Birthnames

Last weekend when we were at the park (pre-deluge), I asked the Mrs. if she ever used her daughter's birthname with her. (Her son actually goes by his birthname). She said her daughter gets mighty huffy if anyone ever calls her by it, so, no, they only use her American name.

I've been thinking about that ever since. I use my kids' birthnames with them alllllll the time. Probably half of the time with the girls, and fairly often (usually mornings and nights) with Adam. Perhaps they like to hear their birthnames because their siblings called them that, and the "bad association" with Ukraine isn't as acute? Or, maybe since I use their birthnames as terms of endearment? "Zina Ballerina" or "Valentina Ballerina" for example, and of course there's "Princess Liliana Valentina" or "Princess Aleksandra Zinaida." Adam is my "Misha bear" and has bear pajamas and bedding to go along with that theme. (Mishka evidently means "little bear.")

I have heard so many stories of Ukie kids not wanting anything to do with their birthnames once they are home in America... I just wonder if my kids always having each other takes the urgency out of "needing" to fit in to their new lives in America by using an American name.

Who knows.

That said, I am glad we changed their names. Well, we didn't totally change them, rather we moved their birth names to their middle names... It was a right of passage for us as their parents to give them new names, and also a gift to the children to give them names that wouldn't make them stick out like sore thumbs as "not from here." But, I also feel like, as long as the children LIKE their names, that I should use them. (Besides, I love their birthnames, and they are fun to say!)

Grounded

We have such a pathetic child here today. Adam went and got himself grounded this morning, (don't ask!)

Since his neighbor friends have come home from school, he's been glued to the window like a little puppy dog. One of his friends (his best friend, actually), came to the door asking for him, and Aleksa told him that he was grounded but that SHE could go out and play with him.

(I didn't see it, but I'm fairly certain she had to have batted her eyes about right then. She Looooooooves "Robby!")

This did not make our sad puppy any happier, lemmetellyawhat, and I have been seranaded by a loooong string of heavy sighs for the past half hour.

Life is so hard sometimes.

Papa Birds

Don't know if I've mentioned our "Pa-pa!" bird... It has been driving John CRAZY this spring.

We've been having to sleep with the windows shut :O( because this dumb bird screeches at us in the morning almost right outside our window. And it doesn't just screech... John is quite sure it is saying, "Papa! Papa!" And it makes him NUTS.

We haven't ever seen this guilty bird in action to identify it, but I decided to do some poking around on some audio-clips of birdies today, and have discovered that it is most definitely a ring-necked pheasant. We've seen them around, so it isn't surprising...

I'm thinking John just might just be persuaded to become a hunter! lol!

Fun Day?

And so today we had a wonderful picnic/get-together time with another Ukie family in the area... It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time.

Well, check that. It was a beautiful day until we were Just about to leave. Then it dropped a thunderstorm on our heads and completely drenched and froze us all. Unfortunately we had wound up parked about as far away from the zoo as we could possibly be, and therefore had a nice 15 minute walk, er, run through the torrents (yes, torrents) of rain.

John led the parade, and several times I had no idea where he was because he was so far ahead, and I couldn't remember where we were parked. Talk about a panic!

Leksa was crying. Liana shivering. Adam loving every adventuresome minute.

Me? Well, I am now sitting with my foot propped up with ice. I twisted my ankle *twice* in the process of the mad rush to the car.

But we had a good time, and I'm quite sure not a one of us will ever forget this day. If and when our camera dries out, perhaps I'll post a picture or two. But I've been wanting a new camera anyway, right?

Now we're getting ready to go to some friends' house for supper.

We plan to bring an umbrella.

Poor Liana!

Liana was all geared up for No Math today (finished her book yesterday).

She got "all done" with her schoolwork when who should knock on the door but the postman delivering a package.

"That's NOT my new math book, is it, Mama?"

Her only consolation was that her new book is Pink.

*tee-hee*

Strawberry shirt

This morning Adam was going through his clothes, and pulled out a yellow shirt with a nasty stain down the front of it.

I asked him if he wanted to pitch it.

He said it was one of his favorite shirts, so no way. I asked why he liked since it was so gross.

He said that the stain was from when we had strawberry pie (must be two years ago, since I didn't make it last year...) and that he didn't want to throw the shirt away because it made him happy that he got to eat such yummy things here in America.

Couldn't believe he could remember what he ate two years ago!

We kept it.

Nice day!

We had a nice, nice day at Willow River State Park. They have waterfalls (a dam, actually), nice river to canoe/kayak/fish in, a beach, a playground for the kids, nature trails galore, etc. Super weather, and everyone was feeling well. How 'bout that! Just a fabulous day together relaxing and having fun skipping rocks, wading in the water, playing in the sand, taking extra time to notice caterpillars, bugs, birds, etc.

On the way out of the park we passed (and then turned around to take pictures of), a really long Western Fox Snake (hadda Google it when we got home!) It was sure pretty! Yellow body with brown spots. Huge. After that fun discovery, I'm half-tempted to up and do a unit study on snakes with the kids this summer. That might be kinda fun. Evidently there are 20 species of 'em in WI, so that would give us a nice and tidy number to look up and learn about. John thinks they'd be more interested in a botony unit, so we'll have to see. Adam likes to ask what different plants are, and what they're used for, etc. Really need some nature journals. Haven't found a good one yet, but I suppose we could just as easily make our own. (So much for only "math and reading" this summer) - but the more I think of it, the more it makes sense to continue doing science in the summer when we can actually be out and about. (I'm becoming SUCH a homeschool mom!) lol!

Happy Memorial Day!

Well, this weekend's plans have really flown out the window. Saturday we had rain, rain, rain, which ruined the picnic idea. John took us out to supper instead. Which was good because I was having lots of different cravings, so we opted for a buffet-style restaurant. We came home stuffed and happy. (I think I ate more than Adam!)

Saturday night Liana started really coming down with a nasty sore throat. She woke up Sunday with a fever too. So, she and I layed low while everyone else went to church. Kind of a ho-hum day. I read her a pile of books, popped in a few library videos, and she guzzled juice.

I'm HOPING we get to do SOMETHING fun today! lol! The sky looks clear, and Liana has perked up. (She is currently singing at the top of her lungs in her room... Her throat must not be bothering her TOO badly! lol!)

Hope you all are having a nice weekend!

Mornin'!

Bright and shiny here after a few days of rain. We had really needed it, though. I'm hoping the weekend stays nice. The rain sure made everything nice and green up here. It could still probably use another day or two of it, but we'll take what we can get. (And hope it doesn't spoil everyone's weekend plans!)

Tomorrow we're headed to a State Park here in town, (just right down the road, really). Not planning to camp overnight, but we'll plan to spend the day. There's a beach, nice hiking trails, a waterfall, etc.

Not sure yet what to do on Monday... Nice to have a "free day" to not already have penciled in. I'd kinda like to head down to Osseo and have a slice of pie at the Norske Nook, and poke around the little shops. (It is a little Norwegian town). Not terribly kid-friendly, but *sigh*, maybe there's a park there to hit also. Need to see what John thinks about that idea. Haven't run it past him yet.

Next weekend we're getting together with another family that adopted from Ukraine. We call them our Ukrainian cousins. Hopefully the weather will be nice then too - we're meeting at the Como Park Zoo in the Cities. (Anyone else out there adopted from Ukraine/going to? Would you like to join us?) (Email me! shelly@johnandshelly.net)

School is winding down here. The older two have finished their language stuff, and Liana has just one more week of math before she finishes her book. (Poor girl doesn't realize though, that I'm buying her the next book to get started with right away... we do reading and math all summer!) That's about it! Hope everyone has a great day!

Video clip

Ok, you all need to head over to Tami's blog "Finding Maddie" and watch the short video clip she has on there. Don't forget the kleenex... It's about Ukrainian orphans/orphanages.

http://findingmaddie.blogspot.com/

Tagged!

Groan! Someone just tagged me on their blog and I'm supposed to write 8 random habits/facts about myself, and then tag 8 more people to do the same. I won't say who, because she is very private about who knows/has access to her blog.

But I have a confession... I don't read a lot of blogs... so I'm not sure I can come up with that many! And to think of 8 people who read MY blog to KNOW that they're tagged... uff, it's a stab in the dark.

So. Lemme think. Uh. I must have some random facts or habits around here somewhere...

