Today was Chao Yan's first day of school!

And at the end of the day,she came off the bus smiling! She really enjoyed meeting her new friends and her teacher.

Chao Yan was very nervous and really excited this morning. I know she has thought about her new school for a long time, so this was a big day for her.

THANK YOU to all of her new friends and her teachers for making her feel so welcome!

Starting School!

Chao Yan will be starting school next week! On Monday and Tuesday, she will take tests to see how much English she knows and what she still has to learn. Since she just arrived to the United States, we already know she will have to learn a lot! Lots of times, kids take tests to help teachers decide the best things to teach them.

Chao Yan also got new glasses this week. These should help her with school work, as it is hard for her to see well without them.

She will be joining her new 6th grade class on Wednesday, and she is very excited! She will start by just going for half days, because we know it will take her awhile to get used to hearing just English and it's pretty tiring! Her teacher and the other students already sent her a welcome letter and a class photo. They have been so nice, and Chao Yan can't wait to meet them all!

So Many Changes, So Much to Learn!

It really is amazing how much Chao Yan has done over the past 3 weeks! She has:

-met her new father for the first time
-traveled by airplane 3 times to 3 different parts of China
-stayed in 5 different hotels
-traveled from China to Chicago to Washington, DC to Binghamton on 3 different planes
-met her mom for the first time, along with her four brothers and sisters
-met aunts, uncles, grandma, and family friends for the first time
-gone to the dentist
-gone to the eye doctor and will have new glasses this week
-visited a friend who lives in NY and is from the same orphanage
-toured her new school
-visited her mom's classroom

By the end of this week, she will have also:
-gone to the doctor
-met her new teacher
-gone to the dentist again

WOW...what a busy 3 weeks, huh? At first, she was very scared and didn't want to try new things. Now she is eager to start school and meet new friends!

Not Katie, but Chao Yan

As I write this, Katie has been home for a little over a week. We have talked it over, and she feels strongly that she would like to be called by her Chinese name rather than Katie. It is something special that she has from China, and she likes it very much. Chao Yan (pronounced "Chow-Yen")means "outstandingly good, colorful, and beautiful". So while her legal name is Kathryn Lucille Chao Yan, she will call herself Chao Yan.

If you go to her school and have been reading this blog, please call her by her Chinese name, Chao Yan. THANKS!!

China Photos!

Gotcha Day!

Here is Mr. G. and Katie together for the first time! March 31,2008

She's our daughter!

This is Katie and Mr. G. signing the adoption paperwork that officially made her our daughter!

Ling Ling

The young girl on the right is Ling Ling. She is 17 years old and she lives at the orphanage. Ling Ling is too old to be adopted in the United States according to adoption laws, but she can be sponsored to come to America as a legal immigrant. Ling Ling is blind in one eye, but she can do a lot! She is going to school now to learn how to cook.

Katie Chao Yan promised Ling Ling she would help her find a family to sponsor her. We are hoping that this dream can come true for both of them!

Orphanage Photos

There are a lot of boys waiting for their families in addition to girls. This little boy kept following Mr. G. around and was singing his ABC's.

Orphanage pictures

There are many children still waiting for families in China, including a LOT of little boys! Aren't they adorable?

Orphanage photos

This is Katie on the bike she rode to and from school. She went to the orphanage for lunch, so she rode a total of 8 miles a day!

The next picture is Katie's bedroom which she shared with 2 other kids. You can see the mattresses are thinner and harder. It is a common belief in China that hard mattresses are better for one's health.

School and Orphanage Photos

Isn't this baby adorable? He's wearing a knitted outfit made by Katie's grandma! This little boy is 8 months old and he lives in the orphanage. He is still waiting for a family to adopt him.

This big white building is Katie's school! The murals on the side of the wall are giant maps, and we think they're pretty cool!

Here are some pictures from Katie's school. There is one blackboard in the front of the room and one in the back of the room. The children don't change classes, the teachers do! The students learn one subject looking toward the front of the room. Then they turn their desks around for the next subject! There were 43 students in Katie's class! You can see the picture of her with her classmates.

Trouble posting

Please keep checking back for pictures--I am having trouble uploading them for some reason.

Katie with some newfound friends in Xi'an

She's Home!!!!

She’s home!!! Finally!

This morning, the weather here was picture perfect when we got to the airport. The flight was on time, and Katie arrived all smiles! “Mama!” she exclaimed, and gave me a big hug. She hugged Leah and shook everyone else’s hand.

