The Horse and The Rooster

Just some Pictures

2009-05-27T20:37:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures:
The Horse's 7th birthday!

Happy Birthday Horse!!

2009-05-13T12:32:00.001-06:00

Today has finally come! It is your 7th birthday - you have been anxiously (very) awaiting this day for months. I love you.

This morning when the Horse was woken up, I don't think he remembered that it was his birthday. When I said Happy Birthday and come on get up Birthday Boy, he sprang up and had a huge smile on his face. He was really grinning! Tonight he gets noodles (not the good ones, oh no, he wants ramen and so does his sister) and strawberries - his all time favorite fruit for dinner. The rest of us are getting Chinese takeout, including jiaozi (dumplings) which I am sure he will share since he loves them. I will go get balloons and have them in the car when I pick him up and then after dinner it's a cake with a firetruck on it (per his request) and presents! He took cupcakes to school to share with his class and they should make him a crown. I'll have to replace the picture of him last year at the orphanage eating the cake we sent with his crown on and am happy that he is here this year with us for his birthday.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

Today is Mother's Day and I have had a good day. Daddy kept the kids out of our room and I slept till 7 am! That is really late in our house. I got to drink coffee and watch my show - Sunday Morning - and just relax. Last night was the first that I have slept through the night and got a good night's rest in the last couple of weeks.

The Horse had another surgery on Thursday and is doing great. His eye looks even better now than before and the conformer looks like an eye.

We went to Strings for a late lunch and it was great. I had 2 drinks called Orange Sunset or something (martini's) and they were good. Then had the lamb sirloin dish and it was great. Finished it off with the Chocolate Mousse Cake. Yum Yum.

The kids are taking a nap now getting ready for the week to come. Tomorrow I will go pick up Jasmine's ashes and then we will bury some along with her favorite rocks and toys and then plant a flowering bush. The rest of the ashes will be spread in her yard.

She is never coming back . . .

2009-05-03T14:47:00.000-06:00

Explaining to the kids about Jasmine's death was very hard for me. Mostly because I could not stop crying (and still am having a hard time). At the end of the day Thursday, Daddy and I took our baby to the vet so that they could arrange for her cremation. Then we went to get the kids at daycare. I had been crying all day so looked pretty bad. They both kept asking why I was sad and why I was crying and I just told them that we were going to talk about it when we got home. I had read a few articles on pet loss and children and how to tell them during the day.
After I got home, I told them that Jasmine wasn't there, was she? And that she had died. The Rooster wanted to know when she was coming back. so I explained that Jasmine's body just didn't work anymore and that she was never coming back because she had died.
I think that she and the Horse then understood. Later that evening, we went our for Dining Our For Life, and we went to pick up Grandaddy, and as soon as he got into the truck, the Rooster blurted out "Jasmine Died" so that he would know. Over the past few days, we have talked about Jasmine and that we should remember the happy times we had with her and that it is OK to be sad because we will miss her. As I type this, I can't help but cry and the Rooster is here with me looking at pictures of Jasmine. It will be a long time, before I can think of her without crying. Everywhere I look in the house and especially out in the yard (Her Yard - the most favorite place for her all the time) reminds me of her. It is very quiet at our house without her. Both the kids are saying that Jasmine died, and she/her is not never coming back.

My Dear Baby Jasmine

2009-04-30T14:50:00.000-06:00

Our family is terrbily saddened by the death of our baby Jasmine in the evening of April 29, 2009. She was killed by, we assume, a coyote sometime between about 8:00 and 8:30 or so when she didn't come in when called.
We had Jasmine for 9 years and got her when she was a little puppy. She was the most loving and playful dog I have ever seen. Even at 9, she was still just a puppy.
She, along with Lilly, are our first children and I am so deeply saddened by her death - I just don't know what to do with myself.

April 28th already!!

2009-04-21T19:29:00.000-06:00

So, I don't post as often as I'd like or should. I can't believe that it is already the 28th of April, 2009. the Rooster turned 4 on the 8th and had her first "friend birthday party" also known to her as her "fake birthday party". Fake, I guess because it wasn't on her actual birthday. Her friend C*** had a fake birthday party as well. The Horse did pretty well at the Chuck E Cheese party after the initial disbelief that the Rooster was getting balloons and presents - again! The party on Saturday was a success and all of her friends came and had fun. There were 10 kids and most of the parents and we all had a fun time.

The Horse will also have his party at the same place upon his request.

I find it a little ironic that I have parties at a place where I hold a bad memory. Years ago, there was a murder spree at another Chuck E Cheese and the criminal is currently on death row in CO. I was a judicial law clerk at the time of the trial and sat in the same room with the murderer on more than one occasion and truly think that he is less than human. It has been years since then, but I still remember that I felt that he was truly evil. Others will say that he had a hard childhood, etc., and that may be true, but killing a bunch of people is never justified. Enough of the soap box and bad stuff.

The Horse got to meet his Aunt L** and other Grandfather this past weekend. The kids enjoyed the company.

Phonics is big in our house all of a sudden. The Rooster is in her second month of Phonics and the Horse now wants to take it too. I think his language is getting about good enough but I will speak to the teacher first. I also finally enrolled the Horse for 1st Grade next fall at the public elementary school in the neighborhood. I think he'll do OK there. He has some friends from his current Kindergarten class that will also go to the same elementary school and hopefully be in the same classroom.

The Horse went to his first birthday party this past weekend too! He had a really fun time. I am so happy that he has made lots of friends and does seem to be really happy. His kindergarten teacher thinks he is a "really jolly fellow"! And, he is.

Still have to get those photos posted, I know . . . . .

It's Been Awhile

2009-03-14T19:23:00.000-06:00

I havent' posted for quite some time. I have gone back to work (on Feb 23, 2009) and am glad! I am transitioning to my new job soon and am ready to do so.

The kids are doing really good and they even got to go to the grocery store with me today - something I haven't done for quite awhile for behavior reasons. They did really good so for short trips they are no longer banned!

Tomorrow we are going to a Puppet show at the Denver Puppet Theater - Jack and the Beanstalk - which looks fun. School is going good for them both and they really like going. their school pictures turned out really good - I'll scan and post soon.

The Horse's eye is doing great and we have a fitting scheduled for April 7th for a prosthetic eye. If it goes well, great; if not, we will do it under anesthesia at a later date. Either way, this is way sooner than the physician originally thought and with far less surgeries. He did have a second surgery on February 12, 2009 and recovered great.

