What is new...

I've seem to have lost the ability to take pictures. Really. I'm not sure it it went bye-bye with the super wonderful camera I miss dearly. If using a $100 camera is just too frustrating after not using one. If as a Mom of four kids, I just forget. If it's just to hard now to get anyone to hold still long enough.

But here are a few updated pictures. And how far we have come.

Re and Er are both speaking English 99% of the time. Re's favorite thing to say is, "Aaahhh...come on". After someone scores a point on the wii game, if I ask him to pick up his socks, if it's dinnertime, and so on and so on. Er says quite a bit, although there is still alot of babbling.

Er has pulled out all the stops with her ability to charm. In GLA she was one of many charming children. Here she has the market on it. We joke that she must wave good-bye to her fans. She is still learning that we are her family. Not the nice lady at the library, or the family leaving Dairy Queen. However, progress is being made.

Re is going to bed better. After the discovery of melatonin bedtime began to improve. When we finally figured out he was scared of going to sleep by himself, and put them in bed together it improved greatly. We thought sharing a room would be enough. It wasn't.

Re is doing well at school. He has tested out at the beginning of first grade for reading and math. However, all things considered, we are thrilled with that. He has tried pulling the 'I don't know' card, and been called on it. And then went back to redo it when the consequence of no bike was made clear.

Er is now fully potty trained. This makes this Mama very pleased. No more diapers...oh the freedom that brings. She does however feel the need to report everything that happens and can often be found wondering the house with her pants and undies around her ankles calling for me. She can't be bothered with pulling up her pants, flushing and washing hands before coming to find me to file her report.

Re has started to talk more about Haiti. About his life in GLA. About his Haitian family. About the earthquake. We are trying to allow him the time and safety to talk about what he needs too, while not dwelling on it either. He still struggles with the permanence of it. He has told us that Joyce will be coming to take him back to Haiti. While I understand the need for them to be evacuated, it didn't allow him the time and process for closure. We are trying to help him make sense of it all.

Re and Er both had major dental work done. Re has significant dental issues. He has a total of 9 cavities, 4 needing crowns. However, he seems delighted to not be in tooth pain anymore. He never complained about it. He really is tough as nails. Er had cavities between her two front teeth. She had crowns put on them. She still had a purple mouth from the medication for Thrush. And now she has slightly purple front teeth. Hoping it fades, but eventually she will lose them.

Ce is starting to find her place as a new big sister. She is probably struggled the most. At 12, there were alot of other changes in her life, without the addition of Re and Er. However, we are continuously amazed by her compassion and empathy for them. She slept with Re the other night. She came out of the room, and was delighted he was telling her about Haiti. She is sweet enough to help them in the morning, so we have a few minutes of extra sleep or a shower.

P is starting to adjust to being a big sister. It's been hard to lose her role as the baby. I know at times she feels like she got the short end of the stick. But we are working on that. She is complaining of stomach pain, and I believe at least part of it is the stress of all this change. She internalizes stress, and has physical consequences. We are also trying to figure out if there are some food allergies going on.

We are still figuring out citizenship. We are working on getting what we need to file. We are still praying for a miracle, and the fees to be wavered. USCIS is still figuring out what to do, and we are praying for a simpler solution than has been presented. We are certain that we must gain citizenship for them quickly if possible. We will file the paperwork in the next 60 days one way or another.

R and I are doing okay. We are in this boat together. Sometimes we feel like we row all day and are still in the same spot. Some days the shore seems a little closer. Some days it feels like we've lost ground. Some days it feels like we are rowing in different directions. And some days we are just beating each with the oars. But we aren't giving up our seats. We both know that we are in this together. Neither one of us can afford it on our own. And no one else would want us. No one else would get us. We are just a little too crazy for anyone but each other. So while some days we are waving oars at one another, and rowing in different directions, neither one of us is bailing.

Each day is a different. But we are starting to have moments of normalcy. We are starting to have moments of predictability. We are starting to have moments where we don't look like a deer in the headlights. We are also having moments that involve glasses of wine, and cigars.

But God is faithful and has given us everything we have needed when we needed it. And we have faith he will continue to do so.