First All-Family Outing

This morning we had another house full of company. John's cousins happened to be in town, so they, John's mom and sister all came over. The kids handled it really well, except for Adam. Adam is a sulker if he doesn't get his way (REALLY going to have to work on that), and he was given a gift of clothes, which apparently aren't as fun as toys. He sulked about that though he put them on and said he liked them (after Mama asked him... his body language sure didn't say that!) I told him to go out and show everyone, and his sulking got pushed up a notch and he wouldn't go. I figured it would be better for him to stay in his room and sulk rather than to mortify me and the person who gave him his gift, so there he stayed for a while. Actually, he changed out of his new clothes and THEN came out a little later. Grrrr... Can't tell if this is Typical 9-year-old behavior, or Kid-who-doesn't-know-how-to-deal-with-all-the-attention behavior. Never had a 9-yr-old before!

The girls were perfect angels, and the little bit of "silliness" from the girls was pretty normal little-girl behavior, and absolutely nothing alarming. It's such a relief that they are doing so well.

Mama CAVED about telling everyone about the "nobody holds the kids but us and the grandparents" rule. I just HAVE to get a backbone in that department. Only grandparents and us. That's it. Though the girls did fabulously today, (and for the most part, Adam too), I have still seen them go to strangers for things they shouldn't be (hugs/picking up, etc.), and that has GOT to stop. They have to learn that their comforters are Mama and Papa - nobody else. Very hard to explain to people not in our shoes, especially if they are well-meaning family members who love our kids to death already. Now to just get up the gumption to TELL people that when they are sitting in our livingroom! Regardless, they acted like normal run-of-the-mill little kids today, and I was SOOOO relieved!

After they left, I had to stop at my dad's for our mail, so I put Aleksa in the car (major heart-thumping about that idea... She HATES seatbelts.) I just made a big deal about going to see Dyedushka, so she calmly climbed into her carseat and away we went. She was an absolute ANGEL at Dad's house (whew). Dad has a quiet house with just him there, so I'm sure that had to help a lot. I think I stayed for almost an hour, and she flirted with Grandpa, but never asked to be picked up (figures; he's one of the only people on the list of those who have our permission!) She gave him kisses though, which melted Grandpa's heart a little I think! ;O)

THEN (boy was this a big day for us!), we got brave/stupid and piled all the kids in the car and drove to Granddad's Bluff park. We let the kids look at the view and play a few minutes. John's sister, her daughter, and John's cousins also went. We didn't stay long, but it was a nice test to see how they would do "going out" and they were GREAT! (Ok, minus Adam not wanting to smile for our family photo on the bluff. Again, probably just 9-yr-old behavior coming out). The kids acted like normal family in every sense of the word. The girls begged John and me to carry them - nobody else. (Yaaaaay!) (Though, boy are they getting heavy! I weighed Aleksa at Dad's house and she's 32.5 lbs.) John and I sang songs all the way there and back, as Liana kept begging for more. Then she asked for the song I mentioned yesterday that I know in Ukrainian, and then we all sang that one too. (Minus Papa, that is). I got Liana on video singing that. Haven't looked at it yet, but I sure hope it turned out!

The rest of the day the kids had us all to themselves and they played outside with Papa, and this evening we watched Mary Poppins again. Aleksa fell asleep on the couch (her normal spot to do so for the last several nights), and the other two didn't make ANY fuss at all at bedtime. I laid in bed with Liana a few minutes though. She wanted to practice counting my fingers. She can count to ten just fine now, but she has the cutest little accent! Of the three, she's the most interested in asking what things are in English, and the most brave about using the little English she knows. ALTHOUGH, tonight when we were tickling all the kids on the livingroom floor (*bliss*), Adam said, "Stop!" John had taught him that word the day before at the park when they were swinging. Since we were so tickled he used an English word, we did stop, but we had to reward him with lots and lots of sloppy kisses. *tee-hee*

Speaking of sloppy kisses, Liana has been doling out kisses left and right to us. She tried to kiss John on the lips the other day and John told her that "only Mama" can do that, and came over and showed her. (Which inspired a room full of kids to say "EEEEWWWW" in Russian.) She thought it was a game thereafter to try to kiss him on the lips, so John has had to cover his mouth, etc. It has been a fun game, but also a good time of learning boundaries with the children, and also a time to teach how special Papa thinks Mama is. *Grins*

Adam slugged Liana today, so I took him to his room and had a "chit-chat." I told him he had to say he was sorry to her, kiss her on the cheek and hug her. Tall order for a 9-yr-old boy, but he eventually did it. Liana was thrilled that I made someone other than her do that since it had been her turn to do that with Aleksa this morning. When he finally did it, then Liana and I had fun smothering Adam's cheeks with kisses telling him he was a good boy, etc. He gave me a great hug, and I told him he was my son and that I was happy about that, etc. He hugged me longer than I thought he would have, and so Mama was pretty happy about that. He's a great kid. Rough around the edges sometimes, but he's realllllly coming along.

Food update: Liana didn't want her banana bread today!!!! Yay!!! AND: (Ready?) Aleksa ate everything she was given for supper tonight! She even gave me the thumbs up sign! Maybe Mama is finally learning to cook! ;O)

I also talked to a teacher friend of mine tonight about homeschooling. It was nice to get some encouragement as to what direction to take, especially since she has had some ESL experience in her classrooms. Also, she currently homeschools one of her sons, so she knows the ropes that way too. She offered to let us look at the curriculum she uses, etc. I feel much better now. She also has an extra form to submit to the state for registration as a homeschool family. I had been worried about an August deadline to do so (and then be violating a truancy law), but she said the deadline is in October, so I was very relieved to hear that.

'Nough for now, the kids are about due to wake up and hit the floor running - and I haven't had my shower yet!!!! Gotta go!