Tuesday, July 14 --- The journaling begins !!

First, the KEY:

Jlt = Juliet

Jmk = Jaymark

JJ is both of them

Jny = Johnny

and

I'm deb

Juliet Sarmiento & Jaymark Lameseria arrived at the gate with very anxious, but ambitious faces surrounded by all the children that came to Bozeman for the summer, and Chris, the Escort who flew from the Philippines with them and will be available to the children through their month here... We are invited to a room to meet with them in family groups. Several other kids will act as interpreters, as they have been adopted in earlier years. It is good to have them with us !

Most of the kids were quiet, shy and probably a bit scared. Juliet & Jaymark look a bit like they are cornered by a tiger, but everyone is trying to be friendly. Soon, ANother couple who have just adopted their son from the same orphanage, Larry & Jeanie Johnson come over and say hello to them. Johnny had interviewed them one evening, so we had seen good pictures of Juliet & Jaymark before they arrived, as the Johnson's had pictures from a birthday party while they were in the Philippines. They recognized Matthew Jonathan right away, but only with a sign of recognition. They still wouldn't say anything. But their eyes lit up ! Then Jonathan said he didn't know what to say because they wouldn't talk to him. Great ! Jeanie said to Juliet, "I heard ...you know English pretty good and we know that." Still no one would talk---but we weren't the only ones to experience this. We know some kids were talkative, and some cute little girls were going around taking pictures almost from the minute they arrived. Sometimes Juliet ( Jlt) would lean over to talk to Jaymark, but it was so quiet no one could hear her. Finally, she leaned over to me and whispered if she wanted something, or what Jaymark wanted or was saying.

Someone finally brought us star cookies & chocolate chips with juice, but all they wanted at first was water --- when Jaymark (Jmk) tried the juice, he just made a face, though Juliet tried to encourage him to drink.

Eventually, we were escorted out to show them the bathrooms, and then Jmk came alive at seeing the different animals at the Airport and in the gift shop.

We came home and showed them their rooms & toys (doll house in Jlt's room and cars and pirate ship in Jmk's room) But as Jlt was showing me her Photo Album of her life that the orphanage folks had put together called "Life Books" Jmk started plying right away with the doll house and seemed right at home.

While I got dinner ready, they went with Johnny to try and ride their bikes. They don't have the balance down very well, and Jmk keeps putting on the brakes to go, but they are getting very good on the first try. "Jlt is almost doing it" said Johnny as he came in from dinner, he had been running up & down the alley with them on the bike, and was exhausted, but said they were doing "very good" and that they loved it.

Jmk does push back on one pedal while pushing the other one forward, so may be a bit frustrated when he doesn't go anywhere, but with a little more practice, and balance, he'll have it.

Dinner at home went well (Stir Fry, vegies and rice with homemade bread) Jmk watched me put butter on the bread and then did it the same way. Jlt ate her bread like Johnny does, plain. It remained this way the whole month they were here. They ate everything they put on their plates, and after we put blueberries on frozen yogurt, and they gobbled that right up.

After dinner, Juliet gets up goes over to wash up all her dishes, and then ours, but has no idea about soap or the dishwasher, so that will come later.

The best icebreaker of the night though came when we asked if they knew UNO. They talked happily among themselves and their eyes lit up bright, and Jlt told us " he (or we) know UNO"

They started talking. They knew their colors and numbers, and it was such a great way to get started with some conversation. They could read the reverse, draw two and skip and wild cards. But we found their was an American & Philippine way to play.

When they don't have a card they need, they just picked one. WE, on the other side of the table, take many, and so we had to do it their way the first time, then explain why Johnny took many when he needed a card. So the second game was played the American way and lasted much longer. Right up until we were all yawning.

Bedtime would turn out to be some of our favorite moment with them, so after bathtime, where Jlt didn't want any help (aged 11) and Johnny helped Jmk, for some good conversation (bonding time ?) we read books to them the first night. That is after, I had Juliet move: she had just laid down on the floor where I needed to pull out the hide-a-bed too. SHe was so tired, I didn't think I would get her in the bed, but we did. No prayers tonight, she fell asleep too fast !

Jmk climbed right into bed, but started crying. I rubbed his back & then he calmed down a bit. so I went and go Johnny to check on him in a few minutes, but by then he was sound a sleep.