Fall Happenings

Well it's been a while since I posted anything. I didn't realize how many people were actually reading this and interested in what is going on at our end of the world. The reason I blog is really to keep track of things I want to remember and because I don't have time to scrapbook anymore and don't foresee having time in the future to do that. I do enjoy sharing stories about the family with any and all who are interested though. The other reason is for awareness that there are kids out there who are great kids that need a family to help them be all they can be. We won't ever forget all the faces we left behind in Ukraine as I'm sure anyone who has adopted won't forget the other kids faces where they were too. I always remind myself that "but for the grace of God go I". Those kids didn't choose that life it was the hand they were dealt and it is up to the rest of us to do our part. While our family is "Officially closed" (unless there is a miracle by God to change that) we would gladly help anyone who wishes to pursue the blessing of adoption.

Yuri and Victor are finishing up their second soccer seasons and Vanya is just beside himself that he can't play yet. Spring T-ball will come soon enough! Just running 2 schedules of sports is a lot so I'm sure I'll be really frazzled by the time baseball comes and all 3 will play! The boys get great enjoyment out of playing on a team and interacting with the coaches and kids (mostly the coaches) Victor has really flourished this year in soccer and has scored a goal at almost every game and even scored 2 goals in the same game a couple of weeks ago. His gross and fine motor skills are right up there with his peers so he has caught up quickly just with a little extra time and exposure. His team is the tigers and they are orange this year. Yuri's team is the eagles and they are green. Yuri loves to play defense and has a good sense of position. He also likes the thrill of scoring though so often times he will just dribble the ball up and shoot even though he was on defense. He plays on a 1st/2nd grade team so some of the kids are closer to his age. He has scored many goals and has a great foot that can get the ball out of backfield and up to the offense. Both boys are now able to play American soccer and not Ukrainian soccer. Not as many kids are getting hurt by them this season. I don't think they have plowed over anyone this time so mama is happy about that. Papa is still wondering why that isn't legal because they almost always keep going with the ball after "getting some one out of the way". Periodically he has to be reminded that they are still little and this is soccer not football. Of course all the boys want to play football but mama isn't quite ready for my little guys to become bruisers. I also like all their parts where they are currently located. Vanya has excellent ball skills and will be a whiz when he gets to play next year. It will be fun to watch them all progress.

School this year is going very well and Victor is right about middle of the road in his kindergarten class. He has really made a lot of progress and we hope he will continue to go right along with the class and move to first grade next year. He is always the jokester and it will serve him well I'm sure. All the kids know him and he has an enormous following at school. He gets invited to birthday parties for kids who aren't even in his class; some aren't even in his grade! Yep, this might become a problem when he get older. Good thing mama has time to prepare before the girls start calling. He knows most of his letters and is working on his letter sounds now and can even read a few books on his own. His teacher is very pleased and says he is right on track. That makes mama pleased too! He still continues to connect himself to anyone and everyone though, particularly men. He hugs everyone right when he meets them and makes friends everywhere he goes. I have to watch him like a hawk. The whole stranger thing hasn't made too much sense yet. Mama got to go on the pumpkin patch trip with him this year and that was fun. It did make me realize that he still hasn't quite overcome some old habits and mannerisms though. He kept asking other people to help him with things even though I was right there. Whoever happened to be closer to him was asked. He didn't think anything of going to eat with some other kids and just leaving mama behind. I'm glad he isn't clingy but I had to explain that I come on these to spend time with him and if he doesn't want me to come then I would be happy to skip the school bus ride with 35 5 year olds. He hasn't really processed that sort of thing yet. The pumpkin patch was fun and he picked out a great pumpkin to paint and carve. I went for the carving at the school and helped a little group design their pumpkin and they weighed it and counted the seeds and made a face and then scooped it out and weighed it again. Since we don't celebrate Halloween I suggested that we make a silly face instead of a scary one and Victor was all about that! We had the silliest looking pumpkin ever. Of course I forgot the camera but it had about 10 eyes, a circle nose, two triangle ears and a boot for a mouth! I'll be going to do gingerbread houses next week so we'll see how that goes. It is my year to help in Victors class since I did Yuri's last year.

