Seven months ago a very scared little 5 1/2 year old boy walked into our lives and an absolutely petrified, horrified little 4 year old girl was literally handed into our lives.
What a difference 7 months can make! Johnny has been speaking strictly English for so long now that I can't remember him speaking Mandarin. The only word that remains is "ticka." I think it means "this" or something from what I've figured with using our translator app. He actually uses it every time he speaks. Every sentence begins with "ticka." Kind of funny. Lily actually uses the same word. She also uses strictly English, except for "ticka," "how," and both of them use the word "Baba" for Daddy.
They both also just started school!! Johnny started kindergarten and Lily started pre-school. Yes, I homeschool Josiah and Brianna, but I didn't begin homeschooling them until they were in 2nd and 4th grade. I've had total peace about putting them in public school right now, and will probably keep them in until they hit middle school or so. I will post their first day pics in about 3 years when I get around to it. Tee hee.
Some of the things that also come with being home a little longer has been that, with Johnny expanding his English, he's able to tell me things about his life in China. He has told me that his foster Mama and Baba had a motorcycle. That didn't surprise me...those things were everywhere in the city. They're more like mopeds. He told me his foster Mama (we call them The China Mama and The China Baba) would set him in a chair to take his shower. He said they didn't have a stove. He told me about a scar he has on his forehead that I'd wondered about. He said he was standing on a chair and he fell and hit his head on the corner of a desk. He said his China Mama put him on the motorcycle and drove very fast to the hospital and they fixed it. He gives everything in accurate detail...he remembers everything.
Everything.
There was one night in particular he was in the mood to talk and he gave extremely detailed accounts of moments of his life. That will be a post for another day...sometime soon. Let's just say I cried in front of him...I couldn't hide it...and he cried too. That was about 2 weeks ago. And to be honest, I just have not been able to bring myself to post it. I wondered if I should...it's his personal life...but at the same time I wish everyone knew his story and then got to meet him. What an amazing overcomer. God Himself raised this boy. He is the happiest little boy I know. And soooooo easy to raise!!! He helps me cook and clean. He actually enjoys it and asks to help. (And no, it's not to just be a pleaser...believe me, I can tell the difference!!) When I'm cooking he pulls up a chair and watches. He's such a sweet boy!!!
I'm amazed at what God has done in 7 short months. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm continually amazed at how God answers our prayers. If I gave the timeline of our adoption and how I tried to hurry it along and kept getting so mad and frustrated that it was taking us twice as long as others to adopt. If my home study would have been done just two weeks sooner, I would have only been able to adopt one child. If my dossier would have gone to China just one month sooner, I wouldn't have received my referral for Johnny because he was with a different agency at the time. As a matter of fact, when Johnny was with that particular agency, I was constantly drawn to their website and I had no idea why at the time. It wasn't until after we adopted him that I found out he had been listed with a different agency previously. It's amazing watching the hand of God work. And we get so mad and wonder if God remembers we're here, and we want everything now, in our time line...little did I know a little boy was searching, hoping, and waiting for me as well. That was one of the things he told me that night about his life in China...he was waiting for me just as much as I was for him. He was hoping for me to come get him as much as I wanted to go get him.
I know sometimes we say that children from China didn't choose adoption...to leave everything behind...but this time...this one did.
Thank you Johnny Le Hai for wanting me as much as I wanted you!!!!