Family Birthday Cake Celebration!

Tessa enjoyed her 2nd cake!

Birth of Family Cake Celebration!

The Birthday cake we sent Tessa on her 6th Birthday while still in China made such an impact on her! She has been asking for another one just for her (we've been to several parties since she has been home).  So I spontaneously decided to get a small one. Then it occurred to me we should celebrate the birth of our family 6 months ago! So we did! Tessa picked out the nice cake!

Our Singing & Dancing Joy

Here's my singing beauty! She is enjoying some jazzy songs in the car right now (Singing in the Rain, Zippity Do Dah, etc.) and I can't wait til she is able to sing those songs acapello. Gonna start singing some Beatles songs soon.

Six Months

It has been six awesome months since the day we all became a family in China. Tessa continues to be an amazing, amazing special child. She still enjoys helping Mama and Baba-she helps to fold her clothes, helps put them away, she likes to sweep, puts her things away and helps with the pets. She is more affectionate and attached than ever before...always talking about how thankful she is, how in China she did not have a Mama and Baba.....And for the first time, she said she missed China! She said it at a time when I had said to myself that she had not said she wanted to go back to China yet...this was after watching the trailer of a new documentary movie of the adoption of an 8 y/o last year (http://woainimommy.com/). In the car, she said "Bye bye Mama, Baba, Mocha, Molly, Misty." I asked where are you going? She said "China, I miss everybody." I explored who specifically she missed, then she said "Oh, Jing ju and Yanni not in China" an then she said did not want to go back, but did want to go back to New York!! I let her know that we will go back to China one day and will be going back to New York soon, and she got very excited!

I think that some of the reasons that Tessa has adapted and attached to us so well is because I have some Asian features and Tessa felt some comfort with that familiarity. But today I felt awkward....she asked me why I didn't speak Chinese. I couldn't really offer her an explanation, at the time....but I feel her thinking is leading to more adoption talk. Several folks have tried to persuade me to learn Chinese...but I can barely say the name of her province the correct way....and her I am in Miami, and can't speak Spanish either....I would speak 5 languages if I believed I had the ability....it is more important to me that Tessa continue to speak Mandarin, so I am putting my efforts and doing my best for her. When we first got home, there were many who said it would be impossible for her to continue to speak Mandarin if I didn't speak Mandarin....I have already proven them wrong!

Tessa has been talking more and more of her life in China and seems to right on track with Jing ju who started to share her experiences around 6 months home. She talks about mostly good experiences of her interactions with the other kids and the nannies. She has not shared any fears or times where she was scared (a real contrast to our American kids in our foster care system). She is a real showcase for the Half the Sky Program that she was very fortunate to be a part of in her orphanage. It is an awesome program.

We dropped Dance at school...I couldn't understand why a rap song was chosen for their dance practice...of all the beautiful children's songs to select from! I understand that Tessa will be exposed to a lot of things that I prefer she not be, but I think the reason she is the way she is, is because she has been sheltered and protected from a lot of the commercialism, materialism and violence that exists in our culture.

Tessa is simply an incredible child. I am very, very lucky to have her and to have a husband that has been wonderful with her-they adore each other!! I am very, very thankful.
It has been the best 6 months of my life!!

A Chuck E Cheese Experience

Tessa had her first experience at Chuck E Cheese! We went to help celebrate Sienna's 2nd birthday. Wow, it was very overstimulating in there and Tessa got real wound up. But she had fun! Here she is having a healthy breakfast on the day she filled up on pizza for lunch...yes breakfast! She loves vegetables and asks for them in the morning, so I oblige when I can.
We will probably go to Chuck E Cheese again, during the week, tho. The 25 cent rides are great!

Seaquarium Winter Wonderland

I took Tessa to the Seaquarium Winter Wonderland on the last day of the carnival. She loved the park, as I had mixed feelings about the shows. But today was Tessa's first Ferris Wheel ride! Some of the rides, she was not tall enough for, but we enjoyed some really fun ones together! I'm looking forward to going to Disney!

Tessa Can Read!

It is hard to believe, yet she does a very good job reading!
This is her first book and I just had to record it and brag!

Their Last Day.....til the next trip!

What a wonderful and joyous reunion!

At Grand Central Station again...this time to say goodbye....or so long.... the girls are getting ready to line up and hold each other's clothes, like they did in China.

Mamas with their daughters!

Tessa getting a little bossy during a Tic Tac Toe game in the lobby of the W.

BeiHai Girls in New York II

The girls saw and enjoyed immensely "The Lion King" at the Minkoff Theatre in Times Square. Tessa liked it so much, she watched the movie when we got back and has been singing the theme song!

First Night on Broadway!

Nothing better than hot soup with your best friends in New York

RUE 57, YUM!

At the Plaza Hotel again, having tea with Jing Ju in Eloise's Room

In FAO Schwartz

Dancing inside the Plaza Hotel

Bei Hai Girls in New York!! I

In the Rose Room at the Plaza, after the girls drank their hot chocolate.

