Reunion with fellow Adoptee!!

We were privileged to have the opportunity to spend part of today with a family we met when we were waiting for our flight from Seattle to Beijing last December. K and S, a wonderful couple, were actually from our same city and we were elated at the thought of being able to get to know them, and for our girls, of the same adoption group, to get to see each other periodically as they grew up. Unfortunately for us, K and S were quite literally in the process of moving over a thousand miles away, having the stressful job of closing on a house while in China adopting and getting to know their daughter!

With their old friends still in our home city, K and S brought their children for a vacation to visit and we got to see them for the afternoon. It was fun and interesting to watch Abigail and their daughter, E interact with each other. When E crawled comfortably in my lap (a very loving and affectionate child), Abigail went crazy with jealousy. Abigail, who just last week really started picking up on the concept of “mine,” was not interested in sharing her people, toys or house with such a close rival!

I really enjoyed talking to S, as though we were old friends; it was so easy, I suppose, because we sort of share one very intimate part of each other's lives, however brief the experience was. What I probably enjoyed the most, though, was seeing how much E has grown and changed since we last saw her in January. Seven months ago she was very withdrawn. Now she is a curious preschooler, almost 2 years older than Abigail, and her command of the English language is amazing. (I could understand her when she spoke. No one but family can yet understand Abigail!) E really seems thoughtful, introspective, patient and observant about her world. She was the kind of kid who always seems to be thinking something and you just want to know what is going through that head!

At the end of the day, S and I agreed that we are the two luckiest families with two of the most amazing girls ever! (We do know we are a slight bit biased!) We tried to get the girls to pose for a picture together to commemorate the reunion, but they had other ideas. Abigail scowled for about 40 of the 47 pics we tried and E was busy examining other neat things in our yard. Kids really are a blessing!!

Reunion with fellow Adoptee!!

We were privileged to have the opportunity to spend part of today with a family we met when we were waiting for our flight from Seattle to Beijing last December. K and S, a wonderful couple, were actually from our same city and we were elated at the thought of being able to get to know them, and for our girls, of the same adoption group, to get to see each other periodically as they grew up. Unfortunately for us, K and S were quite literally in the process of moving over a thousand miles away, having the stressful job of closing on a house while in China adopting and getting to know their daughter!

With their old friends still in our home city, K and S brought their children for a vacation to visit and we got to see them for the afternoon. It was fun and interesting to watch Abigail and their daughter, E interact with each other. When E crawled comfortably in my lap (a very loving and affectionate child), Abigail went crazy with jealousy. Abigail, who just last week really started picking up on the concept of “mine,” was not interested in sharing her people, toys or house with such a close rival!

I really enjoyed talking to S, as though we were old friends; it was so easy, I suppose, because we sort of share one very intimate part of each other's lives, however brief the experience was. What I probably enjoyed the most, though, was seeing how much E has grown and changed since we last saw her in January. Seven months ago she was very withdrawn. Now she is a curious preschooler, almost 2 years older than Abigail, and her command of the English language is amazing. (I could understand her when she spoke. No one but family can yet understand Abigail!) E really seems thoughtful, introspective, patient and observant about her world. She was the kind of kid who always seems to be thinking something and you just want to know what is going through that head!

At the end of the day, S and I agreed that we are the two luckiest families with two of the most amazing girls ever! (We do know we are a slight bit biased!) We tried to get the girls to pose for a picture together to commemorate the reunion, but they had other ideas. Abigail scowled for about 40 of the 47 pics we tried and E was busy examining other neat things in our yard. Kids really are a blessing!!

Second Week of Summer Break

Abigail loved the Gulf Breeze Zoo. It has a petting area and also a small area of regular zoo animals such as tigers and various monkeys and safari animals. It is pitiful compared to the natural habitat of the Pittsburgh Zoo, but Abigail loved it so much that we took her there 2 days in a row! The first day she wanted to be carried the whole time (I didn't mind obliging her!) but the second day she was old hat at this adventure and bravely led the way!

Lar and I were both really surprised at how much she really seemed to get out of the experience. She talked more than usual, tried to say the names of all the animals, and made their sounds (I hope to have a very adorable tiger roar video posted by the end of the week). When the monkeys were swinging back and forth on their ropes, she kept telling them "more please" and as we left each animal to go to the next one, she would say "bye bye monkeys" or "bye bye emus", blow them kisses and eagerly look to see what was next. Her favorite animals were the water buffalo (she kept mooing at it), the monkeys, and the goats.

This little kid just soaks up information and is always eager to learn more. She is so amazing. I wish that older kids and grown ups could all be as eager to learn as she is: our country would be a very different place if that was possible!

Second Week of Summer Break

Abigail loved the Gulf Breeze Zoo. It has a petting area and also a small area of regular zoo animals such as tigers and various monkeys and safari animals. It is pitiful compared to the natural habitat of the Pittsburgh Zoo, but Abigail loved it so much that we took her there 2 days in a row! The first day she wanted to be carried the whole time (I didn't mind obliging her!) but the second day she was old hat at this adventure and bravely led the way!

Lar and I were both really surprised at how much she really seemed to get out of the experience. She talked more than usual, tried to say the names of all the animals, and made their sounds (I hope to have a very adorable tiger roar video posted by the end of the week). When the monkeys were swinging back and forth on their ropes, she kept telling them "more please" and as we left each animal to go to the next one, she would say "bye bye monkeys" or "bye bye emus", blow them kisses and eagerly look to see what was next. Her favorite animals were the water buffalo (she kept mooing at it), the monkeys, and the goats.

This little kid just soaks up information and is always eager to learn more. She is so amazing. I wish that older kids and grown ups could all be as eager to learn as she is: our country would be a very different place if that was possible!