Bad Dreams, Sad Songs, Late Moms....

So, after our bad dream talk last night, Alex showed up in my room at ten pm rubbing he's eyes and feigning he had a bad dream. (I knew this would happen after our tub talk!) I'm not sure he'd really even slept enough to have a bad dream as he had only been in bed for 45 minutes. Regardless, I knew this was my test. He told me his dream was about his Ukraine cell phone that he gave to his little cousin. I know this cell phone is weighing heavily on his mind as he gave it to her because he couldn't charge it here in America but he has since figured out how to charge cell batteries directly (don't ask-Jame assures me it's safe but I think he's going to get electrocuted!) and he wants to get his phone back. I don't even know if Kammy still has it but Alex is telling me in his dream that Ivan (whom me Skype with once a month) wants to see that he still has it and will be mad if he doesn't have it. I tell him Ivan won't care if he has his Ukraine phone or be mad if he's lost it. It's okay. Then he confesses, he wants to hear the music that he had on his phone. Oh brother. You couldn't come up with a better bad dream than this?
I medicate his lip-he has two little sores that he keeps picking and he HATES the medicine so I told him it was a good thing he woke up because he needs his medicine. Then I carry him back to bed and we lay down. He asks me to sing the song I sang when he first came last year. It's a very sad song my mother use to sing to me. I'm going to print the words in case I ever go senile (which may be at any time now!)
My child you know was a long time ago
When two little babes their names I don't know.
Were stolen away on a fine summers day
Those two little babes little babes in the woods.
They sobbed and they sighed
And they bitterly cried
Those two little babes,
They laid down and died
And when they were dead
The robins so red
Gathered strawberry leaves
And over them spread
And all the day long
They sang this sweet song
For two little babes
Little babes in the woods.
I know it's morbid. But it's the sweetest soberest little tune and my mom sang it to me and her mother sang it to her and I've sung it to all my children. I don't sing it to Rylee anymore because it makes her cry. I tell Alex this before I sing it and I could tell he understood the words more than he did before because at the 'dead' part he sort of startles. Then he asks me to sing another song. I sing one of my camp songs-Tell Me the Reason-and he suddenly turns and wraps his arms around me, tucks his head into my chest and sobs. Hum....don't know if that was to compete with Rylee's ability to cry at songs or this song really touched his heart (It's not a sad song but very melancholy-I mean really? I am trying to sing him to sleep not have a party!) or maybe it's just that I kept my word and comforted him-even though we all know he really didn't have a bad dream. Whatever the reason it was very sweet and also very short. Then he asked for another song. This time I sang I Am a Child of God and he recognized that one but I had stopped tickling his face by then and he informed he I needed to sing it one more time AND tickle his face. I did then I kissed his checks and told him goodnight for the 2nd time that night and slipped out of his room. He stayed in bed the rest of the night....whew!
This morning I got up early to attend the temple with Amy-thinking we'd be home around our regular exercising time. Nope, we were late. Very late. I had left my cell phone on in my locker just in case there was an emergency-not thinking to turn the ringer off-and I had a nice little sticky note on my locker. "Please remember to turn your cell phone off." I could see that Austin had called a few times and Devree. I quickly called, explained where I was and made sure everyone was up and getting off to school. I had told Kambree the night before where I was going but she either forgot or just didn't tell anyone.
When I got home Alex was at the door opening it for me before I could get in.
"Mom me worried you. Me think you disappear." I explained where I was and that I was just late. I got his hair combed and wrote out checks for lunch money as I didn't have time to pack lunches and then Amy and I walked the kids up to school-me carrying Rylee's mystery box book report. I was telling Amy about Alex worrying but that I guess it's good that we were late? Alex needs to know that people get delayed and that they eventually come home....right? Besides, knowing me-this will not be the last time I'm late!
Anyway...my sweet cousin and her girls are coming from St George tonight. Little do Rylee or her girls know that we bought them Hanna Montana tickets for tonight. They're going to be so excited!! So, I really should be cleaning my house and getting ready for their stay and Austin was calling inform me he was sick and he's downstairs fast asleep so I better go see what's going on with him instead of blogging away....

Samuel, Prayer & Bathtub Confessions...

