The Week In Review

This was Alex's prayer tonight:
I started him off with
"Dear Heavenly Father.
Thank you for my blessings."
and then from here he was on his own...
"Thank you eating.
Thank you bike.
Thank you Mama lova me.
Thank you family I love.
Amen."

We've had a good week but got off to a rocky start Monday morning. I don't know if Alex is just testing me or what but all weekend and then Monday morning he has been sulking and grumpy and barking at people. Monday morning he yelled at Rylee during breakfast and made her cry and then stormed off and sulked and I had had it! I marched him to his room and told him he could stay there until he was nice. Then when I had cooled down I went up, laid out his clothes (I find that is easier than letting him dress himself as he has no sense of matching and gets mad when I make him change) and told him curtly to get dressed that we were going to have a talk. Up until this point when he's been acting like this I've been overly sweet and asking what's wrong and trying to comfort him but I was done with that.
I sat him down at the computer and with a prayer in my heart I hoped I would say the right things. I started off with I love you but right now I'm mad. That his behavior is unacceptable, that he hurt Rylee's feelings and he hurts my feelings when he pouts and sulks. That America has a lot of great things (bikes, own room, lots of food) but that it takes work to live here and his work is to learn English & go to school (he'd been sulking a lot about studying and school) and to be part of our family and to be nice and kind.
Then I felt inspired to tell him it didn't matter what he did or said that he was staying her and would be our son forever.
He did really well through this computer translated talk, nodding when he had finished reading each sentence. Although he's eyes filled with tears, he didn't out and out cry.
(One thing about lecturing via the computer, you really have to think about what you're saying and make it concise and spelled right. I'm glad I had a chance to cool down before we sat down for this "talk".)
I asked if he could try harder and work on being kinder and nicer and he agreed.
And since Monday I've had a whole new Alex. I don't know if it is the realization that no matter how bad he is, we're not sending him back or that he didn't know he hurt our feelings or what. I'll probably never know but he has been fabulous ever since. Happy. Willing to try new foods. (Another source of sulking in the past) Playing with his siblings. Willing to study and go to school. I thought he might have a melt down or sulking session after taking him to the store and me not agreeing to buy him a Sponge Bob Square Pants CD player but he just got a little quiet for a few minutes and then snapped out of it.
James made gumbo Thursday night and James cooking is always an adventure. I privately asked Alex if it was good before I tried it and he secretly made a yucky face to me but continued to eat as to not offend James. This made me extremely happy and of course I let him stop eating it and found him something else. (It really wasn't that good!) I had made homemade wheat bread and served Snezhana's yummy jam she sent home with me. Alex was very proud of her jam. We had my father in law and brother in law over for dinner as my father in law had never met Alex and drove two hours just to meet him and spend the evening with us.
I've decided I need to find a tutor or class for the summer. I'm running out of ideas on how to teach English. I have everything in our house labeled. My brother in law was making fun of my sign by the sink that proclaims what it is until I explained what it was for.
Tonight was the school carnival and I sent the kids with Kambree and $10 each and they had a blast. James and I had some time to ourselves and so we romantically planted the garden together and then grabbed a Red Box. The kids came home before our show was over and finished watching it with us. Alex noticed the girl in the story was pregnant and then he pointed out by making ring on the finger motions that she wasn't married. That's right Alex, we get married before we have babies! Good boy!
Then Alex and I checked out blogs of our friends in Ukraine. He's excited that Lena and Sara should be home on Wednesday.
Rylee fell asleep on my office floor while Alex and I were blog lurking and he sweetly woke her up and said "Rylee, no sleeping. Upstairs."
He's very excited for no school tomorrow and he has loved having James home. Today when leaving for school he was sure to find James for a hug goodbye.
We also went to the orthodontist for an evaluation this week and he needs braces...soon!
He's 12 year old molars are already in and you can even see his wisdom teeth in the X-ray and his mouth-like all my other children-is a mess! My orthodontist asked if I was sure he was only 10. I'm pretty sure. I have his little tag from the hospital. I don't think we'll do his braces too soon as he is not excited and I don't want to traumatize him. Maybe in the fall?
This morning while I was doing Alex's hair for school he pointed out that we have the same hair color and eye color. Can I just say that he loves me? He's so very sweet, I still get about 10 hugs a day and kisses right on the lips and I even got a letter from school this week that says:
Dear Mom
How are you today?
I like the United States.
I like my house.
I like my family.
I like the food.
Then a Love Mom in a heart
Obviously he had help with this but I like to think he really does feel this way.
Another thing he's good at is tattling on his siblings. Especially when they don't do their chores or something I've asked. Kambree was getting a little miffed-because she rarely does her chores-and told him to stop tattling. I laughed and told him he was my little KGB spy and we winked at each other. I'm sure soon enough he'll have more alliance to his siblings but for now, I'm enjoying it.
Anyway, I just had to share his sweet prayer while it was fresh in my mind and then I thought I should document our week.