The Rachel Chronicles

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-21T07:03:00.006-05:00

Three years ago, I had portraits made of the kids in honor of Lance's first father's day as a father of three.

This year I decided it was past time for an update. What do you think?

The portraits were a big hit, as you can imagine.

I didn't want to post these until their daddy had a chance to see them first. So, happy belated father's day to all the daddies!

Well, yes, but . ..

2010-05-16T06:10:00.000-05:00

SCENE: Lance has just brought Ting Ting home and is getting dinner ready for her and Lauren.

TING TING: Daddy, get me some juice.

LANCE (teaching a lesson in politeness): Ting Ting, what's the magic word?

TING TING: Abracadabra!

(And, no, the juice did not magically appear)

More glamour shots

2010-05-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

I took Ting Ting to the studio for some portraits last weekend. I usually do it before Easter and didn't make it this year.

Still, no sense in letting that Easter dress go unphotographed.

She was a little wild, so the individual photos weren't stellar. Still, we were able to get some nice collages.

So, should we post in 2010?

2010-02-26T23:37:00.006-06:00

Well, we're nearly two months into 2010, so it seemed a good time to post.

We've been on the road a couple times in the last few weeks. I'll clue you in to that soon.

In the meantime, enjoy these lovely photos of our big girl*

*(fashions by Gracie)

Family day

2009-12-04T07:49:00.003-06:00

Three years ago, our little Ting Ting was placed into our arms for the first time. That day was well chronicled, so I won't repeat all the details. But what a ride it's been.

I can't believe she was this tiny

Precious, precious memories.

I know, it's terrible (the posting frequency, not the photos)

2009-11-15T08:03:00.003-06:00

True story -- I just tried to log in to post these photos and had to spend five minutes figuring out my password.

Here are fall school pictures of our girls. I'll post more very soon, I promise (the photos on my camera go back to BEFORE our vacation in June).

Lauren, junior year, age 16.

Ting Ting, preschool, age 3 1/2.

. . . and for my prince, Phillip, but would it kill him to do a load of laundry?

2009-10-19T03:28:00.003-05:00

Sitting down to dinner, one night last week.

Mama: Ting Ting, do you want to say the prayer?

TT: Mommmmmm, I'm Sleeping Beauty, remember?

Mama: Sorry. Sleeping Beauty, would you like to say the prayer?

TT (falsetto voice): Yes

All bow heads

TT (as SB): Heavenly father, thank you for my castle . . .

Three years

2009-09-26T09:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the third anniversary of our referral day, the day we got the call that we at last had been matched with a daughter. It would be a few weeks before we got her translated file and official referral photos, but we managed to get a copy of her finding ad overnight, and three years ago today we saw her sweet face for the first time.

I get all weepy and nostalgic this time of year as I recall the events that led to us becoming parents to Rachel Shu-Ting. But there is no time for that right now -- someone is asking me for yogurt.

2009 picnic

2009-08-15T22:25:00.003-05:00

I'll post more later, but I had to share this one right away. From left: Chloe, Leanna, Ting Ting and Bella.

Wedding video, take 3

2009-08-12T22:35:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd better hurry and get Ting Ting to say some of her cutest words for me before she started pronouncing them correctly.

Something tells me, though, that years from now I'll still be wearing a "winsoup" to the beach.

Glad I could help

2009-08-10T08:27:00.000-05:00

Every so often, I like to check out the "referring" URLs to get an idea how people find this blog.

Last week someone searched Google for this:

"Will my homeowners insurance cover a hole in a roof caused by a squirrel and causing a leak"

Um . . . . no. Sorry.

See, I TOLD you that was a helpful bit of trivia!

My head is spinning

2009-08-09T21:39:00.002-05:00

The other morning at breakfast, Ting Ting was trying to remember something. She screwed up her face, tapped her cheek with her index finger and said, "hmmmmmmmm."

Still, she couldn't remember. But she made me laugh when she expressed her dismay.

"Mama, I thought all around it until I was dizzy."

Polka Dot Princess

2009-08-02T09:09:00.003-05:00

Again, we're digging through the archives here. One day last spring, Ting Ting was dying to wear this dress she got last summer from Cousin Sam. I helped her get it on, then left to finish dressing myself while she picked out her shoes and socks.

A few minutes later, she came in to show me her accessories. She had picked a pair of shoes I didn't think about immediately, but they were a perfect match because they were brown with a touch of pink, both colors of dots in the dress. She had on pink socks. And she had found a little purse that is white with a pink butterfly.

But the best part? When she chose her "puppet" to take to day care that day, she picked out a dalmatian -- yes, a spotted dog.

The child has much more fashion sense than her mother ever will.

I have to learn to think these things through before I open my mouth. . .

2009-07-26T09:27:00.003-05:00

Ting Ting loves for me to tell her stories at night, after we've read some books and turned off the light (yes, I realize she's stalling).

A couple weeks ago, desperate to tell a shorter story than her oft-requested "princess stories" (which, of course, require me to remember every detail of the Disney movies), I offered to tell her about Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

I started telling the story, off the cuff. I had difficulty recalling details, and I couldn't for the life of me remember how it ended -- although I'm sure it was frightening. So I just made up a happy ending.

She loved it. Now she often asks for that story, and I just make up a different ending every time.

The other night I finished with the bears finding Goldilocks and waking her up.

"She sat up in bed, and said, 'oh my goodness! I'm glad you're home,'" I told Ting Ting. "Goldilocks apologized for eating their porridge and breaking Baby Bear's chair, and she said,
'how about I make you a nice big breakfast?'

"So they all went into the kitchen, and Papa Bear and Mama Bear helped Baby Bear fix his chair while Goldilocks made breakfast. Then Goldilocks brought in big platters of bacon and eggs and they all sat down and ate it together!" I finished, triumphantly.

Ting Ting didn't miss a beat.

"Where did Goldilocks sit?" she asked.

(I had been smart enough to realize they needed to fix Baby Bear's seat, but I hadn't realized that that meant they still had only three chairs. Darn that kid.)

"Oh," I said. "They had a little stool in the kitchen, so Goldilocks brought it into the table and sat on that."

"Noooo," said Ting Ting.

Uh oh, I thought.

"I think she should sit in Mama Bear's lap!" Ting Ting said.

Fine with me. I'm just too busy worrying about how we're going to pay for law school.

Family tea

2009-07-21T23:08:00.004-05:00

OK, we're rewinding a bit.

Ting Ting and I went to Tennessee to spend Mother's Day weekend with my family. We celebrated with a tea party.

Aunt Kay poured us some "tea."

We had lovely little sandwiches, too.

Pre-tea entertainment was a race between Cousin Chad (in wheelchair)* and Ting Ting (on wild-eyed pony purchased at a yard sale).

I don't remember who won the race, but I know who won points for style.

We taught Ting Ting to drink with her pinkies out.

We finished with some amazing cupcakes.

Had to look at those again.

A good time was had by all.

* P.S.: Chad is having the same surgery on the other foot Friday, so he'll be back in that wheelchair for awhile. Good luck, buddy!

And the answers are: We don't know

2009-07-21T22:50:00.004-05:00

Don't leave us guessing, what happened to TingTing's eye? What did she get in it? And how was Lauren's finals? What was making Cyrus sick? Or did I miss something? ---Rambling Mother

Sorry, didn't mean to leave everyone hanging!

We don't know exactly what happened to Ting Ting's eye. My best guess is that she had a mosquito bite around it somewhere. She had the same thing last year, and the doctor gave her antihistamine, and we had to wait just a couple of days. So we did that this year, too. It took a little longer this time, but after swelling up and turning bright red and looking absolutely awful for a few days, it slowly returned to normal.

Lauren's finals are still hanging. She's taking two of them Thursday and the last one next week. She couldn't take them at first because her eye was too sensitive to light, then we went to Florida. Then she went to Arizona with her Mom when we returned, then when she came home she spent another week at her Mom's house. So now the summer is half over, and she's just getting around to it. And, yes, that is driving me crazy.

We don't know what was making Cyrus sick, either, but he's slowly getting better. All we know, really, is that he did not have a blockage, which might have required surgery. We've been trying to keep him quiet, but that's hard when we have a 3-year-old who wants to hug him all the time. He's still reluctant to eat on his own, but we've gotten some liquids into him and even a little food. Keep your fingers crossed . . . by the way, we freaked out about 4 a.m. today when Lauren's dog started throwing up, too. But fortunately, she stopped. Looks like she just got into something that upset her stomach.

