It's FINALLY Summer!!

I finally finished my last day of the school year!  I can't wait to get up tomorrow with the knowledge that my WHOLE day gets to be spent with family!  Greyson and Kristyn are really doing very well with bonding and attaching, but I need a lot more time to evaluate their abilities.  

Kristyn loves to pose

Greyson trying out his first writing skills

Kristyn tries out new words and knows our names.  Greyson tries a few words.  They still use mostly Chinese.  These are the first kiddos that have someone else in the house that speaks Chinese.  It appears that this might slow down the speed with which they learn English.  This causes some issues with communication.  However, there is something called subtractive language (when an ESL child loses their native language before learning the new language) and this can cause learning issues.  I worry most about Greyson. I am hoping this gradual switch to English may actually help him in the long run.  

Greyson LOVES milk!!

Fried rice was a hit!

The newest kiddos are generally very happy.  They love all of the toys, time outdoors, and experiences.  Everything is new.  Most of our previous adoptions were of younger children.  Meilynn was in a foster-like situation, so household chores were not anything new to her.  Greyson and Kristyn spend a lot of time following me around and trying to figure out what I am doing with laundry and cooking. 
 

So excited to have "new" things to play with

Yes, I can run and play in a skirt (never got to dress up before)!

Everybody having fun

First kiddo to actually like the grass

Wonder who he is calling?

LOVES to laugh!

Cuddly girl!

WOW!  That's a lot of kids!

Please continue to pray for our family as we try to find our "new normal" and all of the kiddos rediscover their "place" among their siblings.  We need extra prayer for our sweet Greyson.  He is a true mystery.  It appears that he has significant delays.   We are having a really difficult time determining how much is due to 7 years in an institution where he was dismissed as incapable of learning and to what extent there is a true cognitive delay.  This is where the communication breakdown is very taxing, but again, in the long run it is probably for the better that it is a gradual change.