Wednesday, June 25, 2008

"I gave you candy..."

This week is CRAZY. It seems that the only one-on-one time I have with any of the kids is in the car, or while waiting for someone else's lesson of any kind to be over.
Nico and Anya have soccer camp, Elia and Nina swimming and gymnastics, and Alex German camp. I haveo have them all chauffeured to their respective activities by 9am (at three different locations!). Ahhhhhhhhhh!
I love that they have all these great opportunities, but this week is one compact entertainment marathon. Not to mention that I'm also providing authentic (aka: homemade from scratch) Swiss Snacks for the German camp, which has about 90 people. Late nights, early morning, and a kitchen that is too painful to describe.
Oh well!

There was one really neat thing that I need to write about before it fades in my memory...
Nina and I were sitting at swimming, watching Elia, and visiting with my friend and neighbor. We talked about having to do something special for Nina's adoption anniversary next week. We talked about how we met her a year ago, and she looked at me and said: "And I gave you candy".

When we met her in Changsha, she tightly clutched a bag of hard candy in her little hands, and her nanny prompted her to give one to Mike and one to me. We still have a couple of pieces of that candy, and we have a picture of her giving it to us (I think), and we have it on video. Nina has only watched the video one time, last summer.

I was soooo surprised that she brought this up, and that she seemed to remember that moment.
Wow! Certainly makes me wonder what other memories she has from her adoption!!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Is this the direction we are headed????

This article was on Foxnews.com today, and to me, this is deeply disturbing.
I have been on a "parenting kick" lately, reading some new parenting books in the hopes of getting some insight on certain behaviors we see popping up in our kids. Not the pleasant kind.
Reading stuff like this article though makes me sad, angry, and worried about our kids' future as parents themselves (God help them!)
****************
OTTAWA (AFP) - A Canadian court has lifted a 12-year-old girl's grounding, overturning her father's punishment for disobeying his orders to stay off the Internet, his lawyer said Wednesday.
The girl had taken her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on websites he tried to block, and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer.
The father's lawyer Kim Beaudoin said the disciplinary measures were for the girl's "own protection" and is appealing the ruling.
"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parents to set boundaries."
"I started an appeal of the decision today to reestablish parental authority, and to ensure that this case doesn't set a precedent," she said. Otherwise, said Beaudoin, "parents are going to be walking on egg shells from now on."
"I think most children respect their parents and would never go so far as to take them to court, but it's clear that some would and we have to ask ourselves how far this will go."
According to court documents, the girl's Internet transgression was just the latest in a string of broken house rules. Even so, Justice Suzanne Tessier found her punishment too severe.
Beaudoin noted the girl used a court-appointed lawyer in her parents' 10-year custody dispute to launch her landmark case against dear old dad.

Going to work with Daddy

Nina got up bright and early this morning, and since we don't have gymnastics today, we can do whatever we want *Ahhhhhhhhh*
She asked if she could go to work with Daddy, and given the day of the week it is, and the good sport Daddy is, he said yes. She was so excited, and got cleaned up and dressed in a hurry. She had this shy, but proud little grin on her face pretty much the entire time.
Mike will let her stay for a couple of hours, and then I will go pick her up and bring her home again!
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Monday, June 16, 2008

Summer swimming....

Alex and Anya are taking swimming lessons this summer, as they were unable to do so during the school year (only so much this Mama can do).
Anya just caught on to some of the basics this past year, and now she is really enjoying to learn more and to get better at it. She just advanced to Level 4, and she is very proud of her progress.
For Alex, swimming is a challenge: He is quite afraid of the water, hates being splashed, and his delayed motor skills and lacking coordination make swimming a monumental task. I also knew if anyone could teach him how to swim, it would be this particular instructor (she is phenomenal!). Denise has been very patient with him, and he is making progress as well. The best thing is - he's ENJOYING it!! And it's not just the swimming that is a great learning opportunity, it's also all the locker room tasks, and I'm helping him to become a lot more independent with the self-care that's needed before and after swimming. It really is a win-win situation!
Here are a couple of pictures of the two swimmers (yes, I'm on a roll today :-) )

....and Summer Gymnastics

We are starting our third week of summer gymnastics. Our High School has a fun, recreational program every summer (and it's FREE!), and all our kids have participated at one point. Nina and Elia really like it. Elia loves the physical activity, and Nina really likes her leotards :-)). We received some cute hand-me-downs, and she is in princess heaven. She participates well, follows directions, and I think this is really good for her gross motor development.