Mr. G. went and claimed the luggage, and as soon as she got her suitcase, Katie opened it and took out four gifts for them--all possessions that she had from the orphanage. Justin and David got her yo-yo’s, Anna got a hair band that was given to her by Yaru (Claire)--another child recently adopted, and Leah got her hair clips that we sent to China. How sweet is that!

Now we are home, and everyone is watching Chinese DVD’s that Katie brought with her. She seems very happy, and she loves being with the other kids!


Thanks to all of you who have us through this journey! Katie Chao Yan is awesome!

Flight delay...

Right now we should be sitting in the airport, waiting for Mr. G. and Katie to arrive. I had the kids set to go and figured I'd take one last look at flight updates online before we left for our 1 hour drive to the airport. Good thing I did.

Mr. G. and Katie are stuck in Chicago. Their flight is delayed over 2 hours to get to Dulles in Washington, DC. Unfortunately this means they will miss their connecting flight to Binghamton. The next flight doesn't go out until 8:21am tomorrow, meaning that they will arrive at 9:50am.

We are all really bummed. REALLY bummed.

Chao Yan is exhausted. She is very independent and used to going places on her own, so she keeps trying to wander away in the airport. Mr. G. has had 3 different people who speak Mandarin tell her that it's not safe to do that, but as teens will do she is not listening real well. His nerves are shattered!

I will post an update when I can.

Planes, Planes, and Automobiles!

They're on their way home!

As I'm typing this, Mr. G. and Katie should be touching down in Chicago. Then it's off to Washington, and finally United Flight 6889 flies into Binghamton, NY at 11:09pm! YAY! We still have about an hour's drive after that, so it will be a LONG night in our house!

As soon as I get a chance, I'll update with the latest and post PICTURES!! I'm sorry we didn't have any way of putting them up before--I haven't seen Katie yet either! :-)

Taking the Oath

Today Katie talked with her guide a lot about how hard it is going to be to come to America. She is afraid because she knows she will have to learn a new language and everything will be new to her. She has never seen America and has no idea of what it is like. No wonder she is scared--I would be too if I had to leave everything that was familiar to me! We think she is a very brave girl to take this step!

This afternoon, Katie, Mr. G. and a lot of other families who are adopting children rode a bus to the American consulate. There they took an oath and now Katie is officially an American legal immigrant! Once she is home, we have to complete the paperwork to officially make her an American citizen.

After that, the entire group went out to dinner together. Katie offered Mr. G. a sip of her soda, then a taste of her food, then she wanted to taste his! She decided she liked his better, so they traded.

Later, they went flute shopping as Katie is a music lover and wanted to bring home a Chinese flute. They got a deal on 3 of them, so I foresee a band forming in our house in the near future!

Tonight they leave Guangzhou for Beijing at 7:30pm New York time. I'll talk to them just before they leave the White Swan Hotel and will update!

Looking Ahead!

Mr. G. called me late last night to let me know that Katie had gotten dressed and ready for the morning, and then crawled right back into bed. It turns out she wasn't feeling well from the shots she got the day before. He got her some medicine and then later she felt well enough to go out shopping with her friends.

While she was shopping, Katie asked an English-speaking shopkeeper how he learned his English. He said he learned it from going to America! This made Katie excited, because she knew that she would soon be going there too! She seems to be trying harder to understand English words now.

We know she is excited to meet her brothers and sisters, David, Justin, Anna, and Leah. It won't be long now!

Guangzhou!

Mr. G. and Katie headed to Guangzhou to finish the adoption paperwork and processing. She willingly got on the plane, as she was flying with her new friends, the Hinkles. Their girls are 9 and 14, and she has developed a strong bond with them.

They went for Katie's physical which is something that she had to do before she was allowed to enter the United States. Since she is an immigrant over the age of 10, she also had to get tetanus and chicken pox shots. She handled that okay, but it resulted in extra waiting at the clinic. Now it is night time, and tomorrow they have to process more paperwork.

Back on the airplane!

I didn't get a chance to talk with Mr. G. and Katie tonight, as they are getting ready to fly from Xi'an to Guangzhou. Guangzhou is in southern China, and right now it is hot and muggy there. Everyone is complaining about the heat!

While they are in Guangzhou, the final paperwork for Katie will be processed. This takes a couple of days, and then they will fly home!

