Roots and Wings

We went to Maryn's Christmas dance recital recently. Her class did a hip hop Rudolph number and even though our darling dancer was on stage for only about 3 minutes, the entire show was really enjoyable. As the rehearsals went on, we could see that she was starting to get it, so it was fun to see the finale. By the time it was over she was ready to sign up for ballet, tap and jazz so she can get more stage time. She's right, she should do ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop but that's going to have to wait until she can read (her performance contracts), tell time (so she knows when she has to be on stage), and count money (so she can pay for it).

We celebrated Daddy's birthday recently with smiles, singing and huge cupcakes. Our gangsta girl doesn't look so tough in that pink robe. What a cutie - daddy, too.

I know what happened: we were so busy making memories that fall got by us. We got our pumpkins from our favorite farm, celebrated Jen's Golden Birthday and enjoyed ourselves in piles of leaves, all while wearing t-shirts and shorts. Those t-shirts and shorts are a distant memory now having been replaced by flannel lined jeans and puffy down, and those piles of leaves will be replaced by piles of snow soon. Oh well, that won't stop us from having more fun and making more memories, will it Tom : )

On Thursdays Maryn brings her reading book home so she can find the vocabulary words in the story. As we have moved further into the school year we have seen progress with the homework assignments in subtle ways, such things as she now knows what story to turn to when opening the book. Yay! We celebrate the small steps. On this occasion she opened the book to a story about Ben Franklin, and when I read the title I said, "Ben Franklin, I love Ben Franklin. When you get finished I want to read this story because I want to know more about Ben Franklin." Maryn said "I know, I know," and proceeded to tell us about a kite with a key, thunder, lightning, and Ben got a "shot" from it. She went on to say that he put things on top of houses to keep people safe. As I wiped the tears off my cheeks, I told her that was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. Comprehension is a remarkable thing.

It would be cheaper to home school. At public school, when a tooth starts getting wiggly all the kids are talking about how much cash there is to be made. We didn't stand a chance when it was announced after school one day that the tooth fairy would be coming to our house and leaving $5! There went the opportunity to start out small with a structured plan allowing for yearly cost of living increases. I did the smart thing and wrote a big yellow sticky note so we wouldn't forget about her arrival. Fortunately, Maryn let us know that the tooth fairy would be visiting during the day while she was at school, so we didn't have to stay up at night to greet her. Maryn went right to her room when she got home and found her treasure. We captured her toothy grin - minus one.

Maryn has a new look to her beautiful face. She started telling us that she couldn't see and things were "boory," so we took her in for an eye exam. Good thing they can tell by the shape of the eye what sort of correction a person needs because there wasn't much to be gained by the responses to the doctor's questions. She was able to see the rather large E, but when she said she couldn't see the next row down, after a few quick blinks of our eyes which were popping out of our heads, we knew the rest of the letters were just getting jumbled in a tangle of language and there was no cause for alarm. The optometrist was very understanding, especially since her family looks a lot like ours, and we departed after ordering the cutest pair of glasses with pink flowers on the side.

Maryn is very good about wearing her glasses, and, on the occasions when we get to the bus stop in the morning without them, the kids are very good about asking where they are. A short sprint back to the house takes care of that. Lucky for us she has not seemed to notice any more wrinkles on us now that she can see us more clearly, and we think her four eyes are the most beautiful we have ever seen.

Maryn learned how to ride a bike several weeks ago and has been spending a lot of time on wheels since then. Her bike was a little too big for her so we borrowed a tiny bike from Ame and that was the key to success. She was able to put her feet on the ground if she felt like she was falling, and she could become comfortable with the feeling of balance on her own. It was so cute to see the big smile on her face when she started to get it, and, as it is with every new bicycle rider, she never looked back. When she gets off the bus after school the first words out of her mouth are, "Can I ride my bike?" If we have something else to do after school, we have to keep the garage door down so we can get her redirected without disappointment. It didn't take long before she was putting her feet up on the bar while shouting out, "Look at me," and last weekend while I was gone, Tom said the boys next door showed her how to step on the brakes and throw the back end to the side. I haven't seen it, so maybe she's moved beyond that. I hope.

Well, she went back just like we hoped she would. The bus is a big draw this year and continues to be. Some days Maryn has her backpack on ready to go 45 minutes early, and we have to break the news that it's not time to go yet. We practiced the morning routine the week before school started and that was a good move after a summer loaded with fun but lacking in routine. Her teachers are great and really putting a lot of effort into her education and socialization. We know we'll be watching her soar in second grade.

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One year ago today, our wait was over, and we walked into the life of a beautiful little girl. We named her Maryn, an Aramaic name meaning longed for. Our match was made in heaven and brought to earth, and we are a grateful family.

Happy Birthday to our darling daughter!

