Three weeks home

We've been home almost three weeks. We're all still alive! It's quite an accomplishment, I tell you! This adjustment has been tough for everyone. Sometimes I ask myself why? why? why? Why the hell did we do this? We're not particularly religious people. We didn't do this to serve God. We didn't do this for charity. We didn't do this so they would take care of us when we get old. In fact, I'm buying long-term care insurance in a few years at the rate we're going. I just don't have a good answer. I guess we were thinking family and because we were able to give them a good home. But at times I just want to kick ourselves!

For the first two weeks home, I had cut Emma extra slack, giving in to just about everything she asked for. Anything ranging from food/candy to activities to all the bizillion questions that she asked. I have no idea where my patience had come from. It's wearing a little thin now, so I'm introducing the concept of "no" and making sure if she wanted something she asked politely. She's still a bit bossy and sometimes rude, but we're slowly working on that. I won't accept disrespect toward anyone from Emma or Evan.

Emma started school last week. I had planned on keeping her at home for a bit longer, but she wanted to go. She was all gung-ho the first week. This week she's a little more uncertain. She's pretty reserved, especially in the morning. Then in the afternoon, she unleashes all that pent-up energy and all those held-in questions and comments to the Chinese teacher and she talks nonstop! She talks all through the ride home from school, through dinner, bath time, and bedtime. Chatter, chatter, chatter! Yikes!!! STFU!!! At home, I'm the only target for her constant comments and questions (mostly off the wall) and bossiness. She wants every single thing that anyone says to be translated. My patience is thin there too and I've told her it's not her concern because I just don't have to energy to keep it up. Hopefully once she acquires some English, she'll stop asking at least the translation questions.

Emma's not as good an eater or sleeper as Evan. The only things I don't have to keep at her to eat are french fries (she's a ff fiend) and Ah-ma's mapo tofu over rice. She asks for it in the morning for breakfast! Good thing Evan is good with it too. I guess she's more into savory breakfast than sweet. 

Hubby's cousin Kira came out to visit. Both Evan and Emma loved playing with her. We all took them to the OC County Fair last Friday. Thank goodness Kira was there to go on some of those rides with them. Kira and Emma were on the ferris wheel together. Once they got up to the top, Kira, nervous about the height, said "Oh my God!" Then the next time they got up to the top, Emma said "Oh my gah!" She thinks it's hilarious. Now she says it to be funny. Kira, you have the honor of teaching Emma her very first English phrase! Thanks for keeping the monsters occupied and entertained. :o)

Evan and Emma seem to be getting along better outside of our house—neutral territory, you see. It's a different story at home. Everything had been Evan's for the last 2+ years. Now he has to share. His concept of sharing is wrong sometimes. Emma is actually marginally better at sharing, having lived with siblings before. They both like to tattle on each other, which I do not particularly like. I tell them they are in charge of themselves. They don't get to boss each other around. That's Baba and Mama's job!

We took Emma to the dentist.The dentist went through every tooth. The assistant had a heck of a time writing down all the stuff that had been done and still needed to be done. Good thing was she didn't seem to be fearful at the dentist. She was cooperative although uncertain. She will need 4 to 5 extractions (including both of her front teeth), and several fillings and crowns to be done. She will have to be put under for three hours for it. OMG! And I thought Evan was bad… Emma also got 3 shots at the doctor's office on that same day. She didn't cry, just complained a bit for next next day or two. Of course, she had to ask, why does it hurt? Then when it stopped hurting, why doesn't it hurt? Ugh… Just accept, girl!

Overall, Emma is a tough little girl. When we went to Ikea, we showed her the kids' play area and that we couldn't go in with her if she wanted to go. She wanted to go in. When we took her to Evan's class at The Little Gym, gave her the option of trying it out. She was all up for it. And no tears at drop-off at school. Just a bit of sad/grumpiness and death-grip. I'm not sure if she's completely attached to us yet. I don't think so. She still asks why her foster family couldn't take care of her and why she's here with us. The pictures she had clung to are still always available to her by her bed, but she doesn't look at them so much anymore. I think she will still be sad at times. Attachment and adjustment takes time. I know in the long run we will be just fine. We had some miserable days (ok, it was more like a year) after we got Evan. Then things settled down to comfortable. I wish we could just fast forward to 2 years from now when things are more settled. But I know without working through these tough days, we won't get to those better days. 

 The day after we got back, Emma was unconscious on the couch for most of the day. She finally perked up later in the afternoon, just in time for Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Robert's visit bringing lots of presents!

First trip to the beach!

Looking for shells with Baba.

Playing with cousins at Ah-gong and Ah-ma's house.

Playing ball with Grandma (or nainai in Chinese).

Emma's very own scooter!!

Grandpa is the best at the sandbox.

Brother and sister!

Goofing around! That's Emma's Hello Kitty hat from Auntie Jeannette on his head!

First day of school!

Coolest kitty in town. Hello Kitty, that is.

Mama sneaking a peek through the classroom window. Emily, the other little girl, was also adopted.

The Little Gym with Mr. Jestin!!

Cousin Kira's here!!! 

I'm kind of having fun shopping and dressing her in different outfits and braiding her hair. I'm sure when I'm back at work, there'll just be a lot of ponytails.

We wear shorts under our dresses. No Britney moments. A lesson learned after AIT day (6/26). Her dress that day was too short. She was flashing people everywhere.