Saturday, July 31, 2010
A few pictures
Here are a choice few pictures from our journey so far.
Karin comforting Minlan on Gotcha Day. She cried for 15 minutes. She called her doll mei mei - little sister.
Later that day....
One day later, we usurped a wedding photo site. Everybody shows the peace sign in China.
At the minority museum in Nanning.
Everyone loves Popsicles.
First plane ride.
Right before the vaccinations. You don't want to see the just after pics.
More soon!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Karin comforting Minlan on Gotcha Day. She cried for 15 minutes. She called her doll mei mei - little sister.
Later that day....
One day later, we usurped a wedding photo site. Everybody shows the peace sign in China.
At the minority museum in Nanning.
Everyone loves Popsicles.
First plane ride.
Right before the vaccinations. You don't want to see the just after pics.
More soon!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, July 30, 2010
Back with wifi!
As I write this, we have just arrived, settled in, put the kids to sleep and are laying in our bed in the Marriott in Guangzhou.
And the best news: They have free wifi in the "library."
I wrote a Post two days ago, but sent it to the wrong address, so nobody got it. When I get this downstairs, I'll download what I wrote and repost with a few updates. For now, know that Lulu is happy, a tremendous sport, had a cold, got over the cold, has had her life turn upside down and still finds the reserve to trust and love. The boys shower her with hugs and kisses and treats her like the little princess she is.
We will be posting pictures soon, and that we will be blogging every day for the rest of the trip.
We will be bringing our girl home in ONE WEEK. Wow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
And the best news: They have free wifi in the "library."
I wrote a Post two days ago, but sent it to the wrong address, so nobody got it. When I get this downstairs, I'll download what I wrote and repost with a few updates. For now, know that Lulu is happy, a tremendous sport, had a cold, got over the cold, has had her life turn upside down and still finds the reserve to trust and love. The boys shower her with hugs and kisses and treats her like the little princess she is.
We will be posting pictures soon, and that we will be blogging every day for the rest of the trip.
We will be bringing our girl home in ONE WEEK. Wow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Like father like daughter
Looking forward to a day of rest tomorrow at our fab Marriott hotel. Although Shamian Island White Swan, where most adopting families stay, is beautiful and the location lovely. We had to take a taxi here to get the medical exam.
More photos to come if we can.
Playing Catch Up
Whoops. Sent the first one to the wrong address. This was supposed to go out on Thursday.
Thank you to everyone who has written or texted us for information about Lulu. Ever since we arrived in Nanning, we have not had wifi access, so the only way to blog has been to go to the business center in the hotel during their business hours. As you can imagine, it hasn't been easy finding the time with all the official paperwork, meetings, touring and the normal stuff of life. At our next stop there will be wifi in the lobby, so we can write on the computer in the wee hours and then upload it each morning. Until this, here's a recap of this week so far. Also, this is Thom writing, FYI.
Monday, July 26 - GOTCHA DAY!
We arrived in Nanning on Sunday with a bit of a mixup in our rooms after a 5 hour train trip with very hungry boys. Not an ideal start. But we were able to get everything sorted, boys fed and everyone to bed at a reasonable hour so we'd be fresh for the big event.
We are staying at a hotel that many foreigners use, so the staff is used to our particular quirks in eating, etc. At breakfast, we met another adopting parent, who we later discovered was adopting a 9 year old girl who had been at the same school as Minlan (she was in the "big sister" or "jie jie" program, where Minlan was in the "little sister" or "mei mei" program). We were picked up at 3 and taken to a hotel where one floor was dedicated to rooms where families meet their adoptive children, and then on a subsequent visit, families sign official paperwork. In the room with us was a family from Atlanta, GA who have boys 9 and 11 years old. They've been waiting 4 years for their daughter, who is 18 months old. I know, the math is weird, but what that means is that the waiting list is VERY long to get a baby (anyone under 18 months). They matched in April. They were surprised that we had been in the process less than a year, but Minlan's age and medical condition sped the process up. When their daughter came, we could hear her crying down the hall. She wanted nothing to do with Mommy, and bonded with Daddy right away. On a sidenote, yesterday (day 3 of their adoption), the little girl had started to let Mommy hold her.
Then our guide came in and said that Minlan was ready and that she was "a very special girl. Very tender. She isn't crying at all." The big moment came and the boys were ready with cameras and a toy and the biggest smiles ever. What we had learned from reading blogs is that the kids show up at the hotel after the same 5 hour train trip we took, taken away from their surroundings for the first time (for most of them) and not with their foster parents (if they have them). Minlan came in the room and looked around - her vision is low, so she has to scan for a while - and she started to cry and wanted to use the bathroom. She came back from that and Karin took her and cuddled her while she cried and after 15 minutes or so (while all of us hovered and smiled and told her "wo ai ni" - "I love you"), she calmed down. I really credit the boys with helping her by playing and distracting her in that first encounter. Quinlan was especially inclusive in playing with her.
She still only wanted to be with Karin for the ride home, but after a little while, she and I started making faces and silly noises (she was super tired and in a silly mood, so I just went with that). Then we went to a mall to get a gift for her orphanage - two rice cookers and 2 pots for heating water for tea - and while Karin did that, she, the boys and I went "shopping" with Lulu pushing a giant shopping cart all through the store and chasing after the boys. She squealed with delight - a sound I will never forget. That began the beginning of the trust in me and the boys, and by the next morning, she woke up asking where her brothers were. So precious.
