John's Blog
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Church, jokes, and fast food
Most of the stuff today is about Adam, since his actions were a little more memorable. Other days will be about the other two. One quick note first, though. As I was sitting here talking with Shelly tonight, it hit me that we have been home only 5 months, and our children are behaving sooo well. They were little monsters when we brought them home, but now they are just like your average well-behaved child -- just a few problems now and then. It is clear to me that paying attention to the Bible when raising children has wonderful benefits.
At church today, Adam begged my sister for some gum. While this is admittedly better than begging strangers, we apparently still need to make it clear that he only has 2 parents. So, we had a little talk, "people at church are not your parents, so do not ask them for things. If you want something, ask Mama and Papa. If somebody asks you if you want something, that is much better." He accepted that without any noticeable problem. (Good boy!)
After church this evening, Adam was talking with a few adults, who were asking him what different animals sounded like. They told me that he was doing an exellent job. (This isn't really surprising to me -- Adam LOVES making noises!) Before we left, one man told Adam a joke. "How do you catch a rabbit? ... You hid behind a bush and make a noise like a carrot!" Adam busted up! (This might not seem blog-worthy, but it is the first American joke that Adam has understood and laughed at!)
On our way home after church, everyone was hungry. Then, Adam had another first. He said, "McDonalds, please." I wasn't really sure if that was a good idea yet, and wanted to talk with Shelly first. (Kinda late and stuff.) So, Adam and Liana proceeded to try to convince me that it was a good idea. They listed the good food that McDonalds has, and described the fun play place, and told me that they would be good, etc. -- They are clearly turning into American children. (We did go, btw. :o) )
Well, would you look at that! Two posts in two days! I'm on a roll!
At church today, Adam begged my sister for some gum. While this is admittedly better than begging strangers, we apparently still need to make it clear that he only has 2 parents. So, we had a little talk, "people at church are not your parents, so do not ask them for things. If you want something, ask Mama and Papa. If somebody asks you if you want something, that is much better." He accepted that without any noticeable problem. (Good boy!)
After church this evening, Adam was talking with a few adults, who were asking him what different animals sounded like. They told me that he was doing an exellent job. (This isn't really surprising to me -- Adam LOVES making noises!) Before we left, one man told Adam a joke. "How do you catch a rabbit? ... You hid behind a bush and make a noise like a carrot!" Adam busted up! (This might not seem blog-worthy, but it is the first American joke that Adam has understood and laughed at!)
On our way home after church, everyone was hungry. Then, Adam had another first. He said, "McDonalds, please." I wasn't really sure if that was a good idea yet, and wanted to talk with Shelly first. (Kinda late and stuff.) So, Adam and Liana proceeded to try to convince me that it was a good idea. They listed the good food that McDonalds has, and described the fun play place, and told me that they would be good, etc. -- They are clearly turning into American children. (We did go, btw. :o) )
Well, would you look at that! Two posts in two days! I'm on a roll!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Another blog entry! Woohoo!
Last night I told Shelly that I'd think up something to say today, so here it is! *checks to see how many people fainted* I think I'll try to post 2 or 3 times a week, and maybe Shelly and I can toggle our blogs since she is wanting to blog a bit less. We'll see what happens.
Aleksa has surprised us several nights at supper recently. She has eaten more than I do a few times. We figured out what's going on though, since she grew more than an inch in the last month! (vertically, not horizontally :oP )
Last night, we got about 10 inches of snow. So after we went to the library today, I grabbed a bucket and showed them how to build things by packing the snow and piling the "bricks". The thought that was cool, but the initial actions were to destroy my bricks rather than build their own...
At the library, Shelly and I grabbed the stuff we planned to get, just like normal. (We've been going every Saturday for about 4 weeks now.) But, this is the first time that the children ran around hunting for books they wanted themselves. We came back with a stack of about 12 books! *insert beaming smiley here*
Well, that should be enough for now. Stay tuned, since I sorta plan to blog again in the next few days...
Aleksa has surprised us several nights at supper recently. She has eaten more than I do a few times. We figured out what's going on though, since she grew more than an inch in the last month! (vertically, not horizontally :oP )
Last night, we got about 10 inches of snow. So after we went to the library today, I grabbed a bucket and showed them how to build things by packing the snow and piling the "bricks". The thought that was cool, but the initial actions were to destroy my bricks rather than build their own...
