toddler bonding

Vertigo is totally gone today. Hurrah!!

Before it hit yesterday, I spent some time looking for little toys/activities to pack for the trip. I've heard that for toddler adoption, packing toys is as important as packing clothing. Time spent playing together builds trust, and since bonding is basically trusting, play can be one key to a helpful transition.

I found some of those velcro hand pads and a ball that sticks to them, a beach ball, a bubble kit, a little Magna Doodle, and some Play-Doh. We already have some toy cars, Duplos, stickers, markers, crayons, a few books, watercolors, etc. And we had a cool "Peek-A-Boo" Bag that should provide entertainment during long waits.



I think our biggest 'find' was the little book in the top picture. I found it at Ross for $4. It's FULL of simple, portable ideas for toddlers, and the supplies needed are minimal. I'm definitely packing this to glean creative ideas when jetlag has zapped ours.

When JD was little, he had a backpack embroidered with our last name. So, it's getting washed and packed full of Moses' new toys.

I think I also found our necessary gifts for government officials yesterday. This can be a stresser, because there's so much symbolism that can be offensive in China. Parents are encouraged to avoid certain colors, numbers, and items that irritate cultural superstitions. It's a whole new world, literally.

We heard from a friend who read online that TA's won't be issued until late next week at the earliest. I hope that's a rumor. We are SOOOO close. We really don't want a delay to hit now!!