Gift From Foster Family!!!

Maya received her annual package from her Chinese foster family today. Every year for her birthday (coming up Tuesday, Sept. 15), her foster family sends something. Maya is usually the queen of the fake smile picture, but you can see she couldn't contain her joy in this picture -- it just had to spill out in a genuine smile! Maya tells me it makes her feel special that they still remember her. She doesn't really remember them, even though we visited them in 2007 when she was 3, but she loves to look at the pictures,

This year's present was a box full of hair pretties (they were so impressed at how long the girls' hair was when we saw them in 2007). And as usual, they included things for Zoe, too. That has been a real bonus, since Zoe is quite jealous that Maya has a foster family and she does not, that they always include Zoe in the gift.

The first year, they sent two beautifully embroidered and beaded qi paos, one for each girl. The next year, it was two jade pendants. The third year, it was two outfits in the distinctive Miao style. The fourth year, it was a box full of papercuts, enough for a dozen children! (I laminated Maya's favorites -- the Olypic Friendlies -- so she could carry them around, and boy, did she!). And this year, the hair pretties!

They've also included a note, which we'll take to Chinese School tomorrow, and ask someone to translate. There was a picture of a baby in the envelope, too, and I bet it's a child they fostered who has been adopted to the United States. They are probably asking me to help them make contact with her new family. They've done that before, but I didn't have any luck in posting to the relevant lists. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time!

The girls spent all evening playing with their hair -- or more accurately, with each other's hair. What a great gift! And the best gift of all, for Maya, is knowing she was and is loved by her Chinese foster family.