Firefly Frolic: a 1.6k run

For the month of July, Abigail trained for the Firefly Frolic, a 1-mile trail run in the dark that is an event for kids by our parks and rec department in town.  By "trained" I mean that she ran a 0.89 mile loop with me about 8 times before race day.  

The race was to begin at 8:30, so Abigail made sure to carbo-load for dinner.  She learned this from her Aunt Mary Jane. :)

Joseph LOVES to have his picture taken.
I cannot raise a camera without
Joseph jumping in front of the lens.  

With a headlamp and flashlight, she
was ready for the race!

At about 8:20, she complained that it was still "too light" outside.  

At 8:28 she confirmed that she really REALLY wanted me to run with her because she loves me and doesn't want to do stuff without me.  (Heck, this won't last forever, so I'll take it.)

At 8:30, the horn sounded for the start.  Abigail stood at the starting line and adjusted her head lamp for a while, before starting off.  We jogged around a field and then into the woods. The trail was covered in roots and rocks in places and it was, in fact, very dark.  It was so beautiful to look into the woods in the darkness because parks and rec hung yellow glow sticks from trees to line the whole trail.  It was a very cool atmosphere, but watch out, because kids were tripping on roots and going down all over the place.  Abigail just passed them and didn't break her stride.  Kids stopped to grab the stitch in their sides or walk and Abigail just passed them too.  From behind, I watched her silhouette, illuminated by her light, running in the darkness, pigtails bouncing.  She is such a beautiful runner.  Her form is graceful and athletic and perfect.  I could watch her run forever.

But I didn't get to, because she finished her mile run (over uneven terrain) in 11:01.  She was proud of herself for not stopping and as soon as we finished the race, she begged to go do it again.  She didn't care about the end-of-race snacks, all she wanted was to run in the dark with the glow sticks again.

Next year, Buddy.  I hope we can do it again next year. 

Happy Match Day Abigail!!

We do not celebrate "Gotcha' Day" for Abigail for several reasons.  I detest the term "Gotcha' Day."  It is the day after Christmas.  It was probably the most traumatic and awful day of Abigail's life, including the day she was abandoned.  But we do make a big deal out of her Match Day.  

Me: Abigail, what is a Match Day?
A: The day you get matched to a family.  It is a big celebration.  You might get a present or a surprise or cupcakes but it is about getting picked for a family.

Pretty darn good, I thought.  Joesph went to daycare today so Abigail got undivided attention from both of her parents all day long.  At first she wished we didn't adopt Joseph so it could be like this all the time, like it used to.  But by the end of the day, we had worn her so completely out that she was begging for time alone and happy to have her brother back home.

When we were in China in May to adopt Joseph, Abigail really REALLY wanted a pearl necklace from the pearl market.  It isn't time.  So I made a cute little choker type of necklace for her using some left over pearls.  When she saw it this morning and how she looked in it she whispered "Wow.  WOW," very softly.

After that, we rented a horse for a 1-kid "pony ride."  It was 45 minutes through woods and fields while the horse was on a lead rope.  Abigail didn't want to get off.  The horse was named "Melody" and Larry and I can't get over how naturally athletic Abigail is at everything she does.  Her posture was perfect.  Absolutely amazing.  She was so at ease on Melody. 

 (The car ride home wan't too cheery because Abigail was just *so* sad about not being on the horse any more. It was like the stages of grief condensed into 30 minutes.)

I make her take a pic every year on Match
Day of her holding her Match Picture

She told me last week that she regrets ever saying
that she wishes for her own horse because now it
can never come true.  :(  

Next up, she picked lunch: the what and when.  That was followed by brownie making, eating a whole carton of raspberries, coloring, going to the library (where she wanted more books on giraffes- I love that she is so into non-fiction), and a trip to the frozen yogurt place.  

The evening ended with Karate lessons, her favorite dinner (dumplings), and reading books on giraffes.  

I could not imagine Abigail being matched to another family, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect kid for our first child.  We love her so much and she brings us so much joy.

Great Wall Day

Best. Day. Ever.
We could not be more proud of our little climber.
Blue sky.  Mild weather.  Tenacious four year old.  (Throngs of Chinese people on holiday.) One of the 7 wonders of the world.

The last time Larry and I climbed the great wall, we got to the 10th station up in the time we had (there are 13 possible from this location).  It was also 12 degrees and very few other people were there.  But doing it this time for Abigail, our goal was the 4th station up because she is 4 years old.

She did almost the whole climb up without any help or being carried.  (There was a really crowded spot where it would have been dangerous for her to climb with all the pushing people and she was carried through that part and one very steep part where the distances between the stones were a few feet.)

