We've had an interesting week. After our eventful train trip across country, we got to my apartment in West Chester on Thursday, thanks to Sue from the Knitting club, and spend the rest of the day getting groceries and books for the upcoming snowstorm over the weekend. Friday we focused on trying to unpack and get the nursery set up for Kaeli (which involved hauling out a lot of boxes!).
We visited QVC in the afternoon, where Kaeli entertained everyone and was thrilled to see the responses she got! We even had other employees I've never met sitting down with her on the atrium stairs to laugh and chatter.
After work, Ellen and her husband Will came over and rescued us - Will showed me how to set up the crib correctly and even took one side to Home Depot to buy the correct bolts and screws for me to use. Cheryl and her husband John came over with a wonderful pack'n'play for us to use as a playpen for Kaeli.
Saturday we got snowed in, and spent the day relaxing. I put up the crib for Kaeli and did more puttering around, but kept slowing down more and more. I realized that I was really exhausted, and took a nap. When I woke up, I also realized that I was sick - very swollen throat glands and very cold and achey. I spent the rest of the weekend in bed, while Mom took care of both Kaeli and me!
Monday I went to work, and managed half a day on Tuesday before giving up. I had a temperature of 103 Tuesday night, and spent Wednesday in bed. Thursday I had to go for some tests and saw my doctor, who diagnosed tonsillitis and sinusitis. I also had the car battery die on me outside my first appointment, where I waited for two hours for AAA to come jump the battery. I then drove to my doctor's, where the car battery also went dead. I called my mechanic and he sent a tow truck for me and got my car back to the shop, where he got the battery problem fixed. I finally got to the pharmacy to pick up my "get well" prescriptions and got home around 5:30pm and fell into bed.
Friday morning we had a pediatrician appointment for Kaeli, who pronounced her healthy and happy and gave her two shots, which changed the happy part. Then it was back to bed for as much as possible for the rest of the day and weekend! The drugs I'm taking have kicked the tonsillitis and I'm feeling more a part of the world. Mom has been fantastic, dealing with and one sick daughter and one hyper granddaughter and cooking and laundry and cleaning.
We miss Ye Ye and hope he'll be joining us soon. Jio-jio is also missed, and Kaeli will be very happy to see them both as soon as possible! She also misses being able to check out Little Pig each day, and keep track of the squirrels and birds in the backyard at Ye Ye's and Nai Nai's. There's not much wildlife out our back door here in West Chester!
Well, I'm heading back to bed for more sleep before starting back at work again tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to put in a full week for once!!!
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Monday, January 10, 2005
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Jan. 8th - The (PGE) Gang is All Here!
Kaeli and I had a delightful time at Lady J's house last night with the whole PGE Gang in attendance! Marty even brough Lucky, her gorgeous laid-back dog, who was a huge hit with Kaeli. Kaeli was on her best behavior, in a pink polka dotted dress and red tights (fashion police did not make an appearance!). We had a delicious prime rib Lady J prepared (kudos!!!) and other tasty things that everyone had brought, and Kaeli discovered a liking for potato chips.
We played good music and visited and laughed and chatted and caught up, and B read a poem she had written for Cheryl about Kaeli. Kaeli received a pretty blue sundress, a bathtub ball and hoop game, an Elmo cell phone, earrings and a necklace, and an abacus money clip. The rest of the gang had great fun exchanging presents, and it was like I had never left!!!
I ran Kaeli home around 8:30, and met up with stern grandparents concerned about their granddaughter's late hours! I put her to bed and then headed back to the party until the wee hours.
Photos to follow...
We played good music and visited and laughed and chatted and caught up, and B read a poem she had written for Cheryl about Kaeli. Kaeli received a pretty blue sundress, a bathtub ball and hoop game, an Elmo cell phone, earrings and a necklace, and an abacus money clip. The rest of the gang had great fun exchanging presents, and it was like I had never left!!!
I ran Kaeli home around 8:30, and met up with stern grandparents concerned about their granddaughter's late hours! I put her to bed and then headed back to the party until the wee hours.
