Kai and Daisy wish everyone a very happy and prosperous Year Of The Dog!

As you can see from the picture above, Hui-Hui has overcome his fear of dogs. Daisy on the other hand has begun to develop a fear of Hui-Hui!

This is the first year our family has celebrated Chinese New Year. The traditional Chinese calendar follows the lunar cycles, and the New Year festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. You can read more about it by CLICKING HERE. Tina and I took Hui-Hui to a local asian market to buy red envelopes, some decorations and other goodies.
It was a busy day with other activities as well, Cameron competed in the local level of the WMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest. He played violin, both solo, and with the Bellingham High School's advanced chamber orchestra. The performances are single songs played in a classroom for a judge who provides the student with a constructive critique. Hui-Hui was very well behaved as we sat in on the performances. Cam did well and it was fun to hear him play pieces on which he has really worked hard.
For dinner we all went to the Lychee Buffet with two other families with children adopted from China. There were 14 of us in all and it was very fun. Hui-Hui's little friend Mimi was there and the two of them had a great time together. I forgot my camera again so I will now subject you to more pix shot with my crummy cell phone camera...






Our local newspaper ran an article (CLICK HERE TO READ IT) on extravagent dinners being offered for New Year's Celebrations by restaurants in China. One of the restaurants they mentioned was Quan Ju De. This is the Duck restaurant we went to when we were in Shijaizhuang!

The article talks about their most expensive holiday menu which feeds 10 people for about $1000. I would love to see that meal as the one we had there for 5 people had more food than we could every hope to eat in one sitting and the bill for everything came to only $45!

Apart from dinner out and red envelopes for the boys we haven't done too much else this year. There are some big celebrations both locally and in Seattle and Vancouver that we hope to be able to take Hui-Hui to when he's a bit older.
We have been enjoying a variety of great documentaries on China that are playing on the Discovery Channel this weekend and on CBC television.

A number of friends expressed concern over my recent blog entry regarding email messages Hui-Hui has received regarding large foreign lottery winnings and shady sounding deals involving the movement of large sums of money.
Do not worry; we are aware these are scams. And now we’re aware my sarcastic sense of humor is not as broadly appreciated as I like to think it is.
If you have received messages like these and were wondering what they’re about you can read about these scams on the FRAUD WATCH INTERNATIONAL website.

I meant to blog about this last week, but didn't. Since I waited though, I have more accurate data to report. Tina took Hui-Hui to our doctor today for his "Three Year Check Up". Since his last visit in October he has gained over three pounds and grown two inches. We are very proud of this! It's nice to have him measured by professionals, our scale here doesn't seem to be very accurate. And while we think he's growing it's hard to tell when you see him all the time. So I changed the picture of him at the top of the blog. The old picture is one we took the day we got home from China...

He's had his hair cut a couple times now, trimmed is more like it actually. The first time was a couple months ago, when I was getting mine cut. His China buzz cut had been growing out and was getting shaggy around the edges so we sat him on my lap and had the stylist clean up around the back and over the ears. Then last week we took him downtown to the hip salon, Jake's B.S. (stands for Barber Shop) and tried getting a real cut. He put up a pretty good fuss when it started but he fell for the old "have a drink of water" trick - that always distracts him. We were trying to get the long thing in front to blend in without chopping his bangs too bad. It almost worked. We're going to just let it grow for a while now and see what happens. Forgot to take the camera with us so these pix were snapped with my cell phone...


On Sunday Hui-Hui was invited to Mimi's 2nd birthday party. Mimi is the daughter of our friends Heidi and Kim, they have three daughters adopted from China. In addition to Mimi's sisters and Hui-Hui there was another little girl named Eliza who came home with her family from China at the same time as Mimi, Eliza's four year old sister, and a pair of teenage girls who are friends of Mimi's family. So there were 7 girls and Hui-Hui. He had a great time. Tina and I aren't used to "girl" parties. It was really nice, the big girls kept the little ones entertained and played games with them. At one point the big girls were holding Mimi and Hui-Hui on their laps and trying to get them to kiss. Mimi's dad, Kim, called them on that one though. All in all, Hui-hui had a great time, he does really well with other kids. Here's a few pix...

