Alexey (pronounced "Loh-sah") arrived last night at about 8:30 pm after traveling for 32 straight hours. Needless to say he was exhausted and through a translator we found out he was very nervous...and we quickly told him we were too. He was silent during the car ride home, and when I looked back at him, he was slumped over, fast asleep. We woke him up as we pulled into the driveway so he could see our house(decked out with Christmas lights) and after a quick tour of the house and a hot shower he (well, all of us) went to sleep.
This morning we had a dentist appointment. We wrote him a letter explaining what was going to happen while we were there. First, let me back up and explain WHY we went to the dentist.....as part of the selling point to the Russian government for hosting programs, we get the children dental and vision exams, and pay for these ourselves. So, long story short, Alexey was very stoic and brave. He has 6 cavities, but they are very small and they said they could fill them without the shot of Novocain and he still wouldn't feel any pain. We go back for the fillings 3 days before he goes back to Russia.
After the Dentist, we went to say hello to John's mom at work and then I took him shopping for new shoes. He picked out Nike shoes and seemed to be very happy to get them. Then like any boy, he was done shopping. We ate lunch at chick-fil-a and he ate every last crumb. Which, by the way, was the only thing he has eaten since he's been here. I told him I was worried about him not eating, so that is the only reason he ate for me. After lunch we went to AC Moore and he picked out a Kinex Big-Rig to build and a model car (police car) to do and we came back home. He went to his room and shut the door- I tried to not get offended by this- and then I realized he was putting together the police car and didn't want me to see it until it was finished. And by the way, I'm gonna pause here to brag about how smart this boy is....he put together the car in less than 30 minutes, without any directions, and he asked me for a screwdriver to finish it!!!! After the police car was finished, he came out of his room to present it to me. Of course I made a huge to-do over it and took his picture (which I've figured out he likes). Then just when I thought we were making some head-way....back to his room with the door shut. So I waited......and waited........until about 40 minutes later he emerged with the Kinex Big Rig completed. So I did the same picture taking process again and bragged on him telling him how smart he is....and he just sheepishly smiled.
The rest of the day consisted of the following: taking the idiots, oops I mean dogs, for a walk, playing Jenga- about 10 times, basketball with John and learning how to dunk, teaching me (well trying to anyways) some Russian vocabulary, riding his bike (and watching John wreck on his, ha!), trying to communicate with us, getting frustrated that he couldn't (all translators wouldn't answer their phones) and go to bed. He wouldn't eat anything for dinner- who can resist pizza? We asked if he wanted to take a hot shower and go to bed and he shook his head that he did. So he went to bed at 6:30 after we knelt and said prayers, hugged and said "Spokoinoi Nocce" (goodnight). And when he hugged us he really hugged us- not the noodle hugs most teenage boys give. I'm sure he is still exhausted from traveling and now jet lag has probably set in.
So from his first day here this is what I've learned: He doesn't like eating or drinking (just kidding!) oranges, fish, pretzels, fruit loops or juice. He does like hot tea, skittles, chik-fil-a, sunglasses, nike, making things with his hands, having his picture taken and then looking at them, basketball, dunking the ball, riding his bike, feeding and playing with the dogs.
Overall, it was a good day and he has warmed up some as the day has gone by. He doesn't say much of anything, but he does smile and nod yes and no A LOT, and furrow his brow A LOT. I can't wait to see how his personality will unfold. I am going to TRY to post something every day. Tomorrow we might try putting up the Christmas tree........
Please continue to lift us up in prayer! Goodnight, or as I now say, Spokionio nocce!
PS- having issues uploading pics, will try again tomorrow :)
No comments:
Post a Comment