starting to grow UP

Lost in Space: Astro-Todd, Episode 2

2012-01-24T16:39:00.001-08:00

Episode 2 of Lost in Space: Astro-Todd, where we follow up on the two warring parties and find out that their impatience was based in lack of mutual understanding. Cultural differences between frantic five hour energy and almost-opposable thumbs nearly lead to a galactic war. If only other world leaders had Astro-Todd to help them through their differences.Unfortunately, while worlds apart are finding common ground, things are tensing up on the homefront, where we find a kindness competition in progress. Who will win? Find out here...

"Sam" didn't market well

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Had guacamole and salad for dinner, while the kids picked their favorite sandwich with carrots. The guac bowl must be guarded at all times, or the four vultures swoop in. After having my fill, I allowed the kids free reign to the remainder of the chips and guac.
Eliza and Garrett lost no time in eating and chatting through the guac process. Discussing guacamole and saying 'guacamole' is just about as much fun as eating it.
"I love avocados," Eliza says.
Struggling with the 2.5 seconds of silence within the conversation, Garrett asks, "Dad, is this really called 'guacamole'"?
"No Garrett, it's called 'sam', but no one would ever eat it with that name. I've been lying your entire life about this, and I am sorry."
Silence.
Eliza breaks it, "I like the name Steve."

What I want for Christmas, by Garrett

2011-12-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

These wishes by Garrett Bowling are as follows:

Mater Pillow Pet
Blay-blay. (Beyblade)
Mack, the Lego tracker trailer
Ninja Legos
Things requiring batteries

Is it focus, or lack thereof

2011-12-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

After a late night adventure with Dad and Eliza (in the car at 10:30pm, asleep at 10:45, in bed at midnight), and the morning spent at church, Garrett was burnt, just barley functioning, ready for a nap.
"Upstairs, and directly to bed," mom ventures, in what seems to be clear instructions.
Twenty minutes later, as we hear a door open and close, Maggie finds him in his floor playing with Legos. "To bed with you," she shoos him under the covers, head on pillow, lights out.
Ten minutes later, finding him up again, Maggie's patience begins to get tested. But as evolving parents, we try reason, "Garrett, you are very tired, you are grumpy and are crying too much. You need to go to bed. Garrett, (we assume that starting every sentence with his name helps Garrett realize that we are specifically talking to him), you went to bed late last night, were up early this morning, and will be up late tonight. Tomorrow is a school day, and you need some rest. I want you to get in your bed and go to sleep. Do you understand?"
"Uhm, yes."
Three seconds pass.
"Mommy, I have a question."
"Yes"
"Can I get up and play?"

Magic Skills

2011-11-27T13:37:00.001-08:00

Sitting at the breakfast table this morning, trying to estimate if it was time to head to church.
Bowling dad, "Garrett, go tell me what the clock says."
Garrett heads over to the microwave, "eight, dot-dot, twenty-six."
Eliza chimes in, "Is that a five or a two, because they look the same."
Garrett responds before anyone can interject, "It's a two. I can tell, because I have Magic Skills."

A Rose by any other Name

2011-11-26T20:06:00.001-08:00

Upon his arrival in our home, Garrett was force to learn his new name (as were we), as well as learn the various secondary names that may be used at any given time. Early nominated contenders (grouped by theme) included:

Alabama - Forrest
BBQ Cook – Leroy
CCM Artist – Beebo
China - Hao Ge
Eliza - Errand Boy
Emily & Louise - ShortRound
England – Dudley
France – Pierre
Grimm's – Tweedle
Hollywood – McFly
Italy – Vinny
Legal – Garrett
Mexico - Pedro

The selection of a nickname is an organic process. As it turns out, aside from his legal name, Garrett has come to be known as G-man to his mom and Guido to his dad. Eliza still considers him her Errand Boy.

Mind over Matter

2011-11-26T19:55:00.001-08:00

A shout out to Garrett and Eliza for learning to ride their bikes on Tuesday. Bowling dad took Garrett's training wheels off this past summer, hoping to spur him on; he just used the scooter instead. But with a bit of Emily encouragement and a helping of his own machismo, G-man picked up the bike, walked to the top of the driveway, and made it happen.

Eliza, distinctly not content at letting her bigger little brother bask in his own glory, quickly followed suit.

By Thanksgiving day, they were twirling through the streets, driveway and garage like a pair of pros.

Bowling Parents are once again grateful to check one more "too young to do this" item off of the list.

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip – Day 11: Cave Man

2011-08-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Manitou Springs, CO is the same tourist trap as Helen, GA, except that it is located in Colorado, which makes all the difference. Today we traversed a small section of Cave of the Wind, named for the sound wind made over its entrance, attune to blowing over the top of a Coke bottle. They built the Visitor Center over the top of said entrance, and now it doesn’t make any sound; but I digress.
Halfway through the cave tour (after I had stopped to take a picture, lost sight of the people in front of me – including two of my children – and rushed to catch up only to find that I had missed a turn and was now in a different tour group, sans children), Garrett reached in and pulled out a tooth, which surely is one of the more unique forms of voluntary enamel extraction.
Flat broke after spending all of his cash on very high quality trappings, Garrett realized that the Tooth Fairy was his very own Payday Loan store. He doesn’t like dollar bills, as they fail to bling, and we were out of quarters, owing to our washing machine habit. Maggie resorted to covertly exchanging six nickels for each quarter from the kids before bed to get the needed change to make the appropriate transfer.
FYI, the going rate in the Bowling house is a dollar, owing to the weakness of the US currency and flattening markets.

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip - Day 7: Daily Notable

2011-08-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

In preparation of our death-defying journey up the tramway and down the alpine slide (run by those who originated such adventures in Gatlinburg, Tn) in Keystone, SD (where they make beer for cool rednecks), Garrett turns to Mags, “Are you going to duct tape us on the slides?” Pause. It’s been a long time since we duct taped Garrett to anything for an extended period of time; why did this come up now? Pause, observing our surroundings, “Video tape, Garrett. No, we are not going to VIDEO tape you on the slide today.”

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip – Day 7: Forget the Teepee

2011-08-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

In a half-planned change of plans, we set off after spending the afternoon tubing in the local creek and eating supper along its banks to Cheyenne, WY. It was determined that losing the $35 pre-payment for the 2nd night at the teepee was not a sufficient deterrent to our heading to our next destination. We weren’t sure where that destination would be, and had to wait through a 2-hour drive into Wyoming before cell coverage allowed us to reserve our next KOA Kamper Kabin, but it was pretty clear from more than one family member that the teepee wasn’t the bedding of choice – something to do with the ratio of spiders to wife.
The kids have been pretty remarkable through seven days of travel; but to give all of us a treat, we let the kids watch a movie during the car-ride.
As it finished, and the sun finally set over the eternal skyline, it was time for the kids to sleep through the final 1.5 hour drive. As soon as it was announced that it was bedtime, Garrett started grunting… a mixture of a mild gasp for air and a forced growl… what you would hear from a USA Up-All-Night movie actor.
“Go to sleep!”… 5 minutes of grunting. Upon questioning him, “It started hurting at the end of the movie”… I’m not buying it. Five more minutes of grunting and I give him a placebo and water. Realizing he isn’t getting the desired results, Garrett begins to go into labor. A Rest Area presented itself, and it seemed the wise thing to stop.
Upon parking, Eliza perks up, “Are we there!”
“No, we’re stopping to let Garrett poop. He’s going to poop or throw up, one of the other.”
“He can do both of them.” I suppose she’s right, although I haven’t seen that one done before.

