Mia's Baptism

Two weeks ago, Mia was baptised in our church after the regular Sunday Mass. We expected a lot of fireworks from her but she was so intrigued but what was going on that she only pushed the priest's hand away from her after she had water poured on her head the first time. As far as she was concerned, that was the last time that was going to happen. it wasn't going to happen again. However, I am proud to report we prevailed and now have a securely baptised daughter.

The annual Christmas missive

Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year. We hope this finds
You and your family happy
and healthy.

First, we are very proud to announce the
long awaited arrival of Mia Grace ChengJin. Born November 26, 2006, in the People’s Republic of China, she was home to be ours forever September 10, 2007. Our life will never be the same and for that we are grateful. God has again been very good to us this year.

Of course, we did have the option of making the above announcement by mounting a big, purple inflatable animal on our roof. We know nothing is as classy as making an announcement with a big purple gorilla but, unfortunately, the only one we could find was sitting on top of the local Porsche dealership. Plus, we had to send our annual missive to make sure you don’t forget just how shiny and happy we all are in the Anchaya-Pepper household. Least you forget, we did include a picture. Don’t let the fact that the shine is from sweating anxiously deter you. We never do.

This year began pretty similar to all others. Early resolutions to lose the holiday weight were more than successfully achieved by removing all household mirrors that reflected anything from the neck down. Other awesome successes included my being able to thread a needle, at least once, without any reading glasses and selecting just the right pansies for the neighborhood deer. Apparently, blue and yellow just scream “salad”.

We also took several amazing and exotic vacations. In March, we took Aidan to the Tennessee aquarium for his second and final hurrah as an indulged only child. We successfully completed the entire visit without me pushing him into the water like I did in 2006. Oddly, Aidan only wanted to walk while hanging on to his Dad. Although exciting, it was no match for another totally awesome attraction we discovered in Chattanooga that dealt with road service. Just doesn’t get much better than that. We also took Aidan to Stone Mountain Park for his third and final hurrah as an only child. However, our hurrahing had become much more efficient. As we made our way to Stone Mountain we made a safety stop at the half-way point to replenish our provisions and to make sure everyone got a good stretch. We then drove the remaining 7 miles.

Of course, much of our vacation schedule is dictated by what day is the hottest on record and where we can find a large cartoon character to pose with. Of course, the combination does result in a new character, Stinky Sponge Bob. We’ll spare you.

Aidan played soccer in a park league and seemed to like it although he found defense to be remarkably similar to standing in one place for a long time. However, he was willing to endure as he got to wear really cool shiny blue shoes and partake of communal Gatoraide.

Our big event was on August 3rd, when we got the long awaited call that China matched us with Mia. Robert and I left on September 5th to go meet her. We first went through Hong Kong where we learned useful things like 4 is the unluckiest number, if your building looks like a cigarette you’d better put a pool on top or it will definitely burn, and if you don’t keep your tub and shower plugged your energy will just be sucked right out. Can’t tell you how silly we felt since we always thought the energy drain was from our work schedule or the kids. From Hong Kong we went to Guangzhou where we checked into a hotel on Shamian island for a two week stay. Fortunately, there was a floor attendant who came into our room every time we left to ensure that the sink and tub were plugged. We tempted the fates a couple of times but because I was about to turn 44, we decided we best not push it and started putting those plugs in. We were matched with Mia on September 10th and we love her dearly. We did get to travel to her orphanage and got to see the very special Cantonese cuisine. Fortunately, the bread was very, very good.

ince our return, we have all been little scientists. First, we got to demonstrate the impact of 12 hour’s jet lag on the aging body. Not pretty. We also quickly discovered the principal that adding one little girl geometrically fills up a minivan. As we don’t have one, we have made the necessary adjustments like taking her to church without any shoes, especially in the jet lag test period. Mia has found gravity to be a fascinating force that she loves to interact with. She has been conducting experiments on terminal velocity from her high chair, crib, chair, floor, and car seat. She has discovered that the importance of a test object is directly proportional to how hard it is for one of her parents or her brother to retrieve it. Objects tested from her car seat during rush hour have the greatest value. Aidan has been continuously researching chaos theory with Mia’s assistance. They spend quite a bit of time in the morning and after school working together on this project. Aidan is a very patient researcher who has taken Mia under his wing. We would love to know how you and your family are doing. We are at pjoan@bellsouth.net. Merry Christmas!

Christ in Knoxville

I managed to get sick in Oak Ridge last week. Had nothing to do with Oak Ridge. They have good air and really nice leaves there. I must have brought some nasty Atlanta germs or such. But, it was a long night and then a long day. I had called my doc and they told me to go to the ER. As I could walk and breathe that didn't seem to be reasonable to me. I have many other ways to use any discretionary income I can scrape up and, quite frankly, I was too sick to go to the ER. You just can't sit in a waiting room when you are that sick. But, as the day went on, I got that nagging feeling that if I didn't do something, my stomach might just blow up, ruining someone's day and surrounding walls. So, I went to the walk in clinic. And then the fun started. I filled out the paperwork. I handed over my license. And it continued to hurt just like labor but without any benefits. That is when I realized I didn't have my health insurance card. Had the data, didn't have the card. Had a credit card but that wasn't going to do. Called home but the phone wasn't answered. Waited and had some more pains. Called home again. And again, and again. Then, I just started to cry at the frustration of sitting where I could see the docs and with valid money but not being able to be seen. Then, I cried harder because I was quite embarrassed that I was such a wuss and crying in public. So there I sit sniffeling and trying to hide that fact.

A man named James came over, sat next to me and got a box of tisues. He asked me why I was alone and I told him I was originally there under protest and that I have been in too many ERs and clinics with other folks to visit that on anyone else. Plus, I hadn't intended for my stay to be quite as long as it was stretching into and it annoys me when folks sit there looking at you trying to judge whether you will fall over. That makes me feel really sick. He told me it would be okay and then just sat with me. Just like that. Handed me a couple of Kleenex and waited with me. When I finally got through at home and got my info they saw me long enough to send me away to the ER where I continued to breathe and walk. But, James looked me in the eye twice and told me I would be okay. I knew that already but it was good to have it confirmed. You just don't see that type of genuine compassion and for some reason I believed him more than the docs. I just knew it was Christ talking to me through another. Didn't want anything, just was there, telling me everything would be all right.

