Laughter and boundaries

Things continue to go well for our new family of 6!  The amazing girl that Wu Yi became last Friday continues to grace our prescence.  She loves to laugh and it only takes a simple game or bit of teasing to get her started.  She adores all of her brothers, she loves the dog, and she has bonded pretty tightly with me.  Don has been so busy back to work this week and with track practice ~ Wu Yi is taking a little time still getting to know her Baba.
We enjoyed some nice weather over the weekend and gave the local park a try on Saturday.  Evan saw some buddies there to play with and Wu Yi immediately became withdrawn and uninterested.  So, we went to a friends house to feed their pets while they were out of town ~ 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits ~ Wu Yi was in HEAVEN!  She really enjoys feeding and petting animals!  (I keep hoping Sami won't get sick from so many milkbones!).   Sunday was so beautiful, we tried the park again, and this time Wu Yi gave it a shot!  I had to push Evan and Kellen on the swings for awhile and then she pushed them.  Then I got on the swing and she pushed me.  Then, after a 1/2 hr of pushing, she decided to give it a try!  Unfortunately, it became apparent that she has never been on a swing and she got pretty scared.  So, she tried the "baby" swing, and got a little stuck in it (well, just the red snow boots got stuck I guess).  But then she discovered the slides, bridges, and ladders and she was all over the place!  The park was busy with other families and it was hard for folks not to stare at this tiny girl who laughs so loud and long!  Some girls from our elementary school were there and recognized Wu Yi from photos I had shown their 2nd grade class ~ they immediately came over and were dying to know when she would be coming to school!  Such sweet kids at Bryan!  Wu Yi spent over an hour playing a game with Evan, Kellen, and Kellen's friend Jack ~ the nature of the game was Wu Yi chasing the boys down, grabbing them by the shirt, and dragging them to "jail".  Then she would sternly point at them to "stay" and she would smile and walk away and wait for them to inevitably try to escape.  Then she would chase them down again!  She can usually make herself understood, despite never saying a word!  What a personality she has!
On Monday, I decided to take her to school with Evan.  I knew she would be bored at home without him.  There was quite a commotion when we entered the building ~ Wu Yi's arrival from China is well known throughout the school, and kids and teachers alike were excited to finally see her.  We went to visit Evan's class first, and then Evan's teacher allowed him to leave class to stay with Wu Yi for as long as necessary.  So, the three of us went to Wu Yi's 2nd grade class, where she was greeted by Mrs Godbout and her students with a teddy bear gift and a large poster which said "welcome Wu Yi" in Chinese characters!  We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful community and have such great schools!  We stayed in class for about an hour, just coloring and doing dot-to-dots.  As I listened to the lesson plan of the class, I became pretty intimidated by the level of learning taking place.  How will Wu Yi ever catch up?  What does she already know?  How is this transition to school going to take place?  Will she be ready for me to leave when my maternity leave ends?  AAAGGGHHH!  :)
Wu Yi continues to get comfortable in our home.  She has explored every drawer and cupboard, found all the best places for hide-and-go-seek, and freely helps herself to food in the kitchen.  With this new confidence, comes testing!  NO, you can't eat in the living room (the kitchen is ok).  NO, you can't watch Chinese cartoons 24/7 (maybe 2 hours a day).  NO, you can't shoot kids or pets in the face with the nerf gun (other body parts are ok).  NO, you can't douse mom with a cup of water during the bath (but squirts from the tub toys are ok).  NO, you can't stall bedtime with one more book (well, actually you probably could cause mom loves to read to you, but not when you have stopped listening and are just bouncing on the bed!).  Life with a 7 year old toddler!
Well, for those of you complaining about me not writing in my blog ~ there you go!  Less and less about adopting a child, and more and more about normal parenting.  I appreciate all of the kind words and support from those of you I know, and those I haven't met yet.  I guess this will be an interesting read for Wu Yi when she is ready, so thanks for putting so much pressure on me to keep at it! :)