O changed the Blog background because we are entering Birthday Season here. The Rooster in April and the Horse in May. We went to Party America and bought the invitations today - both will have their parties at Chuck E Cheese this year. The Rooster picked My Little Pony invitations and the Horse picked dinosaur ones. They also got to pick out new plastic cups which was a bonus! Invitations for the Rooster's party will go out this week and we'll wait till late April for the Horse.

His language is really good, still a ways to go, but we never use the translator anymore. His behavior is also improved and instead of several times a day meltdowns or crying it is about once every day or every other day. Still, we have the "being first" problem/issue, but I am better at dealing with it and both kids are getting better. If anyone says, "Me First", they know that they will automatically be "Second". Bedtime is pretty smooth now, with just little issues now and then.

Happy New Year - Year of the Ox

2009-01-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Just a tidbit - President Barack Obama is an Ox.

Chinese New Year Outfits

2009-01-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Today I got out the new CNY outfits for the Year of the Ox that starts on Monday, January 26. The kids really love their new outfits and look good too! They will wear them for the next couple days for the festivities - open house party tomorrow and then Lion Dance and dinner on Monday! We are passing on tonight's party as today has already been full and tiring and I don't want to over-extend anyone.
They have been playing/fighting/coloring/bickering/laughing for most of the afternoon. The good is really good, but the other is wearing on me today. We are going to have to do take-out tonight and a m0vie - maybe Madagascar 2 because we haven't watched it yet. That sounds good to me . . . . Daddy just got home and that really makes me happy!

Surgery Yesterday

2009-01-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Horse had the first of his surgeries to try to correct his medical issue. The surgery went well and he is recovering very nicely. We left the house yesterday at about 6:15 a.m. and arrived just on time to check-in and wait. The hospital had a lady who spoke Mandarin with us in the pre-op room which was nice. It turns out that she is from Jiangxi - just like the Horse. She is a Doctor and so is her husband. She gave me their card and they do acupuncture, so I may just go see them for my wrist!! She said that she grew up in Jiangxi and then went "north" for college. Her husband was here in the USA (it sounded like for awhile) before she came here as well.
Overall, he did well at the hospital. It is hard watching your child being put under anesthesia on the operating table. They thrash around a little and it is disturbing. Needless to say, I was in tears when I left him to go join my husband to wait.
The Doctor came to the waiting room about 1 hour and 45 minutes later to tell us what he did and that all went well. Anyone who wants more specifics and who knows me, can ask.
Today, I took off the bandage and it really looks good! There is a little swelling, but not too bad. That is good since the Horse refuses to put ice on despite my telling him in Mandarin that the Doctor said he had to put it on. He also does not appear to be in any pain and that is also good since he refuses to take the Tylenol with Codeine that was prescribed. We elevated his mattress last night and he slept all night. We are taking it easy today again and watching movies and doing other "calm" activities. He will for sure be able to go back to school on Monday for his first full day and that is great.
The Rooster was a little apprehensive when she came home from school yesterday and really didn't understand why he had an operation. It is a little much for a 3 y.o. to understand, but by the end of the evening, they were bickering and jockeying for the "best" spot during book time before bed, so all is well in our household.

The Horse's First Day of School

2009-01-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Horse started school today and had a nice day. He learned how to write his first name. The camera wouldn't work once we got to his classroom, so the picture is of the 2 of them on the bench in the front room of the school.
I have to say that at about 11 a.m. the phone rang and the caller ID said Kindercare and my heart dropped! Luckily, it was his teacher calling to say that he was doing really good. By the time we picked him up at about 1 p.m., he was really doing good. There are about 4 other kids that don't go go the public school for Kindergarten and they were all in the room at that time. I certainly hope that today is a sign for the future and that he continues to like school.
On another note, today within 1 hour time, the Pathfinder's driver seat broke, I hit the garage door with the Truck, and the snowblower wouldn't start. I will have to go back to work soon to pay for all of this!! It wouldn't be our house if I don't hit at least the frame or door of the garage with some vehicle!! This makes 2 houses in a row - my poor husband - I thought that I had just tapped it, but there is a panel cracked with a teeny hole. I think that you can barely notice it - yeah right!
We shoveled the snow - about 6 - 8 inches and then took the Pathfinder to the garage to get fixed. We really want to keep the car, but if we keep having issues, it might be time for a new car.
Yesterday was fun when the kid's friends came over and we will for sure do it more often. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and it was really good - the bartender spoke Mandarin so that was a small treat for the Horse. We could actually ask him what he wanted and I was pretty close!

Just a Lazy Saturday Afternoon

2009-01-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we are just being lazy around the house. The Rooster is laying on the floor now since she doesn't have as much energy as the Horse and really still needs to nap (but won't) and the Horse is playing quietly for once.
We all went to Chinese school this morning and it went OK. The Horse might go to the level 7 class - I have to decide because it is 2 hours long and I don't know if I want to devote even more time on Saturdays.
They had dumplings today which were good!
The Horse will start part time Kindergarten on Monday. He is excited to start. He met one of his classmates Thursday night when we went to McDonalds Play place and ate dinner. They seemed to do OK together. Tomorrow another of his classmates is coming over to play (Rooster's best friend T from school's brother will be in the Horse's class) as well. So he will have spent some time with 2 kids in his class before he starts on Monday.
The last few days have been good.
Daddy and I are going out tonight to our car club annual banquet and I can't wait!! Come on 5:15 when we leave!!

Doctors, Doctors and More Doctors

2009-01-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Poor Horse has been to a doctor every day since Friday, but today was the worst --he had the blood draw for the tests. I really felt for him and he screamed and cried the whole time. They had to draw from both arms -- boo hoo.
We actually scheduled his first surgery yesterday - it will be 2 weeks from today. I don't know if I am going too fast, but I really want to be home from work for the first surgery and recuperation. The doctor said that it will be about a 2 day recuperation before he can go back to school and the Horse will have to have multiple surgeries over the next 18 months or so to accomplish the goal of hopefully being able to wear a prosthetic eye. On a good note, I really did like the doctor and I think that the Horse did too. No more doctor visits for the near future which will be good for all of us.
Our Hawaii trip may not happen because it is not too long after the surgery, but that is not as important as the Horse!
The Horse will probably start Kindergarten next week part-time (partly to get the school used to him and partly to let him get used to school here). He is really excited to start school or so he seemed today when I asked him if he wanted to start Kindergarten soon.
He is still really emotional (read cry) but seems to be getting better slightly every day.
As my Dad always tells me -- "Patience is a Virtue" and boy is that true!!!!!
P.S. -- I have had 2 glasses of Shiraz tonight and am feeling good!

