They told us how important a "routine" would be. We have the first one down: ice cream every night before bed! Other than that, a house with 4 kids can only have so much routine. :)
We have learned a few important things this week. 1) Avoid shopping trips WITH the kids, 2) Don't worry about too many visitors or activities so much...they are used to living in an orphanage, 3) Treasure 8-10 p.m. because it is the only "down" time there is, and 4) No one could be more blessed with wonderful and supportive family and friends!
Pierre is lost when Nate is not around to hang out with arm-in-arm. Ange-Laurette is determined to WISH summer here by wearing sundresses and sandals. They love short phonecalls with friends who also are spending their first week in adoptive families. Little by little, we get a taste of some of our old favorites: a shopping trip and lunch with my teenage daughter, an hour in the afternoon to write thank yous, watching a football game on tv, and catching up with old friends in town. Still, when we look back over each day, we find ourselves laughing about the one-liners and smiling about the fresh look we got at the common things we had taken for granted.