At the library, Shelly and I grabbed the stuff we planned to get, just like normal. (We've been going every Saturday for about 4 weeks now.) But, this is the first time that the children ran around hunting for books they wanted themselves. We came back with a stack of about 12 books! *insert beaming smiley here*
Well, that should be enough for now. Stay tuned, since I sorta plan to blog again in the next few days...
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Approaching normalcy?
Shelly mentioned that I hadn't blogged for a while, and she's right! Coincidentally, she tried to blog this morning, but something funny happened and she lost what she had written before it was blogged. So, she thinks it's my turn to blog about yesterday. :o)
One of two things has been happening (probably some of both): 1) The children are getting used to things and situations are calming down and approaching the sort of arrangement that Shelly and I expected when we thought of having children. and/or 2) Shelly and I are getting used to the way things are, and finding that it's pretty good most of the time.
So, what happened yesterday? Breakfast; part of a video (Adam continually asks to watch TV); a visit from Grandma, Auntie Cara, cousing Glen, as well as the new faces of cousin Jessie, her husband Chris, and their daughter Audrey. Chris and Jessie brought some clothes for the kids, and Adam got upset that there weren't any toys. He ended up sulking in his room for a while, but then we brought him out and he improved after a bit.
They mentioned a trip to Granddad's Bluff, and asked if we wanted to take the kids there, too. Shelly and I hemmed and hawed and thought about it for a while. We weren't sure what to do. Eventually, I thought that it might be good to get them excited outside of the house, so that they would be less stimulated inside the house. I'm not sure if that's a good line of reasoning, but we did go, and they enjoyed it -- without any bad behavior!
Yesterday was one of those days that looks like it will rain any second, but it doesn't. A few times, the kids asked to go outside, and we thought, "No, it's too hard to get you back inside, and we know it's going to rain soon." But, it kept not raining, so we took them outside after supper. Aleksa was cold right away, and Liana got a little chilled after a while. So, they ended up running inside for their little personal blankets. At that point, I decided it was time to go back inside (and that we're visitting a good will store today for some fall coats, since the "baby" shower isn't until Friday night). I was right, Adam and Liana didn't come in right away when I was sure that they knew what I was telling them. So, I chased them down and carried them into the house, then gave them a little scolding. It was really cool though, they were both sorry right away, without me having to figure out whether to put them in a corner. We are certainly making progress!
We ended the day by finishing up one of the videos Adam had been watching. I had to do a little computer work, but came out about 20 minutes before it was their bed time. Then, we all laid on the couch/floor and snuggled together while we watched. It was a great to a good day.
Oh! One other thing. I'm not sure what the kids are thinking exactly (particularly Liana), but they like to make lots of noise when they see Shelly and I kiss. Liana decided that she would try to kiss me on the lips, too. But, that would blur some of the relationship lines that we are trying to make clear to the children. Also, we've noticed that Liana is doing things that can easily be understood as attempts to rule the house. Letting her be equal with Mama would not be good. So, I kept turning my head and telling her, "Only Mama, not Liana." It was a fun game for a while, then she switched to telling me that she didn't love me, then she'd be normal for a while, then she'd try kissing me on the lips later. That happened 2 or 3 times, and one of the last times, Mama came and kissed me during the episode. Adam joined in by holding our heads together and sort of hugging us. It was a rather memorable and fun moment, with the kids yelling and giggling about us kissing. (BTW, it is clear that Liana's, "I don't love you" comments are about as far from the truth as possible. Once they've had time to really feel out the relationship arrangements, I doubt we'll hear that anymore. I'm also pretty sure that she has realized that such a statement won't help her, since the biggest reaction I gave her was to smile and say that I knew that she did love me.)
Anyway, that's my first blog in a while. Hope you enjoyed it!
One of two things has been happening (probably some of both): 1) The children are getting used to things and situations are calming down and approaching the sort of arrangement that Shelly and I expected when we thought of having children. and/or 2) Shelly and I are getting used to the way things are, and finding that it's pretty good most of the time.