When Maryn walked into the kitchen this morning wiping her sleepy eyes, I said, "Happy Birthday, Maryn," and it was so sweet to hear her say thank you. We went right over to the counter to the jar with one dog biscuit remaining, and she took the cookie out and gave it to Toby. Today was the day we had been counting down to for quite a while, and the dog biscuits helped to explain month, weeks, and days. We enjoyed a fun day with family and finished with cake and ice cream. Yesterday's kid party luau was a blast with lots of water games, food, cake and ice cream and presents. Thanks to our volunteer helpers and to all the friends who made it such a wonderful day.

This little piggy is having a great summer and so are her mom and dad. We've had a vacation, a reunion, three weeks of swimming lessons and time spent in various pools, two vacation Bible schools, daytrips, and we still have a few birthday parties, including one extra special one, in the near future. I will admit I faced summer vacation with a little trepidation, but it has turned out great, and just like when I was a kid, I hate seeing Back to School signs already.

The reunion we attended was special because we saw a few of the families we met in China last summer. We saw firsthand how well all the children are doing and how they have thrived and changed over the last 11 months. We have a strong bond for having shared such a life changing experience, and it was wonderful to be with them again.

A highlight of the reunion for me was meeting a woman with whom I connected through the internet. Not only have I followed her blog for more than two years, but she was also a calm, funny voice of experience for me during the stressful time between our referral and our trip to China. Her darling daughter shines through pictures and her mother's words, and everytime I read her blog, I feel like I just sat on their front porch in a comfortable chair and enjoyed watching their lives happen before me. When we were at the reunion, I saw that little girl's sweet face run past me, so I called out her name and said, "Take me to your mommy." When I tapped her mother on the shoulder, and she turned around, it was pure delight to tell her my name and witness the look of surprise on her face as she connected the dots. How great to share a hug and marvel at how extraordinary it is that our lives were brought together. We had only bits and pieces of a few short hours to visit, but it was well worth the trip, and I'm sure at the close of day we both smiled remembering how special it was.

We went to the beach the other day after Jen's Locks*of*Love haircut with strict instructions for her - DON'T GET YOUR HAIR WET! That's a cruel thing to say to a kid at the beach, but we wanted to enjoy her fabulous cut for the rest of the day. This is the third time she has donated 10 inches of her beautiful hair to the organization, and it was a great reason to do something fun for the day. They gave the sand toys a workout on the beach while Ame and I sat and enjoyed watching them enjoy themselves. We finished the day with a gorgeous sunset as we walked back to the car. We're looking forward to spending a late afternoon at the beach again soon.

We love hand me downs, especially when they are as cute as this one. We came home today and found a bag on the kitchen table that daddy brought home from work. Maryn took a look inside, found this dress and right away she wanted to try it on. I told her to put it on and give me a fashion show. She added the accessory, a purse that came from Jenny, and when I saw her I said, "You look like you are on your way to college!" I'm not ready for that yet. How about second grade instead. Last week we received two large shopping bags filled with cute clothes from the 14 year old across the street. I told her we will take everything she gives us and now that she's going into high school, that includes all the formals, too. We are set.

Tom enjoyed the day with his girls and his dad. That was special, and it was a great Father's Day.

No matter your age or social status, a Whoopi*Cushion is going to make you laugh. Watching an 8 year old experience one for the first time, now that's a rip roarin' good time. Click on the arrow and enjoy.

I'll never forget the sound that a cell phone makes when it vibrates on a desktop. That's the sound we heard one year ago today when we received The Call from our adoption agency. It was 7:01 a.m. We were on vacation in a hotel, laying in bed, having just opened our eyes one minute before. Tom's phone vibrated, and we looked at each other wondering who would be calling so early in the morning. I picked up the phone, said hello and heard the words about a little girl we had waited so long to hear. It was a stunning surprise, and we were completely unprepared. There were tears to shed and there was paperwork to process in a short amount of time. Our favorite hotel desk clerk, Sasha, helped us tremendously, and, although we never anticipated he would be the first person with whom we would share our good news, it makes the story all the more special. It's impossible to believe it's been one year since that moment. The memory remains fresh, and we live everyday knowing we are truly blessed.

Last Sunday the children performed their Easter program in front of the congregation. I don't need to tell you how sweet it is to listen to angels sing. One of them has been riding around in my car in recent weeks requesting the practice CD on most of those trips. It doesn't matter that she doesn't know the words, Maryn loves to sing, and she does it with gusto. On a recent roadtrip, the three of us were enjoying the music, and as the CD played the refrain I am rooted in His love, from the backseat Tom and I heard "I am weally, weally slow." However Maryn sings it, we are dazzled by her talent, and it's all the more touching when her daddy turns to me with a big smile on his face and says, "Don't you suppose God is smiling right now." I had to agree.

