Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Sick Boy


I had dreams of Mack last night.  He was crying in all of them and I was trying to figure out how to comfort him...

Mack woke this morning with a fever, chills, sweats, tears and headache.  I guess sometimes, somehow, a mom just subconsciously 'knows'...

Mike stayed home with him today (bless his heart-- especially knowing the stool sample has yet to be collected--).  Mike picked up Macks laptop from my classroom today and walked into my class just as we were discussing Braxton Hicks in Child Development.  Gave me a good chance to introduce my babies' daddy during our pregnancy unit.

I came home from school to Mack still sweat, hot, hurting and sad.  He layed in his bed with dry lips, sweat and glistening Asian skin.  My heart breaks for him.  I feel my biological kids are SO spoiled.  Mack has obviously been sick before.  However, I can't help but hurt knowing he spent the last 8+ years sick alone...

I'm hoping my attempts at bringing him ice water, asking what he needs, if he want's some Sprite, kissing his forehead, taking his temperature, wiping his face with cool cloths, sticking his Ipod under his pillow, making Google Translate 'speak' the questions so he doesn't have to open his eyes will give him some comfort knowing his mama is there.  Time will tell and tomorrow is a new day, but today his Ipod sits empty and my boy is sick due to a doctor appointment I scheduled.



Meanwhile, the stool sample kit sits in waiting...



Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Figuring this Out

Technology is making me want to SCREAM.  Mack has a zillion assignments to do on Google Classroom tonight, however we can't seem to access our wifi because a 'school administrator' needs to enter their username and password. Seriously Clark?
This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Between Ross' endless homework and football practices, Mollys aggressiveness, screeching an anxiety over show-and-tell Wednesay, Mikes' latest plague: 'a cold', Macks teachers struggling to communicate with him, so they're coming to me, the 6 shots, bloodwork and assigned "stool sample" I need to collect from him (aka: Mr. Private) by Thursday, I've got my work cut out for me.  Have I mentioned Maisie has been a God Send?  Seriously, this girl seems to relate to Mack unlike any other.  The two have SO MUCH in common and seem to click more than anyone else.  I think they are both grateful for each other which makes my heart swell. 


We seriously spent over 2 hours doing 3 digit multiplication problems on the porch last night throughout violent outbursts of rage and sadness.  Ross and homework is not a match.

How we're feeling this week.

Don't' study too hard Maisie...

My cute little Chinese boy with highwaters :)

As soon as the Dr. walked out, Mack turned the tables and had us all laughing...

Yeah, we'll be okay. 
Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine...


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Adjustments and Trampolenes

Mack has officially been in America for over a week.  As we learn more about him, he's definitely learning a lot about us.  He's seen Molly's cranky, armpit tickling, annoying stage; my 'sit the kids down on the couch and have an "I'm not the maid" lecture''; Ross trying to be the parent and creating new rules in a bossy voice personality; watching Mike mow the grass in his wife beater (which he found hilarious), and our constant attempts to get him off his Ipod.  We even attempted setting up the volleyball net in the front yard without all the parts on Friday afternoon. 

He's obsessed with playing harmless games on his Ipod... but it's constant.  Like it's his life line.  And in some ways, he probably feels it is.  It's his constant.  It's not speaking English.  It's not asking him questions.  And it's familiar.  I'll figure out a way to limit use before it begins interfering with attachment and language development, but for right now... it's been just over a week.

The school held a meeting before school on Friday for Mack's teachers.  Of course Mike and I were the first ones to arrive armed with ideas, goals, background knowledge and strong coffee.  While a few teachers have appropriate expectations, others needed a wake up call.  I'm grateful to Mack's ELL teacher who set a few of the teachers straight and got all the teachers on the same page.  We'll see how this week goes...

He's already mastered steering the car cart at Fareway.
And on Saturday morning I taught him to make him own 'cheese-free' omelet.  Afterwards, he was eager to help Maisie make eggs.  I must say it was my 'high' for the day.

He was able to meet his Schulz cousins on Saturday afternoon. 

Afterwards, we took the kids to burn energy at Skyzone Trampolene Park.
The photos are super-blurry.  But you get the idea.



 According to Ross, Mack is awesome at Dodgeball.




Tuesday, September 20, 2016

First Day of School take 2

Tuesday marked Mack's first day of school in America.  Was he looking forward to it?  No.  Of course it's homecoming week at I-35.  What does that mean?  It means the school was TP-ed by the seniors last night.  I can only imagine what Mack thought as we pulled into his new American school .  The students are also dressing up this week for Homecoming.  Try explaining to him why his classmates and teachers are dressed like clowns through Google Translate.  God love him.

