Teacher Gifts

Almost finished with the gifts!
(And I cannot get these photos to rotate... ugh.)

Beach Bundle: beach towel, water bottle, flip flops,
& sunscreen

Just need to add some flowers

Mason jar filled with M& M's

School Days

Concentration!

The boys only have 7 more days of school. Technically, there are 10 more days but they will miss the last 3 because we'll be in Nashville for our appointment week.

Last night we started work on a gift for Daniels' teacher. I recently joined Pinterest, and found some really cute gift ideas on there.

William's teacher is getting a 'beach bundle': beach towel, flip flops, & water bottle, all tied with a cute ribbon that has a mini sunscreen bottle threaded through it.


Daniel's para-pro is getting a mason jar (we're talking about Pinterest, so something HAD to involve a mason jar, right?) filled with M&M's. It has a little poem attached about all the different colors and how she's his M&M - his Marvelous & Magnificent teacher :)

This is the photo we're using as
inspiration for Daniel's teacher gift.

The project we started last night is for Daniel's teacher. I haven't taken another picture since the painting was completed, but it turned out really cute. He did a great job with the painting, and I finished drawing on the 'ruler' just before I went to bed. We just need to put some flowers in it & we'll be good to go!

I'll try to get pictures of all the finished projects before they give them next Friday.



Weekend Funnies

The boys really kept us laughing with some of their comments this weekend. I thought I'd share a couple of especially interesting and amusing ones here. After all, everyone needs a laugh on a Monday morning!

William said he wanted to build a cross in the back yard that says Jesus is risen. Daniel said he would build a robot next to it that says I heard that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were watching TV Sunday morning before church and there was a tampon commercial on. It was one of those that doesn't really say much about the product. It just talked about being active and all the awesome things you can do and how it improves your life. After it was over, William just sighed and said, man I need that!

 

 

Hope you have a great Monday!

I love my family

When it comes to bedtime, our boys can stall like the best of them, and you can recognize it from a mile away, particularly with Daniel.

But I know that what happened Sunday night was not about stalling.

Daniel and I were in the bathroom for a sip of water. He sat his water cup down and smiled at me. He said "when I was at detsky dom (orphanage), I never saw Daddy and Mommy. But now I see my Mommy and Daddy every day!" And he literally jumped up into my arms and hugged me so tightly.

I told him once again how we prayed for God to show us our child, and that God led us to him, and we got to the detsky dom as quickly as we could. And I reminded him that no matter what happens in life, we are family and we stay together.

He smiled and gave me another squeeze and a kiss, then said "I love my family." And he calmly (yes, Daniel did something calmly!) got into bed.

With each passing day, he is becoming more and more sure of things.

God is good!

The Joy of Saying Yes

Aug 16, 2010

One year ago today, we received Daniel's citizenship certificate in the mail.

One year ago, I was overwhelmed with worry, asking God to show me how to parent this little guy. He was resistant to our affections, to our discipline, to English, to every food placed in front of him, to anything new or unfamiliar.

A year later, I'm overwhelmed with love for this little guy.

We sat at the table yesterday as he did homework for the very first time (he was so excited!). He had to draw pictures of 2 items in his house that were circles. He chose to draw an apple and a clock. I then wrote the words on another piece of paper and encouraged him to write them on his paper. He sat with such determination, and quickly & confidently called off the name of each letter as he wrote it with ease.



August 15, 2011

A year later, he's a big kindergartner, speaking fluent English, constantly following his big brother, continually coming to us for hugs and kisses, eating well and growing, learning to read and write, talking about how awesome God is, and repeatedly telling us that He loves us.

I'm thankful that when God led us to this little ball of energy and enthusiasm, we stepped out in faith and said yes. We could have said no, and life might have been easier if we had. But we would have missed out on so much. I can't imagine life without our gremlin. A child who is always smiling and who goes about life filled with joy. A child God has used to teach us countless lessons about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. A child who is fearfully and wonderfully made.

