I have been off work for the past three days and although it is nice being home with the kids, it is also very tiring.  I definitely have lots of respect for SAHM (stay at home moms) because it is a non-stop job!  I also heard that Tuesday is now a Federal Holiday due to President Fords passing, which means an extra bonus day off. 

 

Yesterday the kids and I, Grandpa, Aunt J and her three girls, all went to the local childrens museum.  The kids had a blast!  We then took them for an extra treat, lunch at Wendy's.  This was the first time O got to see wild animals alive and up close.  When she saw the bobcat, she said Meow- meow and when she saw the coyote she said oof oof!  Very cute.

 

O is talking a lot but she is mostly using vowels and her one favorite consonant- M.  So everything begins with M.  Our dog skye she calls My.  Nikolai is My.  Pie is My.  A book she calls Mook.  Look-mook and so on..  On Tuesday she is being evaluated by Shriners Cleft Team.  They are going to see where the closure problem is and then I guess schedule her for surgery number two.  Once she is closed properly, hopefully the nasal aspect will go away and she can begin to hear all of those other sounds and reproduce them.

 

Last if anyone can give advice on how to keep clothes on a child please let me know.  O's newest favorite thing is removing all of her clothes and running around, which she is doing right now!!!

 

 

Well I must admit it was a tiring last two days!  Christmas Eve we spent with family and friends at our house eating and watching football.  The kids were allowed to open one present, and although the boys were leaning towards the largest gifts under the trees, mom prodded them to open their obligatory new pj's instead.  Oksana already has new jammies so she picked her hair accessories.  My BF proceeded to put her blonde curls into "Cindy Lou Who" locks (from the Grinch)((*see December album and disclaimer below*)).  We then put O too bed and the boys did some traditions such as putting out the cookies/carrots and then carrying a candle to their beds, as we sing christmas caroles.

 

After the boys were tucked away snuggly, we eyed the inventory of goods for distribution.   All I can say is that mom had forgotten she had shopped "early" this year to get it done beforehand.  Next year I am making a list of early items.  Anyway, there were more presents to wrap and brunch preparations to finish.

 

Way to early, the boys came into the room to let us know that "Santa came"!  Although my inclination was to sleep at least another hour, I awoke O and we went downstairs to the glee of the kids.  O loved to open her presents and did it very delicately, while the boys barely had time to see the paper.

 

A few hours later of sensory overload and brunch and a visit from family, it was time to head to grandpas for a second round of sensory overkill.

 

Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time we arrived home!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with love, blessings and family!

 

Peace on Earth.

 

 *** Disclaimer looking back at my photos I laughed because they are so silly and crazy and -so were the days of Christmas.   I guess it was a perfect reflection of us- fun and crazy and not worried about our next perfect picture****

 

 

Poor Oksana

 

Her first meeting with Mr Santa Claus did not go as expected.

 

She was fine until we tried to put her on his lap then she took one look and screamed!

 

So we tried to put her on a stool- no go -she looked back, saw he was still there, and had an expression of utter terror!

 

The boys of course were talking a mile a minute about all about the things they wanted.

 

So sadly, we did not get Oksana's first Santa photo this year.

 

But she did graciously wave and say "mye mye" (bye bye) to him, when she was safe again in Daddy's arms.

 

Oh but while we were at the mall I used my free coupon to snag a portrait of the kids at Picture People

 

Here is a link if you want to check them out

 

 

 

 

 

Streptococcus...

 

Not again...

 

This is round number four in a year with V in less then a year and half, including Scarlett Fever.  When V got SF earlier this year all I could think about were the Little House on the Prairie episodes where people actually passed on because of SF. 

 

So back and forth with days off work and on.  And I cant even shop!

 

How many days left until Santa arrives again... I think Santa is falling behind!

  

 

PS

I have to add a SHOUT OUT to Amy http://starbuckslovingmommy.blogspot.com/

Because we Talked the Talk but the Bengals didnt walk (or even move) the walk- but its not over (this is Larry's face last night) yet! 

Love ya Amy

L~

 

 

Just wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my Dear Husband of sixteen years! 

