Would be at wit's end if I had any left!

I thought our week started on a good note. I had a fabulous time at the Jayhawk's concert on Saturday night. Laughed so hard and caught up with friends I wish I saw more often. Sunday was also a fine day. Eric worked on the swing set for Libby. We had a nice steak dinner for Father's Day. Lulled into thinking it was going to be a good week.

We realize that Libby has a lot of things going on right now in her little life. She was to start a new summer pre-school. She is getting a little sister soon. She is taking a big trip to China. Then, she will start a whole new school in the fall. We have tried to be very calm with all of these things and to reassure her with each of them. Funny when you think everything is okay, and the rug gets pulled out from under you. Libby did not suffer from separation anxiety when we took tumbling last summer and when she started pre-school in the fall. It was a very uneventful year in that regard. She is now, however, officially a pre-school dropout. No amount of comforting or assurance worked this time. The teacher called me and said she pretty much sobbed the whole 3 hours last week! Tried again this past Tuesday and it was the same thing. We gently talked about it the last two days and she told me she was ready to go back today. When it was time to go, she told me she did not want to. I know there are those who would say to bring her and let her cry, but the teacher has been doing this for over 30 years and said she that it broke her heart when Libby cried last week. Yes, that bad. She will also no longer go to dance class. This is a class she already had for 8 weeks and never once had an issue with and now the last two sessions has cried and cried. Add to this a major lack of sleep and it has been just an awful week. Libby has had a couple of really rough nights. Then, Merlie the Dog, who makes Scooby Doo look brave, had a total meltdown during a bad thunderstorm and I am the only one who can comfort her. I feel worn down and run down. Libby is home today. I told her no TV at all, period. I will also not be playing with her. If she wants to play, she needs to go to school. She has been told that I needed this time to work (I am, honestly, load of laundry in and going to scrub the bathrooms next). Calgon, take me away!

And just to make me a bit crabbier, our Article 5 is still not here and just had an e-mail saying it looks like it will be mid-late August for travel. Aaaargghhhh!

Here to amuse you are a few pics of Eric moving the swing set from down the block with the help of a few good neighbors.

Whine Loud and Ye Shall Receive!

Can you believe it? We received two new pictures of Maisy!! Just too excited for words. The first picture has her wearing a little shirt we sent her. She is not wearing the matching pants for some reason, but who cares? :) I love how the nanny is smiling at her. We also had a chuckle at how she is being measured with the tape measure. Uhm, and people wonder why when they meet their children, the stats are off a bit!

The second picture makes me laugh because it looks like they have slicked down her hair down to make it look better, and it does not! The pictures do answer the question I have been wondering, does she have hair? Not a ton, but it is there.



She appears to be healthy, but petite. I think her cheeks are very squishable and can hardly wait until we are holding her and doing just that. Please keep our little peanut in your thoughts and prayers and keep us there too, that we may travel soon. Just giddy with happiness at seeing her little face!

I see the Moon

"I See the Moon...

I see the moon and the moon sees me,

Down through the leaves of the old oak tree.

Please let the light that shines on me,

Shine on the one I love."

Maisy is on our minds more than we could possibly convey. I look at the clock for the time in Wuxue City to see if she is sleeping or waking up. Try to imagine what her day is like and if she is playing with others or by herself. Hoping she is being shown affection and caring. The words above are on the front page from a book called "We see the Moon". If found out that it is a song from the 1950's, which I found on youtube. Truer words could not be found. I hope Maisy feels the kisses that are blown her way each day by each of us. Pray that her little heart knows that she is loved and that we are anxious to be there with her now. Yearn to hold her in our arms and know our family is all together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8b1WuNifQ

We have done a pretty good job at keeping our chins up during this process. We would be lying, however, if we did not say that we have times of great sadness. This little person whom we have never met is such a big part of us and we miss her so much. We received an e-mail today from our coordinator at Children's Home. The director of the SWI said he would send a picture "later". For the first time in a long time, I got really angry. I have tried to keep my cool with both the US and China and their paperwork and bureaucracy. This just felt like a slap across the face. We get that we have no control over anything, but throw us a bone in the shape of one stinking little photo so we can at least see her. Taking deep breaths and am going to give big hugs and snuggles to the girl I have right here whom I love to pieces.

Catching Up

I am the Easter Bunny Princess Captain Monkey Toes

We are settled back to our regular routine after a whirlwind visit with Eric's parents. Their kids call them the AP's or Aged Parents. Thankfully, they were here last weekend when the weather was so much nicer. We were able to enjoy the great outdoors much more. One day, we went furniture "looking" at Dock 86. The AP's love furniture stores and we were curious about this one. We found the most darling love seat in the clearance section. The AP's were so generous as to purchase it for us. We also got to show them Grand Old Day. We made our way down to the kid's area first so that Libby could have the pony ride she so desperately wanted. I asked her after wards if she now wanted a pony, and I got a firm "No". It was okay, but the bouncy castle was much more fun. Eric's dad, Doug, Eric and Libby also joined in the Scottish dancing. They were having a great time until Libby tripped over some candy that fell out of her pockets. Two of the dancers were kind enough to come over later to check on her and to tell her what a good job she had done. Spent several hours one day at the Science Museum, and I am sure Eric wishes he could spend the whole day there by himself to play! Another day, we wanted to see the polar bears at Como, but there was no parking and the buses kept coming in one after another, so we walked around the lake. We had some great meals out, including the Cheeky Monkey, Blue Door and Supatra.


Libby's favorite part of Grand Old Day (maybe dada's too)

Scottish dancing before the tumble.

The other night night, Eric told Libby that we have one rule, that she has to at least try the food on her plate. She looked at him and said, "I have one rule, I don't LIKE it!". Other phrases that are cracking us up right now are things like, "We will do it two days weeks ago" and "That costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars".

At the Science Museum

Our coordinator at Children's Home had the sad job of telling us that the director of Maisy's SWI said he will not give any more updates-period. She has asked if they would at least send a few photos and we have not heard anything. Please think good thoughts because we really want to see how our girl has grown!

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I always try to do something nice for Eric. I will use the excuse that it snuck up on me, because I have nothing up my sleeve! I hope all the Dads out there have a great day, and that I have an epiphany in the next 24 hours. :)

**Thanks for the heads up LA! Now I really have to do something special for Eric and I have no excuses!

And I am cute!

Name Interpretation

There is a very kind Mom on my favorite adoption blog who will interpret the characters of your child's Chinese name. Here is what she gave us:

薛 is the surname, so no significance beyond this. As far as I know, it has no English translation.

福 is the ever popular and very positive "happiness" as in "blessings of good fortune"

景most often translates as "scene" or "view" as in the scene within a movie or any noteworthy scenic form.

福景 combined convey a meaning of "happiness of the moment", as though you were seeing an event or sight that brings spontaneous happiness within your heart.

Wow, that about sums it up!!