Houston...We Have English!

And wouldn't you know, the first Russian word to be translated to English is "no"! I have to say, even though he's saying "no" in answer to every question no matter what we're asking (i.e. "Nicky, would you like an ice cream sundae with chocolate and sprinkles?"), it's pretty cute. He says it in a sort of sing-song manner & sometimes thinks about the answer before he says it (like it will be anything other than "no"!). It goes something like this: "Nicky, would you like to go outside and swing?"; Nicky's answer "Ummmm....noooooo." Most of the time it's immediately followed by a "da" - still not saying "yes" in English yet, but hey - "da" is kinda cute! As for the rest of his speech - he's getting much easier to understand and he knows about 116 words/short phrases!!! Yeah! We've been home just over 2 months, so we're thrilled with his progress! Some of his favorite words are: no, moon, come on, owie, more, mine, book, car, dog, snack; to name a few. We are amazed at the progress he is making and we get giddy as school girls when we hear him say something new. His teachers tell us he is really making strides at school too, as far as playing with the other kids, and not clinging to the teachers. Drop-offs are still a little rough & are frequently accompanied with tears and sometimes screaming. Pick-ups however, are a different story. He sees us & runs the other way, playing with his friends & hiding from us! At least we know he's enjoying himself now. The transition from school to home has gotten better as well. Whereas before he would run around the house crying & expecting to be held constantly, now he plays with some of his toys while we're fixing dinner & actually eats! The tantrums have gotten better, however, we've reverted to the constant whining - sigh...if it's not one thing, it's another! But - overall, things are much better in the Johnson household! Can't wait to see everyone over the holidays!