Home and Loving It

We've been home for 3 weeks.  There were so many times while we were in China that I said to myself, this will all be fine once we get home.  We won't be stuck in a tiny hotel room, in a hot and humid city, with a very loud and energetic child.  We will have our toys and our freedom to run wild on a farm.  I've never been more right in my life.  We came home and Ava just joined right into the family.  This isn't typical.  I know that.  I thank God and count my blessings every single day.  We have spent the last 3 weeks enjoying each other.  Ava is truly amazing.  She sleeps well.  She lets me hug and kiss her and she requests hugs and kisses back.  She runs to me for comfort.  She finally, willingly, calls me mama.  My husband treats her exactly the same as our other kids, which means he teases her profusely.  She glares at him and lectures him in Chinese....and then she giggles.  She is loved by our big, crazy family and she loves us back.  It's perfection.

So what have we learned about sweet Ava?  Plenty.  She is incredibly smart.  She comprehends what you are showing her and she is able to repeat it.  She is incredibly independent in everything she does.  If she's thirsty, she gets herself a glass of milk.  If she wants to color, she gets everything out and colors.  I just follow her lead.  Ava firmly believes that you MUST take your shoes off at the door and she will hunt you down if you don't.  Yesterday, she came up to me and pointed at my shoes.  I took them off and she brought me my slippers.  Score!  Is my newly adopted child really supposed to be easier than my biological children?  I've learned that she loves to help with daily chores.  If she sees me with the broom, she will grab the mop and mop up my kitchen and living room.  Yes, it may be somewhat of a flood when she's done, but she's helping.  Ava also loves to just have fun.  She spends a lot of time on the trampoline and she is quite good at playing ping pong.  I was being sarcastic and made the comment that she had to be good at ping pong because she's Chinese.  And then she served the ball.  My jaw hit the floor.  She never really hits the ball back to me, but she serves it and I hit it to her and then she laughs hysterically.  I think she could spend the whole day playing ping pong.

Here's her Forest Gump ping pong picture....she's fast....it's all just a blur....

So how does she get along with her siblings?  Exceptionally well.  They all seem to take turns hanging out and playing with her.  She is a little princess with Sophia and acts like a teenager when they're together.  Sophia gives her makeovers and paints her nails.  And then Ava plays with Brady and she's a pure tomboy.  He loves playing with her because she wrestles and plays cars.  She then moves on to Molly and they dance to Frozen and listen to music.  When she gets tired, she cuddles next to Lily and watches tv.  She's just easy to have around and I feel like she's been here forever. 

Water balloon fight anyone?

Throw in some cookie baking with Grandma....

And her first campfire meal....

A little bit of gopher shooting....

Oh come on!  What do you expect?  She lives in Montana!!! 

Some people have asked how we are communicating.  Let me start by saying...I have played charades with Molly for 9 years.  You don't need words to know what they are saying or what their needs are.  Ava is exactly the same.  She will go on a long Chinese lecture and we just smile and nod.  She'll pause, smile, and that's when we know to respond with a laugh or clap.  And then she continues.  When she wants something, we play a little charades or she shows me.  When she gets annoyed at us, she whips out her imaginary cell phone and tells someone all about it.  But it's also trial and error.  We went to Dairy Queen and I ordered her an M&M blizzard.....my mistake (she whipped out her cell phone on that one too).  She doesn't like little candy chunks in her ice cream.  I knew for the next time to get her plain ice cream.  It's as simple as that.  Trial...error...smiles....hugs....and lots of love.  Love is kind of the key here.  It's the universal language. 

Our next week will be our biggest challenge - we are going to attempt church (loud girl in a quiet service) and we have the county fair.  She doesn't listen much when she's out in public so we will see if it's all fun and games a week from now.  If you come to the fair and see my 5 kids locked up inside the pig pen....well....you'll know why.......