I only know one thing about James. He is pretty sick and is not very old. He seemed to be at peace. He has four grandkids, 7, 5, 10 months and 6 weeks. Three boys, one girl. Wants to stick around for a while and see them grow up. Might not be able to do so. So I'm praying for him right now.

We Need a New Toaster

Well, the test results are in. The reason the toaster was 2 for $9 is truly because they are so cruddy you are supposed to get one as backup. Or, perhaps they were meant to be one use disposables and I missed that part. In any event, took two days. Nice brown toast on day one as prepared by Robert and Aidan. Nice stream of smoke coming from it on day two as I attempted to toast something flammable again. At least I didn't set off the smoke detectors. I'll put it on my list and for now eat plain white bread so no one gets hurt.

The Day the Music Died

Nothing says Christmas like the communal sharing of a bass beat compliments of some driver who in the spirit of brotherly love just wants to reach out and touch me with some vintage Snoop Dog or Snoop's earthier friends. I've even been the recipient of some communal bass sharing outside of the Christmas season. I've always thought is just so darn generous of the 18 year old driver and his cadre that pull up to me at the stoplight to want to share that funky music. In fact, I've commented on that warm feeling to my passengers many times and expressed my warm fuzzy feelings for the folks who I rank just above those who throw lit cigarettes out the window to check the wind velocity.

So, it is with dismay that I must report that I inadvertently destroyed this fine musical experience for myself and my fellow parking lot patrons and for those lovers of Snoop Dog and his earthier friends, sorry about that.

The kids and I decided to go to Walmart to have a little pre-Christmas adventure. Sort of like when I was a kid and would be taken for a walk in downtown Cleveland to see the window displays at the big department stores except without the displays. Just like Cleveland would be if you put it in a big, corrugated metal box and took away all of it's character. Mia marveled at the Christmas trees, all lit up and ready to go. Aidan marveled at the 2008 Hot Wheel models and carefully explained to me how they would be happier in a good home. After having a pre Christmas meal from a McDonald's box, we stood in line for an hour or two to check out. Mia decided she just couldn't take anymore excitement and decided to nap. She announced her decision by loudly banging her forehead against the buggy handle. As she threatened to do it again, I decided it would be prudent for me to hold her which made emptying the buggy an yogic exercise.

We finally got everything back into the buggy and worked out the details of our home equity loan for payment. Off we went, me balancing Mia with one arm while pulling the buggy with the other one while Aidan provided navigation services from the rear. Other than that one collision with my ankles, it was teamwork at its dizzying best.

We got outside and began to venture into the Walmart cross walk. As a service to it's customers, Walmart has made their crosswalk large enough to handle the massive discharge of customers that would occur should all of the checkout lines be open which has only happened once in history. It was a cold day in 2002 and I was on electric cart restrictions while pregnant with Adian. It was a fine time right up until I crashed one of Walmart's electric buggies dead center and at full speed into the wall in front of the registers which were all historically open for this one day and this one day only. I amped up my performance with my best approximation of a rebel yell as I prepared for impact. Barely missed a father and his two teenage sons as I sped by them in my best approximation of Evel Keneviel on an electric buggy. After impact, I heard the father tell the sons that it just isn't appropriate to laugh at the disabled lady and began to laugh manically as, quite frankly, I thought it was. So, I tried to turn the thing around to the sounds of scattered applause and the somewhat panicked ministrations of the store's loss control expert. Oddly, I got personal package carry-out service that day from that very loss control expert. But, as usual, I digress.

We get half way into the cross walk before we realize that a thoughtful shopper was stopping to wait for us. In the true holiday spirit, he had his tinted windows down to even more generously share his Christmas philosophy which had something to do with "giving it to you". Aidan stops navigating and we use the time honored method of buggy stopping which is to have it impact the back of my ankle at maximum velocity. Aidan takes the one hand I have that isn't fully asleep from the weight of a child and asks me to dance. I consider saying no but remember the pledge I made to myself three years ago and have flawlessly upheld - when we get the chance, we dance. So I decide what the hell the driver would probably have his heart warmed by our apparent enjoyment of his gift and, if not, I would get to dance with my son who isn't old enough to recognize just how mortified he should be. So, I shift Mia to the other arm and Aidan and I begin to dance enthusiastically which, when we dance well, closely resembles people having some type of seizure, albeit on the down stroke as we both have some awesome rhythm. The frozen food begins to melt but we we don't care, we are dancing our blues away. We move enthusiastically around the wide, yellow expanse. Aidan spins and I do my best version of the head bob which closely resembles a chicken pecking at seed. A drugged out chicken, but a chicken nonetheless.

And then, it happened. Surprisingly, the music died. Just like that. Right smack in the middle of a composition. We stopped, turned and looked hopefully at the car. It was so quiet we could hear the sound of the windows as they were rolled up. We shrugged to show our disappointment and then Aidan and I gave him our thumbs up seal of approval while Mia clapped. As we all know, nothing is more appreciated by the young provider of public music than the endorsement of a middle aged, chicken dancing, white woman and her two twirling kids so we made sure that we made our thumbs up endorsement obvious to all. After all, nothing says "I'm cool" to a teenager than the public approval of old strangers and, in the spirit of the holiday, wanted to make sure we imparted that gift. We are looking forward to sharing the joy with other young bass connoisseurs if at all possible.

SPAM is good food

It is safe to say that I rarely think about SPAM, that fine canned meat product. Whole years have gone by without me pondering the product. In fact, I probably could have gone the rest of my life and continued to a reasonably productive member of society without gaining a deeper understanding of it. Really. But that was not to be.