1. I must, repeat must fall asleep with my right arm thrown over my eyes. Really bad for my eyes, and I've tried to break the habit, but alas, I've been doing it too long. And while my right arm is slung over my face, my left hand rests on my tummy and my feet are crossed at the ankles.

2. I'm much more shy and reserved in person than you might think by reading this blog. I can rarely think of anything to say in person... and social gatherings tend to stress me out. Much rather write than speak.

3. Oh, here's one. I have hazel/green eyes, but alllll growing up my mom always bought me blue pajamas "to match my eyes." It drove me batty. She had blue eyes, and several of my siblings do, but mine aren't. But she swore they were. So, in college, I bought myself a set of GREEN jammies. And threw away my blue. !. (I was such a rebel, lemmetellyawhat!)

4. I'm the youngest of 7. Well, actually 9. Two brothers died as infants. I was the "whoops" baby of the family - Mom and Dad were "done" having kids for 14 years when I strolled along. So, really, I was an only child with a bunch of siblings that were up and out by the time I could remember much. I guess that's why I've always wanted a big family. I missed a lot, and was frankly rather lonely... (though all my sibs think I lucked out instead.) (The grass is always greener, isn't it?)

5. I don't really like "Stuff." I don't have any fancy collection of teapots or ceramic birdies, or whatever. (Do you know you have to DUST that stuff?!) The things I have that don't "do" anything but are just for show are few and far between in my house. Just a few keepsakes - precious few, and boy, they'd better be Pre-Cious. Pictures on the other hand, aren't "stuff." They're treasures. "Stuff" just has too much of a tendency to take over my life and swallow my house. So, I'm extra careful on what I bring into the house. Not having a basement in anyplace we've ever lived has really been a valuable lesson for me. I can't "hoard" stuff because there isn't room, so I only keep things that are meaningful (VERY meaningful!), or useful.

6. I hated, was freaked out by, and refused to learn for the longest time, anything about computers. I figured I'd poof them if I touched them. Avoided them like the plague. Then I married John Fisher, Computer Geek Extraordinaire. Fought it for a year or two, and then he plunked me down in front of ours and made me learn on my own. Grrr. And I was hooked in no time. And he had to buy me my own. :O)

7. I'd love a garden. Veggie garden. I'd love to have a root cellar full of canned goods (not tin cans, I'm talkin' the glass quart jars Grandma always had...), and fruit trees galore. And a strawberry patch. And maybe a couple chickens in the yard. Or more than a couple. (For the freezer). ;O)

8. And last but not least.... I have a perfect record in Skeet Shooting. I was dragged out with a shotgun once and told to smash a clay pidgeon. There was a big group of us and I was mortified. (See Number 2). But, being a good sport, I followed the directions and did what they said. And I smashed that clay pidgeon in a million pieces. Best shot of anyone there. And after my turn, I handed back the gun and declared that I'd never do it again - didn't want to mess up my perfect record! lol!


Whew, glad that was over with. How stressful! ;O)

I tag Ruth, Missy, Kate (though I KNOW you're swamped, so don't worry about it!), Jodi, Julie... and isn't that sad, but those are the only blogs that I read and have a feeling I'm being "read" in return... I don't get out much, I'm tellin' ya.... (or else not enough of ya tell me that you're out there reading...!)

Update on the Carpet Ride

My sister was asking me where Leks finally decided to go on her magic carpet. So I asked her.

She decided on India.

I asked her what she did there. She said she adopted 14 kids.

"Wow," I said, "That's a lot of kids!"

"Yeah," she said, "and I already have 12 at home. That's like a hundredy-one kids!"

I guess so! lol!

Freaked Wits

I keep forgetting to write about the new phrase Adam coined... The other day I told Adam something that surprised him or shocked him. He said, "Mama, you're freaking my wits!"

Don'tcha hate when your wits get freaked? lol!

Mother's Day Comparisons

Thought it would be fun to do a little compare/contrast... The top pic is from today... My tummy is pooching, though you can't really see it in this pic... It was fun to wear something that proved I was expecting... I still cringed at the part of the church service where the pastor asked "All the moms" to stand up. A part of me wanted to stay seated out of protest for those sweet ladies (including our own pastor's wife!) who haven't ever been able to have children and who feel horrible not being in the "in" crowd on Mother's Day...

The bottom, is 2 years ago, my very first Mother's Day. I'm frazzled there... Not only because my trio was rambunctious and uncooperative, but also because I was still recovering from surgery and dead tired... I had just had an ectopic pg a week or so before... While it was a bummer that I'd just lost a little one, I remember that the sting wasn't nearly as bad as the previous loss... This time when I came home from the hospital, my house was full of laughter, energy, and lots and lots of legos on the floor to step on! Coming home from a hospital after a miscarriage to a house that still didn't have children there was much, much harder for me. An extra sting, if you will.

I'm only 13 weeks right now, and everything is fine as of right now, but ya know, if this pg doesn't work out either, it will be ok. My heart is very full with my sweet Ukies, and I am truly content. It has been a blast being able to share my Pg News though so far, and so, even if something horrible does happen, I'm so thrilled to have been able to have such joy in the days I have had... Last weekend when we did our announcing will always be a delicious memory no matter what happens to Little Fish. Hopefully I'll be able to carry this one the full nine months, but ya know, sometimes we forget to smell TODAY's flowers. And TODAY, the flowers smell wonderful!

(I just heard tonight that a friend from home lost a baby today - Mother's Day - at 11/12 weeks... so this stuff is heavy on the brain...)

Anyway, I'd appreciate your prayers... for me, but especially for my friend... Losing a child is rough, but on Mother's Day? :O(

Happy Mother's Day!

Mothers

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's alright honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who don't.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

And for the mothers who lost their baby in that precious 9 months that they will never get to watch grow on earth but one day will be reunited with in Heaven!

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read " Goodnight, Moon" twice a night fora year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there,only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking t o school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...

And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Magic Carpet Rides

Aleksa just came out of her room dressed to the 9's declaring that she was going to Kenya, Africa on her magic carpet.

"Well, cool!" I said. She hasn't talked about going on magic carpet rides for many months now, so I was tickled she still "liked to do that." :O)

Off she went, outside in her dress-up shoes and necklaces... Fifteen minutes later she came in saying, "Mama, there's a war going on in Kenya, but I just shot right through them and had a fun time anyway. Now I'm going shopping in Mexico! Bye-bye!"

She left again and came back in. "Well, Mama, I got a bunch of stuff in Mexico. Now I'm either going to India or Minnesota. I can't decide which."

Tough choice! LOL!

Mr. Toad

The kids found a toad the other day. I could tell they found something from all the screaming and squealing coming from the woods. They brought it home and "played" with it (which means touching it, and screaming, running around the yard and in and out of the house) for a while, and then things got pretty quiet....

Found out the next day that they had killed the toad. Evidently its skin got dried out and it died. That's what they said anyway.

And then they buried it.

And later that day, Liana dug it back up.

It wasn't dead. *gasp*

So, she put it in a box in the garage and kept it overnight.

As Liana excitedly related this amazing story, I turned a few shades of green, but calmly made her go out to the garage, and set Mr. Toad free in the woods where he belonged.

Oy.

Big Announcement!

Been holding out on you.

No clue why, but evidently God has decided to give us a baby in my tummy that would actually stick around. Which is weird, because I've been pregnant many other times and it has always ended quickly with an ectopic or an Abandon Ship.

I'm 12 weeks now, however, and the doctor says things are hunky-dorie. Heard the heartbeat on doppler, seen the heartbeat on ultrasound; the whole nine yards. We are floored. And amazed. And in shock.

We got to tell John's parents the news this weekend. My family already knew because I had to spill the beans to my dad as to why we couldn't drive down and do "Cooking Day" to fill his freezer with meals for so many weeks. And since I know my dad can't keep a secret, we had to quick tell the rest of my siblings before he did! ;O)

The kids are thrilled, but they have not enjoyed seeing me so sick, and frankly, it has stressed them out in many ways.

