It has been ONE lost tooth, TWO tonsils removed, THREE birthday parties......
FOUR trips to the adoption clinic.....FIVE hair cuts and a kitty..... in our pear tree,
Since you all have heard from me, life has been in the fast lane. As you may have picked up on I’m in the Christmas spirit due to Kmart’s WONDERFUL Lay-a-way plan!
Let’s start catching up where we left off.
Soon after my last post I was tucking Rachel in bed and saying our prayers as always, we end with “Jesus loves Rachel Lian” and she usually looks at me with her sweet angelic face, smiles and replies, “night, night mama.” This night was a first in surprises as she wrinkled up that button of a nose and said, “I Lian, NO RACHEL” Her last name in China was Lian and she knows it well. Sooo just to confuse you, Rachel is now Lian!
I would like to tell you that Lian is blooming like a rose, however, it’s more like growing Kudzu! She is changing so fast, every day she is different! For our friends not from the South, Kudzu is uncontrollable and grows so fast that it takes over entire forest in one season!
The first day of Summer break Olivia, Lian, and I went on a Yard Sale Treasure Hunt looking for Ooh La La items to decorate Olivia’s new bedroom. Did I mention that Lian expressed her need for her own bedroom?
So there we where, the three of us, with sweat beading down our backs and our hair stuck flat to our heads, taking turns carrying Olivia’s money jar that held over fifty dollars in change she had collected from left over lunch money the entire school year.
Determined to find that perfect “IT” that would make Olivia’s room complete, we scrambled over each other with excitement to GET OUT OF THE CAR BEFORE “IT” WAS GONE! After eight yard sales and numerous bug sightings, we had completed our mission. A beautiful French duvet, two pink and black pallor chairs, a purse that sparkles, and most importantly...a doll that pees.
All that and we had enough money left in the jar to eat out too! While we dined at the Five Star Chic Fil-a, I noticed that Lian was not smiling and when she just sat on the bench in the play area I started to call the EMT , something was terribly wrong, Lian not screaming and running amuck! During the ride back home I watched her in the rear view mirror grow more disturbed to the point of tears. Olivia and I tried to get her to talk and she refused to even open her mouth, keeping it tightly closed. Then it hit me, she must have put something in her mouth!
I DEMANDED OPEN YOUR MOUTH! With her sad tiny black eyes she opened her mouth, took out her front tooth and placed it back into the hole it came from...She must have thought, I come to America and now my teeth fall out! She had been putting the tooth back so it could grow back... I drove her directly to her Grand Father who happens to be missing a tooth and all was well again until...I tried to explain the Tooth Fairy to her! Lian wants nothing to do with a flying intruder!
Two tonsils as big as golf balls had to be removed, the ENT explained to Coy and I. My heart sank as my mind raced to come up with a way to explain what and why we were going to allow this to happen to our tiny dragonfly. All I could come up with was the plain out truth. Lian shook her head yes as I explained the Doctor had to fix your throat.
She came out of surgery great. As soon as the meds started to wear off she grabbed her slippers and got up to walk out when the nurse chuckled, “wait you are still above the legal limit to drive out of here, you’ll have to take a wheel chair” with that Lian climbed up into her Daddy’s arms and we went home.
Two weeks later I had the realization that not only had the good Doctor removed her tonsils he had changed my little Dragonfly into a termite! She now eats day and night everything she can find! Lian lost four pounds and gained five back.
Over the summer our son Joshua turned seventeen, Olivia seven, and Lian six years old!
Lian LOVES Birthday parties. Coy gave her several gifts in one large pink gift bag with bright flowers on it. I know the bag well since she drags it with us on all car rides! She keeps markers, paper, books, and the doll that pees in it at all times. The bag is so big she has to drag it around. She holds up six fingers when asked how old she is and she adds one more finger for Olivia since she is seven.
We are working with an International Adoption Clinic to set up a plan for Lian’s development. Speech is on her list of things to do, however, we understand her perfectly well. Fine motor skills are not up to an American six year old yet.
I do not understand why it is that a child raised her entire life in an institution with special needs kids is tested four months after coming to America with a test used for American six year olds.
When shown a picture of a wagon Lian said car since it had wheels and pull cause that’s what you do with it. She had never heard the word wagon before!
Do not label a child LEARNING DISABLED that has learned fifty plus new words in English and can follow directions in only four months! That is all I have to say about that at this point...
Lian loves school and her teacher. Out of five kids she is the only one that wakes up excited and ready to go to school. She buzzes around the house eating pancakes while the others drag up from bed.
The long hair was pretty and hot this summer. Lian wanted a hair cut with Olivia. They both got shoulder length bobs that look so cute framing their round faces.