Postscript – he pooped plenty, and skipped merrily back to the car.

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip - Day 5 Daily Notables

2011-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Garrett to Eliza, explaining his superhero powers: “I’ve got Waterpoo Power in my hands to keep my body from getting hurt.” I’m just proud he’s added this clearly valuable power to the superhero compendium.

Eliza, opening her duffle bag, “Hey, Emily put her jammies in my bag!”
Garrett, “Yeah, Emily is a sneaker.”

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip - Day 4: Underwater Jazz Hands

2011-08-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

2011 is the Year of the Fish.

The Bowling children can now be brought to the pool without a parent in the water with them, and possibly without a parent paying full attention to them (not that such would occur; especially not in the world of the Kindle, the iTouch or the other poolside mom-talks).

A year of freedom, of being able to swim when you want to, and take a break when you don't, without fear of impending death as soon as you take your eyes off of the brood.

Emily and Louise participated in Swim Team, learned to dive, and are experimenting with gill-transference.

Garrett has added 'ability to swim' to his historical 'not afraid to swim'.

Eliza has bowed to sibling peer-pressure, let go of the side of the pool, and found that she can flounder with the best of them.

Proud parents we are. And this pride has been deepened by Garrett's latest show of aquatic skillz. While holding his breath and going underwater, in the deep end, he sinks to the bottom of the pool, suctions his feet to the pool floor, raises his arms in the air, and gives us all the Jazz Hands. Words do not translate the joyful pride G-man has in this feat. He is already discussing his next move, which apparently he is practicing in his spare time and plans on unveiling any day now.

We'll keep you informed of its development, as well as his.

Bowling 2011 Roadtrip - Day 2: Kid listens to his Mom

2011-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

A late addition to the previous edition: while walking Garrett to the bathhouse for him to take a shower before bed, he explained the rules: “If a man goes into a woman’s bathroom, he’s damn. If a woman goes into a man’s bathroom, she’s damn.” “Umm, Garrett… where’d you learn that word?” “Uhhh, I don’t know. I made it up.”
Works for me.

28 days of Plastic

2011-06-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

One of the first things Garrett clung to upon his arrival at our home was plastic. May it be written that his first love was polymers. I wonder where that may lead him.

I had intended to take a picture a day for four weeks (28 total) of him holding objects. It would not have required me to give him the props, for he carried an object around in each hand the vast majority of the time he was awake (and often while asleep). It was some form of security, or excitement, and possibly merely eccentricity. However, after about two weeks, I stopped noticing this habit, and the pictures waned. And after ~5 months, he weened himself off of the objects and moved onto his 2nd love, Eliza, which in turn ebbed within the next two years.

Here are a few of the ones I found while sorting through some photos. He's growing up, and now he just holds onto his Lego men, which are much easier to conceal.

On my Birthday...

2011-06-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Needless to say (except in this circumstance, of course), Garrett has used this term in the upper 1000s of times in the past couple of weeks. One cannot accuse him of not being singularly focused.

And yes, in two days, this classic gooberhead will turn 6 years old. It was touch and go for a while, not sure if he was going to pull it out and actually turn six. A rash outbreak of bed-wetting in April put it in peril, "Garrett, if you do this again, I am not going to let you turn six." I'm not sure if the random nature of such reversions to infancy or my clearly articulated position on his ability to grow up motivated him, but the bed's been dry.

Garrett's social circle is rather limited, hampered by him being the only son with three sisters, Maggie play-dating with mostly girl-oriented families, Alex being out of town this weekend, as well as his age. But we pulled out a rather enjoyable McD hang with dad and kindergarten friend Noble. He got an hour on the indoor playground, a Kung Fu Panda 2 shooting object (made in his hometown, about his hometown), and a Cars 2 lego set (again, made in his hometown, while set in a neighbor historically pivoted as a rival state, but which has shown a general cooling of tensions in recent decades). All in all, not bad.

This preliminary event is merely the lead up to Monday night, where Garrett has requested a birthday dinner at IHOP, "my favorite place." I would wait to write then, so as to be able to capture the full nature of this event; but I fear that I will be exhausted by both experiencing and discussing his birthday.

Why I Love My Mom

2011-05-09T19:19:00.001-07:00

You give me treats
You take me to school
You make me happy
I love you and you love me
You take care of me

Happy Mother's Day.

First time for everything

2011-04-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

So when Garrett came inside on Saturday afternoon crying, I immediately went to the old standby: "Crying doesn't make you better. Stop crying kid."

He calmed a bit after a while of me waiting on him, and then explained that he had fallen from his scooter. Seems like some portion of his arm hurt, although we couldn't clarify the exact state of the injury.

"You're OK. Don't worry about it," words of calm wisdom from his father, "run it off."

He stayed inside the remainder of the day, holding his arm limp. "Probably just bruised it."

Sunday morning G-man wasn't able to straighten the arm. Daddy was, "See Garrett, you just have to pull it straight." He winced a bit, but didn't cry. At least he is learning. We'll just wrap it in an ACE bandage.

Monday morning it might seem a bit worse, but really, we shouldn't worry about it. He's a strong kid, and hasn't complained out loud. Seems like Mom had different ideas, and after a quick trip to Urgent Care, found that Garrett had a "FAT PACK" on his elbow, which apparently indicates a stress fracture. Three weeks in a cast. Maggie should have asked the doctors what the fat packs on G's eyelids, palms and feet indicate.

I've had 26 total years of parenting over four kids, and every time prior to now the "get over it, stop crying" routine has worked effectively. Maybe this experience will result in a kinder, gentler dad. Maybe not.

We're both 5

2011-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Overheard this morning between Garrett and Elizabeth:

"Eliza, we're both 5. We're BIG! Isn't that weird?!?"

I wahn...

2010-12-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Let me make it clear from the getgo what I wahn for Christmas: a bit less estrogen and a bit more testosterone in the house. I'm sayin...

I wahn:

A boy-dahl ("No, Garrett, it's an action figyour"), like Spiderman or Ironman
Mr-the-King car
Alex to move in an be my brother
Toy Story Legos

I'm Catman

2010-08-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

On a recent rescue mission over to Mr. Duane's house, we brought along the extra-sister Alexa, seeing as though I was the dad of many.

