Families with Children from Asia Newsletter

FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN FROM ASIA NEWSLETTER

Board Members: Val Falco Barbara Weaver RoseAnne Fogarty Pat Wilcox Evelyn Awad Marion Radin Ann Lapinski Millie Eidson Richard Neimeyer SEPTEMBER 2004

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:

Welcome to fall and the ANew Year@ for those of us who have school aged children. You=ll find this newsletter full of information about past and future events for FCA. The Board always likes feedback so if there is an event, article, recipe or book review that you particularly like ( or don=t like), please let one of us know. You can reach me by phone (355-7581) or e- mail ([email protected]). We would love to see all of you at the moon festival on September 26, which also includes a membership meeting. Please put it on your calendar now!

Ann Lapinski

BOOK REVIEW: by Ann Lapinski Red Scarf Girl, a Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji Li Jiang This is a story about a 12 year old girl and the challenges she faced when the cultural revolution became part of her life in China. The story is told from her perspective and gave me some insight into what life felt like for a child in China during that period. Although the book is written for middle school aged children, it is not an easy story to read and one I think our

1 Chinese - adopted daughters could find troubling. I know that at some point, my daughter will need to hear and understand about this difficult time in China and feel that this book would be a good one to read with or to her. Meanwhile, you might want to consider reading this book yourself now. It is one of many books I have read about China that gives me perspective on my child=s birth country.

Welcome Home! By Marion Radin

In this column, we take a moment to welcome home your new arrivals. If you have recently adopted a child or know of an FCA family that has recently adopted a child from Asia, please contact me at 479-3435 or [email protected].

Ellen Leren was adopted on May 23, 2004 by Nancy and Martin Leren, a few weeks th after Ellen=s 8 birthday. Ellen is from the city of Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province, near Hong Kong. Ellen is the same age as her new sister Nell, who is from Wuxi in Jiangsu Province.

Ellen is adjusting well to her new home and family. She had learned some English at school in China, and sister Nell is helping her along. The sisters now share a room, enjoy playing together, and are attending summer camp together. The Lerens are thankful that Ellen is having the entire summer to adapt to her new surroundings before starting school in September.

The Lerens had a smooth, uneventful trip to China and were able to travel to Nell=s home town and visit the Social Welfare Institute there before going on to Guangzhou to meet Ellen. Their neighbors were in China at the same time, and the two families were able to spend a few days together. They enjoyed their 10-day stay at the White Swan!

2 st Shannon Xi Hai Waryncia was adopted in February, 2004, just after her 1 birthday, by Karen and Paul Waryncia. Shannon is from Feixi in Anhui Province, which is just 2 hour from the provincial capital, Hefei. The Waryncias traveled to Feixi and met Shannon=s nurses but were not permitted to visit the Social Welfare Institute. Big sister Kelly, who is from Jiangsu Province, was on hand in China to meet Shannon and really enjoyed the trip. The provinces are geographically close, so the Waryncias are looking forward to a heritage tour when both girls are older.

Shannon had a few health issues at the time of her adoption but at 17 months has caught up to her peers developmentally. Shannon has improved so quickly that Karen calls her Amy little miracle baby!@

The Waryncias had a wonderful trip to China to adopt Shannon. Some friends of theirs who live and work in China met them in Guangzhou for a few days, and they were delighted to have familiar tour guides on hand. These friends have a child who was born in Korea, so the two families together attracted a lot of attention with their three Asian children!

David John Xiong (DiDi) Doolin was adopted in May, 2004, by Ellen and Thomas Doolin. DiDi is from Changzhou in the Jiangsu province and is just over two years old. "DiDi" in Chinese means little brother and also happens to sound like his initials. DiDi bonded quickly to his new family, including his new big sisters Kelley and Maggie. DiDi became especially attached to Thomas and would get upset if he was out of sight. Kelley and Maggie, however, were able to get him to smile again pretty quickly! The Doolins were lucky to have Ellen=s mom accompany them on the trip as well.