3rd discussion with the missionaries tonight.
At one point the missionary's were talking about keeping the Sabbath Day holy and what kind of things we do on Sunday. Alex told them how he and Rylee watch Book of Mormon video's when they're ready for Church and just waiting. He went into elaborate detail (and pantomiming) about the video they viewed last Sunday about Samuel the Lamanite who stood upon the wall and preached to the people while people shoot arrows at him and how none of the arrows hit him. He told us how cool that was and how he wishes he could do that!
Me: Um....have people shot arrows at you while standing on a wall?
Alex: Yeah....cool!!
Me: Alex I do not want people shooting arrows at my son!
Alex: It's okay Mom, I be invincible! (Or he could have meant/said invisible!)
Me: (Sarcastically) Oh, in that case, then that will be fine, you can be Samuel the Laminate.
Alex: No, never mind, I be Jesus.
Me: (Saying nothing as I wasn't sure what to say.)
Alex: (Turning his face to the ceiling) Just kidding Jesus. I want to be X-man.
We all cracked up!
We have a new Elder this week. Elder Hurly from Indiana. Elder Gregory is now a zone leader. Connor came to translate, again. Thank goodness.
Sometimes Alex just floors everyone with his knowledge of things. Like why do we read the scriptures? Alex raises his hand high "So we can learn about Jesus." And then in the next breath he's going off about the ice he (pantomiming) slurps through a straw (Slurpee) and how he got four different flavors. Which really had nothing to do with anything we were talking about.
While I'm on this post about Alex's spirituality, Saturday I think he had a break through.
Let me give you some back ground: Rylee is an amazing Wii baseball player. Apparently she beats almost everyone including James. So Saturday Alex and Rylee are playing and Rylee's kicking his butt and he walks off and refuses to play. Rylee comes in exasperated and tells me what has happened. I asked Alex to come in and tell me what happened and he stands there with his head hung low and eyes starting to water. I pull him onto my lap and ask him if Rylee was cheating. No. If Rylee was doing anything wrong. No.
Me: Then, what are you being Alex?
Alex: Poor sport
Me: How does that feel?
Alex: Bad
Me: How does Rylee feel?
Alex: Bad
Me: And I feel bad when my children feel bad.
He resolved to try harder and be a better sport. (We've had this talk a few different times but rather than me yelling-like I have in the past-I tried to be very calm and understanding which I am finding works SO much better with Alex than raising my voice!)
Later we were having lunch and I asked who would like to say the prayer. Of course no one volunteers immediately a few beats pass and Alex raises his hand. In his sweet broken English prayer he asks "Please help me good sport and no cry." This is the first time Alex has EVER prayed for anything he needs help with without me whispering it in his ear. And he did in front of everyone. Whootwhoo....I think he's getting it!
Sorry-I just took a break to get Alex bathed.
It seems after the sweet spirit that the missionary's bring he likes me to help him in the bath. (And in all sincerity I think he's figured out it's the only time he has 100% of my attention!) He's very talkative tonight. He seems to open up the most when I'm scrubbing his little body. I'm going to attempt to tell you what he told me tonight. Keep in mind 75% of this is in English the rest in pantomime.
Tonight he asked me if we're going to 'get a child from Ukraine for Halloween-just for fun?' (He's been reminiscing lately about his visit here last October and we've been discussing Halloween costumes a lot!) Jokingly I asked him if he wanted a brother or a sister. Another sister he said. Then I told him that I think I have all the children I can handle and it wouldn't be very nice to bring someone over and send them back to Ukraine if we couldn't go adopt them and give them a family. I asked if he know when he came last October that he would be getting adopted or did he think he was just on a vacation? A vacation. How would he have felt it we hadn't been able to adopt him? Bad he says. Then I asked how he felt when he realized we wanted to adopt him. HAPPY he said and makes his joyous whoohoo sound. Then he shared with me me how he would cry after he went back to Ukraine. He would cry that he wants his Mama. His teachers would just wave him off with their hand and act non-caring. I asked if he was worried that we wouldn't come. Yes, he says.
He then has a solution about getting a child from Ukraine" for fun" for Halloween, we could get a mentally challenged child that doesn't understand! (He does this by scrunching up his face and acting odd.) Then he takes his thumb and puts it in his mouth and rocks back and forth. This takes me back for a second. I've read about institutionalized kids that self comfort this way, we've never seen him do this but I imagine he has witnessed it time and time again while living in the orphanage. I asked if lots of kids did this in his school? Yes. Why do they do it? Feel better. He then tells me, "I do it when afraid-in night" and then he again shows me by rocking back and forth and sort of biting on his thumb. I asked if anyone bothered him in the night? (Not really wanting to know if anyone did but knowing I needed to ask.) No, he said. (Sigh of relief on my part.) He then says, "bad movie behind mine eyes". Oh, a bad dream? Yes. Then he went on about how he would wake up and think everyone or thing was a monster. I then asked, did you do this rocking when you were little? Yes and when 8 and 9 and 10. So pretty much up until we adopted him. Did anyone comfort you and make you feel better? No. Then he thought about that for a minute and shared "Sometimes my friend Sasha or Artem." Your friends would comfort you up and tell you it's okay? Yes. His friends also tried to comfort him when he would cry for me after he went back to Ukraine and he in turn would comfort his friends when they had bad dreams.
I asked if he ever rocked in America and he just sort of cast his eyes downward-like he didn't want to tell me. I told him if he is ever afraid in American he just needs to come to me-no more rocking and thumb sucking. I am just down the hall. I will help him feel better and comfort him. He then with a mischievous grin asks me, even if he sees a big mouse? (He knows I hate mice!) I said yes, even if you see a big mouse but Alex you are not afraid of mice. I know he says...
and with that I left him to wash the parts he takes care of himself and then invited him to come down and watch Mary Poppins with Rylee before bed time. He is in there now laughing and frolicking with his siblings.
Wow....some days it's hard to realize just where he's come from, what he's been through, how he handled things, but it's so nice to know he's home and safe.

