Eyes

For those waiting for an update on our visit to the eye doctor,  I will give a short summary.   We went to the Lion's Eye Clinic at the U of MN and also had an interpreter there for us.   Ani did well with the very long exam,  except for putting the dilation drops in.   That was a fairly traumatic experience,  but they were able to do it anyhow and she did recover later. She also managed to tell Andrew she freaked out for the eye drops even though she did not want me to tell the boys about it.  : )

Good news is that her visual acuity is not as bad as previously reported and it is better than mine uncorrected (though with the shaking eyes) which explains how she gets around better than I expected.   

Bad news is that it looks like the cause is due to an optic nerve problem so we are not sure the degree of correction possible.   We are trying glasses to correct her astigmatism,  but there is no guarantee that they will work.   She also has to give them several months of wearing as the improvement will likely not be immediate.   She picked out purple glasses.(Hey! I thought she said she didn't like purple!)  We will get them in another week or so.

We will see how that goes, but will also pursue a second opinion most likely at Mayo Clinic first while also looking into possibilities that are fairly new to nystagmus patients through the University of California in Irvine. Some of these options might be more successful if nerve damage is not evident, but we will research it. In the meantime I will start pursuing an IEP (Individual Learning Plan) through the school district.   The low vision specialists come to each individual school as needed. 

Welcome to America Ani!

After about 24 hours of traveling we arrive safely at home. Ani got a little confused at the LA airport when we re-checked our bags and we're having lunch at the airport instead of going to our house. Luckily we found a nice lady who could speak Chinese to her and explain that we had to take another plane ride.

Ani is enjoying exploring everything in our house and yard. She is very nervous about the cats but is making progress being more comfortable with them. She loves sitting at the piano and plunking out songs she already knows or melodies she has in her head. The backyard swing is a lot of fun for her.

Last Day

This was our last day in Guangzhou.   We leave for the airport at 9:00 am tomorrow.   We headed out to the park after breakfast today trying to beat the heat and the rain.   We were going to go play at the exercise park again.   Ani wanted to bike. 

When we got there,  it was like an outdoor LA Fitness center.   Every single piece of equipment was in use.   The girls had to keep an eye out for an opening and then jump in.  

I am very impressed with the fitness level of older people in China.  There were gray haired men doing pull-ups and gymnastic-like moves on the bar and also whipping around the monkey bars like it was nothing.   Women were out in full force as well doing their reps on all of the different stations.  The badminton and ping pong courts/tables were also full this morning. 

Neela finally decided to take a run at the monkey bars and got some astonished looks as she went back and forth and all around the edges in no time.   She is STRONG! (Refer back to earlier post in which Dave would rather fight me than her.  He is probably right. )

Well, let's all say a little prayer that 1.) we all return safely home to the boys and 2.) HanRui can hold it together on the plane and not screech in excitement too loudly or talk some Chinese traveler's ear off.  We don't want to have to buy drinks for all of those around us ; )

VISA approved! Ready to travel!!!

Dance party

Our new fun thing to do is dance party with Ani's Chinese music.  She has got some good dance music on that little player of hers.   She knows the ones I like to dance to now and will cue those up.   One is called "God is a Girl".  It has a good beat to it.  

We will miss Mandy at Family Weekend in August.  I think she would enjoy dance party with us!

Visa delivered

After lunch we came back to our hotel to hang out until Lee came to deliver Ani's visa and immigration packet.     

I actually went out on my own for a little mom time.  I walked to the park and did some fast walking to get a little excise in to counteract cramped hotel living and slow walking with Ani.  It is a beautiful park. I haven't been able to look around so much on this trip as opposed to last summer.  The focus is on Ani.  It was nice to get out and enjoy China.  I do really like this country so much more than the first time we came in 2007.

When I got back, Ani was doing her time-telling game on the ipad.  A bit later we realized she was crying.   Had she had too much of the educational games?  Were her eyes hurting from all of the close work she did today? I held her in my lap and rocked her for quite a while.  Still, she was sad.   

