A month after returning home, we are finally starting to relax a bit. In part this is because of our (latest) "new" attitude, remembering the boys' emotional skill set, has helped us be more relaxed, which in turn allows the boys to be more relaxed. Also, after a month the boys are more used to us and their new home and its rules, which are very different from where they grew up. Finally, we have hired an in-home "helper" to watch the boys for a few hours in the afternoon, so we don't have to be on high alert 14 hours a day. It's not quite normal, but we can begin to imagine "normal," whatever that will be, is just over the horizon....
We will try to call close family on Christmas Day, although with the boys' need for attention that may get set aside. We are planning a nice dinner of ham with mashed potatoes and (storebought) apple pie, simple but easy to fix. Don't tell the boys, but they are both getting scooters. Elisey has seen scooters and will be thrilled. He can ride a bike well, so a scooter will be no problem; we're waiting a bike until we know he will follow rules better. Dimcho might have some trouble with a scooter, as even blowing bubbles frustrates him, but when possible we give equal parity toys, as the boys are deep into sibling rivalry. (This has its plus side: whenever one is rebellious, the other is eager to side with Mama and Tatko. If Elisey claims to not understand a word, we can rely on Dimcho to say he understands it perfectly well; if Dimcho doesn't like a food, Elisey will reliably call it delicious.)
We'll try to post pictures in a couple of days. The boys seem to recognize pictures of Santa Claus, calling him some variant of "Nicholas," but I doubt Christmas was a big event for them. An Eastern Orthodox country such as Bulgaria emphasizes (theologically correctly) Easter over Christmas, and they were in a secular, state-run institution. I'm sure by next year they will be fully immersed in the full capitalistic merchandising of Christmas, but enough of my soapbox. They already enjoy driving around the neighborhood looking at pretty lights, and probably think America always looks this way.
We wish every one a Merry Christmas!