Katie had a good day today shopping in the marketplace with Mr. G. and her new friends. She is good at trying to get the best price for things! Katie really loves being around other kids, and is looking forward to having brothers and sisters at home. She seemed happier today and was kidding around with Mr. G. by pretending to trip him when he walked by her. She doesn't have words yet to kid around, so she has to use actions!

Plan Change!

Katie got to see the terra cotta warriors today, and she really seemed to like them. She met another family there who is adopting a 9 year old girl. Their 14 year old was also with them, and Katie really enjoyed being with them. They were really helpful and we hope to be able to keep the girls in touch once everyone is in the United States.

Katie told her new guide that she really wants to get to America and see her new family. For a lot of reasons, we decided that this might be better than having her see Beijing during the last four days of the trip. I was able to change their flights, so they are now coming home on Friday, April 11th (instead of April 15th)! So, they won't be going to see some of the sites I wanted to share with you at the end of their trip. But for Katie, the biggest thing in her life will happen a few days sooner. She will finally have a family.

Welcome to Xi'an!

The plane ride was a little scary for Katie, as she had no idea what to really expect. She did not want to get on the plane! A very nice Chinese woman helped make her feel more comfortable and talked her through it, and we are very grateful for that! She has many more plane rides ahead of her, so we are hoping that each one gets a little easier.

Mr. G. and Katie are now in Xi'an. They got to see the pagodas, which are very beautiful. Mr. G. took lots of pictures which we will develop and put on this blog once he is home.

Right now it is night time in China. We have discovered that Katie likes watching TV a LOT! Just like other kids, she does not like it when she has to turn it off and go to bed! She is getting used to having rules set for her, and she is not sure she likes that too much but she is accepting it.

It is hard to talk on the phone when both people speak a different language, but we try! So far she can say:

Hello
How are you? I'm fine, thank you.
Yes, No
1,2,3
half of her ABC's (remember, she knows numbers and letters in Mandarin, but not in English)
Go to bed.
Good night, Good morning
I like music.
Mama, Baba (Dad)

I'm sure there are other words, but this is all I've heard so far. We'll keep updating as we know more!

Last Day in Nanjing

Mr. G. and Katie are doing well, although the last couple of days have been harder. Katie had to say goodbye to all her friends, nannies, and teachers. This has made her sad, so she has been very quiet. Even though she wants to have a family, it is still hard to leave everything she has known. Mr. G. has been trying to cheer her up, and just a little while ago got her to laugh. Getting used to us is going to take some time!

Katie likes music and we have spent a little time singing duets on the phone. She knows some of the simple songs we learn here when we are younger.

This morning they will take an airplane ride to Xi'an, where the terra cotta warriors are buried. You can check them out here:

http://www.highlightskids.com/Stories/NonFiction/NF1298_terracotta.asp

This will be Katie's first time on a plane!

Orphanage Visit Part 2

Shortly after arriving at the orphanage, Mr. G. and Katie were honored guests at a banquet hosted by the director. In attendance was the director from all of Jiangsu Province. She had met Chao Yan when she was just little, and had taken a personal interest in her. Mr. G. said this experience was truly a surprise and an honor. The Jiangsu director presented Katie with a beautiful jade necklace, and asked that we keep in touch with her at least once a year. The banquet was served on a table that spun around. Katie was treated like a queen, and at one point, she got up and gave a speech! Mr. G. doesn’t know what she said, but she had everyone laughing so hard they were almost in tears.

Mr. G. got some photos of Katie when she was younger, as well as some photos of several babies in the orphanage.

After the orphanage visit, they headed off to go to Wantou Middle School, where Katie had been in seventh grade. She got to say goodbye to her headmaster, teachers, other students, and her best friend from school. Mr. G. got a picture of her sitting in Desk #4, where she sat when she was there.

More info to come!

Orphanage Visit Part I

This morning, Mr. G. and Katie left early to get to Yangzhou orphanage. This is where Katie has spent the last 11 ½ years of her life. They did get lots of pictures, and I will share them as soon as we possibly can. SO much to tell you about this visit!

(A note to adoptive families: There is a LOT more I can tell you about this visit. This website is set up for school kids, but if you email me or leave a blog comment, I will share additional information.)

The nannies were very happy to see Chao Yan and know that she now has a family. They LOVED getting the pictures we brought of Noelle (Jie Ling), a little girl who was adopted in December, and they shared them with Ting Lee ( a child still waiting
for a family). They love getting updates on the children! They made Mr. G. promise to send updated pictures of Chao Yan at least once a year, and seemed to take an honest interest in the children there.

