Beautiful Girl

Here is my girl in her new Samoan dress. Our friends came to visit from Utah and brought it for her. Whenever I see her like this, I am amazed at how beautiful she is, and I suddenly remember where she comes from. She is ours, she is our family, our daughter, but then she puts on this dress, and there is this quality, something that is different, something we don't have, that she has. I guess that's adoption. As Ponyo's mother says, "The world is a strange and wonderful place." Or something like that. I never remember the exact quote, but I agree with it. The world is a strange and wonderful place, and people are complicated and amazing. I'm glad we are who we are.

Words, words, words

Words mean everything. What if you couldn't say them? What if you couldn't tell your mom about someone at school, or tell your parents what you want or that you see the moon outside the car window. (The boom, Mom, the boom.)

Tonight Miriam was saying someone's name. We thought she was saying her babysitter's name, which was the first name she learned to say. But I suddenly realized she was saying the name of a BOY in her class! He rides the bus with her! She was so happy to be saying his name, she said it over and over. Then she said the name of a little girl who also rides on the bus, and happily repeated those names. She spilled them out like she had been saving them up. She bounced around on the couch and then got up and danced a little.