What a Great Day

OK, I didn't want to blog too early and jinx us, but we had a great day, and I thoroughly enjoyed Wynn.  We had to go to the medical office to have TB test read (she passed).  Then, we got to walk around The Island (Shamian Island - where we stayed when we adopted Ari) shopping for a couple of hours.  She stayed with us and was 100% agreeable.  She even let me buy her a pink North Face (? lol) jacket.  She picked some things for herself, and one thing was just too much money for what it was.  I told her "Tai gui le!" (too expensive) and found something smaller but similar, and she was fine with that.

When we got back to the hotel room after a little while, she was walking past me, and I smiled at her; she smiled back!  First time!  She also spoke to me for the first time with her voice instead of the translator.  She said, "shui?" (water).  She was looking for the pot that boils water to make some ramen-like soup she bought at the 7-11.  That was the first time she directed her voice to me.

We asked if she wanted to go to the bookstore; we'd have to take a taxi, and she hesitated, then put her hair back up and shoes on.  So we went to a bookstore.  Bookstores are great, even if you are unable to read 80% of the books. (There were some English books and books with Chinese on one side and English on the other.) This was a 5 story bookstore.  Awesome.  She picked a bag of books, which means we will definitely have to buy another suitcase to bring everything home, but she won't be able to get Chinese books easily there.  I bought her a Harry Potter book and a Percy Jackson book in Chinese, which she shows less than zero interest in at this time.  (Conor - one of the books she picked for herself is Diary of a Wimpy Kid.)

I should add that it was a little bit alarming to me that the first section she went to - computer books (her dad's profession).  The second section - geology (her dad's master's degree). The first two books she picked were a cookbook (dad's hobby) and a fish book that looks just like one her dad has in English from back when we had an aquarium (a hobby her dad would like to resume).   Then, later, when we were out for dinner, Michael ordered his meal and the waitress told him that was what Wynn just ordered.  I think I should be frightened!

So we're past dinner and back in the hotel room.  She was actually smiling and skipped through the hotel room.

Right now, she is chattering away on the phone (Skype) with her foster mom.

I am very happy.  Nothing is to say that tomorrow will continue with this goodwill, but I thank God for this day to refuel us.  We have been blessed.