The director of the orphanage asked us to help them find a home for one specific child there. Ling Ling is 17 years old, so we are not sure if they will allow her to be adopted or if she would need to be sponsored. Ling Ling is visually impaired, but she is able to see some things. She attends a trade school, and was very cute and chatty with Chao Yan. Steve did get photos of her, and we will do what we can to help her find a family.

I will post more about the orphanage visit later! There's a lot more to tell you!Stay tuned!

Katie Chao Yan is relaxing more and becoming "herself". She is understanding Mr. G.'s sense of humor and she's dishing it right back to him, mainly in the form of playful arm punches.

Katie LOVES the mall! In China, people often negotiate the price of things. Katie was able to buy a $30 necklace for $15. She will need to get used to how we buy things in America when she gets home!

Steve said that while they were out shopping, he noticed that it was acceptable to push another person's cart out of the way or budge through a crowd without saying "sorry" or "excuse me". It is a cultural difference--it may appear rude to us, but that is the way that things were done there. Katie will need to get used to this difference too!

This morning, Katie spelled out "K-a-t-i-e" for me on the phone. Her pronunciation of English is excellent so far! She also said, "Mother, I like music." We were incorrect about her not liking noodles--she actually loves them!

We got some more information about the trip to the orphanage tomorrow. The director for all of Jiangsu Province has met Katie before, and has taken a personal interest in her. This is why she wants to see her off and meet Mr. G. Educators are also held in high regard in China. Mr. G. is an "educational advisor" (the Chinese term for guidance counselor), and they are giving him a lot of respect.

She's Ours!!

It's official! Katie Chao Yan is now our legal daughter! Mr. G. said the trip to the Civil Affairs office went well. Director Wong was there again, AND he invited Steve and Chao Yan to the orphanage for lunch on Wednesday! Not only that, but the director for the orphanages in all of Jiangsu Province will be there too! Director Wong went on to explain that "Chao Yan is very famous..." We are not sure if he was kidding or serious!! Of course, Mr. G. is thinking, GREAT, I didn't pack dress clothes....

They will definitely be visiting her school, and they promised to keep Ling Ling home so that the girls could say goodbye. I am overwhelmed by the love and care they have shown Chao Yan in the orphanage. The director clearly loves her and wants the best for her.

Update on Our Sweet Daughter!

Katie Chao Yan and Mr. G. had a good sleep last night and seem ready to face the day. She did wake up with a fever again--last night it was 102.2, so I'm worried that it is more than a cold. The clinic gave her meds but they weren't antibiotics. She is feeling better, but I am afraid he'll be back at the clinic again if the fever doesn't break soon.

Katie is a young lady who thinks of everyone else first. My mother is a knitter and made several beautiful baby sweaters that we have donated to the orphanage. There is a baby at the hotel that is being adopted from the same orphanage right now, and Mr. G. suggested they give one of the sweaters to him. Katie said, "No, these are for the orphanage kids, he already has a family." So to the orphanage they go, along with many pairs of mittens and hats that were donated by my school.

When Katie was sick and had to go to the clinic, she asked the guide to take her and let Mr. G. go back to the room for a nap because she knew he was tired.

We had packed many small Avon bath gels, powders, etc. for use as gifts for the nannies --they are quite popular in China. Katie has hand-selected who will get what, and she is excited about giving it to them. They will get to go back to the orphanage on WEDNESDAY to visit. We are hoping that Katie will get to see her best friend, Ling Ling. She is 17 years old and visually impaired. Ling Ling attends a trade school, and Katie Chao Yan refers to her as her "sister". We are going to do everything we can to keep the two of them in touch with one another.

Another exciting development is that Mr. G. and Katie may be able to go visit her school!!! This would be so great--we can get an idea of what school has been like for her. Katie said that she was bullied at school, especially by the boys. She was worried about that happening at her new school, and we assured her that it would not. If anything, her new friends will go out of their way to watch out for her.

Katie was able to keep her school books--these will be priceless to us as they will help us understand what she has learned. In China, she had to get up at 5:15am to ride her bike back and forth to school--8 miles total!

We have learned that Katie does not like spicy food or noodles. She loves rice, ice cream, apples, and bananas. Steve tried to take her to the restaurant in the hotel, but she insisted on going to Burger King because she said the other one was too expensive!

Today they are headed to the Civil Affairs Office to sign the paperwork which will legally make her our daughter!