The other day, I was gleefully on the way home from the dentist. I had to spend some quality time on a bridge over the freeway. As I marveled at the way it shook every time something heavy drove over it, my happy holiday thoughts turned to SPAM. No connection, just another sign of a disturbed mind. I reflected on the fact that the highest per capita consumption of SPAM is in Hawaii, something I learned on my trip there. Can't recall where I stayed and sort of recall Robert was there with me, but by gosh, I do recall that they have the highest per capita consumption of SPAM. I'm sure it has something to do with being stranded on an island and therefore not knowing any better. So, I carefully considered whether I was a hypocrite for eating the product as a kid and on a spring roll in Hawaii (and secretly liking it) while also thinking the Cantonese food was really, really scary. After 1 or 2 seconds of deep contemplation, I decided nope, worm stew is clearly outside the bell curve of acceptable. If the worms were ground up, gelled, spiced and canned, maybe I would reconsider. And that was that.

Except it wasn't. I get 5 miles or 50 minutes down the freeway and they start talking about SPAM on the radio. The DJ mentions he is from Hawaii and there is nothing like a little bit of fried SPAM tied to a rice ball with some seaweed. I'm thinking, what a damn SPAM coincidence. Think I should call Robert to tell him all about it but then decide I value my marriage more than that. So, that was that.

Except it wasn't. I get home and flip open the newspaper. Right there, in bold print, is an article announcing, "SPAM singles are great, great, great" Really. The part about it being in the paper, not that it is "great, great, great." Unless they mean that it is only a single serving that you need to eat before you move on but even then I'd only stipulate to "good, good, good."

So, I've spent the last two days pondering what it all means while humming the Twilight Zone theme to help my contemplative effort. Of course, I could be thinking about something a bit more useful like how do I continue to get the kids matching pajamas or why Mia doesn't care like the car Aidan is showing her but by gosh, I only have so many brain cells available. Finally, after some enthusiastic humming, it just came to me. SPAM is just MAPS in reverse. Without a doubt, I am meant to be the proud owner of a GPS device. Thankfully, they seem to be in "great, great, great" supply this Christmas season. And one has my name all over it.

Mia's Birthday

Today Mia is one year old. Somewhere her birth mother is sending her best wishes. We return the same to her and are eternally grateful for the gift of life she gave and offer gratitude and prayers for her and her family. We will always treasure and love Mia and wish we could just let her birth mom know Mia is okay and how we have been truly blessed by her selfless act. We feel the tug of the red thread from our hearts to her birth parents' and then to Mia's and we recognize how we have been permanently intertwined. We are grateful to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on our family.

We have a new toaster

Mia, Adian and I bought a shiny new toaster this weekend. They were on sale two for $9 which begs the question, is the toaster cruddy enough that we need to have one in reserve or were the Red Ball store's ad men into the eggnog already? We made the trip armed with fishy crackers to feed Mia. She is beginning to dive for them while you aren't looking and will bite any hand that gets in the way which I believe is her way of keeping us on our feet. So far, its working.

Since I was a little kid I have had a phobia about the toaster burning down the house. Probably a result of my father reminding us to pull the toaster out from underneath the cabinet before deploying it just in case it would catch fire. Considering we had a toaster that would actually launch the toast into the air, a fire was not improbable. The launching toaster, however, was a testament to the many ways my folks found for us kids to get exercise into our day. We'd get our plates, plant our feet securely, load the bread ammo and then chomp at the bit while we waited for the launch of our breakfast. Points were awarded for style and precision. But, we pulled that machine out from under the cabinets before even thinking of pressing the launch button.

So, I've been harassing the husband for a couple of years about the severe and immediate danger presented by a toaster that is used while under the cabinet. Tempting the fire fates I'd say. And then adding that my friend's/neighbor's/co worker's home just burned down, it was sad and the fire investigators were sure it was the toaster that had been callously left by the husband under the cabinets during use. Hard to verify so it made good press. I, however, in my continuous effort to add efficiency to my day had no compunction about pulling the toaster to the safe zone and then stuffing an English muffin in it, turning it on and then going upstairs to get a shower.

Last week, I ran out of English Muffins. So, I found some bagels and stuffed one into the toaster, turned it on and went upstairs to take a shower. When I heard the fire alarms going off, I knew it wasn't the cabinets because, by gosh, I ALWAYS pull the thing out. Our family began our evacuation plan which consisted of our four-year-old grabbing his three member stuffed toy entourage ("the guys") and calmly beginning to evacuate the building while the husband and I ran like hell down the stairs to see if we needed to grab Mia from her bed. Turns out, blueberries are particularly flammable. Who knew? I agreed to not do the same thing again.

I acquired some more English muffins a couple of days later. I stuffed one in the toaster, turned it on and went upstairs to take a shower. When I heard several of the fire alarms going off, I became confused as the muffins didn't have blueberries. The four-year-old told us to let him know if he needed to evacuate because "the guys" were tired. The husband beat me to the kitchen and I found him with a charred and smoking muffin on some kind of stick. I know he said something quite loving like, "Honey, I would hate to have you burned up so perhaps you should change your morning meal to doughnuts" but soley due to the smoke alarm's interference it sounded more like "I thought I asked you not to do this again."

Although it was quite obvious to me, I made sure he knew that I had indeed stuck to the terms of our prior agreement which was that I would not henceforth stuff a bagel into the toaster, turn it on and go upstairs. English muffins were clearly excepted from any prior arrangements. Although I know how much he appreciated my clarification, discussions are not part of my efficient morning routine so I then quickly exited the room to make up for lost time. And made plans to get some fishy crackers and go shopping.

Pizza Guy was almost a Casualty

I don't know who invented those car shopping buggies that look like cars and are best described as the RVs of the grocery store. It had to be a former Kroger or Publix employee with an ax to grind. They really are that bad. Yesterday, I went to build a Habitat House. I felt all of my 94 years going up and down that ladder all day. Not a pretty sight, especially from below. But, as usual, I digress.

