Last October, Erik had been home for a month or so. The poor kid was still very overwhelmed by everything, but that didn't stop me from exposing him to as much as I could! lol Anyway, I took him to the pumpkin patch that a local church sponsored and did my best to get his picture, but this is all I was able to get:

Poor little kid!! What a horrible mama he ended up with! ;op Poor little guy was so scared of the pumpkins he didn't know what to do.

Fast forward to THIS year and check out the difference!

Checking out this years crop - notice that this year, he's standing and walking!

And what is THIS I see?? Could that be a ...smile???

I had the kind of night that mom's don't forget... Tonight, I dropped my baby off at homecoming. Now, that may not sound like much, but to THIS mom, it is. Let me explain...

Here is a picture of me with Reese in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, about 30 min. after I met him. He and I felt SO at ease with each other SO quickly, it was one of those "love at first sight" adoptions. He was my little buddy and I was sooooooo glad I listened to that "still, small voice", which wasn't so still, nor so small, about 6 months prior.

I have enjoyed watching Reese grow up a great deal and he has hardly ever given me any trouble at all. We have enjoyed that special mother-son bond and I have never taken it for granted, I promise you!

Well, tonight, he had his first big date, being a sophomore going to homecoming. To avoid giving away too much information that might embarrass him, suffice it to say that he asked a VERY nice girl out that he's known since 4th grade, when we moved here. I really like this girl and her mom, too. I was really happy with his choice. Anyway, we made a big to-do over getting her a corsage, matching his tie with her dress color, etc. and he was really spiffed up tonight - REALLY spiffed up. Mark graciously gave him some tie jewelry that he'd had for a very long time and was really special to him and Reese wore them proudly.

To see my son polished up like this kind of knocked me back - my son is not a boy anymore - he is fast on his way to becoming a MAN. And not only that, a man I am intensely PROUD of. This young man has more integrity than most people I know. I sometimes am amazed that I was able to raise him to be so wonderful. ...then I humbly remember that I was practically forced (lol) into adopting him by a Heavenly Father who always knows what's best!! And He has certainly done more than His share of raising him, and for that I am incredibly, eternally grateful.

But enough gush. Take a look at my little baby tonight:

Can you see why I'm gushing??? ;op

Anyway, after all the fuss and polishing, we were ready to go. I won't lie when I tell you that I had a BLAST giving Reese all KINDS of advice, like how to properly offer the corsage, to make sure he opened doors for her, how to offer his arm to her when they walked into the school, how to be the one to give his name to the hostess at the restaurant, etc. And the very BEST part was that he WANTED to hear it!! No teenage pride rearing it's ugly head! He listened to everything I offered and did his best to heed it! I do love that boy.

Here he is, when we picked up his date. She was SO excited!! He was offering her the corsage we'd ordered. She was so thrilled to have a corsage (thanks for the tip, Mom!!)!

And, of course, the obligatory "before the dance" shots:
He was so cute - he didn't know what to do with his arm, so he put it around her. ;op

I took them to the Cracker Barrel, where they ate at a different table (Erik was my date for this occasion), then I drove them to the dance. Kristina was full of fun, lively conversation the whole way - her mom is soooo blessed!!

I dropped them off, but we were early. They walked up to the doors but they were locked. Of course, I was still at the curb, waiting to see if they wanted to get back in the car, but when Reese saw me still standing there in the car, he gave me a little wave as if to say, "Thanks, Mom, you're excused now." And I drove off.

Holding back the tears was easy most of the night, because everything was so happy and exciting and cute, but when he gave me that little wave, it really hit me - my little baby is growing up. That's when the tears hit, and I was glad I was alone in the car, other than Erik, so I could cry. That kid means so much to me it almost hurts. I missed all of Natasha's special days, and probably will miss most of her future special days. Nikolai isn't really the type to do stuff like this, and hasn't really, though he's older than Reese. So this was extra special for me. I was really involved with these doings tonight, and I truly enjoyed every bit of it. It was a special night that I won't easily forget. Being a mom is such a privilege, and though I grumble at times and get myself worn out from being so busy, I wouldn't trade it for anything.


...now, I'll bet you can't wait to hear how slobbery I'll get when the boy gets married, can you?!