Quick Update

This morning, the kids got to speak to Katie Chao Yan for the first time. We didn't get too far beyond "Hello", but it was nice for them all to talk to one another! Justin tried his hand at Mandarin...unfortunately he said, "This is your little sister, Justin" instead of "This is your little brother, Justin!" Giggling is a universal language, so maybe that was a good thing!

Mr. G. said that Katie's suitcase was filled with snacks and a change of clothes. He thinks that she was a favorite in the orphanage! She arrived with a cold and fever, so they have already visited the doctor and she is on medication for that. She also wears glasses! Everyone in our family does also, so she'll fit right in!

Mr. G. gave her some first grade sight word cards to read and she was able to read 8 out of 10 of them. She doesn't know what the words mean yet, but she's off to a good start! Mr. G. said that she really isn't understanding what he is saying to her, but that is to be expected. Denise (the guide) was with them all day today and could translate.

Tomorrow they will go back to the Civil Affairs office to sign the official adoption papers which will legally make her our daughter! Then they go to different offices for notary and passport processing. We'll talk with them again tonight (tomorrow morning for them).

Mr. G. sounds really exhausted! The lack of sleep plus the excitement of the day is taking its toll. He also accidentally brushed his teeth with sink water and has been paying the digestive price for it. Many times in other countries, you must drink or use bottled water instead of sink water, or you will get sick. Hoping a good night's rest leaves them ready to tackle tomorrow.

It sounds like their first day together was a huge success!

Mr. G. has Katie!!!!!

(This is a picture of Katie from 2 weeks ago. Mr. G. can't find the USB cord to download the photos!)

I just got THE CALL!!! Mr. G. and Katie are back at the hotel with Denise, the guide. He sounds SO excited--poor guy only got 2 hours of sleep last night as he hasn't adjusted to the time change yet. He's running on adrenaline--LOTS of it from the sounds of things!

He said Katie has already become inseparable with him. She is VERY excited and happy about being adopted! Director Wong from the orphanage personally brought her to the Civil Affairs Office this morning, and he will be there again tomorrow when they go back to sign the documents that officially make her our daughter.

Steve said she is every bit as beautiful as her pictures, and she loves running and singing. She also thinks her Baba (Daddy) is loud! (She's right, he is!) She came with an entire suitcase of stuff already packed--we're not sure what's in it yet though!

Katie has been trying to learn English, and I can tell that she is excited about having a "Mommy". "Mommy" was in almost every sentence! I tried to say some Mandarin phrases--I only know a few--but I wanted to say some words to her directly and not through the guide.

When someone first learns a new language, they make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes they have learned to say something, but it is hard for them to understand when another person asks the same thing. Or they understand the words, but aren't sure what to say back.

Mr. G. put Katie on the phone:

"Hello Mommy! Hi Mommy!"

"Ni Hao, Hello Chao Yan!" (Chao Yan is her Chinese name.)

Katie in English: "Hello, Mommy, how are you?"

Me in English: "Fine. How are you, Chao Yan?"

Katie in English: "Yes." (She did not understand what I said back to her.)

(pause...)

Me in Mandarin: "I am happy you are my daughter."

Katie in English: "Thank you, Mommy, thank you."

Me in Mandarin: "I will be your Mommy forever."

Katie: "Aww, THANK YOU Mommy!"

Steve was in the background talking about the time difference--Denise translated to tell her that it was midnight in NY.

Katie: "Go to bed. Good-a-bye."

Me in Mandarin: "Good bye, Chao Yan. I love you!"

Tomorrow morning we will call so that the kids can speak to her before they go to school. It will be 7pm in China, 7am here.

I can't wait to have PICTURES! She sounds like an angel!

Nanjing

I just talked with Mr. G. He is doing well and is anxious to get Katie. Yesterday he got a chance to walk around Nanjing a bit. He said it is very different than Wuhan, where he was when we adopted Leah three years ago.

He has not seen many other people from America or other western countries in Nanjing. A lot of people are staring at him, probably wondering why he is in China. He said that this city is nice, but that there are a lot of homeless people on the streets. Some have approached him asking for money. He helped one very old woman who was carrying a baby. "Shyeh Shyeh nee (Thank you)", she said, over and over. Homelessness does not happen everywhere in China, just like it does not happen everywhere in America. But sadly, it happens. We have so much to be thankful for, with our homes and food and families.

