05/24/10 09:03 PM
I was playing with Cady and her P@lly P@ckets
yesterday afternoon.
They're obviously "real" dolls, because she
whispered to me about what was happening.
That way, they couldn't hear the
narrator.
05/24/10 08:55 PM
Cady's never had a P@p T@rt. This weekend I
decided to indulge and bought a box.
Yesterday she had one cold, and this morning
she had two toasted.
Her response this morning after tasting those
warm, chocolaty insides?
"This tastes like a P@p T@rt miracle!"
04/10/10 11:04 PM
Citizen of the Month at school assembly went
very well. Got a few pictures that need to be
moved over to my computer. She wouldn't let
me take the form home. Instead she kept it in
her cubby all day, to cherish and bathe in
the moment.
Monday is the big re-adoption for California.
I've resisted for quite a while. We were
getting along just fine without the added
cost and the added papers that tell us what
we already know. It just seems so redundant.
But after I started looking at it from the
outside in...she needs this to advance
further in the US. To make life more
streamline for her, she needs a California
Birth Certificate. She COULD get by with her
Chinese papers, but what if the original
Chinese papers currently in our possession
get lost? We would have to request notarized
copies from somewhere in China. What a pain.
What if she gets delayed in getting very
important papers completed when she's an
adult...for travel, for work, for adopting
her own child if she chooses to do so.
Without a California birth certificate,
things can slow down for her in getting
things accomplished that she really might
need or want to get accomplished in her life.
And without re-adopting in California, she
cannot receive a Ca birth certificate, and
that is the real piece of paper we are
needing. The Chinese Birth certificate looks
different, than what you would expect here.
No raised gold stamp, no official paper
(other than any other official looking paper)
and typed in Mandarin, then translated to
English. It looks good enough, but can
certainly appear to outsiders to be
questionable official papers.
After much thought, I'm happy we're doing
this. It will give us a reaffirmation of our
commitment to her. It will give us closure as
a family. It will give her another piece of
her own journey that is HERS. It will give
HER confirmation that the outside world
agrees with our choice to be a family. It
will show her that we cared enough now, about
her future, to do this simple piece of side
paper work that only confirms what has
already been for 4 years....a family, but
Getting a California Birth Certificate can
make the difference in her life for almost
everything important that comes up.
And oddly, I'm certain the tears will flow
again as we sit there with the judge,
announcing that we are even more proud today,
more in love with her today, more willing to
give it our all today, than we were three
years ago, when we made that one sentence
promise at the US Consulate in China, on
adoption day.....In a big building all of the
adopting families from all agencies shuffled
thru the US Consulate, to the room where we
gave them a few pieces of paper, and then,
finally, in unison, we stood up, raised our
right hands and solumnly swore, "I will never
abandon this child" One little sentence that
took us 2 hours to ready for, and only 2
seconds to say. But, Scott and I took those
words very seriously that day. We absolutely
believed that we would do all in our power to
cherish her mind, body, and soul. She would
be safe and loved and encouraged and
appreciated.
On Monday, we will be celebrating the
opportunity to promise these things again. I
feel blessed.
04/07/10 07:58 PM
We got a notice
from Cady's school yesterday that she's going
to be Citizen of the Month on Friday. She's
being recognized from her art teacher, for
the art work she's produced through the
school year.
The note that was sent home with her was
stapled together, with the words inside;
"Shhhhh....It's a secret" followed by the
details of the announcement.
I have to admit that I almost caved in and
told her today, when we were in the car. I
let her know that it will be a school
assembly on Friday and that I'm planning on
going to it. Then she said, "At school
assembly, they recognize children that are
good. I have not been recognized all year. I
try to do good, but I have not completed my
journal yet" Poor little thing! She was so
disappointed. She has never said anything to
us about not being recognized in the past.
It's amazing how much filtered information
they keep in.
The truth is, all the children who try to do
their work, end up being recognized some time
in the year. I kept the truth to myself and
told her that she would probably be
recognized at some point. When I asked her
what she thinks she should be recognized for
the most, she said "art" . And when we went
to open house, her art teacher raved about
her art work continually, but to be honest, I
thought she was just being that way to make
us feel good. I know she's good at art, and
excells in interpretation. But, I wasn't so
sure anyone else would know. Aparently, they
do.
Friday is the big day for Citizen of the
Month. I'll be sure to bring the camera.
Shhhhhhhhh....