The greatest thing I’ve learned from the last year is that raising three children from a different world and culture without completely losing your mind is not possible without the grace of God. We wake every morning knowing we are human and rest every night knowing He is not and that He is with us.John Paul is nine now and has been active at all times since we met him. He is constantly able to interject the subject of food into any conversation. He is extremely intelligent and was on the Honor Roll in his first semester at school. He plays soccer like a pro in the YMCA League and enjoys NASCAR and basketball as well. He reads books whenever he gets the chance, especially when he’s supposed to be doing homework or sleeping. He says he wants to be a teacher when he grows up, but doesn’t want a wife or children because, in his words, “children are too much trouble.” Very perceptive child…
Alisson, who is now eight, enjoys collecting live bugs and trying to sneak them into her room as pets. Her favorite toy is a bug vacuum cleaner. She loves to climb trees. She also loves music. She sleeps covered with stuffed animals and wants us to buy her the live equivalent of each one. I’m not sure where she plans to keep the bears… Pink is her favorite color and she likes to play dress up in Mom’s old gowns. She says she wants to be a house builder when she grows up.
Ethan is a five-year-old cherub who enjoys streaking about the house wearing only a smile. That smile could melt granite but won’t save him if he messes with my remote control again. He is continuously curious and can’t help but dismantle everything he gets his hands on. No interest in reassembly yet... He loves to ride his bike or scooter and loves to play basketball with the neighborhood kids. One night the prettiest five-year-old girl in the neighborhood ate pizza beside him and when she finished he looked at her and said those words every girl longs to hear… “Go wash your face.” What a charmer.
Collectively they are all taller and fuller. They no longer speak or understand Spanish though we are hoping they will relearn it later perhaps in school. Kimberly home schooled all three this summer to get them caught up with math and English (spelled s-o-u-t-h-e-r-n). Ethan has a pronounced drawl already. As with any sibling group they don’t always get along. Each wants all the attention they can get and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
As for Kimberly and myself, we have pulses and are breathing. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake. My job as a therapist requires me to try to get 13-15 people who don’t want to do anything to do things they see no reason to do. Kimberly’s job is different only in the number of people. How she does it and creates meals, does laundry, shops, oversees homework, and keeps herself pretty absolutely amazes me. Together we make a great team and are looking forward to many years of parenting these children, OUR children. We miss the news most nights because one or more of the kids is giving us the news from school or tattling on the others. But we really don’t miss the news of the world anymore because we have our own world now and we like it better than the old one.
Brian, Kimberly, John Paul, Allison & Ethan Hibbs, SC
