Parents who don't adopt from other countries, cultures or nationalities may not realize how important culture camp is. It's hard to explain or completely understand how important it is until you see the look on a child's face as they explain to others what it means to be from their culture. I see the pride when my children talk about Ethiopia or share an Ethiopian story with their friends. Even my youngest son (who was born in the US) is proud of his brother's Ethiopian heritage and used to try to convince people he was also born in Ethiopia. Jacob could find Ethiopia on a map when he was 3 and both of my kids can tell you what time it is in Ethiopia.
So why is culture camp a priority? After all, my kids are already proud of our connection to Ethiopia. Here are some reasons.
1) Other families that look like ours. It is one of the few places we go where Matthew is in the racial minority and almost all of the families are multiracial.
2) We aren't a conspicuous family where people make assumptions about us based on our different skin colors. Everyone knows we are a family formed by adoption and celebrates it with us. We don't have to fight stereotypes or respond to people asking questions about if Jacob is Matthew's friend and how great it is that he gets to spend so much time with him. They all know the kids are brothers.
3) We see adults, children and teenagers who were born in Ethiopia and who all love the culture and country. There is no better way to learn about another country and culture than to hear about it from people who have lived there.
4) Everyone there is learning from each other. We are all there for the same reasons. To make friends, learn about Ethiopia and have fun.
5) No negative stereotypes. My children are exposed to the same media that everyone else is. Pictures of children starving, reports of disease and comments from people who have no understanding but are quick to judge people who live differently than the way we live in the USA. At camp, everyone is accepting and loves Ethiopia and the information shared is based on facts and not stereotypes. We leave camp proud of Ethiopia and ready to share and educate others when they make comments based on media reports and not true life.
6) We leave camp with new friends, stronger connections to old friends and a reminder of how lucky we are to have been touched by Ethiopia. Not too mention on blessed we are to be a family.
There are camps and organizations around the country. None of the camps are cheap but the lessons we learn are priceless. I encourage anyone who's family has children from different cultures or countries to look into a cultural camp near you. Or even one you can travel to. You will not be sorry.
Showing posts with label Jacob. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacob. Show all posts
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Spring Is Finally Here!
Everyone has been complaining lately about the Spring that seems to be hiding. What we seem to forget is that Winter did not come until almost December making this winter not really any longer than any other. Yet I am anxious for warmer weather just like everyone else.
Last week was Spring Break at our house. It's been a lot of fun and a nice break from the regular routine. We have been spending most of our time right around our home. We went to the book store and library to find some new books to read. Matthew recently started bringing home books to read and sight words to memorize so we are now reading 20 minutes a day which means we need books to choose from.
Thursday we went to the Field Museum in Chicago. I am now a firm believer that the Illinois legislature does not like tourists. It cost over $12 in tolls just to get to the suburbs and that doesn't count the tolls we paid after we met a friend and used her IPass. Then there is the cost of parking down town and the overnight road construction that started at 7 when it wasn't even dark yet. Our 2 hour trip to our friend's house turned into a 4 hour trip home because of the construction. Yet we still had a good time when we weren't driving. The kids really enjoyed seeing the mummies and I enjoyed the dinosaurs.
Yesterday I finally started cleaning out the boys' bedrooms. I finished Jacob's and plan to start Matthew's today. We started collecting toys 6 years ago. Jacob began to outgrow the preschool toys 2 years ago but Matthew was still really enjoying them. Then grad school got crazy and there was absolutely no extra time to spend cleaning out and organizing the boys' rooms so the toys have gotten out of control. My goal is to have both rooms completely cleaned out by the end of the weekend. Then I can start cleaning out the rest of the house next week.
Not bad for one week of vacation. We have another vacation in June and probably won't go anywhere for more than a couple of days then either. Maybe I can get the rest of the house cleaned then.
Last week was Spring Break at our house. It's been a lot of fun and a nice break from the regular routine. We have been spending most of our time right around our home. We went to the book store and library to find some new books to read. Matthew recently started bringing home books to read and sight words to memorize so we are now reading 20 minutes a day which means we need books to choose from.
Thursday we went to the Field Museum in Chicago. I am now a firm believer that the Illinois legislature does not like tourists. It cost over $12 in tolls just to get to the suburbs and that doesn't count the tolls we paid after we met a friend and used her IPass. Then there is the cost of parking down town and the overnight road construction that started at 7 when it wasn't even dark yet. Our 2 hour trip to our friend's house turned into a 4 hour trip home because of the construction. Yet we still had a good time when we weren't driving. The kids really enjoyed seeing the mummies and I enjoyed the dinosaurs.
Yesterday I finally started cleaning out the boys' bedrooms. I finished Jacob's and plan to start Matthew's today. We started collecting toys 6 years ago. Jacob began to outgrow the preschool toys 2 years ago but Matthew was still really enjoying them. Then grad school got crazy and there was absolutely no extra time to spend cleaning out and organizing the boys' rooms so the toys have gotten out of control. My goal is to have both rooms completely cleaned out by the end of the weekend. Then I can start cleaning out the rest of the house next week.
Not bad for one week of vacation. We have another vacation in June and probably won't go anywhere for more than a couple of days then either. Maybe I can get the rest of the house cleaned then.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Rewards
Jacob is definitely my sports kid. Any sport. Any time. Hockey is one of his favorites. Unfortunately, he can only play this season. I allowed him to do the introductory lessons so he can learn the game and play with friends. I have tried to be creative and find ways for him to play next year but it just won't be possible. The practice times change every week so it would prevent his brother from playing basketball or any other sports during the fall and winter. It's also very expensive and I just can't justify the expense when there are so many other sports he enjoys.
I did agree to allow him to get street hockey gear for doing so well during the first semester. He has been begging for this gear since last fall when he first saw it at the store. I am sure he will get a lot of use out of it playing with his brother in the driveway. He also got a street hockey ball and he can use his hockey stick from hockey lessons. He can also use the gear next winter when he goes to open skate times.
Jacob was one very happy little boy when he bought the gear last night. He tried to wear it to bed but quickly discovered it was just a little too uncomfortable to sleep in. It is now sitting in a box next to his bed waiting for him to wake up. I am sure it will get more play time today and over the next several days.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Report Card Time Again
Our school district doesn't distribute reports cards until 2nd quarter of the school year. It drives me nuts. The 1st quarter parents meet with teachers to discuss progress. This leaves the perspective of if the child is performing as well as they should be to the teacher and doesn't allow the parent to be able to decide if it meets the parents expectations. I am one of those parents that looks at my children's work whenever they bring it home and stays in frequent contact with teachers but still wants to know what the report card says.
Jacob and Matthew both did very well. Matthew is learning in Spanish and so I expect his grades to be slightly lower due to needing to learn Spanish as well as writing, reading and math. The children in his program eventually catch up academically and I just have to be patient. His teacher told me that he was struggling a little bit due to not having a large enough Spanish vocabulary so we have started working with flashcards and reading more books in Spanish. I have seen steady improvement.
