Sleepover!

Carlos, Luis, Santiago and Percy

On Monday night we had 4 little boys from the home over to spend the night. As part of the adoption process, we've been trying to help the boys get a sense of what a typical family home is like, because they've really only experienced what it's like to live with 9 other boys in the same apartment. We brought home the three boys who are being adopted, along with their best buddy Luis who didn't want to miss out on anything.

Santiago holding his newly discovered beetle in the park

We made pancakes for dinner, went to the park, watched some Bob the Builder, and before we knew it they were falling asleep. The next morning as we were trying to contain the chaos in one room and get breakfast ready to serve in the other room, Tony said, "Wow, this is a real wake up call on what it's like to have kids!" I told Tony what my mom always used to tell me when I'd come home frazzled after babysitting - "Don't worry, babies don't come out of the womb with the amount of energy that a three year old has. When you're a parent, you get to ease into it. You slowly get accustomed to the needs of your children and it feels much more normal than babysitting ever will."

Tony with the boys - Santiago, Percy, Carlos and Luis

A few of our observations about boys:
- Except while they were sleeping, there was never a moment of silence in the house.
- Even though they're young, little boys can eat a lot!
- If "daddy" burps at the table, they will mimic the sound for the next 10 minutes
- It's probably not a good idea to give a kid a glass of juice before bed, even if he is really thirsty. Unless you plan on getting up at 4:00am with him when he's wet the bed, only to discover you have absolutely no clothing that will fit him and subsequently wrap him in a towel until you take him home!
- Asking to see their Superman impression will divert their attention from most every problem. Here is Superman Luis and group shot of the 4 Supermen:


We had so much fun with the boys! We're grateful for the special times we are getting with them before they leave for Italy. Carlos and Santiago will be leaving on Monday with their parents, and Percy will leave the following Monday. Thank you for keeping them in your prayers as they come to mind.