Fun to look at the differences

A year ago this month we went to Eastern Europe to adopt our kids, and we brought them home just before Thanksgiving, so lots of reminiscing, and comparing going on around here. "Remember this? Remember that?" So many things are still overwhelming, such as the potty training, which is still going full steam ahead, but lots of successes, too, which make us feel a sense of accomplishment. Our kids seem to have adapted well, and of course, Little Boy has made the greatest changes in attitude and behavior. Now they are each putting us through our paces, as all small children are wont to do with their parents. We love them dearly, and they are lively, and bring non-stop action to our home. We are still exhausted, but it's a satisfying exhaustion, at least for me. The other members of the family might feel differently!

Below are some pictures from last year, actually January or February, most likely, so not really a full year between them.  Still fun to see the changes.  Each of the kids has grown a full clothing size since we got them, which is a normal rate of growth for any child.  The girls are average on the Down syndrome growth charts, and our boy is at the 25th percentile on the Down syndrome charts, up from the 5th percentile.  Makes my heart warm to see them happy and healthy!

That was then...

This is now!

That was then...

This is now!

That was then...

This is now!

Did some of the other two up here, so we can compare next year.

"I'm up here, so I'm automatically allowed in the cupboards..."

Couldn't coax a smile from him.

"What is in here, anyway?"

Adorable and special to us!

once a week

My daughter who lives far away accused me of rarely posting, since she likes to keep up on what's going on here on the home front via this blog, and I replied that I post every week.  She insisted that I don't, but I'm pretty sure I do.  Here's my post for this week, sweetie-- and for my other sweeties who don't live at home anymore!

Modeling their new coats

What a brother-sister spy duo they would have made!

She was supposed to be modeling her new boots, but you know how some  people are, always goofing off...

This one wasn't very cooperative, either.  Believe me when I say these girls were stylin'!

This morning everyone was in a good mood at breakfast.

Love that pinky finger!

Definitely a morning person!

Big Girl is very particular about how she eats her food (even though her manners can be atrocious!) and she carefully eats each item from least favorite to most favorite.  Witness:  apples before cookies!

Some of us still make a pretty big mess...

"What'cha lookin' at?  Huh?  Huh?"

This week was very busy, harvesting tomatoes and apples.  Canned both.  No pictures of the tomatoes, because those jars aren't so pretty as these.

L. was a huge help this week, and stuck with me to the end, processing apple sauce.  S. and B. were a big help, too, but L. was definitely my right hand man.  We got three 5-gal. buckets of Jonagold apples off our little tree this year.  Here are some of the prettiest.  This was the first year this tree has produced anything more than a few tiny, sad apples.  Our transparent tree had a bumper crop, too.  Must have been the cool summer.  Cool summer also means lots of green tomatoes sitting in the laundry room to ripen.  

Playdough

The kiddos received playdough last year for Christmas, but because every toy I bought for them was pretty much too-advanced, and we've had to teach them how to play with practically every single toy they come across, I decided to wait to introduce playdough. The beginning of the school year seemed like a good time, and I'd like to announce that they are starting to get the hang of writing implements. They hold onto them for more than thirty seconds without getting bored or breaking them. So preschool activities are starting to look like possibilities.

We all played with them, to give them a good idea of how to play with it, and just because it's fun! The big kids were pretty good sports, and got pretty creative with it.

Big Girl took a giant bite before anyone could stop her, and then drooled bright yellow saliva for a while. After she discovered it didn't taste good, she wasn't really interested in it. She's all about the food!

Little Girl played nicely with it, and tore it into little pieces which she delicately placed in a lid. I've noticed lately that her pincer grasp is becoming a little more refined. She didn't try to eat any until someone (ahem!) pretended to take a bite of a playdough patty, and then offered it to her with, "Would you care for some?" Mean!

Little Boy has to be convinced of the desirability of any food, and doesn't just pop things in his mouth, willy-nilly. He was, however, intrigued with the texture, and poked his finger into it, and then tried to wipe the small blobs off, booger-style, onto his sister's shoulder. She, of course, took exception to this with as much disgust as if it were really boogers. Kids!

It's been a long year of potty-training, and a few weeks ago, things were really looking up, and we were having a lot of success. Then it all seemed to go downhill, which wasn't completely unexpected. Last week was a beautiful week, in which it all seemed to be coming together, and we were practically weeping tears of joy. What a long year it's been!

