Christmas Recap and the Greatest Gift of 2012

Christmas was a tricky subject in our family of three this year.  We were well aware that Francis might have a hard time with the holiday, and wanted to do everything we could to make him happy, comfortable, and not too overwhelmed.  We asked him what he wanted to have for Christmas – anything special, anything that might remind him of old traditions, etc.  The only things he asked for were a Christmas tree and chicken adobo.  That was what he wanted, that was what he got.  Our traditional Italian Christmas dinner had the added twist of homemade chicken adobo this year, and he was a happy boy. 

Francis with his best girl, Lakota.

We had a nice, quiet Christmas Eve with just the three of us, Lolo, and Lola.  Lola cooked, Mommy baked, Daddy, Lolo, and Francis decorated cookies, and then we all went to evening Mass and had dinner together.  While we were waiting between courses, Daddy read The Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas, and Lolo read the regular Night Before Christmas.  Francis was not lacking in entertainment!  While we were in Church it had started snowing, and he was so excited.  Of course, Christmas snow is magic snow, and it made his first Christmas at home a white one.  What a beautiful Christmas gift!

 

Milk, cookies, and a special letter and drawings for Santa.

Early Christmas morning, Francis woke up to find that Mommy and Daddy had set up The Polar Express train around the tree (Francis LOVES trains and LOVES The Polar Express).  Right outside the pile of gifts, he found the present Santa left for him.  Right away he saw the wrapping paper and said, “Spider-Man?”  He had asked Santa for Spider-Man and Spider-Man only (no other hints!).  Santa brought him a remote-controlled Spider-Man motorcycle, and he was beyond thrilled.  After presents, we took him outside to try out his new sled on the hill behind our house.  In the afternoon we went to Lolo and Lola’s house, where he did more sledding and snowball fighting with Lolo and then dinner and presents with great-grandma, great-aunts and uncles, and his cousins.  It ended up being a really good day for him.

The Polar Express.  Just Awesome.

Overall, Francis is enjoying the snowy weather.  He thinks that every time it snows Santa is going to come.  We’ve got a little work to do there.  He amazes me with his crazy body thermostat, because he’s ALWAYS hot!  When he’s outside playing in the snow, he won’t leave his hat or hood up.  When he’s inside and it’s 65 degrees in the house, he says he’s too hot with socks on.  It’s amazing.

Post-sled run with Daddy and Lakota.

Francis doesn’t believe us yet that at midnight it will be a new year.  2012 has been a whirlwind for us, starting with seeing his beautiful face on January 3 to receiving his official referral on March 26, traveling to the Philippines on September 12, formally receiving him on his birthday September 17, coming home on September 26, and a bunch of firsts – first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas.

In front of the tree at Lolo and Lola's house.

Parenting Francis has been one challenge after another, but also one joy after another.  There are some challenges we expected, many we never saw coming a mile away.  For every time I want to hit my head up against a wall, though, there are ten more times I have two little arms wrap around my neck and a little voice whisper in my ear, “Mommy…I love you.”  That – that gift, the greatest of 2012, the greatest gift ever, was what was worth waiting almost 10 years for.     

   

Mommy and Daddy took Francis to the North Pole on a train!

We are looking forward to the challenges and joys (hopefully more joys then challenges) of 2013 and wish health, happiness, and many blessings to all!

Francis and His Posse

Prior to our bringing Francis home, a lot of people had expressed their concern to us about how we would deal with bringing a new child together with a house full of animals.  We had a plan to introduce them slowly, not allow them in the same room alone together, and hope that he wasn’t allergic to them and that everyone got along!

The result?

We got very, very lucky.

Prior to our trip to the Philippines, we sent a photo album to Francis and included pictures of Lakota and all of the cats.  When we met him and were still in the Philippines, it turned out that he had decided to take a liking to our cat, Boots.  He was playing with our cell phones and pretending to “text Boots.”  Whether the cat liked him or not, he had decided that she was going to be his kitty.  Fortunately for everyone (especially Francis), Boots is a sweetheart of a cat and she is perfectly happy to have Francis love on her. 

Introducing Francis to Lakota was a bit of a different story.  We thought we had it all planned out.  We had one of Lakota’s favorite treats ready for Francis to give her for as soon as we walked in the door from the airport.  We figured this would put Francis on solid ground with her and still give her something to take a while to chew so that we would have enough time to get our bags in the door and get somewhat settled.  What we had hoped wouldn’t happen, of course, did.  Francis realized just how big Lakota really was, freaked out, refused to give her the cookie, and ran screaming into the next room.  I think at that point we realized we were really in for it, and my parents, who had traveled with us, felt horrible about having to go home!

It took a few days, of course.  As planned, one of us was always on top of Francis and Lakota whenever they were near each other.  Lucky for us, Lakota, who has never shown much interest in children before, is a very intelligent dog and realized that someone very, very special had entered “her territory.”  This little boy was someone her people seemed to love very much, and that was all Lakota needed to know to decide that Francis was going to be her boy, and the person she was most responsible for keeping safe.  Doggy kisses?  You bet.  Once Francis let Lakota give him kisses, she was all over it.  “Kissin’!” he would squeal when Lakota would lick him.  Before he told either Gregg or me that he loved us, we heard him tell her, “I love you, ‘Kota.” 

Like many children who are adopted at older ages, we are working through some issues with Francis’ adjustment.  We expected that this would happen.  We did not expect some of the extent that it would go to.  What we also did not expect was that Lakota would become Francis’ therapy dog.  Our feisty girl, who will become a teenager on Thanksgiving Day, knows just when our son is hurting the most, when to go to him and how to calm him down, just by being there and “Kissin’.”  She also knows when it’s best to stay away.  She’s done some things to calm him that I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t witnessed it myself.  

Still, two of our cats haven’t quite warmed up to the newest member of the family yet.  One of these days they’ll get with the program.  Until then, Patches and Shadow prefer to hang out under our bed and hide during the day, then come out and play after Francis is in bed.  I think he’s a little too active for their more reserved lifestyle. 

So what would I say to the woman back in this post who criticized me for waiting to adopt a child until my dog was 12?  I’d say I have an amazing dog and she’s doing just fine as a “big sister.”

Pictures...Since We've Been Home

A little bit of our life at home, from Francis' perspective.  We've been adjusting and it's taking some time, so a post will come in due time!  Don't want to keep you hanging, though, so here are some pictures of our cutie-pie!

I got to try out my sled at Lolo and Lola's house.  Lolo gave me a ride on the grass.  I CAN'T WAIT until it snows and I can REALLY try this thing out!  And build a snowman!  And throw snowballs!

Mommy and Daddy took me out for ice cream.  I LOVE ice cream - it's my absolute favorite treat!

There is a playground up the street from my house.  The slide is my favorite thing to do, and I can go down it hundreds of times and not get tired!

Lakota comes to the playground with Mommy and me.  I love Lakota, and she loves me.  She's my guard dog and takes good care of me all the time!

Daddy is teaching me how to ride a bike!  It is SO MUCH FUN!  Thank you to my cousins, Kevin and Tyler, for the awesome bike.  I love it.

I was Spider-Man for Halloween!  And before Halloween.  And after Halloween.  I love Spider-Man - he's my favorite guy, next to Daddy and Lolo!

Yup.  I was a totally handsome Spider-Man, and I knew it.

I met my Great-Grandma for the first time.  I love her, and she loves me!