September 1-5 - The Care Package

Judd, Lyn, and Mae

It took China two weeks to issue our confirmation letter - thereby confirming our acceptance of Xue Lan's placement with our family.  Of course, we felt like there was a chance that something could go wrong, so we were nervous until we received the confirmation.

Upon receipt of this letter, we were informed by CCAI that we could send Xue Lan a care package.  CCAI strongly recommended that the care package be no bigger than a shoebox because the Chinese mail would flag a package larger than a shoebox, thus delaying or even preventing delivery.  

Our house

So, Lyn found a Keen's shoebox, and we started investigating what should be included in our limited space.  

Xue Lan has no possessions.  Nothing.  She's three years old but every toy she has ever played with and every outfit she has ever worn was owned by the orphanage.  So, these few items in our care package would be her first personal possessions.  

Ida B. Wells

Lyn went to Target and purchased a dress for Xue Lan that she might be wearing the day we pick her up.  She also purchased a disposable camera, so that Xue Lan's caregivers could take some pictures of her and her friends at the orphanage in the weeks prior to her adoption.  Finally, Lyn got a small photo album, for approximately ten 4 x 6 photos.  It was my assignment to determine what photos should be included in the album.  This post includes some of the pictures we picked.  



Chili



The one picture we couldn't take that we needed to include was of Xue Lan's bedroom.  We couldn't take it because for four years, Xue Lan's room was the extra guestroom that Lyn used as a sewing room.  But now we had a reason to fix it up and the age of the little girl who would be living there.  So, it was off to the store to find appropriate sheets and drapes.  Lyn found some drapes for Mahlon's bedroom as well, and I put them up that evening.  After a couple of days of clean up work and details, we took the picture you see here.   



Xue Lan's bedroom



With all the pictures included in the album, we had one more item to find.  In her files from the orphanage, it said that Xue Lan's favorite toy was a stuffed animal.  So, Mahlon, Lyn, and I went to Timbuk Toys to find a stuffed animal to include her care package.  We picked a medium sized black and white panda bear, which fit nicely in the box.  



Fi, Jewlya, and Lyn



Finally, Mahlon drew a picture of four bears - representing the four people that make up Xue Lan's new family.  Unfortunately, I failed to take a picture of her drawing before we mailed the box. 



CCAI recommended that we use USPS to mail the package, so it was in the mail on September 6, 2010.  USPS estimated that it would take approximately 10-14 days to get to China.  Lyn also sent a moon cake from a local baker in Jiangmen City to Xue Lan in celebration of the 2010 Moon Festival on September 22, 2010.  We can only assume that Xue Lan received our care package and the moon cake around the same time.



So, if she didn't know before, she surely knows now that she is being adopted and that her new family will soon be come to get her.