Two months already? And a productive two months it’s been, too.

I can’t say that each day gets better, but I can say with all confidence that each week gets better. Shannon does an amazing job with the boys during the weeks that I work (and during those weeks I am around very little). Each week they learn just a little more English, and we understand them just a little bit better. They, for the most part, understand us pretty well.

Overall, they are acting like normal little 3 year old boys. (Yes, they are technically four, but they have a LOT of catching up to do!) We are trying to introduce them to things little by little. Both respond to things very differently. Ben has some trouble with stimulation. He doesn’t do all that well with going places (like the grocery store or Wal-mart), but he is doing better. Nate does pretty well and has none of those problems, although he did think that he could talk to Ben while we were watching a video on the computer- but we will get him there!

We are all still learning. We try to put all four kids together and essentially leave them to themselves when we can. Mama and Papa get lots of bonding time with the boys all day long, but the kids need to bond with each other, too. Right now the two older kids and the two younger kids will go separate ways.

Halloween
Halloween was really fun. We didn’t do much-they dressed up and went to a few houses around our house. But at that first door when they rang the doorbell, and people gave “confietta,” it was obviously one of the most amazing things that had ever happened to them. The looks on their faces were just priceless. Learning that we can only have “some” candy vs. “all” the candy that night did cause problems, but I’m okay with that.  We have dealt with that behavior many times over the past 9 1/2 years.  Our clan was looking good with Cleopatra, Mario, “Scoody Boo,” a duck (the duck costume has gone through three Halloweens now!), Mama, and the Papa the cameraman following behind.

(More after the pics…)

Well-Being
The boys are growing. A lot. Every little kid grows at this age, but I really think they have put on some much needed weight. Nathan, who’s strength was more like an infant-literally– when we brought him home, is growing stronger and stronger. (The trampoline is helping greatly!)  His body weight has increased 17 percent since he has arrived in our home. We wonder: Did he EVER eat? Or is it just that we are working with him and finding things he likes?  Ben is getting stronger and putting on weight, too. Both of their hair is growing more. Their hair was very sickly when we got them; it literally was peach fuzzy like a newborn child’s, not a four year old. But with enough good fruits and veggies (and chicken nuggets and hot dogs) we’re coming along quite well.

So is everything great? Of course not. We still have many issues to work through. We have issues with selfishness (don’t we all), and now we have added lying into the mix. For the record, though, Ben shares better than any child I have ever seen.