We survived Christmas!

One more day!!

I know, I know - no updates at the most exciting time of year. How rude! Who has time for updating the blog? Between shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, singing, working, school, dinner, parties.....who has time for anything? Not me! I need about 2 more weeks in December and MAYBE I would be ready for Christmas. But, whether I am ready or not - it's coming. I am trying not to get too stressed out thinking that it's DANIEL'S FIRST CHRISTMAS and has to be perfect. He has no expectations, so whatever happens will be great.

We both had strep throat right after Thanksgiving. Did I mention that? It really put me behind. But, we are having such a fun December. We had our first snow a few weeks back and Daniel was so excited. I woke him up for school saying, 'Look Daniel, it snowed!' He jumps out of bed and runs to the window. 'Mom, where's Santa?' (I guess he thought snow and santa went together) He insisted on wearing his mittens to eat breakfast. He was really excited - too bad we only had a dusting!

We have been telling Daniel the Christmas story. I got a kid's nativity at the book store and we look at the figures and talk through the basics. He definitely knows it's Jesus' birthday. I don't really know what he thinks is going to happen on Christmas. We don't talk about it much because I don't want to focus on the presents but it's everywhere. My eyes have really been opened to how much our culture focuses on presents - from the commercials on TV to the fact that everyone he sees asks him, 'What's Santa going to bring you for Christmas?'. I have been telling him that the reason we give presents on Christmas is because the Wise Men brought presents to Jesus. I don't know if he is making the connection.

We decided that we would tell him Santa fills his stocking, but all of the presents on Christmas morning are going to be from mom and pop. We are still a bit uncomfortable with encouraging the whole Santa thing but he already knew about Santa when he came to us, you see Santa everywhere, and we don't want him to feel left out. But, we want the presents to be from us. We felt that it would be hard to explain why Santa never brought him a present before and now all of a sudden he gets presents. So, Santa will fill the stocking with mostly candy and small items (that's what he got from Santa at the orphanage - candy) and the gifts (not too many, but enough) will be from mom and pop. I am so excited to see his reaction on Christmas! It is going to be such fun! I have really tried not to over do it in the gift department. It's so hard! I just want to get him everything and totally spoil him. Yeah, he is due a little spoiling but we don't want to ruin him! It's a fine line!

One Sunday Pop was sick and didn't go to church so I thought it was a good opportunity to introduce him to the joy of giving so I told him we were going to get a Christmas present for Pop and it would be a surprise! We went to the mall after church and picked out something great. I really talked it up that it was going to be a surprise so we can't tell pop. It's a secret until Christmas. We came home and found a great hiding place. A few hours after we were home, I popped my head into the bedroom to see how pop was feeling. He said, 'Apparently you got me a watch and it's a secret.' WHAT?? That little stinker marched right in there and told him immediately! I went to him and asked, 'what happened? I thought we were going to surprise pop?' He laughed and said, 'Mom, I'm silly!' OK - lesson learned for mom. Apparently 5 years old is too young for a secret. Oh well!

We wish you - all of our blog friends - a very Merry Christmas! As we work with Daniel on focusing on the true meaning of Christmas we hope that you can experience Christ in a fresh new way this year. I am reminded of a line in a song:

"His ways are higher, His ways are better - though sometimes strange. What could be stranger than God in a manger?"

We praise you Lord for your strange to us, but oh so brilliant ways! Thank you for sending your Son in a way that would make him approachable to anyone, from all walks of life. Thank you for sending Him in such a strange way that we would know it can only be a miracle from you. Thank you for moving in our lives and building our family in such a strange and beautiful way. I can't imagine a child that could be more perfect for us than Daniel Anatoly. It's been a strange, painful and surprising road. We are so humbled and blessed!

Merry Christmas!

Moving Day

I talked to Daniel's teacher when I dropped him off at school yesterday. She told me they were in their reading group and she read a story called 'Moving Day'. She asked the kids, 'Has anyone ever moved?' Daniel raised his hand and said that he had moved so she asked him to tell them about it. He said, 'Mama and Papa came to get me. They took me to the park. I called her Mom. And then we got on a plane and came to America.'

As he gets more English we are hearing more about what he remembers. I'm sure he remembers more, he just can't articulate it yet. It's nice to hear the bits and pieces as they come out.

We are still having some behavior issues, but it's mostly just due to the fact that he is settling in, learning the rules and testing his boundaries. We couldn't be prouder about his accomplishments in school. Academically he is doing amazingly well. He'll be reading in no time. They did some testing the 2nd week of school and we just got the results in the mail. On the letter recognition part of the test they would expect a child his age to get 8 right (remember, it was only the 2nd week of school). Daniel got 31. WOW!!

We are looking forward to Christmas and we are focusing on the reason for the holiday. He knows what a birthday is, so we are really talking up the celebration for Jesus' birthday. It gives us such a thrill to hear him singing Christmas carols. Sure, he hmmms over a lot of the words but it's so sweet and he loves to sing!

Hello Santa!

Today at school they had a wedding!! The kids are learning their letter sounds and they are up to Q. In order to reinforce the point that Q is followed by U - the Kindergarteners had a wedding today for Q and U. They are were all supposed to dress up and they had a ceremony. Now U is moving on up the alphabet train to be next to Q. How cute is that?

Since he was already all dressed up, I took Daniel to the mall to see Santa. I still think he has no idea what's coming. While we were waiting in line I told him, 'Santa is going to ask you what you want for Christmas. What are you going to tell him?' 'Um, Candy?', he says. 'Anything else?', I ask. 'I don't know', he says. I don't think he knows he's going to get presents. He is excited about Christmas, just because we are - it's fun. He doesn't know yet about all the loot he's going to get. We're going to try to keep it low key but I am really excited to see his reaction. Here is our happy boy with Santa. He was saying, 'Merry Christmas Santa!'

Oh Christmas tree

Daniel has his very own little Christmas tree in his room. It's pretty cool! I got some ornaments for him from the vendors in Ukraine. (you adoptees know those vendors - outside the SDA) Now that we put them on his tree, I wish I had gotten more! We also have some great handmade ornaments from when I was a little girl and a cool new 'I'm 5 years old' ornament from Babushka and Dadushka - Thanks! It looks pretty great....