Alex update

So, I'm sitting in my office and my little niece is sitting on the floor next to me playing barbies. Apparently her nanny had jury duty this morning and my sister called me in a panic. Today is pretty mild in terms of scheduling so Syd can just hang with me. However, I will have to brush up on my little girl hair skills before I take her to lunch with me this afternoon. Her daddy dropped her off and my sister never lets her out of the house without darling hair but with daddy's we're just glad their clothes match!
So last night we put up the tree. Of course everything about this holiday season is new and wondrous to Alex. He asked if we would hang "toys" on the tree. Rylee said, no we put toys under the tree, we decorate the tree. "With toys?" No with ornaments. Alex was puzzled. Apparently everything he knows about Christmas is from watching American made movies and of course ornaments look like toys. When we broke out the ornaments he remarked that none of them were his. I told him I have one for him this year-I give my children a new ornament each year and I always buy them on clearance the year before-but I just needed to find where I put them. However, I told him there were ton's of ornaments so just put up any he'd like.
I thought I had thought this Christmas thing through. I have bought new stockings, had an ornament just for him-somewhere-bought a new little lighted tree for his room, had a nativity for his room and got out the Father Christmas I bought in Ukraine that I've been hiding since we got home. But as I pulled things out I couldn't help notice all the personalized crafts and decorations lacking Alex's name. I'm going to have to get out some paint and fix some things. Alex didn't seem to mind or make a big deal out of it but it sort of stabbed my heart. Rylee was impressed that I had an ornament for Alex. "You knew Alex would be here last year?" Well, I had hoped and fortunately for us, he is here!
I eventually found the ornaments I bought last year and they're little picture frames. I quickly put everyone's picture in their ornament and Alex was so pleased to put HIS OWN ornament on the tree.
I took lots of pictures to document this first time event in Alex's life. Today I plan to have wrapped gifts under the tree for everyone. I know that will really get Alex excited.
Over the weekend I took Rylee, Alex and Devree Christmas shopping. Alex drew Brach's name in the cousin drawing and was excited to get him a gift but we soon found that Alex is not a very good gift picker. He kept showing me junky toys and candy at the store. I asked him what HE would like and he'd come back with more junky gift ideas. I realized that IS what he likes because he likes EVERYTHING. So I helped him find a gift for Brach.
He drew Kambree's name for the sibling drawing and was dismayed. "Oh no Kambree." (In his defense-she is hard to shop for.) And because he spends most of his money on candy and crap he doesn't have enough money for her gift. I've been trying to find him odd jobs he can do for money. He cleaned the inside and outside of my car on Saturday and did a great job. Anyone need an eleven year old for odd jobs??
We had an incident over Thanksgiving involving Austin's missing wallet. We looked for it for at least and hour and then it magically "appeared" on the floor in the kitchen. Alex was laughing and very mischievous about it. It was very fishy. I asked Alex if he took the wallet. He told me "I no stole." but soon his happy, laughing countenance fell and he could no longer look me in the eye. I told him I had a hard time believing that the wallet just magically appeared on the floor and that I can't help but think he had something to do with it. He got upset saying "I no stole" than stormed out of the condo. I let him go for awhile and then went out with his coat. At first I couldn't find him and begin to panic a little. Where in the world did he go? He doesn't know a soul here? I was heading back in to get everyone to come help me search when there he was-he had moved himself to be strategically right were I'd have to see him. Standing next to the van with his face in his hands. Sobbing. "I no stole." he kept saying over and over. I wrapped him in his coat and told him I believed him. Then I mentioned that maybe he was just trying to play a trick on Austin? That just telling me what happened might clear everything up and he broke down sobbing again and told me he found the wallet in the van and wanting to play a trick didn't tell Austin but hid it back in his coat. I had just picked up Austin's coat feeling the pockets and it must have fallen out on the floor. So he DID have the wallet but he's right, he was not stealing it. I explained that in the future, he just needs to come clean. When I asked how the wallet got on the floor if he had just come forward and explained what had happened, there would have been no tears and no mistrust. Hard lessons to learn. He went in and told Austin and I helped him explain. I'm glad the truth came out because I knew he was involved and if we hadn't cleared things up, then every time something went missing I know we'd first think it was Alex.
On the way to Wyoming we stopped at a gas station and Alex bought himself a Slush Puppy which is similar to a Slurpee. (See why he doesn't have any money?) He proudly offered all of us a sip of his "Sloosh Poop-y" when we piled back into the van. We laughed about that for awhile.
His English improves everyday. Last night I had him sit down with some flash cards my friend Amy lent me. She works with kids and their speech at Primary Hospital. He did the "what" set. One card says "What do you.." and it asks some basic questions like "What do you feed a baby with?" "What do you mow the lawn with?" Then there are cards with the answers to match to the cards with the questions. He did fabulous.
His reading has greatly improved. I wish I could say the same for his pronunciation. This morning he got in the car and asked.
A: I valk-in good?
Me: What?
A: I valk-in good?
Me: (With puzzled exasperated expression) Yes, Alex you walk good...?
A: No, valk-in the car.
Me: Vacuum the car?
A: Yes!
Me: Yes, you did vacuum the car good.
(Good grief-that sounded nothing like vacuum!)