So, after the build, my son and I go to the grocery store via Subway which is completely catty-corner from Kroger. We ate and sorted coupons. Life was good. Walking to the Krogerb we found one of those car behemoths in the corner of the lot so Aidan got a ride all the way back to the store. We then prepared for the grocery battle by scrubbing the car thing down with a multitude of saniwipes which are nicely provided at the front door. With alarm, we then realized we had no coupons. So, apparently quite fatigued from the build and not thinking straight, I decided it would be a great idea to give Aidan a ride around the perimeter of the entire lot back to Subway to go coupon hunting. Gravity being what it is, we picked up some serious speed going down one of two hills on the way but lost speed going up one which was a little steeper and caused me to curse the behemoth manufacturer and his mother in no uncertain terms. We found the missing coupons at Subway and began our celebration of the same by turning the RV thing around and starting down the steep hill, all the while whooping for effect as it has been proved that enthusiasm actually causes objects to accelerate. And it gets going. And going. As my feet are doing an impression of the Roadrunner trying to get away from Wiley Coyote, the door to the pizza joint at the bottom of the hill opens and the pizza guy, holding pizzas up in one arm, begins a perilous exit into our path. We are hollering and I can only think of one thing. Lawsuit. Big ugly lawsuit. So we scream louder. And louder. We narrowly miss the guy who gives us his best "they don't pay me enough for this crap" look. So, if your pizza was stuck to the box yesterday, we send our apologies.

Just breathe

So I take the kids to the "red ball" store because Aidan needed new shoes. Mia was just not that impressed with the red ball out front. I'm thinking she got an overdose of red while in China and just isn't that impressed with anything that is that hue even if it is a big ball a little kid can sit on. Obviously she is not a modern art fan. Things went well only as long as I was able to push those fishy crackers in her mouth. But when I was out, she turned into what would be best described as a hostile hydra in a sack - in this case, the Baby Bjorn. It is red, perhaps the problem. I'm starting to think Mia sees red like a bull sees red and half the time I feel like I'm running in Pamploma. Most probably need to get her a bunch of calming lavender stuff. So, the timing of the cracker deficiency was right when we had darn near all the shoes off the rack and on the floor with my four-year-old saying he needed help with the shoes. Over and over. All in all, not a good situation. So, I ask Mia for her help. "Mia, what mommy needs here is your cooperation. Do you want Aidan to have to walk to school barefoot like I did when I was a kid? In the winter?". Doesn't work. The four year-old continues to ask for help in his usual manner, "mommy, mommy, mommy" which is slightly better than how he engages his father, "daddy, Robert!, Robert!," as Aidan has discovered what Robert responds to the quickest. So, while he is mommying me, he also pulls on me for emphasis. I decide to take control of the situation and set him straight so I tell him, "son, this is how the process works. You say "mommy". You then shut your mouth and take a breath. A long one. I will then say "what" at which point you "open your mouth and tell me what it is that you want to tell me." As the hydra continues to wiggle and kick, I suggests he immediately applies the lesson to our communications. And then I heard the laughing from the other side of the shoe aisle. I picked up a shoe and lobbed it over the rack. Okay, not really but I did try to put my boxes back on hard enough to cause those on the other side to fall off. Wasn't successful. We did find where they kept the fishie crackers though.

Write your own caption. Really.

Adian played soccer this year. His father took this picture. I'm not sure what they were doing. Perhaps practicing to hit the ball off their heads without actually having to get beaned in the head with the ball. Or not. My guess - the coach was tired of running around and siad to his wife - hey, watch what I can get them to do... Have to admire that in a sporting professional.

Sleeping is Optional

So, I thought the days and nights thing was worked out. Not so. Mia has apparently decided that she wants to play between 3-5 am which is fine except I do not. Nor does her brother or father. Mia has also decided that her crib is not an appropriate place to play between the hours of 3-5 am. I was all set up to duct tape a itty bitty book light to the side of her crib so I could just roll over and turn it on for her and she could go to town biting her stuffed animals, an activity that is paired with maniacal screaming and is of great concern to the cat in the home. Or, she could continue her expirements on the force of gravity that she has been conducting by tossing her stuff out of the crib and watching the results. I would have to stock the crib, however, as the gravity tests seem to go rather quickly and are not at all standardized. Meanwhile, I could just roll over and go back to sleep as maniacal screaming and stuffed animal abuse does not keep me awake. The crying, on the other hand, does. I had a talk with her this morning to explain my position and also provided her with what specific outcomes I expect from our discussion. However, since I have no leverage, I may just begin catching up on ER between the aforementioned hours.

The big dress up

So, Mia was a flower for Halloween. Oddly, she didn't object. But we covered all the mirrors just in case she were to see that she was dressed up like a green sausage flower. It worked. We also didn't mention the dreaded "hat" word around her. Mia just has a thing with hats. At some point, she must have tangled with one. Or, it is just her strong will to soundly and routinely defy what we would like her to do, as well as to ignore the word "no" or being removed from doing whatever it is by either parent or her brother. For example, we have suggested, quite strongly at times, that she desist from trying to make a fast crawl off the bed onto the floor or whatever sharp of hard objects she could hit on the way down. For some reason, her prior dives off the bed onto her head didn't leave a negative impression as she has been working her hardest to do so again. Perhaps the solution is to keep her in the flower costume but add several inches of padding to the hat.

Both of the kids really enjoyed Halloween. Aidan figured out the candy haul aspect and made sure we went to every house in the neighborhood, no matter that we were the last two people out there. I think he had calculated that if he were to appear to be the last kid coming for the night, he would get several candy bowls emptied into his bag. Or, perhaps that was my suggestion, and I was just thinking out loud. I do love that chocolate.

Halloween

Dancing Queen

Went to Redtop Mountain State Park for the weekend and stayed in a hotel there. Trick or treating was provided for the kids on Saturday night. Mia did not get to go as the Dancing Queen or as a green flower. It was too darn late. Aidan was a fireman but made it known over and over that he wasn't a "real" fireman, he was a "pretend" fireman. I'm thinking his concern came when I told him that perhaps they might need his fireman assistance to help put out any real fires that started. I suggested he could direct the fleeing people if the pig roasting pit caught fire. Considering the guardians of the fire pit were earnestly doing their job while cooling off with a few brewskis, he must have thought the odds were good that could happen and wanted to make sure everyone made their own safety plan.

Weekend made me wonder, how did my folks take 4 kids on vacation when I was a kid and, more importantly, why??