Oh yeah, the rescue mission. It turns out Mr. Duane is in a new house. Actually, he's not in his house and therein lies the problem, a "I just moved in, haven't put a spare key outside yet, and locked myself out" problem.

Who is Mr. Duane going to turn to but the greatest little boy he knows, Garrett "I can fold myself in half while giggling" Bowling.

I pick up the phone, "Bowling, will Garrett fit through the cat door?"

There's only one way to find out.

"Everyone in the car!"

Surprisingly, when I announced our intentions, I was met by universal approval and exclamations of awesomeness by the gang.

12 minutes later, after coaxing Stinky the little white dog out of the doorway, Garrett plunges in without so much as a sweat and saves the day. His first taste of breaking and entering.

I speak german

2010-08-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, this squirt of all squirts that invaded our immigrated to our house 2.5 years ago is starting kinder-garten. We all pray that they have more natural patience than I have, and that he enjoys this social experience, as well as learns to read.

Viel Erfolg!

Americans are Oversized

2010-07-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

On to more pressing issues:

Five-year-old Garrett weighs in at 35.5 lbs and 40.5 inches,

which puts him in the 20% in weight and 10% in height.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE...

these Imperial Growth Charts do not take into account the slighter stature of the Chinese race.

I bet he is thoroughly normal by their standards...

A quick tour through "Chinese Growth Chart" google results and I stand the proud father:

Garrett is 50% in weight and 25% in height.

Very Vaccinated

2010-07-10T08:13:00.001-07:00

According to the documents received upon arrival, Garrett had been thoroughly shot up prior to the exchange.

BUT, once setting foot on his new native soil, those who we turn to for such guidance determined that it was best to assume he was not infected with small amounts of TB, Pox, Hep, MMR and the dreaded Tetanus (I know a guy who knew a guy whose mother told him about a boy that she knew when she was a kid who knew someone who had lock-jaw), and to pump his 21 lb soaking wet 2 1/2 year old body with infectious diseases once again. It only cost us a $25 co-pay, so the more shots you got, the better the deal.

And now, 2+ years later, in preparation for K5 this fall, Garrett once again has been pricked. He has been harried since then by a small fever while hobbling all over the house. Early assumptions that he was just milking the situation, but from all attempts to trick him into not limping have failed. I think he is sore. If I was one who gave pity to others, I might call him "pitiful". Fortunately, such considerations are not available in the Bowling house.

The man with many names...

2010-05-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

Some people naturally attract nicknames. Maybe because their given name is either difficult to say or has the wrong 'air' about it. Or said person embedded the memories of others with some fun-filled experience and 'earned' it. And then, some people are just fun to name.

One might say that Garrett has his share of nicknames: Garrito, G-Man, Guido to name a few.

Sometimes he likes the names, sometimes not, depending on his mood and whether he thinks you are sincere.

Occasionally, a name might escape our parental lips that oughtn't, as in a exclamation recently overheard:

"Mommy!!! Daddy gave me a new name: DORKUS!!!"

How exactly do you undo the damage?

sayings of an international travelling 4 year old

2010-01-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

To help those who may be spending time with Garrett over the coming period effectively navigate conversation, Emily and Daddy present the following translations:

nuggle - snuggle, a modern concept in Garrett's life, prompted most heavily by observing Elizabeth snuggling, and deciding he wants some of that.
piderman - Spiderman, the superhero of choice
panking (spoken quietly, just barely moving the vocal chords) - spanking, as in "If you don't leave Mom's desk alone, you will get a panking"
nuggle bear - Snuggle Bear - the favorite bedtime companion of Alexa
Wes mah'm - Yes mam (again spoken quietly, just barely moving the vocal chords)
TOP IT! - Elizabeth, please cease and desist from your currently activities, as they are cramping my style.
pillow - like Pee Wee's laugh word, this is the trigger word for instant hilarity (props to Mr. Anderson Chinuntdet)
top apeating me! - generally spoken to Louise, the most calculating of both little and big sisters.
phine ferb - Phineas and Ferb, the bastion of excellent cartooning in the modern age.
footit - see pillow

2009-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Eliza loves fires. Love them.

The other night, I came home from work, put together a quick fire, and the family sat down for dinner.

Eliza exclaimed with true joy, "Daddy, you're a genius. You are awesome. You built a fire!"

We all sat a bit shocked at her verbosity. Mom asks her "Eliza, what's a genius?"

So, in her attempt to continue the magic moment, Eliza continued, "All boys are geniuses."

At which point, Garrett, without missing a step, shouts out with definitive resolve "I not a genius!" He has defended this statement vigorously, regardless of our attempts to contradict in his favor.

flu... swine flu

2009-09-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Despite the tremendous press and the fear-mongering amongst the health 'experts' across the world, our Chinese-enriched child has come through the porkish experience with nary a scratch.
Maybe it was his sheer determination to beat this thing, or his enhanced "I'm a four year old trapped in a three year old body", his being raised on a steady diet of rice, or the inoculation provided through that brush with Bird Flu back in aught-six.
The Bowling Six lived in fear for what seemed like endless minutes, as we learned that it really isn't all that big of a deal. If you're not already on the path to the Great Unknown, then the sus flu is not likely to require more than a few days of sleep and maybe a bit more sleep when you're done.

Foods I'm Taking to Heaven - Summer 2009

2009-08-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

The rules:

God made all of the natural foods: apples, limes, tomatoes...
God inspired certain individuals throughout history to develop wonderful dishes of their own mind, much like the great painters of the Renaissance.

The request: when you make it to heaven, which foods are you going to take with you?

Eliza:

Chocolate Cupcakes
Apple Juice
Macaroni and Cheese

Garrett:

Cereal
Strawberry Yogurt
Vanilla Yogurt

Louise:

Pancakes
Tacos
Johnny's Ranch Dressing

Emily:

Chick-fil-A sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Mint-Chocolate anything
Ranch Dressing
Greek Yogurt
Blueberry Muffins

Maggie:

Sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter
Sweet Tea
Fried Chicken

i love lida

2009-04-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Emily and Louise went to new york(whatever that is) and got an Ariel CD.

Lida is making me listen to it all day. It is very long - I say ''no lida no'', and she says, ''yes gawwet''.

Sleeping Arrangements and Their Downfall

2009-03-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened, but I woke up, it was dark, and I was trapped somewhere. I started screaming, and it took forever - and I mean forever - for Mom to show up. She turned on the light and said:

"Garrett?"

"Wha?" through my much-needed tears

"Where are you?"

"Righ he-yuh." Isn't it obvious? I'm here, and I need you to help me!!

