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!

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!

6 months home

It has been a busy, and quick, six months of having June here in the family. Between all of the girls' activities and school, it has been a whirlwind. We continue to have mostly great moments; we're getting a lot of love from June. She often says "I love you so much. I'm keeping you all day. This is MY family". We were able to switch to morning preschool which has been a wonderful change! Finally, she is able to nap in the afternoons, or at least rest and have her alone time with me before the chaos of homework for the other kids sets in after school. It looks like she will head off to kindergarten next year.

There are still moments of the UFC between June and Quinn (actually, at least 3 times a day); everybody wants to be in charge. And June still really, really hates to be told "no". She really never gets tired of Dora and doesn't accept that the exploring fun should ever end. Sigh. I will be kind enough to her to not share the video I took of her yesterday when she was told that Dora time was up. Suffice it to say that her voice may have gotten even raspier from the guttural screaming that emanated from her little bod. I will, however, save the video to show her ; )

We celebrated Chinese New Year last week by attending a party with the local Mandarin class. June also decorated a little case at the library in celebration of the holiday. We ordered Chinese food, and June proclaimed "I LOVE Chinese food". Well, really, she loves all food.

She has been the healthiest person in the house for these six months. Everyone else has been getting sick on and off for the last few months, but June, with her apparently hardier genetic stock, has had nothing more than a short-lived sniffle. Most of snot is generated by crying, not illness.

Every day she makes me about a hundred pictures, mostly focused on rainbows - she is always careful to include my name on the picture. She also builds me 10-15 houses a day out of the Magna Tile blocks on her cool, new light table. She still doesn't want to walk in the snow, or play outside if it is too cold.

As June looks to the future, these are the things she talks about...how about you and me go to China? When I get older, I can get iPod touch. When I get older, I sleep at my friend's house. When I am a mommy I push the shopping cart. I need be older paint my own nails. When I seven, get my earrings like Quinn.

It's good to have goals.

Christmas and Such

As you might have guessed, Santa was a big hit! June was quite excited, having visited Santa at the mall and asking him for a Dora purse and a "Tinkerbell brush my teeth", there was quite a thrill at the heap of gifts waiting on Christmas morning. June has become enchanted with all things electronic - her iPod, her Fisher Price ixl...fortunately, her headphones have been a big hit, too. She definitely needs to have her electronic usage regulated as she would be more than happy to be plugged in all day.

The Miss has developed very definite ideas about what she will wear. No more skirts - only "pretty pants", by which she means leggings or "school dresses". She has also developed an aversion to certain shoes, and will not wear anything that is not pretty enough. Her hair has grown nearly down to her butt, and she is very choosy about hairstyles as well. We need Goo Goo to live with us so she can design elaborate hairstyles. Her eating continues to be voracious...she has decided that she will try to eat only "small foods" so that her tummy won't hurt and she won't have to poop so much. Gross, but true.

June's big excitement lately was that she went on her very first playdate! She was quite happy to leave me behind : ( She said that as long as I came back she would be fine all by herself! She is so independent about some things : ) She definitely seems much older than she did just 5 months ago when I first met her! She continues to keep us laughing; continues to fight with Quinn; and continues to struggle with sleeping through the night. She has started to tell a few more little anecdotes about life in China - her friends, a leaky roof, etc. Enjoy the pics!

The 9am sweet potato

June had a sweet potato at Thanksgiving, and has eaten one nearly every day since. For all I know she was eating them in China; but, it is super funny when your four year old brings you a bag of spuds and asks you to cook one at 9am. A good, healthy snack no doubt.

June is currently in love with her Advent calendar. Yesterday while eating her little candy, she said "maybe tomorrow 8, okay"? She is really smart, counting really well. Quinn finds it super irritating that, while doing her homework (counting back from 50 or something), June starts chiming in. June has begged her teacher for homework - and every piece of paper, from the Market Day order to the newsletter is closely guarded as her personal property. She and Quinn continue their love/hate relationship...sometimes they can play dolls together for a long time; then, June said the other day in response to Quinn's constant nagging about being older "In China, Junie not younger. No Quinn in China!" That about sums it up for those two.

We are definitely seeing the testing of limits I was expecting. She, like all 4 year-olds, I suppose, would like to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She would like to "watch tv all day", "mommy watch me (play) all day", "sleep all day no school today". She occasionally hits when mad, which I am sure is a frustration over language sometimes - generally her hitting is restricted to altercations with Quinn. She does not love a time out on the stairs, bringing out the tears in no time. She talks all day, which is great - most of the time!

