Finally, some FUN!

The girls have been loving the new playset. It’s only been in the last few days that we’ve been able to take them out back for any amount of time since we’ve been so busy moving in and getting all our things organized and put away. Thank goodness there are two swings and two spots on the glider, they both want to be swinging constantly. It amazes me how quickly they are becoming playmates, Sophie LOVES to be the big sister and has referred to Isabelle as mei mei since the beginning. If Isabelle is doing something Sophie thinks is out of line, she’ll clap her hands and point at Isabelle and say “No no, mei mei!!” It’s so cute and funny, it’s hard to have to tell her that the parenting is best left to the adults. Sophie has firmly decided she’d rather be called XiaoXiao, pronounced ‘sheow sheow’, which was her nickname from the SWI. I don’t mind, that’s what I called her in China and what comes most naturally to me now. The kids call her both and she will respond to both, but the other night we were looking at pictures of the family and I pointed to the one of her and asked her who it was. She didn’t answer and I asked “Is this Sophie?” and she shook her head no. I asked “XiaoXiao?” and she nodded and said in affirmation, “XiaoXiao”. It was a reminder for me that even though she has made a seamless transition, she must be struggling inside with many conflicting emotions. For now, she’ll be our XiaoXiao.