Passport photos

This morning, everyone slept in except for Tyler - who went for a run. I made oatmeal for breakfast and everyone ate except for Sarah. We left to take the passport photos. Michael wanted to look in the mirror to "make sure I am beautiful," he said. Google translate is a lot of fun! Ha ha. 

The boys were completely asleep after Tyler was up and about for over an hour. 


John

Michael - how can THAT be comfortable?!

Sarah

After the photos, we went to the bowling alley. Michael didn't want to bowl, but I think he ended up having the most fun of the three kids. Sarah lost interest halfway through the game. She has a short attention span, I have noticed. After bowling, we played some games in the arcade area. 

Air hockey with Daddy and Sarah. 

Michael playing a car game. 

John is riding a jet ski. 

Basketball with Sarah and Daddy. 

Initially, Sarah would sit in the row and the boys were in the back row. After one day, they are all on the same row, cracking jokes and laughing. It's amazing how well they are getting along. 

John isn't accustomed to sitting at a table for meals, but he is enjoying it. He reminds us to pray before eating. 

We went to the grocery store this evening. It was quite enjoyable. They are all eager to help and run and get the cart, helping me choose items to buy, etc. 

Michael is blending into our family flawlessly. He is quick to help, eager to translate things, thinks ahead, is organized, and thoughtful. And he is a huge teddy bear. Up until today, he would poke my side and I would do the same to him. This afternoon, he laid his head on my shoulder - which he initiated - and then he laid his head next to me and I stroked his hair. He was in heaven. He closed his eyes and laid there for ten minutes. I think he has missed a mother's affection.  Michael is definitely giving his all to our family and our relationships. It's amazing that we were worried about him wanting to join our family. He was made for it. 

Sarah is struggling the most of the three. She was in her orphanage for 11 years and she misses those important people in her life. She has commented to Maggie that she is wondering what they are doing at the orphanage and talking about a camping trip they have coming up. She is interacting more and more with her siblings and laughing at John's dry humor. She is quite affectionate with her Daddy and loves to be with him. The main issue that I am experiencing is that she doesn't seem to want to be around me. This is a huge change from our first trip to see her in January. She was equally affectionate with Tyler and I during those four days. I will not lie that it is almost more than I can bear that she doesn't want to snuggle with me or sit near me often. She will do so, but it doesn't feel like she enjoys it. I might be overthinking this, but it has been a hard 24 hours on this topic. Maggie and Tyler talked with Sarah about it this morning - because I didn't want to do it and bawl my eyes out. So at least she has an idea of how I feel. When Tyler and Maggie brought up that she might be transferring her feelings about her birthmother on to me, she started to cry. Sarah's birthmother rejected her and I know she has major pain associated with that. Perhaps she is worried I will cause her similar pain and so she avoids me. I have had a couple of good cries today. I am trying to just put my hurt feelings aside and move forward, trusting that things will improve in time. 

John is doing well. He and Michael have such a fun relationship already. They laugh, they sing, they rap, they clean, they do almost everything together. I love seeing it. John hasn't had much affection in his fourteen years, so I am going slow with him. I know that he enjoys my hugs by his expressions, but he doesn't initiate anything just yet. It will come, I am sure of it. He showed me all of the emails and letters and pictures that I have sent him over the past five months. He kept them all. He loves being with us and we love having him.