Tuesday, July 27 - Paperwork day
We filled out all kinds of paperwork this day which ended with making thumbprints (or footprint, in Lulu's case) in red ink on the official documents. Sorry taht we don't have pictures. We will try to send some when we get wifi on the weekend, and for sure we will have them up on the blog once we return. On the drive home, the boys - who have been really good sports about the food - saw a McDonalds, and we decided that it would be good for a cultural experience to see how McD's is done in China. For the most part, exactly the same. Scary. Plus the kids got kids meals, which included a toy doll of a character we had seen Lulu wear on a shirt in one of her early pictures. By the time we got our food back to the car, Lulu was already asleep. she'd had crummy naps the first two days. But she totally bounced back later. We also had an interesting/great discovery that showed us how much she had bonded already with us. At a restaurant, a toilet attendant (woman in her late 60s?) wanted to hug Lulu and Lulu wanted nothing to do with her and ran to Karin for comfort. In addition, she definitely recognizes taht we speak something ELSE, and she listens very intently to us. She began repeating sounds like "let's go." And she loves technology. She plays with my iphone, touching the buttons and shifting the pictures around. She looked through our photos and she listed who she saw - mama, baba (me), ge ge (either one of her brothers). Then she saw a picture of her foster mommy and she said "mama" but she didn't freak out or start crying. Hopefully, that's a sign that she understands she has a mama from China, and now her forever mama. She's also talking a LOT more today. Asking us all kinds of questions, which Karin understands part of, but to me sounds like "Please Daddy blah blah blah blah?" (Qing Baba, some words I don't know and then Ma, which is Chinese for question mark). She talks to me a LOT, and it breaks my heart that I can't understand her or communicate with her.
Wednesday, July 28 - Touring Day
We visited the Minority People's Museum today. I learned "Please Daddy, I need to go to the toilet" and so I've been able to pick up on those cues from her. She enjoyed looking around the museum, and so did the boys. Too much to go into here, but it was a great view of traiditonal life in China in the southern regions, where still many people live in the ways they used to. We've had a little bit of acting out between Quin and Dec - mostly roughhousing or arguing over whose turn it is to sit next to Lulu, etc. Marilyn has been doing a great job keeping them happy and occupied. Lulu still doesn't respond much to her, but she's doing SO well with adapting to all the other new things in her life, and I know that it will come in time. Toward the end of the day, we noticed that Lulu had a junky sounding cough. Her first crying jag since Gotcha day came when we went swimming. Wearing a swim cap is compulsory, and the poor girl has probably never been to a pool. She doesn't like a bath really - Karin's been bathing her in 2 inches of water - so all those put together were more than she was ready for. And, as it turns out, she was probably in the early stages of getting sick. Because that's where we're at today, Thursday.
Thursday, July 29 SICK DAY
Yep, she's sick. She woke up at 5:20 asking for help with a massive fever. Fortunately Karin had read about this and came prepared for all of it. STethoscope, meds, thermometer, you name it. We got antibiotics in her for her VERY junky sounding cough and childrens tylenol for her fever. Cold compresses. She only wants Karin right now, which is why I'm able to blog. When I left her, she was shivering under the covers, poor sweetie.
And so, that's all folks for now. There's more, but those are the highlights. The boys continue to be loving and supportive. I have given them individual attention, and it's helped them know that they are loved as much as before (if not more). Lulu is a wonderful girl who is sooooo sweet and trusting. It breaks my heart to see her cry, but makes me fall further in love with Karin for what a wonderful mother she is to our new girl.
ADDENDUM: Lulu's cold has broken, and we celebrated by taking her to the doctor for vaccinations. Boooooooo. But she's a trooper, and now we are going to take it easy. We are in Guangzhou and on the final leg of the trip.
Pictures soon!
Take care - Thom
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thank you to everyone who has written or texted us for information about Lulu. Ever since we arrived in Nanning, we have not had wifi access, so the only way to blog has been to go to the business center in the hotel during their business hours. As you can imagine, it hasn't been easy finding the time with all the official paperwork, meetings, touring and the normal stuff of life. At our next stop there will be wifi in the lobby, so we can write on the computer in the wee hours and then upload it each morning. Until this, here's a recap of this week so far. Also, this is Thom writing, FYI.
Monday, July 26 - GOTCHA DAY!
We arrived in Nanning on Sunday with a bit of a mixup in our rooms after a 5 hour train trip with very hungry boys. Not an ideal start. But we were able to get everything sorted, boys fed and everyone to bed at a reasonable hour so we'd be fresh for the big event.
We are staying at a hotel that many foreigners use, so the staff is used to our particular quirks in eating, etc. At breakfast, we met another adopting parent, who we later discovered was adopting a 9 year old girl who had been at the same school as Minlan (she was in the "big sister" or "jie jie" program, where Minlan was in the "little sister" or "mei mei" program). We were picked up at 3 and taken to a hotel where one floor was dedicated to rooms where families meet their adoptive children, and then on a subsequent visit, families sign official paperwork. In the room with us was a family from Atlanta, GA who have boys 9 and 11 years old. They've been waiting 4 years for their daughter, who is 18 months old. I know, the math is weird, but what that means is that the waiting list is VERY long to get a baby (anyone under 18 months). They matched in April. They were surprised that we had been in the process less than a year, but Minlan's age and medical condition sped the process up. When their daughter came, we could hear her crying down the hall. She wanted nothing to do with Mommy, and bonded with Daddy right away. On a sidenote, yesterday (day 3 of their adoption), the little girl had started to let Mommy hold her.
Then our guide came in and said that Minlan was ready and that she was "a very special girl. Very tender. She isn't crying at all." The big moment came and the boys were ready with cameras and a toy and the biggest smiles ever. What we had learned from reading blogs is that the kids show up at the hotel after the same 5 hour train trip we took, taken away from their surroundings for the first time (for most of them) and not with their foster parents (if they have them). Minlan came in the room and looked around - her vision is low, so she has to scan for a while - and she started to cry and wanted to use the bathroom. She came back from that and Karin took her and cuddled her while she cried and after 15 minutes or so (while all of us hovered and smiled and told her "wo ai ni" - "I love you"), she calmed down. I really credit the boys with helping her by playing and distracting her in that first encounter. Quinlan was especially inclusive in playing with her.
She still only wanted to be with Karin for the ride home, but after a little while, she and I started making faces and silly noises (she was super tired and in a silly mood, so I just went with that). Then we went to a mall to get a gift for her orphanage - two rice cookers and 2 pots for heating water for tea - and while Karin did that, she, the boys and I went "shopping" with Lulu pushing a giant shopping cart all through the store and chasing after the boys. She squealed with delight - a sound I will never forget. That began the beginning of the trust in me and the boys, and by the next morning, she woke up asking where her brothers were. So precious.
