One Week Later.....

We arrived home from China and hit the ground running despite the jet lag. One week later and we are all adjusted to the time, one week later and we are all getting back to school, one week later and Maddox has seen three different doctors, one week later and we can tell who is jealous and, surprisingly, who is not, one week later and we have managed to avoid a stair catastrophe, one week later and we are finally unpacked, one week later and we have only had one person ask if the girls are sisters, one week later....and things are good. Maddox continues to thrive. We are learning her likes and dislikes for food - in comparison to MK, she is quite picky with food and will politely spit things out that do not suit her palate. Maddox loves to be outside, loves to climb the stairs, loves to play with dolls, loves to play peek-a-boo, loves to be held, loves pizza, is tolerating Pediasure, has a bunch of "stuff" in her one ear that is not allowing the drs. to get a good look at it, she loves her bath, she is quite cranky when she is tired, she will give mommy kisses but no one else, she loves our dog, Finley, she likes being outside, she has jumped on the trampoline, she has the best giggle and she is very ticklish, she is hitting less, she will stroke my face when I tell her "gentle" and it is the best feeling in the world. The big kids continue to do well too. Including MK. MK has really stepped up to the plate. I have seen a side of her that I am very proud of. She is quite patient with Maddox. The boys are just glad to be home so they can ride their bikes, play baseball and play Legos. So, one week later and things are going well.....

• Pryce likes to call Maddox, "Madd."
• MK announced she can read and speak Chinese.....after making this announcement, I asked her to go and do something I needed her to do. She muttered, under her breath, something. I asked her what she said and she replied, "Well, I just said something in Chinese and it was real nice!" Hmmmm.
• At the dr., Maddox will not cry until the ear exam comes into play. Up until that point, she will stick out her bottom lip, it will shake and she gets the biggest crocodile tears ever in her eyes....it is a pitiful sight.
• I feel as though I should write something about Colin....Colin has been taking it all in. He is quick to step up should I need his help but he is also quick to sit back and do his own thing. Already 11, he is growing up entirely too fast for me!
• One week later, and we miss our China friends dearly. My children have said more than once that they miss China and the families that we traveled with! And, if we are being honest, I actually craved Chinese food this week - we really don't even eat Chinese!