When Marie Antoinette left Austria to marry Louis XVI of France, she left by carriage accompanied by French courtiers. At the border between France and the Hapsburg Empire, Marie Antoinette was required to complete the ceremonial act of stripping off all her clothes, leaving behind all her belongings, and dressing in French clothing before she crossed over into France. There is some dispute as to whether she was allowed to bring her dog with her into France.
After sixteen hours in the air we arrived home on Friday morning. Anna is now an American citizen. All the paperwork was completed in China, we took an oath at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou that all our documents were true and correct, and Anna was issued a Chinese passport and Immigration Visa. She became an American citizen at the first American portal through which she entered the United States, which was the immigration desk at SeaTac Airport. No ceremony.
Our days and nights have been flip-flopped since then, and last night was the first time we slept when everyone else slept. Sort of; I awoke at three a.m., but it's an improvement.
Anna is a dream-child. Other than her habit of falling over face-first like an infantryman when she doesn't get her way, she is pretty darn easy and well-adjusted. She's bright, happy, and inquisitive. Last night when I made dinner she hugged my legs and looked up at me and said, "Mama."
We're staying home for two more weeks to adjust to this big change in our family. We've sold our house and have purchased a larger house with a big yard and more bathrooms.
Anna is sleeping in our friends' Pack and Play because we don't yet have a crib. We thought she'd sleep in a toddler bed or in a twin, but she would most definitely not stay in bed.
20 comments:
Congratulations! I was wondering if you made it home safely. Your blog is so much fun to read. Thank you for posting and keeping us all in the loop.
My daughter has that same shirt.
How did you not buy a bed?
Welcome back to the US.
Welcome home! It has been a joy reading about your experiences. I can't wait to see her. Congratulations on selling your home. How close is the new one to MCS?
Welcome home! So glad you're taking some time at home to adjust to life as you know it now :) Congratulations on selling your home too! We are coming up to Seattle for two days in August to scout the hood. We've also decided to put the house on the market in September - wish us luck!
Thanks for sharing such a special time in your life with us all. And the pics were a big treat too!
Kenslee has that shirt too! She sounds like Kens with the flopping down head first when she doesn't get her way. And she also sounds just like Kens with the hugging the legs when we make her dinner... except you replace "hugging our legs" with "taking the food and throwing it across the room and screaming".
Gosh, she is so cute.
I'm glad you all made it home safely and that you are adjusting to your new life together! And congratulations on selling the house!
Welcome home!!
How wonderful.
What a melt your heart moment!! OF COURSE, you all have to have a bigger house. There's way too much luv going on to fit in an itsy bitsy space!!
Welcome home.
Wow, it's official now, and the sweet little lady is HOME. I am so happy for you all, and I can't tell you how inspiring this blog has been for me. Although I don't always comment, I read it and think about it often. I hope to one day follow your steps and adopt a little girl, too. I can't wait!
And plus...DAMN, she is CUTE! You found yourself a good one! :)
Naynay:
Thanks for all your comments; I couldn't comment from China for some reason, so it's nice to be able to now.
Think No Bed:
Georgia has a daybed with a trundle underneath, so we figured we'd just use the extra bed when we got home. We didn't know she would try to climb out of the crib until we were in China, so we had to revise our plans.
We didn't have a booster seat for eating though, so my husband took my complete works of William Shakespeare which is about as big as three City of Seattle yellow pages and put a towel over the beast and duct-taped it to the dining room chair. Works like a champ.
Hi Heidi!
Our new house is in Vintage, which I think is a pretty big neighborhood. It's in a part built in the 1998-1999 timeframe. That's about all I can remember. I'll probably need a map the first few times I go to the store so I can find my way home.
Hi Mae:
Wow. You're moving a year ahead of schedule! Send me an e-mail the closer you get to travelling and we'll make plans if you have time, o.k?
Tim:
Oh Anna can throw food and objects with the best of them! One of the first few days we had her we were at breakfast at the hotel and she threw a juice glass across the table and it shattered. It caused quite a spectacle.
Christina:
Thanks. It's good to be home to American food and our own bed.
Neil:
Good to hear from you!
Booda Baby:
Thank you! Yes, having three girls and one bathroom just didn't work too well!
Cruel Shoes:
Thanks for your nice comments. Yes, when we were in China we kept thinking, "wow. we got the best one!"
She's a sweetie.
Well, Tim fell in love with Anna the minute he saw the pics -- I told him that what he didn't see get to see was the smile she gave AFTER I'd taken the pic. She's wonderful and Georgia is a pro at being big sis.
So, big fat congrats on successfully expanding your family and selling your house and buying a new house. Good times, my friend, good frickin' times!
I have that book. The pages are bible-thin. I don't think that Bill intended for his collected works to be propping up the butt of a toddler, but at least you're exposing her to the arts at an early age, albeit you are just letting her bum read "As You Like It."
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