So, what happened yesterday? Breakfast; part of a video (Adam continually asks to watch TV); a visit from Grandma, Auntie Cara, cousing Glen, as well as the new faces of cousin Jessie, her husband Chris, and their daughter Audrey. Chris and Jessie brought some clothes for the kids, and Adam got upset that there weren't any toys. He ended up sulking in his room for a while, but then we brought him out and he improved after a bit.
They mentioned a trip to Granddad's Bluff, and asked if we wanted to take the kids there, too. Shelly and I hemmed and hawed and thought about it for a while. We weren't sure what to do. Eventually, I thought that it might be good to get them excited outside of the house, so that they would be less stimulated inside the house. I'm not sure if that's a good line of reasoning, but we did go, and they enjoyed it -- without any bad behavior!
Yesterday was one of those days that looks like it will rain any second, but it doesn't. A few times, the kids asked to go outside, and we thought, "No, it's too hard to get you back inside, and we know it's going to rain soon." But, it kept not raining, so we took them outside after supper. Aleksa was cold right away, and Liana got a little chilled after a while. So, they ended up running inside for their little personal blankets. At that point, I decided it was time to go back inside (and that we're visitting a good will store today for some fall coats, since the "baby" shower isn't until Friday night). I was right, Adam and Liana didn't come in right away when I was sure that they knew what I was telling them. So, I chased them down and carried them into the house, then gave them a little scolding. It was really cool though, they were both sorry right away, without me having to figure out whether to put them in a corner. We are certainly making progress!
We ended the day by finishing up one of the videos Adam had been watching. I had to do a little computer work, but came out about 20 minutes before it was their bed time. Then, we all laid on the couch/floor and snuggled together while we watched. It was a great to a good day.
Oh! One other thing. I'm not sure what the kids are thinking exactly (particularly Liana), but they like to make lots of noise when they see Shelly and I kiss. Liana decided that she would try to kiss me on the lips, too. But, that would blur some of the relationship lines that we are trying to make clear to the children. Also, we've noticed that Liana is doing things that can easily be understood as attempts to rule the house. Letting her be equal with Mama would not be good. So, I kept turning my head and telling her, "Only Mama, not Liana." It was a fun game for a while, then she switched to telling me that she didn't love me, then she'd be normal for a while, then she'd try kissing me on the lips later. That happened 2 or 3 times, and one of the last times, Mama came and kissed me during the episode. Adam joined in by holding our heads together and sort of hugging us. It was a rather memorable and fun moment, with the kids yelling and giggling about us kissing. (BTW, it is clear that Liana's, "I don't love you" comments are about as far from the truth as possible. Once they've had time to really feel out the relationship arrangements, I doubt we'll hear that anymore. I'm also pretty sure that she has realized that such a statement won't help her, since the biggest reaction I gave her was to smile and say that I knew that she did love me.)
Anyway, that's my first blog in a while. Hope you enjoyed it!
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
We're official
Court went very well today. Shelly cried tears of joy while we listened to the judge tell us that we were approved and that the 30-day waiting period was waved. I just grinned big, like I tend to do when things are going very well. :OD
After that, we headed to the children's birth place, which is about a 3 hour drive, one way. We waited around for quite a while, and Shelly enjoyed a "talk" with our favorite taxi driver. Eventually, we went in and signed some papers and came out with the children's new birth certificates! Woohoo!
We just got back from that trip (it's 9:30 now), and are trying to set up a flight back home Tuesday or Wednesday next week. However, we aren't sure what flights are available, and it may not be until Thursday. (This could be a very tough week!)
This Friday, we plan to take the children to the official doctor's apointment that is needed before we can leave. Then on Monday, we will go to the U.S. Embassy and get the visas, etc (which we can't pick up until 3:00pm). Once that is complete, the leftovers can be handled by mail if it isn't already settled. So, the sooner we can get home, the better. (Hopefully, we can get a good flight arranged. Please pray that it is sooner rather than later!)
The only bad thing about today is that we weren't able to see the children at all. We will have to wait until tomorrow to tell them the good news. (But we did tell them yesterday about the plans for today.)