It' hard some mornings to get out of the house, as their lesson starts at 8:30am, but it also forces me to have my act together *ha*.

I finally remembered to bring my camera today, too :-))


Sunday, June 15, 2008

Elia's doghouse project

Tonight, after eating dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house, Elia decided he wanted to build a doghouse for them. He really, really wants a dog, so he thought that if THEY got one, he would not have to clean up dog poop! Pretty clever :-))
He found lots of scrap wood in their backyard, as they are in the process of building a garden shed, and Grandpa supplied the screws and the cordless drill! My little boy was in heaven!!!
Soon the project turned into a family affair, with all the siblings giving suggestions and wanting a turn with the power tool. It was so sweet all of them working together.
Elia had very clear ideas on how it needed to be built, and not even Daddy was able to sway him. He got it about half way done, and while it will have to be a very little dog, I'm impressed with his ability to think about a project, and then work on it.
I'm sure he will want to go finish it later this week!
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Fathers in our lives

Father's Day 2008

I truly cannot begin to describe how blessed our kiddos are to have their Daddy. He is one of the kindest, most encouraging, and good-natured men I have ever met (gosh, I just HAD to marry that guy!). He is involved in their lives, he provides for them, he prays for them, and he teaches them to be godly young people. In return, they lay at his feet. Their love for him comes from deep within, and their bond is strong. They love to have pillow fights and tickle wars, play tag and football and soccer, and they share his love for anything electronic.

He was there.....
....when Anya was crushed that big brother Nico was leaving for his first day of school...
...for Nico and his neverending thirst for knowledge...
....to teach Alex how to play miniature golf, even when it required a lot of patience....
...when Elia could not go fast enough on uncle Larry's four wheeler...
...or when he needed someone to sit with him in ICU after his fall off the top bench of the bleachers which resulted in a skull fracture (one of the scariest moments of my life)....
...or when Nina first discovered what a "Daddy" was....
...or when she just needed a snuggle 10 months later....
But there are other Fathers in our lives as well ~
Grandpa
who always encourages the kids to try hard, and who lets them do things that make them feel so grown up and important, like running power tools and heavy machinery, and who ALWAYS has gum in his pocket!
Grosvati
(my Dad)
who always returns home from here, leaving a legacy of a special project well done, like this awesome organizer for our mud room. He enjoyed helping Nico work on his own wood working project while he worked in the shop.
This is a picture of both of my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary (3 years ago). My niece Dina is wearing my Mom's wedding dress.
And yet another special Father, the kids' very special
Great-Grandpa
who was a man of honor, of bravery, and a Cowboy through and through.
He loved our kids so much, called them his little critters, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, he would have loved Nina too.
We miss you!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Happy Father's Day!

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes.

In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife securely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.

After the traumatic initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of debris that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.

He began to concentrate on where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the rubble.

As he was digging, other forlorn parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying:

"It's too late!"
"They're dead!"
"You can't help!"
"Go home!"
"Come on, face reality, there's nothing you can do!"
"You're just going to make things worse!"

To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he proceeded to dig for his son, stone by stone.

The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off of the school's debris, saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You're in danger. We'll take care of it. Go home." To which this loving, caring Armenian father asked, "Are you going to help me now?"

The police came and said, "You're angry, distraught and it's over. You're endangering others. Go home. We'll handle it!" To which he replied, "Are you going to help me now?" No one helped.

