ANOTHER DAY OF FULL HOUSE.

When we came home from seeing our friends the Luey's, Mimi met all of her friends outside our house. Of course Mei Mei was the center of attention. This is also another one of Mimi old outfits. I guessed I learned something from my mom about being a packrat.

THEN AND NOW

Just this week we received an e-mail from Andrew that they were in town visiting with Jennifer's brother who lives in Edmond which is north of Seattle. They wanted to get together this morning before heading back to Oakland, California where they are from.

We met this wonderful family when we went to get Mimi and they went for Audrey aka "Ting Ting". In the group picture, "Ting Ting" is the one on the floor bawling away and Mimi of course is the only one standing (rare moment in which she isn't running somewhere) in the yellow outfit. Now mind you, Mei Mei now fits into that same yellow outfit at 8 mos. Mimi was 19 months and the outfit is made for a 12 month old.

Last year Jennifer, Andrew and Audrey went back to China for the little one that they call Olivia. What's ironic is....both Mimi and Audrey are from Nanchong (Chengdu), and Olivia and Mei Lin are both from Jiangxhi. How about that?

A WELL DESERVED DRINK

For me 'n' dad. The Mai Tai isn't as good as Allyn's but it's a close runner up.

FULL HOUSE

Minus 3 kids. Shad and Micah had left for home and Emma didn't want to be in the picture.

SUSHILAND

This is the babe's first sushi outing and definitely won't be the last.

HOMESTUDY UPDATE AND RE-ADOPTION

This past week Bal Jagat has been hounding us for documents and pictures. They were ready to go out on Friday but dad forgot to take it to work to mail it out so he asked if I would take it to the UPS office and mail it.

As I was looking in the envelope to make sure the documents and Mei Mei's pictures were in it, Mimi asked, "how come MY pictures aren't in there?" She saw the document with only mine, dad's and Mei Mei's picture that we took at the Civil Affair office in China. I explained that they only wanted our pictures and not hers. She was apparrently quite upset about it. "Well, I'm her sister!!!" huffed Mimi. The girl has a point I might add.

Mimi wanted to know what the documents were and so I explained. Then I told the child that when we get all done with the post adoption process, we are going to start in on the re-adoption for both her and Mei Mei. "You mean that you are going to abandon us again?! We are going to be adopted out again?!!!!" the girl cried.

Oh my my. I then had to reassure her that in no way we are going to give them up. "Who would want a wild child like you?" I teased her. I sure had some explaining to do.

Then it was time to head out the door. All I asked the girl to do was to take the yellow envelope with her to the car. I looked up in time to see the child putting the envelope into the mailbox outside our house. Problem was.....there was nothing written on the envelope. No address to Bal Jagat or our return address. Nada, nothing. Fortunately her little fingers was still holding onto the envelope. I am pretty sure that I gained about a 100 new gray hairs that morning.

We did make it to the UPS office after our fun filled day at the Les Gove park and Bal Jagat should be getting the papers they need by Monday morning.

Never ever a dull moment around our house and I love it that way.

AUBURN KIDS DAY AT LES GOVE PARK

HAVE HONEY BEAR AND BABY JAGUAR, WILL TRAVEL

MEI MEI'S FINDING PLACE

FOSTER MOM WU XIU HAN AND FOSTER SISTER ELIZA

BATHING BEAUTIES

QUIET TIME WITH SISSY

JIANXI CHINA

This picture was taken on our way from the airport to our hotel in Jianxi. Looks a lot like western Washington.

PICTURES

Still trying to upload pictures to our blog but the computer refuses to cooperate with me. *&^%$ you computer!!!!!

Mimi's doing good. Recieved a good report card despite the fact that she missed 14 days of school. Now I owe her a Bey Blade. Starting this past Monday, the girl now has gymnastic practice almost everyday of the week (M-Th). Two hours everyday. I am going to have her do swimming lessons also. Gotta keep that child busy.

Lately she has been baraging me with a ton of "How come" questions. "Mom, how come the sky is blue? How come there are clouds? How come people use bad words in songs?" The list goes on and on. I try to answer all the questions to the best of my ablilty but it is wearing me down. At the same time, I realize that this is the age when they ask a lot of questions and then there will come a time when she may not want to talk to me at all. So I try to keep our line of dialoge open but man, it's wiping me out!

Mei Mei on the other hand is soooooo polar opposite of Mimi. This is one laid back child if I ever saw one. Nothing seems to phase this kid. Took her to her first doctor appointment yesterday where she recieved not one or two but three shots and narry a cry or whimper. Don't get me wrong, this kid is active and loves to play and play all day if I let her. She just is not as active as Mimi ever was or is. Thank goodness!

Screw the formula! says Mei Mei. We all thought that Mimi could pack it away. Well so can little sis for that matter. She now eats solid foods. Pureed of course due to no teeth yet. Instead of buying the ready made baby food, I just make it myself. So much easier. I do however buy the rice cereal and will use the formula in the foods the kid eats. Mei Mei now drinks soy milk in addition to water and plum smart juice. Need to keep her regulated you know.

Dad is doing ok. He says that it was hard for him to go back to work after being off for so long. Nice thing is, he doesn't have to go out to Everett anymore. Maybe just now and then as the job is starting to wind down. He can go back to taking the Sounder (train) into downtown Seattle.