Photos to follow...
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Jan. 6th - Bring on the Noodles!
Yesterday we had a glorious day - we had lunch at the House of Louie in Chinatown, where Kaeli was a major hit with all of the waitresses. We had dim sum from the carts that rolled by, and each cart driver got a big smile and wave from Kaeli. She also waved at all of the other people eating in the restaurant, and at the people walking by on the sidewalk outside the window.
Kaeli loved sampling the various dim sum, and ate a good portion of wonton noodle soup that we ordered especially for her. It is so funny watching her flap her arms in unison and moan with a scrunched up face while waiting for Mama to cut the food into proper size or stir it to cool it a bit, and when the first spoonful goes in the arms stop in mid-flap, the moans cease and there's a sweet little face scrunched up in a beautiful smile looking up at me as the food soothes the savage beast... It is so instant - one minute an unhappy camper and the next minute a satisfied customer!
The waitresses all oohed and aahed over her, asking where she was from, how old she was and if she was normal (?). Several translated for the others who didn't speak English. Again we were told over and over how lucky Kaeli is to be adopted into an American family. I still think we're the lucky ones!
We went book shopping after lunch, and Yei-Yei and Kaeli stayed in the car while Nai-Nai and I went into the bookstore. I commented that the two of them were probably fast asleep, but my mother laughed and said that she had just looked outside and people were waving at our car as they walked by on the sidewalk and that she was pretty sure they weren't waving at my father! Sure enough, Kaeli was busy singing and waving her bare feet in the air when we got back to the car.
Today we had a quiet (!) morning at home, with a brief visit to Auntie Ann's in the afternoon and to the grocery store. Kaeli was on her best behavior at Auntie Ann's, and we didn't have to move too many breakables to higher ground... At the grocery store, Kaeli held the ginger root I need for our Chinese dinner tomorrow night, and kept taking nibbles on it and making horrible faces at the taste. But she kept trying different parts of it to see if anywhere else tasted better. She wailed when the checkout man took the ginger from her to weight, but clammed up as soon as it was returned. A girl and her ginger root.... let no man come between them!
Kaeli loved sampling the various dim sum, and ate a good portion of wonton noodle soup that we ordered especially for her. It is so funny watching her flap her arms in unison and moan with a scrunched up face while waiting for Mama to cut the food into proper size or stir it to cool it a bit, and when the first spoonful goes in the arms stop in mid-flap, the moans cease and there's a sweet little face scrunched up in a beautiful smile looking up at me as the food soothes the savage beast... It is so instant - one minute an unhappy camper and the next minute a satisfied customer!
The waitresses all oohed and aahed over her, asking where she was from, how old she was and if she was normal (?). Several translated for the others who didn't speak English. Again we were told over and over how lucky Kaeli is to be adopted into an American family. I still think we're the lucky ones!
We went book shopping after lunch, and Yei-Yei and Kaeli stayed in the car while Nai-Nai and I went into the bookstore. I commented that the two of them were probably fast asleep, but my mother laughed and said that she had just looked outside and people were waving at our car as they walked by on the sidewalk and that she was pretty sure they weren't waving at my father! Sure enough, Kaeli was busy singing and waving her bare feet in the air when we got back to the car.
Today we had a quiet (!) morning at home, with a brief visit to Auntie Ann's in the afternoon and to the grocery store. Kaeli was on her best behavior at Auntie Ann's, and we didn't have to move too many breakables to higher ground... At the grocery store, Kaeli held the ginger root I need for our Chinese dinner tomorrow night, and kept taking nibbles on it and making horrible faces at the taste. But she kept trying different parts of it to see if anywhere else tasted better. She wailed when the checkout man took the ginger from her to weight, but clammed up as soon as it was returned. A girl and her ginger root.... let no man come between them!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Jan. 6 - Portland Partying!
Kaeli is just in rare form - she is now sleeping through the night once she does her requisite wailing for two minutes, but has decided that she doesn't need a noon-time nap. So she lays in her crib chattering to herself and singing for about half an hour and then screeches to be freed from her crib.
