Marrying God

This was a conversation Eli and I had after bath tonight:

Me:  You're not getting married until you're 30.
Eli: NO!  I'm going to be 15.
Me:  Oh, you are, huh?  And just who are you going to marry?
Eli:  God!
Me:  Hmmm.  Are you going to go to college?
Eli:  Yep.
Me:  What are you going to study?
Eli:  The Bible!
Me:  Not cars?
Eli:  Nope.  Just Bible stuff.
Me:  Would you like me to help you learn some stuff now?
Eli:  Yep.

Oh, my...do I hope so!  I can't wait to see what he ends up doing with his life.  He has such compassion and love for others.  Missionary perhaps?  Love my boy :)

School Fun

I've noticed I have some new additions to my followers list.  I'd love to know who you are!  Leave a comment to tell me a little about yourself and perhaps how adoption has blessed (and challenged) your family.

Now on to the 2nd week of school.  She skinned her knee, but it wasn't a big deal and I didn't get called.  On the first day of school as soon as I saw the scissors I KNEW a self inflicted haircut was coming.  Last Friday I picked up Amelia and noticed something different...the bangs I wanted to grow out were cut :(  So I laughed, planned on keeping the bangs until she's mature enough to handle growing out bangs, and we went to gymnastics and came home.  

However, when I took her bangs out we noticed she had cut her hair below the rubber band.  So out came MY scissors to correct the issue.  Gone is her beautiful black hair...but I still think she's really cute.  However, I was NOT happy.

Eli and Amelia still really like each other.  They get along great now that they don't have so much time together.  Just this morning they were cuddling on the couch "reading" an I Spy book together laughing at each other being goofy and just enjoying each other's company.

Eli is bigger than his older sister, which we think may never change.  Just check out those HUGE feet he has!  He's quickly growing in to a size 13 while she's still in a size 10.

Things have settled down a bit since that first week.  Eli and I get to spend some time chilling 3 days a week after we drop off Amelia.  I really enjoy my 3 hour down time every day and am able to get some things done around the house.  Like purging toys and books.  And organizing stacks and stacks of stuff that's been laying around.  And updating blogs.  And having quiet times in actual quiet!  It's been really nice!  But I have some serious tension in my back because of stress and anxiety.  I'm not really sure what's going on, but I'm now waking up with back soreness.  And I have so much anxiety that I feel like I'm going to throw up sometimes.  Where is this coming from?!  I've never been THIS stressed and anxious!  I've got a really good chiropractor, and he tells me that my back hasn't been the same since our addition, but I'm not sure that's all there is to it.

Once again, I'm going to put off telling you about BSF and our study of Acts because I have a lot to say.  I'm really enjoying it so far and have already been challenged...stay tuned!

First week Jitters and A Baby?!

The first two weeks of school is almost over.  And I'm just now sitting down to relax and catch up on a few things!  First, let's discuss that crazy first week of school!

Before school Eli and I went on our first date :)  We went to see the movie Cars, and, of course, Oofie had to come with us. 

 However, the movie was WAY to intense for him so we left within the first hour.  It was still a great time!  And we got to watch some TV at home and cuddle while Papa and sister went out to the Peach festival with some friends.  He really needed Mommy time.

Tuesday, Sept 6th was Amelia's first day of school.  Yes, she looks not so put together.  Because it was chilly!  And we don't have any warm clothes for her...so she's in Eli's pants and one of the two long sleeved shirts she has.  That's how the week went...

Amelia seems so excited, though she has NO idea why!

At Amelia's school.  Papa came with us to drop her off and meet her teacher.

The first day of school was a half day.  So we walked Amelia to her room, where the teacher read a story to her while the parents waited.  Then she talked to us for a few minutes.  Then there was a "get to know the school" scavenger hunt.  And then we brought her home at 10:30am.  I wasn't too thrilled with that part, but it at least introduced her to her surroundings.  She's a tough kid!

