Here are a few very random things I want to be sure and write down but I keep forgetting to so I will type them here and that way, you'll all get to read my notes. Lucky you!
A couple of days ago Max got into the car and instructed Annette, "Buckle up!"
He also seems to really like green (favorite color?). He points it out often and loves to wear it.
He loves the cow at Chick-fil-A. I mean LOVES it.
His Spider man baseball cap is another thing he likes a lot. He wears it every day.
His shoes. I have to post a picture of these! He has completely worn out the backs of them doing what I think must be his favorite pass-time: riding the big-wheel down the driveway at break-neck speed!
Another favorite pass- time? Playing CDs.
He spent the past three days carrying around and American flag with him everywhere.
Misha is saying "I love Mama ee Papa" in English more and more. Up until now he mostly only said this in Russian.
He spits when he talks. A lot.
He rolls every 'R' very noticeably. Even in English words.
He drives us crazy by shaking his head while pronouncing, "Ya ni Boodoo." before tasting anything for the first time. I don't know exactly what that means but the gist of it seems to be "I will not be doing that!" Fortunately after he tastes it (and likes it) he is not too proud to admit that it tastes good.
Vitali
Loves his Papa. Almost to excess, if that is possible. He loves me too, but in a more normal way.
He says a bunch of his words in baby talk. In Russian he says "Zozeezonya!" instead of 'dos vidania'. He says "Kanna" instead of 'Hannah' because of the Russian phonetics; in fact, he uses a 'k' sound to replace every 'h' sound.
At night I say, "What song shall I sing?" He understands this perfectly and always says, "A-B-C-D-E-F-Zhee- Zhee" Meaning the one that goes, "A,B,C, D, E, F, G, Jesus died for you and me..."
He throws very few tantrums now. Only one every several days or so.
He bounces when he walks.
He sings to himself when he's happy.
He likes to go outside but to poke his head back in the door every 5 minutes and say, "Mama?... Allo!...Paka!" then waving, go back out again.
Vitali loves soup. He usually has two or three bowls and generally makes no mess when he eats it. Generally.
All the boys...
...Love to get their hair done and then go and show Papa.
...Like to wake up waaaay too early!
...Yell, "Pre-yekhelleeeee!" (we've arrived) every time we get home from anywhere. Vitali actually says, "Peeyekellee!"
...like to wear footie pajamas
...Love to play outside
...LOVE their Babushkas and Deodushkas (Grandmas and Grandpas)
...Love talking on the phone.
...whine. But they are getting better about this. Thank goodness!
...like hotdogs. It is definitely their favorite food. Oh, yes and potatoes.
...Get excited over things we would think are mundane. Such as getting the mail of going to the grocery store or having hot dogs for dinner or going ANYWHERE in the car.
...are as excited to ride in the car as an American-born boy might be to get a daily ride in a Bulldozer
...are fascinated to watch me cook. For some reason the saying my dad used to say comes to mind, "If you want to help, don't help!" But I usually just swallow my words and remind myself that they have probably never watched anyone cook before. Misha is especially funny about this. The other day he saw me making cookies. He looked in the bowl and saw the butter. He tasted it. "Ya ni boodoo."
Of course.
Melissa
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Link to video. Misha sings the ABC song!
The boys are doing so well at putting their best efforts towards learning to communicate! I am so proud of them!
I shot this video of Misha a couple of weeks ago at the lake. After only 10 days in America he had decided that he needed to master this ABC song! I think he has done quite well, Don't you?
I shot this video of Misha a couple of weeks ago at the lake. After only 10 days in America he had decided that he needed to master this ABC song! I think he has done quite well, Don't you?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
playing by the lake
We went down to the lake tonight and took a new family picture. After that, the kids had a good time throwing rocks into the lake for a bit as well as climbing on the rocks around the edge. I hope you will enjoy some pictures of the evening:
Hannah.
Hannah.
Misha and Steve. The boys love their Papa.
Annie GraceI can't believe she's almost six!
Maximus. The boys have rosy cheeks from playing outside all day long!
The whole clan.
Us. Melissa and Steve. Steve always looks concerned about something in his pictures. If I remind him not to scowl, his eyebrows shoot up and he just ends up looking extremely surprised. :-) Even so, I like how this picture turned out.
Misha.
Ivy was sick yesterday. This evening she is better but still extra cuddly. Nice for a mommy.
This one was almost as big as his head. The angle disguises that fact.Vitali heaved this missile with all his might!
It landed about a foot and a half away from him.
What did you do today?
Friday, February 15, 2008
pictures
I'm kind of cheap. (ok, I can hear you snickering out there!) Anyway, last year we just could not make time for our usual Valentine's Day celebration. So, we celebrated the 15th instead. Know what? The kids really cleaned up! Everything was 75% off and so we were able to get some things that we normally would never have baought and only spent about $10!
This year we let Hannah decide, would it be ok to make Valentine's for us on the 15th again? She considered it carefully and opted in favor of extra candy.
Last night, on the 14th , we made Valentine's 'Whatevers'. I call them 'whatevers' because they were just whatever the kids decided to create! Vitali enjoyed smearing red glitter glue and paint on this construction paper heart for a long time. Then he held up his hands like this and asked for a napkin!
Today, we have beautiful weather. I am not sure what the temperature is because out thermometer blew away in a storm the other day but it is quite pleasant. (Not quite as pleasant as Hannah's shorts and short-sleeved shirt would suggest, however!) The kids have all enjoyed playing outside today and I hate to call anyone in for a nap, but then, I'd hate not to, too!
I like this picture of Max. It shows his sweet little spattering of freckles. I like freckles on boys. Steve has almost the same pattern across his nose.
Vitali has his mouth full (and I do mean full!) of bread. He is also wearing a baseball cap. He likes to look like his Papa.
There's Papa, getting ready to leave for a while. I thought he looked a little eager...
Hannah kept saying, "Mom, take a picture! Hurry up, Mom! Mom?!!" I didn't tell her that I already had...
The kids (except Annette, who isn't feeling well today) lined up like this and asked me to take a picture of them. No, they are not going swimming, that is armor. Oh yeah, now you see it, don't you?
Misha posed for this picture. He usually is known for liking to goof off for the camera but today he just wanted his picture to look nice, I guess. It does, doesn't it?
