Where to begin?  It's been a while since I've posted.  Saturday was Nick's first birthday party!  He was BESIDE himself with anticipation and excitement all month (- grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! STUPID COMPUTER!  Just deleted EVERYTHING but the first line of this entry, and I was way far into it by now!)  All week he kept saying that it was his "first happy birthday!"  It was Red Ribbon Week at school, for alc/drug awareness, with activities each day, including special speakers, and a little carnival and bonfire on Thursday night.  He acted like it was all special just for him - really cute!  On his birthday, we took a couple of friends with us to Chuck E. Cheese's, then went home and let the boys play.  They shot basketball, played pinball, and threw the football around.  Then we had birthday cake/ice cream, and roasted marshmallows on a campfire.  We got him a bike, and let him pick out a new game for the Wii.
      Nick's behavior has improved dramatically since he's started learning to read.  His reading ability in only one month is incredible.  He's even volunteering to read in Bible class at church -- he's not embarrassed, or anything, which is wonderful.  Now, all his teachers at school, his reading tutor, and the librarian are convinced that "he's brilliant!"  I still think the math/science teacher expects far too much of him.  She clearly believes that his only academic problem is the language barrier.  She forgets that he never passed a class in his own language!  She's really expecting him to do on-level (5th grade) science and math, just with fewer problems worked.  Can you imagine trying to get a child who barely speaks any English to understand "mammal," "amphibian," invertebrate" versus "vertebrate," etc.???  He's supposed to learn the differences between these, and give examples of each (he can't even say the words!!!) -- HELLO????   Mama ain't happy.
     Anyway...  Nick's other excitement came in the form of Halloween.  Again, he was terribly excited at the prospect of getting a bag full of free candy; and all he had to do was dress up in a cool costume and go door to door, asking for it!  WOW!  What a country, huh??  He talked all week about how America is so much better than Ukraine.  He talks about how "a lotta people" there smoke, drink alcohol, and do "narkotiki."  I tried to explain to him that America is the same way, but he was having none of that.  He's convinced that smoking shrinks brain tissue, turns lungs black, and turns teeth first "orange, then black" before they get soft and fall out.  Good thing to believe, kiddo.
     Tyler had a great football game today.  He caught 3 passes in a row (the last one was down to the 10 yardline) on one drive that led up to a touchdown - the only touchdown his team scored today.  Two of the passes he caught were just beautiful.  He had to leap and bring the ball  down in a crowd on those.   He also dove for a ball that was intended for another receiver and knocked it down just before it was to be intercepted by the other team.  He's a very good receiver.  He's a good quarterback, too, but doesn't get many chances to throw because apparently the coach wants to let the 4th graders quarterback.  He didn't get many other opportunities to catch the ball, either, I guess because the coach wants to let everyone play.  Mama's baby can't do it all, unfortunately.  ha!
     Almost forgot something.  In the last week, both my boys have admitted to liking a girl!  Nick doesn't know it, but he got his first rejection the other day.  There's a pretty girl in a different class from his.  I asked him if she already has a boyfriend.  He said he didn't know.  The next day, he came home and said she didn't have one.  I asked him if he asked her if she wanted one.  He said no.  But, the next day, he asked her, and she told him she wanted to be his friend.  Some kids are teasing him about "liking" her, and rumors are getting to her.  The teasing is getting pretty hard for him. I'm afraid he's going to blow up and hit/kick someone over it.  She's apparently told a mutual girl friend that she's trying to decide between Nick and another boy who likes her.  I told him don't worry about it -- there are LOTS of girls in this world.  He said, yes, I know, pretty ones, too.  Then he said he "knows" that girls like boys who have a lot of money, thinking they'll buy them "lotta things" like cars.  ha!  Tyler has yet to fess up which girl he's been eyeing...
     Another boy from Nick's orphanage had his adoption finalized this week!  Sasha will be going home to South Carolina in the next several days.  God is good!  All the time!