The drywall has been repaired and today the ceilings and walls were painted. Now we just need to get the carpet replaced and we'll be done . . . as soon as we get all the furniture back in and everything put away. Whew!

Welcome to our world

2009-07-20T09:41:00.001-05:00

OK, I'm not going to spend a lot of time making up excuses for not posting. I'm just going to give you a little glimpse into life at la Casa de Ting Ting the last few weeks.

First of all, Lance lost his job at the end of May. We'd rather he hadn't, but it's sort of a good thing that it happened when it did. The first evening, he was sort of at loose ends -- in a good way, though. He sat down and started flipping through the channels on the TV and I suddenly realized I had not seen him do that in months. Really, months. And he looked sort of . . . well, relieved. I don't think either of us really realized the kind of stress he had been under and the toll it was taking on the whole family. Anyway, he and I were chatting about how weird it was to have him home and relaxing when all of a sudden we heard Lauren call up from downstairs, "Dad, we have a leak!"

Boy, did we. We didn't just have a few bad shingles; we discovered later that we had a huge hole in our roof, courtesy of some raccoons (Helpful bit of trivia: Homeowners' insurance covers damage caused by raccoons, but not "vermin" like squirrels). Before long we found that water had poured into Brandon's bedroom, ruining his ceiling, walls and carpet. Then that water had traveled down into the space below his floor and on into the ceiling below, where it was leaking (actually, pouring) into our family room.

Well, you know what life was like for Lance the next couple of weeks: Calling people for remediation. Talking to insurance adjustors. Getting roofers out to climb up and give us estimates (we had planned to replace the roof this year anyway, but losing one of our jobs was not in those plans). Getting estimates for new carpet. Remembering specific paint colors. Picking out shingle style and color. Picking out gutter colors. Arranging for roofers to come. Arranging for drywall people to come. Figuring out when the carpet can be installed and who should do it.

Brandon's room has been a construction zone for several weeks, but it's nearing an end. Thankfully it was the one bedroom not in daily use, although I'm sure he's tired of sleeping on the couch on weekends.

And that wasn't all, of course. The first week or two Lance was home, Lauren was preparing for finals, and Lance was helping her study geometry, get her projects done, run her around. Then the morning of the last day of finals she injured her cornea and had to go to the ER instead of to school. Except they had to go to school anyway to turn in her part of the final English project. Then they had to pick up medications (and get the drops into her eyes several times a day). Call teachers and counselors about making up exams. Visit the opthamologist several times. Go to the optometrist for new glasses (old ones were, well, old, and she couldn't wear her contacts for several weeks). And now she has to go back to school to take the tests she missed.

In the middle of all that, we took our annual beach vacation (woo hoo!). Most of it was already paid for, so what the heck. We needed the break.

Before and after the beach trip, we had company from out of town. And somewhere in there Lance had to apply for unemployment, get his resume ready, network and post. And he had to catch up on his own medical appointments.

We withdrew Ting Ting from her day care/preschool beginning with our return from Florida. So now Lance and Lauren are running after a 3-year-old all day (and LOVING it, too). And my job hasn't let up, although, frankly, last week, I was glad. Here's what I left each morning:

MONDAY -- guys pulling in the driveway as I'm leaving, wanting to leave stacks of shingles and other supplies. They cart them up to the roof, waking Lauren (Waaaaahhh).

TUESDAY -- guys start hammering on the roof and will be at it all day.

WEDNESDAY -- Lauren wakes us up by sharing the news that Cyrus is throwing up . . . Oops, again . . . Oops, there he goes again. Lance and I are running around with cleaning supplies for the carpet and trying to tend to him. Guys are due to estimate materials needed for repairing Brandon's room. Lauren calls up from downstairs, "he just threw up again -- and it's red."

THURSDAY-- Cyrus, who had spent all Wednesday at the vet's office, wakes up and decides to have a bite to eat -- oops. More throwing up. And it's bloody again. Lance prepares to drive him back to the vet. We try to clean the carpets. Guys due to install the gutters. Guys due to deliver materials to repair the damage to Brandon's room. Some family members coming over to bring a cousin to play with Ting Ting.

FRIDAY -- Cyrus had to spend the night at the vet, so he's not vomiting on our rug today, but we're waiting on word on whether he needs surgery (thankfully, no). Guys are coming to repair the drywall. Ting Ting wakes up looking like this:

"I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam."

(Actually, it looked a lot worse in the following days. But don't her bangs look great? Thanks, Aunt Gloria).

I know what you're thinking, and you're absolutely right . . . Every morning I tried to keep the concerned/sad/worried look on my face just long enough to get to the car so I could peel out of the driveway and yell "Yahoooooooo!" all the way to my nice, sedate job.

Oh, and did I mention that I think I broke my toe? Cyrus is better, though. And he's home with us again.

Hmmm, still want pictures, do you? I'll try tomorrow.

. . .

Well, OK, one to tide you over:

School picture, spring '09

2009-06-06T16:34:00.002-05:00

My little baby is in preschool.

And to think at one time we actually worried that she'd never talk . . .

2009-06-02T22:59:00.007-05:00

In the car one morning:

TT: Mommy, do you like bees?

Mom: Ummmm, yes, I like bees . . . Bees make honey.

TT: Well, I like ants. Ants make apples.

.

At a restaurant where I arrived later than the others, who had already finished their soup. Ting Ting watched as the waitress put a hot bowl in front of me.

TT (eyeing it slyly): Mommy, if you eat all that soup, your tummy will get bigger.

Lauren: Oh, nice.

Mom (quietly, to Lauren): Just wait for it.

TT: Mommy, I share with you, please?

.

Later, at the same restaurant, addressing the people at the booth behind her

TT: What's your name? I'm 'Ting-a-licious.'

.

Arriving at preschool one morning . . .

TT: Mommy, this isn't day care, this is Africa!

Mom: Oh? How can you tell we're in Africa?

TT: There's a lion . . . and an ephelunt . . . and some monkeys . . . and a possum!

.

Ting Ting, Dad and Lauren are goofing around, and Ting Ting is arguing to make her point. Dad holds up his hand, palm facing her.

Dad: Ting Ting, talk to the hand.

TT (holding up her hand the same way, then bending the fingers into her palm like a mouth): Hello, hand! How are you today?

.

Ting Ting is playing with a magic wand. She spies a second one and hands it to Mom.

TT: Mommy, now we BOTH have magic wands! Let's go find Daddy and make all of his wishes come true!

Something tells me we've already done that, kiddo.

Yes, I DO remember the password to post here -- why do you ask?

2009-05-31T19:35:00.009-05:00

I know, I know, it's inexcusable. I'm sorry for disappearing there for awhile. It's been a little busy, not that any of you really care -- I know you just want photos. So I'll just say blah, blah, blah, strep throat . . .

yada, yada, yada, layoffs at work, blah, blah, blah, blah, Cyrus' cousin visited . . .

yada, yada, yada, yada, insane schedule, blah, blah, blah, visited Papa and Lao Lao . . . .

yackity, yackity, yack, big brother's confirmation . . .

blah, blah, blobbity, blah, Ting Ting taking photos of Daddy . . . who was taking photos of her . . .

blah, blah, yada, yada, yada, some friends from the old country came to visit . . .

yackity, yackity, yackity, Memorial Day, yada, yada, yada, visiting with cousins . . .

blah, blah, blah, saw some wildlife, yada, yada, yada, more than one species . . .

yackity, yackity, yackity, blah, blah, pregnancy, yada, yada, yada . . .NO! Not me, her:

Then and then and now -- Easter edition

2009-04-19T08:10:00.007-05:00

Easter portraits:

2007 (15 months)

2008

2009

and Easter basket shots:

2007

2008

2009

Wonderful weekend

2009-04-13T18:03:00.006-05:00

Oh, the fun of Easter.

Coloring eggs with "Alla."

Going through the Easter basket (with Cyrus' help).

After that it was church, where she greeted dozens of folks and wished them happy Easter. I think the highlight for me was when I caught her waving at the pastors in the middle of the anthem -- and they both waved back.

Then we had Easter dinner at Aunt Gloria's.

That's exactly what I was thinking

2009-04-13T17:59:00.005-05:00

Ting Ting, looking at a picture she had just drawn in crayon:

"I don't know what that is, but it sure is pretty"

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

Spring!

2009-04-06T07:07:00.001-05:00

We'll just go with the calendar -- forget what's happening outside my window.

