Happy Fall!

After months of cocooning (the adoptive parent term for keeping things low key, maintaining a regular schedule and limiting contact to us and some close family, only) we have emerged a family full of activities.

The boys started 2 day a week preschool, and after a period of adjustment, the boys love it and look forward to it. They both have learned so much! Aidan is just a chatterbox and always wanting to learn things. Liam has come out of his shell and is the sweetest most loving child. They both seem so happy and they have both grown so much. Aidan is 30lbs and Liam is 26.5lbs—a far cry from the 19 and 16.5lbs when we met them in February. And they've both gotten taller.

Halloween was a favorite for Aidan--see him in the chicken costume! He just lit up when he had it on--flapping his arms, making chicken noises and calling himself "keechee" (his word for chicken). Since "keechee" is his favorite item from McDonald's, I wonder if he's made the connection yet! Liam was a cutie in his bumblebee costume. It was warm enough to walk house to house in our neighborhood to trick-or-treat. Aidan was wet with sweat but whenever we tried to take his "chicken head" off for some air he'd pull it right back on. And, if we suggested going home, he'd point to the next place and say "house!" Neither of them got the concept of taking one piece of candy from a bowl and stretched their little fingers out as wide as they could to maximize their return. Aidan couldn't quite say Happy Halloween and shortened it to Happy Happy! Liam would point at pumpkins and say "bobbee" excitedly.

After Happy Happy we switched gears to Happy Turkey and decorated the house with all kinds of turkeys. The boys enjoyed a week off of preschool for Thanksgiving and we celebrated with a full spread prepared by Gramma Gail. The boys' favorites were the turkey and the cranberry sauce which led them to have pink sticky faces that I thought would never come clean!

Now we're moving forward to Christmas--the boys' very first! "Merry Christmas" is a little too hard for Aidan at this point but we have him saying "Ho, Ho, Ho!" instead. We drive through the neighborhood after dark so they can see all the lights and decorations. We haven't formally introduced them to Santa since it may be a bit much to meet him this year--they are still very reserved with strangers and I imagine the big red suit and white beard may send them over the edge. I can't wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we know our boys are gifts from God and we are truly blessed.

Happy Holidays!

School Days!

Keechee!

Happy Happy!

Happy Turkey!