During their stay in Jiangsu Province, the Doolins traveled to DiDi=s orphanage in Changzhou, where DiDi was able to visit with his former classmates, teachers, and

3 nannies. During this visit, DiDi called Ellen AMa@ for the first time! After saying goodbye to the orphanage, DiDi seemed a lot more comfortable and relaxed with his new family.

In addition to their adoption of DiDi, the Doolins also visited Nanchang and Yugan in Jiangxi Province, where Maggie is from originally. They were able to meet with several representatives from the orphanage in Yugan and also to visit with Maggie=s foster family. It was a moving and successful visit for all.

Congratulations to all three families!

RECIPE from Ann Lapinski - My kids both like this recipe!

Broccoli with Oyster Sauce 3 pounds broccoli, cut into bite size pieces - about 10 cups 6 cups water 2 cup chicken broth 3 Tbsp. Oyster sauce 1 2 Tbsp. rice wine or sake 1 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 2 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. dark sesame oil 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1/4 cup sliced green onions 3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add broccoli and cook 4 minutes, till crisp tender. Drain. 2. Combine broth, oyster sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. 3. Heat veg oil in a wok or large skillet. Add garlic and onions. Saute 30 seconds. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, till thick. Add broccoli, cook 1 minute or so tossing to coat with broth mixture. Serve with rice if desired.

4 REPORT ON PAST EVENTS:

Saratoga Children=s Museum B by Marion Radin

The May 15 outing to the Saratoga Children=s Museum was a lot of fun. There were four children total, although only three were there at a time. The museum was very quiet on that Saturday morning, so we had the run of the place most of the time.

The kids rode the trolley car . . . all the way to Florida! And tickets cost only $1. An enthusiastic performance was given on the main stage. Bones were examined. Shadows were cast . . . again and again and again! Then it was upstairs for grocery shopping, cooking and serving at the diner, sliding down the fire pole, driving the fire truck, and putting out fires, attending school, working in the bank and post office. Phew! It=s hard work having so much fun!

I urge any family that hasn=t been to this museum yet to go check it out. There are wonderful activities for children of all ages (there=s even a little safe area for the crawler set), and there are many special events and programs throughout the year. The website is http://www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org/.

Pyramid Life Center Weekend June 2004 - by Ann Lapinski

What a wonderful weekend we experienced at Pyramid Lake in the Adirondacks. The weather cooperated quite nicely. We managed some boating, hiking, fishing, sand play, origami craft, campfire and mostly just some really nice time for parents and kids to connect. Even those who are not too enthusiastic about the outdoors found the weekend enjoyable. My daughter loved the walk to the waterfall because we saw lots of

5 butterflies(both dead and alive) and picked teeny tiny wild strawberries. The staff treated us well and the food was good too. What more could anyone want for a weekend?

SUMMARY OF JUNE 24, 2004, BOARD MEETING

The June 2004 Board meeting focused on major planning for the coming year. With a full roster of fall events, it was agreed to reschedule Chinese Culture Day to the first Saturday in April. The potlucks for A7-Ups@ and their families will continue, and there will be some outdoor events to take advantage of fine fall weather. (See the Events Schedule in this newsletter.) Other topics addressed included the possibility of starting an FCA Girl Scout troop.

The board agreed that a brief meeting of the general membership was needed, either at a fall picnic or at the Autumn Moon Festival. This will provide an opportunity to poll the members about desired future events and about the disposition of the Chinese Community Center refund.

The board plans, in the coming year, to improve its operations in the following ways: - Doing more of its work through small committees, to keep board meetings short and efficient; - Drawing on a more diverse group of volunteers to serve on committees; - Using budget software to prepare an annual budget; - Posting all events on the FCA website; and - Evaluating each event to assist future planning.

UPCOMING EVENTS ( ALSO SEE ENCLOSED FLYERS)

Sept. 11 - Apple Picking at the Farm at Kristy's Barn, Brookview Road, Schodack, NY. Pick- your-own apples, plus great cider and cider donuts. Meet at 10 a.m. Call Marion Radin at 479- 3435 for more information. Directions: Take I-90 to exit 10, cross over Rts. 9 & 20 - becomes Sunset Road. Turn left at end of Sunset - Kristy's Barn is just ahead on the right.