Stop Pop Clop

A quick note for my faithful readers to let you know we're doing okay! I have heard from many of you that I was like a daily addiction and need to keep posting! I'll do my best!

Yesterday we went to the playgroup at school and Genya did very well. He was the oldest but played nicely with the children and followed the directions of the teacher when needed. This morning when we took JJ to school he thought he was staying and wanted to take off his coat and put it where he had yesterday! Yesterday he also did his first church service – the afternoon Lenten service and followed that by the soup/sandwich dinner. He did VERY WELL in church so that was nice! This morning we went to the chapel service the school kids have on Thursdays and again he did very well.

A funny story from Tuesday night at dinner. JJ wanted a type of cheese that we didn't have in the house (shredded cheese) – Genya was listening to the conversation and went to the fridge, opened it up and showed "zay zay" – Cheese! It was the string cheese but he knew what we were all talking about! Last night at dinner he had to have exactly what JJ had also! Overall the boys are getting along well. We let JJ have the choice if Genya plays with his toys or not and he's being very grown up about that. They don't really "play" together but they do interact well. I think Genya's excitement over a big brother is a little more than JJ's over a little brother. The kids at school have all been very good at greeting Genya but worried that they don't speak Russian. Today they were trying to tell him to stop running in the halls while I was talking to JJ's teacher – I said the Russian stop and English stop are the same! They said "oh, ok!"

There actually isn't that much to report – we just are going about our days and finding our rhythm. The morning routine we're still figuring out but it's coming… How to fill our day also is coming. I also, unfortunately, am trying to catch up on mail and get our taxes ready so that's taking some of my time. But today we have some kid visitors after school so that should allow me some time to get it done.

The title of today's blog refers to what Nathan Genya is calling Brian – "pop" generally, but likes to now say "pop clop" (from the Dr. Seuss book) and sometimes adds "stop" to the saying.

We did play outside today for the first time since the rain has stopped. He liked the fort and swinging. We still have to get the boys room arranged – the beds made back into bunks so we can get Genya's dresser in so I have a place to put his clothes!

Elena is planning to come out Saturday to visit so we should be able to find out more what Genya's thinking of all the changes in his life and we can go over some of the "house rules" better. But he is doing much better than he had in Russia – more space and more activities are helping for sure! Next week we have our social worker coming for a check in visit on Thursday and Friday we have his appointment at with the team at the International Adoption Clinic that is part of Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. We should have a better understanding of his health as well as many other things after that visit. They will have a translator as part of it also and will evaluate his speaking in Russian to help determine how his English will develop. I'm looking forward to this all. (other than the blood draw they'll be doing but at least I don't have to do that!)

We also have to figure out what we're going to call Nathan Genya – right now he's either name or sometimes both – but sometimes he'll say his name is Nathan, sometimes Genya. And he answers to both… But the "JJ" – "Genya" thing is getting confusing (yell at the wrong boy!) so we'll see!

I have now made it though the pictures we haven't downloaded so will be posting some from Moscow and home…