 

Happy Anniversary to Vitaly who landed on American soil for the first time, on this date in 2000!

 

And Happy Anniversary to my friends Lisa and Matt also married on December 15th!

 

XO

L~

I am so proud of Vitaly

 

My little (but extremely tall ) guy has come so far.

 

When we met him he was eleven pounds at fifteen months old.  Some babies are born at 11 lbs so as you can see he was skin and bones and zero brain food.

 

He began going to school when he was a little over two years old and has been going ever since.  He even got on a bus to go to school at two,  and went four days per week to help him progress from all that lack of nutrition and other fun stuff.

 

Well he is now in the first grade and has been trying very hard, but it does not come easy.

 

So when I picked him up from school, the teachers assistant (who works with him every day) pulled me aside and said:

 

"Vitaly wrote a story today in his own words about reindeers, than he read it to the class and it was beautiful!"

 

She was beaming and then whispered in my ear " it wasnt just beautiful -it was one of the best in the class."

 

Vitaly smiled and gave her a hug.

 

Then he gave his teacher a hug.

 

Then I asked him what he wrote about the reindeers, as we walked away, and he said " I dont know..." ln a very shy way.

 

That is my first baby,  he has made amazing strides and I am so proud.

The entry is for my siblings especially~

 

At Christmas my mother would always put up a wooden nativity scene with a beautiful lit star above it and a hanging red bulb that played  the Silent Night melody when you pulled its inner cord.  After my mom passed away I inherited these wonderful memories and items.

 

Earlier in the week, Nikolai was playing with the red bulb and listening to it intently, while pulling the string over and over.  This of course was getting on my nerves.   Then so the kids would'nt keep playing with it, I placed it out of reach for the time being.

 

Last night I saw Nikolai looking for something.  Then he turned to me and said-

 

"Mommy, where is the Singing Bulb?"

 

I thought a "singing bulb????"

 

Then it hit me he was talking about the red bulb.  Nikolai heard the beauty in the bulb, but I thought of it as a nuisance. 

 

Then I thought to myself, it really is a singing bulb, with a wonderful song melody, about what Christmas really is all about.  My Nikolai got the message.  I as an adult had forgotten.

 

 I will take it down from the shelf now and put it back next to the Manager for my children to pull, as many times as they want,  to listen to the song of baby Jesus.  Just like I did when I was a child, and could still hear the beauty, magic and wonderment, in the singing bulb.

 

Six years ago today, in a small city named Ternopil, in western Ukraine, Larry and I stood in a small courtroom with a lady Judge, a bored Lawyer, a social worker, orphanage representative and our translator, and answered many questions about why we wanted to adopt and if we could provide for our son, etc.  We were so nervous, because what if we answered incorrectly?  What if they did not like us?  What if??

 

In 2000 adoptions in Ukraine were still fairly new and we were only the second family to adopt from the region, in our support group.  The region, at that time, was considered a "hard" region and the ten day waiting period was NEVER waived nor were passports or birth certificates easily obtainable,without at least a five day wait.  Yet on that day, the Judge decided to waive the ten day wait and let us become his parents just like that.  And we were able to get his BC and passport, and leave Ternopil two days later.

 

So on that day, a 15 mos old boy named Vitaly Sergievich Kundrow became Vitaly Allen Seyler. 

 

 

For those who haven't had a chance to look at some of the blogs of those traveling now: 

 

Take a quick peek at these UA cuties being adopted!  They are sweet, sweet, sweet!  (I cannot figure out how to link better so I apologize)

 

Brian and Pamela : (gotta love the resemblance photos-priceless)  http://patientperseverance.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html#8378768069900279921

 

Landon and Tonya: (just adorable)  http://thekissackfamily.blogspot.com/2006/12/here-she-is-lyra-natalia-kissack-i-took.html

 

Christina and Jason: (what a cutie) http://warcholadoption.blogspot.com/2006/11/baby-o.html

 

Joe and Steph: (adopting from same orphanage Nikolai is from-gotta love those Donetsk babes!) http://baldwinadoption.blogspot.com/2006/11/ethan-pictures.html

 

 

Just makes me so happy to see many children finding their forever families!!

Congrads to all!!!