Wednesday was my leadership workshop with BSF and should have been Eli's first day of school, but I didn't want to be rushed or miss out on anything so I delayed him a day.  The workshop was amazing and I'm really looking forward to studying Acts this year.  It's going to be great!  More on that later.  

One of the reasons the first week was so nuts is because Eli switched schools...to a Montessori program!  I'm really excited for him.  I think he's going to be pushed more than he may have been in a traditional setting.  And he has a lot more independence.  And he's not on the same dismissal schedule as Amelia!!  That's the real excitement!  I'll tell you how my days go in a bit.   But the first week of school I spent paper chasing and filling out forms to get him all set.  

Thursday, Sept 8th was his first day of school  Did I mention that's my birthday?

Papa even took off during lunch to be there...what a great dad!

So my schedule goes something like this:  Drop off Amelia at 8:50am, drop off Eli at noon, pick up Eli at 3pm, pick up Amelia at 3:50.  Works out great!

Friday was a nightmare!  I got my first phone call from the school..."Is this Amelia's mom?"  "Yes..."  "I don't want to scare you, but Amelia had a rough fall today.  We're not sure exactly what happened, but she's got a big knot on her head.  We're going to keep an eye on her, we've put ice on it, and send her back to class, but we wanted you to know."  I chuckled.  "I'll be right there.  I just want you to know that this won't be the only time you call me this year."   So I dropped what I was doing and went to the school to kiss her boo boo.  I felt like I needed to do that for her.  She seemed a little scared and unsure so I just held her for a minute, kissed her and sent her on her merry way.  

I get home and get another call.  "Hello, is this Amelia's mom?"  "Um, yes?"  "This is so and so from the health department.  We got a message on our system that tells us that Amelia has been diagnosed with Whooping cough.  Has she been sick lately?"  "No.  She's been home 6 weeks and she hasn't so much as coughed.  Are you sure about this?"  So after calls to the doctor, calls to this place, and a little research, we determined that it was likely that blood work was drawn too soon after immunizations (my bad), but we need to do a little more blood work just to be sure.  And she still hasn't coughed!

Amelia gets home and we set our bags on the toy chest for me to go through.  I'm flipping through her folder when I see a note.  "Someone in your child's class has lice."  I laughed pretty hard.  OK.  I'll check Amelia, who didn't get it so that's good.

And in all of this there's my little man who is always good for a laugh.  As we picked up Amelia from that fateful Friday disaster he points out a pregnant woman.  "MOM!  She has a big belly!"  "Yes, Eli, do you know why?  She has a baby growing inside her.  Isn't that amazing?"  Amelia came out and we hopped in the car.

We got to gymnastics at 4:45pm and released Amelia to the hands of the teachers and sat down.  There was a pregnant lady next to us.  "Mom, she has a big belly, too.  She has a baby inside her" he says as he starts poking her belly.  "Eli, you should always ask before poking bellies.  We don't know her."  So he asks her, she says it's fine.

Eli:  Are you having a boy or a girl?

Lady: I don't know yet.

Eli:  Why not?

Me: Babies grow little by little inside her belly.  First they're this tiny, then they have a head and then hands, etc.

Eli:  Mommy, I want a baby in YOUR belly.

Me (after laughing, and quite sarcastically):  You're going to have to pray really hard for that one!

Eli sits down, folds his hands and says quite seriously:  Dear God, please put a baby in mommy's belly.  Amen.

Mom, I want another sister.

Ah, to have his faith.  Let the laughter commence...

First Week of school

I have pictures but I'll have to load them another time.  I think we've gone through 75% of the drama we're going to face for the year this week...it includes whooping cough, changing schools, big goose egg on the forehead,  poking a pregnant woman's belly without permission, my birthday and lice.  Interested?  Stay tuned!

Quick Eli-ism Russian Style

Eli hasn't been teaching Amelia English, she's been teaching him Russian!  He regularly says peeska, poopka, toilette, preeviette  (hello), and paca (bye).

Tonight at dinner Papa was being silly and saying "NO!" in a really loud voice.  Amelia would say "esha" (Again!).  And Eli said "Esha!  Papa, I'm speaking English!"  

