The Younger Ones Will Play!!
The girls having fun with sidewalk chalk
Miss Emma
What's she spelling?
Oh look, it's my name.. SERAWell, I figured I should probably post an update on the little girls since the last few weeks have mostly been focusing on Asher. Overall, the girls have done a fantastic job adjusting from us being gone for two weeks and to their new brother. I honestly wasn't sure how the two of them would do since they haven't been away from either Mom, Dad or I for more than a few days. They did so well, and I was actually the one having the hardest time! I was away from them for 21 days since I left home on August 3rd for Haiti. I did see them when I came home on the 11th, but they were already asleep and there was no time so I was only able to kiss and hug them hello and then goodbye! Having the webcams really helped because we could talk to the girls and see them, and vice versa. It got a lot harder once we were in Guangzhou and there was lots of four year old Chinese girls running around the hotel with their parents. They made me long for my little girls and it was like Heaven to be able to hold them again!
Since we've been home, the girls have grown up so much... especially Esther. She has definitely taken on more of the "older sister" role and is growing into such a mature little lady. She still has such a funny sense of humor and everyone loves her. Esther's the more outgoing of the two; two weeks ago we were at Starbucks and she walked right up to a woman sitting at the table across from us and started a conversation with her! Esther is very dedicated to her schoolwork at preschool and takes learning very seriously. She was the first to learn her ABC's, so it's no surprise she's further advanced in writing than her sister. Esther can write her name and knows almost every letter and the sounds it makes. It won't be long before she is reading.
Esther loves to draw pictures, especially for all of my friends! She's got such a funny little laugh and is usually always smiling.
There are still times when she gets unsure of something and turns inward to the "old" Esther where she's very quiet and rocks her body back and forth, trying to sooth herself. However, she's usually very melancholy. Everything has to be explained to her, especially when she is at preschool and has to stay for nap. (They go to preschool from 9-1, but on Wednesdays they stay through nap until 3 pm) The first time I left them at school for nap and came to pick them up, she got very upset with me and asked why I left her there! So, we have to always make a point to make sure she knows what's happening. She has a great deal of insecurities and it has to do with her adjustments over the last 18 months. Sometimes it's hard to remember that she has only been here a short while since she fits right in with everything. I hope she will grow out of her insecurities, but it may just be something she will have to deal with as she grows up.
Esther continues to love anything Disney Princess, and her favorite is Ariel. She also loves Dora and anything on Disney Channel. She can be upstairs in the bathroom, but if Hannah Montana comes on she'll be downstairs in a snap. That's her favorite show and she knows all of the songs from the CD. She also is quite the dancer.. I'll have to get some video up of her shaking those little hips of hers!
And then there's my Emma, who has also done quite a bit of growing up the past two months. She's still very much the baby of the family and really enjoys that role. Emma is perfectly capable of being at the same level in school as Esther, but she's a bit lazy and would rather not work hard! She is smart as a whip, but her short attention span gets her into trouble at school because she doesn't listen. When she is listening though, she can recite perfectly the Pledge of Allegiance and can tell you how many stars & stripes are on the flag and what they stand for. Do you know what the colors red, white and blue stand for? I never knew until she told me at school one day!
Emma's also got a very funny sense of humor and continues to be the independent, spirited twin. Emma's a pleaser and loves to be a helper. She's the first to come out and help you bring in the groceries, even if they weigh more than she does! She's also a great help at preschool and loves to help with the younger children. A few days ago, she was helping pass out lunch to the some of the children, so she went over and handed little 22 month old Jenna her lunch and said, "Now Jenna, make sure you say thank you!" And she wouldn't give Jenna the plate until she said it. =)
Out in public, Emma is definitely much more shyer than Esther and tends to be a bit more clingy. I suppose that's because she is the baby.. and she knows it too. Emma is such a girly girl and of course, her favorite color is pink. She's developing quite a fashion sense and has told me a few times when she doesn't think her outfits match! She loves anything to do with the Disney Princesses and her favorite is Belle.
Emma has been begging us to let her take ballet, so we finally signed them up for a class on Saturday mornings. Today, Mom took the girls to the dance store so they could get their shoes and leotards. I've never seen such tiny ballet shoes before! They are so excited and can't stop talking about going to take ballet.
It's funny how even though the girls are not twins and are not even biologically related, you would honestly never know. The girls have such a close bond, and they even speak for each other. People always assume they are twins and for the sake of not having to answer a million questions, I usually tell them that they are. It's neat to realize these two girls have only known each other for 18 months, yet you'd think they shared a womb together. That's how close they are. It just amazes me how God picked these two little girls from far away cities in China and brought them to our home so they could be sisters. I can't wait to watch them as they grow older. They are already loved by so many people in our family and in our extended family of friends here and in the online adoption community!