Jacob did better than I expected. I spoke to his teacher about 2 weeks ago. She hadn't started assessments and testing yet but wanted to warn me that his grades might be lower than last year (mostly reading and writing). The district is using new standards that are much more difficult. There was also an article in the paper earlier this year stating that children's report card scores would be lower due to the new standards. I am all for asking more of our children so I don't have a problems with higher standards. His scores actually improved over last year.
I am a strong believer that parents need to have high expectations for their children and be involved in their educations. I don't think parents need to be "tiger parents" and demand perfection but I do think children should be encouraged to do their very best. Whatever their very best is. I know for Jacob that means performing mostly above grade level and anything in reading or math that is not above grade level is something he can work on a little more. That doesn't mean we sit at home and run math drills for hours every night but it means we work on fun math games and have reading and writing time at home. For Matthew, it means working on learning to speak and understand Spanish through fun Spanish programs on the computer, reading Spanish books and working on Spanish flashcards to increase vocabulary.
We work for about 15 minutes at a time about 3 times a week. Pretty much, any night we are home before 8:00 we work on reading or math for a few minutes. That works well for us. I don't force it on nights we have other activities since bedtime here is 8:30 and I don't want the kids to be tired the next day. They won't learn as much if they are tired and that 15 minutes will not have helped.
Education is extremely important in my home. Not only do I want to have the children performing well enough to get into private school later if we want, but they are going to college. It's not a choice. I want them to be able to get in to any school (within reason) they choose and that means having a good educational foundation now. It's my responsibility as a parent to make sure that what we do now will not limit their opportunities in the future. That means getting a good education now so they can use that foundation later.
Jacob and Matthew both did very well. Matthew is learning in Spanish and so I expect his grades to be slightly lower due to needing to learn Spanish as well as writing, reading and math. The children in his program eventually catch up academically and I just have to be patient. His teacher told me that he was struggling a little bit due to not having a large enough Spanish vocabulary so we have started working with flashcards and reading more books in Spanish. I have seen steady improvement.
Jacob did better than I expected. I spoke to his teacher about 2 weeks ago. She hadn't started assessments and testing yet but wanted to warn me that his grades might be lower than last year (mostly reading and writing). The district is using new standards that are much more difficult. There was also an article in the paper earlier this year stating that children's report card scores would be lower due to the new standards. I am all for asking more of our children so I don't have a problems with higher standards. His scores actually improved over last year.
I am a strong believer that parents need to have high expectations for their children and be involved in their educations. I don't think parents need to be "tiger parents" and demand perfection but I do think children should be encouraged to do their very best. Whatever their very best is. I know for Jacob that means performing mostly above grade level and anything in reading or math that is not above grade level is something he can work on a little more. That doesn't mean we sit at home and run math drills for hours every night but it means we work on fun math games and have reading and writing time at home. For Matthew, it means working on learning to speak and understand Spanish through fun Spanish programs on the computer, reading Spanish books and working on Spanish flashcards to increase vocabulary.
We work for about 15 minutes at a time about 3 times a week. Pretty much, any night we are home before 8:00 we work on reading or math for a few minutes. That works well for us. I don't force it on nights we have other activities since bedtime here is 8:30 and I don't want the kids to be tired the next day. They won't learn as much if they are tired and that 15 minutes will not have helped.
Education is extremely important in my home. Not only do I want to have the children performing well enough to get into private school later if we want, but they are going to college. It's not a choice. I want them to be able to get in to any school (within reason) they choose and that means having a good educational foundation now. It's my responsibility as a parent to make sure that what we do now will not limit their opportunities in the future. That means getting a good education now so they can use that foundation later.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Talented and Gifted?
Jacob and Matthew both have been described as very bright. Jacob's teacher described him as "having a very neat brain" and wanted me to know how "cool" she thought his brain was. Of course, I think every part of him is "cool" so I can't disagree. I have always encouraged my children academically but never really needed to work hard at it.
Jacob has always been in the highest reading group but he has also had to work at reading and is usually number 2 or 3 in his class for reading level. He is always in the top tier for math and math comes easily to him. His kindergarten teacher first commented that everything she presents to him he masters immediately and she was impressed with his abilities. His ability wasn't really an issue in kindergarten though since math was a fairly small part of the day and they focused mainly on counting.
Jacob was complaining that school was too easy earlier this year and I asked his teacher to look into challenging him more. She agreed to try to challenge him a little more and stated they had just finished evaluating the kids and would start to work with them more. She said she was still having him use the same workbook as the rest of the class but was working with him and two other students on harder material also. Then a little over a month ago, Jacob began telling me about the new math book he has at school. He stated only he and two other students have these books and they work independently in them. I told him I wanted to see the book because I was curious about what he was working on. I enjoy seeing the kids' work but since Jacob's work was mostly in his workbook at school, I didn't get to see his work at home.
Last week I had the opportunity to stop in his classroom and see his math book. He normally completes 3-5 worksheets a day in it although some days he is a little more challenged and only completes 2 or 3 pages during their math time. I decided I should see exactly what he was working on since the sheets he brings home are the sheets the other students are working on and he finishes them in less than a minute most days.
I asked his teacher to see his math book and she immediately stated, "You can see it but I know what you are going to say. It is obviously too easy. I spoke to the district and they want him to finish this book before they consider other options." I wasn't sure what that meant and assumed this was a district policy regarding harder work. I was complaining to a co-worker about this "policy" and that Jacob tests at a 3rd grade math level so why isn't he doing at least 2nd grade work in the classroom. She suggested I look into talented and gifted services. I had briefly thought about it but hadn't really done much research into the district's TAG program or our options if he continues to struggle with being challenged.
I started looking up the district's policies for talented and gifted services (TAG) and actually feel much better about Jacob's education now. Apparently being given the separate math book is the first level of TAG services (general curriculum changes given by the teacher). If the child does not appear to be challenged adequately with the advanced material, the teacher or parent can then request guidance from the district TAG coordinator and possibly refer for additional services outside of the classroom. This appears to be where Jacob's teacher is at. She stated she has talked to the district a couple of times about Jacob so I am assuming she is talking to the TAG coordinator. It makes sense that the district would want to wait until Jacob works through the "advanced" book before seeking additional services to challenge him. Especially since he is in 1st grade and most of the testing doesn't start until 3rd grade. I am relieved his teacher is starting the dialogue with the district and that they are considering whether or not he is getting his needs met through the normal curriculum despite only being in 1st grade. I don't want his first 3 years of education to be wasted.
I am not sure how I feel about additional services. I know Jacob is not challenged as much as he could be. He loves doing more challenging work at home and asks me to buy him math books at the book store that are for higher grade levels. I want him to be challenged and have his needs met. I don't want him to be bored or the teacher frustrated because she is having trouble challenging him (which I get the feeling is happening at times now) . I also don't know how I feel about him being given different work outside of the classroom and possibly stigmatizing him. It's a lot to think about and if he continues to excel at this speed it is one the district and I may consider in the near future.
I never knew having children who excel could be almost as stressful as having children who struggle. I will take the stress though and continue to research and advocate. After all, I could have much worse problems.
