No Movie For You

Jacie looked so cute today. For the first time, she wore a pair of pants to church. They are a very classy looking pair of brown cords with sparkles on the back pockets. I helped her match a tan shirt with rhinestone buttons and her brown Mary Jane's. We topped off her outfit with brown and tan striped 'trouser' socks. I think that I am having too much fun dressing her after boys only for 12 years...

 

She continues to do well. She has a lot of growth and development to do and I think that it scares her sometimes.

 

She is beginning to struggle in areas that are deeper than going to bed in her own bed and learning to listen. Emotionally, right now she is struggling. She does not have the eight year base that she should so the process of guiding her hurts her feelings. She is constantly saying, "Ma no like Jacie." Every time that she is corrected. It makes things so hard. Her language is not 'there' yet either so any explanation given seems to fall short. I can tell when she doesn't 'get it'.

 

On the whole, she and I are doing well. She wants to be with me, sit on my lap and hold my hand...all of the time.

 

Bart has been working a lot of hours and I am not sure that she understands why her daddy isn't home like he was in the evenings. The boys and I forget how different it is because we are used to the change of seasons and the amount of hard work (thus time) it takes to get the harvest in. Of course, being the 'new kid on the block', she has no clue.

 

Thank goodness that harvest does not last forever and winter will afford more time for Bart with the family. I am looking forward to that probably as much as the kids are.

 

Jacie is joining the preschoolers w/o parents swimming class at the local community pool. I wish that I hadn't told her because now a 'normal' conversation between us goes as follows:

 

Jacie: "Jacie swim in class for school?"

 

Mom: "Yes."

 

Jacie: "Today?"

 

Mom: "No, not today." Then I walk over to the calendar, show her what today is and then show her when it starts.

 

Jacie: "Oh, tomorrow?"

 

Mom: "No. Wait. Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Wake...etc. etc. etc."

 

Jacie: "Oh."

 

Later the same hour, we do it again...Unfortunately for me, her class does not start for another two weeks. She will love swimming though and understands that they are going to teach her how so that she does have to wear her floaties. I can't wait...

 

She loves the Toy Story movies. She is quite a fan. She has seen 1 and 2. She liked 2 better. When we were at the Red Box rentals she saw Toy Story 3 listed. She started dancing around begging me to rent it. I definitely would have but...it doesn't come out until Tuesday. I couldn't explain why the 'box' said it was there and it wasn't. She thinks that I just didn't let her get it. That stinks for me...

 

I am not the type of person who has to give their children everything so the problem wasn't that she couldn't get it. It was that I couldn't explain why. I have said it from the start, the hardest part of this journey thus far has definitely been the language barrier.

 

Very randomly, she drops in China comments. Today, she walked over to me and said, "In China when Jacie was 'little bit', I cry all the time. Now Jacie big...no cry all the time."

 

When I question her further, she gives little information. I said, "In China, Jacie cry? Why?"

 

"I scared."

 

"You were scared...? Why?"

 

"I no remember..."

 

She will not speak to anyone in Mandarin. We went to a Chinese restaurant and tried to get her to speak to the Mandarin speaking waitress. All she would say is, "No remember."

 

I know that is not true though because she still watches movies in Chinese often. She must understand some of it or has memorized those particular movies.

 

Pray for her as she walks this road. It seems that much of her world revolves around her learning new things. That is a huge undertaking for her and she really wants to do it well...just doesn't know how.

 

She did do a little Trick or Treating yesterday. We dress up for fun and visit various family members for some loot. When I first talked to her about it she said, "No, Jacie no want."

 

After awhile she warmed up to the idea and was (in my 'professional opinion' the cutest lion (she thought she was a tiger) in the county.) I will try to post a picture. As we were driving between houses, I could hear her in the back saying, "Trick or treat." Not just once but over and over again. My guess...? She knows that practice makes perfect. She definitely had it down pat when candy was in view. It was a great night.

 

~Angie