Mr. G. said that most people he has met in Nanjing do not speak English. When they do, they may know a word like "supermarket", but they don't know that "grocery store" means the same thing. This has made things kind of hard, but it helps him to know what it will feel like for Katie. She will have a lot to get used to in America!

Mr. G. said the breakfasts in the hotel are very good, but the food is so different from what we eat! This morning, he had an egg baked in a tea mixture, boiled pumpkin, and dumplings. Some of the food is very spicy too!

Nanjing is about an hour and a half from Yangzhou, where Katie lives. Tomorrow (10pm Sunday night in NY), he will meet her for the first time. Imagine meeting your parent for the first time ever at age 13! How do you think she feels about that?

Another update!

This is the Mandarin Garden Hotel, where Mr. G. and Katie will be staying in Nanjing.

It is 6pm Friday night, and I just got off the phone with Mr. G. Where he is now, it is 6am on Saturday!

He said that when the plane flew over Greenland, he could see giant cracks in the ice. He didn't take a picture, but I sure wish he did!

His hotel is nice and right near a busy shopping area. He said that the beds are hard and low to the ground, and there is no dresser in the room. Gaming is very popular there, and they have areas where people can play cards and chess.

Tomorrow he will learn more about the area and get all of the paperwork together for Katie's adoption. His guide, Denise, will meet him at the hotel and drive 40 minutes to the Civil Affairs Office. There, he will meet Katie at 10:00am on Monday (10:00pm Sunday night in NY). After that, he will go back to the hotel and they will call home! I expect to hear from them sometime around midnight. I can't wait!!!

Mr. G. is in China!

Mr. G. called me this morning at 8:45 am to tell me that he had just arrived safely to his hotel in Nanjing, China! He had been awake for more than 29 hours straight, so he was pretty tired!

We could only talk for a minute, because he called me on my cell phone and that is very expensive. We will get to talk longer tonight on our landline phones.

Mr. G. said that it was daylight the ENTIRE time he was on the airplane! He flew up over the North Pole, and with the time changes he never got to see night time. I will post more details after I talk with him tonight!

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Katie has finished her last day of school in China. (Remember, they are 12 hours ahead of us there.) I wonder what she must be thinking! I bet she is excited, but it sure must be scary to leave everything she knows and fly halfway across the world to a new place. We think she's REALLY brave! :-)

Ni Hao and Welcome!

Ni Hao! (This is "Hello" in Chinese.)

Welcome to our blog! If you are just joining us, this blog was created for teachers and kids to learn more about our new daughter Katie. She is 13 years old, and we are adopting her from China. On this blog you will find information about China and Chinese culture, adoption, and special needs. Everything here is meant for kids, so have fun and enjoy!

If want to start from the beginning of the blog, click on the posts to the right, starting with the one at the top.

Please feel free to post questions also! Mr. G. (Katie's dad) is going to China to bring her home, while Mrs. G. (Katie's mom)is staying here in the US with the other four kids in the family. Mrs. G. will be posting updates as she has them, and hopefully a few pictures too. Please check back often!

It's Travel Day!!!

(This is Katie last week at the orphanage, talking with her nannies.)

Mr. G. will be flying out of the Binghamton airport at 6:00am on Thursday. He first goes to Washington, DC, and he'll be there until 12:20pm. Then he gets on the plane for a 15 hour plane to Beijing!!! He will be in Beijing for a few hours, then will take a plane for two more hours to Nanjing. It will take him over 27 hours to get there!!!

We will miss him a lot, but we will get to talk to him on the phone once he arrives. It will be Friday morning then in New York state! China is in a different time zone, so it will be 12 hours later where Mr. G. is!

China Travel Dates

Mr. G. has his travel itinerary. An itinerary is a schedule of where he needs to be and when he needs to be there. We found out that he will need to be in China a little bit longer than we had planned. There was one date at the Chinese consulate that had to be scheduled later than usual due to the Guangzhou Trade Fair. It added an extra three days to the travel plan...

China is in a different time zone. They are 12 hours ahead of us! So sometimes when it is Monday in America, it is Tuesday in China! Isn't that wild?!

Anyway....here is Mr. G. and Katie's itinerary:

Thursday, March 27th-Friday March 28th
Mr. G. leaves the Binghamton airport at 6am. He will fly to Washington, DC, and then to Beijing, China. Then he will get on another plan and go from Beijing to Nanjing. This whole trip will take 27 hours!!

March 29th- Mr. G. will sleep, sleep, sleep! The time change and long flight will make this necessary.

