Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Lilly's First Day of Preschool

After a fun long weekend with Grammy and Pop Pop visiting and Daddy home from work, Lilly today began her long-anticipated 2-mornings-a-week preschool. She has been excited about going to school for weeks, no months, now. From the time we first brought her home from China and started taking the big kids to school, she has been asking me to go to school. So today was the big day.

On the way to the school, she showed a few signs of anxiety ("mom, can you stay with me?" and I assured her I would stay for a little while), but when we got there, there was almost no turning back. She immediately got busy playing with a little doll house, and then some puzzles, and then, when I said goodbye and gave her a squeeze, she got back to her play.

I had decided in advance that I would pick her up early since it seems like a long day for 3-year-olds, but when I arrived about 40 minutes early, happy as she was to see me, she told me in no uncertain terms that she didn't want to leave yet! When I offered to come back in a little while to get her (and go finish the pedicure that I left halfway through because I was missing her so much and having visions of her missing me, too), she said "no, stay." So I just stayed and played for the last 40 minutes.

The teachers all said she did really well, no communication issues at all. She was definitely wound up when we got home, but quickly settled down for her nap. And since school puts her on a bit later nap schedule, I am hoping for a few quiet minutes with just Anna when she gets home from school.

Here are some photos from Lilly's big day (and a few others as well!):

Here is Lilly on her new scooter with her new helmet. She might have a tiny little body, but we needed a big helmet!



Some snuggle time with Daddy

Lilly loves Pop Pop, and likes to run shrieking from him when her pretends to come tickle her.


Lilly with Grammy.



Now, the pictures you were waiting for...here she is ready for school, with lunch box and "bucket" in hand!
Is it time yet mom?
First stop--the dollhouse.
Lilly calls her school "threeschool" instead of preschool since she's 3. Here she is showing me (unprompted) that she is at threeschool.


Next stop--the puzzles.

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1 comment:

The Callender Family said...

That is awesome news! I am so happy that Lilly likes her new school. How is the new teacher? Please say 'hi' to Miss Testa and Miss CIndy from the Callenders!

September 9, 2009 at 8:48 AM

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Why Adoption? Why China?

I'm sure that many of you, when you learned that Tom and I were pursuing adoption of a little girl from China, wondered "why?!" We may have taken some of you by surprise, and we thought it might be nice to share some of our thinking about this journey we are undertaking.

Adoption is something that, even from the earliest years of our marriage, we talked about as "maybe someday." The idea of adoption is appealing to us for many reasons. As Christians, we are adopted by God as his children through faith in Jesus. Adoption allows us to provide a child with the needed love, warmth, and financial resources we have been blessed with as a family. Finally, adoption allows us to add to our family at a time when our biological children are old enough to be more self-sufficient, and we are in a position financially to be able to welcome a child into our family in this way. What we hope to gain is an additional family member to love and learn from, and an opportunity to share the joy and love of our family.

We recognize that an adoption will bring unique parenting challenges to our family--especially since we are considering a child with special needs--and it is likely to put unique stresses on our family in a variety of ways. We are grateful for Tom's medical knowledge and for the great medical coverage we get through Tom's Air Force career, and we look forward to providing a forever family for a child whose medical needs might make it more difficult for another family to take on.

Finally, why China? My love for China, the Chinese language, and the Chinese people made China the natural choice. It was never really even a consideration whether to go with a domestic adoption or international; China was simply the natural choice that we immediately pursued, especially since there are so many children in China that need a forever family.

Chinese Word of the Day

The Time in China

When Love Takes You In

Our Adoption Timeline

  • Travel Dates--11-26 March
  • Swearing In Ceremony at Consulate--25 March (Lilly's 3rd Birthday!)
  • Consulate Appointment (CA)--24 March
  • Travel Approval (TA)--19 February 2009
  • Received Letter of Approval (LOA)--22 January 2009
  • Received Pre-Approval (PA)--25 November
  • Submitted Letter of Intent (LOI) to adopt An Xiao Xue, soon to be named Lillian Joy Xiao Xue, 1 November (logged in at CCAA 21 November)
  • Referral Call from CCAI asking us to consider An Xiao Xue's profile--31 October
  • Dossier Log-in-Date (LID) 3 July 2008
  • Dossier to China (DTC)--June 27 2008
  • Dossier Submitted to CCAI--June 2008
  • Fingerprinted at USCIS Jacksonville--April 2008
  • Application Approval ("We're Pregnant!") January 2008
  • Submitted Adoption Application and 3 References--December 2007
  • Requested Application from Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI) --November 2007
  • Decided to Investigate Agencies--October 2007