Happy 3rd Birthday K!

Yesterday, che K celebrated her 3rd birthday! We had a great time, and God really blessed us with wonderful weather for a day out in Wellington city. We had decided on going to the Wellington zoo instead of the Staglands wildlife reserve as we had found out that Staglands had animals running around in the open for us to feed them. But after the experience we had with K at the Lindale animal farm, where she was so freaked out by the goats and pigs who came so close to her, we decided the zoo would be a better option. 

The weather turned out to be the best day to be at the zoo, as it was not too windy (for Wellington, that is) and the sun was out! She seemed to enjoy herself, though she was too scared to get too close to the enclosures. It was a decent zoo (esp since it was in the middle of the city)... but being singaporean, we just can't help comparing it to our own zoo, and of course, there's simply no comparison. There are times like these that I'm proud to be Singaporean. Of course, we don't have kiwis or kangaroos or wallabies, or even kookubaras (we were fortunate to hear it laugh!). The interesting bits for me were really the native birds and animals. 

After the zoo, we went to have a late dim sum(they call it yum cha) lunch, then went up to the Mt Victoria lookout. We had dinner at home, and had the birthday cake, and ended the day by watching the Chronicles of Narnia: the lion, the witch and the wardrobe at home. Yes, we haven't seen that one, and the next one is out already! For those who haven't seen the 1st one, I'd highly recommend it. It was awesome!! The parallels to the Christian faith was just so subtle, yet so powerful. I can't wait to see the next one, the Prince of Caspian.

  

Did I tell you that I made the cake? Oh... what a failure it turned out to be... it was the best tasting fudge brownie, but the ugliest looking Dora-wannabe cake! I was really too ambitious in thinking I be able to do that! Well, I'm too embarrassed to show what it really looked like here... maybe in private...For the record, only her black hair turned out right... I covered the rest of the ugly cake with lollies!

Today, we were invited to the house of a couple from church who were from South Africa. They had adopted a girl from China, who's 7 months older than che K. They got along so well, and played so beautifully. We were really happy that they managed to connect, and the adults got time to get to know each other over lunch. Che K really enjoyed her weekend thoroughly. Hopefully, we can try and make a regular play-date with her new friend.

Well, speaking to the couple, they shared with us the challenges of raising an adopted child. Although they had had her from 14 months, they spoke of the emotional baggage she still carries with her. She is a really cute, happy, extroverted child, who has boundless energy. She's so sociable, and speaks to almost anyone. Yet, at the back of her mind, she probably still has scars from the memories of abandonment, and the orphanage she lived in. Her parents said that she always portrayed babies as being very sad, and some images of many babies together in a room made her cry once. They also related a conversation with a counsellor who had counseled another adopted 4 year old. Somehow, it came up in the session that the child had related her fears and sadness with knives! This was later related to an attempted abortion while the child was still in-utero!

Doesn't it make you wonder???