For Lauren

2009-01-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

The first picture upload is for Lauren (who I really miss seeing!). I have been remiss in getting to the pictures. I have uploaded to the desktop in the basement, but rarely am down there to work. The laptop "luxury" that I bought for myself last September/October which is upstairs is way easier to use and for some reason I have yet to upload to this computer.

This picture was taken the first time we met the Horse in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. He really is super cute! The Rooster is cute too, but we already knew that!!

Rooster Back to School

2009-01-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today Rooster went back to school and was pretty happy about it. I had to wake both the Rooster and Horse up today because we started getting up earlier. The Horse was crying when we left because I think he will really miss her. The have been together almost constantly since we all became a family.
We took the Horse to the pediatric opthamologist today and the appt went well. We have a prescription for glasses (t - rotect his eye) and he does have 20/20 vision. Tomorrow we go to the other specialist which I am sure he will not like. He may have a MRI or scan too.
We also went to the pediatrician and both kids PPD tests were negative.
Tomorrow will be another stressful day. The Horse watched a movie in Mandarin this afternoon and he did like it - the monkey king movie I bought in China.
Till later.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

A little late, I know. The last couple days were pretty busy and i didn't have much time to myself. Both kids are in bed and asleep by 8:15 this Saturday night and NO TEARS!! Wonderful. The pediatrician went well but no blood tests till I talk to the insurance company because apparently, they haven't been paying for other families. Insurance companies really make me mad. I'll try to get it resolved this week and then maybe take the Horse to the Adoption Clinic at Children's.
We had Chinese food last night and all were happy. Our friend Jan came over too.
Happy New Year to all!

Eye Doctor

2008-12-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the eye doctor on Monday morning since they could get me in. I did have a stitch loose and that is what was irritating my eye in China and since we came home. It is out now and I it feels better.
I showed the doctor the eye drop that they gave me for the Horse in China and he knew what it is - a broad spectrum antibiotic that you can't get in the US anymore. I didn't ask why. He gave me a prescription for some ointment to use on the Horse's eye twice a day for the time being. He also looked at the Horse and referred me to a pediatric eye practice that he really respects and has multiple offices and doctors who he knows in the metro area.
I called them this afternoon and we are going on Jan 5 for an appointment. I am anxious to see what they think is the actual situation with the Horse's eye and what can be done. The Horse will be sick of Doctors since he goes to the pediatrician Friday afternoon and then to the eye doctor Monday morning. At least the weekend will be in between.

Christmas Day and then Santa Came Friday Night

2008-12-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

We all slept till about 9:30 a.m. on Christmas day and then I made everyone get up. The day was spent in pajamas, playing, eating, and watching TV and movies. We all napped in the afternoon and I didn't feel very good the whole day. Most of the laundry got done, but not much else. Daddy's twin brother came by at about 5 right when we were about to eat Easy Mac (mmmm, mmmmm)and stayed for about 1 hour.
Not much else was done that day which was just fine with all of us.
We went to bed late and the kids were both up in the middle of the night -- bummer. Friday we got up a little earlier and the day went pretty good. I decided no naps on Friday in hopes of more sleep Friday night. Dad went to work for about 5 hours on Friday to check on his jobs and all was well and there were even 2 checks waiting for him - bonus.
I cut up some shapes and stars for the kids to decorate with crayons and that is what we decorated the fake Christmas tree with this year. Once I get the memory cards on the computer (Maybe tonight??? or not) I'll post some pictures here.
Santa was coming on Friday night and we were really glad that we had wrapped everything before we left. We had everything in the living room and we were watching the movie Stealth which didn't end till 1:10 or something in the morning, when the Rooster came walking out. She actually didn't see anything and finally went back to bed when we did. Santa had to come early in the morning.
We got up at about 8 Saturday morning and the Horse was really excited when he saw the presents.
One thing that I am not sure that I posted about earlier is the Christmas decorations, advertisements, Christmas Eve and Day dinners in all the hotels in China. I knew that Guangzhou would have Christmas around, but it was huge everywhere!! I think that the Horse may have already known about it.
All the presents were opened in record time and there was very watchful eyes to see if each got as much as the other. The Rooster said "he got more than me" (which wasn't true, but oh well).
My parents, brother D and Dad's daughter S came over later for more presents and dinner which was really nice. Later we watched the movie Bolt that I bought in China and took it easy for the rest of the night.
Sunday Dad put together the infamous Red Kitchen that Santa brought, the kids played and I started to feel much better. In the afternoon we put the Horse's car seat in the car and went to the big playground in Golden. The kids played hard and then it was on to Woody's for pizza. The kids had chicken tenders based on the Horse's disdain for Pizza Hut in China and we all had a nice time.
It is good to be home.
The translator that I bought in China is proving to be invaluable in communicating with the Horse. He is starting to understand some things, but it is really nice to be able to type in exactly what I want to say to him and push the button and have it tell him in Mandarin. Finally on Sunday night everyone slept through the night.

