Monday, August
28, 2006
IT'S OFFICIAL - HE'S OURS!
Day Four started like any other, Jim waking up first and going
downstairs before everyone else. Couldn't he just sleep in one
day? At 7:00 am Tate and Toni are cuddling in bed, the girls
have decided to sleep in. We don't have to be downstairs until
9:00. We finally get out of the room at 8:15 for breakfast. Very
nice breakfast, Tate is certainly not a picky eater. Each hotel
has a western buffet for breakfast. As we were finishing
breakfast Tate, Jim and Gianna decide to go outside for a walk.
Tate is beginning to accept us as his family, but still wears
his backpack just in case. It is 8:55 and we are waiting for
Michele, our guide from Great Wall, to inform us about the day.
It is right at this point that Tate gets very excited pulling me
toward a van that just pulled up at the hotel. It is a van that
looks like the one that dropped him off yesterday. Out pops his
caregivers, it is his old van. He quickly runs to them, now not
wanting anything to do with us.
I didn't realize that we were all going over to the Civil
Affairs together. Thinking that we are going to go through the
same crying episode that we went through yesterday, Emily asks
me, "Dad is he going to cry like yesterday? I hate it when he
cries." I said yes, probably, but this all part of the process.
We go to the Civil Affairs department. It takes about 1 hour to
sign the paperwork. Tate seems a little different this time. He
is interacting much more with US even with his caregivers
around. Maybe it won't be that bad when we separate. As we
separate, there is not a peep out of Tate.
We are officially in the Harmonious period. This is the time
that we will be observed interacting with our children. The
official registration is later that day. We all go shopping for
clothes, food and drinks. We decide to buy clothes for the kids
at the orphanage. We fill up three carts with everything we
need, plus stuff for the orphanage. The bill comes to about $250
US dollars. What a great place to shop!
Tate is a typical 3 year old, loves to shop, but untypical
doesn't want everything. I decide to do the boy thing, take him
to buy a truck. He grabs two trucks to put them in the shopping
cart and I say, "Tate only one." (showing him my finger) He
immediately puts one back and puts the other one in the cart,
WITHOUT a problem. Maybe our girls will learn a lot from him.
We rest in the afternoon before heading back to the Civil
Affairs office. As we walk in, it is the whole group again. The
caregivers, plus his best friend, the girl being adoption to the
family from Finland. Tate is back in heaven, all of his old
people back together. This registration will take over an hour
in this small room. Tate is with his comfort people from the
orphanage, his best friend and this new family. As the time
wears on, this little 3 year old boy continually comes to all 4
of us in his new family. We could see the transformation that
Tate believes that he is ours and the adoption registration
makes it official.
Yesterday, we wrote about what a 3 year old must be thinking. We
are beginning to understand. We still only speak a few words
together, most having to do with going to bathroom, but we are
communicating better than ever. Hungry, he points to his mouth.
Thirsty, he acts like he is holding a cup and drinks. Tired, he
wants to be held and lays his head on your shoulder. I love you,
that great smile that he gives you from any place in the room.
Remember, this is the boy that we were told is quiet and a
little introverted, plus doesn't smile a lot. Nothing could be
farther than the truth. He has a very happy spirit and he has
made our family much happier too.
Tomorrow, we are off to visit Tate's orphanage. Thank you all
for the kind wishes and nice comments, we can't wait to share
him with you. |
Our 3 angels -
Tate is also musically inclined with the harmonica.
Having fun together.
And we were told that this kid doesn't smile much????
Getting ready to eat and
still doesn't let that backpack go very far.
Tate sees his best friend, plus his caregiver, Auntie. Will he
even want to come back to us?
It's official and we could be happier. |
