Visiting Graceland

We've now visited with our boy "Elvis" 4 times. We are having such fun getting to know him. Elvis is a little spark plug, full of energy and a bit of mischief. We already know he's going to test boundaries more than William ever has. But we are having a great time watching his personality come out and learning about him.

We're thankful to be here in the warm weather, so we can visit him outside. We have a playground on the orphanage grounds that is all our own. There is playground equipment, a pavilion, and a bench that sits under a shady tree.

We arrive and he is usually with his groupa on an adjacent playground. He runs to us, but is then VERY shy (but also quick to let the others know that we're there to see HIM).

As we make our way to our playground, he asks what we've brought him to eat. So visits typically begin with a snack on the bench.

Elvis loves playing with big brother William - or as he calls him, Vitya. William is a difficult name in Russian, especially for a kid.

William is an awesome big brother, using so much kindness and patience. They run, they climb, they play cars, they chase each other.

As my adoptive friend Erin put it, Elvis is always in the latest in orphan wear. And today was no exception. He had the "just back from the sea look".... meaning, underwear and hat. And nothing else, not even shoes. What a tiny little body! He's so precious, though.

Here are a few pictures from today. We are learning that much like William, this boy is not a picky eater. As we left today, he asked us to bring apple, banana, juice, bread, and candy tomorrow. Is that all? :)