We are having a fun time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The weather hasn’t been great, but as our first objective of the trip was to spend family time together, we have just tolerated the weather and focused on the family. I think Alex really got into traveling in the motorhome - he settled in on the couch with headphones on, listening to music, and playing games on the iPad.
Our first day here we walked down to Jackson lake and spent some time poking around. Alex took me by the hand and led me aside from the rest of the family and told me how much he loves lakes and mountains. He said he likes the smells, the water, and the views. I guess he has some happy memories of times with his dad. Amanda was trying to learn how to skip a stone and ended up by throwing the rock right into Alex’s stomach, and then G4 tried and winged G3’s temple. After that, we put an end to the stone skipping. Not a Gardiner family talent I guess.
We are staying in the Grand Teton National Park, but unfortunately have not gotten to see any tetons yet given the fog and cloud cover. However it is still a beautiful setting. We have gotten to see a lot of wildlife, bears, elk, deer, etc. Alex is making good use of his camera, taking it everywhere and taking pictures of everything. He loves wildlife and is always on the lookout as we drive around.
Yesterday we spent the afternoon in Jackson, poking around the stores and visiting the sights. In the evening we went to a chuck wagon dinner and listened to a country music band perform. We discovered that Alex hates (and I mean hates) country music! We got him a steak though - and he scarfed down all of it - our veggie patties were good but not on that magnitude. On a side note, he seems ok with being vegetarian most of the time at home with the exception of sandwich meat. I have given in on that, and of course when we go out - he is a carnivore extraordinaire.
It was snowing really hard when we left the show and we had a slow ride back to the RV camp. G3 was a little worried about driving off the road in places. It is only about a 45 minute drive normally, but with the snow it took about 1 and a half hours. It was pretty much a whiteout and the snow had accumulated so fast that you could not clearly make out the road in front of you. Alex, Amanda, and I were tired and started to zone out - good thing G4 was in the front seat with G3! It was so cute - Alex reached for my hand and squeezed it and then settled in and fell asleep still clutching my hand. I tell you all - he has a way of worming in and just squeezing my heart. He is so sweet and so nice and so loving, I still can’t believe that he wasn’t snapped up right away when he went in the orphanage. Anyway, on with the narrative :)
We have had a lot of fun together as a family here. The forced confines of the motorhome are actually good for everyone. Alex has been working really hard at making a conscious effort to be part of the family. He has been in a great mood here. On a funny side note - I have been learning how Cyranno de Bergerac (sp?) must have felt like! Alex has gotten the idea of texting to friends and has several that are regularly texting him. The problem is that he doesn’t always understand what they are saying or how to write back. So he will get a text and if he does not understand, he will give me the phone. I will translate and then we will decide what to answer back. If he can write it - he will, but if not then I have to write it! But his English is coming along great! He was able to call a friend that is going off to college next week and set up a get-together for when we get back. He was able to have a pretty good conversation! I am so proud of him.
Today we went whitewater rafting. It was a cold experience - the water here is 43 degrees in the Snake River! But we got wetsuits and splash gear so it wasn’t that bad. It was a great experience. Alex had some trepidation initially but I think he really enjoyed it. We put him and G4 in the front of the raft, that way he got good and wet and really got to experience the rapids. It was a relatively short trip - 8 miles - but we had some good class 3 rapids and a couple of class 4. Everyone was sad and didn’t want it to end. After the bus took us back to town, we went and got some ice cream - I mean, really, what is a better way to celebrate the great outdoors and exercise than with some calories, fat and sugar?
We stopped on the way back to the motorhome and tried to take some family photos. We set the camera up on a tripod and used our remote control to get pictures of all 5 of us. If I thought it was frustrating to get a family photo with 2 kids - multiply that - with 3 it was impossible. It took us 45 minutes to get a picture where everyone looked halfway decent. We would take one and see that Alex looked away, or I had my eyes closed, or G4 looked goofy! They were so funny that we ended up by laughing so hard it was impossible to line us up to get a good picture. But just when G3 and I were about to give up, we got a great one!
We came back to the motor home and G4, Amanda, and I cleaned up inside and Alex washed the car, and G3 washed the motorhome. We are settling in now, getting ready for dinner and watching the rest of Avatar that we started a couple of nights ago and never finished.
I have to say that the forced confinement has been great for bonding. Alex seems a lot more comfortable (as if that was ever a problem in the first place!) In the mornings, we have been lazing around. He is sleeping on the couch that pulls out into a futon. It has been so cold in the mornings that when I come out to check on everyone, he has patted the bed next to him and snuggled up with me. He knows how to get to me, I love to snuggle and have always decried the fact that Amanda and John do not cuddle. We spent two hours snuggled up this morning and dozed off and on. Okay - to be truthful, I dozed, all warm and cozy, while he played on the iPad. I could just stay like that all day, and I think he could too. He is very needy of physical love, and I am more than happy to provide it. Every 30 minutes or so, it used to be that he had to come and make eye contact with me. That has dropped off somewhat, but I have noticed that he still needs some type of physical contact. It could be a hug or touch, or even just brushing up against me. He will just run up and give me a hug or a squeeze. Then he is off until the next time. It is so cute. He is such a mix of child and adult - I guess a product of his experiences.
I am learning about Alex day by day. I know that he chews on his bottom lip when he is thinking or concentrating or unsure of himself. I know that he loves skinny jeans and adidas track clothes. He is very picky about how his shoelaces are tied. He loves to take showers - sometimes two or more a day, and he often forgets to brush his teeth at night. He is proud of his muscles and has me check them at least once a day to proclaim how strong he is getting. He loves learning English but hates schoolwork. He loves teasing people (like his sister) but has such a tender heart that if he thinks he has gone too far, will jump in immediately with an, “I’m sorry.” I know he bites his fingernails but is trying hard to stop. I know that he can’t wait to learn how to drive and wants a car when he turns 16. I know his favorite thing to do is bike ride and second favorite is to listen to music. In third place, is hanging out with friends and learning English. And I know that I love him to distraction and can’t imagine life without him!
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