Tuesday, July 27 - Paperwork day
We filled out all kinds of paperwork this day which ended with making thumbprints (or footprint, in Lulu's case) in red ink on the official documents. Sorry taht we don't have pictures. We will try to send some when we get wifi on the weekend, and for sure we will have them up on the blog once we return. On the drive home, the boys - who have been really good sports about the food - saw a McDonalds, and we decided that it would be good for a cultural experience to see how McD's is done in China. For the most part, exactly the same. Scary. Plus the kids got kids meals, which included a toy doll of a character we had seen Lulu wear on a shirt in one of her early pictures. By the time we got our food back to the car, Lulu was already asleep. she'd had crummy naps the first two days. But she totally bounced back later. We also had an interesting/great discovery that showed us how much she had bonded already with us. At a restaurant, a toilet attendant (woman in her late 60s?) wanted to hug Lulu and Lulu wanted nothing to do with her and ran to Karin for comfort. In addition, she definitely recognizes taht we speak something ELSE, and she listens very intently to us. She began repeating sounds like "let's go." And she loves technology. She plays with my iphone, touching the buttons and shifting the pictures around. She looked through our photos and she listed who she saw - mama, baba (me), ge ge (either one of her brothers). Then she saw a picture of her foster mommy and she said "mama" but she didn't freak out or start crying. Hopefully, that's a sign that she understands she has a mama from China, and now her forever mama. She's also talking a LOT more today. Asking us all kinds of questions, which Karin understands part of, but to me sounds like "Please Daddy blah blah blah blah?" (Qing Baba, some words I don't know and then Ma, which is Chinese for question mark). She talks to me a LOT, and it breaks my heart that I can't understand her or communicate with her.
Wednesday, July 28 - Touring Day
We visited the Minority People's Museum today. I learned "Please Daddy, I need to go to the toilet" and so I've been able to pick up on those cues from her. She enjoyed looking around the museum, and so did the boys. Too much to go into here, but it was a great view of traiditonal life in China in the southern regions, where still many people live in the ways they used to. We've had a little bit of acting out between Quin and Dec - mostly roughhousing or arguing over whose turn it is to sit next to Lulu, etc. Marilyn has been doing a great job keeping them happy and occupied. Lulu still doesn't respond much to her, but she's doing SO well with adapting to all the other new things in her life, and I know that it will come in time. Toward the end of the day, we noticed that Lulu had a junky sounding cough. Her first crying jag since Gotcha day came when we went swimming. Wearing a swim cap is compulsory, and the poor girl has probably never been to a pool. She doesn't like a bath really - Karin's been bathing her in 2 inches of water - so all those put together were more than she was ready for. And, as it turns out, she was probably in the early stages of getting sick. Because that's where we're at today, Thursday.
Thursday, July 29 SICK DAY
Yep, she's sick. She woke up at 5:20 asking for help with a massive fever. Fortunately Karin had read about this and came prepared for all of it. STethoscope, meds, thermometer, you name it. We got antibiotics in her for her VERY junky sounding cough and childrens tylenol for her fever. Cold compresses. She only wants Karin right now, which is why I'm able to blog. When I left her, she was shivering under the covers, poor sweetie.
And so, that's all folks for now. There's more, but those are the highlights. The boys continue to be loving and supportive. I have given them individual attention, and it's helped them know that they are loved as much as before (if not more). Lulu is a wonderful girl who is sooooo sweet and trusting. It breaks my heart to see her cry, but makes me fall further in love with Karin for what a wonderful mother she is to our new girl.
ADDENDUM: Lulu's cold has broken, and we celebrated by taking her to the doctor for vaccinations. Boooooooo. But she's a trooper, and now we are going to take it easy. We are in Guangzhou and on the final leg of the trip.
Pictures soon!
Take care - Thom
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Rays of Merry Sunshine Day
We are in Nanning. Will write more about travel and experiences later.
Just want to say how incredible it is that we are at 10:32AM and we will receive Minlan at 3:30PM. Five little hours is all that separates us.
I can hardly contain my joy.
Now we go to Supermarket to buy snacks for Lulu and milk and other goodies to help her recover from her long train trip. Whole family ecstatic.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Yangshuo town and Wulong Village
At the end of the Li River Cruise, we landed in Yangshuo town. Straight into town from the pier, one is funneled up through West Street, which is lined with tiny stalls and shops hawking wares at 4-10 times the local value. We walked through the tourist street for 40 minutes to meet our Panda Group at KFC. Really, KFC. We bought ice cream cones, used the bathroom where three 5th grade school girls very politely practiced their English on me, and then took our bus to Wulong village.
This is a very small, old-style rice farmers' town where we saw homes built with handmade bricks, a very new and nice medical clinic ($4 per year for a year's care), buildings in various states of disrepair, and some of the people of the village (mostly speeding by on mopeds in tiny alleys if young or hobbling slowly if old). Many of the working townspeople were busy harvesting the surrounding rice fields with water buffalo.
After learned about various Chinese traditions and features of village life, we were bused to the start of our bamboo raft river ride. We were peacefully pushed down the shallow meandering river by a very tanned man with a huge long bamboo pole.
On the river, we enjoyed amazing scenery, got to feed water buffalo, watched a demonstration of cormorant fishing (using trained birds to catch and release fish to the fisherman), tried out the boat pushing ourselves, and were serenaded by a girl of the Drum People minority group. The singer asked one tourist
on her boat if he would sing a song back to her and he said he had a bad throat today. She asked his wife whether she was really going to keep him since he couldn't sing. She sang to our boat and we replied with a nice Beattle's song. We were rewarded at the end of the cruise with an engagement ball for the boys. Ours is factory made but the traditional ones are sewn for a man when a woman has chosen him as her beloved. But first he has to sing satisfactory answers to her questions in song.
Now we are on the bus back to Guilin. We are hoping to find something for dinner and then to walk to the night market to buy some regional goodies like Osmanthus wine and landscape paintings. Or just to see the way the river area is lit up at night.
Two days until we meet our Lulu. I can hardly believe we are this close.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This is a very small, old-style rice farmers' town where we saw homes built with handmade bricks, a very new and nice medical clinic ($4 per year for a year's care), buildings in various states of disrepair, and some of the people of the village (mostly speeding by on mopeds in tiny alleys if young or hobbling slowly if old). Many of the working townspeople were busy harvesting the surrounding rice fields with water buffalo.
After learned about various Chinese traditions and features of village life, we were bused to the start of our bamboo raft river ride. We were peacefully pushed down the shallow meandering river by a very tanned man with a huge long bamboo pole.
