I apologize to the blog junkies for not posting more, but it is difficult to find a few minutes to do it.
Things here are still moving, but honestly I feel like we have taken a step backward this week with Gideon. He has been much more defiant this week and pushing just about every boundary he can think of. It is physically exhausting. Some of it is probably because we had set up a routine last week and this week we demolished it because school was out yesterday and today and Bruce worked late yesterday.
Nina is doing well at school, but it is difficult for her and exhausting. I don't think she realizes how much energy it takes to opperate in a culture where you don't know the language, much less try to go to school. She is a big help around the house and she is usually good with Gideon, but he often gets the brunt of her temper -- pretty typical sibling stuff.
Our cars are now fixed (at least for the moment) I am glad to be back in my own vehicle. (We came home to both our cars being dead.) It took a pretty penny to get everything back in order, but God is faithful in his provision. I am not looking forward to the increase in our gas bill as I am now driving 84 miles a day just taking Nina back and forth to school. Hopefully it will just be for the rest of this year.
I have now resumed all my responsibilites at church. So we will find our weekly rhythm and see what life will be like for the next little bit.
We appreciate your continued prayers. We are taking things a day at a time and truthfully these have been the longest 3+ weeks of my life. (Days are much longer when they start at 6:25 rather than 9.)
Peace,
BLN&G
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Good Day
For those of you wondering how Nina's day at school went, she said she had a good day. Nina was very excited over the weekend and a little nervous this morning. Her eyes got pretty big when I said goodbye and she realized I was really leaving her there. I went to pick her up and she practically skipped out of the building with a big smile and big wave. The head guy walked her to the car and said she had a good day.
She said a boy winked at her, there wasn’t much food at lunch, she had a hard time with her locker combination, there was a girl and several boys who spoke Russian, and most of her class speaks Spanish. We struggled a bit with both of them when we got home. Gideon was so glad to see Nina he was bouncing off the walls. Nina was tired and didn’t want anything to do with him. There were some tense moments but it was a good day all around.
Gideon also had a better than average day. We only had 3 punishable offenses all day. However by the time Bruce got home I was SO ready for him to be here it was not even funny.
The High schools all start at 7:40!!!!!!! That means we have to leave the house at 7:00! You know how much I LOVE getting up early. The day is much longer when it starts at 6 instead of 9. In those brief moments when I can think objectively I am aware that we have had the kids with us just a short time (I think this is the 4th week of having them both.) But in general the last 3 weeks – okay 10 weeks - have been the longest of my life. It seems an eternity separates our DINK life (Double Income No Kids) from life with kids. It feels like they have been ours forever and I mean that in a good way.
As I write this Bruce is having his first experience helping his child do their math homework (Nina obviously). We agreed he has Math and Science and I will cover the other subjects. There are moments when it just seems weird that we are suddenly doing all the parenting things we are doing. But truthfully we wouldn't trade it for anything.
Gideon has had a couple of really good days, hopefully we are turning the corner with him, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. He is always going to be active and strong willed but in the last two days I have gotten a lot more kisses and snuggles than in the weeks before.
If you are reading this and are considering adoption I recommend you read the Stewarts latest blog. It gives an honest look at some of the more unpleasant aspects of adopting as well as the joys. I will just add an amen to what she said.
Peace,
BLN&G
She said a boy winked at her, there wasn’t much food at lunch, she had a hard time with her locker combination, there was a girl and several boys who spoke Russian, and most of her class speaks Spanish. We struggled a bit with both of them when we got home. Gideon was so glad to see Nina he was bouncing off the walls. Nina was tired and didn’t want anything to do with him. There were some tense moments but it was a good day all around.
Gideon also had a better than average day. We only had 3 punishable offenses all day. However by the time Bruce got home I was SO ready for him to be here it was not even funny.
The High schools all start at 7:40!!!!!!! That means we have to leave the house at 7:00! You know how much I LOVE getting up early. The day is much longer when it starts at 6 instead of 9. In those brief moments when I can think objectively I am aware that we have had the kids with us just a short time (I think this is the 4th week of having them both.) But in general the last 3 weeks – okay 10 weeks - have been the longest of my life. It seems an eternity separates our DINK life (Double Income No Kids) from life with kids. It feels like they have been ours forever and I mean that in a good way.
As I write this Bruce is having his first experience helping his child do their math homework (Nina obviously). We agreed he has Math and Science and I will cover the other subjects. There are moments when it just seems weird that we are suddenly doing all the parenting things we are doing. But truthfully we wouldn't trade it for anything.
Gideon has had a couple of really good days, hopefully we are turning the corner with him, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. He is always going to be active and strong willed but in the last two days I have gotten a lot more kisses and snuggles than in the weeks before.
If you are reading this and are considering adoption I recommend you read the Stewarts latest blog. It gives an honest look at some of the more unpleasant aspects of adopting as well as the joys. I will just add an amen to what she said.
