Closure in the Huainan Province

Another Day in the books another milestone reached

Today we traveled to the Huainan orphanage where Chelsea spent the first nine years of life.  We were concerned about going and how Chelsea would react.  Early in the week we were fairly certain we would not make the two and a half hour drive. However as the week progressed and Chelsea opened up we decided we would do it. We wanted Chelsea’s last memory of the orphanage to be a positive one.  We had a big breakfast and headed out at 8:45 in the morning. The first thing we discovered is that Chelsea does in fact get motion sickness and two hours is about the limit.  Roughly 30 minutes before we got to the orphanage we had to pull over as she had become ill.  We were prepared for this with extra bags and such.  We got there and Chelsea showed what a trooper she was.    When we got off our short bus Chelsea was so excited she ran to her friends and started talking right away.  Younger kids came out to see her and they immediately wanted to hold her hands, hug her and hold her coattails.  We quickly realized these were “her kids.”  They were the younger children that Chun Tai was helping and watching after in the orphanage. A few of the older girls (who had looked after Chun Tai) were also there to greet us. The entire family was able to see where Chelsea was raised and where she slept.  The orphanage is very poor and the rooms where the children slept would be very cold at night and one would think unbearable in the winter months.  Today the sun was out and it was comfortably warm for us Seattleites.  The girls were all wearing coats for the most part and were eager to show us around their home.  We took several pictures of Chelsea and her friends. 



Some of Chelsea's kids



Chase watches out for his sister, he is never far away



This was Chelsea's bed where she slep with two other kids.
(4 beds to a room, 3 kids to a bed)



Chelsea, one of "her kids" and the Naanny
who looked over her the longest while at the orphanage 



Chelsea and her most recent Nanny

Soon we loaded ourselves back onto the short bus with a few extra riders and headed to Chelsea’s school the “Believe in Me” school is where Chelsea got some of the extra love and attention she needed.  The school was only about a 10 minute ride away.  We parked and Chelsea ran (with one of the older girls that came with us) to the school.  They ran from room to room looking for friends and teachers. Chelsea was doing great, having a wonderfully positive experience.  After about a 30 minute tour of the school and some official business for Myriam, we were back onto the short bus for another trip back to the orphanage. 

PHOTOS OF SCHOOL




Waiting outside Chelsea's Believe in Me School
Chase Sophie Chelsea and one of the older girls who looked after Chelsea



We interupted nap time for the kindergardeners

I few more photos and it was time to say goodbye.  Chelsea got her bag of snacksthat she and her mom had purchased the night before and started handing them out to her friends.  You could tell this was a very important exercise for her.  She was genuinely happy to give a parting gift to her friends.  Finally, it was time to leave.  We told Chelsea we needed to go and like the trooper she is turning out to be, jumped up on the entrance and waved goodbye to everyone and got onto the bus.  The kids waved at us all the way out the gate while Chelsea waved back feverishly.




Handing out candy treats to her friends



We had one more stop to make.  We left the orphanage and traveled about 20 minutes to the Huainan train station where Chun Tai was left nine years ago.  We are not sure of the exact location, only that she was found “outside the gate.” We are not sure if it was the track gate or the gate at the entry to the station.  The area was very busy and we were unable to park. Our driver instead drove by the station very slowly so we could see it and take pictures. 



Huainan Train Station where
Chelsea was left at 1 day old.

There was no place to park so our driver drove
slowly by the station for us







It is hard to believe that just nine short years ago a single event set in motion this amazing story.  A baby, one day old, was left in a public area where she was sure to be found.  She was delivered to an orphanage where she would meet a friend. Her friend would ultimately, through her own astonishing story, be adopted by an amazing family.  She would tell her forever family about her friend she had to leave behind and how much she missed her.  They were bedmates (three to a bed) at the orphanage and soon these two friends will be forever reunited.

We finally made it back to the hotel unfortunately bumping up against the two hour limit for motion sickness, for the newest Avery.  Chelsea has shown how resilient she is.  She is strong physically and emotionally as most of these girls are that come from orphanages like these.  Chaos ensued in the hotel room as Chelsea instigated and all our tickle fest with her new siblings.  She is a total instigator.  After being picked on a few to many times Nolan announced “maybe you should go back into your shell for a little while.  Chelsea has more personality that she know what do to with; and we are a bit concerned that we ain’t seen nothing yet.

 

Michael decided to take a short walk to Starbucks; it is as if he has a sixth sense to find them. He took Nolan and Sophie with him.  The thought process was to let Chelsea calm down, get a little quiet time, and relax. When he returned about an hour later Chelsea was as wild as ever.  Her and Chase have bonded so well, she really likes to be with him and looks for him constantly. Apparently the two of them had been having a blast.  It turns out that Chase had been practicing sight words with his new sister and she was already starting to speak English.

The family went down the block to have what turned out to be one of the best dinners of the trip so far.  We are amazed by Chelsea’s “ninja skills” with the chopsticks, not to mention that amount of food she can put away.  The things she likes she devours and the family loves helping her.  It is also funny to watch her wait patiently while we try to help.  Soon enough she tells us no and does it herself even putting food on our plates.  I am sure she is thinking “Hey the sooner these white people get outta my way the faster I can eat.”

A little more play time, showers, and PJ’s and we call the day…a day.

Tomorrow we wrap this leg of the journey as we will head for the airport and leave Hefei behind.  This quiet little town of 5 million will not be forgotten.  It is now a part of the Avery family lineage. You cannot get to Huainan without first going to Hefei.  We will fly to Guangzhou in the Guangdong province tomorrow.  This leg of the journey we will get Chelsea’s visa.  We will be in Guangzhou for four days before heading back to Beijing for more sightseeing as a family of six. For now we are all looking forward to dinner at Lucy’s an American style burger joint that just about anyone who has adopted from China knows about.  Cheeseburgers and fries for dinner.  Let’s see how Chelsea handles things when the tables are turned ;)