This is something we have been told very many times. We heard it a lot before we went to China to get him. People saying it mean it mostly as a compliment to Tina and me. Or sometimes they mean he is fortunate to be able to leave the orphanage and have a family. While people saying this mean the very best by it, it's considered to be inappropriate language in the adoption community. The thinking is that you wouldn't normally say this to a new parent of a biological child, and as a child grows and is able to understand things being said around them, hearing this repeated again and again can make them start to feel like a life-long charity case. When people say this to us Tina and I are always quick to respond that we feel we are the lucky ones, and if you've met Hui-Hui you would know that this is true!
But the thing is, Hui-Hui really is A VERY LUCKY BOY! In fact, in the time he's been home with us it appears he has potentially come into almost $37,000,000!
Hui-Hui has his own email address and in the last four months he has received the following messages. We are looking into the best way to execute these transactions to optimize his earnings. We figure the whole college fund thing is going to be completely taken care of!
-----------------------
INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAM
MADRID SPAIN
FILE REFERENCE NO:
PP2005-001-MLI
BATCH: 1505/004NL
TO WINNERS IN OUR PROGRAM
We wish to congratulate you over your success in our computer balloting sweepstake held recently.
This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it.
However,your email address was attached to ticket number 10CBG3471913; with serial number 19034 draw the lucky numbers 1-9-74-31, which eventually won the lottery in the first category of the draws. This entitled to a cash award of €500,000.00 ( FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EUROS). This is from total prize money of €15,000,000.00 distributed
to winners from 1st to 3rd categories.
Note that this program was largely promoted and sponsored by a group of philanthropist, industrialists from the internet ware industry and some other big multinational firms who wish to be anonymous.
To begin your claim, please contact the claims coordinator
Mr. Mack George
TEL: +34676020575
Email address: cristinadie1@netscape.net

Yours Faithfully,
MRS. CRISTINS ROSA

-----------------------
FROM THE DESK OF DAYZERS E-MAIL LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPT.

REF: S23/15/40/12/29/
BATCH: 54/010/0-PD

RE: EMAIL
WINNING CONFIRMATION NOTICE:

We are glad to inform you that your E-mail address appears as the confirmed Winner of our last Dayzers email lottery program held on the 30th November 2005. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 216-365-787 with Serial number 34/15/65 drew lucky numbers 32-15-54-35-47, which Consequently won in the 2nd category, you have therefore been approved For a lumpsum ayment of EUR 500.000.00 euros.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This promotional program takes place every year. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system rawn from over 100,000 companies and 50,000, 000 ndividual email addresses and names from all over the world.

In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your reference number and batch numbers in all correspondence. We ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims
has been processed and your money remitted to you. To file for your claim or for further details, please contact our agent:

CONTACT NAME:
VAN BOMAN
CITY/ COUNTRY:AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
FREE SERVICE NUMBER:
0031-616-140-156
EMAIL:dayzersinfo002@netscape.net

In respect of our commitment towards helping the less previledge, we ask that you voluntarily contribute 1% of your Global winnings to any charity organization you desire at your convinience.

Note that all winning must be claimed not later than 24th of December 2005. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake.

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotional program.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Vanessa
J. Smith

This email and its attachments are confidential and may contain legally privileged information. You should not disclose the contents to any other person. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system.
-----------------------
My Dear,

Compliments.

I am Madam Joyce Rssll,Account Director in Post Bank Netherlands, and I represent the former C.E.O of an Oil Company in Russia. I seek your partnership in using your name and informations to Re-Profile Ten Million United States dollars(10,000,000.00), kept in a finance firm located in Europe .You will be offered 20% as management fee for investment in your country or outside your country in which you will advice me.

If you are interested, write back WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION LIKE PHONE AND FAX NUMBER,YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS.by Email: joycerssll@netscape.net and I will provide further details.

I look forward to your reply.
Regards,
Madam Joyce Rssll. www.postbank.nl


FROM: MR.JOSEPH NGOBE.
TEL: +27-8-333-7753-3.
EMAIL: jogobe01@sify.com.
Or jogobe01@yahoo.com
-----------------------
ATTN: DIRECTOR/CEO.
REQUEST FOR URGENT TRANSFER.

