It's been MONTHS...

...since I've posted to the blog!  Wow, how time really does fly!  Since February, we've had our first Gotcha Day celebration, been through another soccer season, and we're almost finished with another baseball season.  Nick has come soooooo far!  He was given the Most Improved Student award by his teacher at the end of the school year!  Yahoo!  He did work hard, albeit with quite a bit of arm-twisting and a ban on weekday sports by Mom.  I'm the meanest mom in the world, you know...  I am tough on the boys, but I just have such high expectations of them.  We finally were able to get a clinicial diagnosis of ADHD for Nick, and we now have his medication working pretty well.  This child who could not add and subtract 2-digit numbers a year ago ended the year doing on-level (5th grade) math.  As I type this, he is on the iPad looking up how to build a remote-control airplane.
Tyler also did well in school this year, taking exams for the first time.  His lowest exam grade for the last 9 weeks of school was a 91, so his studying really paid off!  Now that soccer is over, and baseball is finishing up next week, he can go back to tennis (which is a true love for him).
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                    Camping trip over Spring Break.  David's telling the boys a "scary" story.

 PALS!

We had a 3rd S.A.T. meeting at Nick's school today.  It was a pretty good meeting.  Everyone's still convinced that he is a very smart boy, full of mischief, yet sweet, and sometimes (particularly in ESL) lazy.  He continues to try and get away with as little work as possible, gets out of his seat constantly, and minds other people's business a LOT.  His reading capability has come really far, really fast!  He has started taking AR tests, and has passed all of them, so far.
Tyler is gearing up for his first set of real "exams" at school next week.  Hope he does well!
Tyler and I went to Tyler for Lane's first birthday party this weekend -- really cute.  Julie made him an amazing rocking-horse cake.  I'll post pics when I get them onto the computer.  Lane is definitely a combo-kid:  looks just like both parents.  Good genes, though, so it's no wonder he's so handsome!  Randi and Zack went up for the party, too, but had to leave early to go do school stuff.  :o(

The New Horizons group is back from their interview trip, and will be putting up the photolisting for summer hosting very soon!  I just LOVE looking at those pics and reading about all the kids!  I like to pick out a few each week to pray for specifically during the waiting period.  Russia has shut down hosting programs for now!  (adoption still allowed, but not hosting)  So sad!
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My sweet grandson, Lane, after his birthday party.  February 2011.

Nick's 1st Gotcha Day

Nick's Gotcha Day Party

With 5 of his friends, all McKinney kids (one's missing from the pic), and all from Russia (and all ADORABLE!)  A precious family!

Bringing the Blog to Current

A lot has happened since last entry, but nothing too exciting other than CHRISTMAS!  Nick was of course thrilled about EVERYTHING.  I then had to drop the bomb that he can't expect other Christmases to be exactly like THIS one was - ha!  He understood completely, though.  When I told him next Christmas wouldn't be this big, he thought for a minute and said, "Ohhhh, because it was my first Rizma Christmas?"  I told him, yes, and he added, "And my first Happy Birthday, and my first Halloween, and my first Thanksgiving?"  Yes, son, I'm afraid so... 

While out driving around looking at Christmas lights, Nick kept saying, "I can't wait for it Rizma Christmas!"  and "It's my first Rizma Christmas!"  Tyler was truly annoyed at "Rizma Christmas" because none of us knew what in the world it was supposed to mean!  We asked him over and over, and he kept saying, "I not say Rizma Christmas, I say 'Rizma Christmas'!"  Finally, in exasperation he huffed and said, "'Ho-ho-ho, RIZMA CHRISTMAS!'"  We all laughed and said, "OHHH - RIZMA Christmas!  We thought you were saying RIZMA Christmas!  NOW we understand."  lol

Lane came to see his Nana for a week over New Year's!  Oh, and my girls were both down for a week over New Year's, too!  ha!  How cool is that?!!!  They are both doing great.  We hosted our New Year's blast with our family/friends, and just had a wonderful time and visit with everyone.  I love and miss my family so much!  Julie's getting Lane's birthday party in order, and I can't wait for it (and to see everybody) - it's next weekend - wow!  Lane's already going to be a year old!