On the river, we enjoyed amazing scenery, got to feed water buffalo, watched a demonstration of cormorant fishing (using trained birds to catch and release fish to the fisherman), tried out the boat pushing ourselves, and were serenaded by a girl of the Drum People minority group. The singer asked one tourist
on her boat if he would sing a song back to her and he said he had a bad throat today. She asked his wife whether she was really going to keep him since he couldn't sing. She sang to our boat and we replied with a nice Beattle's song. We were rewarded at the end of the cruise with an engagement ball for the boys. Ours is factory made but the traditional ones are sewn for a man when a woman has chosen him as her beloved. But first he has to sing satisfactory answers to her questions in song.
Now we are on the bus back to Guilin. We are hoping to find something for dinner and then to walk to the night market to buy some regional goodies like Osmanthus wine and landscape paintings. Or just to see the way the river area is lit up at night.
Two days until we meet our Lulu. I can hardly believe we are this close.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Li River Tour
We are in the last hour of our 4 hour tour down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo village. Guilin is a city of 700,000 and if you include the surrounding 12 villages, you get 5 million people. Yangshuo is much smaller than Guilin and really set up for tourism. We were told to window shop and avoid buying because the prices are crazily jacked up.
The Li River cruise is phenomenal. Major highlights of the natural structures include Phoenix Tail Bamboo, The Painted Hill of Nine Horses, the scenic group of mountains printed on the back of the 20 Yuan bill. There is a nice Chinese buffet but it is extra for snails, fried mini-crabs, or snake wine. Literally. Snakes in a jug of wine.
River merchants steer their bamboo rafts right up to our boat and tie on, then straddle the divide as they try to interest us in jade figures or watermelon through the plate glass. If there are no takers, they untie and drift off in the wake.
We attached ourselves to a Chinese native tour group. We're "the panda group'" and we are sharing a table with folks from Japan, Finland, and Canada. All very nice people traveling the region sharing road stories.
Later we will tour a small village and do a slower, gentler river tour with fishermen using trained cormorants to catch fish. Weird to be sightseeing so much, but it helps keep our mind occupied before the big event. Plus, it is gorgeous - almost overwhelmingly so.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The Li River cruise is phenomenal. Major highlights of the natural structures include Phoenix Tail Bamboo, The Painted Hill of Nine Horses, the scenic group of mountains printed on the back of the 20 Yuan bill. There is a nice Chinese buffet but it is extra for snails, fried mini-crabs, or snake wine. Literally. Snakes in a jug of wine.
River merchants steer their bamboo rafts right up to our boat and tie on, then straddle the divide as they try to interest us in jade figures or watermelon through the plate glass. If there are no takers, they untie and drift off in the wake.
We attached ourselves to a Chinese native tour group. We're "the panda group'" and we are sharing a table with folks from Japan, Finland, and Canada. All very nice people traveling the region sharing road stories.
Later we will tour a small village and do a slower, gentler river tour with fishermen using trained cormorants to catch fish. Weird to be sightseeing so much, but it helps keep our mind occupied before the big event. Plus, it is gorgeous - almost overwhelmingly so.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Li River, Guilin, China
Friday, July 23, 2010
Amazing Day in Guilin
Karin writing as I did yesterday.
Each day's agenda is a special little concoction I either came up with at home or developed here. Last night I worked with one of the young ladies who works in our Inn to help me with the ideas for the day. I had read about her and how warm and helpful she is when I found our Inn on TripAdvisor.com. I also loved the serendipitous fact that her name is Lulu just like our soon to be daughter.
So, we hired a van driven by a nice man named Lee and spent an entire day exploring the area. Yao Mountain is the tallest mountain in Guilin. It gives a phenomenal view of the entire region from the top. But of course, first you have to get there. We started the day by driving through Guilin and into the countryside. It was a warm, rainy day and the karst mountains were shrouded in mist. On the way there, we past fields of lotus blooms, stone mausoleums cut into the hillsides and small to medium sized brick shacks, simple houses, and apartment buildings.
We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain and on our way were greeted by almost every person who was coming down. "Hello" or "Nimen hao" were the most common exchanges but we even got to have a tiny exchange in Korean. Guilin is a huge tourist attraction in China with over 300,000 tourists per year but most are mainland Chinese. I wish I could show you what I saw now but the pictures will come later. I can say that looking over this incredibly luscious verdant landscape, I couldn't help but think that Minlan was somewhere out there and that because I could see everything, I must be seeing her.
After Yao Mount, we had a very educational visit to the Guilin Tea Research Institute wher we learned about the differences between all teas, the varieties and qualities and then were treated to a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. The adults loved the teas. I have never tasted tea so delicious and we tried 5 very different but equally special kinds. Dec even tried them. Quin preferred to photograph the event. The highlight for the kids, after learning to pick tea and tea seeds, was to watch as a little clay figure spouted water from a hole in his privates after he was soaked in water and then hot water was poured on him. The tea teacher let them see it twice it was such a hit.
Next was a fabulous lunch at the restaurant where guide Lulu had celebrated her college graduation the year before. Phenomenal duck, noodles, special seasonal veggies, pork with battered corn, and steamed bread filled with what tasted like cake batter. Yum.
The next stop was Seven Star Park where we saw the karst formation that looks Iike a giant camel, gorgeous foliage, a waterfall, lots of friendly people, and 8 red pandas and 3 giant pandas.
At the very end of the day, we went to find Minlan's finding place. We knew it was Wayao Market so we tried Wayao Wholesale Market. Our guide Lulu was very brave and asked the market policemen for us about whether they knew about a baby being found there in Feb of 2007. The first one said he had only been there a few months but the older man suggested that it might have been the Wayao food market rather than goods. I remembered that one of the translations of little Lulu's documents listed Wayao grocery as her finding place. We purchased a few regional souvenirs from the minority population goods stand (the textiles are beautiful) and asked Lee to make one more stop. He agreed.
