Meet the kids

Meet 9-year-old David Bryan Aberle. (He still pronounces his name with the Polish pronunciation sometimes - Daaaavid.)

He is intelligent. He is the only person I know who can use a hula hoop. He has a lot of energy that has been challenging to contain in our small apartment. He likes to eat, especially yogurt, chips, and eggs. He also likes to help in the kitchen.

I think he's a handsome chap with a dimple in his chin, just like Bryan. And a cowlick, just like me.

He is on the shorter and stockier side. (He'll be eating celery with me in no time!) He is sometimes affectionate, but he is a 9-year-old. Sometimes hugs are gross.

He doesn't like school, but he enjoys learning how things work together.

It seems the thing he loves most is running around and playing with other boys his age. If you have a boy in the 8-10 year range, I'm sure they will be good friends. Although he loves electronics, too, we try to limit it.

We were having a chat about chores recently. I was telling him all the "fun" things he would get to do when we get home. "Wait," he said, "mowing the grass doesn't sound like fun."

So I pulled up a picture of our lawn mower and told him how cool it was and, sorry, but Mom was going to do it. Well, now we have an argument going on who is going to get to mow the grass. He actually begs me sometimes to get to use the lawn mower. Now, if only that would work for other chores ;).

I asked him what he liked most about having parents and he pointed to his new watch we gave him.

Meet 5-year-old Roksana Kate Aberle. We call her Roxy, but she seems to prefer Roksana. She just seems like a Roxy, though, so I can't help myself.

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She is also a smart girl. She has poor vision, so she wears very thick glasses which she is sensitive about. She says they make her eyes look big (and they do). We were eating at a restaurant one night that had an aquarium and she said, "Wow! That fish has even bigger eyes than I do!" So she is funny, too.

She likes the color pink and any kind of craft. She loves music and if you can talk her into singing the ABCs or Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes, it's really cute. She seems to prefer being alone.

She is tall and thin and has very definite opinions on clothes. I think she is beautiful. She also has a dimple - this one is in her cheek.

She is both persistent and determined. And stubborn. These are qualities that will help her as she deals with some challenges.

These are our perceptions of them during the short time we have known them. Obviously, some of their behavior is distorted because we are just getting to know each other and their behavior is influenced by many other factors.

David is more outgoing and Roxy is shy. That's why it surprised everyone when she was not shy around us - ever. And David surprised everyone by being more scared. We aren't sure how they will act when we get home.

Since I can post pictures of the kids now, I thought you might enjoy this video from the day we met David and Roksana.