Happy birthday!

We end our week two at home with Joseph's 5th birthday.

We went shopping at Toys R Us to see his reactions to all the toys.  He does really well in stores and likes riding in the carts.  He likes to point and all that he sees but he doesn't really ask for anything.  So far he likes cars and Dora.

Dora marketing is totally working.  He likes anything with Dora on it.  He doesn't like yogurt but he saw Dora yogurt and now he tells me he likes it.  I am not excited about him liking a girly cartoon but a least it is educational and interactive.

Joseph doesn't have any riding toys so we wanted to get him one.  We were looking for non motorized car so he can push it and sit in it but unfortunately he is too big for what we are looking for.  So we had to settle for a motorized one.  He may surprise us and be able to use the foot pedal and figure out to drive one.  We can now utilize our big back yard.

He tried the Car, Tractor, Truck, Jeep, and a Motorcycle.  He chose a Police Car.  He was told he had to wait till Daddy to picked it up for his Birthday.  When Mark got home he said "Duo good boy, ready to go bye-bye and get car".  We picked up the car and told Joseph it was bed time and he would get his car in the morning.  He went straight to bed and shut his eyes real tight and said "Duo is a good boy". He was so excited last night he couldn't sleep, he would squeal with excitement.  

He woke early this morning singing Happy Birthday!  

He got his car and his Dora phone and his microphone...a good day for Joseph.

He is communicating with lots of sign language.  He wanted water and he pulled up his chair and started washing his feet.  He must washed his feet this way at the orphanage.  He liked washing my feet too...I wonder if he read the Books of the Gospel.  He is already following the examples of Jesus.

Recap of this week.

We went to Austin Symphony Children's Day.  He loved the face painting the best.  Most of it got smeared off but he doesn't care because he is so proud of it.  Every morning he wants me to paint his face and make him look like a lion.  I ordered some face paint to have handy.

He still loves to see what is in all the cabinet.  He puts them all back, just not so neatly.

We went to see the Dentist for a check up and had his teeth cleaned.  Just one small cavity between two front teeth.  He is very obedient little patient, he gave me thumbs up.

We went to Story time at the local Library.

He tried Fruit Soda...of course he loved it.

He likes to clean the floor too with a rag...my floor has never been cleaner.

We went to the park and tried the slide this time.

He likes to sweep too...he does a pretty good job.

Went swimming at the local community pool.

I keep him busy for about 15 minutes getting him to open all my junk mail.

We start Physical Therapy next week so we'll see how he does.

Home for a week

What a week!

Mark and I were tired from being in China for 3 weeks and the fight home got us totally jet-lagged.  It took Joseph 3 days to get adjusted to the time change and started sleeping though the night.  It is taking a little longer for us to adjusted but we are feeling better everyday.

Joseph likes to get out and reminds me he wants to go bye-bye.  So we get out and make short trips to the store or grab lunch...he does well in restaurants, it has been the norm in China.  Here are some snapshots of our week.

We went swimming with Ji-Ji.

Went to Costco to pick up a few things and stopped for pizza because he wanted one but ended up eating my hotdog, he liked it better.  So the western food he likes is Cheerios, Chick-fil-e nuggets with lots of ketchup, pizza and hotdog.  We can those few items to the few things he will eat now.

We went to the park.  Pictures can say a million words.

Went to the local Mall, and what kid doesn't like to ride one of these.  I got him an ice cream cone but still don't know what to do with it.  It is cold and he is not use eating anything cold and licking is foreign to him.  In the orphanage, the kids are served warm milk and room temperature beverages.  The Chinese culture believe feeding children anything cold makes them sick.

We went to the largest Asian Market in Austin to look for the type of noodles he use to eating in China.  Unfortunately I could not find it.  It may be a good thing since it is not too healthy.  Joseph had fun riding this bus on our way out.

He went to the local Target...

Had lunch with Ji-Ji and he loves, loves her.  The fist thing he say to her is I love you in English and in Chinese.  He is eating Chinese Steamed Bun style sandwich.  Sandwich is foreign to him also, the different layers of texture is something he is not use to.

He doesn't know what prayer is but he follows what we tell him.  At first he laughed but now he know it is serious.  I want to thank everyone for the meals that were provided.  It has been great and Joseph has an opportunity to try something new.

Joseph need to catch up and play and explore...all the things he did not get to do in the orphanage.  We let him do just about anything, long as it is not harmful to him.  It is amazing after 4 weeks with us he understand us and follows simple instructions.  He know he can play with anything in the kitchen as long as it is not glass or chemicals.

Joseph gets super excited when Mark gets home from work.  Unfortunately he can't stay up all night paying with his daddy but get ready for bed shortly after.  There is nothing worse for Joseph than going to bed.  He knows bedtime follows a bath so he refuse taking a bath now.  Seeing him trying to run away and fight us is hilarious.  We actually put him in the tub fully clothed...he thought it was so funny he laugh through the bath.  Mark is great making bed time fun.  We spent about 10 minutes laughing getting dressed.  Pictures say it all.

Joseph is adjusting so well.  I love to watch him sleep, there nothing sweeter that watching a child sleep.  We are seeing the fruits of all the prayers prayed over him.  Thank you to everyone out there that has prayed for Joseph.  I praise God for his faithfulness in my life.  I can rest in Him and know he is in control.  So thankful!!!