Getting to know our Ticas. (Nathan)

"E's"" scorecard" from the last two days.

It's been 2.5 weeks since we met our girls. While there is still so much to learn about, and from, one another we are getting to know each other very quickly.

I wish I could share a few pictures of the girls, however, we cannot post pics until our court date, which is in exactly one week. (Yeah!!!!!) Instead of showing you a picture I want to describe each of the girls by their personality, character, and charm.

First is "D." She is twelve years old and very shy when you first meet her. I remember our first Skype call when I could count on one hand the number of words she spoke. Likewise, our first meeting day was filled with blank stares, shy smiles, and a quiet demeanor. Fast forward 2.5 weeks, and she has exploded out of her cocoon. "D" has one of the most beautiful smiles that I have ever seen. Her smile can light up a room and can turn around a sour mood in no time.

Each day we see more and more of her personality come out. In just the past few days, she has begun to initiate conversations. Whereas before, she would only speak to us if we started the conversation. Initially, she would talk through her younger sister, "E" by whispering words that would be meant for us. While she still does this from time to time, she is quickly learning that she can, and should, come directly to us.

Where do I begin with "E?" She is a bundle of joy and orneriness wrapped up into one little human. It is important to know where she is at all times. Otherwise, she will sneak up on you and scare you. However, I am getting used to her tactical strategy and can ward off any attacks.

Soon after Kayla and Aubry left for the States, "E" began doing this "whining" thing when she wanted something, didn't get what she wanted, or just felt like it. We knew that we were going to have to nip it in the butt immediately. So we came up with a "three strikes" rule. If she whined three times then she was not able to watch television the rest of the day. If she whined three more times, then she couldn't play games on our phones. The first day ended with no television watching, but the second day she didn't get one strike!

After a rough start in life and five years in an orphanage, both "D" and "E" have experienced many things that children should not have to go through. Despite those negative experiences, they are precious girls with big hearts and lots of room to love and be loved. As they continue to trust us and feel safe around our family, we will no doubt get to see more of the personality and uniqueness shine.

(Tico and Tica are terms used for Costa Ricans. You can read more about them here.)