Art Enrichment Day

Once a month the younger three kids and I get to go to this beautiful mansion which has been made into an art center.

We are shown a presentation on a country and then the activities relate to the country.  Last month was England.  The kids were especially interested in the presentation this month because it was about CHINA!!!!  One thing we learned was that China was among the first to introduce paper.  So we made paper from recycled material.  They began by tearing up little pieces of newspaper and putting them in a bucket of water.

The staff used a blender to make "newspaper smoothies" then added it to a bucket of pulp.  The kids used a screen to dip out and drain the newspaper pulp which had been added to some other papers that the staff put in the bucket previously.

Katie was so kind to my kids.  She answered all of Abigail's many questions about her kids, her pets, her husband (in that order) and put out the effort to learn several of the signs that Abigail uses so she could communicate better with her.  That was above and beyond our expectations, and so appreciated.  Here Katie is showing Pat how to press water out of the paper pulp with a sponge.

Once they had gotten most of the water out of the pulp it was tapped off the screen an onto a paper plate to dry while the kids moved on to the clay project.

Since tea is a big deal in China, the kids made tea pots.

Pat's

Jennifer's

Abigail's

The art center has a wonderful room with a HUGE kiln.  And the staff is so awesome with the kids.  We can't wait to go back next month!

Please consider your words!

We went to yet another round of doctor appointments this morning.  When a child comes home from China they spend a lot of time taking care of medical needs that perhaps haven't been addressed for many years.

It is pretty obvious that some of my children weren't born to me.  I don't look the least bit Chinese.  Many are curious about this, and if it opens their hearts to the value of the orphaned child, I'm happy to discuss it - within reason.  Usually they want to know if I have other children, then of course they have to probe that to what they really want to know which is do I have bio children also.  For the record I have six of each.  Some people can't quite grasp having several bio children AND adopting too, and in their effort to say SOMETHING  they go on and on about what wonderful people we are.

I became very uncomfortable today when the doctor praised me for "taking in these kids." I get it that they were just trying to be nice. But please, before you let the words leave your mouth stop and think of how it sounds to the child sitting in front of you. No kid wants to think they are just a charity case. Seriously, this is my son.  

The moral of this post?  All children have feelings.  If you must comment on their adoption let it be something like, "That is so wonderful that you have each other." Or as perhaps my all time FAVORITE doctor asked me, "Do you know how lucky you are to have THEM?"  (Dr. Jackson, Cincinnati Children's GETS IT, ya'll!!!)   But please don't infer to them that their joining our family was merely a rescue mission.  

The Drop Box – Have You Seen it Yet?

I'm not a stranger to the reality of Asian babies being left on the streets, abandoned. I've probably spent way too much time imagining how my own sweet kids ultimately came to be ours. When I heard about Focus on the Family's movie, "The Drop Box" I figured it would be about tragic beginnings and an effort to help these orphans. Oh friends, it was so much more. I couldn't help but relate it to our own country's current debate about the unborn, and what (if any) value we should give them. And again in seeing the "differently abled" way of my own kids and the value (or lack thereof) that many in our society give to them. This is a thought provoking film that just may have you look deep inside and evaluate what you actually believe. Please watch it. You can do so free with your Netflix account. The official website is linked HERE for those who don't have Netflix.  The official movie trailer is shown below.


 

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival 2015

We were able to connect with a local chapter of FCC - Families with Children from China - to join in a group celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.  This is also referred to as the Moon Festival.  It is a major celebration in China, and one that we've adapted (we don't worship the moon here, rather its creator!) and remember with our children from China each year.

In the past we had a simple family celebration at home, ate a Chinese meal at the picnic table, read a book about the holiday and gazed at the moon.  This year we had a full out autumn party with a large group of families at Shaw Farms.

The first thing we did was check out the animals.  There were goats, pigs. chickens, ducks, horses, calves, alpacas, etc. and our kids never tire of looking at them.

And Pat took the tractor out to plow for awhile....