Eventually we tried to call Lee to speak with her, but could not reach her.   Finally we understood her asking to go to one - first floor.  We went down at 3:00 pm; Lee was to arrive at 4:30 pm with the visa.  Even ice-cream did not make things much better. 

We contacted another of our helpers,  Cici, who spoke with her.   It turns out she was very worried because it was afternoon and Lee had not yet shown up and she was afraid she would not get her visa. A little girl should not have to worry so much. 

After reassurance from Cici that her visa was on the way,  she perked right up. But, we could not leave the lobby.  In all, we waited an hour and 45 min in the lobby for Lee.  After talking with Cici, she was very excited again and I had to keep reminding her to be quieter.   

Lee finally arrived with the papers and she was so excited.   One more full day here and then we begin our long journey home.   We leave the hotel at 9:00 am Friday and arrive home at 8:40 pm Friday.  If only it were only 12 hours rather than the actual 25 due to the time warp we go through. We are all ready to come home. 

School 4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCeT7KkBxcU

This link is a youtube video about Ani's school.   I had found it a few months ago when trying to figure out where she was.   We showed it to her after not being able to get into the school.   She really likes to watch it.  Something familiar and comforting. Watching it, we can see how she has been able to develop her musical talent. 

At this school she finished the second grade.  I do not know how that matches our grades, though.  She was worried that she had to go into the 4th grade,  or school 4 as she refers to it.   Frankly, I was pretty worried as well. 

However, today she eased those worries for both of us.   Looking for something to do on this rainy day, she got out the letter flash cards I pulled out of a neighbor's Little Free Library right before we left. I laid them out and she put them in order with a little help.   

Then she took a handful and began copying the letters over and over.   She writes incredibly well and very small for someone who can't see that great.   She then pulled out a book and copied the title and the first couple of pages.   (Yesterday she told me she didn't like books,  well she did like braille books, but not books for your eyes. )

And then she said "black" and proceeded to write that along with a bunch of other colors in English!!  She has been holding out on us!   

Numbers were next.  She wrote numbers to

100. I wrote 1 + 1 = to see what she would do.  Yes,  she knows all her math facts including multiplication and division.  She got one 2 digit multiplication problem wrong because I think she wasn't seeing it correctly so she gave herself a 99% and a star when she was done.   

School 4, Mom?? Yes?  Yes,  Ani, you can do school 4!  She have me a big smile. 

On another note regarding school,  towards the end of this video, you can see a girl following a raised pattern in the walk.  About a week ago,  Ani showed me this in the subway and said school.   I figured out this is the pattern they teach the kids for getting around the city.  Now I see it everywhere.   It is a bunch of raised dashes and then dots when you come to a possible change in direction or a crosswalk.  Before we met her,  I just saw it as an annoying surface to walk on. Now, I know it is a way for the blind to be independent. 

I think being in the school was a much better place for her than being in the orphanage.  

Marnie

Departing Shanghai for Guangzhou (last Friday)

Found a pic from last Friday that got stuck in my outbox:

Fitness room

Found our hotel has a small fitness room with some hula hoops and a large blue ball, but we couldn't stay long due to a class at 7:30. They don't let the kids use the exercise equipment here like they did in the last hotel.

Walking around the park

Exercise time

Stopped at a park yesterday for some exercise time.

Bedtime

Bedtimes have been a little hard. We think she is used to very strict protocol at the orphanage so has a little trouble settling herself down in our hotel/family environment. Marnie read books to her last night which she seemed to enjoy and was good quiet time before bed. Neela and Ani share the bed and sleep with their heads to the side which gives them more room side to side. There is a little competition for bed real estate, but not too much trouble. Sometimes a little touch on her arm or back helps her to be quiet to sleep. Hopefully when we are home we can create a better bedtime environment for her.