Jacob has always been in the highest reading group but he has also had to work at reading and is usually number 2 or 3 in his class for reading level. He is always in the top tier for math and math comes easily to him. His kindergarten teacher first commented that everything she presents to him he masters immediately and she was impressed with his abilities. His ability wasn't really an issue in kindergarten though since math was a fairly small part of the day and they focused mainly on counting.
Jacob was complaining that school was too easy earlier this year and I asked his teacher to look into challenging him more. She agreed to try to challenge him a little more and stated they had just finished evaluating the kids and would start to work with them more. She said she was still having him use the same workbook as the rest of the class but was working with him and two other students on harder material also. Then a little over a month ago, Jacob began telling me about the new math book he has at school. He stated only he and two other students have these books and they work independently in them. I told him I wanted to see the book because I was curious about what he was working on. I enjoy seeing the kids' work but since Jacob's work was mostly in his workbook at school, I didn't get to see his work at home.
Last week I had the opportunity to stop in his classroom and see his math book. He normally completes 3-5 worksheets a day in it although some days he is a little more challenged and only completes 2 or 3 pages during their math time. I decided I should see exactly what he was working on since the sheets he brings home are the sheets the other students are working on and he finishes them in less than a minute most days.
I asked his teacher to see his math book and she immediately stated, "You can see it but I know what you are going to say. It is obviously too easy. I spoke to the district and they want him to finish this book before they consider other options." I wasn't sure what that meant and assumed this was a district policy regarding harder work. I was complaining to a co-worker about this "policy" and that Jacob tests at a 3rd grade math level so why isn't he doing at least 2nd grade work in the classroom. She suggested I look into talented and gifted services. I had briefly thought about it but hadn't really done much research into the district's TAG program or our options if he continues to struggle with being challenged.
I started looking up the district's policies for talented and gifted services (TAG) and actually feel much better about Jacob's education now. Apparently being given the separate math book is the first level of TAG services (general curriculum changes given by the teacher). If the child does not appear to be challenged adequately with the advanced material, the teacher or parent can then request guidance from the district TAG coordinator and possibly refer for additional services outside of the classroom. This appears to be where Jacob's teacher is at. She stated she has talked to the district a couple of times about Jacob so I am assuming she is talking to the TAG coordinator. It makes sense that the district would want to wait until Jacob works through the "advanced" book before seeking additional services to challenge him. Especially since he is in 1st grade and most of the testing doesn't start until 3rd grade. I am relieved his teacher is starting the dialogue with the district and that they are considering whether or not he is getting his needs met through the normal curriculum despite only being in 1st grade. I don't want his first 3 years of education to be wasted.
I am not sure how I feel about additional services. I know Jacob is not challenged as much as he could be. He loves doing more challenging work at home and asks me to buy him math books at the book store that are for higher grade levels. I want him to be challenged and have his needs met. I don't want him to be bored or the teacher frustrated because she is having trouble challenging him (which I get the feeling is happening at times now) . I also don't know how I feel about him being given different work outside of the classroom and possibly stigmatizing him. It's a lot to think about and if he continues to excel at this speed it is one the district and I may consider in the near future.
I never knew having children who excel could be almost as stressful as having children who struggle. I will take the stress though and continue to research and advocate. After all, I could have much worse problems.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Where Does She Get Her Money?
Jacob seems to be growing up way too quickly lately (well both of my kids if I want to be honest). Jacob came up to me last night and we had the following conversation.
Jacob: Where does Grandma get her money?
Me: What do you mean?
Jacob: She doesn't work anymore (she retired 2 years ago).
Me: She saved money for retirement and Grandpa has what is called a pension. It's money he is paid by his old boss after he retires.
Jacob: So they just pay him without him working???
Me: Yes. It's less than when he was working but they do continue to pay him every month.
Jacob: Are they going to pay you when you retire?
Me: I have a retirement pension and I also have been saving for retirement.
I'm not sure how much Jacob really understands but then I'm not sure how much I completely understand about pensions either. At least he knows that Grandma and Grandpa aren't stealing their money.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Dedication or Too Much?
I was at the Y today for open swim with the kids. We love to go to open swim and make it almost every week for at least an hour. This time is just for fun. I want the kids to be able to just play and figure they are improving their swimming skills just by chasing each other through the water and experimenting with different ways they can move themselves. I try to leave the coaching/teaching for practices and lessons.
Today I saw a mom with her two children at the pool. They came in with their fins and kickboards. The mom asked the lifeguard if the kids could swim laps and then gave the children instructions for what to swim. She sat on the side and occasionally came over and gave them additional instructions. I have seen these children and this mom at swim meets but have no idea how well the kids swim. To be honest, I don't really pay attention to the kids in the pool unless it is someone I know. I don't even know what team these kids swim for and it may be the same team Jacob is on. It doesn't matter.
My concern with what I saw was whether or not the children wanted to swim laps. Did they have the choice? I don't know. It's possible they were having fun and wanted mom to run her own practice. Jacob will sometimes choose to swim laps during open swim and really enjoys racing me in the pool when I have someone who can hang out with Matthew in the shallow end while we race. The difference is that I don't tell him what to swim or how far. I believe that should be left to the coaches at practice (which is later today so really no reason to make him practice twice in a day).
Again, I have no idea what this mom and kids were doing other than swimming laps. I definitely don't want to say that what they were doing is wrong since it may be what they all wanted to do. I just have seen too many parents who put too much pressure on their kids to excel at sports and it stops becoming fun. Children need encouragement and lots of time to practice their new skills but it should be in a fun manner. Especially outside of practice and team functions.
So if you see the kids with me at the pool, don't expect to see me telling them how many yards to swim or what strokes. Other than giving little reminders or enforcing safety rules, you won't see them "practicing." You will see them playing tag, racing each other or me and just having fun. There is plenty of time for working hard later.
Today I saw a mom with her two children at the pool. They came in with their fins and kickboards. The mom asked the lifeguard if the kids could swim laps and then gave the children instructions for what to swim. She sat on the side and occasionally came over and gave them additional instructions. I have seen these children and this mom at swim meets but have no idea how well the kids swim. To be honest, I don't really pay attention to the kids in the pool unless it is someone I know. I don't even know what team these kids swim for and it may be the same team Jacob is on. It doesn't matter.
My concern with what I saw was whether or not the children wanted to swim laps. Did they have the choice? I don't know. It's possible they were having fun and wanted mom to run her own practice. Jacob will sometimes choose to swim laps during open swim and really enjoys racing me in the pool when I have someone who can hang out with Matthew in the shallow end while we race. The difference is that I don't tell him what to swim or how far. I believe that should be left to the coaches at practice (which is later today so really no reason to make him practice twice in a day).
Again, I have no idea what this mom and kids were doing other than swimming laps. I definitely don't want to say that what they were doing is wrong since it may be what they all wanted to do. I just have seen too many parents who put too much pressure on their kids to excel at sports and it stops becoming fun. Children need encouragement and lots of time to practice their new skills but it should be in a fun manner. Especially outside of practice and team functions.
