Our First 3 days @ home

Suffice it to say - we're settling in. Wednesday I stayed home and we all hung out as we all got used to living together.

On Thursday I went into work for a little bit. As I was leaving Carol got pretty upset and tried to get her shoes on to leave with me - screaming and crying - while the whole time Jhon-Fredy just kept waving and saying "CIAO AMIGO!". It was pretty funny. But we really just had to treat it like a band-aid - quick and painful. Apparently after I left Carol cried for a bit but then settled down. The rest of the day she called me every so often to report on her day. Friday when I left it was much better - she gave me a kiss good bye and then reported her day to me at various intervals throughout the day. On Saturday her and I were sitting at the kitchen table having cereal together - me in a t-shirt and boxers and her in her PJs - and she asked me if I was going to work that day. She got really smiley when I said no. She asked me again Sunday morning as well. I hope tomorrow morning she'll understand.

On Thursday when I got home I found that Donna's sister had sent us one of the most useful things we have received so far - a Radio Flyer Red wagon. Since Thursday I think we have put at least 5 miles on it - the kids LOVE riding in it while Papi or Mami schlep them up and down the hills of Pittsburgh. For ANYONE who is going to Bogota and adopting more than one child - skip the stroller and go with a wagon. This thing rocks - it even has cup holders! Anyway we've been taking a lot of walks around the neighborhood and getting to know the neighbors.

Since being at the house we have found a few more of the kids favorite activities - here's the top 5 - in no particular order:

1. Stare out the front bay window at nothing in praticular - just watch things happen out front


2. Wash dishes in th kitchen sink - We knew they liked to play in the bathroom sink at the hotel in Bogota but they really like to pull a chair up to the kitchen sink and wash their sippy cups.


3. Dance in their car seats - especially Anji - the minute she hears ANY song she starts moving her hips


4. Riding around the block in the wagon - they will literally - all 3 - go down into the garage and get into the wagon then yell for Donna or I to come down and take them for a walk.


5. Talk on the phone - When the phone rings they immediately ask to talk to whoever it is on the line - and they don't care if that person speaks Spanish or not.

Oh - and tonight - there was a Steeler pre-season game on. Carol learned how to wave her terrible towel and how to pronounce "Hines Ward" - by the time we are a game or two into the season she'll know what 1st and 10 is and will be swooning over Big Ben...she even "high-fived" me a few times when Willie Parker had a good run...I swear they were meant to be our children!

We've also had lots of visitors and some of the families at church have been providing us with meals each night since we got back. We really have been blessed with great friends and family.

That's the quick update - things are basically going really well. We are just getting into a routine and enjoying each others company. It really is cool to hear the sounds of the house and to have it alive with the kids. I woke up this morning - and Donna and the kids were downstairs. I just laid there listening. Hearing the kids laugh...and cry...and whine...all within a 10 minute period. I could hear Donna praise, reprimand and try to explain something. I said a quick prayer thanking God for all of this...He really is an awesome God and has created these 3 beautiful children for us. I am honored to have been chosen to be their "Papi"...

later,
Scott

PS: Here's a few pics to catch up on:

Carol and Jhon-Fredy discussing the airplanes coming in to the Bogota airport - It was a riot because as they were looking out the window a plane pulled up to the the entrance ramp you see on the right - Jhon-Fredy started jumping up and down screaming and Carol hid behind Donna:

Anji - chilling in her seat on the plane to Atlanta:

Carol and Jhon-Fredy taking advantage of every perk afforded them by the airline - the pillows, the blankets and the peanuts. Sitting them together like this lasted all of 5 minutes before we had to separate them and I had to sit in the middle. The poor woman sitting in front of Jhon-Fredy had no chance of a nap after he discovered the tray table - he kept slamming it up and down - against the back of the seat (hey - she shouldn't have reserved the seat in front of a 4 year old!):

Carol and Jhon-Fredy in a rare moment of cease-fire - with Jhon-Fredy showing off his replica Colombian Nacional Futbol uniform

The kids in their car seats - we really anticipated a fight to get them to go in them but they had no problems and adjusted to them well:

Enjoying apples at Grandma and Grandpa's house: