I do not think it means what you think it means

On the website for Bea's orphanage I found a bunch of stories. This in one of them that I am sure is about us. (or at least about Jennifer) However, Google Translate leaves some to be desired. The first paragraph is about us and the rest is kind of a marketing piece for them.

If anyone can translate the original text at the bottom, I would appreciate it.

From Google Translate:

Jade is very smart sensible small South, we all love her." March 10, loving mother of Jennifer from the United States came to a return visit Longgang District Social Welfare Center, moved to the center staff said. After three days of the integration period, they decided to adopt 3-year-old orphan of the center a small South jade, give her a warm home.

It is understood, Longgang District, to promote social welfare centers to achieve a major breakthrough in foreign adoptee, since last year, a total of 79 children adopted by foreign families. Foreign adoption, is a foreigner or a stateless person in the PRC adopted children of Chinese citizens. China Center of Adoption Affairs is currently 16 countries with approximately

157 adoption organizations were established. Foreign Adopted orphans and disabled children can not only help recover the warmth of the family, but also give them a good education and a bright future.

Longgang District Social Welfare Centre from the end of 2008 to carry out the work of foreign adoptee. To enable more children welfare centers as soon as possible into the home, went to the Beijing Center for repeated contact with the China Center for Adoption, and ingenuity to 188 children burn CDs, well-designed foreign adoption information uploaded to the China Center of Adoption Affairs website. July 2009, the Center for the first time the organization older orphans and disabled children to participate in "Journey of Hope" foreign adoption activities, so that nine older children returned to their homes. In early 2010, the center has been actively fighting for the first year, "Hope" was held in the center, causing the United States Madison Adoption Association, American AAC (Adoption and Family Network) and other concerns of foreign adoption agencies, and establish long-term partnership to accelerate the pace of foreign adoptee. Currently, the center has 95 children adopted by foreign families, located in the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and other nine countries. Through feedback that the current of these children live a happy life in a foreign country, is growing up

healthily.

Original text:

“小南玉很聪明懂事，我们都很喜爱她。”3月10日，来自美国的爱心妈妈Jennifer一家来到􅗉岗区社会福利中心回 访，激动地对该中心工作人员说。经过三天的融合期，他们决定收养该中心3岁的孤儿小南玉，给她一个温暖的 家。

据了解，􅗉岗区社会福利中心推进涉外送养取得大突破，自去年至今，共有79名儿童被国外家庭收养。涉外收

养，是指外国人或无国籍人在中华人民共和国境内收养中国公民的子女。中国收养中心目前与大约16个国家的157 个收养组织建立了联系。涉外送养不仅能帮助孤残儿童找回家庭的温暖，还能给他们良好的教育和光明的未来。􅗉岗区社会福利中心从2008年底开始开展涉外送养工作。为使更多福利中心的孩子尽快走入家庭，该中心负责 人屡赴北京与中国收养中心联系，并别出心裁为188个孩子刻录光碟，精心设计涉外收养资料，上传至中国收养中 心网站。2009年7月，该中心首次组织大龄孤残儿童参加􀂳希望之旅􀂴涉外收养活动，使9个大龄孩子回归家庭。 2010年初，该中心又积极争取本年度第一期􀂳希望之旅􀂴在本中心举行，引起了美国麦迪逊收养协会、美国AAC(收 养与家庭网络)等国外收养机构的关注，并与之建立了长期的合作关系，加快了涉外送养步伐。目前，该中心已有 95名儿童被国外家庭收养，分布在美国、加拿大、荷兰、西班牙、瑞典等9个国家。通过反馈得知，目前这些孩子在异国生活得很幸福，正健康地成长。

First Christmas

Our first Christmas with Bea was great. Although she decided to sleep in and O was not happy about having to wait to run down to open presents. As O was up at 2, and 2:30, then 4 and 4:30, then 5 and then 6 and 6:30, we finally woke Bea up at 7 to open presents. She was not as excited as O, but she got into the spirit after her second pack of Sixlets that was in her stocking.

Present unwrapping took quite a while as she would open one present and then want to play with that present instead of doing it the "right" way and just tear through all the presents fast as possible.

This is the favorite present. She likes to both sit and watch the trains and make fiery crashes.

Another favorite that quickly becomes annoying.

The background sound to my life is now those trains that are always on and running. Bea likes to make sure they are always on, even if they are not always on the track.

Caveman Singer Part III

Here, in no particular order, Bea sings the ABC song.

Caveman Singer Part II

Rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with some great dance moves at the end.

Caveman singing Part I

Caveman singing by Bea.

Pay close attention at the 11-12 second mark.

Our zoo

A quick primer on the menagerie that "follows" Bea around. At times any of these can be found in her bed, our cars, daycare, on the table, under a towel in the middle of the floor, etc. 

All these are named by Bea. The names are not very creative but they are descriptive. Actually, it is always impressive that she has learned so much over these last few months.

 Bun Nay

 Dog

 Pa Na

 Mun Kay

Baby Elephant (she pronounces this pretty good)

 Mama Elephant

Itchy  Frog

 Cat! (Always said as an exclamation)

Ti Ter

Algayla

Last, but not least, my favorite Dog-Cat. (she wasn't sure if this was a dog or cat, so now it is both)

Dinosaur

I am now convinced that B is actually a dinosaur.