Aleksa is my official bucket-holder. I start gagging, and she runs to the garage for my mop bucket. She has been the most excited and least traumatized by the whole "new baby" idea. She's thrilled with the prospect of being a big sister. She wants a baby sister Big Time. And she wants to name her Bonnie! The weeks before we told the kids "the news" she saw the movie Rigoletto whose main character had that name. She also read a book where a horse was named Bonnie, and once she heard there might be a baby girl in the house, she has declared that it should be named Bonnie. Which is funny because that was my mother's name. But I didn't tell her that. Leksa is the one that has always reminded me most of my mom, so I find it interesting that she has such strong ideas about that name.

Liana has been sucking those lips, as you already know... especially after seeing the movie Sarah Plain and Tall which is about a father and two kids, who lost their wife/mother during childbirth. It really messed with Liana. She has already lost one mama in her life; it really shook her to the core to think she might lose another. She has needed tons of reassurance that God knows what is best, and that whereas the family on the prairie didn't have a doctor or hospital, that we have both, and they are excellent. She has not liked that I've been so sick, and haven't had the normal energy levels. Unfortunately it has come out with some control issues. We've gone round and round a lot more than usual over her need to control and be in charge of everything and everyone. Her big brother especially has not been impressed. Frankly, her mama hasn't been that thrilled with it either! She has needed lots of extra snuggles and reassuring, but also lots of correcting and reminding.

Adam has had a hard, hard time with my constant need of snacking or smaller meals spread throughout the day instead of three main ones. He still has a major food "Thing" that makes him irrationally furious with me when he sees me eating something that he doesn't have. Even if he has JUST had a snack or large meal, if I grab something different - even if it is a couple crackers, he will come into the kitchen and really start an attitude. I'll ask him what he wants for a snack, and when/if I choose something different, he will insist he deserves that too, on top of what he already has, and if I don't agree, he fumes.

I've tried waiting until he's off playing outside or in another room, etc., but if he hears the fridge or a cupboard, he will literally drop everything to come into the kitchen to see what I'm doing, and will stomp off seething because I haven't included him in my snacktime. (And yes, he has been getting lots of extra snacks; he's on a big growth spurt, and we've definitely indulged him. But he has some major heart-hurts in the food department, that have been tough to deal with with all of this Mama Snacking business.) If we let him, he would literally have something in his mouth allllllll day long. And not necessarily because he is hungry. Those food issues run right down to his core.

The other day at John's sister's house, the kids were all outside, and while they were, she passed out some chocolate chip cookies to us adults, explaining that there weren't enough for all the kids. I made sure to hide mine when Adam came back in the house for a minute. It would have really hurt and angered him.

All this food stuff has been revving up many of his old food behaviors. Like licking out the container of honey-mustard from Burger King on our trip home this weekend. He *must* lick every drop of everything he is eating. We've been having to watch him with his plates, because he has been licking them, and licking crumbs off the table. We haven't seen this behavior for a long, long time. I will never understand hunger like he has known.

We have some neighbors that have been giving the kids snacks whenever the kids stop by. Like bakery cupcakes with toys stuck in the top, and Little Debbie Snack Cakes, and candy, etc. That kind of stuff we don't really keep around here except on Very special occasions, and the kids have been looking for excuses to go visit those with the best treats. We eat healthy snacks of fruits and raw veggies, boiled eggs, sandwiches, yogurt, cheese, baked goods, etc. So. I have some major competition, and I'm thinking it might be time to go talk with the neighbors about "feeding" the kids. Unfortunately, most people just don't have a clue about food/attachment/adoption issues, and we parents just come off as Big Overprotective Psychos. I'll probably chicken out. *sigh*

Because I've been so sick, I haven't been able to do extra baking/cooking. I hadn't really realized how big of a deal that was to Adam for me to do so, though really, I should have. This last week I've finally been feeling "ok" and before our trip back home this weekend, I did a bunch of cooking to bring to Dad for his freezer meals. Adam was my right hand in the kitchen all week. He didn't much like that I was packing up so much for Grandpa and not him, but we did make doubles of most things for our own freezer also, and that took some of the sting out of it. Looking forward to being completely done with this morning sickness stuff so we can get back to normal with our cooking routine.

So, anyway, that's our news! Good news, and while the children are thrilled with thoughts of Little Fish, they've had some adjusting to do, and it has obviously resurfaced some old insecurities.

Matching Noses?

My big sis sent me this picture and wanted me to show off their matching noses...

I PROMISE, she Wanted me to post this!

LOL!

Thankful to be adopted

I was going through some old family pictures recently, and came across a picture of my great-grandmother. She was no beauty. !. Liana happened to come into the room curious what I was doing. She looked over my shoulder and asked who that was.

When I told her it was Grandma Mable, she asked me if I was going to look like that when I got old. I told her it was a possibility... That we were related, afterall. She grimaced, feeling sorry for me. (I even got a hug).

Then I explained that sometimes being adopted is an extra blessing... There's no chance she'll have Grandma Mabel's nose and ears unless her birthgrandparents looked like her too. I reminded her of how beautiful Ukrainians were. She was visibly relieved! ;O)

I think she now has a new appreciation for being adopted... LOL

Kites and Chatter

Been kite-makin' season here... John has tried several kite patterns/designs and has finally come up with the "perfect" kite... and he's made several. Evidently tagboard and dowel rods are the best combination. He's tried garbage bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper, plastic bags, etc. But, tagboard is the winner. We've had lots of kids in the yard watching us with the kites, and asking to take turns. It's been really fun!

Yesterday John had one of the kites flying and a bird actually landed on his kitestring! We couldn't believe it! It didn't stay there long, since the string was too mobile for its liking, but we were all pretty amused.

Liana has been sucking her lips lately and has clown-red lips. A friend recommended Udder Balm, and though we've slathered it on her, it still hasn't deterred her from sucking them anyway. The more irritated they get, the more they drive her nuts and she has to suck them. Any suggestions how to get her to stop? Or how to heal them quickly? The spring winds haven't helped her in the slightest, plus if she's remotely stressed out, she really goes at 'em. The last photo I posted of the kids shows her sore lips, but it wasn't as obvious that day. (Come to think of it, they were also sore on Easter). She also sucks/nibbles her fingertips. Any ideas???

Adam has been enjoying his new stature, and has been on a "lets shake hands as hard as I can" kick. The elderly folks at church are not impressed with this new trick, and one has even asked me to ask him to stop. We have. But he has the memory of a gold fish, and his impulsiveness takes over when he thinks of something "fun." So, I guess we just keep reminding. He's also gotten to the point where he doesn't want to hang out with just other little kids any more. He's been preferring talking to adults lately. Fine with us, though he is a chatterbox and has a tendency to uh, wear on peoples' patience with his non-stop chatter.

Speaking of chatter, there has been a lot of talk recently on my "older kids adoption support group" about how chattery our kids are. I hadn't really connected it to being adoption-related, and perhaps it isn't in our kids' case. All three of our kids are extroverted people-persons, which are chatty anyway, but Adam is our nonstop chatterer about anything and everything.

Someone in our group mentioned how many questions their kids ask. Adam isn't really our question-asker, just our chatterer. Liana is the Question Queen. She will ask questions about EVERYTHING. The example on the Older Kids group was that their kids will ask who is driving in the car in the other lane, and then be frustrated when their parents didn't know. That's Liana. She has asked us countless times who "those people" are in those other cars. She seems completely floored when we don't know.

Part of her constant questioning I'm sure has to do with her love of attention; if she's asking us questions, then we have to be talking to her. Doesn't matter what the thing is she's asking about... She just needs to be in control of the conversation. She's had very few things in her life happen to her that have been within her control, and I suppose this is one way of taking some of that control back. Someone else in our group said that their psychologist told them that as the kids are adjusting to their new life/reality, they are getting bombarded with gazillions of "error" messages in their brains, and need constant clarification and reinforcement of their new reality. Maybe that's it too. Probably it's a combination of all of the above. Who knows.

Whatever it is with the older two, Aleksa seems to be spared the brunt of any chatter/question problems, even though she too is an extrovert. (How did two mega INtroverts like me and John wind up with such EXtroverted kiddos?!)

Anyway, that's what's been going through my head lately!

Pic

Thought you'd like to see this one. Well, at least Grandma will! ;O)

Enjoy!

Icky

Well, she might have been driving me nuts today, but I have to admit, she's a riot. Here's our most recent conversation:

Liana: "Mama, look, I gave myself an icky!"

Me: "You did what?"

Liana: "I sucked on my arm and I gave myself an icky!"

Me: "That's icky alright..."