Courageously he proceeded alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?"

He dug for eight hours . . . 12 hours . . . 24 hours ... 36 hours . . . then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what, I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad! . . . "

"What's going on in there? How is it?" the father asked.

There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building collapsed, it made a wedge, like a triangle, and it saved us."

"Come on out, boy!"

"No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, 'cause I know you'll get me! No matter what, I know you'll be there for me!"

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
-Deuteronomy 31:5

From: Chicken Soup For The Soul

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Spooky, Gandalf, Rocket and Indy

When it comes to co-raising a litter of kittens, naming them sure is the fun part.

Especially when they are ALL BLACK!!

Needless to say, it took almost 5 weeks until we had a name for all of them.

Especially a name that works for either gender, as we still don't know which ones are boys and which ones are girls. Good thing human babies are easier in that aspect :-)). We "think" there is one boy, but seriously, their little parts look pretty much the same to us.

Sorry, this may be too much information *LOL*

Anyway - back to the naming process:

Gandalf was first - we could tell that this kitty had the most white "fuzz" on the front legs, and since the older kids had just watched "The Lord of the Rings", we named this one "Gandalf the gray". Gandalf is a little bit a loner, often times hanging out by himself, and he is the only one who is not eating solid food yet, and therefore worrying his human "Grandma". And we THINK that Gandalf is actually a girl :-).

Next came "All-black" - see how desperate we were, but this one is the only one who does NOT have any white hair on the legs. "All-Black" was only a temporary name, and Nico finally named it "Indy" (take a guess which new movie he likes!!).

The two other ones were so identical, that it took us the longest to tell them apart. But Elia names his "Rocket" (just like uncle Ronnie's horse that died!), and Rocket has just a few little white specks of hair on top of his ears.

Anya finally decided on a name, and Spooky has some white hair coming out of her ears. So, they are all named and happy little campers.

We finally moved them into the garage, much to the dismay of the Mama cat, who tries to sneak them back into the house.

Wow, baby kittens are so fun, and great entertainment! The picture posted is not a very recent one, but it's so hard to catch them for a picture. They either constantly move, or if we have one outside, it starts crying, and Midnight the Mama comes flying, and drags it back inside right away. So bear with me, I promise there will be more pictures.

What I realized too, and I find it intriguing, is how the little personalities match the child who named it -

Gandalf, the loner, who is doing things later than anyone else, and in his own way - just like Alex

Indy, the frontrunner, with a bit of kitten-firstborn syndrome, just like Nico

Rocket, always active and feisty, just like Elia

Spooky, cute and snuggly, just like the girls (Nina didn't name one, but she decided that Spooky was her favorite, too)

Now we just need to find homes - 2 are spoken for so far. It is going to be a sad, sad day when those little critters have to leave. Makes me all teary too :-))

What amazes me is how Midnight just knows what to do, without reading parenting books or taking classes. Pretty cool!




Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Red Light, Green light


We've been playing "Red Light, Green Light" lately. Actually, it was last weekend when it suddenly became hugely popular at our house. The little boys taught Nina how to play it, and it was so funny - every time it was "red light", she assumed the cutest "freeze" position. I have no idea where she picked that up, I'm guessing it was at soccer (need to talk to the coach *ha*)


Back up again, and Tornado picture

***Disclaimer*** the picture below was printed in our local newspaper. I was NOT the photographer :-). What we saw was just a little part of a tornado at that time.

We're back in the virtual world!!

I don't function well without internet, I have to admit!

I use it so much, either just for fun, for information, or for business.

I'm much happier now *LOL*

Here is a picture of the recent tornado that hit our town! Pretty impressive, huh! We actually saw it from our house (or at least one of them in the area!)

A funny detail about this picture....Nina was just looking at it, and she exclaimed: "Mama, look, the tomato!"

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Internet down...

