the morning report
Gosh, it is so hard to keep the faith. No wonder Thomas insisted on feeling the holes in Christ's hands and feet before he believed in the resurrection! I am just needing to believe that I will finish taking care of this house and selling it, that we will find the house in Madison that whispers to us to come live there, and that by mis-summer we will be happily settled in the new home. Could I have ever believed in resurrections? Right now, my concerns seem as fantastical an the apostles. No blasphemy meant here, just wonder at what we humans are capable of believing.
Crocus are fading, daffodils are singing, and forsythia is shouting. We are reveling in the unseasonably warm weather. Julia seems so much happier in lighter clothing and now she can wear some of the clothes we bought in China and she is beside herself with joy. She sings her first song as she gets dressed. She also loves this funky spring jacket which looks like it is made of an old bedspread with ruffles. She also also lost another tooth -- front and center on the top. I wondered if she could still eat apples and corn -- two very favorites -- and she demonstrated last night that corn on the cob is no problem at all.
10 years ago
This morning I pulled a black tee shirt out of my drawer and pulled it over my head all before I realized that it was the souvenier shirt from Cheshire's Carnegie Hall debut. Ten years ago almost to the day, the Sycamore School Band, with Cheshire playing the trumpet (3rd chair, I think) played in a National Invitational High School Band competition. Our band was only in middle school but they played their hearts out with Paula Faire conducting. The band sounded better than it ever had -- the acoustics and the ghosts of that hall? As the kids walked off the stage the parents and friends stood and clapped until each kid was off the stage. Paula left the stage as well but forgot her music on the music stand. She came back to retrieve her music and we stood and clapped for her again.
Good times, as Cheshire would say, good times.
Julia lost another bottom tooth two days ago. Now she has spaces on both sides of her two adult teeth on the bottom. Today, one of her top front teeth is very lose. It almost hangs and when she smiles she can have quite a snaggle tooth look.
We cleaned inside yesterday and outside today. Julia pulled out all of her toys and played. We took breaks and played with her, but she occupied herself most of both days. And we needed this to get the house ready for sale.
playing!
Julia and I went to the Holiday Park Nature Center with Toby and her Elana, and Nicole and her Ava and Sarah. We were supposed to to play in the park but it was raining. Still, we all needed to get out to so something. The Nature Center is greatly improved since I was there last. In the courtyard, there is a fountain with a very large stone ball which revolves as the water comes up from beneath it. Julia loved this and tried to stop the ball.
Inside, there is a good sized kids' room. There are tanks with frogs, snakes, lizards, fish, and bugs in them. Julia could name most of the animals and she was very proud of herself. There is also a large fake cave, a puppet theater space, and a table and chairs with books and puzzles around it. I brought apple and raisons, Nicole brought packs of cookies.
Most exciting though was that Julia was able to play with Elana. They ran in and out of the cave, screaming to hear their own echos, carrying the stuffed animals to and fro to make a display for us to see. This was the first time that I have seen Julia really connect with another child. It was not careful conversation but joyful play and I was so very happy to see it.
She was also willing to take some direction from Ava who is as old a Julia but much more mature. Ava wanted to play school and although school did not keep Julia's attention for very long, Julia was listening.
Thoughts of moving on
I am thinking of stopping this blog and moving on to another. My thoughts and our stories are re-focusing to the entire family instead of consentrating on Julia. Also, our adventures with this move and our new home town seem far removed to waiting for our Hari. And maybe waiting for anyone else is just over. My friend, Candace, asked me that a while ago, and I think I answered that I would change the blog when I knew that our family was complete or that we thought our wait was over. Right now, we are not really waiting for anyone, we are feeling pretty complete. So it might be just time to move on.
Where might be a question as I want to try something new. Anyone with ideas of where to host a new blog could comment, please.
Julia has had a rocky week after our trip to Madison -- bed time has been difficult, she is hitting and pushing some in school, and now she has an awful rash on her back. She seems out of sync with her whole world. No question but that she is reacting to all the transition here. Still, she is loving -- giving more and more kisses and hugs to us, generous -- sharing her food and toys with us, and smart -- beginning to us prepositions (although she really gets them mixed up -- so cute, I have to say). Her swimming is getting better and she is responding to her teacher more and more. I still have her in private lessons but I am thinking of move her to group lessons this summer. I am also thinking of sending her to soccer camp once we move to Madison.
Just another ordinary day
Today, I turned a magical, secret hiding place into an ordinary closet. The lovely sprite who made and used what is now a closet is so far away that only dribs and drags of her magic lingers. Then I washed walls, dusted furniture, cleaned windows, washed a carpet, and moved a small bookshelf.
