Six months ago at this moment, I was unconscious from the intoxicated stupification that can only be induced by an 11-hour jet lag. We flew the victory lap over Europe, over the Arctic Circle, and over the moon with our newly redeemed son and daughter. At the airport we hugged our kids, hugged our friends, somehow drove all the way home, and promptly put everyone to bed at 6 pm so we could collapse with dignity instead of being peeled off the kitchen floor by our 12-year-old.

I’ve been slowly coming to ever since. The fog is lifting and the sun is shining and I almost never feel like I just got whacked by the freezer door…except for the other day when I did get whacked by the freezer door…anyway, I usually feel pretty good lately.

We have two little girls who have both decided that going potty on the potty is a pretty great thing. I have gone for daaaaaays without changing a stinky diaper and this victory alone makes me less tentative of getting out of bed in the morning.

We have a little boy who has not had an “askident” for weeks. He often grins and announces, “No wadder…no askident!” before bedtime and we are overjoyed that he now understands the relationship between clear water going into the body and yellow water coming out of it. This was a huge relief to us because for a while it looked like he was going to start having accidents on purpose just for the joy of showering afterward every time he could pull it off.

We have a big boy who is learning to read and play the piano beautifully. He turns seven very soon and continues to be the bigger-and-wiser-though-still-slightly-younger brother to Andrey and Reagan. He has navigated the weirdness wonderfully and I love his fluffy red head.

We have a big girl who gets her little sisters dressed in the morning and even helps them make their beds. She is also playing the piano beautifully and composing her own music. Her freehand, wavy staff thrills me.

 We have a biggest boy who is learning geometry in sixth grade that I never learned in tenth (fascinating stuff!) and reading Lord of the Rings and Plutarch. I thought I had lost him in Costco last week and he reassured me that no harm could come to him because, don’t you know, he had his knife. Well, that’s a relief. (!)

There are still many unknowns and surprises. The other day I found Reagan with a magnet stuck to her head – one of those 3/4 inch building kit magnets that come with a ton of ball bearings; they’re strong little suckers. Sticking right up out of the side of her head. My first thought was, “Oh, Jesus!!!” and then (I’ll be honest) “Well, that explains a lot…” I was calmly trying to figure out whether I should call the doctor or our attorney in Bulgaria first. And then I realized it was stuck to her barrette.

Happy anniversary to us. We’ve been home, all eight of us, all together, for good, for ever, for six months.

I think we’re going to make it.