Blog written Dec. 29th by John's Grandmother Menefee...

Let me share as briefly as I can about our little John. To emphasize the "little", make a circle with your third finger and your thumb. That's how big his legs are. Muscles just bulge under the calf and he is so strong but as the Dr. says, he needs the fat around the muscle! 

Laurie's observation is spot on when she says he isn't  afraid of anything but he isn't risky. Example: On the playground, he loved the little slide but the big slide was a bit too much. Jaime {Uncle Jaime} began by putting him part way up and showing him how he could go down by himself. After two or three times, Jaime "raised the bar" until he was about 3/4 of the way up and coming down alone. We had to take his hand off the edge and he went down sideways but he was a proud boy! Learning to do things by himself really pleases him.

Playing with John was like playing with an infant because everything is new. Things like "patty cake" and nursery rhymes used in play are not unusual things for a 2 year old but it is for him. He laughed out loud when we "rolled" the patty cake and threw it in the pan! There are a couple of "riding toys" he has and I put him on the seat of one of them. He thought that was a good idea and after I put him on and helped him off about 3 times he began getting on by himself. He might hold up a hand for you to help steady himself but he was SO proud! I began throwing a ball to him when he was on the seat; he would get off and go get the ball so we could do it again but still has to learn how to throw it...or roll it for that matter! He is all boy. He loves anything that makes noise and he loves interaction which I'm sure he didn't see much of in the orphanage.

John's funniest thing is that he likes to play his version of "Simon Says" {and he is always “Simon”}. He begins by tapping the top of his head with his finger to see if you copy that. This is a sort of greeting he does when he meets someone... like asking, "Are you my friend?" He began doing other gestures, {clapping his hands is usually his next move}, crossing his arms, throwing an arm sideways etc. And the "game" is for you to imitate his motions. It really tickles him and makes him feel like "the leader". 

Sadly, in talking with Laurie last night (Dec. 28^th), she said John had a real meltdown after we left. He woke from a nap and cried hard for an hour...more grief. It makes me feel like I need to go right back to show him we haven't left him for good.

He doesn't throw toys as much as he used to so Ron maybe right in saying it is an anger issue. (He also did it in the orphanage and Ron said they used to put his toys up where he couldn't get them.) {Another sign of his grief was that} when he ate supper last night he threw his food more than usual so it may be anger or frustration {a way to work out his feelings of being left since his company went home}.