First Sunday at Church

Sunday, September 30, 8:15 p.m.! (a little earlier tonight!)

Well, since I didn't post yesterday, I thought I'd mention our activities on Saturday first. We started off with sleeping in, well, Mommy and the kids, that is. Daddy was up early to head to Game Day and the UO Ducks game. After Daddy got up, Beth and Jack crawled into bed with Mommy and slept another 3 hours.

We had a leisurely morning getting breakfast and then headed over to Grandma Louise's house to pick tomatoes and apples and corn. Beth and Jack are becoming more familiar with her yard and did a great job entertaining themselves while Mommy was in the garden. They piled into the wagon to help pick corn and squash and we sampled the apples straight from the tree! They had to try both red and yellow delicious. They ate half of each so I don't know which is the favorite. Grandma fed us lunch so when we got home, Jack laid down for his nap and Mommy and Beth had quiet time in the living room.

After Jack woke up, we headed out again, this time for the Stephensons' house. When we arrived, Melanie greeted us at the door in her new angel costume and played the perfect hostess. She had all kinds of ideas for things to play with Beth (since she already has two brothers, she didn't seem to worry too much about Jack :)). The kids were shy at first as usual, but after a while, the toys warmed them up. Soon Beth was following Melanie back to her bedroom and playing with her stuffed animals. Later, I turned around to see that Beth had the angel wings and halo on and was happily following Melanie around. Jack seemed content to play with the cars and play guitar and of course was very interested in his snack--Doritos. We stayed for a couple of hours and it seemed they had a really good time. By that time, Daddy had come home from the football game and called to say that someone had left a dinner for us on the front doorstep. Time to head home.

Today, Sunday, we awoke to the alarm clock. Mommy hurried to get herself ready for church before the kids woke up. I got most of it done. :) Anyway, we headed out for Sunday School, thinking that the attendance would be lower and it would be easier for them to adjust to a new situation. They were very quiet and watched everything from the sidelines. Both Mommy and Daddy stayed with them and helped them know what to do. Since it was fifth Sunday, there was no children's class during the service, so they came into the sanctuary with us. We were pleasantly surprised by how well-mannered they were. They were fairly quiet and colored on the church bulletins to keep themselves occupied. After church, we had many friends come over to greet us and congratulate us. Jack and Beth seemed oblivious, for the most part, which was good. That way, they played more naturally and didn't hang their heads down. When they saw some of the other kids playing on the pews, they caught on pretty fast and enjoyed a game of peek-a-boo with Taylor W, a middle school student who helps in the preschool class. Out in the foyer, Miss Dee, their SS teacher came to find them and give them their take-home bags. When she got down on her knees and played peek-a-boo with Jack it really broke the ice and he started giggling. Hopefully they will remember next week and not feel quite so shy.

After church, we decided to try out Mexican food. So, we headed for Don Juan's, one of our favorite restaurants. At first neither one wanted to try the chips and salsa, but as soon as they did, they didn't want to stop! Jack had to guzzle some water when his mouth felt hot, but he still kept on eating it.

Back home, Mommy and Jack took a nap together. (Being up in the middle of the night really wears you down!) Then, Uncle Shawn and Aunt Jocelyn came down for a visit. We had a really fun afternoon playing, and the kids seemed very comfortable with them. They asked to be lifted up and held and of course they got tickled! There was lots of laughter and cuteness! When it was time for them to go, both of the kids spontaneously did the "wai" (the polite greeting with your hands folded together in front of you and a slight bow). We haven't seen them do that without prompting to very many people.

Well, tonight Daddy did bedtime, hence my earlier post. They knew it was coming so they started to protest and cry, but he read a couple of books with them. We are hoping to be able to eventually read a Bible story with them. When he laid them down and left, however, they went into hysterics. After a minute or so, Daddy went back to check, and discovered Calvin, the cat, sitting on the bed staring at them. I guess they're a little uncomfortable with that! With Calvin out of the picture, their cries slowly became whimpers and eventually they could be heard just having a quiet conversation. Mitch said when he peeked in, Beth was patting Jack's head to console him. And now I don't hear a peep. Whew! Hopefully they'll sleep the night through.

More about the language...we are doing fairly well communicating the basics with them, like "Does it hurt?" "Do you want some water/food?" "Come here." "Do you have to go to the toilet?" "I love you." If all else fails, we look up words in the dictionary to tell them something. Unfortunately, it doesn't work the other way so we often don't know what they are saying. But, they are also pretty good at pointing and showing us what they want or need. We try to communicate our love and acceptance of them through hugs and kisses and a positive tone of voice, and they seem to just soak it up.