Wait, I see Mom's feet. How the crap did I get here? I wriggle out, the light hurts my eyes. My mom reads me the riot act for being under my bed in the "middle of the night", but it's not my fault. I have no idea how I ended up there.

First taste of freedom

2009-03-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

I've been asserting myself lately.
I even have extended my Liza-leash to 12.5 feet
And I have been, hmmm, what does Mommy call it? "Using my words"
"No"
"I don't wannn to"
"I AM!"
"Stop Ighh"
I heard Daddee telling Mommee the other night that they should go easy on me, since I'm just now starting with my words, and I don't know the difference in being respectful or not.
I can only hope that they keep on thinking that for as long as possible. The fools.

Today, I pulled my Macaroni out

2009-01-18T05:51:00.000-08:00

Screaming upstairs
Emily tearing into my presence, crying
sobs of "Garrett is...."
run up the stairs
Garrett holding his jaw crying

I look around, trying to find Eliza, expecting to accuse her of some heinous crime
She replies: "Garrett pulled his macaroni out"
and he confirms: "Yeah! I pull my mac-roni ou."

I take his hand back off of his face, and sure enough, the drain coming out of his jaw from last week's surgery is no longer stitched into Dudley's (British Garrett) jaw.

No sympathy in the Bowling house for things you do to yourself. We just don't have enough margin for it.

i really must learn to be more cautious in my agreements

2009-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

sunday:
Dok-tor ??
Daddy Dok-tor ?!?!

monday:
early wakeup
no breakfast
sit in traffic
listen to talk radio
have ~74 ladies come in and poke me and think that using a sweet voice is going to sway my heart (well, it worked a bit)
another swig of the HAPPY JUICE !!
30 minutes of waiting, where I turn 1st into a happy drunk, then into a slobbering drunk, falling all over Daddy and mumbling "I love you, man"
then off with a stranger who kept telling me "It's going to be just fine", EXCEPT that it is NOT FINE !!!
i wake up
with strangers
another hole in my head
with a straw sticking out of my jaw-bone
and no Eliza
... "I WANT MOMMY!"
daddy showed up a bit later, which was acceptable (not ideal, but acceptable), and i fell asleep

--- 4 hour interlude, with a move to my old stomping ground, the one-hundred wing ---

some infectious dok-tor pokes me in the head until i finally wake up
small moans
larger complaining mumbles
tears uncontrollable
"I need to go Potty!!!"

(32 oz. lighter) Daddy and I give thanks before I partook in a feast of applesauce, refried beans and grilled cheese sandwich. topped off with a gatorade thirst aid.

(30 min. later) I return thanks all over my covers. "I Spilled!" Back to where I started earlierL hungry.

catch the first half of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with dad,
slip off to sleep

--- 8 hour interlude, with me peeing all over the bed twice (you might as well skip the pull-ups ---

wake up at 4 am
tired of sleeping
having been asleep 27 of the previous 32 hours

infectious disease dok-tor decides i've got to stay another day
(you really should get travel insurance, to take care of these unplanned vacations)
play
watch TV
pee
play
pee
eat
pee ("I poop Daddy")
watch TV
pee
play
pee ("I poop Daddy")

Mom comes by for a few hours.
I give her a hard time because she isn't as cool as Dad
She responds by making me go to bed

Year in Review - 2008

2009-01-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

January: Hanging out in the crib.

February: I take a nap in the back of the van, no seatbelts in sight, and then get dumped in the lap of two whities. Sorry, that is insensitive. Strike that last comment. Then, off for a two-week jaunt through the motherland, constantly cold (I only had 3 layers on instead of the time-honored tradition of 4). Mostly good, except for a tomato incidence (don't ask).

March: First Day of the Rest of My Life
Arrive in another orphanage after a long flight with lots of sleep. 3 other kids, all girls. one keeps hugging me, the other doesn't notice me, and the 3rd pushes me around. I meet some older folks, who keep hugging me.

April-May: Get my bearings, meet more older folks, and try and avoid frustrating my parents, which is harder than it seems. Spend a lot of time getting sent to my room and standing against the wall until I stop crying. I don't remember why I was crying, but it seemed a recurring theme. First trip to the beach, which was a great experience. I got a tan, played in a cold hot tub, and sat in the sand for as long as mommy would allow. AND, while everyone else had to share a room with others, I got to sleep by myself in my very own CLOSET. The McKinney clan proves themselves a loving bunch. Still a bit put off that I didn't get a new pillow-case dress.

June-August: One-Two-Three-JUMP!!! The pool is COOL. There was a week or so that I got rather tired of bed-time obedience. I mean, c'mon, I've got my own room, light, toys, and I'm my own man. Well, that is, until the WE ARE MARSHALL night, where I started going to bed at 7:30 in my room, but ended up sleeping in the front foyer on the floor with no blanket and no pillow at 11:00. You know, after that night, I decided bedtime wasn't such a bad idea afterall.

September: Surgery #1 - Goldenhar Syndrome - Trick me, Drug me, Break my jaw, Clamp it back, Run a screw up the side of my face, and keep me tube-tied for three days. All so my smile straightens out a bit - ever heard of braces.

October: Surgery #2 - so the side of my face starts expanding, and keeps expanding, and I find myself on my back, sucking down the Happy Juice, and then I go blank. Then I find myself missing some teeth, with a red finger, and on my back for another couple of days the the Rite.
Somewhere around here, I decide its time to start learning a few words and communicating with what I believe they call "consonants". I get to come home in time for Trick-r-Trea, Candi Plea, which I do believe is the year's highlight.

November:

December: Lights! Look! Lights! More Presents! Presents Please! Lights! Ckismas Tree! I banked on the Grandparents - doubled the room loot.

I- I- I- I- I

2008-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

They tell me that one day when I'm around 12-13 that I'll discover new things about myself, changes that will both thrill me and provide reason to worry.

They didn't tell me about the change in me that happened somewhere between 7:30am and 9:30am on Tuesday, when I

started to stutter on the word 'I' (takes about 4-6 tries to get to the next word),
jump up and down a lot,
lose all sense of focus,
completely love talking with my mouth full, and
was suddenly interested in talking loudly to Mommy as often as possible

I hear my mom talking in hushed tones, comparing me to my three roommates, throwing around words like "boy" and "girl"... I'm not sure what that means, though. As long as Eliza and I get to share the Princess stuff, I'm good.

again

2008-10-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mommy kept poking at me on Monday. Said something about my face. Everybody seems so interested in my face these days. Daddy said to stop worrying, which of course I wasn't anyway. I think he may have been talking to Mommy.

Then Tuesday me and Eliza went on a fun ride with Mommy. Things were great until Doctor showed up again. Typically he just laughs a lot and gives me stickers, but this time he stuck a needle in my jaw and withdrew a lot of white smelly stuff. Didn't even ask first. He's not getting my co-pay.

