Pointless Drivel

Vocal Decorum

We have a rule in our house:  No yelling.  This is for several reasons.  First, The Shmunkin has trouble distinguishing between an inside and an outside voice.  Second, our house is quite small and there is no reason to yell to get someone's attention.  And, third, let's face it, there rarely a valid reason to yell.

Unfortunately, The Shmunkin, who, as I have mentioned in the past, has am amazingly loud voice.  It is remarkably loud for pretty much anyone.  The "amazingly" part comes from the fact that she is so small, and we can't figure out how it is such a little person is able to generate such amazing decibel levels.

The point is, we don't allow yelling, and try very hard to teach The Shmunkin proper social decorum.  To tt end, I no longer respond when she yells while I am in the bathroom getting ready for the day.  She could be doing her crafts or playing on the computer or even watching some program on TV, and her tendency, when she wants something, is to simply call our to me.  So we have instructed her that, if she wants me when I am getting ready, she must walk down to the bathroom and knock on the door, at which point I will tell her to come in and ask what she wants.

Of course, that's not the way it actually happens.  What actually happens is she will yell, I will open the door and say, "What is the rule if you want me?", and she will walk down, know on the door and tell me what she wants.  Grudgingly, but she does it.

It happened again this morning.  She was playing on the computer (PBS Kids is a great site for kids, by the way.) and wanted me, so she started yelling.  I called out like normal, then listened to see what happened.  Instead of the normal footsteps and knock on the door, I heard STOMP... STOMP... STOMP... STOMP, then, "I'm outside the door."

I opened the door, and there stood this little Chinese girl, arms crossed in front of her and a grumpy frown on her face.  I think if she could have balanced properly, she would have been tapping her foot in anger.

"We need to change that rule."

"What rule needs to be changed."

"The one where I have to come down and know on the door."

"What do you think we should do, instead."

"We should change the rule back to yelling."

We'll think about that.

Now I'm Nervous

Driving along yesterday and, as The Shmunkin was in the car, we were listening to the Kids' Channel on the Satellite radio, and during one of the songs, the thought occurred to me:  What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?

Where Do They Learn This Stuff?

Two stories.

Took The Shmunkin to the library the other day. She loves the library. Normally the Ways and Means Committee takes her on Saturdays, when I am working, but this was a special Shmunkin and Daddy Day, so I had the honor.

It wasn't exactly what I had expected. Not bad, mind you. Just different. Knowing the layout of this particular library, I figured we would walk in, go to the book area, pick out a couple to read right there, then find some to take home. Then we would go to the video/DVD area and find some movies, check them all out, and head out on our way. And that did all happen, and in that order, but there was one more thing that happened between walking in and going to the book area.

As soon as we got to the floor we wanted, The Shmunkin made a B-Line for the computers. A whole line-up of machines, right in the kids area, complete with a lower counter, smaller chairs, and smaller mice. She found one she liked, sat right in the chair, put on the headphones and went to work clicking around different icons and games and other magnificent adventures, as if she had been doing it for years.

Wow, I thought. I was, like, fifteen or sixteen before I even tried using a computer, and in my mid-twenties before I even attempted a mouse. She's four. Pretty impressive.

Another day, while picking her up from Big Girl School, I decided to get a special treat and buy something for dessert, telling her she got to pick out anything she wanted. So all the way to the store she was hemming and hawing about what to have, while I put in my own suggestions: Broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, etc. And to each one, she laughed and said, "That's not a dessert!" I finally asked what a dessert was, and she replied, "Dessert is cake, or ice cream, or something with cherries on top."

Letter to Sissy

We're putting together our acceptance paperwork for our new daughter, who The Shmunkin has nicknamed Sissy.  Not overly creative, as has been pointed out, but, after all, she is only four.  Regardless, she is very excited about the whole prospect.

The day after we got the initial pictures, Shmunkie was most proud and delighted to bring in pictures to show everyone.  And last night, she decided to write a letter to, and make a picture for, our newest arrival

Now, really, isn't that just the cutest thing?  She even drew in Henry the Cat and Sissy herself (she's the one at the top).

And, no, we haven't recently painted the house.

Incidentally, the Great Name Debate continues.  And, while we have neither decided on nor discounted any specific names, "Ebba" is not currently at the top of the list.  But we are open to other suggestions.  We certainly want to incorporate part of her Korean name, which will probably be Kim, since that is her mother's family name, but nothing is as yet for certain.

Here She Is

This, as you can probably tell from the very clear labeling, is Kim Se Ra.  She is going to be our new daughter.  Well, not officially, since we have yet to actually sign the papers accepting the referral, but we've made the decision, and that's that.

Some of the basics from her referral information:  She was born January 13, 2008, and was about seven pounds at birth.  At 6 1/2 months, she is currently about 13 pounds, which puts her in the third percentile, so she is small on average, but, we think, may still be bigger than The Shmunkin by the time we get her home.

She was born in the city of Pyongtaek, which is in Kyeonggi Province.  That, of course, is in the eastern portion of north-western South Korea.  Seriously.

As is the format for Asia, Kim is her family name.  Her given name, Se Ra, is Korean for, "Little Girl with Bob's Big Boy Hair."  Or "Fruit of the World."  It depends on the translation.

According to the referral paperwork, "She is cute and adorable.  She is healthy, and has been growing well under her foster mother's loving care and love in the foster home.  Her feeding, sleeping and stool condition are good.  Her smiling face is cute."  It also says, she drinks formula "...in a good sucking way."

I should also note, when I first saw the picture of Kim Se Ra and her foster mother, I thought, "Wow, that is one big baby for six months old."  Then I read about her actual size and weight, so now I think, "Wow, that is one small foster mother.

As for the questions that seems to be the first thing everyone asks:  We don't know for certain when we go get her.  Probably in the neighborhood of three months, give or take a few weeks.  And, no, we can't just go and get her now.  There are procedures that need to be followed.  Paperwork needs to be filled out and turned in, the courts need to get involved both in Korea and in the U.S., and she needs to be readied.  Sure, we would love to just jump on a plane and head out now, but, keep in mind, we are transferring responsibility of a human being, not just from one person to another, but from one country to another.  I've heard so many stories about babies in some other countries essentially either kidnapped or stolen from their mothers, sold on the black market, and adopted overseas, that I am willing to make sure everything is legitimate and legal before we actually bring her home.

As for a name, well, we don't actually have one yet.  There was one name we had sort of been locked on for a while, but when the pictures arrived, decided she didn't look like that name.  So, we're open to suggestions.  Let us know who you think she looks like.