It always moves me to hear him play. When he practices he loves to improvise adding beats and notes to make the song come alive.
When he plays in front of people he enjoys it. Many people get nervous when they have to play in front of people but for Joshua it actually makes him better and he feeds off the excitement of the audience.


The first song he plays he composed and titled it:
12 Bar Roller Coaster Blues
Then he plays:
First Loss
Rigadoon
Landler
Russian Dance
Ecossaise
Wisdom of Snow (This is one of my favorites that he learned from the Transiberian Orchestra)
Baba Yaga

The day that we prepared to leave Haiti we had the wonderful opportunity of hearing the children, that Jeremy has grown up with, sing a farewell song. It was so beautiful. We were surrounded by 70 children and their Nannies. The whole room resounded with their voices. They sang for nearly 5 minutes straight. On the video I only put a portion of the songs. Later I will post all the songs if you'd like.
:)
After they were finished singing all the kids rushed over to give kisses, hugs and high-fives. What an emotional moment! That also went on for a good 5 minutes.





Jeremy was pretty blank faced the whole time. He had seen all this before but it was always about someone else. Now that he was in the "hot seat" he was still processing all that was happening and wondering what the next thing would be. He had been prepared for this moment for a long time. But what "going home" actually meant?...this was something that could not be described, only experienced. At that time he had no idea what to expect.
During our stay we saw him smile and he giggled when we played...but the whole time he was still hesitant and unsure. But once we flew out of Haiti and into Florida, and actually landed and were walking out of the airplane, did he completely let go of all hesitation. He had his Papa and Mama. Jeremy's papa and mama. He threw his arms around me in the airport, hugged and kissed and snuggled in my neck. It was the most night and day difference! I think he finally knew that the old was gone and the new was here.

We've been having a lot of fun this week bonding as a family. We are learning so much about our little guy and he about us. We've seen wonderful changes in him as he's relaxing into our schedule and becoming more and more secure in who we are. He is still apprehensive around new people and new environments. But at home he is a bundle of energy and overflowing with smiles and laughter.


Angela is a great helper with Jeremy. She enjoys playing with him and does well when it's her turn to hang out with him.

Jeremy loves to be involved with everything. Most of the time it has only required a little instruction, and if you're okay with it being a little more messy than usual, then it's actually a big help.
Here he is helping Dad (Papa) make omelets for breakfast:



He helps me with the laundry, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, set the table....I've found that if I involve him with what I am doing then I don't have to worry about what he's getting into when he's out of the room! Smart, huh?! :)

I thought the difference in food might be an issue. But so far he has adapted well. The first day I made dishes that were familiar to him. The second day there were some food that he liked (he's a rib man) and some that he didn't (he's not too fond of fresh veggies). The next day I made salad for lunch with rib meat on top...he ate the meat, spit out the lettuce, but then decided to eat half his salad when he saw there were chips too! He really likes chips and fruit.