Pizza and Soda Pop

Our trip to China to bring Keziah home in January 2009 permanently changed my life in soooo many ways. 

Truthfully, I have to admit that I get homesick for China just like Keziah some days.  She wants to go with us when we bring Hadassah for so she can eat Chinese food!

Almost a year and a half home and she still dislikes my cooking!  (Her tastes are constantly changing so she eats more and different foods all the time.)

She is right though.  The food in China was good.

I really don't know what all we ate in China.  Most days, it was food so we ate.  The pointing at picture menus was always and adventure.  Even when our guides ordered special meals for the whole group, we still didn't know what it was. 

One of my favorite meals we ate in the back hallway at a tiny table, just the three of us.  Whatever we ordered, Keziah and I gobbled up something similar to Kung Pao or Spicy Szechuan Chicken from our favorite delivery restaurant here at home.

We have found one restaruant locally that is close to some of the foods we enjoyed in China...but it is not cheap!  With our growing family of seven who all LOVE the food, it can get pricy quickly.

So the title?  What does it have to do with my fond food memories? 

Orange Soda

Twice we tried eating at Pizza Hut with Keziah in China.  Though she loved McDonalds and KFC, she hated pizza.  All she wanted to do was drink her soda pop and pick apart the slice of pizza on her plate. 

Now everywhere we went, there were limited soft drink options.  In some provinces, it was Coke or Sprite.  Other provinces served only Pepsi products.  It was impossible to order a DIET Coke with the language barrier and limited choices.  Whenever we ate at KFC, we order meals that came with some mysterious melonish drink.  We didn't really like it, but it was wet and we were thirsty so we drank it everytime.

However, at the Pizza Huts they also served Mirinda Orange Soda. 

It was something different.  Plus it didn't hype up Keziah like Coke and Pepsi did.  (She wouldn't drink Sprite.)  So we'd all order Mirinda Orange Soda with our pizza.  (No way could we have a cola and not share!)

So here I am, almost one and a half years home.  Just about every Sunday night our family has pizza and movie night.  It's our special picnic in the house night to watch a movie and drink soda.  Everyone has a favorite, and it's Mom's job to keep the supply on hand. 

Now I want a diet orange soda with my pizza every week.  The pizza just doesn't taste the same if I run out.  It's my personal secret stash.  Keziah always drinks oragne soda too.  (Cola before bed...not good.) 

I never dreamed that our trip to bring our daughter home would have such a bizzare effect on my beverage habits!

As we ponder bringing Hadassah home, we try to imagine what our life will be like, what changes she will bring, and what her personality will be like.  As we struggle through some of the daily issues of life with Keziah, like trying to describe what a waffle is when Keziah wanted pancakes but I didn't have any,  I wonder why I would even consider doing this again?  Trust me, I love that girl!  But some days, it's a challenge to find ways to pantomime or explain words she's doesn't know yet or correct her everytime we eat corn when she asks for "more grapes, please?"

Oh, Hadassah Honey, I want you home!  It's just that now I'm experiencing some of the same fears I did as we added children numbers three and four.  By that time, I wasn't afraid of the unknown or over-confident in my knowledge of parenting.  I was scared of the fact that I knew I was in for it!  When Keziah came home, we had tried to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.  Our lives have been forever changed and enriched by her.  Hadassah, I know that you will come as your own special, unique person.  Can't wait to get to know you, to love on you!  But I also know that there will be bumps along the journey in unexpected places. 

Hmmmm...I guess I just don't know what else will change in my life.  I never would have imagined eating pizza and drinking orange soda every week.  So I'm wondering how you will change me?

Good night, Sweetie!  Love you!