Good Week!

Ke Xin has been doing great!! We could not ask for a happier child! She laughs and sings and flirts all the time. As long as she's not tired, she is having a good time.

She had her first (US) doctor's appt last week. She was very shy, but there were no tears. Dr. Hutchinson was very happy with everything. She has slightly low muscle tone in her core (tummy) and legs, and his cure for that was to get out and play. No problem! She LOVES to rough-house. Her favorite thing is when Mark flings her up into the air and then down onto the sofa. I tried to get pictures of that, but she looks like she's being abused instead of having fun. Trust me, she loves it. As soon as she lands, she has her arms out wanting more. She has been having lots of fun playing with everyone, including the animals.

The dogs are always "swimming like sharks" under the table when she eats. They are always ready for any morsel that comes their way. I think she understands now that food is always available, so she doesn't gorge on her meals any more.
She's not terribly interested in books, but she loves abusing her father and will take advantage of him any time she can. At least she can't hurt him like Olivia can. Miss O is big enough now that if she jumps on him, she can do some damage! He's had a sore back for the last few days from a tackle she made on him. Of course, he kinda asked for it when he asked her to "snap his back". Sheez!

One of Ke Xin's favorite meals is spaghetti, probably because of the noodles. She'll eat it until she almost explodes. Olivia eats like a bird, so it's nice to finally have an enthusiastic eater in the house! Ke Xin is game to try almost anything. Another favorite is yogurt, any flavor.

The two munchkins asleep. They are both good sleepers and they don't keep each other awake. I lounge at the end of the bed while they drift off, just in case. I have threatened Olivia that I will move her back into her bed if either one of them acts up, and she has been good as gold. Hmmm, maybe bunk beds are in our future? We got a single sleigh bed for Olivia last year, and a really nice mattress. It's comfortable for her, but it gives both Mark and I backaches. We have an older (cheap) daybed in Ke Xin's room, but get this - it is the most comfortable bed in the whole house! We will keep it until it falls apart. Mark fell alseep in there last weekend and slept the clock around. When Olivia was a baby, and when we had the foster kids, I slept there and was always comfortable.
The only problem Ke Xin has sleeping is that she has bad dreams. Some nights yes, some not. Most of the time she will cry out, but continue sleeping. I go in and make sure she's ok and comfort her until she quiets down. If she wakes up, tho, there is no way she's going back to sleep in her room. She immediately heads for our bed. That's fine with us. She deserves to have her way and feel safe at night. The one thing that makes me wonder about her past is that sometimes, when she stays asleep during the dream, she will hold her arms up in front of her face in a defensive gesture, as if to protect herself from being hit while she rolls back and forth. Hmmmm..... Olivia never wakes up during Ke Xin's crying. Even the night I found Ke Xin (asleep) STANDING on top of Olivia's back, banging on the wall with her little fists. (That was a disturbing scene.)

Ke Xin loves the bath and really loves the shower. Any time she finds one of us in the shower, she has to jump in - even if she just got done with a bath. As long as she doesn't get a face full of water, she is happy as a lark. (This is Mark's cheesecake shot for the blog today!)

Ke Xin needs a nap at noon. She does not agree with this, but it is true. She will go bananas if I try to make her take one, so usually I don't force it. If we get in the car, she'll be out before we get to the end of the driveway (thank heavens gas is kinda cheap right now). And, rarely, she will pass out while she is playing. Isn't she just beautiful? I'd show you the whole picture, but she's naked as a jaybird. She loves to be naked! What is it with kids????? She is also potty training, at her insistence. If she is bottomless, she gets to the bathroom every time. If she has her pull-ups on, she makes it about 50%. I think that is great! Potty training was never a big deal for me with Olivia, and it isn't with Ke Xin, either. When they are ready, they do it. Her big thing is to wash her hands afterward. She is very hygenic, as always.

Tea Party - naked. At least Olivia kept her clothes on for a change. Ke Xin is REALLY into tea parties. Her foster mom must have shown her the ropes. Olivia was never really interested in tea parties before, but I think she's catching the bug from her little sister. Another love that has shown itself this last week is - baby dolls. Olivia went straight to Barbies, but Ke Xin LOVES babies (real) and baby dolls. I'll try to get her an Asian one for her 3rd bithday, in just one month!

And washing dishes - naked. I am proud of that little bottom. When we got her, it was flat. Now it has a little curve to it, like it is supposed to have.

Our first try at painting. Not naked. The girls got along very well and there was no paint-throwing. It still got everywhere, so I was up mopping the floor before bed. It needed it anyway.

And when we were done, Ke Xin started cleaning up! She's not as compulsive about cleaning as she was when we first got her, but it's definitely part of her personality.




It's like she's Cinderella. I let her help some, but I'm not going to let her think that's what she was put on earth to do. When I see her like this, I can't help but think that if she had stayed in China, this would probably be her "life", or worse. As an orphan with no family and no money, she would have no choice. I'm so glad she's here and not there.