Day by day, a little more gets done. The goal is to be done in less than a month and then the market.
We came back from our Madison weekend ready to make an offer on a sweet house in Monona, but the offer was not in the Seller's hands for less than 24 when it was rejected flat out. It was overly optimistic to believe that we could do it in two weekends, especially with our parameters -- a certain list of schools and an old house and within our budget. Too much to ask? I hope not.
Madison the second
We spent another long weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. It is colder there -- the day before we left Indy it was 75 degrees. Yes, freaky indeed, but we were quickly sobered by the small piles of snow still remaining in Wisconsin. Although cold, the days were beautiful. Great skys! Julia wore her new spring shoes, her first which were bought after measuring her feet and trying on a few pairs. This was our first successful foray into a mall. There was an ice cream stand right outside the shoe store and I promised her a cone if all went well. We bought two lovely pairs of shoes that have lots of support for my little girls flat feet.
David and Julia posed on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capital. David's new office is across the street but he says he has a great view of the capital building.
And what a sky!
Julia is holding a small plastic box that contains the Littlest Kitty Shop. I bought this as her traveling present and she loves it. It is so tiny and there are three very, very tiny kitties with a place for them to eat, shower, sleep and show off. It has diverted her attention for long talks and slow looks at different houses.
On Sunday, Julia, David, and I went to the Olbrick Gardens Spring flower show with Robert and Mary. The days warmed up nicely and it felt good to be outside.
Here is Julia trying to figure out this sculpture. I wonder if she is thinking about getting enough clay together to do a big project like this one.
This was trying to get the three of us together. Not so easy when you have a squirmy worm to deal with.
We think we may be making an offer on a house in Monona on Tuesday. We need a few prayer and good wishes our way to make this decision.
Househunting and questions
Julia is asking questions. I think her first question was "How?" when she couldn't turn on the diningroom light. Her favorites seem to be "Are you okay, mommy?" And when she meets a new person, "My name Julia. Your name Julia?" Cute beyond measure. Language continues to explode exponentially. It is both logical and amazing. She points out everything she knows -- she is like a language lesson gone right! She comments on fast cars, on green lights, on colors of buses and trucks, on what is hanging on the wall, on what people are wearing. She is doing instinctively what language lessons try to make students do.
We are up in Wisconsin, househunting. The great ones are too expensive; the awful ones . . . We did see what may be a diamond inthe rough today, but we are not sure we want to go that way again. Another day of looking tomorrow and a few very good possibilities to see! We are hoping for a decision this weekend.
My spicy dragon was incredibly patient throughout the day; however, at one very nice house (that is just not our style and so no chance of making an offer there) she picked an orchid from its plant. This was late in the day and she had been so good the whole day that I wasn't watching her as closely as usual. She brought the orchid to me and told me how beautiful it was. I felt awful. The owner is obviously a plant person and will be plenty upset, I am sure. Of course, thiswas a house that asked us to remove our shoes just inside the front door. But there was nothing to be done.
So sometimes . . . .
Day 2 at the beach - in control!
Teaching Daddy just what you need for proper sand work
Always in charge of the operations
Don't let the cut bucket fool you, she is building a masterpiece.
Is the sand from here the same as the sand from there?
Grandpa's birthday
And here is the picture worth at least 2,000 words!
Day 1 at the Beach for the Spicy Dragon
The sand was an immediate hit but . . .
The moving water was something.
So she spent some time working the sand and . . .
Before lunch she was learning to jump the waves.
On th town in Florida
Daddy and his little girl ready to go out on the town in Florida.
Nothing like a new hat!
Winning the grandparents
"She is such a hand full."
"Does she ever sit down?"
"Why is she so curious?"
"Where do you find the energy?"
"Where do you find the patience?"
"I couldn't stand it."
"Why did you go and have another child when you were done already?"
My inlaws managed to get past preliminary greetings and onto the jucier topic of our Julia within 5 minutes of our arrival. And Julia was being incredibly well behaved!! She was exploring the house, but she had also greeted her grandpa (for the first time) with a hello and a big hug, and had gone searching for her grandma who was in another room. Julia, not daunted in the least by their reaction, found the candy dish and brought pieces back for all of us, and then snuggled between grandma and grandpa on the couch. No matter what her behavior on any day, there is no question about whether our 6 month home daughter wants a family and will make herself part of ours.
There is no way to explain 'another child' sometimes, especially a child who is not a cuddly little bundle wrapped in soft pastel but a spicy dragon girl whose enthusiasm overflows.
