Purple Princess is all smiles...

Here's our girl playing in her room instead of sleeping. With that smile, what is a mom to do?

We have had a wonderful week. I am just beside myself with happiness. Everyone who knows Alison and has worked with her during this time of adjustment is almost as happy as we are. But no one is as happy as she is.

The pictures above were taken in her bedroom one evening. She was so happy. She pulled all eight of her Barbie type dolls and put them all in bed with her. She then posed for some pictures. This is not a child who just likes her picture taken.

This week is the week that goes down as the most dramatic change in our home. It started slowly about a week ago. Alison started talking at home... in English and in Chinese. If she doesn't know the words in English she says it in Chinese and then fusses when we don't understand her. She just wants to be understood!

As we left Angie's one afternoon, she says "Angie.....Caleb.... Nolan.... Ethan". Oh my, I was elated. I had never heard her say their names, ever! And she said them all. Then she says, "daddy?" OHHHH Yes. Scott. She wanted to know what Scott's name was. What is the name of Caleb, Nolan and Ethan's daddy? Before I could pick my mouth up off the floor she continues... "Michelle..... Alyssa" (then she shrugs because Michelle is divorced and she doesn't see Alyssa's dad often). She continues, "Emilie, Maggie, Joseph..... Daniel ..... Hollie.... Tammie". I said don't forget Kyle (we saw him in Florida) and she didn't say Stephen but she hasn't seen him much. Then she says, "daddy"? Greg, his name is Greg. She put her whole family together. She knew who went with who and wanted to know the guys names. She also wanted to know what my name and Lynn's name were. Was I a proud momma. That is a lot of people to get straight.

Over the next week or so, the words kept coming, "what's that", "I want that one", "I don't know", "I hungry" and many others. This week at dinner one night she offered me a bite of somehthing and I just grunted. She looks at me and says, "Can you say no thank you?" Cough, choke, smile, "well, yes I can. No, Thank you." OH MY GOODNESS. Someone in the family might as well have manners.

Then Thursday at school, she opened up. I was hoping it was about time with all of the language we had at home but I never dreamed it would come so fast. Anyway, Alison has never spoken much at school. Well, except for the "no" to everything you ask her. Not now, she started talking to everyone. She talked to the kids and her teacher, Mrs. Lanham, and most of all to Jennifer. Jennifer is a little girl from China who speaks fluent Mandarin and they are in class together. Even Jennifer didn't get hardly any words from Alison even though they sit beside each other. I have talked to Jennifer and she thinks Alison doesn't like her. I tried to explain she was just shy. Now they are the chatter twins in their secret language that no one else understands. Now they are both happy.

Now if that isn't enough, it just gets better.

Thursday afternoon we have a break through and then Thursday night she had a school program where Alison's class was to sing and dance on stage. Of course she told her teacher NO but she did the practices for the program and we crossed our fingers. We were told the kids were to wear Sunday church clothes. Now that means a dress except this child has NEVER worn a dress. I failed on Easter to get a dress on her not once but twice. I tried last week to convince her to wear a dress and she pulled on the sweats. I failed. I was prepared for the fight (losing miserably) and the child being the only little princess up on stage in pants and a school shirt.

I kept putting it off. We had such a good day and now I was going to have to fight her over a dress. Anyway, I told her she needed to get ready for her program and she didn't get it (you know... sing... dance with your class). I said she needed to wear a dress to school to sing and dance and she said "NO". I told her that Jennifer is wearing a dress and we went to her room. I pulled out all four of her dresses. She said flat out no to the black/white polka dot and the red/white polka dots(ok, I got carried away with dots...but they are different and very cute and I bought them at different times and I forgot what I had at home). Well, again I got the big no. She did look at the purple flowered dress and the pink dress. She held each of them up and then chose the purple. SHE PUT ON A DRESS. SHE PUT ON A DRESS. We were in her room 5 minutes and she made a decision and put on a dress. Next, she got her panty hose out of the drawer and I helped her put them on. (I didn't even know she knew what they were.)

WOW. I was so happy to get a dress on her and then she surprised me again. She got a head band out of the drawer. Now that sounds so simple. She has NEVER put anything in her hair. EVER. Her adoption pictures showed her in a dress with her hair pulled back. I took hair things with me to China and nope she would have none of them except to fill her Barbie's heair with braid after braid. No matter what I bought for her hair, she would not wear it. You can imagine how surprised I was when she would not agree to wear a dress or put anything in her hair. If she hadn't opened up to Jennifer it would not have mattered what Jennifer was wearing! Thank you Jennifer!

She sang in her program and danced. She even smiled. Everyone told her how pretty she was. The school is a buzz with the rumor that she is talking.

On Friday, the words continued. She usually just swings during recess... all alone. Not now. She is playing with the other kids from her class. Can anything else change?

Oh, I forgot. She also learned to ride her bike on Wednesday. Ok, she rode it for blocks and then crashed into the garage door to stop but she is riding really well.

WHEW! She is trying to read. She is writing letters. She is understanding money and how much each coin is worth. She is playing more on Webkinz and making recipes for her pets.

Less you think it is all roses. She is controlling the TV. She gets mad when we don't let her watch what she wants. She hates her bike helmet and is ignoring us when we tell her to put it on. She pouts when you ask her to put up her own things. She is not going to sleep when put to bed. She gets up and plays and we put her back to bed several times.

But did I tell you she is calling us mommy and daddy? Well, throw the discipline problems out the window. We are giddy with joy. Our child can talk, ride a bike and she mostly likes us. What a week.