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Christmas DayI thought this year I had done well. I had bought the many toys prior to Black Friday. No this year I was NOT going to be the lone parent looking for the requested transformer after they were all picked over. I must admit I did pretty good.
Christmas Eve we enjoyed spending in with our friends Rae Lynn and Mark eating lasagne, and opening our swapped gifts.
For once the kids ran to bed to wait for Santa and I was able to prepare part of the brunch, while Larry finished the wrapping.
The nice part was I made it to bed before 10:00 am!
Around 6:00 am I heard the SHHH of two brave boys as they snuck downstairs to see what Santa had brought
(Of course Santa doesnt wrap his gifts only mom and dad- I now know why my parents did the same with five kids- who wants to wrap a BIKE!)
From downstairs I could hear the LOOK, WOW and COOL as my boys elated in their presents. Then of course we heard the sound of a new bike (Nikolai's) going round and round. After the newness had worn off we heard the footsteps of two little boys as they shouted with glee- Santa came, yeah and he left presents!!
Time to get up!
So downstairs we ventured to see the goods. Then as I prepared brunch Larry helped to open boxes for the kids to play.
The family arrived and we had a wonderful brunch followed by more kid presents, then a second round with Stockings and Larry's family. Later in the evening, we decided we would open our own family presents in PJ's and without sensory overload!!!
I love the movie Christmas Story and we watched it before the kids went to bed. Then mom said good-night herself, ready to brave the after Christmas sales the next day!!!
Happy HolidaysHappy Holidays to All!!!!
Our Christmas Card is in the photo album and is sent to each and everyone that has enjoyed our blog over the years..
It reads PEACE.. Our wish this Holiday Season ... A world to grow in where children will be safe and free. Happy Holidays! The Seyler Family
Thank you!!!
closureIt is official.. Luba was the little girl we debated about adopting between her and Oksana's referral.
God does work in mysterious ways.. I saw Luba on a blog a year later, I somehow knew she was the baby girl picture we saw at the Adoption Center.
Than a family commented on my blog. We traded stories.
Now it is pretty much confirmed: due to private info we both had to ourselves this is the little girl, that I have worried about since I chose Oksana's referral.
She was the beautiful little girl I was devastated to turn down wondering what fate beheld her.
Luba is now going home! I am so glad I can happily close the door. I hope others will choose these amazing special needs children.
Whether it is missing limbs, a cleft palate, other anatomical problems, it does not mean you deserve a life in a disability orphanage.
But sadly. that is the fate for many just like Luba and Oksana. AnniversarySo two things happened in the Seyler family history today:
We brought Vitaly home and when we touched down in Chicago I laughed and cried. I laughed because they were playing Christmas music in English and I had forgotten we were actually in the states and home to what we were used to! I cried because it was my ten year anniversary and although I had always known I would never birth a child; my son was in my arms! What an anniversary gift!! It was December 15, 2000!!!
So today we are staying home to celebrate, our seventeen year anniversary. We HAD a holiday party to attend without kids but it had to be cancelled due to a huge snow storm
 Sadly, we had to let the babbysitter go!Yes, looking back I was a young bride and my DH a young groom. Funny I thought I was so old!! He was only 25 and I was 23 and I thought after graduating college if I didnt get married I was OLD!!
But seventeen years later and three adoptions, in seven years, only God knew it was meant to be !!! These are our best years ever!!! Luba has a family!In June 2007, I wrote this http://itsagirlseyler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!B96F16A67C298C9!1507.entry
about a little girl named Luba.
I was contacted shortly after by a family wanting more information about her. Of course I did not have lots to offer other then adoption advice, but the family was
really wanting to adopt her. I am happy to finally say you can see their story here: http://findingzoe.blogspot.com/
Sometimes miracles really do happen not only for her new family, but for a little girl in Zap!!
Good newsSo the alpaca farm had two endings: Vitaly lost his glasses and were found later crushed around the house : the boys like to say an alpaca crushed them!
Now for our alpaca farm friends well: They had their appointment for a "sibling group" under six on Tuesday and:
Answer: TWINS four year old boy/girl and TWO year old boy!
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
The ProjectV had a Thanksgiving Project that was sent home the week of Thanksgiving. We looked at the project and it was very large and required writing stories and drawing pictures. Perhaps an easy task for some second graders, but a daunting task for V and us!
We struggle constantly with homework! The big issue is V doesn’t want to do it! Can you blame him? He just spent hours in school working on math and reading, then when he comes home he wants to play and instead he has to sit and do it all again! He doesn’t get the concept. He is a kid that NEEDS to exercise and get out lots and lots of energy! I send him outside whenever possible, even 8:00 on a Saturday morning if it is needed.
So, we worked a bit here and there on the “project.” We were told in general it was due on November 30, but that doesn’t mean much as V is on an IEP; and technically is supposed to work at his OWN pace.
Well Saturday the boys and Larry went to see the movie Enchanted (Larry said it was excellent BTW) and ran into a classmate of V’s that has similar learning issues as V. Well it turns out both boys were made to stand on dots on Friday, at recess, because they did not turn in their Thanksgiving projects yet!! Are you kidding me? So when they get home, I ask V again to ensure this was true but he doesn’t have any idea why he got in trouble in school, because he didn’t even know when it was due (Larry and I had that information). V only shrugged and said "I don't know?" Totally unacceptable if you ask me! He was punished for something he had no control over. We did not return it because:
A. We were still working on it! B. I had NO idea my child would be punished for working at his own pace. C. They rarely care when I return his homework most of the time, because it just sits in his folder.
I called the Intervention Specialist who noted that she doesn’t totally agree with the process either, but he needs to learn to be more responsible. So, I mention that no one told me that it occurred and she said we should have probably been notified. Should have been? Hello school, he doesn't even understand what he did wrong!
I later talked to my sister about it who agrees that it was inappropriate (She too is a school Intervention Specialist and knows her nephew very well.) She mentioned that we should ask the teacher, if V even knows what a due date represents or a project date for that matter. I mean come on, he still doesn’t understand the days of the week concept! She thinks I should notify the Principal, because a child with a learning disability should not be punished for missing work but rather worked with!
I do guarantee that when I am finished, my son will NOT be punished again, because I did not push his homework hard enough. Some day’s homework is just not possible with him and defeats the whole purpose if he isn’t learning!
P.S. Well I just had a chance to READ the regular classroom teacher's response to my questions and she highlighted ALL homework will be turned in on time or loss of recess will occur highlighted in the parents guide. Wait- STOP- um that was for all regular classroom students my child has a huge IEP. An IEP modifies my child's needs, unfortunately it looks like the regular classroom teacher has forgotten to read his IEP! |
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