Ima Got a Boyfriend

It seems to me that time is speeding up. I know that in my last post I mentioned how time did that around the holidays. I was right.

 

I feel the energy of the holidays swiftly approaching. I would guess that Jacie feels it as well. Though I am not certain that she can identify its exact source.

 

She has had a busy weekend/week. I am not sure where to begin.

 

I guess I'll go back to the start. I posted on Sunday morning. After that post, we had our annual 'pick-up day' for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas boxes. We went to three churches and loaded their collected boxes into the van...almost 300! I love that day. It is such a blessing to be involved in that ministry. I think that Jacie understands. She was very serious about loading. So cute...

 

We then transferred many of the boxes to my sister's van and headed to Fort Wayne for our annual laser tagging. When the boys were younger, we started going to laser tag at the end of harvest in celebration of having daddy home again. It is so very fun. I worried about Jacie and her ability to quickly maneuver the play arena.

 

Not a problem. She had the time of her life. In laser tag, each person wears a light-up vest (blue/red team.) The point is to use your laser gun and hit the (targets) on the vests. We have jokingly called her 'our Chinese assassin' because of her love for guns. She and her daddy began to target shoot very soon after she got home. Anyway, this was right down her alley. We will see about having her birthday party there...if she is still interested.

 

I would be remiss if I did not mention that out of the nineteen players in our 'game', I ranked number #1. I guess the armament gene can be passed through adoption.

 

The other large milestone of this week was that Jacie began swimming lessons (...finally...) I think that she thought it would never come. Her eyes were as big as saucers when she walked into the large pool area. I am not sure that she has ever seen a pool that big...or cold. They keep the pool temperature just cold enough that the kids shiver uncontrollably when they are waiting in line. I wondered if she would not like that and thus not enjoy swimming. Not the case, she loves it. She is a strong girl and though short, not particularly scrawny. I think that little bit of meat helps to keep her warm. Trust me, she is not heavy at all but her ribs do not poke out either like some of the other girls that swim class.

 

She loves to go to her swimming school. She doesn't realize that she will have to miss one class in order to go to the orthopedist. I probably won't tell her or I will have a whiny, pouting girl to deal with all day. I would reschedule the appointment but the wait is three months...

 

I talked to another gal who adopted (boy, 3 yrs old from Shanghi.) I was telling her about Jacie's sudden plunge into puberty. She said that she had a friend who adopted two little girls (7 and 10, different adoptions)and that both girls moved into puberty very quickly after coming. Their doctor said that it was because of the change in diet. I asked if they continued into full puberty or reverted back...? My heart broke to hear the words, "Continued in..." Jacie has so very much on her plate right now it seems that puberty will just throw an undesired monkey wrench into the mix. The good news...? Life will go on and we (all of us) will be great.

 

Last night, Loren and I went to pick up Jacie from Grandma's house. She had spent the day with her grandma getting her nails done and having lunch. She picked a bright purple nail polish with sparkles throughout. It looks great on her. Maybe people will see those beautiful nails and stop calling her a boy...

 

Anyway, on the way home Jacie began talking about her friends in China. She showed me where each of them had been cut. The first friend was a girl who had, "Feet just like me. They cut her but she no be able to run like me..."

 

The second friend was introduced with a bold proclamation, "Ina Chinese (in China), Ima got a boyfriend."

 

I said, "In China, Jacie had a boyfriend?"

 

"Yeah, he be cut right here (made a slicing motion to her chest.)"

 

I said, "Oh, he had heart surgery?"

 

"Yeah."

 

I said, "Your friends, what are their names?"

 

"I no remember."

 

That is always her response. She refuses to speak of any one in China by name and continues to refuse Mandarin in any form.

 

I laughed off her 'no remember' comment with, "You better not tell your Ba that you have a boyfriend..."

 

She giggled, "Noooo, don't tell him."

 

She is doing very well. She continues to fuss about having an upcoming surgery but I have tried (and will continue) to explain to her that it is necessary and good. At eight years old, she is not convinced. She can remember the last surgery and it hurt. She did tell us again that she "lay down and sleep for five years, then she can walk." I have been using that to convince her that the pain was worth it. Hopefully, this surgery won't be so traumatic.

 

What a blessing it is to be part of this journey.

 

~Angie