Hello from the Meyer Family!
Saturday we passed the seven week mark and things continue to get a bit easier each week. I am delighted that February starts tomorrow and we pass little milestones as the days pass.
On Saturday we called a coworker of Mike's who teaches Chinese at St. Xavier. She has agreed to talk to Marie Ling when we call and it has been a godsend. This week I asked Jade to talk to her about wearing her eye patch. Each day we add a minute to how long she wears the patch and I was anxious for Jade to explain how we are trying to strengthen her weak eye. Marie Ling does not like wearing the patch because it really disrrupts her ability to see, but she is usually at least tolerant.
I also asked Jade to talk with ML about the difference between an "indoor voice" and an "outdoor voice". So often she is so loud! Coming from one full fledged extrovert with a well developed teacher voice that says a lot! I guess in the orphanage one had to be loud to be heard. Jade said ML understood the request; Mike and I realize this one will be a learning process, not an event.
On Thursday, Marie Ling went with her class across the street to the public library. ML was very excited and came home with a Barbie book written at about a third or fourth grade level. I knew that the idea of borrowing was likely to be a challenge. Sure enough that night ML came to me with a card she had made and the book and said "For Magda...Birthday!" It is indeed sweet that she wants to give her new sister something nice for her birthday, yet this was another topic for Jade to discuss with our little one. Jade tried to explain how we can go often and borrow several books and ....we take the books back so other boys and girls can read them! I think she got it. We'll see how it goes when her class goes to the school library this week for the second time. The fact that we have shelves of books around the house must complicate the situation for a little one trying to understand this crazy new culture. ML is still not willing to sit and be read to...I hope that comes soon, so we can help her learn vocabulary and how words fit together.
Jade said two things are consistent when she speaks to ML. One is that she is full of questions and the other is that no matter what Jade says or how she says it ML says "No" when asked if she understands or agrees. I think her name should be Contrary Mary! The questions Jade shared with me included: Why do we have different shoes for inside and for outside? (I guess she has never had slippers before). Why do Matthias, Magda and Marie Ling have rooms of their own and Daddy and Mommy sleep together? I told Jade that we would have to talk to her about that one at a later time! She also asked why Mommy parks her car in the garage and Daddy parks his outside? She is observant...too many bikes and too much "personal inventory" in the garage to get two cars in at this point.
Tonight ML and Magda put on a dance recital for Mike and me. I videotaped their little show which included a lot more movement from the yonger than the older one; nonetheless, it is so good to see when they are playing together and some movement is better than none for dear Magda. Marie Ling would dance and dance...everyday! She loves it.
Enough for tonight. I need to get some shuteye in case the predicted ice and freezing rain do not come tomorrow morning as predicted.
Michelle and the rest of the M Family.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Six Weeks!
Hello from Loveland and Happy Snow Days! Week six has been a crazy week, not one that has helped to strengthen routine and the regular school schedule. Monday was Martin Luther King Day, so none of us had school. Tuesday Mike took Marie Ling to the ophthmalogist, so she did not get to school until late. Then none of us had school Thursday because of snow, snow and more snow. We thought we would have delays on Friday, but because it was in the single digits outside and there was black ice on the roads, again all of us had the day off. At bedtime on Thursday, Marie Ling told Mike, "Good day, Daddy. No school, play Trouble, play in the snow" and then she rattled off a litany of Daddy loves Mommy, Matthias, Magdalena, Marie Ling and the same for Mommy loves... Who cares about routine when you get comments like those.
The eye doctor gave some good news and some not so good news. She said the glasses ML got before Christmas are exactly the presciption she would have given! Sadly, even with the glasses her vision in her left eye is 20/100! The doctor is not sure if surgery will give her the ability to use her two eyes together since the muscles around the eye are so weak. She recommended using a patch for the next three months and coming back to see if ML has any more control over the eye. Her recommendation was to start with one minute a day and increase one minute each day. That is really slow,yet she says with all the transition ML is already going through we do not want to get her overwhelmed or frustrated by the process. We need to get a mandarin speaker to explain to her why we are using the patch and how her cooperation will help. Right now ML does not even want to wear her glasses because they do not stay up on her nose. The presecription is correct, but the bridge of her nose is so flat we have ordered new frames that have movable nose pieces instead of fixed ones. One step at a time...
Since we have all been home a lot the last few days I started a list of words that ML has spoken and/or uses regularly. I was curious as to how her English is progressing. I was delighted that we easily came up with over 200 words! Most of her words surround every day activities, colors, numbers, food, names, bodily functions and school. We are making progress!
