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Care packages!


This week we received our very first care package. It mostly had a few favorite toys for the girls that I couldn't fit into our suitcases. I set them aside and packed them in a box for my mom to send to us later. I wanted to take a picture of the box to post on here, but Miia tore into it as soon as she realized it was addressed to her, so instead you see some of the contents. Mom sent the toys and added a few surprises - Valentine's chocolates, mac & cheese and Campbell's soup. While the girls have enjoyed the food here (Analea more than Miia, and probably not as much as me and John), I know they have missed some of the comfort foods from home. So the Annie's macaroni and cheese and Dora soup have already been attacked!

Miia has been having bouts of homesickness every now and then - missing her friends, her school, her family, her home. It's all natural, I know, and part of trying to adjust to a world where communicating with other people is challenging. But the care package really helped. The Polly Pockets - while they are the bane of my existence (I mean, look at how TINY the shoes are) especially when Miia asks, "Where is the magenta, one shouler top with the bow? Magenta, mommy, not light pink," they have provided endless hours of entertainment for Miia. She has already lined them up once on our bed, color-coordinating outfits and shoes and created a stage for them all to perform. Thank goodness for her active imagination.

And Analea has been so happy to "read" familiar books and play with the ball and hammer toys. I sometimes feel bad for the neighbors when she's tapping away at the balls, but then I remember the neighbor who (probably unknowingly) left on an alarm clock for at least 6 hours straight and another one who was lifting weights and watching bad television at 1 in the morning. Our noise and their noise - it's all part of apartment living!

All in all the care package was a hit with the girls. Now why didn't I pack something for John and myself too! Harry Potter IV, some unseen movies, clothes...oh well.

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