This picture really reminds me of my brother Warren when he was little.
Misha wanted me to take this one too, next to the 'machina' (car).
Riding in the car to them is as much of an adventure as an American kid riding on a bulldozer. They absolutely LOVE to go anywhere! They are actually a little awestruck that that is our car. OURS. wow. I guess it is pretty cool.
BTW, keep scrolling down, I have posted a surge of new stuff today!
This year we let Hannah decide, would it be ok to make Valentine's for us on the 15th again? She considered it carefully and opted in favor of extra candy.
Last night, on the 14th , we made Valentine's 'Whatevers'. I call them 'whatevers' because they were just whatever the kids decided to create! Vitali enjoyed smearing red glitter glue and paint on this construction paper heart for a long time. Then he held up his hands like this and asked for a napkin!
Today, we have beautiful weather. I am not sure what the temperature is because out thermometer blew away in a storm the other day but it is quite pleasant. (Not quite as pleasant as Hannah's shorts and short-sleeved shirt would suggest, however!) The kids have all enjoyed playing outside today and I hate to call anyone in for a nap, but then, I'd hate not to, too!
I like this picture of Max. It shows his sweet little spattering of freckles. I like freckles on boys. Steve has almost the same pattern across his nose.
Vitali has his mouth full (and I do mean full!) of bread. He is also wearing a baseball cap. He likes to look like his Papa.
There's Papa, getting ready to leave for a while. I thought he looked a little eager...
Hannah kept saying, "Mom, take a picture! Hurry up, Mom! Mom?!!" I didn't tell her that I already had...
The kids (except Annette, who isn't feeling well today) lined up like this and asked me to take a picture of them. No, they are not going swimming, that is armor. Oh yeah, now you see it, don't you?
Misha posed for this picture. He usually is known for liking to goof off for the camera but today he just wanted his picture to look nice, I guess. It does, doesn't it?
This picture really reminds me of my brother Warren when he was little. Misha wanted me to take this one too, next to the 'machina' (car).
Riding in the car to them is as much of an adventure as an American kid riding on a bulldozer. They absolutely LOVE to go anywhere! They are actually a little awestruck that that is our car. OURS. wow. I guess it is pretty cool.BTW, keep scrolling down, I have posted a surge of new stuff today!
Counting blessings
Our friend Ginger brought us a delightful gift the other day! I would have mentioned this earlier but for some reason my pictures wouldn't load correctly and I wanted to make sure and show them too!
She brought us bag after bag of groceries that she had picked out herself. The boys all helped to carry the bags in and exclaimed over the contents of each of their bags as they did so. They were so thrilled! It is really a treat how they get excited about every gift that has been given in their honor--even groceries!
Misha wanted to be sure I got this picture with him in it:
She also brought 6 tubs of Legos, sorted by color. One for each child, their names written on the lids. They all really have enjoyed these Legos, especially Max!
Big, huge thanks to Ginger and her husband Richard--again! We seem to owe them a lot of thanks. We have been so blessed by so many caring and thoughtful friends.
I am making it a point to take mental notes. Although I always thought I enjoyed giving to others, I can see that I have much to learn! Wow.
She brought us bag after bag of groceries that she had picked out herself. The boys all helped to carry the bags in and exclaimed over the contents of each of their bags as they did so. They were so thrilled! It is really a treat how they get excited about every gift that has been given in their honor--even groceries!
Misha wanted to be sure I got this picture with him in it:
She also brought 6 tubs of Legos, sorted by color. One for each child, their names written on the lids. They all really have enjoyed these Legos, especially Max!
Big, huge thanks to Ginger and her husband Richard--again! We seem to owe them a lot of thanks. We have been so blessed by so many caring and thoughtful friends.
I am making it a point to take mental notes. Although I always thought I enjoyed giving to others, I can see that I have much to learn! Wow.
A whole sentence, sort of.
And just a minute ago...
Max came up the stairs, "Mom! Misha computer touch!"
Yep, Misha did touch the computer. Check out comment number 6 on this post.
They are all giving it their best effort! I am so proud of them! Except for touching the computer, that is...
m.
Max came up the stairs, "Mom! Misha computer touch!"
Yep, Misha did touch the computer. Check out comment number 6 on this post.
They are all giving it their best effort! I am so proud of them! Except for touching the computer, that is...
m.
Richard called it..
Richard,
just thought I'd let you know that this morning Vitali and Ivy were fighting over a tub toy:
"It's mine!"
"Eta moi!"
"It's mine!"
"Eta moi!"
"It's mine!"
"Eta MINE!!!"
m.
just thought I'd let you know that this morning Vitali and Ivy were fighting over a tub toy:
"It's mine!"
"Eta moi!"
"It's mine!"
"Eta moi!"
"It's mine!"
"Eta MINE!!!"
m.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Learning English
Vitali, to one of the other kids today:
"Nyet! Don't touch that!"
Hmmm....I wonder how he learned that English phrase so well???
Melissa
"Nyet! Don't touch that!"
Hmmm....I wonder how he learned that English phrase so well???
Melissa
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The "Other Kids?"
I have gotten this response several times recently from Melissa and cant help but wonder what it means?
The "other kids" are taking a nap.
The "other kids" had eggs for breakfast.
The "other kids" are headed out to the car.
Anybody who doesn't know me knows I don't act like a child!
For those of you who do know me just shut up!
Melissa say she is referring to "the kids" and has only accidentally inserted the "other."
Anyways, Max is having "a day" today. The struggle just now was over toys at naptime. He was supposed to be going to bed and had several of Hannah's my little ponies. He kept saying in Russian that they were his and did not want to give them to me. It is very hard to keep a straight face with an eight year old boy who is carrying on about his ponies.
Steve
The "other kids" are taking a nap.
The "other kids" had eggs for breakfast.
The "other kids" are headed out to the car.
Anybody who doesn't know me knows I don't act like a child!
For those of you who do know me just shut up!
Melissa say she is referring to "the kids" and has only accidentally inserted the "other."
Anyways, Max is having "a day" today. The struggle just now was over toys at naptime. He was supposed to be going to bed and had several of Hannah's my little ponies. He kept saying in Russian that they were his and did not want to give them to me. It is very hard to keep a straight face with an eight year old boy who is carrying on about his ponies.
