U Trucks

The moon is full and peaking through parched leaves. I wonder when the moon will move from the top of our street to the middle of our closest lake. I did not know the pleasure of walking by a lake until Chicago. I did not know that my time near the great lake of Chicago was a preview of our Madison time. Walking Latkah at night this summer is a rare pleasure.

Last weekend, the three of us went to the Dane County Fair. Another thing in Madison that is relatively close by our house. We saw all the usual state fair displays – horses, pigs, chickens, bunnies, cows, llamas, and sheep. We saw some judging and some young riders practicing their dressage. We saw tractors and farm equipment, soy beans and corn. Then we went to the amusement part and the fun began. We bought Julia a wrist band that allowed her to ride all the rides she wanted to. She rode the little dragon roller coaster 5 times and the bumble bees 4 time and plenty of other rides 2 or three times. Julia was not incredibly crazy when she and I rode the big Ferris wheel, but looked longingly at the spinning, upside down, much too fast adult rides. However, her favorite ride was a small horse carousel where she could ride a horse round and round with no one holding her on. We had lunch at the fair and Julia had her first corn dog! I guess she is a mid-westerner now.

We have been working during the week on letters and numbers in a very informal way. I get out the big dry erase board and we draw pictures and I write the first letters of things we are drawing. Julia was not necessarily interested in what I was doing at first. She is now repeating letters, their sounds, and the words with those sounds. We make letters out of clay and the J or K or W join forces with the dinosaurs and long eared rabbits and sleep on clay beds or ride on clay carriages. Two days ago we were at a rest stop as we were traveling and she saw a U-Haul advertizement in which a large U was on the back of a flat bed truck. Julia pointed to the picture and said, "Mommy, U truck." It was the first time she noticed a letter. Break through?

Julia’s world expands slowly. We worry at times that it is too slowly. She has learned most of her colors but doesn’t understand why we count. She likes to be read to and to make up songs to melodies she knows but she has not memorized our simple Madeline grace or learned to answer "yes, mommy" when I ask if she is all right where she is. Most of the time, I see the progress that she is making and how she works at her life. Sometimes I can step back and worry just a bit.

Julia and I traveled to Indianapolis this weekend to visit Marcia and Matthew and to attend FTIA (our adoption agency)’s reunion picnic. It was great to stay with Marcia and Matthew and eat and swim and talk together. Matthew bought a new Harry Potter video game that looked like quite a lot of fun – not that he was ready to let the controls out of his hands. Maybe next time I can cast a spell or two.

The picnic was wonderful to go to. Last year we went and met some of our travel mates and saw children! This year I bought Julia. I cannot quite describe, or describe well, the scene of children from China, Vietnam, Russia, South and Central America with parent who so wanted this kids that they traveled the world to find them. So many beautiful children; so many happy families. It was so much fun meeting children whose pictures I’ve seen on the internet and whose parents I’ve corresponded with through yahoo groups and email. What a thrill to have someone see Julia or read the name tag that was on her back and say in surprise, "Julia Bai Bai. And you must be Suzanne."