Evil 'baba'

I thought I'd write a little about how Alice is coping with the adoption process. Every child reacts differently and Alice is reacting by blaming everything on me. I think this started when the orphanage director pointed to me and said: "te shi baba" (that's daddy). Our little autumn stone reacted by saying "like hell it is!". The best way to describe her reaction is that it's exactly like Luke's response to finding out Darth Vader is his father " (Oliver: "Alice, I am your father" Alice: "No, it not true". ) It's clear she know what she's doing because she's happy to be picked up by anyone else, but violently shakes her head if I try to pick her up. She's happy to be with Glenn (he's the Obwan figure in this I guess) but would rather go to the hotel doorman than me. If Glenn hands her off to me and leaves to room she gets really upset and responds by whacking me upside the head. She's also given me a good scratch on the nose and on the neck by way of expressing her feelings. I have managed to declaw her, which in the end wasn't all that hard. I just sat Evan down and cut his finger nails and she came right over to have hers done. If no one else is around, like first thing in the morning or late at night, she will allow me to pick her up and she doesn't want me to leave, but she keeps pointing to the door and keeps asking for Grampa (or at least I think thats what "bo ha de lay he" means, since she €says that over and over again with great intensity). She is most interested in our guide, who can at least speak to her. Fontana tries her best and keeps telling her in Mandarin to "go to daddy" or "sit with daddy". Alice responds by shaking her head and making a "bad medicine" face.

So how do I feel about this? Well it's not fun, but unpleasant as it is, it's nothing like what she's going though. Everything in her little world is suddenly gone, and worst of all, the orphanage director and her caregivers were in on it. The very people she trusted most in the world have betrayed her and she's got to take it out on someone. Being a fierce little scrapper (according to the orphanage folks) she's dropping the gloves and going for the game misconduct. And in many ways I don't mind this. Its just like in the Book of Job where, after being dealt a really rotten hand, Job goes out into the wilderness and curses the snot out of God, and I think God respects him the more for it. Alice is not going to go gentle into that good night, and Ive got the bruises to prove it.

Meanwhile, as she works out her emotions in this healthy way, I'm paying extra attention to Grace, who needs it too. Grace draws a lot of attention where ever we go (so do the Ottman girls) particularly because Grace refuses to wear anything other than a short sleeve shirt or flouncy dress when all the locals around her are in parkas. All the mothers of small kids seem to want their children to come up and say high to the English speaking little Chinese girl. Evan has no problem with this and walks right up saying Ni how, wo jieo Evan, like he is running for local office. Gracie is not so sure and wants to know why they just cant talk normal.

So that's where things stand now. I have adopted a bruiser (and with her gap tooth she really does look like a hockey enforcer) and I will have to just wait while she sorts herself out. Glenn has spent a lot more one on one time with her and thinks she a bright little girl who's very pleasant to be with - easy for him to say, hes not getting boxed in the ears all the time.