Today we had a simpler day -- we are trying to pack to get ready to leave after breakfast in the AM for Guangzhou. Four people living in a tiny hotel room for a week take a bit to get back into the suitcase! Along the way Julia found the sunglasses and had a great time. We also left the door open and she spent a couple of hours running around the hall -- it is a circles around the rooms.
We met a family from Wisconsin that has a new three year old. I packed very medication known to man and for us, have needed only a few minor things. However, I was able to share with them as their little one came down with a couple of cruddy things. Glad I brought it!
When I left for China I was bemoaning the fact that I have just not been able to get the weight to leave me alone the last year. I may, however, have found a cure -- a 2 year old and Chinese Portions. I have found myself crawling on the ground, moving up and down a thousand times picking up dropped cherrios, rice, books, shoes, and everything else. At this point that amounts to 6 pounds this week. Of course about 4 of that is probably SWEAT. :) So -- dont go join a gym or buy another piece of exercise equiptment -- just get a 2 year old. :)
We did get all of Julia's papers today -- she has a Chinese Passport and all of her adoption paperwork. Tomorrow morning, we will take that and board a plane leaving Chengdu. I wish there were a way to take all the good things Julia has had in her life thus far with us when we leave. I am reminded of the story that my Aunt Sharry told when she left her hometown of Freeman, SD. She talked about my grandfather telling her as she climbed in the car -- you know, you can always come back. For Sharry, as well as my dad and his other sisters, Freeman had been home for their childhood and a wonderful place to grow up surrounded by people who loved them. For Julia -- she will come back one day to visit - but for her, the door to this past and the door to this life will be closed when she leaves here tomorrow. While the future may provide her the opportunity to see the place she was born and lived for the first two years of her life -- those places and people will fade for her as a new life begins.
I am sure that life for Julia will be good -- fantastic even. But I also know that there will be days in which she wonders what her life would have been here in China. And I am sure that on days in which her mother is being a ogre she will imagine that it would be better!
I want to say that I have so appreciated the well wishes of all who have been checking in on the blog. Thus far it has been an incredible journey. During the next leg I will be in the Captial City of Joy's province - a few hours away from her place of birth. I did not get to see her hometown when she came home due to some health issues of my own. I am excited to get to see the places she saw without me 5 years ago. Joy and I have talked almost everyday while I have been gone. I miss her and she misses me. I am sure that our arrival home will mean a whole new set of issues to deal with for Joy. She still worries about people loving her forever. I am actually quite thankful that Julia will so freely go to James or Jacob. That will ease Joy's transition too. I expect that Julia will adore Joy -- she is a great size and has lots of neat things to get into!
I think that is about all for now. We are going to dinner tonight with our guide Sandy -- she and I have become very good friends. She asked if the boys wanted to eat Peking (Beijing) Duck -- so we will enjoy that adventure.
Cheers,
Jackie
We met a family from Wisconsin that has a new three year old. I packed very medication known to man and for us, have needed only a few minor things. However, I was able to share with them as their little one came down with a couple of cruddy things. Glad I brought it!
When I left for China I was bemoaning the fact that I have just not been able to get the weight to leave me alone the last year. I may, however, have found a cure -- a 2 year old and Chinese Portions. I have found myself crawling on the ground, moving up and down a thousand times picking up dropped cherrios, rice, books, shoes, and everything else. At this point that amounts to 6 pounds this week. Of course about 4 of that is probably SWEAT. :) So -- dont go join a gym or buy another piece of exercise equiptment -- just get a 2 year old. :)
We did get all of Julia's papers today -- she has a Chinese Passport and all of her adoption paperwork. Tomorrow morning, we will take that and board a plane leaving Chengdu. I wish there were a way to take all the good things Julia has had in her life thus far with us when we leave. I am reminded of the story that my Aunt Sharry told when she left her hometown of Freeman, SD. She talked about my grandfather telling her as she climbed in the car -- you know, you can always come back. For Sharry, as well as my dad and his other sisters, Freeman had been home for their childhood and a wonderful place to grow up surrounded by people who loved them. For Julia -- she will come back one day to visit - but for her, the door to this past and the door to this life will be closed when she leaves here tomorrow. While the future may provide her the opportunity to see the place she was born and lived for the first two years of her life -- those places and people will fade for her as a new life begins.
I am sure that life for Julia will be good -- fantastic even. But I also know that there will be days in which she wonders what her life would have been here in China. And I am sure that on days in which her mother is being a ogre she will imagine that it would be better!
I want to say that I have so appreciated the well wishes of all who have been checking in on the blog. Thus far it has been an incredible journey. During the next leg I will be in the Captial City of Joy's province - a few hours away from her place of birth. I did not get to see her hometown when she came home due to some health issues of my own. I am excited to get to see the places she saw without me 5 years ago. Joy and I have talked almost everyday while I have been gone. I miss her and she misses me. I am sure that our arrival home will mean a whole new set of issues to deal with for Joy. She still worries about people loving her forever. I am actually quite thankful that Julia will so freely go to James or Jacob. That will ease Joy's transition too. I expect that Julia will adore Joy -- she is a great size and has lots of neat things to get into!
I think that is about all for now. We are going to dinner tonight with our guide Sandy -- she and I have become very good friends. She asked if the boys wanted to eat Peking (Beijing) Duck -- so we will enjoy that adventure.
Cheers,
Jackie
posted by Jack's Journey at
12:14 AM
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