It keeps getting better!

...not that it has ever been bad, actually!  I just mean that with every day that passes, Kennedy becomes more comfortable!  She has come more "out of her shell" with each day.  She is talking more and trying more English!  She seems excited and ready to start school next week on Tuesday.  We have a GREAT support team assembled for her, so I feel confident that it will be a positive experience for her!

Kennedy keeps making signs for her door and 2D art for her mom and dad, etc. that says "I Love My Home!"  Then, she draws herself, Mia, me and Charles all holding hands.  She labels all of us with our names.  It just makes me smile every time!  The other day, I was writing sentences on the dry erase board with Mia.  I wrote, "I love Mia." and "I love Kennedy."  Kennedy read them out loud, took the marker from me and wrote, "I love Mom and Dad and Mia."  Then, she handed me the marker and smiled!  She does not verbalize that often, but she is writing it and indicating it more and more!  We know as her English improves and her level of comfort with sharing emotions gets better, (That is NOT common in China!) she will say things out loud more!  She SHOWS us every day, and that is good enough for us at this early point!  ;)

A few days ago, over hot chocolate, she opened up in a BIG way about life in China.  She shared stories about how rough the teachers and kids were there.  Hitting was a daily norm.  Even our good-girl had occasional hits to her hands with a stick when her work was not complete or not correct.  She has some scars on her knuckles.  I have not asked yet, but I pray they are not from being hit like that.  She is VERY happy to know that teachers DO NOT HIT here in America!  She described some pretty rough incidents she witnessed between other students.  It made me so sad, and scared for the children left behind.  I am so relieved that Kennedy's favorite friend who is still at the orphanage will be adopted in the next few months by the amazing Kennedy family who led us to our daughter a year ago!

Kennedy spent some time "talking" (through the translator and acting things out) about a friend of hers that is having struggles adjusting to her adoption.  It seems to worry Kennedy.  One of her main concerns was knowing if that made her friend's Mommy cry and feel sad.  I told her yes, but she continues to love her daughter.  She says that this friend wants to return to the orphanage, and Kennedy is VERY upset about that.  She says, "NO go back China!  Not good!  Stay family!"  I explained to her that adoption is forever and her friend will not "go back".  She seemed somewhat relieved to hear that, but can not understand her friend's anger and unhappiness.  I assured her that everyone handles change differently.  I told her we would pray for her friend to feel happy with her family.  She agreed.

That brings me to this awesome info...Kennedy informed us that she was baptized at a Christian summer camp this last July!  That just amazes us!!!!

One last random "story".  Kennedy got a gift card to Bath and Body.  She seemed very confused about what to do with it, so we did the only proper thing...we went to the mall!!!  Once she got the hang of shopping for things to make you smell amazing, she really got into it!  She was even dancing around in the store to the music!  She would bring me things like shower gel and lotion that she had never used to ask what they were for.  I would act it out for her and she would say, "Oh!  GOOD!"  That night, and every night since then, she chooses her shower gel, lotion and body spray of the day to use during and after her shower.  Can I say how FUN it was to explain how to use all that girly stuff!!??!!  She TOTALLY gets into it!

Oh, there is another brief comment.  Kennedy LOVES Barbies!  I had given her 2 of my favotite collector ones, and Santa brought her one.  My sweet Mia decided the other night that since she had about 20 Barbies, she would give several to Kennedy so it would be "fair"!  HOW DARN CUTE!!  Kennedy plays with them an hour or two each day at this point.  It is also another fun thing our daughters do together.  She displays them on one of her shelves in different ways each day.  Mia has the guy from the movie: Tangled.  He was the only boy-Barbie in the house and he has been a BIG deal.  I just got back from getting a "Ken" for Kennedy so Mia can have her "Tangled" dude back.  I sense some future boy-craziness...and I do NOT like that...  Stop laughing, MOM!

Geez!  There IS another note....they finally went on the trampoline yesterday!  They had a BLAST and it was HYSTERICAL to see!  They are currently out ice skating with Daddy!  They are so close and have a ton of fun together.  Mia keeps thanking us for a big sister...

I better stop before I remember MORE fun tidbits to share!!

Happy New Year!!!!

Mia, thinking..."YES!!!  A gift card!  I get to pick out my own stuff!!!"

Kennedy, thinking..."What the heck am I supposed to do with this little plastic card thingie??"
Little did she know what FUN it was about to provide for her!!!  ;)