Number 2 Problems

Oops.

So, school hasn't run all that smoothly today, and after lunch I had to vent to John on IM that I've been having a rough time with one of the kiddos...

But, instead of asking him if he was there first, I just launched into my troubles: "Fisher, I've been having problems with Number 2 today." And then wrote a bunch of lines about what our Number 2 has been doing around here...

Well, John was actually having a meeting at his computer. He said all they saw was my first line.... Which they may have taken as me having diarrhea.

Great.

Keeps me humble.

Happy Easter!

Fun day! We've got a little sugar high from our Easter candy, but we're happy! ;O)

John's mom made the girls some Easter dresses, and saved the hemming for me, since she couldn't make the "hem" decision without the girls in front of her. She mailed the dresses this last week, and as I've been extra tired with all the goings-on around here, I put it off... Until 5:00 a.m. this morning! (I'm extra tired now today too! Wonder why!) ;O)

It was worth it though... The girls looked great, and Grandma came through with a new shirt and a "real" tie for Adam too. This is his first tie-it-yourself tie. Very proud boy over here. Had to grab the video camera as John gave the first "here's-how-you-tie-a-tie" tutorial.

There was a scrumptuous breakfast served at church this morning... Absolute gourmet delight. De-Lish smorgesborg of yummies. Praline french toast, two egg casseroles, cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, fresh fruit. Num. (Yes, even the eggies were yummy. Since I'm a mommy now, I've had to learn to like 'em. At least the kinds that aren't "straight" eggs!)

It was nice to have extra visitors today at church too. Interestingly, one of our visitors was Jewish! We had a communion service too, so on top of hearing a Resurrection message, she really got to see a lot. Hope she returns... I'd love to pick her brain on a lot of things. I love talking to different "types" of people... (You've probaby picked that up about me by now!) We midwesterners tend to be rather, uh, plain. (You know, crock-pot cooker types who only use salt and pepper for seasoning!) (*yawns*)

We spent Easter dinner with a few other families from church. Those of us without family in town all got together. There were probably 15 of us, and was it ever nice. It was a bummer for us to be away from our families "back home" today, but it was really nice to still have a big shin-dig to go to today. I think today was a record-breaking day for the number of recipes I wanted to and/or did ask for! Everything was delicious all day long. (Speaking of good ones, I found a yummy banana pudding dessert recipe that I brought to dinner: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Pudding-IV/Detail.aspx (Don't you just love the All Recipes website?)

Ok, I've totally rambled and wandered off topic, but that's the day, and I don't want it lost! If I don't write it down, it's Poofed in three days flat; right out of my memory banks!

Oh bummer. That totally reminds me of something else I don't want to forget, but don't want to mortify my daughter about some day... Big stuff though, nonetheless... *debates with herself whether or not to post this, but remembers that Liana said, "Oh, Mama, ya gotta put this on your blog!"*

*debates some more knowing that Liana really has no clue what my blog is all about, but just that I write stuff in it that I don't want to forget, and that Grandma can read it...*

Well, here we go.

This weekend I bought Liana her first um, You Know What for under her shirts. She was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited. We came home and she marched right in her room and tried it on. I found out later that she had it on backwards. It wasn't doing her Any Good At All where it needed to, but her shoulder blades were completely discreet, lemme tellya. *wink* I won't tell you how long and hard I laughed at her when she showed me that. (Don't worry, once she realized it, she was laughing hysterically too!)

And then this morning, I found out she even slept in the thing. I'm sure that affinity will wear off Fast! Such sweet mother-daughter memories made over that! But alas, she's growing up way too fast... :O(

April Showers

Liana and Leksa were talking about the rain the other day. Liana was pretty convinced there'd be flowers poking up from the soil any second... She told her sister, "April showers may bring flowers."

Scary Stuff

Just saw a quote that's gonna haunt me...

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." ~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

How humbling. I'm so glad God gives grace, strength and mercy. How could anyone ever handle even one day of this "Mothering" business otherwise?

Giant among us

Took Adam to the doc the other day; we'd thought he broke his pinkie finger. He tried out the neighbor girl's jump rope, and found himself sprawled on the pavement. Evidently, he just hyper-extended it, but they gave him a splint anyway.

As the doctor was reading the x-ray, he said that one day he'd be looking way up at Adam... He was looking at the growth plates in his hand. Said Adam could be 6'3"-6'4". As of right now, Adam is in the 90th percentile for height. Wow.

No wonder we're going broke trying to feed him! Scary!

Recap of the past month or so...

Yeah, been AWOL. Sorry.

Lots going on... Our school schedule got kicked up a notch or two after Christmas, so I've had much less computer time, (well, less time to be "composing" things, but still time to read here and there). I've been really having to spend some one-on-one time with Adam's reading time, and as the other two got jealous that Adam "got to read to Mama and they didn't" they have started that routine as well. Fine and dandy with me, but it takes more time. I have found though, that it has helped them all a lot with their vocabulary. Instead of must shrugging off a word they don't know, they have me to ask a quick, "What's that mean?" It's been good for them all.

I got a Dutch Blitz game for Christmas, and it has rapidly become a favorite of "us girls." Adam doesn't mind it, but will only rarely join us. He'd rather hang out with Papa. :O/ It has been really fun though, that the girls have caught on so quickly. It's kind of a tricky game, but they've really gotten hooked. Leks and I had a Grand Champion of the World Competition while the older two were out (more on that in a sec), and she actually stomped me. Hmph.

Adam and Liana are helping a neighbor lady clean their house (starting today). She has had chemo/radiation and doesn't have the strength to do it herself the way she likes, so on Saturday came to the door asking if she could hire Adam. I thought it wisest to add Liana to the mix also, (which Liana was tickled pink about!), so off they went today. They each brought home checks for $25, and you should have SEEN them running home. They ran home hand-in-hand with the HUGEST smiles on their faces! Priceless! I had to take pictures of them with their checks. First "real" job you know! Much Excitement over here today.

We've been wanting to do a birth family search for a long time, and have finally gone for it in the last month or so. The search was a success, though it wasn't all "happy news," but I suppose that is to be expected on such a search.

We did, however, get many pictures of their village, house, birthfamily, (including grandparents and extended family!!), a precious few baby pictures of Adam, plus a pet dog. We also got a photograph of the children's older half-brother, Anatole (Tolik), who is now 20 or so. He and Liana are spitting images of each other. The P.I. even took pictures of a stream/river where the children remember fishing and swimming. Priceless stuff, and the children have been pouring over the pictures comparing memories/stories. Aleksa doesn't remember a thing, though, and who knows how much of all this is really registering to her at all. (Leksa still draws pictures of me with her in my tummy...)

A big bonus of all the pictures is that we finally understand why the kids look so different from each other! Aleksa looks just like her birthmother, and the older two look like their dad's side of the family. It is so neat to see such strong resemblances between the kids and their birthfamily - I'm sure that will mean a lot to them in the future. Very happy we went for it. Our questions were answered, and then some, and it is really a relief for me and John to have a better understanding of their pre-Fisher lives. Actually, it feels like we've given them a part of their life back.

Y-O-U

Just overheard:

Liana: "Aleksa, ask Mama if we can go outside and ride our bikes..."

Aleksa: "Mama, can we go outside and ride our bikes?"

Me: "Yes!"

Aleksa: "Liana! Mama said, 'Y-O-U, Yes!'"

You know you're a homeschool student when....

When you accidentally step in the toilet while looking for St. Petersberg on the map.

Poor Liana.

We have a bunch of world maps in the kids' bathroom. (Hey, don't you get your best readin' done in there too?) So, anyway, we were reading one of our school books on Peter the Great, when we decided we wanted to check out the world map to understand the story better. Seemed like a good idea at the time. We do it all the time. We all got much too excited about it though.

Well, Liana did. She charged into the bathroom like a mad-woman, and leaped up "onto" the toilet, but oops, the lid was up, and instead she leaped "into" it.

I wonder if she'll ever forget where St. Petersberg is now? *tee-hee*

Matchmaker, Matchmaker...