So if you see the kids with me at the pool, don't expect to see me telling them how many yards to swim or what strokes. Other than giving little reminders or enforcing safety rules, you won't see them "practicing." You will see them playing tag, racing each other or me and just having fun. There is plenty of time for working hard later.
Monday, December 31, 2012
A Look Back At 2012
Every year is full of ups and downs. There have been studies that show that people who concentrate on the positive or are more optimistic are happier and more grateful. Everyone has things in their lives they wish they could change and we all have days that are better than others. Yet every day is a blessing from God and a reason to celebrate. Even when it doesn't necessarily feel like the day was great or those (hopefully rare) days that you wish you could forget.
In honor of 2012 here is a list of our highlights (in no particular order).
1) Matthew graduated from 4K. Finally our days of paying full-time child care for an infant, toddler or preschooler are over. Matthew did great in 4K.
2) Jacob made swim team. This was a huge accomplishment. He could barely swim the length of the pool in August and worked extremely hard to improve his swimming ability so that he could make the team in September. I have never seen him work so hard or try to hard as he did during tryouts. He made the team and can now swim many laps without stopping.
3) Matthew was promoted to 6 year old swimming lessons. He showed great improvement in December and was moved up to the "big kid" lessons. This was not only due to his improved swimming abilities but also improved behavior and maturity during lessons.
4) Jacob and Matthew learned how to ice skate and got the chance to participate in hockey lessons. This will be a one year only experience since hockey is expensive and the kids have other sports they like just as much.
5) Matthew got to play t-ball after watching his brother play t-ball for the past 3 years. He loved it and was doing really well by the end of the season. He is already looking forward to playing again next year.
6) I got the chance to coach Jacob and Matthew in soccer. I have very limited experience in soccer but I don't need much at this age level.
7) Matthew was accepted into a dual language charter school and loves it. He speaks Spanish most of the day and has been learning a lot.
8) I received a Master's Degree in Social Work. This was a major accomplishment. I thought about quitting several times over the past 3 years but was able to finish it. I now have a social work degree that I can use in my current job or in any other state if I ever want to move or change jobs.
9) Jacob and Matthew have had a great start to kindergarten and 1st grade. Matthew has had a few difficulties over the past few weeks but overall has done very well. Both kids are ahead of grade level in Math and are doing very well academically which is most important to me.
10) We made it through the year healthy. We had a few ups and downs health wise. I made my first trip to the ER as a parent when Jacob was poked in the eye and it was scratched enough to bleed. It was an accident but still pretty traumatic. Matthew was sent home from school early after putting a hood over his head and then walking into a wall trying to be silly. He ended up biting through his lip. No stitches but lots of blood and a very fat lip that is still healing. No broken bones, serious injuries, serious illness and no stitches yet so I call this year a huge success. With my boys, every day without a broken bone is a day to celebrate.
In honor of 2012 here is a list of our highlights (in no particular order).
1) Matthew graduated from 4K. Finally our days of paying full-time child care for an infant, toddler or preschooler are over. Matthew did great in 4K.
2) Jacob made swim team. This was a huge accomplishment. He could barely swim the length of the pool in August and worked extremely hard to improve his swimming ability so that he could make the team in September. I have never seen him work so hard or try to hard as he did during tryouts. He made the team and can now swim many laps without stopping.
3) Matthew was promoted to 6 year old swimming lessons. He showed great improvement in December and was moved up to the "big kid" lessons. This was not only due to his improved swimming abilities but also improved behavior and maturity during lessons.
4) Jacob and Matthew learned how to ice skate and got the chance to participate in hockey lessons. This will be a one year only experience since hockey is expensive and the kids have other sports they like just as much.
5) Matthew got to play t-ball after watching his brother play t-ball for the past 3 years. He loved it and was doing really well by the end of the season. He is already looking forward to playing again next year.
6) I got the chance to coach Jacob and Matthew in soccer. I have very limited experience in soccer but I don't need much at this age level.
7) Matthew was accepted into a dual language charter school and loves it. He speaks Spanish most of the day and has been learning a lot.
8) I received a Master's Degree in Social Work. This was a major accomplishment. I thought about quitting several times over the past 3 years but was able to finish it. I now have a social work degree that I can use in my current job or in any other state if I ever want to move or change jobs.
9) Jacob and Matthew have had a great start to kindergarten and 1st grade. Matthew has had a few difficulties over the past few weeks but overall has done very well. Both kids are ahead of grade level in Math and are doing very well academically which is most important to me.
10) We made it through the year healthy. We had a few ups and downs health wise. I made my first trip to the ER as a parent when Jacob was poked in the eye and it was scratched enough to bleed. It was an accident but still pretty traumatic. Matthew was sent home from school early after putting a hood over his head and then walking into a wall trying to be silly. He ended up biting through his lip. No stitches but lots of blood and a very fat lip that is still healing. No broken bones, serious injuries, serious illness and no stitches yet so I call this year a huge success. With my boys, every day without a broken bone is a day to celebrate.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Week of Ups and Downs
It has been a week full of life's ups and downs yet overall it was mostly good. Here is a quick recap of our adventures this week.
Monday: We got to spend a nice quiet evening at home. We really don't have too many of these so it is nice when they come along. I am having a lot of trouble keeping up at work right now so I was able to spend some time working at home while my kids watched TV and played quietly.
Tuesday: I went on a field trip with Matthew's kindergarten class. I always enjoy watching my kids play with other kids and listening to their conversations. Matthew's class amazed me with how well behaved they were. There was actually only one child in all 3 kindergarten classes that got in trouble during the field trip and even he didn't get in any major trouble. Pretty amazing for a public school in larger city. Matthew picked out a green pumpkin and we are trying to decide what to do with it.
Wednesday: Another busy day. Jacob had an early swim team practice and we got home shortly before Matthew's day care bus arrived. We then went to dinner with a good friend who is expecting her first child in December. I always enjoy spending time with her and just wish we were able to spend more time together.
Thursday: What a day! Matthew was really excited about a family party at day care and really wanted me to attend. I was really looking forward to it until nothing would go my way at work. I was sure I was going to be lucky to be home by bedtime much less in time for a party. I called my mom and was very glad when she said she would take Jacob to practice and go to the party with Matthew. Things finally started to go my way at the end of the day and I made it to Matthew's party about half an hour before it ended. I was just in time to enjoy a taco and watch the kids break a pinata. I was then able to greet Jacob after practice and watch Matthew in his karate class before we went home for a quick dinner and bedtime.
Friday: I was very glad to see the week come to an end. I was still feeling a lot of stress about issues a work but knew that it was time to relax and leave it behind. We went to a Halloween party at the Y where the kids dressed as firefighters and played games. They had a great time until about half an hour before the party ended. Matthew was just a little too tired after a full week of school, day care and activities. We ended up leaving a little early but overall it was a great night.
Saturday: Saturday was just crazy but also a lot of fun. We started the day by running out of cinnamon rolls before the last child ate. I had to quickly throw another batch in the oven but it made us a couple minutes late to football. I then found out pictures were rescheduled for that morning. Of course, the kids still had face paint that wouldn't wash off completely from the night before so they weren't really looking their best. The pictures turned out alright but I decided I didn't need to order any since we just ordered school pictures and the kids don't change that much in 2 weeks.
