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.