Catching Up

So we've been home a few days now.  The New Kids are doing great.  They both had colds at first, and sleep was a valuable commodity around here, but both seem to be less snotty lately, and therefore are sleeping better.  Raya even slept through the night the last 2 nights!

Isaac is having a little harder time adjusting, although this not surprising.  With my being gone for 5 weeks, and then my lap being full of rather demanding children (who tolerate other people selectively and only in moderation) he has been kind of struggling to find where he fits now.  But he is a very proud big brother, and has declared that he "loves his Raya-baby."  I guess the jury's still out on Eli.

Isaac and Eli get along... sometimes.  Isaac loves to update me on everything that Eli does.  It bears a distinct resemblance to incessant tattling.  Eli (like most 2 year olds) does not like to be told No.  He has a bit of a pinching habit that Isaac does not appreciate.  And he follows Isaac around all the time.  Sometimes Isaac likes this, other times he does not.

And for posterity's sake, here are some details of our trip home, and thoughts in general:
The kids traveled like champs.  The first flight left at 8:30pm, Kinshasa time.  This is conveniently bedtime.  Therefore, they both slept much of this flight, which landed at 4am.  They were mostly awake in the airport at Brussels, and then our next flight left at 11 something, so Eli was awake long enough to catch the lunch cart, and then slept for probably 4 hours or more of that flight as well.  He was awake again as we went through Immigration in Newark and then during our layover there.  The next flight left again at bedtime (Kinshasa time) so he slept through that 2.5 hour flight as well.  We then had one more short (45 minute) flight to our local airport.  He didn't sleep through that one, but he was pretty well-behaved, and mostly looked out the window, although he didn't particularly care to keep his seat belt on.  Raya naps on and off and loves just sitting on your lap, so flying around the world was right up her alley.  Neither of them seemed to have any problems with their ears or anything either, so we were thankful for that!

Eli really hates to be restrained in any fashion, so I was really dreading putting him in a car seat, but was pleasantly surprised that he doesn't mind at all.  Probably because it means he's going for a ride- He loves cars!  And actually it almost always puts him to sleep.  It's like magic.

We've been out and about a little bit already.  We went to the park this morning to play with Isaac's friend Ty, which Isaac loved.  It's good to do some things for Isaac now and then, since so much of my day revolves around either Eli or Raya.  They did fine.  Really, 5 weeks in the Congo was obviously great for their attachment process.  They seem very comfortable with me, and don't mind going places, as long as I am within their line of vision.  Isaac of course, had a blast, especially when the sprinklers came on in the grass providing some welcome relief from the heat!

Speaking of going places, we are supposed to be in the Homeland this weekend with my whole family.  We had planned this months ago when we thought we'd be long home by now.  I'm tempted to still go, but John can't go, and I'm pretty sure driving 8 hours with 3 kids under 5 (not to mention leaving John again already) would not be the best idea I've ever had.   But I hate being the only one not there and missing out on all the fun.  I suppose I'll try and go out in August instead.  :(