Each week gets a little easier. For me, Marie Ling is feeling more like a member of the family and less like a needy visitor. She is now sleeping through the night most nights and she entertains herself at times playing with Barbies or cutting and pasting as she makes pictures or cards. She must be feeling more and more that she belongs with us - Thank God for that. Keep those prayers coming and I will write again soon.
Michelle
The eye doctor gave some good news and some not so good news. She said the glasses ML got before Christmas are exactly the presciption she would have given! Sadly, even with the glasses her vision in her left eye is 20/100! The doctor is not sure if surgery will give her the ability to use her two eyes together since the muscles around the eye are so weak. She recommended using a patch for the next three months and coming back to see if ML has any more control over the eye. Her recommendation was to start with one minute a day and increase one minute each day. That is really slow,yet she says with all the transition ML is already going through we do not want to get her overwhelmed or frustrated by the process. We need to get a mandarin speaker to explain to her why we are using the patch and how her cooperation will help. Right now ML does not even want to wear her glasses because they do not stay up on her nose. The presecription is correct, but the bridge of her nose is so flat we have ordered new frames that have movable nose pieces instead of fixed ones. One step at a time...
Since we have all been home a lot the last few days I started a list of words that ML has spoken and/or uses regularly. I was curious as to how her English is progressing. I was delighted that we easily came up with over 200 words! Most of her words surround every day activities, colors, numbers, food, names, bodily functions and school. We are making progress!
Each week gets a little easier. For me, Marie Ling is feeling more like a member of the family and less like a needy visitor. She is now sleeping through the night most nights and she entertains herself at times playing with Barbies or cutting and pasting as she makes pictures or cards. She must be feeling more and more that she belongs with us - Thank God for that. Keep those prayers coming and I will write again soon.
Michelle
Monday, January 17, 2011
Five Weeks!
We have now passed the five week mark since Marie Ling came home. Her English is definitely improving. We still have a long way to go since we started at zero, but she is trying new sounds and new words all the time. Tonight at dinner she noticed that Mike, Matthias and I were finished with our soup and she said, Daddy, Mommy, Matthias wait for Magda, Marie Ling." I was delighted for I had never heard her said "wait for". Usually she is not known for anything to do with patience!
A big adventure this week was Marie Ling's first visit to a dentist. Fortunately, we were able to arrange for a mandarin speaker to go with us. Still she was still somewhat frightened and tried to cover it by being a goofball. When the dentist approached her mouth she told the translator that he was going to cut out all of her teeth to make her like an old lady! Eventually though, the dentist was able to do a brief cleaning and was able to check the spot I feared was a cavity; it was not. It was a stain and he was able to clear it. For now, her teeth seem healthy and straight.
Marie Ling seems to have settled into a school routine. Of course, routine would be easier without snow days and teacher in service days. She seems pleased to go to school and thus far feedback from school has been positive. I am hoping that continues.
Today we went for her first American hair cut. When I met her her hair was cut very closely around her ears. The stylist tried to even out the sides a bit, so it can all eventually be the same length. Now she has shorter bangs and more of a blunt cut. Marie Ling squirmed a bit when the stylist got close to her ears, but overall did quite well. I think it helped that Magda, Matthias and Mike were also getting trims.
This week we brought up all of Magda's old Barbie stuff. ML was enthralled and entertained for a good while. Big sister had enough long before little sister. I have tried to steer television watching toward PBS that can help teach our girl language and thinking skills. She does enjoy "Arthur" and "Curious George". She could benefit from Seasame Street, but it does not hold her attention. Today on our day off we added the game Trouble to our entertainment options. I am anxious to get her in a dance or tumbling class to burn off some of her energy, yet we don't think she is quite ready for that as far as her social and language skills are concerned. One day at a time...
More again soon.
Michelle
A big adventure this week was Marie Ling's first visit to a dentist. Fortunately, we were able to arrange for a mandarin speaker to go with us. Still she was still somewhat frightened and tried to cover it by being a goofball. When the dentist approached her mouth she told the translator that he was going to cut out all of her teeth to make her like an old lady! Eventually though, the dentist was able to do a brief cleaning and was able to check the spot I feared was a cavity; it was not. It was a stain and he was able to clear it. For now, her teeth seem healthy and straight.
Marie Ling seems to have settled into a school routine. Of course, routine would be easier without snow days and teacher in service days. She seems pleased to go to school and thus far feedback from school has been positive. I am hoping that continues.
