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!