Wayao Grocery is basically a side street with an archway multiple tiny one room shops open to the air, and people on small bicycles or mini-trucks with baskets or pallets full of fruits or veggies or creatures to sell. The street was packed with people who all stared open-mouthed or smiling at us as we walked through to get a feel for the place. It was a place where one feels the poverty and shows us how grateful we should be for the prosperity in our region. It really broke my heart to be there and think of Lulu's birth mother needing to leave her baby at this exact place for whatever reason. How amazing to be her forever mother and to be here now, standing amongst the crowd, knowing that someone could be here that helped my little girl. I am grateful that someone cared enough to call for help and to get her to the authorities so she could come to know how much she is loved and to learn how much goodness is ahead of her.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Each day's agenda is a special little concoction I either came up with at home or developed here. Last night I worked with one of the young ladies who works in our Inn to help me with the ideas for the day. I had read about her and how warm and helpful she is when I found our Inn on TripAdvisor.com. I also loved the serendipitous fact that her name is Lulu just like our soon to be daughter.
So, we hired a van driven by a nice man named Lee and spent an entire day exploring the area. Yao Mountain is the tallest mountain in Guilin. It gives a phenomenal view of the entire region from the top. But of course, first you have to get there. We started the day by driving through Guilin and into the countryside. It was a warm, rainy day and the karst mountains were shrouded in mist. On the way there, we past fields of lotus blooms, stone mausoleums cut into the hillsides and small to medium sized brick shacks, simple houses, and apartment buildings.
We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain and on our way were greeted by almost every person who was coming down. "Hello" or "Nimen hao" were the most common exchanges but we even got to have a tiny exchange in Korean. Guilin is a huge tourist attraction in China with over 300,000 tourists per year but most are mainland Chinese. I wish I could show you what I saw now but the pictures will come later. I can say that looking over this incredibly luscious verdant landscape, I couldn't help but think that Minlan was somewhere out there and that because I could see everything, I must be seeing her.
After Yao Mount, we had a very educational visit to the Guilin Tea Research Institute wher we learned about the differences between all teas, the varieties and qualities and then were treated to a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. The adults loved the teas. I have never tasted tea so delicious and we tried 5 very different but equally special kinds. Dec even tried them. Quin preferred to photograph the event. The highlight for the kids, after learning to pick tea and tea seeds, was to watch as a little clay figure spouted water from a hole in his privates after he was soaked in water and then hot water was poured on him. The tea teacher let them see it twice it was such a hit.
Next was a fabulous lunch at the restaurant where guide Lulu had celebrated her college graduation the year before. Phenomenal duck, noodles, special seasonal veggies, pork with battered corn, and steamed bread filled with what tasted like cake batter. Yum.
The next stop was Seven Star Park where we saw the karst formation that looks Iike a giant camel, gorgeous foliage, a waterfall, lots of friendly people, and 8 red pandas and 3 giant pandas.
At the very end of the day, we went to find Minlan's finding place. We knew it was Wayao Market so we tried Wayao Wholesale Market. Our guide Lulu was very brave and asked the market policemen for us about whether they knew about a baby being found there in Feb of 2007. The first one said he had only been there a few months but the older man suggested that it might have been the Wayao food market rather than goods. I remembered that one of the translations of little Lulu's documents listed Wayao grocery as her finding place. We purchased a few regional souvenirs from the minority population goods stand (the textiles are beautiful) and asked Lee to make one more stop. He agreed.
Wayao Grocery is basically a side street with an archway multiple tiny one room shops open to the air, and people on small bicycles or mini-trucks with baskets or pallets full of fruits or veggies or creatures to sell. The street was packed with people who all stared open-mouthed or smiling at us as we walked through to get a feel for the place. It was a place where one feels the poverty and shows us how grateful we should be for the prosperity in our region. It really broke my heart to be there and think of Lulu's birth mother needing to leave her baby at this exact place for whatever reason. How amazing to be her forever mother and to be here now, standing amongst the crowd, knowing that someone could be here that helped my little girl. I am grateful that someone cared enough to call for help and to get her to the authorities so she could come to know how much she is loved and to learn how much goodness is ahead of her.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Beijing Impressions
It was amazing to land in Beijing. We traveled on Hainan Air direct from Seattle to Beijing. Bapa Pete kindly dropped us off with our 4 rolling duffles and we were on our way. The flight was delayed by an hour so we were there 4 hours early instead of 3 but we passed the time having a good meal and settling in to travel mode.
Hainan Air economy class was great. We had a whole row with Minlan's empty seat so the boys were able to stretch out and sleep for the last two hours of the almost 12 hour flight. Mom slept a little but Thom and I just couldn't sleep. By the end, I think it was 3:20 in the AM, our time, and we were appalled that we couldn't get ourselves to rest. Oh, well.
We were met at the airport by our fantastic guide Lee from Beijing Xin Hua tours (tours@tour-beijing.com). I found the company through reviews on Trip Advisor and it really paid off. She was amazing. She took us to our comfy Mercedes van driven expertly by Mr. Zhang and we entered the suburbs of Beijing on our way to the city center. The city is laid out just like the city of Moscow, Russia with the main cultural and historical wonders at the center and multiple giant Ring Roads encircling the city and going out from the center.
Our hotel, the Marriott Beijing City Wall was glorious. Right next to an old section of the former city wall that has been preserved but amongst all kinds of modern buildings. The hotel was constructed or updated for the 2008 Olympics. A five star hotel in China costs what a standard Marriott does in the US.
In Beijing, we had an amazing day with Guide Lee and Driver Mr. Zhang. While he drove like a very safe version of James Bond, Lee taught us a great deal about the culture and history of China. We took a cable car up to the Mutianyu portion of the Great Wall and walked from that Watchtower to one much farther along the wall. The boys were enthralled and Mom was a trooper. She showed everyone what a person with low vision is capable of as she braved the very uneven and often steep terrain of the wall. Lee and Thom physically guided Mom along the whole way and she went well beyond the duties of a guide. We were so grateful to work with her. Mom wants her to join the family!
I can hardly express how phenomenal it was to actually be on the wall after dreaming of and planning this trip for so long. I kept looking and thinking that it was definitely even more impressive and crazy than I could have ever imagined. It is this huge stone/brick raised roadway on the tippy top rims of undulating mountain peaks way out in the country. Just fantastic to be there. We thanked Lulu for getting us there because we wouldn't have been there if we weren't on our way to adopt her.
We got to drive individual toboggans down the mountainside. Mom was terrified at the idea but did it anyway and loved it. Quin had to ride with me due to his age and I had to keep reminding him that the "slow" signs meant he had to use the brake a bit. He just wanted to read the "lean into corner" signs.
