First a few pictures as promised.  Here is my daughter with her crown that she wore all day. 

Here she is teaching her Papa sign language.

Here are some pictures of the girls enjoying the day’s activities at the deaf school.

Yesterday was wonderful for everyone.  After the first week of school my daughter was not looking happy.  her usual bright cheery face was dark.  So I chose my time, I had her alone in the car, and started asking her questions. School?, teachers?, the work?, the kids?.  The only slight positive reaction that I had was the kids.  I think she is seeing them as being a bit immature and wild.  Well, welcome to America.  In China, the schools are very rigid. They are not tuned to individuality. Everyone must fit into the same box.  The boundaries are well defined and consequences are harsh.  I think she is quite uncomfortable with the freedom, the ‘looseness’ and lack of discipline in the classrooms.

I wasn’t sure what my next step should be with her.  This weekend at the deaf school was such a great experience for everyone in many ways. As we arrived early Saturday and checked in, the Director of Admissions said, “Wait a minute.”  She came back with an Asian woman  and pointed to my deaf daughter.  The Asian woman started signing to her.  My daughter just starred at her and all of a sudden she realized the woman was signing in Chinese Sign Language!  She got the biggest smile on her face.  I asked who is this person?   The Director said she only met her today when she registered to come to the weekend.  I went to the woman and started talking to her.  It turns out she is here for one year to teach Chinese.  She knows sign language because she works in a deaf school in China.  She also only lives about 30 minutes from us.  I almost felt like crying, I just couldn’t believe we met her.  She has offered to help my daughter in anyway that she can!  This is SO amazing.  I am thrilled.

6:00 was when our children were returned.  My older daughter came to me really smiling. And on the way home in the car she talked more than she ever has before. She had such a great time.  Tomorrow is school, so I will see how she comes home from school. She said kids have given their names to her but they are hard to remember. So I gave her a small pad and pen to carry with her so she can ask fort them to write their name and phone number.  This way I can arrange for her to get together with kids that she likes, Which I believe will help in the adjustment.  I keep trying to find out from her what she likes to do. I haven’t found anything yet.  I know there should be several things, but they are hidden at the moment.

My daughter who is deaf said she has already found two friends from doing the activities this weekend.  Now she has a light at the end of the tunnel. She has been to the school and seen the campus and found friends.  So if it takes a while for me to be able to get her in there, at least she knows where he will be going.