In my quest for a reliable and trusted partner for a highly important and lucrative venture cum investment, I came across your contact as a reliable partner for this venture. I am Mr. Joseph Ngobe, one of the senior Accountants of AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (ABSA). To highlight you on this proposal, there is an account opened in this bank since 1980 till 1990 after which, nobody has operated on this account again till date. After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Ben Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner at Kruger gold co., a geologist by profession who died since 1990. No other person knows about this and my investigation further proved to me that his company does not know anything about this account and the amount involved as he made it his personal account. The money outstanding before his death was (USD 26 Million) Twenty Six Million United States Dollars. I am now contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a national with a local bank account here. But can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner, a foreigner. I implore you to act as foreigner and beneficiary to the fund as I will then intimate you on the processes abound as well as procure all the necessary documents required to lay claim to the money.

If you are capable and willing to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit I shall highly appreciate. I need a trusted person like you in this transaction because I do not want to make mistakes; I need your strong assurance and trust. With my position now in the office I can effect transfer of this money to any foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending my arrival in your country for disbursement. On the alternative, you can come down here to South Africa for us to meet one to one.

Send me your private telephone and fax numbers upon receipt of this proposal, if you genuinely want to assist and be a co-partner. I will also wants us to meet face to face, to enable us sign a binding agreement. As soon as you receive this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. I will proceed to your country for onward percentage distributions and investment. I need your full co-operation to make this work because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner, who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you later immediately. I will use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the conclusion of this business, for your assistance, 25% of the total amount will be accrue for you, 70% for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of the transfer.

I implore you to maintain the absolute confidentiality of this transaction.
Your earliest response is urgently awaited.
Truly Yours,
Mr. Joseph Ngobe.

I have been very busy at work this week with a committee project that has been very intense. This means I have not been able to accompany Hui-Hui at pre-school on Tuesday and Thursday morning. In order to accommodate this schedule my mother has stayed with us and taken my place at pre-school. This has been great as it has given her a chance to be with us in a relaxed "real life" setting. She was able to really get to know Hui-Hui a bit better. This schedule has left me little time for playing with the blog, so I missed posting a "anniversary" post yesterday which was the four month anniversary of the day we received Hui-Hui.
Today however is the actual anniversary of his adoption (unless you shift things for time zones, as Cameron pointed out). So I wanted to write about how much he has changed and grown. Maybe I'll have some time to do that this weekend. But I do have what I think is an even better entry. On this day, four months ago, after we completed the adoption at the civil affairs office in Shijaizhuang I had to drive 2 hours back to Baoding alone with our guide. Tina was alone with the three boys. While I was gone she wrote an entry for the blog that never got posted. Neither of us remembered that writing for some time, until I found it again the other day. So here is Tina's story of how Hui-Hui came to us...

