Sweeter as the Days Go By

Bob is off this week and the boys are thrilled of course. They are easier and easier all the time with him. Yesterday I heard James call him Papa which was sweet. He likes to talk with his dad and be wherever he is, yet he's comfortably confident and relaxed about their relaionship. Peter is a little behind him and seems to need the reassurances and shoulder hugs. They had a good time watching Rob at baseball practice this evening. Rob and the guys got very muddy in the Mississippi "spring" sogginess of the field.

Rob also finished up his painting for the competition. He has done a really lovely oil of an Arizona desert. I am so proud of him.

This evening Peter asked me about the word speed. He wondered of it was the same in English as Russian. He said that a bad man had come to the orphanage to give the kids alcohol and speed to inject in their arms. No one in the 6th grade classes had taken any of it. Whenever he is very concerned about something, he says, "This is very bad." As with other stories, more will come out as we can communicate better.

James told me that he had not done well in grade 6 because he had not had school during the 2 months he had been at the sanatorium before we got there. They had given him daily injections of some kind of medications because of the positive T.B. test. and some type of electrical shock therapy also. He played a lot of soccer, but the teacher would usually say, "No school today." I will ask him about something he said earlier about smoking and drinking while there. This evening he and Rob sat for an hour doing math problems from James' new math text. The two boys seem to 'click' more every day.

I think he and Peter will do best in grade 6 next year. Today they traded Valentine cards with the 5th graders at their party. Another nice contact with some very sweet kids More candy than they need in their beautiful teeth. They didn't have candy at the internot.

At bedtime we read the story of Abraham's servant looking for a bride for Isaac. James said when he needed a bride he would pray, "Oh Father, help me find a wife." James is daily showing more of the best in him. Less and less frequently I find his wet laundry hanging in the bathroom, and today he came up on his own and hugged me and said, "I love you. You are such a good mother."

Good boy. : )