We’ve wondered for years–literally!–how it would work to bring a child, particularly through adoption, into the bilingual, communal lifestyle that we live. It’s an odd life we live anyway, but this would be a whole new curveball.
There are days it really hasn’t worked: you can ask a few English students who really didn’t get a lesson at all a few times! There are days I think we just can’t do it, with so many people in and out of the house while trying to create a safe place for attachment. There are days we are struggling to make a schedule that will flex enough for a toddler, but allow us to continue all that we’ve started.
But there are other days that it works beautifully. And today was one of those.
Since every morning is an early morning, we had breakfast outside in our camp chairs.
We shared our eggs and yogurt with a few friends and then said our goodbyes when the “bus” came to get them for school.
He loves that two or three ladies come to work every day, and he runs to the door to greet them. This morning, as they began their day of jewelry making and I sat in on the starting instructions, they helped him to roll out clay and cut out a few pieces.
He rode with me to drop off our friend at work, and we had a day as a family, including a bike ride with dad, cooking with mom, puzzles, and Hot Wheels.
At 4pm, our friends showed up to play. He loves greeting Thida at the door, loves the hat she lets him wear, and loves that she will sharpen every colored pencil that he asks her to. (He really loves this. I run out of both steam and pencils. Thida goes for the second end.)
While he eats his papaya for a snack, all the toddlers line up for their bites. It’s a bit of an assembly line.
Tonight, Stephen taught The Reinforcers about sound. After Oak & I went for a run, he wanted to watch dad while he ate. So dinner and show!
He enjoyed his very locally, neighbor-made tortilla wrap.
Dad’s hilarious to watch with a microphone apparently, and both Reinforcers are pretty fond of O, too.
Today, I just rejoiced that he has so many lovely people in his life, and they are in and out of our home every day. I love that he is learning sharing in a unique way. I love that he’s absorbing this chaotic blend of Burmese, Thai, and American culture. I love that he’s hearing two and three languages every single day, and speaking all three in bits and pieces through the days, too! And I love that we’re learning how to live here as a family. God’s been really gracious to us in this season of shifting, and today was a beautiful picture of that.
OH! This makes me so HAPPY!