What treasures they are! God has such an amazing plan for each of their lives! As I prayed for them last night, I realized that right now, the only Jesus they know is what we show them. I long for the day when we can introduce them to Him. I hope and pray that when we do, they will recognize Him. It is much like the photo album that we sent to them with pictures of us and our home. When they finally met us for the first time, the social worker said that they really did recognize us! So for now, they get snapshots of Jesus. And someday soon they will meet Him!

Recovery Day

Compared to yesterday, today was very laid-back. We took our time getting up and around and stayed home all day. At around 11:00, Grandma Pat came over to hang out and play with Jack and Beth. She brought counting books and a new coloring book. Both kids enjoyed coloring with Grandma and looking at the books. She was amazed by how well Jack can color in the lines already! As they looked at the books, they repeated the words after her. The word of the day was "sock." Later, when we were putting socks on after bathtime, Beth pointed and asked what the word for sock was. She's really picking up a lot!

Both of them learn so fast! Beth was singing "A-B-C-D" today, all on her own! And this afternoon she dragged me to the refrigerator and pointed to the picture of Hannah and Sarah, the friends who had the birthday party. I only caught the word for house, but obviously yesterday was memorable! Then we looked at the Gant boys' picture and she wanted to know their names. She even had me repeat them to her brother!

Well, the rest of the day looked more like a routine. Play--Dinner--Bath--Cuddletime--Bedtime. Dinner tonight was all-American--tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Jack ate his sandwich and half of his soup no problem. Beth was much more hesitant (perhaps stubborn would be the better word?) We ended up motivating her to try it with the promise of dessert. She miserably watched Daddy, Mommy and brother devour our cupcakes before she reached for her bowl again. As soon as the required 5 bites were swallowed, she was all smiles again as she happily licked the frosting off.

Both of them fell asleep while cuddling with Mommy in the living room so we had no tears at bedtime. Woohoo! Now if we can just make it through the night...

A Big Day!

Thursday, September 27, 11:00 p.m.
Sorry no post last night--thought I'd try to get to bed early. It didn't make any difference though because at 1:30 a.m., Beth fell out of the bottom bunk, landed on a cushion, and woke up scared and crying. Well, that awakened Jack, who also started to cry. Beth was consoled fairly quickly and fell asleep on her cushion on the floor. But Jack refused to close his eyes and go back to sleep, kept getting out of bed and wandering around, and cried some more when I put him back in bed--for 2 hours! It's hard to know if he is afraid or just stubborn. Finally, I just stood in the doorway until he drifted off. But it made for a tired Mommy this morning.
We had a big day planned, so as soon as everybody woke up, we were moving to get ready and eat breakfast. Our first stop was the coffee shop so Mommy could get her mocha--definitely needed it today! We were surprised to see Mike Gaffney when we went in! But it was fun to catch up for a few minutes. Then, we headed to the store to purchase a birthday gift for their new friend, Hannah, whose birthday party was today. As soon as we walked into the store we spotted a kids' "car cart," you know, the ones where the kids pretend they are driving around while it's really Mommy pushing. They were excited to get in and spin the "steering wheels!" Meanwhile, I was breathing a sigh of relief that getting them into a cart had not been an issue!
So, we headed to the toy aisle, with Mommy praying all the while that there wouldn't be any tears when they realized that the toys we were buying weren't for them. My Thai language is very limited, VERY limited, so explaining that we were going to Hannah's house and that it was her birthday was about as much as I could do, much less explain that we were going to pick out some exciting new toys but they didn't get to have them. And I don't even know if I said that right! Well, I bought some balloons to use as a distraction and it actually worked pretty well.
Anyway, we drove to Hannah's house and went in to discover that all of the kids were outside playing. Beth and Jack, being naturally very curious, wanted to try out some of the great toys and did very well playing together (as opposed to hanging on Mommy or trying to hide behind her.) They still are hesitant to interact with the other kids, though. I imagine it must be frustrating to not understand what the other children are saying. They were very interested in the trampoline, but didn't try it out until all of the other kids went inside to open presents. They ended up having so much fun jumping and flopping around. Then they wanted Mommy to jump too, so we had a fun time laughing and jumping. All in all, it seems they did very well with their first American birthday party. We actually stayed for over 2 hours!
Back home, it was obviously nap time for Jack, so Beth did some coloring and Mommy folded and sorted clothes. At around 3:30, the Brown family stopped by to visit. Jack was still sleeping so the rest of us went out to the backyard. Beth was quite shy again with new people, but we just chatted and let the kids play independently. We finally woke up Jack and brought him outside too to have a snack. After a while, we got up to check out the garden and while Mommy was picking tomatoes, Steve started to engage the children in a game of chase. Soon Beth, Jack and their friend, Eric, were laughing together and running around the yard. After Steve sat down, the three kids continued to chase each other--the best interaction with kids their own age we've seen! We thought that was definitely a positive step!
When Daddy got home, he had some good play time with them while Mommy got dinner ready. They got to "drive" Daddy's remote controlled Hummer! Beth was a wild woman--crashing into the curb and trying to run her brother over! Jack was quite a bit more cautious!
After dinner, we all got in the car again and headed over to the Cornelius' house for a visit. We wanted to help Beth and Jack get used to going over there since we usually have a Bible Study there every Thursday evening. 6-year-old Hannah, had set up some toys especially for Jack and Beth to play with when we arrived! What a great little hostess! Even though they had already met so many new people today, they seemed to warm up to our friends a little quicker than before. By the time we left, Steve was getting high-fives from Beth and playing peek-a-boo around the kitchen island.
Whew! What a day! By the time we got home, brushed teeth, got pajamas on and got them into bed, they didn't have much protest in them. Only 20 minutes or so--way better than 2 hours!
So many of you have asked about their language acquisition that I thought I'd include a few updates and a funny story. Beth can count to 5 in English, and she really emphasizes the "FIVE". She also like to play the letter "I" on the fridge phonics over and over. I wonder why she likes that sound so much? They both say "thank you" and with prompting will say "please." Most of our communication from them depends on us understanding their Thai. We do our best to say things in both Thai and English, but often rely on pointing and demonstrating to indicate what we want them to do. So anyway, last night at the dinner table Daddy quite obviously passed gas. I reminded him that he should say "excuse me" so that Beth and Jack would learn to say it in such a situation, too. So, he dutifully said "excuse me" to which Beth responded with a strong "AMEN." Yes, we find a lot of amusement at the Wofford house now!
P.S. So sorry no pictures today--I thought Beth had absconded with the camera, but found it safely hidden behind the tool turnabout on the kitchen counter after all the day's events had passed by. (She is a bit of a packrat :) )