June enjoyed her first LPA party, meeting some new friends, and playing with others she has already met. We attempted the Brookfield Zoo lights the same day - an awful idea...it was cold, so Quinn cried the whole time...and you couldn't see many animals, so June cried the whole time. Plenty of frozen snot for all to see. Tom took them home early while I stayed w/ Delaney and Riley, who had a good time as long as they were fed every 20 minutes as usual.

We are into our 24 days of Christmas cookies, so there is a lot of baking and a lot of mess. Still have shopping to do, school parties...need the stomach flu to get OUT OF OUR HOUSE. So far, Tom, me, Riley me AGAIN...a caseload of Lysol is coming my way!

3 months (and 3 days) home : )

At the Halloween party...

Proudly displaying her story time chicken...


"I do it my byself!"

"I want food, mom."

"Junie not cry, Junie big girl."

"That's mine!"

"Go away!"

"I don't want to go to school, I want to do sleeping at home."

This is one funny kid. June has been a busy lady - bumping up to school every afternoon, enjoying story time, her first Halloween, asserting her authority in the world order....

June would like to do everything "my byself"...this requires patience on my part (which I had in higher reserve 4 kids and 10 years ago). She brings a stepstool to the car, so she can climb into our giant Yukon. Then, she would like to do the seatbelt herself. She brings the stool to the fridge to get herself some water. She likes to click the garage door button, press the elevator buttons at the library, pick things out at the store...

Halloween was a lot of fun, with June really getting into the idea of asking for treats. "Go ahead and pick one" said one of our nice neighbors..."I want two" was her reply. Well, who could turn down that angel face? She really loved collecting all of the candy she could get her hands on. She wanted to show her "Peng Mama" from China her costume, and her carved pumpkin...and she wanted to give Peng Mama some of her candy : ) She is so sweet, and really has only shared positive memories from her SWI....so I am sending off some photos to the SWI for all of her friends and caregivers to see. A stubborn standoff ensued a few days after Halloween when June sneaked a piece of chocoloate candy after being told no. It was a chocolate feast. She refused to apologize (yes, she did know what I wanted), instead opting for a morning nap before preschool. This girl can be very, very stubborn. And then oh so sweet when she cuddles up and says "I miss you mommy". I am not sure how she latched onto that, but she uses it alternately with "I love you mommy", so I'll keep it : )

Some very sweet friends made June the beautiful quilt in these photos. We appreciate all of the thought and hard work that went into giving our family this beautiful and meaningful gift. We are hanging it in June's bedroom, above her little bookcase. It was hard to tell June that she can't sleep with it, but I want her to have it forever, and I can just imagine her puking on it or something.

So, things continue to go very well here! I still can't believe it has only been three months home all together. We are talking up the fun of Christmas...June has upgraded her Santa list from " a banana" to a long list of puzzles she would like.

Finally, I am looking forward to parent teacher conferences next week...I have already gotten a preview from one of the boys in June's class, who tells me "She's really bad at circle time and never listens to the teacher..." Can't wait!! Add that to one who hates school, one who is nearly mute in school, and one mini celebrity who struggles with her math...who wants to meet me for drinks after conferences??? Surely there is a margarita with my name on it somewhere!

" Junie didn't do it"

We have a tattletale on our hands. Last week, J came home from school saying that "all the friends were yelling". This was followed by the sincere proclamation, complete with head shake, that "Junie didn't do yelling". I'll try to believe her on this one : ) Later in the week, when caught jumping on the bed, she again proclaimed her innocence "Junie didn't do jumping. Junie no do it". Most disturbing is the very straight face she can maintain when trying to lie!

A week or so ago, we had the pleasure of our return trip to the ENT. No crying, which J is very proud of. The ENT removed a seriously disgusting amount of impacted ear wax. Now, everything is very loud to her! Definitely has improved her hearing. Unfortunately, we had a big thunderstorm last night. I can say that the SWI was correct when they told us that she does not like "loud thunders". Very true. Too bad the storm began at bedtime : ) Once everyone was asleep, though, they slept all night, which can only be counted as a minor miracle at the Lyons house.

In other quick updates: I am really hoping that Lin Lin has found a family this time : ) I will keep you posted. Riley is having a successful gymnastics season, with lots of first place ribbons to her credit. Delaney's softball season has ended - a winning season - and is looking forward to the start of volleyball. Quinn and June are continuing with their dance class and are very happy that their friend Aly has joined the class! We are looking forward to Halloween as an angel, a mean witch, a "goth" Little Red Riding Hood", and a pirate!!