Hi Everyone--
Sorry for the delay in posting. We had a busy week, but we're enjoying a pretty relaxing week-end. Here are the upates:
Ellie-Kate is having fun with feeding herself (with a bit of assistance). We took her to our favorite restaurant (Casa Nueva) last night, and she LOVED digging into the refried beans--starting with Chelsea's burrito but we ended up buying a side order just for her to go along with her quesadilla! We still haven't found anything that she doesn't like :)
Ellie-Kate's new favorite pasttime is climbing up the stairs, as we carefully spot her, of course. (She climbs up a few steps to the landing, rests, and then climbs a few more steps to the next level.) She climbs it like a climbing wall, and she even exclaims "yeah!" as she reaches the top. She also loves the toddler swing outside, and she occasionally gets a bit grumpy when we tell her that she can't go outside whenever she wants. She really, really likes to go outside for a stroll and, now, to swing.
We met with staff members from Help Me Grow on Tuesday morning. They did an evaluation to see if we qualify for referrals to physical therapy, etc. Ellie-Kate did awesome on her very first "SAT," as we called it. The staff members kept saying that Ellie-Kate was impressing them, and they noted that she went far beyond age level in terms of analytic ability, etc. They agreed that she could benefit from physical therapy for her right leg, but it was reassuring/cool to hear them comment on how bright and smart that she is :)
Other than that appointment, our activities during this week tended to focus on the older girls. Emmy played soccer on Tuesday and Thursday, and she flew up from Brownies to Junior Girl Scouting on Friday. On Saturday, Emmy played her cello at the farmer's market on a beautiful but HOT!) morning. Chelsea had a lot of 4-H activities during this week as well as the end of the year band banquet.
On Thursday, Grandma A. arrived for her first visit with Ellie-Kate. She's here until May 29, and she's having a great time with Ellie-Kate as well as the other girls.
As we were visiting with the Help Me Grow people, I realized that we've only had Ellie-Kate with us for eight weeks as of tomorrow and that we've only been back in Athen for seven weeks. Our time in China seems so long ago, and I can't imagine our lives without Ellie-Kate. I love how her face lights up into a smile as we look at each other... how we imitate each other and burst out laughing... how much she has grown from a baby with no patience for books to one that adores "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"-- over and over and over.
Even if she can't yet say certain words, she understands so many things, and I am in awe of how easily that we can communicate with her. She really seems to trust and look to us for guidance. I am also amazed by her sense of humor and quick wit. She jokes with us by using her body and laughs with us as we "get it." Ellie-Kate is tenacious, determined, happy, easygoing, funny, spirited, yet eager to please. She's also very grateful. I framed some pictures and put them in her room and on our walls, and she smiled from ear to ear to see herself on the walls and in her room. Roger bought a small pink ball for her in Walmart today, and Ellie-Kate was beyond thrilled. (The girl likes to play with balls, and she already can't wait to kick a soccer ball or hit a softball.) We're so blessed to have her in our lives!!
Okay, that's the update from Athens :) Hope that everyone enjoys a terrific holiday week-end!
Take care--
Christie