Primary Program....

It's that time of year, time for the primary program. Every year in our ward each child gets a little part to say.
This year Rylee was asked to repeat a talk she gave earlier this year about prayer and how our whole family prayed while we were in Ukraine adopting Alex. She was also asked to sing a little solo part.
Alex was asked to read two lines. When the primary president delivered his part and I was able to explain what he was going to do, his eyes filled with tears and he told me he couldn't do it. I told him sure he could. I couldn't figure out why he was so worried, it was weeks away and then I figured it out. He thought he had to memorize it. I explained he could read it and have his paper with him and we would practice and practice. After a few tries he had the words down wonderfully and we worked on slowing down and speaking clearly.
The next week in primary Rylee tried her solo and messed up and cried. I had primary teachers and chorister all worried about her. But tears are a common event with Rylee. (I once jokingly told her we should have named her CRYlee but that only brought on more tears!) so I wasn't too worried. She's a perfectionist and really tough on herself. She shared with me once that when she can't get a step at dance she asks if she can be excused to go to the bathroom. She has a good cry in the bathroom and comes out and tries again.
So yesterday they had their primary program practice and pizza party and Alex told me it went great.
This morning we practiced his part again. I reminded him to speak loud so Grandpa can hear him. He asked if he could say "Hi Grandpa-you hear me?" before he starts. So I was a little worried about him saying something goofy. I was more worried about him just freaking out and not sitting up on the stand.
First thing is he waved to me about three times when I walked in and sat down, then stood up to wave again. And although I asked him before to please not pick his nose, he did that too. In fact at one point he had a primary handout-a little mirror on a stick-and he stuck that in his nose. Luckily all this happened before the program and he was sitting behind our rather large 2nd counselor so I think only myself and his sisters viewed this social faux pas.
Once the program started the only odd thing he did was pull his hands inside his long sleeves and then pound his covered fist together-sort of like the clapping monkey from Phantom of the Opera. I quickly pantomimed taking his hands out of his shirt and putting his arms to his side and he did. I don't think his eyes left my face the whole time he was up there. It's obvious when he knew the words to the songs and when he was just moving his mouth to LOOK like he knew the words. It was quite funny.
We had printed programs and Rylee's little talk was towards the first of the program and she did great. Her solo and Alex's 2 lines were towards the end and as the program progressed I was getting nervous for both of them.
Rylee did great! You could tell she was a little nervous because she had a little more vibrato then normal but her pitch was on, her notes were there and it was so sweet. It made my eyes water.
Right after she sat down, Alex went to the podium for his part. I had witnessed him pulling his part out of his pants pocket and re-reading it about three times during the program but he stood there without his paper and very clearly looked right into the audience and with his cute accent said:
Husbands and wives have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and their children. I am happy to be part of a family that loves and cares for each other.
Yes, my eyes watered...again.
He then sat down looked at me and patted his heart quickly, telling me how fast his heart was racing. I patted my heart too and gave him the thumbs up.
The whole program was about family's and being an eternal family and just so very sweet.
Both children got many compliments through out the rest of the block as well as many others told me how wonderful they did. I know my Alex made more than just his mothers eyes water...

Soccer 2009.....

I realized on Thursday that I hadn't photographed soccer. I quickly realized that soccer is not easy to photograph. I took these pictures standing as close as I could without actually being on the field and zooming my little digital camera in as far as it would go. (Apparently I have a wimpy camera?)
I started with Alex's game.
He's the boy in long red shorts. This is him running....

This is his amazing karate chop movement-note the ball!

Even when he did get close I managed to only get the backside of him.

Or the ref would stand in the way-here's the best front on shot I got out of 25!

Then we moved to Rylee's game and it got worse because the sun was going down.
That's her in the back with the sticker on her forehead. (She wore the sticker to distract the other team....her idea.)

She played really well and even scored a goal (of course before I got there!) but rather than put more of these far away, backside, dark and grainy pictures-that you can't even tell who's who in-here is one I snapped during team photo's two weeks ago.

Now back to our dark night...
Rylee and Rachael after the game

Alex and Rylee
(I think posed pictures are so much easier than action shots!)

Is it me or do they look like they're real brother and sister? Well of course they're real but you know...like blood related? Look how cute Alex is with his arm wrapped around Ry. Yep....those are my soccer playing babies!

Cool, cool, cool....

Today I got a call from Alex at school. "Mom, my tummy hurt." I told him I'd be right there. I walked in the class room to find him at his desk with his head down and he looked quite pale. The teacher said that a bug was going around and that half the class has had this 24 hour flu which consists of throwing up and diarrhea. Oh great.

