Soccer begins....

We took a chance and signed both of the kids up for soccer right after we arrived home in May, not knowing what our lives had in store for the future. Thankfully, Nathan is pretty easygoing, and likes to try new things. And so far, so good.

We have practices every Monday and Wednesday, and the first game was this past Saturday. Avery was daydreaming a lot of the time, and also being a stinker too to her momma, which got her a talking to after the game. I'll plead the fifth on the specifics.

Nathan, who had been a little unsure of what to do all through the practices, completely brought his "A" game, and scored a goal and an assist! It was amazing to see the confidence in him, and to experience him growing in so many ways day by day.

Tomorrow, the kids go back to school. I just can't believe it. Nathan is starting first grade, and I know he'll do fine. I pray that his teacher will be understanding of this brave child who has been through so many changes in these past three months. He has come so far with learning our family unit, our language, and what is expected of him. He still holds back most of the time with his affection, but he seems happy and content, and we do get an "I love you" at night from him (after we tell him of course, but we'll take it any way we can get it).

I can only imagine what the future holds for him, and how he will be in another three months. We decided we will send him to Chinese school, which starts at the end of the month.

And our Avery, she continues to amaze me every day with her vocabulary, reasoning, and negotiating skills. She is a funny, funny girl, and sometimes, she'll say something, and we are cracking up until she makes a sort of snorting sound, and then, well, we laugh even harder. We've discovered it's fun to have "girl parties" and paint our nails and do the things that girls like to do. And she insists on locking her bedroom door during these parties to make sure that no boys get in...

Long weekend vacation

We took the kids to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin recently for a last minute getaway before I went back to work. The first night, we stayed at an indoor water park, which had a "countryside view" of horses. It was so calming watching the horses graze in the distance. Avery absolutely loved watching them. She was squealing with excitement when she first saw them - adorable. After we checked out of the hotel, we went to a petting zoo and also let Avery ride a pony. She was a little scared, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Nathan is talking more each day. I feel like every day he says something new. Here are some of the latest things: "Can you find a fish?" and "What are you talking about?" and "I have something for you." And last night he told Avery, "Get outta my room!" Yes, he was mad. Avery knows how to press every one of Nathan's buttons and she had harassed him, and he had had enough. Gotta love the sibling fights. It happens to all of us who have siblings. They both really need to start school, so that they can focus on something other than tattling on each other. Sigh. And life goes on....

Beach and boat ride

We are fortunate enough to have some good friends that have a boat. We spent the morning at the beach, and in the afternoon, we took a boat ride. Both of the kids got to drive the boat (with our friend Jeff behind them) and they were very excited.

Avery is our thrill seeker, and clearly you can see she is loving life. Nathan was probably concentrating on not trying to hit anyone. It was a great day.

Tomorrow, I go back to work. I am thankful for my time off with the kids. There were some amazing days, and some very tough days. And I would not change a thing.

I feel that Nathan has grown so much since we met him 2.5 months ago. His English continues to amaze me, and he is keeping up his Chinese with our sister-in-law. Avery has struggled at times not being the only one anymore, but slowly she is understanding what having a brother is all about. Next month, Nathan will start first grade and Avery will go back to preschool. They are both ready, and I think that the structure will be good for them both.

So the coffee pot is set to brew at 6am. Yes, caffeine is my friend.

America the Beautiful

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. We took the kids to the fireworks, and they had a great time. They were running around before the fireworks, chasing daddy and the other friends that we were with.

We also went to the 4th of July parade that we attend every year at Eric's uncle's house. It was amazing to watch Nathan, and to be present with this boy who is now an American citizen. I was feeling a sense of pride for him, an opportunity that he will get to be whatever he wants to be, and I was humbled by him having freedom. Sweet freedom.

Wordless Wednesday

English explosion

Well this boy of ours is talking up a storm. He is comprehending at an unbelievable rate as well. Here are some of the things he is saying:

"This is for you."

"Watch this."

"I want to do."

"What are you doing?"

"Mother, I can't do this. This is too hard."

"I want to take a picture."

And his new favorite word...."AWESOME!"

It is amazing to think how far he has come. And I am the one who has been able to spend each day with him, to watch him grow. There have been some tough times, but I am very thankful that the things that we needed to address are very minor. And I cannot wait to have some expanded conversations with him. I have a feeling that time will be just a few months away...

Oh, and have I ever mentioned what a detail-oriented kid I got? He is very skilled at building things. I see a Purdue Engineer in my future....

Look Ma...I lost my tooth!

Nathan lost his tooth - the top one that was loose since China - on June 18th. He was very excited and couldn't wait to tell us. And he was even more excited to get money. He was actually at Grandma's house when he lost it, so he wanted to call his momma right away. Sweet boy. And after a pretty rough week, it was such a nice moment between us on the phone. I felt even more of a closeness to him.

Since last Friday, he has been so much better. I am so very thankful. He is now starting his whining thing a little bit in the past day or two, but it is more tolerable.

We had a visit to my work today, and Nathan and Avery drew pictures for everyone. Nathan even gave the doctor a (fake) shot! Too funny....

And oh! The other day Nathan told me, "Mother, can you open this?" Holy Moley - can you believe all of those words he put together at once? So proud of him...