New man in the house...

Talk about a rough weekend for my son. This weekend, he grew up. And didn't like it much at all.

Yesterday I took the kids on our Saturday Errands and gave John some peace and quiet at home (he wasn't feeling well). Went to the library, did a little shopping, got the car washed, and then went to Burger King. This time, instead of doing the Drive Thru, we went inside to eat. This particular BK has an enormous play area in it. Biggest the kids have ever seen, and Wow, were they excited that they actually got to play there this time.

Well, everyone except Adam. He is now as tall as I am, according to the measurement on the wall. John says I'm still a hair taller, but either way, Adam is a young man, and a young man that is too tall to be running around in the Play Place at BK with so many other little kids there. We both read the rules together, and while he was flattered that now he was a young man... it stung. After he ate his chicken salad, he walked around the outside of it looking in, and played with the Tic Tac Toe game on the outside wall of it since that's all he could. (If there hadn't been so many other families of little kids there, I would have let him in anyway. He was pretty pathetic.)

So, on the way home, I stopped at the gas station for some milk, and who should be outside with his real-live reindeer, but Santa. Now, actually at our house, we don't "do" Santa. The kids' gifts are from us, and always have been. We've just always been convinced that not only was it important to emphasize the Real reason for the season, remembering Christ's birth, but also that the kids know that their presents were from their parents. (Kinda like how we wanted their food to be from us at the beginning... It's a huge bonding thing).

Well anyway, as I was on the way inside, the kids asked if they could see the deer and wave to Santa. Sure, ok. Nothing wrong with that. Well, the girls wound up on Santa's lap before you could say "Ho-ho-ho!" Adam stayed with me acting totally disgusted that the girls were being so crazy. In reality, he was more than a little disappointed not to be on Santa's lap himself. Lots of heavy sighs, and reminding me how big he was. The girls, on the other hand, had a good ole time telling Santa what they wanted. Actually, Leksa clammed up, and Liana had to whisper in her ear telling her waht to say. Finally Liana just told him, "She likes what I like. We want crowns and earrings!"

So, on the way home, Liana said, "We didn't think he was real, but Mama, that man thought he was, so we had to tell him what we wanted when he asked us. He thinks he's going to bring us stuff on Christmas, so maybe he will this year!"

LOL!

John did a major eye-roll when they came home so excited. Then, he told the girls they had a Much better shot sitting on HIS lap asking him what they wanted, so they were glad to do that. (Even Adam.) ;O)

So, I felt bad for my Buddy all day yesterday. My little boy in his Young Man body. He's still so immature, and emotionally so young... It's just so hard that his body and his birthday don't coincide with what his heart and emotions are doing. :O(

Last night after we tucked the kids in, I heard Mom's teddy bear singing Adam a lullaby several times in a row. He needed that really, really badly, and I got more than a little teary...

It was the last straw this morning that we found Susie dead. Adam tried so hard to be brave, and my Mama heart busted wide open for him. I was in sobs. Not this weekend of all weekends! It's like her death marked the end of Adam's childhood or something. I don't know. It just felt like the Susie Era was the time when Adam could be a little boy, and now the world (and his body) thinks he's all grown up now. After we talked and hugged a while, Adam wanted me to tell Auntie Sharon, who was the one who gave it to him. He said, "Tell her I loved Susie and took good care of her, but that she died." *sobs* A very young man thing to say, I thought.

We buried our furry friend this afternoon in the woods on the hill next to our house.

Adam is finding out it is hard to be getting older, but I'm also finding out how heartbreaking it is to watch my little boy become a man.

End of an Era

A lot of broken hearts over here this morning...

Susie Cute, the Hamster passed away in her sleep last night...

Obit to follow later on...

Blog to pass along...

Gotta pass along a blog to watch. Lisa has been my "blog buddy" since we got our kiddos over two years ago, and has been in the process of her own adoption almost all that time. It has been a gruelling two years for her among all the mess of Ukie Politics. She had her appointment today in Kyiv and has her referral! I'll let her and her hubby make their big announcement:

http://www.mattandleeukraina.blogspot.com/

Gift from Grandma

Most of you who have followed along with this blog since the beginning remember that I lost my mom a few years ago. It's been four now, which is unreal to me... Seems like it happened just yesterday!

Before Mom died, she made crocheted teddy bears for all her kids and grandkids. Talk about a LOT of bears. They were/are adorable. John and I got one, and while we didn't have any children at the time, she went ahead and made one for "Future Fisher." I've always kept it with my Christmas decorations. Last year I actually put them on my Christmas tree away from little hands that I was afraid would be too rough with them.

This year I put Mom's Bears on our mantle. Well, Adam has been asking us this year for a teddy bear. He doesn't have one, and never has. Which is ironic since he has *so* many stuffed animals (which he loves!) His Ukrainian name means "Little Bear," so it is rather strange that we've never bought him a bear. Well, anyway, while playing with the bears on the mantle, the one that Mom made for "Future Fisher" started playing MUSIC. I never knew it played music! You squish its head, and there is a music box (or something!) in it that plays a lullaby. It startled me to hear it. Adam loved it instantly. He's our anything-that-makes-noise lover around here.

Adam grinned ear-to-ear and danced around the livingroom with it when I explained to him how special it was, and gave it to him as a Christmas gift from the grandma he never knew...

Thanks, Mom... that meant a lot to me... I'm so tickled his first teddy bear got to be from you!