Steve
Friday, February 08, 2008
Some Thoughts
When I put together our original video and uploaded it to YouTube this video popped up right after the one I did. I know Google has great algorithms and search techniques but the video is of Misha when he was 4-years old and is one out of millions of videos and it popped up right after mine.
The video was from a couple who had adopted a little girl from the boy's orphanage and they had become friends with Misha. Christie has a very funny story about how Misha would come in the room with his puppy dog eyes and beg off a cookie. Before anybody knew it Misha had eaten all the cookies. Typical Misha! Through this video we were able to make contact with the couple who did the video. They along with others around the world had been praying for our Misha and his brothers before we knew them.
After finding this video we were able to make contact with another friend of the boys "Papa Dima." Papa Dima is a Ukrainian man who teaches a Sunday school at the orphanage. Papa Dima met us at the train station as we left for Kiev. He gave us dozens of pictures of the boys from the last few years. This may not seem like much but we know almost nothing about our boys history and to find even the smallest pieces is so encouraging. We have discovered several people who knew our boys and were praying for them from a General in the US Army, Papa Dima in Ukraine, a woman in Scotland, people in Ireland, and others throughout the USA. It means a lot to us to know people were sharing the love of Jesus with our boys before we could.
Christie sent me this picture of Misha just yesterday. I find it to be highly symbolic of the struggle we all face with our reconciliation with God. Misha has a smile on his face and is standing amidst some beautiful colors. The reality though was that Misha was behind bars and no matter how they are painted his position was precarious. Our Misha was facing a system where those who graduate from it at 16 face about a 10% chance of SUICIDE before their 18th birthday. If he avoided those odds there was about a 70% chance he would end up in a life of petty crime. Misha also was just about to turn 5 years old which would make him even less desirable for adoption because he was too old! I find it amazing the parallelism between adoption and the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an adoption story.
I was working on some writings the other day on how adoption was used throughout the scriptures. Starting at the beginning, Moses, the adopted son of the Queen of Egypt wrote the Pentateuch and led the Exodus. God revealed Himself as "I AM" to Moses. It was to Moses that God gave the ten commandments. There were any number of ways Moses life could have been spared but it was through the divine intervention of adoption.
Later when the wicked Haman was plotting to destroy the Jewish people and the Messianic line a courageous woman, queen Esther, the adopted daughter of her uncle Mordechai had the courage to risk her life and went to the King. Mordechai raised Esther as his own daughter and at "such a time as this" Queen Esther was in position to appeal to King Xerxes. Through the intervention of Queen Esther the Messianic line was preserved.
During the inter-biblical period a young man whose father was assassinated was adopted by a woman named Ada. This man, Alexander the Great, gave the world a cohesive language, Greek. It was the Greek Septuagint, the LXX that Jesus quoted so often. God used the Greek language to help spread Christianity during the first century. It was an adopted man of war who made it easier for the gospel of the adopted Man of Peace to be shared.
God chose to use Joseph of Nazareth as the adoptive father of His own Son. It was Joseph who took Mary to Bethlehem and the humble stable that fulfilled the prophecy of Micah. It was Joseph that acted quickly and took the young Christ child to Egypt sparing His life. It was Joseph who brought the child "up out of Egypt." The means God chose for providing a father for His own Son was adoption.
Lastly, the gospel of Jesus Christ is an adoption story. We are not the natural sons of God. We are only reconciled to Jehovah God through adoption. We are joint heirs but only because of adoption. It is only through adoption that our own precarious state is mended.
The sounds, sights and smells of the orphanage still haunt me. There was Denis one of the most annoying children you would ever want to meet. A child that had a face only a mother could love. A child who had no social graces. A child who just wanted to be held. A child who just wanted to be loved. A child who wanted to belong. A child created in the image of God!
I can't forget Christina. A little blond haired girl who had clear signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. A child that because of her FAS will almost surely never be adopted. A child who was just one of two girls in a group of 13 boys. A girl whose face lit up when she realized that while all the boys got cars she was getting a baby doll. A little girl who would hang on my arm and smile up and call me "papa."
There was little David. David has the sweetest little face and a little sister. David is trapped in a system that is broken. David is being disenfranchised by the very system meant to protect him. David is sitting in an orphanage without any of the paperwork necessary to allow him to be adopted getting done.
Vladik is a young boy with just the smallest nubs for legs. He is smart but faces a terrible future if not adopted. Vladik would interrupt our daily visits with a loud "PRYVIYET PAPA, PRYVIYET MAMA" (hello) that almost always led to him being disciplined by a house mother. There is a couple working to adopt this boy and we would ask you to pray for him.
There are so many faces and this was just one of 700 orphanages in Ukraine. There are tens of thousands of orphanages worldwide overflowing with close to 150,000,000 children. The outcomes these and other children will face are not pretty.
If you would like to help the orphans of Green Forest I would suggest Life2Orphans. They are a US based secular NGO that has actively engaged the orphanage and internat. If you would like to help Papa Dima with his Sunday School program in the Kharkov area orphanages you can find out more here..
To learn about adoption in Ukraine visit Ukrainian Angels.
To help orphans in Africa, Eastern Europe, South East Asia, or Latin America visit Children's Emergency Relief International.
To find out more about children available for adoption domestically visit the North American Council on Adoptable Children and to see children available for adoption visit AdoptUSKids.org
Lastly, here in Knoxville I would recommend checking out the Monday's Child program featured on WBIR.
Steve Eimers
The video was from a couple who had adopted a little girl from the boy's orphanage and they had become friends with Misha. Christie has a very funny story about how Misha would come in the room with his puppy dog eyes and beg off a cookie. Before anybody knew it Misha had eaten all the cookies. Typical Misha! Through this video we were able to make contact with the couple who did the video. They along with others around the world had been praying for our Misha and his brothers before we knew them.
After finding this video we were able to make contact with another friend of the boys "Papa Dima." Papa Dima is a Ukrainian man who teaches a Sunday school at the orphanage. Papa Dima met us at the train station as we left for Kiev. He gave us dozens of pictures of the boys from the last few years. This may not seem like much but we know almost nothing about our boys history and to find even the smallest pieces is so encouraging. We have discovered several people who knew our boys and were praying for them from a General in the US Army, Papa Dima in Ukraine, a woman in Scotland, people in Ireland, and others throughout the USA. It means a lot to us to know people were sharing the love of Jesus with our boys before we could.