Oath, Packing, and Travel Home

2008-12-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, December 22 in the afternoon we went to the US Consulate on the bus to take the 1 sentence oath and get the paperwork to give to Immigration when we got to LAX. The bus trip to the consulate pretty good with only minor crying over sitting down, etc. Once we left. it was back to the room and mental preparation for packing. I hate packing alot. I decided to go back to 7-11 for dinner food and got noodles and more bread for pbj's. After dinner, the kids watched Chinese cartoons (they are pretty violent at times) and Daddy and I set to get everything out to pack. We had four suitcases and managed to get it all in with a little space left. We all slept pretty good, and in the morning, got up and went to a little later breakfast at the White Swan and then back to finish up and chill out. We had to have out bags out for the bellman by 11:00 a.m. and they arrived right on time. We went down to the 2nd floor shortly thereafter and then it was off on the bus to the airport. There were 2 other families on the bus, but most of our group had left on really early flights that a.m. I am glad that we were not on the 8 a.m. flights since we would have had to be out of the hotel by 5 a.m.
Once we arrived at the Guangzhou airport, the Horse didn't want to walk and was acting not so good in the check-in line. We finally got checked in and they would not check our bags through to LA. Something about that it wasn't the first or second flight of he day where they will check through. This makes no sense at all, but what are you going to do. The flight to Beijing went well and we had pbj AGAIN in the airport prior to boarding the flight. We had a 3.5 hour layover in Beijing and it took the entire time to get bags, get re=checked in and get dinner and to the gate.
While checking in, the guy was taking way too long, so I asked if there was a problem. He said "yes, blacklist" I immediately thought that there was some issue with The Horse's passport, but it turned out to be my Dad. We had to get out of line and wait "for the American Police". It seemed longer than it probably was, but then a lady who worked for the airline showed up and took the passport, gave me the other 5 boarding passes and disappeared again. By the time she came back from God knows where, the issue was resolved. Apparently this has happened to my Dad before.
The flight to LAX was pretty good till the last 2 hours, when the Rooster got sick again. She was pretty miserable and I used a few sick bags. Once it was all out, she seemed to start to feel better. I was relieved when we landed.
We went to go through Immigration and had a really long line. It was pretty miserable with 2 tired kids who wouldn't mind. We finally made it to the front and then had to go in a separate room and wait again! When they finally finished, the lady said that the Horse's Green Card would come in about 6 months. WHAT!!! I said that he was automatically a US citizen and she then got flustered and said that sometimes they send a green card first before the Certificate of Citizenship. I decided that I didn't have it in me to get into the issue at the time. If they did something wrong, I will just have to sort it out later. I know that we had the correct paperwork, so I think that she just didn't say the correct thing. I HOPE!! I need to look at the Rooster's Chinese passport and see if the same stamp is there and contact our agency for advice.
Since out last flight was on South West, after Customs, we couldn't just give back the bags, but had to go to the next terminal and re-check in. Unbelievable. Once we finally got that done, we went to eat again. I wouldn't let the Rooster eat much because I really didn't want her sick again. The flight was delayed by 30 minutes only, and we finally boarded at 8:40 p.m. to come home.
We arrived and got out luggage successfully and the limo was waiting for us.
We arrived at our house at about 12:30 a.m. on Christmas Day and were SOOOOOOO HAPPY to be home. The Horse recognized the Orange Dodge Truck in the driveway from the pictures that I sent him last Spring and got really excited be to be here. After we got the stuff inside, the kids ran around the house and the Horse was really excited. The kids went to bed at about 2 a.m. and we went at about 3 a.m. I had to do 2 loads of laundry (at least one full wash and dry and another wash) It felt great to get out of the travel clothes and get in our bed. It took about 28 hours to get to DIA from Guangzhou -- way too long.
Home Sweet Home.

Red Couch, Lucy's, and Monday and Tuesday Morning in Guangzhou

2008-12-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon we did the Red Couch photos and Daddy was able to get the Horse mostly happy for the photo session. The babies all did pretty good and it was a few minutes before there were tears. They and us will have non-crying red couch photos - very different from the Rooster's red couch group photos!
For dinner on Sunday, we went to Lucy's and ate outside. I had a peanut butter sandwich that had a sum total of 1 tsp of peanut butter on it and some jelly, but it was still good. dinner went well and afterwards we went to Jennifer's Place to pick up the laundry. After that it was back to the room and to bed and a difficult day was ended.
Monday we got up and went to breakfast and then to the room to wait to hear that all was well at the consulate appointment. Jason, our guide, called at about 11:20 and all was well. Then afterwards we all went to order name chops and then to Starbuck's for Mochas. They were good. The Horse wanted a fruit cup and he devoured it. He and the Rooster shared a Mango/Papaya or something and then to the playground. We stayed for awhile until about 1:20 p.m. and then back to the room for naps. I went to the Pearl Market with my Mom and we looked around. We went to the Womens and Essentials Store to buy the translator.
No one spoke english in the store but I finally think they understood and they got the one to work. I paid and then we went to the DVD store. I bought 5 movies for under 100 Yuan. Not a huge selection, but good enough. When I got back to the room at about 5 p.m. the Rooster was really sick and had thrown up and been on the toilet quite a bit. While Jason was trying to see if the translator that I bought was the correct one, she was getting sicker by the minute. We ended up taking her to the clinic and got 2 prescriptions for the diarrhea and stomach pain. One of them smelled so bad (crushed up pill) that she wouldn't drink it mixed with water, then sugar too, then liquilyte, then Kood-aid too, so I gave up. She finally drank all of the other one with the concoction. We ordered room service which I am sure will cost us dearly, but was the only real choice at the time.
tuesday morning, the Rooster was feeling better and did sleep through the night and the Horse's Benadryl test went well, so we will use that for the long plane ride. Daddy and the Horse got entranced with the Transformers movie, so the Rooster and I went to breakfast with Grandma and Grandaddy where she eate 3 pieces of toast with homey and a few bits of banana. Later, since neither Jason nor I could get the translator to say anything in Chinese, we went back to the store to make sure that it would and to have them show him and explain how it works. It took awhile, but it does work (Sentence Translator is the part - just in case I forget) and it is neat. I found some spiral notebooks with blank paper for drawing and coloring on the trip home and we came back to the hotel. I went to pick up the name chops and did some more shopping and then back to the room where I found all 3 of them watching TV and relaxing. I went back to 7-11 for bread, peanut butter and then we had sandwiches for lunch. We may just do that for dinner again - cheap and easy and good!!
this afternoon, we go for the oath and tomorrow home - YAYYY!

