Monday, August 29, 2011

Friday, A Very Emotional Day

Friday proved to be an emotional day for lots of reasons.

I posted on the Book of Face: "Not only do I LOVE this kid, I LIKE him, too."

So true! Joshua is a delight. He has a sense of humor. He is smart. His smile melts my heart.

Friday morning we went to Carrefour to do some shopping. Joshua wrote on his info sheet that he liked origami, drawing, and shopping. When Joshua saw other people in the pool with goggles, he decided that it what he needed. When our guide asked what he wanted to look at, he was clear about what he wanted. It is fun to give him whatever he asks for. I hope he enjoys the spoiling while it lasts! He put them on as soon as we got back in the taxi. Joshua is very interesting with his "things." After adopting 5 others, I have great respect for how kids feel about what belongs to them.
His legs are bitten up with mosquito bites. They are all old and healed over. I believe that Asian skin is similar to our African American kids in that the scaring looks different than Caucasian skin.
We were back to the hotel by 10:30am to meet up with some other Americans. We had a wonderful visit and since they speak Chinese, they took us to lunch at a "local" noodle house. The real thing, folks, the tiny eatery was behind a plastic curtain you find in walk-in freezers! The noodles are made to order from scratch for each customer and there were only 5 or 6 tables crammed in a small area. I loved it! Two American families with a bunch of kids caused a bit of a stir and as you can see from the picture, we had an audience while we ate. There were more people on the other side standing around watching us. Joshua knew exactly what he wanted and he was happy because his main diet is noodles with a capital "N".
Speaking of staring, before we got Joshua, we were glanced at as foreigners. We did not see many foreigners but our guide said that Hangzhou was a popular place to visit and it was not uncommon to see people from other countries. However, once we got Joshua and were pushing an Asian child in a stroller, we were outright stared at. Doesn't bother me at all. In fact, it makes me think about how he will feel when we get back to rural America where we live.

Next stop after lunch was the Notary office to get the final documents we would need from Hangzhou. We picked up his Chinese birth certificate and other paperwork that went along with his orphan status. Orphan no longer!!!
Our guide works very hard checking and re-checking all our paperwork. I cannot say enough about our agency and the people who have helped us with the adoption! They are fantastic.After the notary, we were allowed to go and visit the orphanage where Joshua has been living. It was hard to tell how he felt about being back there. Our guide said most kids are excited to show off their new parents to their friends and classmates.The orphanage in Hangzhou is beautiful. The grounds are immaculate as is the facility. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have adopted from this social welfare institute. We were welcomed by the staff who all made much of our Joshua. It was very heartwarming to see the staff all smiling and they greeted him and knew him well. Joshua took us to his classroom to meet his classmates. A photographer accompanied us taking lots of pictures, documenting the visit I guess.
He wanted to wear the goggles. Who cares, it makes him happy!
His class did a presentation for us and then they presented Joshua with several gifts.We had the privilege of visiting with the "other" Joshua and taking pictures for his family who will be traveling imminently. We got to tell him that his family was coming very soon.
Good-bye Hangzhou orphanage. I will never forget what you did for our Joshua. This is the first cat we saw. Our guide said there are plenty of stray cats around.While we were waiting for a taxi we watched traffic. They sure load up the bikes.
The city is extraordinarily clean. Many workers stand out in the middle of traffic and sweep the trash up in the street.
After we got back to the city centre, we decided to go to Pizza Hut for dinner.
He loves his Daddy. Our guide said it is common for kids to attach to their fathers first because they make them feel safe.
The end of the day meant laundry in the sink. Joshua is a good helper.
What a day!

God sets the lonely in families.

We are grateful that Joshua is a forever part of ours.


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