March 30th-Mr. G. will get everything ready to pick up Katie. There are papers to prepare, gifts for everyone to get wrapped (a custom in China), and he needs to meet with his guides.

March 31st-GOTCHA DAY!! Mr. G. will get Katie in Nanjing. When this happens, it will be the middle of the night here in New York State. I (Mrs. G.) will be waiting by the phone to hear from them!

April 1st-processing Adoption paperwork

April 2nd-Sightseeing in Nanjing with Katie

April 3rd-Mr. G. and Katie will visit the orphanage. It is in the town of Yangzhou, a few hours away.

April 4th-Katie's passport and papers should be ready. They will get on a plane and fly to Xi'an province. Xi'an is west and not too far from Tibet.

April 5-7 Mr. G. and Katie will see the terra cotta warriors in Xi'an.

April 8 Fly to Guangzhou in southeast China. Katie has a physical exam in the afternoon.

April 9th There is a visa interview to get Katie ready to go to the United States

April 10th Go to the American Consulate to take an oath and get Katie's visa. Fly to Beijing.

April 11-13 In Beijing-see the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Olympic site

April 14 Get on the plane to come home! Fly from Beijing to Washington, DC. Stay overnight in Washingon, DC.

April 15 Arrive at the Binghamton Airport at 2:05am!

Welcome Home Katie!!!!

New Pictures of Katie!

These pictures were just taken YESTERDAY!! The little girl in the black jacket is named Jael. She is being adopted now, and her parents took her back to the orphanage to say goodbye to the other kids and the nannies. Jael will live in Rochester, NY when she gets home, so we will be able to visit her!

Katie told Jael that she is excited to have a family and she wants her parents to come get her NOW!

The littlest girl in the pictures is named Ting Lee. She does not have a family yet. She will live in the orphanage until a family is found for her.

The ladies in the pink coats are the nannies. They probably wear them because they take care of lots of babies--and babies spit up! The nannies are sad to say goodbye to the children, but they are happy to see them adopted into families.

We Have Travel Dates!

Yay!!!! We don't have the details of each day yet, but we do have some dates to share!

Mr. G. is leaving for China at 6am out of the Binghamton Airport on March 27th! He will fly to Dulles International in Washington, DC, and then on to Beijing, China! I will share more information later once we have it all.

He will be returning home on April 15th! We'll be greeting him at the Binghamton Airport at 2:05pm. The timing is perfect, because the entire family is on spring break for the rest of that week. Katie will get to spend a lot of time with her brothers and sisters!

I can't wait to tell you about all of the adventures in between these dates! Stay tuned! :-)

Here's a Question for All of the Kids Out There!

Let's see if we have anyone out there who is really good at solving problems!

When Katie leaves China on the airplane, she will leave Beijing at 6:30pm on
April 14th. Then she will arrive in Washington, DC at 7:44pm, also on April 14th.

China is on the other side of the world, so how does she travel here in that amount of time?

See if you can figure it out!

Hint: This website may help you!
www.worldtimeserver.com

WE HAVE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!

Woo Hoo!!!

We just learned today that Mr. G. has been approved to travel to China to bring Katie home! By the middle of next week, we will know the exact dates. We think he will leave on March 27th, though! Wow, that's in less than two weeks!!

We have a LOT of things to do this weekend to get ready for her. Mr. G. is packing a suitcase full of gifts for the children from Katie's orphanage and for her nannies. We have to make sure we have everything ready for her that she will need here.

If everything goes the way we think it will, she will arrive home during our spring vacation. That will be nice because her brothers and sisters will be home that week and can spend it with her.

Stay tuned...we'll post updates as soon as we have them!

Still No Travel Approval :-(

We're patiently (or maybe not so patiently) waiting for travel approval to bring Katie home. We thought we'd get the call this week, but it looks like we'll hear something next week instead. Approximately 3 weeks after that, Mr. G. will be going to China!

Have Questions??

Do you have any questions about Katie, or adoption, or China? Please feel free to ask them, and I'll answer! If you can't get on here to ask, you can email me (Katie's mom) at stevepatg@aol.com.

Getting Closer!

Mr. G. is getting closer to traveling to China! Some friends of ours will be going to Katie's orphanage in a few weeks to pick up their 9 year old daughter. When they are there, they will post updates on their blog. If we learn anything new about Katie or where she lives, we'll write it here! They hope to visit the orphanage, and if the timing is right, Katie might be there for lunch. (She rides her bike back to the orphanage at lunchtime, and then goes back to school in the afternoon.)