Travel to Guangzhou and the First Couple Days

2008-12-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

We left Nanchang on Friday afternoon after spending the morning playing, bathing, napping, and packing. The Rooster said that her stomach hurt and didn't eat any lunch and on the way to the airport, she was sick in the bus. By the time we got to the airport and checking in and to the gate, she was seeming to be getting better. We drove around the New Town, as James calls it, and it is really new - the buildings are new apartment buildings, new roads, etc. Compared to the Old Town where we were, there was hardly no traffic at all. It seemed like a totally different town.
The Horse's first airplane ride (Feiji in Chinese) was pretty good with the exception of the seat belt. He did not want it on and had a total fit including kicking the lady's seat in front of him really hard. Daddy had to hold his legs so that he would quit it. We asked the flight attendant to explain to him that he had to wear the seat belt and she did, but he really didn't care. The flight to Beijing on the 24th is longer and I will have to have several activities to do both on the plane and for the layover in Beijing that is about 4 hours - I wish we were flying straight to LA from here . . . .
We were met by Jason and it was nice to see him again. He was our CCAI guide in 2006 and we saw him in 2007 at the picnic. We went to the hotel via mini-van and checked in just fine. By the time the roll-away beds arrived and I found the pajamas, it was time for bed.
Saturday morning (20th of December) we took the Horse for his Visa photo and the physical examination. We met up with the other families who came Chongqing and from Nanning and it was nice to see them all again. One other 5 year old and the rest small girls (babies). The photo session and physical went well. The Horse did really good on the eye exam which was a relief. We had lunch and then naps. During nap time, I went with some others to the market to see the sights (dried snakes, frogs, live scorpions, chickens and ducks, etc). Most of the market is Chinese herbs and other items for medicinal purposes. Then there was the pet section; dogs, cats, birds, fish, etc. I am glad the Rooster was not with me because it was stinky.
We all went to the Cow and Bridge for dinner (Thai restaurant) and it was good. The Horse picked what he wanted by the picture in the menu (sauteed lettuce, but it was Bok choy, I think) and he ate about 1/2 plate full. He loves greens, but not meat so much. He shared my Pad Thai and had a great time at the restaurant. The Rooster didn't eat more than 1 bite as I think that she is still a little weary of food even though she hasn't been sick since the bus ride to the airport in Nanchang.
After dinner we came back to the room and watched a little TV and Grandaddy and Grandma played and visited too. I think they are having a good time and they both got massages during the afternoon yesterday.
Sunday morning, we opted to not go on the optional city tour (Granddaddy and Grandma did go) and decided to have a later breakfast and walk a little and go swimming. The pool water was really cold but it was nice outside. There was a couple of people swimming laps in the lap pool, but no one else in the other pool where we were where it is a wader pool. Everyone had fun and after swimming we came back to the room and the Rooster and Dad fell asleep and me and the Horse ate leftover Pad Thai and garlic pork ribs (me only) and watched Chinese cartoons.
Since the Horse hadn't napped and the Rooster hadn't eaten, we decided that Daddy would take her for lunch and I would stay with him. They left and the Horse got really upset. He just didn't understand and got really mad at me. He cried for a long time and then finally fell asleep in my arms (from exhaustion) after he would let me hold him. I think he was really tired in the first place and he felt like mei mei got to do something and he didn't. I wish I was totally fluent in Mandarin so that I could really communicate with him. Everyone said that he will pick up English quickly, and I think he will, but for now, it is really hard on him. We will try to keep the separate activities to a minimum for the next few days while we are still in China. He is sleeping now while I type and we have the Red Couch photo at 4:00 so I will have to wake him for that and hope that he is OK.
Tonight we will probably go to dinner somewhere like Lucy's? ot the Italian restaurant and then just hang out. Tomorrow is our consulate appointment so we will have to stay in the room between 10 and 11 just in case, and then in the afternoon, I am going to try to go shopping with Grandma and Granddaddy while the others nap.

20 Yuan Please

2008-12-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

"I sorry ma'am, but break glass, 20 yuan please" -- this is what I heard at breakfast Wednesday morning. You see, Tuesday morning, the Horse, being very proud of himself after cutting his fried egg successfully with a fork and knife, had swung his arms out and knocked over the orange juice glass onto the floor where it shattered. Nothing was said on that date. Then Wednesday morning when it happened again, even though the circumstances were different and it was truly an accident, 20 yuan please.
Both yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday) we went to the People's Park where there is a playground and rides. Both of the kids went on the Zip Line and both had a blast. Later, when we are home, I will upload the pictures of the two of them on this. I can't believe that the Rooster, who is a chicken by heart, actually did this. The Horse on the other hand is somewhat fearless.
Now, I thought I better do some recording of our activities and time here in Nanchang before I forget the experience and what we have done.
First, Nanchang is NOT a tourist town. It is roughly the same size as Denver, and is a true Chinese provincial capital. Our hotel has only HBO and Cinemax for English TV; so no news or other shows; only movies. Lots and lots of Chinese channels and there are a couple of shows that the Horse really likes to watch. I think I said it before but this is a very different experience here in Nanchang.
The hotel is really nice though and the breakfast buffet is good and has lots of Chinese food that is good (and American too, but not as much ).
Monday morning, we went to the Registration office to do the paperwork and have our interview for the adoption to be finalized here in Jiangxi, then to the Notary office, and then on to the Police station to get the Horse's picture taken (for what I am not exactly sure since we had the family photo and his individual photo taken at the Adoption Registration office earlier that day). We finished early so called my Mom and Dad who kept the Rooster at the hotel that morning and went to pick them up to go to Walmart. It is a nice Walmart and very busy. There we went on the first escalator that you can take a cart on that I have ever been on. We got snacks, water, drinks, jeans for the Horse (he is smaller that the measurements would indicate for sized), a suitcase, and KFC take out for lunch.
when we came out of Walmart and got on our Mini-Bus, the driver was immediately getting a ticket from the Traffic Police. James and Daddy went to help and we ended up paying the 50 Yuan to keep the peace, but no points for the driver so he was happy.
That afternoon was nap time for all ( including me who can never take a nap but who can easily here).
Tuesday we went to the Zoo and had a nice time. There have been very few large meltdowns, but right before the zoo, there was one. Daddy had to carry the Horse for a long time and he wouldn't talk, even to James, for quite awhile. When we got back, we went to the Chinese restaurant across the street from the hotel and had a really good lunch. The shrimp dish had fried corn with sprinkles on it, so the Rooster was in seventh heaven. The Horse will eat most foods and will gladly tell you when he doesn't want something. the chopsticks in the restaurant were causing quite a problem and when we left, both kids had some in their hot little hands, and I didn't know. The staff chased us outside to get them back and I was really embarrassed, but OH WELL, that's how it goes. After lunch was naps, and then we all went to the pool. Many thanks to Lynn for giving me Ethan's hand me down's because the scooby doo bathing suit fit the Horse and he had his first swim here in Nanchang at the Jin Feng Hotel. Both the Rooster and the Horse had a great time and we stayed int he water for about 1 hour. Dinner Tuesday night was in the room and consisted of the instant ramen noodles from Walmart. Everyone was happy.
Wednesday was the People's Park as mentioned above. First we walked all around and it is a really beautiful park. We saw "the elderly" per James doing dancing for the exercise, Tai Chi, Chinese Opera being practiced, lots of people just walking and doing fitness activities. It was a really nice place.
We saw the people from the plane walking with their smaller children just when we got off the Plane )Feiji in Chinese) ride which wasn't too bad. They looked a little haggard and mostly have younger children. I remember being soooo tired and sore the last adoption trip -- thank goodness I am not this one. There are definitely different challenges. Having a child who you can't understand (the Mandarin that I learned is just not enough and I'm not sure what would have been) who is very frustrated is in some ways more trying and hard than a baby/toddler crying alot and sleeping not so much. Also, he is larger and a you can't just put him is the baby carrier to control movement! Like I said he is very stubborn and really wants to get his way. We learned Sunday night that he has actually been in foster care for awhile so that he could go to school. I don't know if they spoiled him or not, but he is definitely testing every part of us on everything. James thinks that he will be fine once he knows the rules, and I do too, but you can tell just from the devilish look on his face, that he does know that he shouldn't be doing certain things, cut is seeing how far he can go. He went a little too far with Daddy earlier today, but we are all OK now.
Wednesday afternoon, I went to the supermarket for more noodles/snacks and then my parents and I walked up a pedestrian street and looked in a couple shops and then went to the Buddhist temple that is now not operating but open to the public. It was really beautiful inside. The kids and Daddy took naps.
Today, Thursday, we went back since the Park was really nice and the kids need to burn some energy - we CANNOT stay in the hotel room all day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For lunch we went back to the Chinese restaurant and all was fine till the Rooster had to go potty. Most of you don't know this, but the Rooster is very particular about where she goes to the potty in America -- no toilets that flush by themselves, no stinky bathrooms, etc -- so when we went to the bathroom in the restaurant and there were only 2 squatty potty's, she went into hysterics and refused to go. By the time we got back to the table, the Horse was crying with his head on the table because apparently he was upset that the Rooster and I had gone to the bathroom without him. So here we are in a nice restaurant with 2 crying chinese kids; we took them both back to the hotel where there was a meltdown on both of their parts, got them back to sanity, peed and washed hands, shoes back on, and back to the restaurant where we had a nice lunch at last! Oh, and when we got there I made the waitress/hostess take all chopsticks away right away to avoid another theft incident!
James is getting our documents from the Notary office this afternoon and I am typing while everyone else takes that afternoon nap. The Horse wiggled for about 30 minutes while I was typing, but all are asleep now. James is bringing us Pizza Hut for dinner tonight so we will eat in the room for dinner again tonight. That works better. I can only take 2 restaurant experiences a day with these 2 kids! Tomorrow, James will go get the Horses Chinese Passport and we will pack up and leave at about 2 or 2:30 for the airport and James will drive us araound on the way to see more of the City. I am looking forward to getting to Guangzhou; it is nice being in the Provice where my son is from, but I am ready to move on. Our flight is at 5 tomorrow and we arrive at about 6:30 I believe and should be met by Jason. I am so looking forward to seeing him again. I hope that the other families week's have been nice and I am looking forward to meeting Hillary's baby who turns 11 months this week. She is in Chongqing and it will be interesting to see what she thought of the city.
More thoughts next time I post.