In front of the Christmas Tree at the Plaza Hotel

Jing ju and Yanni have done this before as they knew exactly how to lift Tessa up!

In Rockefeller Center singing "O Christmas Tree"

The girls gazing in awe in front of the Lord and Taylor windows.

We enjoyed a late lunch at the Mafa Tofu Chinese Restaurant just across the street.

Cha Cha Cha! Actually, the girls are marching...something they did in their SWI in China.

Tessa, Yanni & Jing Ju: Together Again

How wonderful this must have been for each of them. It was very warming to my heart for this reunion to happen for them. It was like they had never left each other! Yet they had a lot to share about their new lives. They each beamed with joy!! As did us Mamas!!

Reunion of the Bei Hai Guo Girls

After 9 months, the girls are back together. This is the kind of reunion I've wanted to see!! Yanni was so excited to see Jing Ju and to all be together again. Her excitement is all over her face! Tessa was happy to see Yanni again with Jing Ju.

Getting ready to see Yanni

In Grand Central Station, waiting on Yanni's train in from Philadelphia...but oops, they arrived at Penn Station....

Just outside our hotel walking to the train staion to meet Yanni

Lisa and the girls, planning our itenirary for the next few days.

I thought Tessa forgot she had her camera. But here she is trying to get a photo of Jing ju.


Too Funny

Tessa & Jing Ju's first day reunion.

The girls were excited to see each other again. After talking about their teeth again, they played Bingo, played on their Leapsters and then played with Lisa's Iphone. We also ate again at a wonderful Thai restaurant located across the street. Tessa met Jing ju's Baba, Kevin, and Lisa good friend, Lisa. It felt like we had known eachother forever!!

Tessa & Jing Ju Reunion!

It is December 27, 2009. We are in NYC and at the W Court Hotel. It has been about 9 months since the girls last saw each other. Lisa and I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time.

Lisa and I first met on the internet on a yahoo group. I saw her post and emailed her immediately on December 20, 2008:

"My husband and I were matched with Jingxin in September and we finally got our dossier completed and to the agency today. Jingxin, who is also 5 1/2, is from the same institute as Jingju and I bet they are FRIENDS!!! How awesome is that???"

I remember thinking how similar the girls seemed, close age, same name, then learned that Lisa and I were both clinical social workers.....just too incredible....we waited in agony together to get our girls. I learned so much from Lisa and she helped me with all the internet stuff. She traveled before me and I learned from her travels and it was during my travels that we found out the girls were much more than friends!! They are like sisters who have known each other since the beginning of their lives!!

Here they are together again...a little shy at first...and talking about their teeth again!

Tessa and Jing Ju

Just before the girls reunion, Lisa had some of JingJu's Half the Sky Life Book translated. Tessa (Jing Huan, Huan Huan in the book) is mentioned in several of the early pages. This translation is incredible!! And there is a photo to go with it!

5.07.06

"During freeplay, Jingju took a doll out of the doll’s crib and climbed into it herself. Jinghuan saw her and wanted to climb in with her. Jingju objected, however, and continuously pushed Jinghuan away. Huanhuan thought about it and then decided not to push the matter. She found a little chair and placed it next to Jingju, bringing along some other toys as well. Jingju used a toy shovel and pretended to feed Jinghuan from a toy bucket. Huanhuan’s banana accidentally fell underneath her chair. Jingju worried shouts, “Sister! Huan a! Huan a!” Huanhuan lay on the chair and tried to retrieve her banana but because she couldn’t reach it because her arms were too short, she also started shouting “ah! Ah!” The teacher helped Huanhuan retrieve her banana but Huanhuan was already inconsolable and in tears. Jingju immediately stood up and patted the doll bed with her hand, meaning to let Huanhuan sit in the doll bed and play. When Huanhuan understood Jingju’s intentions, she sat in the doll bed, calmed down, and started playing with Jingju again."

I Can Drive My Car

Baba assembled Tessa's car while we were in New York. Once Tessa said her goodbyes to her SWI sisters, it was the car that plagued her thoughts. She's quite a good driver! And as soon as she saw Jackie, she offered to let her drive, all before she even drove the block. But since being home, this seems all she wants to do.... is drive! Ugh!

Celebrating her Gifts

Thank you Grandma for my beautiful doll house!

"Mama, Thank you...my car is perfect for me....I learned to drive from watching you!"

Grandma gave gifts to Mocha and Molly and Tessa got the dogs dressed in them.

Here's Tessa taking her first ride in her Pink Car, a gift from Mama and Baba!

Here's Tessa scooting around Grandma's condo on Christmas Day. Tessa got a ton of Princess stuff from her Aunt Margaret and Cousin Megan and has been playing with all of them...Royal Thank yous!! They also taught her Go Fish! More thank yous!!