No, not while Betty is here!

It is hard to believe but we had our first post placement report visit today. They are due annually on the anniversary of our court decree. Since it needs to be notarized, apostilled, translated and mailed to Kazakhstan for arrival by June 24th we figured we better get started.

We are using Bethany Christian Services for our post-placement reports as our original HS agency closed their office in Maryland. We have been corresponding with Betty since last June. It was nice to finally meet her in person. She is a very nice, warm hearted, friendly, observant and caring social worker. I was amazed at what she picked up on in the short time (~1 hr)and minimal interaction we had today. I am also amazed had how much we covered in that short time. I personnally felt very at ease and in good hands.

Needless to say, Mr. Lukas gave her lots of opportunities to see us interact, correct, re-direct, shake our heads, etc. It started off with his saying hello and giving her a hug. Then came the showing off and being silly/bashful. "Is he always this shy?" asks Betty. "Only when he first meets someone." She then asked him to show her his room and around upstairs. While talking to him he proceeds to pull a bunch of books of the bookshelf and other items off the top shelf. I am assuming he was looking for something. "Does he do this alot?" asks Betty. "You mean throw things on the floor? Yes." Opportunity: Show her how we get Lukas to help clean up his mess he just made.

On to the basement to see his toys. Lukas showed her all his toys, he made it a special point to show her his train table. So mama and papa sit and chat with Betty while Lukas is kind enough to entertain himself. We discuss parenting issues, pros and cons of having an adoptive child, Lukas' development, interests, issues, etc. Lukas is on his Smartcycle and it is not doing what he wants, expresses his frustration loudly and proceeds to kick at the tv. Opportunity: Mama demonstrates how we redirect and review the steps necessary to get it to work the way it is suppose to.

Continue talking and Lukas drives over on his excuvator and proceeds to dump uneaten dog food (dry and wet) on the floor. Glad to see that he is finally able to work the controls correctly, but did you have to do it now! Gentle correction, clean it up. Comes back with a second scoop full, mama gets dog bowl and this time we dump it back in the bowl (good grief). We continue chatting and Lukas comes over all smiles and opens his mouth to show mama that he has not decided to eat the dog food himself. Opportunity: Show how we stay calm and move the bowl out of reach.

Our time has come to a close and we head upstairs to see Betty out the door. Lukas decides he is going to get something from the pantry and in the process does one of his limp noodle routines. Opportunity: Demonstrate how we deal with the limp noodle routine and learn from Betty how to hopefully bring it to an end.

Lukas, being the gentleman that he is, opens her car door for her, asks a bizzilion questions, closes the door, waves good bye and blows her a kiss.

One of my favorite questions was when she asked Lukas what sound a horse makes. His answer, hee haw. I guess our horses are more like donkeys! Her overall assessment is that Lukas is adjusting well, we are doing the right things, he is so smart his mouth can't keep up with his mind (she claims that is why he talks so fast), and he appears to be a melancholy personality. Translation, his behavior is directed alot by his emotional state (Drama King in the making?!). Nothing bad, he just appears to be more in tune with his artistic side than his analytical side currently. Suggestion: for our sanity it has been suggested we learn how to identify which emotion is at play, address it and help him re-direct his response appropriately.

Papa went to work and Mama and Lukas spent the rest of the day playing. He was my little assistant at the nursery picking out plants and helping me get them to the car. The ladies were quite impressed at him pulling the big wagon around for me and attempting to lift the heavy plants into the car. ;) He enjoyed helping me pot the plants when we got back home as well.