The day after the orphanage visit we went to a park. It wasn't the kind of park with swings, slides and teeter totters. There were pigeons, foliage and bridges over a river. It was very peaceful. We saw an artist painting and people moving in fluid taekwondo. There was a small kiddy area in the back with fair type rides. Danielle and Jade rode just one. Aron bought food to feed the pigeons and a bird actually landed on his arm....then pooped, which is funny because he is quite germophobic. He is the pigeon whisperer. Every time one the birds flew close to Danielle, she would scream, which drew lots of attention. Like we weren't getting enough already. We were with another family who are very beautiful people. They dressed very smartly, always looked a million bucks, thin and young. I actually felt quite frumpy on some days. This particular day my confidence was raised by a Chinese lady in the park. She was speaking to our girls in Mandarin, so we had no idea what she was saying. We parents just smiled and nodded. Our guide translated for us: the other dad was tall, the other mom was too skinny, and I was beautiful. Can you believe it? In a country of 100 pounders, I was beautiful! Wow! I was actually fearing the Chinese lady was saying to Jade, "Sorry you got stuck with the chubby one." But, in all honesty, we were very well received in China. We had a great day at the park.
The day after the park, we were off to Guangzhou. It was a two hour flight from where we were. Adoptive families finish the process in Guangzhou at the US consulate. There are many adoptive families there, so we weren't as spectacular. We stayed at a very nice hotel. From our window Aron saw an alley of blue topped tents. He watched them for several days. He is very curious. He loves all things barbeque, so on the day he saw smoke rising from that sea of blue, he decided we would take a walk. It just so happens that a family in our group called our room and was seeking an adventure. Off we went to the alley of tents. Let's just say that we were probably in a place we didn't belong. We got the impression that the group had gathered as some celebration or tradition. We were stared at more than we knew was curiosity. We were a bit scared. And luck would have it, as we hurried through the alley, that we came to a dead end. We had to turn around and walk back through the same crowd. They did not seem violent. On the other hand, I wanted to cuff Aron myself. On the bright side, Aron saw a lot of interesting grilling going on. He later told me the alley excursion was not his best idea. Well, no kidding, Palmer!
We went to the US consulate on a Monday. Essentially, we were applying for Jade's visa to come home. One parent from each family approached the official. I was that parent. As a group we raised our right hands and swore the information on the visa application was true and accurate. We swore to take care of our children to the best of our abilities. I was quite moved. There's something about saying those words out loud to a person of authority in a foreign country that make them more sacred. It felt serious and of the utmost importance. I was speaking them to her, but also to God. It felt like a
prayer. I meant them. There are days that my very best doesn't seem like much. My hair is in a pony tail, my clothes have glitter glue on them, I'm wearing my glasses because my eyes are tired from not sleeping well. I throw the kids in the car and go for Mcnuggets on a lazy day, I let Jade watch more than one episode of Mickey Mouse Club House because I need to fold laundry, I moisten napkins because I ran out of wet wipes. On those days the kids don't care about my hair. They love playing with glitter glue. McDonalds for lunch is always a hit. Mickey Mouse is pretty cute and educational. And, Jade is clean before I put another diaper on her. Not such a bad day after all. My best isn't perfect. I'm not Supermom. I'm just me with a promise. And that's enough.
The day after the park, we were off to Guangzhou. It was a two hour flight from where we were. Adoptive families finish the process in Guangzhou at the US consulate. There are many adoptive families there, so we weren't as spectacular. We stayed at a very nice hotel. From our window Aron saw an alley of blue topped tents. He watched them for several days. He is very curious. He loves all things barbeque, so on the day he saw smoke rising from that sea of blue, he decided we would take a walk. It just so happens that a family in our group called our room and was seeking an adventure. Off we went to the alley of tents. Let's just say that we were probably in a place we didn't belong. We got the impression that the group had gathered as some celebration or tradition. We were stared at more than we knew was curiosity. We were a bit scared. And luck would have it, as we hurried through the alley, that we came to a dead end. We had to turn around and walk back through the same crowd. They did not seem violent. On the other hand, I wanted to cuff Aron myself. On the bright side, Aron saw a lot of interesting grilling going on. He later told me the alley excursion was not his best idea. Well, no kidding, Palmer!
No comments:
Post a Comment