esmaspäev, august 09, 2004
The Kids
We were asked today by a faithful reader (thanks @) how things are going with the kids, so here's an update.
The first few days in Estonia, Chris had a difficult time adjusting and was not very happy to be here. But then he connected with the youth group of the Baptist church not far from our house, who happened to be hosting a group of American teens for a week. They were there to help build the youth outreach of the church, and Chris threw himself right into the activities. It was a good bridge for him because he got to be with American kids, but also got to know some of the Estonian kids, whom he still sees now and then. One of the funniest things for him was when one of the Americans, after hearing that Chris lives in Estonia, complimented him on his good English! Now Chris has adjusted and is finding his place here. He has a bike that Auntie Mary-Kay bought for him and loves to ride all around town. It's a very safe city, and bike friendly, so he enjoys this freedom. His biggest concern now is wondering when we are finally going to get something started with this corps :-)
Elizabeth made the adjustment amazingly well. After only a few days here, she said to us, "This is so much better than I thought it would be." She is making her bedroom her own space (even though it also serves as our living room), and still spends lots of time working on her sticker book. One recent addition she is especially proud of is a "Welcome to Estonia" logo sticker (www.welcometoestonia.com --in the upper left corner). Since the shipment arrived, she has really gotten into the "Adventures in Odyssey" stories we have on tape and listens to them constantly. She has gained self-confidence and is far less shy here. We were at a book shop and she was sitting on the floor looking at a picture book. One of the employees came up to her and made a request in Estonian. Elizabeth politely said, "I only speak English," and the lady kindly explained in her best English that she wanted Elizabeth to sit over to the side. A simple situation, but in the past such a "confrontation" would have completely freaked her out. She also loves to go the local playgrounds, running, jumping and spinning with all the other children even though she doesn't understand most of what they say and they don't understand most of what she says. I am completely amazed at how she is embracing this new reality and not letting it slow her down. I am very proud of her.
Peter has not complained at all about being here :-) He continues to grow and do all of those things babies his age tend to do: rolling onto his belly from his back, pushing up his head when he is on his stomach, screeching and squealing just so he can hear his voice, holding onto toys and chomping on anything within range of his mouth. He's provided many opportunities for us to meet people, like when we are walking down the street and older ladies stop to talk baby talk in Estonian, or in the outdoor market when I have seen people smile at him, and he smiles right back (he is very generous with those). It is amazing how babies around the world tend to bring such a sense of well-being and happiness to people they meet. I think he may be a good ice-breaker as we meet new people here.
The bottom line is that the kids have had their ups and downs, but are finding their place here and making it their home. We are proud parents!
--Tim
The first few days in Estonia, Chris had a difficult time adjusting and was not very happy to be here. But then he connected with the youth group of the Baptist church not far from our house, who happened to be hosting a group of American teens for a week. They were there to help build the youth outreach of the church, and Chris threw himself right into the activities. It was a good bridge for him because he got to be with American kids, but also got to know some of the Estonian kids, whom he still sees now and then. One of the funniest things for him was when one of the Americans, after hearing that Chris lives in Estonia, complimented him on his good English! Now Chris has adjusted and is finding his place here. He has a bike that Auntie Mary-Kay bought for him and loves to ride all around town. It's a very safe city, and bike friendly, so he enjoys this freedom. His biggest concern now is wondering when we are finally going to get something started with this corps :-)
Elizabeth made the adjustment amazingly well. After only a few days here, she said to us, "This is so much better than I thought it would be." She is making her bedroom her own space (even though it also serves as our living room), and still spends lots of time working on her sticker book. One recent addition she is especially proud of is a "Welcome to Estonia" logo sticker (www.welcometoestonia.com --in the upper left corner). Since the shipment arrived, she has really gotten into the "Adventures in Odyssey" stories we have on tape and listens to them constantly. She has gained self-confidence and is far less shy here. We were at a book shop and she was sitting on the floor looking at a picture book. One of the employees came up to her and made a request in Estonian. Elizabeth politely said, "I only speak English," and the lady kindly explained in her best English that she wanted Elizabeth to sit over to the side. A simple situation, but in the past such a "confrontation" would have completely freaked her out. She also loves to go the local playgrounds, running, jumping and spinning with all the other children even though she doesn't understand most of what they say and they don't understand most of what she says. I am completely amazed at how she is embracing this new reality and not letting it slow her down. I am very proud of her.
Peter has not complained at all about being here :-) He continues to grow and do all of those things babies his age tend to do: rolling onto his belly from his back, pushing up his head when he is on his stomach, screeching and squealing just so he can hear his voice, holding onto toys and chomping on anything within range of his mouth. He's provided many opportunities for us to meet people, like when we are walking down the street and older ladies stop to talk baby talk in Estonian, or in the outdoor market when I have seen people smile at him, and he smiles right back (he is very generous with those). It is amazing how babies around the world tend to bring such a sense of well-being and happiness to people they meet. I think he may be a good ice-breaker as we meet new people here.
The bottom line is that the kids have had their ups and downs, but are finding their place here and making it their home. We are proud parents!
--Tim
