One year now

This is the building we met Kole at One year ago. Kunming, Yunnan.
The Civil Affairs office is located inside.






Kole's Passport picture and Kole in Pre-K this year















Wow, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of meeting Kole and of the tornados that hit the area while we were in China.





I was went back and read our blog from a year ago and read some emails that I kept and....things are well sooo different.





Most of the problems we have now are typical due to Kole's vocabulary not being has large as most children getting ready to turn 5. His abstract language is still very young. He still does not like to follow instructions unless it is something he wants to do. He shows his anger now by getting quiet and turning beat red and gritting his teeth. Then he may shed a stray tear or cry.





The only time he hits is if he really thinks he has a right to. Such as during a snow ball fight this winter. Instead of just throwing a snowball back, he hit Kaci in the nose with his fist.





We have finally met the elusive Joey. Kole and Joey are in Karate together. Joey is an in your face boy. He gets right in Kole's face and Kole lets him and seems to like it.





We have come a very long way. Today was a beautiful day and the kids had been outside playing then decided to come in to watch a movie. I only had to ask once for them to run back out and pick up their mess. Kole included. He can still be a very good manipulator. Here is a good example. Kole had outgrown his mutant ninja turtle tennis shoes about 3 months ago. He has been wanting to wear them, so I put them up to take to the resale shop since they are still in very good shape. I have told him no that they are too small. So yesterday, I find the shoes in the girl's bedroom. Boyd says they were going to go outside and Kole couldn't find his tennis shoes (right in plain sight we find out) so he had to wear the too small ones. He got dad. I have been making him find the ones that fit and wear them or he doesn't go outside.





Many things have changed in one year. Kole feels he can trust us and tells us stories of his time in China. Hetold me he could not smile and be happy to meet me because he likes his old mommy better. That is fine with me. I am so glad that he was able to love someone and be loved back in his first four years. Kole and I are still at odds somedays. He likes being with Daddy and the girls. Of course then it is all fun and games. Then I come home from work and he goes to work, so then I am the meany that makes the kids pick up and tend to homework etc... Oh well, that is just the way the family dynamics have panned out here.





We are trying to work on rudeness. Kole does not say Hi or Good bye when someone says it to him. Almost like he is snobbish : - )


So we started on that this week. We are also working on teaching him that he does not need to tell everyone on the bus about what goes on at home. Like he told the bus driver that Daddy doesn't like Fords.


We see no purpose to that at all. I can believe that he has told a lot more. He tells stuff about the girls while they are sitting there and that makes them mad. At least he is hopefully not speaking about bathroom habits!