Harmonious Story in the Middle

The CCAA requires a 24hour period for bonding before adoptions can be completed. So, we begin our session with signatures and red thumb prints over our signatures. Notice that I didn't call this our Gotcha Day.

Our Gotcha Day was April 23, 2007 when I traveled to recieve Dang Ting (aka TB) in Beijing from her orphanage staff. She came to live in our home, as a foster child, while receiving medical treatments. Later, her file arrived at our agency and we began the usual adoption process. CCAA does not allow preidentified adoptions and they could argue that that's what we had. For our adoption's safety, we did not talk about the fostering online. Now, do you understand why we find this mandatory Harmonious Period of Bonding funny?

The HP went well; we played War and two chinese card games that Ting taught to me. We celebrated our harmony with lunch at a local Dumpling Restaurant. Oh, was the food good. They have a 6' x 12' display area of prepared dishes to examine before ordering. We chose the steamed shrimp dumplings, sweet potato balls, and stuffed pork balls. Actually, we let Ting do the choosing. The restaurant has no forks or spoons, so I was able to impress our guide with my ability to guide the food to my mouth with chopsticks. It took a while, but I managed!

Harmony prevails.