Happy New Year and Belated Merry Christmas

Well, our first Christmas as a complete family went very well. The tree withstood 2 kids and 2 cats. No broken ornaments, no presents opened early and well, T really enjoyed opening her gifts, Whales gifts and anyone else who wasn't really on the ball getting to their gifts. DH and I didn't exchange gifts this year. We have a new daughter and honestly.....her and her brother are all the gifts we need.......

LOL, if you believe that I have a bridge in San Francisco to sell you.

No really they are the best gifts we have ever gotten, besides the gift of Salvation through the birth and death of Jesus Christ.

But seriously, 3 years of adoption documents and waiting really put the hurt on us financially and maybe next year we will get something materialistic that we really do not need. This year we just really enjoyed watching the kids opening their gifts. They were really excited and had fun.

Whale got really sick the night before Christmas eve. He threw up in Target earlier in the day, but we thought he was just sick from taking meds on an empty stomach. When he woke up that night with a fever (axillary) of 102.8 I got really worried. I gave him some children's chewable Tylenol and he seemed fine the next morning but I stayed home with him and T and her daddy went to my in-laws. Whale and I just laid around all day that day. When they got home we got ready and all went to church. They had a puppet show for the kids. It was a really awesome service and the kids had a great time. We went on a food hunt after church and all we found open was a McDonald's. We got to the drive through at 8:49 pm and they closed at 9 pm. Whew!!! We didn't get out of the drive through until 9:15 though, good grief, so much for FAST food. We came home ate and the kids opened mommy and daddy presents. We got up on Christmas morning and spent time with family and opened Santa's gifts. T, DH and I took naps, Whale lay next to me and woke me up about every 15 minutes or so, so my nap was not great. We went to my mom's house for dinner and more presents. WOW! can you say "Toys r us" is nothing compared to my living room right now. We got home kind of late and I stayed up and took the ornaments off of the tree so DH could get the rest of it down when I went to work on Tuesday. I love the tree but after a month of it I am ready for it to go.

It was nice to get back to work but the computer system went down and it was a day spent filing and doing busy grunt work you kind of put off for, well ever if possible, but needless to say today was really busy.

T and Whale fight all the time. I always thought it would be great for him to have a sibling, a playmate, a friend but boy I never thought my job would turn into that of a perpetual referee. If he has something she wants it, and vice versa. I mean she could be playing with earrings and he thinks he needs them, and he can be playing with a monster truck and she wants it. Tonight I finally had had enough of the arguing so I put each of them in their rooms and shut their doors. They were both crying and screaming that they wanted to play with the other. I held my ground and told them no, 10 minutes later it was time to eat and life was hunky dory. No fighting during dinner, well not with each other anyway. I had to fight with Whale to eat, but that is becoming the norm anymore. T is getting really really good with her English. She knows how to back talk and shake her finger at us very very well already. She knows how to ask for 5 more minutes before bedtime and she kisses every ones hand. We were eating at a restaurant (End of Year leadership bonus from work) Saturday and she kissed our waitresses hand 3 times. I don't know how to tell her that is not appropriate. Poor baby, she is a loving outgoing little thing, but the appropriateness of her affection is not always right on target :)

OK, it is almost 9:30 and I am going to bed early tonight. Last night I got caught up in a show on CMT called "Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team" it was really interesting to follow these girls and what they go through to be one of those Cheerleaders. It was amazing but they were still showing new episodes (well, to me they were) at 11 pm and I could not hold my eyes open and today there was not enough coffee and Monster to keep me awake. So with that I bid you adieu and I promise I will post more soon and not wait so long between posts.

Also before any smarty pants go posting, I know my Colts are not really excelling right now, but it really is due to their mighty poor defense you know. If we could win games on offense alone, no one could beat us!!!!

Cara, If you are still reading I will try to email you about siblings, I really promise!

If I don't talk to you all soon, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Home 2 months today!

