Our Huazhou Wonders: Happy Adoption Day!

Hip, hip, hip hooray! We celebrated three years with Mary Clare today! She loves the song "Happy Adoption Day!" and so that's what we call today even if the adoption wasn't official until the 12th. I planned to take the day off and keep her home from PreK but changed my mind after I missed almost a week with my back to school kidney stone experience. I'm actually glad we went on to school together. So many people there waited and prayed for this blessing with us that I was glad to share the day and her with them. Mary Clare danced into school singing the adoption day song. She hugged her Nana Pearl and after picking out 2 books for me to read to her class when they came to the library for storytime she went off to class. I heard she told everyone she saw that it was a special day because it was her 'doption day. When her class came to the library she wasn't with them. She'd "made a bad choice" and had to stay behind and clean up something she had scribbled on when she got angry. Her teacher and assistant were kind and when she did better later in the day they brought the children back. We read Over The Moon by Karen Katz & I Love You Like Crazy Cakes. Mary Clare shared pictures from our first meeting and laughed when she told everyone, "I look like my Baba. I was just bald." Then we had cupcakes. Her Godmother and I ate lunch with her later on. Thursday is chicken day in the cafeteria and Mary Clare spent most of the time bemoaning the fate of the chickens. She kept eyeing the kid across from her and finally said, "Those are it's bones you know. They used to be on it's inside." We've gone over and over about how everyone makes different choices when it comes to food and how talking about someone elses choices in front of them is rude. Obviously that lesson hasn't sunk in yet as my tiny vigilante vegetarian was hard at work trying to make converts.

Mary Clare loves her Nana Pearl!

Mary Clare got to choose dinner and she picked -surprise, surprise- macaroni cheese. I told her we had to have something to go with it and she asked for fake chicken nuggets. PoPo and Grumpy passed on the dinner but came for cake and the pinata. Doesn't every little Chinese girl want to have macaroni cheese and a pinata for their Adoption Day party? Oh well, her day- her choice.

The girls had a great time with the pinata and the presents and of course shared everything. Mary Clare asked for a Tow Mater toy and we got a Lightning to go with it and we all had a ball playing with them. Mary Clare was just gleeful most of the night!

Without prompting Margaret Rose said, "You are my best friend.

Happy Adoption Day Mary Clare. I love you!" Oh how we love these girls!

PoPo brought new fairy wings and fairy slippers, wands and crowns and...

a "Deluxe Beauty Kit" just like in Ruby's Beauty Shop!

as ordered- a Tow Mater that goes backward

Bibbidi-Bobbidi- Happy Adoption Day to you!

One Girl Peaceful and Safe

I still cannot belive that I get to be this child's mother. No one could have ever explained to me that on September 11th at 3:00 in the afternoon a total stranger would walk into a room and hand me my heart. She came to us with no tears but instead a sort of bemused curiosity. Knowing her now they way we do, knowing how hard transition is for her, I can't even begin to understand how difficult that day must have been. You wake up one morning, get put in this big box with wheels with 7 other little girls, ride forever, have these strange plastic things strapped to your feet and all of sudden find yourself in the arms of these odd looking people who talk funny and keep trying to taste you. I can still see her on Lee's shoulder walking on to Shamian Island ( busses weren't allowed on the island that afternoon) blowing raspberries to everyone that passed. She is still that funny, curious little girl and has grown to be clever and caring, loving, devoted, stubborn as the day is long, and oh so joyful. Everyone that meets her remarks on how she lives BIG- the good and the bad! Mary Clare vibrates with energy, she shines, she sparkles and by the grace of our heavenly Father she is ours. We are blessed beyond measure.