A year ago today, we entered our hotel lobby with some trepidation, wondering what Daniel would really be like and what he would think of us. I do believe the process of adoption is harder on the kids than on the parents, but in any case, becoming instant family with a stranger is not for the faint of heart!
A year later, we have real relationships, a foundation of shared experiences, and some understanding of how each other tick. Can I just say how good that feels?
So, after a year of living life with Daniel, this is the boy we know and love:
Personality/character: curious, kind, intelligent, extroverted, diligent (at least on projects of his own choosing!), helpful, skeptical, authentic, insightful, exuberant, loyal, open, funny, affectionate, outside-the-box thinker, tease
Likes: anything that runs on electricity, mashed potatoes, physical contact, scented stuff (like candles and soaps), friends, music, noodles, sledding, his new mattress, feet (especially Mom's), swimming, ice cream, attention
Dislikes: anything that started life as a dried legume (with the exception of soybean products), wearing glasses, messes (poor kid, our house is always messy!), people being upset (especially if he doesn't know why), waiting to see the doctor/dentist, being stared at, most candy, not knowing what to do next, being ignored
Hobbies: fixing things, taking things apart to see how they work, lovingly arranging the many layers of sheets and mattress pads on his new mattress, helping people, watching the news in Chinese, getting the mail before anybody else does, "getting a rise" out of people, shopping, hanging around Mom, chatting, finding electronics and bed accessories on Amazon.com
Wants: an iPod, wireless headphones, remote switches (so he can turn off his light from in bed), a motion-activated light (he already has the motion-activated soap dispenser), twine and beads for the sort of handicrafts he used to make in China
Talents: fixing things, math, photography, singing
Possible
future careers: maintenance technician, contractor, interior designer,
plumber, electrician, electrical engineer, architect
Daniel is quite pleased to have a day that is all about him. :-) His first idea for how to spend his family day was to eat lots of mashed potatoes. Then we thought about swimming. But his final choice? Shopping!! We are making a trek to Home Depot (an hour away) and stopping at our favorite Chinese buffet in that city. We may hit some other stores as well (like Lowes, his local favorite!). No promises that we're going to buy any of his beloved gadgets for him, but he will have fun window shopping. And, he wants to go sign up for a library card. It will be a full day, but fun, and very Danielish. :-)
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