Wow, today marks our 2 month home anniversary. I am excited and sad as well. I miss Ukraine! Is that crazy or what? I missed home so bad while we were there and yet I am home and miss the simplicity of Ukraine. Who woulda thunk it? Especially the 4th day of climbing those 7 flights of stairs. I do have to say that I came back feeling pretty healthy.
We have been struggling the last few days with jealousy issues and bad behavior from both kids, but life will probably be that way for oh about 18 more years or so. I am amazed at how well T is doing picking up English. Look at the picture her hair is growing really well. She is amazing! However, she cannot STAND it if whale has something she doesn't and vice versa. I mean like if whale had 5 carrots on his plate and she only had 3 she would scream until she had more, OR.....
she takes his and causes him to scream that she is taking his stuff. But just tonight she was playing in the cat's water while I was trying to cook and I told her to leave the kitchen. I just said go play. Well, she just stood there stomping in the water and then whale said "T come here and play with me" Awwwwwww! *sniff sniff* he can be such a good boy and yet such a bad one too! I guess that is true of all kids though.
I went to the doctor today and my blood pressure was high and he said I don't understand why it is high with you on this *** drug. I said "Well, if you lived in my house for only 5 minutes, yours would be high too!" So anyway, he is trying a new medicine so we shall see. I think that I need a nerve pill, that would help all of my problems, LOL!!!
OK, it is 7 pm and I am going to catch up on some blogs and then TV time for mama while the kiddos go to bed. That usually isn't until 9 pm or so.
By the way, Jane I am not sure I ever answered your email or not, but we did go to Roschita and we loved it. We gave the cookies and suckers to the director for his groupa. I would assume they went there, she is a very awesome genuine lady. If I adopted again, which is never happening, I would try to go to Roschita. She really takes care of her kids.
Oh by the way, my poor COLTS, what the heck is going on with them. Well, other than no defense they are perfect. No comments from those stinking Bengals fans over there in the state next door :O)

Until next time, whenever that may be.....

Picture and Third Day

Hey everyone! I wanted to post the words to a Third Day song my sister called me about today. She ask if I had the new Christmas Offerings CD and most unfortunately, I do not! She told me I had to absolutely read the lyrics to this song called "Merry Christmas" and hear it. So I found the lyrics and had to share with you all. They are very very touching. The only part I kind of disagree with is the part about "crying for momma's arms" unless a child has been in a family environment before they would not really know a mothers arms. I hope you know what I mean, I am not trying to be harsh, but take T for instance. She had been in the orphanage since birth and she had NO idea what a mother was. She still calls a lot of women "mama" So unless the child is older or has been taken from their parents, I kind of disagree with that part, but it does make a nice phrase for this sad/happy song.

Anyway, here they are and below that is a new picture and a quick story of tonight since it is now 11pm.

Merry Christmas

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn

Crying for momma's arms

At an orphanage just outside a little China town

There the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire

And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home

Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms

And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights

I'm warmed by the fire's glow

Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,

Make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears

And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home

Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms

And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child

and we celebrate his perfect gift of love

He came to earth to give his life

and prepare a place for us

so we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home

Your family is here so you will never be alone

So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms

And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll you from my heart

I wish you Merry Christmas

OK, really quick since it is now 11:03 and hot John Stamos just went off of ER and I missed the whole show :(

The other night Whale was helping me with the dishes and I took his picture. It was really a way for me to keep him busy while I tried to cook dinner, I am not above using his love of water to help me do one of the most hated household chores there is for me. ;)

Also tonight we had spaghetti, do you think T is loving it or what? She was a disaster and went straight to the bathtub after this picture.

Quick story, I came home from work today and let me tell you both of these children were riled up beyond all imagination. They were running around and pushing baby strollers, etc. I told them so many times to quit running and to quit slamming doors. They would slam them every time they would enter or exit a room, any room! They just kept right on doing it like I had not even spoken and it was making me crazier than I already am. So I really got crazy! They were still running and the next thing I know Whale is asking me "mommy what are you doing? what is that banging?" I told him that I had ask them 5 or 6 times to quit slamming doors and they didn't listen to me so I was taking their doors away. He thought I had completely lost my mind. Maybe I have, but I cannot take slamming doors all evening long. I got the screwdriver and hammer and took the pins out of the hinges and took their doors off their rooms. Whale looked at me like I had 3 heads, LOL! He did whine a little about not being able to keep the cat in his room without the door on. I told him that he needs to quit slamming them then. I truly thing it is T instead of him so much. Anyway, I put them back on before they went to bed so I could stay out here on the computer without disturbing them. Guess what though, after the bath I had the doors back on and not one door was slammed or even shut for that matter before they hit the hay! Effective? who knows, but maybe tomorrow they will not slam doors when I ask them not to. Well, I am exhausted, so I will say Good night from the Loony bin!