Peckenpaugh Party: Home, and Benjamin is settling in!

It occurred to me that I did what some other folks whose blogs I followed did.....never posted after we made it home! Sorry! The last time I posted, we didn't have Visa's yet. Well, I figured we were being told what we wanted to hear, that they would be working on the visa issue over the weekend and we'd maybe be home sometime this week. I was sure surprised when we had the needed visa in hand on Saturday afternoon, and even more surprised that our travel agent got us on flights home early Sunday morning!!! By Sunday evening in the U. S., we were home with our family. What a way to end a trip!

Benjamin spent the first hour at home being shown around by Xiaoyu and DanDan....thankfully, they still speak Chinese fluently, and were able to make him feel comfortable. We were up until about 1 a.m. opening suitcases and passing out souvineers to the kids. (They were much anticipated!) I thought Benjamin slept the rest of the night, but the next morning, I woke up at 5 a.m., and checked on him. He was up walking around the house....and the back door was wide open! He'd also rummaged through a cabinet that I keep pictures in. Xiaoyu said that he said, nobody was up and he was bored. (He slept most of the flight home, so I guess he just wasn't tired.) I'm just thankful he didn't decide to go for a hike outside! We had the girls explain to him that he should stay in the house until someone else is up and can go with him.

So the last few days, we've been hanging out at home mostly....Roger and I are both home this week. Benjamin is discovering his boundaries...and isn't real receptive to some of them. He loves the pool and especially loves the Wii! He's buddies with anyone who is willing to ride bikes with him!

We have to wonder what his life was like in China....what his foster family was like. They say he was with them for 2 years. Benjamin is headstrong, and we'll be working on some of his behaviors. He thinks it's cool to make ugly faces at me when he doesn't want to do what I want him to do. He likes to order the kids around....DanDan said he's not nice. He wants to tell them what to do instead of asking them to do stuff. She says if he'd ask nicely, she'd do more with him! lol It's been interesting to talk with DanDan and Xiaoyu about some of the things we're going through now ....it was just 2 1/2 years ago that they joined this herd! They're doing so well, and their input is appreciated! Roger and I realize that it's not easy for these kids to come here and feel like this is where they belong....we're just doing the best we can to make them feel like this is truly their forever home....and that they want it to be their forever home! Overall, Benjamin is doing great! He's 6 and he's a boy! 'Nuff said! haha!

Never a dull moment!!