Out comes the Happy Juice again. It's a love-hate thing. The stuff is 'real', you know. I feel alive. But then I end up in a bed with tubes and wires and a Vacancy sign on the left side of my mouth. I love the Juice, but I've got to kick this habit or I'm going to go missing.

There's always the upside. Cute nurses bringing me stuff and talking about me like I'm not in the room. Room service, plenty of Thomas the Train and Pudding.

The next time Mommy starts poking at my face again, I'm going to hide in the closet.... unless she promises the Juice.

hoodwinked

2008-09-29T13:18:00.001-07:00

so
dad and i have had these road trips over the past two months
me in the back of daddy's car
getting to walk around these big buildings, being held and prodded by pretty ladies, and ending the day with stickers
the best part: Eliza doesn't get a bit of it.

today started like all other days,
except this time Mommy came, and she brought a big book
and they gave me a shotglass of Happy Juice, which, I've got to tell you, is well worth the price of admission.
looking back at it now, I can hardly believe the things I was saying... almost drooling on myself; I can't quite put my finger on what was so funny now.

then a few ladies covered in blue papercloth wheeled me away. at the time, I had no reason not to trust my parents, and everything seemed so funny.

coming out on the other side, I can tell you one thing loud and clear: this has NOT been a funny day.
hoodwinked.
set up.
tricked.
shanghai'd (hey, that's not politically correct).
it hurts, and my stomach is achy, and i've got some metal thing coming out of my ear.
i've got a bunch of tubes attached to my ankle,
and i've got a red toe.

NO MORE car rides alone. i know now not to go anywhere without Emily, Louise and Eliza.

chalk up some points for consistency

2008-09-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

it's what makes a man a man
knowing that no matter the circumstances
no matter the schedule
the location
the humidity
the Braves win-loss record
we men hold true to our commitments
our standards of action
we poop when it counts

set your watch by it
give me my 15-minute window (07:00 - 07:15)
and I'll give you a goose-egg'd diaper every time.

root, root-root for the home country

2008-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

210 medals
we dominated table tennis & women's doubles tennis, synchronized diving & non-synchronized diving, women's gymnastics with those using original birth certificates & women's gymnastics with those using revised birth certificates, women's weightlifting & men's swimming...

it's a good day to be a chinese american

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
USA	36	38	36	110
CHN	51	21	28	100

Yes, it's true.

2008-07-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

We are excited that Garrett has started to do, um, number 2, in the potty on a semi-regular basis. Not nearly regular enough, mind you, but enough to know that there is progress. We get so excited when he does it, I think he enjoys that. Now HE gets excited when he does it.

Excited enough to watch.

As in, he is flexible enough to pull his legs up towards his head to watch the show.

"Mommy! Poop! Poop!"

I look away... "Um, that's great, Garrett! Let me know when you're done..."

"Mommy! Poop! Poop!"

I'm glad he gets some enjoyment out of potty training.

Hugs

2008-07-17T07:45:00.001-07:00

After Alan's last post about God nudging G. over the potty line, he has almost continually been dry. (Garrett, not Alan. I mean, Alan IS dry, but I'm not talking about Alan.) I am happy to have one less bottom to wipe, and the sight of size 2/3 tighty-whiteys is pretty fun too. It's tacky to put a picture of G. with his TWs on (and possibly bordering on illegal), so I'll post a picture of him being tackled/hugged by his sister instead. You can really see the "Queen/Lackey" relationship coming through in this photo.

3-4-9-Go!

2008-07-06T08:44:00.001-07:00

Garrett has proven to be pretty tuff about things some of other children have struggled with. He hardly makes a sound when he falls, doesn't even notice splinters, even likes it when we spray his 'peed-on' self with cold hose water.

But in his first pool-month, he has really taken to the water, and doesn't get all bent out of shape about water in his eyes or floating on small objects, or even jumping in without floats when you're not looking (we had to give him the 'Wait-3-Seconds' lesson so he would taper this habit). Maggie and I are very impressed with his bravado and humor and enjoyment of the pool.

For those of you who pray, please put the "Dear Lord, if You could nudge Garrett over the Potty-Training line, we would appreciate it" prayer in your repertoire.

G-Man's Launch - July 4th, 2008

2008-07-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

another birthday not noticed

2008-06-07T07:39:00.001-07:00

We must admit on the parent end here that we allowed Garrett to not really notice his birthday. It will be another year or two before he realizes the world revolves around June 5th, and with Louise's birthday, traveling to Florida twice in the previous three weeks, generally being tired in the parenting role, and (as previously mentioned) Garrett not having a clue, we settled in for a minor, throw a few presents his way and give him an extra hug, birthday celebration.

I dare say he has celebrated three unheralded birthdays.
I wouldn't be surprised if we go all out next year
and take him to Dave & Busters or Atlantic City.

He's a sweet kid. Doesn't cause much trouble, excepting in the "I like to obey as slowly as absolutely possible" issue that is common in his species (homo tantrumus). I'm thinking we've been home about 3 months, and all things considered, it probably couldn't have gone much better. It would have been helpful is mommy #2 (yours truly) showed a bit more grace and patience. In the 'now', I get frustrated at the things he gets frustrated at in a "c'mon, quit whining over something so trivial". But on the other hand, two months ago I was frustrated with a lot more than that... so I would like to hope that this family is learning to live together.

Little color commentary for those not in the house as I write this: in the 6-7 minutes it actually took to type this up, you need to add Eliza coming and complaining that Garrett took her "house", which actually meant "horse", which is actually Louise's horse in her room, which they two-terrible-two's aren't supposed to be in alone. One round of trouble. Then we stopped to clean up what only parents of young children can understand as a mess for about an hour, then Eliza dumped out the just-filled-up trash can full of little pieces of propagating junk, denied it completely, and then ran off to take Garrett's something-or-other. He's yelling at her at the moment.

Well, Happy Birthday Garrett. Enjoy the 31 cars you got;)

new people to hold me

2008-05-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have met two more sets of older, white-haired, easy-going people this past month. There's a Grandpa and Grandma Belle (both makers of excellent breakfast with very few tomatoes), who live in a small place that overlooks the beach. ("Wa-tuh!! Wa-tuh!!") And then there is Grandma and Boo, who live in a place with lots of plants and a long driveway to ride my bike on as long as Eliza hasn't snatched it. All folks are very nice and are quick to pick me up and give me stuff, and are not as pushy about what I eat as Mommy and Daddy are.

My Diary, Day 67

2008-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

You won't believe what they have here... my Mom loves these things... she drives the car up to a little board, hollers out the window, then drives the car up to a window, where a person leans out and hands her food!! When we first got here, we went a LOT- to a place with a red chicken on the sign- and I was getting some good stuff there. Lately, though, she only gets stuff for her even though I say "hey, Mommy! Eat! Eat!" so she will give me something.