The Horse and Jiangxi

2008-12-16T05:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we met the Horse for the first time at about 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, 2008. Mrs. Wu, the assistant Director of the orphanage brought him to Nanchang on the train and to our hotel. James, our wonderful guide, called us when they got to his room, and they came right over to our suite. He was so excited which really made me happy. He had all his stuff with him and was a little hyper but smiling from ear to ear. Mrs. Wu was really nice and told us all about him. We videotaped the time and this meeting was very nice with hardly no tears. He weeped a little when Mrs Wu was going to leave, which was normal. She brought us a gift and that was really nice as well.
The rest of the evening was nice and pretty calm. He really liked the pajamas that we brought him and went to be really good and slept through the night. I didn't -- I was still worried and kept hearing things and was worried that he would be scared or try to leave the room. He didn't and last night - our second - I slept way better.
The Rooster and the Horse are getting along really well. They play together constantly and seem to really be hitting it off. I am so glad that we brought her as I believe that it has made the transition alot easier for him. He calls her Mei Mei most of the time and she seems to really like it.
One funny thing is that the Rooster keeps trying to imitate his Chinese! He is mimicking us saying things in English some and is already starting to understand some things -- like the word NO. He has had a few "meltdowns" that are very much like Carlie's used to be - crying when he doesn't get his way or what he wants, and then
"The Statue"
I find it hard to believe that I now have 2 children that turn into statues when mad!! I need to research to see if this is normal child behaviour or if it is more common among orphanage kids.
Mostly all is going really well - better than I expected.
We went swimming this afternoon after nap and I don't think that he had ever been in the pool. He had a good time and so did the Rooster. Afterwards, the two of them were in the warm shower in our room for a really long time - and I got told to "go away" by both of them as I was clearly interfering with their fun.
Walmart was visited yesterday and is a crazy place here. We got another suitcase and a couple of pairs of jeans for the HOrse as the clothes that I brought are mostly a little too big. Today James took me and my Mom to the stores where the locals shop for clothes and we bought a couple of pants. The shirts fit him OK and so do the socks and underwear.
Tomorrow we go to the playground/park and today we went to the Zoo which was fun. More swimming will be in order tomorrow and the next day as well. Nanchang is very different from Chongqing - more local and not as many people speak English and if they do it is broken and difficult for them. Crazy streets and I don't want to walk anywhere for fear of getting killed by a scooter or bus or something.

Beijing - Saturday Early Morning

2008-12-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday Morning --
We arrived in Beijing after a short (one plus hour delay in the Denver airport on the plane due to some technical computer problem on the plane) and a hectic transfer at LAX between the United terminal and the International Terminal safely. The flight was not bad and the Rooster did a great job on all of the flights. I slept about 4 hours which was enough to get us through to Beijing. Turns out there were other families on our flight and there were a total of about 17 people at the Beijing airport to the Hotel including us.
Thursday, the 11th of December, we just rested at the hotel and went to the supermarket and a flea market and looked around the area of the hotel in Beijing for awhile. It was a pretty long day and we were all really tired. We went to bed at about 8 Thursday night and slept till 3:45 a.m. when the Rooster woke up.
Friday we went to the Forbidden City and Tianemem Square in the morning and it was really spectacular. I had no idea of the actual size fo the place - It is immense and so beautiful. It was really cold and boy, was I glad that we packed the long underwear for all!!! Layers and more layers were the outfits of the day and we were OK. Our cheeks were frozen numb!
Later we went to a nice Chinese lunch and the food was really good. The Rooster wont use the squatty potty which does not surprise me. She is also having some sensory issues with smell here in China and the "P.U." chant has been hears quite a bit.
After lunch we went to a Silk shop that had alot more than silk. It ws really nice stuff but a little expensive. We didn't buy anything yesterday. After the silk shop (by which time we were all really tired) we went to the Hutong and got a Pedicab ride (Rickshaw on a bike) and went through Hutong neighborhood and visited a home. It was quite interesting and I am glad that we had the opportunity to do this.
After we got home, the Rooster just wanted to get in her nightgown so Daddy went and got Mc Donalds for us all for dinner. She was out by 7 p.m. and Daddy followed shortly thereafter. I watched a movie for awhile but was asleep probably by Nine or so. We woke up at about 4:15 a.m. today and will have another long but fun day today.
Today we go to the Great Wall which I am really excited for and we also are going to the Jade Factory, the Olympic Village and an Acrobatics Show. It will be a really long day and I am sure that we will go to bed early again tonight.
Tomorrow morning we go to Nanchang to get the Horse and I am really getting excited and emotional about it. There are alot of other really nice people here but they are going to other provinces. We'll meet up in Guangzhou next week.