We also discovered that Mia likes tapioca pudding. I brought a huge jug to go at the potluck dinner which we missed because we were stuck on the interstate, as is our usual luck. So, Mia and I had tapioca pudding served with the blunt end of several plastic knifes I found. Actually made me miss the Cantonese restaurant with the worm stew. At least they had rice.

To Sleep, Perchance to dream

Yes! Mia is now sleeping in a crib for most of the night. Took her to a get together on Saturday of other adoptive and prospective adoptive families. Mia lit up when she saw the other Chinese faces. Aidan found all the talk about log-in dates and Chinese policy a bit tedious. So, I agreed to go "camping" that night in an one man tent that is 5"3". So, it was my 5'6" self, one large four year old, and "the guys", Aidan's three member stuffed toy retinue (one of which is currently suffering from a broken tail and the others who have separation anxiety if they have to sleep alone) stuffed into a very small place in this tent. I tried to escape twice but was effectively busted by Aidan. Probably one of the stuffed posse ratted me out.

Now wonder she hates hats

Now I understand the battle to not wear a sun hat as she probably saw this picture. I was coming down the stairs and Aidan was showing her his two hats and how to wear them. First the propeller hat on Mia with his Irish leprechaun hat on himself. And then the switch-er-roo. He was so gentle and it was touching.

Sleepy time

Sleep time is unpleasant in our home. Mia does not chose to sleep. Rather, she chooses to resist to the best of her ability. This has made for hours of screaming, crying, rolling around and so on. I finally decided that what we were doing is obviously not working so no more. So, she went into her crib last night (with one side down so she doesn't feel like she is being caged again). She also was put in the crib by the "good parent" vs. being upt in by me. She didn't like it but fell into a light sleep after 30 minutes, a record in the house. But, she wasn't in a deep sleep and I needed to go into the room again (the last time had resulted in some pretty energetic screaming) So, I sneaked in as quiet as I could. I had almost completed my mission when she woke up. I did the logical thing and dove for cover into the space between her crib and the wall. Conveniently, we have a blanket hung over her crib there and she couldn't see me. But, I was stuck in a crouch in a space that is approximately 1/4 inch wider than my butt was ten years ago. Mia rolled around and took stock of her surroundings. I completed the appropriate reconnaissance and peeked out at her in a stealth fashion every couple of minutes when I though the coast was clear to see if Mia was still pondering life in the crib. After who knows how long, I thought I would probably never be able to unfold myself and decided to do the logical thing. I plastered myself to the floor and did my best commando crawl around the crib and then around the bed. I poked my head up in my best gopher fashion and saw she was sleeping. Yeehaa! I killed the lights and waited for dawn. Fortuantely, Mia decided to do the same.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flying exer-saucer

Had no idea that a child could get lift under their exer-saucer. Don't think the manufacturers actually meant to build that functionality in as launching one's self down a staircase isn't good for one's health. Mia has figured out how to jump hard enough to make the exer-saucer with her in it a hovercraft. Sailed across the kitchen yesterday faster than she could crawl. Couldn't even get the camera out fast enough. Really, just for fun, I should email their product development department to suggest it so that some poor fool has to send me a letter back telling me how much they value me buying their product, etc. etc. etc. and how much they appreciate customer's input, etc. etc. etc. and how they will NOT be remarketing their product as the Pepper Projectile Exer-Saucer but that they still consider their customers the most important part of their business. And then, little stickers will appear on their product with explicit statements not to use their product that way. Probably would read, "Caution, should not be used as a hovercraft or a mode of stairway transportation, even on a closed course." One nut suggests it and there you go. Little stickers show up.

She's just cute!

Not current but she is just so cute! This morning, she actually showed some distress when I left for work. This was a first and I think we are finally bonding!! Yeah!!

Parenting after 40

One of the benefits of parenting over 40 became painfully evident to me last night. That loose, hanging chicken neck skin under my chin is apparently the perfect tool for Mia to grab to pull herself up. Yikes. Feels like something that should be photgraphed for Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Gotcha plus one month

It has been one month since we got Mia and it seems like we have had her forever. It hasn't all been happiness and light for us. I can only imagine how horrifying it has been for her. Pretty much like the stories of getting abducted by aliens and having medical tests run on you. Last week I had to take her in for eye tests. They weren't pleasant but her eyes are doing fine. She has a loss of vision from not having the right nutrition but no surgery is needed. Apparently, the eyes need some fats to develop properly which weren't a large part of her diet. They don't want to fit her for glasses for one year as doing so would stop the brain's natural drive to improve. I'm relieved. There are some fights you just don't pick and I've learned with her it is whether of not she will wear a hat. I can only imagine glasses.

"Look at this nice hat Mia" Mia pulls off and throws on ground. I retrieve. "It's a really nice hat Mia". Mia pulls off and throws on ground. I retrieve. "You need this hat for sun protection Mia." Mia removes hat by turning herself like a corkscrew and attempts to throw herself on the ground. "I can't let you just sit out in the sun Mia" while putting hat back on Mia. Mia folds herself in two, begins whining and lets out a shriek. Hat goes flying on the ground. We then continue to sit out in the sun sans hats to watch Aidan's soccer game while getting disapproving looks from the other parents.

Confirmed - Sweet & Sour pork rinds

When we went to visit Mia's orphanage, the nannies and director went to lunch with us. Lunch in Cantonese restaurants is really an adventure as you have to be very careful about what you select. We had one across the street from the hotel. The only way I could eat there was to walk in with my face away from the aquariums in the front that had the live things that they would pick out, kill and then cook. What I came to realize very quickly was that if it ever walked, breathed, crawled or slithered and wasn't human or was a piece of any of the aforementioned, it is Cantonese cuisine. They had "sand worms". They had beetles, some type of maggot looking thing and the meanest lobster you ever saw. They had ostrich kidney. Oddly, the rest of the ostrich was never on the menu. Guess they export that. They had chicken feet and in this finer restaurant, boneless chicken feet. They had duck comb. But, the worst was some caterpillar tomato worm looking thing that showed up everywhere as a delicacy, cooked whole and served in a rice dish or in a very expensive soup with shark fin which is a gelatinous substance that is highly prized. Looks just awful. Almost like spilled and then dried hair gel. Um mm. Vegetarian wasn't a term they were used to. I'm thinking they probably still use those caterpillars as seasoning in the green bean dish that was actually quite good and widely available.