I thought I was doing really good catching up. But sure enough, our internet went down (something with the wireless "stuff"), and I thought it was because of the severe weather we've been having over the weekend, but I guess it wasn't. They'll come tomorrow to replace the magical box.

We've had terrible thunderstorms, tornadoes (very little damage from what I've heard), hail - you name it - but hey, no SNOW anymore, and that I'm happy about! We spent about an hour in the basement yesterday afternoon, and Anya was so cute - she made sure everyone had their shoes, she brought a couple of games downstairs, and entertained the little ones. She is getting so grown up!

After the storm let up, we made some "Dandelion curls" - if you're looking for free and natural entertainment, find some dandelions, break the stems into pieces (2 - 3 inches long), and then fray the stems from both sides. Then put them in a bowl of water, and they will curl up into the funniest looking little creations. We made those all the time when I was little, and obviously today's kids still like them too.

I took some pictures of it too (of course!!)
If you click on the collage, you get a better look at the "curls" - Nina preferred decorating the bowl with flowers, though, and it looked so beautiful!!

Signing off for today (I hacked into my sister-in-laws network :-) )

Oh, and by the way, Elia's word was WHEEL!!! Good job, Brandee!! Good guesses, everyone else, and thanks for playing!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

The baking boy


One of Nico's goals for his "home schooling year" was to learn to cook and to bake. Sadly enough, we didn't have nearly as much time for it as I was hoping for, but he still learned  a few things. The most impressive one is how to braid "Zopf", a traditional Swiss Sunday bread. He does a good job, and he is so proud when we eat "his" bread!
And yes, he DID get a haircut since this picture, and while his hair is still long, it doesn't look quite so unruly anymore :-)

The writing boy

Elia has been amazing us with his early reading and writing skills. He has been practicing with Alex's books from Kindergarten, and has the very early ones mastered. The ones that go like:
"I see the dog, I see the cat..."
"I can eat, I can sleep..."
The last word is usually a picture, but still - it's so fun to see him discover the world of reading and books! Love it!
And now he is trying to write things, too. He'll just go get paper and a pencil to write things down. Sometimes it's when he is mad and wants to write about it, or it is to write a card, or just to pass the time in church :-)
I took pictures of a couple of examples of his writing. I usually have to ask him for the translation, but once I know what he meant, it becomes quite obvious. He is really trying to sound out the words, and the results are so cute!

This one was created after I had to lock up the Wii games because of lots of fighting and no sharing. He was so angry with me, and taped this note to the inside of our entertainment center :-)
It says: "No fighting over the (and then 'over the' again) Wii game (gem)
His letters are highlighted in red
(And of course MOM is obvious, since I was the one he was mad at)
And here is Grandma's Birthday card!
"Happy Birthday Grandma (Grmo)"
And so see who is still reading our blog, here is a little "Elia-Trivia". Can you guess what this word means? He just wrote it a couple of days ago, and neither Mike or I could figure it out. Again, it makes total sense now, so let me hear YOUR best guesses :-)))

"WEOWL"

Post your guess in the comments!

Growing so much!

Before Nina came home last summer, I bought her and Anya a matching dress. 
She wore it once.
On her first day home. 
After that, it disappeared, and I could not find it for the life of me! I was puzzled - and sad, as it represented something special - a new beginning, a day when we were finally all together.
Well, it turned up during the winter - it was at the bottom of a large "to iron" pile, that gets neglected at my house more often than not.
I took some pictures of Nina wearing it, just to see the difference 10 months had made. 
Look for yourself!
July 15, 2007. Our first breakfast at home!
And this is how long this dress used to be!
As I'm labeling this, I'm amazed. This picture was taken on May 15, 2008, exactly 10 months after the first ones!! Look how much shorter her dress is now! And she doesn't have the unsure and scared look on her face anymore, either, but a happy and confident one!
She is so beautiful, and I love how long her hair is getting!
Allright, let me burst your bubble. Here is what she was REALLY thinking about this photo shoot :-))
Yes, that's definitely my girl, too!