We haven't gone to the red chicken place in a while, but she still goes to this one place A LOT... the sign has green letters and a lady with a tail like a mermaid... kind of lame, I never get anything there....

My Diary, Day 50

2008-04-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Not exactly sure when these folks are going to learn to speak Yangzhou Dialect. Somedays... I feel like I'm not getting anywhere with them. I've had to resort to picking up some pieces of their arcane form of communication. The short one helps the most... she has taught me "No", "I do it", "Iwannnnt Mowre". Mommy #1 keeps trying with "Pleezzah", which I believe means "give it to me now", and I'm required to say at least 2-3 times before they comply. She's a complete Milk-freak... why cannot I exercise my newly found Constitutional right as a new citizen of the U.S.A. to pass on the stuff. It's not like the cow volunteered for the duty - I am trying to stand up for the rights of our bovine friends and say "No!" (thanks, short one) to the white stuff.

mowre later, ghgb

My Diary, Day 30 (A Haiku)

2008-04-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

While no Chinese food has been
inserted in me
these 30 days home,
it somehow keeps coming out of me.

A Great Mystery.

My Diary, Day 29

2008-04-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dear friends back home,
Living here is pretty good. There are several mommies walking around, but there is one that seems to be in charge. Also, there is one who insists I call her "daddy" for some reason. There are 3 smaller people with yellow hair, they live here, too. They are loud and wear pink a lot. There are lots of good toys- cars, trains, plastic things- and a lot of dumb ones, too- dolls, dresses, pink things. But all in all it's not too bad. Every so often they don't do what I say, and that can be a pain. And they make me put my own shoes on!! Imagine!!

The food is different from home. No porridge, no congee, and no dumplings. But I like the cereal, and the bananas. And they have this brown stuff that gets put on bread with this red fruity stuff, and they seem to eat that a lot.... it's pretty good.

The most fun is when these two older people come- a redhead and a guy with white hair. Boy, are THEY easy. All I need to do is throw them a few smiles and giggles, and they smile and laugh and grin like I just solved a physics equation. Then they play with me and feed me good stuff (nothing green!) until the other two mommies come back.

So, guys, I hope things go well there for you. I think I've got this place under control. Except the one mommy keeps talking about the "potty"... what is that about???
HG

Certified Lead Free

2008-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Unlike many things exported from China, we have found that Garrett is certified Lead Free. He's free of all the other random things they check for in your blood, which of course is a blessing.

You might also mention that he is free of muscle tone, free to almost comprehend what you are trying to communicate (I notice that he understands things he likes a lot more than things he's not interested in hearing... one must wonder). He's free to lie in bed for 45+ minutes each night, not really babbling too loud or causing problems, but just slowly passing into sleep. He's free to get very excited and do what can best be described as the 2-year-old jig. And most importantly, he's free to call me "Momma" no matter how many times I correct him.

God bless America - aeb

The Funniest Thing We Heard in China:

2008-03-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

This quote came to us from a sweet and brave family we met from Iowa. They traveled to China with their 3 biological sons and 3 year old Chinese daughter to adopt a 20 month old Chinese boy. The mom was telling me that the first couple of days, their daughter didn't like her new little brother. "Let's trade him for another one"... she said, and then (here's the kicker): "I don't like Chinese babies." !!!!

Home Again

2008-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

We have been home for nearly 2 days now. The flight was very long, but our boy was so good it was almost like he wasn't there! Since we've been here, he has done great. He is getting on well with his sisters, and he LOVES the amount of toys compiled here. He has played trains, Legos, tea sets, cars, anything plastic and colored. He sleeps well, loves PBJ sandwiches, and wants to brush his teeth and his hair constantly.
He IS a normal 2 year old... he disobeys, pitches fits, gets punished, doesn't like to share, doesn't like it when other people don't share, makes messes, and gets into everything he's not supposed to touch.

BUT, things have gone as well as they possibly can. Praise God!!
mb

Error in Judgement

2008-03-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

14 nights in 4-5 star hotels...

3 major cities...

daily doses of Chinese food...

no windows or fans in the hotel bathrooms.

Lovin' Guangzhou

2008-03-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

Those of you that are informed on the China adoption trip (or have done it already) know this, but Guangzhou is the last stop before home because it is where the US Consulate is located. Most CCAI families stay at the White Swan Hotel. What I didn't know is that the WS is located on Shamian Island, a small piece of land in the middle of the Pearl River. The buildings here are French or British Colonial, the streets are shady, there are no cars, and there are shops everywhere. It is really lovely. The place where we eat breakfast overlooks the river and the bank of buildings on the other side. This place is great! The hotel is so nice we almost feel spoiled; we are sharing space with diplomats. We even have a floor attendant who pushes the elevator button for us!! Oh, and the best is that there are tons of Americans with their Chinese kids walking around. It's nice to have people to chat with. There is even a brave family from Iowa with their 3 biological boys, 3 yo Chinese daughter, and new 20 month old Chinese son.

Definitely a Bowling- Part II
Some of you are going to think this a bit stern, but this morning we hit a stubborn bone in little Garrett. As much of a character as he has been, he has been very easygoing and mostly obedient. But this morning he flatly refused to eat part of his breakfast. And by refused, I mean he held it in his mouth under his tongue. No spitting out, but no swallowing either. Our Chinese guide told him repeatedly he should swallow it so he could eat more food, but he just smiled at her. This went on for over 4 HOURS. We went on a tour this morning and everything- still food under the tongue. We went to lunch at a YUMMY Thai restaurant on Shamian Island, and Alan (very stern as you all know) refused to feed Garrett lunch until he swallowed his food. Garrett sat stoically in the high chair the whole time. He didn't fully comprehend that we weren't bluffing until I took him out of the high chair and packed him into the stroller, at which point he wailed all the way back to the hotel (okay, a 4 minute walk... but still....). Finally, back in the room, he swallowed his breakfast and recieved some crackers. He could have had Pad Thai!!!
Let this be a lesson to you all... when eating dinner at our house, be sure you swallow your food or you don't get dessert!!

Internet access is pricey here, so this might be our last post before we leave. We leave the hotel at 6am Wednesday, will return to ATL at 6:20pm Wednesday night.

Goodbye, Nanjing!!

2008-02-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
All week we haven't been able to read your comments for some reason. But just now I was able to see them all. It's great to hear from you all! Keep commenting! We miss you guys!!

This morning we have a few hours free, and then at 2pm we leave for the airport. We fly out of Nanjing at 4:30 to Guangzhou, and the famous White Swan hotel. Almost finished!!