We left football and decided to buy Matthew some ice skates for hockey lessons. Lessons start next week but the kids both had ice skating lessons yesterday. Of course, my bad luck was continuing and the store was busy making us late for ice skating. We would have been about 5 minutes late until we hit a train that stopped on the tracks for about 15 minutes. Ugh! The kids only made it to about 15 minutes of their lessons. Oh, well. They still have one more lesson and then will start hockey lessons on Sundays.
After hockey the day went much better. We went to Schuster's Playtime Farm where the kids got to pet some farm animals, feed the goats and play on a giant inflatable pillow. Aidan was with us and really enjoyed riding on the tracter train. All of the kids picked out pumpkins and this time Matthew chose a white pumpkin. Jacob and Aidan both chose orange pumpkins. I bought everyone a carmel apple and we left the farm and corn maze tired but happy. We got home last night and just collapsed.
Today starts another week and I am hoping it goes well. We only have 3 days of work and school this week then we get a long weekend. I am taking Jacob and Matthew to a water park and hotel for 2 days and Aidan is spending the night next weekend while his mom works. We don't have a lot of big plans for the weekend and I am hoping we will have some extra time to just relax and have fun. And maybe mulch and rake some leaves...
Monday: We got to spend a nice quiet evening at home. We really don't have too many of these so it is nice when they come along. I am having a lot of trouble keeping up at work right now so I was able to spend some time working at home while my kids watched TV and played quietly.
Tuesday: I went on a field trip with Matthew's kindergarten class. I always enjoy watching my kids play with other kids and listening to their conversations. Matthew's class amazed me with how well behaved they were. There was actually only one child in all 3 kindergarten classes that got in trouble during the field trip and even he didn't get in any major trouble. Pretty amazing for a public school in larger city. Matthew picked out a green pumpkin and we are trying to decide what to do with it.
Wednesday: Another busy day. Jacob had an early swim team practice and we got home shortly before Matthew's day care bus arrived. We then went to dinner with a good friend who is expecting her first child in December. I always enjoy spending time with her and just wish we were able to spend more time together.
Thursday: What a day! Matthew was really excited about a family party at day care and really wanted me to attend. I was really looking forward to it until nothing would go my way at work. I was sure I was going to be lucky to be home by bedtime much less in time for a party. I called my mom and was very glad when she said she would take Jacob to practice and go to the party with Matthew. Things finally started to go my way at the end of the day and I made it to Matthew's party about half an hour before it ended. I was just in time to enjoy a taco and watch the kids break a pinata. I was then able to greet Jacob after practice and watch Matthew in his karate class before we went home for a quick dinner and bedtime.
Friday: I was very glad to see the week come to an end. I was still feeling a lot of stress about issues a work but knew that it was time to relax and leave it behind. We went to a Halloween party at the Y where the kids dressed as firefighters and played games. They had a great time until about half an hour before the party ended. Matthew was just a little too tired after a full week of school, day care and activities. We ended up leaving a little early but overall it was a great night.
Saturday: Saturday was just crazy but also a lot of fun. We started the day by running out of cinnamon rolls before the last child ate. I had to quickly throw another batch in the oven but it made us a couple minutes late to football. I then found out pictures were rescheduled for that morning. Of course, the kids still had face paint that wouldn't wash off completely from the night before so they weren't really looking their best. The pictures turned out alright but I decided I didn't need to order any since we just ordered school pictures and the kids don't change that much in 2 weeks.
We left football and decided to buy Matthew some ice skates for hockey lessons. Lessons start next week but the kids both had ice skating lessons yesterday. Of course, my bad luck was continuing and the store was busy making us late for ice skating. We would have been about 5 minutes late until we hit a train that stopped on the tracks for about 15 minutes. Ugh! The kids only made it to about 15 minutes of their lessons. Oh, well. They still have one more lesson and then will start hockey lessons on Sundays.
After hockey the day went much better. We went to Schuster's Playtime Farm where the kids got to pet some farm animals, feed the goats and play on a giant inflatable pillow. Aidan was with us and really enjoyed riding on the tracter train. All of the kids picked out pumpkins and this time Matthew chose a white pumpkin. Jacob and Aidan both chose orange pumpkins. I bought everyone a carmel apple and we left the farm and corn maze tired but happy. We got home last night and just collapsed.
Today starts another week and I am hoping it goes well. We only have 3 days of work and school this week then we get a long weekend. I am taking Jacob and Matthew to a water park and hotel for 2 days and Aidan is spending the night next weekend while his mom works. We don't have a lot of big plans for the weekend and I am hoping we will have some extra time to just relax and have fun. And maybe mulch and rake some leaves...
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Jacob is 7!
Happy birthday to my wonderful son Jacob! It seems like just a few months ago I was in Ethiopia picking up a 1 year old boy. Today that boy is 7 years old and no longer little. Here are 7 things I love about my son in honor of his 7th birthday.
1) His kind heart. Jacob is a very loving child who loves to help other people and make others happy.
2) His hard work and determination. One of my goals for Jacob when he started kindergarten was for him to learn not to give up when he gets frustrated. I am amazed and proud of how far he has come in just a year. Whether it was learning to read or practicing for weeks to prepare for swim team tryouts, Jacob has shown that he can not only work hard when he needs to but he can excel when he puts his mind to it.
3) Watching Jacob play sports. Jacob has some amazing speed. I have watched him outrun kids three or four years older than him. It's fun to watch him whether it is chasing down a ball in the outfield, catching up to an oposing player on the soccer field and preventing a goal or scoring a touchdown during flag football. Jacob has the speed that I never had but always wished I did as a child.
4) His smile. Jacob has always had a great smile that makes other people smile too. It's one of his traits that people have always commented on and still do to this day.
5) Responsibility. Jacob is really a pretty responsible kid for his age. It's nice having a kid that I can trust most of the time. He's still a kid and sometimes makes some poor choices but most of the time I can trust that he will be well-behaved even when he is at school or with other adults.
6) His passion. Jacob is very passionate about whatever his current love is. Right now he loves sports and spends most of his time either playing, talking or thinking about sports. He recently told me that he isn't really a video game person. He's just a sports person.
7) His active spirit. As Jacob said, he's not a video game person. He will watch TV or play video games for a short period of time but he usually prefers to be doing something active. Even when we are just spending time at home relaxing, Jacob will often go outside to ride his bike or dig holes in the garden. He is always up for a game of baseball or go to the Y for a swim. I love that I don't have to put restrictions on screen time because he puts them on himself.
Settling In
We have now completed three weeks of school. I am relieved to say we are starting to figure out our new routines and things are going really well. The morning routine is pretty much worked out.
Matthew's school has a community breakfast where everyone in the school eats together. I love this idea. It makes sure that all of the kids receive breakfast, doesn't single out those children who receive free breakfast and helps all of the kids settle in and start their day well. The principal uses this time to recognize birthdays, holidays that students are celebrating and make announcements.
