The Journey to Mei: Glad Tidings of Christmas!

My blogging cadence is again delayed. It is so busy near the holidays, and time does seem to get away from me. :)

Let's start with an update on the family. We had a wonderful holiday season. We spent Thanksgiving with my parents and were able to see all but one of the cousins. My nephew is somewhere in Afghanistan. We missed him, but know he serving our country. We had three family Christmas gatherings here in central Texas area, which was loads of fun. We all ate too much (surprise, surprise - not!).

As for Christmas Day, Jad had to be at work at 7:00am, so we got the girls up at 5:00am. I'm always amuzed that they don't tear into the packages, but rather slowly enjoy unwrapping their presents. It really is a form of organized chaos. :) I tried out a new crock pot roast receipe, and we carried lunch to Jad. It wasn't our usual Christmas gathering, but we were all together. That makes it all work out fine. :) Each of the girls had a favorite gift. For Jaci, it was her new guitar. Kailee enjoyed her new autoharp. Lainie liked her snow cone maker. Kinnley liked...her clothes! She commented that she didn't have toys in China and how cold it was. Of all the gifts, she chose the gift of warmth. Wow.

Well, it's been eight months since we've come home with Kinnley. Here's an update:
- She has grown 1.5 inches, and gained 6 pounds. She is still below the growth chart for height, and around 5-10 percentile for weight.
- She has lost two teeth and loves the fact tht this Tooth Fairy dude leaves her money when he takes her teeth. :)
- She is doing well in school. She flies through math, but struggles some with phonics. This is a new concept from the chinese character reading.
- She has plenty of friends at school, but one very close friend. You never see them apart from each other. Interestingly, her friend's family is in the process of adopting. Another child or two will soon have a "forever home"!
- She loves her family. When someone is gone for a sleepover, she wants to confirmation on when they will be back home. She wants everyone under the same roof.
- She is still as silly as ever! She loves to joke around and make people laugh.
- She loves her Daddy and thinks he is her protector. If a moving has a "scary" scene, she will crawl on his shoulder and hold his head. :)
- She loves to draw. She will give you a piece of paper with a drawing and tell you to "keep it in your heart forever!".
- The addiction to noodles and slim jim meat sticks continues. Sigh. I guess we ought to buy stock in those companies.
- She needs and wants a LOT of sleep. One afternoon she fell asleep on the way home. She then slept on the couch until supper was ready. When I asked if she was tired, she complained "I no get a nap today!".
- She complains. A lot. I'm not sure if this is because she wants to ensure you recognize her needs, or perhaps it is just her personality. Let's just say you never have to wonder if she is satisfied or comfortable. :) "It's hot, it's cold, I'm hungry, I'm tired, too hard, too much ABC's, too windy...". Silly girl. :)
- She likes to please.
- She and Lainie still vie for my attention. Although this is slowing waning.
- She recently became intrigued with mermaids. She has a Barbie movie, two other mermaid movies, and showed me a picture of Ariel and asked for that movie.
- She knows she is getting her first leg cast next week. We talked about it a lot. She is ready for straight feet. She asked if they can straighten her middle toe. Right now, it sits slightly down between the second and fourth toe. She wants it to be straight with the others so she can show off her tie nail polish. These things are important!
- She likes to organize, and will rearrange "things" in a shoebox until it is "just right".
- She and "Bubby", our old chihuahua, are almost friends. He tolerates sitting with her when she watches TV.
- She brings up China and her foster family in spirts. We encourage her to talk about them and ask her about her home. In her mind, they lived in a big house and her Mama Chen fixed her wonderful dumplings every day. And rabbits in China come in three colors...white, brown and white, and gray.

Of couse, you are looking for photos to be posted, so here are a few. :)