the Taipei Zoo

It's a great place! It was a gorgeous day and there were lots of families and tourists, but it wasn't crowded. The displays are easy to find and some are better than others, but there were some animals I'd never seen before, including a Giant Panda. Very cool!

We also learned the English words "pee" and "poop" because the big elephant did that in front of us, and she squealed with delight! She basically screamed out "PEE" and "POOP" at the elephant and then turned to us triumphantly!

I also found out today that she can count to 21! We counted steps a lot....and Tschu Tschu means Train. And Giraffe is the same too!

Who knew!

A Day at the Zoo & More Paperwork

Today, I think we may have worn her out - finally!!

We had our appointment at AIT this morning and after fighting the crowd to get in the door, found our way to Window #4. It really didn't take long for us to get to the interview part. And then get our appointment sheet. They told us to call back today to see if the visa would be ready today. It was, so we have all our paperwork a day early!!

We met another new family there from Boston (Medford, to be exact) who had 2 little ones, about 3 and 1, I believe. I hope they have an easy time at AIT. I think their transition will be a little rougher than ours. But every child has to go through that at some point.

Speaking of which, we did have a meltdown last night. Joy started to bed okay, but then got scared. I was pretty sure she was asking for her caregivers, but she couldn't be comforted and was hyperventilating. So after about 30 minutes, we called the desk downstairs and asked if she could translate for us. She told us that Joy was missing the children and was scared. After a little bit of talking, she told Joy to stop crying and go to sleep. If she needed to talk again in the morning, she could do that.

It was like magic - she crawled down in the bed and was asleep in about 10 minutes.

And woke up happy!

I'm just amazed at her resiliency! She fell a few times at the zoo, but not one tear or frown! The only demand we got was for ice cream, and since it was lunch time, it was easy to fulfil that one! ;)

She and Tim definitely have the same sweet tooth!

Joy - that's really what we are calling her now. She has forgotten that she wanted to be called Alex, at least for now. So, since she responds to Joy, we're calling her that (as well as Xi le, which is her nickname if we need it).

She is so very trusting - it's just amazing! The Zoo was great because there were places where we could test the limits of how far she could run ahead of us. Both what we were comfortable with and what she was comfortable with. You could just feel her relax as we spent time together there. And her little "ooouuuu" when she saw the animal we pointed at was just adorable! And guess what, she knew it!

I had to not laugh when she crossed a line and heard the tone of my voice change and she looked at me and said, ever so sweetly "wo ai ni" which means, I love you. HAHAHA! They must be born with that ability!

So now, after a few snacks upstairs in the Lounge, we are trying to take a nap. Tim is being successful! Joy is at least curled up in the bed, watching Max and Ruby. I think she'll be speaking English in no time!

We're going to try swimming after the nap. Wasn't successful in getting the bathing suit on for long. Went on, but came right back off. We'll try again tonight. Maybe we'll go watch Tim swim and see if that makes it more interesting.

I am expecting another meltdown tonight. I think night time is scary for her anyway, and everything about her routine is different. Maybe it won't be quite as scary, but as all the btdt adoptive mothers have said, it's hard to just hold them and not be able to explain that it will be okay. The new mother we met at AIT today told us her 3 year old cried, inconsolably for about 8 hours last night. Makes our 30 minutes feel like a blessing! But still hard to know how distressed she was, even for a minute....

More pictures next post!

Just a few more pictures!

A Forever Family!

And now we are a Forever Family!

It's been a big day, for everyone! We are watching the Tigger movie, after eating a big dinner in our room. It's only 6:30, but we have a very tired little girl on our hands. I have to admit, we're tired too!

It was a very emotional day. First we met with the translator and one of her caregivers. She handed over all the paperwork we need for her visa appointment tomorrow. And 3 photo books. And more papers and a checklist of papers....

We also got a cd of all the photos they had taken of her. AND a dvd presentation of her life at Chung yi, complete with music. It was very sweet!

Then we met with the state social worker. We were allowed to ask her questions about the birth family. That was something we needed to do and needed to know the answers to, but it was also hard!

After that, we met her birthmother's sister and her birthmother's cousin. They were so pleased that Joy has a family who will love her and provide for her. When they found out I was a singer, they were so thrilled! She loves to sing, as does her family. They hoped she could sing with me on the stage someday. It was very moving.

And then, it was Alexandra Joy's turn to be the center of attention! She was shy at first, as to be expected. But as soon as Tim picked her up in a big bear hug, she was all smiles!

Pictures were taken and goodbyes said and then we were ushered into the cab and headed back to the hotel. A new family!

Since then, we have found that Alex knows more English than she lets on. She can count to 13 and knows her alphabet to P pretty well. She repeats everything we say and now knows words for yours and mine, thank you, please, and of course, "are you ready?".

I'll post more later, but I wanted to get some post up tonight (while y'all slept!).

More pictures in the next post.
love to all -
Margaret, Tim and Alex (or Joy, or Alexandra Joy when getting into trouble)

More pictures, part 2

More pictures - on the way to Chung Yi, all the scooters from the cab. Then the entrance to Chung Yi.