Yesterday we went to Sun Yat Sen's (I KNOW I didn't spell that right... I don't have my China Guide right here with me...) Mausoleum, which was high on a mountain, away from the buildings, bicycles, traffic, pollution, and spitting... well, there was still spitting.... but it was a beautiful sight, just what you'd think you would see in China. Garrett is very quiet when we leave the hotel; I don't think he likes the driving around and being shuffled from place to place. He is almost pouty whenever we are out. (hey, if he thinks he can out-pout the Bowling girls, he is sadly mistaken... Emily B. is the best pouter in the 'verse!!) But it was a nice day-trip, and we finished if off with lunch and some shopping. Min helped us bargain for 2 dozen bobble-head Chinese dolls.... you're all getting one!!

Garrett must be more comfortable with us, because he is showing signs of "testing". We believe he is actually a very mischevious young lad. He has now been punished by us several times. But he also shows he understands (um, all my fears about communication?? NO PROBLEM. That kid will pick up English very quickly) by walking around to all the forbidden parts of the room saying, "No! No!".

I'm off to our room to read, pack, clean up, and watch Garrett play. Will talk to you all from Guangzhou in a day or two!
mb

Unexpected Blessing

2008-02-27T03:24:00.000-08:00

Our guide here in Nanjing is named Min. Her husband is a police officer. When she told him last night that we would drive to Yangzhou (about 2hours away) today to visit the SWI, he insisted on calling his friend from YZ, who is also a police officer. As they chatted about this, the friend insisted on treating us all to lunch at a famous Yangzhou restaurant. Now, when Min was originally telling us this, I thought she said that the friend owned the restaurant, so I didn't think much about him wanting us to have lunch there. I also didn't know what to picture for a "famous" restaurant, having seen all kinds here in China. However, this place was beautiful; we were shown to a "VIP" room separate from the rest of the place; the table was beautifully set, complete with a lazy Susan so we could eat family style. And it was the best meal I'd had since arrivng here, maybe the best Chinese meal I've ever had. Min was the only bi-lingual one there (the police officer, his wife, and our van driver were there as well), but we all talked about China and America, and it was very pleasant. We offered politely to split the check, but the young (couldn't have been much older than us) man insisted that he would pay, "because we are friends". He said it was enough that we enjoyed our meal.
It was very kind and an unexpected blessing.

PS- I could spend another post on the driving part.... yikes!... and on how many layers Chinese mommies use in dressing thier children. I was warned of this by many people, so our son was wearing knit pants under his jeans, and a long sleeved Tshirt, flannel shirt, and heavy coat through lunch... however, the young wife still insisted to Min that "he was cold" because he didn't have four layers on....

Definitely a Bowling

2008-02-27T03:09:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

This morning we travelled to Garrett's orphanage; the Yangzhou Social Welfare Institute. We had been hesitant to go, not knowing whether or not it would be good for him, but our guide assured us that most kids do fine going back for an hour or so and saying goodbye. Our 3 days with him have been really fine. He has been mostly quiet, moreso around Alan. He can be grinning and giggly with me, and when Alan (or any other male) approaches, he immediately gets shy and quiet. We have been fine with this, knowing that eventually he'll come out of it.... and hey, we have 3 loud children, so 1 quiet one is not a bad thing.

So we go to the SWI today, and as soon as we walk into the toddler room, he is immediately running around, chattering in Chinese (what? he speaks???) smiling at his friends... if he was 16 he would be doing high-fives and saying, "whassup???". We came at the end of naptime, so as we stood there the nannies proceeded to get each child out of their beds, add one MORE layer to the three each child is already wearing, so that some of them were the living embodiment of the younger brother in A Christmas Story ("I can't put my arms down!!").
So our sweet, quiet son starts digging his new toys out of his little bag and showing them to his friends... HIS friends... if another kid tried to get in on it, he would turn around and pop them!!! And if another child tried to get a hug from Alan or me, or show us any attention at all, he would also pop them or drag them away from us. (big talk, defending Alan from other children, when he will barely give Alan the time of day!) But the best was snack-and-potty time... the nannies pulled out a bench and lined all the kids up (including ours) against the wall and handed out a snack and a drink. Then the nannies pulled out a stack of plastic potty seats from a closet, hauled each child up on their laps, yanked their cloth diaper out of their split pants (don't know what those are? kind of like chaps.... which is funny that they put 4 layers of clothes on, but since they're all split pants their legs are exposed down to their knees...) and plunked them all down on the potty. Now, Garrett was wearing his swanky Target jeans and a disposable diaper, so he wasn't included in this ritual.... but you could tell that he was well-informed on the process, because he was walking around to each child, directing them on how to place their legs for optimal potty-ing. (a sidenote: as we lauged about this, our guide was talking about the potty-seats... however, in her Chinese accent it sounded like "party-seats"... Party Seats... WOO HOO!!) But back to Garrett micro-managing his friends... he literally walked around to each child and pointed at their feet so they would move them backwards, and if they didn't comply he applied to the nannies for backup. Alan asked the nanny (through our guide) "does he do this all the time??" and she replied: "All the time." And Alan said softly, "don't fear, kids... we're taking him away... he'll never manage your potty time again."

We were amazed at his TRUE personality, and glad we went to the SWI today so we could see it in action. He's loud, bossy, micro-managing, and a bit of a ring-leader for trouble... what can we say? He's a Bowling after all!
mb

There was a sweet side-note to this day, I will post it separately.

This will be a funny post.

2008-02-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I know that Alan has posted some good serious posts with updates about life with our new boy. It is fine so far; he is a good boy in general, but like any 2 year old, is not afraid to pout and fuss when he is unsatisfied.
Some things we've noticed about China:

"If there is room for 5".... Chinese people are not afraid to move in on one's personal space. In our hotel in Hong Kong, where we stayed on the 11th floor, we had countless opportunities to shove with many people in the elevator... if there is room for 5 more, don't doubt that 10 more will get on, without hesitation, and bring their suitcases as well. My last ride down before we checked out, we stopped on every floor and picked up 2 people at least; and I thought it was full when I got on!!

"No more 5 second rule..." We were told ahead of time that it is culturally allowed, if not downright savvy, to spit on the sidewalk, nay, to clean out one's nose on the sidewalk if need be. We were prepared for that and have taken it in stride. (sidenote: in Hong Kong there is a strict 'no spitting' policy, complete with cartoon pictures posted everywhere depicting what is NOT allowed) However, last night, while eating at the hotel's restaurant, we noticed a man at the next table decide to clean out his nose ON THE CARPET, without hesitation. Alan looked at me and said "No more 5 second rule!!"

"2 or 1?".... I think because we are Westerners, and many Westerners are overweight, the Chinese expect us to eat a lot. Our first night in Nanjing (there is a side story here that is too long to tell, and MUCH funnier in person, so ask when we get home about the "Hibachi Restaurant Debacle") we were eating at a Japanese noodle bowl restaurant, and the young waitress (17 or younger) kept on standing there as we pointed out what we wanted, and asking "1 or 2?", like we should be ordering more food. And note, from the post above, that when the waitresses stand and await your order, they stand VERY close to you and look over your shoulder, as if to make suggestions of how much you should be eating. Ahh, that poor girl... we were sure that when we walked in they argued about who had to wait on the Caucasian couple. "you do it"..."no, you do it..."

