Speaking in Tongues

Kristina and I were left to ourselves today as Robert returned to work. We ran errands and did what I would have done on any other day. We swung by the school to drop something off and she was able to meet a few of the teachers and staff. It was good to see how welcoming and kind everyone was with her. She really wanted to go swimming again, so when Patti called and offered a playdate I was thrilled. Spending time with Patti gave me a chance to think things through out loud; she's always such a good sounding board and she's faithful to remind me of how God works through all things. Kristina and Kaitlin swam and played with the kittens. There's a lot to be said for nonverbal communication! While swimming she suddenly stood up and said, "I am hungry." I was surprised and happy to hear the declaration. Everytime we have asked her if she was hungry, she would say no several times before accepting food. Its good to see her becoming comfortable with the concept of eating however much she wants, when she wants. And she's eating! She eats about every two hours. I talked with Kim and she said that Alex is the same way.

We returned home and the jetlag finally hit her. Her heavy eyes tried to stay awake, but finally she succumed to the couch and a blanket and said, "I slippers now". When she awoke a few hours later, I showed her the computer and English software that Steve at Russian-Toys.com had sent to help Kristina with her English. She worked on the program for two hours and had made incredible progress. She wrote down dozens of words in English and Russian to practice.

After dinner I sat down at an online translator and typed out a few things I wanted to tell her. "Do you need anything?" "We will drive to get the children in a few days." "Robert will be home from work in one hour." "Do you ride elephants?" She thought that last one was hilarious! Then she reversed the translation and told me, "I love you and I think you love me too?" There's not much lost in translation there!

Spending time with Kristina makes me miss the children more and more. I can't wait until we're all together. Pray that the merger is smooth and that we can all find a way to live with our differences over the next few weeks. More later!