Happy Easter, everyone!

If you're wondering about that beautiful matching hat, I dropped it on our way out the door to the photo studio. Yes, I did consider rescheduling the appointment -- why did you ask?

Oh well -- all's well that ends well.

Monday morning

2009-04-06T06:38:00.000-05:00

And it only got worse

2009-04-05T21:54:00.002-05:00

Same scenes, 9:45 p.m. April 5:

Yes, I was taking photos of my back yard at night.

And here's one out the front door, of the cherry tree in front of Lauren's window. Yesterday, when we came home from a little outing (to which Lance and I didn't even wear coats), I pointed out how both trees right in front of our house were budding.

Ai-yi-yi.

Ruthanne, what was the high today?

Oh, come ON!

2009-04-05T19:29:00.004-05:00

7 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2009.

Yes, it WAS in the 60s yesterday. Why do you ask?

Notice how nicely it sticks to our neighbor's new mulch?

Ting Ting's trip to the dentist

2009-04-03T06:37:00.007-05:00

Well, as I mentioned earlier, Ting Ting recently made her first trip to the dentist. She was a champ!

She was so excited when she woke up that morning that she insisted on picking out her clothes and getting dressed immediately after breakfast.

She was ready at 7:30 a.m. Our appointment was at 10.

I had prepared her in advance, starting almost as soon as I made the appointment six months earlier. It helped that one of the books Santa brought her was about Dora's trip to the dentist. We've probably read it 30 times in the last few months.

She was all ready for what the room would look like, what the instruments would look like, and what the dentist and hygienist would do with her.

And, luckily for us, we had Rosemary the hygienist. Rosemary showed Ting Ting each of the instruments and how it worked, and she turned each one on so Ting Ting would know how it sounded.

After Rosemary had helped Ting Ting count her teeth and had given them a quick polishing, Dr. D. came in to meet her newest patient.

I'm not bragging, but Ting Ting was such a model patient that the other hygienists and office staff kept stopping in to see her.

Ting Ting was thrilled when Rosemary gave her a new toothbrush with Belle on it. And she happily followed Rosemary down the hall to find some stickers with Dora and Diego on them.

Then it was Mama's turn. I had been smart enough to make the appointment at the same time I scheduled my own visit, but I wasn't smart enough to bring someone else with me to keep Ting Ting entertained while I was getting checked.

So Rosemary asked Ting Ting if she would help her with me. Ting Ting strapped on an enormous pair of rubber gloves and went to work.

One of the visiting hygienists snapped this photo for us. After that, Ting Ting took my camera and got some shots of her own.

(Remind me never to let her do that again).

Most of her photos were pretty good, though. I liked the composition of this one, with Ting Ting's finger across the corner.

And Rosemary continued to entertain.

All in all, it was a good day. She made me proud.

Matter of fact, she did so well that we followed it up with a hair cut -- oh, yes we did.

All in all, a great morning.

Now, this is just SO not fair

2009-03-29T21:39:00.003-05:00

Spring in Illinois: 10 a.m. March 29, 2009.

Add this to the list of things I never expected to hear myself saying in the middle of a busy Target at 11 a.m. on a Saturday

2009-03-29T21:32:00.007-05:00

"No, we aren't going anywhere until you put on your pants."

Sweet Sixteen

2009-03-26T22:32:00.010-05:00

Ting Ting's big sister Lauren turned 16 on St. Patrick's Day.

She shared her green braids, wearing some to high school and giving Ting Ting one to wear to preschool. That night we enjoyed a nice dinner out.

Where does the time go? When Lance and I married, Lauren was just 10.

She hates that photo. So here's one taken on her 11th birthday:

And here she is in her last days as a 15-year-old . . . wearing the hat I bought her the year she turned 10.

Ting Ting just loves having her beloved "Alla" here every day, and so do we (even when "we" have geometry homework). Happy, happy birthday, Alla! We love you.

Life goes on

2009-03-25T07:29:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been awhile! You probably wonder what we've been doing.

Well, first of all,

Ting Ting's big sister Lauren ("Alla") moved in with us.

So why not put on the brand-new Easter dress (tag still attached) or your St. Patrick's day hat and make some silly faces?

Ting Ting loves having her big sister around every day.

As for me, well, there's work:

Also, I've been busy following Holly and Chip's trip to China to get Lola. They're home now, trying to readjust their body clocks (and not just because of jet lag!). It was a joy checking in every day and watching as the lovely Lola revealed more and more of herself to her new parents.

Also, I read a book! A real book! For pleasure! It was heavenly; I can't wait to tell you about it. Readers who have adopted from China will find it especially interesting, but I think a lot of folks will like it just because it's so compelling.

Ting Ting took her first trip to the dentist:

She did great!

And the princess had some company.

More on all these topics -- and more -- in the next few days.

Meanwhile, I have to get to the office . . .

Friends

2009-03-07T13:19:00.005-06:00

The girl loves that cat. And he's a good boy, too. Just look at this shot:

Despite the wild look in his eye, I can assure you that no kitties were harmed in the production of this blog entry.

And they're off!

2009-03-03T23:42:00.002-06:00

Hey, everybody! Chip and Holly leave for China Wednesday afternoon to pick up Lola. Stay tuned.

A friend to all

2009-02-28T08:16:00.000-06:00

Ting Ting prepared lunch the other day for her good friend:

Yes, that's a toy fire truck sitting in that chair.

She spends her days with a bunch of kids and her weekends with her brother and sister, but I guess evenings at home with just Lance and me are a little lonely.

And, no, I DON'T think that means she needs a sister.

Homework

2009-02-25T07:06:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Ting Ting graduated to preschool. Now she has weekly homework.

Precious in Pink

2009-02-22T19:54:00.004-06:00

Auntie Debi came to visit and let Ting Ting pick out her birthday present.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present "Sleeping Booty":

Then and now -- Chinese New Year edition

2009-02-10T22:04:00.005-06:00

Chinese New Year celebration 2007:

2008:

and 2009:

It's amazing how this stuff comes back to you

2009-02-10T06:51:00.004-06:00

Early one morning as I ended a conversation with a coworker, Ting Ting demanded her turn. My friend was happy to oblige.

"OK," I said, handing Ting Ting the phone. "Say 'hello' to Miss Mary."

She chattered happily for a minute, then returned the phone to me. I said goodbye to Mary and hung up.

"What's her got?" Ting Ting asked me. I looked at her blankly.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Her got baa baa black sheep?" Ting Ting asked.

I thought a minute. The light went on.

"No," I said. "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

Chinese New Year celebration

2009-02-08T18:24:00.004-06:00

Xin Nian Kuai Le! This year our agency didn't co-sponsor the Chinese New Year event we have attended four years in a row, so last weekend we went to downtown Chicago for an event sponsored by the local chapter of Families with Children from China.

A good time was had by all.

These photographs were taken by Dan Patten, a local photographer (and Dad) who donated his services at the event.

The Face

2009-02-05T22:13:00.003-06:00

Ting Ting and her Daddy love to play together.

He taught her how to make The Face.

Are YOU smarter than a 3-year-old?

2009-02-03T23:10:00.003-06:00

Lance and the older kids had a meeting after church Sunday, so Ting Ting and I were alone for lunch. After lunch comes nap, and I'm not so good at making that happen. Usually on the weekends, Lance takes her upstairs and gets her right to sleep, but when he's not around I'm in trouble.

Sunday she was goofing around, ignoring my attempts to corral her. As I gathered her blanket and closed the blinds, she picked up her toy phone and "called" her grandparents.

"Hello, Papa and Lao Lao. It's Ting Ting!" she said. She proceeded to chat for a minute, then asked me if I wanted to talk to them.

Sure, I said. I had a plan.

"Hi, Papa and Lao Lao," I said. "Yes . . . uh huh . . . well, yes, Ting Ting IS about to take a nap . . .yes, we were just about to go to bed . . . OK, we'll talk to you later. Bye Bye!"

I hung up the phone.

"Papa and Lao Lao told me they would say goodbye so you could take your nap now," I told her somewhat smugly. (Good one, Mama.)

Ting Ting looked at me thoughtfully, then picked up the phone again.

"Hi Papa," she said. "I don't like to take a nap right now. Uh huh . . . OK . . . OK, Papa, Bye Bye."

She hung up the phone and met my gaze.

"He said I don't have to take one today!" she announced cheerfully.

It's abundantly clear to me that in this ongoing battle of wits, I am unarmed.