It was a very chatty weekend at our house, so many new things going on, and there was a lot of conversation, explanation and repetition going on, too. By Saturday evening, I was talked out and looking forward to taking a walk with Toby and Jen's dog, Zoe, who was spending the weekend at our house. Oh, for a few minutes with just my thoughts and the quiet of walking dogs who are happy to be with me nonverbally. As it turned out, Maryn wanted to go with me, and I am well aware that's a great thing for a mother and daughter at any stage of the relationship. Besides, she is so darn cute, so I agreed. We were headed to the golf cart path behind the house, and I turned to Maryn and carefully said, "I'm going to run because I don't want Zoe to pee on the lawn." With that, I started to run, but I didn't get far. Maryn grabbed the back of my jacket, which caused me to stutter step, which caused Zoe to stutter step, which caused my foot to get caught in the flexible leash, which caused me to hop on one foot while trying my hardest to untangle my foot and keep from falling. I managed to right myself after about six large hops and finished running across the backyard. When we got to the cart path, Maryn's little hand was patting her chest signaling a racing heart. She told me I scared her. I said, "Because I ran?" She said, "No, you say lion." It didn't take me long to decipher that what she understood me to say when I told her I was going to run because of the lawn was that I was going to run because of the lion. I was slaphappy from a long day of talking, and all I could do was double over with laughter. She laughed, too. I spent a good part of the walk explaining to her that there are no lions living near us. No tigers either, no bears . . . you get the idea. We walked and we talked and talked, and if not for that I might not have remembered how special a walk with my daughter can be.

When we arrived home from China in August 2009, our friends Sandi and Bruce picked us up at the airport. When he first saw Maryn, Bruce tapped on the sides of his head with his hands, and Maryn declared, "Da tou tou," (usually pronounced like dah toe toe) meaning hit head in Chinese. In a combination of dialect and child speak, Bruce has been known since then as Da TuTu. Today we celebrated with Sandi and Da TuTu the marriage of their daughter Sara and her husband, Matt. Leading up to the event, we have been talking a lot about traveling to Da TuTu's daughter's wedding and what happens at a wedding. What Maryn has been hearing in all those conversations is Da TuTu dolly dance. The day finally arrived, and it was a beautiful celebration of a special couple's love for each other, their family and their friends. We had a wonderful time, Maryn was as good as gold, and we danced. Put a check next to "attend a wedding" on the list of family firsts.

I picked Maryn up from school on Friday, and as the car door closed I heard, "Bubba gum, bubba gum dee wah dees, how many dees do you won?" Finally, she learned something at school that will stick with her for the rest of her life! She and I played many rounds of bubba gum throughout the weekend, and somehow I always seemed to be the one who was out, but, then, when you're playing while driving, it's not easy to see exactly where the finger is pointing when the chant ends. On Saturday evening Tom and I broadened her repetoire with Eenie Meenie, Johnny Lit the Match, One Potato Two Potato and Engine Engine Number Nine. She wasn't always the winner when we could keep our eyes on the game, but she handled it with a smile.

Friday night Maryn went to her first slumber party. Leading up to the event we discussed how we would miss each other, and it was nice to hear her say, "I know," when we told her we would miss her, but she always followed that by saying, "You miss me, I miss you." I made sure to give her a long hug and a few kisses before we left the house because I knew there would be no looking back when she hit the inside of the house for the party. She was no different than the rest of the kids as they were dropped off, and it was great to see. Tom and I lived it up by going to dinner at a restaurant where we talked loudly to hear each other then came home and fell asleep on the couch. You can really live it up when there is no one to tell "it's time to brush your teeth" or "flush the toilet" and "wash your hands" and then make sure it's done in that order.

Saturday morning was the annual pancake breakfast, Tom's big fundraising effort for the year, and this year he sold one more VIP ticket for the event as you can see by the smiling flower face. He works hard during the coldest time of the year selling tickets door to door, at church, and everywhere else in town. It makes you smile to see how many people turn out for the event and know how hard he and the rest of the volunteers work to make it a successful event. That golden sausage and pancake plaque looks pretty good in his closet, and it seems that he might be able to dust it off and have his name added one more time as the event's top ticket seller. Way to go, Tom!

I'm sorry to say that Saturday was also Maryn's last basketball game of the season. That was some great entertainment that we are going to miss. She may have inbounded every ball to the other team, provided the best defensive offense the game has ever seen, and spent more time fussing with her hair then actually getting close to the ball, but we'll miss seeing her running from one end of the court to the other in her shiney red shoes and long black shorts. She went from knowing absolutely nothing about basketball to knowing not much about basketball, but she was part of a team and she smiled at us from the floor and that's what counts. Her coaches were wonderful, and she would be lucky if she could learn from them again sometime. Sure hope to be able to convince her to give it another try next winter, but for now we'll move on to the joy of knowing absolutely nothing about soccer.