The Prince William County Fair

The Prince William County Fair is held within earshot of April's parents' home- or at least the demolition derby is in within earshot. Of the four of us, April is the only one who has been to a county fair, so this was a novel experience for Rob and the kids.

The most exciting aspect for Cosi was the petting zoo. Cosi wants to explore her world through touch, and some very gentle animals got to be a part of the Cosi experience. The funniest moment was probably when Cosi would squat down next to each goat, put her face up to theirs and say, "Hi!" This led to the second funniest moment, when Cosi bothered a goat while he was eating and he gave her a gentle head butt!



















Watch Cosi greet the goats and try to experience as much of the cow as possible...


Cosi tried a few rides. The carousel freaked her out. Thank goodness it was a short ride! She refused to try the horse and ended up on the sleds. Then, mid-ride, she desperately wanted on a horse. Of course her mama disregarded any 'no standing up' rules and obliged Cosi's request. The difficulty then was that Cosi got nervous and April couldn't figure out whether to hold her flailing daughter on the horse or pull her off....kids!?!


















The roller coaster, however, was a different story. She was excited before the ride, thrilled during the ride, and eager to try again after the ride. Cosi and April are in the very front of this one:


















Another ride that got a Cosi thumbs up was the high slide. Cosi and Rob are at the top:























And here they are, all smiles at the bottom:























The fun house slide, however, did not get quite the same reaction:


















In case you can't see Cosi's reaction clear enough:



















Trey, being too young to enjoy the finer aspects of the fair, instead kept himself entertained by gripping his toes, an activity that keeps him busy for disturbingly long periods of time:


















And of course, we made time for one of those great American culinary traditions- the deep-fried Twinkie, topped with strawberry sauce. We've heard these being ridiculed for years, so April had to finally try one. Verdict = tastes like strawberry shortcake, but not worth $3. Meanwhile, Rob was enjoying his first deep-fried Snickers. Verdict = ok, but you'd be surprised how long that snickers holds heat, don't burn your mouth! Mmmm...


















So what did we think of the fair? Well, it was tasty, fun, and very American. The petting zoo was the best part! And we enjoyed spending a few hours with Nana, Pawpaw, Tasha, and Jadyn. We had some good new experiences, and we learned never to interrupt a goat while it's eating!

Earthquakes and Door Frames

We just experienced an earthquake in Virginia- 5.9 magnitude or something like that.

Rob's reaction:
"What is that rumbling? Why is the house shaking?"
Hurries over to a door frame, just in case.
Wonders if it is a low-flying airplane or a big construction truck rolling past.
Realizes that the entire house is shaking.
Still in the door frame, tells everyone else to get under a door frame.
Moves to a different door frame so that April and Tasha (with the kids) can use the nearest door frame.
Door frame!
Runs to the computer to find out what happened- considers taking the computer back to the door frame...

April's reaction:
"What's going on?"
"Is this an earthquake?"
(In a happy, excited voice) "Is this an earthquake?"
Runs to the stairs to make sure everyone upstairs knows there's an earthquake.
Finally realizes that Rob wants his family under door frames, so she stands under the safety of a doorframe- for a second. Then, too excited to stay still, she runs back out into the basement and announces "It's an earthquake!"
Wonders why Rob keeps talking about door frames since the house wasn't crumbling yet.

Cosi's reaction:
Sees mommy laughing and excited.
"Wheeeeeeee!!!!!!!!"

Summer in the 'Burbs- in Pictures

It's a summer of firsts- Trey's first time in the US, Cosi's first time in a pool, first trip to the beach, etc. And like all good parents, we've got our cameras handy for all those moments, as well as the mundane ones. Here's a few snapshots of life in the States this summer (as always, remember that you can click on a picture to enlarge it).

Cosi's day almost always includes a walk through the neighborhood. One in the morning and one in the evening, whenever possible:


















Cosi really likes it when the whole family goes on a walk. She either pushes a baby doll stroller or tries to "help" Mommy push Trey's stroller.
















Cosi really likes to 'help'. Laundry, vacuuming, carrying groceries- yesterday at the mall she offered to help an employee push a cart of merchandise. She was politely refused.

An almost daily part of Cosi's routine is helping Mommy or Nana water the flowers. (Truth be told, Cosi usually ends up as wet as the flowers...)























Trey got a nice big gift from Mommy and Daddy (OK, who are we kidding, the gift was for ourselves as well!)- a bouncy seat! At first he wasn't too sold on the idea:
















But he warmed up to it:
















And now he plays in it so much, we're worried about it getting water damage from all his drool!
















