Today was Mary's birthday and she's written a blog about today's festive outing at Beijing Wild Life Park. It was her husband's birthday present to her as she treated 41 of us, including 24 kids, renting a huge bus to take us to the park and to a ten course meal afterwards.
I had been praying and hoping with all my heart that Teacher Wang (the head teacher) would allow MY Noel to join us on the trip last minute, as she was in Pre-school and only kids in kindergarten and first grade were permitted to go on this trip today. It first broke my hear that Teacher Wang couldn't recall who Noel was. After my reassurance that Noel was who she was, she went to Noel's house and told Noel that she was coming on this trip. She later reported that Noel's face was that of disbelief, as Noel has never gone on a field trip, as each nanny needs to take care of two children on field trips and Noel would need an one-on-one adult chaperoning.
Noel turned out to be an AMAZING little girl!! It was such a privilege and heart-filled joy to spend one-on-one time with her today! She sat on my lap for the bus ride and was in a stroller when we got to the Wild Life Park.
She is FIERCELY independent - refusing to allow me to help her tear open her candy wrapper. With only one functional hand, she grabbed the candy and bit the wrapper. When she was finally successful in biting off small pieces of the wrapper, she'd spit it out and laugh. And laughing did she do throughout the entire trip!
Noel laughed when people interacted with her; she squealed with laughter when I pushed her in her stroller, racing with other kids on wheelchairs and kids on foot; she laughed when other kids came by her stroller to say "hi" to her; she laughed when you tickled her; she laughed on our way back from the trip as she was trying to master twisting open and closing a water bottle. I was her human clamp - keeping the bottle steady so she can twist the cap with her hand (on and on she'd twist the bottle open, laugh, take two sips, laugh some more, twists the cap closed, only to twist it open and start the whole routine all over again - for most of an hour)! I was expecting that she'd be tired out and be napping like the rest of the kids. Instead, all you could hear on the bus ride home was her laughter!
She also showed her persistence without ever getting frustrated throughout the entire time she tried to open her candy package (it took like at least 45 minutes) - the most she did was making some grunting sounds and then went on trying; she stayed up the entire bus ride home practicing opening and closing the water bottle. Mary and Julia said I finally met my match with Noel's persistence and energy level : )
Lastly, it was so wonderful that she's been learning American Sign Language - Finger Spelling (she can't talk), as we reviewed the alphabets together. I also taught her sign for her name (an "N" going from one side of the face to the other to represent her laughing all the time), and some other basic words. She'd look fiercely at how I was signing and would copy me, while mimicking sounds!
Spending time with my grandkids the last few months have really helped to prepare me to interact with Noel: Due to her having Cerebral Palsy with spasms (she can't walk and only one hand is about 80% functional), she is unable to write or communicate expressively, so she functions as a much younger child physically...so, thanks to my daughters who have given me the privilege to play with your young adorable children, all of whom have helped to train me for "such a day as this!" : )
Thanks for reading this LONG update!
Please continue to speak to the Father on our behalf as I will be shadowing her at school for the next three days! I'm hoping to function as her para to give her some one-on-one attention in the classroom...
Blessings,
Elissa
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