Minnie Mouse!

Here is little Meghan Stancliff as Ms. Minnie Mouse.

Happy Halloween and Reunion Fun from the Weiniger Family!

Eliza Li and her family just celebrated the sixth anniversary of her arrival in the United States with three other families from their travel group. The view the very happy reunion, check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOhCvqCoq2Q

Introducing Snow White!

Mia, age 5 1/2 in her adorable Snow White costume!

Introducing Zachary, the Pumpkin!

Here is a picture of Zachary, who is almost 15 months now. He was a pumpkin, but his costume was made out of felt/fleece and it was hot in Texas on Halloween, so he didn't wear it for very long!

Re-Adoption Day for the Reeves' Family

I know you were asking for Halloween pics, but I wanted to send you our picture of re-adoption day from February. We adopted Hannah last year from Shanghai. She’s a wonderful little girl and is as happy as she appears in this picture.

Olivia, the Cutest Flower in the Pacific Northwest!

Here are a couple photos of the cutest flower garden in the Pacific Northwest! Olivia Breen, forever family on January 19, 2003……

Halloween Fun

Dear Gladney Families,

In case the wings do not give it away, Whitney was dressed up as a butterfly. However, she steadfastly refused to wear her butterfly hat :0). Whitney has already decided that she would like to dress up as a mermaid AND a princess next year! Perhaps watching Dora Saves the Mermaid influenced this big decision!

Beth Anne

Bringing Siena JieXian Home

An excerpt from the Riley's blog as they are traveling......

Gotcha Day
I really don't think anything could have gone better. We arrived at Civil Affairs before Siena did. When they walked in, I knew it was her. She looked up at us from another room across the hall, and smiled. I waved and she waved back. A few minutes later they walked over. She seemed a little nervous, but was still smiling. Ms. Zuang told her who we were and gently nudged her over to us. We gave her some presents, which she opened with Ms. Zuuang's help. She seemed to really like the purse and play make-up. Ms. Zuang kept talking to her the whole time, and she kept smiling. When she came over to us, she started pulling something out of her backpack. It was the little photo album I had sent her of us and our home. She pointed to the pictures and us smiling. When Ms. Zuang told her she needed to leave with us, I could tell she was a little nervous, but she took our hands and came along. Erminia

The Goodridge family brought home their baby boy at the end of July. Zachary has settled into his new home and family very well and below is an excerpt from their family blog. Thanks for sharing with Gladney!
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My son is learning how to crawl and walk

Here is Z trying to crawl! He can also pull up with our help and he has a semblance of walking with some encouragement. His motor skills continue to get better-especially when food is involved! We hope walking is only a few weeks away so he can chase his sister around.

Experiencing China, Embracing Beijing: CCAA Summer Camp

There are exciting camp updates! Go to http://www.chinainitiative.org/ for full coverage and many more photos. Gongzhan Wu and other chaperones have been journaling daily and the campers have already been featured in one of China's well renowned newspapers.

Experiencing China Embracing Beijing: Summer CCAA Camp 2007

As some of you may already know, the CCAA has, for the first time ever, invited Chinese adoptees to China for a Camp experience. CCAA is covering all in-country costs and has prepared an amazing itinerary for everyone involved. Campers and Chaperones embarked on their pioneer trip to Beijing on August 13th. All were welcomed warmly as they stepped off the plane into China.

CCAA has designated three English-speaking staff to be tutors, each leading a camp group of 10. They have also arranged 3 tour guides to take care all travel necessities, including rooms, meals, transportations, etc. They've even arranged a pediatrician from New Century International Children's Hospital to stay in the hotel who will be available available 24 hours a day.
We will be posting information regarding the trip as it unfolds so stay tuned. Visit http://www.chinainitiative.org/ for full coverage!

14 of the 30 campers

Adoption Education Program

Recently, Erik Shumar, a Ph.D. student at Columbia University's School of Social Work, was contracted by the Gladney Center for Adoption to offer additional adoption education services at Gladney. Beginning in September, these particular services will be offered at Gladney’s New York office and be available to any Gladney family who has adopted or is in the process of adopting a Chinese child from Gladney and considers themselves geographically close enough to attend program events.

