Never Knew I Needed...

A decade. 10 years. About 3,652 days. No matter how you say it, it's a pretty long time. In five days, Bella will turn 10. I have kind of dreaded this double digits birthday. She is quickly moving from a little girl to a pre-teen, and we all know what comes after that...

To say she has changed my life in those 10 years is an understatement. All of my kids have changed my life, but Bella has definitely altered it the most. During her 5,249,487.6 minutes on earth there have been times of true despair and heartache, moments of powerful clarity, instances of joyous celebration, and points when I was wrapped in straitjacket of fear. When I look back on her life so far, I am struck by how much she has amazed me and surpassed my expectations. I have pushed her past her comfort zones many times, sometimes with success, sometimes with severe resistance. Yet each time, she has come back stronger, realizing that pushing limits and breaking barriers is how you reach the next level.

Speaking of pushing limits, Bella had her 2nd official swim meet this past weekend. She did a great job. It was a challenging day considering the pool was completely unfamiliar, she hadn't been to a meet since October, and her mind was really focused on what she was going to do after the meet; spend the night at Grandma's with her cousin for a pre-birthday celebration. With all of those factors, Bella managed to shave 8 seconds off of 50 Freestyle putting her at 1:22.38. In her 50 backstroke, the good news is that she perfected her backstroke flipturn, the downside is that she DQ'd herself because she turned over at the end of the race to touch the pads. It's a shame because had she not DQ'd, she would have improved her time by 10 seconds. Oh well. She has another meet in just a few short weeks, so she can try again. The next meet is hosted by her team, so the pool will be familiar and there will be far fewer distractions. Besides, as it has been said before,"It's amazing how much more you can learn by making mistakes, than you can by making perfect decisions"-unknown
    
Life rarely gives you what you expect. It has been said that hardships and challenges define an individual's character much more than everyday experiences. I do think the curve balls are what keep things interesting. Did I ever think I would have a child with cochlear implants? Or that I would become a part time homeschool teacher to provide extra educational support for my child? I certainly did not, but now that I am here, I can't imagine life any other way.

You Had Me At Hello...

So last Saturday, we unleashed the Rowe chaos onto a new level; international. We welcomed our foreign exchange student, William, from China. I bet you're thinking that William doesn't sound very Chinese. It is his English name. His Chinese name is very difficult to pronounce and he was ok with us using William.

Excitement buzzed in the air as we prepared to go to the high school to meet him. The students all arrived via bus from the airport. Bella held the sign with his name in the air and it didn't take him long to find us. On the way back home, we drove by Lake Minnetonka and told him how there are a lot of lakes in Minnesota. We saw an ice boat sailing around the lake on its blades and William was very impressed. I am amazed by his command of the English language. He speaks it much better than I can ever dream of speaking another language. He even speaks it better than some Americans I know; namely those crazy kids from the Jersey Shore...

Upon arriving at our house, our pets gave their own special greeting to William. Ika barked like a mad dog, jumping up on our guest with his full 85lbs. Enzo, decided his shoes would look better with some chew marks. (We have since given William a plastic tupperware container to put his shoes in when he comes home.) The cats have showcased their bad manners by jumping up on the counter when he is making his breakfast or onto the table in the middle of meals. As I had mentioned in a previous post, most people in China don't have animals as pets and if they do, they certainly don't have 4. I would imagine William feels a bit like he lives on that old show "Green Acres", but I don't think they have that show in China, so the reference is lost on him.

Our daily routine is beginning to settle in with our new family member. His presence has actually helped in some cases. There have been times when I have seen a fit or an outburst brewing in one of my kids and just as they are about to blow, they stop suddenly, when they remember there will be an outside witness to their crazy. William is only here for 4 weeks, but I am thinking of getting a paper life size cut-out of him, with the hope that I can achieve similar results when he is gone.

Last Friday, our whole family went to the Chinese New Year Celebration at Minnetonka High School. Lots of elementary kids from the Chinese immersion program performed. Some of the Chinese exchange students also sang, but William had chosen not to participate.

One area I was worried about was food. It is a non-issue because William has an adventurous culinary appetite. The first night we took him to our favorite all you can eat Chinese buffet. I think he thought it was  funny that there was so much food and you could just keep eating and eating. His favorite food is pizza and he has had it a lot for school lunch and out on field trips with his exchange group. Before he leaves we will probably take him out to a hamburger place like "Five Guys" to give him some more American cuisine.

This weekend is Bella's 10th birthday party. William is excited to see an American birthday, but from how he describes the ones in China (they have cake, candles, and sing "Happy Birthday", I don't think there will be a big difference...

Everybody Feng Shui Tonight...

With 2011 behind us, we look ahead to what 2012 will bring. I have to say, so far I'm loving 2012. Yesterday the high temperature was 52 degrees, here in Chaska, MN. No snow on the ground. Records being broken at least once a week for high temps. I know it's not for everyone, but this is my kind of winter. I feel for the people who are suffering financially due to the lack of snow and cold, but I have to admit, it sure is nice to be able to keep on top of picking up after the dogs, rather than waiting for a an all day poopfest some day in April.

With the holidays and all of their decorations packed up and buried until next year (below are some pictures from the holidays), our family is looking to our next celebration. On Sunday, our Chinese foreign exchange student will arrive. To say I am a bit anxious is kind of like saying the first day of kindergarten is no big deal to a 5 year old child. Each day I work on cleaning a different section of the house to prepare and tell the kids how the next four weeks they are really going to have to step up their game. Towels strewn around after showers, wrappers thrown haphazardly on the counter after preparing a meal, those days are gone. Well, I can only hope and pray...

Yesterday I sent a quick email to the exchange student and his family. I thought there were a few quick facts that he should know and prepare himself for. First, I thought it only fair to tell him there are 3 kids in our family. Most kids in China have no siblings, so that will be a big change. Also, I informed him that we have a bit of a zoo. Well I didn't actually use those words, but when I wrote that we have 2 cats and 2 dogs, I am sure that is the image that came to his mind. We have been told that most people in China have no pets. Lastly, I told him that Isabella has cochlear implants. It's not really a big deal and doesn't affect him in any way, but I thought he should know. I really don't know how common they are in China. As a family, we are all excited to learn from our new family member. We can only hope he feels the same...

I really hope the mild weather continues. They say God only gives you as much as you can handle. I'm pretty sure he is fully aware that when I took on the responsibility of having an exchange student, he understood a winter like last year with 40 inch snowfalls and subzero temps was out of the question, if he wanted me to remain sane.