As I walked him out to the car I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and tousled his hair which was damp at the roots. He told me he put water on his head to feel better. We went home and I attempted to give him Pepto but he found that disgusting so I put him in pajama's and into bed with the "barf bowl" and instructions to try and make it to the toilet. I checked on him quite often and then offered to lay by him and he cuddled up next to me and promptly fell asleep. I couldn't help thinking about who took care of him when he was sick at the orphanage? I know that no one crawled into bed and held him until he fell asleep and I felt such a surge of love and relief that Alex was home. I had to slip out of his bed within minutes of him falling asleep as Rylee was getting home from school and I didn't want her hollering and waking him up. My big kids were out of school today and all at friends or working.
When Alex woke up he came and crawled on my lap while I was at the computer and just laid with his head on my shoulder. I offered to get him Sprite and a movie and he wanted to go with. So Rylee and Alex and I went to Redbox and rented X-men since we've subjected Alex to quite a few chick flicks lately and then to Smiths for Sprite. Alex appeared to be feeling much better and even asked for a fruit pie. We grabbed a couple pizza's at Papa Murphy's for dinner and I dropped everyone off home and went to donate blood with Amy. It took FOREVER!!
I called and checked on Alex, no throwing up and he said his tummy was feeling better. He even ate pizza later with us so whatever bug he had-and I don't doubt he had something-I think he just has an incredible resistance to illness. You would have to I think to survive in an orphanage.
On Thursday during our mad rush to get to dance and soccer I had to explain to Alex that I would be watching the first half of his soccer game and then run and get Rylee from dance and take her to her soccer game and be back to pick him up. I was worried because I was about 10 minutes late due to no fault of my own and he's never had to wait for me before. He saw my car drive in and waved vigorously and was so excited to show me his soccer pictures. More excited about his pictures than his cool baseball hat. I asked if he was worried that I wouldn't come. "No, I know you get me." was his immediate response. Whew....I think we're making strides!
On Sunday we met a cute young girl that just moved in next door-she and her husband are renting our neighbors basement apartment. I was introducing myself and telling her I had girls that love babies and to babysit, especially Rylee. Alex piped in "Me too!" Yes, it's true he loves babies and would love to baby-sit too.
After watching X-men (cool special effects but way to un-real for my taste but Alex LOVED it!) Rylee wanted to pick a movie. Alex jumped up to show her Beauty and the Beast and I escaped to my computer. I could hear him laughing out loud with Rylee at the funny parts in the show. Nice night.
I've been reminiscing a lot this week-maybe because last year at this time I was on pin's and needles waiting for Alex to arrive next month. I had been praying for him and looking at his picture wondering what he would be like. Was he meant to be ours?
Or maybe because I've been doing a lot of soul searching. I've always thought I was a kind person with a big heart but I've had moments when I've really struggled with this whole adoption process and I've come to find out that I'm not as kind and big hearted as I thought I was. Alex still feels like a little stranger to me sometimes. His nervous tendency's to pick at and touch his face all the time drive me crazy. He's English pronunciation is so fast and blended together that he's hard to understand and I find myself losing patience with him. His lack of personal hygiene is a struggle that I'm sure I've blogged about enough already. But, how is it that his love is so unconditional and mine is so conditional? He's reading this dumb book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and asked me what a diary is. I explained and he told me he wants one with a lock on it. I asked him why, did he want to write about how mean his mother is? "No, my mom cool, cool, cool." I certainly don't feel like I'm cool, cool, cool. I feel like I'm always looking for the things he does wrong, correcting him, scolding him, how can he think I'm cool? Really, it's beyond me. How can he love me with no reserve? Why can't I do the same? So I've started praying that I can just love and accept Alex for who he is. I feel like it's helping. Don't get me wrong I do love Alex-I just want to relax more, communicate more and feel like he fits more. Does that make sense? I don't want to feel like he's a stranger in our home. I don't want him to feel like he's walking on egg shells for fear of doing, saying, acting the wrong way. For the past almost five months I've been trying to fit him to the mold I think he should be. The model son-maybe I've even been expecting more than if he'd been born to us in my effort to "show" everyone how great he is and all the naysayers that warned us about adopting and told us all the horror stories. I don't know. I'm still soul searching.
I do know this, sometimes I crave holding him and kissing his cheeks and rubbing noses-all those things you did when your children were babies and they would giggle that deep throaty giggle while you blow zerberts on their bellies. Sometimes I'm so overcome that I do all these things (well, I don't blow zerberts-for the most part unless we're in a tickle fight) and Alex will just gaze into my eyes-eyes that look deep into my soul-and lets me do it to my hearts content. Secretly I think he loves it too. Don't you think for an eleven year old that is "cool, cool cool!"

Daily Stuff...

