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Will and I drove back to the Arboretum yesterday for a new playgroup we might join.  It’s made up of families who have adopted Chinese children.  The unique thing is that there are 2 other boys in the group!  One is 2 1/2, and the other is 4.  So Will falls right in between.  Now, it’s easy to find lots of Chinese adopted girls — but Will is only going to tolerate all-girl playgroups for so long.  It’s nice to get him around some boys just like him.  While we were there, I took advantage of the beautiful backdrop & got some more pictures of our little cutie doing his thing . . . .

We have another little playgroup up or sleeve that I’m thinking of trying out today.  I’m not sure if the big kids will be up for it after school, so I’ll wait & see what they want to do. 

Will’s follow up with the pediatrician was today.  He went over the results of the culture he took from Will’s staph infection a few weeks ago.  Will did not have MRSA, which is obviously good.  It was ordinary staph, but the treatment options are very limited for a guy Will’s age/size.  The Bactrim was pretty much useless, considering the type of staph Will had is resistant to it.  The infection appears to be cleared up, so we’re just going to watch it closely.  I am very happy that the dr. is ready to get serious about helping Will get some relief from his awful eczema.  We are going for blood work test for food & environmental allergies tomorrow.  I am so afraid we’re going to learn that he’s allergic to soy — that would be terrible for him!  Will just loves his Very Vanilla Silk & his soy cheese!  Well, there’s still Rice Dream Ice Cream to get him through (blech!).  As much as I hate to put him through another blood test, it’s worth it if we can get him some relief from his 24 hour itching.  The dr. also told us to DOUBLE the amount of Zyrtec we’re giving Will & to give him Benadryl at night, as well.  Good golly!  Other instructions:  back off on the hydrocortisone ointment, give 2 baths every day, moisturize obsessively, wear long jammies & socks on hands at night, lol!  (That’s the dad in him, I guess!) 

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Can you believe we are celebrating 6 months since we first held our little man in our arms?  In many ways it seems like Will has just arrived, yet I also feel as though he’s been with us forever!  Honestly, I can say that about all 3 of our beautiful children.  So here’s a photo our traveling buddies took of our very first moments with Will in China:

And here’s a photo from last week:

Will actually set all of his stuffed animals up around him, then posed by the door and “asked” me to take the picture.  (He made a picture-taking motion & said cheese!)  WOW!!! What a difference 6 months has made in all of us.  And, wow, look at that hair!  I love it!

Technically, Monday (Memorial Day) was the 6-month date of our first meeting.  Today, Tuesday, May 27, is the anniversary of the adoption becoming official. 

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On Thursday, Will and I went on Jack’s class field trip to the Arboretum.  It was a warm day, very humid — it started out pretty overcast, but by the time we left it was just blazing!  It’s Jack’s second field trip to the Arboretum.  Poor guy, Margaret got to go to the zoo, but he got to see flowers again.  It’s a nice place, though — clean, lots of shade, good photo opportunities.  Jack got to be with 3 of his best friends, so he had a lot of fun.  His favorite part of the day seemed to be showing off his little brother.  I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that Jack & Will are WILD about each other.  Jack has always been fond of babies/toddlers, and he is pretty patient by nature, so he is an exceptional big brother.  Sometimes, in fact, I have to get after him for “big brothering” Will too much.  (Like when he is wrestling/slamming Will’s head into the couch cushions!)  Any chance he got, Jack was giving Will a piggy back ride, showing him a fish in the pond, or pulling him into a group picture. 

Will joins the class in the covered wagon during their Pioneer Adventure Tour

Taking the time to smell some flowers

Jack & his super-sweet, super-awesome 2nd grade teacher

Doing his best to stay dry . . . it’s so hard to be good!

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It’s been 11 years since this photo was taken.  Eleven years since we stood up in church and promised to love each other forever.  I can’t say that we are a perfect couple, by any stretch of the imagination.  But I thank God every day for my husband — his faith in God, his kind words, even temper, devotion to family, work ethic, and intelligence.  He is every bit my Prince Charming. I am so blessed that he loves me back, even in all of my shortcomings.  Let me say, he is a very, very patient man. 