I also like the community breakfast because it made Matthew's adjustment a little easier. Matthew has always started out his day with breakfast. He had breakfast right after he arrived at day care and last year his 4K class had a community breakfast together. Even his summer program had a morning snack right after the kids all arrived which Matthew thought of as actually having breakfast. He has learned that breakfast signals the start of his school day and is a nice way to help him settle down. Matthew has also seen food as a tool for feeling safe and secure so starting his day with breakfast with his class helps him to perceive his teacher and school as a safe place where his needs will be met.
Jacob has decided that he wants to eat breakfast at school this year as well. This is a change for him. His school doesn't have a community breakfast so he has to get to school 15 minutes early and then can choose between eating breakfast and playing on the playground. I always give him his choice since school breakfast is really cheap but I also understand if he wants to play with his friends. So far he has chosen to eat at school which makes our mornings a little smoother and faster.
My parents returned from vacation last week and we were very happy to see them again. I am always grateful for everything they do for us. Even just having their emotional support and someone to turn to when I am having a rough day and just need some support is really nice.
The only part of our schedule that is still being fine tuned is after school. Jacob and Matthew started their after school activities two weeks ago but the schedule has changed a few times. Jacob had a field trip one afternoon and a party another afternoon last week so he had to change his swim team practices around. Matthew has activiites on Tuesday and Thursdays evenings so those evenings are really busy. They go pretty well except I haven't quite figured out the best way to serve dinner. I am thinking that these are great nights for crock pot dinners but I haven't found very many recipes that I am in love with. I plan to spend some time over the next few weeks experimenting with different dinners (crock pot and ones that are quick to fix) so that those evenings are a little smoother.
I am enjoying being with my children in the evenings and not using babysitters at night. That is such a huge change from the past 3 years when I was in class or at my internship at least 2 evenings a week. Now I get off work and I know that I will get to see my kids. The only exceptions are when I have an emergency at work and have to work late but thankfully that doesn't happen often.
We are still adjusting to the new school year but we are much more settled than we were even just a couple of months ago. I think it will be another month or so before we really get used to the new schedule and are able to relax a little more but we are getting closer. I still need to figure out some things like when is the best time to buy groceries and run errands but those are details that will get worked out as time goes on. For now I am just happy to finally be getting caught up and able to spend more time with my family.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Baseball Has Officially Started
MLB may still have a few days to the start of opening season for many teams but around here we are well under way. I have heard from Jacob and Matthew's coaches and Jacob attended his first practice yesterday. I am amazed at how much he has grown in the past year and improved. He is now ready for "machine pitch" which means no more hitting off the tee right away. Yesterday he was fielding grounders, hitting the ball when the coach threw it to him and throwing and catching the ball. He may not be ready to play in the big leagues (or even with the bigger kids) but he is doing much better than a year ago.
Matthew will be playing t-ball this year. He is excited and I am hopeful he will really enjoy it. He loves hitting the ball of the tee at home when we practice. I got his team roster yesterday and learned he is on the same team as Jacob's best friend from school. I am looking forward to watching all of the kids have fun and watching Jacob cheer on his brother and friend.
I will be playing softball in a Friday night league with a friend. It is a co-ed slow pitch league which should be a lot of fun. I would love to have some extra time to practice but just being on the team will be great. Between Jacob's games (3 days a week), Matthew's games (2 days a week) and my games (1 day a week) it is a good thing we are a "baseball family." Now to just find the time and money to go to a few Brewers games...
Matthew will be playing t-ball this year. He is excited and I am hopeful he will really enjoy it. He loves hitting the ball of the tee at home when we practice. I got his team roster yesterday and learned he is on the same team as Jacob's best friend from school. I am looking forward to watching all of the kids have fun and watching Jacob cheer on his brother and friend.
I will be playing softball in a Friday night league with a friend. It is a co-ed slow pitch league which should be a lot of fun. I would love to have some extra time to practice but just being on the team will be great. Between Jacob's games (3 days a week), Matthew's games (2 days a week) and my games (1 day a week) it is a good thing we are a "baseball family." Now to just find the time and money to go to a few Brewers games...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Spring Break
Spring is here and so is Spring Break. My spring break at the university was actuall school and my internship programming was running, I really didn't take much of a break. We really haven't had a lot of down time this spring and it has been very difficult. I work an intership 3 evenings a week and have class another night so really only spend a lot of time with the kids on weekends. Thankfully, I changed jobs last year so that I now have weekends off.
The kids and I have been doing pretty well considering that I have been extremely overwhelmed between work and school. The kids just go with the flow and enjoy spending extra time with my parents and friend. Last week was really the first time I have seen any real signs of stress from the kids and that was just some extra clingy behavior that I don't usually see out of them.
I decided to take most of this week off work. I have to go in 2 days this week when I am on call and there is some paperwork I am hoping to complete but I didn't schedule any home visits or meetings. I also have a paper due Wednesday night and class so I will have to make sure I get those things finished but I am sure that won't be too difficult.
My plan is to take three days to just focus on the kids and enjoy them. I haven't figured out what we are going to do all of those days. I received a request to go to the zoo one of the days if the weather is nice and hope to do that on Monday. We may just take a day to relax at home and ride bikes around the neighborhood. Mostly we just need to spend time together as a family.
Life has been hectic and very stressful lately so this week will be a nice chance to just relax and reconnect. Even if that means just laying in bed and watching cartoons on a Saturday morning. As long as we are together and slowing down, it will be a great week.
Friday, March 16, 2012
5 Years!
I can't believe my sweet little boy came to me 5 years ago this week. It was 5 years ago today that Jacob and I boarded an airplane bound for America. Jacob has some very vague memories of his time in Ethiopia but he still has a curiosity and love for it that only an Ethiopian-American can have.
I will admit I found myself getting emotional a few times this week as I look back at that magical week five years ago think about how far we have come. Jacob was ready to leave Ethiopia and the care center. He never really looked back and made it very clear he didn't want to return. He became very uncomfortable when anyone would speak Amharic to him and would come running to me. He attached to me very quickly and that attachment has only grown since then.
Jacob is now 6 years old. He is in kindergarten. He is no longer the baby that I fell in love with. He is a rapidly growing boy who I love even more now than I did that day. Every day he amazes me with his resilience, intelligence and friendly easy going personality.
Five years ago I had a lot of fear and anxiety as I began my life as a single parent. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to do it or that I would hate it. I can now say that I don't parent alone. Sure, I'm the only adult living in the home but that doesn't mean I'm alone. I have great family and friends that are more than willing to help me out. Being able to call a friend or family member for help at any time of the day is a great blessing and gift that I will forever be thankful for. I no longer fear being a single parent. I know I can do it. I also know I love it.
Our lives changed forever five years ago. Jacob has touched me in a way no one else ever could have. He has taught me what a mother's love really is. He has taught me what it is like to lay awake at night worrying about if I am making the right decision. I have learned what it is like to lay next to a sleepiong child with a fever and worry about him. I have also learned the joy of hearing your child say I love you and You are my mom for the first time. I have learned the joy of watching your chid grow and learn at amazing speeds. I have learned to appreciate life and see every day as a blessing.