I don't know when we will be able to blog next, because we are definitely not going to be back here tomorrow night. Please pray hard until we are home! Having the children 24 hours a day in a place that is strange to all of us is going to be difficult in many ways.
Love,
John, Shelly, Adam, Liana, and Aleksa
After that, we headed to the children's birth place, which is about a 3 hour drive, one way. We waited around for quite a while, and Shelly enjoyed a "talk" with our favorite taxi driver. Eventually, we went in and signed some papers and came out with the children's new birth certificates! Woohoo!
We just got back from that trip (it's 9:30 now), and are trying to set up a flight back home Tuesday or Wednesday next week. However, we aren't sure what flights are available, and it may not be until Thursday. (This could be a very tough week!)
This Friday, we plan to take the children to the official doctor's apointment that is needed before we can leave. Then on Monday, we will go to the U.S. Embassy and get the visas, etc (which we can't pick up until 3:00pm). Once that is complete, the leftovers can be handled by mail if it isn't already settled. So, the sooner we can get home, the better. (Hopefully, we can get a good flight arranged. Please pray that it is sooner rather than later!)
The only bad thing about today is that we weren't able to see the children at all. We will have to wait until tomorrow to tell them the good news. (But we did tell them yesterday about the plans for today.)
I don't know when we will be able to blog next, because we are definitely not going to be back here tomorrow night. Please pray hard until we are home! Having the children 24 hours a day in a place that is strange to all of us is going to be difficult in many ways.
Love,
John, Shelly, Adam, Liana, and Aleksa
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Exciting day!
Well, today was an exciting day! We bought clothes for the kids (shirts, shorts/slacks, socks, underwear). Also, we grabbed a hat for Adam, since he'd asked for one several times. Then, we bought some extremely delicious popsickles. One went to our wonderful taxi driver, who also took us through the market maze in our hunt for clothing. Then all of us had our popsickles, except Adam. I guess he was being punished for something, since he was sitting by himself in a chair and in a sullen mood. We couldn't take him right away because of whatever was going on. When we finally could take him, he was saying that he didn't want to come. But, when we handed him the food and melted popsickle, he warmed up quickly.
They loved their clothes. We have not seen bigger grins on their faces, and a little bit of hopping around took place, too! (Happy birthday, Aleksa!)
This afternoon, between visits, Vica called us. We were nervously excited, and then she told us what we wanted to hear!! Yippee! She's on a train right now, coming to Odessa, where the taxi driver will pick her up at 5:00 am tomorrow. They will get here a little while later, and our court appearance will be at 9:00! Woohoo! (Do I sound excited enough?)
When we got to the orphanage tonight, our children were in one of the musical thingies that we weren't allowed to interrupt before. But, I walked past the door, and saw Adam in his new shirt. He was one of the only children facing my direction, and he saw me. Shortly after that, I heard some noises and the word "Papa". In a little bit, they all came running out to see me. It was great to know that they got out as fast as they could, rather than waiting until the whatever-it-was was over. :oD
I tried to tell Adam about the court thing when we first found them, and I think he understood a little. About a minute later, he asked if we could (or when we would) go for a car ride. I tried to tell him that maybe in 2 or 3 days. While I'm not sure that he understood me exactly, his smile made me think that the message of "soon" came across well.
A translator for another couple agreed to explain about the court meeting to the children, since we might not be with them tomorrow because of this. Aleksa looked completely indifferent, probably because she didn't have a clue anyway. Liana was hard for me to read. It could have been a little fear, since she hasn't been on a train or anything like that before. But, she also could have just been trying to figure out what it all meant. The highlight, though, was Adam's face. He was beaming, and we could tell that this was VERY good news to him. That just sort of topped off the whole day. :o) We played around for a while after that, then had to leave. It was a pleasant parting, and we waved as we drove away. We blew kisses (Aleksa particularly likes that.) Aleksa trailed behind the other two, and grinned big as I kept waving and waving while we drove away.
They loved their clothes. We have not seen bigger grins on their faces, and a little bit of hopping around took place, too! (Happy birthday, Aleksa!)