As for myself, I am slowly getting better. The house still looks like a tornado ripped through. Slowly getting my thank you cards out to everyone. I feel so fortunate to have so many wonderfuly friends and family out there. Like I mentioned on my fb, there was a time when I needed to take some Melatonin to get to sleep. Since Mei Mei has come into my life things have changed quite a bit. I now give her a bottle of soy milk at around 9 then at 10:30 the kid passes out (she's a night owl), then I am ready to pass out till the next morning and it all starts all over again.

NEW BLOG PICTURES

I know, I know, it's about time I put up some new pics. Truth be told, I'm still not feeling up to par. Slowly getting better tho. This allergy/cold/ has really gotten to me. Still have yet to unpack and put the suitcases away. At least I was able to get this week's grocery shopping done and develope some pics to send out. Hopefully next week will be better. Looks like we won't be visiting with grandpa this Father's Day as I don't want to spread my cooties to them.

MUD

Today was MUD at Mimi's school. M=Move, U=Up, D=Day. This means that the kids get a chance to meet their new teacher and classmates for the upcoming year.

This also means that Mim got into the loop. So now she will be in the same class with the same teacher for the next two years.

Sent from my iPhone

OUR HOUSE

Let's see.....what's been happening with the Putney's since they have come home. Dad went back to work. Only this time he goes to downtown Seattle instead of way, way, out to Everett. Now he can take the train into his job which is much nicer. That way he can relax and let someone else to the driving. However there was one day when he fell asleep and missed his getting off station. I had to go down to Auburn and rescue the man.

Mimi is back at school. She so misses her California friends but is happy to see her at home friends. Her school doesn't let out till next Monday. Since we live in an area where snow is involved, the kids have make-up days to do when there is a snow day and there is no school. Her gymnastic schedule will change next week for the summer. She will have practice everyday except Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 - 1:30 Coach Debbie says. Debbie explained that if the kids do more hours of practice during the summer, it will cut down on the time they practice during the school year. There are some gymnasts that will be practicing even more hours than Mimi as they are getting ready to head down to Austin, Texas for the upcoming National Championships. Mimi is not that high of a level yet to compete. So that leaves us out thankfully.

Mei Mei is adjusting really well taking into the consideration all that this little girl has been through this past month. Losing the only family she knew, fitting into a new family, change of country and time zone, not to mention all of the new people she has met so far. We are finally getting into a comfortable routine.

I wake her up at 7:30, she gets a diaper change, if Mimi is not awake, then I go a wake her up too. Then both Mimi and Mei Mei hang out in our bed while I get ready for the day. We all go down to breakfast at around 8 give or take a minute. By 9, Mimi is off to school and 9:30 or so Mei Mei goes down for her morning nap. Then I can get some housework done. By 11:00, the girl is wide awake and then at 12 is lunch. Naps again around 2 until 3:15 when it is time to get her ready to go and pick up Mimi from school and then we all have a snack together. Then off to gymnastics we go where she flirts with all of the boys/men at the gym, gets tons of attention from the other moms there. By 7:30 we are all home and have dinner together, then it is time for the girls to get ready for bed, Dad reads a story to them. At 9:30 pm, both girls are out like a light. Tomorrow starts another day similar to today.

As for me, I am doing pretty good so far with getting everyone to where they need to be and keeping the house running. However I did catch a very bad cold. I'm not sure if it is because we went from super hot China to chilly California/Washington. I so prefer the cooler weather tho. None the less, I got sick. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Stuffy nose, laryngitis, the whole nine yards. Taking Mucinex and sucking on throat lozenges. Seems to be helping.

VISIT WITH GRANDPA AND GRANDMA

They are soooooo in love with their newest grand-daughter that they are just beside themselves.

Grandpa: Are you breastfeeding her?
Me: Uhhhh, no, she is eating soft foods and drinking her formula.
Grandpa: It's amazing how they are letting "OLD" people adopt young babies nowadays.
Me: Kept my mouth shut.

Then came grandpa's version of "Rock-A-Bye Baby ". "Rock-a-bye, baby, on the treetop. When the wind blows, the baby will drop..."

I just chalk everything up to senility and the fact that grandpa is 94 years old.

Needless to say, the girl was a hit with everyone at the center today.

HOME SWEET HOME

WoW!!! What a month the Putney's had! Despite the horrible trip to China where we were packed like sardines on China Southern Economy flight, things started to look up especially when Mei-Lin became a part of our family FOREVER!

It was the trip of a lifetime needless to say. Mimi also realized how good she has it at our house. There was a time when she said that she was going to move to China and just come home to visit with us. For whatever reason, China changed her mind on that subject. She did however make some real good friends, Bethany and Grace.

Then there was the amazing trip to California, where we got the chance to stay with some awsome folks and friends for life. Will post some pics later. Getting ready to go to bed now. Nighty night.

China Update

We are back in Goungzhou. Spent all day today doing Mei Mei's medical exam and completting the forms for her immigration visa. We'll be going to the American Consulate tomorrow. We all went on a dinner cruise on the Pearl river tonite.

Going back in time abit the attached photos are of the Bada Shanren Memory Hall in Nanchang. Bada Shanren was a famous 17th century Chinese painter. He was a descendat of the founder of the Ming Dynasty. When the ruling family was massacered at the end of the Ming Dynasty he went into hiding at a Taoist temple.He becaome a devount Taoist and lived in seclusion at the temple. The temple was turned into a museum of his works.