Christie sent me this picture of Misha just yesterday. I find it to be highly symbolic of the struggle we all face with our reconciliation with God. Misha has a smile on his face and is standing amidst some beautiful colors. The reality though was that Misha was behind bars and no matter how they are painted his position was precarious. Our Misha was facing a system where those who graduate from it at 16 face about a 10% chance of SUICIDE before their 18th birthday. If he avoided those odds there was about a 70% chance he would end up in a life of petty crime. Misha also was just about to turn 5 years old which would make him even less desirable for adoption because he was too old! I find it amazing the parallelism between adoption and the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an adoption story.
I was working on some writings the other day on how adoption was used throughout the scriptures. Starting at the beginning, Moses, the adopted son of the Queen of Egypt wrote the Pentateuch and led the Exodus. God revealed Himself as "I AM" to Moses. It was to Moses that God gave the ten commandments. There were any number of ways Moses life could have been spared but it was through the divine intervention of adoption.
Later when the wicked Haman was plotting to destroy the Jewish people and the Messianic line a courageous woman, queen Esther, the adopted daughter of her uncle Mordechai had the courage to risk her life and went to the King. Mordechai raised Esther as his own daughter and at "such a time as this" Queen Esther was in position to appeal to King Xerxes. Through the intervention of Queen Esther the Messianic line was preserved.
During the inter-biblical period a young man whose father was assassinated was adopted by a woman named Ada. This man, Alexander the Great, gave the world a cohesive language, Greek. It was the Greek Septuagint, the LXX that Jesus quoted so often. God used the Greek language to help spread Christianity during the first century. It was an adopted man of war who made it easier for the gospel of the adopted Man of Peace to be shared.
God chose to use Joseph of Nazareth as the adoptive father of His own Son. It was Joseph who took Mary to Bethlehem and the humble stable that fulfilled the prophecy of Micah. It was Joseph that acted quickly and took the young Christ child to Egypt sparing His life. It was Joseph who brought the child "up out of Egypt." The means God chose for providing a father for His own Son was adoption.
Lastly, the gospel of Jesus Christ is an adoption story. We are not the natural sons of God. We are only reconciled to Jehovah God through adoption. We are joint heirs but only because of adoption. It is only through adoption that our own precarious state is mended.
The sounds, sights and smells of the orphanage still haunt me. There was Denis one of the most annoying children you would ever want to meet. A child that had a face only a mother could love. A child who had no social graces. A child who just wanted to be held. A child who just wanted to be loved. A child who wanted to belong. A child created in the image of God!
I can't forget Christina. A little blond haired girl who had clear signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. A child that because of her FAS will almost surely never be adopted. A child who was just one of two girls in a group of 13 boys. A girl whose face lit up when she realized that while all the boys got cars she was getting a baby doll. A little girl who would hang on my arm and smile up and call me "papa."
There was little David. David has the sweetest little face and a little sister. David is trapped in a system that is broken. David is being disenfranchised by the very system meant to protect him. David is sitting in an orphanage without any of the paperwork necessary to allow him to be adopted getting done.
Vladik is a young boy with just the smallest nubs for legs. He is smart but faces a terrible future if not adopted. Vladik would interrupt our daily visits with a loud "PRYVIYET PAPA, PRYVIYET MAMA" (hello) that almost always led to him being disciplined by a house mother. There is a couple working to adopt this boy and we would ask you to pray for him.
There are so many faces and this was just one of 700 orphanages in Ukraine. There are tens of thousands of orphanages worldwide overflowing with close to 150,000,000 children. The outcomes these and other children will face are not pretty.
If you would like to help the orphans of Green Forest I would suggest Life2Orphans. They are a US based secular NGO that has actively engaged the orphanage and internat. If you would like to help Papa Dima with his Sunday School program in the Kharkov area orphanages you can find out more here..
To learn about adoption in Ukraine visit Ukrainian Angels.
To help orphans in Africa, Eastern Europe, South East Asia, or Latin America visit Children's Emergency Relief International.
To find out more about children available for adoption domestically visit the North American Council on Adoptable Children and to see children available for adoption visit AdoptUSKids.org
Lastly, here in Knoxville I would recommend checking out the Monday's Child program featured on WBIR.
Steve Eimers
Sunday, February 03, 2008
New video: The Broken Road
I put this video slide show together that shares a bit on the providence of God through our adoption.
Sunday best.
We want to say a big thank you to a friend of Steve's brother and sister-in-law, Jen B.!!! She sent us a package in the mail with three very nice Sunday outfits for the boys. Now, I know it isn't very "macho" but these boys love to get new clothes! Vitali asked to wear his clothes out to play the next morning!
Jen also sent the girls some play purses and hair clips and play high heels. What fun for all the kids to look forward to: opening gifts after supper! Squeals of delight from the girls and a lot of, "Mama, smotree!" (Mama, look!) from the boys made for an exciting time. Vitali and Ivy each clomped around in the dress-up shoes the rest of the evening!
The boys were so excited to wear the new clothes this morning for church and eagerly got dressed. They had Steve gel their hair and proudly showed me the finished product. So cute!
And here are all six, lined up and looking sharp!
Don't they look handsome?
Jen also sent the girls some play purses and hair clips and play high heels. What fun for all the kids to look forward to: opening gifts after supper! Squeals of delight from the girls and a lot of, "Mama, smotree!" (Mama, look!) from the boys made for an exciting time. Vitali and Ivy each clomped around in the dress-up shoes the rest of the evening!The boys were so excited to wear the new clothes this morning for church and eagerly got dressed. They had Steve gel their hair and proudly showed me the finished product. So cute!
And here are all six, lined up and looking sharp!And, aside:
Steve and the two oldest boys went to Sunday school with Annette and I took Vitali and Ivy. For now we are staying in the classrooms with them.
We actually lasted about 20 minutes through the main service today! A little better each time--last week was only about ten minutes!
And, if you are the people who sat in front of us today, we apologize profusely for the constant rustling and occasional pew-kicking or "Eta, Moy!" (it's mine!) exclamations from behind you this morning! We are working on it. Be glad you didn't sit in front of us last week...