Ok, so, well, ya know how I love Valentine's Day and all? Well, I found a blog where there is some Major Matchmaking trying to happen, and I just plain gotta pass it along to all o' you. 'Cause all o' you are really nice too, right? :O)

I don't know these people from Adam; don't know a thing about the guy except for what is said about him on this blog, and don't know the lady whose blog this is... So, if things don't work out, please don't come lookin' for me, but on the other hand, if things DO work out, ya gotta send me an invite to the weddin'! ;O)

http://choicecentral.blogspot.com/2007/02/valentine-advertisement-of-sorts.html

Happy Valentine's Day!

Had quite a Valentine Bash over here yesterday...

In the morning, the kids woke up to see their "one" Valentine heart on the floor. Strangely, nobody complained. They were excited to give US their Valentines. (What sweethearts!) John asked them to set the breakfast table; Adam to get the milk, Liana the cereal and Aleksa the bowls... Their Valentine treat bags were in the fridge, the dish cupboard and the cereal cupboards. At first nobody saw them! It was hilarious! John and I had to send them BACK to the fridge and cupboards... (Musta been too early!) It was a lot of fun!

Then after the mailman came, we sat around and opened the vast collection of Valentines we've been collecting for the last few weeks. It was fun to map where we got them, and to see all the hard work of all the other children. They also got photos, pencils, bookmarks, candy, etc., stuffed in the envelopes too. They were *SOOOOO* excited!

Unfortunately, after lunch I came down with a fever and chills for the rest of the day. Gonna hafta look in to buying some immune-system builders of some kind. Anyone have any sure-fire remedies out there?

Almost Valentines Day!

*contented sigh*

I LOVE Valentine's Day! I mean, Love, Love, Love it! John and I just had a little fun preparing for the big day tomorrow... I had put together some V-day gift bags for the kiddos, and John just hid them around the house... The kids told us they "knew" that we were going to spread candy on the floor in their rooms like we did last year (and I think the year before too). So, what a shock they'll have when they only see one lone little candy heart on the floor by their beds... *tee-hee*

We also get to finally rip open our Valentines from our homeschool group (and from some of their Ukie cousins... Thanks, Lisa, that was so sweet!)

Girl Talk

Have to share a mom moment...

Leksa and Liana are *right this minute* reading a Reader's Digest magazine we have laying around.

Leksa found an ad for Maxi Pads. She says to Liana, "Oh, I like these! They're those candies that you suck on, like a lolly pop."

Liana says, "No, that's not what they are. They're those things you rub on your teeth when you can't brush them in the morning."

Leksa says, "Oh, those are good too. Mama, when are you going to buy us those again?"

Me: "Uhh..."

Missing

Been missing for a while... We've had a miserable few weeks. Aleksa did indeed "share" her germies with the rest of us, and unfortunatly I got the double whammy of being the Mom with clean-up duty, and also being sick myself. Unfortunately, that prolonged my own get-well process and I was down for days longer than everyone else.

It's been super cold up here the last few weeks. Schools have been cancelled even. I wound up having to watch one of the public school kids we know for one of those days, so I cancelled our own "school" and let the kids enjoy their friend. They did wind up making a bunch of their Valentines though, but that's "fun" school, and they didn't mind it!

I admit that I'm loving the construction paper mess more than the kids are, and I've been jealous of their stickers and their sparkles. Next year, I'm joining in the fun too. Still formulating a plan for Valentine's Day for our own family... I've been tucking away treats and goodies in Valentine gift bags for the kiddos. I'll probably wind up hiding them this year and letting them search for 'em. I have another Signing Time dvd on the way in the mail; really hoping it makes it here on time to be one of their gifts. Adam just offered the other day to spend his savings on another Signing Time dvd; I took that as a cue to get another one ordered asap!

Speaking of Adam, he has been stinking us out lately. Got him some cologne for his birthday, and the house has reeked ever since! Trying to figure a good way of ensuring he only uses one squirt, but it is just SO irresistable for him not to add an extra few. You know how he loves water, soap and all things squirty and smelly!

Speaking of "Missing," we had a horrible parenting moment yesterday.

We piled in the car after church, and got half-way down the street before Liana said, "Papa, but what about Aleksa?"

"What about Aleksa, Liana?" we asked.

Liana calmly exclaimed, "She's not here!"

That's right. We left her at church. Of course she was keenly aware of our absence, and of course there was a witness that came up to the car and asked, "You didn't actually forGET her, did you? Because I told her you'd NEVER leave her..."

Um. Yep. We did... Don't know HOW, but we did.

This parenting thing sure keeps us humble!

She got me

Leksa is sick today. She got me. Nuff said.

Valentine Swap

Gotta share our exciting project we have going over here. Our homeschool curriculum has a discussion board where a bazillion other homeschool moms get together and can chat about stuff; whether it is the actual curriculum and implementation, or whether it is just life in general. I've learned a ton from these ladies. It's like having a thousand "moms" but you get to pick and choose what you want to listen to or not! ;O)

Well, anyway, one of these moms coordinates a yearly "Valentine Swap" for anyone who wants to participate. She collects names and addresses, and then puts them into lists to send us. The kids are making about 60 valentines for other homeschool kids all over the country, and even internationally! We've got our markable map out and are mapping who we're sending cards to, and we'll also map where we get them from. We'll collect the cards as they come and then on V-day we'll open them up. We're also going to graph what stamps are on our envelopes as they arrive.

I'm SOOOOO excited about it! This is the fifth year our homeschool "group" has been doing this, but this is the first year I've thought our crew were "ready" to tackle such a huge project. Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, so I'm in Red and Pink Heaven over here!

I've been thinking next year maybe I'll try to coordinate something with the kids' Ukrainian Cousins (ie, other families in our adoption group). They LOVE mail, and I know they'd love the chance to hear from other Ukie pals... Next year. Gotta remember that.

Knock-knock!

A few weeks ago, we started telling "knock, knock" jokes to the kids. They think they're a hoot. But. They don't get the concept. We thought we'd start with the simple "banana" knock-knock joke. You know, the one that ends, "orange ya glad I didn't say banana?" Well, they laugh and giggle at the joke, but they can't for the LIFE of them, tell the joke. Or ANY joke for that matter. They trip over the words, give away the ending, and well, they jiss can't do it! It's kinda pathetic. But they have a good ole time trying!

Last night Aleksa was trying to tell us the Banana joke. Here's what it sounded like:

Knock-knock!

Who's there?

Banana!

Banana who?

Knock-knock!

Who's there?

Banana!

(repeat)

Aren't ya glad I didn't say banana?

(and then she breaks out into giggles)

Missed the whole "orange-ya" thing, and also, didn't answer with "orange" instead of banana on the last time around. None of the three "get it" that the "Orange-ya" sounds like "aren't ya." We've tried explaining it over and over and over... But alas, they don't get it...

Ramblings

Adam still gets hung up on the word "do." He can figure out the usage if he *really* thinks about it, but he usually isn't patient enough to do so. We feel like the "'Do' Word Police" because we try to catch him and make him re-say it whenever he uses it the wrong way. Aside from that, however, his speech is becoming much clearer than it has ever been, and he has been able to express himself better than ever. If he takes his time, he doesn't even stutter anymore! But, if he's stressed, well, that's different. Along with pronunciation and stutter, he has been expressing himself with a deeper understanding of English. Like last night John asked the three kids what the word "depth" meant. Adam was the only one to have a clue, though instead of articulating a lengthy definition, he said something like, "Depths of the sea," which showed us that he was at least familiar with the word and usage.

He is finally being careful enough with his speech that his "L's" are nice and clear. Still struggles with his R's, but he can do it if he concentrates really hard. I'm planning on getting a few rolls of nickels at the bank on Saturday and give him one whenever he says "do" or his "r's" correctly. He's just so on the verge of "getting it" that I think this would really helping him a lot... or at leasts take some of the annoyance out of having to try!

We're still asking a ton of "questions" in our discipline/discussion times... We try to ask the kids as many questions as we can to get them to understand what they are doing wrong. Not that we don't just come out and say "Knock it off" here and there (we're human, afterall!), but usually we try to get the kids to counsel themselves into doing the right thing. I think John and I have asked every imaginable question known to mankind by now - (especially where Liana is concerned, *cough, cough*. But ya know, it's paying off... Another tool in our parenting box has been when we notice that Liana or Aleksa are getting too big for their britches and trying to boss eachother/Adam around, or otherwise trying to be in charge of things they shouldn't, I sigh and say something like, "Oh, it is sure exhausting doing the job of being an 8yo AND doing the job of a mama. That's even more work than I do! You must be sooooo tired by now. I guess you'd better go take a nap for a while." And then I send them to bed. I don't have to use that one very often, but it sure does the trick when I do! I have to be careful though, in how I say that, or it will provoke them to get mad... Not what I want to do. It has also taken a long time to be ABLE to use that one... It used to be that Leksa was scared to death to be in a room by herself at all. And Liana was soooooooooo scared of being rejected that we just plain couldn't send her "away" from us, as in being sent to a corner or to her room. She'd literally fall apart with anger, fear, etc. It would have been cruel to do that to them back then.