So, when we went to lunch in YangJiang, I had the fried steamed buns which had two benefits. First, they are fried dough. How can that be wrong? Second, I could stab the little suckers on a chopstick and get it to my mouth without wearing it. I also had some of the pork dish. Turns out it was sweet & sour pork rinds. Pig skin in sauce. Mmmm. At least it wasn't the fancy plate of sliced pig ears. Don't know how they were spiced but am guessing it doesn't matter.

The kicking has to stop

So I wrote a long, thoughtful, witty and brilliant essay on how it has been traveling home and through the first week. However, I don't see it on my blog so I either posted to someone elses or hit delete. Either would be par for the course.

So, Mia has discovered her toes. As in she can suck them which she uses to comfort herself. Trying to sleep with her Friday was a challenge. Her brother wanted to stay with her. I had the sliver of bed to the right. My butt doesn't fit on a sliver which is how I came to be awake to take this photo. Mia kept sucking her toes, getting tired, kicking her feet down and hitting Aidan and me in our sides. Aidan, in typical 4 year-old fashion kept complaining "she's kicking me." In my true parenting from the handbook style, I told him I understood that kicking was unpleasant and that I knew he was a smart kid who could find a solution. He did.

They may not get along while awake but are peaceful in sleep.

The Harmonious Period

Gotcha Day came on September 10th. Or the 9th I guess depending on what part of the world you are in. Too tired to do the math. Our daughters were quite traumatized by the time they met us and went back to the hotel with us. They hadn't been outside in their lives other than to go on a three hour bus ride to meet their new parents. The new parents were strange people with strange faces (albeit some stranger than others) and this just didn't go well for our daughters. Some were absolutely terrified and cried almost hysterically for a day. After that, they were only comforted by being held and carried by their dads and a standing position (the dads, not the kids). It is amazing how much babies know about their altitude.

After 24 hours or so, we got our paperwork to sign. The first was an agreement for custody during "the harmonious period". This was the day before we got formal approval to adopt. I read it again. Yep, it really said the "harmonious period". I wondered if September 11th is the Chinese Version of April Fools. If the first 24 hours is the harmony we are going to get, we need to buckle ourselves in as it will be a wild ride. Somewhere in China, some contract writer is laughing his butt off.

Day three?

A wise man just said reading my blog is as informative as reading the back of a Chinese Mint Box. That is indeed true and part of it's charm (okay, I'm adding the charm bit). However, I believe it pales in comparison to what my family says they have to do by trying to figure out what I am saying with mixed metaphors and half thoughts. Not that I don't have a full thought, I just like the Cliff Notes version. Makes lie all the more interesting. So, there is more than one way to skin a calf. Onward..

"Karma" and God don't pass

Finally home. Found out why we couldn't get to the blog - if you're blog includes karma, tibet or God, there is no browser in China that will get you there.

Interesting and more later.

The Long and winding road...

Yesterday we visited Mia's orphanage - Jiang Cheng City Social Welfare Institute. So much to say about it but I am holding a wiggling little one and bouncing her on my lap and singing "sitting on my lap and going on a horsey" for at least the 200th time. 99 bottles of beer on the wall is coming up next...

Gotcha DAY!

Here it is - gotcha day. September 10th, China Time.

Here's Mia

This isn't the best photo. The best photo just got deleted. Long day and interesting method to getting the info here.

We have photos!

Here is Mia with the official who approved her adoption!

Miss You Monkey!

Today I didn't get to talk to my little boy and I really, really miss him. Here is a picture of us last week. We miss you and love you Aidan and Mia can't wait to meet you! Love you, Mommy (and Daddy and Mia)

We HAVE GOTTEN IN!!

After five days, we have finally gotten into our log. Turns out the servers were down but we thought their was a lockout by the quality control information folks here in country. Haven't figured out how to load photos in yet (am in a coffee shop using their machine) but at least we have been able to get in!

So, we got Mia two days ago. It was rather odd - we went to the official building but they had two groups. The Canadian group got the big room and we got into some other very small room. Then, the babies came in rapid succession. The family that was getting their child would be in the middle while the rest of us would be around the room standing on top of chairs to shoot photos. There wasn't much room and they apparently store chairs in the room so we did what we could.

We were second to last out of nine. A nannie brought her in. All the kids were wearing matching yellow outfits. Mia has the most hair - enough that we could cut if we had the guts to try. However, she does have a bald spot on the back of her head from her wooden crib so we may leave the hair to cover it at least for a while. She was willing to come with us but spent the first several hours looking at us like we had some serious facial defect that she couldn't figure out. Robert's nose was of her greatest interest. At 3:00 pm. we went back to the hotel. MIa began to cry in a existential angstsortof way. She seemed so deeply sad and nothing could relieve her of her sadness. She finally fell asleep and slpet through the night.

We are now getting to know one another. We had our two interviews yesterday. We passed although we had some discussion in one as to what year we had gotten married. Gave two answers. I was wrong. Guess time just flew by - what's a year or so? But, they passed us. We are official.

Mia had some rather bad jerking and very odd tongue rolling the first day. It has gotten better each day and is completely gone when she sleeps. We think it comforts her. She is amazed by her thumbs and will clasp her hands to look at them. She is learning to sit up and is doing a pretty decent job at balancing for a while. She hasn't learned to hold toys or objects but is trying to do so and we are trying to help her learn.

Mia has bonded well with Robert and wants to be held all the time. She isn't too thrilled with me. Perhaps it is my lack of an interesting nose. At least, I'm going to tell myself that. She does sleep next to me.

Mia does know her name which is Jin Jin, pronounced roughly Jen Jen. So, we call her Mia Jen Jen and she will look to see who is calling her.

