Seven weeks today......

Emma Duong has been home seven weeks today! She is really adjusting well and has a happy personality (well, unless you tell her no!). She has moved up to full day school and reports back from her teachers is that she is doing great. She has made a couple of friends at school. One is three and the other is her age - 5. Last week we got her Certificate of Citizenship in the mail and Emma Duong took it to school for show and tell. Emma Duong of course has no idea what it is but it has her picture on it so she loves it.

The most common word used to describe Emma Duong by people who have observed her in action is fearless. She hesitates for a bit when trying something new but when she finally does she watch out! She loves parks and playground equipment, she loves her bike and she loves to run. Unfortunately all of these activities require boundaries to be set and that is currently a big problem for us. Running is okay since I run myself I can keep her under control. The bike is definately a problem and even the playground is a problem because she just takes off and never looks back to see where I am. The language barrier is hurting us in this category. Since she is fearless, on Monday she is starting a gymnastics class once or twice a week - I think she will love it.

Emma Duong talked on the phone to her little buddy from Vietnam who was adopted at the same time as Emma D. The converstion was short and mainly just saying her name but Emma D. was excited and has talked about her another child at the orphanage quite a bit since the phone call. I have a picture of the 3 kids in her room and since the call she has slept with the picture. She doesn't act sad but she does expect to see them soon.

Emma D's uncle came to see her this week. There were a few tears shed when he arrived - the last time she had seen him was in Vietnam. She recognized him and all we can determine is that she thought he might take her away. She is still unsure of what is happening in her life and daily needs assurance that I am going to be there. She will point to herself and me and if I say yes (ie we are going to be together that day) she is satisfied.

Oh, Emma Duong can sing Boomer Sooner.....

Miss Emma.........

Emma Duong has been home five weeks now and things are going well. She is a very happy little girl who is trying hard to fit into her new world. In five weeks Emma Duong has: started school at the Undercroft Montessori where she currently goes for 1/2 day and according to the teachers is delightful; attended her first OU football game successfully; and ran in her first 1km fun run with a time of 10 minutes 25 seconds (but who's counting).

Emma repeats almost everything you say but has yet to put english words into a sentence. She still jabbers non-stop in vietnamese but knows the important english words that help her get by: bathroom, hungry, no way, shopping and thank you.

I was told by her caregivers that she liked to sing and they were right. She sings non-stop. Once she has heard a tune a couple of times she has it down.. the words are a bit interesting but the tune is usually perfect. She sings at night in bed, she sings in the car, and now most of the tunes are from some sing-along cds she got at her Welcome Home shower. I have not heard a vietnamese song in awhile.

Each week is getting better and better for Emma and I and I am so looking forward to the day the language barrier goes away and we can talk. We do communicate well, but it is alot of pointing and one word sentences.