Summer is Here

Summer is officially here! Hooray! As of Saturday, all four kids have completed their testing and are jumping for joy. I overheard Ethan telling Grammy how he could breathe much easier now that it is done. Oh, the pressure on that sweet boy. It makes me cringe.

I'll receive results for the boys via email in a couple weeks and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the results. I have no reason to be. They all did their best and I know they have learned a lot. They are smart kiddos! However, as a homeschool mama I put SO MUCH PRESSURE ON MYSELF. Any other homeschool moms out there relate??? If the kids don't do excellently, then I feel completely and utterly responsible.  I see it as failure. :( I can't just blame the teacher and chalk it up to a bad year. I AM the teacher. yikes! I know it is crazy to put so much pressure on myself, but I take their education VERY seriously. So much so that I sometimes forget how to be relaxed. That is something I am praying about and working on for this summer. (Do you ever make perfectionism an idol? oh my! Lord, help me!) I need to loosen up and just ENJOY life! Sometimes it is hard to believe my nickname growing up was "Silly Jilly."

Back in 1997 when I still remembered how to be silly. ;) 

Enough about me... back to the kids. Irina completed her testing one-on-one with an independent evaluator. She achieved the score she needed to be considered a 5th grader next year. This is great news and I am so proud of her. She is absorbing everything we throw at her. She is able to read 4th grade words... although we obviously need to work on comprehension and vocabulary. I'm amazed she did so well considering we're still working through 2nd grade math and beginning phonics curriculum. What a different boat I'd be in if she was not so eager to learn. I need to stop and appreciate that huge, unexpected blessing. I have never met a more determined young lady. This has it's challenges, but of course many, many advantages.

To start off our summer, we took the week off from all school work. I had a little ceremony with the kids where I officially declared them as two 5th graders, one 3rd grader and one 1st grader. WOW!

 Then I busted out a few new toys to share, one of which was a punching bag. They are loving this, but it is only a matter of time before it breaks. Thankfully it only cost $4. So far, so good. It's definitely a good way for ALL my physical kids to burn some steam.

We've had a relaxed week of playing at home, staying in pajamas for extended periods of time, going to the pool and using lots of creativity. I've started my annual "clean out the school room" task. It's time to pass on all of our preschool learning toys and activities. Everyone has graduated from learning letters and beginning number activities. Another sign of much growth for Irina is that she LOVED these young toys when she first arrived. They were at her developmental level, but she has skyrocketed past them and it's time for them to go to a new home. 

 No more students in "Tot School!" 

 And, after much thought, discussion and prayer, we're going to give homeschooling another try this coming school year. That's an explanation for another time, but we're going to press on and pray for God's strength and endurance. I've taken everything off the shelves in the school room to reorganize and add our new curriculum (seen below). Luke and Ethan will take 3 classes each at a local homeschool academy on Monday's.

Also this week, the two older boys participated in our church Vacation Bible School. They had a great time! Aaron and Irina stayed with me. Darin did the 8:00pm pick up. The theme this year was "Kingdom Come." They had fun posing as royalty (seen below). 

 I even jumped in the photo on our way out of drop off. 

As of today, Friday, we're all feeling the effects of not having any structure this week. The angry outbursts and conflict have been absurd!!! Yikes!  It's time to start up our "Summer Fun School" on Monday and see if some routine gets us back on track. So glad it's Friday and I have fun plans with two girl friends Saturday night. I can't wait!!!

Daddy's Birthday

The kids around here REALLY like to celebrate birthdays. Yesterday was Darin's 39th. In the days leading up to the 19th of June,  Irina was counting down the days. Luke was planning and coordinating a show for Daddy. They've all been busy picking out special gifts, making cards, and decorating for the special day. We decorated with signs, streamers, colored lights and piles of gifts.

This year, I got the idea from a friend to take them to the Dollar Tree to pick out a card and a gift for Darin. Now I know I'm not a big spender taking them to the dollar store where everything is a dollar, but I loved being able to give them free reign to choose whatever they think Daddy would like best. Each of their gifts and cards matched their personalities.

