All that I wrote about the first day ? And now comes the first full day of journaling --- Three pages handwritten:
First, the KEY:
Jlt = Juliet
Jmk = Jaymark
JJ is both of them
Jny = Johnny
and
I'm deb
Since they didn't get up until 10:30, which I actually thought was pretty early considering they had been on the plane nearly 24 hours getting here, I was able to make hot cereal, boil the eggs, and start writing in the journal before they got up. After we ate, I asked J&J if they wanted to go see animals, and from then on all I heard was "rabbits & horses." First though, we went to the Emerson to have lunch on the Lawn and hear the music. J7J seemed to love watching the other children run around, do cartwheels, dance & and chase the Moose around. BUT, they also seemed content to sit in their chairs and watch everyone. The music was country, not my favorite, but still fun to be outside. Juliet ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but Jaymark didn't like his. She kept telling him to eat it or try it, but he wouldn't. So I scratched off the jelly, and later he ate that. I didn't try PB & Jelly sandwiches for another 2 weeks.We found plenty of other things they did like.
On the way to The Emerson Lunch-on-the-Lawn, we drove past Ted's (Turner's) Grill that has a sign with a buffalo on it. I told J&J that it was a buffalo. Later on while still at the Emerson, Jmk grabs his penis area, and says "CR" like he did at the Airport, (maybe so we don't mistake him ?) so we go running inside to find him the bathroom. Afterwards, we stop & stroll a bit through one of the rooms or "Artist Closets" open with paintings. He shows off his english words by telling me what he sees: " apple, frog, house", and other items, but the biggest surprise was that after being told the word "buffalo" only once, he seemed very proud of the fact he could tell me that the biggest painting was a buffalo !!
I learn a batch of the English he knows.
After this, we go over to the County Fair to see rabbits & horses, and of course, I take the money in the form of a card, not thinking that they would prefer cash. So we have to go back to the car, but I am not sure how to explain this to the kids. I just said, "Oh, we'll go back to the fair." But what I really have to do is get cash and my checkbook, and then go back. I was wondering what they were thinking.
we saw chickens and pigs too both which also seemed to amaze them. As we leave the first pavilion, 2 chickens are fighting each other from their cages, and we all get a kick out of that. Someone stuck a card board between them, but that wasn't going to last long. Finally, the meaner chicken got some of the feathers of the other bird, and I thought it was a good time to leave. Looking for the horses, we came upon the pigs first, and we had fun trying to climb the gate to get Jmk up high enough to see the pig & piglets. Wasn't sure we'd get out of their, so a few times I reminded Jmk that we should go find the horses. As we came out of the shelter, up comes a few horses, but I am not sure where to find the show or the judging, but it is clear that they were glad to see horses that close. As we go through where the horses are, some of the kids tell us it is OK to pet the horses, but the first one scares me as he is jumpy, so we were hesitant, but after a while we were able to pet their noses and neck. We head over to the arena, which looks more like a practice session, and it is near some swings. We sit in the shade of a big pine tree and have a snack. When other kids get off the swings, Jlt tells Jmk, and off they go laughing and babbling together. But they can and still are watching the horses, and more come. After about 15 minutes, they come back to me and say, "Time to Go" and we do. On the way out, we stop at the kids play arena, where they can play & build with legoes, blocks, rocks, and other gadgets, and then we got to pet the baby animals---There was a piglet, llama or alpaca, goats, miniature horse, and several others. J&J are brave and want to pet the animals, but when the animal comes over or moves, they jump. It was pretty funny ! Even I did at one point, because the goat bit me. Some example I was ! Wednesday Evening is approaching fast, so we must hurry home now, and get some veggies & rice steamed up for the FIRST of the weekly potlucks with the other hosting families.
The pictures of the day will be of J&J playing ball at this potluck. Turns out there are about 100 people at the Blockey's for this --- people who have adopted and families that participated in the program to Host kids in years prior to this year. We get to see the Johnson's & their Jonathan, and tons of kids as well as the other kids who came over from the Philippines this year. What fun and what a beautiful evening. Everyone is here.
J&J pick out a lounge chair, and make themselves at home in that, but J&J don't act like they want to play with others yet. Then they get tired of sitting & waiting for dinner when we line up so they go over to the swings because no one is there any more. They are in line to get food. Since I've met John, we are almost always last inline at any potluck, (he loves to talk) we get J&J to join us at the end and all they take is rice & HOT Dogs. Well, now we know they like hot dogs !
WHile we are visiting, J&J go off and start playing on the playset with other kids, and I was glad to see Nicole got pictures of that because, I wasn't.
Highlight of the evening for us:
#1: They wouldn't play with other kids at first, but by the end of the evening they got better---Jmk was afraid to go down the tunnel slide before dinner, but afterwords, he conquered that. Got some fun movies of this, where everyone was chasing somebody, racing, jumping, pretending to go down then not going down, tricking and laughing.
#2: Juliet takes off on one of the host family bikes and starts riding. One of the other boys who came over with them is helping her. Eventually, JOhnny goes out to join/help her but she doesn't need him anymore, so he works with Jaymark more. Then out came the training wheels & he was happy to be riding with his sister. They wouldn't quit until the sun went down, like about 10 pm out here.
Fortunately, someone else talking photos got some great pictures of J&J (and many others)
with some great character & joy on their faces.
Concern or observation: Not playing too well with other children, and of course, with those they don't know well. Jmk woke up on Jlt's pillows on her bed. They were both laying sideways on the bed like I have often seen in a foreign country.
Grateful, though that they understand enough commands that we are getting around quite well. They are quick to respond, & follow directions. Jmk had made his bed perfectly without even being asked. He is very neat.
Late night getting to bed. They just fell right in. But Jmk cries, a quiet whimpering sound. I rub his back for a while. Then Johnny goes in and about 12:30 (after midnight) I go and find Johnny has fallen asleep in the chair next to Jmk !! Should have gotten that on camera.
4 select pictures from today are included. For more, go see:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=685282&l=b6f494ac82&id=1053788011