We rejoiced prematurely. This week the potty wars are back with a vengeance, and we are being driven to our knees! At least we can pray well from that position! Please, God! Intervene! Show your power! I don't know how many more full baths, full clothing changes, and full linen changes I can do in one day! Because of the fury of the storm, I feel we're on the brink of something momentous and historic. I just don't know what it is. David thinks it's because they've figured out that we're not going to send them back, and they're getting relaxed. I'm hoping it's just one last hurrah to babyhood, and diapers, before they settle down to embrace potty-trainedness, and all the grownup responsibilities it represents. It could happen!

Fun, fun, fun!

Even though we've started homeschooling, it's still fun, fun, fun around here.  My ever-busy child has been building his go-cart, and zipping around.  I told him he's having an old-fashioned childhood.  He said, "If I had 'Go-cart' the video game, I'd just be inside playing that, instead."   (We don't have any video games.)

Look who got a haircut!

All this activity has gotten someone else feeling the need for speed.  She can pedal (finally!) but prefers to zip around by pushing off the ground with her feet. 

"Can I take it for a spin?"

This is the kind of happy smile that warms the cockles of my heart!

Random images

If you decide to take a rest in the hammock, it is, of course, an open invitation to everyone.

"Oh, goody--yet another toy for us!"

This chair is a great physical therapy tool.  They climb up into it 5,000 times a day, and like to stand against the back, and get it rocking as hard as they can.  I agree with you that the scissors are a hazard, though.  They're safely put away now.

Yes, we like to start 'em young!  Actually, as a book ripper, she had been forbidden from touching this book, so of course, you can find it in her arms.  That's how her universe works!

Big Girl was spotted one evening on the porch, "talking" on the "cell phone."  Actually, she had her hand up to her ear, and was babbling quite animatedly to someone on the other end.  This must be cell phone body posture!

Sometimes you feel like a mama's boy---sometimes you don't...



Snuggling up to watch a video

Sweet dreams, little prince!

Something we learned today:

If everyone goes poop in the potty in the same day, everyone gets a high five, a chocolate chip, and a round of applause. Yay!!!!

Reflecting on nature

According to Charlotte Mason, classical education proponent revered by homeschoolers, nature is one of the best teachers.  I firmly believe this, and love to see the curiosity and wonder inspired by an examination of the simplest things, such as a blade of grass, or a pebble.  I strongly encouraged my first batch of children to experience and enjoy nature, and they are all avid outdoorsmen.  Their dad's interest in fishing, boating and camping probably had more to do with that than my more homebodied interests of gardening and reading, but nevertheless, there has always been a place for nature in our parenting and homeschooling.

For a long time, these new kids didn't seem interested at all in nature, and focused much more on getting attention from the adults around them, or in the next meal.  They immediately took to the outdoors in the form of playing in the yard, though, and wanted to be outside more than in (except for Big Girl, who preferred to sit quietly with a stack of books, engrossed in her own thoughts.)  Lately, I've noticed they are starting to play with the things in the yard, such as a little pile of gravel, or dirt, or a twig, long stick, or branch full of leaves.  Even a long blade of dried grass, with a seed head on it, will afford entertainment, as they walk around, brushing it up against things, and wave it in the air, to watch its movement.  I don't see much interest in bugs, yet, but I think it will be coming.  Who wouldn't be fascinated by a little critter that crawls along?

I took some pictures of Big Girl, and wanted her to lean on the tree trunk, just for a pretty background, and she grabbed this big leaf, to play with it, while I photographed her, and it brought back dim memories from my childhood of discovering the qualities of the sycamore leaf, from my beloved granny's sycamore trees.  What can you learn from a leaf?  Do you remember noticing the veining, which shows up especially well, as the sun shines through it?  Have you felt the downy softness of the velvet side against your cheek?  Have you twirled the stem between your fingers, feeling the weight of it?  Have you fanned yourself with it?  Do you remember the sharp smell?  What a multitude of learning experiences there are in a single leaf, and we haven't even talked about seasonal changes in a leaf, or a leaf of another species.  I won't even start on what you could learn by playing with the bark of this tree.  It's beautiful, isn't it?