@ 3 months

Eli has been home for 3 months now.  He is amazing with his ability to adapt to a new EVERYTHING.  He has not seemed to skip a beat, but of course we see more depth and personality the longer he is with us.  He is getting more relaxed as he can predict what each day holds.  His English is enough that we have conversations, he finds creative way's to get his point across or to understand.  For instance, he was asking about his grandparent's.  He was asking how many he has and trying to figure out who's mom is who's.  He then got to Great Great Grandparents.  We were pantomining that they were no longer with us...you know, dead....He nods his head..."OH!  GAME OVER!"

We have not made rice or noodles for day's at a time, and he is willing to try just about anything.  He hated pizza the first time, now he loves it.  He didn't like marinara or cheese on his noodles, now he eats 2 bowls at a sitting as big as his head! We offered him ice cream when the dinner food was depleated last night, and he was confused..."In China, no COLD 2 hours after supper.....tummy, OUCH!"  Thats what his China mom would tell him.  So I asked about his foster family.  "I no talka". So we left it at that.

He likes school alot, he knows nearly all the kids names in his class.  I go in to help him with reading, which does not thrill him (the reading or the fact that his mom is in his classroom!), but he is cooperative and making progress so fast. He is focused, attentive and socially appropriate.

We marvel and comment to each other daily how surprised and amazed we are at how smoothly this adoption has gone.  Our experience with adopting a 5 year old was so much more challenging. So worth it, but challenging. He is now 14 and quite an inspiration to us daily.  So we were prepared for so much more drama and temporary disfunction with this 12 year old,  But we were wrong, and we have been blessed with another perfect gift from God.

Pictures

Things continue to go well:)

 First day of school

 Eli's new glasses, he doens't like to wear them, he says they just help a little bit

 Rain at the Wheatland Music Festival

 Mic and Seth

 Hillary volunteered in the Henna Tatoo tent, Grant and Jack volunteered at Kid's hill

The Hunted

Seth is 19 years old. He's big, he's strong. He has what Boyd calls a "Bob Dylan Beard". His hair is a little ragged. He looks homeless to me. But his girlfriend likes his scruffy beard. I've heard it's the "in" look right now. When Seth enters the house laughing and screaming at the top of his voice YUN BAI in a melodic tone, the two youngest children start hiding. They actually run for their lives. Seth looks hungry. When he finds them...and he always finds them, Lian screams and screams the most high-pitched wonderful little terrified girl scream you can imagine. It would be frightening to hear if you were standing outside our house! They run again in two different directions, Eli in one direction, Lian in the other. They search for a safer place to hide. Eli is quick, but not as skilled at hiding from the hunter yet, He can't find a place so he's caught! Seth is closing in......so Eli quickly points to where Lian is hiding and announces her name...... Sacrificing his younger sister to stay alive.

He Cooks, He Cleans and He Repairs Broken Appliances!

Noodles continue to be the main dietary choice.  At least 2 meals a day. He has labled the cupboard where they are located in English and Chinese.  Eli has been close by in the cooking of his noodles every meal, instructing us on just how to make them.  He dictates what ingredients, how high to have the heat on, and how long to leave them cooking once you have added the eggs, meat, vegi's and greens. "5 mimints".  So today, I just stood aside, and clearly we have been over accomodating the kid, he is perfectly careful, skilled and capable in the kitchen.  He is also nearby when we enter the laundry room, he sorts clothing, loads and unloads washer's and dryers.  We don't expect him to, but he would feel rejected if we refused at this point. Thank-you "China Mama"and "China Baba", who knows how many, or which one, but someone has taught this young man!

Eli loves to go into the guts of our basement into corners that have been long packed away.  He will look at bins full of lego's, Rescue Hero's, and Castle peices in a heap all dismantled. "Baby's" he will exclaim!  Then he will gently tug on the bin, interested.  Every few day's he beckones us into the room,  and out he comes with a new bin.  "OK" we say, "Thank-you" he say's with more sincerity than a parent is used to.  Then he plays for hours with toy's most kids his age have left behind.  He comes up and down the stairs, grabbing screw drivers and replacing every dead battery in every Rescue Hero. Then he set's up each action hero into a fine display, ready for service. He is meticulous.  He will build one intricate Lego boat/car/helicopter contraption to Jack's 15.  Eli notices, but does not have the competitive nature of Jack, it doesn't phase him, he stay's focused on getting the one perfect Lego masterpeice. Today he found Lian's kitchen, first thing's first, replace the batteries!  Later today I'm sure a grocery store will be organized with a working restaurant.  I hope that means I don't have to cook dinner either;)

Now some pictures from our camping trip, which had a skate park nearby!

