The Groundhog Groove

Happy Groundhog Day!

It was sunny and relatively warm in Memphis today, so I'll assume that the groundhog saw his shadow. But 6 more weeks of Memphis weather won't be all that bad, especially compared to Petropavlovsk! Right now it's 59 degrees in Memphis, but only 1 (at least positive) degree in Petro!

If you're familiar with the movie starring Bill Murray, then you'll better understand today's entry. As he re-lives Groundhog Day, he gets another chance to "get it right." We have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Although we still have a long way to go, especially in the language department, we have genuinely settled into a routine in which we're all comfortable with each other. As we settle into "normalcy," we're also getting into the "normal" life routine of raising two energetic kids, so "routine" doesn't always mean one day is the same as the previous though.

The past week was an especially interesting/challenging one for us. Without a doubt, the honeymoon is over and we're all comfortable with the fact that we're a family. Although we faced a few minor challenges, it's great to see that the children are getting very comfortable with us, their new surroundings, and themselves. We're seeing both children blossom and their individual personalities emerge.

Unfortunately, just as they are getting comfortable with their new environment, their schoolmates are also getting comfortable with them, which was part of the problem.

As it turns out, David is our more mischievous child and laughs out loud when he sees something that he thinks is funny (pretty normal for a 12 year old boy). So... he becomes the focus of attention when the adults arrive to see what's up. A couple of the other boys in his class have picked up on that and are taking advantage of him. Worse yet, he's trying hard to fit in so he goes a little further than he knows he should. Two demerits in one week. 8-( (Five in a marking period will result in detention)

We asked if he knew what he did wrong. Yes. We asked if what he had done would have been ok at the boarding school. No. Ok, Почему? (pucheemoo, why?) "I thought it would be funny." At least we have something better than, "I don't know" to work with.

Meanwhile, Kate started out as our little banshee but has now settled down and is starting to get into the "girlie" things. She also wants to play soccer and basketball, and even won a free-throw challenge last week.

Although the past week has been a little more challenging, it's nice to know we have achieved another milestone in coming together as a family.