The days keep ticking by

We still haven't heard much about our littlest girl.  We've asked for information, but no one seems to know much.  They said they think she'll be back Mon or Tues.  We talked to the doctor from her baby house, and she didn't seem too concerned (and she's really attached to this little sweetie.)  I guess if she's still in the hospital when our paperwork is finalized, then we'll go and get the lowdown, since we'll have the legal right.  Until then, I guess we just hang in limbo.

I was just thinking that it's so good that we're adopting three kids, and still have two kids to take our minds off of our missing child.  We can't go see her, no one really knows what's going on, they keep them in the hospital for a minimum of five days...  If we had no other kids to occupy our time, well, I don't know about David, but I would be a crazy person by now!  We would have no purpose for our being here "ticking off the days."  Sitting in the apartment, with no one to bond with would make me INSANE!!! 

David was thrilled today because when he saw him, our boy toddled to him to be picked up.  Warmed his heart.  He let me put my arm around him for awhile today, and he played with my hand for a few minutes.  He also learned how to ride on his Daddy's shoulders.  It is so fun to have these firsts with the kids, but sad also, that he's almost four years old, and has never had a Daddy to ride him on shoulders.

"What the heck is going on here?"

"Okay, I think I'm getting the hang of this..."

"So, if I just hold onto your head for balance..."

  Daddy let him play with the sunglasses today, and he also enjoyed manipulating them, examining them, and trying them on.  He was also gentle with them.  Sometimes these kids seem younger, as they explore the world, but then sometimes they seem age appropriate, as in knowing how to be gentle with things.

"So this is what these things are like up close!"

Every day when we come to visit, I find our girl sitting by herself, doing...nothing.  There are some other children in the room, but she is not playing with them, and there are toys in the room, but she doesn't seem interested in playing with them, either.  She always perks up when we come in and today was no exception.  She was so happy to see us, and I held her for awhile, and she stroked my hair nicely, until, same as every other day, she decided to pull it out of my head.  Personally, I'm getting tired of this scenario, and wish we could do some real discipline, learn boundaries, and move on to enjoying being a family.  I want to be the parent, and not the visitor!  Patience, patience!

The tender reunion

spoiled by the unacceptable behavior

Doesn't this break your heart?  Hasn't she spent enough time in timeout for one little lifetime?

Remember that game I told you about that Daddy played with her, where she holds his hand, and folds down each finger as he counts, and then he opens his hand up suddenly with a whooshing noise?  She took Daddy's big gloves, and played this game herself, while we watched her and cheered her on.  He said, "She took my game, and made it her own!"  He was so proud.

"One, two, three..."

"Yaaay!"  (That's translated out of russian--I think)