Today we got new keypads and lock boxes. The entire board. Why is it that just when I master some sort of technology, technology changes? I should be registering my lock boxes on line right now but it's not working. I did manage to get all my boxes on my houses and after three attempts managed to get a box open to show a home this afternoon but this is going to take some getting use too. Not to mention our new keypads are the size of a hand held walkie talkie as opposed to the little device that use to dangle from my key chain.
I also managed to get myself locked in the back yard of my listing today. The buyer I was showing shut the door behind us and it locked. No bid deal I knew the front door was open but unfortunately there was a pad lock on the only gate to get to the front. Mr. Buyer ended up jumping the fence and letting his wife and myself back inside. Good grief.
Tonight we made it to the last two soccer games of the season!! Whootwhoo! (Do I sound joyous?) It's crazy trying to get to four games and two practices each week. Alex was thrilled. He got a baseball hat (I know, it's soccer but I think a hat is better than a trophy. I don't have to dust a hat!) and he got his team picture. Rylee didn't get her stuff yet because she technically has another game on Saturday but she won't be attending. Primary program practice. Alex was very concerned that she didn't get her hat or pictures. Some Mom (or Dad for that matter) forgot treats at Alex's game tonight so I offered to get him a treat at 7-11 as we rushed from his game to Rylee's. He chose a Slurpee. Banana/Coca Cola/ Raspberry & Cherry. Yuck! But he loved it. He's so very excited about things like that. He reminded me that now he has had TWO Slurpee's in his lifetime.
So, I'm learning rather late in life to never say never. You know, like my children will never....I will never....that will never happen. I remember a family in our ward that chose not to have a television and I thought they were nuts. Well, guess what? James and I canceled Direct TV this week. Yep, we are TV free and I LOVE IT!! My kids are not so thrilled. But that's okay. They will live. They will live without the influence of Sponge Bob, Avatar, Hannah Montana, Malcolm In The Middle and Glee. It's an adjustment but I've noticed a remarkable change in just the week it's been gone. Alex and Rylee playing Wii together. Evenings of quiet and homework. And in general just a peacefulness that I didn't know we were missing as no one is fighting over who is holding the remote, who gets to sit where, and who picked the last show!
And fabulus news! Austin brought home his mid-term report card and he has all B's and A's. (Insert sounds of angels singing Hallelujah!) This is a first!!

Ella

See this cute baby dog....

Isn't she sweet? This is our new puppy....three years ago.

This is her now and yes, she's still sweet and everyone loves her....
(Notice she's even in our family photo at the top of this blog?)

She even gets in the prom pictures....

She let's the girls do this to her hair...

James even likes her and they do circus tricks...

Her name is Ella
(short for Cruella-get it? The black and white hair on the top of her head?)

And she's MY dog.
Yep, I picked her out, paid an insane amount of money for her and when I am home she is with me at all times. She sits next to me when I watch TV, she sleeps in my office while I work, and she sleeps with me every night. (Not just with me but she has to be touching me, she curls up against my side or if I'm lying on my side she curls up against my tummy-sort of like an out of body dog pregnancy.) She's ferociously loyal and in the event I am ever attacked or our house is under invasion she'll run away barking loudly and with all her might and leave me to defend myself. ( I mean really, she's 11 pounds, what do you expect her to do?)
But please, don't think this post warm and fuzzy as it is not! Today I spent $135 to have my carpets cleaned. Especially my office-the place Ella has selected to be her personal toilet.
Now keep in mind we have a doggie door. Just her size. She has access to .27 acres of lush grass at her disposal for her disposal.
I have yet to ever catch her pottying anywhere but outside but some how my office has continual yellow spots and often other rooms will have a small wet patch of carpet-which can be from none other than....ELLA!
(Disclaimer....it doesn't smell-in fact it has no odor-just wetness and a lovely yellow hue!)
It is driving me crazy!!!
As you all know, I sell real estate for a living. If I walked into a listing where my sellers had such a situation I would be appalled. I would be mortified and think why in the world would they keep a dog around that causes such atrocity's? Who in their right mind would keep such a despicable animal. I would doubt their sanity. And yet....it is happening to me! That's right-I am a hypocrite!
So, my nice carpet cleaning boy shows up and I show him the spots and he says "I knew the minute I saw your Shitzu you'd have pee problems." "What?" I ask. "Yes," he said. "I've been cleaning carpets for ten years and everyone who has a Shitzu has pee issues. You'll never train that dog to go outside." I am taken back by this and quickly defend my dog by explaining she's part Yorkshire Terrier. (Oh please nice carpet boy tell me there's hope for me? Tell me that the Yorkie part of her will train??) "Oh," he says "that's the next worse breed for training." (I moan inside and try to keep a pleasant expression on my face.) He then proceeds to tells me about his buddy that is a dog trainer and worked with his Shitzu extensively and NEVER got her trained. He told me that when these dogs get mad, they go pee in the house. Well, apparently Ella has been mad quite often lately. Maybe it's the circus tricks, the addition of a new person in our home, the four hour hair cut James gave her, the cat that hates her...I don't know. All I know is the peeing IN MY HOUSE has got to stop!!
The nice carpet guy had to use some sort of chemical on the carpet that's suppose to eat her pee and hopefully bring my carpets back to presentable. He warned me not to walk around barefoot as it will also eat my feet. Great, I'm sure this is toxic.
Really though it if does the trick, I don't care. I've all ready tried to clean it myself with this concoction I found on the Internet. First a vinegar soak then extraction with a wet vac, then sprinkle with baking soda and then a hydrogen peroxide rub. But within days my carpets look worse than before-not only pee stains but dark dirty spots too. Yep, carpet guy was not impressed with my concoction. Apparently the vinegar and baking soda were okay but the hydrogen peroxide wasn't. Who knew?
So now all our furniture is precariously perched upon tables and beds while the carpets dry and I have devised a plan....
I am sure I'm smarter than this dog and there has got to be something I can do to prevent this from happening...again.
After a hours worth of thought-with the dog outside-I have strategically placed our living room sectional in FRONT of the arch from the dining room to the living room blocking her entrance and put up a baby gate blocking the other entrance. Ella is only allowed on the wood floor in the back section of our home. Her food, dog door and dog bed are all located there as well as her family most of the time. I was quite pleased with myself until....
my children came home!
They all complained about the baby gate, (and the cute little signs I put up at each door proclaiming our home a shoe free zone-Devree told me I was a shoe Nazi!) and Alex managed to jump over the couch from the living room into the dining room within minutes of getting home. Great.
Not to mention our living room looks sort of stupid. Clean, but stupid.
But what else can I do? I love my dog but I also LOVE clean carpets.
I know I'll let her sleep with me tonight. She never leaves my bed so I think we'll be safe from any late night covert peeing attacks.
Good grief....there is a reason they call them SHITzu's!

