Journey to Luke: 04/03/11

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Luke story as told by Luke!

Luke wanted to sign a story for me! He made up the beginning part about his sister Paige flying to China, the rest he said is a "true" story. For those of you that dont know sign language basically his story starts out this his sister Paige flys to China and gives out gifts to everyone. At the sametime he says I fly to America and gives out gifts to everyone and his dog too! Then we drive for a long time until we arrive home! I live at home with mommy,daddy, Aaron Tommy, Paige and Me! (at that point I had asked him if he was done his story and he tells me no!) All done with China, no more China. I am staying in America, staying in America staying! I love my family. Babies are awesome. Soon I will get a new bike (he just got one so I am thinking he meant recently) new bike new it is green! Nothing more I am all done.. I love you , kisses kisses!

Amazing progress with 2 and a half months language that he can now make up and tell his own story! The boy is truly impressive!

Luke has been home 2 months now!

Luke has been home for 2 months and it has been pretty darn smooth sailing! We have had a few blips in our everyday lives and there has been a little testing of mom and dads authority but honest when I say little it has been little. Normally if I say "You are upsetting mommy" he will say "I am done" and do whatever is being asked of him. Really he has adapted better then my wildest dreams. Luke wakes up Happy and goes to bed Happy. He is truly a joy! I thought by now the "other shoe" would have dropped as our social worker warned me it would when she was out a month ago as she said "this isnt normal". Well maybe she just doesnt know my family and know that we dont do anything normal hahah!

Dont get me wrong Luke has been through quite an ordeal in his life and he has started to share some stories of his life in the orphanage and they make me cry everytime he does... as they are scary stories and I am sure the worse has not even been close to being shared with me. Luke was very neglected and very abused over there and how his heart is as pure and innocent and open and willing to love as he does is sometimes beyond me. I doubt the orphanage ever thought he would be able to share the stories he has as they told us he was "mentally retarted" when we arrived in China in the orphanage. So I am sure with him being 10 and having no language they assumed their secrets were safe.... they couldnt be more wrong. I am guessing that a Deaf child with no language and no way to tell anyone what is going on is the perfect person to abuse and neglect as who can he tell anyway right?. I pray for the many children that are still there that they are treated better then my son was. I pray for their well being and that their forever families will find them soon!

As I write this Luke is outside (his new FAVORITE place to be!) and riding his new bike (our best investment ever so paid itself off the first day we bought it!) and within a few minutes he will be jumping on the trampoline with his brother, sister and some friends. Luke has become a social bug! He has been very social with adults since the day we met him but not so much with kids his own age. Now he has friends he plays with almost daily at home and they are all trying to learn some sign language too!!!!!! When Luke first came home he would not seperate from mom or dad (not that I can blame him as he hasnt had parents for 10 years but had a million kids to play with) he would follow us around and I trampled him over a few time when I went to one spot and turned around fast and didnt realize he was still on my tail. It was cute in the beginning but started to wear me out after a while but fortunately for me he then realized that playing with your brothers and sister surely trumps any boring thing that mom and dad are doing! Now the minute he comes home he is outside on his bike or his scooter. His brother and sister get home before him and wait with baited breath for Luke to arrive home!

I must admit Lukes arrival home from school everyday is my favorite part of the day! His van pulls down the street and I can see Lukes face plastered ( I do mean plastered) to the window with his hands waving double I Love You signs as hard as he can wave them and his smile couldnt get any bigger without his face cracking open! The van turns around up the street and pulls up alongside my house and when they open the door he is giggling and laughing and waving I love you like a mad man! The boy is truly excited to see his momma! The second he gets unbuckled he gets to the door of the van and catapults out and rockets into moms arms wrapping his legs around my waist (mind you he has gained 10 pounds in the 2 and half months since we met Luke) and he stays there for a few good minutes just laughing and hugging me like nuts! It is truly an amazing feeling the bond we all have with Luke. I would have thought it wouldnt be possible to feel so bonded to him. I truly expected us to slowly "learn" to love Luke, it 100% did not happen that way! It was love at first sight and a bond that didnt take very long to establish deep roots! Praise God for prayers being answered!

I will add some new photos and a few videos if I can. The videos might be seperate since I am not sure how to add them! Update you all again soon!

Tommy and Luke have become the closest of pals! (Tommy crawls into Lukes bed when Luke is scared in the night and hugs him until he falls alseep then crawls back in his bed) What a good brother!