Despite the difficult months that have gone before us this year, Life does indeed go on, especially if you have kids who need you. ;o}

Erik has been receiving hippotherapy (horse therapy) for some time now, but recently I got Nikolai signed up, too. He was wary, as he was worried it was a "little kid" thing, but when I told him there was an elderly lady who rode to help her recover from a stroke, he decided it was safe, so he agreed. Nikolai desperately needs therapy on his legs, but because he has refused it for so many years (and BELIEVE ME, I've tried!!!!) his legs are in really bad shape. He doesn't seem to mind, though, and says that he likes using his wheelchair. (Hmmm...) Anyway, here are pictures from Erik and Nikolai's morning at hippotherapy:



Now that he is chewing a lot better, he can enjoy things like - an "Aunt Watley's" cookie!! This just may be the first cookie he's ever eaten. In a way it's nice, though, one thing you CAN'T call him is a junk food junkie!!

Okay, so maybe school did start a month ago today, but I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and haven't been in the mood to blog. The funk is lifting a little bit and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, so here I go! I only have time this morning for one blog post, but I have a couple more to put on, so stay tuned.

Here is Erik on his first day of school. He is in Kindergarten this year, and is in a "Supported Kindergarten" class, which includes First, Second and I think, Third graders as well. Erik is still only 25 pounds soaking wet, though, so I'm sure he is dwarfed by all of the big kids in his class!! The school he goes to is not particularly welcoming, and they frown on parents in the classrooms, so I haven't even seen his room yet (I know, slap my wrist), but I've spoken with his teacher several times and she is great. I get notes home each day on how his day was (something I longed for last year but didn't get), and soon I will go in for a teacher visit. I am comfortable with him going there, though I don't like it - the school is in the middle of Titusville, which is terribly inconvenient for me, and poor Erik's bus rides are an hour in the mornings and 45 min. to an hour in the afternoons! Good thing he likes riding...!



As per tradition on the first day of school, the kids stand with their backpacks by whatever car we happen to have that year. This year, we had a rental car! LOL

This is kind of cool: it's a map showing many of the places that I've been in my life. I got tired of looking through the list of cities so I finally quit, but this is pretty neat!






..and yes, I HAVE been to Reykjavik, Iceland. ;op

One year ago, we were finishing up the formalities of our adoption of Erik! I left Ukraine early, and Mark stayed on (bless his heart!!) to complete everything and bring our new little bugger home.

Last year...

• Erik did not make eye contact with anyone for more than a second or so
• He did not know his name, either "Seriozha" or "Erik"
• He did not know any words, in either language
• He could not walk, nor did he have any desire to try
• He would not touch toys - he only wanted to look at them
• Play? What is THAT?
• He could not hear
• He could not eat anything that was not thinly pureed
• He could only drink out of a bottle
• He reportedly slept 14 hours/day

Today, one year later...

• He makes great eye contact with people he knows
• He knows his name, "Erik", and responds to it
• He knows several phrases and words, and is quite obedient!
• He walks, though it is still a rather "drunk" walk, but he much prefers walking to scooting
• He now initiates play with toys and can entertain himself for hours with toys that he enjoys
• He loves classical music and his favorite toys play classical pieces, not to mention how much he loves to sit with his Daddy at the piano!
• He had tubes in his ears and, while his hearing isn't perfect, it is functional
• He can eat chunks of food now, and is starting to CHEW! (Appetite is huge.)
• He can drink out of a sippy cup or a straw
• He knows several signs
• He sleeps a normal night - and not at all during the days
• He knows who his family is and prefers us to others, though he is comfortable with just about anybody
• He is a loved and established member of a FAMILY! Thank you, Erik, for joining us and being ours!!

The one thing that we need to work on with diligence is his size. He has not gained ONE POUND in a YEAR and is still 25 pounds at 6 years old. He has had diarrhea for about 3 months now but fecal and blood tests have all come back negative. So we are continuing to work on it. We have big plans for him for this coming year as he is really coming out of his shell and becoming much more alert and aware of stuff, and we know he will progress quickly from now on! We just love this little guy - can you tell??


Happy Adoption Day, Erik!! We love you!!!

Can the boy be 6??? Yes, he can!! Last year on this date, we were in Kramatorsk, celebrating Erik's 5th birthday in the orphanage. Today, he is a very loved and cherished member of a FAMILY!! And WE are the ones who are blessed!

Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday...

We brought this brown stuffed bear (he was darling!) from the States, but it got "consumed" somehow in the orphanage. That's okay - he has a million more here. ;o} We also bought him a new outfit that the ladies dutifully put him in every time we came to visit (but returned him to his orphanage clothes as soon as we were gone!). We didn't give him much because we didn't know if it would remain his or not, plus, his big present was getting a new mom and dad. :o)

This year was a bit different, with cake and presents and party favors! Erik's doing so well, and soon I will post an update on his progression. But for now, here are some pictures from his big day! (And BTW, he did go to school today, but I don't think they did anything for him - I talked to his teacher and mentioned his birthday but she didn't seem to hear it - oh, well. It's not like he's going to know or anything...)