Poor Alex...

Tonight Alex had homework done early and was looking forward to playing Wii with his Dad when, his mean old Mom reminded him he needed a bath. Alex's way cool and super fun Dad backed her up on this and sent him up to the bath tub. Each of Alex's parents reminded him to wash all over and that they would be doing the sniff test when he came down. Alex jetted down in minutes with wet plastered hair produced a soap smelling arm and belly to Dad and then marched into the kitchen beaming for the sniff approval from Mom. Mean old mom-who was making cookies-smelled the proffered arm and belly and then asked to smell his leg. "Leg?" little Alex asks, and Mom pulls up his pajama pants to smell a very never been washed leg. Back up to the tub says mean old Mom. Alex stomps up runs the water and Mom comes up standing outside the door and can hear him grumbling (in English) about missing his game. Mom nicely reminds him-from outside the door-to wash ALL of him and waits for him to come out of the bathroom. Then guess what this mean Mother asks? Can I smell your feet? "FEET?" Sure enough no soap smell on the feet. Back in the tub little guy. This time tears of frustrating are welling in his eyes. Mom goes back to her cookies, Alex returns to the kitchen minutes later with red eyes and a contrite spirit. Mom sweetly explains to Alex (for the tenth time) that when he doesn't use soap he smells when he gets home from school. She explains what skin is and what it covers and that every inch needs to be washed. She asks him for a consequence that will happen next time he forgets to wash all over. Something that will help him remember next time. He comes up with grounding from video games. Nope, mean old mom says if you can't remember to wash your body then you can learn to wash the house and give me three hours of cleaning. He agrees they hug and Alex goes into play with cool, awesome Dad. Alex grabs a controller and Dad takes it from him and tells him. "You had to take TWO baths? Give me that controller, this is bull crap. You'll have to wait until everyone else has a turn first."
That was it.
Hum....what will Alex remember tonight? That his Mom talked and talked and explained and explained for the tenth time or that his Dad took the controller and made him wait an extra long turn and used the words "bull crap"?
You know, it really doesn't matter to the Mom who Alex remembers, just that he remembers to WASH ALL OVER!

Week in Reveiw....Whew!!