4 Months Ago Today

Yes! I am finally officially mama to didi KaiHui Ocheltree~and getting a moment to check the computer! Kai is resting, Scott went back to Baoding to hand deliver the paperwork to make sure we get our passport for Kai by Friday. Our guide Bob didn't want to chance the mail~he was concerned it wouldn't come in time for our flight. Very nice man.
Our day yesterday was an odyssey that has continued into today on our journey to Kai. I have to say that China is an incredible, awesome, enchanting...and completely foreign land! The people have been more than gracious and kind to us. Our guide Chen Chen in Beijing was fantastic, and we had a wonderful time exploring Tian An Men Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Jade factory with the Oppliger family. We really enjoy their company, and their son Adam is a trouper! Looking forward to meeting up at the White Swan! Chen took very good care of us, and shared so much about her own life growing up in Beijing. As we headed out Sat. morning for our adventures she announced to us that we would be visiting the orphanage after all, and receive Kai the next day. Dare I say we lost it!!! So much for focusing on our day ahead!
She recommended that we take the East Great Wall, so our family did that, and the Oppligers did the West. (main one) I made it to the second to last tower and found myself completely alone for up to 20 minutes at a time. It was a crystal clear day, and the beauty and power of it was overwhelming. I highly recommend the East Wall.
Yesterday we wandered to the local grocery store for water and moon cakes before our new guide Bob picked us up to head to Baoding to meet Kai. We headed southwest on a hazy warm day out of the explosive population and building of Beijing into miles and miles of farms and deserted communes. It seems China is in the midst of another revolution. Out with the old, in with the new. We would pass truck after truck loaded with "stuff." We are guessing it is the remnants of all that is being torn down to make way for the new. Very curious. We also got to catch a glimpse of the Marco Polo bridge, and where the Japanese invaded China.
As we pulled into Baoding and worked our way further into the city I began to realize just how lucky we all are. And yet, with what appears to us to be such poverty, the people are happy, kind and enjoying a kind of community we just can't seem to grasp in our culture. As we drove up to the orphanage it looked like a palace next to it's surroundings. We were welcomed by the director of the children's section, and another man. They brought us water bottles, and soon Kai's nanny Tseng Chin-yen brought him in the room. He had just woken from his nap, and was very confused. We spent a few minutes getting acquainted and then it was decided we should all go to lunch! So, Chin-yen went with Kai (Dang Hui) back to the children's building. As we got to the van she reappeared with him, both in new clothes! So we all piled in and headed to "deep China." We were also told we would take Kai's visa photo while we were out. The whole day was so surreal. It soon became very apparent that Chin-yen was more of a foster mother to Kai than a nanny in the orphanage. She did not want to let me too close to him, and would only reluctantly let me hold him when told to by the director. So there we all were, in a back room with our family of 4 and 6 others, men smoking and drinking beer, eating chicken's feet and ???, plus little Kai in complete befuddlement. It was actually a great way to warm him up to us, and begin the transition to his new life. From there we went to a photographer's place a few blocks up the street. (walking) OK, at this point I could go on and on, but all I can say is that the whole time felt as though we were in some foreign film, but didn't know the whole story or our lines!! We got the photos, and family and all group photos inside and out, and then went back to the van.
When we returned to the orphanage (Chin-yen sat in front away from us. ) We went inside, answered questions, gave gifts and then were told we would be taken on a tour of the orphanage!! And yes, our sons could take pictures and video tape! The moments in the babies rooms were beyond what we could describe, or really process. Let's just say that we really need to do more to help them. The deepest depth of human need, and strength of those caring for them in one place.
On a much happier note, we asked about Liam (Carol's son) and we got to see him!!! I can't say more yet in case Carol hasn't seen my post!
They took us on a tour of the grounds, and showed us a new building that is being constructed for the older babies...all donated by Jackie Chan!!! Really!!! We'll post pics on our blog. It is beautiful, and will be ready for winter! We finally were given Kai, and after many teary goodbyes and thank yous (even our guide was wiping tears) we got in the van and I held Kai for the 2 hour trip to Shijaizhuang with him sleeping in my arms. He is pretty much in shut down, but is very cuddly with me and Scott, and warming up to his brothers. We even got a couple of smiles! He slept well, and is still on a bottle!!! Happy mama dance!
As this is getting really long, and Kai is going to wake up any sec, I will just give a brief story of today. We went with Bob to the Civil Affairs Office. The staff from the orphanage arrived, and Chin-yen swiftly had Kai. This was SOOO hard, but they both needed it. She brought him a beautiful amulet for long life on a red thread and tied it on him, and a shirt that she put on him. As we left for the notary she really wanted to take him in her car. (freaked us out!) The director made her give him to me, and he cried hard for about 30 sec. He was fine in the car, and I gave him a bottle of cereal and formula. When we got there....they pulled up and he was hers for this paper work session too. After a while the director once again told her to let "mama" hold him. He of course was not happy, but only cried for a few seconds, and then fell asleep (shut down). We waited for a long time, so I passed him back to her in the blanket Scott's mom made so that she could hold him one more time.
He was still sleeping when we departed. He is very tiny (20 pounds), and it will take a while to really know what he will need to catch up, but we know he will eventually let us see the wild side of Kai!
This has been the most difficult and wonderful 2 days of my life. As hard and long as this "gotcha" was, I know it was as it should have been. Kai needed to transition, and even more, the woman who has cared for and loved him since he was 9 days old needed to be given this time. I will never be able to thank her or express my gratitude for the what she has meant to him, and to me. I can only weep for her sadness for having to say goodbye to such a beautiful and sweet boy. Even the director was crying. We have been given a very precious gift.
Time to play, and eat some dinner!!
Hugs to you all!
Tina, Scott, Cam, Ben and "Mr. Peanut!"
P.S. The big boys are having a grand time and are off to the mall across the street to buy a guitar and harmonica to play for their didi!

Last November Tina and I participated in a Radio program with our adoption agency. I have put a copy of the audio on our site in MP3 format. You can listen to it by clicking on the radio...

