Just a quick post

Ray and Jesse in the coin-op car at WalMart.

Joe and the Munchkins.
Ayi Ping tells me that in China they say the worst ages for behavior are 3, 6 and 9.
Guess how old these kids are?
Joe did turn 10 shortly after this was taken though.

I'm not sure what's so fascinating about grandma's hiney?
Can you believe Ray is 3 and Jesse is 6? I thought Ray was tiny until
the fabulous Miss Jesse hit the scene. She is about 5 inches taller than Ray
and only weighs one pound more than him.

I do have more photos I need to load off the camera so I can post them. My crew enjoyed Halloween quite a lot. Miss Jesse, we found, can become quite aggressive when candy is involved. She started trying to shove past Joe to get to the doors first. Ray got into the spirit of collecting candy, though he still won't eat it. He was so cute with his manners. He remembered to say "tank too" every time he got a goody. Joe played the good big brother and helped mom and dad keep the munchkins out of the street.

Jesse is doing so much better than I thought she would be at this point, but we do have issues. We seem to be down to communication problems and some bouts of selfishness (she likes to take the boys things and not share hers) and being flat out stubborn. Poor kid got put in time out three times today. Once for hitting Ray, once for climbing in the refrigerator (then fake crying under me when I pulled her out) and once for stealing Daddy's nose-hair scissors out of the bathroom (I'd already told her "bu hao" (no good) when I caught her with them the previous day). Even though I had to put her in time out, I've still gotten plenty of hugs and kisses today. She's a really sweet girl who is testing the boundaries of her new family.

She and Ray can be quite jealous of each other at times and like to demand my attention at the same time. If I pick up one, the other wants up. If I get one a drink or food, the other suddenly needs something (even if they just finished). Last night, while Dennis and Joe were at scouts I had them each wanting me to lay down with them in separate rooms to sleep. That just doesn't work.

Jesse and Joe are totally enamored of each other. Joe just gushes over his Mei Mei and says she is the cutest thing ever. Jesse follows him around and wants him to sleep in her room. Its ok for now, but we'll have to get Joe back in his own room before long. He'll be getting too old to sleep with little sister.

Gotta go, Joe's having a little trouble with his asthma ...

Probably the Last One

Ok, here are more photos of our precious little Pixie Priss. Probably my last post here. Thankfully it looks like I will actually be able to bring her home now. I did not need that kind of stress!

Herself tickled the maid yesterday by helping make beds and clean the bathroom. She really can do it! She is just so smart and helpful. I hope she keeps it up when we get home. ;-)

I am so ready to be home with family and friends and for Dennis and the boys to finally meet this wonderful little person!

On with the pictures ...

A little Snag

I just talked with Laura on the phone. this morning and we are having a little DHR snag. Apparently because only one of us went I don't know the condition of Jesse nor do I know how to handle her needs. So someone out there pray for this one person at DHR approves our daughters entry into the country. Reggie and Olga are working on it as I type this. So hopefully They will get to come home on time.

Dennis

2:00pm Problem resolved. They will have the needed document in the morning

More from China

More photos ... Jesse sprawled out in the bed this morning and our trip to the Kunming Zoo. Actually managed to get some photos of me with Jesse and she is smiling! We continue to have issues with her not wanting to play and be held by mama. I know it will come, but its tough. She will let me help her with things, but I think maybe she's trying not to get too close until she knows I'm not leaving her.

Jesse continues to amze me with how smart she is. She copied her Chinese and American names for me, she drew a clock with numbers earlier, helped string beads for a necklace and cut mamas hair! She had done up my hair with some ponytail holders and one of them got very tangled, so she cut my hair for me to get it out. Blends right in, no problem.

She threw up again at breakfast this morning. We're starting to think she may not be able to handle dairy products.

Last night I had to put her in the bed at 9 and she cried herself to sleep. She didn't try to get out of the bed but it was very sad. She finally collapsed around 10 and I was able to get a shower. She slept until nearly 8 this morning and I had to wake her up then.

I know it sounds like a lot of negative, but they are normal stuff. It will get better and better and we do have our good moments. She did actually let me pick her up and hold her for a few minutes last night. A good step in the right direction. I think it will get better faster when we get home and she sees me interacting with Ray and Joe.

We were supposed to leave Kunming Saturday but it wil be Sunday now.

More later ... May be a day or two.

Pictures from China!

Ok, here are pictures finally! We're doing pretty good. Amazing what a difference a day makes. Jesse was trying to escape this morning after I got her dressed. You can see the picture. That's a screaming crying girl with all her worldly posessions trying to run away.

She has changed clothes 4 times today, seems to prefer dresses. And she had a lot of fun playing with Nai Nai's (Pat's) hair, both in the hotel room and the restaurant.

Right now she is playing with Cole and Corey while I borrow the Schmidt's computer.

We went shoping and Jesse insisted on helping the sales ladies hand clothing to Nick Schmidt, then she helped them fold and repack everything. They were very sweet and "paid" her for her hard work with a set of new barrettes for her hair ... hoping that will grow out pretty quickly!

We also bought lots of snacks and candies and our little miss has to open everything and examine it when we got back to the room.

She is still a bit more stand-offish with me than with others with us. I think she's a bit mad at me still, but it is better thos afternoon than it was even this morning.

Its Tuesday here and we will be leaving for Guangzhou Saturday or Sunday.

Will try to post again. I'm not nearly the shutterbug Dennis is, we'll see what I come up with ... mostly more shots of Jesse and not so much the area I guess.

Oh, Godfather, her favorite toy is the calculator. She'll be looking for a position in the organization soon!

Jesse Update

I received this email from laura early this evening and she wanted me to post it.


We are in Kunming now. Just got Jesselin Monday morning and had no time at all to get to a computer. It was go, go, go all day and then hop a flight at 8-something pm. Jesse is dong as well as can be expected. We're having lots of crying and screaming right now with intermittent spells of calm and cooperation. She keeps asking to go home and misses her best friend Dwoh Dwoh terribly. She's gotten sick twice so far. I think the stress has upset her stomach. She just threw up all her breakfast at the table a little earlier. When we first met her she asked where di di and ge ge were. So, I know someone had shown her the picture book. She likes looking at the pictures. She was very happy and sweet at the meeting and then broke down at the embroidery institute. I think it just hit her that everything had changed. I'm pretty sure she did not get to say goodbye to her friend. She is very smart. They gave us some of her homework and she had all 100s! Looks like she may help ge ge with his math. LOL The Schmidt family has their laptop with them and I will try to get some photos to you a little later today. I've not taken many yet, but some. She is very beautiful ... everyone says so. All the people at the airport last night, and even the Chinese gentlman we met yesterday who looks just like my uncle Houston! I should have taken his picture! I failed to bring the card reader down with me at the moment to post on this computer, and changing locations sometimes sets of tyhe crying. She is being very very good for me right now though.

For the Godfather

I promise to do my utmost best to get pictures of your goddaughter posted ASAP. Might have to email to Dennis and let him post, but we'll get it done. I can't wait to see what she looks like now either! I know she must have changed a lot in the past 2 years since the referral photos were taken.