Wednesday, August 24, 2011

12 year old girl, SWEET!



Please take a look at this beautiful girl from June's SWI! She has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. Look at her beautiful smile! She is ready for a family and knows all about the adoption process. Yang Dong is looking forward to having a family who will help her have all of the opportunities she does not have in China. She is described as bright, doing well in school. She is familiar with meeting foreigners who have worked or visited short term at the SWI and is very willing to learn a new language. She is known to be confident, articulate, and happy. She is on the shared list. Please contact me if you would like more info/photos. She needs a family before she ages out and is no longer "adoptable" the day she turns 14!!










Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Home one year!

























































Right now I am listening to Quinn and June play babies together - they are getting along (although they are still really loud) and having a lot of fun together. It is so nice when they decidde to enjoy one another, rather than setting their minds to irritating one another! We celebrated a whole year as a family by heading to Wisconsin Dells for a few days. It was the first time we had taken the kids there and it was a lot of fun! Some were more adventurous than others, but they all had a fantastic time. Waters slides were a huge hit for the big girls and lots of swimming and splashing around were in order for June and Quinn. June has actually become a pretty good swimmer already, after a few lessons from our great neighbor!! The kids have so rarely stayed in hotels that it is still exciting for them to do that; Riley has hoarded all of the shampoos and lotions from the hotel. Some life lessons I offer to others after going to the waterparks:

1. When getting a tattoo, consider your ability to maintain your weight for the rest of your life.


2. When buying a bathing suit, consider its ability to hold your boobs in place when going down slides or playing in the wave pool - saw way too many strange boobs while we were there.


3. Just because the seams didn't split, doesn't mean it fits.


4. Sunscreen, people, use it.


5. My ability to enjoy a waterpark would have been enhanced by the ability to enjoy alcohol, waterslides, and hot tubs (darn this baby : )


6. Watch your kids; quit drinking! Too many unattended kids making me nervous.

One highlight of the trip was getting to stop and meet June's friend from the SWI in China on the way home. Ava (Yun Yun) joined her family in Wisconsin earlier this summer, and we were lucky enough to see her today. I know that June remembers her - they were in school and large groups together, but not in the same care group - but she was a little shy seeing her today. The girls didn't really talk, but we got some cute pictures and were able to chat with her family about how the girls are settling in. We hope to get together again soon so the girls have a chance to get more comfortable with each other and create a friendship.

June also enjoyed a visit from her cousin Molly for the two weeks before we went on our getaway. We did pools here, played with the cousins, went to the zoo and had a good time enjoying summer.

A year of being home, sounds crazy! I really remember feeling all disheveled and crazy to get home at the end of that plane ride last summer. I couldn't believe how happy June was to meet her family that day, and how well she settled into our group of girls. Her English is amazing, and her attachment has been wonderful!! She truly loves her family and tells us so all the time. She can still be quite challenging when she doesn't get her way, and is easily frustrated with Quinn. We are working on some habits that have been hard to change (like laughing when people get hurt). I think it is also time to revisit the ENT as everything she says is at an uncomfortable decibel level. She will also be visiting the eye doctor soon, as she didn't do so well at her kindergarten physical. She is quite ready to head off to kindergarten and has been working on some "homework" to prepare. She will be going all day (whatever will I do with myself?) and looks forward to having real homework, eating lunch at school, and taking the bus (nervous mom). She says she would like to visit China, but only if her family comes with - she's so cute! She has moved into her shared room with Quinn in preparation for the baby, and this is going well so far; we are thinking about decorating and what colors they would like for their space.

It has been a whirlwind year and I can't believe we will be adding to the chaos soon. Talking about the baby has led June to create the idea of her own baby, baby Diego, who is "living in my stomach". She worries about eating healthy food for him. He is growing all the time, she says.


We love this kid!































Thursday, August 4, 2011

Little Girl Left Behind

Please read this blog post - a little girl, age 9, is waiting for a family! Her TWIN SISTER was adopted and the family did not know/was not told she was a twin. Please help find a family for this little girl!!!

www.kaybratt.com/2011/08/left-behind/

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Adoption Blog

Check out all the cute waiting kids with dwarfism at LPA's new adoption blog! LPA offers grants for the adoption of LP kids. Some of these children also have additional grants available!

lpaadoption.blogspot.com

Monday, June 6, 2011

June's Birthday Celebration








































June enjoyed celebrating her 5th birthday with the family and a few friends! Because Tom will not be home on her birthday, we decided to celebrate a little early. June had chosen Dora as her theme, with a Dora cake, balloons, etc. She LOOOOVED hearing everyone sing "Happy Birthday". The only part of the day that wasn't a hit for June was the slip and slide. Since she has an absolute terror of walking barefoot in the grass, we had to ban her from using the slide with shoes on. Only recently has she been okay to walk in the grass with shoes, so I hope we are getting closer to this not being an issue. Christmas turned her into a present-opening pro, so she made quick work of tearing open the gifts, discarding the clothes, and checking out the toys. The lollipop garden made by Goo Goo was also a big hit! I can't believe how sad we were last year to miss her birthday while she was still in China : ( It was fantastic to celebrate her first birthday at home with her family, seeing how each piece of the planning made her so happy - from choosing her Chinese food for the party, to passing out the Dora goodie bags.


As we were filling 200 water balloons in preparation for the party, we told the girls that they would be getting a new sibling in January. The older girls were in disbelief and quite excited! (Tom was in disbelief as well, and the excitement took longer for him). June is happy to think about being a big sister and hopes that the baby won't be too big for her to hold. The thought is to move Quinn and June into a room together...stay tuned for details on the escalation of their bickering.


Tomorrow will be June's last day of preschool, and I think the loss of routine will be difficult for her...I will have to work on that over the summer. We will also need to worry about giving up naps toward the end of summer as we look ahead to full day kindergarten next year. Can't believe it has been almost 10 months since this girl came home to the family!!!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Pei Update

For those of you who have asked me about Pei (Hooray!), there is a family currently reviewing his file. While they have not yet locked his file, it has led to his file being updated with current and correct medical information; that process should be complete within a week. So, if you are truly interested in seeing his file it will be updated soon!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Another handsome boy!






I am so happy to say that Lin Lin, June's good friend, has found his family! He should be with his family later this year : ) We hope to be able to see him in the future as June has such good memories of him! We wish them a speedy adoption process.
Here is another fabulous four-year old who really needs a family. He also is from the same SWI where June lived, so he has the advantages of coming from a great program where he has been very well cared for. Pei has been attending kindergarten, and has lived with a foster grandmother for some of his time.
Pei came into ICC's care as an infant. If you are unfamiliar with ICC, please see their link (english.chinaconcern.org) with info about their committed volunteers and all of their good work for these kids. Pei is described by someone who knows him personally as confident, outgoing, loving and affectionate. He loves kindergarten and wants a family - he can name the countries where his friends who have been adopted have gone to live with their new families.

While Pei was born w/ a sensitive special need, he has had surgery with a team of US doctors, and his future is bright!! With a family of his own, he can have a wonderful future. If you would like more info about Pei, please contact me. He is on the shared list, so any agency can request his file. I can put you in touch w/ someone who knows Pei and can share more info and photos of this wonderful kiddo!