If we would send Adam to his room, we could be sure that something would be destroyed in there... That doesn't happen anymore. He still likes to dismantle things, but it isn't the same. For Christmas he got a lava lamp... John and I commented last night that if he'd had a lava lamp when he first came home, that lamp would have been broken apart and slime would have been smeared all over the place by the next morning. Adam laughed when we told him that, in a sort of "yeah, you're probably right" sort of a way. He's relaxing enough to ENJOY his stuff now, instead of destroying everything. He still functions better on little clutter in his room, and lately I've been really trying to pare down his "stuff" so it isn't quite so overwhelming for him. (With his help and approval, of course.) Just went through his closet yesterday, and I was shocked to see that there were clothes that are outgrown right now, that he had been wearing just weeks ago. So, out they went. He's got the nicest room in the house right now! Wish OUR room were as tidy and organized!

Ok, that's all the rambling I have time to do right now... Not easy to write these days while doing school and all the other stuff that needs to be done around here! Just had some thoughts running through my head that I wanted to get down somewhere before they got completely lost, so here ya go!

Update on Dad

Dad had a doctor appointment this week and it was a huge relief. Dad had thought that he was bleeding from the bowel because of that blood thinner, but the appointment confirmed that he was ok, with nothing to worry about. His heart rate continues to improve, and the problem does look like it was a medication he'd been taking for a tremor. No more med, so no more heart problem. Such a blessing to not be a mechanical problem!

Thank you everyone for praying!

Lastrochka

This afternoon, Adam excitedly pointed out the window that there was a "lastrochka" (pronounced LOSS-trochka) outside. "What on earth is a lastrochka?" I asked. He told me it was a kind of bird that they had in Ukraine. I went upstairs and retrieved the Russian/English dictionary, where I found that a "lastrochka" is the Russian word for a "swallow." How 'bout that.

There's Russian going on in that boy's head. Two years plus later, he can pull an obscure word like "swallow" out of his head. Cool!

I think it is interesting that when the kids have learned an English word for something, they "unplugged" and promptly forgot what the Russian word was. Words that they haven't learned the English equivalent for are still floating around in their heads and easily retrievable - even years later.

Lastrochka. What a reminder that the world we have given him is only part of the total puzzle of Adam's life. I hope somehow that he can hold on to as much of his culture, heritage, language, experiences, memories, etc. as he possibly can...

Adam's 12th Birthday

This weekend was so fun! We drove "back home" Friday night to stay over with John's parents. Saturday was their big Christmas Shin-Dig. Way fun to spend more than an afternoon with everyone. Got to see my Dad on Saturday too.

Sunday, however, was Adam's 12th Birthday! We went to our old church Sunday morning - Adam was *so* excited to be able to see his old friends. I let him open one of his gifts before church... "Men's Cologne." There's a particular girl "back home" that he "loves." (Well, actually, he loves her and her twin sister both...)

Between Sunday School and the morning service, the girls' mom came up to John to tell him that Adam came up to her and said, "Mrs. ---, I have cologne on!" He was awful excited about his new Man Stuff.

After church we took the whole family to Chuck-E-Cheese. The kids hadn't ever been there, and after the episode at the Burger King Play Area last month, I was excited to give him a giant Play Ground that he could enjoy without feeling his "tallness" too acutely. It was hard to wipe the smile off that boy's face! He and his papa and grandpa had alllll kinds of fun with the video games, etc. Adam got a paper crown and a balloon and cotton candy, and WOW, was he excited!

But for as excited as he and the girls were, they were also really, really, really good. We couldn't have gone here much before now without worrying about the kids getting too out of control wild, crazy, and just plain over-stimulated. But, we figured they were ready now, we were ready now ($$), and we know that Adam isn't getting any littler. Besides, I've waited a good long time to get to plan a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese! One of those "can't-wait-to-be-a-mom" fantasies to finally realize.

Liana went to stand at the foot of the stage where Chuck-E and friends were singing... I was watching her to see what she would do... The Old Liana would have been up there on that stage in about two seconds flat. Wanna know what she did? She calmly turned around, walked back to me, politely asked me if she could go up on the stage to see how the robots worked, and when I told her that wasn't a good idea and that nobody was supposed to go up there, she said, "Ok!" And then walked back to her spot by the stage to calmly continue watching. I. Couldn't. Believe. It. I had to give John a High-Five on how far she (and the other two) had come these last few years. Remember when Liana *had* to press the bar on the Emergency Exit door at the library? Or when she and the others wouldn't quit turning the lights on and off at the post office? Or when she pounded on the neighbor's house because This wasn't America? Yay, those days are over!

Sappy Holidays

Had to show off my new favorite picture in the whole world...

(Thanks Mom Fisher and Shanna! I LOVE it!)

Odds and Ends

Anyone ever heard of GeoPuzzles? We got the kids one for Christmas, and it has quickly become one of their favorite times of our school day. One puzzle piece per country (or close to it). We have the Europe one, but I'll have to see how many others are out there.

We've also been using a Signing Time sign language video to learn some Sign Language... They're geared for little ones, but our crew loves the one we have, and there is no doubt we'll be buying some others soon. Anyone out there know of some sign language videos for kids a little older than preschool/kindergarten?

Finally took down our Christmas tree last night. What. A. Mess. Glad to be done with that project for another year.

He's going Down

Oh boy.

In the last few days I've noticed that Adam's voice has sounded "honky."

Not sure if my seatbelt is buckled tight enough yet. Guess I'd better give it another tug...

Dad News

Usually I like to keep this site for "kid news only." This time I have "dad" news. My dad, that is. He's 78, has lots of health problems, and is in the hospital right now for heart problems. It keeps stopping on him and he keeps passing out. He's having an electrophysiology study on Monday, and probably a pacemaker after that... Dad has hemophilia, hepatitis C (from the many, many transfusions in his life), and has had a history of heart problems (he had 5 bypasses and a replaced valve done several years ago).

I got to come down solo over the weekend to be with him at the hospital, (I even drove THROUGH the Cities by myself to do so!! Are you proud of me?), and am staying at my dad's house. It was so cool of my hubby to shoo me out the door and tell me he'll be fine alone all weekend with the kiddos.

Anyway, if you've a mind to do so, would you mind praying for my dad? And for the rest of the family? We only have one sibling "here in town" that can be hanging out at the hospital, and he has to work next week... Things will start cookin' at the hospital by then, and I need to come home tomorrow. Pray someone can rearrange their schedules to be able to come down to the hospital to be with him and know what is going on... *hates not knowing what is going on* *wink*

THANK YOU!

Found an old pic...

Just came across this picture from our Very First Outing after the kids came home. When we first had this picture taken, I hated it. Now I think it is my favorite "first home" family picture. It epitomizes EVERYONE's personalities. All I can say is UFF DA! ;O)

Wow, how they've changed. And grown!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that!

As has been my habit lately, I've been sorely neglecting this here blog. Who knows if anyone even cares anymore! lol! But, since this is also for the kiddos, I have to keep it up at least on important days.

Well, except for the monthly updates. I sat down to do the December update and honestly, I couldn't think of a thing that was "new" for any of the kids, and I have noticed that I'm sounding like a broken record. So, I think I'll just post whenever the mood strikes instead of on the month-a-versaries.

But Christmas! Oh, did we have a wonderful Christmas! I made waaaaaay too many baked goods. We'll have cookies and breads until next July, I'm sure. But it sure came in handy though to be able to take things out of the freezer when needed. Like the day we put the tree up I made a finger-food feast to leave out while we decorated. I had wondered how my Buddy Adam would deal with so much food just left out in the open to take at will, and he did Great! Until! Until I started to put it away. He had been just fine while the food was out. Didn't sneak any, didn't gorge himself, etc. But, once I got the plastic wrap out, he decided he was starving and needed the food. I thought that was interesting. We did that a few other times this Christmas season, but he seemed fine. Big strides for him.