Steve and the two oldest boys went to Sunday school with Annette and I took Vitali and Ivy. For now we are staying in the classrooms with them.
We actually lasted about 20 minutes through the main service today! A little better each time--last week was only about ten minutes!
And, if you are the people who sat in front of us today, we apologize profusely for the constant rustling and occasional pew-kicking or "Eta, Moy!" (it's mine!) exclamations from behind you this morning! We are working on it. Be glad you didn't sit in front of us last week...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
What do they dream about?
Just as we were drifting off to sleep last night we heard Misha talking in his sleep.
What did he say?
He murmured, "Papa, moy." or, "My Daddy."
What did he say?
He murmured, "Papa, moy." or, "My Daddy."
a half dozen cozy kids
The kids all watching a movie together. They are all cuddled under soft blankets warm from the drier. The blankets were a gift from our friend, Richard and Ginger. A different color for each child! What a thoughtful gift! As you can see, the kids really enjoy them.
Oh, and, what are they watching? Barbie, of course.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Two Weeks Since We Took Custody
Two weeks ago we left Kharkov on the express train to Kyiv with Max, Misha, and Vitali. The first night was not good. The boys refused to go to bed, called us Russian toilet humor names and were just plain BAD! Vitali's lips were so chapped and cracked they were bleeding and his mouth was covered in blood. Misha was very kind but in a superficial way. Vitali would make little eye contact and was afraid of everything. Max was angry and grumpy. The boys were just plain rough around the edges.
We have discovered something. Whenever the boys get in trouble or are being disciplined they suddendly want a drink of water or they have to pee! I like to think of the glass as being half full; so, instead of saying we have some naughty boys, I prefer to say we have some very thirsty and leaky boys!
I am so happy to report the boys are doing well! Vitali is bonding well. There were days I simply could not go into work and one of us would just hold him. Bedtime is no longer a battle and the boys go right to sleep. However, I think the boys are afraid of lightning because tonight Melissa closed the garage door and Max and Misha went into complete meltdown mode crying and carrying on when they heard the noisy rumbling. It wasn't until I took them downstairs and showed them several times how loud the door can be that they believed me there was no thunderstorm!
Having worked as a RN and AEMT before starting my business I had seen people going through withdrawals or delirium tremens. In many ways Vitali went through a very similar process. It was so tough to see the monsters haunting our son as he fought between wanting to let go and love or withdrawing into a "never-never land" of emotional nowhere! Thursday was an important day and a series of connections and disconnections. There were a couple times we just held him as he arched his body, screamed in rage, and was mad at us and mad at the world. As he went to bed he spent 30 minutes telling me I was "ochin malinki" (very small) and he was "ochin balshoi" (very big). Friday morning started the same way and I scooped him up and started to hold him and no more than sixty seconds later Vitali rattled off "Ya loobloo papa" (I love papa), "ya loobloo mama" (I love mama), "Vitali malinki", "papa balshoi", and then in English "water, please."
Since then he has been a new boy: Fewer "nyeets!" He is not afraid of corners, stairs, closets, etc., etc. He will come to us seeking hugs, kisses or to be held. He says he loves us in Russian. He has become the sweetest little boy. Still naughty but sweet and much improved in the behavior department.
Other victories include voluntary seat belt buckling, no calling us toilet humor names, much fewer nyeets(NO), and much less whinnnnnningggggggggg! We have had no more floods because we no longer have a plug in the boys bathroom sink! The boys comply most of the time if they are told "NO". The problem is if they are not specifically told "no" that makes it an automatic YES!
Yesterday We did have incident! The boys have been loving playing outside. They had repeatedly been instructed on staying on our property. We have about one acre and there is plenty to do. Somebody has alway been with them but for just a few minutes they were alone and we had a breach! I left for work and the boys were playing outside. Melissa went inside for a few minutes to take care of something. It was just minutes but before we knew it our boys were on the front porch with a Loudon County Sheriff's Deputy. We live at the end of a dead end quiet country road and they had crossed it and were walking in the self storage buildings across the road.
The deputy realized quickly the boys did not speak English as they rattled on in Russian and sheepishly walked home. When I got home later we had what our pastor calls a "Come to Jesus meeting!!" In my best Russian, which is not good, I gave them a stern talk. They won't be playing outside without an eagle eye on them for a while now.
I have discovered a fun thing to do: make videotapes that I can use for future blackmail! Max will repeat anything I say; so I have some good footage! The boys all like playing with Barbie and will play dress up with the girls. The funniest thing is to see Max and Misha running through the house playing with their airplanes and wearing fairy wings.
Steve
PS. Not the usual method, but we use raw cabbage and tomatoes to bribe the boys to eat pizza!
The boys would prefer a diet of juice, yogurt, cabbage, carrots, buckwheat, soup, fruit, and water. If Misha is given any soda, he will say "nyeet" and ask for water!
We have discovered something. Whenever the boys get in trouble or are being disciplined they suddendly want a drink of water or they have to pee! I like to think of the glass as being half full; so, instead of saying we have some naughty boys, I prefer to say we have some very thirsty and leaky boys!
I am so happy to report the boys are doing well! Vitali is bonding well. There were days I simply could not go into work and one of us would just hold him. Bedtime is no longer a battle and the boys go right to sleep. However, I think the boys are afraid of lightning because tonight Melissa closed the garage door and Max and Misha went into complete meltdown mode crying and carrying on when they heard the noisy rumbling. It wasn't until I took them downstairs and showed them several times how loud the door can be that they believed me there was no thunderstorm!
Having worked as a RN and AEMT before starting my business I had seen people going through withdrawals or delirium tremens. In many ways Vitali went through a very similar process. It was so tough to see the monsters haunting our son as he fought between wanting to let go and love or withdrawing into a "never-never land" of emotional nowhere! Thursday was an important day and a series of connections and disconnections. There were a couple times we just held him as he arched his body, screamed in rage, and was mad at us and mad at the world. As he went to bed he spent 30 minutes telling me I was "ochin malinki" (very small) and he was "ochin balshoi" (very big). Friday morning started the same way and I scooped him up and started to hold him and no more than sixty seconds later Vitali rattled off "Ya loobloo papa" (I love papa), "ya loobloo mama" (I love mama), "Vitali malinki", "papa balshoi", and then in English "water, please."