Yuri is doing well but is not progressing as fast as we would have expected for this year. We think it has a lot to do with his speech impediment. He is really having a hard time reading because he can't sound the words out very well and then gets frustrated so it isn't as much fun. He still likes school but not as much as last year. He has figured out that he is behind and that the kids are all older than him but not enough to make him want to work harder. He has trouble pronouncing certain sounds and so when he tries to sound something out it just doesn't sound like it should so he doesn't recognize it. We are currently tying to get him some speech help and have a meeting to see if we can get that included in his Student Action Plan. He is a whiz at math and has very good reasoning skills and also has a good vocabulary. He loves to do arts and crafts and is proud of himself when he can do things without help. He is very conscientious and most the time remembers all of his things. His stubbornness sometimes gets in the way of his fun and because he is very competitive about EVERYTHING he often gets upset if he perceives things to be unfair or if one of his brothers gets to do something or go somewhere that he doesn't. He is always a great worker at home and likes to help cook and clean and help papa in the yard. He does a good job telling his brothers how to do things too.

Vanya is having a good year as well but is by far our laziest. He has finally mastered the whole potty thing (thankfully) and knows he must stop and go to the bathroom regardless of how much fun he is having doing whatever he was doing. If he thinks something is going to take a long time then he doesn't want to do it even if it is something fun. And if it isn't something fun then look out. He still bosses his brothers around a little bit, but they have all gotten used to each other and now that they include him in a few things, he isn't as bossy as he used to be since he wants to play with them. He knows all of his letters and most of the sounds but words are still hard for him. He doesn't like to color in the lines because again "that takes longer". So most of his artwork from preschool is scribbles of one color on a page. He can draw things and make his letters neat but chooses not to when given a choice. The concept of excellence is foreign at this point and may elude him for quite some time. He is also very good with numbers and loves to be read to and can play games now. He likes to play with the hot wheel cars and anything you can ride on. Outside is where he would love to be at all times though. He goes outside and plays with whoever is out there no matter how old or what gender. If no one is outside he will go knock on his friends doors and see if they can play. His charm seems to attract all the little girls and some of the boys too. He is very sociable but is selective about who can be in his "circle". He is very athletic and never ceases to make us laugh with all his funny faces. I went to the pumpkin patch with his class as well and it was a hoot! His class is mostly 3 year olds and a few 4 year olds so they were just excited to ride the bus and go on the hayride. They got to pick out a gourd and a small pumpkin so it was all worth it in their eyes. He is my one who always wants to be with mama so no problem asking me to help not only him but all his friends too!

This Thanksgiving will be a little sad because we have one less family member this year. My grandmother died at the end of October and would have celebrated her 99th birthday this Thanksgiving. Fortunately my brother, Brian, and I, were able to go down and spend a few days with her before she rapidly went down hill and Jesus called her home. Vanya asked me to ask Ama if she would tell Jesus that He was doing a good job, since she would get to meet Him before he would. Out of the mouths of babes. My brother and I both got to play cards with her (she still beat us too) and Chinese checkers and she was alert and her normal self. We were both so thankful for that last bit of time we got to have with her. After we left to come home, it was only another 2 weeks before she was gone. She was a special lady and we will always treasure her. We all made the trip down to Florida for the funeral and the boys did a great job of knowing how to behave at the service. Fortunately, my cousins took the boys to the aquarium for the day when we were cleaning out her apartment. It was just a bit too tempting to touch everything and play with everything and be right in the way. It was nice to go out on the Gulf of Mexico to spread her ashes as she wished. We saw 2 dolphins swimming alongside the boat and the boys got a real kick out of seeing them so close. We got to say our goodbyes and will know her watchful eye will be on us until we join her. It was nice for my brother and his daughters to be with all of us as well. "Ama" was the last of her generation in our family so even though our matriarch is gone, the generation (my mother's) that follows will now have to be our family "glue".
Good boys Mischievous Boys
The holidays are almost upon us and I can't believe we are coming up to the end of 2008! We have had the boys now for a year and a half but sometimes it seems like yesterday and other times it seems like a lifetime. They have come so far and yet they still have a long way to go. We are just now able to tell others that it does become manageable, they do learn, and you do actually get to have some alone time (not much, but some). They all have such great personalities that are emerging and I love watching them discover more and more things and have opinions. God truly blesses those who care for his children!

Mama mama mama