It was the anticipated party of the year. Sarah was turning five!!! We've been counting down the days since...well, you mom's know...what seemed like, forever.
This year is Sarah's "simple" year. Every other year they can have a "real party" at Pump It Up or whatever. On the other years I'm allowing them to have 1 special friend over for dinner and cake. No hoopla that has to be coordinated and planned, and in my case, agonized over. I do this for a lot of reasons. Cost is one. Ease is another. But I never want them to think that what makes them or their birthday special is the party, the size of it, how many show up or any of that. I want them to know that "they" are what is special about the day, that family will always celebrate them, and that if they have at least 1 person to call "good friend" they are blessed beyond measure.
Sarah had John David over. They've known each other since the day Sarah came home. And they adore each other.
I decorated the kitchen with balloons (still a favorite of Sarah's) and "Happy Birthday" banners. And a table cloth. That was the impressive part to Sarah, no no, not all the decorations...the table cloth. heehee so funny.
A couple of Hello Kitty gift wrapped packages and that was it! She was thrilled.
I told Glen to go buy a big mylar balloon on his way home....that thrilled her.
And then John David arrived and her entire day was complete. During the day she had friends and family call to wish her a happy birthday (she LOVED being sung to!) and she was just on top of the world. We sent the day out with a bang by having a "sleep over with mommy". I promised not to go check on Sophie unless she got really really sick. And that we could eat in the bed. She held me to both. Even though we were full of pizza and cake and ice cream...she insisted that I keep my promise of eating in bed. So we closed the night with some pretzels. And now....my first born is...five.
5 years ago a baby was born with a name I will never know. She gazed into the eyes of someone she will never know. And days later, would become a memory to one family and loved by those who will call her Fu Li Ji. For the next year, while being prayed for by us, she became "friend" to Fu Li Rui and Fu Li Ning. They would learn much together that only they will ever really know. I'm certain they shared smiles, touches, etc. And as mysteriously as their lives came together, their time together ended. They shared one last long bus ride across Hunan in the arms of nannies and certainly there was a feeling of undeniable change in the air. And I wonder if they all heard the cheers of excitement when they walked passed the bus of future parents. I wonder if anything inside them knew "heyyyyyy, cool, they're looking at me!" And I struggle to explain that as parents we KNEW which child was ours...we had seen only 2 pictures of her from months earlier...but my eyes locked immediately on "my baby". And I felt heaven smile. And time froze. Everything about that moment etched in my mind. The weather, the smell, the sounds, the intense feeling of love for the moment. Minutes later in the chaos of the meeting room, Fu Li Ji would become Sarah. She said goodbyes she will never remember. But I will never forget. I saw nannies who loved 8 precious girls....and who will always have the memories of Fu Li Ji's first year in their heart. I have never, for one moment, regretted that Sarah came home "so late" (at 14 months). I believed that God was in control and I prayed that China would be a part of her. I wanted her to leave knowing she was loved in her motherland. I want her to have compassion for whatever situation brought her to each stop in her journey so far. I pray she is always able to rise above adversity and accept that nothing in life is really ours. That having "stuff" or a "nice life" isn't what's important. Knowing that God carried you when it seemed you were all alone...that something beautiful can come from something difficult...that the best present in life has already been given to us...and we can "open" it every single day. Who she is, is God's gift to her. What she becomes is her gift to God.
So who is this little 5 yr old chili pepper??
She's 41" tall and a spry 35.5 lbs. And is as spicey as they come! (Hunan is known for their spicey food and so they believe the personalities of the people are spicey too)
She loves to be hugged and cuddled with. She loves people and if you've ever been spotted by Sarah, you know, she makes you feel like the biggest star in the world!
She'll try anything once and, so far, doesn't like to say she doesn't like it.
She's stubborn. In general she seems to have ants in her pants, but try to punish her and she'll sit still on a hard chair for 2 hours just to "show you".
She loves reading and is so pumped to be able to read books! Not to be confused with the kind of girl who can be found curled up with a good book somewhere. No, not yet any way.
I'm still waiting to figure out what in math is hard to her. I promise I think they covered all this kindergarten stuff when she was 1 in China!
As stubborn as she is, she still says I'm her bestfriend. And I think I'm safe in saying she would spend every waking moment with me. :) And I'm glad. Although, admittedly, I need a break to be thankful for it sometimes.
She adores "Max and Ruby".
She adores her sister....but isn't all that crazy about sharing with her. At all.
Curious George is her favorite book. Any Curious George.
She's very much a "where ever I lay my hat" kind of girl. Ask her what her favorite anything is, and she'll tell you the last thing she had, read, watched, whatever. She loves everything and nothing all at the same time.
She's adorable and perfect and I am so thrilled to spend time with her as mommy, teacher, and buddy.