Before Darin started work that day, the kids were VERY eager for him to open their special gifts. Ever since Luke's birthday, they are all about using clues to find the hidden gifts. Aaron planned out 3 clues which resulted in Darin finding his gift hiding in a basket under winter hats. Aaron made a cute card AND picked out this card which we thought was HILARIOUS!

outside

inside

Aaron was laughing SO hard. I will never forget his utter delight in giving Daddy his cards and gift. I'm not sure I have ever seen Aaron so happy and proud. His laughter is etched in my brain. Oh how I wish I had taken a video! It was priceless!

The gift he picked out was a joke calculator that squirted water at you when you 

pressed the "ON" button. Again, he could not contain his excitement. It was so funny. 

Next up was Ethan... he was very sensible picking out a set of three nice ball point pens and making the paper weight you see in the bottom right corner of the picture above. He selected a very nice card AND made a card too. Notice everyone's shirt is wet from trying out the squirting calculator! ;)

Luke sent Daddy on another hunt with clever clues leading to the gift hiding in the crock pot. 

My sensitive guy made an elaborate card, picked out a very heart felt card and 

purchased chocolate peanut butter candies for Daddy. 

Irina really enjoyed picking out a gift for Daddy. She loves to be generous and although I told the kids I would pay for the gifts she really wanted to use her money. After lots of deliberation, she settled on a stack of pretend money. I didn't realize until we came home that she didn't understand the money was "play money." Oh dear! She was still excited when we explained it was pretend. phew! 

It was a work day, so we got out of Daddy's hair for most of the day. We met him 

back at the house for a late afternoon trip to the swimming pool, followed by 

dinner out and ice cream cones. (I offered to make him a special cake or pie, 

but this was what he wanted.) The kids picked out their outfits for dinner. 

Like I said, they are really in to celebrating! 

Especially a Daddy that they love so much!

Isn't he adorable!?! I'm just a little bit biased, but I could eat up his cuteness. 

The kids decorated the play room for the show they had planned, but we ran out of time. Ethan had early testing this morning, so observing bedtime was a must. SO, we'll do the show tonight. Can't wait to see what they have prepared!

Happy Birthday Darin. Hope you felt loved, honored and 

respected on your special day! We love you!

Mud slide

We chose not to go to the pool this afternoon just to be sure the boy with the stomach bug was fully healed. We definitely did not want to be the cause of the pool being cleared!

As an alternative on this HOT HOT day... (my thermometer read 103 degrees!), the kids asked if they could play in the sprinkler. I said sure and gave them some guidelines. Then I got busy doing some kitchen work.

A short time later I stepped outside to find this...

They had snaked the hose and sprinkler up to the top 

of the slide and made their very own water slide. 

However, we haven't mulched yet this year and the dirt 

at the bottom of the slide quickly became mud.

She doesn't look very happy, but she was VERY happy. 

 I knew what they were doing and chose to let them continue. They were having a 

blast and no one was getting hurt. However, the mud is UNREAL! 

By the end, they were literally flinging the mud at each other. 

Oh my goodness! What a mess!

I think they all look healthy, right? 

Irina could not be a more perfect fit for these boys. 

She loved being muddy just as much as they did and 

was very eager to join in their shenanigans. 

Almost Summer

We are SOO close to finishing up our homeschool year I can barely believe it. Today was supposed to be our last official day and I planned a "Last Day of School Party." However, one boy got a stomach bug Monday afternoon and we certainly can't have a party without everyone feeling 100%. The party will have to wait until next week. (I have some special things planned to have a little fun together and celebrate all our hard work.)

Thankfully, since the start of our standardized testing last Thursday we have eased into a more relaxed schedule and I LOVE IT! I've barely taken any photos and have almost forgotten about blogging. I've gone to bed earlier, relaxed more and been a little more spontaneous. (Who knew I even remembered how to do that???) The kids wake up every day asking what they need to do for school and they do it! what?!? where have my children gone? Maybe it feels less intimidating since it's just a small amount and the end is in sight?