Since then he has been a new boy: Fewer "nyeets!" He is not afraid of corners, stairs, closets, etc., etc. He will come to us seeking hugs, kisses or to be held. He says he loves us in Russian. He has become the sweetest little boy. Still naughty but sweet and much improved in the behavior department.
Other victories include voluntary seat belt buckling, no calling us toilet humor names, much fewer nyeets(NO), and much less whinnnnnningggggggggg! We have had no more floods because we no longer have a plug in the boys bathroom sink! The boys comply most of the time if they are told "NO". The problem is if they are not specifically told "no" that makes it an automatic YES!
Yesterday We did have incident! The boys have been loving playing outside. They had repeatedly been instructed on staying on our property. We have about one acre and there is plenty to do. Somebody has alway been with them but for just a few minutes they were alone and we had a breach! I left for work and the boys were playing outside. Melissa went inside for a few minutes to take care of something. It was just minutes but before we knew it our boys were on the front porch with a Loudon County Sheriff's Deputy. We live at the end of a dead end quiet country road and they had crossed it and were walking in the self storage buildings across the road.
The deputy realized quickly the boys did not speak English as they rattled on in Russian and sheepishly walked home. When I got home later we had what our pastor calls a "Come to Jesus meeting!!" In my best Russian, which is not good, I gave them a stern talk. They won't be playing outside without an eagle eye on them for a while now.
I have discovered a fun thing to do: make videotapes that I can use for future blackmail! Max will repeat anything I say; so I have some good footage! The boys all like playing with Barbie and will play dress up with the girls. The funniest thing is to see Max and Misha running through the house playing with their airplanes and wearing fairy wings.
Steve
PS. Not the usual method, but we use raw cabbage and tomatoes to bribe the boys to eat pizza!
The boys would prefer a diet of juice, yogurt, cabbage, carrots, buckwheat, soup, fruit, and water. If Misha is given any soda, he will say "nyeet" and ask for water!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
More pictures!
More pictures of the kids. All but Hannah in this line-up. It was a nice day: 45 degrees and sunny. The boys couldn't get enough outdoors time today! They especially loved the hammock.
Vitali raked the leaves for us.
Misha provided comic relief, as usual.
Max kept busy exploring and...
Riding this bike down the driveway and front yard all day. We need to get more Big Wheels! We got this one at a yard sale thinking the girls would enjoy it as much as we did as kids. They would ride it down the hill and then leave it there. Apparently it wasn't fun enough to warrant dragging it all the way back up the hill!
The boys love it, though! They never seem to tire!
Dad and his boys.
Annette loves Daddy.
Little Ivy Mae.
Vitali Luke.
Misha again...always smiling!
Vitali raked the leaves for us.
Misha provided comic relief, as usual.
Max kept busy exploring and...
Riding this bike down the driveway and front yard all day. We need to get more Big Wheels! We got this one at a yard sale thinking the girls would enjoy it as much as we did as kids. They would ride it down the hill and then leave it there. Apparently it wasn't fun enough to warrant dragging it all the way back up the hill!The boys love it, though! They never seem to tire!
Dad and his boys.
Annette loves Daddy.
Little Ivy Mae.
Vitali Luke.
Misha again...always smiling! But he does have quite a good pouty face too.
Sometime I'll have to catch that on camera for you all!
Sometime I'll have to catch that on camera for you all!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Ahhhhh.....
Every guy could use a little bragging on...Mine really deserves it today! He volunteered to take all six kids to McDonalds to the playground so I could have some time to myself! Some friends who saw us on the news and stopped by to say hello gave us some gift cards to Mikky D's so that will be quite a treat to the girls and to Max. (Misha still needs to learn to like American bad-for-you food!)
Anyway, I just took a nice long hot shower, soaked in the tub, slathered myself with new body lotion, removed the remains of toenail-polish long ago applied and repainted. Now, I'm no foot model and I did a bit of a sloppy job but doesn't that look good?! I even put it on my fingernails which I rarely do because, while socks and shoes hide the fact that I am not very good about refreshing the polish, I don't often wear gloves to hide chipping fingernail polish!
Next, my big plans are to turn on a music CD really loud and speed-clean the house. I do it this way, for each song, I clean (and dance) each room. One room for each song. When the song changes, so does the room. It helps me keep my mind on my task and not be distracted all over the house! Don't laugh! It works for me! If I am alone, I can put more energy into the process so I expect to work up a sweat here pretty soon! Great! I can clean my house AND get fit all at the same time!!!! I would be more fit if I did this more often but if I did it more often, it wouldn't be as fun, would it?!
Alright, off to work but first, here are some pictures of the kids and stuff:
Steve and Little Vitali, who loves his "Papa!"
Vitali and Ivy together at lunch. The big 4 are out with dad.
Misha proudly shows off his piece of Americana.
Max covers his ears while Steve is using the saw in the garage.
The bigger girls, Hannah and Annette, have a dresser that needed work. Steve fixed it with the "help" of his boys today. Mom and I hung that shelf above it.
Ta daaa!
Anyway, I just took a nice long hot shower, soaked in the tub, slathered myself with new body lotion, removed the remains of toenail-polish long ago applied and repainted. Now, I'm no foot model and I did a bit of a sloppy job but doesn't that look good?! I even put it on my fingernails which I rarely do because, while socks and shoes hide the fact that I am not very good about refreshing the polish, I don't often wear gloves to hide chipping fingernail polish!
Next, my big plans are to turn on a music CD really loud and speed-clean the house. I do it this way, for each song, I clean (and dance) each room. One room for each song. When the song changes, so does the room. It helps me keep my mind on my task and not be distracted all over the house! Don't laugh! It works for me! If I am alone, I can put more energy into the process so I expect to work up a sweat here pretty soon! Great! I can clean my house AND get fit all at the same time!!!! I would be more fit if I did this more often but if I did it more often, it wouldn't be as fun, would it?!Alright, off to work but first, here are some pictures of the kids and stuff:
Steve and Little Vitali, who loves his "Papa!"
Vitali and Ivy together at lunch. The big 4 are out with dad.
Misha proudly shows off his piece of Americana.
Max covers his ears while Steve is using the saw in the garage.The bigger girls, Hannah and Annette, have a dresser that needed work. Steve fixed it with the "help" of his boys today. Mom and I hung that shelf above it.
