6 months
It was six months ago today that we walked out of the orphanage in Taldom with these two kids. They are doing extraordinarily well. Language, behavior, attachment...all headed in the right direction. They are growing in every sense of the word. The Best of all, we all love each other.

But here's what's hard from the parent's perspective. This has been a true odyssey. The two trips to Russia. The endless trips between Moscow and Taldom. The smell of the orphanage. The scene in the courtroom. A week in a Moscow hotel room with one bed. Speaking mostly Russian for two months. Some haunting memories of kids left behind. All of that forms a memory that is precious, painful, movie-perfect, and distinctive. Our kids are succeeding. They are blending quickly into the American landscape. It's what we want for them. But the cost is that their unique route to this reality will soon be lost to all onlookers. Not only that, but the special roles we've had to play in helping with their transition will soon be unnecessary. We will simply have to be good parents like everyone else.

We are delighted and sad.