The internet is such an amazing tool for connecting people. Our first glimpse of Hui-Hui was through our adoption agency's website, and now he is our son! Because we knew the Wickstrom family through the internet we were able to recognize their son when we were in China and bring back video and pictures for them. And now because we shared our story with Jackie Chan we have met another family who have adopted a son from the Baoding S.W.I.

Katharine, the webmaster for the Jackie Chan site, sent the following email to Hui-Hui:

Dear Hui-Hui,
I am forwarding a message and photo to you from a family in Tennessee. They read your story on the Jackie Chan website and would like to correspond with you.  Here it is: 
----- Original Message -----
From: hilary & Kurt hales
To: webmaster
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 12:50 AM
Subject: Re: contact e-mail
As we were browsing through the Jackie Chan website, we came across the story about Hui-Hui being adopted from the Boading City Social Welfare Institiute.
We were very interested, because we got our son about 6 weeks ago from the very same place. We were also very impressed with Jackie's generosity and caring.
We were able to tour the new building that he had donated and saw the blessing it will be to all the children. We showed Hui-Hui (Andrew's) photo to Yang-Yang (Nathaniel),
and he was very excited to see him and it appeared he recongnized him. We wondered where you all lived and if we could contact you.
Please let us know if you are interested in getting together/corresponding. Attached is a picture of Nathaniel to show Andrew.
Kurt and Hilary Hales
----- -----
This was really exciting for us because we instantly recognized Nathanial from the pictures we received from the S.W.I. last summer. You can see those pictures by clicking HERE. Nate is with Kai in a number of them. In the pictures of them eating the two of them are sitting next to one another. Nate is about 6 weeks younger than Hui-Hui so I would guess they would have been together pretty much all the time at the S.W.I.
This is especially exciting to us because most of the children adopted from China are girls. I think it will be really nice for Hui-Hui to know other boys from the same S.W.I. While neither of these boys' families live close to us, we still will be able to have contact with them through the internet, and we hope to be able to arrange visits from time to time as they grow up.

I have had mixed feelings about commenting on blogs. Part of me feels that a blog is personal statement, not a dialog. I have always felt that if you wanted to comment on this site you are welcome to email me. If I wanted an online conversation I would post on a forum.

However, lately I have found myself leaving an occasional comment on other blogs and felt that maybe it would be nice to let people comment here if they like.

So If you'd like to post a comment, now you can. Go on, tell me what you think.

I want to make an accusation:
It was Scott,
In the kitchen
With the Febreze.

For those who don’t remember wasting rainy Saturdays trying to develop their deductive logic skills with the help of the Parker Brothers, that's a reference to the boardgame Clue.

The victim in this case was Stinky Mouse.

I have blogged about Hui-Hui’s predilection for “thumb snuckers” before. For the most part he’s not terribly picky about a specific toy to cuddle, but over the last couple months he has developed a preference for one particular stuffed animal. This little favorite has come to be known as “Stinky Mouse”. Actually most of the stuffed animals that get any regular rotation as a “snucker” start to take on a distinct odor. Stinky Mouse by virtue of his heavy use had become quite smelly. I wanted to wash Stinky Mouse, but he couldn’t go in the washing machine because he had beans inside him, his label said to “surface wash, air dry”. I suggested we spray him down with Febreze. Tina protested this idea very strongly. She hates the smell of Febreze. My argument was that Febreze kills bacteria and I was pretty sure that bacteria was what was giving Stinky Mouse his unique aroma. Tina said if I sprayed him with Febreze that Hui-Hui wouldn’t like him anymore. I was willing to risk it. I looked up the Febreze website to make sure it was safe to use on children’s toys. It seemed perfectly harmless, so I lightly misted him down and let him dry overnight.

The next morning Stinky Mouse was a new man. His stink was gone. He did have a slight cologne quality to him, but it wasn’t heavy and you could tell this wasn’t masking the old smell. You couldn’t hope to mask that. But not only was his smell gone, so was his mojo. Hui-Hui would have nothing to do with him. It wasn’t like this was a big tragedy. There’s plenty of stuffed animals he’s more than happy to snucker up with. But still I felt bad. Stinky Mouse had become a bit of a sidekick to Hui-Hui.

Tina, of course, put everything right again, She took Hui-Hui to the store and found Stinky Mouse 2.0. As you can see in the photos below he is every bit as serviceable as his predecessor was before I did him in. The stink is coming on nicely and should be at full potency in no time.