Progress

Sorry about the pics.... John's gotta fix it. Not my department.

Today my sister-in-law and niece came to town. This was the first time they have met the kids, so it was fun to be able to show them off - in spite of them all running around in their grubbies and our house desperately needing a good vacuuming after dragging all the Christmas decorations out yesterday. Hey, I ain't proud! ;O)

We also had turkey dinner at John's folks' house today with their entire clan. The highlight for me was watching John and Aleksa eat their supper together. She loves her Papa, and had to have an arm around him, give him frequent kisses, and otherwise love him up as much as possible while trying to gobble down her meal at the same time. She's been such an affectionate one lately. She's getting so that when I hold her myself, she has to put my chin in the crook of her arm and hug my head sideways with her palm on my cheek. She does this while she is falling to sleep, but she also does this other times too. It relaxes her somehow, like how some kids twirl their hair or stick their fingers through the holes in their afghan/blankets. Huge blessing to see that kind of attachment to us after how worried I was about her when we first came home. Don't get me wrong, we're still pretty vigilant about letting her be too charming to strangers, but we know that she knows who mama and papa are and that we are first best to her.

Anyway, we've also been trying to figure out the Christmas list this year. Adam will be the hardest, I think, but that might just be because I'm a girl and he's alllll boy. What on earth do 9-yr-old boys like!? He'd be thrilled with a bunch of match-box cars, but that sure doesn't look like a whole lot under the tree. We have to do some more thinking (and unfortunately, John hasn't had any ideas to help out).

Speaking of Adam, he's been doing a lot better in crowds. He got wound up a few times on Thanksgiving day and got in trouble a few times being naughty to people, but today at the Fishers' I don't think he did anything that most kids his age might do (like make their balloons squeak... eeewww). Nice that things aren't quite so overwhelming and overstimulating to him anymore. The poor kid was so stressed when we first came home. The difference between this Adam and THAT Adam is incredible. He's come a long way. Nice that he's feeling more secure and that he's getting the hang of family life in a different country. I sure wouldn't want to have gone through what he has in the last three + months, but boy has he weathered it well. Still has a ways to go, but he's doing great!

Again, I'm sorry about the pics. I can email them to you if want.