Then and now -- mother and child edition

2009-01-24T22:30:00.000-06:00

Ting Ting and Mama, Christmas 2007

and Christmas 2008

50 years of celebration

2009-01-24T07:26:00.009-06:00

Another photo of Ting Ting eating cake? Yes, but it's a different kind of cake.

It's an anniversary cake!

Ting Ting's Papa and Lao Lao celebrated their 50th anniversary just before Christmas, and we were all there.

The happy couple.

Aunt Beth and Uncle Bud, Sam and Nick.

Aunt Kay and Chad.

And, of course, us!

Ting Ting got to visit with a lot of her cousins,

young and old

and cool.

Big sister Lauren posed for a photo.

Here's Lao Lao with her brother and sisters -- all of them were in the wedding 50 years ago.

Papa's friend Jim was a groomsman. He brought Ting Ting a necklace he made for her. She loved it!

The members of the wedding party who were in attendance.

Papa and Lao Lao and their three little girls

and they lived happily ever after!

Roomba, Roomba, ROOM-BA!

2009-01-23T07:19:00.003-06:00

I received a Roomba for Christmas. What a great gift! He's been hard at work here all year, mostly in our kitchen.

The first day Ting Ting saw it, she asked, "what's that?"
"It's a robot," I said. "He cleans our floors for us."
"Oh," she said, then put her head down to peer under the table. "Thank you!" she called out.

Yesterday morning she dropped some Cheerios on the floor.

"Uh oh," she said. "You'd better get the robot."

The floor was messy in other places, too, so I set Roomba to work. The phone distracted me for a minute while Ting Ting followed the robot around. Then I heard the door to the powder room slide shut. Thinking Ting Ting had gone to the bathroom on her own, I came around the corner to see if she needed any help.

Nope. She was standing outside the closed door giggling, her ear pressed to it. She had trapped Roomba inside, and he was merrily bouncing around from wall to wall to wall in the tiny room.

Working to keep a stern expression on my face, I explained that Roomba was meant to run free. She opened the door so he could zoom out and get to work under the kitchen chairs.

It kind of reminds me of her early days with Cyrus. But this pet doesn't have claws or teeth, and he cleans up after himself. We definitely need to encourage this friendship.

More celebration

2009-01-21T22:14:00.007-06:00

Well, OK, no one is going to confuse me with a world-class cake decorator . . . but she asked for a pink cake with pink candles and Diego and Baby Jaguar on it, and Mama delivered.

I think the birthday girl was pleased.

In addition to the strawberry cake, I made a chocolate because we had a dozen family members coming over to share and I wanted to have enough.

But the Ting Ting special was surprisingly popular.

We enjoyed Chinese food for dinner.

One of the dishes we ordered was Hunan Beef, in honor of our spicy girl's home province.

She opened more presents, which included many new books.

So she asked Cousin Todd if he would read one to her.

The audience quickly grew.

Ting Ting loves playing with her cousin Candace.

They're not really behind bars, but sometimes I think they ought to be!

Ting Ting is 3!

2009-01-20T08:13:00.003-06:00

Things are still absolutely insane around here, but I wanted to share just a few photos. Saturday was Ting Ting's third birthday!

In the morning, she opened some presents from my family.

Someone gave her 3 crisp new dollar bills in a birthday card. Being a generous child, she gave one to Daddy, one to Mommy . . .

and one to Cyrus.

I have a lot of other photos -- including photos of her special-ordered cake (pink, with pink candles and Diego and Baby Jaguar on it) -- and I'll share them soon. Also, I have photos from my parents' 50th wedding anniversary! So stay tuned.

Things HAVE to slow down at work soon (don't they?)

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T07:17:00.004-06:00

Here's a special video, just for Papa, in honor of Inauguration Day:

Tiny dancer

2009-01-04T15:25:00.005-06:00

The day we met her, Ting Ting could stand if she was holding on to something. Whenever she did, she would bounce a little bit as if dancing. She still loves to dance, as I captured Saturday (on my new camera!)

The first video shows her talking to her older sister, who was playing the music ("You call me Squidget, Alla?")

Yes, she's wearing a sleeveless summer dress. In Chicago. In January.

Later she changed into one of her princess outfits:

Inside her head

2009-01-03T21:57:00.000-06:00

Scene: Mama is helping Ting Ting pull on her socks and shoes.

TING TING: Mama, I need to call my piggies.

MAMA (Thinking perhaps "piggies" refers to her toes): Your piggies? You want me to count them?

TING TING: No, I need to call the piggies on my pig farm.

MAMA: Oh. Well, how do you do that?

TING TING: I say, "PIGS! Come on over here!"

MAMA: You mean you don't say, "Sooey! SOOOO-EEEY!"

TING TING (looking at Mama as if she's from Mars): Umm, no. I say, "PIGS! Get on over here right now!"

No, I don't know where she gets this stuff.

15 minutes later, in the car

TING TING: Mama, I want to be a mermaid.

MAMA: A mermaid? Why?

TING TING: I want to live under the water and eat jellyfish.

Anyone?

Guess who got a camera for Christmas?

2009-01-03T13:21:00.003-06:00

Yep, me!

(This is Ting Ting with her cousin Sarah at our family celebration.)

I'm sure you know what this means.

First of all, Lance will be in more of the photos (here he is with Lauren).

And, secondly, I don't have to wait for him to get photos to me for posting, so I can post them more quickly . . . well, theoretically, anyway.

(Lots of cousins).

Actually, Ting Ting got a camera for Christmas, too, so I hope to share some of her photos with you, too. And I will have to get some photos from Lance of events leading up to Christmas day -- including my parents' 50th anniversary celebration.

So stay tuned!

Bring on 2009!

2009-01-01T14:55:00.001-06:00

Yesterday at work, our boss wished us all a happy new year.

"What a year it was!" he said, and we all agreed, thinking about the ups and downs: New ownership for our company, several rounds of layoffs and buyouts, a complete redesign of the paper, a bankruptcy filing. And, of course, we covered an amazing string of news stories: The shooting deaths of five NIU students, a murderous rampage by a western Illinois man, a helicopter crash that killed a medical crew and their tiny patient, the rise of our senator to the presidency, the indictment of our governor.

"Yes, quite a year," he said, then laughingly added: "Good riddance!"

Indeed, as far as my job goes, I don't care if I never have another year like 2008. The loss of TWO tires in ONE pothole as I drove to a meeting downtown Monday afternoon just seemed to put an exclamation point on the whole thing.

But then I thought about all the other things I experienced this year. Lance and I marked five years of marriage, and my parents celebrated 50. We lost my grandmother this year, but we celebrated 96 wonderful years of having her on this earth. Lauren conquered algebra and is becoming an amazing young woman. Brandon is in honors classes at school and confirmation class at church. One nephew got his driver's license, and another graduated from college. A niece and her husband moved into a beautiful new home. Lance and I held on to our jobs and home in a tumultuous economy and hosted our annual Thanksgiving dinner here with much love and laughter.

Our little Ting Ting has traded in her crib for a big girl bed. She hasn't worn diapers in ages, and she can dress herself. She's talking nonstop and showing great imagination, passion and poise. I've had to say goodbye to my little baby, but I've gained a delightful little girl.

And, after all, what's important? Is it the long hours at the office that make for a good life, or is it the time I spend reading books to my daughter or posing as a patient at her medical clinic? No matter how badly things go during the day, she can wipe it all away in an instant by throwing her arms around me and exclaiming, "Mommy! I love you so much!"

Yes, upon reflection, 2008 was the best year yet -- but something tells me 2009 is going to give it a run for its money.

Happy new year, everyone! May you all experience true peace and contentment.

Go see the baby

2009-01-01T14:20:00.002-06:00

Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about how mature Holly was when she and husband Chip missed the cutoff for referrals by one day. Well, guess what? It's their turn! Go take a gander at baby Lola An Heng.

Unlike our precious Ting Ting, this little one has some hair! And she's beautiful, of course.

Congratulations, Holly and Chip! May your wait for travel be very short.

Merry Christmas, one and all

2008-12-29T23:28:00.003-06:00

(details and more photos are coming just as soon as I can catch my breath)

Somebody cue the snare drum

2008-12-15T21:46:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning, Mama picks up Ting Ting, who is nibbling on a cookie.

MAMA: I love my Ting Ting!

TING TING: I love cookies.

MAMA (in mock exasperation): You love cookies? What about your Mama?

TING TING: My Mama loves cookies, too.