After the Great Wall, we went to lunch and toured a cloisonné factory owned by the government. The lunch was great for the grown-ups and fine for the kids. The factory was an added benefit to not knowing where the restroom was and me accidentally finding the beginning of the tour. Lee said we had time to take it and we got to see some artists at work and purchase a few lovely items.
Afterward, we toured the Summer Palace and saw Kunming Lake, the dragon boats, the marble boat, the 8000 paintings of the long corridor, and the area in which the last emperor was imprisoned for 10 years. We felt like movie stars because people kept coming up to us and asking to take their picture with us because we were so tall and the only non-Asians in a huge area packed with people. People also decided that Dec and Quin must be twins. I heard the word "gao" so many times, I knew it must be the word for tall. Not sure what else was said but it seemed to make a lot of people happy to take our photos with them, their kids, their mother, their aunt, etc.
After a very full day, we had dinner at the hotel and collapsed into our beds.
Today we flew from Beijing to Guilin. This is Minlan's birthplace and likely her current home. We are staying at a tiny Inn on the River called Guilin Riverside Inn. I wanted us to experience a bit more of China than just the isolated fancy hotels. Not to knock their comfort and style but this is lovely and much simpler. For perspective, I'd also like to share that the Inn costs 1/6th what the Marriot cost for our two rooms. Our entire dinner for five tonight cost the price of one room service entree at the Marriott.
This city is vibrant, hot as heck, and bustling with life amongst gorgeous bright green almost pointed slender mountains that rise straight out of the ground but with a small base. hopefully I can post some photos soon. The natural landscape is spectacular.
Tomorrow we will see Yao Mountain, learn about tea making, go to Seven Star Park and see Pandas, and visit Minlan's finding place. Oh, and we have some shopping plans too.
More tomorrow. I can hardly believe we are here and will meet Minlan 4 days from now. It feels like a long time right now but it is nothing compared to the forever we are looking forward to.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Hainan Air economy class was great. We had a whole row with Minlan's empty seat so the boys were able to stretch out and sleep for the last two hours of the almost 12 hour flight. Mom slept a little but Thom and I just couldn't sleep. By the end, I think it was 3:20 in the AM, our time, and we were appalled that we couldn't get ourselves to rest. Oh, well.
We were met at the airport by our fantastic guide Lee from Beijing Xin Hua tours (tours@tour-beijing.com). I found the company through reviews on Trip Advisor and it really paid off. She was amazing. She took us to our comfy Mercedes van driven expertly by Mr. Zhang and we entered the suburbs of Beijing on our way to the city center. The city is laid out just like the city of Moscow, Russia with the main cultural and historical wonders at the center and multiple giant Ring Roads encircling the city and going out from the center.
Our hotel, the Marriott Beijing City Wall was glorious. Right next to an old section of the former city wall that has been preserved but amongst all kinds of modern buildings. The hotel was constructed or updated for the 2008 Olympics. A five star hotel in China costs what a standard Marriott does in the US.
In Beijing, we had an amazing day with Guide Lee and Driver Mr. Zhang. While he drove like a very safe version of James Bond, Lee taught us a great deal about the culture and history of China. We took a cable car up to the Mutianyu portion of the Great Wall and walked from that Watchtower to one much farther along the wall. The boys were enthralled and Mom was a trooper. She showed everyone what a person with low vision is capable of as she braved the very uneven and often steep terrain of the wall. Lee and Thom physically guided Mom along the whole way and she went well beyond the duties of a guide. We were so grateful to work with her. Mom wants her to join the family!
I can hardly express how phenomenal it was to actually be on the wall after dreaming of and planning this trip for so long. I kept looking and thinking that it was definitely even more impressive and crazy than I could have ever imagined. It is this huge stone/brick raised roadway on the tippy top rims of undulating mountain peaks way out in the country. Just fantastic to be there. We thanked Lulu for getting us there because we wouldn't have been there if we weren't on our way to adopt her.
We got to drive individual toboggans down the mountainside. Mom was terrified at the idea but did it anyway and loved it. Quin had to ride with me due to his age and I had to keep reminding him that the "slow" signs meant he had to use the brake a bit. He just wanted to read the "lean into corner" signs.
After the Great Wall, we went to lunch and toured a cloisonné factory owned by the government. The lunch was great for the grown-ups and fine for the kids. The factory was an added benefit to not knowing where the restroom was and me accidentally finding the beginning of the tour. Lee said we had time to take it and we got to see some artists at work and purchase a few lovely items.
Afterward, we toured the Summer Palace and saw Kunming Lake, the dragon boats, the marble boat, the 8000 paintings of the long corridor, and the area in which the last emperor was imprisoned for 10 years. We felt like movie stars because people kept coming up to us and asking to take their picture with us because we were so tall and the only non-Asians in a huge area packed with people. People also decided that Dec and Quin must be twins. I heard the word "gao" so many times, I knew it must be the word for tall. Not sure what else was said but it seemed to make a lot of people happy to take our photos with them, their kids, their mother, their aunt, etc.
After a very full day, we had dinner at the hotel and collapsed into our beds.
Today we flew from Beijing to Guilin. This is Minlan's birthplace and likely her current home. We are staying at a tiny Inn on the River called Guilin Riverside Inn. I wanted us to experience a bit more of China than just the isolated fancy hotels. Not to knock their comfort and style but this is lovely and much simpler. For perspective, I'd also like to share that the Inn costs 1/6th what the Marriot cost for our two rooms. Our entire dinner for five tonight cost the price of one room service entree at the Marriott.
This city is vibrant, hot as heck, and bustling with life amongst gorgeous bright green almost pointed slender mountains that rise straight out of the ground but with a small base. hopefully I can post some photos soon. The natural landscape is spectacular.
Tomorrow we will see Yao Mountain, learn about tea making, go to Seven Star Park and see Pandas, and visit Minlan's finding place. Oh, and we have some shopping plans too.
More tomorrow. I can hardly believe we are here and will meet Minlan 4 days from now. It feels like a long time right now but it is nothing compared to the forever we are looking forward to.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, July 18, 2010
We travel tomorrow!
