First day...

Well, today was our first day "nannying" Xander. And, what a day it was. Not often are the fates on the Warren-Schumachers' side. But, today they rallied.
Silas and I had a wonderful, wonderful day with Xander. This little man ... a Russian orphan adopted by dear friends of ours ... is a hoot. He was thought to be, sort of, shy and docile, at adoption. He has proven otherwise. Ten fold. Xander is a rock star. He has the most infectious smile. He has the most hysterical laugh. He has the most amazing drive to learn the English language and to roll with tens of thousands of punches, whilst giggling. He's a cuddle-bug. And ... he's a little sneak!
Today, he learned "apple", "tissue", "no, no Silas", "no, no Xander", "no barking, Chloe", "hot, hot', and "leave it".
I told Robin that I feel like I'm talking to my dog, as his first language is Russian. She feels the same. Those hand gestures you throw at your dogs, while training them, seem to pop out with children while "training" them.
The great thing is: this child is infinitely wise. Having lived in an orphanage since birth, I believe his wisdom of personal relationships may be much more intuitive than ours. He gets it. Though he may not know EXACTLY what I'm saying, he KNOWS what I'm saying. He's never had parents that snuggled with him, cried with him, laughed with him, read books to him, bathed him, punished him, etc. And, still, he is such a strong little guy. It's just bizarre. And a great, great lesson for Silas and me.
He has this look in his eyes. He seems so innocent. But, at the same time, he's an old, old soul. To imagine that he's been there for two years, breaks my heart.
He's made it through a long, hard battle. And, now, he's found his way home...with Noel and Robin: the 2 people that have spent an entire year fighting for him.
I remember Robin calling me, this same time last year, and asking me if I'd be a reference for them. I was more than happy to oblige. When I got the questionnaire from the adoption agency, I felt like I was taking the SATs all over again. They weren't f-ing around. But, this time, I knew I'd end up with a perfect score. It was easy to stand by these two wonderful friends, that I've known for 7 years, and let the agency know why they were lucky and blessed to have a couple of their caliber as clients.
I might be a breast cancer survivor. But, I don't even come close to the strength and endurance of our sweet Xander. What an amazing survivor and soul...
He is my hero.
xoxo
Anna