Mommy's little helper

Today we weeded the dogs kennels and mended the fence. We put together the booster seat for Grandma's car and watered the plants. Akins helped with all of these chores! Whew!





Oh course we still have plenty of time to drive our car and master the razor scooter!





AND ... get our first American haircut - compliments of Mommy and Lorea. What do you think?

First week home recap

Junior came home a week ago today. In fact at this writing it is almost exactly the same hour since we first introduced him to his new home. We have gone from a boy terrifed of the dogs and cows or any animal for that matter. To one who just tonight took a bath with one of the dogs. Not necessarily Mom's idea of a great thing, but if it gets him closer to trusting them then we'll make a few exceptions. He has fed the cows through the fence and literally chased the neighbor's dog away for barking at him. He has grown from a boy who NEEDED to sleep in bed with someone to taking naps in his own bed and last night spending the whole night in his own bed without a peep. He's gone to every type of doctor and been poked, proded, given shots, had blood taken (lots of it), and had his teeth checked. None of which did he like but imagine his surprise when Zach (the small dog) also had to get a shot this week. He wrinkled his nose when the dog got his temperature taken. He has been to many stores and experienced riding a bike, a big wheel, a toy car, a tractor, a quad, learned to hold his breath and swim across the pool and overcame the anxiety of wearing seatbelts and riding in the booster seat. He's met tons of people and eaten in many resturants! He's learned to sit on the potty like a big boy (he used to stand on it to go #2), he brushes and flosses (well he tries) and he is slowly learning to be patient that not everything is a crisis. He is also learning to chew with his mouth closed and to talk in an inside voice. He is being called by a new name and starting to respond to it.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I've accomplished this much in one week even on my best week!

A time for reflection

While Junior and I were hanging out today doing things - you know like watching him ride in his new Little Tikes car, or while we were mowing the yard on the "big tractor" with his legs flopped over either of mine so he can hang on. I was thinking how did I get here. Mind you not in a bad way, but let me explain. In the past with kids (other than nieces and nephews) I have always been a bit reserved. I never wanted to hurt a child and getting too attached and then not really being there for them seemed unfair.

So, when a child would come around me and they always fixated on me for some reason, I could literally feel myself shut down or turn off in some way. Needless to say I was a bit afraid this might happen with Akins Junior. Always in the back of my mind while I was full steam ahead in the process I was wondering "what if"? Well, let me summarized my feelings, "Mama" has never sounded so good - well until you have heard it for the 100th time in less than 10 minutes.

I'm not shutting down to this child his hugs are as sweet as his smell (most of the time)! Now, Lorea might think otherwise since she is sporting a black eye from him head butting her two nights ago while in a sleep needed hyperactive state!

Part boy - part fish!

He has NO FEAR! Today Junior showed us that he can swim across the short side of the pool holding his breath - yes most of the way by himself! He jumps of the side all by himself too! I guess all those hours at the Royal Hotel in the shower stall paid off!

Making friends and contemplating future careers

Today Junior met the kids next door. They have welcomed him to the neighborhood with open arms. So, he got to try a slide, swing, teeter-totter and a little jungle gym up to the slide. BIG fun, but even these wonderful toys still can not be surpassed by "Junior do you want some meat?" It was dinner time and when asked this question he bolted to the house like it was the last supper.

While all of the experiences unfold I wonder what might be his future career. I still think an engineer might be in the cards, but the following photos raise potential options. Don't you think?


Dog Psychic

Plumber (note the plumber's butt)

National Foosball Champion

Cell phone operator

The funny, sweet and sad moments

Funny - So we are out shopping and Lorea got out of the car to go into a store. Akins, Mom and I waited. Suddenly Akins starts whimpering that he had dropped his rubber band down the side of the seat. I told him to wait and when Lorea got back she could find it. Lorea comes back and I tell her to look beside his seat to find the rubber band. She looks and says I don't see it and then he starts giggling - he has it in his hand. Funny little trick. He does this type of thing a lot!

Sweet - One night in Monrovia Junior was crying as I was trying to get him to lay down to sleep and he was rolling around and kicking and pulling at me. I asked him if he wanted me to hold him, he said "yeah" in his deep little voice. He climbed on top of me and laid his head on my shoulder legs wrapped around mine. This is how we go to sleep each night after a story book. In the middle of the night he reaches for my hair and grips it gently squeezing three to four times - I guess making sure I am still there.

Sad - Went to the doctors today and had to get shots. He cried after the first one - had to have three in total. He was angry at me and would not hold my hand again until we got to the parking lot and I let him throw his lollipop stick down the big hole with the grate covering it.

Making Progress

We are slowly making progress with the dogs. Yesterday we ran around the yard with all of them. Today we can sit and hang with them and even touch the "small" one occasionally and a BIG step - accepted kisses and a handshake from one of the "big" ones. What a relief I was terrified this was going to be a big problem. Junior remembers Beans from the photo album Sue sent. Amazing what he remembers and says to me.