Beach Vacation

When you arrive home with an adopted child, it is recommended that you limit their exposure to other people and that you stay home as much as possible to bond.  What is NOT recommended, is taking your newly adopted child to the beach the 2nd week they are home to spend a week in another new place with 2 grandparents, 3 sets of aunts/uncles, and 8 other cousins (all under the age of 10!).  Yes, that is what we did.  Every year we spend a week with my family at the beach.  My kids look forward to this week every year.  We knew it was not a good idea for Vivian, but we wanted so much for the older three to get to go.  They have been such troopers during this entire adoption and we decided they deserved for us to at least give it a try.  We told everyone if Vivian was struggling, we would leave.  Before we left, Vivian was still very clingy to me, hesitant to go to anyone else, and NOT a fan of the pool/water.  I was pretty sure this was not going to go well and was prepared to head home after a few days.

I was not prepared for the fact that SHE LOVED IT!!!!  Loved the pool, loved her cousins, loved  her aunts and uncles and had a blast!  I really think she enjoyed having so many kids around her again.  They really brought her out of her shell.  She was quite the star at the beach.  There was always an "entourage" around her of either cousins or aunts and uncles wanting to hold her, help her, feed her or just follow her around.  She wanted for nothing all week long.  The only thing she was not a big fan of was the beach.  She is incredibly neat and hates messes, and was not thrilled with sand on her feet or hands.  Most of the week it was hard to get her to put her feet down, but even that improved by the end of the week.  The last night she was running all over the beach having the time of her life.  

Have I said before that this child is amazing?

Loving the pool

having fun with all the cousins

making me wipe the sand off her feet

hanging with her aunts

Disney bingo

first bike ride

swimming with Daddy

Bonding with Pop Pop

and with Grammy

more spoiling by her aunts

We showered one night and did the family beach picture thing

me and my girls

me, my mom, my sisters and our girls

James, John and Kate had a wonderful week, also, and we were thrilled for them.  They have made us so proud the way they are embracing their new sister and allowing her to steal the spotlight for a while. Especially Kate.  She has been the princess in this house for 6 years and she is doing a great job sharing her throne. She has had a few hard moments, for sure, but all in all she has been handling it well.  We tried to make sure the big kids got some special time during the week

puzzles with Pop Pop

on her way to swim just her and  Daddy

and tried to give them some "big kid" things to do

tubing!

I love these pictures of James and Vivian.  James has been working so hard since the day Vivian arrived home to get her to "like" him.  He is so patient and very good to both of his sisters.  The last night on the beach they really clicked and she was letting him play with her and carry her around.

I think about how, less than one month ago, Vivian had no family.  No mom, no dad, no siblings, no cousins, no grandparents.  I also think about how, due to the One-Child policy, so many children in China do not have cousins.  It is hard for me to imagine.  And here she is now ...  a daughter, granddaughter, niece and cousin.  She is so loved.   I love this last picture of her running back to where her adoring "fans" were watching and cheering her on.  I love seeing her running free and experiencing a whole new life.  It is such a privilege to be a part of it.