The school paired him up with another 7th grader who would be his mentor.  They gave him an Ipod with Google Translate and the middle school teachers tried their best to navigate their way through the language barrier.  Some struggled more than others but the resounding response was, 'He's really bright.  We'll need to make sure we're pushing him hard enough'. 

After school everyone asked how he liked school.  His response, "It was o.k."
At home I overheard Ross ask Mack, "Mack, did you like school?" 
His reply, 'NO!'
Good, he's normal.

He's picking up English like nobodies business.  He puts his dirty dishes in the dishwasher without being told and knows we expect him to shower daily and take his dirty clothes to the washing machine.  The way the girls respond to him blows my mind.  He was meant to be a big brother.

I didn't get a 'first day of school photo' as I forgot.  He's not a big fan of the camera anyway.


Ross' first Cowboy football game was Sunday afternoon.  I told him there was a good chance they may not play him since he'd missed 2 weeks worth of practice.

He played.  He was on the line for the majority of the game (not his choice), but did get to play as running back for the last couple minutes.

It wasn't long before he scored a touchdown for the Cowboys.

This little gal seems to be healing quite nicely.  Who'da thought she has a broken wrist.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

The New Boyd Babe!

It's official, we've got a new Boyd Babe! 

I wasn't able to post much information about Mack on this blog until now because he wasn't ours yet.  There were forms I signed saying Yu Chengzhi's photos and file information were not to be posted on any public websites or the adoption could be in jeopardy.  The only reason I could post information about him on the Miles to Mack Facebook page was because the page settings were private. 
But, he's ours now... I can post whatever I want... GAME ON!!

So first and foremost I scoped out the nearest grocery store to our hotel in China.  I couldn't help it and found it fascinating. 

As Mike said, "You're just like your mother".  I sent the below photo to my sister who replied it reminded her of a picture in an old Alan Shepard Elementary Social Studies book.
This was an aisle of seafood.  Nothing but seafood!  Except those orangish-yellowish looking things at the end. Those were some sort of bug critter.

On the day we took custody of Mack, we had to meet at a photo studio to take Mack's Visa photos and a get a photo of him with Mike and I .  The studio was in a back alley of a street in Jinan (which is in the top 10 cities for the worst air pollution in the world).  My flat iron wouldn't work and I had to toss it in China.  I looked like a drowned rat for the photos this day, therefore you will see no photos of me until I was able to purchase a new flat iron at the nearest Watsons (aka: Chinese Walgreens).  We had to wait for the photographer to show up and open the garage door into her photo shop.  It felt illegal, but whatever, it worked.
Chinese toilets suck.  They stink.  Really bad stink. They don't come with toilet paper and there is no soap, let alone sinks.  The below photo is the squatty pot from the place we took custody of Mack.  It was an unusually clean one.



We were lucky to get a photo album from the orphanage of Mack's childhood photos.  I won't get into the details of how he became an orphan as it's not my story to share, however he was basically abandoned by his family on a street in Shandong Province.  His given name, birthday and age were/are unknown.  He was left without a note...


The flight home was long, uncomfortable and exhausting.  Jet lag sucks.  The day we came home I started having moments where I felt I was standing on a moving dock.  I warned Mike of my symptoms incase I stroked-out he could relay my prior symptoms to a doctor. 
I guess when you go more than 2 nights without sleep, you're body gets whacked out.

I wasn't sure how the girls would handle having a new brother.

My favorite comment was from Molly.  The conversation went something like this...
Me: "So, Macks pretty cool, right?"
Molly: "Yeah, It's just sorta weird there's a black guy here".

I am in awe of how well he get gets along with the girls.  It's obvious he was meant to be a big brother.

Below is the ride home from the airport.  My camera phone sucks... sorry about the horrible quality.

Mack lets Molly wrestle with him.  He's gentle and sweet.  Obviously he's been around younger kids.

And yes, Maisie fractured her wrist.  The Monday before we came home she smashed her wrist under the teeter totter at recess.  The orthopedic doctor saw her on Friday and determined she does NOT need a cast!  Just this brace for 4 weeks and no gymnastics. 

The first breakfast as home consisted of pancakes/waffles and hard cooked eggs.  Mack showed the girls how to blow the shell off the egg.  He's not a big carb fan, he prefers fish, meat, eggs and fruit.



Ross' jet lag has been the worst.  He's crabby, extra anxious and sleepy.  He really wanted his best friend Brandon to come play Saturday.  The boys got along really well and Ross has turned a corner in the jet lag department.  I have no idea why Ross was sitting between Brandons legs.

All in all, the adjustment to our new addition has been positive.  I'm still in shock of how comfortable the girls are with him.  He's a skinny little dude, but stronger than he looks.  His English is getting better each day, but still needs work.  He's a sweetheart of a kid.
There's no doubt God's got big plans for him.