Baked Bean Count: 4 (mornings I have seen baked beans offered on the breakfast buffet)

Decorative Posters: The hotel's main restaurant here is called Humphreys, an homage to Golden Age American film. There are posters of Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, and of course, Humphrey Bogart. The two that stand out: one is a cartoon of a man holding a frosty mug and reads, "Beer: helping ugly people have s%% since 1862". Another gem.... a nude picture of an extremely overweight woman... decoratively placed next to the table for your eating enjoyment.

If you're interested, when I get home, ask about the Marco Polo tour, the British Redneck, and the Chinese PBS channel. All are too long to post.
Love to all
mb

ugly is as ugly does

2008-02-25T20:38:00.001-08:00

God's word to me while on an exercise bike yesterday (maybe if I exercised more, he would speak to me more).
Garrett's ear is a bit odd. That is not politically correct, but it is true, and everyone who first meets him will think the same. There's 6+billion people in the world, and there's not that many who are missing their left ear. So, as a parent, you worry about him, you hope for him, that his life would never be defined or limited by such a thing...
In 1st Samuel (I believe), God teaches us that while Man looks at appearances, God looks at the heart. And God very clearly reminded me yesterday that while Garrett's ear may render him 'ugly' in Man's eyes, I have been and done things so much uglier, and so much more base, and yet God so carefully and gracefully loves me. It doesn't matter our looks, but our heart.
I pray over my kids as they sleep at night... standing over their beds. And while it is so natural to pray for their safety, their health, etc., I pray for their hearts, that they serve, and love and forgive, and give of themselves to God and this needing world. Garrett may forever be marred by some random pregnancy issue that caused his lame ear, but that issue directly led to him being given by God to us to care and love and raise him... and who knows where that will lead.
In this fashion, we ought to praise God for the strange ways He works in this world, and know that while Garrett's ear caused Man to shun him, God was and is and will be molding his heart. aeb

5 Second Rule... not so much

2008-02-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

I know I'm supposed to be journaling about our great new son, but life is a bit too humorous at the moment.
We ate dinner in the Chinese restaurant here at the 5-star hotel. Nice place... good food. Only one small issue: the gentleman next to us kept spitting and cleaning out his nose on the carpet. Maggie's response: "It would be different if it was outside." I knew I married her for a reason.
Anyway...
Hao Ge is almost asleep. He has officially won the award for the quietest day for any Bowling child. He was responsive and kept himself entertained, but just so blasted quiet... it was almost unreal.
All things considered, it has been about as easy a day as you could ask. He has shown minor withdrawal, but really not that much, all things considered (wait, I just said that). I almost wish we could head home now and begin real life... but all in God's time.
Whichever one of you has my kids, tell them I love them and miss them a lot.
aeb

T minus 30 minutes

2008-02-24T17:06:00.001-08:00

We're about to make like a tree and head out of here... going to meet Garrett and start the first day of the rest of our lives.
M & I have decided that humor and grins makes the culture shock a bit easier. I'll let her share later.
Thanks for your love and prayers (I must be getting soft in my old age). aeb

Here in Hong Kong...

2008-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I'm posting from a fancy coffee shop in Hong Kong. We have arrived safely after a VERY long flight, but we are safe. A little tired, maybe. In order to keep myself from sleeping all day we are going to take a tour of the city in a little while. We are in a great hotel with a yummy breakfast bar! There was baked beans on the buffet, if you can believe that. Most people here speak English and all are very helpful. This is a beautiful, crowded, crazy city. To wake up surrounded by lush tropical mountains was a real pleasure.
Unfortunately we will only be here today. We are leaving our hotel at 8:30am tomorrow to go back to the HK airport to fly to Nanjing. I will post again when we get there.
Maggie

Almost Ready

2008-02-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

February 19, 2008

It is Tuesday morning, and I should be packing. Two days from now we'll be standing in line at the airport. I am cautiously excited- that's the best way to put it. I am excited, but I am worried deep down that he will have a hard time adjusting. And it's also like my parenting skills have disappeared, which is funny, because I DO have 3 kids downstairs watching "The Sound of Music". But I'm thinking, "what will he eat?" "how can I get him to sleep?" "what will we do with him all those hours in the hotel in Nanjing?".... I know that these questions will present answers in due time, but I have to have SOMETHING to worry about.
I know that we are walking a path that God has emphatically laid out for us, and while that doesn't promise smooth sailing, I do have the comfort of knowing that I am being obedient. He will take care of us like he always does.

My next post will probably be from Hong Kong!!

Final Travel Packet

2008-02-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

February 12, 2008

Just 9 days to go! I am watching the 20-ish pages of my Final Travel Packet print out here next to me. This is the last thing to do except wait and pack! Our Travel person at our agency emailed this morning and said the YMCA in Hong Kong (where we had chosen to stay our first 2 nights) went up in price to $115 a night- for the YMCA!!! And breakfast is NOT included- in fact, it's $18 PER PERSON!! What do they eat for breakfast in Hong Kong??? So we switched to some other fancy hotel where breakfast is included.... I do love a good breakfast bar. Who knows if I'll like it in Hong Kong. I tried a salad bar once in Moscow and was treated to cabbage strips and Russian dressing... for about $8 a plate.
It has been a slow week, considering we only had 3 weeks to wait after we got our Travel Approval. Once we bought plane tickets and arranged for someone to watch our kids, there is nothing much left to do but hurry up and wait. I'll admit... I have a suitcase out already with some of Garrett's new clothes in it... Alan laughed at that.

I'm packing about a dozen books to read- hey, 14+ hours is a long time on a plane.
Oooh, my packet is finished printing. Time to read it all!

February 1, 2008

2008-02-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

My 32nd birthday. I had hoped to have all children born at 30, but since Garrett Hao Ge Bowling is already 2+, I am still on track.

Last night Alan and I made the big leap and bought our plane tickets. It was a long process to find just the right fit. The prices were all similar, but we had to find longer layovers, nicer layover cities, had to leave Hong Kong late enough, arrive in Atlanta early enough... as it is, we are leaving February 21st at 9:52am on Continental- don't know that I've ever flown Continental, being more of a Delta girl myself. The longest flight I've been on was when I went to Russia 10 years ago, so this 16+hour business from Newark to Hong Kong is going to be difficult. Despite the fact that the "mom of 3 kids at home"side of me will be thrilled at the quiet, the ability to read, watch movies, not smell diapers... that novelty will wear off about 4 hours in, and that's only 1/3 of the way.

Anyway, we're supposed to be home on Wednesday, March 5. It's daunting. It's still not exactly real.