Papa:  No, Eli, you're speaking Russian.

A few minutes later...

Eli:  I need to peeska.  Momma, I'm speaking Russian!

Oh, my, was it cute.

The End Of Summer...School? And Eli-isms

School starts on Tuesday.  School starts on TUESDAY.  SCHOOL STARTS ON TUESDAY!!  Ok, so maybe I'm a little excited...for the kids, I mean.

They will be in different schools for a while.  I'm not sure how much I told you last time, but Amelia needs to be in school all day for language acquisition.  Our home school didn't have space to put her in their one full day kindergarten class so they had her in two half day classes.  That would have been fine with me, except since they only have 2 kindergarten teachers and one has the full day class, Eli and Amelia would have been in the same class.  SO I talked with the ELL teacher and got Amelia transferred (in a day!) to another school close by.  I don't have busing available to me, so I have to drive her (we're also too close to Eli's school to qualify for busing).  The problem, I realized that evening, is that Eli's school and Amelia's school end at the same time.  So I'm in the process of getting Eli transferred over, which won't happen until after school starts.  Sigh.  I'm debating what to do...do I allow Amelia to go in to after school care every day until after I get Eli which costs me $4 per hour (with a minimum hour charge)?  Or do I let her sit with a teacher until I can get her?  I guess it wouldn't be fair to the teacher, but we really aren't made of money!  I guess it's my own fault for waiting so long...oh, wait, we've only been home 6 weeks...and the schools have only been open since Aug 10...and Amelia's ELL assessment was last Friday.  So, really, I've been on the ball.

Yesterday my husband asked me how the social security number was coming along.  I said I was waiting for the kids to be in school so I didn't have to take them.  He said the insurance company was threatening to hold all our claims.  I said we'd contact a lawyer.  Seriously?!  I know they were obnoxious last time, too, but we just got the certificate of citizenship in the mail last week.  And we had to send in the passport with her IR-3 visa in to the Ukraine embassy within a month of arriving home, and just got that in the mail this week.  Grrrr.  I almost called the insurance company while I was at the social security office this morning and to say "Here's what happens when you take 2 energetic kindergartners to the social security office.  Next time send a rep to help me!!"  and let them listen as the kids talked at the top of their lungs, climbed on anything and everything, and were interrupting me as I tried to talk to the Social security rep.  She was really patient with us.  She was also unable to accept our translations, so they're going to seek out someone who can translate within the administration.  Her number will be delayed...instead of one week, it'll be two weeks.  However, if they can't find someone within the administration that can translate, it could be delayed months because they would have to hire a 3rd party.  Take THAT insurance company!!

We've also finished up with bloodwork, x-rays (for bone health), immunizations (which I'm sure the school will be calling us about soon), and I've printed off applications for a delayed birth certificate and US passport.

We've been to the zoo, church, multiple parks, bought new water toys (a slip and slide and a big ball sprinkler), and had haircuts.

And Eli continues to amuse us.  We were watching the Veggie Tale movie Esther (courtesy of Grandma Karl) and while Esther was singing he sighed and said "Mom, I love girls."  I smiled.  "Oh, really.  Eli, what do you like about girls so much?"  "I like to rescue them from the bad guys!"  My little superhero :)

He tells me often that sister and I look so pretty.  And he loves to hold the doors open for us.  He still says he really loves his sister...and they seem to be getting along MUCH better.  I schedule quiet time (for me as much as for them!) every day.  And Saturday Eli and I are going on a much needed date.  Through big, fat tears Eli told me he just wanted to watch TV and snuggle with me.  So we're going to see Cars2 and eat popcorn and chocolate like Papa gets.  I can't wait!

I've also heard him in his room mixing several TV shows.  "Care Bear power ON!  Super Why saves the day!  Batman to the rescue!"  with lots of boy noises to match.  What a boy :)

He's also starting to ask funny questions.  Like "Mommy, why do you shave your legs?  You need to shave your arms."  But his favorite word in the English language is still "Why?"