Kole's Life Now

It's been quite a while since I last blogged. There is a reason for that...Having 3 boys instead of just 2 has been a much bigger adjustment that I anticipated. Juggling three kids schedules has tested my multi-tasking skills to their current limit. But, I think we have finally figured out a good routine...maybe.

It's hard to believe that Kole has only been home with us for 7 weeks, because in so many ways it feels like he has always been with us. I am amazed at how quickly he has settled into a routine. He gets up in the morning, goes potty, sits down at the table and eats breakfast, washes up, gets dressed, fixes his hair, puts his shoes on, grabs his backpack and lunchbox and gets in the car. He's even almost gotten the hang of buckling himself in the car. One of the cutest things he does is trying to fix his own hair. He stands outside the bathroom door and copies me as I dry and brush my hair. Only he uses the toy power drill as a hair dryer and the toy handsaw as his comb. When he is done he picks up the container of hair goo and hands it to me to put in his hair. He loves having his hair spiked up.

He is very observant and he loves to try new things. When we first met Kole, he acted as though he had never seen or used a crayon before. Now he is getting better and better at coloring and he's almost gotten the hang of drawing a circle. He's making simple puzzles, sorting shapes, organizing things by color and he is signing and speaking several English words. He's told Hudson "stop" when Hudson tried to get a toy from him. He's saying "Hi", "Bye-bye", "Daddy", and he is trying so hard to say his name. When he sees a picture of himself he points to himself and says "Ole." That "K" sound is a tough one, but he watches my mouth intently and tries to copy me. He's signing please, thank you, more, all done, and yes. Kole loves to be outside and he is determined to conquer any playground or jungle gym. He especially loves to run and jump on our trampoline and his giggle and smile is contagious.

He loves going to school. I'm not sure he loves sitting down and having to be still, but he loves the attention he gets from all the teachers and staff and the other students. He is not shy and he hugs everyone. It's nice to know he is so loved at school, and Kole has definitely learned the art of "schmoozing." I can only imagine how good it must make him feel to be getting so much attention. It's such a contrast to how he was treated at the orphanage.

Like any little boy he is active and mischievous. He get's a little smirk on his face whenever he is caught doing something he is not supposed to do. Last week we gave him a light saber (of course) and he just thinks it is the funniest thing in the world to have light saber fights. He's had a lot of "firsts" since he's been home: Pizza, smores, bouncy houses, swimming pools and riding in the jeep with Lane to name a few.


Here are some pictures of Kole's adventures since he's been home with us.