Update

The one thing I am disappointed in with the adoption blogs are the lack of updates after the child arrives in the US. So here I go.... first is school. I registered him on the day after we returned which was a Friday. I was told he could not start until he was entered into the system, which was Tuesday. So from Friday to Tuesday poor Kolya was dragged everywhere with us. We bought new clothes, grocery shopped, shopped for school supplies, went to Joe's work to show him off (he rolled his eyes in his head because this was sooooo boring. Everyone staring at him and saying hello.) We visited everyone we had missed in the last month. So by the time Tuesday rolled around I think he was begging to God that he be admitted to school just so he wouldn't have to be introduced to another adult. We did tell him the reason for all the meet and greetings was because we were so proud of him.
Kolya is always smiling. Not much gets him down...except the anticipation of the first day of school. There were no smiles and very little appetite for breakfast. Fortunately we had a Russian interpreter who works for our school system meet us in the office. We saw instant major relief on the face of a very nervous little boy when he heard his own language! The kids thought he was THE coolest kid they had ever met and some of them had looked up Russian words on the internet to try and talk to him. His teacher has him teaching 1-2 Russian words to the class every day and he learns the English counterparts. I figured I would be attending school with him for the first couple of weeks at least until he was comfortable. I was sent away at 10:30 am the first day by my new son as school was no problem and he definately did not want to be shadowed by 3 women all day. Jeeezzzz! What a kid!
So school is a favorite right now as he has very little homework and no real tests to stress about. We have had some tears but they are not due to homesickness, they are due to communication barriers. I went to have his hair cut to which he said "No." He kept saying my older son's name and pointing to his hair. He wanted his hair long and in his eyes. I said no and we went to get a trim. We go to one of those Cost Cutter places where the girls aren't too bright and I ask for a trim. Short on the sides and long in the crown. She practically shaves his head without the razor! He cries and I feel like a rotten mom. I called an interpreter when we got home to explain that is not what I asked for, but forgiveness was a long 24 hours away.
The next set of tears were when we made him drink water. He refuses to drink milk or juice. He wants soda. No way says mom and dad, so water is the only thing left. He came from sea level and we are a mile high and dehydration is a concern. Plus we have floride in the water and his teeth could use it!
The third set of tears came with the next set of immunizations he recieved at the doctor's office. First he was hummilated by having to wear the gown, so I took it off. Next he was mummbling under his breath in Russian the entire time we were waiting for the doctor who was 45 minutes late. I kept saying, "It's an American thing!" to which he looked away and probably did an internal eye roll. The 2 shots he recieved were very painful because the medication that was administered stings badly. He then thought that the nurse gave the shots wrong because they hurt so bad. All of this I got from the interpreter I called after the visit. I had planned on taking him to McDonald's for lunch then back to school but he refused and insisted he return to school. Later I learned he cried when he was alone with his ESL teacher. I want to feel like a bad parent but shots hurt and there was really nothing I could do about it. His day ended on a positive note though. We have signed him up to play soccer with Colorado Rush and he went to his first soccer practice then we went to McDonald's for dinner and Kolya went to sleep with a big smile on his face.
He has had 2 play dates with Russian speaking children his age and he absolutely beamed with happiness after each one. Today we went to a Russian grocery store and again the big smile came across his face as he was able to pick out any food he wanted. The owner told me he said he was not home sick at all and I was a much better mother then his biological mother. Well now, the bar wasn't set too high on that one was it?! I am happy to hear I float his boat as a mom!
The best part of this adoption process is the look on his face as he experiences all the wonders of America. He is a very upbeat, playful, happy boy and he brings such joy to all of our lives. Tomorrow he will see his first Colorado Rockies professional baseball game and later this fall we will take him to a Six Flags Amusement park and blow his mind on the rides! Having a third child feels no different than having 2 children, just more fun, as the third one isn't a baby!