Once we busted everyone out of jail, it was time for the hay ride.

I'm always impressed when a business takes the time to consider those who are differently-abled and prepare for them.  These guys didn't miss a beat.  They pitched out a couple bales of the straw, got the ramps then decided Isaac was lightweight enough that it was easier just to pick him up, chair and all, and put him on the back of the wagon.  Big kudos to SHAW FARMS for their great staff!

Hay ride!

It began to sprinkle rain when the hay ride was over, so we ducked in a barn and sat on straw bales to listen to a live blue grass music band.  Yeah, not very Chinese, but the kids enjoyed it anyway.  At one point the singer invited them to dance, so four of them stood up and did a little jig.

Dinner was fried chicken, sandwiches and chips.  There were various desserts, but the one MUST HAVE was there - MOON CAKES, handmade by someone in the group.  A Moon Cake is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region of Asia in which they are made.  We've had them with fruits, meats, egg yolks, lotus bean paste, etc. The version that was made for this event tasted like fig newton cookies to me!

 One thing that moon cakes all have in common is they are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family.  I've heard the Moon Festival likened unto the equivalent of Chinese Thanksgiving. These days people give moon cakes to demonstrate their wish to family and friends for a long and happy life.  During dinner teenagers read us the story of the holiday - in English and in Mandarin!  What a treat for our boys!

Group games followed dinner and included Tug of War, a potato toss and sack races.

We went one more round to see the animals then called it a day.  Many thanks to the FCC chapter, we had a great time!

Eating Pop Rocks for the First Time!

One of the treats in the party favor bags was Pop Rocks.  They were a big hit with everyone!  Here is Pat trying them for the first time!

Happy Birthday Pat!

We were so excited that a couple of Pat's friends whom he had grown up with in China were able to come to celebrate his birthday with him.

Five kids, all of whom were babies together in the same orphanage and spent at least six years together.  What a really special thing it is that they are able to continue their friendships!

Pat kept asking the other mom if it was HER son's birthday.  He really couldn't grasp that it was his own.  The squeals of delight when he found the gifts were actually HIS was both happy and sad.  He asked for help in opening his gifts because he didn't know how to do it.  No child should wait a decade for his first birthday party!                                                                                                                  

Happy Birthday, dear boy!  This was just the first of many where you will know the love of a family!

First Day of Co-op

We are attending a different homeschool co-op this year -- for several reasons.  One of the biggies was our schedule. With two mornings tied up with therapies, our old co-op required taking yet a third day away from home in the middle of the week to allow the kids to attend.  In one way the week is easier now because we can go from Monday morning therapy quickly into an afternoon co-op.  In another way it makes Monday a REALLY long day.  Today was our first day.

Let's be brutally honest.  Going someplace new can be intimidating for us.  Some people don't know how to react to our children and their special needs.  We aren't always embraced cause let's face it.  We don't look "normal," we move slower, we may require an extra explanation (or two), Miss A does quite a bit of her communicating in sign language, and Pat doesn't totally "get" the English language yet.  We were upfront with our needs when we registered, and our new co-op was very accepting of us.  We were happy to find cheerful, friendly faces today, and the special needs were really not a big deal.   The kids all seemed to like their new classes too.

The three younger kids are in a lapbook class about Native Americans (great way to learn some American history!) and a class about holidays.  THIS is marvelous!

Our biological kids grew up with the holidays and learned over the years why we celebrate each one.  Our kids from China haven't had the benefit of  these lifelong traditions, and I know I haven't always done such a great job explaining the history of them.

Today we studied about President's Day, and specifically George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  The teacher had the classroom looking festive with red, white and blue balloons.  She gave a short history lesson about both presidents, then there was a craft with the silhouette of the two presidents on it.  Each child began a 2016 calendar on which each holiday, as well as family birthdays are written.  At the end of the semester they will have a calendar for next year labeled with these special days as well as the holidays they studied. The class ended with cupcakes, candles and singing Happy Birthday!  Yeah, they can hardly wait for next week!