More Snow flakes

Serious Christmas prep going on this past weekend.  Sat. was Lili's 10th Gotcha day.  We had Haley and Hanna over for a sleepover and snow flake cutting party.  Just can't believe it's been 10 years since we were handed our wee baby Lili.  Of course memories of Fujian and Jack brings forth thoughts of Little Guy, so he's been on my mind a lot.  Feels sad to be preparing Christmas for only three kidlets.  I've been shopping for him but have decided to not wrap anything and I just bagged it up.  I really wish China would just give us a yes or a no, this limbo is awful.  I spent three hours on Sat. afternoon wrapping presents.  Feels good to have that mostly done.  I get my shopping done good and early every year but I really have a problem getting to the wrapping.
 

Kelly (our social worker) came and finished our home visits for the home study.  Yay.  All of our paperwork is in.  Just waiting on Kelly writing the final draft of the home study and then Sunrise can get the dossier ready to submit to China.  DTC, date to China.  Then we wait for a log in date, LID.  After LID we can be matched with a special needs child.  Some people are adament that this be called the waiting child list versus the special needs list but I disagree.  All of the children are waiting and when you're talking to someone not connected to China adoption they don't understand that the waiting children all have a medical need of some sort.  Some are corrected, some are minor, some are life threatening, some will impact them forever.  Lili, Fei and Jia were adopted through the NSN, non special needs program.  Lili and Fei both have a few things going on that would have put them on the SN list if they'd been diagnosed.  Jia seems truely NSN.  Little Guy of course is bilateral cleft lip and palate, some would list this need as minor since it's correctable and non life threatening.  It involves several surgeries, possible hearing problems, midline organ issues and speech and language issues so in mine and Eric's opinion it's not minor but we're still comfortable with the need.  We had to go over the needs we would be comfortable with in case we're looking for a match with another child.  Not sure how Kelly will write that up but we've requested non life threatening, corrected or correctable and able bodied (able to walk, no wheelchairs).  I could call Marg and ask more about how their matching process works but I'm still holding out hope that Little Guy will be matched to us. 

Jia worked really hard on her Christmas tree project while we talked with Kelly.

The final result, I'm planning to use this picture as our Christmas card this year, if I find time to actually get to Christmas cards...

I had the girls pose for a picture to put into our card, if we get to cards this year, and I took over 20 pictures of the same pose and although these sittings are often hillarious and downright frustrating, I did get one semi-decent one.  There were a few I quite liked, showing tons of personallity but when it comes to pictures on other peoples fridges, I'd rather they were posed with a little bit of decorum.  Jia and I were alone in the house on Friday morning, waiting for Kelly and we took the time to decorate the dinning room with some snowmen.  We also did gingerbread decorations in the kitchen.  Jia was thrilled to be helping and was very careful carrying the pretties.  She was excited to show Lili and Fei when they got home from school.

The chosen one.

My favorite.

Fei's class is visiting some elder care facilities on Wed. and they all did a practice performance at their assembly yesterday.  They only sang five songs and keeping Jia quiet was a major chore.  I'm not looking forward to taking her to Christmas concerts and recitals this year.  Last year she was still hungry and we could amuse her with puffs and cheerios.  She doesn't seem to have any clue what 'stop' means or 'be quiet'.  She does like to shush us, so she is starting to get it but getting her to shush is nearly impossible.   Check out the pirate ship and Eric and Chuck put together for the play! 

 

I keep getting reports from Eric and the big girls that Jia isn't behaving at dance class.  So, I took the afternoon off to go see for myself.  First thing Shelley did was attempt the sword dance with them.  Toddlers doing the sword dance, oh my, baby cuteness to the max.  Jia was so thrilled, she had to keep reaching down and touching the sword.  Got a few pics of her attempting to dance and then watched her totally misbehave for the rest of the class.  She was rolling on the floor, leaping to her knees constantly.  Talking like crazy to Shelley, announcing loudly that she farted, tatteling on the other girls, one was sucking on the front of her shirt and Jia told her she was disgusting, then she pointed out when their feet were in the wrong position even though her feet were also in the wrong position.  Last week she was put in time out, I don't even want to know what she did to get that one.  Not sure what we'll do about this.  This is all new.  Lili and Fei have always been so eager and have almost always behaved for teachers.  Ug.  I guess we just keep talking and talking and talking.  I think between Shelley and I we had to talk to her about thirty times and the class is only thirty minutes!  Welcome to the world of a strong willed child.

Lastly I'll talk a bit about Lili's new glasses.  I think they look awesome on her.  She isn't voicing anything about them at all.  She is however NOT wearing them.  Everytime I look at her they are off her face.  I tell her to put them on, she does, I talk to her about what ever I called her for in the first place and then the next time I see her they are off again.  It's driving me nuts.  Seriously nuts.  Last night for the first time since Friday I looked at her and they were on and it was relief to not have to ask where they were.  Now, how do we get her to wear them??