I made it a point this year to only get the kids stuff that I was absolutely 100% sure that they would go ga-ga over. No wasteful trinkets that just take up room under the tree. So, the packages were fewer, but the joys were fuller, I think. Adam got a remote-control Monster Truck, and a Knight costume. Liana got a bride costume and a new bike. Leksa got a princess costume and a Castle Playhut. There were some other odds and ends - oh, a rock tumbler was also a major one, and a sign-language dvd, etc. But, I haven't needed to clean out any toy chests to make room for what they got this year. By the way, the picture I posted of the girls in their costumes was taken in the bathroom - I found them standing on their "stools" so they could see into the bathroom mirror! I thought it was hilarious!

We stayed home this year for Christmas Eve and Day, but the day before, we made a trip to my dad's house for a visit. We got him a giant mailbox... There has never lived anyone who loved "mail" more than my dad does. He was happy as a lark. It was so fun to see him so happy.

Then for New Year's weekend we went up to John's grandparents' house in northern MN. I know I've talked before at what a winter wonderland it is up there... but it really is. Beautiful snowy woods all around that cozy house, lots of laughing and talking and game-playing and children giggling, and oh boy, the FOOD. We ladies sat around playing the Blokus (great game!), and we played the Ungame with John's mom, grandma, sister and cousin. It was fun to tease the guys about joining us so they could "share their feelings" with us too. One of the questions was particularly interesting given the number of generations that were represented as we played. The question was "How have you been personally affected by a war?" Well, Grandma V.'s generation was affected by WWII. John's cousin was a Viet Nam baby - her mother is Vietnamese and father was a US soldier, so her answer was, "I wouldn't be alive if there hadn't been a war." Interesting! (I love social studies/history; have you picked that up by now?) Anyway, just some interesting tidbits.

Grandma gave John's sister a "lefse-making" tutorial while we were there. It was fun to sit and watch - and get to be a taste-tester instead of a back-breaker. :O) (We're a bunch of Norwegians here in the upper midwest!) (Lefse is a potato/flour/butter/etc. mixture that you roll out and bake on a hot griddle. Then you spread with butter or butter and sugar, or use for sandwiches if you're so inclined. We usually just stick with the butter/butter sugar combo in our families. Good stuff!

But! We're back to the grindstone, and surprisingly, we're falling into our routine rather smoothly. I had been dreading a fight from the kiddos this Tuesday once we were "back to school." Glad to be pleasantly surprised that the kids were eager to get started! Could be because of our reading contest that John and I are holding for the month of January. If they read X amount of books, they get to go to the Mall of America and ride the rollercoaster. Can you say "EXCITED?" They have been madly competing against each other and themselves all week. "Mama, Liana took her book with her into the bathroom! Tell her that's not fair!" *tee-hee* Such trials we have over here! Usually our evenings are spent doing "family things" - like playing games, tickle time with Papa, or a video. This week they've been off in their own corners with their books. Love it!

No meltdowns this year... just a fun, fun, fun holiday season. Much more fun than any other year, I think. We're just so much more jelled as a family. We know each other a lot better this year, and we're all a lot more relaxed "just being." We don't have to be on high alert for breaks in the routine, sugar (believe me, they had a ton of it this holiday season!), etc. They just did great, and we all had fun just enjoying each other. (I'll have to look back at last year's blog entry; I probably said the same thing last year, but I honestly mean it a lot more this year! The kiddos are much nicer kiddos this year! *wink*)

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!

Tummy Ache

Everyone is feeling better today, though Aleksa woke up with another tummy ache. It freaked her out. She sooooooooo didn't want to be puking again. Poor girl cried and everything. It wound up though, (after sitting on a stool in front of the toilet forEver), that she was really just hungry. Had to explain that bellies hurt when they are hungry too, and not just ready to upchuck. She perked up nicely after a full bowl of Cheerios... Sure is wonderful that she can't remember what an empty stomach feels like!

Sick Kids

We had such a nice Thanksgiving! Headed up north for the holiday, and slept in Grandma Fisher's apartment, since it was still in the process of being cleaned out and was room for all of us. That was kinda hard, but we were able to help clean out her appliances and bathroom, etc. It was nice to be able to do something useful.

But actually, Thanksgiving isn't what I hopped on here to write about. We got home from our trip last evening, and everyone was sent to bed. At 3:00 a.m., however, Liana came running up the stairs screaming/crying. Scared me half to death. Her stomach hurt, she said. I was thinking it was her appendix until she quit crying and let us poke her tummy. We wound up giving her some M.O.M. and I snuggled down in bed with her. Well, at about 4:30, I hear Aleksa throwing up above us. (Liana has the bottom bunk now, so Leks was over us). Oh nice. That was the beginning of a very long day for us. Aleksa threw up at least ten to fifteen times today, and is finally right now (as in 7:00pm) feeling a little better and able to keep down some fluids. :O( Adam has been just fine though, so that's a blessing, and Liana felt much better by this afternoon. She was as sacked out on the couch as her sister.

I've been really lucky so far with these kids. Aside from our initial giardia medicine throwing up mess, the kids really haven't had much of any stomach flu. Aleksa never has had a tummy flu. She's had lots of respiratory viruses, but nothing ever like this. The poor girl didn't know how to throw up. John and I had to actually teach her. She started out just throwing up where she was (in bed, in the middle of the floor, on the couch, etc). Then, she would run to our room and tell us her tummy felt yucky. (Threw up on the floor outside our door.) Finally, we got her to go into the bathroom. That time she went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet, and promptly tossed her cookies on the floor. That one made me chuckle. She was so tired/sick, she couldn't think straight. Eventually she learned that the head goes IN the toilet when puking though. Uff.

So, there went the idea of putting the Christmas tree up. I had planned to leave the table full of appetizers and do the tree-trimming today, but instead I left the appetizers out (lots of raw fruits and veggies), and let the kids graze as they were up to it, and ditched the tree idea. Bummer. I was really looking forward to a fun day of Christmas doings.

Hoping tonight is a little less dramatic...

27 Months Home (Ok, 27 1/2...)

For the last few days I've been trying to mull over what I'd say for this month's update on the kids. Today, however, is the perfect "snippet" of what the kids are like this month. Mostly the same old stuff, but there are some new leaves turning over here and there.

Today was a huge baking day. I tend to have these, but you can imagine what it's like over here the week of Thanksgiving! ;O) It's a sugar-stuck-to-the-bottom-of-your-feet-as-you-walk-across-the-kitchen kind of a day today. It wouldn't sound like this would have anything to do with the kids, but actually, I think it is directly related to some of Adam's "turned leaves." The more he sees me in the kitchen, the more he "likes" me. Or so it seems. (Remember, food means the most to this guy.) At the last two fellowship meals at church, Adam has sat next to people and told them all about "how mama made that" and that they "really need to borrow some of Mama's recipes." Now, I'm *really* not the greatest cook, but it means a LOT to my Adam to see me in the kitchen. The ladies at church are about ready to hurl hearing Adam go on and on. But it just seems that the "food" topic is always right on the tip of his tongue. When he prays at night, he always starts, "Thank you that we have good food to eat..." It's just always *right* there. We went out to eat yesterday, though, and he didn't finish his bread bowl that his salad was in. (He loves salads! He'd rather have a salad than a burger any day! Ukies tend to really love veggies from what I've heard of other peoples' kids. Mine are sure that way at least!)

Once upon a time, Adam was the one of my kids who would "tell it like it was" when he spoke of Ukraine. Liana was the one to embellish her memories and make Ukraine into the Fairy Land, and her birth mother the nicest woman on Earth. Adam used to remind her how things *really* were. But now Liana doesn't talk so much about Ukraine, and now Adam has found that he can tell us any manner of story and if he says "In Ukraine" before it, that we can't tell him he's lying. After a ham dinner, he told the lady next to him that he was a pig farmer in Ukraine. Today, while the girls were having a tea party, he told me he worked in a tea factory in Ukraine. A few weeks ago we finished up reading the book "Old Yeller" after which he announced that in Ukraine HE had a yellow dog that got hydrophobia too. After Grandma Fisher passed away, he said that in Ukraine, he had 25 grandmas... I could seriously go on and on with his "In Ukraine, I..." stories.

