Gotcha Day: Three Years Ago Today

Here's the story, of a bunch of babies,
who lived in China--Kunming was what it's called.
Not one of them had hair of gold, like their mothers.
The smallest one was bald.

Until the one day when these babies met new mamas
And they knew that it was much more than a hunch
That this group must somehow form a family
That's the way we all became the Kunming Bunch!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Well, after those lyrics--I won't quit my day job.

I got my baby girl up today, and started talking to her about the first day I met her, and what her name was, and what she was like that day. She was hanging on my every word, and after I said, "Did you know you were born in China?" she shouted,

"LIKE A BABY COW!!!"

Yes. Just like that.

So we'll spend the day today marveling at the quiet, sick baby who has become the liveliest, healthiest girl I've known yet to date.

Not to mention the cutest.

It's a joke in the Chinese adoption community that we all think we came home with the best one. I have to agree.

Gotcha Day Anniversary: Cute Attack

Thought you might need another dose of Cute.

Gotcha Day: Three Year Anniversary

This week marks the third anniversary of Gotcha Day. THREE YEARS, people. THREE YEARS ago I was in China, meeting my little girl--who at the time was quite dull and lethargic.

Not! Any! More!

We're fortunate that we live within driving distance of some of Susie's pals that she knew ("knew") in China. The twin girls and their parents stopped by to see us:

We went to *the* place in town to have dim sum (small portions of a whole variety of Chinese foods, everything from meats to veggies to desserts). How it works is the waitresses are continually circling the restaurant with carts, and as they pass by, drop off whatever delights we want. In my friend's case, that happened to be a plate of boiled chicken feet:

Suz ate a chicken foot herself (wow! gene pool!), and was also mighty proud of her ability with the chopsticks:

What makes this restaurant so fun for us to go to is that it has a very authentic feel--everything from the lazy susans on the table to the subtle and classy decor. (Unlike the "American-Chinese" restaurants which are primarily mauve and teal and serve large quantities of cashew chicken.)

Since the restaurant is geared for a Chinese-speaking audience, the waitresses speak primarily Chinese, or for us, inordinately bad Chinglish. Since most of the food coming around on the carts is unidentifiable, that makes for some pretty hilarious dialogue. Mostly, that makes for my friend and I shouting out guesses and the dear, dear waitstaff looking sheepish and toodling away. One gal stuck with us and even got far enough to spell "shrimp." Oh, we round-eyed people are something else. So straightforward and loud. We stick out like a sore thumb in that restaurant too, which reminds us all the more of being back on the mainland.

A true delight.

Speaking of delights, if this isn't the cutest thing you've seen today, I don't know what is:

Those girls are darling to the Nth degree, and we're mighty glad to call them our own.

Adoption Update

In case you're not a subscriber of my cerebral and snarky other blog, make sure you pop over there today for an adoption update.

It's riveting. As usual.

Adoption Update--Alternately Titled, Change Of Plans.

No, not THAT kind of change of plans. This body AIN'T carrying another babe, so says Pa The Boss, and when The Boss Speaks, The Ma Listens.

Pa's lived (barely) through 2 1/3 pregnancies of mine, so he has permission to speak.

Anyway.

In case you missed our change of plans...go check out the details at my brain dump of a blog, www.stretchmarkmama.com.

That's all.

Another Adoption Story

If international adoption stories are your thang, go ahead and check out this journey to Vietnam, written by one of my Friends In Real Life. She and her husband are there now, and will meet their son today (Wednesday 3-19).

And if you thought *I* cornered the market on snark, think again. Kelly is a great mentor of mine, teaching me all the fine ins and outs of how to be truly and utterly snippety and saga-y.

Bless her heart.

And to think that she has met me, gotten to know me, and continues to call me her friend is something worth writing about.

Enjoy the journey to Vietnam. I know *I* will.