2011 IronKids Tri

3 months later, we finally did the video! Ted is in the 9-11 year old division now, and looks very small compared to the kids around him (in the bike leg, at least). He didn't have a very fast time this year, but he also didn't feel much pressure and had a great experience. He's in the red shirt and black swim trunks. Enjoy!

Creating a Beautiful Lifebook: Gotcha Day

I admit it, this is the post I've been waiting for. There isn't much more exciting than Gotcha Day.

What do you call Gotcha Day, by the way? Some people call it Family Day, because it is the day they became a family. It wasn't, in our case, since we had three members of our family back in the US. We call our day "Mae Day," because it is the day we got Mae! It works for us. Whatever you call it, use it continuously and make it your own.

With Gotcha Day, you can include pictures, stills from a video if you have one, and a play-by-play of the event. Also included in Gotcha Day can be Adoption Day information if you like.

The most important thing to include here, of course, is the way you became a family. This may or may not be the place to describe your child's sadness and fear at your presence. Perhaps you want to talk about that first, long night. Perhaps not?

Because Mae's book is geared for a young child, I describe the day briefly yet with great care. She knows she was confused and scared; she knows she was "the screamer" of the group. But she also knows I gazed at her all night long in amazement and love. In this way, she knows that, yes, she was scared, but it was ok.

If you get together with your adoption group at all, this is also a fun place to include the names of your child's "orphanage sisters" with some fun tidbits about them. We always point out Sophia, with her beautiful long hair, who was Mae's crib mate. And we always tell stories about Zoe, since the two girls clearly recognized each other and were probably "good buddies" in the orphanage. 

You can also let the pictures do the talking and only comment briefly, i.e., Gotcha Day at last! In this way, you are opening the door to talk about this page each time your child opens to it. Either way will work. And both ways will give your child a special glimpse into her first day as a member of her family.

Creating a Beautiful Lifebook: Travel in China

It is nice to include a section in the Lifebook about your time together in China. Often, agencies will include tours to the major places of interest in the city. The capital city of your child's province is an important one - give it some loving attention.

In Changsha, we toured an embroidery factory, the beautiful Xiang river, Martyr's Park, and the Six Banyan Temple. I included pictures and information about each place and tried to give a good description of their importance. Funny tidbits from each day, of course, are included!

We also stayed at the famous White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, which deserved its own page, if only for the Red Couch photos alone! Our travel group took a group picture in front of the beautiful waterfall, so a picture of that is included as well.

You can include information about the medical exam, if your child had one, and the requisite shopping experience in Guangzhou. Perhaps a picture or two of your child wearing an outfit you purchased in Guangzhou would be perfect here.

The travel section is a good place to document all the special little details your child will love to hear over and over. What did she eat? To what temperature did you have to heat her bottle? Did you play in the playroom? Did you eat at Lucy's?

You can also include those funny Visa/passport pictures in this section. You may want to include the actual Visa and passport, if this will be a book that will be kept safe. Or you can make a copy of those pages to put in a younger child's book.

This section can flow seamlessly into an "At Home" section, which we'll talk about next!

Creating a Beautiful Lifebook: Referral Day!

February 28, 2006. That was our referral date. I'll never forget it, I think. We had a video camera going and kept the boys home from preschool that day. Oh, what a day it was.

Referral Day is really the only place in your child's Lifebook in which you can safely wax emotional about how you felt that day. After all, the Lifebook is about your child, but on Referral Day, it's really about how the family experienced seeing their newest family member.

If you have more than one picture, showcase them all (remember, every picture is precious!) Include all the details that you hastily scribbled onto a piece of paper that day. If you had to wait for a package, or drive to the agency, describe seeing the rest of the pictures and all the detailed information.

Here is a link to our Referral Day, also found on the right side of the blog. I didn't include all those details in Mae's Lifebook, but I did try to convey the joy and excitement we all felt at our "first glimpse" of her.

Besides Gotcha Day, this is one of my favorite memories to "relive" with my family. It all because real on this day - we were really going to have a daughter! 

This was an early post since I will be in Chicago running the Chicago Marathon this weekend, following two full days/nights of singing Yom Kippur services. Happy Columbus Day to my fellow Americans, and Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!! 

Creating a Beautiful Lifebook: Updates

This week's topic is so much fun. It's all about the updated information.

You may have received an update from the orphanage or from the foster parents. In either case, use every picture and include a translation of every word of the update. These precious words and pictures will give your child a very special glimpse into her life in China. This will be very important to her, if not now, than someday soon.

We received our update one month after referral. It was bittersweet to see the growth from our referral pictures of a teeny baby to a chubby seven-month old.

Be careful not to let this section betray any sadness you may have felt at the change in your child. Yes, she is growing up fast, but you have years and years ahead of you with your child. You will be able to watch her grow. We all know this now, but sometimes re-living those moments can make us remember our momentary grief for not being there sooner.

You have a choice here. Think again about the style you are creating in the book. You can present the pictures and the translated update report in an informational way, or in a more conversational "We were so excited to see your picture" way.

Here is a link to our update information. I remember that exciting day with as much clarity as I remember our referral day.  Enjoy this trip down memory lane!

We'll talk about Referral Day on Thursday!