Name change

First things first. Peterson has decided he would like to be called Peter. It sounds like that was a nickname at one time and so we are trying to drop the "son", but it's tough. We love the name Peterson. He even prayed that we would call him Peter.



We're constantly reminded how great it is the 2 kids have each other. They have lost so much in their short lives and yet they always have each other. Altho, we are noticing that Peter gets exasperated with Gaelle. She wants everything he has and wants to be where he is. Make no mistake... they have the typical sibling squabbles. But at least they share a history and an understanding that the rest of us will never fully know.



Peter cracks me up. He has the couch potato style down pat. Both kids are doing great with the dog and she seems to be getting over her jealousy. Robin is making an effort to take Snickers with them when they head outdoors. It is much appreciated by all.



The kids' doctor and her husband came over Sunday afternoon for a visit and to bring the kids gifts. Both kids were thrilled to see Dr. Lewis and we all enjoyed the visit. On a side note. After our first visit with her, we were driving home and Peter said, "Dr. Lewis is pretty." Then he prayed for her several times that week. So sweet!

She brought Peter and Gaelle craft kits so they have had fun working on that.



We love Gaelle's concentration here while she is painting her cow. She pressed the brush down as hard as she could trying to get paint out of it. And she changed the color of the cow about 4 times. She and Peter took about 1 hour painting. It was nice to see her slow down and stick with an activity for that length of time.



Both kids have some dental issues and lucky Peter was up first with his appointment. It turns out he has 2 rotten teeth that will need to be removed. Even though they are baby teeth, they are infected right now and so they need to be addressed. He's taking antibiotics and has another appointment to have them removed. He also had his teeth cleaned. I asked him how the dentist was and he said, "I didn't cry." Robin was afraid he was going into shock sitting in the dentist office. He looked terrified, but he sat still and didn't even flinch. The dentist said that his teeth cleaning would have been painful for an adult let alone a little kid.

The hygenist recommended electric toothbrushes for the kids and so they have been having fun with those.



Gaelle and Robin stayed with Peter the entire time he was in the dentist office and so Gaelle got to see it all. She also did well sitting there, but we're thinking she may need to be sedated in order to let anybody near her mouth with a pick. We'll probably take her to the dentist in a series of steps... we're not very hopeful it will go smooth. But she could totally surprise us. That's the joy of 4 year old girls.

Highlights from the week

Just a few more snippets from our week.

Whenever Peterson sees a black person he asks, "Is he Khaitian?" At first I thought he was asking if he was Cajun. But no, he just says "Haitian" with a K.

Peterson asked us this week where all the kids who flew to Canada were. "Don't they live here?" All of the children from GLA flew to Ottawa on the same plane. He finally got around to asking us why we don't see them. He was really sad and missing his friends and it was crushing to hear how big Canada is.

Peterson heard Santa laugh... Ho... Ho... Ho... He thought that was hilarious. He proceeded to show us how people should laugh. Hee... hee... hee... and Haa.. Haa... Haa... BUT NOT Ho... Ho... Ho...

Gaelle is starting to pick up English. It is the cutest thing to hear her say something in English. It's so unexpected. The funniest thing is how she says "Thank You". It's "Wank Ooo".

She pointed and asked me if she could do something. I said yes. She shook her head and said, "No. Papa do it."

The kids find it so funny to see Robin and myself hug and kiss, which just eggs Robin on all the more. Gaelle says, "Ooosh!" It's her way of saying, "Gross!"

Sometimes we don't understand what Gaelle is saying and we'll ask Peterson to translate. He says, "I don't know that word in English." Translation: Gaelle is saying something bad or mean about us and Peterson doesn't want us to know.

Today she must have been saying something really bad because Peterson said, "Gaelle just said a word we are not allowed to say." We just left it alone.

Peterson asks us so many questions when we read him a book. The other night he asked me a question and I had just read a line which answered his question. So I said, "Peterson, didn't you hear what I just read?"

And he said, "I wasn't listening. I was too busy talking."

Peterson loves highway overpasses. He wants to be on top and so we always try to remember to let him know when we're on the top and there are cars below us. I can't imagine the thrill he would have if we lived in a major city like NY.

I know I've mentioned this before, but Gaelle has not met material that she can't braid. This week our dog Snickers ripped apart a small stuffed animal and the stuffing came out. Gaelle picked it up and preceeded to separate the white fluff into sections and braid it.

Brrr.... 1st time at the ocean

It's hard to believe that the kids have never been to the ocean because Haiti is surrounded by water on all but one side. However, this is the case. The sun was shining today and so we decided to take a quick trip to the ocean.



Peterson touches the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Yep... it's cold.