What's stopping you? What's keeping you from saying yes?

May orphan care not be this generation's trendy cause,

but may it become an instinctive action...

and ultimately, an unnecessary effort.

First Week of School

Sorry I haven't posted sooner (and thanks to Marcie for the sweet reminder that I should do an update!). The first week of school has gone well. Daniel was a very nervous boy Sunday night. He had a very hard time going to sleep. But come Monday morning, he was excited.

We drove to the park near the school, and the four of us walked to the school from there (the traffic the first week of school is insane!). 

Daniel at Open House last week

Excited about Kindergarten

Our big Third Grader

  

We took Daniel to his class first. We walked in through the doors he'll be walking into every morning. We showed him to look for the monkeys on the wall (yes, his room is a monkey theme - how perfect is that?!?!). And then he went in the room. He said hi to his teacher, hung up his backpack and filled up his water bottle. He found a place to sit and do his morning activity (coloring a picture of yourself on the first day of school). He sat down with another boy and said hi, and quickly got to work. Zack and I gave him hugs and I told him I loved him. He smiled, and then quietly went back to his work.

We then walked down to William's class. He walks through the place like he owns it. Everyone seems to know him, and everyone seems to like him. No surprises there - I have sometimes referred to him as our future politician :) We got to the door of his room, and he said bye. I asked if he wanted us to go in with him or stay in the hall. We were told we could leave. Oh well, at least he let us walk him to the door. By next year, we probably won't even get to do that. My big third grader...



William with his teacher
(taken during open house)



As we left, we had to walk back by Daniel's class, so we looked in. He was now sitting with about 3 other boys, and they all seemed to be having fun, doing their work and chatting.

Zack and I went on to work, and I got home about 5 minutes after their bus. They were already in the living room with Zack, telling him about their days. Two very excited boys. One very happy jack russell terrier (Zack said she looked for them all afternoon). And one very relieved mommy.

Daniel was thrilled to ride the bus and to get to take a drink in his lunch (they only drank water at preschool). We looked through their backpacks and talked about their days. And they both seemed excited to go back.

By Tuesday afternoon, things were continuing to go well. William walks Daniel to his class before proceeding to the older kids' side of the building. William gets on the bus and immediately makes sure that Daniel has made it safely (kindergartners get to go to the bus first). I love how he takes his big brother role so seriously!

By Wednesday night, our Gremlin hit the wall. He'd had another really good day at school. But he was weepy at dinner, and couldn't hold his head up. School was obviously wearing him out.

Last night he almost fell asleep at the dinner table (at 6:00!). We told him that today was the last day for the week. He cheered "the last day of school!" and we quickly reminded him that he gets to go again next week, too! Didn't want him thinking it was over that fast! Thankfully, he seemed okay with that, as long as he could have a couple of family days (that's what he calls the weekend) in between.

I got to talk to his teacher this morning. She was calling to discuss something totally unrelated, but I asked how he's doing. She said he's doing really well, just sometimes has a hard time controlling his body. I almost laughed out loud, because I knew if there was anything she'd say, that would be it. Nothing inappropriate, he just tends to swing his arms around in line and things like that. I appreciate the feedback because it gives us something to work on.

William has had a great week. He's had homework every night, but nothing too extensive. They are doing projects this year about their family's country of origin. He's going to do his on Ukraine. I sent an email to his teacher and briefly explained our situation and how it relates to the project, including the fact that we told him he didn't have to share anything he didn't want to. She sent an amazingly supportive reply, and even shared the fact that she herself is adopted :) I love how God works things out like this. William is so excited to get to do a report on Ukraine, and I'm excited to see his enthusiasm.

So one week down, and a lot more to go. But both boys seem to be excited about the new school year. And with a Gremlin on the loose, that elementary school will likely never be the same again!



Countdown to Kindergarten

Our little Gremlin starts kindergarten Monday.

And this Mommy is struggling. Why?