Saturday Before We Leave

2008-12-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

We leave for China in almost 3 days exactly. I have been starting to pack today and am starting to feel more at ease (less panicky). The medications, DVD and movies/headphones/coloring and other entertainment for kids, camera, all things power related, gift related, and shower/get ready related are finished and what clothing to take is sorted out in my head. Only one more shopping trip to make tomorrow to get pullups for the Rooster (doing really good at night, but not quite good enough) and some food for the freezer when we return.
I put up pictures of the Rooster, in her princess outfit that she got for No Cavities at the Dentist a couple of weeks ago, and the Horse in his Birthday Crown last May. We'll be able to post pictures of them together soon which just brings tears to my eyes.
I feel like we have been waiting to go get the Horse for an eternity. As a matter of fact, the waiting this time has been much harder and I am sure it is because I had a face the whole time to picture in the orphanage and wonder what he was doing and whether he thought that we were not really going to adopt him.
I hope that is not what he thought.
He has had a hard life so far, but I hope he has had his own happiness in his own reality up to now.
We meet him for the first time on the afternoon of December 14th.
I may not post again before we leave since there is alot to do still. Those Christmas Cards aren't' going to get addressed and mailed by themselves and I am going to mail them before we leave!
The weather in Beijing is supposed to be 47 on Thursday and Friday and then 37 on Saturday. We go to Jiangxi on Sunday morning and stay through the 19th. The weather is supposed to be in the mid to upper 50's and low 60's. Then on the 19th we are off to Guangzhou where the weather is supposed to be in the upper 60's.
If I don't post again, Merry Christmas to all.

Travel All Set

2008-12-04T20:11:00.001-07:00

We have all of our travel arrangements made and received our E-Tickets tonight. All In China travel is arranged and our hotels are set up. We will be at the White Swan again and in Beijing at the Holiday Inn downtown and the Jin Feng in Nanchang. All three hotels look nice. Tomorrow I have some more shopping to do and then to finalize picking what to pack and then PACK. We are pretty set right now. Excitement is setting in more and more and I feel more relaxed now that the travel is arranged. Whew!

Csnsulate Appointment and Travel Date

2008-12-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

We received confirmation of our consulate appointment today and it is on December 22nd. We will take the oath on the 23rd and then fly home on the 24th. The best flight so far has us leaving on the 9th in th evening and arriving in Beijing at 5:30 a.m. on the 11th. Tomorrow we should finalize the travel plans. Our Visas and passports are on the way to me via Fedex to arrive tomorrow. Moving fast, but good!!

Travel Approval

2008-11-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

We received Travel Approval today. The adoption agency sent an email this morning letting us know that it was received and that they have faxed the consulate appointment requests to the US Consulate today. Hopefully we will know when that is going to be on Monday or Tuesday so that we can make travel arrangements soon.
This is really exciting and moving really fast. We bought the gifts for the officials and orphanage director today in Pagosa Springs - some homemade caramels with nuts. They are really good and should travel well in the suitcase.
Looks like it will be the second week of December for travel - the week after next!!!

Possible Travel Dates

2008-11-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Our agency called this afternoon and lo and behold, we are probably going to get our Travel Approval on Friday or Monday of this week. The earliest we will travel is December 10 or 11th and come home on either December 24 or 25th!!
We will in all likelihood meet our son on Sunday, December 14, 2008 (in the afternoon). We should know for sure next week which will give us about 1 week to get travel arrangements made - we can do it!!

Preparing for our Son

2008-11-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

In the last week since we received our LOA, we have reviewed the travel packet 2 and all the requirements as well as applied for our Travel Visas. We did all of the paperwork and dropped off at the adoption agency when we were down there for Chinese School this morning.

The Rooster did much better at Chinese school today. Last week Ms Helen (Lao Shi - her teacher) was not there and she was having a fit. So I did what every good mother does, I caved and stayed in the classroom with her last week. (I was not the only parent in the room).

This week, when she say Lao Shi Helen, she was happy to run right into her class and didn't look back to see where I was. That's the way it should be - my independent little Rooster who really seems to love going to learn Mandarin with her new friends.

The little Horse's bedroom is coming together -we ordered the mattress for the bed and it arrived at 7:50 a.m. on Wednesday morning. I have to say that the company does have great delivery - The Denver Mattress Co. - this is the second mattress we have gotten from them in the past 6 months (Rooster is in a big bed too) and both times they have come 10 or 15 minutes before their scheduled window. Now that's refreshing!!

Still need to get a lamp or 2, but he is all set in the room

What a Difference A Day Makes!

2008-11-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

We got our LOA today!! Just when I thought that we were really in for the long haul and had awhile still to wait, I got the call this afternoon from our agency that they had our LOA!!

Daddy Horse has already gone down to sign and I will do so in the morning. Our agency will then send off to China tomorrow!

Our agency said that we will probably travel in five to eight weeks -- earliest possible date would be about December 18th and the latest is about the 2nd week of January.

We wait for Travel Approval which should be about 2 weeks, we assume, and then we should know better.

I will post pictures of the Little Horse and the little Rooster soon.

The Little Horse

2008-11-11T19:07:00.001-07:00

The Little Horse who we are waiting to adopt is still in Jiangxi Province, China. Here are the statistics of the progress:

1/30/08 - Received file from adoption agency for review
2/05/08 - Accepted Referral of the Little Horse
2/07/08 - LOI (Letter of Intent) sent to China
2/19/08 - PA (Prior Approval) received from China
2/20/08 - Adoption Application approved by agency
3/28/08 - USCIS Filing (documents to the US Homeland Security ( Yes - the same people that make you take your shoes off at the airport) Department)
4/12/08 - Fingerprinted for USCIS
7/??/08 - We finally receive the one piece of paper that we need from the Airport Security people to adopt our son
7/17/08 - Dossier delivered to adoption agency
7/25/08 - Dossier To China
7/28/08 - Received confimation that China received the Dossier
7/30/08 - LID (Log In Date) the date that China officially logs in the dossier

We were initially told that we would travel to China within 3 to 5 months from the Log In Date, but today is the 11th of November and we still do not have the LOA yet. It is unlikely that we will travel to China prior to the end of the year. This makes me profoundly sad. We so wanted to hae the Little Horse home by Christmas.