I have seen the Light

2008-12-15T07:32:00.001-06:00

Sunday morning, Ting Ting and I were in church, making our way to the sanctuary, when one of our associate pastors came up the stairs with supplies for her children's sermon.

"Jesus!" cried Ting Ting, greeting her with her arms outstretched.

Pastor Beth assumed Ting Ting was commenting on her advent sermons, in which she has invited the kids to open a different box with a little character inside every Sunday as they wait for baby Jesus to arrive. She told Ting Ting that they would not see Jesus that day, but soon. And she promised Ting Ting she could open that day's box.

But I knew better -- Pastor Beth has talked about Jesus so much that the two are intertwined in Ting Ting's mind. She has decided Jesus is our pastor's name.

And guess what, Daddy? Jesus IS a girl.

Two years of citizenship

2008-12-14T21:14:00.004-06:00

Two years ago today, we returned from China with our new daughter. As soon as the plane touched down at O'Hare, Ting Ting was an American citizen.

This has to be one of the worst photos ever taken of me, but I'll treasure it forever because it was taken by my sister Kay, who shocked the heck out of us by flying all the way from Nashville to Chicago just to be at the airport when we arrived. She brought us a balloon and homemade cookies, took a few photos and some really bad video (she was too excited to focus, so much of the footage is of her sweater or the floor) then got back on the plane to get home before her son came home from school. She's crazy, but that's why we love her.

My parents were waiting for us at home when we returned, so Ting Ting got to meet her Lao Lao

and her Papa.

Then, in one of my favorite photo ops of the day, she and her Daddy sneaked upstairs to recover from jet lag:

Sweet, sweet memories.

Keeping the faith

2008-12-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Looks like China has matched some more families; referrals are reportedly in the mail. If you want to see some of the new babies, our friend the Rumor Queen is starting a list. Congratulations to all the new families!

The matches apparently cover families logged in through Feb. 23, 2006. My new friend Holly and her husband were logged in on Feb. 24, 2006. Long-time readers will remember the awful day I reported we had missed the cutoff by only three days (and really it was just one, because two of them were the weekend). But Holly has a much better attitude than I did -- she says she's thrilled to know they're next! She says she is actually a bit relieved because her husband is out of town and she wants him home with her when they get the call. Still, they've been waiting a long time, and I know she appreciates everyone's support. So ya'll go on over to Holly's blog and show her some love.

My heart goes out to all the families still waiting to be matched with their children. The wait is rapidly approaching three years and shows no signs of speeding up soon. I can't imagine how difficult it is to wait -- but I know from experience how joyous the result is. Hang in there!

Comic relief

2008-12-10T07:28:00.005-06:00

Things have been a little crazy around here. Last week we had more layoffs at work, then Monday my employer filed for Chapter 11 protection. And Tuesday we were in the national news again when our governor was arrested and charged with being very, very naughty -- we put out an "extra" edition, the first time I can remember doing that since Sept. 11, 2001.

Anyway, this morning I thought it would be fun to see what was on the memory card in my camera . . .

and it was.

Ting Ting put on this old costume dress to be a princess, then I had the great idea to dig through a box of toys from her cousins to see what else we could find. That's why she's wearing a Snow White crown, Tinkerbell wings, a Christmas purse, a Cinderella magic wand and Snow White shoes.

She wanted to watch the "princess" episode of Dora because she was dressed for the part.

Later she changed into her nightgown, but kept most of the accoutrements. Except when I called her to the table for dinner, she calmly removed and hung up the wings, then removed and carefully placed the wand, shoes and crown in a safe spot.

This was from Thanksgiving weekend. We had the Christmas decorations out, and she loved this bow. So my mom put it in her hair.

But enough with the mamarazzi.

Is it just me?

2008-12-07T15:32:00.003-06:00

Am I the only one who ever gets a call at work in the late afternoon demanding that I settle an argument between a nearly-3-year-old child and a 48-year-old man?

No, I didn't think so.

Now tell me the best way to settle it when the engineer is technically right but the child is demonstrating creativity and conviction in looking at the "facts" in a fresh way.

("Mommy, Daddy says Jesus is not a girl.")

Anyone?

Two years

2008-12-05T07:18:00.005-06:00

Yesterday marks two years since we first held our daughter in our arms.

Today marks two years of officially being her parents.

Wow.

Then and now -- Thanksgiving edition

2008-12-02T07:34:00.003-06:00

Family portrait, Thanksgiving 2007:

Thanksgiving 2008:

We have so many reasons to feel thankful.

Farewell

2008-11-23T05:05:00.006-06:00

In September, I told you about my grandmother, with whom I share a birthday. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that on Nov. 13, she died.

Lance, Ting Ting and I made a quick trip home to Tennessee to spend time with family. It was nice to laugh and share stories with people that we see far less often than we would like. And it was wonderful to see the outpouring of love in the little town where my grandmother spent most of her 96 years on this earth.

My grandmother loved visiting with Ting Ting, who charmed and delighted her, and she always requested new stories when I called to chat. Still, I was humbled by the number of people at the visitation who asked my sisters and me (after Ting Ting had left), "now which of you is the mother of the little girl?" Clearly, Ting Ting had been the topic of much happy conversation.

Funerals are always a bittersweet experience. We shed a few tears at the memories revived by old photos (OK, I'll admit, some of those tears were laughter at the sight of me in those glasses, but at least I didn't have that shag haircut, Beth) and retold favorite family stories. We all loved my grandmother and will miss her very much.

But mostly we celebrate our joy in a long life, well-lived.

School picture

2008-11-09T22:45:00.002-06:00

A Ting Ting is a Rachel is a Ting Ting

2008-11-07T21:35:00.001-06:00

The music teacher, Ms. Margaret, had already started her lesson when Ting Ting and I arrived the other day.

"Good morning, Ting Ting!" said Ms. Margaret.

Ting Ting stared at her.

"My name is Rachel," she said.

"Oh," said Ms. Margaret. "I know your name is Rachel, but I thought we called you Ting Ting."

"My name is Rachel," repeated my daughter.

Ms. Margaret and Ms. Kathryn looked at . . . Rachel . . .and looked at me. I shrugged.

"News to me," I said.

That night at dinner I asked her about it.

"Do you want us to call you Rachel?" I asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Can we call you Ting Ting sometimes?"

"No. I don't like Ting Ting," she said.

Ummm, OK.

So I said, "well, Mama and Daddy picked the name Rachel for you because we think it's a beautiful name. I'm happy you want us to call you that. But I might forget sometimes and call you Ting Ting, so please give me time to get used to it, OK?"

Lance negotiated his own deal.

"Can I still call you Tingsters?" he asked.

She thought it over then gave him a thumbs up. He gave her a thumbs up. They both laughed.

The next morning when I took her to her classroom, I said, "Goodbye, Ting Ting."

The little boy sitting next to her looked up at me and said, sweetly, "Her name Rachel."

Argh.

We called our daughter Ting Ting at first because it's the nickname for her original name (now her middle name), and we wanted to be consistent at a time when her whole world was being turned upside down. We have kept calling her that because it's unique, true to her history, and, well, it just seems to fit.

And, after all, it's her name.

I always figured that we'd switch her to Rachel eventually, although leaving Shu-Ting as her middle name gives her the option to use it if she prefers.

When I think about it logically, those are the things I think about. But when she told me the other day that she wants to be called Rachel instead of Ting Ting, I just wanted to cry, "don't grow up so fast!"

I mean, I figured we could call her Ting Ting at least until she started medical school.

For the record, she has never once corrected me when I called her Ting Ting, and she still refers to herself that way most of the time. It's hard to know whether she's serious about being called Rachel or if was just a whim.

But she's the boss. We'll follow her lead.

Sharing the wealth

2008-11-05T21:57:00.000-06:00

Once she had finished her own trick-or-treating (and had sampled some of her loot), Ting Ting got interested in what was going on at the front door.

She wanted to pass out candy to "all da kids" still to come.

She did a pretty good job of helping out

(even though she was tempted to try some of the candy while she waited).

Anyone else coming? I'm ready!

Ting Ting for president

2008-11-05T21:37:00.003-06:00

I avoid talking about politics on this blog -- after all, if I want to argue about the candidates or the issues I can just have a conversation with members of my family. But many of you know I'm a journalist, and I happen to work for the newspaper in President-elect Obama's home town. I spent Tuesday night (and the early hours of Wednesday) helping to cover the big story. But when I was driving home to my slumbering household, the true significance of what had happened Tuesday began to sink in: Because of this election, my daughter will never know a world where only white men serve as president.

