A day...

So much happiness and sadness today. In 2004 we hosted a Chinese girl to attend American High School for a year. We became very close to her. Her Father visited us twice, the twins were 4 at the time and became very attached to him. They immediately went to him, sat on his lap and couldn't have enough of him. The next day that he came the girls got up early to wake him up and their energy was just frenetic. Driving to Nursery School, I asked,"Where is all this extra energy is coming from? Why so much attention to Shoo Shoo (Uncle in Chinese)" One answered quite
matter-of-factly, "Because he looks like our foster Father." I nearly drove off the road from surprise...

Well she arrived today with her Mother to visit us. They are from Qingdao. I had been telling her about coming and wanted to see her. In 2006 she had flown to Chengdu when I adopted our older daughter. She was very helpful in me understanding her better and making a connection. She also came that Christmas and stayed with us. Her Mom heard that she was coming to visit, and insisted on finally meeting us, since we had been so important in her daughter's life. The daughter, Cong Cong, calls me "Mom". And she has been part of our family ever since. So we have her and her Mom here, NINE people in this apartment! It is so great, I love it.

Earlier today when they arrived, we were just talking and I noticed one of my new daughters had her head down and wasn't responding to Cong Cong"s Mother. I looked over to her, and thought something was wrong. I came to her and saw she was crying. I got her up and took her to another room to ask what was making her sad. And at the same time I asked dh to call the Mom of her best friend (adopted several months ago) on Skype.
Luckily she was still up and I was able to get her best friend on line so they could talk, but not before she told me that she missed her friends, I got from the Mom the phone number of the orphanage that we could call. When she finished we called the orphanage and she was able to speak with her friends and her "Auntie'. After I asked her if she was a little bit happier. She said she was a lot happier. I explained that I understood that her first family is her friends and 'Auntie', and we are a new family. I said that I want to bring the two families together. We would stay in touch with her friends adopted in the States and the orphanage.

Today, I did the bang haircuts. The one daughter who cut her own bangs, and the daughter who had her bangs cut by her Auntie. We went to the hairdresser and feathered and chopped the bangs. Both girls were very pleased with the results.

After the haircuts we went to an open air market and bought fresh broccoli, carrots, garlic, ginger, green onions, Chinese celery, smoked tofu, red and yellow peppers, fresh wide rice noodles, and a few other things.. Right now we have, all my daughters, except the twins, Cong Cong and her Mom in the kitchen preparing the stir fry. There is a lot of laughter coming form the kitchen it is so fun to listen to. And frankly, it's rather great to sit here just writing!

Since we don't have a table large enough, we will sit in front of the TV, (which is an extremely rare event that we allow), and eat dinner watching The Enforcer, which is incredibly funny with Chinese sub titles. So it will be a wonderful night for one and all.

The past week has been in the high 70's, yesterday was 85 and very humid, today is 54 and very windy. I'm SO glad that I packed all the warm clothes at the bottom of everyone's suitcase. Since the next few days will also be in the 50's I will have to dig - again, to fish out appropriate clothes. So much for planning ahead.