More New Experiences for Jack and Beth

Tuesday, September 25, 10:30 p.m.

Today started off with our earliest rising yet--7:30 a.m.! Mommy had a meeting this morning, so Daddy stayed home and fixed breakfast and played with Beth and Jack. They got to try cereal--Daddy's usual breakfast. Let's just say it might take some getting used to.

After Mommy returned home, we packed some snacks and headed to Lone Pine Farm--where the kids played on the playground--they really like slides!, watched Mommy feed the goats--still too scary to let some strange animal eat out of their hands, "mined" for precious stones in the new sluice--they love playing in water!, and helped me shop for some fresh vegetables. Grandma Mitchell went with us and Beth let her push her on the swing and hold hands when we walked across the parking lot. It's great to see the kids begin to warm up to their new family!

Back home, we ate lunch and Jack took a nap (much-needed I might add!) Beth and Mommy went outside and hung up laundry and colored. After Jack woke up, they decided to help Mommy water the plants. Maybe they'll be little gardeners some day? Actually, they just liked to play in the water.

For dinner, we tried pizza--brought over by some of our wonderful church friends. Jack and Beth didn't want to try it until we showed them the meat on the pizza. Then, they just picked it off and left the cheese and crust. Good thing Mommy had a pot of rice on standby! Mitch and I thought the pizza was great, by the way!

After dinner, Mommy stubbed her toe almost-swearing bad--yes, it was even bleeding. Beth was very concerned and followed me into the bathroom. She grabbed a bandaid and unwrapped it for me while I washed off my toe. So, maybe she'll be a nurse? What a little sweetheart!

They learned "thank you" today, and even said it a few times unprompted. And, at lunch, they repeated after Mommy when we prayed. They love the "amen" and usually shout it out!

They met a few new friends today--the Gildays and the Shelleys--still very shy, but that's okay, they've only been here a week, and we think they are doing amazingly well!

A Visit to Holt Office

Monday, September 24, 9:20 p.m.

Today, we made plans to meet Margaret's cousin, Faith, who happens to work at the Holt office, and go out to lunch. Beth and Jack did very well in their carseats, even when we made a couple of stops on the way.

When we arrived, Lisa and Marissa (the Thai program coordinators), as well as a few others from the office were waiting to meet us. But they had been warned to "ignore" the kids so that they wouldn't become like little turtles and crawl into their shells. It really worked! They didn't seem to realize they were truly the main attraction. We let them play with the toys while several of us sat and chatted about our trip and how they are doing now that we are home.

Soon, it became obvious that they were getting hungry, so we made a quick trip to the bathroom and then headed across the street with Faith to the Chinese restaurant--fried rice is always a hit! Jack insisted on sitting on my lap to eat, but he definitely had a good appetite--almost two full cups of egg flower soup plus mar far chicken and fried rice! He could stand to put a little meat on his bones though.

Back at home, we played outside for a little bit and then had some quiet time on Mommy's bed--it really wasn't as quiet as I would have hoped, but at least they stayed there long enough for me to hang up the sheets from Jack's bed to dry (Yes, we've now had our first official bed-wetting episode.) When we finally let them get up, they played outside with Daddy for a while so Mommy could try to get some housework done (TRY is the operative word--seems like everything takes soooo much longer to do now!)

