Big Sibs are the BEST!

So yesterday we spent the day on the Yale University campus. The Asian student society there puts on two events every year called "CASPY." CASPY stands for Chinese Adopted Sibling Program at Yale. Basically, they match Yale students up with children adopted from China, and have a day filled with fun workshops and events to celebrate their Chinese/Asian roots with the kids. Workshops like Cookie Calligraphy, Wushu (it's sort of like judo?) , Chinese Yo-Yo's; Night Market, and all the other fun things like face painting, etc. The kids have a ball, but the best part is the Big Sibs they connect with.

For the past 4 years, Shao had a Big Brother, Steven Le. We LOVED him. He came to Shao's ballet recitals, and we emailed him and talked to him on the phone frequently, as well as seeing him for the two annual events. That was more than we ever had, with former Big Sibs. Let's face it, these are Yale college students, and they are BUSY! So we were thankful for any time we got to spend with Stephen. Last May he graduated, and Shao & I attended his graduation, and spent the day with his wild and wonderful family, who came from all over the country to honor him. It was a a blast! We miss him dearly, as he is living back home in California now.

So last fall we attended CASPY, wondering who Shao would be matched with. And her assigned Big Sib never showed up! So they pulled a kid out of the ranks, and we got Hans. Yep, Hans...long story short, his name in Chinese sounded like Han, so when they emigrated here, his mom looked in a baby book, and saw the name Hans, which was pretty close...usually Chinese will choose an "American" name for themselves and their children, when they emigrate here. So poor Hans got stuck with a German name! Funny.

Anyhow...while Hans was perfectly nice, he was a bit manic, and over the top, and even though we are are KNOWN for being fun people, and a bit crazy, it was a bit more than we could handle. PLUS Shao REALLY wanted a girl this time...much as she loved Steven, she is getting to that age. So we were DELIGHTED to get Bonnie Yn as our new big Sib. We LOVED Bonnie, and are hoping for a great 4 years with her...yep, she is a freshman! Bonnie even went so far as to call us a few days before the event, which I was amazed at! She and Shao talked for a long time, and Shao came out grinning when she was done, and was SOOOO excited! Shao had managed to ask what kind of cookies Bonnie like, and the answer was choc. chip, but since oatmeal is "good" for you, she usually had that, because it made her feel like she was eating well! LOL! So Shao made her a batch of oatmeal choc. chip cookies! :) Bonnie was so touched, she called her mom in California to tell her! :)

While Shao was wandering around Yale having a blast, I attended two parent workshops that were wonderful. One was led by a prof. at Yale, Dr. William Zhou, who talked about how Chinese parents raise their children, and the principles they find most important, and we also did a little language lesson! Then we went to the next one, and learned how to make noodles with a black bean paste sauce. Sounds kinda yucky, but it was GOOOD!!! I'm going to try it one of these days!!!! We ended the day, as usual, with a talent show. ShaoXi danced ballet to the song "It's the Climb." She did a beautiful job, as usual!

On the way home I dropped Shao off at a friend's for a sleepover, where they were supposed to work on a homework project, but mostly turned off the lights in recognition of Earth Day, and watched a movie. We had church this morning, and Shao had choir practice afterward. Next Sunday will be our last Sunday attending the church. There are some major doctrinal differences that have arisen recently, and they are big enough that I feel we must find a church that truly believes in the Word of God, and the gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. We will begin attending the church I first attended when I got saved as a young adult several decades ago! I am looking forward to it. But first we need to fulfill a few obligations at North Guilford Congregational Church, then we can slip away.

Not much else news here. It's not too cold out, but it is rainy. However the week ahead has temps in the 40's and 50's, with some 60's, so winter is definitely fading away! YIPPEE!!!

Blessings...Nancy

I'm going in circles!

