our first watercolors

Well, we made it until bedtime. So far today, Moses has figured out how to (1) RESET the combination on the digital safe in our room, (2) what happens when you throw an entire glass of water into the air, and (3) why you shouldn't fill a flip straw sippie cup with Sprite, shake it up, and hand it to Daddy in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

You should have seen the looks we got when we pointed to Moses, and tried to tell Chinese maintenance that he had reworked the theft-proof safe. Sigh. I still don't know how he did it. We just heard a bunch of beeps, and the combination was suddenly different. I know he had watched us open it once, but surely he didn't memorize it that fast?!

He's definitely not ADD, because he sat with Bobby for about an hour, intensely, seriously focused on making Play-Doh sculptures. Then, he was deeply absorbed in watercolor painting for about 40 minutes. He has an incredible attention span for a child this age.

However, he has almost boundless energy for exploring the world. When we put him in the bathtub, it's like he's trying to play fast so he can learn everything about how water works all at once. He will scoop huge cupfuls of water over his face and squeal with joy. Thankfully, I brought some bath toys with little axles that turn when you pour water through them. He LOVES watching those little gadgets turning, and aggressively (this is the only word I can think of to describe how robustly he is trying to learn) works the water to see how it will affect each one. Dunks the rubber duck. Lifts each foot in the air and pours water between each of his toes. Boom. Boom. Boom. Learn this. Learn that. Try this. Try that. Momma said not to drink the tub water. What happens if I do it anyway? What happens if I almost do it anyway? What happens if I try to fake her out, then almost do it anyway?

We had a pretty significant fit today when we told him, "No" about something. We just patiently and gently held him in our laps. After a pretty stubborn crying session, he finally said, "Sorry, Daddy." And all was well with the world again.

I'm DELIGHTED that he has this much fight in him. His spirit hasn't been broken, and he expects adults to respond to his emotions. He definitely needs retraining in self-control, but there's a fire in his spirit that has tremendous potential once it is directed toward good.

I asked someone if they could recognize his heritage from his face. She said he was mostly Han Chinese, but that he had the facial porportions that Chinese people consider very handsome. So, it's likely that he was considered "cute" in the orphanage. That may be why he has learned to move mountains with a cute little smile and a twinkle in his eye.

We spent some time training him to "Come here" with Skittles today. He loved the game, but we have some more work to go yet.

He hated the hotel playroom. His body tensed up and he kept saying, "Come on!" We found out that there were foam pads on the floor like what were in his orphanage. Maybe that was it.

Better run. Someone is throwing his last fit of the day... I love my little tiger. :)