Back to school - May

It is about time I posted about back to school, right? May started Third Grade on August 6th. She loved her Second Grade teacher sooooooooooooo much (and rightly so!) that she cried and cried and cried the morning of starting this year with a new teacher. My heart broke for her. I assured her that she could still love her Second Grade teacher, and that a new love may grow for her new teacher. So, off she went with her new Strawberry Shortcake backpack and an openness for the day. Chris took her, and he got to experience the new "Kiss and Go" drop off zone at school. I would have wanted to go in and walk her to her room. So, it was best that he took her on this first day. It is never easy for me to see my girls off to the first day of school.

Her new teacher sent home the most wonderful memo about her personal teaching philosophy. The basic thought was that she hates to hear "I can't" from her students. I smiled, because I teach my girls to add "yet" to the end of that statement (I can't yet). I told her that she could send homework home to me of anything she would do outside the class (cutting, stapling, copying, laminating, coloring, sorting, grading - anything!) and she took me up on my offer the very first day! Cool! I got to make Math Dictionaries for each of the kids. Fun!

May really enjoys her teacher and her class and is off to a great start in Third Grade. Here are some pics of her heading off the school (she had PE the first day, so is dressed accordingly).

My new nephews

OK. So they are really my GREAT nephews. :-)

Last night, I took the girls to DIA (Denver airport) to welcome home their new cousins (OK. second cousins) who were recently adopted in Ethiopia. They are named Nate and Kedus and they are SOOOOOOOO ADORABLE! Their pictures did not do them justice. Seeing them has stolen my heart. They are just so cute and precious. They way they look up at me with their big eyes, and try little mischievous deeds and then look at their Mom and Dad out of the corners of their eyes is just TOO ENDEARING! Man. They are just great! I cannot wait to get to know them better over the years. And, my girls LOVE them and cannot wait to run with them, play with them (and hug them).

I was SO PROUD of my three daughters and how they knew to have good behavior, let the boys have the spotlight, hug their beloved girl cousins who have now become the big sisters to the two boys, stay close to me, not act out and be crazy, and keep some peaceful distance from the boys (for now) without attacking them! I was THRILLED to see that my 3 CAN act right! Wow.

Here are a few pictures from the airport homecoming. The video I shot turned out better (nearly all my digital photos are blurry). If my poor brain can remember, I will post some shots off the video to the blog at some point in the future.

I posted the REALLY blurry photo on purpose, as it accurately shows how the family surely must have felt at this point in their journey.

Welcome home, Nate and Kedus!! Congratulations to Dave, Jill, Phoebe and Olivia!!

Olympic thoughts

As much as I am enjoying the games and athletic events of the Olympics (I love everything about Michael Phelps, I adore seeing all the Chinese teams - especially the women's gymnastics! - and how about when Nastia yelled and cheered for Shawn when they were competitors? LOVED THAT!) I am equally enjoying the commercials and the side stories and special interest stories that are sprinkled throughout the coverage.

Today, we were honored to be invited to witness the baptism of one of the travelmates of May's adoption group from 2001 (who also just happens to be one of her best friends). Someone there asked me who I cheer for in the Olympics -- the US or China? I said, "BOTH!"

I often refer to our family as a blended culture, or mixed culture family. We are not a multiculture family, each having our "own" culture. We have blended and we all benefit from the cultures of both the USA and China.

I got to thinking ...

In 1971, when I was a 7th Grader, I had no real concept of China. Back then, it was a place to be feared and kept at arm's length. It was Communist. Red China. I definitely bought into the Us and Them type of thinking. But, I was a child.

I really had little interest in emormity of the Ping Pong Diplmacy that happened when table tennis (ping pong) stars Zhuang Zedong and Glenn Cowen met and became friends and began a reopening of China.

In 1972, when I was in eighth grade, I knew that President Nixon went to China. I prayed and worried with many in my community for his safety as he visited that strange country of China. Red China.

There were so many changes in my own personal life in 1976 (graduated from high school, got my first job, fell in love, got my heart broken - you know, the typical 17-18 year old stuff) that the fact that the Cultural Revolution ended and China was changing, opening and growing somehow escaped my focus.

In 2001, when I traveled to China to bring my baby daughter May home to the United States, I did little thinking of all that happened in the prior 52 years in order for things to change enough to allow this miracle. All I knew was that I was getting my own miracle -- I was becoming a Mom.

Around that time, I started reading many memoirs and autobiographies about people who were in China during the Cultural Revolution of the 60's and 70's. I clearly remember weeping as I read one book that was written by a woman born in the same year as my next older sister (1952). She went through many struggles, oppression, hunger, fear, and abuse as I was on the other side of the world - blissfully unaware of the Cultural Revolution. The differences in her life and that of my own and my sister's (sharer of her birth year) were as dramatic as black is to white, dark to dawn, up to down, yes to no. I was just unaware.