This week continued to build momentum day by day. This is a synopsis of our week AFTER SCHOOL. (This does not include any day activities/appointments or commitments!)
Mild Monday:
We had the missionary's over.
Not Too Bad Tuesday:
Ry had soccer practice
(Alex's was cancelled)
Kambree was at work (Hurray she has a job now!)
and I showed homes.
Whirlwind Wednesday:
I jetted up to the orthodontist with Austin, Devree & Rylee right after school.
Alex hung out with Brach and Tyler, (Kammy needed somewhere for them to go while she ran Loyd to the dentist)
Kambree and I took Dev & Rylee shopping for Kam's homecoming dress,
Brach and Alex went to scouts at 5:30
and then James and I went to Standards Night with Kambree and Devree
while Austin went to scouts.
Tornado Thursday:
Rylee had dance at 5:30,
Devree had her call for Annie at 5:30,
Rylee and James had a Daddy/Daughter party at 6:30
(so she missed her 6:45 soccer game)
Alex had a 6:45 soccer game (our turn for treats!)
and
Kambree performed at 7:00 with Dance Company at Spartan Spectacular (and my battery was dead on my camera...boohoo!) which Austin and I went too.
Whew!
Finally Friday:
Alex and Ry had a practice emergency evacuation so I walked up to the school to pick them, then I showed a condo, listed a house, boys rode their bikes over to get their haircuts, Dev again had to be to the theater at 5:30 and we all saw the show at 7:00.
Besides dinner and every one's individual homework, add to our week night Alex's homework which consists of: spelling, reading, vocabulary, "Lucky Listener" (which is Alex reading out loud to five different people a very difficult paragraph about the Constitution) studying English and a book report-why do I specifically mention Alex's homework? Because Alex's homework is a family event/ordeal/challenge as he cannot possibly do it on his own!
So let's continue...
Some What Sane Saturday:
We hit 9:00 am soccer game with Alex, 11:00 am soccer game with Rylee, we did some wall demolition in our storage room, I presented an offer to my clients and James painted our bedroom.
Tonight we found ourselves (James and I) home without any children. How bizarre...
Kambree is at homecoming with Matt Burton. (She looked so cute and Matt is such a nice boy-I hope they're having a blast!)
Austin with Jordan or Chance....somewhere.
Rylee with Rachel-shopping and having dinner (Thanks Amy!)
Devree at her last performance (Thank goodness!)
and Alex spent the afternoon playing with Brach and ended up at his house for dinner. (Having a sister with a boy the same age is such a blessing!)
It was sort of strange. We were going to go out but James was still painting-and not wanting to distract him-I surprised him with a romantic, spur of the moment dinner! It was so quiet, I'm not sure we've done this since Kambree was a baby and we could put her to bed early.
Here's a few pictures documenting just some of the craziness....

How did I get so lucky....

I've just spent the morning blog lurking. Yes, the best thing to do when I should be finishing the laundry, making work phone calls, grocery shopping or just cleaning up after the kids breakfast mess but instead I'm lost in blog land.
I follow quite a few blogs but no one seems to be writing much these days so I went lurking. I follow a fabulous blog that a woman keeps who has also adopted from Ukraine-her boys have RAD and attachment disorders so I started clicking on some of the blogs she follows and all I can say is....
Wowza!!
How did I get so lucky to get my Alex? (Should I even say that out loud?) I've read so many heart wrenching stories/post about kids with severe attachment disorders and my heart just aches for these blog moms. I've got nothing on these moms. Kids lashing out verbally and physically. Sick kids with a sickness hardly anyone understands. Oh so sad.
So I'm saying it out loud....we are blessed. Alex (knock on wood) is a piece of cake all things considered and not only are we blessed with Alex but with all of our children.
I need to appreciate all of them more and find more joy in this parenting thing. I feel as if I have a permanent frown cress between my eyes sometimes. I'm always complaining and over whelmed. Why? Really Wendy, why? (Yes I am having a conversation with myself on my own blog-perhaps I need therapy-oh wait, this IS my therapy!)
So, thank you blog moms that put your hearts out there not only with your adopted Ukraine kids but with the world on your blog. You are an inspiration to me.
I am now going to get to all those things I SHOULD be doing and get off my computer all while attempting to smile and soften the frown cress between my eyes!

2nd Discussion....