Now that we know the government isn't trying to suppress our babble, we feel much better. We didn't think that the government had any issue with our ramblings but we do have two writers along on the trip. They are a bit better at drawing the picture so we were blaming them. Now, harmony has been restored. Tsing Tao's for all!

More later..

We are in Hong Kong

We have arrived. The flight came in early but it still was a long 14 hours. The food was interesting.

When we got to Hong Kong, we found the hotel counter and bought a ticket for the shuttle to the hotel. Then, we went and stood outside the wrong door on the advice of a director who told us "4". We didn't quite get that. But, we did find out way. Then, we get on the bus and it drives us to Disneyland. The Mouse House of Asia. We are looking at each other like, "no we didn't make reservations at Disneyland" when we stopped and picked up a bunch of people who apparently also were going to the hotel. Talk about relief.

After a day without sleep, we are going to crash and get back at it tomorrow. We will do some sightseeing that will not be including Disneyland. They even have the same deports, etc. as Orlando. I guess if it works, export it.

Missing family.

Killed the hard drive

Two months ago the computer and lightening seemed to come together in an unauthorized pairing. One hard drive later I realized that I had lost what was important - my entire email address book and all of my emails regarding Mia's adoption (congrats you've been approved and down the line). I intended to print them out for a book for her but you know what they say about good intentions. It's true. I intended to back it up but couldn't figure out how to find the files. I do now have an awesome tech guy. We call him "the thinker" from his ad and he really is awesome but no one could protect me from my stupidity in arrears. So now I sit wanting to contact special people but I can't. Don't have their addresses. So this is my public service message for the day - friends don't let friends neglect to backup important data. And, if you are one of those friends, I'm at pjoan@bellsouth.net.

God is good

With gratitude to Don and Be:

Isaiah 43:5 Do not be afraid; I am with you.I will bring your children from the East and gather you from the west.

We are not packed yet are ready to go. We will be bringing some small gifts for the orphanage that have been generously provided by very good people in Atlanta. When I had Aidan we were generously blessed by giving family and friends. I didn't think it could get better. As we have traveled to Mia, it seems the whole community has responded. Family. Neighbors. The online community. The Chinese adoption community. We went to Home Depot Saturday for the kid's clinic which is the best entertainment you can get for free anywhere. The gal running the clinic was adopted. It's just amazing how many good wishes are lifting us up and carrying us on. We are grateful.

Mia's first mom

We got some updated information on Mia yesterday. It included her finding spot which is where her birth mother or family left her for adoption. Her birth family made sure she would be safe and well cared for as they took her to the local hospital in town. She was dressed in a white outfit that had flowers on it. She was wrapped in a red towel most probably for luck and good fortune. A red thread now connects all of us - her birth mom, Mia, Aidan, Robert and I. We will be forever joined. We will be forever grateful for the choice her birth mom made to place her for adoption.

It's the 10th!

We are leaving on the 5th and will be getting Mia on the 10th (11th here)! We can't wait - less than two weeks to go. It feels just awesome!

Here is her orphanage

A kind person was able to obtain these photos for us - they are Mia's orphanage. I don't believe any of these children are here. It is supposedly a poor orphanage that tries really hard to take care of the kids. It is apparently very clean but doesn't have mattresses or many toys. We hope to bring toys to donate to the kids!

Quilt?

I'm very late to the party, being over 40 and therefore not technologically savvy. Or just busy which is the real reason. But, can anyone help me to understand the 100 wishes quit? I'm not 100% I know 100 people or if you can start one this late. Any helpers out there that can enlighten me? Can I do one for both of the kids?

Here she is!

We had to ask for an updated picture to have Mia's eye looked at. This is tough - she seems to be just reaching for someone and, of course, we are not there! I also have a hard time with the wooded cribs (an no pun intended). I realize that is what they are used to but how miserable is that?

Here she is! Have to love the facial expression (Mia, that is). Just sort of a "just damn, being asked to perform..". Have to love it. When Aidan was just a couple of months old, and was therefore not able to offer any resistance, I propped him up to take his Easter picture surrounded by a bunch of cute bunnies I got at the dollar store. His expression said it all....

Waiting...

Feels like that adoption labor is coming on..looks like it will be a September delivery.

Have given my son the family responsibility for tissues, toothpaste and crayons. Wanted to give him some control to make this transition a little easier for him. He is now in charge of making sure we have toothpaste and tissues in the house. He is also on crayon watch to make sure his new sister does not eat them. He has accepted these responsibilities with gusto and made the executive decision the day after being vested with this responsibility that we needed to switch to the pricey purple toothpaste. It is apparently easier to keep track of. He also made the decision that the name brand Kleenex matches the decor much better than the store brand. Thankfully I haven't put him in charge of cars or food. I'd be completely bankrupt.

Waiting..

We had our first travel conference call last week. I'm glad we did because this waiting time for our travel approval sure feels like the wait to match - don't know when or where or how. Very odd feeling. Not quite like waiting for a birth - at least when I had my son I carried him around with me everywhere and he weighed a ton. Mia's picture is easier to carry around but a little less real. I look forward to the next weeks.

AHHH!! What's in a name part II

Filling in paperwork and realized I apparently can't read or remember important data. Mia's name is Cheng Jin, not Cheng Ji. Just great on my part.

Why China?

I used to really like Life Magazine, especially the year end issues with their famous photos. When they went from a weekly magazine to a monthly one, I subscribed and got a copy of "The Year in Pictures". I think is was the year of 1992, published in 1993. But, I could be off one year. It has been a while. There was a picture of a small baby, swaddled in a white blanket. He was lying in a stand of trees. The picture showed the forest to be dark with the child really standing out in his white swaddling. The photographer took the child as he seemed to be without any companions. The photographer knew he couldn't just keep him so he and his travel companions delivered the child to a hospital in the nearest large city. He was told the child had a serious heart defect. It was reported that the child died three days later. I cried over that picture and although I cry easily, it hit my unusually hard. I tore it out and put it in my wallet. I felt called to action. Even with my many imperfections, I knew I most probably could have helped. I opened an account with Vanguard and began putting $85 a month into my adoption fund. And then, I went on with life. Some time later, I was in Bloomingdales in Chicago when I was accosted by two men who simply asked for my wallet. They were in my personal space and I felt terribly threatened. It was just a wallet - I quickly turned it over. I got on the phone and started calling the credit card companies but not quickly enough. They had actually used my card already. I had tickets to go see Angels in America, Part II and missed half of the show. I lost the picture. But, the fund continued as did my certainty that I was to build my family through adoption.