Bedtime is still teary, but it seems to be taking less time for them to calm down each night. Singing over them seems to help, and of course praying. Jack likes to hold my hand and Beth likes her back to be rubbed.

Well, I wanted to mention the status of Miles Baur since so many of you prayed for him and asked how he was doing. We checked the Baurs' blog and they are home safe and sound which means that Miles improved enough to be released from the hospital and fly home. It sounds like he is adjusting well to his new brother and sister, but not to his carseat. No surprise there! Thanks so much for praying for him and for the Baurs! I let them know that you were praying and they appreciate it so much.

Most Surprising Things

Sunday, September 23, 10:30 p.m.

Today was a pretty good day, although it didn't go as planned. We had set the alarm intending to go to Sunday School, but since the night was so broken up, we just turned it off and slept in.

The kids got to spend some time with Grandpa and Grandma Wofford today, as well as with Aunt Lisa and Catlin again. Beth and Grandpa had a little conversation about some cat pictures he had brought with him. Beth did most of the talking and Grandpa didn't have a clue what she was saying! But they sure had a good time! Beth's most common English word is "kitty" (sounds more like "kittle-ey" though) or "Calvin" ("Cow-bin"). But she really likes to look at books with Mommy and hear the English words.

By the time Aunt Lisa left she had them rolling across the lawn and sucking on candy that turned their tongues blue. Of course, they had to show us! It's so good to see them relax with family and really enjoy being with everyone.

We look at them often and thank God for entrusting such treasures to us! Wow! We are so undeserving! But somehow God chose us. It makes us lean even harder on Him for the strength and wisdom to be the parents Beth and Jack need.

Well, after almost 2 weeks of parenting, I thought I'd end this post with my top ten most surprising things about being a parent...

10. How proud I feel when they remember little rules like "Eat only in the hard-floor room" or "Take your dish to the sink."

9. How they manage to get so many outfits so dirty!

8. How much louder mealtimes are now.

7. How unskilled I am at little girls' hair-do's!

6. How quickly kisses really do take away the little "owies."

5. How soon after a temper tantrum the smiles and giggles can reappear.

4. How unrestful it is to sleep in a twin-size bed with a squirmy two-year-old!

3. How long they can fight sleep when they are so exhausted!

2. How many trips to the bathroom a mother of two preschoolers makes in one day!

1. How incredible it feels to hear your own child say "I love you, Mommy" while hugging your legs. (Of course in Thai it sounds like "rak meh.")

Fun with Playdoh and cousin Catlin

Saturday, September 22, 9:45 p.m.

Today was a busy day for the Wofford family! We ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and rice (of course!) and then had a playful morning. We tried out the PlayDoh today and they both really had fun! Jack stayed with it for at least half an hour and then played with his Matchbox cars. But Beth and Mommy played for almost an hour! And of course all of the colors are now mixed together, which drives Mommy nuts, but oh well. (Thanks to some wonderful friends, we have PlayDoh to spare!)

Soon after lunch, Aunt Lisa and cousin Catlin arrived to visit. While Jack had his nap, the rest of us went outside and talked and played, trying not to focus too much on Beth so she would feel more comfortable. She stayed close to Mommy and Daddy most of the time but watched our visitors curiously.

After Jack woke up, we all got in the car and drove over to Grandma Mitchell's house again to pick tomatoes. They enjoyed riding around on tricycles and being pulled around the farm in the wagon. Beth helped us pick tomatoes for Aunt Lisa and Jack helped Grandma pick pears.

When we got home, another wonderful friend from church was waiting for us with another wonderful meal! (Thank you so much to all of you who are taking such good care of us! We feel so blessed and loved! That's what church family is truly all about. I hope that we can reciprocate some day!)

Aunt Lisa and Catlin stayed for dinner and after dinner, Catlin (a 15-year-old high school freshman) got down on his hands and knees and started to crawl around following Jack. Soon Jack was giggling and playing peek-a-boo with him. Well, Beth was not about to be left out, but being a little more cautious, she watched for a few minutes. Within a few minutes, however, all three were out in the backyard chasing each other and laughing like crazy! What a great step for them! They were able to interact positively and freely with someone besides Mommy and Daddy!

The rest of the evening went as usual--bath, pjs, relax in the living room, tears in the bedroom and crash, they're asleep. Beth sounds like a toy with a battery running out as she finally nods off. Please continue to pray that they will adjust to the new routine for bedtime. We're not even sure what the old routine was, so we just try to reassure them that we are here. And Mommy gets a good half hour of prayer time in as she rubs their backs and waits for them to fall asleep. So it's not for naught! We know prayer works so we just keep praying for them.