Wow. The time is finally here. I can hardly believe it. Now, when I look at pictures of Lulu, or pack her bag, or sit on her bed, I feel as if she is nearby. Not so far out of reach. Not so many miles away. It is an amazing feeling after 9 months. I feel so grateful to know that it is ONLY 9 months as many families wait even longer to unite their families.
The boys are just thrilled. Ecstatic really. They had the pleasure of spending the whole day with their cousins thanks to Auntie Kayce. This gave them a fun day of distraction while Thom and I focused on the final elements of packing. It is amazing how much there is to do. However, as long as we have all the documents, a way to pay for things, and the Travel Approval that has to be presented in order to receive Lulu, we can get on that plane. The clothes, the snacks, the diversions, don't really matter. Although they do make a very long trip much more pleasant.
For those who will follow our trail, here is our itinerary:
July 19-20- Fly to Beijing. Stay at Marriott Beijing City Wall.
July 21- Tour Great Wall Mutianyu section, then Summer Palace.
July 22- Fly to Guilin, stay Guilin Riverside Inn
July 23- Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Village in Afternoon
July 24- Perhaps Seven Star Park and visit our daughter's finding place
July 25- Train to Nanning, Stay Majestic Hotel (Min Yuan Xindu)
July 26- Gotcha Day! We receive our daughter into the family.
July 27- Adoption Registration- we officially become a family of 5.
July 28- Free Day
July 29- Free Day
July 30- Receive Lulu's Chinese passport. Fly to Guangzhou. Stay China Hotel Marriott.
July 31- Medical Exam with TB test and possible immunizations.
August 1- Paperwork review
August 2- TB result
August 3- Paperwork submitted to US consulate in AM, shopping in PM
August 4- US Consulate Swearing-in Ceremony
August 5- Pick up immigrant visa
August 6- Rest (swim)
August 7- Fly Guangzhou to Beijing and Beijing to Seattle. Arrive Seattle afternoon.
So, the "children (and grown-ups) are nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of [plum sauce] danced in their heads." Okay, the grown-ups aren't in bed. We're still working. It's 10:30 PM. But we are oh so close to being ready to go.
The boys are just thrilled. Ecstatic really. They had the pleasure of spending the whole day with their cousins thanks to Auntie Kayce. This gave them a fun day of distraction while Thom and I focused on the final elements of packing. It is amazing how much there is to do. However, as long as we have all the documents, a way to pay for things, and the Travel Approval that has to be presented in order to receive Lulu, we can get on that plane. The clothes, the snacks, the diversions, don't really matter. Although they do make a very long trip much more pleasant.
For those who will follow our trail, here is our itinerary:
July 19-20- Fly to Beijing. Stay at Marriott Beijing City Wall.
July 21- Tour Great Wall Mutianyu section, then Summer Palace.
July 22- Fly to Guilin, stay Guilin Riverside Inn
July 23- Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Village in Afternoon
July 24- Perhaps Seven Star Park and visit our daughter's finding place
July 25- Train to Nanning, Stay Majestic Hotel (Min Yuan Xindu)
July 26- Gotcha Day! We receive our daughter into the family.
July 27- Adoption Registration- we officially become a family of 5.
July 28- Free Day
July 29- Free Day
July 30- Receive Lulu's Chinese passport. Fly to Guangzhou. Stay China Hotel Marriott.
July 31- Medical Exam with TB test and possible immunizations.
August 1- Paperwork review
August 2- TB result
August 3- Paperwork submitted to US consulate in AM, shopping in PM
August 4- US Consulate Swearing-in Ceremony
August 5- Pick up immigrant visa
August 6- Rest (swim)
August 7- Fly Guangzhou to Beijing and Beijing to Seattle. Arrive Seattle afternoon.
So, the "children (and grown-ups) are nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of [plum sauce] danced in their heads." Okay, the grown-ups aren't in bed. We're still working. It's 10:30 PM. But we are oh so close to being ready to go.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Mailing from Guilin SWI/People who care about Lulu
Months ago, in care package #2 I think, we sent a self-addressed stamped envelope through Ann of Red Threads in hope that the orphanage would write us something about Lulu.
We received this envelope in the mail today. There are four drawings but I can't get one to upload. Each colorful drawing is labelled very lightly in Chinese in pencil. I am going to take them to work tomorrow and hope that San-Hwan doesn't mind translating a few words for me. I am so thrilled to see and touch our little girl's work and see what she has created for herself and for us.
It's just amazing to have received this today. Tomorrow is my last day at work before we go. In 5 days, we step on that plane. Every person I talk to at work, and I end up speaking with at least 30 people a day between patients and co-workers/colleagues, knows I am leaving to bring home my daughter. They are so excited for our whole family. It is phenomenal how many hearts Lulu has touched just by being herself and living the life she has lived thus far.
I arrived at work in the morning to find my desk-top stacked with adorable packages. My friend Tanya and her generous son had chosen a dolly, outfits, and a precious doll's sleigh bed for Lulu so that she wouldn't feel lonely in her bed at night. They thought of this when they realized that she might sleep in her foster mommy's bed right now and might feel lonely in her new bed at home. So sweet and perceptive!
After lunch, I saw a patient and then returned to my office to find my chair stacked high with coloring books, princess items, a sparkly "Little Sister" t-shirt, jigsaw puzzles for work learning and all kinds of thoughtful and fun items for a little girl. These gifts were thoughtfully put together by our amazing team of receptionists. I was so touched that people had anticipated our great adventure ahead and that they wanted to make Lulu (and her mommy) feel special and loved. I am so lucky to work with such generous and kind people.
Monday, July 12, 2010
One week!/Showered with Love
We will get on that plane in exactly one week. One week!
It all became tangible and present yesterday when I realized that I was nervous in a happy way for the special shower my dear sister, mom, and wonderful friends Sara, Mara, and Chris threw for me. Sara even hosted at her house after a big family trip. Lovely lady friends all got together to socialize and express their joy for Lulu and for me as her Forever Mama. It was a wonderful gathering and meant so much to me to have the support and love of my friends as I embark on this part of the journey. I am so excited to parent my daughter, to love her, and for her to be a part of this welcoming community. Lulu will love all the adorable, thoughtful,sweet girly gifts our dear friends chose for her.
Today, I worked and Thom figured out what kind of baggage we need. He got all kinds of things done toward the trip.
