smart child, loving mom

Today is a day to be happy and a bit sad.

One of the four year olds was adopted today, she had stayed with her foster mom (lao-lao) for three years.

She's very smart, learning to make phone calls at three years old, going to school at four.

Her lao-lao would tell her that years ago her parents left her with lao-lao and went back to America to earn money all for bao-bao.
Later at school when the other kids would pick on her, she'd reply saying that she had parents in America, her father was very very rich, and he had a gun. Whoever wanted to pick on her, would have to face him.
Her teacher had taught many years of middle school and would say that never in all her years of teaching was there a child as bright as her.

Three years of taking care of bao-bao, tending to her unique needs and inevitably loving her like ones own. Still, lao-lao would prepare bao-bao to leave to go to her family.
At times, bao-bao was ready to go to America, other times she resisted. Finally on the day of adoption bao-bao didn't want to go.

One hopes the separation wasn't traumatic, after all, years of preparation and waiting came to this. But we can't help but have some sadness in our hearts mixed with such happiness.

Hopefully her family is as kind as bao-bao predicted, and that photos will be sent back until some day she comes back and to see her lao-lao. Hopefully her adjustment is smooth and that her lao-lao will heal all while remembering her.

she burst into the men's dormitory, "who are you talking to?!"
"my friend...you want to talk to her?"
(fast four year old Chinese)
"go knock on the door, tell lao-lao you want to go out"
(knocks on door) "lao-lao, wo yao chu qu!"
(opens door, shuts door, continues animated conversation with director)