Then walking down the street to the park.

More tomorrow!

Good night!

More Pictures from Chung Yi, first visit

Meet Alex!

She's decided her new name is going to be ALEX. But she sometimes forgets, so she is also Joy, and Xi le and Wan-ting, and Alex Joy. But whatever name she goes by, she's going to be on the go!

She couldn't stand still on the playground!

At McDonald's

Daddy's little girl! She knew where he was at all times. And didn't let him out of her sight.

There she is!

OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF JOY! (below)

We got to Chung Yi early, almost 30 minutes early, and we wouldn't have gone in, but they saw us get out of the cab. So an office worker came outside. Joy's caregiver came and told us that she was at school and to come back in about 15 minutes. We were headed down the street, and here she comes whizzing by on the motor scooter! She saw us at the same time we saw her and instantly recognized us! If you look closely at the picture, you can see the glimpse of a little smile!

Then after she got of the bike, her caregiver came out to tell her that we were coming back. She was not happy about that, so they let us come in with her. She went and changed clothes and we went in the office to look at more paperwork. Both the translator and her caregiver were there to tell us about her, answer our questions (of which I could only think of - how will we understand her because she is so verbal!), and give us her schedule. They had also made a set of flashcards, like mine, and explained to her what they were. She can't read Chinese yet, but she knows what the pictures mean. Things like wash your hands, or "miss someone". She has her own set.

(I have more pictures to post, which I will do in the next one, since I can't figure out how to make them move in the post ---)

Words just can't describe this little girl! She's testing us to see if we really really care about her. She's well cared for, but starving for attention. She's precocious and a little girl all at the same time! And she's a monkey and constantly on the go!!

We went upstairs next and she was sitting on the floor "watching" cartoons on the tv. She was really watching us instead. She was coy and shy and didn't want to get up, like her caregiver asked her. We sat down on the floor next to her and she was thrilled. Gradually, she started relaxing. We compared feet to see whose was bigger. She climbed all over Tim, then found his comb in his back pocket. She had to comb his hair, then combed mine, then wanted hers combed. The caregiver told me that she loved my long hair and wanted long hair too (they keep all the kids hair short at the orphanage). She had a BIG sack of all her things that she packed to bring home. She started pulling out things that her foster family had given her. A couple of photo albums, a book, a castle block set, and a heart necklace. She wanted to wear it and so I put it on her. She then compared her necklace to mine (I was wearing my JOY necklace, of course). She spelled it out - J - O - Y and knew it was her name. She was thrilled that she had one like mine.

We stayed there, on the floor, a long time. She was enjoying being the center of attention, as any child would! She has obviously been thinking about this for a long time. She was ready! She showed us every single baby picture of her that she had. She showed us all the classwork from the kindergarten (3 books) that she had done. (They had kept all her drawings and assignments, neatly organized in books.) And even commented that some of her homework wasn't finished. Oops - sounds like someone else we know! ;)

Then we went to the park to play. She led us, holding my hand. I can't describe that at all! You'll just have to look at the picture!

We played on the jungle gym for a while, ran around and played with the ball we brought. Then it was time to go to McDonald's. Her caregiver and the translator went with us, but then left us once we got settled. They made sure Joy was okay before they left, and she was like - bye bye! - so, yes she was happy enough to be with us!

She ate all her chicken nuggets and every french fry that Baba wanted to feed her. She let me feed her corn soup (that came with the happy meal), then she fed each one of us. Tim put her toy together when she was almost through. She promptly took it apart and put it back together again. This is also a child who liked to play with the legos and the toy dump truck on the floor just before! I think Zach's old "boy" toys will be well-used!

We finished up and walked back to Chung Yi. She loved holding our hands and jumping up while we swung her forward. She repeated "Are you ready? GO!" with us each time, and certainly knew what it would produce! Then we started saying "I am a big girl NOW!" and she just loved it! And repeated it back.

When we got back to Chung Yi, there was a man there who was translating for us. We both said to her, "wo ai ni" which means "I love you". Tim in this big bear hug and me with a kiss on her forehead. She was all smiles. When the man asked her what she should say back, she said shyly, "wo ai ni". Then he said, no, in English. And a bright big, "I love you!" came back. With more hugs and then good bye till tomorrow. And up the stairs she ran!

We go back tomorrow at 10am.

And then she'll never have to go back there as a little girl without parents to love her.

feeling overwhelmed and blessed at the same time,

Margaret and Tim

Traveling for a LONG time!

We are in Taipei!!
And I have to say, finally! It was a long trip, but not difficult. Just a long time to be in one seat! Just so you know, EVA air's Evergreen Class (Business Class) is NOT the same as the way I was flown to Japan to sing (First Class)! I didn't realize just how spoiled I had been flying with my own "pod" to recline in! I hope being grateful in retrospect counts!

We had bulkhead seats which were nice enough. Had room to stretch our legs out on the bulkhead but not much room in the seat to squirm. But we survived! And we even slept, so when we got here, we felt pretty decent, which surprised me.