I got prescriptions filled, others requested, new glasses, and other items done. The to-do list is long but it got shorter today.
As we work through this last week of trip prep and try to keep the adrenalin levels from rising in our haste to get to Lulu, we so appreciate the way people have showered us and our daughter with love. Thank you dear friends!
It all became tangible and present yesterday when I realized that I was nervous in a happy way for the special shower my dear sister, mom, and wonderful friends Sara, Mara, and Chris threw for me. Sara even hosted at her house after a big family trip. Lovely lady friends all got together to socialize and express their joy for Lulu and for me as her Forever Mama. It was a wonderful gathering and meant so much to me to have the support and love of my friends as I embark on this part of the journey. I am so excited to parent my daughter, to love her, and for her to be a part of this welcoming community. Lulu will love all the adorable, thoughtful,sweet girly gifts our dear friends chose for her.
Today, I worked and Thom figured out what kind of baggage we need. He got all kinds of things done toward the trip.
I got prescriptions filled, others requested, new glasses, and other items done. The to-do list is long but it got shorter today.
As we work through this last week of trip prep and try to keep the adrenalin levels from rising in our haste to get to Lulu, we so appreciate the way people have showered us and our daughter with love. Thank you dear friends!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Update Surprise
We received an unexpected gift today. You will see a photo of Lulu standing from October, 2009 (just around the time of her 3rd birthday) and a photo fo Lulu sitting. We also found out how she ended up with glasses and a patch. It turns out she went to Beijing for some time for a surgery. We don't know what was done nor why they are patching the left (passive) eye. We do know that she she was gone from her foster mother for some time and had a difficult time returning to preschool because she wanted to be with her foster mommy.
It will help us a lot in our time with Lulu to know that she lost her foster mommy for some period of time, only 7 months prior to her adoption. She may grieve very hard or she may close herself off and wait for her foster mommy to return. Hopefully, her foster family has been able to prepare her somewhat for this next transition and hopefully they have let her know that we have their permission to raise her. She is clearly very loved by them and loves them immensely in return.
I am so grateful for this latest information. 8 Days to travel day!
Love,
Karin
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Forever Family Day!
We sent Lulu a cake through Angela at Ladybugsnlove.com so that Lulu could celebrate her adoption with her pre-school friends. I have been checking my email over and over and over again for some time now- looking for these magical photos. The speak for themselves but I do want to point out that the beautiful red silk outfit was the one ordered by Nana and Bapa. It is so nice to see her enjoying herself and to know that the things we have sent have been received. Oh, I am such a happy Mama tonight.
Yummy!
Ten Days from Tomorrow
I haven't posted in a while. I think that I am kind of in this strange waiting zone. It is like there is an emotional zone where something so huge is happening but in a prolonged, dragged out, potentially painful way, that I have hunkered down into the trip prep. I suppose it is like feeling like a balloon that is ready to take flight but needs to have that cute little heavy weight at the bottom to keep it tethered to the earth so that it may serve its intended purpose.
This must sound strange. "You have your Travel Approval, plane tickets, work arrangements.... ", you say. Things ARE coming into order to support our trip. Yes, I know and for all of this, I am incredibly grateful and thrilled. It's just that we have been waiting for one specific beloved member of our family for almost 9 months, and we are so close to knowing her, that I can practically hear her laugh and smell her hair and feel those tears. I wish it were today. It is all I can do to just take a deep breath, stay in the moment, and be grateful for this wonderful family that I am lucky to be a part of.
I have loads of work to do to get us ready. Each day I get things checked off the list. Dec and Quin are having a great week of iCamp. Thom is working hard on getting us ready too, managing the household, and getting his film projects to a state where he can leave them for a time as we unite and establish our family. I have one more week of work. Every single interaction involves someone wishing me well in our upcoming adoption and my heart overflows with hope and joy.
Tonight I started reading the book Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. I am only 10 pages into the book and so incredibly glad that I ordered it. We have so much to learn to assist our daughter in working through her grief related to losing her birth mother at an early age, losing her foster mother, and never knowing who or what or why. To help with her feelings of loss, or rejection, or any aspect of adoption loss that comes up over her life. We will just take things one step at a time but work from early on to help her build a foundation of love, and self-acceptance, and self-worth. She is so deserving of love, appreciation, and celebration. Teaching that will be a lifelong task of parenting and I really think that is true of all children. Just in different ways for different children. See, I have plenty of work to do before we go, and during, and after.
Ten days from tomorrow, we get on a plane to China. Wow, is that amazing to say. I am so looking forward to the adventure ahead. And I have always been a girl who enjoys doing her homework.
This must sound strange. "You have your Travel Approval, plane tickets, work arrangements.... ", you say. Things ARE coming into order to support our trip. Yes, I know and for all of this, I am incredibly grateful and thrilled. It's just that we have been waiting for one specific beloved member of our family for almost 9 months, and we are so close to knowing her, that I can practically hear her laugh and smell her hair and feel those tears. I wish it were today. It is all I can do to just take a deep breath, stay in the moment, and be grateful for this wonderful family that I am lucky to be a part of.
I have loads of work to do to get us ready. Each day I get things checked off the list. Dec and Quin are having a great week of iCamp. Thom is working hard on getting us ready too, managing the household, and getting his film projects to a state where he can leave them for a time as we unite and establish our family. I have one more week of work. Every single interaction involves someone wishing me well in our upcoming adoption and my heart overflows with hope and joy.
Tonight I started reading the book Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. I am only 10 pages into the book and so incredibly glad that I ordered it. We have so much to learn to assist our daughter in working through her grief related to losing her birth mother at an early age, losing her foster mother, and never knowing who or what or why. To help with her feelings of loss, or rejection, or any aspect of adoption loss that comes up over her life. We will just take things one step at a time but work from early on to help her build a foundation of love, and self-acceptance, and self-worth. She is so deserving of love, appreciation, and celebration. Teaching that will be a lifelong task of parenting and I really think that is true of all children. Just in different ways for different children. See, I have plenty of work to do before we go, and during, and after.
Ten days from tomorrow, we get on a plane to China. Wow, is that amazing to say. I am so looking forward to the adventure ahead. And I have always been a girl who enjoys doing her homework.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A night of our own
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
