HOME...

Well, I am pretty sure any of you that have been following this blog/China trip must be pretty certain I have slipped off the face of the earth by now... I just haven't kept you up to date... and I am sorry!

We arrived home and life took off running and well...we've been just living... and the blog...and my computer life...and pretty much all but the essentials, have been put on hold as we wobble to a new normal.

Minutes after arriving to her new home...

Discovering the fridge magnets the first night home...

We brought our adorable little China girl home to her house arriving late on that Thursday and she made her little self right at home. She investigated the toys and rooms and never seemed as tho' she didn't belong here. By day two, she met her future "partners-in-crime," when Jemila and Kulate arrived back on the scene.

My wonderful sister brought our two girls back Friday night from their pretty awesome time away at her house. They had been so awesomely taken care of - had lots of special days, homeschool, and even a birthday party (hope to do a little post with pictures from their time there). I think actually they were a bit sad to return to real life and to the "new" baby of the house. They arrived with gifts for Mia and sweet notes and sadly, Mia was a bit overwhelmed by them and hid during their meeting (under the kitchen table). This lasted all of 24 hours or so...

So.....how's it going now???

Beautifully in so many ways. Easy in so many ways. Stressful in some ways...

Mia, for the most part, is a sweet and easy little girl. The adjustment for her has been huge I am sure - she had been in a foster home with no siblings (tho' we do know she has had a least one foster sib in the past). She has much entertainment and attention here which she loves - it didn't take too long for her to realize it's a cool thing. She is calm and doesn't have any of the "orphanage behaviors" that our other little girls still exhibit all the time from time to time. She is familiar with family life, obeys for the most part (the first time!) - even puts herself in time out when she has been naughty - and usually she isn't naughty - she just thinks she has done something wrong...it is actually pretty cute to see her pout, hang her head, and head over to the time out chair. VERY different picture than our other daughters who still go kicking and screaming to time-out!

And that brings me to the stressful part...no, not Mia. Jemila and Kulate....bless their little ornery selves...Jemila has taken having a new sister in stride - after all she has always been a big sister - and a very good one at that for the most part. Kulate....well, let's just say she is doing what any other "baby" of the house would do. After the initial days and the newness of Mia had faded, the struggle for attention, amid a busy home where everyone was falling in love with this little darling from China, poor Ku began to show some not so nice behaviors. This has been the stress around here. Tho' even that has not made this transition too difficult. When we think back at what a struggle the days after our trip to Ethiopia brought, we stand in awe of what a gift this adoption has been as far as our early post-adoption days.

For those that are wondering if Mia ever warmed up to her bearded Daddy...Well, John won out and Mia is quite fond of his tickling, swinging through the air, and bedtime stories and kisses. She is on her way to being another Daddy's girl...knew it would happen...

I have been savoring my moments of having a little one around. Mia is home with the big kids during the day, doing some preschool with me and taking turns being read to and played with by her older sibs. I have been able to snuggle her and love her without feeling badly in front of Jemila and Kulate while they are in school. I took Mia to the library this week for the first time and realized I have NEVER taken just one little one to the library.  Lest you think that I have never taken a kid to the library, read that sentence again...I have never been to the library with JUST one little one - ever!!! I think I started taking Drew to the library around age two but had a baby on my back by then...I have always had a group with me when we visit the library due to homeschooling (and having so many kids...). What  a total treat it was to show her what a library is and to sit and look at books together...I am so enjoying my little one.

Mia's first day homeschooling...

And for the rest of this post, I am just going to share some of the favorite photos since we have been home...2 months exactly today. It has flown by...Mia is understanding so much and starting to speak in long English/Chinese sentences. She is smart and funny and charming and shy. She is helpful and well- mannered and tries to please. She is cute and tiny and is starting to prefer forks to chopsticks (sad...). She still cries out some in her sleep and seems to be mourning some at bedtime when she gets a sad faraway look in her eyes and then moans some while sleeping (she is still in a pack-and-play beside our bed and will be till summer when we will move her in with the girls - I am loving being able to rock and read/sing her to bed and cuddle her in bed in the morning before everyone gets up - we felt this was best for bonding with her and with all her crying during the first weeks at night, felt it best to not put her in with the girls til school is out).

At the Dr's office...not her favorite place...

All my girls on Easter morning. Mia finally let me put a bow in her hair. She will allow one for church but still prefers her hair free of bows. lol

Quite the multi-cultural group, don't ya think?

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