November 30, 2011

We had an uneventful morning, which was a change of pace. I needed to be in Huxley at 10a to sign up for a new gym membership. (Exercising officially starts back up in my life tomorrow around 5:00a . . . I spent the past year training myself to get up before 5a to exercise because I knew when the kids came that would be my only time to exercise. Its time I get back on it!)

Since we were in Huxley, I asked the girls if they wanted to stop by Aunt Kate’s house for a little bit. They both said yes so we did. We ended up spending a surprising two hours there. Two wonderful hours for me, getting to hang out with my sister . . . AND see my kids do so well at her house. That was a HUGE blessing! Abram had a blast playing with Greysen and asked if he could stay. And the girls did very well. They were very content and seemed to enjoy the toys they found to play with. By the second hour they were playing with Sydney a little. Isaiah did great, too. At one point all six of the kids were sitting around the table eating popcorn (I made sure I was the one who served it to them). It did my heart good to see that. I’m sure Kate’s too.

At one point I asked Zoe if Claire had gone outside and she said, “Claire no outside.” I was almost shocked to hear her say that! And then I realized, “oh yeah, they really are going to be able to speak English some day." Life has had to go on without English. I accepted the huge language barrier at some point a few weeks ago and we have gradually worked our way up to being able to function at a basic level very well with our limited language. Because of all that, I’ve realized that there is part of my brain that thinks this is how the communication will be forever. So, when I heard Zoe say that broken English sentence I almost leaped with excitement getting a tiny glimpse of what it might be like someday to really communicate with them.

However, we are talking YEARS before the girls will be able to really speak comprehensive English. I think this was part of my freaking out about the language barrier in the first weeks. Our girls aren’t going to just “pick up English quickly” like I was expecting. At their older ages, it is going to take a long time (especially since we are keeping them home from school to help with attachment and trust and healing). But, fortunately, by the grace of God I am okay with that (at least this week!). They have the rest of their lives to learn English (and this is the best time to learn to trust and attach). A friend sent me a really interesting and helpful link about learning English as a second language which shed more light on the issue.

In other news I'm sure you are dying to hear, we are taking the kids to the infectious disease doctor in Des Moines tomorrow (to check for parasites, etc.), and I have personally collected two poop samples this afternoon for the appointment – only one to go! Sorry if that was too much information - you know I like to keep it real around here. Just trying to explain the whole thing to the kids was pretty funny. I haven’t ever mentioned the how open the topics of suba (pee) and sumba (poop) have been since the first day the kids got here. And with all the beans we were eating in the first weeks, let’s just say we had a very sinky house (and still do often!). Honestly, at times in the very, very first days, this topic provided the comic relief/ice breaker that we needed to make us all laugh together. So, having to tell them I needed them to poop, etc. wasn’t that big of a deal since they announce to us when they are doing it anyway. J

Out of nowhere before dinner, Zoe brought me the framed family picture we have and showed me that she wanted her hair like it is there (extensions with beads) for Christmas. I asked Claire if she wanted the same and she said yes. The girls are already greatly anticipating Christmas. It is really fun. I have been wanting to do some advent stuff with them, but most of what I saw is too complicated for my kids with little English. We decided to just read the Christmas story over and over, leading up to Christmas . . . maybe even have them act it out after a while, etc. And then tonight I got a message from a friend saying that she is giving me all the materials, along with the website, that she is using with her kids – making it SUPER easy for me to do with mine. In fact the stuff is in my mailbox right now she said. I cannot tell you the huge blessing this is to me. I am so excited. Once again, God provides through His church . . . it is so beautiful!

Tonight Jason and the kids listened to worship songs (around the computer in the kitchen) after dinner. And I was thankfully able to use that time by being in and out of the kitchen with them, but actually making a legitimate grocery list for the first time in 5 weeks and changing the laundry that I started but has been sitting in the washer for way over 24 hours (because I am trying to do it on my own like a big girl now!) and picking up some remaining Christmas decorations (stars) that I thought I would get hung in the front window (I finally just decided that what I have done is enough because I was tired of looking at them sitting there). It felt good to be able to do some housekeeping things that haven’t gotten done in a long time. If I had more time I would take a picture of my craft room to show you more evidence of the grace of God – in that it is a total pit. And you know how I love that room in all of its organized glory. But it is okay that it is a mess right now. IT IS OKAY. I just keep telling myself it is OKAY.