What a cute baby!

I've been showing Mia's picture around. To a person I've been told she is a cute or lovely baby and, of course, she is. But I do wonder - what if the picture (like the first) didn't show her at her best? Would anyone really say, "Geez Joan. She isn't the cutest baby I've ever seen...." Has anyone, with the exception of the guy I used to work with, ever speak the truth as they see it? In his case, Geez Joan, what's with the hair? Of course, I just told him he got it from his Dad. And, of course, Adian (our son) is the cutest male baby I ever saw...

Mia Grace Cheng Ji Anchaya

We've carefully selected a name for our little one - Mia Grace Cheng Ji Anchaya.

Mia is the Scandanavian form of Maria which is the Latinate name for Mary. And, although there are several theories on the name, the original derives from the Egyptian "beloved". And, she is.

Usual English form of Maria, which was the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριαμ (Mariam) or Μαρια (Maria) (the spellings are interchangeable), which were from the Hebrew name מִרְיָם (Miryam). The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the virgin mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.

Grace for the grace of God who brings her to us and for her birth parents who gave her life and have entrusted her to us. For the thanksgiving weekend of her birth.

Cheng Ji. Castle and Fiord. Place where one crosses a raging river. Bridge over troubled water.

Now we move on to figuring out if Cheng Ji is one word or two. Anyone know?

The Earings

So today I read Dear Abby. Seems some woman lost some diamond earings on a business trip. And, the husband, who bought the earings for her feels really bad. Turns out they were "created" diamonds which he neglected to tell her. Does he tell her now. So, what are the astronomical odds that they are the ones I found and turned in? If so, my sacrifice just isn't that noble now, is it? Guess it is the thought that counts.

Here she is!!!

Here she is! Apparently she has slightly crossed eyes. Through the kindness of other adoptive parents and the surgeon who did my eyes, we have discovered it can generally be treated. That is SUCH a relief to us. We want the best for her.

I noticed another child's picture on the agency website in the same chair, same background. Maybe they will grow up knowing each other. That sure would be neat.

It's a Girl!

Today at 12:00 we met the newest member of our family. She was born 11/26/2006 and was placed with the orphanage on 11/27/2006. That makes her a Thanksgiving baby. Thanksgiving Sunday to be exact. And, we are thankful for the biological parents who chose life for our daughter and then made sure she would be taken care of. How terribly difficult that sacrifice had to be.

Match Day!

We got our match. A little girl, born 11/26/2006. Looks a bit worried in her mug shot. At least a bit uncertain. She is currently living in an orphanage and her parents placed her the day after she was born. She is a big girl and was crawling at 6 months. She may be walking. We are getting her photo up as soon as we get it tonight and hope to get our letter of acceptance tomorrow with some additional pictures.

Match Day Minus One

Today we got the call. Around 2:30. Tomorrow we get the match. I find that my mind is drawn to "what does the 565 on my front page mean?" I must have put it there but have no idea how or why. Or how to make it go away.



Have to find something to keep my mind busy until tomorrow at 12:00. I guess the 565 will suffice.



Today I get my pants in the morning which I just got back from the tailor. I then notice that I was given a pair of pants that aren't mine. Nice, designer, my size, a tad short. All in all, could be let out. I'm starting to wonder what the heck is going on in the cosmic scheme of things. Diamond earings, pants... If it keeps up, I will have returned a very nice outfit piece by piece by piece.

London is not a local call

So I'm in the Atlanta airport a week ago. Everything is, as usual grounded. Weather. Again. This frantic woman asks if she can use my cell phone as her calling card is used up. I notice that they took a bunch of the pay phones out of the airport. I guess the days of hanging outside the 7-11 at the public phone are gone. Not that there is anything wrong with that. So, she tells me it is a local call, I say sure and she calls. No answer. So, she asks me if she can "call her mother." Now, what kind of a human would I be if I said no, don't call your mom, let her think you've just gone missing. So, I say sure. Counting on the Karma. Then she wants to call her sister - mom isn't home. So, I say sure. Then, I finally get to the lovely state of New Jersey (but, not the lovely part). And, I'm checking the phone to get a number for a call I missed. That is when I notice that someone made some calls beginning with 001. Two of them. And, I start to get it. I try to call Cingular to find out where I have called and if I will need to get another job to pay for it. But, Cingular is now AT&T and their hold times are 45 minutes. I figure, heck, I have her mother's and sister's phone numbers. I'm resourceful. If I need to take out a mortgage to pay for it, I'll find her. Turns out it is only going to cost me $1.69 a minute. Then, I get to the hotel and find a pair of diamond earings on the floor in the lobby. I looked at long and hard and long and hard again at those rocks. Then, I turned them in. So, by gosh, I expect some good Karma and soon. Maybe that means our referral is less than 12 days away.

So I have a blog

So I have mastered blog technology. Or think I have. Ten to one I erase, crash or otherwise demolish it. But that doesn't mean I have anything pithy, witty or greatly interesting to anyone other than my darling husband. Of course, he is wise enough to tell me I'm greatly interesting even if he has no earthly idea what I'm talking about. Smart man.

The Countdown

The countdown has begun. Will it be 13 days to match? Less? I am certain that no matter what happens, we will be traveling on September 18th and 19th, only because I am supposed to be somewhere those days. Just like washing your car makes it rain and lighting a cigarette (not that I would) makes your food come from the kitchen, I suspect Murphy's law of The People's Republic dictates that after a three year wait, travel should be scheduled when I am supposed to be elsewhere or when it is most expensive. Should have planned important events six or eight months ago. Or a year. But that would have been too easy. And if God was ready for us to be matched, we would have been. All in his time.