This is a continuation of our travel to Caleb. We are back in the States, but I will post the remainder of our trip on this blog.

January 8, 2007

We are back at the Victory Hotel which feels like home, having been here just a week ago. Before I retire to bed, I need to say that my heart is full....filled with love for the sweet little 11 year old boy who is quietly snoring in the next room. Ben sleeps silently, I so can tell just by sound when Caleb has finally dropped off to sleep.

He... more

Continued from part 1

I actually stand in awe that this little guy doesn't have more of them. He is in a strange country with a family who all speak a different language. He is assaulted with smells he is not used to and foods he may not enjoy. We do our best to give him comfort foods he is used to, as well as books written in Chinese and movies and CD's in Chinese, but it doesn't change the fact that he knows he is here forever, and probably has very mixed emotions about it.

Right now, our biggest issue is language and communication. Since we all use sign language, we have tried to ease his transition to... more

Caleb spent 45 minutes today under his bed...as close to the wall as he could get...screaming his head off. Before you call Child Protective Services, no, I don't put my child under the bed for a time-out. Under the bed is where he times himself out, and as it is safe and secure for him, that is where I let him stay until he is ready to come out.

When we were in China, I became emotionally exhausted with new sights, smells and sounds...and I knew I only had to endure the "differentness" for two weeks. Sure, there were and are parts about China that I love, such as the amazing history and culture and friendliness of the people. I find the ancient architecture and calligraphy... more

Is it really food? That’s what some of my children were wondering when we ate at our first Chinese restaurant in China. Having eaten Chinese food in America many times, they were unprepared for how different food would be in China. Hot and sour soup and sweet and sour chicken didn’t seem to exist. Instead, the menu had fried kidneys, sautéed eels and baby quail with the head still intact. At many restaurants you can even choose your own snake and have it killed at your table and be offered the blood to drink. Depending on how adventurous your children’s taste buds are, this might be either a positive or negative experience. Jeff and I ordered garlic pork at one restaurant thinking it... more

So you’ve thought about another child and the pros and cons of adopting again. Yes, the paperwork can be on par with a migraine level headache, but like labor, once you have your child in your arms, the pain of it all is soon forgotten.

Before you decide to pursue another adoption, however, each parent should ideally ask herself, “Why do I want to adopt again?” Here are a few reasons that some parents have given:

Continued from part 1

I don't know that I have seen before the color truly drain from someone's face from top to bottom as his did. He dropped his head and when he looked up his eyes were red and welling with tears. His voice was very emotional as he said, "Well, actually, that day my mother died."

I think I felt small enough to crawl under the door as he shared his apologies for what happened that day and said in his halting English, "Actually I did come, but I was late. I know it is not excuse because it is my job and I must be there."

"You mean there is no one whom your... more

I am so glad to be back on Shamian Island where the weather is almost balmy and we are surrounded by many other adoptive families. We were starting to tire of Wuhan and the cold weather, so it is nice to have a break before we head off to Beijing which will be even colder than Wuhan.

Caleb admitted that he was afraid of flying and worried that the plane would fall out of the sky, but our guide in Wuhan assured him that he would be safe. His eyes grew large as we accelerated on the runway... more

continued from part 1

Both days of formal touring with a guide, lunch was included in our tour and they took us to fancy restaurants that were a bit too fancy for the young ones. Caleb is starting to test limits and see how obnoxious he can be and decided to put his chopsticks in his glass, bang them on his gold plated plate, etc. We told him no, but he would grin and finally a restaurant manager came over and chewed him... more

Continued from our-second-day-in-wuhan-part-3

We leave Wuhan this afternoon after finalizing our adoption this morning. We got Caleb's passport, his adoption certificate, birth certificate and abandonment certificate at two different offices and it only took about an hour total. When we were here 6 years ago for Ben's adoption we had to listen to a speech about Chinese/US relations that seemed to go on for quite awhile, but since we are the only family here this time, we grabbed the paperwork and were done. Yea!

We are more than ready to go as this city is cold, grey and filled with exhaust... more

Continued from Our second day in Wuhan part 2

After Pizza Hut which was a nice break from the Chinese food that Alyssa won't eat, we headed out for some shopping. I had hoped to hit some market type streets where we could bargain for good prices, but instead our guide took us to shops that were no different than what I could find in America. We went in a Jeans West store and bought some scarves and hats and gloves so at least we will be warmer now and won't freeze to death next week when we visit the Great Wall. What we bought is good quality, but I had hoped for cheaper prices.

After some... more