An essential part of every sunny day is a dip in the pool. For weeks before arriving in the US, we were trying to prepare Cosi for the swimming pool, but how do you explain that in terms she can understand? We opted for telling her about the "big bath outside," since baths and being outside are two of her favorite things. She took to the pool like, well, like a fish in water. The challenge is that she will try to jump in the water even when she doesn't have floaties on. After a few trips to the deep end (Rob, April, and Pawpaw have all taken turns jumping in to pull her out), we now have a "floaties on before you leave the house and until you get back inside" policy.


















However, our little extrovert does not like to be the only one swimming. If you even think about sitting poolside, she'll insist "Mommy jump? Please? Daddy Jump! Push Daddy!" (She likes to 'push' Daddy in the pool, a fun activity we probably shouldn't encourage.)


















For Cosi, no day is complete without a bath, and last week she got a particularly special bath- she got to share one with Trey! guess which of the kids was more excited about that idea:
















A number of people have asked how Cosi is dealing with having a baby brother. The short answer is that she's doing very well. She loves him and is fascinated by him. She likes to bring him toys, pretend to feed him (mimicking how Mommy feeds him), she tries to make him laugh, and she always wants to hold him. She still has moments of jealousy, but overall she's becoming a great big sister. Trey, overall, really likes his sister. He is fascinated by her, and yet he also has a healthy fear of her (she's quite unpredictable and is prone to sudden ear-piercing squeals).























Shortly after arriving in the US, we were treated to a beach vacation. On the way down to the beach, we spent some time with family in Newport News, and Trey got to hang out with his "twin cousin":
















The beach was exciting, and Cosi certainly turned a few heads:


















Trey, too, got to spend some time on the shore and seemed to enjoy it:


















While at the beach, Cosi really, REALLY enjoyed riding on and driving the golf cart around the resort (more on that another time- a true cross-cultural experience). The problem is that ever since then, Cosi has wanted to drive every vehicle she sees. I thought I had at least 10 more years before she started bugging me to give her the keys to the car!


















And what is more suburban American than running through a sprinkler in the summer?









































In our next post, we'll share about our recent trip to that great American summer tradition- the County Fair! (Cosi + Roller Coaster + Deep Fried Twinkie = ?)

Laughing Baby

Yes, we realize it has been a while, and we promise many more pictures, videos and updates in the near future. But until then, please entertain yourself by watching this video of an out-of-shape Rob trying to keep an adorable little boy happy. You have to watch the second half to see why he's laughing...

shushu or ai-yi???

We're teaching Cosi to be able to identify men and women. We've decided to use the terms shushu (uncle) and ai-yi (aunt). That way when she incorrectly identifies the man with long hair as a woman, only Rob and I are left laughing.

Also, for your entertainment...
-When Cosi saw a picture of Mother Teresa, she firmly stated "shushu."
-When Cosi saw a commercial with the Geico Gecko, she pointed and said "shushu."
-When Cosi saw a person at Walmart who was difficult to identify, she hesitantly asked me "shushu? ai-yi?" I said "maybe ai-yi."

Redemption Works Slowly (Rob's Meditations)

I am touched and, honestly, a little surprised at the number of people who comment to me how they enjoy following Cosi's story and are encouraged by the beautiful picture of redemption that it paints. It's not that I don't think the story is beautiful or redemptive. The problem, I think, is that I'm still too deep in the story to see it for what it is. Most people are only exposed to the tidbits we find time to share on our blog or over email. A few people are close enough to us that they get a much fuller picture, and a few even join in Cosi's story themselves.

So while most people get to see the big picture and little else, I often struggle to see beyond the daily frustrations and disappointments. I seldom have time, especially these past few weeks, to consider the beauty of what is going on. I'm more consumed by failed efforts at potty training, figuring out how and when to discipline, and trying to dodge toys aimed at my head (or block the ones aimed for Trey). I daily (sometimes hourly) come face to face with her rebellion, stubbornness, and outright sinfulness so much that I'm blind to what it is all about. I feel like I'm missing the forest for the fleas. But really, that's not the case. The missteps, frustration and pain are an essential element of any redemptive story. It's not, "If I could just see past all these problems, I'd see the beauty." Rather, it's "When I see these problems for what they really are, only THEN do I see the beauty."

