Sam and his three little sisters on his wedding day.
We played in the local park in the morning.
Hotel room - rise and shine!
Friday night wedding rehersal. (Linda, Ruthie, Abby, Joanna)We ordered Chinese carry-out for dinner tonight with the goal of letting Joanna meet the very nice Chinese family who own the restaurant. We also wanted one of them to explain to her that she will definitely get to go to school like Ruthie as soon as she learns a little bit of English. Her reaction upon seeing and hearing the employees caught us off guard. Bob & I thought she would be overjoyed to find someone who spoke her language, but I'm not sure that that was the case. She reacted very funny, and I'm not sure I can decipher what it all meant. Instead of answering back, she did not say a word. She occasionally nodded, but she clung very tightly to me as if she was afraid that she would be taken away. Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but ... just not sure. I will say that Bob noticed the same thing. He even wondered if it was the early signs of bonding. We had a similar experience with Ruthie after she had been home for about two months. A very nice couple from Taiwan spoke to her in Chinese and asked her if she would like to go home with them. At that point, we did not understand the conversation, but she looked horrified and dashed behind my legs. Made us feel good!
By the way, there was a mistake on our dinner order. I had ordered wontons, but instead received wonton soup. It was filled with wontons and huge vegetable chunks, but it did not smell appealing to me. Joanna, however, was visibly thrilled to see it. She had two very large bowlfuls, and there is enough for her lunch tomorrow.
In many ways, she is like having a very active and very large toddler. Everything is so new and fun to get into, and everything needs to be explained. I tried to do some ironing today and had to move her back from the ironing board many times. She was fascinated with how it smoothed things out, and she kept getting her face closer and closer. I told Bob that I have already put lots of things off until the girls go to bed, but there is a limit as to how much work I can fit in after 8 PM. Things will just take a little time. She is an incredibly smart little girl, and is working feverishly to learn the English alphabet. She copies the letters so neatly and is starting to remember some of them already. I am making copies of Ruthie's kindergarten papers, and both girls practice together.
By the way, there was a mistake on our dinner order. I had ordered wontons, but instead received wonton soup. It was filled with wontons and huge vegetable chunks, but it did not smell appealing to me. Joanna, however, was visibly thrilled to see it. She had two very large bowlfuls, and there is enough for her lunch tomorrow.
In many ways, she is like having a very active and very large toddler. Everything is so new and fun to get into, and everything needs to be explained. I tried to do some ironing today and had to move her back from the ironing board many times. She was fascinated with how it smoothed things out, and she kept getting her face closer and closer. I told Bob that I have already put lots of things off until the girls go to bed, but there is a limit as to how much work I can fit in after 8 PM. Things will just take a little time. She is an incredibly smart little girl, and is working feverishly to learn the English alphabet. She copies the letters so neatly and is starting to remember some of them already. I am making copies of Ruthie's kindergarten papers, and both girls practice together.
4 comments:
Linda,
Jasmine had the same reaction to Chinese speakers (strangers) both in China and America. She clammed up and put her head down. In China she didn't want much to do with me, so I think the reaction to Chinese speakers was not so much about bonding with her family, but disliking the "oh, you lucky girl" effusiveness and intrusiveness of the women, which she was uncomfortable with. Especially since she was proud of her orphanage and didn't agree that she was lucky to be adopted.
(This may or may not be the case with Joanna)
--I can relate about having a big toddler--I am followed around constantly and every move is examined..I feel like I'm on a reality TV show!
--Susan
Nina doesn't like it either when someone speaks Chinese to her - she never answered anyone while in China, and just yesterday I ran into a gal who grew up in China, and Nina just latched on to me and buried her head in my neck when she spoke Chinese to her. She may be afraid that she is taken back, who knows.
Now that's her, and of course I don't know how it's affecting Joanna. I think it's an encouraging sign that she seems to move on.
I keep staring at her... she is so gorgeous!
Thank you for posting!
You have a little care package coming your way, probably next week. I forgot to include a note, but you'll find my name in there somewhere :-)))
Barb
Joanna is so beautiful, as are all your children. So glad to see you survived the wedding and it looked to be so beautiful and seems like it went so smooth! Praise the Lord!
I'm glad Joanna is so eager to learn English...that love of learning will take her far and she will be right with her peers in no time!
Laine
Jocelyn also has the same reaction to people who speak to her in Chinese. She did smile and one man once we were back in the states but he was asking her if she thought he looked funny. She has not once spoken Chinese to anyone but us and shys away from Chinese nationals. We also met a family who had adopted from China, their daughter is now 10 or so. She didn't want to have much to do with them either.
We were looking at your pictures tonight and I was explaining to her that YuYu had a new mama. Jocelyn wants to send her a picture that she drew. I'm glad that have good memories of each other and still think of each other.
aubrey
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