1. The school is huge, and Daniel is small.
2. The school has tons of kids, and Daniel sometimes wanders aimlessly.
3. The school day is long, and Daniel's four-hour preschool class was a lot for him.
4. This Mommy is just nervous for her little guy.

But I'm also thankful. Why?

1. For the first time, both boys will be at the same school. (less running around, and no more tuition!)
2. William's teacher volunteered to let him go each afternoon and get Daniel before going to the bus. Daniel's teacher thought that was a great idea.
3. William has told us he's going to watch out for his little brother.
4. Daniel is super excited about kindergarten.
5. Daniel's teacher seems incredible. She'd already talked with Ms. Moore (William's former speech therapist, who will do Daniel's speech therapy) and gotten all the info on Daniel.
6. Ms. Moore - she's fantastic, and has been working so hard behind the scenes to get Daniel into the right class. I love that we already have some at the school advocating for our little guy! Plus, I know she'll help him make even more progress with his speech.
7. Daniel's teacher is known to be super fair and strict, with structure and clear expetations, and won't put up with things that some teachers might. Perfect for Daniel!
8. His kindergarten room is decorated in a monkey theme. I can't think of a better theme - Daniel was thrilled.
9. His para-pro also seems to be really great. She knew William and was also totally on board with him helping Daniel.
10. William got in a super third grade class, too. His teacher seems really nice - and she's a Christian!!

The Boys

Here are some of the pictures of the boys from the orphan care Sunday photo shoot. I honestly don't think the photographer could have captured their personalities much better. You know, it's a shame they don't like the camera...

Daniel Aaron Dove

One year ago today, after a very long court hearing where the judge read our entire dossier, we were allowed to legally add a little guy in Mariupol to our family as our second child.

A boy who would rock. our. world. Daniel, aka Gremlin, aka our little spark plug, aka the Tazmanian Devil. His life would never be the same. And neither would ours!

God moved mountains to bring this little man into our lives. He softened hearts and did the impossible. So many details fell into place during the journey that by human interpretation simply don't make sense.

But God's work doesn't always fit into our finite minds, or even into our plans. He is much greater, and so is His plan for us!

Today, we celebrate one less. Yes, we still had the 10 day wait ahead of us. But it was one less step in the adoption journey, and one less orphan in the world.

Our blog post from June 29, 2010: http://littleboydove.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-sons.html

One year ago today: Waiting for Court

On June 28, 2010, we had our last visit with "Elvis" (in case you weren't around back then, that was our nickname for him) before having court.

On this particular day, he had a little preschool Fisher Price telephone with him. It was old and beat up, but he wouldn't let it go. A couple of my most cherished pictures from our time in Ukraine last year came from this particular day: shots of him & William walking down the sidewalk at the orphanage, the phone being pulled behind them.

He had no possessions of his own. He'd claimed this broken toy for the day, knowing that once he returned it, it would again become community property.

He had no clothes of his own. All the clothing was marked boldly with his groupa number. What was his shirt one day would be another child's a few days later.

He had no one who told him not to pick up and eat food that had been dropped on the ground.

And when it came time to eat, he knew nothing of sitting at a table with family and eating until he was full, at his own pace (which is now VERY slow!).

Before our time with him began, no one visited him. He had no one that brought him special gifts or gave him special attention.

But that was all about to change.

Here's the post we wrote a year ago today: http://littleboydove.blogspot.com/2010/06/day-before-court.html

One Year Since We Met Him

One year ago today, we met our little man. We were sitting in the director's office and had just received every bit of information she had on him. She made a quick call, and within a couple of minutes one of the care givers walked in with a very shy, very tiny little boy. He walked across the room, staring at the floor, and stopped in front of me. He looked up, gave a half smile, and quietly asked "Как вас зовут?" (what is your name).

I think that was the last time he ever showed any shyness around us.

We went outside and played, and shared some treats. And we verbally expressed our desire to add this little one into our family.

