Our Top Twelves

Our perspectives so far on adopting LiYun vs. our experience with Grace. This is meant to be both serious and humorous!

Top 12 Reasons It's Easier to (Internationally) Adopt an Older Child:

1. She can dress herself.

2. She is potty trained. :)

3. She can order great Chinese food for us.

4. She can share her background, if willing.

5. She understands that she is being adopted vs being "kidnapped."

6. She goes to sleep without having to be rocked or carried up and down the halls for hours.

7. Hugs and affection carry more meaning.

8. Games like UNO can involve the whole family more than peek-a-boo.

9. She can carry her own luggage.

10. She is grateful for new items and automatically says thank you.

11. She cleans up after herself and folds her own clothes.

12. She has been prepared for the changes and challenges that lie ahead.

Top 12 Reasons It's Harder to (Internationally) Adopt an Older Child:

1. Language Barrier

2. Awkward silences

3. She has to choose us too. She has the option to say no.

4. She reads books that we have no clue about.

5. I can't sneak a peak at her journal because it's written in Chinese anyway.

6. I can't check up on her social network site (QQ) because it's all in Mandarin.

7. She is already asking about meeting a boyfriend in America!

8. She stays up later than me (that will change when home) and I can't rock her to sleep.

9. Sharing our Christian faith with her will be more challenging because she probably already has some rooted beliefs.

10. She has long-held expectations and dreams for being in a family, and not all will be met or realized.

11. She already asks for money. :)

12. She knows what she is leaving behind. And unlike a baby, she may not cry to communicate her heartache or needs.