Olivia wanted a kitten and since I felt that she was old enough to take care of it, I agreed.
Off to the Animal Shelter we went, Joshua, Olivia, Lian, and myself each of us tossing out our ideas of what type of kitten to get.
Olivia wanted a white fluffy one. Joshua stated that he did not care, as long as he did not have to change the litter box, Lian just screamed CAT NO SIT NOW! I envisioned a Persian cat that it’s owner had to leave due to a job transfer (I tend to dream big)
When we walked into the shelter we entered what is called the new arrival cat room that consists of a screen porch with a couch and thirty or so new inmates of all colors. Olivia did not see one she wanted so we moved to the next room.
This room was inside with air conditioning and floor to ceiling cat cages with cats so fat that they looked like dogs! I am not kidding! OBESE CATS EVERYWHERE NOT ONE NORMAL SIZED CAT! Lian flew into a spinning frenzy screaming CATS NO SIT NIGHT NIGHT HOME NO CAT NO CAT!!!!! The attendant explained that this was the Adult Cat room and we followed her to the Kitten Room.
The Kitten Room was the same as the other room, however, no obese kittens! We saw over fifty of the cutest kittens alive all very playful lined up one cage atop of the other till they covered the whole wall. It took a long time playing with the kittens before Olivia picked out a sweet long haired girl kitty with one yellow arm and one gray arm.
I left Joshua and Lian in the Kitten Room while Olivia and I paid the fees and filled out paper work, when Lian came running down the hallway screaming, “ JOSHEY CAT EAT OH NO!” I returned to the kitten room to find Joshua standing with his back up against the cat cages, stiff and unmoving. When I looked behind him there where four kittens, two holding his shirt and two holding his shorts, it seems that kittens like that, I just got out of football training smell! EWwwww in Olivia’s words.
Olivia named her kitten Paris and we have been in cat bliss for four weeks now. That is Paris the city, not Paris Hilton! Lian keeps an eye on Paris and a good distance from her at all times so far. Lian is not too fond of animals, she likes to be in control and animals don’t always listen to her.
Our oldest son, Blake and daughter in law, Jessica spent last weekend with us bringing along the prettiest, smartest, most loving one year old grand-daughter in the South, JENNA!
We all piled in my SUV, with french fries under the seats and crayons melted on the carpet, and drove into town for a visit at the Zoo.
Everyone had a nice time. Jenna sighted a BALL in one of the animal cages! Olivia loved the pink flamingos and Lian.... well lets just say she took enjoying the zoo to a new level. We walked along the bridge and watched the swans swim when Coy spotted what looked like gum ball machines filled with bird feed for the swans and ducks. Lian saw him putting money in the machine and came running with force! I thought this will be a great way for her to overcome her animal distaste!
Coy instructed her to hold her hands under the spout to catch the food , which she did. The swans came swimming with speed and honking with excitement for their new found food source. Coy said throw the food to the swans Lian. Which she replied NO! And then she ate the feed much to the swans disbelief! Like a CD on pause, the honking stopped and they swam away holding their heads low to the water...Olivia repeated EEEwwww to herself the entire outing. And right or wrong Coy, Blake, Jessica, and I laughed our way out of the zoo.
My point is this; Our culture’s focus is on what a person cannot do more than what one can do. Look at the stories I have told to you here. Lian has graced our family with love, laughter, and a much greater understanding of what truly is important in this life.
The bond she has made with us cannot be broken. Before Lian, we had forgotten to be thankful for so many things. Example, Lian still yells, “YEA HOME” when we pull into the driveway. EVERY TIME I cook she says, “Thank You MaMa”
Today I bought the cutest pair of bright orange converse high top shoes with black dots painted on them and black ribbon laces with orange dots at a secondhand store for two bucks. I thought they will look cute for Halloween.
When Lian saw them her mouth hung open, her eyes big and she said, “PRETTY for Olivia” I explained they where for her not Olivia. She looked shocked that I had bought them for her. Sitting down right away to put them on she was the happiest child I have ever seen, repeating, “Pretty for Lian” it is now nine at night and we just now got her to stop stomping the wood floor with them and saying, “Not Olivia’s pretty, Lian’s Pretty shoes”
Am I alone in seeing the pure enjoyment of loving and being loved? I am a little concerned that her shoes will clash with all of her clothes if she should decide to wear them daily. Well that is the best I can do to fill you all in. I forgot to tell ya that Coy put in a pool this summer and Lian can swim! That is a whole different story that I will share next time! Live, Laugh, and Love that’s what its all about. -Joy