This afternoon, between visits, Vica called us. We were nervously excited, and then she told us what we wanted to hear!! Yippee! She's on a train right now, coming to Odessa, where the taxi driver will pick her up at 5:00 am tomorrow. They will get here a little while later, and our court appearance will be at 9:00! Woohoo! (Do I sound excited enough?)
When we got to the orphanage tonight, our children were in one of the musical thingies that we weren't allowed to interrupt before. But, I walked past the door, and saw Adam in his new shirt. He was one of the only children facing my direction, and he saw me. Shortly after that, I heard some noises and the word "Papa". In a little bit, they all came running out to see me. It was great to know that they got out as fast as they could, rather than waiting until the whatever-it-was was over. :oD
I tried to tell Adam about the court thing when we first found them, and I think he understood a little. About a minute later, he asked if we could (or when we would) go for a car ride. I tried to tell him that maybe in 2 or 3 days. While I'm not sure that he understood me exactly, his smile made me think that the message of "soon" came across well.
A translator for another couple agreed to explain about the court meeting to the children, since we might not be with them tomorrow because of this. Aleksa looked completely indifferent, probably because she didn't have a clue anyway. Liana was hard for me to read. It could have been a little fear, since she hasn't been on a train or anything like that before. But, she also could have just been trying to figure out what it all meant. The highlight, though, was Adam's face. He was beaming, and we could tell that this was VERY good news to him. That just sort of topped off the whole day. :o) We played around for a while after that, then had to leave. It was a pleasant parting, and we waved as we drove away. We blew kisses (Aleksa particularly likes that.) Aleksa trailed behind the other two, and grinned big as I kept waving and waving while we drove away.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Words, pictures, and socks
Today was relatively "normal". The kids seemed happy for us to be there, misbehaved a little, but were happy we were there. Adam came running to us this morning too, so we felt much better after what happened last night.
I was both pleased and bothered tonight about some of Adam's actions. It appears that he is a normal 9 year old, wanting things to play with and to hold his attention. So, he will occasionally wander away from us (against our instructions) to play with some other adopting couple and their children (differen toys). One of those was a book of English words and pictures (boy, girl, mother, father, ball, cat, hand, face, etc.) I sat with him a read the words for a few minutes, and then had to give the book back. When I tried to do that, Adam clung to the book, and I really had to pull it from his hands. We then started carrying the children back to "our spot". Once Adam knew that he was going, whether he wanted to or not, he started running/skipping over there. I sat down and tried to draw some pictures and write the words for them, but that just didn't seem to cut it. Liana was interested in that, though. She would point at something on the quick point card, ask me what it was, then write a little squiggle on some paper. It was cute, but I know that the squiggles were not actually anything readable in Russian, Ukranian, or English (though it could have been shorthand ;oP )
Aleksa took me for a tour around the outside of the building this afternoon, and Liana wanted to go along for the ride. It was rather fun, but I have no clue what Aleksa was trying to say to me.
The other adopting couple, that I mentioned above, left after a while, and their kids came over to ask for some balloons. Adam really likes giving balloons to the other kids, which I think is a good thing, but I would really like to know why he does it, too. Anyway, I became a human pump after a bit. These balloons are next to impossible to blow up by mouth, though you can do it with a little hand-work added in. So, the kids would hold the open end of the balloon to me, then suck on the other end. This would result in the balloon sort of expanding inside their mouths, then extending out a little ways. They really got a kick out of this, so I ended up doing that for a while. (The bad part was that they obviously didn't care about spreading germs, so I really hope that I don't catch anything from this!) Also, while I was doing this, the two other children were calling me "Papa". I told them that I was "Mister", not "Papa". They understood that after I said it two or three times. I also made sure to blow up Adam and Liana's balloons first, even if these other children had been asking for just a bit longer. I'm not sure, but I think this had the desired effect of reinforcing our children's belief that they are more special to Shelly and I than any of the other children. (I also think that our kids get along better with these other two, because they all know that they have their own Mama and Papa already and aren't trying to steal us away.)
I know this is a slightly shorter blog than normal, but I can't really think of anything else to say right now. We'll be buying some clothes before we go to visit the children tomorrow morning, so that will give me something to talk about tomorrow for sure. (Oh! Liana asked for some socks tonight, and eventually got it across to me that I should give her my socks like I had done or Adam a couple days ago. So, I took them off (sweaty and all) and gave them to her. She tried putting them on, found out they were way too big, then came over and stuffed them in the leg pocket of my shorts while I was busy doing something with Adam or Aleksa. It was cute.)