Becoming a mom was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have Jacob to thank for helping me begin along that path. It's been five years that went by too fast. I am looking forward to many more years of loving him, parenting him and just enjoying spending time with him. Jacob, happy family day and may you continue to grow and find peace and happiness.
I will admit I found myself getting emotional a few times this week as I look back at that magical week five years ago think about how far we have come. Jacob was ready to leave Ethiopia and the care center. He never really looked back and made it very clear he didn't want to return. He became very uncomfortable when anyone would speak Amharic to him and would come running to me. He attached to me very quickly and that attachment has only grown since then.
Jacob is now 6 years old. He is in kindergarten. He is no longer the baby that I fell in love with. He is a rapidly growing boy who I love even more now than I did that day. Every day he amazes me with his resilience, intelligence and friendly easy going personality.
Five years ago I had a lot of fear and anxiety as I began my life as a single parent. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to do it or that I would hate it. I can now say that I don't parent alone. Sure, I'm the only adult living in the home but that doesn't mean I'm alone. I have great family and friends that are more than willing to help me out. Being able to call a friend or family member for help at any time of the day is a great blessing and gift that I will forever be thankful for. I no longer fear being a single parent. I know I can do it. I also know I love it.
Our lives changed forever five years ago. Jacob has touched me in a way no one else ever could have. He has taught me what a mother's love really is. He has taught me what it is like to lay awake at night worrying about if I am making the right decision. I have learned what it is like to lay next to a sleepiong child with a fever and worry about him. I have also learned the joy of hearing your child say I love you and You are my mom for the first time. I have learned the joy of watching your chid grow and learn at amazing speeds. I have learned to appreciate life and see every day as a blessing.
Becoming a mom was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have Jacob to thank for helping me begin along that path. It's been five years that went by too fast. I am looking forward to many more years of loving him, parenting him and just enjoying spending time with him. Jacob, happy family day and may you continue to grow and find peace and happiness.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Valentine's Day Five Years Ago
Valentines day has never been one of my favorite holidays. Probably because I have spent most of them single and none of them in a committed relationship that I thought would become a marriage. Valentine's day is a reminder that I have never found that special someone and for a long time was pretty depressing.
Thankfully, that is no longer the case. I now love Valentine's Day. It is still not my favorite holiday but it is a day I look at with fond memories and a smile on my face. It was 5 years ago this Valentine's Day that everything changed. I received a phone call that my son was now mine. Legally. His case had passed court and the Ethiopian government had officially declared him my son. No one knew when I would be travelling for sure but we all knew it would be soon. A matter of a few weeks rather than an unknown number of months.
I will never forget coming home and finding that message on the machine. Then the next day I received another phone message stating that I would be travelling in March and meet Jacob on March 10. Wow! My first emotion was pure excitement and joy. I couldn't wait! I quickly began making phone calls to start to prepare. Then as evening fell and things began to slow down, I experienced the weirdest feeling I have ever known. The reality that I was a mother to a little boy I had never met who lived in an orphanage on the other side of the world. Was he really as sweet as his picture looked? Was he really as happy as he appeared? Would he scream when he met me? Would he want to be my son? Would I like being a mother as much as I thought I would? What if I hated being a parent?
I can say after 5 years that those questions are now all answered. Jacob is as sweet and smiley as those pictures showed him. He was also (and continues to be) much more mischevious and sarcastic. He loves to make people laugh and just his smile and laugh are contagious. He is as smart as I could have dreamed. He didnt' scream when he met me. He cried when I left him for the night. He wanted to be my son and I wanted to be his mom more than anything else in the world.
As far as if I would like being a mother? I don't just like it. I love it. Being a parent is the best thing that ever happened to me. I am now lucky enough to have two wonderful little boys who both challenge me and entertain me. Jacob has been asleep for 11 hours now. Much longer than he normally sleeps. Why is he so tired? Because he ran non-stop with his brother all morning, spent the afternoon with his Big Brother (aka mentor) and then ran all evening with friends from the Ethiopian community in our city.
I have loved watching Jacob grow and mature. He is now 6 years old. He can read, write and is great at math. He loves sports but loves just playing and running with friends even more. Everyone loves Jacob and I love that about him. I still remember the anxiety and worry I had that I had just made a huge mistake five years ago. I can now say it wasn't a mistake. It was the best decision I have ever made.
While Matthew's adoption process was much more difficult than Jacob's and he challenges me in different ways, his adoption was also a wonderful experience. One that I also worried about. After all, I was making a lifelong commitment to a little boy. Now I am dreaming about a third (and final) child to add to this family. The fears and anxiety are the same. Will I love this child as much as the first two? AmI making a huge mistake? Will I like parenting this child also? Of course, the answers are yes. Just like the first two times. My next child will also be loved and actually already is. I will love parenting three children just like I have loved parenting two. I love having three little boys in this house when I babysit our friend Aidan and I will love parenting three children as well. So when will this next child arrive, that has yet to be determined. As with all things in life, sometimes the best things come to those who wait and are patient.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
First Report Cards
Ah, report card time. This is a time of great anticipation and a little bit of nervousness. Waiting for someone to issue a piece of paper where they judge you. Yes, I know they call it evaluation and they are evaluating performance but the truth is they are judging academic progress and to some extent academic potential. I'm not saying the judgement is fair or accurate, it just is difficult to wait to hear that judgement.
Jacob and Matthew first received their first report cards yesterday. The report cards both said basically the same things. The kids aren't perfect but they are smart and ahead of grade level in several areas. I can't really ask for much more. Well, I can ask for perfection but I'll never get it.
More important than the actual scores the children received is that they gave me some insight in areas to continue to work on with them. Matthew will continue to work on basic preschool skills such as listening and following classroom routines. Jacob will continue to work on reading and writing. While he is at or above grade level in these areas, it doesn't hurt to continue to work on these skills and get just a little farther ahead. It will only help him as he continues to go through school.
Jacob and Matthew first received their first report cards yesterday. The report cards both said basically the same things. The kids aren't perfect but they are smart and ahead of grade level in several areas. I can't really ask for much more. Well, I can ask for perfection but I'll never get it.
More important than the actual scores the children received is that they gave me some insight in areas to continue to work on with them. Matthew will continue to work on basic preschool skills such as listening and following classroom routines. Jacob will continue to work on reading and writing. While he is at or above grade level in these areas, it doesn't hurt to continue to work on these skills and get just a little farther ahead. It will only help him as he continues to go through school.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Prizes and Surprises
Matthew loves attention and he loves to be silly. This often translates to lots of preschool drama and phone calls. I have been struggling to find ways to counter the phone of getting attention and making his friends laugh with my desire to keep him at day care and teach him that he needs to behave. I have tried many things but nothing was really working. I have now found the magic answer. A prize box.