Yesterday Kaeli and I drove into the city together to meet very good friends for dinner at Yen Ha, a Vietnamese restaurant favorit of mine - Karen and her husband Chris and their two daughters Sequoia and Magdalena. They are Kaeli's guardians (in case something ever happens to me!). We arrived at the restaurant early so that I could get some food into Kaeli before things started jumping. I ordered wonton soup for her, and fed her a jar of sweet potatoes while we waited. But as soon as the soup bowl appeared on the table the sweet potatoes were history and Kaeli was clamoring for the soup and noodles. She LOVES her Chinese noodles & soup! She entertained us all during dinner, and Chris and the girls took turns sitting next to her. She received a wonderful hobby horse from the girls, and shared with them her squeaky shoes as she gave them a tour of the restaurant.
Kaeli sang and jabbered in full voice on the way to the restaurant and almost all of the way home, but then fell asleep in mid-note. When we got home around 8:15, she romped and giggled for a little while with Yei-Yei and Nai-Nai, then fell asleep quickly.
Today we're going to go into town for dim-sum in Chinatown, then to a children's bookstore that's a favorite of ours.
Yesterday Kaeli and I drove into the city together to meet very good friends for dinner at Yen Ha, a Vietnamese restaurant favorit of mine - Karen and her husband Chris and their two daughters Sequoia and Magdalena. They are Kaeli's guardians (in case something ever happens to me!). We arrived at the restaurant early so that I could get some food into Kaeli before things started jumping. I ordered wonton soup for her, and fed her a jar of sweet potatoes while we waited. But as soon as the soup bowl appeared on the table the sweet potatoes were history and Kaeli was clamoring for the soup and noodles. She LOVES her Chinese noodles & soup! She entertained us all during dinner, and Chris and the girls took turns sitting next to her. She received a wonderful hobby horse from the girls, and shared with them her squeaky shoes as she gave them a tour of the restaurant.
Kaeli sang and jabbered in full voice on the way to the restaurant and almost all of the way home, but then fell asleep in mid-note. When we got home around 8:15, she romped and giggled for a little while with Yei-Yei and Nai-Nai, then fell asleep quickly.
Today we're going to go into town for dim-sum in Chinatown, then to a children's bookstore that's a favorite of ours.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Bronzes in China
One of several wonderful bronze statues we saw around the country, this one in Guangzhou. My favorite was a life-sized bronze park bench with a modern-dressed young business woman seated on the bench using her laptop, with a tall Chinese man in ancient dress and long hair braid and little hat standing behind the bench bending over slightly to watch her work. We saw that one from the bus and weren’t able to get a picture of it unfortunately.
Good Fortune for the Coming Year
Laurie reaching into the mouth of the god of good fortune - legend has it that you reach in as far as you can, grab good fortune in your hand and then stick it in your pocket quickly to ensure that you have lots of money and prosperity for the coming year. Laurie did return to the US with both arms. We'll keep you posted on the monetary front, though!
Stairway to Heaven
One of the many stairways in the Western Hills of Kunming. Kaeli and Mama made it to the first rest area, but no further. The other families went higher but then turned back when it got even steeper!!!
NOT in Zagat's
A street restaurant (yes, really!) in Kunming. She had several chairs for people to sit in, and the wooden chair in the foreground held salt and pepper and soy sauce and a pitcher of water. Further back by the red bowl (for doing dishes) on the ground she had a hot plate and wok and food supplies. (We didn't eat here.)
Facilities in China
A typical toilet in China. The group had a rating system for toilets, from 5 stars ("western" sit-on toilet, toilet paper, door that closes and locks, clean, little/no smell) to 1 star (squat toilet, not clean, no door, no toilet paper, lots of smell). We learned to carry toilet paper and hand disinfectant!
Waiting for the plane to fly us home...
An inquisitive Kaeli and a wistful Laurie waiting at the Hong Kong airport for the airplane ride home to friends and family!
The Three Kunming Kuties
The three Kunming Kuties posing for their traditional "Red Couch" picture in the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. Guess which one is Kaeli! (Hint - the one with the smile from ear to ear and with a blur of hands clapping!!!)