Killing time with SnapChat

A walk in the gong yuan

After lunch at the noodle place we eat at every day,  we decided to go to the park.  It is not too hot today and not a good day for swimming as it has been raining a bit.

The park was very quiet, not very many people were out.  It was a nice walk. We found one of the typical Chinese exercise playgrounds and tried out a few things. The rain started to pick up after a while and we headed back to the hotel.

The last picture is one of me that Ani had taken.   She likes to have me stand all over the place and take photos.   Sometimes it is hard for her to hold it still enough so it is a bit blurry.  She got a good one of Dave and Neela, though.

Yesterday during one of her picture taking episodes,  she somehow got on my wechat app and left a voice message (I didn't know you could do that! ).  She said "Ni hao. Hello, my name is Ani!"  We looked to see who she had sent it to.  She had sent it to the woman at our adoption agency in Hawaii who has been working closely with us.  She was thrilled to get the message and thought it no coincidence that it got sent to her!

Marnie

Consulate Appointment

This morning we went to our Consulate appointment.   Ani must have reminded me 50 times what time we had to leave.   She did not want to miss it.   On our way there, we answered some of her questions about school.   Public or private she wanted to know.  Where does this kid get her information?  We think she must have some connections on the outside!   

There were 10 families along with us.  They have appointments 3 days a week.  I wonder how many kids are leaving each week. It is nice to see them all with their new families. There were a few with babies, a few toddlers, a couple 4 or 5 year olds, but Ani is the only older child we have seen anywhere being adopted. So many still wait and will age out of the system : (

We went through the paper review.  They asked her how old she was (different process for over 10 years old?).  We swore on oath that all our info on her application was true to the best of our knowledge.   We verified that we knew of her medical need.   

And then we left.  She was quiet walking out. Finally she said, "Mom? Yes? Ani go meiguo (America)?"  Yes, I told her, you can go to America. She squealed and jumped for joy.  She had been very worried that her request would be denied.  Again, where does she get her info? 

Now she has moved on to reminding me when we need to leave for our flight and that I need to change the time on her watch to American time on Friday.   That is in between asking for the low down on her 19 cousins.  I have to list them by mother's side/father's side, younger girl/older girl, younger boy/older boy....  this takes a while.   

She will definitely be ready for Family Weekend in Wisconsin in August.  Dave says, the question is, will Family Weekend be ready for her! I know Grammy is ready! 

Marnie

Day at the museum

Ani enjoyed playing with our blind travel companion, Lili.  Lili looks like a frail little girl, but if you pick her up she weighs twice what you think she should and she is "solid" all over.  She must be hitting the LA Fitness when nobody is looking....

One of the featured artists gave Ani a little finger painting class.  He was very patient and Ani did her best to copy the different techniques for the bamboo painting.

Waiting for the rest of our party...

Sneaky pants

Ani pulled a fast one on us at dinner tonight when she used her mastery of the Chinese language to order herself a coke without us knowing it.  Surprised the waitress didn't check with us first, guess she figured Ani was in charge! We made her split it with Neela, will need to watch her more carefully in the future. :)  

Starting to see an increase the competiveness between Ani and Neela in the past few days, and Ani has become increasingly whiny and combative to get her way.  We are being careful not to give in to this behavior and generally it is short lived. Largely seems a normal part of her need to test the boundaries and her learning process of what living with a family is like, but it can be unnerving when your 9 year old reverts to 3 year old behavior.  Will be good to get home where we can settle in to a more normal routine.  

Swimming - day 3

Ani gets a little more adventurous every time, broke out the tube today which added some different things for her to explore.  Had to spend some time teaching her how to share this with Neela.  

Super swimmer Neela! Neela loves her pool time every day and always amazes me with her swimming ability.  I asked her if she would like to be on the swim team some day, but she said she just likes to swim for fun.  

Pizza for dinner

Ani is not a big fan of eating with her fingers. Lucky for her they give you plastic gloves for eating pizza in China. Last picture is of her pretending to fall asleep and snore at the restaurant.