Ta daaa!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Menthol Breath
Phew! I just was downstairs with the boys sitting at the computer when Ivy came downstairs crying saying, "Maaama! Your baffroom has water on the fwooooor! She was wet on her socks and the back of her pants and where she was standing on the stairs was damp.
"Ivy, did you wet your pants!??" I asked her.
"Nooo!", wailing: "Your yewwow baffroom has water on the fwooor!"
I went up, sure she hadn't quite made it. There was my bathroom with water on the floor all right-- about a half an inch! Also, the drawers were full about three inches and the toothbrushes were floating around in there.
Misha doesn't always shut the water off and this time he forgot to unplug the sink as well. Hannah ran and got me the dirty towels from my bathroom and another one that was clean but big out of the closet. Then she got Ivy taken care of. Poor Ivy must have walked in and slipped, hence the wet back and socks! I took care of the rest.
I wasn't away from the bathroom five minutes. Just long enough to start a quick email and throw the sopping stuff into the washer. This time it was Vitali who came down crying. He was holding his tongue and very upset. I smelled something minty...no...something else...Yup, that's it: Icy Hot. The poor little guy had gotten into the stuff from the drawers that was lying in the tub drying out and had decided to taste the Icy Hot. Clawing at his tongue and crying, he asked for water! I took him out and wiped him off with a dry washcloth and then gave him a little milk to sooth his mouth. Fortunately, he didn't get much!
On a good note, the heating guy was here today and fixed our heater that had been icing up while we were gone. Thanks to our neighbors for keeping an eye on things and letting us know! And, thanks to our friend Richard Shamblin who recommended this guy, Robert. He got the job done!
Steve went back to work today, teasingly moaning about 'poor' him who had to go to work! HaHa.
But really, it's okay. An hour and a half till nap time and I have a candy bar with my name on it in the glove compartment of our car. And it hasn't been that bad AND I don't have to clean any windows in the cold! (Though I probably should!) And now, I don't have to wash the bathroom floor either. Not only that, but with Vitali sitting here so nicely on my lap, my sinuses are quite clear. I wonder how long he will smell like Icy Hot?! I guess it could have been worse!
"Ivy, did you wet your pants!??" I asked her.
"Nooo!", wailing: "Your yewwow baffroom has water on the fwooor!"
I went up, sure she hadn't quite made it. There was my bathroom with water on the floor all right-- about a half an inch! Also, the drawers were full about three inches and the toothbrushes were floating around in there.
Misha doesn't always shut the water off and this time he forgot to unplug the sink as well. Hannah ran and got me the dirty towels from my bathroom and another one that was clean but big out of the closet. Then she got Ivy taken care of. Poor Ivy must have walked in and slipped, hence the wet back and socks! I took care of the rest.
I wasn't away from the bathroom five minutes. Just long enough to start a quick email and throw the sopping stuff into the washer. This time it was Vitali who came down crying. He was holding his tongue and very upset. I smelled something minty...no...something else...Yup, that's it: Icy Hot. The poor little guy had gotten into the stuff from the drawers that was lying in the tub drying out and had decided to taste the Icy Hot. Clawing at his tongue and crying, he asked for water! I took him out and wiped him off with a dry washcloth and then gave him a little milk to sooth his mouth. Fortunately, he didn't get much!
On a good note, the heating guy was here today and fixed our heater that had been icing up while we were gone. Thanks to our neighbors for keeping an eye on things and letting us know! And, thanks to our friend Richard Shamblin who recommended this guy, Robert. He got the job done!
Steve went back to work today, teasingly moaning about 'poor' him who had to go to work! HaHa.
But really, it's okay. An hour and a half till nap time and I have a candy bar with my name on it in the glove compartment of our car. And it hasn't been that bad AND I don't have to clean any windows in the cold! (Though I probably should!) And now, I don't have to wash the bathroom floor either. Not only that, but with Vitali sitting here so nicely on my lap, my sinuses are quite clear. I wonder how long he will smell like Icy Hot?! I guess it could have been worse!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Another Day at Home
Today Max and Misha and I headed out early for Max to see the dentist. Max's teeth are in very rough shape and we are looking at 4 extractions and 5 fillings. The plan is to do these at the local Children's hospital under anesthesia. We have appointments with the boys' MD for February 11th so we will see what, if any, tests he might want to run and will do all these at the same time as the oral surgery. As a whole, the boys are very healthy other than Max's teeth.
(Melissa here: Misha's teeth are pretty bad too but he wouldn't let the dentist see his mouth today. Max took 10 minutes to open his mouth. He was afraid. Apparently, this isn't his first visit to a dentist. If it is, he must have heard horror stories from somewhere. He was terrified. Poor guy!)
Max has a bit of something that looks like a lazy eye.
Misha has very sensitive skin so for him, we have switched laundry soap.
Vitali has a very serious case of: I-run-into-everything-and-throw-stuff-including-
tantrums-and-fall-all-the-time-itis with a few whack-a-mole tendencies!
We have been deliberate about sharing our process because one of our goals has been to raise awareness about the plight of the 150,000,000 lost children worldwide. Please do not be afraid to ask us questions! We will do our best to answer them. Some we will answer openly here, some more open in person or by email and some we won't be able to answer because we have to respect our sons' privacy.
Here are a few recent questions:
Why did you choose Ukraine?/ Why did you not adopt domestically?/ Why not Africa, China, etc?
There are 150,00,000 lost children so we had to say no to 149,999,997 to say yes to 3. We carefully looked at our goals and objectives and chose international adoption based on Matthew 25:45 we tried to look for "the least of these". We also looked closely at Rwanda, Estonia, India, Russia, Hungary and Azerbaijan but these were not the right places for us.
Children in the USA have a chance. It is true that 40% of US foster children will end up in the penal system at some time but if an American child applies himself he has significant opportunity. Most children overseas who apply themselves will still end up as educated prostitutes, drug addicts, cadavers or criminals. The chances one of these lost children has is almost zero!
We chose Ukraine because we thought it gave us the best opportunity for success. We knew the cost of this adoption would be staggering and so we knew we wouldn't have the funds to do it over. After careful analysis and prayer we settled on Ukraine. Our sons were in Ukraine!