Learning to say Yes

Often you hear people that say "you just need to learn how to say no."

Silly faces before bed
(notice William's pj's - all I say is WOW)





Well, I'm realizing something. I say No. A Lot. And not so much to other people, but to 2 certain little ones. (Of course, they are also the ones that ask the most of me, so I guess percentage wise it's probably not that different.)

So tonight, despite my hesitations, I said yes. To something silly. Because honestly, sometimes they need to hear the word Yes, and not just No.

Tonight, both of the boys are sleeping with their heads at the foot of their beds. They think it's hilarious. I think it's crazy, and am hopeful they will settle down enough to fall asleep sometime soon.

I want them to recognize that they have to obey & not pout when I say No. But I also want them to know that it's not the only word in my vocabulary.

By the way, if you have a minute or two, I encourage you to read THIS BLOG entry by my friend Sharon. And I pray that you'll become uncomfortable, too.

Eight Months

About eight months ago, I wrote a post (HERE) about Daniel's progress after being home for two weeks.

In that post, I included a link to a short video clip, and a list of 36 words & phrases he knew.

And reading that post, it sounded like things were going pretty well. But to be honest, we were in a battle. A battle to show him what family is. A battle to show him what love is. A battle to break his will without breaking his spirit.

Some days we still battle. But then again, we've come so far. All of us. I looked back at that post from 8 months ago and was reminded of how far we have come.

He understands us. He seems to really like us. He's playing better with others. He is beginning to express sympathy and gratitude. He seeks to be included. He loves to help.

From just 36 words and phrases, to now speaking in complete sentences - sentences that he puts together himself. Not always structurally sound, but he gets his point across! In fact, the boy talks non-stop. He talks from the second he wakes until the moment his eyes [finally] close. As a matter of fact, he even talks in his sleep. And for the past few months, all of his sleep talk has been in English!

Last night, as Daniel prayed, among prayers of thankfulness for food and toys and family, we also heard, "Thank you for God, I like you God." Melted my heart.

We are so thankful for the progress he's making, and thankful for the many valuable lessons God is teaching us through him.

Life Lessons from a 6-year-old

Ever heard of the Momma Bear instinct? You know, when someone offends your child, they've offended you - and the claws come out. When one of them hurts, you hurt just as much, and probably more.

This past week, we experienced some of this with our littlest man.

Daniel became hesitant about a certain social situation. He said he didn't want to go. It took a while, but he finally admitted that there is one child who won't play with him.

Now I know my little guy isn't perfect. Yes, he can be annoying. His English is still lacking, so communication is sometimes tough. He's probably the smallest kid in his class at school AND church (and the oldest by several months). And his social skills are definitely a work in progress.

But I also know that he is not mean. So to hear this broke my heart.

Oh, how this boy wants to be with friends, wants to be accepted. And honestly, we knew this would come soon. Maybe not this soon, but it was bound to happen. Things just don't come as easily for him as they do for other kids: whether it be writing his name, or making his bed... or friendships.

As I was seeking to comfort him (and trying to keep from becoming too defensive), I thought to myself... Why is it that kids desire the acceptance & approval of the ONE person who doesn't want to give it?

Ah, a light bulb moment. This issue isn't unique to little kids. It's middle-schoolers. And teenagers.

And yes, even adults.

I want to encourage my boys to be themselves and let their friendships develop naturally. But you know, before I can really teach them that, I guess I need to learn it for myself.

Just pics

Sunday morning, before church

Zonked out in the car (I've since bought travel neck pillows!)



We're down to NO glasses. 3 pairs on order - hope they come soon!



Enjoying the warmer weather, playing some golf

Girl Scout cookies! (Daniel's first)

Dr. Dove

Their Valentine from us was a trip to the Gwinnett Gladiators hockey game

Dr. MLK Jr's gravesite

Daniel came to visit me at work a couple of weeks ago

These boys LOVE sushi!