Now, as a father and theologian, I am in fact obligated to draw a parallel between this and the great story of the redemption of God's people. It's not that hard to do, though. I'm so caught up in my own daily frustrations, challenges, failures and difficulties that I fail to see how they're a part- a crucial part- of my redemption. What makes God's love for me so beautiful and shout-out-loud amazing is that it takes into account my missteps, tantrums, doubt, and rebellion. God's love knows that I am going to continue to live like an unloved orphan for a long time, that I won't immediately get used to being the beloved child of a Good Father. Redemption works slowly, and if it didn't, it wouldn't be as beautiful. But redemption also works inevitably, and if it didn't, we'd be hopeless.

So please, feel free to remind me that Cosi's story is beautiful. I need to hear it, maybe as much as I need an occasional babysitter and full night's sleep.

Cosi Pictures

Now that you've seen how our little boy is growing, here are some pictures of Cosi's recent adventures. Some of the best Cosi moments of the past weeks are difficult to capture on camera. For example, she has learned to say "Sorry," but she tends to angrily or threateningly scream it at the top of her lungs when she's being punished. She gets the word, not the concept. But for now, here are some of the more visible adventures of the little girl who is working so hard to learn a new language or two and a new culture or two, and who is laughing her way through a lot of it.

These first pictures have a back story. There is a little restaurant in town that specializes in chocolate desserts. For several months, April has been trying to get there with Cosi. Unfortunately, the first time they tried was a Monday, the day the store doesn't open for business. The second time they tried was during a holiday week. Again, closed for business. Finally, April got some chocolate cake to go and shared it with our ever-eager-for-treats Cosi:




Cosi was not quite so happy with her first ice cream of the summer. It started out OK, but she really didn't like when ice cream melted on to her hands. She gets so distracted that she can't eat, then more ice cream melts, she gets more upset, and the cycle continues:


Cosi is getting really great at mimicking us. After watching April get out of the shower and wrapping a towel around herself, Cosi ran to her room and returned with a blanket and insisted that Daddy help her wrap it around her like Mommy did. She also wanted to try a towel in her hair, just like Mommy.


Cosi likes being involved in every part of our daily life. She wants to help load and unload the washing machine, hang the laundry on the balcony to dry, wipe the floors, vacuum, and even cook. Most of the time, Cosi's "help" just creates more work. Or it means April has to cook with one hand:

Cosi's hair is finally getting long enough to play with! The orphanage always kept her hair super short, so she's excited to actually have hair, and April is excited to be able to put things in Cosi's hair. Nothing lasts more than 2 minutes, but it's fun while it lasts. Here are Cosi's first pig tails:

It's the rainy season, and that means a few weeks of mostly rainy weather, which means Cosi gets a little stir crazy. But at least once or twice, we put on the rain boots and take her out to play. One area in our neighborhood has particularly poor drainage and it becomes a big puddle 2-3 inches deep. We let Cosi go wild,only stopping her when she tried to drink the water!



And finally, the picture that was banned from facebook (seriously). For our last 2 weeks in town, we had to move into the apartment of some generous friends who are on furlough. Our landlady refused to extend our rental contract an extra 2 weeks. Anyway, our first morning in our temporary home, Cosi was being unusually quiet and content after she woke up. We checked in on her, only to find that she had located a tube of "Butt Paste" (for helping avoid diaper rash) and used it like lotion (she loves soap and lotions). So Cosi got to start her day with a shower, which for her is a dream come true. And her skin has been unusually well-hydrated since then...

Trey Pictures

He sits in a chair by himself these days....no big deal...

Just in case you didn't read the shirt, let it be known! Best. Baby. Ever.

Chilling in my split pants (which make diaper changing "oh so easy")

Gotta love the rear view :)

The internet speed here is so slow...

I mean REALLY slow!

My parents are jerks! Why won't they spring for the high speed so I can stream HD videos?

Whose team is Trey on?

and the rear view b/c he is "freakin awesome!"

Hope you aren't tired of all our pictures :)

Bureaucracy

it seems we are destined to have bureaucratic problems at every step of our life with kids. We never mentioned it on the blog, but a few weeks ago, when we picked up Trey's passport, it had misidentified him as female. The paperwork we filled out was correct, they just goofed. Sound familiar? Anyway, it was no biggie. We just had to wait another 3 weeks to get the correct passport.

Ah, but then the fun part begins. Foreign children born in East Asia are given an automatic 30 day "visa." The parents have one month to get a passport and new visa for the child. We only need a visa so that he can legally EXIT the country at the end of June.

With April stuck in bed for 2 weeks after the birth (and still physically weak from blood loss even after that), we couldn't apply for a passport until several weeks after Trey was born (both parents must be present to apply for a passport). So we were already pushing it.

