Our Last Day In Nanning

Sasha Tian Tian is adjusting very well. She hasn't 

asked for her foster family at all, this concerns me 

because I know she had the very BEST and most 

wonderful foster mother and foster sister anyone 

could ask for. She wants me to lay down in her bed 

and tuck her in but she doesn't want me to look at 

her, just to sing songs and stay with her until she falls 

asleep. I repeat the words ''Sasha Tian Tian is a good 

girl'' in Chinese and tell her about all the people who 

love her. It  usually takes 5 minutes for her to fall 

asleep. Still most of the time she wants me near her 

but at arm's length. She makes eye contact with me 

but on a limited basis. I am still Aiyi instead of Mama, 

unless she catches herself first and remembers to say 

Mama.  She is very attached to her little red backpack 

and she always needs to know where she left it and

where it is. She will often times take out her photo 

albums and point to our photos and double check that 

our faces in the photos match us, then she will smile 

at us. Sometimes she gets quiet and will just sit and 

take her bracelet off and on, and change wrists. I can 

see she shuts down and likes to organize and 

reorganize her belongings to feel more in control. She 

rearranges pony tail holders that she wears on her 

wrists. We bought her some bracelets and she likes 

them a lot. It's easy to read her cues, she holds her 

ear and pouts her top lip over her bottom lip when 

she's tired or hungry. The best thing in the world to 

her is shopping, she is a retail therapy girl and Ava 

Rose and I can't wait to take her to Target. We went 

to Walmart and she screamed and sang songs and was 

so excited. I know her foster mother used to take her 

to buy food at the market and let her count the 

change. She was so animated and excited and sang 

one song after the next. She naps about 1.5 hours 

every day, wakes up and of course she will 

immediately look for Jie Jie and Ge Ge. Thank you 

Qing Qing and Kui because our guide Matthew said he 

has never heard an adoptive parent speak Chinese so 

well. He's been facilitating adoptions for 20 years, so 

this is a big compliment to me but mostly to my 

teachers. Matthew has never been to the aquarium 

before in People's Park in Nanning. I'm glad I 

suggested it! The kids loved it.

Where can I find the Starfish Thrower?

Don't feed the fish!

Is this the White Swan Barbie?

We made it on time for the show

On our way to Guangzhou tomorrow!