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Alicia's Corner Alicia is our thoughtful and compassionate pre-teen (eleven year old). She loves to play with others, but also enjoys being by herself. She and David are very hands-on and careful. Alicia will often express herself through pictures that she draws. She loves to daydream and therefore has difficulty remembering instructions and will loose track of her little sister, who she may be taking care of. She will sit by lonely people in church and make get-well cards for those who are sick. Alicia likes animals and is responsible for two parakeets, a dog and seven chickens. She also has a stuffed fawn that is her best friend at night. Alicia spends her mornings being home schooled by Mom. During her free time she stays busy reading books. Currently she is really into Daniel Boone, due to receiving several DVD episodes. She has been dressing up in David's Indian dress-up clothes and has adorned herself with beads, necklaces and would love to wear some paint on her face, if Mommy would let her! David is her playmate, with David chasing her all over the house and giving her a hard time.
Alicia has adjusted just fine to living in Brazil (although Portuguese is difficult for her), but misses her cousins quite a bit. David's Corner David, at eight years old, is our active go-getter. He is the first of our children to wake up in the morning, jumping out of bed and quickly doing his chores. He is also our chatter box. He is full of energy as long as he has had his rest, his belly is full and he wants to do what he is doing. David still loves swords, daggers, and guns. He can usually be found wearing Brazilian-made leather cowboy hat and boots. He also is very creative with paper and spends much time making helmets, Peter Pan hats, Pirate eye patches, and sheaths. He enjoys crafts; has sewed his own moccasins and put together a wooden helicopter. I can count on David to remember where the toys and dishes belong. Even though it constantly appears that he will break all the dishes and every bodies bones (by jumping and playing rough), he actually is quite careful and rarely has broken anything (plates or bones). He doesn't have a lot patience with tedious things, so a burdensome task shouldn't take too long. David also seems to do just fine living in Brazil, but also misses his cousins. He has really progressed in his Portuguese speaking abilities.
Karissa's Corner Karissa is something else, but I am not sure what! Karissa started singing and talking at 18 months, but breaks the dishes when asked to set the table. Definitely different than my other two! Karissa, at five years old, keeps me on my toes: tearing up cassette tape covers, drawing on walls, changing her clothes throughout the day, etc. Karissa enjoys playing with toys and the animals. She is our true animal lover. She doesn't like toy or stuffed animals, but enjoys the real thing. She goes outside in our back yard and sits with Slipper, our dog, or our chickens and talks and talks to them. She also enjoys climbing trees and trying to do what the other two kids do.
She charms everyone with her blond ringlets and cuddly personality. The boys at church are fighting over who will be her boyfriend when she grows up. "She's mine! She winked at me!" (The boys say) Karissa is not sure where she is, thinking it no problem to jump on a plane and go to her cousins' house. She often wants to look at her grandparent's picture and wants to talk to them on the telephone. When we first arrived (August 2007), she would often say, "Can I take this home?" "Can I take that home?" She has also been amazing with what Portuguese words she speaks. Who knows where she learned them, but when she wants to communicate, the words just seem to come out of her mouth.
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