5 months

Well, our Little Miss has been home for 5  months.  She has changed and grown and fits into our home like she has always been here.  She still has her moments of screaming when she doesn't get her way, but I have been assured that is "because she is a girl."  But for the most part, she is learning that screaming does not get you what you want and you end up having to sit in a time out chair for a bit on top of not getting what you want.  I did not believe those who had gone before me that parenting a girl would be so different.  Girls are most definitely different beasts!  :)

Gone are the days of her getting angry that she is not held/carried everywhere.  She is even becoming quite proficient at going up and down stairs.  She still needs something to hold on to, such as a railing.  Although, just yesterday she was able to step up and then down a small curb all by herself.  She got angry that I wouldn't give her my hand, but I knew it was small enough that she could do it if she tried.  She has little confidence in new things and it took her a long time to try.  But once she tried, she did it! 

When she first came to us, she did not want to eat any real food.  Even plain bread was not good enough.  She only wanted junk food.  Since we have been home, she has learned that real food isn't all that bad.  She especially likes spaghetti.  Any food that is on Mama and Daddy's plate is usually very interesting too.   The digestive issues that she experienced in Serbia have not manifested since she has been home and her food intake increased. 

She has decided that dresses are the absolute only thing she wants to wear.  I was quite thankful that Walmart decided to carry modest girls' dresses this summer.  She prefers her dresses/skirts to go down by her knees and is a very modest little girl in making sure her dress is always pulled down. :) 

As far as using English, she uses very little.  Hubby asked her the other day why she wasn't speaking English, and her response was, "I no speak English!"  with a look on her face that said she was better than using our language.  It's quite hilarious though, because if she REALLY wants something, out pops a perfect English sentence asking for it.  She understands most everything we say to her, just like any other 4 year old.  She has retained a good deal of Serbian and uses it all the time.  She was even able to have a pretty lengthy conversation the other day about painted fingernails and jewelry with one of Hubby's  co-workers who came here from Bosnia.  So, it seems we have a bi-lingual girlie on our hands....at least for now.

She starts half day preschool in the fall.  I am excited to see her grow simply by being around other kids her age.  Maybe it will also encourage her to speak English.  Although, at a family reunion recently, one of her cousins who is her age told her that she needs to speak English.  She threw her hands in the air, huffed and said, "I can't do it!"  She was so serious that the adults around her clamped their lips shut to keep from howling with laughter.  

I feel like this post is very disjointed.  I can't get my thoughts to flow like I normally prefer.  My brain is all a jumble these days.  I can't really say that I am overwhelmed.  When she first came home, that would have been the definition of me.  Now, though, we have gotten into a groove and everything seems to be flowing.  Still, those jumbled thoughts.  Maybe I will figure it out soon.  If so, I will let you know. :)

I leave you with a picture from this evening.  Vlado was reading to his siblings.  I didn't ask him to, but he still did it.  He is such a good big brother!