The One Place I Call Home

Mark: It's Tuesday morning and I think Baba has officially been downgraded from Most Favored Parent status... Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. :) As Katy told another family at breakfast this morning, we are officially out of the Honeymoon Period. (K: It's like okay, now we're together forever, let's deal with it!) She is still very sweet, but definitely acting at least a year younger than her real age. She is testing more and more and becoming defiant at times - like trying to get her dressed before breakfast. Suddenly, all the clothes that she picked out at the store are no longer what she wants to wear... It's typical 5 or 4-year old girl behavior, but since we can't communicate and explain rationally, it sometimes makes the "stand-offs" last a bit longer. We expected this (and actually, potentially much worse) so it's no surprise.

(K: I don't think he's been downgraded, I think she is just checking to see what happens if she gives us the cold shoulder--do we give it back? We don't. In fact just 2 nights ago I was holding her and she said Mama Ai Wo, Baba Ai Wo, which means Mama loves me, Daddy loves me. I think she feels good with us but is just acting normal. I think how bratty would most kids seem sometimes especially when you don't know them, or what they've been through or even what they are saying! But I have had to put her down and not carry her a few times because she has pulled my hair or flicked me in the face. I just put her down and say No Hurts! Ouch! And get her to say Sorry even though she doesn't know the word, she understands what is going on. We have also realized that when she is hungry she gets very squirrely, so we have to watch that.)

We're nearing the end of the trip and we're all feeling restless and ready to be home. Some consistency in schedule and routine would help Song Yi and would definitely be good for Lilla, too. We're getting a bit stir-crazy being in the same hotel for 11 nights with only so many things to distract and keep two girls busy... We hate to complain, but we're ready to leave our suite at this resort. :) Time to be home.

K: PLEASE Pray for us on the trip home. It is a very long trip, even longer than our way over since we have to fly Guangzhou to Beijing with a few hours' layover before we even get to the Beijing-Chicago-Atlanta portion. It is weird to think that Song Yi probably won't even be speaking much Chinese this time next year (we'll try, but historically, most kids don't keep their language). We are taking her from what she knows and I know it is meant to be but I do feel a certain amount of guilt.

M: This afternoon, we will have our US Consulate appointment where we make an oath to care for our adopted child and to love them as our own. We do this with our whole travel group. It's a very official step, but from the same experience with Lilla, it's a lot of formality and a lot of effort (waiting, walking, waiting) for the process. In the meantime, once again, we are faced with the question of "so - what do we do now?" Thankfully, as I'm looking out the window, I see pretty clear skies (as clear as they get in this city, anyway) - so maybe the pool will be a good option today. We may need to shop again to get rid of some of our Yuan since we can't convert back to $US. What a quandry! How will I ever spend all this money?? :)