Jan. 1 - Happy New Year!!!
Happy New Year to everyone! I know I will have a most marvelous year with Kaeli in my life!
I look back on the past three weeks (yes, it's ONLY been three weeks tomorrow!!!) and realize how very very lucky I am to have this gorgeous funny little girl in my life. We watched the video tape from the day she and I first met at the CCAA office in Kunming and the difference between that quiet, somber, motionless little girl and the bouncing giggling gurgling dancing whirlwind that swirls through our lives today is unbelievable.
Kaeli is now ALMOST sleeping through the nights. She goes down at 8pm after a rollicking good time in the bathtub, and fusses for a few minutes then is fast asleep. Then about 9 or 9:30 she wakes up for some reason and cries and hollers for about an hour. Then she's asleep until the morning when we have to wake her up to keep her from oversleeping. My mom got her this morning, and Kaeli grunted a couple of times, rolled over on her back, looked up at Nai-Nai and gave her an all-encompassing ear to ear grin and clapped her hands excitedly and then reached up to be picked up and released from her crib prison. She hits the ground running and laughing and exploring, and is SO inquisitive!
She sat on Ye-Ye's lap (who was on the floor in front of the glass patio door to the backyard deck) and watched the squirrels feeding and chasing each other for at least 15 minutes this morning. She tracks them very well and watches so intently. She also insists on checking out Little Pig (Jio-Jio Doug's guinea pig) frequently during the day, which requires some hoisting from Ye-Ye or Nai-Nai or Mama.
At breakfast today we realized that my dad (Ye-Ye) was sitting back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head and that Kaeli was doing the same thing, imitating him. When he saw this, he stretched his arms out wide and so did Miss Kaeli, who thought this was really funny. He and she now blow "raspberries" at each other, and she growls and clucks her tongue and jiggles her lips with her fingers to make funny sounds as she sings and hums. She is learning things so quickly, and even in the week she has been here in Oregon she has changed so much!
I hope everyone else is having a marvelous New Year, and are enjoying themselves! Here's to a fantastic year for everyone!
I look back on the past three weeks (yes, it's ONLY been three weeks tomorrow!!!) and realize how very very lucky I am to have this gorgeous funny little girl in my life. We watched the video tape from the day she and I first met at the CCAA office in Kunming and the difference between that quiet, somber, motionless little girl and the bouncing giggling gurgling dancing whirlwind that swirls through our lives today is unbelievable.
Kaeli is now ALMOST sleeping through the nights. She goes down at 8pm after a rollicking good time in the bathtub, and fusses for a few minutes then is fast asleep. Then about 9 or 9:30 she wakes up for some reason and cries and hollers for about an hour. Then she's asleep until the morning when we have to wake her up to keep her from oversleeping. My mom got her this morning, and Kaeli grunted a couple of times, rolled over on her back, looked up at Nai-Nai and gave her an all-encompassing ear to ear grin and clapped her hands excitedly and then reached up to be picked up and released from her crib prison. She hits the ground running and laughing and exploring, and is SO inquisitive!
She sat on Ye-Ye's lap (who was on the floor in front of the glass patio door to the backyard deck) and watched the squirrels feeding and chasing each other for at least 15 minutes this morning. She tracks them very well and watches so intently. She also insists on checking out Little Pig (Jio-Jio Doug's guinea pig) frequently during the day, which requires some hoisting from Ye-Ye or Nai-Nai or Mama.
At breakfast today we realized that my dad (Ye-Ye) was sitting back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head and that Kaeli was doing the same thing, imitating him. When he saw this, he stretched his arms out wide and so did Miss Kaeli, who thought this was really funny. He and she now blow "raspberries" at each other, and she growls and clucks her tongue and jiggles her lips with her fingers to make funny sounds as she sings and hums. She is learning things so quickly, and even in the week she has been here in Oregon she has changed so much!
I hope everyone else is having a marvelous New Year, and are enjoying themselves! Here's to a fantastic year for everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)