Two Months Home

There are sweet, easy, flowing days when they all play together well. In the kitchen, I hear giggling in the playroom, or even more rare, only the sounds of toys clinking and Lydia’s muffled play-talk. Many days they follow one another round and round and round, circling the first floor–one bouncing on a horse, the next pushing a bunny in a stroller, and the last dragging a dog on a string to go “pee pee.”

I wouldn’t say we are quite in a rhythm yet, but there is a new normal slowly creeping in. Wei Wei is a sweet big brother. It is especially warming to see how protective he is of Esther and how generous he is with her. She loves to play with him because he lets her boss him around, and he almost always shares his toy the moment she asks. Just today, I was asking Lydia to give a toy back to Esther that she had taken without asking, and as I walked in from the kitchen, Wei Wei had already stepped in to return it. And as Esther ran far ahead on the trail at the park while I paused to kiss a scraped knee, Wei Wei ran to stand in front of her, arms outstretched like a goalie so she couldn’t run any further. Wei Wei and Esther also have plenty of time with just the two of them while Lydia is at school, so in some ways, I think that has helped them to bond even more.

Lydia and Wei Wei are two crazy pees in a pod. They are the same height and about three pounds different in weight, and they play like they were always meant to be crazy twins at just 17 months apart. Lydia is much more verbal than Wei Wei, so she often talks circles around him while he tries to imitate her pretend play. Yet other times Lydia is left in the dust while Wei Wei runs far ahead or drags her behind when they play tug of war with a scarf, and I am reminded that he is indeed older and stronger. They play off one another’s goofy sides, sometimes bordering on too goofy, but mostly just laughing at silly things that no one else would think is funny.

Wei Wei and Esther both really miss Lydia while she is at preschool, and I do too. But in this season when some days make me feel like I don’t have enough arms to carry or enough hugs to comfort or enough patience to discipline, it has been good for Lydia to have something that is all her own. She seems to be enjoying school, especially library time and projects. Wei Wei and Esther can’t say it, but I think they are also enjoying the mommy time to get more hugs, cuddles, and play time in while my plate is a little less full for a few hours.

All in all, it has been a hard but precious two months of watching these three fall into their places as siblings and helping Wei Wei adapt to life as a Gray. I am still daily astounded at his resilience, his patience with each of us, his adaptability, and his sweet, snuggly nature. There have been hard things for him, and I am sure other things have felt sad and difficult that have gone unfortunately unknown, things he can’t yet express. Though overall he seems happy and well-adjusted for a four year old who knew nothing of our home or family or country two months ago. God has been so gracious to us in that.

I’ve never found Crocs very attractive, but boy do the kids love to match all day in these. 

Ways you can pray for us:

-Lydia is still having the most difficult time with this transition, and she is also 3 and it is just hard to be 3. Please pray for her that she would continue to enjoy school, be comforted by God when she feels jealous or upset at not getting enough attention or time with mommy, and that we would be patient but consistent with her as she works through things.

-Pray that Wei Wei’s adjustment would continue to go well. Pray for patience for us as we work with him on a few very minor behavioral things at home. Pray that he would moment-by-moment feel loved and bonded to us, and he would feel at home. Pray that he would continue to progress in his development, especially with language.

-Pray for Josiah and I as we continue to learn to parent three kiddos. We have amazing days that make me feel on top of the world, and we have really hard days that make me think, “what are we doing?” We need God’s wisdom and grace and the Holy Spirit as we care for them together.