Papa holding Liana
I was both pleased and bothered tonight about some of Adam's actions. It appears that he is a normal 9 year old, wanting things to play with and to hold his attention. So, he will occasionally wander away from us (against our instructions) to play with some other adopting couple and their children (differen toys). One of those was a book of English words and pictures (boy, girl, mother, father, ball, cat, hand, face, etc.) I sat with him a read the words for a few minutes, and then had to give the book back. When I tried to do that, Adam clung to the book, and I really had to pull it from his hands. We then started carrying the children back to "our spot". Once Adam knew that he was going, whether he wanted to or not, he started running/skipping over there. I sat down and tried to draw some pictures and write the words for them, but that just didn't seem to cut it. Liana was interested in that, though. She would point at something on the quick point card, ask me what it was, then write a little squiggle on some paper. It was cute, but I know that the squiggles were not actually anything readable in Russian, Ukranian, or English (though it could have been shorthand ;oP )
Aleksa took me for a tour around the outside of the building this afternoon, and Liana wanted to go along for the ride. It was rather fun, but I have no clue what Aleksa was trying to say to me.
The other adopting couple, that I mentioned above, left after a while, and their kids came over to ask for some balloons. Adam really likes giving balloons to the other kids, which I think is a good thing, but I would really like to know why he does it, too. Anyway, I became a human pump after a bit. These balloons are next to impossible to blow up by mouth, though you can do it with a little hand-work added in. So, the kids would hold the open end of the balloon to me, then suck on the other end. This would result in the balloon sort of expanding inside their mouths, then extending out a little ways. They really got a kick out of this, so I ended up doing that for a while. (The bad part was that they obviously didn't care about spreading germs, so I really hope that I don't catch anything from this!) Also, while I was doing this, the two other children were calling me "Papa". I told them that I was "Mister", not "Papa". They understood that after I said it two or three times. I also made sure to blow up Adam and Liana's balloons first, even if these other children had been asking for just a bit longer. I'm not sure, but I think this had the desired effect of reinforcing our children's belief that they are more special to Shelly and I than any of the other children. (I also think that our kids get along better with these other two, because they all know that they have their own Mama and Papa already and aren't trying to steal us away.)
I know this is a slightly shorter blog than normal, but I can't really think of anything else to say right now. We'll be buying some clothes before we go to visit the children tomorrow morning, so that will give me something to talk about tomorrow for sure. (Oh! Liana asked for some socks tonight, and eventually got it across to me that I should give her my socks like I had done or Adam a couple days ago. So, I took them off (sweaty and all) and gave them to her. She tried putting them on, found out they were way too big, then came over and stuffed them in the leg pocket of my shorts while I was busy doing something with Adam or Aleksa. It was cute.)
Papa holding Liana
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Adam's Turn
I don't really know where to start today. Overall, I think the day was pretty good. But, it was also a mixed bag. There were some encouraging signs as well as some discouraging things.
This morning, Adam didn't want to ask for his orange, so we didn't give it to him. Eventually (15 minutes later or so), he asked for it, and we gave it to him along with some kisses and hugs. I'm not sure what was up, but that's what happened.
Liana was one that had us most concerned before, but today, things have sort of flipped. Aleksa has been pretty much the same -- trying to do what she wants and getting upset if we don't let her, and Liana helped to keep her in line. Shelly blogged a little about that. But, tonight, Adam ran out the orphanage gate and wouldn't stop as I shouted to him. So, I ran out to him, and scolded him as I carried him back. This morning, I had taken an old battery from him, not really understanding what was going on. This afternoon, he apparently wanted it back, but I had left it in our room. Maybe that's what spawned this. On the other hand, we pulled out the little "quick point" card that people can use for communication while travelling, and he and I sat and looked at it together for several minutes. We also played with some new toys that we had brought. Things seemed good for a while, then he started wandering or running away. After the second incident, I picked him up and sat him on my lap and didn't let him get away (but he didn't try as hard as he could have). Then we had a repeat of my previous argument with Liana. "I'm your Papa, I love you." "No" "Yes I am" "No", etc. Maybe I'm not reading him just right, but the manner in which he did this makes me *suspect* that he was purposefully re-enacting what he saw between Liana and I. After that, Liana has pretty much clung to me and asked me to hold her whenever possible. I'm hoping that something similar takes place with Adam. (I'll make sure to bring his battery back tomorrow. We had to change batteries in the camera, and he saw that. Maybe that was part of the problem.) It is also interesting to note that Liana was especially good and cheerful while Adam was going through his little bit.