Chinese Zodiac

2008-11-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Since we named the Blog after our children's Chinese zodiac signs, I thought I'd look into just what that means and explain it here.

Mommy Wood Dragon
Dragon people are the most eccentric in the Chinese Zodiac. Soaring high into the serene heavens, they can be stubborn, passionate, excitable, honest, and brave, wear purple and walk barefoot in public fountains. They listen to their own drummer, thank you very much, while the rest of the world stands in amazement. People always admire their individuality and feisty personality. Dragons are capable of doing great work for mankind and they inspire trust in almost everyone. The Dragon symbolizes life and growth and is said to bring the five blessings: harmony, virtue, riches, fulfillment and longevity. Dragons are majestic creatures. These Dragons are the chivalrous knights and guardian angels of life, generous with their friendship, compassionate, even heroic, in their deeds. Showing great tolerance towards others, they move easily among all social strata and travel extensively, opening their minds to new things. Brave as matadors, their courageous lives are truly inspiring. Natural curiosity leads Wood Dragons to pursue very interesting career paths. The dichotomy is they are successful human beings but not all that successful in their careers, despite all the help they get from friends and mentors. Fortune comes to them anyway! Now, as you know, the chances of winning the lottery are pretty slim, but Wood Dragons just might do it. Rainy days or sunny, good fortune seems to shine on these money magnets, just like magic. The Wood Dragon is steady as a rock when it comes to Love & Relationships. They just don't believe in love at first sight. To them, love, relationships, and marriage follow a progressive course, evolving naturally and slowly out of friendship. Once the love bug catches them, their love is deep and passionate. The Wood Dragon partner is loving and supportive of the loved one's needs and love is never taken for granted.

Daddy Wood Horse
Horse people have a balance of the best kind of qualities. Have you ever seen a wild horse on the beach, with flying mane and flaring nostrils, every muscle bursting with life and je ne sais quois? Without a doubt, the Horse is the standard for grace, strength, rhythm and nobility. They have an amazing capacity for hard work. As a result, they know great success and financial security in their lifetimes. Often quite ostentatious, they enjoy being with large crowds and always seek out the grand and magnificent. They need people and have a weakness for those of the opposite sex. You can often find Horses at concerts, music festivals, and the Super Bowls of life. The Wood Horse is a magnificent creature, full of dignity and proud bearing. These very intelligent beings climb to high places by sheer force of personal magnetism and good-natured daring. Because of their extraordinary leadership, Wood Horses have many followers and many admirers. A sturdy oak of society, the life of the Wood Horse always holds up under scrutiny. Under tense deadlines, Wood Horses rear up with conviction and passion and make quick decisions with split-second reflexes. Their judgement is always on the mark. Wood Horses work hard -- they play hard. They make a lot of money -- they spend a lot of money. Generous to a fault, they conceive grand wonderful ways of having fun and always invite friends to raise a toast to memory-making. In Love Life, every day becomes a memory maker, filled with treasures of the mind and spirit. Love partners know the Wood Horse is a "keeper", faithful and loyal to the end of time.
Girl Wood Rooster
Rooster is often seen as the original strong silent type, not unlike the Humphrey Bogart and Greto Garbo prototypes. Most people consider them quite eccentric. Sad to say, relationships with other people are often strained. They are quite moody and can be too outspoken. They are often self-centered, but can be quite brave when the situation calls for it. On the other hand, Rooster People are quite talented and capable. They are always devoted to their work and have a reputation for being the hardest of workers. Rooster People are deep thinkers and are pioneers in spirit. They can experience the greatest of joy in complete solitude. Even though often alone, they rarely experience loneliness. Instead, they enjoy their own company and feel solitude helps them in their quest after knowledge. You can often find the Wood Rooster behind the scenes or in solitary activities. They love bookshops with strong espresso and offbeat music groups, particularly modern jazz or chamber work. They are reserved but at the same time can be quite sociable, too, when the occasion calls for it, always considerate, gentle, and easy going, always liking to please others. They can quickly overcome bad feelings. No one ever feels threatened by their company. On a bad day, the Wood Rooster can be so mild-mannered, it's easy to ignore them. But on a good day -- and there are many good days -- they are proud and very articulate in expressing their views. In fact, their quiet exterior belies an intense talent in persuading others to their point of view. People are amazed they can talk so much! Most days, Wood Roosters depend on others way too much. The most important thing Wood Roosters MUST do is to develop an independent streak, to look inside themselves for strength; their careers, financial life, relationships, and very happiness depends on this!
Boy Water Horse
Horse people have a balance of the best kind of qualities. Have you ever seen a wild horse on the beach, with flying mane and flaring nostrils, every muscle bursting with life and je ne sais quois? Without a doubt, the Horse is the standard for grace, strength, rhythm and nobility. They have an amazing capacity for hard work. As a result, they know great success and financial security in their lifetimes. Often quite ostentatious, they enjoy being with large crowds and always seek out the grand and magnificent. They need people and have a weakness for those of the opposite sex. You can often find Horses at concerts, music festivals, and the Super Bowls of life. Philosophical, with tongue firmly in cheek, the cheerful Water Horses are open to the ironies of life. Their sense of humor permits them to laugh at things they can't control. With infinite patience, they know that most problems are really quite small in the scheme of things. (Traffic jams? No problem!) and they try not to let their own personal feelings get in the way. Like all Horses, those of the Water persuasion are very career minded with a high sense of responsibility and accountability. Their years are filled with many hardworking days and nights. Careers are filled with both storm clouds and tropical tradewinds - Horses simply flow with the wind. Because of wise choices, they experience a pretty stable financial fortune in later years, sometimes with unexpected results. Stability is also a big time word when it comes to Love. Love is like the many splendored thing described in song. For them, love means eternity. When they pledge undying loyalty, devotion, tenderness, and caring, they mean it. A partnership is always built on a strong foundation and, like a masterpiece, is designed for life everlasting.

Descriptions from www.tuvy.com (not an advertisement for the site just giving credit where due)

First Post on new blog

2008-11-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have decided to try blogging using this format for a change. It has been awhile since i have posted anything on the other site so here goes.

We are in the process of adopting our second child from China. We have been matched with a boy who is now 6 years old way back in February 2008 and have completed all of the paperwork. Currently we await the LOA go (Letter of Acceptance) from China. Our Log In Date (LID) was July 30, 2008, so we have now been waiting over 3 months.

Once we receive the LOA, the Travel Approval should come about 2 to 3 weeks later and then we will proceed to China!