Adjusting

What a great first week! It has been so much fun watching Genuine bond with her new siblings, the pets, and of course, her extended family. We laugh and practice saying, "Hello, thanks". Genuine has a deep laugh that is contagious! She is very affectionate, offering many hugs and loves to cuddle. Kouya (i.e., Brother) Austin has been a great big brother and receives the most hugs from Genuine. Kouya Ricky has walked in her shoes and he analyzes her the most, sharing what he thinks she might be feeling. Aute' (i.e., Sister) Maddie is her hang-out buddy, dancing, fixing hair and sharing things. They love playing outside and the evenings have been jam packed with swinging, volleyball, bike riding, jumping on the trampoline, horseback riding, tumbling and just visiting. I will be sad when the time changes and our evenings will have to be spent inside. By the way, we were riding bikes and she was looking left and right, making sure no cars were coming, and ran straight into the ditch. She explained the mishap as follows; "Me ride bike, oh no, boom...no cry!" Let's just say I almost wrecked trying to get off my bike to make sure she was okay.

Genuine pays close attention to our actions. I marvel at how observant she is of things we take for granted or miss even though we see them everyday. Tia Stacie often winks and gives a thumbs up signal as a sign of praise. Although I have seen her do it often, I don't think I paid attention enough to copy her actions, but Genuine can. Annie and Izzie, identical twin pinsans (cousins) were over at my mom's house and Genuine noticed Annie's face was rounder and Izzy's face was longer, demonstrating with her hands. Many still can't tell them apart, but Genuine can. She loves Oddie, our chihuahua, and commented that his eyes were big like Kouya Austin's. We joined Tanner for lunch at Don's Seafood and Genuine noticed that there were seven tv's. For a country where many homes are without one tv, this was pretty amazing. Actually, Genuine has been pretty amazing.

Genuine's adjustment has gone really well. She has slept in her own room twice and in Madison's room a few nights. She loves taking baths and can be heard splashing and singing. Like Ricky, when I ask her to go get dressed, she thinks I want her to bathe again! She enjoyed having her hair dried for the first time and smiled at herself in the mirror the whole time, exclaiming, "Warm"! She is learning to use "sir" and "ma'am" and speak when spoken to, even if it is an American man. In the Philippines, everyone has black hair and light brown skin. Most people are thin and about the same size, with five foot five inches being tall. She was a little unprepared for the various shapes, sizes, and colors Americans come in and spent some uncomfortable moments hiding behind me. "Baby, baby, baby, oh....." is sung often and when she saw Justin Beiber on a poster in Walmart we had to take a picture. She also joined in the singing at church which brought tears to my eyes. She loves shopping and is attracted to what I would call junk, but she views as treasures. Barbie, Dora, and Pooh trinkets intrigue her and when I tell her she can't have them her response is, "Maybe tomorrow?" She chose light-up tennis shoes and shoes with sparkles. Much to Tanner's dismay, she does not want to kill a deer and seems to lean toward the girlie girl side. Of course, the jury is still out and we may all be surprised. She does like fishing and when Tanner let her reel in a fish, there were many squeals until he threw it back. Genuine yelled, "No,Dad," and proceeded to rant and rave in Tagalog! She definitely has a mind of her own and is not afraid to share her opinion, just like her big sister. She also was amazed at how the doors at our stores automatically open and close and enjoys opening and closing the windows in our vehicles, too. Chocolate is a must and is quick to bring a smile whether in the form of chocolate milk, candy, cookie or pudding! Otherwise, she is learning that she has to eat a little bit of whatever I have prepared. Genuine says "no" and I say "yes" and Mamma wins! She is adjusting to the air conditioner better than I expected and only gets cold when she is under a ceiling fan. Pants or capris are her choice of daily attire rather than shorts. I think this helps her stay warm. She has learned to wash her dishes, put her dirty clothes away and has helped put away clean laundry and groceries. I love watching her learn!

One of my favorite stories took place while visiting Uncle Darra and Aunt Stacie. Uncle Darra was laying on the floor with arms outstretched, his feet were crossed at the ankles and raised slightly on an ottoman. Genuine said, "Mom, look, Jesus!" We laughed and laughed and I told Nicholas Cage (Tanner) he had been upstaged by Jesus!

Genuine has gotten sad twice, once when we were talking about best friends and the other was actually today. The kids were all playing outside and a neighborhood kid was joking with her and she took it personally. It was not so much what he did, I think she was just having a moment and needed to cry and have a little space. She has done much better than any training class would predict. I am so proud of her and am cherishing the moments.

Tomorrow Genuine will use Skype for the first time to visit with her best friend, Jessica. It will be a perfect ending to a less than perfect day, as we will be going to the doctor for her medical test. Until later.......

Steph