Nyet, Yes, Head-shakes and Cookies

This week has been one of many surprises.  The biggest of which has been the ease of the transition of Ashley into the family.  She has particularly taken to Noah, who she generally finds hilarious.  Lily has followed Ashley around for a week as if to say, "This is what I have been waiting for all my life!"  Now, don't get me wrong.  Usually she looks at me like the confused puppy who just got it's first toy.  

English is coming slowly.  I have invested in Rosetta Stone.  I confess that I had hoped to buy another language than the one I currently speak.  The other night I had to declare "no more Russian speaking" to Chris.  With SO many people who speak Russian around here, it would be easy for her to not put effort into learning English.  She understands a lot.  Many times when I ask her questions, she simply nods or shakes her head.  She is smiling a lot, which makes me happy each time I see her do it.  

My heredity has infused in me the instinct to reach out to ones I love and smother them.  I have had to suppress that behavior with every fiber of my being.  I know that it would freak her out, so I usually get by on one peck to the cheek each day.  But tonight we took things to another level.  Cooking.  This is my creative outlet, which really helps my time-starved wife.  As I began to pull out ingredients to make some cookies, she slid over my direction.  I handed her the spoon and the bowl and we began to mix it up a bit.  I showed her how to put dough on the pan and before we knew it, we had our first batch.  I poured us some milk a-la' Dom Perignion, and we celebrated our deliciousness.  I know this ain't exactly macho, but it is a microcosm of all I had been hoping for this past 3 1/2 years.

So for now, the shine has not worn off.  I am bracing myself for the first indication of real conflict.  Until then, I will rest in God's goodness of a daughter that has come home.

Gratefully,

Ande