We are going to celebrate by going on a breakfast date.  It is our first date since we got home from China, and well past due.  Brad’s mom is brave enough to come sit with the kids so Brad and I can have some quiet time together.  It’s just time. 

” Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

1 Corinthians 13:7

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Brad and I laughed tonight that the only way he knows what is going on with me & the kids is to check the blog to see if I have made any new entries.  Really!  Now, I don’t think I’m all that bad of a communicator, but just to do my dear husband a little favor, here’s a rundown of what’s been going on with us.  I wouldn’t want him (or anyone else) to miss out on any important goings-on of this stay at home mom or my little brood of chicks.

I’ll start with the oldest — Jack is doing so well at school.  (Only 9 days left, by the way!)  He is on the verge of finishing this school year with ALL A’s!!!  Yes, that’s my boy . . . He’s smart, all right, but he’ll NEVER admit it!  Soccer is over now, but he’s signed up & ready for fall football.  Although we had a great season last year on the Tigers, Jack has decided to go back into the draft.  So we are praying for him to be picked by the coach that is the best match for Jack’s needs & his high level of competitiveness.  That boy is on fire all of the time, and he really needs coaches that will help him direct that passion in a positive, healthy way.  And, OMG, pray for me!!!  Jack has decided to go to church camp this summer!  My boy — my baby — is going away to camp (without me) for 4 days (without me) in July (without me).  I know HE will be fine, but what about me????????  Sssshhhhh, he doesn’t know I am freaking out about this. 

  And what about my princess?  Well, in addition to turning 6, Margaret has just finished out her year in gymnastics.  She really enjoyed going to the gym every week, right up until the last few weeks.  But honestly, she is done & ready for a break.  She hasn’t decided on what her activity will be for fall.  Right now, she’s thinking about maybe trying dance again or possibly swim lessons.  She is dying to be a part of a swim team, but Mom’s not up for those 7am practices all summer.  Margaret got to be a featured dancer in her kindergarten musical, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.  Basically, she had two blue scarves & fluttered all around the stage with about 10 other girls during a song about a butterfly.  She was thrilled to have a special part, but very shy about fluttering in public for the first time   Margaret is 6, going on 26, and sometimes I look at this girl and know she is going to take on the world some day. 

I know you can’t wait to hear that sweet Will is making great progress in pretty much all things.  Tonight I was just looking at his deep, brown eyes, realizing what a miracle  it is that he is here with us.  Honestly, nothing has ever, ever filled me with as much passion and emotion as becoming this little boy’s mama.  Every day is a new challenge, a new milestone, or a new experience for him, and all of us are in awe at how much this boy has had to process in the short span he has been with us.  Today we played a little game to review some of his receptive English skills.  Will knows all of his body parts (including the ones you don’t talk about in public) except for – believe it or not – his elbows!  He is expressing his wants & needs by using signs & attempts at language.  He has a favorite color — it’s red.  And his favorite, favorite thing to do these days is to either watch Teletubbies on On Demand or play the Teletubbies games online.  He also loves to play tricks on people and jump out and shout, “Boo!”  Oh, and sometimes he thinks he is a puppy.  Very cute.  Oh, and he likes when I tickle his chin & say, “Goochy, goochy, goo.”  Of all things . . .

Brad and I are just trying to keep up with all of it.  Sometimes it’s not easy, being that we are outnumbered 3 to 2 these days.  But we keep trying, anyway.  We’ve been battling this nasty Staph infection, between Brad, Will, and me.  It started with Brad almost a month ago, and Will and I are still on antibiotics & ointments like you wouldn’t believe.  This has not been fun, and we are praying like crazy for Jack & Margaret to be spared this painful & persistent infection. 

Can you believe that next week we will celebrate the 6 month anniversary of Will joining our family?  It seems like it’s been forever and it seems like yesterday, all in the same breath. 

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