Today we went for her first American hair cut. When I met her her hair was cut very closely around her ears. The stylist tried to even out the sides a bit, so it can all eventually be the same length. Now she has shorter bangs and more of a blunt cut. Marie Ling squirmed a bit when the stylist got close to her ears, but overall did quite well. I think it helped that Magda, Matthias and Mike were also getting trims.
This week we brought up all of Magda's old Barbie stuff. ML was enthralled and entertained for a good while. Big sister had enough long before little sister. I have tried to steer television watching toward PBS that can help teach our girl language and thinking skills. She does enjoy "Arthur" and "Curious George". She could benefit from Seasame Street, but it does not hold her attention. Today on our day off we added the game Trouble to our entertainment options. I am anxious to get her in a dance or tumbling class to burn off some of her energy, yet we don't think she is quite ready for that as far as her social and language skills are concerned. One day at a time...
More again soon.
Michelle
Monday, January 10, 2011
Home for a month and School Days!
New Year's greetings from Loveland!
Tomorrow it will be a month since Mary, Marie Ling and I appeared tired and blurry eyed at the Northern Kentucky (Cincinnati) International Airport. What a wild ride this month has been! The good news is that we all started to or back to school last week. Marie Ling's life in X'ian was VERY structured, and the holidays were anything but structured. Starting school gave us all structure, time apart and a focus outside the house and we are all happier because of it! Monday - Wednesday Marie Ling went half days and Wednesday she rode the school bus for the first time. She loves both and went all day Thursday and Friday and rode the bus both directions! Thank you, God!! Her fist grade teacher is a sixteen year veteran of teaching primary grades and she has had two Mandarin speakers in her class in the past. The ESL (English as a Second Language) tutor meets with her once or twice a day and sometimes calls upon a forth grade Chinese student to assist her. Marie Ling's English is improving slowly yet steadily. I hear her trying new words almost daily. As we anticipated, her receptive English is better than her spoken English at this point.
We are all learning to get along. The two girls take turns being jealous of each other and the attention the other gets. At times, though, they get along great. This past weekend they spent a long time at the kitchen table cutting, pasting and drawing; Marie Ling was amazed by a set of 24 pairs of scissors that Magda has that cut different shapes and designs. They also love to dance and sing or even play princess. In the long run, it is developmentally appropriate for ML and fills in some missing experiences for Magda. Matthias is really stepping up to the plate in helping out. Today he started his daily duty of meeting Marie Ling's bus and giving the girls a snack when they all get home from school. This gives me or Mike a few extra minutes to get home at the end of the school day.
I am not sure how many people are still following this blog. If you are reading this and have a chance, shoot me an email at home or at school and let me know if you are still interested. I am happy to give occasional updates for a while longer if there is the interest.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Michelle (for the whole Meyer family!)
Tomorrow it will be a month since Mary, Marie Ling and I appeared tired and blurry eyed at the Northern Kentucky (Cincinnati) International Airport. What a wild ride this month has been! The good news is that we all started to or back to school last week. Marie Ling's life in X'ian was VERY structured, and the holidays were anything but structured. Starting school gave us all structure, time apart and a focus outside the house and we are all happier because of it! Monday - Wednesday Marie Ling went half days and Wednesday she rode the school bus for the first time. She loves both and went all day Thursday and Friday and rode the bus both directions! Thank you, God!! Her fist grade teacher is a sixteen year veteran of teaching primary grades and she has had two Mandarin speakers in her class in the past. The ESL (English as a Second Language) tutor meets with her once or twice a day and sometimes calls upon a forth grade Chinese student to assist her. Marie Ling's English is improving slowly yet steadily. I hear her trying new words almost daily. As we anticipated, her receptive English is better than her spoken English at this point.
We are all learning to get along. The two girls take turns being jealous of each other and the attention the other gets. At times, though, they get along great. This past weekend they spent a long time at the kitchen table cutting, pasting and drawing; Marie Ling was amazed by a set of 24 pairs of scissors that Magda has that cut different shapes and designs. They also love to dance and sing or even play princess. In the long run, it is developmentally appropriate for ML and fills in some missing experiences for Magda. Matthias is really stepping up to the plate in helping out. Today he started his daily duty of meeting Marie Ling's bus and giving the girls a snack when they all get home from school. This gives me or Mike a few extra minutes to get home at the end of the school day.
I am not sure how many people are still following this blog. If you are reading this and have a chance, shoot me an email at home or at school and let me know if you are still interested. I am happy to give occasional updates for a while longer if there is the interest.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Michelle (for the whole Meyer family!)
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