Personalities

Not much new is going on today, we tried to get out for a little walk this morning but it has been raining really hard since then. So, since there is no news to report, I thought I should give you a glimpse into each of the kids personalities!

Sebastian is 3 years, 9 months old and definitely acts like the oldest child. He is sensitive, sweet, very kind (even to John and Cate) and loves to give and receive hugs and kisses. He is able to count to 10 in English and is really picking up the English language very quickly. I have found that he is using a lot of English words already and not as much Spanish. Now, instead of perro, he will say puppy...sometimes he still says both but he is very interested in learning. We are always going over body parts, clothing and really anything we see while we are out for our walk. He takes a lot of interest in books and loves tv. He definitely loves to be cuddled. If he sees grandma or I holding and rubbing John or Cate's back, he is right there to get some for himself. Anytime he sees an airplane, he points to it and says papa. We are trying to get them to understand that we are going to be going in an airplane to see papa but we also said it when Rhett left that he went in an airplane. So, we are not sure they understand the concept, but they will figure it out when we land on Minnesota ground!

John is 2 years, 6 months and is our little stinker! Everyone here at the hotel loves him...Juanita and Valeria here at the hotel are always asking him for kisses. Every mealtime, they both come by our table and compete as to who is going to get a kiss from him. It has turned into a big joke! He has the grin and the twinkle in his eyes to go along with it. He is a big flirt! He continues to be a food hoarder but it is getting so much better! We can actually take some food off of his plate and he doesn't totally freak out. And if he does, it passes pretty quickly. I was actually able to pick up his spoon last night and feed him his spaghetti. Like I said, he is our little stinker...when we first got him the only word he said was "no", that word is still definitely present but it is getting used less frequently (I think!!). Out of the 3 kids, he has been the one to be put in the "resting place" the most. We have a little spot on the floor and the end of John's bed that the kids will go to when they are acting out and it seems to calm them down. We have it now where I ask them if they are done and they say "no" so I leave them there. A few minutes later, I ask again and then they are ready to go...they all wipe their tears and we are on with the rest of our day like nothing happened. John is also our tough little cookie. He can take a bump like no other. In fact, the other morning I was giving him a bath and I saw a scab on his forehead and my mom and I have no idea where he got it. With all of their running and bouncing on and off the couches, it doesn't surprise me but his usual response when he hits his head or something else is "hooooof". (say that in your best German voice and you got it!)

Cate is 1 year, 4 months old and is our stubborn girl. She may be little but she understands everything. When we have to tell her "no", she instantly freezes and just briefly closes her eyes and then only moves her eyes to look at us. She knows that something ain't sittin' right with us. She also likes to be held a lot. When I have to set her down on the floor because I might actually have to use the restroom, she freaks out and throws herself back. God forbid I have a moment to myself...even if it is the bathroom!! It has helped a lot with her to have my mom here, she is not much of a fan on men which is understandable. She went into the orphanage right from the hospital when she was born and all of her caregivers were women. Even though she is stubborn, she is also a very good and happy girl! Her smile will light up a room! It has been very fun to see her starting to interact with her brothers. Her brothers absolutely adore her, they just started this week where they are always giving her hugs and kisses. She has also gotten over the 2 hour bedtime routine, now, I just lay her in her crib and she takes care of the rest...so nice for mama!!

In summary, all of the kids have exceeded my expectations on how they have attached. I do have to say, they sure were trained well for us in the orphanage. They all listen very well (most of the time!), they go to bed extremely well, they don't get out of bed until I go get them etc. I hope we can keep up with these good habits when we get back home! I even have Grandma Meyer convinced that they don't need much sugar and she hasn't even tried to sneak them pop (well at least to my knowledge!) We are truly blessed! We could not have asked God to bless us with 3 more perfect children!

Love from Bogota!

Holly and all!