Happy First Fourth of July!

Oh, what a fun, full day it has been!  I have been making mental and actual notes all day, hoping that I will remember all that I want to say about Michel's first Fourth of July in the United States.  Now the challenge is to keep this from being a million-word post, and to stay awake long enough to include everything I can.

Michel slept well through the night and slept in much later than expected this morning!  I was glad she could catch up on some sleep, especially knowing that today would be busy and tonight would be another late bedtime after the fireworks.  She joined us for a late breakfast/lunch of pancakes and canteloupe.

Michel spent a lot of time upstairs in her room this morning and early this afternoon.  I figured she needed some alone time, and she seemed to be enjoying the notebook and art supplies we gave her.  Every time I checked on her, she was writing, drawing, and coloring, so I let her have the time and space she needed.  Much to my surprise, she came down with a wrapped present and letter - the fruits of her labor upstairs!  She made bracelets for each member of our family as Fourth of July gifts, and she wrote one of the most beautiful letters I have ever received for my birthday (which is today).  I was so touched!  Her writing skills are excellent, and she expressed such gratitude for the opportunity to "get to know us, learn, and have many wonderful experiences" this summer.

Once she delivered the letter and bracelets, all traces of shyness disappeared, and she willingly jumped into every activity the rest of the day.  She is an excellent basketball player, and the kids beat the grown-ups in three out of four games this afternoon!  She smiles and laughs easily, and playing with our dog seemed to elicit the most laughter.

We attended a nearby Fourth of July parade, and it didn't take long for Michel to figure out the American tradition of diving for candy as the parade entries pass by.  She came home with 186 pieces of candy - plus the ones that she ate in the car and didn't count!  She never seemed to tire of the thrill of grabbing candy and other treasures - her face lit up at least 186 times - once for every piece of candy!

After the parade, we ventured to the grocery store, and Michel's manners were flawless.  We asked repeatedly if there was anything she wanted to try, and she didn't have any specific requests...until we were in the frozen aisle and she spotted french fries.  She was excited to see french fries, so that will be on tomorrow's menu!

This afternoon, the kids started a water fight.  Just like in basketball, Michel was quick to dive in and join our boys and the neighbor kids.  She did not hesitate for a moment to grab a water gun and fire away at anyone who came near!  (She did apologize immediately - in English - for spraying a neighbor who was barely grazed in the crossfire. :-)  )  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed her constant laughter during the battle!

We grilled three different kinds of meat for dinner.  When we asked Michel which she wanted to try (hamburger, hot dogs, or bratwurst), she said all three - and she ate a full serving of each for dinner!  She has a great attitude toward trying different foods - even things she might have tried previously and not liked.  I showed her how to prepare a hamburger bun with ketchup and mustard.  Even though she said she didn't like mustard, she still tasted a tiny bit, just to see if she might like it now.  (She doesn't.)

We finished off the night with the ultimate American Fourth of July tradition, fireworks.  Michel was familiar with fireworks and sparklers in Colombia, so they weren't frightening or unsettling to her.  She and the boys had a blast with the sparklers - perhaps even more so than the fireworks overhead.  She often sat down with me between sparklers to see the pictures I had taken.  On the way home, she said she had lots of fun at the fireworks tonight.

Michel snuggled right in to read with Mike and the boys at bedtime.  Mike was brave enough to grab one English book and one Spanish, but since the boys fell asleep during the first book (the Spanish one), Mike read one to Michel in Spanish, and then Michel read one to him, also in Spanish.  She reads beautifully - very fluidly and comfortably.  Although she said that her favorite school subjects are science and math, I've been very impressed with her reading, writing, and penmanship!  She seems to love the Spanish lullaby CD and has played it whenever she is in her room.  She often leaves the Spanish version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on repeat so she can listen to it and sing along over and over.  Bedtime was easy tonight - she put her music on, curled up under the covers, and before long, was asleep.

We saw lots of responsibility from Michel today.  She takes care of herself and her belongings well - showering this morning without being asked, getting dressed, putting laundry in the clothes hamper, asking where to hang wet clothing and towels after the water fight, keeping track of her water bottle during our outings.  She is serious and responsive when she needs to be, but she is quick to smile and loves to have a good time and make others laugh.

One thing that has struck me is how confident Michel is, how comfortable in completely new surroundings.  She seems quick to jump into whatever activity is on the agenda.  At age eleven, I think I would have been much more nervous to be in a new country, with a family I had never met, eating foods I didn't recognize...  Yet every time I ask, Michel says she is not nervous at all.  She is grateful for the opportunities this summer, and she seems to want to make the most of her time here.  Her only moment of hesitation today was when I offered her a scooter to ride.  She has tried riding a bike in Colombia, but she said she quit because she fell too much.  She has watched the boys on their scooters, but when I offered her a pink scooter of her own (thanks to generous neighbors who passed theirs along - thanks, Frohweins!), her eyes widened and she said, "No."  She said she couldn't ride, but with a tiny bit of encouragement from me - I only had to ask one more time and assure her that she could ride very slowly - she gave it a shot!  You could tell it was challenging for her, but she persevered, riding up and down the street several times before trading the scooter in for a basketball!

Mike and I tried to stick to some sort of schedule today, and we gave Michel plenty of heads-up about the plans for the day...but inevitably, we had several changes of plans.  For example, on the way home from the grocery store, we said that we would have some rest time when we got back.  But our very sleepy Michel got a second wind upon returning home, the dog needed to be walked, our boys got engaged in some other activity, Mike headed outside with Michel, and I didn't want to miss out on the fun!  Whenever there was a deviation from the original plan - meals at a different time, changes in activities, etc. - Michel rolled with the changes without any questions.  We did our best to follow through on our stated plans, but she was very flexible when our agenda changed.

Congratulations to anyone who is still with me after such a lengthy post.  I get much wordier after midnight. :-)  If we were at a parade, I would throw candy at you in appreciation.  I'll try to keep my future posts shorter, but it's hard when our family is learning so many awesome things about Michel, and we want to share!