Ting Ting was sound asleep, oblivious to the significance of this day. But my heart filed with pride as I thought of how much this election had changed the world for my Asian daughter. Someday she'll read in her history books about how we used to think that people wouldn't vote for a black (or Asian or Latino) person or that a woman wasn't a viable presidential candidate, and she'll shake her head at how ridiculous we were. It took us way too long to reach this point, but I'm so glad we're finally here, for my daughter's sake as well as my own.

Of course, we still have that pesky problem of the Constitution requiring the president to be a "natural born citizen" of the U.S. . . .

Then and now -- Halloween edition

2008-11-04T14:30:00.004-06:00

Cyrus, Mom and Ting Ting on Halloween night 2007.

And in 2008 (yes, I realize neither Cyrus nor I is looking at the camera, but you don't come here to see us, now, do you?)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T14:06:00.003-05:00

Our little ladybug.

More from the pumpkin patch

2008-10-30T06:44:00.007-05:00

Ting Ting with Lauren, Candace and Brandon.

And again with Candace

Lauren and Casey.

And finally, something I like to call "Chinese-American Gothic."

This photo cracks me up every single time I look at it. I can't decide what's funnier -- the hair across Lance's forehead that looks almost like a comb-over because of the baldness of the rest of the painted head, or Ting Ting's wild hair, suggesting we interrupted her while she was beating rugs outside.

Then and now -- Pumpkin Patch edition

2008-10-30T05:58:00.000-05:00

Ting Ting at the pumpkin patch (in abstentia) two years ago:

And now, with her family:

A SPIDER! Over DERE!

2008-10-26T19:59:00.004-05:00

Last night when I was getting dinner ready, Ting Ting kept telling me she saw a spider.

"SPIDER, Mommy. There's a spider! It's a SPIDER," she said (and repeated it, oh, a hundred times).

"Yes, honey," I kept saying.

"I'm scarey, Mama," she would say (meaning that SHE was afraid of the spider).

"He won't hurt you," I said, a bit distracted, "You're bigger than he is."

When that failed to calm her, I went over to try to find it.

"He's right DERE," she kept insisting.

"Where?"

"DERE!"

I never saw the spider.

Lance came to the table, and she repeated the story for him.

"SPIDER, Daddy. Over dere. I'm scarey of him."

But once we started eating she seemed to forget all about it. We chatted about other things for a few minutes, then Lance casually said, "Oh, there's the spider."

It was teeny tiny. Itty bitty. Scrambling cutely across the floor.

Ting Ting shrieked. She ran over to me and jumped into my lap, attaching herself to my body with all her might.

"THE SPIDER!" she yelled. "I'm scarey."

So Lance slew the spider. Ground him up under his foot until there was nothing much left but a teeny tiny damp spot.

"Spider's gone!" he announced with some satisfaction, proud of how he had protected his little girl.

We resumed our pre-massacre conversation. A couple of minutes went by.

Then, out of the blue, Ting Ting said, quite calmly, "Mommy, I want my spider back."

Lance and I shot each other terrified looks.

"You want your spider back?" I repeated, trying to stall while I figured out what to say.

Finally, I punted.

"Daddy," I said, struggling to keep a straight face, "Ting Ting wants her spider back."

Lance had one of those deer-in-the-headlights looks.

"You want your spider back?" he said in a weak voice.

"Oh, he's my little baby!" Ting Ting cooed. "I want to make a bed for him."

By this time my stomach is hurting from suppressing my laughter. Of course, I had a right to laugh -- I was the parent who recently spent 10 minutes trapping a wasp in our kitchen with a cup and a paper plate so I could open the door and let him go, "to be with all his friends." (Oh, yes, I did.)

Lance, the parent who had killed Ting Ting's "little baby" on the kitchen floor, began to tear up.

So Mama moved into Operation Distraction.

"That's so nice, Ting Ting," I said. "You're good to all your friends. Did you show Daddy how you arranged the chairs so your bear could sit by you while you watched Dora?"

She happily went on to other things, forgetting all about how she wanted to make a bed for her "little baby."

But I don't think Lance is over it yet.

Sunday morning

2008-10-26T08:18:00.003-05:00

A Sunday morning photo taken by Ting Ting's Papa during their recent visit.

Deal?

2008-10-25T17:59:00.003-05:00

I won't say anything else about a certain football team if you promise not to bring it up, either, mmmkay?

In other news

2008-10-24T05:15:00.001-05:00

Ting Ting went to a pumpkin patch last Sunday and rode a camel with her cousin, Candace.

Look who came to visit!

2008-10-23T06:50:00.004-05:00

Papa and Lao Lao came to visit for a few days! Ting Ting knew they were coming, but I didn't tell her that they were going to be here early enough to pick her up at day care, so that was a great surprise.

This photo doesn't have all of Lao Lao's head in it, but I still like the expressions.

Ting Ting was "sooooo happy" to see her grandparents and introduce them to her teacher and some of her friends.

They also looked at her photo book to see some of the things she has done and what she has learned since she moved to the 2-year-old class.

We had a great time visiting for three days (well, at least when we weren't watching the Vandy game). Dr. Ting Ting checked out both Papa and Lao Lao several times, so we know they're in good health. Lao Lao and Ting Ting read books together and also "hid" from the rest of us over and over (and over and over). Papa would "color" with Ting Ting and help her trace her hands (over and over). And while she napped, the rest of us got some things done in preparation for a very special occasion coming up soon -- Papa and Lao Lao's 50th wedding anniversary!

Dec. 21, 1958: If they only knew . . .

Politically correct tattle tale

2008-10-07T06:34:00.004-05:00

SCENE: Sunday, early afternoon. Brandon and Ting Ting are in the computer room playing while Mom is in the kitchen putting together lunch. All of a sudden, Ting Ting marches into the kitchen and puts her hands on her hips.

TING TING: Mom! Banden's not making good choices!

(For the record, Brandon was printing a copy of a page they had just made with her favorite cartoon characters -- seemed like an excellent choice to me.)

Dynamite!

2008-10-04T21:55:00.011-05:00

We interrupt the usual programming of The Rachel Chronicles to bring you this special sports message:

THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES ARE 5-0 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1943!

Oh, and one more thing:

WOOT!

Thank you. We now return to our regularly scheduled blog.

One Hundred Good Wishes -- Granted!

2008-10-01T21:58:00.000-05:00

When we arrived at my parents' house for our last visit, I found this waiting for me:

It's our One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt, all finished!

The picture really doesn't do it justice. My mother was able to stitch together all those very different colors, shapes and types of fabric into one unique gift of love. It turned out even more beautiful than I imagined it would be -- very colorful and warm and full of happiness. I love to point out the squares and tell Ting Ting who they came from or what they represent. I also have a scrapbook of all the quilt fabrics and good wishes so she can match them up herself some day.

Her quilt contains:
-- logos of three institutions of higher learning: Vanderbilt University, Notre Dame and Stephens College.
-- part of a Brownie uniform skirt.
-- three different pockets: a large cargo pocket with a velcro closure; a jeans pocket sewn on another piece of fabric and a big ladybug pocket on a piece of a little girl's dress.
-- two newspaper logos, from the first stop on my professional career (thanks, Steve) and the other from my current employer.
-- a piece of cloth from Nigeria (the first contribution).
-- the Chinese character for Joy, written by one neighbor for another neighbor to have silk screened.
-- pieces of several onesies worn by other babies, including one on which yours truly cross-stitched a design nearly 17 years ago (the baby who wore it just got his driver's license).
-- pieces of several beloved baby blankets.
-- part of a shirt that my late grandfather once wore that features the logo of the small town in Tennessee where he was mayor for 16 years.
-- A piece of my late grandmother's clothing embroidered with the name her grandchildren called her.
-- Pieces of the clothing Lance and I wore on the 4th of July in 2003, the night before our wedding.
-- Other fabrics that represent our friends and family in beautiful ways, from the blue-on-blue from my friend Debi to the cow fabric from my sister Kay to the musical notes from two travel mates who teach music.

See what I mean? It's beautiful! Some of the fabrics are even from people I never met in real life, but who accompanied us on this journey in one way or another.

No matter what twists and turns Ting Ting's life might take, she will always be able to look at the scrapbook and touch the quilt and know just how much she was wanted and loved before we even knew her name.

What a beautiful gift. Thank you all for contributing. And thank you, Mom, for putting it together so wonderfully.