SO...what have I been up to for the past few days, you ask? Glad you did, happy to tell you! Let's see....
Wednesday morning I woke up and realized that my right eye kind of hurt. Nothing sharp, nothing very distint. More of just an ache, like a bruise, but kind of behind the eye. Bizarre, but I was also having a bit of a sinusy headache, and rain was making its way toward us, so knowing my barometer self, figured it was all part and parcel of that. Except that Shao did say that night, "Mama, your eye is all red!" Oh...hmm...maybe I should have looked in the mirror at least ONCE today? Yep, all red/bloodshot
Thursday morning...woke up with much more pain...much sharper, more knifelike. Still looked red, hurt to touch the outer eyelid, looked slightly swollen to me. EEEK!!! Oh, my goodness, it hurt! But I stiffened up my upper lip and soldiered on. Thursday was a manic day, work, meetings, Shao had a playdate planned. Tried to figure out just WHEN I could squeeze in a visit to the Dr....but by 9:30, when I got back from my AM run, my eye felt fine, looked fine, except still red a bit, and so I tabled the idea, to see what would happen. It had run like crazy, tears pouring down my face, during my whole AM bus run, so I thought hmm, maybe there was something in it, and now its washed out, and it will be okay. Not so much, come to find out!
Thursday night...about 9:30; Shao's in bed asleep. I am in AGONY. MAJOR shooting pains, so much that they took my breath away. I am frantically trying to decide if I should go to the ER, that's how bad it was. Who would I call to take me? Who would I call to come stay with Shao? Or would I have to wake her up? Too many logistics for a pain-shrouded mind. I practically crawled into bed, and gingerly laid down, hoping the pain would dissipate. It didn't, but somehow I DID manage to fall asleep.
Friday (today) morning...the alarm went off and I jumped...then screamed. The jolt was not good...pain right off the bat, really BAD pain. So bad that I could NOT make myself keep the eye open, it instantly hurt just too much. I showered, dressed, and brushed my teeth with both eyes closed...because closing only the bad one actually hurt too much. Both was better. Finally made myself open it and keep it open...I mean, I was leaving to drive a bus...better to do that with eyes open, eh? It hurt like...you know what...for a few minutes, then began to weep copiously for the next hour, as it did the morning before. And by the time my run was over, voila, it felt pretty good, like the morning before. But I am no fool. No WAY was I gonna trust that it was going to be fine. No way did I want to experience the pain I had that morning, and the night before. SO...
I drove over to my Dr.'s office. I had thoughts of going straight to the clinic/ER, but my Dr likes me to go to them/call them first, then he will direct me. SO...I went to his office (which is on the way to the clinic, anyways.) Mind you, I did not have an appt. But I was not letting that stop me!!! The recep. was nice, and managed to get me an appt in 45 min. So I sat in the waiting room and read magazines, in between resting my eyes.
Finally, I saw the Dr. (not mine, he was booked). Dr. Silva looked at my eye, listened to my story, and shrugged his shoulders. He said it wasn't an infection, but obviously something was going on, and I should go to the clinic/ER!!! URGH! By now, I have to hustle back to the bus yard to drive my Kindergarten run. I tell him this, he tries to frighten me to death, talking about going blind, vs. going to work for 1 hour. Upshot...I just agree with him, leave, pray that God will protect me if I am being foolish, and go drive my run. THEN I head to the clinic.
So I get to the clinic around 1PM. They are a bit busy...oh, goody. Because I have another run to do at 3PM. I finally get back into a room at 1:35. The PA finally comes in at 1:50. I tell him my whole story, he looks in my eyes. He puts something very painful in my eyes, then looks again. Puts dye in both eyes, and looks. Does a pressure test. Looks in my eyes with a hand held light. Makes me put my chin in this cup thing, my head against a bar, and looks in both eyes with another instrument of torture. He was VERY thorough, for which I was thankful. Gets all done...and shrugs his shoulders. No clue what is going on. Wants me to see an opthamologist. Yep, so do I! Calls around to see if he can find one that accepts my state insurance...yep, finds one. AN HOUR AND A HALF AWAY. Who can see me if I come NOW, or else I will have to call for an appt.
SO...I leave and drive like a maniac to get back to the bus yard to do my run. When I get home an hour later I call my Dr.'s office and tell them they need to find me an eye dr. somwhere a tad closer than that! And so now I wait! But just as a kicker, the substitute Dr. that I saw, Dr. Silva, is the one I am again talking to, and again he makes sure I know I could go blind if I don't get help soon. Yeah, thanks...I'm trying. Don't you love it?!? Nightmare, I tell ya, a nightmare!

Okay...so that was my day...and there were some good parts...like the warmish weather (no jacket needed, if you're the hardy New England type, like me! And my girl is in a better frame of mind, which is always a happy thing! :)

Tomorrow we have a big event at Yale University. More about that after the fact! Suffice it say for now it's about being Chinese, and having a Big Sister/Big Brother. I'll explain, I promise!

Blessings...Nancy