Well, hello again!

Just a quick update 

while most of the family is at church

and I'm home with a couple of the littlest kiddos!

We are doing 

GREAT.

Granted, it's only been

9 days

since we got home...

and we are likely in a

"honeymoon" phase...

but I'll take it!!

The kids are adjusting well.

They are learning the house rules,

we've fought some battles

(that Mom and Dad have won),

and they've learned that

chewing with your mouth open

is akin to a federal offense.

They are learning to use towels in the bathroom

rather than shaking their hands and flicking water all over the walls/mirror/floor...

and they are learning that they don't need to find their shoes 

at 2am to go to the bathroom.

They are trying new foods...

figuring out that you must eat well if you want fruit after your meal...

and feeling secure that there will always be another meal coming.

We've visited the doctor with all 5...

had bone-age scans done with all 5...

are doing appropriate medications...

and have taken one to the dentist.

I've stayed only 2-loads of laundry behind all week

(which is better than I did most of the time before we came home)

and I'm figuring out the clothing situation with all 8 of the kids

that I still control clothing for.

They are learning more English,

learning to say "please",

and hitting a lot less.

We have been out to eat with just the 6 at home during the day,

and we've been to the park a couple of times.

We had a one-week visit from our favorite social worker in the world...

and I think even she thought it was anticlimactic.

So, how are we doing??

Better than I expected.

Better than I could imagine.

Better than we probably deserve.

Do we still have our "moments"?

Sure...

kids will be kids.

They disobey, test limits, make bad choices,

fight and have temper tantrums.

But...

we aren't seeing the major adjustment struggles I think I was

mentally preparing myself for.

Except for one thing.

And...this is pretty serious...

Sitting down??

Our new 8 year old

HATES chocolate.

We've been given chocolate cake,

cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, 

candies, etc...

and he makes a gagging face, wags his finger and tells me he will "vomit" if he eats it.

Lovely.

However,

they love almost all protein, 

even asking for fish and eating a TON of it one night.

They love fruit and anything Italian.

After we got over the initial picky-ness,

scrunched-up faces,

finger wags and

"Mommy... this, me NO!"

at anything that they didn't want to eat...

we are having less stress at mealtimes.

Friday at lunch I had ENOUGH of the "Mommy... this, me NO." 

and I had a mini-conference with the 5 and said

"You, you, you, you, and you...

BACA 'Mommy...this, me no.'. 

IMBI. 

THIS, you YES.

You EAT.

You FINISH."

Oddly enough, they understood.

So...

this rambling post is really just to say...

I don't have much blog-updating time, but I will try!

My kiddos are doing great, I'll post a full (decent) family picture soon!

Thank you all for your prayers, comments and concerns...

I'm not leaving...

just prioritizing! 

Love you all,

Chrissy