I am thankful for the filler and side stories during the Olympics that are bringing many of these things freshly to mind.

And, how about the commercials? My VERY FAVORITE is the Visa credit card commercial (I must put a plug in here for debt-free living, and NO credit card debt - take heed, all wh0 hear my words) that has the voice of Morgan Freeman (he's so great - LOVED The Bucket List!) and features the story of the 1992 Olympic athlete Derrick Redmond and his dad, and how they finished the 400 meter race together after Derrick was injured.

Wow.

You can see one version of that here (complete with commentator speaking Japanese - which I love!!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDsigCRtoyg

You can see the Visa commercial here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO8b-zIKixM&NR=1

I love the commitment. He did not finished first ... or second ... or third .,.,., or fourth ... he (and his father) finished dead last. But, they finished!

Flash to now. 2008. I actually saw one event where one of the athletes decided not to participate, because she already had a gold medal and decided that the event was not worth her time, so she skipped it.

WHAT?????!!

I teach my children to finish what they start. I teach them to complete things. I teach them to stay on task. I teach them to choose to participate. I teach them that everyone who finishes ... wins.

Parenting my children is hard. But, I must finish. I will not finish until I die. But, I am committed!

I tell each of my children that they are bound for greatness. I tell them that they can accomplish anything they set their hearts to. I believe in them and their skills and strengths with all my heart.

It is up to each of them to catch that FIRE that lives within Michael Phelps.

May it be so.

And now some photos I took off my TV (just for you, Jerri!). You know - I think I can remember taking photos off my TV as a child, with my 124 instamatic camera with the cube flash. LOL!

Happy Birthday, Mother

Today is my Mother's 86th birthday! Yippeeeeee!! She is off to the wedding of her grand-daughter (my next older sister's oldest daughter) in Oklahoma. My Mother is pretty healthy, and she can easily beat me in any foot race. LOL! May her good health and amazing positive spirit continue! Here are some pictures that show what a WONDERFUL Grandma she is to my three daughters! Happy birthday, Mother!!

2008 Beijing Olympics

Wow! I hope you are having as much fun watching the Olympics as I am! The opening ceremony was STUNNING!!!!! It fills my heart with pride and love to see China putting on such a wonderful Olympics.

Back in 2001 when we adopted May, I walked around in Beijing and thought there was NO WAY they could host such an event. Where would they do it?? How could they support all those visitors? They would really have to change. And, they were changing! I watched as men HAND DUG the subway. I peeked at the muddy mess that was the process of preparation for 2008.

When we went back in December of 2005 to adopt Janie, they had made a lot of progress! Beijing certainly was changing! But, they had a LOT of work left to do.

When we went in August of 2007 to adopt Irene, the transformation was incredible! I told our guide (Daniel) in Beijing that the city was so clean, modern and "happening!" We talked about all the changes they had undergone to prepare for the Olympics. It was truly amazing! I told Chris that Beijing now resembled Tokyo, or any other modern large city in Asia!

So, to see the Olympics in all its glory is really something!

Let alone all the sports!! Did you guys see the men's swim relay tonight????? WOW!

W-O-W!!!!!!!!! That was impressive! All of the teams beat the former world record! Even the team that came in last place! Wow. And, I was thrilled to be able to see the Inner Six Year Old Boys of our 4 members of the relay team! Their faces and bodies in celebration after the race were WONDERFUL!! I took some shots off the TV with my digital camera. I will paste them below. They make me smile.

What mother wouldn't be proud?

Celebrating May

August 3 is the birthday of my oldest daughter, May. She was handed to me in China just 5 days before her 1st birthday. And, the magic began. Ever since then, she has had three parties each year: one on her actual birthday (with just our immediate family), a second party with our extended family (a combination celebration with her cousin who is a year older than she, and with her Grandma, who is 78 years older than she - but is her cosmic twin), and a third party to celebrate with friends, family and neighbors.

How can it be that my Baby From Nanchang is EIGHT??

Here are some photos of May's birthdays.

Her 1st birthday, celebrated in China and in America (with jet lag):

Her 2nd birthday (no more Sgt. Carter buzz cut, and her discovery of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream):

Her 3rd:

Her 4th (we started the crazy rice box toy hunt game):

Her 5th (her last one as an only child):

Her 6th:

Her 7th (her actual birthday was spent in China and we celebrated again once we were home. Joy was heard throughout the land as she received an Easy Bake Oven from her Grandma.):

Her 8th: