Ramblings

I thought I should take a moment to add some things I remember about today. As I write this, Wynn is talking to somebody on the phone. Is that stereotypical of a teenage girl? At dinner tonight she asked for a cell phone. Wow! We got to that question fast. I figured we would at least be at home first.

Today we decide to go to the Stone Forest. I see the pictures posted below. It was pretty neat, and just like parks in America, very empty once you left what could be driven too. Wynn, of course, had never been there. Wynn is still very camera shy so I couldn't take many pictures of her. It's tough as I know that someday we will both want to be able to look back on these days. However, I totally respect her privacy and doing things at her pace. It is so fun watching her play with the kids from another family. The little boy she knows from the orphange.

Wynn loves our phones and the Ipad. She has taken so many pictures and seems to love it. She also has explored every app that we have installed.

Jibbago and our Iphones/Ipad have been an absolute life saver. Although at times during the day we have a guide and translator, there are long stretches that we are on our own. Jibaggo is amazing. We used it the very first day to break the ice. Wynn could answer with simple nods. We've used it to ask questions. After a bit, Wynn was willing to try writing Chinese characters. Then she tried asking a question with it. Have you every watched somebody write in Chinese? It is amazing. She is so smart. I know she can read many English words even though she doesn't try to speak them yet. Today she has been using it to ask us questions about our family. She has been using it to ask permission to do things. We had our longest conversation every using it during dinner. Yes there are times we both have to work hard to rephrase things, but it is an absolute life saver and the Ipad is the perfect size to write on. I have finally found a real use for the Ipad. I know we are all way ahead of figuring things out because of this amazing technology. I think eventually she will be comfortable speaking to it rather than writing everything out. I don't care how she uses it. We are talking.

Today we went shopping and bought her some clothes. She is courageous and confident telling people what she does and doesn't want. You must realize the employees work on commission and figure out what is going on pretty fast when we are with her so they are pushy. We know she has never went shopping before. She handled it all with poise way beyond her age.

The most amazing part of the day was watching her smile and smile when we told her we would take her to buy candy for her friends at the orphanage. She practically ran to the store. Our guide told us she had never been to a department store, but she went through and found gifts and candy for all the special people in her life. She was so much more interested in getting gifts for the other children than she was in buying herself any clothes (we hadn't got to the clothes stores yet). I don't know what it was, but watching the joy on her face when she learned she could buy gifts will probably give me goosebumps forever. Here is somebody with one set of clothes running through the store collecting gifts. There was nothing faked, just pure happiness as she learned about the chance to share. It's the same happiness I had as I watched and was able to share my good fortune in life with her.

Over dinner we talked about family. We talked about each person in our family and their interests. We talked about getting her books and maybe a cell phone someday (all through Jibbago). It was a special moment as each of us worked to learn a bit more about each other, worked to establish trust, and worked to sooth the fears we all have as we hold hands into a very scary future. She is so much braver than I can ever imagine being. It's very humbling.

Wynn just got back from changing into some of the clothes she picked. She looks so excited. Here come those goosebumps again.