Mama Hoa

Sitting in CLE on Family Law – the difficult cases, although every presenter suggests that most family law cases are difficult or challenging whether it be the facts, law, or clients. I need credits before I transfer my license to Wisconsin and family law is of interest. Looking for work in Madison, I will be looking with the courts and also in practice that focused on kids. I’d love to be doing adoption law but there seems to be so little of it anywhere. There don’t seem to be any agencies in Madison that do IA – wonder if anyone would like to open a branch office? Then there are custody issues, terminations, domestic violence, divorce – I have a little experience doing the appeals from the court of appeals. Change of location of children of a divorce, relocation statues and opinion on it – even Hague stuff. There is a job called a parenting coordinator – wow, I must qualify for that.

I showed the house on Tuesday two hours after we arrived home from Madison and again on Wednesday to a Buyer and his Realtor. I see Debbie tomorrow at 8:30 to get us listed. What we need is more people walking through, more people to know about our house to get it sold. People are looking on the internet, not the newspaper. That’s what we are doing.

I am so hopeful for this week, and it is Thursday.

Julia’s behavior improved as we spent time in Madison in general. However, when we visited the Monona school, she was incredibly awful. Laying on the floor, refusing to do as I say, entering a room and immediately pulling on things, and making lots of noise. I am getting better responding to her evenly and without any anger, and forgetting about the behavior as soon as we are out of the situation.

Getting back home, Julia has found some space of calm. She is playing with toys, watching movies, and playing with clay. Her eating is not good right now, and she is not getting to sleep easily, but she is becoming more reasonable about both of these.

Julia refines her language daily. This week she is asking more questions and using the -ing ending more often. She loves her nonfiction dinosaur books and is learning more and more names of dinosaurs. School has a two more weeks and we have no plans for her care. I am hoping that I can have her all day every day and it be good. That we can establish a schedule for her to live with and flourish under. We shall see if I have such patience, and if Julia is willing to spend sooo much time with just me. And we shall see if this is all possible while we are in the transition period.

Yesterday, though an email friend, I showed Julia a sight that played one on the songs that is on the CD from China that we seem to have lost. The song is Mama Hoa, and the web site had just a sample of the song and Julia wanted me to play it over and over. She snuggled close to me and we sang it many times. It was the first time I saw the meaning of the lyrics of a Chinese children's song called Mommy's Best –

Only mommy is the best in th world.
When a child has a mommy, she feels treasured.
When she gets into mommy's arms,
there is endless happiness to enjoy.
When a child does not have a mommy, she is most worried and anxious.
A child without a mommy is like a weed.
Away from mommy’s arms,
where can she find happiness?

Of course, I wonder why you would teach an orphan a song like this.

Now I understand why our guides in China were sure that Julia was singing this when she sang her song over and over, but although she likes this song it is not her first song – Mama dah low yo ho. How I would love to find that song and what it means.

We have allowed Julia’s time listening to Chinese to slip away. She didn’t seem that interested and seemed to be concentrated on English for a few months, but interest is coming back. We need to get that CD that we got in China, and to find other materials about China and in Chinese. Case in point – she loves the Chingtaosaurus – a dinosaur who bones were found in China.