A lot of work goes into preparing for a new family member! We have Katie's room ready (she'll be sharing with sister Anna), and have some clothes hanging in her closet. We have some things ready to take to China. My school (Candor Elementary)took up a collection of mittens, hats, and gloves for the children in the orphanage. We have small gifts for the nannies who have taken care of Katie. (In China, it is common to give gifts to people to say "thank you".) This weekend, we will start practicing some things to say in Mandarin. We did this when Leah came home three years ago, but we have forgotten a lot.

Last week we sent Katie a letter, and included two pictures of her new school! That way, she'll know what the classrooms look like when she arrives.

Everyone in our house is very excited to meet Katie! It won't be long now!

Pictures of Katie when she was younger!

Chinese Language

Pinyin is a phonetic form of the Chinese language, otherwise known as Simplified Chinese. Children in school in China learn traditional Chinese right along with Pinyin.

Here are a few of the sounds:

a= ah
e= uh
i=ee
o=aw
u=oo
ai=aye
ei=ay
ou=oh
uo=(oo-aw)
uei=way

In Case You've Just Joined Us...

If you have just joined this blog, you might want to read the older posts first to learn more about Katie. If you want to start here, let me give you a quick description of this blog and why it's here.

I am Katie's mom, and I've created this blog especially for kids and their teachers. Katie is 13 years old and lives in China. Our family lives in New York state, and we are in the process of adopting her. Katie is going to have to get used to a lot of new things here in the United States--a new language, different foods, a new culture, and learning how to live in a family. Katie also was born with a hand difference--she has missing fingers on one hand.

My posts are written with kids in mind, so if you have questions, feel free to ask. Very soon, Katie's dad will be traveling to China to bring her home. You can look here for updates!

Good Websites for Teachers

Lots of good information and resources here for English Language Learners and internationally adopted older students:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/

http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/Dealing-with-cultural-differences-of-an-internationally-adopted-child/1377

This post was written by Anna, my 9 year old daughter.

"Kids sometimes ask me questions about being from another country.

Most kids think that I am Chinese or Japanese. I tell them that I am Korean. I was born in South Korea on December 8, 1998. When I was 4 months old, I flew on an airplane from Seoul to Philadelphia. A lady took care of me while I traveled here. On April 22, 1999, Dad and Mom met me at the airport for the first time!

Every April 22nd, we celebrate Airplane Day at our house. We eat Korean food and have a cake. I get a couple of small presents, sometimes they are from Korea.

For the past two years, we have gone to Korean Culture camp in Albany (at Russell Sage College) for a week in the summer. When we are there, we eat Korean food, learn to write some words in Korean, Taekwondo, Korean drumming, and singing. Most of the kids there have been adopted from Korea, but their brothers and sisters go to camp too! It is a lot of fun!"

Photos from China

Would you like to see our photos of China from our adoption of Leah?

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/stevepatg/Photos%20from%20China/

These were taken in Beijing, Wuhan (Hubei Province), and Guangzhou in January 2005.
Enjoy!

Katie the Student...

Here's what the nannies and teachers have reported about Katie's school habits and life:

Katie has lived in the orphanage since she was pretty young. As a preschooler, she liked to listen to music and was a bit timid. She was always polite and a good listener.

Katie (Chao Yan) studies very hard. She is a good student who respects the teachers and is ready to help other children. She is very protective of the younger children and used to assist them getting to and from the bus stop in previous school years. She is very independent and washes her own clothes and shoes. She makes her bed and cleans her room very well. (Oh, I LOVE THAT!) She often helps caregivers with taking care of other children. And she has been asking for a family for years.

In another report, she is described as polite and humble. She is outgoing, active, hardworking, sensible, and enjoys music, books and basketball. She has never been late to classes, and she likes to attend school even when she feels sick. She gets along well with other students and follows school discipline. Katie pays full attention in class, takes notes, and studies hard.

In addition to her required assignments, Katie also reads additional materials on literature and history. She does not enjoy science that much. Sometimes she does not ask questions when she has difficulties with her studies.Katie is mostly independent on everything except for cooking.

(Now get out the Kleenex...) The last bit of her report states: "This child is content with very little. She has this saying: 'I have food to keep me from hunger. I have clothes to keep me warm. That's all I need.'"

Sound like a kid you'd like to teach? (Me Too!)