Where Has The Time Gone?

I can't believe we have been home for 2 months already.  Chris is settling in well.  It seems like he has always been here.  I can't imagine or remember life without his smiles and giggles.  Xuelian is also settling into the new routine.  She had some trouble concentrating at school while I was gone and for awhile after we got home.  Her grades tanked for about a month but I am happy to say that we have come out the other end and she is right back on track.  I am finally feeling like we have a good routine down with the kids.  I am back to doing everything with Xuelian that we used to do.  I know it was hard on her to have her routine upset even after I was home.  I am still working on our daily schedule the last thing to add is keeping up with the household chores.  I know in another month or two we'll be into a new normal for our family.
Chris has learned so much English this past month.  It is amazing. He has about 70 -80 words now.  I do have to admit that if you weren't with him on a daily basis you would probably only understand half of what he says.  He talks mostly about his little people zoo animals.  He loves to play with them.  He can say flamingo, gorilla, chimpanzee, lion, tiger, giraffe and a bunch of others.  He loves to take baths and when he wants one points to the upstairs and says rub a dubba.  He loves to do art projects.  He thinks taping or gluing is the best.  He also really likes stickers.  He is also addicted to the IPAD if he sees it he wants it.  I have to say most meltdowns are because we won't give it to him.  Chris is a kid who needs his sleep.  He takes a 2 hr nap every afternoon and by 8pm is asking to go night night.
We have been keeping busy this month.  My parents come over once a week to visit the kids and they love it.  We meet Uncle Steve for lunch every few weeks.  Chris and I have been to Xuelian's school a couple of times to volunteer.  We've been to the library, bookstore for storytime and the Science Center on Xuelian's day off of school.   I try to keep it to two outings a week and Chris and I stay home and play the other days.

I'll end with pictures from this month.

Chris and Grandpa.  He loves Grandpa's hat.  The other night he tried to trade his Burger King crown for the hat.

 Chris, Grandpa and Grandma

This is what happens on the rare occasion that he doesn't take a nap.  He fell asleep while I was bringing dinner to the table.

Xuelian and I were working on her homework while Chris was having a snack.  He was eating Chinese cookie sticks that you dip in chocolate.  Up until this night he would only eat the cookie sticks.    We were reading and when I looked up at the end of the page he had chocolate everywhere.  I let him go and enjoy the rest.  These are the kind of pictures I had expected to get on his birthday but he wouldn't try the cake.

It is spirit week at Xuelian's school and yesterday was Wacky Wednesday.  This is the outfit Xuelian came up with.

Dad,Chris and Xuelian reading his favorite book Roadwork.  As soon as he saw the camera he started saying smile and tried to get everyone to look at the camera.  I was trying to capture them reading together and didn't want them looking at me.

 Xuelian and her muppet that she got for Christmas.  She likes to sneak up on Chris with it.