Concurrent with these services, Mr. Shumar is conducting a research project to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and interpret any benefit it may provide towards a child's development of a positive identity. For the purposes of this research, Mr. Shumar is looking for both parents and children who plan to take part in adoption education services AND those who will not participate in the program, but are still willing to take part in the study. Your assistance will help to make this adoption education program the best it can be. Many families have already taken advantage of this opportunity, but there is still room for any other interested families.

EVENTS OFFERED
* Monthly children's playgroups
* Real-time advice site
* Podcasts and Blog Spots
* Culture classes
* Book club
* Adoption movies
* Special guest speakers
* Mentorship program

If you are a Gladney family who has adopted or is in the process of adopting a Chinese child from Gladney and are interested in taking part in the adoption education program or at least filling out a survey to help advance the field of international adoption, please contact Mr. Shumar at AdoptEduc@gladney.org Also visit www.chinainitiative.org for more information and for a weekly educational column.

Back to Zhenjiang ( 4 ) - Sightseeing in Zhenjiang

Zhenjiang (4) – Sightseeing

By Mitchell Senft

We then checked in the lovely but thin-walled International Hotel, made appropriate arrangements, freshened and then was taken to the Golden Temple(?), a temple in a park by the river. It is in a new park along the river, a sort of cornice, with high rises along or going up along its far side -- urban renewal, except the temple was closed. So we headed out to an early dinner at the Mickey D's on the main shopping drag on which the hotel was located. Lily said, and proved, that my beloved DVDs were on the side streets off the main drag (which was essentially all retail). Two FF2s (at least one in English; second one an accident), a boxed set of relatively low-res Bond films (English with Chinese subtitles), Ocean's 13 and Pan's Labyrinth -- for a hopping 100 yuan. (Got the second FF2 by discombobulating the woman in charge making her show us that the advertised disc was actually in the package and that it was in English.) The main drag was certainly adequate, no hick town thing. Zhenjiang has grown up these past ten years. It's a popping little city now. Then home to sleep -- while Shayna stayed up with FF2, which was still awesome, she advised.

Back to Zhenjiang ( 3 ) - The Finding Place

Meeting Ms. Chen, who found Baby Shayna

Shyana Meeting Ms. Cheng in Zhenjiang

Standing at the tree, where Baby Shayna was found.

Mrs. Zhang then led us to a community center to which baby Shayna was taken after being found. (Or it may be not the same one but the one for the area.) While speaking to someone there, Ms. Zhang apparently determined that the then-director, who then (as required by law) took baby Shayna to the police station, still lived nearby; she was called, rushed over, then led the group, except for Shayna and me, to where she was found.

The community center to which the baby (Shayna) was brought after being found.

The auto mechanic "shop" inside the courtyard outside of which was tree where the baby was found. To the extent that there is a food stand (left side of photo), it wasn't there in '96, when the baby was found.

Rewind: One of the records viewed at the orphanage, which we apparently had not previously received, apparently gave the prior history, as it were: found (at a garage or not; more below), taken to the community center, then police, then the orphanage.

Shayna was very creped out by the idea of seeing the spot where she was found so we stayed back with the driver while everyone else walked on, about a three minute walk from the community center. (Shayna felt unready to see the spot and had been worried for a few days about meeting her past. She wanted to wait till the next time she was in Zhenjiang to see the spot.)

The area was I supposed working class, more or less, with, typically, must action and busyness on the street, lined with street -level businesses. We got into the van for the a/c. The driver assumed we wanted to be driven after the women. I corrected him, he parked and we then had a Chinese-style fender bender. A van backed into us in the course of making a K turn (in reverse!) and the driver disregarded our driver's honk. Much scratching around the van's taillight two teeny marks on our minivan -- like two very little scratches. The drivers argued and reached a financial resolution i.e. our driver received a satisfactory payment. My car should have only such little scratches.

Lily later told us that the drill is that the drivers would try and work out a resolution between themselves. If not possible, the police would be called who would then determine who was at fault, determine an appropriate sum and fine the guilty driver as well.

When Donna came back and told us that it was all cool and OK, Shayna changed her mind and we all went back to the scene. Adjacent to the tree is a new i.e. post-finding -- refreshment kiosk. Behind that, though, was a small courtyard, along the left side of which was a... garage, an auto service operation. While unimpressive now, ten years ago it must have been significant. Personally, though, I'm, well, intrigued by the idea of a baby being left at such a location....