Peace,
BLN&G
Friday, February 9, 2007
Friday
Well, it's Friday night at 9:45 and the only thing I really want to do is go to bed. If that isn't an indicator of how our lives have changed I don't know what is.
Gideon is doing better but we are still battleing to see who is going to be the top dog in the house. I am grateful to say that so far he has lost. [I will also admit that I bear a few of his teeth marks.] Bruce and I have actually begun to make time outs last until he quits fighting us. It is difficult but it seems to be having a greater effect than just waiting for the timer to go off.
Nina will start school on Monday at the Newcomers Academy. It is designed for students like her who have little to no English. We are very please with the man who runs the program and even though it is housed in one of the schools with the worst reputation in town, I think she will be safe and it will be a good place for her. Pray for her as she now begins to adapt to American life not just life in our house.
Peace of Christ,
BLN&G
Gideon is doing better but we are still battleing to see who is going to be the top dog in the house. I am grateful to say that so far he has lost. [I will also admit that I bear a few of his teeth marks.] Bruce and I have actually begun to make time outs last until he quits fighting us. It is difficult but it seems to be having a greater effect than just waiting for the timer to go off.
Nina will start school on Monday at the Newcomers Academy. It is designed for students like her who have little to no English. We are very please with the man who runs the program and even though it is housed in one of the schools with the worst reputation in town, I think she will be safe and it will be a good place for her. Pray for her as she now begins to adapt to American life not just life in our house.
Peace of Christ,
BLN&G
Monday, February 5, 2007
Monday, Monday
Well here we are at the start of our second week home. Nina had a great time at church with the youth last night. When we got back in the car she told me it was a "good day."
Gideon is still his charming stinker-pot self. Bruce has dubbed him "Little Man" I think I prefer "scally-wag" even though I'm not sure how to spell it. We have had some battles today, but I seem to be growing more immune to them. I mean I am getting less angry with him when his belligerent stubbornness comes out. He is getting better and will now occasionally choose to not disobey us when we tell him something. On the other hand, he is also beginning to look right at us and do the thing he knows he is not supposed to do.
All in all, I think I am starting to find my feet with this new life God has given us. Now I just have to figure out when I am going to work in the time I need to get stuff ready for my responsibilities at church during Lent.
Nina and I will go to the ESL office tomorrow to start the process of getting her in school. Pray that we will have the wisdom to pick the right school and that the people are willing to work with us. Much thanks to those who have checked into this for us, your input has been invaluable.
Pray for Bruce as he is still finding his stride balancing his work and our family. I know he would much rather stay home with us than go to work and the 1 hour commute one way doesn't help. Pray that God will lead us in the right direction as to what we should do about that as well.
Peace of Christ,
BLN&G
Gideon is still his charming stinker-pot self. Bruce has dubbed him "Little Man" I think I prefer "scally-wag" even though I'm not sure how to spell it. We have had some battles today, but I seem to be growing more immune to them. I mean I am getting less angry with him when his belligerent stubbornness comes out. He is getting better and will now occasionally choose to not disobey us when we tell him something. On the other hand, he is also beginning to look right at us and do the thing he knows he is not supposed to do.
All in all, I think I am starting to find my feet with this new life God has given us. Now I just have to figure out when I am going to work in the time I need to get stuff ready for my responsibilities at church during Lent.
Nina and I will go to the ESL office tomorrow to start the process of getting her in school. Pray that we will have the wisdom to pick the right school and that the people are willing to work with us. Much thanks to those who have checked into this for us, your input has been invaluable.
Pray for Bruce as he is still finding his stride balancing his work and our family. I know he would much rather stay home with us than go to work and the 1 hour commute one way doesn't help. Pray that God will lead us in the right direction as to what we should do about that as well.
Peace of Christ,
BLN&G
Friday, February 2, 2007
Yes, we are all home
Howdy friends and neighbors,
I apologize for the cliff-hanger blog. We have been so busy since we got back that I haven't had a chance to look at email or blog. I also didn't realize that so many people were still checking up on us daily.
We received a call last Friday, ( Jan 26) that Nina's visa was ready. There was much rejoicing and praising of God. We looked into switching our tickets to leave Friday, but it wasn't going to be worth it. (It meant about 17 hours in the airport in Amsterdam) So, we stayed in Kiev and had a great time with Galya, one of our facilitators. We even went to the Circus ( think Cirque de Sole meets Ringling Brothers) Friday night. We had a great time! We also had some really great talks about everything under the sun. It is my prayer that some seeds were planted in fertile soil.
Bruce arrived home safely on Friday the 26th. He and Gideon were both none the worse for wear. He was so tired and glad to be home, he cried when he saw all the people at the airport. Bruce, Gideon, and many of our family and friends met Nina and I at the airport on Sunday the 28th. We also had a fairly uneventful trip, except that unlike Bruce and Gideon we did not get a hotel room and we took so long in immigration we were afraid that we would miss our plane. Thankful all our connections were made and we arrived home to a warm welcome and cold weather.