Last night we had the missionary's over for the 2nd discussion with Alex. He was very talkative and entertaining. The discussion was on the Plan of Salvation also know as the Plan of Happiness. Alex shared with us that he had a dream he was playing with his friend Doug and they were with Jesus and they were playing Avatar. (FYI Avatar is a Japanese cartoon character who has powers to bend water? I think?) Then when the missionary's got to the part about resurrection, Alex told this big story about how he will be in a little baby in my tummy and only speak English. (I think he's got reincarnation confused with resurrection?) He's mentioned this before, the wish that he was born to us and not adopted. I don't think he could saying anything more endearing and tell us how much he loves us than that. I told him that we love him just how he is and besides if he hadn't come from Ukraine we wouldn't learn all these great Ukraine words. His answer? If he came from my tummy he would speak a few Ukraine words like b____ (Which is the Ukraine word for hobo and one that I cannot possibly try to phonetically spell let alone say!) Great, as long as we know the word for hobo!
The missionary's went over what resurrection was again just so he was clear. He seemed to understand as he then told us about how the "angel told Jesus mother" (Mary Magdalene) that he went up and bye bye. (You would really have to visualize this as he's pantomiming Jesus descending into heaven and waving goodbye as he goes.) Obviously the boy has had some religious lessons, right? I don't think this was anything they've covered in Primary this year.
Then trying to make an object lesson, the missionary's also asked him how he would feel if his mom left with instructions to clean his room before she got back and when she was coming home how would he feel if he HAD cleaned his room? He said, "My mom say awesome!" Then how would you feel if you HAD NOT cleaned your room? He then explained that then he would have a wishing rock and it would magically make his room clean. Oh brother so much for the object lesson!
When we started talking about Jesus Alex explained that he saw a movie about Jesus in school and then he pantomimed how the two other people on either side of Christ had their hands tied to the cross but Jesus had nails driven through his hands. Our translator said it was probably the Baptist that came to the orphanage and showed this video. That might explain some of his religious knowledge.
Connor (Elder Malmberg-the other missionary I met in the food court at the mall in Kiev) came to translate. Alex told him he doesn't understand Poruski (Russian). But I know he still understands-he's just getting rusty. Apparently Connor has a bit of an accent and at one point Alex said "You sound like speak Chinese!" At first it looked like Alex was having a hard time understanding the translator and often times he'd asked questions and Connor would explain more or use different words but they both warmed up by the end. Which reminds me...
People always ask if we're learning a lot of Russian. No is the answer for the most part. Alex is very leery of speaking Russian to us. (In fact our biggest tears have been when he's frustrated and can't tell me what he's thinking and I tell him to just let it out-say it in Russian-not a good idea-that just makes him cry harder!) But a couple of days ago he just started telling us Russian words. He told us the word for push (don't even ask me to try and spell it or say it) then Devree asked him the word for pull and he looked puzzled and said "Let me think, me not remember." In fact there were a lot of words he couldn't remember. That is bittersweet. Bitter as I don't want him to lose his language but sweet because he's learning English so well. (The school secretary originally from Holland was so impressed with him when he came in telling her that he needed to get the ball off the roof-she was astounded that he could respond to her questions so quickly-she told me he must be thinking in English to be so quick.)
Overall is was a sweet night. Alex helped me serve brownies and the missionary's had to hurry off to their next appointment. Connor stayed for awhile and we shared Ukraine stories.

Out of the mouth of babes....

Devree became aware of what a hysterectomy is during our camping trip. (I think she overheard my mother talking about it, asked about it and my mom explained.) But she didn't understand very clearly because she was elated and acted as if this was the most wonderful thing in the world! You should have seen the light in her eyes. She asked me if I knew what a hysterectomy was, when I told nodded yes, she looked perturbed like I had been keeping a big secret from her. Then she said,"Mom, do you realize that we could all go have this surgery and never have periods again! Wouldn't that be wonderful?" I told her "Well, yes...but you do realize that if you have those parts taken out that you'll never be able to have children?" Her crest fallen face said it all. She honestly thought she had found the answer to avoid that terrible time of the month!

Family Home Evening

So Monday night I decided to once again to tackle the impossible-have family home evening without James. I popped in a video that you've probably all seen about the Indian Boy that hikes to the top of the mountain and finds a rattle snake. The rattle snake asks the Indian Boy to pick him up and carry him back down the mountain. At first the boy refuses but the snake begs him so the boy carries the snake down the mountain and then carefully puts the snake down in the meadow at the base of the mountain and then the snake bites him. The snake then tells him, "You knew what I was when you picked me up." We discussed what the snake could possibly represent. Rylee suggested cigarettes-yes that could work, sometimes all it takes is one cigarette to get addicted, Austin threw out porn-yep another good analogy and then I asked Alex what other things the snake could represent and he said.....
"Dinosaurs! You carry dinosaur, put down-he could bite you!"
Yep, that too....

Camping Pictures!

The first night in the camp fire....

Dad and Mom

Alex making S'mores and thrilled to be playing with fire!

Saturday morning, Mom cooking in the rain!

Double Rainbow

Troy helping Zach with his DS game

Zach on the bunk with Alex

Troy, Dad and Arron chilling in the Taj

Sydni

My girls!

Arron, Brach, Alex, Troy & Zach on "Troy's Brother Boat"


Looking out the back of the boat

Austin loving the Jet Ski!

Dad cursing the blow up tubes!

Kammy and Syd asleep in the boat!

Rylee, Devree and Austin tubing!

Aleeney and Jeff

Bill getting loves from Syd

Alex loves to camp....can you tell?

Kam & Syd being "cutie pies"

Syd, Troy & Zach

My baby brother Arron

My five dirty campers basking in the glow of the campfire and soaking up the lovely smell!

Glow in the dark hair accessories!

Austin modeling his grandpa's wet suit with the accent of his life jacket hat!

Alex and Brach the inseparable cousins and friends!

Kambree....

Kambree wake boarding

Alex the designated flag boy

Jeff with his JCrew look

Kambree, Me & Alex tubing...

Two brothers in too big of wet suits!

Kambree and I showing off!

Kambree and Austin playing rough!

Tyler in his water gear!

Grandpa teaching the girls to play Hearts!

The coolest climbing tree ever...




Alex asked me to take his picture with this bear

And Kambree with this one!

Then my battery in my camera died!