Future Star

Aixing loves anything pertaining to music.  She has a friend who has a guitar and she loves it.  So, when we were in Tennessee, I bought her a guitar.  Here's her video of her playing the guitar.  She also got to play a set of real drums too.

Fawn Doe Rosa/Guitar for Halloween

We went to Fawn Doe Rosa the other weekend with our Red Thread Group.  It was a neat place and the deer come right up to you.  They actually had a grizzly bear (two).  I didn't really like how they had the grizzly bear though.  Xing didn't really feel good b/c she had 3 vaccines the day before.  However, she loved riding Phantom.  He was a good pony, but not as good as Grandpa Sab.  There were some goats that stole some of the girls bags of food.  You could tell the goats had done this trick several times.  

Many of you know that lots of people think Xing looks like Dora.  Well, I found a Coral Dora doll at Wal-Mart.  Of course I had to get it.  What do you think?  Does she look like Dora?

Her guitar costume came this week.  I couldn't wait to try it on her.  It looks adorable!  Can't wait for Halloween.

Getting ready to go to Tennessee.  I'm planning on bringing her Strider bike so she can show everyone how she can ride.  She's been wanting a rolling backpack since she saw them in the airport.  (She said "Mama look...what's that?  Xingxing wants one!).  So of course we got her one so she can use on her many travels.  She loves anything with Lightning McQueen from Cars.  She slept with it the first night.  In the picture she's pretending to sleep but she really did sleep with it.  Seriously.  Tennessee in September, Madison in October, Tuscon and San Diego in  November and Tennessee again in December.

IAC visit

On the day we left for Kauai, Xing had her 1 year follow up at the International Adoption Clinic. She weighs 26.4 pounds and is now in the 25th percentile.  She is 36 inches tall and is in the 50th percentile.  So she's doing great!  Several of our Kauai friends commented on how she's got such longs for a chinese person and that she seems tall for our age.  She seems to have just have just grown overnight.  I guess it's all the brats and cheese!

Also, I read a travel tip about bringing silly putty on the plane for kids to use.  It really works.  Xing played with it for most of the trip until she fell asleep.  

XingXing's great trip to Kauai

When we got our tickets, we saw that we weren't together.  We booked the tickets together.  I don't understand why they airline can change them.  There weren't any seats left b/c the flight was oversold. The airline said people could upgrade to first class for 250 a person.  I wanted to do that, but Bill said no.  They also offered a voucher for 300 each. Anyway, we volunteered to   take  the voucher and fly out the next day.  The attendant called us up to the desk and said she had 3 seats together.  They were first class and we didn't have to pay!  We are now spoiled. Coral thought it was really cool to go through security by "own self".

We had a fabulous time in Kauai.  Xing fit right in with her Kauai ohana.  She was just so relaxed the entire trip.  She is definetely an island girl.  We went for my friend's daughter's first birthday celebration.  We had a great time. It was a Winnie the Pooh theme and there was about 100 people in attendance.  She got to meet lots of her "aunties and uncles" plus her "grandma and grandpa" from Kauai.  She loved playing with her new friends and loved playing horsie with grandpa.  Grandma gave lots of hugs.  We went swimming in the ocean and saw fish and crabs.  We ate lots and lots of good food too.  She was very close to one aunty.  Aunty Michele had a special purple lei made for her.  We all loved the hula pie!  Although I think the chickens were her favorite.  Kauai has numerous chickens running wild and she just loved them!  

We went to a bon dance.  Obon|お盆 or just Bon|盆 is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors.  There were lots of dancers there plus games for the kids.  You don't have to be buddhist to attend and you don't have to participate in the dance.  It was alot of fun.  She played games with grandpa and his grandkids.  She won a magic wand and flashlight.  

Alot of people on island (Japanese and non-Japanese) asked us if she we knew if she had any Japanese in her background because she seems to look a little japanese.  Even people we didn't know asked us.

We really miss Kauai.   We will be moving back someday even if we're 90!.  

Our next trip is to Tennessee to see my family and our friends.  That will be a fun trip too.  We've got lots planned for that trip such as the zoo and watching Tennessee football.

Busy Week

Aixing has had a busy week!  She played with a friend from chinese dance classs,  She "published" a book with a friend, worked on electric lines, met a new friend at the fair, and played with a friend in the park. Her new friend from the park has some similarities...note the blankie!  She is really beginning to feel at home here and is making friends. We're making friends too!   Oh! and she now wants a pony because she rode one at the fair.  And she wants a cow and sheep!   I don't have good pics from the rides at the fair b/c my battery died.

100 Wishes Quilt

Many of you have not seen Aixing's 100 Wishes Quilt.  Jane Morrison of DeRidder, Louisiana made it for her.  She is a prize winning quilter.  We think it's beautiful!  The only thing I would do differently is to make it a full size instead of a twin.  Bill and George had to hold it sideways so I could it al in the picture.

I'm rich!

We've been really working hard on pottying...she's doing great but we're on the go alot so that makes it kind of hard.  Anyway, Laolao sent her a few dollars for doing such a good job.  When Aixing opened the envelope and saw the dollars she yelled, "I'm rich...I'm filthy rich!".  She bought ice cream with the money.  That big bowl only cost $1.75!

She also had swim lessons this week.  Bill was able to come on Friday so that I could take pictures.  She loved her teacher and called her Mean Jean.  When we were in class we met a boy who lives in New Orleans.  His grandma has a place here and stays from May-October here and the rest of the time in NO.  Friday was free day so they basically just played.  She played like she was riding a whale and that she was "Bruce" from Nemo.  She's proud of her certificate that says she has exceptional speed!

We also met via phone the park superintendent here who also has a daughter from China.  This was really interesting because he used to work and live in Gatlinburg.  We are anxious to him and his family.

I've also posted a picture of her with her Mr. Clean doll.  She loooves Mr. Clean.  I found the doll on ebay.