The bad news is that we came home to 2 dead cars. One is now in the shop and Bruce's dad is trying to fix the other. Top that off with the furnace going out on Monday night and we were beginning to think the sky was falling. Thankfully the furnace is now fixed.
The kids are doing well. Nina is a little bored. We have an appointment at the ESL office on Tuesday. I hope to get her started in school as soon as possible. She seems to be in good spirits and adjusting well, better than I had hoped to be honest. We have her room almost finished and she seems very happy with it. We got her a soccer ball 2 days ago and she spends a lot of time outside in the cold kicking it around. If anyone in our area knows of any leagues for girls around 16 we would love to know about them.
Gideon is surviving. (translation -- we haven't killed him yet) As those of you who have done this know it is a difficult transition for him. Nina and I both bear the marks of his angst (me, scratches and bruises, He actually bit Nina and broke the skin today) I think we are making progress though. Today was better than yesterday, yesterday was better than the day before. I hold no fantasies that we are out of the woods. He was used to being able to get whatever he wanted and it is difficult for him to take "no" for an answer. First he tries cute and if that doesn't work he get angry. And then he switched back. It would be funny if I wasn't living with it. Still, God is faithful even when I am not.
I have heard Gideon begin to make some new sounds verbally but he is not consistently repeating them. We will wait to seek speech therapy for him until we get Nina in school.
My Dad was here with us this week which was an invaluable help. He helped get some projects done to set up Nina's room and move my office downstairs. He also was a calming presence for everyone. Both kids are going to miss him now that he is gone. (he left this morning).
Well that is all the news for now. We continue to desperately need your prayers. As with all parents, we do not possess the wisdom and patience for the task ahead of us. I am beginning everyday with a desperate plea for God's help. I will try to keep updating every couple of days at least until we get into the full swing of life.
I cannot express how good it is to be home, and how strange it feels.
Peace,
BLN&G
I apologize for the cliff-hanger blog. We have been so busy since we got back that I haven't had a chance to look at email or blog. I also didn't realize that so many people were still checking up on us daily.
We received a call last Friday, ( Jan 26) that Nina's visa was ready. There was much rejoicing and praising of God. We looked into switching our tickets to leave Friday, but it wasn't going to be worth it. (It meant about 17 hours in the airport in Amsterdam) So, we stayed in Kiev and had a great time with Galya, one of our facilitators. We even went to the Circus ( think Cirque de Sole meets Ringling Brothers) Friday night. We had a great time! We also had some really great talks about everything under the sun. It is my prayer that some seeds were planted in fertile soil.
Bruce arrived home safely on Friday the 26th. He and Gideon were both none the worse for wear. He was so tired and glad to be home, he cried when he saw all the people at the airport. Bruce, Gideon, and many of our family and friends met Nina and I at the airport on Sunday the 28th. We also had a fairly uneventful trip, except that unlike Bruce and Gideon we did not get a hotel room and we took so long in immigration we were afraid that we would miss our plane. Thankful all our connections were made and we arrived home to a warm welcome and cold weather.
The bad news is that we came home to 2 dead cars. One is now in the shop and Bruce's dad is trying to fix the other. Top that off with the furnace going out on Monday night and we were beginning to think the sky was falling. Thankfully the furnace is now fixed.
The kids are doing well. Nina is a little bored. We have an appointment at the ESL office on Tuesday. I hope to get her started in school as soon as possible. She seems to be in good spirits and adjusting well, better than I had hoped to be honest. We have her room almost finished and she seems very happy with it. We got her a soccer ball 2 days ago and she spends a lot of time outside in the cold kicking it around. If anyone in our area knows of any leagues for girls around 16 we would love to know about them.
Gideon is surviving. (translation -- we haven't killed him yet) As those of you who have done this know it is a difficult transition for him. Nina and I both bear the marks of his angst (me, scratches and bruises, He actually bit Nina and broke the skin today) I think we are making progress though. Today was better than yesterday, yesterday was better than the day before. I hold no fantasies that we are out of the woods. He was used to being able to get whatever he wanted and it is difficult for him to take "no" for an answer. First he tries cute and if that doesn't work he get angry. And then he switched back. It would be funny if I wasn't living with it. Still, God is faithful even when I am not.
I have heard Gideon begin to make some new sounds verbally but he is not consistently repeating them. We will wait to seek speech therapy for him until we get Nina in school.
My Dad was here with us this week which was an invaluable help. He helped get some projects done to set up Nina's room and move my office downstairs. He also was a calming presence for everyone. Both kids are going to miss him now that he is gone. (he left this morning).
Well that is all the news for now. We continue to desperately need your prayers. As with all parents, we do not possess the wisdom and patience for the task ahead of us. I am beginning everyday with a desperate plea for God's help. I will try to keep updating every couple of days at least until we get into the full swing of life.
I cannot express how good it is to be home, and how strange it feels.
Peace,
BLN&G
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