Tuesday, July 31, 2012
TWO MONTHS HOME
Quinn has now been home for two months. I am obviously a little
behind in posting his monthly update. Not too late, but late for
me. Month two has brought many, many changes and “firsts” for
Quinn. The biggest change for Quinn came when I had to return to
work. We were so concerned that he was not going to understand
that we would all be back together at the end of each day. Quinn
attends a full-day summer day camp program with Hunter and
Savannah. Summer day camp has proven to be what Quinn needed. We
have learned that Quinn needs routine. He is also doing so much
better adjusting to everyday life now that we have taken a more
scenic route. We do not go out as much and when we do we are
very careful in choosing an activity to ensure a more positive
outcome for all!
Quinn is very social and does enjoy people, but large crowds and
noise tend to make him anxious. Crowds and noise are still very
unfamiliar ground to him. He seems to become over-stimulated
very quickly. We do not believe he was out of the orphanage very
much at all. Having three other children has made staying close
to home this summer a bit of a challenge. So, as a family we
work through it all and often choose places together that we all
know Quinn will be able to enjoy too. Our time out and about has
been short and sweet.
We celebrated our first 4th of July with Quinn. We attended a
local carnival and watched the parade. Quinn did amazingly well.
It was SO HOT that day. We won two goldfish and the kids were so
excited. They named them Mickey and Minnie. Well, we had to say
good-bye to Minnie after only one week. So far so good for
Mickey! After the parade we headed home for a swim. Quinn was
exhausted after dinner. He was not able to stay up late enough
to enjoy the fireworks. We are lucky enough to see them from our
own yard. No fighting traffic and getting home at an insane
hour. Well, maybe all ended for the best as we were not too sure
if Quinn would have really enjoyed fireworks this year.
Quinn celebrated his 5th birthday on July 9! He did not have any
idea what was going on. The 1st present we gave him proved to us
that he never had a birthday celebration. He looked at his
wrapped gift and cried. He had no idea what to do. Well, he
quickly got the hang of it and loved everything! His theme was
SpongeBob. SpongeBob was the 1st TV show he would actually sit
and watch. He was very excited to have “PongeBob” cupcakes!
Quinn got a big boy bike for his birthday. He did not know how
to pedal when he came home. He learned very quickly and loves
his new ride. We got a good laugh when we saw Savannah hop on
the back for a ride. It brought back many China trip memories. I
am sure that anyone who has traveled to China can totally
relate. I was cracking up. Quinn was so proud to drive his
Mei-Mei around. Hey – whatever works!
Quinn has become obsessed with Mickey Mouse. Now I love Mickey
and I am obsessed with Disney World, but this kid has me beat!
His day revolves around Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He just can’t
get enough and that is OK as I found it to be very educational.
However, he “thinks” he owns all the TVs in the house. He wants
Mickey on ALL the TVS (at the same time) in all rooms. Everyone
doesn’t have the same love for that mouse. I can’t wait for the
day when he is ready for his 1st trip to Disney World!
Another 1st for Quinn – the beach! We attended an annual summer
picnic with our local Asian Connection group. We took Nana along
with us and had a great day. Quinn loved the sand and after not
being too sure of the BIG wide-open water he was in. I think the
highlight of his day was pulling his own wagon with all of our
belongings. We had tons too. I can only imagine what people were
thinking. He looked like he was struggling to pull it, but he
would NOT let anyone help him. He is tough – extremely strong –
and hard working.
We figured out that Quinn loves to “work” and when he is
“working” he is staying out of trouble! We can keep him busy by
giving him little jobs. This also keeps Quinn in one spot for
more than 5 seconds. He loves to be included in family projects
and takes great pride in his work. Our little man cracks us up!
Quinn and Savannah started Tae Kwon Do last week. So stinkin
cute! They have a two-week trial period and then we can decide
if they are ready for such a big commitment. They are two
classes in and I am not too sure yet. Quinn is still dealing
with our language barrier and the classes are in the evening and
Quinn is already exhausted by that point. He becomes very silly
and has a hard time focusing once he is tired. Quinn is usually
in bed, no later, than 7:30pm each night.
Our everyday life is slowly finding its way back to normal. I
think the only item to add to our broken list this month is our
couch. When I first returned to work, Quinn would jump up and
down on the couch screaming out our front window for me. Our
tiny little man has broken the frame!
Life is all about learning. I have learned to plan out each and
every day in regards to Quinn. No surprises and organization has
been the key. He is definitely a creature of habit. We will
continue to take baby steps with Quinn for as long as he needs
us too. He has come so far in only two months. We have one more
month of summer fun before Quinn begins kindergarten!
|
4th of July Swim with Baba
Happy 5th Birthday Quinn!
"Always Room for a Friend"
Enjoying the Boardwalk at the Beach
Creating his own work!
"Major CleanUp Project"
Bring on the Rain!
Travis, Quinn and Savannah - Summertime Fun!
The shirts say it ALL! |
