This week driving Li Li to daycare the light and the air reminded me of sunlit mornings in Beijing. Here’s a little haiku in honor of those Beijing winter mornings.

Slanting winter sun
casts long shadows, morning dust
turning air sepia

Although we only skimmed the surface of the city and were never part of the rhythms of living in the city, I wonder about the Hutongs we walked through and how many of them are still there? Walking through the hutongs provided a glimpse of the rhythms even if we weren’t part of them and even during our short stay we saw active open stores demolished overnight. How long before all the shops and courtyard homes we saw are removed in the name of progress for a condo project or apartment building with rents 6 times what they are paying now? Even at 3 in the morning the hutongs were alive with people eating in little noodle shops and small stores but the new big buildings and city blocks right next door to the hutong were cold, lifeless and a little scary.

I wonder about the immigrants to the city. How are they doing now that the Olympics is over and the economy is cratering?

Just questions without answers but if you take the long view as any student of chinese history must, you’ll know that whatever happens will be interesting to watch and probably a little scary as well. -t

It’s been almost two years now. Hard to believe that our little girl who bounces and climbs everywhere couldn’t even sit up by herself 2 years ago. It’s been an amazing two years and we’ve all learned so much. Li Li’s personality manifests itself more visibly every day, whether it’s her sheer joy in using the word no – both in volume and repetition; or her carrying around one of her Pandas and letting us know the Panda is crying.

She’s always been a puzzle girl and the complexity of the puzzles she’s doing and the speed at which she does them amaze me. Watching her do a puzzle in minutes that only weeks earlier completely flumooxed her is so much fun. The confidence with which she picks up a piece and quickly slots it into the proper spot really takes your breath away and makes you want to pick her up and hug her.

She is such a social butterfly and rarely fails to charm every adult and most children wherever she is. For those of you who knows us, you know how different this is from her parents. We recently had dinner at a friends house and there were 5 teenagers, four of them teenage adoptees, in addition to 2 pre-school age adoptee girls. Watching Li Li charm these teenagers was amazing. She had them all eating out of her hand which is slightly scary to behold.

We will post new photos soon.

Ciao, Thom

LiLi and I go to playgroup most Tuesdays and we really enjoy hanging out with our friends. We have some very varied activities – including going to each others houses, a playground, the zoo, or apple picking. Here are some pictures from recent playgroups.

Apple Picking September

Zoo October

LiLi and I finally went to Chicago to visit our friends and meet people she had not had the chance to meet yet. We went out for Aunt Anne and Anna P’s birthday party on the boat. LiLi talked about nothing for a week but going on a boat. Unfortunately, it ended up being the weekend in which Chicago had the most rain in 24 hours ever. So LiLi never got to go on the sailboat but she seemed to forget about the boat in the midst of so much partying. She was so tired after the weekend that when she finally fell asleep on the flight home she mananged to stay asleep being transfered on the plane from her car seat to the airplane seats then being carried off the plane and placed in her stroller then being transferred back to her car seat once I got it into the car and then being changed into her pajamas and then into bed. She did not wake that whole time. We can usually transfer her at night into bed from the car but this was truly amazing. So despite the rain we had a wonderful time. Everytime LiLi now sees a plane now and you ask her where it is going she answers “Chicago.”

Playing with Ruthie. LiLi and Ruthie had a good time playing with these strainers. Two year olds can find amusement with the most unusual things.

Here LiLi, Carol and Ruthie playing “Ring around the Rosie(sp)”. Ever since this day, I will hear LiLi suddenly singing the song although her favorite song these days seems to be “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” which appears to have no end when she sings it.

Getting her hair done. Aunt Anne is very good at french braiding hair and LiLi looked absolutely adorable. What I cannot figure out is why she will sit so still for other people when they do her hair but continually moves her head when I attempt it.

Steve, Ani and LiLi at the birthday party