Back to Zhengjiang 10 Years After ( 2 ) - The Zhengjiang SWI

The relevant page of the book of doptees including the four Zhenjiang girls in our group.


Zhenjiang (2) – The Zhenjiang Social Welfare Service Center

By Mitchell Senft










The Zhenjiang Social Welfare Service Center of which Shayna was cared for in its orphanage division, as it were, at its prior facility, since torn down for urban renewal. (We did not go there. The babies were brought to us in Nanjing in 1997 because operations were being transferred to the facility which we toured today.)
Shayana with Former Director Mr. Ji

Ms. Zhang, the then and now caregiver

We met with, exchanged gifts with one of the girls' caretakers, Ms. Zhang, still with the orphanage, its current director, and with the 97 director, now apparently the #2 for the entire center. We were greeted in a sort of director’s meeting-type room with a welcome Wang Jiang-Lu banner. We were shown records, some we had, some not, as well as the relevant page from what seemed to be the big book of adoptee, which had all four girls identified as well as a fifth. Donna gave them the printouts of the numerous photos of Denise and the one of Julia.

We had a brief tour of the orphanage, now with a lot more or a higher percentage of seriously special needs kids. I should say it was special needs heavy among the babies and infants, far less so among the older kids. Obviously the reason were told no photos or recording, although same was allowed in the private rooms, where we met and was served lunch. We said our goodbyes.

Back to Zhengjiang 10 Year Later ( 1 ) - Train Ride

Donna and Shayna on the train from Shanghai to Zhenjiang

Zhenjiang (1) – Train Ride

By Mitchell Senft

I almost even recognized the train station on arrival. (This after confirming the three subsequent nights at the Galaxy, which involved, apparently, a wake up call to Zoe, who did not sound very awake at all at 0700.Her agency had made the arrangements including paying in advance.)

Great train ride, once we learn the hard way that we had reserved seats (the passenger in whose seat we were occupying literally pointed it out to us). Train was new, clean, fast, with at least one non-flushing toilet. Food was a beverage cart, not a pot of tea carried by army personnel or people dressed liked army personnel (aged memory fails on this point). Met at the station by Lily, the guide/interpreter whose agency was retained on our behalf by George Wu and from there directly to the hired vehicle and the ride to...

Blessings from China by Roberta Diggs
Gladney mom, Roberta Diggs, has published her first book entitled Blessings from China. In this book Roberta takes you on a journey halfway around the world of her and her husband’s mission to rescue two abandoned children, Tracie and Marcie. You will laugh and cry as you follow the moving experience of Roberta and Billy as they become first-time parents in the forties. It is a poignant memoir about the reality of adoption, spiced with humor and the blessings of God. Blessings from China is sure to warm your heart and inspire your soul.

Roberta Diggs is a devoted wife and mother busy being a domestic engineer for her family. She has spoken on occasion to groups about her journey of adoption to China through the Gladney Center. She has a great passion for the people of China and especially for the orphanages that are full of children. She has been active in church, teaching young people and has been the women’s missionary leader. Roberta and her husband, Billy, live on a farm in western Oklahoma where they enjoy time with their two beautiful daughters, Tracie and Marcie.

Shanghai SuperKids Volunteers Visiting Shanghai Children's Home

Janet Fink hols up a child of special need in Shanghai (above)

Dian, Janet and Pat in Shanghai Super Kids shirt (right)

SSK Volunteers with SCH staff and Children. (above)

The man in white shirt is Director Wang from Shanghai Children's Home

Gladney mom, Janet Fink, and two professional therapists, Pat Marcus and Diane Schmidt, of the Shanghai SuperKids just returned from their first volunteer trip to the Shanghai Children's Home. It was a huge success and one they will never forget. While there they saw a total of 300 children and worked with more than 100 of them. They trained at least 20 caretakers and 20 rehabilitation staff. They were able to identify and measure 4 preteens with spinal cord injury who need better wheel chairs and identify and measure a small group of children who need walkers and special chairs to help them sit up and function more normally. On their last day, the director of the Shanghai Children's Home gave each of the volunteers a special certificate that thanked them for their work and for respecting the SCH guidelines. The Shanghai SuperKids are looking to raise more money with the hope to return in October to follow up on the work they began and to see the remaining 400 children. Shanghai SuperKids was initiated by Janet Fink and is a project of Glandey's China Initiative. For more information, please visit www.superkids.chinainitiative.org.