They were still dubious when they took us all to dinner at a Florida Deli. Julia prounced the chicken soup "so good" and thanked everyone who had anything to do with her dinner. She dutifully tasted Daddy's fish, Grandma's chicken, and ate all of the grapes out of Mommy's salad. She inhaled two black and white cookies after the meal and managed not to clutch the second one while she ate the first. It was a late meal for her and after a day of traveling she was tired and antsy, but Julia sat pretty quietly through most of the meal, coloring on the kids' menu and ocasionally climbing into her mom or dad's lap. The waiter decided he wanted to adopt from China.
"I guess you missed the love of a little girl."
Okay, this is not unconditional grandparental love being declared but compared to the negative feedback we have received from these grandparents, we are definitely making progress. She has a way, our Julia, of asking for and getting what she wants. She has a fountain of love inside of her (and we have so little idea of where it comes from or who fed it before we arrived in her life) that she is so so very willing to share with those she wants in her circle. And I am very proud and happy that she decides each day to share it with us. Now, just wait until she sings Happy Birthay, Grandpa tomorrow night.
A bit of a late posting
February 27, 2007
Julia plays in the bath tub with what must be thousands of little figures and some stacking cups. The tiny dinosaurs fight or dance or talk to one another. Beauty and her Beast join in the dancing and one or the other of them slips into the water and needs rescuing. The fishy bath toys swim and talk, sometimes get strung together and usually serve double duty as squirters. Sometimes the floor gets very wet and most of the time Julia gets clean, her hair gets washed, and the toys get put away in her big green bucket.
We have been doing 15 minute swimming lessons at our JCC. Julia is not very willing to work with her teacher, Sally, but she is learning to paddle and kick. Like Cheshire, Julia is very willing to take direction and tries whatever her teacher or I tell her to do. She likes to swim. When she has a noodle tied around her, she can move pretty quickly and she loves to chase and be chased. I hope that we are close to a good pool anywhere we end up this summer.
School is moving along. I don’t think that Julia really gets any ESL training as part of her short school day but her understanding and use of language in school is improving. I watched one day as her teacher called out from across the room that Julia should not put a pencil in a doll house. Without missing a beat, Julia took the pencil out and put it away. She does not bring home the quantity of art work and work papers that most kindergarteners do, but last week she was very proud that she pasted cherios in two big circles on her "O" page. In the last week, Julia has shown a bit of separation anxiety when I leave her off at school. When I walk her to the classroom she will stand at the door and watch me walk back down the hall, calling out to me a few times to turn around and wave and throw kisses. Does she now realize that I go somewhere else when she is in school? She is always very happy to see me when I pick her up, and picking her up at 2 gives us some time to do something – swimming, kids museum, or visiting – or to go home and cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.
Julia has been watching some of the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese film maker. The films are whimsical and not Disney-fied. The world is still very pretty but not flashy. There is magic and lots of flying things, some fighting as well, and good endings. She has two favorites right now – Porco Roso and Tortoro. The first about Italian air pirates between the wars and the second about a family settling into a new house and getting to know the local deities.
This afternoon, Julia went into the refrig and was rummaging around making a lot of noise. I called out to her and she shut the door quickly and came into the living room looking guilty. She was chewing a giant wad of something and was unable to answer when I asked her what it was. So much was in her mouth that she could not really close it completely and I could see that she has prunes in her mouth. I asked her how many she had taken and she held up four fingers. So, yes, prunes are a favorite treat but much more importantly, she answered with a number. This is a first. Yeah, numbers!
Julia is using more and more sentences that she makes up. They are short and to the point and usually missing some words but she uses her sentences instead of single words. At times, she stutters when she speaks. As a stutterer, I am probably over-sensitive to her speech and worry more than any fluent person. We do nothing to stop her from speaking and let her take all the time she needs to get words out. She doesn’t do it all the time and although I think that she elongates her syllables when she is using new words, words she cannot quite pronounce, or when she is tired. I do hope it works itself out of her, but if not, we’ll investigate therapy before she gets too set in her way. She did not elongate sounds in Chinese.
We have moved from play dough to modeling clay. It is harder to work with but the colors don't blend as easily into that brown muck that she usually manages to makes, and Julia seems to like the texture of the real clay better than play dough. The way she rolls and kneads the clay, shape it into odd characters or very believable dinosaurs suggests experience that we know she does not have. It is as if the clay awakens something much more mature in her hands. Sooner or later we will begin firing some pieces if we can.
Julia used the word magic this morning. She was playing with her bubbles (which she is not supposed to do outside the bathroom) in my room. After blowing one she said, "Look, it magic." Her second, non-physical word – the first was idea.
Oh my girl!