Gaelle looks at a rock. Another reality of Canadian beaches. They aren't all filled with sand. We have a lot of rocky shores.



We introduced the kids to the joy of skipping rocks and just throwing them in the water.



Did I mention it was cold? Ever since I've lived in Grand Manan, I don't go to the ocean without a sweater and long pants in the trunk of the car. Seeing as it's winter, of course the wind is really going to be cold. And it was. But it was worth it. We all had a blast.

The end of the story

There's a smile and cute hair puffs to boot. Peterson was full of advice about how the nannies do the hair EVERY Saturday for church. Even though this only took Kaylin 20 minutes to put in, Peterson actually complimented her on it. "It looks nice."



I know our kids are not unique with their love of all things having to do with water. Gaelle must ask 20 times a day to "laver". Peterson sometimes joins in the fun, but Gaelle has not seen a dirty dish she does not want to wash.



This is not the steepest hill but it's still loads of fun. "Whee....."



The kids don't fully have the technique down for making snow angels but they sure give it a try.



Their first snowman. We had a light dusting of snow last night but it was good and packy snow, so the kids went out and had a little fun. Gaelle hasn't been too keen on playing in the snow, but she went out today and had a blast. She doesn't look too thrilled in this picture, but Robin assures me that she had fun.

First full week together

Our week started with me going back to work and Robin staying home full time with the kids. This is something he has been discussing for a while and he has been so keen on doing. To be honest, I didn't know if I trusted him with the kids. Or maybe I just don't like being the one without the control. Either way... he is doing an amazing job. His ability to speak French seems to be a huge help with Gaelle. There have been meltdowns and power struggles between our little girl and us. But we are all learning... about each other and our triggers and the best way to deal with potential problems.

The kids went to the Doctor on Monday. She was amazing. She specializes in geriatrics but will be the kids primary care physician because she was a Doctor in Haiti for a few years. She spoke Kreyol to the kids and really took her time with them. We have an appointment with a dentist and with a pediatrician who specializes in international adoption later on. The dentist will be interesting because both kids have serious cavities and other dental issues. We're thinking we'll need to put Gaelle to sleep but the dentist will assess that when we go.



The kids were able to meet their big sister, Emily and big brother, Joshua on skype. For some reason, Gaelle comes alive with Joshua. She really hams it up. So funny.



Robin and Kaylin went out and purchased all kinds of kid friendly supplies. Our craft supplies have become depleted over the years and so it was time to pick up a few items. The play doh is a big hit but Robin has to get over his phobia of mixing colors. Because that doesn't seem to bother the kids.



On Saturday Kaylin and I started the arduous task of taking out Gaelle's little braids and beads. We 3 girls went to the store in the morning and purchased some hair supplies. Gaelle proudly held them and clearly knew they were for her. However, shortly into the bead taking out... the tantrum started. I'll just leave it there. I haven't downloaded the final product but it is cute and simple. In case anyone is interested in numbers... it only took us 45 minutes to remove elastics and beads... 3 hours to remove little tiny braids... 15 minutes to bathe, shampoo and condition hair... and 20 minutes to put in hair puffs. The entire process took us 24 hours. There's just no way we could do it in one sitting.



Peterson continues to be curious about his surroundings and has had quite a few adventures. He goes in the car with Robin for most errands. He has been to the market (grocery store), the building where Robin and I work, Kaylin's work, and then last night he went to our church's swimming party. This was his first time in a large pool and he had a blast. He and Robin went by themselves and even though Peterson was aware of the kids around him, he was completely in his own world. He and Robin just played by themselves and Peterson was generally beaming the entire time.

Both kids continue to be excellent eaters. I'm just amazed at how they will usually take a bite of anything I put before them. They won't always eat it, but they try. They still aren't fans of veggies but tonight I fed them beef stew and Peterson had several helpings and Gaelle finished her one small serving before asking for yogurt. Gaelle isn't a fan of bread but she loves to lick off the butter. Neither one of them liked syrup with their pancakes but they loved the pancakes. I thought they would like scrambled eggs but neither one of them cared for it at all. Anyway, we're so fortunate that they are doing well with the food.

Children of trauma

Last night Robin and I were sitting on the couch with Peterson & Gaelle having a quiet moment. Peterson started sharing some of his memories from when the houses moved... the earthquake. He just spoke matter of factly about who was where and what he was doing and how he felt. He asked if houses moved here. Then out of the blue he started sharing some of his story with us. We really didn't expect that until he felt more comfortable with us. But again, it was just all matter of fact. I asked questions and he answered. However, during the conversation it became apparent that a psychiatrist would have a field day with what he was saying. We were stunned. Other parents have shared regrets about not seeking counselling sooner. This just emphasized for us that both kids have trauma in their lives and the earthquake just adds another layer to that. Because Peterson speaks English so well, we are definitely going to pursue this.