Jacob, Matthew and I went to the store together last weekend and bought a bunch of little toys for a dollar each. I put them in a basket and told the kids they get them for when I catch them being extra good. The result? Matthew and Jacob are competing to find ways to get prizes. I haven't gotten calls from day care or school and both kids have been volunteering to do extra cleaning and chores at school and at home. Why didn't I think about this sooner? They will do anything for a prize!
So what was the surprise for me?
I got a new couch and a new love seat. I havde wanted to get a new couch for a long time but couldn't justify spending the money. Then I pulled on the edge of the couch to move it and a support bar broke off the bottom. That resulted in a broken couch and an emergency trip to the furniture store. I now have my new couch and I can justify it.
Jacob, Matthew and I went to the store together last weekend and bought a bunch of little toys for a dollar each. I put them in a basket and told the kids they get them for when I catch them being extra good. The result? Matthew and Jacob are competing to find ways to get prizes. I haven't gotten calls from day care or school and both kids have been volunteering to do extra cleaning and chores at school and at home. Why didn't I think about this sooner? They will do anything for a prize!
So what was the surprise for me?
I got a new couch and a new love seat. I havde wanted to get a new couch for a long time but couldn't justify spending the money. Then I pulled on the edge of the couch to move it and a support bar broke off the bottom. That resulted in a broken couch and an emergency trip to the furniture store. I now have my new couch and I can justify it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
We Are Back Online
I finally decided it was time to get back on line and join the rest of the world. I have had the internet on my cell phone all along but I haven't had home internet since October. It was getting too inconvenient to try to always find time to go somewhere to pay bills, check accounts or complete any other work I needed to get done. I decided to get reconnected at home now that the second semester is starting and I will have a lot of homework to do online.
So here is a quick update on our family.
I am working on my last 2 semesters of grad school. I was suppose to start an internship two weeks ago but just got a placement last week. I have been in contact with them and got one hour in last week. Now I am waiting to hear back from them again so that I can start to get caught up or at least not any farther behind.
Jacob just completed his first semester of kindergarten. I am amazed at how much he is learning. He can now read basic easy reader books to me and continues to find math very easy. Jacob also decided to take karate lessons. He just received his first promotion to gold belt last weekend. He is very proud of it and hopes to be a world champion in tae kwon do someday. I am glad he is enjoying it but wouldn't mind if he found a cheaper sport either.
Matthew is doing well. He just finished his first semester of 4K. He is doing a lot better swimming and is looking forward to getting a little older so he can do a few more sports.
I signed both kids up for t-ball and baseball this summer. Let's just say we will be spending a lot of time at the ballpark. I think they will both have a lot of fun though.
I am still babysitting our friend Aidan on weekends. He is beginning to show his 2 1/2 year old behaviors but he is still very cute. He loves to chase Matthew and wants to do everything he does. Jacob plays with him also but the age difference is quite a bit so Jacob will usually get bored after awhile and go find something else to do. He almost takes over the big brother role of protecting Aidan and teaching him rather than being just a playmate. I think Jacob will be a great babysitter in a few more years.
I will try to post pictures soon. It is amazing how quickly everyone is growing around here.
So here is a quick update on our family.
I am working on my last 2 semesters of grad school. I was suppose to start an internship two weeks ago but just got a placement last week. I have been in contact with them and got one hour in last week. Now I am waiting to hear back from them again so that I can start to get caught up or at least not any farther behind.
Jacob just completed his first semester of kindergarten. I am amazed at how much he is learning. He can now read basic easy reader books to me and continues to find math very easy. Jacob also decided to take karate lessons. He just received his first promotion to gold belt last weekend. He is very proud of it and hopes to be a world champion in tae kwon do someday. I am glad he is enjoying it but wouldn't mind if he found a cheaper sport either.
Matthew is doing well. He just finished his first semester of 4K. He is doing a lot better swimming and is looking forward to getting a little older so he can do a few more sports.
I signed both kids up for t-ball and baseball this summer. Let's just say we will be spending a lot of time at the ballpark. I think they will both have a lot of fun though.
I am still babysitting our friend Aidan on weekends. He is beginning to show his 2 1/2 year old behaviors but he is still very cute. He loves to chase Matthew and wants to do everything he does. Jacob plays with him also but the age difference is quite a bit so Jacob will usually get bored after awhile and go find something else to do. He almost takes over the big brother role of protecting Aidan and teaching him rather than being just a playmate. I think Jacob will be a great babysitter in a few more years.
I will try to post pictures soon. It is amazing how quickly everyone is growing around here.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
This year's Christmas has been wonderful in our family. We attended Christmas Eve services and everyone behaved very well (sometimes a challenge). The kids came home after dinner at my parents' and went straight to sleep. They needed to make sure they were sleeping well before Santa arrived.
Matthew was the first child awake this morning. He was up around 5:15 am. Normally, I would have sent him back to bed and told him it was too early but we had a special friend coming at 6 so I had to get up in 15 minutes anyway. I made him wait until 5:30 and then let him wake Jacob up so they could explore their Santa gifts together. Both boys have been good this year so their stockings were full. The only glitch is that the firetruck Matthew got was broken. Luckly, I know a store in the area that carries them and we will try to exchange it tomorrow. Other than that everyone got what they wanted. My brother even bought us an XBox 360 Kinnect so Jacob is no longer the only child in his day care class that doesn't have a video game system. Of course, I had more fun with it this afternoon than he did. Not to mention I got a good workout jumping while river rafting and playing a little football.
Our little friend, Aidan, spent the holiday with us as well since his mom had to work. It was nice having an extra kid around to enjoy. He kept sneaking under the tree and opening gifts when we weren't looking (he's only 2 1/2) which actually made it a little more fun. Of course, there were some presents for him as well so he had his own gifts to unwrap and enjoy.
We are now relaxing while the frozen pizza finishes cooking. Then we will probably watch the Packers beat the Bears and secure home field advantage for the playoffs (hopefully). I can't think of a better way to end Christmas (unless you are a Bears fan).
Matthew was the first child awake this morning. He was up around 5:15 am. Normally, I would have sent him back to bed and told him it was too early but we had a special friend coming at 6 so I had to get up in 15 minutes anyway. I made him wait until 5:30 and then let him wake Jacob up so they could explore their Santa gifts together. Both boys have been good this year so their stockings were full. The only glitch is that the firetruck Matthew got was broken. Luckly, I know a store in the area that carries them and we will try to exchange it tomorrow. Other than that everyone got what they wanted. My brother even bought us an XBox 360 Kinnect so Jacob is no longer the only child in his day care class that doesn't have a video game system. Of course, I had more fun with it this afternoon than he did. Not to mention I got a good workout jumping while river rafting and playing a little football.
Our little friend, Aidan, spent the holiday with us as well since his mom had to work. It was nice having an extra kid around to enjoy. He kept sneaking under the tree and opening gifts when we weren't looking (he's only 2 1/2) which actually made it a little more fun. Of course, there were some presents for him as well so he had his own gifts to unwrap and enjoy.
We are now relaxing while the frozen pizza finishes cooking. Then we will probably watch the Packers beat the Bears and secure home field advantage for the playoffs (hopefully). I can't think of a better way to end Christmas (unless you are a Bears fan).
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