A few irrelevant observations about Taipei -
The airport signage is in English and Chinese, but not too many people speak English. So while the sign pointed us in one direction to catch the shuttle to the hotel, another person told us to go a different direction. We finally found a bus that would take us - a city bus! It was kinda wild! Worked just fine, but we certainly had no idea where we were or how long it would take to get there! It was much cheaper than a cab, so we were content to just let it happen. We didn't think we could check into the hotel so early anyway, so we got a nice tour of the city.

Which brings me to - Thank you, Mother, for wanting to go to China and for taking me with you! It was the perfect preparation for this trip!! I felt like I wasn't worried about finding our way and things just felt kinda familiar. Taipei, or at least the part we saw at first from the bus, reminds me of what Beijing might have looked like 10 years ago, before the government starting pouring money into it. Lots of industrial warehouses, dogs running around the sidewalks but with coats on and not interested in chasing the scooters, and English translations that were iffy to say the least! (One run-down restaurant said "Beauty Palace Restaurant". Huh?)

Then we got to Taipei proper. It looks like I expected Beijing to look like, honestly! Lots and lots of scooters. I mean LOTS!! No wonder Joy asked us if we owned a motor bike! I don't think I could manage taking the bike to get groceries though! Hopefully, she'll be happy enough with a car ride instead.

We are staying at the Sheraton and they are wonderful! We checked in at 9:30am for no extra charge! And we got a late checkout when we leave. They upgraded us to Executive level. (This poor little girl is going to think we are the richest people she's ever known....) It's nice. It's also easy and comfortable and worth it. (I highly recommend Starwood vacation points!)
We had a great breakfast (just like the breakfast buffets we had in China, Mom) and time to take a shower and change clothes and write this.

And now, we are about to leave to meet Joy. We have our play day and our "date" at McDonalds at 3:00. We'll be there about 2 hours. Then she stays there tonight. We'll do paperwork and then we'll take her with us tomorrow.

Today, we're taking a disposable camera for her to use tonight to take pictures of her friends and caregivers. We're also bringing our Colorado Rockies squishy softball to play with at the park. And the camera(s) and the flip video.

Yes, we're excited. Anxious a little bit. I've only changed clothes 3 times....and fought with the blowdryer (remember the one on the boat on the Yangtzee, mother, that you had to hold the button down while you dried your hair?) which took a while. Tim is studying his Mandarin (wo ai ni). But, we are also pretty calm. We're ready, or as ready as we can be! Just want to stay in the moment the whole time so we can remember it for a lifetime!

Here are some pictures -

Our Gorgeous Room at the Sheraton!

Our seatmate on the flight to Seattle. She was from China, dating a guy from Taiwan. She worked in Kansas (for the boy scouts?) and he was working in Canada. They were spending their holiday together in Seattle. She told me that in China, you have children so they can take care of you when you get old. So, make sure I teach her how to do dishes and laundry and clean the house! :)

Michael and Sharon who took us to the airport! Thanks guys!!

More later!!

Love to you all,
Margaret & Tim

We're almost on our way!

We leave TOMORROW!

I can hardly believe it - and yet --- I can. We've waited and worked to get to this day for a long time. I have imagined what I would need to do, but not really how I would feel. I think Tim and I have been really good through this about staying in the moment. We made a pledge to ourselves and each other to not put our lives on hold while we waited for the moment when we could hold Joy.

And you know, we haven't really had much choice! As usual, life keeps going even when I've wanted it to stop for a little while so I could savor a feeling or daydream about "what it will be like when - ". It never did!

What with Zach's broken wrist, his separated shoulder, and the end of his first semester as a Senior in high school, to Scarpia needing a broken molar pulled, to trying to get the back yard to be less of a mud pit - there's always something to distract and demand attention!

We are all packed, except the computer. Tim wants to take 2 because he doesn't think I can share mine. Really, I think it's because he doesn't want to have to share with me! :) I'm taking 2 books to read just in case!

We have a Hello Kitty suitcase for Joy. It has wheels and is small enough for her to manage. I have it loaded with things to color, a book of mazes, a Where's Waldo book and a small etch-a-sketch. Oh, and a small blanket that Tim had as a baby. I also have clothes - in 3 different sizes! 4T, 4 and 5. From what other families who have been there before us said, I'm not confident about what clothes she will come with. The last few pictures I have look like she's outgrowing what they have for her to wear. And the same pair of red sneakers that she's had in pictures for a year!

I wonder what she will think of all this! New clothes. New shoes. A new suitcase all her toys. A new language. A new routine. A new mama. A new baba.

And then she'll get home and there'll be a new big brother and big sister. New dogs to play with. Not to mention a new room and all the things in it!

She's going to think every Christmas should be like this one!! :)

I want to thank all our family and friends for their support and prayers! We've had so many calls and emails this week - I can't tell you how much they have meant to us! And thank you for all the presents too! Some are wrapped and under the tree. Some are in Santa's sleigh. And some are upstairs in either her room or the playroom. I have to admit, I can hardly wait to play with them all - with Joy!

thank you!
Next post from Taipei!!