We are home! We got home late on Sunday night. (Thank you Sharon and Michael for welcoming us and bringing our tired crew home!) Yesterday is mostly a blur - sleeping much later than I had hoped, then a rush to get groceries, shoes for James, and a visit to our fabulous chiropractor. Then choir rehearsal with my choir, The WestSide Chorale. I almost fell asleep driving to rehearsal, but had so much fun and was so energized by the wonderful music and friends there, I was charged up and ready for the Night Time Routine (which lasted until 2:30am!). Thanks, choir! I needed that, lol!
I do apologize for the lack of photos! I'm not sure why the tablet wouldn't let me download photos to blogspot - or may it was the internet service in Taiwan? - but in either case, my goal today is to get some photos up.
And a few musings along the way.....
Yesterday, as I stood in my very own shower, with the smell of my favorite shower gel filling the air, my good shampoo (not the little one I travel with) and a warm, clean towel from the heated towel rack, I realized how comforting all these sensations were to me. My bed. My pillow. My closet with clothes I know.
And I thought of James. He came with a small bag of clothes which looked mostly new, except for the underwear and pj's which looked about ready to fall apart. He has left every smell and sensation that brought him comfort in his short life. I felt for him.
On our trip, I watched him as he pulled closer and closer to us. While we were in Taipei, he was quick to slip from our hands and run towards things he wanted - the vending machines in particular to get a coke. Most everyone looked like him. The language in the air was his. But as he became aware of his surroundings in Seattle, he started to stay a little closer. By the time we were in the Denver airport, he had one eye on us at all times. At the grocery store yesterday, while still wanting to touch everything and run around the store, he did not want to get too far from us either.
I'm thankful he's finding comfort in being with us. But I feel for his loss too.
No, this is not our new method of transportation! It is Courtney and Chris' and James was just about as excited as he could be to sit on it and touch it! Joy wasn't too upset about being invited to sit either! She loves fast things too - we are going to have so much fun come 8 years or so!
Thank you to Courtney and Chris! They were such amazing hosts! And they set the bar pretty high too! An indoor trampoline place one day and bowling the other day. Both kids loved it, with each taking their own time to try new things, but both conquering their fear and jumping in, no pun intended. I guess I'll need my jogging shoes on to keep up with these two!
Sleep deprivation is going to be an issue this month, so all who have to deal with me, please be patient, lol! James is sleeping through the night, although he does wake up crying occasionally. Joy is adjusting to a new bedroom and bed (well, not totally new - she did sleep successfully in her own room the first year until Halloween, then she was terrified and came down to our room and had been there ever since). All of her fears of being left, bad people taking her, and something happening to me have resurfaced, so sleep is a scary thing, not a rejuvenating thing. At least last night, I had a rocking chair in her room and my nook to read. She did finally crash around 2:30am.
I feel for her as well. She loves James. She loves having someone to play with. She loves having someone in the family to take our focus off of her a little bit. And she hates it all too! She is jealous, wants to be 6 again with us, and has a hard time sharing her things. She is mortally wounded at every push or shove that James gives. She is sure he hates her when he says, "UHHHHH!" (which usually means, Give That To Me Now!), even knowing that he doesn't have words in English to say that right now. And is convinced that when I look at him and smile it means I don't love her anymore either.
And then there are moments when she brightens and relaxes. She is a good big sister, teaching James how to conquer a level in Sleepy Jack, or keeping him from hurting the dog. She'll say to me something like, I see how you're taking care of James. Is that what you did for me when I first came here too? Everything is an affirmation, if she will see it that way. I pray she does.
This is James on Chris' shoulders at the bowling alley.
James is a sweetheart! He is genuinely loving and sweet, and all boy too! He's wild and out of control physically sometimes, and other times, he's very precise and accurate with his hands. I bought the app Mosiac for the ipad yesterday (it's cool - go look at it!) and he spent 20 minutes putting the marbles on the pegboard with his finger to make pictures. (So much for a delayed hand-eye coordination in the report.)
It seems pretty apparent that he's on a sugar rollercoaster. He doesn't eat protein (I don't call Chicken McNuggets protein.) He doesn't like veggies (a snow pea here and there), and fruit makes his face scrunch up like he's eaten a lemon wedge. On our How to Take Care of him sheet(s), the foster mother had written that she bribed him with cookies to eat 2 slices of fruit a day. That's a strange ratio, don't you think? Oh, and she's fed him soda the last 6 months to ease his "anxiety". Um, thanks.
Once we get his diet under control, I'll work on seeing just where his physical abilities are. The testing we received made it sound like he couldn't hold a pencil (which isn't true), so I'm guessing he didn't want to be at the testing center and was deliberately being difficult. I will remember that, lol!
I should go take a shower while they are still asleep! I'm not ready to leave him alone in the house and not ready to put Joy in charge of him either.
More later when I get pictures out of the cameras!
Thank you all for your prayers - they have been a blessing to us and we are grateful for safe travels and a smooth transition home.
bye for now!
Margaret
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