The school has gotten Nick another tutor who fills in the 2 days a week that he didn't have one.  His school day is now like this:  ESL for 2 hours in the mornings; computer class; reading/social studies; math/science.  He is pulled out of social studies or science/math for one hour a day with a tutor.  They help him with reading and spelling, and occasionally science.  Frankly, I think he should just automatically skip social studies every day and learn the 3R's, but that's just me.  The school is soooo concerned with test scores that they think it's time for him to start learning social studies.  Oh, yeah -- like he will do anything on a standardized test in SS!  They actually sent home a study guide for him a couple of weeks ago and thought he should learn some of the terminology.  I circled in red all the words he didn't know, yet, and they got the idea.  I just don't have any more time at home to spend with him than I already do!  He is up late (after 8) every night just trying to keep up with math, science, and reading.  He has far too much remediation to do for them to start dumping more subjects on him to do at home just to try and improve the school's test scores.  I've already taken him out of weekday tennis and soccer -- he just doesn't have time for them.

Tyler's out of school this week with a stomach virus. :o(  Every time he eats, his stomach starts cramping, and you can guess the rest.  I've gotten very little accomplished this week with him home with me...

Nick and his friend, Dima, from his orphanage.  Dima was hosted for a 2nd time by friends of ours.

Nick and his friend, Ilya, from Russia (at Bass Pro)

 My amazing and beautiful grandson, Lane!

My amazing and beautiful family!

U.S. Citizens

I am officially declaring October 7 to be "Citizenship Day" at our home!  I've just realized/discovered that Tyler and Nick each became U.S. citizens on the SAME DAY, five years apart (2005, 2010)!  How cool!  We'll do something just a little special and patriotic on that day from now on.  I knew the dates were close, but while fixing up my next year's calendar, I thought I'd pull out their certificates and check the dates on them, and voila!  They're the same day!

Tyler had a good day yesterday.  He was able to go to the Saints game with a friend who had sideline passes!  Tracy Porter shook his hand and gave him one of his gloves!  He was very excited about that.  Oh, and we were of course at the game, too.  And the Saints won!

Nick was singing the other morning (not unusual - just the songs change), and came out with, "We wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy To You!"  cute!

 Here's this year's Christmas card pic.

Seriously!

It was 24 degrees when we woke up this morning.  BRRRRR!  Nick was already up and dressed, and when I lay next to Tyler to wake him up, Nick crawled back into the bed with us.  I told the boys how cold it was, and Nick said, "Twenty-four degrees?  Are you seriously?"  lol

Then when we were sitting in carline waiting for the school grounds to open, I discovered that Nick had left his math homework paper in David's car last night.  I was fussing at him about it (because I had to fuss at him again for the same thing being done previously), and he decided to pull his ole poor-pitiful-me trick.  He actually said to me, "In Ukraine my grandmother made a document that says that I have a bad memory."  ha!  I did let him know that excuses won't fly...

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!

I forgot to mention that we try occasionally to call the orphanage so that Nick can keep in touch with his friends there.  We have been trying to call for the last week, but the numbers we have aren't working any more.  Oh, we have a number for the orphanage itself, of course, but these are direct numbers to his friends' cell phones.  Last Friday, he told me one of the reasons he likes to call is to reassure the kids that he's still alive and well.  The girls, especially, believe the oft-repeated tale that Americans only want to adopt children from orphanages so they can sell them for body parts.  Sounds crazy to us, I know; but these rumors run rampant in Eastern Europe. I asked him if the teachers believe the stories, too, and he said that they don't.  The teachers try to allay their fears.

GOOOOO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!! GOING TO THE SERIES!!!!!!!!!  WOOHOO!!!!!!!  Oh, the Rangers just beat the Yankees to win the AL pennant!!!  Too cool! 

Tyler's been sick since about 4 a.m. on Wednesday.  Poor baby.  He's had fever going up and down (but not all the way down to 98.6) since then.  He's miserable.  He's had to miss football and soccer practice, tennis clinic, a field trip -- all sorts of fun stuff.     :o(