Here are some glimpses from the few pictures I did take:

Taking a break during testing, Luke practiced some handstands. He's so glad to be done and I'm thankful for his cheerful attitude. How is it possible that he is now officially a 5th grader???

With lots of afternoon rain storms last week, we didn't risk heading to the pool only to be sent home due to thunder and lightening. But they surely needed to burn some energy, so we went on hot bike rides and then cooled off in the sprinklers. The quality is terrible for these photos because I used my iPod. I couldn't remember where I put my camera.  I'm telling you, my brain is on vacation.

 You wouldn't believe how long they just stood there huddled up, ducking the spray each time and screaming. I kept calling to them, "Run around! Jump through the spray!" Maybe I should have demonstrated?? Probably so...

 I love that he loves things like an "Electricity Kit." He is learning so much by experimenting

I am so glad that we have had time to spontaneously paint and that they are old enough to paint 

unattended. I wish I had a picture of Aaron too. I love these boys and know how special they are. They are handling all the extra attention Irina receives remarkably well. It's not uncommon for some friends and family to focus only on Irina and ignore the boys. I get it. She is beautiful and captivating and has quite a story to tell as she experiences new things. However, don't forget about the great things the boys are learning too, please! They need love and attention too. 

Irina is still loving her camera. Phew! It's a good thing we bought the insurance because we've already had the lens repaired. Now that it is fixed and working again, we've had to set some limits to when pictures and video can be taken. oh my!

Lastly, our very generous neighbors hosted an end of year get together with s'mores, glow sticks and lots of fun. Irina had her first taste of a s'more and loved it! However, the final verdict was she liked the grapes better because they were less sticky. 

We are gearing up for a big celebration tomorrow in honor of Daddy's 39th birthday. Wohoo!

Joyful Heart vs. Crushed Spirit

Sadly, these five words have been very characteristic of my demeanor for the past several months and I don't like it one bit: sour, frowning, short-tempered, tired, and impatient. Nothing terrible is going on and I don't want to sound like a broken record, but the transition to six has revealed more of my weeds then I'd like to admit. Irina and the boys are flourishing. I am weary and self-focused. 

And then, out of the blue a thankful heart snuck up on me today. Someone must be praying! Amen!

1) We have completed 98% of our school curriculum and are preparing for a short break before a relaxed summer schedule. Hallelujah! During our relaxed summer schedule, one boy will finish his last 5 days of math, one boy will finish his last spelling lessons and one girl will continue to play catch up to her grade level. Oh what a relief to have a break from nightly school preparations. I am thankful for this short respite. Perhaps that means earlier bedtimes for me? or maybe time for some fun sewing projects?

2) We began Stanford testing today. I am thankful for Luke's cheerful, confident attitude! He told Darin tonight, "I can't wait to finish it up tomorrow. It was fun." Thank you, Jesus. One almost done, three more to test. 

3) Today was the first day that Irina had a sitter who was not family. She did great! This is great progress! Maybe a date night is in our future? 

4) Darin was unexpectedly up early to help me make the kids a hearty breakfast so we could get out the door for our testing on time. I know all you public school folks are pros at getting out the door early, but we do not have practice. I was so encouraged by this unexpected blessing from my husband. (And so thankful to find a tidy kitchen when we returned from testing!) 

5) At the homeschool convention this past weekend, I picked up a book that I am loving. "Homeschool Supermom...Not! When Grace Meets Homeschooling" by Susan Kemmerer.  I also purchased the companion Bible Study and Prayer Journal. I am so thankful for this honest, scripture drenched book that is challenging and encouraging my heart. 

6) Irina sleep update: After four months of relocating to our room to sleep every night due to bad dreams, Irina finally started sleeping in her room all night in April. We've had a few set backs, but her scary dreams have mostly dissipated. Thank you, Jesus! She sleeps with a light on and music playing all night, but she stays in bed. It's still necessary to sit in her room until she falls asleep every night, but she's usually asleep by 9pm. Tonight, she disappeared into her room and was asleep by 8pm. All by herself!?! I can hardly believe it and I'm thankful for the break-- even if it's just for one night. 

