Learning about Lucy

Don't let the puppy dog eyes fool you -- Lucy is a dynamo. She has two volumes: loud and louder. She is able to shriek for no reason for at least 20-30 minutes at a time. She has two speeds: asleep and full-steam ahead. She's a runner and a shrieker. She is VERY strong-willed. So far we have found four foods that suit her fancy: orange juice (which she throws a fit for everytime she sees it), french fries, plain rice, and Oreos. For everything else, she either clenches her mouth shut and refuses to try it, or she tries it and spits it out. Today alone she spit out noodles, chicken, pork, egg, and apple. She can throw a tantrum any 2-yr old would be proud of. I really mean that. She does NOT like the word NO. She and Amelia had their first sisterly fight today, which left Amelia in tears. The good news is that Lucy recovers quickly, and she does not hold a grudge.

We are in a smallish city, so we attract lots of attention. Actually, we attracted attention in Taipei, too. I guess the Taiwanese are not so very accustomed to seeing Chinese children with white foreigners.

Lucy is an angel when she's sleeping, and I have not laughed as hard as I did today in a long time. She is a monkey, a class clown. She repeats anything anyone says. I think she will be a very verbal child one of these days. For now, she shrieks. God bless anyone sitting next to us on the plane home. Precious Lucy -- officially 100 percent my daughter, unofficially still getting to know one another!