I spent some quality time on Netflix instant and their dinosaur collection from the History channel and I have found out several things about dinosaurs:

1) They eat a lot.
2) Many have horns
3) They growl.
4) They destroy stuff.

B:

1) Eats a lot

2) Has horns

3) Growls

4) Destroys stuff

Before

After

Halloween

First costume for Halloween was a bee. This was for daycare so she didn't ruin her "official" costume.

B was officially an octopus for Halloween. She really got into the whole thing and was on board with the concept from the first house she got candy. She learned how to say "trick or treat!" faster than anything else she learned in English and used it to its utmost. She went running from door to door, she understood to look for the porch lights and was outpacing her older sister so much that I had to run to keep up with her. 

She was a little scarred of the decorations and anyone dressed as a monster handing out candy, but she would battle that fear to get close to them but then ask me to get the candy so she didn't have to get within their reach. She ended the night with her bag overflowing with candy and she couldn't have been happier. I think Halloween may be her favorite holiday. 

Our pumpkins

Compare and contrast

As a quick look back, there have been a lot of changes over the past 7 months. Bea has gotten a lot bigger and has an ever increasing comfort level with us. Her language is really developing now and some words you can even understand without an interpreter. Things that haven't changed: she is incredibly strong, she eats a lot, she has an enormous amount of energy and she is stubborn. Things she loves: animals, cars and trucks, stuffed animals, blocks, airplanes, yogurt and random acts of destruction.

I think this was the first trip to the zoo.

Columbus Day trip to the zoo.

Least messy way to finish soup.

The Ca-roo- sel

Because I haven't posted in a while, I am making one quick post. It's not new material, but I was going back through some videos and found what I believe is B's first ride on a Carousel. Note the look of confusion and fear on her face when the horse starts to move.

Birthday Part Un

B was born on Bastille Day. However, we like to keep the party going as long as possible. So here is her first birthday celebration along with one for O who's bday is just a few days later.

What she is thinking, "you crazy Americans. What are you up to now? You lit a cake on fire? Why? why do you do this? It's funny, but really weird."

It's not your size, but how low you can get

For no apparent reason, B started using our living room for NFL training camp tonight.

It is rocket science

Word

4th Grade science fair project, Does Gravity Affect Mass or Weight?

The State Fair- Go Vols!

of hats and horns

Sunday Ride

This was Jennifer's tricycle when she was little. Olivia had it and now it is being used by Beatrix.

Just don't make em like they used to.

Welcome to America!

So in the next installment of WTF are you doing? We introduced Beatrix to Easter.

Imagine yourself never having experenced Easter before. Some people, who you now live with, put a bunch of colored liquid in glasses on the counter, and get out a bunch of eggs. Now, for no apparent reason, you are told to take the eggs, put them in the colored water, and then take them out. Weird.

The next morning you wake up, but instead of having breakfast, you are handed a basket and told to find those eggs from yesterday. Because now, inexplicably, they are all over the

house and outside. (How the hell did those eggs get outside?)

The other kid is doing it, it seems odd, but whatever.

Now you start finding eggs in the bushes, and in the flowers and in your toy car, behind flower pots, in trees, etc. Now you are really thinking, wtf!?! How did those eggs get all over the place?

What are they doing in the tree?

After you find all the eggs (How did they get out of the fridge?) you are handed a basket filled

with candy.

You think, don't question such a godsend, it is odd, but hey, at least you got a big basket of

candy.

Buona Pasqua!

It's all downhill from here

Eating marshmallows to keep her distracted long enough to stay in her seat while the plane takes off.

On the flight from Hong Kong to Detroit we were in business class. I had always wanted to have a flight with these individual seats that recline to a completely flat bed. It was glorious and the best trip ever except for 2 things:

1. One of our seats was broken and wouldn't recline. We since complained to Delta and all they offered was a $500 travel voucher. Not much compensation for such a pricey seat. Without the recline 14 hours sitting straight up is brutal. Fortunately we could just pop Beatrix with us and leave that seat empty.

2. Beatrix was not impressed with the seats nor the movie collection. She was much more interested in running up and down the aisles. She did not allow us to have the complete relaxing experience for which the seats were intended.

Olivia, on the other hand, loved it. She stayed awake the whole time watching movies and getting snacks. Once I showed her the basket full of snacks that was in the galley, she made sure that the basket was empty by the time we got to Detroit. She was also complemented by the flight attendants and other passengers on what a great traveler she is. Of course it wasn't always that way. She has traveled a lot, but I remember the first solo trip I made with her was a short flight from Pittsburgh to Nashville. She was about 9 months old and was very active. She did not care to sit and we were immediately in a fight to keep her on my lap. Thankfully there was a young woman on the flight who was sitting in front of us and she turned around and distracted her for the duration. I'm not sure how we would have got through that flight otherwise. Since then Olivia has flown to San Francisco with me solo twice when she was around a year old and again when she was 2. Both times she was great. She has also gone as far as Paris when she was 4.5 and she loved that flight too.

Here's to hoping that Beatrix becomes as great of a traveler as Olivia. However, how will she ever be happy in coach?

Bullet with Butterfly Wings