 At the 4th station up, there was a souvenir stop.  We told her she could look around.  She was immediately drawn to a small statue replica of a section of the wall.  I don't know what it is made from, but it weighs a ton and is not plastic-y crap so we told her that she could have it.  Then we bought her a popsicle and climbed back down.

While we waited for other members of the group to finish, we browsed around the parking area with all of the baubles and trinket stands. Larry really wanted to buy Abigail an "I climbed the great wall" tshirt, but all she wanted was a rubber snake toy for a dollar.  The snake has since been named "Stanley" by Abigail and her new BFF Caroline, a 13 year old daughter of another adopting family.  Caroline has been super sweet to Abigail. On the long bus ride back to the hotel, we heard both of them laughing, and Abigail squealing the whole time, something about Stanley trying to eat all of their Pocky and going into time out for 50 years.  I know Abigail has LOVED her new Big Friend.


Okay, time for everyone's favorite part of the blog:

The arrow shows how high Abigail
climbed in about 50 minutes of time.

Part way up with Baba

What a beautiful day.
This kid melts my heart!

My parents would freak out to know
she is this far away from us.
Look at her go!!!

This was when Larry yelled
"Abigail!  Do not lean over any further"
as he grabbed for the back of her shorts!

Looking for Huns

On the bus, Abigail declared that she wanted
to sit by herself and have quiet time.

A pic of jade horses Abigail took at the jade factory

Beijing Tour

It is hard not to compare our last trip to China with this one.  It is only natural to think, "The last time I was in Tiananmen Square... " or "The last time I rode a rickshaw through Hutong..."

And we need to say: IT IS INFINITELY BETTER TO DO THESE THINGS IN MAY WHEN IT IS 70 DEGREES THAN IN DECEMBER WHEN IT IS 12 DEGREES.  (Fellow adoption friends, take note.  Plan your paperwork to travel in beautiful weather!!)

Right now is a national holiday, a 3-day weekend, in China so the tourist sites are extra packed in many places.  It makes Times Square at 8 pm on a Saturday night look empty.  But there is so much energy here.  Rural Chinese people who have never been to their capital city are here now on vacation, our guides said.  They loved asking members of our adoption travel group to be in pictures with them because some of them have never seen a non-Chinese person in real life before.  Abigail was also asked to be in several pictures.  She started to get into it and would make funny faces or strike a pose (vogue!) when people wanted their picture with her.  We were very proud of her because not too long ago her shyness would have been quite a disability today.

When we arrived at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, it was packed with people, student groups, tour groups, and families.  And every child had a Chinese flag.  We hadn't been walking 30 seconds before Abigail begged for a Chinese flag of her own.  I was wearing Abigail in a backpack carrier and I could tell she was trying to not be whiney or ask too much, but every now and then she would sigh or whimper about how much she wanted a flag.  We told her we would buy one at the end so we didn't have to carry it, but she insisted that she would carry it.  When our guides happened to pause by a vendor, Abigail asked her Baba to PLEASE go and buy her a flag before they run out!  She was delighted and she really did carry for about 2 hours!

I know all most of my readers really want is pictures, so here are some of my favorites from today (that aren't edited yet):

See the crowds?

She was so happy to have a flag.  Only 2 RMB (33 cents)

Family pic with General Mao

She did this on her own.  She must be Asian. 
Or she noticed others doing this.  Chi-zu!
(Well, actually our guide said it means "victory" in China.)

Where Mulan fought the Huns.
A very important spot in Chinese history according
to our 4 year old.

I LOVE watching her run.

Have I mentioned before how much I love to
watch her run.  She is so graceful and playful
at the same time.

A girl and her Baba in the Imperial Gardens.

A little unsure about the rickshaw ride

Abigail's First Hike

In South Carolina, we lived less than a mile from Palmetto Islands County Park (a 700+ acre park through wooded spaces, marshes, and open playing fields), and we have missed having a place like that since our move to Virginia.  Today, however, we explored a great little place a few miles from home.  Our out-and-back hike probably totaled only 2 miles, but it was a fun hike and Abigail became very excited about climbing on rocks and exploring. I love to watch my kid move:  she is so powerful and graceful.  I can't get enough of watching her.  (She was also excited about the picnic she packed and she picked out a great spot to eat, but was too excited for food at that point so she ended up eating it in the car on the way home instead.)

This section was her favorite part of the hike

Tell her aunts and uncles:  Abigail is
getting ready for her first hike up Old Rag!!

Kid at play

Wordless Wednesday: Puddle Pouncing