Day 4 with Han

Oh my...where to begin?  This is our 4th time hosting an orphan, and we are being reminded daily that each child is very different and unique!  Although we are hosting veterans, we've had some firsts with Han.  Han has been our first homesick child.  The other 3 certainly didn't dread the thought of going back to China, but they were in noooooo hurry to return.  They loved the adventure of it all; the new sights, sounds, smells, people, experiences, etc.  They loved being with us doing fun things or doing nothing at all.

Yesterday, Han told his friend Andy (13 and also being hosted in VA) that he wants to go back to China.  He asks me each day when he will go back.  There haven't been any tears since the very first night at bedtime, and I think he is over his jetlag.  Very grateful for that.  He and Andy facetime every night, and Andy tells him, "Enjoy your time here!  Enjoy your family!  Have fun!"  Oh, God bless Andy!!



Andy and Han at the park yesterday.
 I was pointing at the corners of my mouth saying "SMILE!", so he copied me.

Han's personality is also so different from Alyona, JQ, and Ji Nuo.   When you can't communicate with words (google translate is worthless!), what do you do?  Well, you play charades, give hugs, and find other ways to connect.  For me, it was always through humor.  Go cross-eyed, start dancing like a robot, jump out from around the corner and yell "BOO!", make funny faces and noises, pretend to karate chop Loren, etc.  Our first three would crack up at any and all of those things, and it was truly how I initially bonded with each of them.  Han?  Humor is just not his love language!  He is a very serious, sometimes even sullen boy.  Joking around with him just doesn't fly.  In fact, literally seconds after I typed this, I went upstairs to tuck the kids in, and heard "NO FATHER!  NOOOOO!"  Chris was tickling him and he wanted no part of it.  I laughed and told Chris that I was just blogging about this very thing! 

 

 

Here he is on the train at the mall.  Doesn't he look like he's loving it?!?  Oh my.  Lighten up, little buddy!  As Fat Albert and the gang would say..."NaNaNa, gonna have a GOOD time!"

 

 

Last night we packed up dinner and headed to the pool for a swim and a picnic.  Our other boys from China LOOOOOOOOVED the pool.   Absolutely couldn't get enough.  Neither of them could swim, but they liked just wading and splashing.  Han?  Meh.  He DID try putting his face in the water a couple of times, but he just seemed very uncomfortable with it. 

 



We went back to the pool with the Jarvis gang today.  He had 7 kids in all to play with, but spent the majority of his time sitting in the chair next to me.  Oh sweet boy.

Because we just can't get enough of the Jarvi, we met up a couple of hours later at Jumpology.  I thought FOR SURE this would be a hit.  Although he did spend at least half of his time jumping, the other half was spent eating some Chinese snacks that Heather brought, wandering around, talking (in Mandarin) to me, and trying to figure out how to work a water fountain.  (that was HI-LAR-I-OUS!)

There is a Mandarin speaking manager there who is my Jumpology hero!  He did some interpreting for me while we were there, and he said that Han is happy here (good to hear), and wants to buy gifts to take back to China for his friends.  Very sweet.  He said his favorite thing about being in America is the toys.  :-)

Yuchen and Han, and a photo bombing Loren

 

We are wondering if there are some issues with Han retaining info, or if he just needs A LOT of  reinforcement/reminders.  Tonight, in about 1 hour of time, he asked us about 10 times what we are doing tomorrow.  He needs to be told EVERY time he goes to the bathroom to wash his hands, put the lid down, flush, etc. 
His attention span is quite short at home (although he sat quietly through Sunday's church service, without doing anything with the colored pencils and sketch book I packed for him.)

He calls us "Mother" and "Father".  So fitting for his serious little personality!  (in the past we were Tracy and Chris, Mommy and Daddy, and Auntie and Uncle)

Here's the truth, though.  Han may not be a laugh a minute or full of smiles, but he is an ORPHAN and he needs parents.  That's the bottom line.  He is no less deserving of a loving family than any other child.  He is loved and precious and created in the image of God.  We can't even fathom the life he's lived.  He's had to overcome so much in his 12 years, and I think he's doing a pretty stellar job.  Really proud of him.

So, that's pretty much where we are.  Here are some praise and prayer bullet points:

Praises:
- he is sleeping really well.  goes down without a peep and sleeps until 9am or later
- not a very picky eater, and tells me when he's hungry or thirsty
 (or has to use the bathroom!)
-he finds comfort face-timing with his Chinese friend, Andy
- he told Yuchen that he is happy (although he doesn't show it, necessarily)
- he is obedient
-Cole (Han's roomie!) has been my right hand.  He is SO GOOD to Han, and helps him with everything from hygiene, to dressing, to figuring out how to work the sink.  So proud of him.
-Jennifer H cooked us a meal on Sunday that was off the chain good and such a blessing!
- He started out scared to death of our dog, and now he actually likes her! 

Prayer requests:
- Patience!  Connecting with Han is taking some effort, for both Chris and me, and the kids
- That Han would just relax and enjoy himself.
- Forever families for all three boys currently being hosted in the Richmond area.

would you just look at these faces?  I mean, can you even?!?