Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Rebecca

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Laughter--The Best Medicine!


There are just some kids (and people as well) that you can always count on a smile from. Hannah is one of those girls! You know they say laughter is the best medicine...a merry heart doeth good like a medicine....etc. Hannah stays pretty healthy--perhaps that ole saying is true?! Lest you ever wonder why New Day's kids do so well--I know others who do and often ask why. Though we do our best to provide these children with the best medical care possible, we also provide a loving environment for them to grow and flourish in. They are living proof these old sayings are true--is there any doubt in your minds?!
Monday, August 29, 2011

The Feature Presentation

Riding a bus is the ultimate adventure in the eyes of our children. That, and the fact that whenever we get onto a bus we go somewhere exciting, makes the ride lots of fun. And then having McDonalds for lunch? It's their favorite and you can never go wrong with French fries.


Samuel soaked everything up on his first fieldtrip. From lunch, through playtime and on into the movie, his big eyes just got wider and wider.


This is the life, eh, Alex? His first McDonalds adventure was a complete success...


...and then completely melting the heart of a famous actress? Not many guys can say that they've done that.


Popcorn, a bottle of juice and cool glasses made the movie complete for William and Isaac. Considering the amount of juice that our children drank throughout the day, the number of bathroom trips during the movie averaged out to be pretty acceptable. Some decided that they needed the "potty" whenever they got scared (Jace) and others didn't need to go out at all (Jabin).


This fun fieldtrip was sponsored by CCTV, who got the kids into Cars 2 the very day it was released in China. They also did interviews with some of our children and took lots of pictures and video clips. We hear that the segment should be aired sometime this week, and we'll let you know if there ends up being a video of it that we can link here. Right now, you can check out this site which is full of pictures and even some video clips of our adventure. If you have Googletoolbar, you should be able to translate the page. If not, the pictures can speak for themselves.

(l-r First row: Timothy, Landon, Lily, Noah, Lucy Kate, Jabin, Joshua, Philip, Claire, Isaac.
2nd row: Vincent, Serena, William, Alex, Lena, Jace, Emelia, Elliot)

Serena, Alex and Lucy Kate were each interviewed individually... maybe they'll make the TV cut? There are lots of pictures of this adventure over in our scrapbook, don't miss out!

The movie was great, but in all honesty, our kids stole the show and we're sure you agree that they are the real feature presentation.
Saturday, August 27, 2011

Standing and Singing

Two things that the doctors said he would never do. Stand, and sing. They said that Philip would never walk, but you should see him get around with his walker and braces. They said that he would never be able to learn, but he sure knows the words and motions to all of our preschool songs!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Pear Picking

The small pear tree in our backyard was ready to be relieved of it's juicy fruits, so we recruited a group of eager little hands to pick it clean.


Lucy Kate reaches for a nice big pear. She wanted to find the prettiest one.


Joel tried to find the sweetest smelling pear, so he got up close to get a big sniff. Don't worry, all of the pears were washed well before being eaten!


Elliot's pear was nearly as big as his face! He took huge big bites and savored every mouthful.


Claire had a wonderful time picking and eating pears. Seriously, could she get any prettier?

There are more pictures of this fun activity in our latest scrapbook - check them out!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Movie Previews

It was last Monday, nearly two weeks before today's much anticipated field trip, and Jace already had it all figured out. As soon as his one-on-one teacher and friend, Jeremy, walked through the door, Jace ran up to him, grabbed his hand and said, "You're taking me to the movie!" Jeremy didn't understand.... what movie? But then all was explained and Jeremy realized that instead of choosing to be Jace's "field trip buddy" himself,  Jace had chosen him!


We've been trying to prepare the children for the fieldtrip and familiarize them with the characters they are going to see. During preschool yesterday, Gloria (the preschool teacher), held up pictures of the characters and said a little bit about them. "This is Sally, she's his girlfriend!" When Joshua saw the picture of the pretty girl car, he grinned from ear to ear and said, "Wow, she's pretty!"

**This picture was taken at the moment of Joshua's comment... this is the smile.

Any guesses on which movie we're seeing this afternoon? It should be pretty obvious...

Wordless Wednesday: Krisha

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tender Shoots

The little ones in the Critical Care Unit are so sweet. Nicole smiles, Paige rolls over for the first time and Ella rests peacefully. They are on a long road to healing, but they are on it, and that's what matters.


He loves to smile, and when his big eyes gaze peacefully around, we see hope. Hope that surgery has brought into Jonathan's life, though the recovery is still long and hard.


Lena sleeps sweetly, and as we cradle her in our arms we ponder her young life. Already so much has happened to this precsious blessing.


She's a spunky little miracle and she's growing so fast. Ariana just left to join a foster family, but she'll still be a baby for a long while yet.


His eyes and his smile have everybody smitten. Roy is being strengthened daily by love.


Each child here is a tender shoot. Watching them thrive and blossom sometimes takes our breath away, because they were not supposed to make it this far. But they have, and that makes us rejoice.
Monday, August 22, 2011

The Start of Something New

The first day of preschool is different for every child. Some are ready for the day months beforehand and some protest the change. Anton, however, had no idea what he was getting into when he arrived for his first day in class, but he enjoyed it so much that he tearfully refused to leave. Angela soaked it all in slowly, and when she figures out the routine, we're sure that she'll own the place.

First things first: Playtime. Anton loved the trains and had them racing about the floor, laughing gleefully at his own antics.