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Thank you Jesus for a joyful heart that can only come from You! 

6 Months Home

Last week, we celebrated being home from Ukraine with Irina for 6 months. Half a year! That is unbelievable to me. In some ways, it feels like the longest 6 months of my life. In others ways, it has been a blink of an eye and I can't clearly remember what life was like with only 3 kids. Well, that's not entirely true... there was less laundry, less messy rooms, less groceries, less tears (on my part!), but so much less JOY without our Irina!

First reunion with the boys at the orphanage in November 2013

I had it in my head last week that I'd carve out the time to detail (and remind myself!) all the ways she has grown in 6 months. Perhaps even take the time to contemplate the ways our whole family has been changed. With school winding down, end of year testing, schooling decisions to be made, homeschool conventions to attend and all the other things that make up our crazy life, I've chosen sleep over reflective blogging. (And I'm not talking about indulgent sleep... six hours seems to be my maximum these days.)

The day she officially became our daughter and saying good bye to her orphanage.

Pictures don't seem to be enough to describe the change. They only show the outward changes (which there are many--- she is growing like a weed!!!). However, the pictures don't fully capture the ways Irina is growing on the inside - the most important changes.

6 months later... settled in to being one of four siblings

They don't capture the growth in her heart towards accepting love. The pictures don't capture the ways she is learning to be a part of a family. The pictures don't capture the ways we are figuring out how to love one another. Pictures don't capture her generous and thankful heart.

This lovely lady, gave me this letter on Friday. I think it is a keeper. 

Her english is coming along, but let me translate for you:

"Thank you that you my Mother. Thank you Mommy for pool. 

Mommy for school you nice teacher math.

Thank you for you for me Virginia. Thank you you 

love me. Thank you Mommy for watch. Thank you Mommy

beach nice. You for me Mother and for me nice Father.

Mommy thank you for me lego my birthday. 

Mommy thank you for me nice dinner.

Love, Irina"

Thank you God for helping me to endure these last 6 months. You know they haven't always been pretty. Thank you for showing me I can rely on you in my weakness. You are my strength! Thank you for creating this beautiful girl and for the work you are doing in her heart. Lord, give us all contentment, patience and joy that can only come from you. Amen

Joyful Kids at the Beach

Last week, we got to witness Irina's first experience at the beach. It was breath taking!

She was beside herself with excitement and the boys were so 

thrilled to share their annual experience with her. 

Watching them splash around and listening to their squeals of delight was truly captivating. 

I took more then 200 photos. Do you know how hard it was to narrow them down to 14 

for the blog? It is no surprise that she was full of JOY! The boys were equally JOYFUL. 

She loved splashing in the waves with her brothers. 

Playing in the sand, building in the sand, digging in the sand

 Collecting shells and taking walks

marching in our annual Memorial Day parade

As I watched these four interact, I was blessed by the bonds they have developed. 

It is as if they have always been siblings. They surely have tough moments, but they 

truly love to be together. This is really remarkable to me. 

 Irina has never learned to swim. Her only exposure to water is bath time, a hotel pool during hosting and a lake visit while at summer camp with the orphanage. She was eager to learn, but very stiff and timid at first.  She approached learning this new skill the same way she approached learning to ride a bike and read... with determination! By the end of the week, she was jumping in the 5 feet water. Darin was within arms reach to help as needed. I'm thankful for the way she has learned to trust her Daddy!

I might have had a little too much fun braiding her hair. ;)

It was the only way to keep the layers out of her face. 

The mist in the air on our picture night wreaked havoc on my camera lens. 

All these photos came out very unclear! bummer!

This captures their personalities a little better. 

 Oh how I wish we didn't have to wait until next May to go to the beach again! 

The week was over too quickly.