A Family for Ji Te

There were three Chinese orphans recently hosted in Richmond, VA.  Although they flew back to their orphanages yesterday, the advocacy continues.  JiNuo has a family pursuing him for adoption, and I've already posted about Yangcai.  That leaves my little buddy, Ji Te (pronounced jee-tuh)

 

 

From host mom (written while he was here in VA)...

 

Ji Te is an energetic and lively 8 year old.  He loves to ride his bike, blow bubbles, play outside, splash in the YMCA pool, build legos, play simple board games, and play on the computer or IPad.  He keeps up with my kiddos (age 13, 11, 9, and 6)  He loves one-on-one attention, whether its reading a book, or playing a game or just chasing around.  

He has a significant hearing impairment, and received a cochlear implant in 2013.  He is learning some simple English words:  our names, milk, please, go, bike, IPad.  We went to an audiologist, and they said that he hearing with the implant is great! He has had several chances to interact with Chinese friends, and none of them have been able to have a lengthy conversation.  My friend Amy Wu came over today and spent several hours with him.  She said that his Chinese is very simple, consisting of one or two word phrases.  She said she felt like he was more on a 4 year old level in terms of language development.  It is clear that Ji Te will need a lot of speech and language therapy, but with his cochlear in place, he should be able to develop expressive language.  We communicate mainly by signing -- mostly signs that we've made up, and seem to be able to get along okay. 

He has been able to express the full range of emotions; joy, humor, courage, also stubbornness, and sadness.  All of these are very normal emotions for an 8 year old boy- that's a great thing!   

 

 He eats all sorts of Chinese style foods like rice, meat, and noodles.  He loves broccoli.  He also likes American foods like Chick Fila, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs, hamburgers and more.  He does not like salad, most desserts, or candy.  He loves to drink orange juice and soda (no ice).

 

He likes to help with household chores like folding laundry, vacuuming, washing dishes and loading the dishwasher.  He is eager to please and likes to have a playmate.  

 

There are some other ways that Ji Te seems more like a preschooler than an 8 year old.  He sometimes resists if you want to take him someplace he doesn't want to go. (especially when it's just the two of us, with the whole fam he seems to go with the flow)  He won't get in the car or won't get out of the car if he is unhappy.   He's had a few temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way, or isn't allowed to do what he wants to do (like when I rolled his bike in when it started raining)  He will scream, hit, kick, throw things.  This is getting better.  As we are getting used to each other and communicating better, it is less frequent. 

 

 

 

Ji Te needs a family that will be patient yet firm.  While he was here, he DID show the ability to attach.  Praise God!  His heart is soft despite what he's been though.  He is a little diamond in the rough, and with a forever family to polish that little diamond up, he will SHINE!  Please share this post- Ji Te, like every other child, has a dream to belong and be loved by a family all his own.