Even though it can be stressful at times taking care of these two girls, nothing has brought me greater joy than being their older sister. I'm lucky that I get to spend most of my days with them and I'm enjoying it now because I'll be imprisoned by college for the next four years!! Sometimes I just stop and think about how much they have gone through in their little lives and I just can't even imagine. It just makes me so grateful to God for giving them to us because I can't imagine my life without them. God help the souls of the poor boys who want to date my little girls.. =)
Since we've been home, the girls have grown up so much... especially Esther. She has definitely taken on more of the "older sister" role and is growing into such a mature little lady. She still has such a funny sense of humor and everyone loves her. Esther's the more outgoing of the two; two weeks ago we were at Starbucks and she walked right up to a woman sitting at the table across from us and started a conversation with her! Esther is very dedicated to her schoolwork at preschool and takes learning very seriously. She was the first to learn her ABC's, so it's no surprise she's further advanced in writing than her sister. Esther can write her name and knows almost every letter and the sounds it makes. It won't be long before she is reading.
Esther loves to draw pictures, especially for all of my friends! She's got such a funny little laugh and is usually always smiling.
There are still times when she gets unsure of something and turns inward to the "old" Esther where she's very quiet and rocks her body back and forth, trying to sooth herself. However, she's usually very melancholy. Everything has to be explained to her, especially when she is at preschool and has to stay for nap. (They go to preschool from 9-1, but on Wednesdays they stay through nap until 3 pm) The first time I left them at school for nap and came to pick them up, she got very upset with me and asked why I left her there! So, we have to always make a point to make sure she knows what's happening. She has a great deal of insecurities and it has to do with her adjustments over the last 18 months. Sometimes it's hard to remember that she has only been here a short while since she fits right in with everything. I hope she will grow out of her insecurities, but it may just be something she will have to deal with as she grows up.
Esther continues to love anything Disney Princess, and her favorite is Ariel. She also loves Dora and anything on Disney Channel. She can be upstairs in the bathroom, but if Hannah Montana comes on she'll be downstairs in a snap. That's her favorite show and she knows all of the songs from the CD. She also is quite the dancer.. I'll have to get some video up of her shaking those little hips of hers!
And then there's my Emma, who has also done quite a bit of growing up the past two months. She's still very much the baby of the family and really enjoys that role. Emma is perfectly capable of being at the same level in school as Esther, but she's a bit lazy and would rather not work hard! She is smart as a whip, but her short attention span gets her into trouble at school because she doesn't listen. When she is listening though, she can recite perfectly the Pledge of Allegiance and can tell you how many stars & stripes are on the flag and what they stand for. Do you know what the colors red, white and blue stand for? I never knew until she told me at school one day!
Emma's also got a very funny sense of humor and continues to be the independent, spirited twin. Emma's a pleaser and loves to be a helper. She's the first to come out and help you bring in the groceries, even if they weigh more than she does! She's also a great help at preschool and loves to help with the younger children. A few days ago, she was helping pass out lunch to the some of the children, so she went over and handed little 22 month old Jenna her lunch and said, "Now Jenna, make sure you say thank you!" And she wouldn't give Jenna the plate until she said it. =)
Out in public, Emma is definitely much more shyer than Esther and tends to be a bit more clingy. I suppose that's because she is the baby.. and she knows it too. Emma is such a girly girl and of course, her favorite color is pink. She's developing quite a fashion sense and has told me a few times when she doesn't think her outfits match! She loves anything to do with the Disney Princesses and her favorite is Belle.
Emma has been begging us to let her take ballet, so we finally signed them up for a class on Saturday mornings. Today, Mom took the girls to the dance store so they could get their shoes and leotards. I've never seen such tiny ballet shoes before! They are so excited and can't stop talking about going to take ballet.
It's funny how even though the girls are not twins and are not even biologically related, you would honestly never know. The girls have such a close bond, and they even speak for each other. People always assume they are twins and for the sake of not having to answer a million questions, I usually tell them that they are. It's neat to realize these two girls have only known each other for 18 months, yet you'd think they shared a womb together. That's how close they are. It just amazes me how God picked these two little girls from far away cities in China and brought them to our home so they could be sisters. I can't wait to watch them as they grow older. They are already loved by so many people in our family and in our extended family of friends here and in the online adoption community!
Even though it can be stressful at times taking care of these two girls, nothing has brought me greater joy than being their older sister. I'm lucky that I get to spend most of my days with them and I'm enjoying it now because I'll be imprisoned by college for the next four years!! Sometimes I just stop and think about how much they have gone through in their little lives and I just can't even imagine. It just makes me so grateful to God for giving them to us because I can't imagine my life without them. God help the souls of the poor boys who want to date my little girls.. =)
1 comment:
I can't get over how long the girls hair has gotten over the summer! So pretty!
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