I really have been slacking when it comes to my poor blog! Not sure if anyone even still comes around much anymore. Okay, here goes. Update on the kids.
Lica - still working and playing her keyboard non stop! She has gone up to grandpas house for some short vacations. She loves visiting him. Its way up in the woods so it is sooooo quiet and peaceful. I always tease the kids and ask when will it be my turn for just me to go up there!?!?! She is a wonderful big sister to all her siblings unless of course they want to play her keyboard!!!
Roc - is studying all the time. It is getting closer for her to be picking out colleges. she has a few mission trips in the works that she wants me and Kaylee to go with. Roc is such a sweet sister to all her brothers and sisters and they all just LOVE her. She is searching for a part time job along with all the neighbors driveways that she shovels so she can save for all these trips she has planned.
Ingrid - can be a pain in the rear. Can you imagine? A 17 year old girl who just came out of an orphanage being a pain??? Well, imagine it because its true. She NEEDS the attention to be solely on her and her alone. She wants me to buy her 50 dollar jeans to wear to a dance. When I tell her no and she asks why I tell her because you don't wear jeans to a dance and if you want to wear jeans to a dance you have 5 pair at home!!! Then we get the silent treatment for days! Oh well. I guess I was not expecting I would be bringing home a princess!! LOL!
Joey - is a good kid! He loves Ingrid and would do anything for her. I feel bad for him sometimes as Ingrid knows how to play him and she does just that. He finds himself smack dab in the middle of some of situations that go on around here. He tries so hard to fit in with all of us and is having fun but when Ingrid sees this she puts a stop to it! If she is angry she needs Joey to be angry too. Joey is her unwilling partner in crime. He is stuck! He wants a mom and dad and family so bad so he takes up the slack for Ingrid also. I ask Ingrid what she put in her hair, was it a pony or clip or what is it that made it turn out so cute. She doesn't say a word so Joey runs down stairs to get what it was to show me. I tell him all the time he is a great kid and that he doesn't have to take care of Ingrid. It's been a tough adjustment with these two I can tell ya that much!
Inna - has many surgeries in her future. She started school and LOVES it!!! She is so proud of the things she brings home to show me. She is just now starting to feel what it is like to have a family. Everything about a family. She gets to stay living here forever. She has to follow the rules or there will be consequences. You shouldn't fight with your siblings because they will ALWAYS be your siblings. You shouldn't fight with your mom and dad because they will ALWAYS be your mom and dad. hehehe! She is getting it though!!!
Jerlin - has grown up so much this last year. She wants to help us make supper and then clean up. She wants to look nice for school where as before she could care less. She loves playing with Artem and teaching him signs. When we read her book at night she says some of the sweetest things to me!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this girl!
James - is another one that has grown. He has been a bit of the black sheep in the family. Never knowing where to fit in, getting in trouble at school. But he has changed quite a bit over the last 6 months. We got a handle on the homework thing, his chores, his attitude. He is turning into a different kid and we are ALL loving the change!
Charley - has picked up where James left off!!! hahahaha! Little turd!! I can't help it though. Even when he is being a poopy butt, I just love him!! It doesn't take much to get him on the right path again though. He is SO laid back it's unbelievable! Now if we could just get him to care if his pants are on inside out or not for school and his shirt is not on backwards we should be fine!
Kaylee - my sweet, full of attitude, beautiful Kaylee. She gets A's in school even though I have to hear EVERYDAY how she hates school. She absolutely ADORES Josh, Artem and Denis! She does not understand why everybody does not have a child with DS in their family! She loves her family and talks openly about her past and how blessed she is that we found her. I tell her WE are the blessed ones!!!! She hates getting up in the mornings and makes sure that everybody knows it. I can't even remember what my life was without her! How did I get through the day without one of her remarks (with attitude) that make me laugh and laugh!!! Yes, we definitely were the ones blessed!
Dani - has started her long list of surgery's. They took some skin off her chin but have many more procedures left. They put a balloon under her scalp and every week we go in so that they can fill it. Once they have stretched the tissue enough she goes in to have them pull it over the bald spot on her head. It's nasty and she loves to pull her bangs up and show us all just how nasty it looks. I will post pictures next time so you can see for yourself. Out of all my kids she definitely is the bravest. Never sheds a tear when any surgery or procedure is being done. She tells us that she wants to be pretty. We tell her she is already pretty though. She tells us she knows but she wants to be really pretty and not have these things on her face anymore. She is SOOO Sweet the way she talks in her little voice!
Joshy - loves school, the teachers, coming home, playing with the other kids, eating, tipping the chairs over, getting up early, early, early in the morning, getting his own snack after school, trying to make something to eat for supper if we are being to slow, playing the piano or keyboard (not Lica's!!!), watching sponge bob or wipeout on TV, irritating Artem, blowing his nose, taking a bath, brushing his teeth..........you get it. He LOVES everything!
Artem - is more reserved. He takes Josh's lead but only rarely starts anything himself. He does not like certain textures in his mouth and does not like to drink. He says and signs papa but will NOT say or sign mama! Little turkey. He comes over to me just to let me know papa is home. I say to him how about me, mama???? He just repeats papa again! Potty training is not going well for either of them but we just keep on keeping on! One day!
Denis - has arrived!!!! He is scooting around the floor getting into EVERYTHING! Opening and closing drawers, chasing the dogs and cats, pulling down dish towels, taking his shoes and socks off, singing in his crib till I fall asleep! He has gained close to 10 pounds since his heart surgery. I guess I was right when I kept telling the doctor that was giving him the growth hormones that it was his heart for the reason of him not growing. No, he is not on growth hormones anymore!!!
Ken and I are doing well, just a little tired!!!!!
So there ya have it! I have lots more to tell you but since I have the day off because I'm not feeling the greatest, I think I'll head on in and get a nap in before the whirlwind of kids start coming home from school!!