When we had to leave, we got in the taxi, and waved and blew kisses. Aleksa and Liana were both grinning, but I'm not sure what Adama was doing because his head wasn't turned toward us. It seemed that the evening ended well enough between us, but I will be much happier if he is excited to see us when we come tomorrow.
Again, I think that some of our adventures are becoming less adoption-only adventures and more like traditional parent-child adventures. If the last few days are enough time to establish a precedent, this little incident with Adam will end up being a good thing. We keep praying that this will be the case. Thank you for your prayers!
I also can't help but thinking of this verse every couple of days, particularly when I'm in either a very positive or a somewhat distraught mood: Psalm 127:3a and 5a, "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord ... How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;" While it seems that this is normally considered a comment on the value of children, it also gives me a little encouragement like a promise. Since children are a treasure, and we do plan to raise them to glorify God, we can fully expect that whatever problems arise will be handled and that the children will turn out to be wonderful in God's sight and our own.
Adam and Papa
This morning, Adam didn't want to ask for his orange, so we didn't give it to him. Eventually (15 minutes later or so), he asked for it, and we gave it to him along with some kisses and hugs. I'm not sure what was up, but that's what happened.
Liana was one that had us most concerned before, but today, things have sort of flipped. Aleksa has been pretty much the same -- trying to do what she wants and getting upset if we don't let her, and Liana helped to keep her in line. Shelly blogged a little about that. But, tonight, Adam ran out the orphanage gate and wouldn't stop as I shouted to him. So, I ran out to him, and scolded him as I carried him back. This morning, I had taken an old battery from him, not really understanding what was going on. This afternoon, he apparently wanted it back, but I had left it in our room. Maybe that's what spawned this. On the other hand, we pulled out the little "quick point" card that people can use for communication while travelling, and he and I sat and looked at it together for several minutes. We also played with some new toys that we had brought. Things seemed good for a while, then he started wandering or running away. After the second incident, I picked him up and sat him on my lap and didn't let him get away (but he didn't try as hard as he could have). Then we had a repeat of my previous argument with Liana. "I'm your Papa, I love you." "No" "Yes I am" "No", etc. Maybe I'm not reading him just right, but the manner in which he did this makes me *suspect* that he was purposefully re-enacting what he saw between Liana and I. After that, Liana has pretty much clung to me and asked me to hold her whenever possible. I'm hoping that something similar takes place with Adam. (I'll make sure to bring his battery back tomorrow. We had to change batteries in the camera, and he saw that. Maybe that was part of the problem.) It is also interesting to note that Liana was especially good and cheerful while Adam was going through his little bit.
When we had to leave, we got in the taxi, and waved and blew kisses. Aleksa and Liana were both grinning, but I'm not sure what Adama was doing because his head wasn't turned toward us. It seemed that the evening ended well enough between us, but I will be much happier if he is excited to see us when we come tomorrow.
Again, I think that some of our adventures are becoming less adoption-only adventures and more like traditional parent-child adventures. If the last few days are enough time to establish a precedent, this little incident with Adam will end up being a good thing. We keep praying that this will be the case. Thank you for your prayers!
I also can't help but thinking of this verse every couple of days, particularly when I'm in either a very positive or a somewhat distraught mood: Psalm 127:3a and 5a, "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord ... How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;" While it seems that this is normally considered a comment on the value of children, it also gives me a little encouragement like a promise. Since children are a treasure, and we do plan to raise them to glorify God, we can fully expect that whatever problems arise will be handled and that the children will turn out to be wonderful in God's sight and our own.
Adam and Papa
