Why Not

Back in November, one of the local FCC mom’s set up a Chinese Dance class for any of the children who were interested.  Bean was, so we signed up.  They had six classes, with the final event being a performance at the local Chinese association’s big New Year celebration.

She was VERY excited to dance on a real stage. We talked about how that meant that the audience would be actually looking at her and her friends.  She was OK with that – but I still had my worries. It was not too long ago that a stranger looking at or speaking to her sent her into shy mode.

She knew the moves to the dance (mostly) and all the words to the song.  Not that she needed to be singing, but that song is a big earworm (guo xi gua – Big Watermelon) so I cannot blame her. The costumes were adorable, and we were all ready to go.

The curtains opened up, and there was a moment of deer-in-headlights response her.  Then she broke out in the biggest grin and just danced her little buns off.  She did awesome.  I cried.  Two little bobbles – one where she forgot the first move, and one where she was doing as she was told, but her position had been changed so she took it upon herself to run across the stage. 

It was a great experience – I am so proud of her.  As a bonus, the teacher is willing to give us private Chinese language/culture lessons.  I had planned on enrolling her in one of the Chinese schools, but had been hearing that it is very hard for kids who do not speak it at home. I want her to learn the language, but I also want it to be fun.  Hopefully this will work out.

Checking that the audience is still watching

Once I gave up on what I was trying to get, I got a fablous shot.

Wonderfully festive ensemble

I have had many proud mamma moments lately.  I teared up equally for both Bean bringing home her first math work (with 2/8 correct the first try), and this moment.

Whoa – that is a lot of guests!  She must have been cooking all day.

She knows every word to Don McLean’s “American Pie”, can ‘read’ her three “Miss Bindergarten” books word for word from memory, and occasionally acts like a 15 year old in terms of her attitude towards us.  She also has moments of adorable preschooler speak.  While playing school she asked me to be the “subs-patoot” while she went to the bathroom (I was happy to be her stand-in rear end).  She also has been known to ask for “Fats Wallet” as her music selection on the drive to school (Wouldn’t we all like a fat wallet during these tough financial times?).

Kids are so freaking hilarious.

4 Years old.

Seems like a switch flipped.  She speaks like a big kid.  She remembers lyrics to songs after just a couple of listens.  She tells whole stories about what happened at school.  She is spelling her whole name correctly.

Just too big, too fast.

She had a very good day.  She was allowed to be the line leader all morning at school.  The all fruit popsicles we brought in were a hit (Mom!  All the kids liked my popsicles!), Nicky took her out to lunch, she took a nap, had a great gymnastics class, then home to open gifts, eat her requested dinner (breakfast for dinner), and topped it all off with a chocolate ice cream cake with chocolate chip cookie crust.

No birthparent discussions this time around (I should probably say ‘yet’).  Her aunt just had a new baby, so I am a bit suprised that it has not come up. We will be visiting later on this month.  Maybe then she will have something to say.  As usual, we will be following her lead.

According to her sitter, she wore the crown all day long

homemade ice cream cake - always a hit

Round about October 1 I realized that unless she was going to wear a brown paper bag with a brown sock as a tail, there was no way I would get her costume made.  Fortunately Target came through for us, again.

Ready to Roll

We were at my parents in NJ for the weekend – celebrating Grandmas birthday.  Bean was VERY excited to have Grandma and PopPop to trick or treat with.  They underestimated her stamina though.  I think they expected to hit the 8-10 houses on their street.  They came back an hour later.   After every house she would get off their porch and set her (mine from long ago) pumpkin down and ask Grandma to shine the flashlight in to see what she got.

All in all, it was an excellent weekend.  Not sure how happy my sister-in-law is with me though.  My nephew got a jump-o-lene for his birthday.  My rationale is that he is always jumping on things he is not supposed to, so now he has someplace safe where jumping is what he is supposed to do!

Yesterday marked our third anniversary as a family.  Not much in the way of fanfare, H was off building stalls at my friends new place, and we celebrated at our travel group reunion last weekend.  Bean was perfectly happy with the three tic-tacs she was offered after dinner (“because I am three years old.  Soon I can have four, right Mom?”) by way of celebration.

I love these three photos of her.  She has changed so much, yet is so still the same.

I don't know what is going on and I don't like it!

OK, but I am not letting go

Cheeks

We had almost three months between referral and travel.  Then when it was time to leave for Nanchang, one of our travel mates packed their passport in their checked luggage.  Like most parents who have been on this kind of trip, we were told no less than 6,874 times not to pack our passports.  Still, someone did not get the message.  We hung out in a bar in the airport for nearly 8 hours waiting for the next flight.  It was a stressful time, but everyone maintained their cool.  We really got to know each other, and the friendships still exist.  Our guide was awesome during all of this.  The airline wanted to deny our entire group from traveling due to this one person, and she not only convinced them otherwise, but she got all of us on the next flight to Nanchang.

We were supposed to meet the babies at 3ish in the afternoon.  They had traveled in from their SWI (several hours away) in time for the original meeting.  The nannies did not have enough diapers or supplies for the extra wait.  It was 11:30 before we were even at the hotel.  It was a long, stressful day for those babies.  Bean was so very upset.  A nanny (not one of hers) was trying to help me soothe her, and while I appreciated the tips, the handing back and forth was not the best idea.  The room was so hot, and well, pretty loud thanks to little Bean.  All the other girls were quiet.  I had my first “mom moment” and handed her to H and told him to go for a walk.  We were getting the information on what they were eating and their sleep schedule.  Nobody could hear very well, and I wanted to be the one who got the details.  Love H dearly, but some specifics related to baby feeding were lost on him.

We got her up to the hotel room, changed her diaper, and put her back in the clothes she came in.  She gave me her patented hairy eyeball look when we sat down with a bottle.  Fortunately I made it to her liking, and got some points back after the whole nanny incident.  She started to doze off in my arms, so I transferred her to the crib and she zonked right out.  We put the shirts we were wearing on either side of her to help with how strange we must have smelled (spending an afternoon in the bar aside!).  H and I were able to sleep through the night for the first time since we arrived.  Actually, I woke up to check on her a couple of times, but was able to fall right back to sleep.

The next morning she woke up still cautious, but more than willing to eat with us.  First thing in the dining room she reached over and grabbed a toy that one of her roomates had.  It was 3 days before we saw the first smile.  She laughs and smiles all the time now.  She is still wary of new situations, and still does not hesitate to go after what she wants.  So much has changed, yet so much is still the same.