Paging Dr. Ting Ting

2008-09-28T14:59:00.004-05:00

Well, hello! I'm Dr. Ting Ting. We provide the very best in patient care at my hospital.

. . . once you've made it out of our waiting room. (Hey, Mr. Bear! You can't use your cell phone in here.)

Say, "ahhhhhh."

A few of these drops will soothe that achy throat.

I don't know, Elmo, it doesn't sound good.

Fortunately, I have just the right antidote.

Still waiting . . . but at least she still has a smile on her face.

Well, my work here is done. No, don't worry about the possum -- she's just playing.

Fashionista

2008-09-24T07:59:00.006-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, The Rachel Chronicles brings you the very latest in toddler fashion.

In gathering her ensemble Monday morning, Miss Ting Ting first insisted on wearing the exact same top and skirt she had worn the previous Friday. Her stylist at first objected, but Miss Ting Ting has strong confidence in her own fashion instincts, so the stylist quickly relented. Miss Ting Ting put on the matching socks her stylist offered, but in a fresh interpretation of the ordinary, she pulled them up to her knees instead of cuffing them demurely above her ankles. Then, in a shockingly brilliant move, she chose headgear and footwear in an insect theme. Note the bold use of primary colors to offset the pale green outfit. She wears the bumblebee hat rakishly askew so that the bee appears to be searching for a new source of pollen and ignoring the sweetness right beneath him. The famous ladybug slippers complete the ensemble, which is all tied together with a non-designer bag that looks amazing like a sack full of trinkets she might have won at a recent carnival. It's definitely NOT what all the other girls are wearing these days.

(Yes, I let her wear it to daycare -- oh, yes, I did -- although I put a pair of regular shoes in her cubby so she could go onto the playground. And when she was strapped into the car seat, I managed to distract her long enough to cuff the socks. But you pick your battles on Monday mornings, and this one was too cute to fight about.)

I'm one of those clueless moms

2008-09-20T16:41:00.002-05:00

Ting Ting: Mama, I'm a superhero.

Mama: You're a superhero?

Ting Ting: SHHHH!! Don't say anything! It's a secret.

The kid is too quick for me

2008-09-16T22:25:00.002-05:00

Ting Ting: Mama, I'm a choo -choo train. Choo Choo! Choo Choo!

(She chugs her way downstairs to the kitchen)

Mama: Well, it's time to eat. What do choo-choo trains have for breakfast?

Ting Ting: Cookies.

Nice try, kiddo. Next time I'll know better than to ask!

Happy (belated) birthday to us!

2008-09-13T16:34:00.007-05:00

This is my grandmother. Lance took this photo when we visited in August, and she celebrated her 96th birthday on Labor Day.

Although she has marked this occasion nearly a hundred times, she can quickly name her favorite birthday gift of all: her first grandchild.

That would be me.

I was born on my grandmother's 48th birthday. On Sept. 1, I turned 48 myself. So I considered this birthday extra special.

My grandmother has told me many times the story of how she got on a bus the morning of her birthday to travel to Nashville to meet me. She describes standing at my father's side as they peered at his pride and joy, his first-born daughter, just a few hours old. She loves to recount how she patted her son on the arm and reassured him, in that grandmotherly way, "don't worry, honey, she'll look better in a few days."

(I might be offended at that story if I hadn't seen the pictures. Thankfully, she was right.)

My grandmother was born before women had the right to vote and lived for decades in a segregated South. Now she's witnessing an election that will give us either the first female vice president or the first African-American president. The scientific and technological achievements of her lifetime are mind-boggling. And perhaps the societal changes are best marked by noting that while she celebrated her 48th birthday by becoming a grandmother, I marked mine by snuggling on the couch with my 2 1/2-year-old daughter to watch an episode of "Dora the Explorer."

Yes, things have changed.

But no matter how dizzyingly fast the changes come, one thing is constant: I share a birthday with a smart, resourceful, opinionated, funny, sometimes stubborn and amazing woman that I love and admire very much. And that will always be my favorite birthday gift.

Again with the excuses

2008-09-10T21:57:00.002-05:00

I've been sick, but I'm on the mend . . . just wanted to give you the latest excuse for not posting! I'm finally back at work and so will get back into the swing soon.

I apologize for those of you going through Ting Ting withdrawals.

Friends from the old country

2008-08-30T16:01:00.014-05:00

Two weeks ago, we got together with some of the families who traveled to China with us. Here's a group shot of the Ba babies:

From the left: Leanna, Bella, Ting Ting, Dani, Chloe, Shelbi and Tabitha.

Eight of our 11 families attended the picnic, but one had to leave before we could manage to corral all the kids. Why do you suppose it was so hard to get seven almost-3-year-olds to sit down together for a photo?

Oh, yeah.

Once we lined them up and stepped out of the way, though, the paparazzi (and mamarazzi) had a field day. You should have seen it -- all the little ones sitting in a line with cameras flashing at them constantly as parents waved their hands and shouted out individual names. I was standing to the side watching it and found myself starting to feel sorry for Brittney Spears.

But I got over that.

Afterward, someone suggested a game of Ring Around the Rosie. I loved these shots:

Every time they would fall down, several little voices would exclaim "again!"

And once the little girls started playing together, the big brothers and sisters got into the act.

Here's Bella attacking Dani's brother, Matt. And a certain someone is right on her heels.

Dani's sister Alexa was getting it from all sides (Ting Ting, Bella, Shelbi). Looks like Leanna was thinking of grabbing her right arm, too.

It was a beautiful day with great food and even better company. We can hardly wait for the next one.

Coming up for air

2008-08-26T07:05:00.003-05:00

Yes, we're still alive. It's been busy, though.

In the month and four days since my last post, we have taken a trip out of town with all three kids, hosted a picnic for our China travel buddies and taken one child to two different urgent care centers in two states for two different reasons in the span of 10 days (by the way, that girl knows how to work an urgent care waiting room, let me tell you). Lance has been in budget hell at his job (just when he thinks he's done, he gets another time-sucking assignment). I saw dozens of colleagues lose their jobs two Fridays in a row at my workplace, and a new management team has been announced. I'm still employed there, but I lost many treasured colleagues and friends, and even as the dust settles around us we're trying to figure out how to get things done with only half the people (in my office) that we had a few months ago. Now that our friends have departed, it's a quiet and somewhat lonesome place, at least right now. And the hours are rough.

I tell you these things not to make excuses but to try to explain why it's been difficult to find the time, energy or proper attitude to post here. But be ready to be bombarded. I have several funny stories, and Lance has many wonderful photos from our trip to Nashville and the picnic that he's started editing, so you'll see them soon.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding. And here's a story to tide you over.

A few weeks ago, Ting Ting discovered a pair of slippers in her closet that look like ladybugs. She put them on her feet and, delighted, went to show her Daddy.
"Oh, look at you!" he said. "You have ladybugs on your feet!"
He looked closer as she pranced around.
"They even have eyes," he said, noticing the fake eyes in the very front of the slippers, the part covering Ting Ting's tiny toes. "What are they looking at?"
"Snakes," responded Ting Ting without even hesitating.

Who's a ham?

2008-07-22T22:11:00.011-05:00

Lauren often describes her little sister this way: "She's such a ham!"

Lately other family members and friends have been using the same expression.

I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's things like the day at the beach when she raced into the condo's living room, where most of the family was gathered.

"Hey guys!" she said excitedly. "Guess WHAT? Here I am!"

Or the day Lance picked her up and she began patting him on the shoulder.

"I love my Daddy," she told her grandparents. "He's a good boy."

Or the way she plays to a crowd. She plays peek-a-boo with people sitting behind us in church and introduces herself to perfect strangers wherever we go. The other day, perhaps fearing she had been impolite, she interrupted a story she was telling our next-door neighbor to point to me and say, "This is Susan."

"She's met me before," I said in mock exasperation as Melinda laughed.

One day, probably a year ago, we were sitting in the Nashville airport waiting for a delayed flight home. Ting Ting began working to catch the eye of a young man sitting across from us, then grinned at the elderly couple sitting next to him and began chatting them up. "She ought to run for mayor!" the man told us. Then, looking around and seeing all eyes on her, she cued the music.

"Bus, Mama!" she commanded, moving her hands in circles so she could enact "The Wheels on the Bus go 'Round and 'Round" as I sang for her.

She was still pretty little then. If she tried that today, I'd tell her to sing the song herself.

Heaven knows she's not shy.