What are we gonna say, right? He was there and we weren't! He *loves* telling stories, so now after SOOOO many "In Ukraine" stories, I have absolutely no idea which things are true, and which ones are a big ole fish tale. Frankly, Papa is getting a bit tired of these stories and has been reminding him of the definition of the word "Lie" quite often.

Liana is sure turning into a young lady. That's her *deepest* desire anyway. She tries to use as big of words as her mouth can hold, and though they sometimes aren't used "exactly" right, today she sounded like a regular Princess.

She was hoping for a tea party today, what with so many cookies around here. So, she said, "Aleksa, perhaps we could have a tea party!" And then, "Mama, would you prepare some tea for us, please?" (How could I refuse such a properly-phrased question?!) Another thing she said was, "What a proposition!" after I carefully handed her the full teapot and told her if she dropped it her life would be drastically shortened. (I didn't say that, did I?) *tee-hee*

She's still speaking her mind as always though. Tonight at the Thanksgiving pie social at church, an older gentleman told us that Liana had smitten his conscience the other day when she informed him that he needed a shave, so he went home and shaved off his two-week beard. Groan! I confessed to him that of the three, Liana usually causes us the most mortification. He laughed and *completly* understood! lol!

Seriously though, she and I have had the most "grown up" talks this month ever. She and I have talked frankly and seriously about her life in Ukraine, and she spoke so eloquently and with such maturity that it really blew me away. While Mama Zhana hasn't fallen off her high pedestal at all, she spoke a lot more fairly than she ever has before, and extremely matter-of-factly about Papa Misha. The way she has been carrying herself in serious conversation has been like a peek into what kind of a young woman she will some day be. And I must say, I'm impressed. While I battle that strong will of hers every day, I'm beginning to see that her fearlessness will (if carefully lassoed), bring her much success in life.

I took her shopping with me the other night, and all through the store, I kept thinking how much she had changed since we brought her home... she went from being a little, little girl who I had to watch *every* minute, to someone who I actually consulted for an opinion on purchases, tastes, etc. (And well, you can imagine how she eats that up!) Didn't have to worry about her *at* all. It seems like she has aged about 5 years in the 2 short years she's been home. Don't get me wrong, she still has definite rambunctious tendencies, especially when teamed with her siblings and maybe a rowdy friend, but, well, they're NORMAL rambunctious tendencies. Know what I mean? (Though I did have to remind her to get off the floor a few times in the store, come to think of it.)

Aleksa's behavior today was pretty typical of the month in general as well. Still trying awful hard to fly under the radar while sneaking in some bossiness with her brother, and also trying to shirk as many responsibilities as possible without detection. Like today she was supposed to read a story in her reader, and because she'd already HEARD the story, she decided that she knew it well enough so that if I quizzed her on it (which I always do), she'd be able to parrot enough of it back at me that I'd be convinced of her comprehension, etc. Well, I had peeked at the story before handing it to her, and I also counted the pages. Then I went off and did something or other and when I came back into the room, she was doing something else. There was no way she had time to read it. So, sure enough, when I quizzed her on it, she got the story "right." Until I pressed her on it, and she finally confessed that she lied about having read it, and that she was trying to trick me into thinking she'd done it. That lazy bug in her sure causes her to get into some kind of hot water!

Like her sister, Aleksa's vocabulary has brought an amused smirk to my face more than once. One of the last times was when my brother was asking her why she needed Mama to help her with the zipper to her coat, and she explained that this was "an unusual" coat and that the zipper gets stuck quite easily, etc.

I've been noticing her mimic people's body language quite a bit lately. She'll be watching someone talk, and she'll do their hand motions herself, or she'll mimic their facial expressions. She's gonna be a humdinger of an actress some day. I'm thinking she'd absolutely love it if I found her an American Sign Language video series for kids. She'd just soak it up.

Leksa and I were talking the other day about moms and babies, and she mentioned "when she was in (my) tummy." Well, I had to remind her that I found her at the dyetski dom and that she didn't grow in my tummy. She's been drawing pictures of me with her in my tummy for the past year now at least. It almost startled her that I told her she didn't ever grow in my tummy. Kinda rocked her world momentarily. Of course I reminded her that some children find their mommies when they come and get them from an orphanage, and she kind of shook herself awake with an "oh yeah, I knew that" kind of an expression. Though she wasn't an infant when we adopted her, she has very little memory of the orphanage/life without us. She "remembers" the orphanage when she sees pictures of it, but John and I get the feeling that her memories are kind of second hand... that she remembers what we've TOLD her about the pictures. I suppose being so young at the time of her adoption is a blessing and a curse. A blessing that she was spared so much more. A curse that she'll deal with more baggage of not really KNOWING what she was pulled out of, and having to really sort out a lot more as an adult. Could be wrong though. Who knows.

She's grown like a weed, and she too seems to have aged five years in these two short years. Makes. Me. Sick. She's promised to always be my la-la (baby) though, so I'm ok for now... But John and I just tonight were talking about which country/ies we might consider adopting from the next time around...

(Great) Grandma Fisher

Well, before I launch into an update about the kids, I need to talk about Grandma Fisher first...

John's grandma died on the 15th, and the funeral was Saturday. It was so nice to hear so many stand up and say a few words about her. John and I learned a lot about her that we never would have heard otherwise. Like how she was one lady's Sunday School teacher and she had given her a Christmas cactus as a gift one time, and that this lady still had it after all these years. (Grandma was so shy I was amazed to hear that she taught *anything* ever! But Grandma always had oodles of Christmas cacti, so I could totally "see" her giving one away.) Another distant cousin read a letter that Grandma had written to her sister the summer she met Grandpa. Grandma was telling her in the letter how she had met a "nice boy" and he'd sent her some flowers, and that she was thinking he was probably really interested in her, etc. It was so sweet. That nice boy was Grandpa, and they were married only a few months after that letter was written. Such a treasure.

And speaking of her marriage to Grandpa... When the family was looking through Grandma's things, they found the receipt for Grandma's wedding dress kept in Grandma's coin purse. Evidently she'd kept it there all these years. (We're talking like 59 years!) If that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever heard! She was definitely a sweetheart. She paid $28 for it way back in 1947.

One of my favorite memories of Grandma happened just a few years ago. We were trying to raise $$ for our adoption, and I had a $250 order for some angel pins. After Thanksgiving that year, John and I stuffed Grandma in the back of our car and took her home with us for a few days. She helped us finish up those 500 pins, and did we ever have a wonderful time! Grandma was a woman of very few words. She'd hardly EVER talk without someone talking to her first. Consequently, in a crowd, she tended to sit quietly and just watch and listen. One on one, however, people would take more time to talk to her. While I had her all to myself, I asked her lots of things about Grandpa (who has been gone since '99), and I asked her about her parents, her boys, the baby girl she lost, her life, etc. Things I never would have known otherwise, because she never would have talked about them if no one had bothered asking. It was truly a wonderful few days.

When John's dad came to pick her up to take her home she walked down our sidewalk, and at the midpoint, she turned around, smiled at me and said, "I need one more hug." I sprang down the steps and gave her a big hug and told her I loved her and would miss her. That really meant a lot to me. I'll always keep that mental "snapshot" memory of her. It was one of the few things I've ever heard her say without someone talking to her first.

She will be very missed, but I know she is so much happier where she is, I could never wish her back... I'll definitely be looking for her one day in heaven though.

Back!

I'm IN! Finally! I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure my way into posting here, and it took John about three seconds to figure out how to remedy the situation. Figures!

So anyway, I tried to sneak a smoke signal to y'all on the last entry's comments section, but not everyone reads the comments. I haven't been able to post lately. My "cookies" got poofed and had to come up with my username and password again. It wasn't what I thought it was, so it wouldn't let me in no matter how many times I tried to shout into the scream, "I'M ME! LET ME POST!"

This has been a doozie of a month. John's dad had a heart attack on Saturday the 3rd, and then this past Wednesday, his grandma (his dad's mom) passed away. Yesterday was the funeral. I'll post more later on everything in between, but there has been a lot of running hither and thither, and in fact, I don't think there has been a weekend yet this month where we haven't gone somewhere.

Anyway, now that I'm back, I need to sign off. (Figures, I know.) I'll write up a lengthy make-up post tomorrow with the nitty-gritty...