Anatomy of a Care Package

Last night, three minutes before the post office closed, I was able to mail Kai's care package to him. We expect it to reach his orphanage by Friday. Many families send care packages in the hopes that they can introduce themselves to their child through photos and familiar smells. Some families send a set of questions for their child's nannies in hopes of learning a little bit more of their life story. I was limited to ten questions, anymore and we risk not getting any answers because the staff are too busy in their care taking roles. Our fingers are crossed that they will find the time to respond to these questions. If you look to the back row of the photo, you'll notice a small white notebook with Kai's picture. I figured that we have a better shot at getting a response if the paper is conveniently provided. We also sent two disposable cameras. We included a letter asking the staff to photograph Kai and the adults and children with whom he has developed relationships. I labeled his cameras with his name in his Chinese characters front/back. I also used the first picture in each camera to photograph a paper with our name/address/number/email in the event that our camera goes home with the wrong baby. We also sent Kai a couple of small toys. In the picture you'll see some stacking cups, a soft monkey rattle, a lion teether, and mesh ball. On the right, is our favorite item. We found a photo album for babies. It is soft, with crinkle sounding pages and has a handle with little sliding pieces. The fabric pages have brightly colored pictures and pockets for our photos. We put his picture on the front and ours inside. In the front row is a bag of chocolate with a note for the nannies to help themselves. Lastly, underneath all of these things, is a small flannel blanket that we have been sleeping with to help him recognize us. We bought duplicates of these items in the event that we don't get them back, but many families are fortunate enough to bring them home with their children.

Our fingers are crossed that when we pick up Kai, we will also be bringing home a set of these preserved memories to share with him as he gets older.