Next up: Snacktime. First Anton and Angela needed to find their chairs. Thankfully, we have pictures of each child taped to their designated chairs. Angela found her seat quickly.


Before passing out the plates and snack, our newest students were taught how to fold their hands politely and say, "ready!".


They're fast learners!


Then they enjoyed snack with all of their new (and old) friends.


When it came time for singing, neither Angela nor Anton knew quite what was going on. Anton started heading for the toys and Angela looked confused... until we turned on the music. When Anton heard the familiar strains of "Old MacDonald" play and saw the brightly colored animals on the TV, this was his reaction:


The first day of preschool was a success! And guess what, Anton and Angela? You get to have this much fun every day now!
Saturday, August 20, 2011

Our Ruffled Feathers

Our amazing friends at Ruffled Feathers just donated a suitcase load of adorable skirts, dresses and leggings for our little ladies.

Lucy was so happy with her new skirt that she danced!


Brooke needed Angela's help adjusting her skirt. What precious sisters they make!


Rosie felt so pretty in her new outfit, her smile lights up the whole foster home!


Joy got a new dress too, it fit like a dream and she looked like an angel.


Krisha, Cora, Eliana and Khloe turned preschool into an afternoon tea party in their fancy new outfits. Samuel felt a bit left out (even though he got a new shirt that day), he doesn't quite understand that some things are only for girls.


Thank you Ruffled Feathers! The outfits are adorable... and our darling ladies sure make them look good, don't they?
Friday, August 19, 2011

"She Blossomed Before My Eyes..."

Hello! My name is Meredith and this summer I had the privilege of working with the toddlers and preschool-aged children at New Day Foster Home. I had the special joy of working one on one each day with Brooke, a precious little girl who absolutely stole my heart.


Now, it wasn't exactly love at first sight for Brooke and I, though I desperately wanted it to be! You see... Brooke isn't a HUGE fan of most people other than her beloved nannies (especially when these people are strange, foreign white ones like me!) When I was first told that I would begin one on one sessions with her every morning, I was ecstatic! However, my immediate plans to win over her little heart did not go as quickly as I had planned.


With time, slowly but surely, we learned to trust each other, and eventually she became my little friend. With Brooke, I learned the blessing of patience and how very, very sweet it can be when patience is rewarded with her affection in return. Brooke taught me the importance of steadfast love, even when it is seemingly unwanted. Most of all, Brooke showed me the complete and utter joy in learning to experience the world in a brand new way.


Over the course of the summer, I saw Brooke blossom before my very own eyes. She is so smart, and she soaked up every little thing that she was shown or taught, no matter what that was.  I love watching her learn to stack blocks and to use markers and crayons to fill pages with color. I laughed to hear her repeat the silly animal sounds that I would make in hopes of sneaking a smile from her lips. I smiled to see her attitude toward our "class" time change from complete disinterest, to putting up with it, and finally, to hearing her ASK to go to class with vivid excitement. My heart leapt the first time she lifted up her arms willingly to me so that I could hold her close.


This summer, I saw her change and grow into a beautiful and energetic "almost-2-year-old". I watched as she learned to experience the world around her in a fuller and more exponential way, changing from the baby girl who was content to sit in her stroller with her nanny and watch the other children play, to the giggling toddler who splashed through the puddles and played with the rock piles outside with her little friends on the daily walk.


Brooke's transformation is evident and so very beautiful, and I am so very thankful that I had a chance to be a part of her life and to have experienced the incredible things that she has taught me.


---
This post was written by Meredith, one of our Summer 2011 interns.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Rosie's Wonder

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

A Good Excuse

It was monthly check-up time and the backyard was busting with foster parents coming in and out. The little ones whom we had not seen in nearly a month were back and we couldn't believe how much they had grown!


Sage has certianly grown since we saw her last. Her foster dad brought her in and we can see the bond that has formed between them. Are you a "Daddy's Girl", Sage?


Vivian and Evie have shot up to the point that they are in need of a few new outfits. Their foster mothers tried to pick out the cutest ones they could find from our storage room.


While their mothers were chatting and picking out clothes, Evie and Caleb found themselves sitting together in a box of clothes. They have become pretty good friends since the hat incident.


Jayden did not entirly appreciate her welcome by Tom, our sweet and gentle dog. She clung to her foster mom's legs and wished that Tom would go play with someone else. Maybe one day, when she's a bit bigger, she will see just how much fun he can be.

We welcome any excuse by the foster parents to come visit. Wether it's time for check-ups, preschool, a birthday party or new clothes, any excuse is perfect when it means that we can spend time with these sweet little friends.
Monday, August 15, 2011

Red Light, Green Light

Our English class played the game "Red Light, Green Light" the other day and had a lot of fun. They practiced the words, "Stop" and "Go," and their colors, so the game was the perfect educational activity.


Is everybody ready to go?


Okay, Timothy's the leader.  "Ready? Go!"


Timothy, Isaac and Emelia are ready to go...


Alex says, "Go!"


"Now, Stop!"


Would you like to play too? Ready? Get set.... Go!
Sunday, August 14, 2011

Naptime Escapades

Have you seen the pictures in one of our latest scrapbooks? Sometimes the kids just aren't tired during naptime...


 "Boo! Did I scare you?"


Joshua loves to do gymnastics and climbing in his bed, but often needs help getting down from his precarious positions.


 "No, I'm not tired."


Angela caught us snapping photos during naptime and couldn't understand why we thought she should be sleeping... In fact, she thought that it was downright funny!