 Grant, our helpful 15 year old son has gotten a job at a local very cool restaurant!  We are so proud of him!

Jack practicing his drumming techniques while camping.

OK, a few fun quirkey things too-  He LOVES the cat's.  Last week he started hissing like a cat when it's mad or scared.  We took him to get a trim around the back of his neck.  He did not "lika" haircut.  He sat in the chair to be compiant and obediant, but hissed at the girl like a cat as she trimmed!  It was just too funny:D
Today as I was cleaning the bathroom's I was carrying my cleaning supplies in a little bin.  He scooped it up and ran away with it.  Into the garage he ran, with Hillary, Lian and I following.  He hid the cleaning supplies!  We searched around, Hillary finally finding them in the freezer.  As we entered the house, Eli shouts in an announcer like voice  "Hillary-1, Mommy- ZERO"

SefA, Gwant, Howee, Lian, JackA, Eli, Mommy, Daddy!

I was ironing, Eli was helping with laundry, then running up and down the stairs bringing me one chip at a time with a tiny splash of salsa on it.  Then he runs up and back down "Sefa!" Then up and down again "Gwant, motorcycle!"  "Howee, Lian, JackA, Eli, Daddy, Mommy!"  Everyone was home at the same time and it was a big deal to him!  He's right, it doesn't happen often, thank goodness Hillary's boyfriend was here too, we got a picture!  It was funny, first he was sticking his tongue out, he's tired of his picture being taken.  We have to have a family picture for China this month as part of the post adoption home study, so when we told him the picture was going to China, he decided to smile:D.
We had not lit off most of our fireworks, since we left for China on July 4th! So we decided to celebrate and light them off.  Lian was SO EXCITED..."I think I might _____ my pant's!" she exclaimed!
Eli is adding a few words a day.  Words he hears often he will add to his sentences.  Today it was motorcycle, potty, pee, m n m's, orange, chicken and a full sentence "can I watch T. V.?"  Yesterday it was rain, shower and bed.  He reluctantly will look at the books we have that have pictures and words.  We are lucky to get 5 pages a day in.  We have decided not to push it, he isn't learning the words in the books, he's learing the words he hear's us use every day:)

Great Grandma, Cousins, and Clothes

 We drove to my Grandmother's house to visit on Wednesday.  That's my kids Great Grandmother!  She has made afgan's to match the quilts in Jack and Eli's room.  I should have gotten a picture of her with those too!  She is amazing:)  She was SO happy that we all came to visit.  We didn't giver her much notice so that she wouldn't fret about being invaded by so many grand kids. We had a fabulous time.

Today Hillary was all ready for her boyfriend to come over for the afternoon.  She had her shirt off one shoulder.  Eli scolder her numerous times....and pulled it up into proper position for a young lady!  I wonder if he can get Grant's pants up into proper position too......

Are you brothers?

We are in line at Rite Aide,
"Are you brothers?" Jack hesitates at the question- "yes" I answer for him. I'm sure he will get it right next time. He hesitates because he's wondering, does this complete stranger need to hear the whole story! Its a tough one because in the last month he has heard us explain it so often. We have been surrounded by adoptive parents in China who have curious and appropriate questions. They understand, they get these kinds of questions too. We explain to Jack, it's ok to simply answer, "yes, he's my brother." And to The most often ask question- "are you twins"? Nope, thats all you need to say.
Jack is trying so hard to be a great big brother. He wants to be a good role model. Eli quietly is trying to adjust to his spot on the family, you can tell he looks up to all his siblings. Jack is having the biggest challenge so far, but gracefully he says today "this is he hardest thing I've ever done in my life!"
Amazingly, all the kids realize the struggles with doing this, and the rewards, and that it all takes time. As smooth as it all seems, it's a adjustment for all!
We continue to enjoy all of Eli's firsts in Grand Haven. Life is becoming more routine, and predictable. And I only had to make noodles once today:D