Gaelle also had a moment last night. Out of the blue she just started crying... the deep body wracking sobs. I just held her and prayed over her, singing softly and gently rocking. Both kids are experiencing so many new things. The experts say to limit their world... keep it small. This will be easy with Gaelle because she clearly does not want to venture far. However, with Peterson, it will be a more difficult balance. At this point he wants to see and experience everything. Hopefully we'll walk have discernment when it comes towards him.



Last night Robin showed the kids how to make silly faces with the webcam. It was good for some laugst.



This morning Gaelle and I didn't go to church. Instead, we baked some cookies.


And we washed some floors. Good times.

We love yogurt

We are in the process of completing a room in the basement and with the snowstorm today, it seemed like a good idea to set up a mini gym. The kids are used to so much physical activity and so it's kind of hard to be cooped up in a house. Peterson showed off his mad soccer skills and notice Gaëlle's backpack. It is glued to her body.



Gaëlle got her hands on Kaylin's hair and showed us her mad braiding skills. She's amazing for a 4 year old, altho Kaylin did say she was a bit rough.



We had a blustery snowy day today and so we didn't venture outside with the kids. But yesterday we all went for a walk with Snickers. Peterson just loves the dog, but Gaëlle is not a fan. Peterson was very anxious to play at the playground, but again, Gaëlle was not. She's not crazy about her boots and she doesn't like the snow or the cold.

And it's sort of amusing to watch Snickers. She is a jealous, moody little dog. She mopes around the house when she's not allowed to be in the room with us. We're giving her more access to us and Gaëlle, but she's sad to be pushed away. Peterson more than makes up for it. He's constantly playing catch with her and chasing her... a game which she loves.



Peterson and Gaëlle have excellent appetites! They will tell us when they don't like something, but that has been rare. Generally kids from GLA don't like crunchy food but the kids will try anything and have eaten whole apples, with the skin, carrots, and dry cereal. However, one thing Gaëlle asks for several times a day is yogurt. She also loves milk. It is so funny to see her down a glass of milk. And we are realizing that they eat as much if not more at a meal than we do. We'll see if that keeps up.

It has been such a huge help to have Peterson. He's a boisterous 8 year old boy but he's also our translator for Gaëlle. We usually get her gist without the help... she's pretty persistent. But there are times when it's nice to know exactly what she wants. He's also provides a real sense of security for Gaëlle. He went with Robin to take Kaylin to work (He loves the car.) and even though I was already holding Gaëlle, when she saw him leaving, she tensed all up. Whereas, Robin and I have left the house and it didn't faze her at all.

We're having a blast getting to know the kids, but it's also exhausting. We forget so much about that age but it's coming back.

January 27, 2010

What a day. I'm just going to put a few pictures up so my family far away can see some of the events of the day. It was intense, emotional, and quite a blur. I can't even begin to imagine how the kids feel. This morning things are reversed for the kids. Peterson is just full of energy going from one thing to another. Gaelle is very subdued. She doesn't like the dog at all and just wants to be with Robin or myself. We put the kids down last night around 10:45 pm and Peterson has been up since 7 am. Altho both kids slept through the night.

Wednesday at 1 pm

Well, it's finally here. We received confirmation that the kids will be flying into Ottawa tomorrow at 1 pm. When the earthquake hit Haiti 2 weeks ago, it was hard to see past the destruction and horror to this possibility. It has been a crazy 2 weeks and I know what I have gone through is nothing compared to what the people in Haiti have experienced and will continue to live through for many years to come.

I have learned a lot about myself and Robin during this entire adoption process; not all of it good. I'm afraid that Kaylin has also gained some insight into her parents during the past 2 weeks; again, not all of it good. And the reality for our family is that in so many ways, the journey really begins tomorrow.

Robin and I are feeling... well, I don't even know how to describe it. So I won't try. A lot has happened in just the past 2 days since we've been in Ottawa. But on the lighter side of things, we received final travel confirmation about the kids while we were in the parliament building taking a tour. That's so fitting for Robin, Mr. Canada himself.



And the adoption has taken so long so Josh will be more like an uncle to the kids rather than a brother. But maybe he'll be able to share his love for the Sens with his little brother and sister. We did our part, Josh. We picked up a hat.

Maybe Wednesday

It's just been confirmed... the kids won't be flying out Tuesday morning. We're very disappointed but it seems very likely that it will happen Wednesday. Again, we don't have times or the location that the plane will land, just the hope that it will happen.