Alex Update

Well, you can't read it very well but I wanted to document it anyway. I belong to a few Facebook adoption communities and one lady has a son Alex's age (who happens to be named Alex too) that is doing a science fair project about children that have been adopted internationally. He needed kids who have been adopted (and remember it) to fill out this questionnaire. I told Alex if he did it, he could skip journal writing this week, so of course he was game. The only catch, I told him, was that he had to be HONEST.

Here's my favorites:
6. How long did it take you to make up your mind to be adopted? Not a long time. I made up my mind right away.
7. Did you say yes because you wanted to be adopted or felt you had to say yes? Because I wanted a family.
8. How does it feel now to be a part of America? Different rules but a lot of freedom.
10. Would you like to have changed anything about the process? I love my family and I wound not change anything.
11. Is there anything else you would like to share with prospective adoptive parents?( I think he was a little confused about this one but I love his answer all the same.) They had helped me a lot. The are the best thing that ever happened to me. I will never in a million years want to go back to my orphanage. 

Talking about his adoption isn't something he does regularly these days. He'd rather just forget he was adopted I think? He still likes borscht and last night I made verenikies (perogies) and he decided he only want borscht and verenikies for Ukraine Christmas this year.  Me, "Oh really? No pig fat or sunflower candy?" Alex groaning "Oh, I forgot about sunflower candy! I want that too!" But besides food, we don't really talk about Ukraine much.
He did get angry when we were trying to coordinate getting his eagle project delivered. He was reminded of how we would send packages and the orphanage director would open them in front of him and give him a few items and keep the rest. He thought she was saving them for him for later but, she was just taking them for herself or her grandchildren. We started talking about the things I sent and we both realized he got about 25% of them. That is way we're sending our art kits through a volunteer at the orphanage who will hand deliver them to the kids and not through the orphanage itself.
Alex is officially taller than me.
I had to concede last night.
I bought him a bunch of clothes for Christmas and gave him a couple of long sleeved shirts to get through until then (all his old shirts were too small) but he was too big for the shirts I bought? What? When did this kid get so big? I then started doubting all my purchases and had this brilliant idea to have him try on all the clothes I bought him for Christmas under the ruse that he was trying them on for my sister to give to her son! !  Brilliant! They're very similar in size. Nothing fit right and I asked his opinion and he didn't really like any of them! What?? Grrr. Back to the store I go. I was just saying to my sister how I love to shop for Alex, he's so easy! I don't usually take him with me for clothes shopping because when he was younger he'd just pick clothes that had TOYS with them - like headphones or a car or something. (Think Shopko - and they dumb shirts they have with some dumb character and a toy?) I just bring him home stuff and he wears it. He only balks at wearing plaid. Well, Sunday he came down wearing his sisters sweat pants after church - way too small! Because they were accidentally in his clean laundry pile? I told him  he had on girl pants and they were too small and he just shrugged and wore them the rest of the day despite our teasing. Then after trying on his Christmas clothes, I realized that he probably does have an opinion but he rarely voices it? And he's pretty content to just wear whatever?  I guess I'll take him with me shopping this next time? Let him show me what he likes. Let's just hope it's not loud obnoxious t-shirts with Angry Birds on them?

As he was putting his shirt back on he asked me "Mom, do I have any muscles on my back?" (He is super into muscles these days - if you touch his arm - he flexes.) I said, "I don't know, turn around and flex for me." 
He did.
Then I said, "Yeah,  you have muscles. Want me to take a picture for you to see?" 
He ran and got my camera. 

I present proof of Alex's muscles. (And take note of those shoulders - I am returning all the men's  size small long sleeved shirts - even if he did like them - they don't fit!)