What happened to the boys' birth family? What do you know about the birth family?
We know almost nothing to be honest. Of what we do know, we will only share a minimal amount here. The boys had a single mother and her rights were terminated for cause based on a singular traumatic event . Our boys lived in the orphanage for 4 years and in 2006, the boys were placed on the Ukrainian database for adoption.
Our boys finally became available for adoption on December 6, 2007. We traveled to Ukraine on December 7, 2007. The reality is the boys have never really known "a family;" they are just now learning what it means to have a family. (Misha told the translator today: "we eat good, we sleep good, and we have a mama and papa")
How much did it cost? How did you pay for it?
We are still adding up the costs, but at this point the direct costs look to be about $40,000. This includes lawyers' fees, Ukraine costs, room and board, airfare, US immigration expenses, home study expenses, etc. The indirect costs include 2 months lost income, home improvements and supplies necessary to accommodate three new children, and a vehicle for a family of eight. These costs are in excess of $25,000. There will be significant additional costs associated with Max's dental work. We paid for all of this $1.00 at a time.
We had saved about $12,000 prior to starting. We began paying for items as they came. We cut our expenses as much as possible. My business grew about 15% this year. We had nearly 50 people financially invest in us and our children. We have spent more money on this adoption than we make in a year and have done it without going into debt. It might be the "church answer" but apart from God this would not have been possible!
Can you afford these boys? How will you pay for college?
Yes, we can afford the additional expense of these boys but the reality is that we will have to make sacrifices. We are not going to be able to do things we might have been able to had we not had three more mouths. The reality is that these boys are our 'why'. When you know your 'why' and choose to ignore it, that is a rather precarious spot to be in!
College will come sooner than we expect but the reality for our boys, and other children like them, is that they would have been facing much larger issues such as suicide, drug addiction, or exploitation. Our boys will not lack for opportunity or education. The opportunity might be difficult and come at a cost but they will not lack.
Steve
(Melissa here: Misha's teeth are pretty bad too but he wouldn't let the dentist see his mouth today. Max took 10 minutes to open his mouth. He was afraid. Apparently, this isn't his first visit to a dentist. If it is, he must have heard horror stories from somewhere. He was terrified. Poor guy!)
Max has a bit of something that looks like a lazy eye.
Misha has very sensitive skin so for him, we have switched laundry soap.
Vitali has a very serious case of: I-run-into-everything-and-throw-stuff-including-
tantrums-and-fall-all-the-time-itis with a few whack-a-mole tendencies!
We have been deliberate about sharing our process because one of our goals has been to raise awareness about the plight of the 150,000,000 lost children worldwide. Please do not be afraid to ask us questions! We will do our best to answer them. Some we will answer openly here, some more open in person or by email and some we won't be able to answer because we have to respect our sons' privacy.
Here are a few recent questions:
Why did you choose Ukraine?/ Why did you not adopt domestically?/ Why not Africa, China, etc?
There are 150,00,000 lost children so we had to say no to 149,999,997 to say yes to 3. We carefully looked at our goals and objectives and chose international adoption based on Matthew 25:45 we tried to look for "the least of these". We also looked closely at Rwanda, Estonia, India, Russia, Hungary and Azerbaijan but these were not the right places for us.
Children in the USA have a chance. It is true that 40% of US foster children will end up in the penal system at some time but if an American child applies himself he has significant opportunity. Most children overseas who apply themselves will still end up as educated prostitutes, drug addicts, cadavers or criminals. The chances one of these lost children has is almost zero!
We chose Ukraine because we thought it gave us the best opportunity for success. We knew the cost of this adoption would be staggering and so we knew we wouldn't have the funds to do it over. After careful analysis and prayer we settled on Ukraine. Our sons were in Ukraine!
What happened to the boys' birth family? What do you know about the birth family?
We know almost nothing to be honest. Of what we do know, we will only share a minimal amount here. The boys had a single mother and her rights were terminated for cause based on a singular traumatic event . Our boys lived in the orphanage for 4 years and in 2006, the boys were placed on the Ukrainian database for adoption.
Our boys finally became available for adoption on December 6, 2007. We traveled to Ukraine on December 7, 2007. The reality is the boys have never really known "a family;" they are just now learning what it means to have a family. (Misha told the translator today: "we eat good, we sleep good, and we have a mama and papa")
How much did it cost? How did you pay for it?
We are still adding up the costs, but at this point the direct costs look to be about $40,000. This includes lawyers' fees, Ukraine costs, room and board, airfare, US immigration expenses, home study expenses, etc. The indirect costs include 2 months lost income, home improvements and supplies necessary to accommodate three new children, and a vehicle for a family of eight. These costs are in excess of $25,000. There will be significant additional costs associated with Max's dental work. We paid for all of this $1.00 at a time.
We had saved about $12,000 prior to starting. We began paying for items as they came. We cut our expenses as much as possible. My business grew about 15% this year. We had nearly 50 people financially invest in us and our children. We have spent more money on this adoption than we make in a year and have done it without going into debt. It might be the "church answer" but apart from God this would not have been possible!
Can you afford these boys? How will you pay for college?
Yes, we can afford the additional expense of these boys but the reality is that we will have to make sacrifices. We are not going to be able to do things we might have been able to had we not had three more mouths. The reality is that these boys are our 'why'. When you know your 'why' and choose to ignore it, that is a rather precarious spot to be in!
College will come sooner than we expect but the reality for our boys, and other children like them, is that they would have been facing much larger issues such as suicide, drug addiction, or exploitation. Our boys will not lack for opportunity or education. The opportunity might be difficult and come at a cost but they will not lack.
Steve
Monday, January 21, 2008
At rest, for now.
How sweet is this?!It's sweeter than you think. Little Vitali has resisted bedtime and cuddling right from the start. Allowing us to hold him close only when he was afraid or nervous(which, thankfully, was fairly often). Today, he has asked me several times to rock him, he snuggled up to me for his nap and when I went up to go to bed just now, this is what I saw. Our little boy snuggled up with his new daddy, sound asleep. He looks so tiny, doesn't he? Well, he is! But, oh man, can that boy fill a room!
I thought this was worth digging out the tripod to take the picture in the dark!
Melissa
I thought this was worth digging out the tripod to take the picture in the dark!
Melissa
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