MJ and Nici Are In China 3--Nanchang--Gotcha!!!

Monday, July 09, 2007
Gotcha!

On Sunday, we left Beijing for Nanchang and arrived at approximately 12:45 pm. We were met by our new guide who brought us to our hotel. While enroute to the hotel, she informed us that we would meet our babies! When we arrived at the hotel, we only had about 2 hours to get ready and freshen up before leaving for the CCAA office. After what seemed like an endless drive, we finally arrived at the building. We had to take and elevator up to the 26th floor. When we arrived, the babies had not arrived, so we had to wait for them. We paced the floor for what seemed like hours. Finally, the babies arrived! None of them were crying. They all were so good and it was such a wonderful moment to finally meet our daughter. Words cannot explain how we felt. Also, my greatest fear of not recognizing her, went out the window. I knew her right when I saw her! The CCAA building was very hot and miserable. It seemed like we were there forever.
When we got back to the hotel, we changed Meghan and dressed her in a 9mos outfit. We quickly learned that she would need a couple of 6 month outfits because she is so tiny. We did not expect her to be so little! We took her to dinner with our group and she is such a good little eater! After dinner we took her back to the room and played with her until bathtime. She did great in the tub, but whimpered when we first put her in the little tub the hotel provided. After bathtime we soothed her and she fell asleep on my chest, while her daddy worked on some paperwork for the CCAA.
Here are some pictures from our special day!

MJ and Nici Are In China 2--Beijing!!!

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Today we had a full day of touring. We first went to a Jade Factory where we learned how to tell the difference between quality Jade and fake Jade. It was very informative and we learned a lot about Jade! Then we had the opportunity to walk around and look at beautiful Jade goods. We could also purchase items at this location.

In this picture, the gentleman is carving the Jade. After he carves it, another worker then polishes it. After our visit to the Jade factory, we headed north out of Beijing towards the Great Wall. The view was beautiful as we approached the wall.

These are padlocks lining the wall as you first begin the climb. The locks are placed there by lovers and then once it is attatched, they throw away the key to symbolize their long lasting love.
Here is a view from the first guard tower looking up the wall. Some of the steps were high, some were short. They were very uneven, making the climb up the wall tiring and treacherous. It was also very hot! We were sweating like crazy!
I was able to make it up the wall to an area between the second and third guard towers. In this picture you scan see some of the wall snaking amongst the mountains.
After we toured the wall, we went to lunch at the Friendship store. This was fun and there were so many great things to buy and see. This store is government owned, so you can't barter, but it was an interesting way of shopping because you tell the sales representative what you want. She then writes it up on a ticket that you are given as you enter the store. After she gives you a copy of the ticket, you take it to the cashier and pay for it. The sales representative then gives you your items. After a little bit of shopping, we headed to the Ming Tombs. This was very beautiful and the grounds were immaculate. The tombs are guarded by animals, mystic beasts, and soldiers.

Once we finished walking the grounds at the Ming Tombs, we headed back to the city and then went to tour a Silk Carpet Factory. This was very interesting and we can see why those carpets are so expensive. Each one is hand made. The girls who make the carpets have to take a break every 30 minutes because of the tedious work.

We ended the day with a nice Peking Duck dinner. They carved the duck before bringing it to our table, but they put the meat in these nice porcelin dishes.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to pack and get some rest before our travel to Nanchang.
This is a picture of our hotel room. It was very nice and the beds are a little hard, but we were so tired everyday that it did not really bother us. Overall we really enjoyed staying at the hotel. Today (Sunday) we are flying to Nanchang. We are hoping we will get Meghan today, but we will definately get her tomorrow. I have no idea how our blog looks because I am unable to look at it, but I can post. So I hope it makes sense! We are going to try to post updates from Nanchang, providing that we are able to connect to the internet. Hopefully our next post will be from Nanchang! Only 8 hours until we hopefully see Meghan!