Six words

2008-07-22T21:40:00.002-05:00

I've been tagged by my fellow Dragonfly Dusty to describe how I'm feeling right now in six words.

She tagged me more than two weeks ago, and this is the first time I've posted since then. So I guess the first word I'd have to use to describe myself is BUSY.

And I'd have to say I'm a little STRESSED at work these days.

But despite the turmoil, I'm feeling . . .

BLESSED. I do have a job that I enjoy, but better than that I have a wonderful family, great friends, a friendly neighborhood. We have roof over our heads and plenty to eat.

GRATEFUL for all the things listed above.

LOVED (and full of love for others).

JOYFUL that I am where I am today.

Now I'm to tag five more bloggers. This particular game of tag has been going around for awhile, and many of the bloggers I read regularly have already responded. But I'll give it a try with these folks:

A. at D.C. Diaries
Lauri at Leap of Faith
Beverly at Motherhood and Other Ramblings
Missy, a Tennessean who writes about her beautiful sister Paige at Party of Many . . . oh, wait a minute. Looks like Missy has already done this one. Well how about Diana . . . no, her, too. And I promised Dawn I wouldn't tag her again.

Guys! This is STRESSING me out! I'm way too BUSY to go searching everybody's archives. Tell you what -- I'd be most GRATEFUL if some readers could help me out. If you want to play, do it -- and put a note in the comments letting me know. Maybe I'll meet some new folks this way! That would make me feel LOVED! And think of how JOYFUL we'll all be to read your blogs!

So get to work! I'm off to post comments on those other blogs.

More fun at the beach

2008-07-04T14:41:00.002-05:00

Here are some more random shots from our recent beach vacation.
Heading down with Mama and Lao Lao (Ting Ting called the beach "the sandbox").

She liked the pool, too. She learned to jump off the side into Mama's arms.

And she loves Uncle Bud -- he gives her cookies.

Lauren spent a lot of time reading a really good book, so her stepmother bought her two more.

Lao Lao enjoyed some reading time, too.

Meeting Cousin Ella.

Ting Ting loved hanging out with Ella's brother, Cousin Will.

Putting on shoes for our next adventure.

Enjoying a restaurant with Papa and Lao Lao.

and with Brandon.

The rest of us had a good time hanging out, too.

Combing Papa's hair.

Lance enjoyed sharing his photos as he took them.

Happy Fourth!

2008-07-04T13:54:00.005-05:00

These aren't the most spectacular fireworks, but I figured today I had an excellent excuse to show you how much Lance enjoyed playing with his new camera while we were at the beach.

Some people were firing them one night while we were in Florida, so he shot the photos from our balcony.

He used the balcony railing to hold the camera still for some timed exposures.

Pretty cool, huh?

Happy Fourth of July to everyone (and happy 19-month anniversary to Ting Ting)!

Then and now -- Beach edition

2008-06-27T22:39:00.004-05:00

Sisters in the pool, June 2007:

June 2008:

Goofing around with Papa

2008-06-26T21:34:00.004-05:00

Ting Ting enjoyed time with her grandfather (Papa).

(Credits: Swimsuit from Target's spring line, hair styled by Lauren, photography by Lance).

Ask a stupid question . . .

2008-06-23T21:41:00.002-05:00

SCENE: Saturday afternoon, Atlanta airport. Mama and Ting Ting are leaving the women's restroom. For no apparent reason, Ting Ting stops walking and begins kicking the wall.

MAMA (exasperated): Ting Ting, what are you doing?

TING TING (happily continuing to kick the wall): I'm doing dis.

Goofing around with Aunt Kay

2008-06-19T09:21:00.000-05:00

So how's it going?

2008-06-18T21:30:00.004-05:00

Ting Ting's description of her first day at the beach:

"Payed in dah sand, went in da waaader, Ting Ting swim (with dramatic pantomine), den waaader mouf: Pffft, pfffft, pfffft."

Yep, that about covers it.

We're on vacation!

2008-06-18T06:54:00.006-05:00

Ahhhh, the annual family vacation at the beach!

It's a whole week of enjoying the water, the sand, the sun . . .

. . . spending time with loved ones . . .

. . . getting advice from our elders . . .

. . . thinking big thoughts . . .

. . . doing a little dance . ..

. . . enjoying "see-food" . . .

. . . and just hanging out.

(And just in case you thought I forgot:)

Aw, shucks

2008-06-13T21:25:00.001-05:00

Beverly was kind enough to name The Rachel Chronicles as one of five (well, OK, SIX) blogs that make her day. She said some very sweet things about us in this post. She suggested that as a displaced Southerner I needed some Southern hugs, but in the days following that post, I think Beverly needed the hugs herself! Thankfully things have settled back down and she's still posting photos and stories about her absolutely adorable daughter, Glenys. Beverly's blog, "Motherhood and Other Ramblings," is a blog that makes my day, too.

Now I'm supposed to list five other blogs that make my day. That's a tough request because I read many different kinds of blogs regularly. So for this post I'll stick with blogs that made my day this week.

Not Just Pigtails and Polka Dots Anymore made my day Tuesday when I saw Michelle had posted new photos of her TWO children, Olivia and Owen. Michelle and I met online when we were both waiting for our daughters. Now Michelle and Eric have just returned from their second trip to China, where they adopted a son. I'm so happy to see them all home safe and sound.

You'd think that Wendy's blog would be depressing as her family waits -- and waits -- and waits to adopt a son and daughter from Guatemala. If anything could go wrong, it did (sometimes two or three times!) But little Levi keeps the family entertained, and teenage daughters Katie and Ashley keep things real. Today, Friday the 13th, they received the joyous news that Ahren will be coming home at last. He's 10 days older than Ting Ting, and Wendy and her family have been staring at his picture since he was just a few days old, so they're more than ready. And maybe, just maybe, they close to bringing home Peri Brynn soon, too

I stumbled on Breed 'Em and Weep a few months back, just when Jenn and her husband had decided to separate. Some of her posts have been emotional and raw, but others have been amusing or hopeful. Always they are riveting. (If you need a laugh, check out this post, in which her daughter embarrasses her in public but Jenn and her mother can't stop laughing about it, which makes it even worse. You absolutely have to read the comments, too, for dozens of other stories that had me in hysterics).

I used to love to read a blog called The Naked Ovary. At first it chronicled Karen's battles with infertility, then her process of adopting a daughter from China (I later discovered she was in my online DTC group, too). Karen stopped writing her blog while we were in China a couple of months later, though, and I really missed it. So you can imagine how it made my day recently when I stumbled upon Cheek, her new blog. And it really made my day when I found out she was pregnant! She just delivered a daughter this week.

And speaking of women who got pregnant after adopting from China, I really enjoy reading Dusty's blog. Dusty and Chet brought Mary Joyce home from China shortly before we traveled for Ting Ting, then they discovered they were going to have a second daughter, Katherine. Mary Joyce is a beautiful and funny little girl who is a lot like Ting Ting, and 10-month-old Katherine is a real sweetheart. I loved this video that Dusty posted the other day.

So, if you're keeping track, I listed three blogs of people who were members of my July 2005 DTC yahoo! group, two of whom later gave birth to daughters. (And even thought it is a MYTH that women "always" get pregnant once they adopt, I know of a third, too -- she just doesn't have a blog). The other two blogs are by complete strangers whose blogs I found by following a link and another link and maybe another. All of them "Make My Day" quite often, though.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

2008-06-11T20:41:00.002-05:00

NEWS FLASH: At last, Lance has replaced his broken camera. The angels rejoice as we return to our regularly updated blog

On Saturday, Lance and I took Ting Ting to a picnic sponsored by our local Families With Children from China group. We had a great time.

Ting Ting had lots of good food to eat:

She got to ride the choo choo train,

and a horsie

(the wooden kind, that is).

She did a lot of running around:

(with Mama fast on her tail).

And, best of all, we ran into our travel mates Erik and Jennifer and their daughters Katie and Leanna. Leanna is two months younger than Ting Ting and is one of her Ba sisters -- they were under the care of the same Social Welfare Institute in Yueyang County, Hunan, although they lived in different foster homes.

Ting Ting taught Leanna a new game she had just invented.

It involved stooping down, picking a bunch of grass, and then standing up and putting it on Mama's (white) pants.

See, like this.

Leanna caught on pretty quickly, and both girls thought it was absolutely hysterical.

I guess you really had to be there . . . oh, wait, we have video!

Three cheers for Lance and his versatile new camera!