Mayana updates, Wednesday in China

Greetings from sunny Guangzhou! The high today is 74 and the air is clear, with a light breeze. Even so, we are longing for home already. Perhaps it is the thought that we are here for 9 more days that makes us so homesick.

Mayana is doing very well, particularly considering she has little comprehension of what we are saying to her and we have less comprehension of what she is trying to say to us. I'm trying to get everything from the context, but often this is impossible. While I want to encourage her by smiling and nodding in agreement, there are times when I'm hesisitant, particularly when she's pointing at us and laughing, going on and on about ??? Tom thinks she's probably being less than complimentary, as in, "You have a very big nose!"

It is completely different thinking, "I know that language barrier will be hard; but it will come," than actually hearing your own daughter ask you questions without any idea what she is asking. If she wants something, she can find a way to show us. But if she wants information, like "what are we going to do today?" we are completely lost.

Mayana smiles often. She's a big tease and a little ornery. She likes to make people laugh. In general, she seems pretty compliant, but she's not afraid to test the boundaries. She is friendly to store keepers and wait staff and has no problem communicating with them (and it is great that she can order her own food!), but she treats others appropriately (ie, she knows that they are strangers, not family). Walking down the street, she holds one of our hands and stays very close.

Grace and Mayana are great buddies already. Grace plays the big sister role well, having had so much practice with Lia. She frequently advised Mayana on manners and protocol, despite the language barrier, and even decided she would train Mayana to say xie xie (thank you) by giving her little treats.

Mayana counts to ten in English -- well, almost by herself. She know a few words that she will say, and probably more that she won't say. She can write her own name in Chinese - quite neatly. She starts the ABC song and knows the tune, but can't make it through too far yet. School will be interesting!

I am enjoying Mayana's affectionate, cuddly personality, but my back is sore from her wanting to climb up on me so much. Yesterday she wouldn't have much to do with Tom (after loving on him Day 1), and I'm hoping today she will like to climb on Daddy again.

We have a few appointments today and will probably play in the park again. It's interesting to see all the different families with so many different stories. I will tell some sometime.

Hope you all are well! Thanks for your love and prayers.