But we thought, "Hey, no problem. They have to understand that we don't even have a passport for him, so we can't get a visa, right?" No. There's a reason that the most common adjectives associated with "bureaucracy" are "cold" and "heartless."

At the first visa office, they wouldn't even look at our application after seeing the date on his birth certificate. They sent us to another office where the annoyed man dismissively commanded me to go to "the other office" to pay a fine, without telling me what office he meant. I asked him "which office?" but he wouldn't answer. I appealed to reason- how could we have gotten a visa without a passport? He said "That's your country's problem, not mine." His slightly more helpful and less belligerent colleague informed me that "the other office" is in another part of town.

So we went there and learned that we would be charged up to $150 as a penalty for allowing our son to "overstay his visa." Again, I appealed to reason. It takes almost a month just to get a passport, why is the law so unreasonable? Isn't there some room to accommodate what is obviously a special situation? We applied for a visa as soon as we were able.

The unflinching lady continued to remind me that my son had overstayed his visa. She then asked if he had left the country at all. I reminded her that we just got the passport yesterday, so no, he could not have left. She then reminded me (in case I had forgotten) that he had overstayed his visa.

[At this point, April and I are seriously wondering if it would be feasible to sneak Trey out of the country in a carry-on bag, just until we get past customs. We could wait until he was sleeping, have his head poking out of the bag, and try to pass him off as one of Cosi's dolls.]

After being told I would need to wait for an hour or more to find out the exact amount of the fine, we waited an hour and a half so they could prepare my confession. (One thing you need to know is that throughout this whole ordeal, Cosi is strapped onto me in an Ergo toddler carrier, and once it gets to confession-signing time, she has had enough and is throwing a tantrum, which makes it very hard to sign things. April has Trey strapped to her and every time she tries to help with Cosi, Cosi takes that as an opportunity to try to hit her baby brother.) I was made to sign a transcript of my conversation with one of the bureaucrats in which I confess that I knew the law stated that he needed a visa within 30 days and that I did not obtain the visa in the prescribed time, thereby flagrantly breaking the just laws of this country.

I would be fined $90. I brought cash.

But no, it's never that easy. First, I need to go to a specific bank. Too bad it was 4:50pm and I couldn't do it that day. I would need to return to that specific bank within the next 2 days and pay the fine. Then I would take that receipt to my local police station and register my son. THEN I could get him a visa. Never mind that the local police station has told me repeatedly not to bother registering my son until he has a visa...

So once the rain lets up a bit this morning, I'm taking Cosi out to the bank, the police station, and the visa office. Two fulls days spent trying to get one little stamp in my boy's passport so that we can leave at the end of the month. I now have a police record with a signed confession (complete with a red thumbprint over my signature).

Here's hoping for no more surprises...

This is April.
Rob went to the bank this morning, but the bank doesn't let people pay fines until after 1:30pm. So, he went back at 2pm. After waiting in line for an hour, the fine is paid. Then, Rob went to the neighborhood police station. Just as we expected, they refused to register our son without a visa. They told us to go to another office, but it's too late to go today. Here's hoping that office is open on Saturdays :)
The drama will continue tomorrow...

Update...
We're supposed to get the passport with visa on Monday. Here's hoping...
And guess what? His corrected birth certificate still isn't back yet. Thank you, American consulate, for destroying my hopes that U.S. bureaucracy was somehow better than East Asian bureaucracy...

Lost In Translation

Cosi's language skills are improving, no doubt about that. It's really comforting to know that she understands things like, "Stop! Turn Around! Come back!" But sometimes her heroic efforts at learning English give me a chuckle:
The other day, Cosi picked up her juice cup and started drinking from it. As is her wont, she began drinking with the sippy cup turned around, so that the nozzle was at the top, not getting any juice. I always tell her to "turn it around." For a few months now, she has understood that I'm telling her to rotate the cup 180 degrees. But this time, when i told her to "turn it around," she gave me a quizzical look, stood up, and turned herself around 360 degrees until she was facing me again. Still holding her cup the wrong way, she promptly sat back down and looked back at daddy for further instructions.
Maybe it's too soon to be using pronouns...

Update (June 8th): Today we were reading to Cosi, which usually involves a lot of identifying things in the pictures ("Cosi, what's this?" "Where is the flower?" etc.). We asked her to find the bird in the picture. When she doesn't know the answer, Cosi's very clever strategy is to move her finger all along the page and hope that we'll let her know when she lands on the right object. She was obviously checking the bottom of the page for the bird, so we told her, "No, Cosi, look up. Up." So of course, she promptly turned her eyes to our living room ceiling, expecting to find a bird.