2 weeks in...

Two weeks can sometimes feel like an eternity and sometimes feel like a blink of an eye. The boys and I arrived in the states two weeks ago today. There is a whole lot of moments I wish I could capture so that I remember to share them all but it is hard to keep track of it all. The boys continue to adjust; as with all children, there are definitely some moments that are better than others. They are extremely strong willed and often like to see where the lines are drawn in regards to how much they can get away with. They do not like much in the way of American food so meal time is always a challenge. They occasionally fight going to sleep but for the most part we have a good routine down of bath, 15 minutes of a movie, several books and then lights out. Last night I got my first ‘I love you so much’ from Mulatu without prompting as he crawled into bed.
They have had several firsts this past week. We went to two different parks. They are fearless when it comes to climbing and rough and tumble activities. They also tried out their bikes for the first time. We have gone a few times since and it is something they ask to do multiple times throughout the day. Nate is riding solo (still with training wheels) but Mulatu is a little too short for his bike so I try to stand nearby to catch him if his balance gets off.
Wednesday was the enjoyable moment of 4.5 hours at the doctors. I never thought we would get out of there. They each dropped 12 vials of blood and multiple tears. I even shed a few myself. Watching my kids cry is not easy on this momma! They took xrays of their hands to try to get a bone age and met with the occupational therapist as well. They both had glowing reports from the doctor and a little nap followed by some ice cream and all was well again.
The meltdowns are still challenging for me to handle but each day I learn a little bit more. We are off to ride bikes on this pretty afternoon so until I have another free moment that is all for now...