Boys night at the Monster Truck Jam

Mom look - I made an X

BBall

Daniel is still enjoying Saturday morning basketball. There is so much to learn! Last week he made a basket (YAY) but it was in the wrong goal (BOO). He had a total meltdown, started crying and went and sat on the bench. He was totally inconsolable for awhile. I made him 'get back on the horse' and go back in the game. He didn't want to, but when he did he perked up again. Look at this sweet thang....

Then after the game, we go get breakfast. Daniel is a true southerner - he loves them grits....

A short week and a long verse

Swimming lessons

I was a total loser and didn't get Daniel into swimming lessons this summer. We just had too many things going on, so now I am trying to catch up. We are taking swimming lessons down at the University of Louisville this winter. Daniel is so excited about being a Cardinal!!

Learning to float on my back...

Verse

Basketball

Another year, another new sport. We asked Daniel if he wanted to continue learning soccer (we could sign him up for an indoor league) or if he wanted to play basketball. A big decision!! He really struggles with making decisions. I try to give him opportunities in many small ways so he can practice making up his mind. He just has such a hard time. Even when we're selecting a movie or picking out a toy, something you think he would have an opinion about - he will say, 'you pick mom'. Not all the time, but often. Anyway, I digress. So first he picked basketball and then he changed his mind to soccer and then he changed it back to basketball. So I signed him up in the program at our church. (and then when I told him we were signed up he goes, 'I thought I picked soccer.' Ha! He really cares, huh? You can't go wrong - it's all fun!) We ended up in the first session, so it is an early start time on Saturday morning! This was the first meeting. Check out this cutie....

Reflecting on 2011

What a year Daniel has had! He lost several more teeth, got a stamp in his passport, committed more of the Bible to memory, learned to ride his bike without training wheels, so many accomplishments. You haven't heard me say much lately about Daniel's behavior because it's really been going great for him! After all of those episodes last year, this year has really been a piece of cake. (knock on wood!) He has settled into 2nd grade so easily. His teacher is big on responsibility, which we love, and he's been growing and maturing so much. We've been so amazed by how much he is learning. The homework is hard and we've had more than a few meltdowns over timed math (UGH!) but for the most part - it is smooth sailing at our house.





Of course, I have always said that he seems to go through cycles. We'll have several months of a perfect angel and then it's like he needs to double check his boundaries or something and our sweet child turns into a mouthy handful for a few months. We need to re-affirm the rules and who's in charge and then he settles back into our little sweetie. So, maybe we're just in a good cycle right now but Hello 2012, things are looking sunny!





Jason and I were just reflecting on how sweet Daniel is. Maybe when he hits puberty, it will all change but these years have been great. He is so affectionate, loves to sit in my lap, give kisses and hold hands. And he LOVES to be tickled! He will come in and lift up this shirt and say, 'mom, look at my belly!' If I don't take the bait he will go, 'mom, is it tickle time?' What a hoot! He likes to snuggle up under a blanket on the couch (he will say, 'Mom, you're so cozy!'), loves for us to read to him and play games. He is such a treasure! And his prayers before bed would just make you melt! He often thanks God for our family and that we love each other. The other day (after being reminded several times that day about being respectful to mom and pop and using a respectful tone), I was talking to him about why it's import to be respectful and how the Bible tells us, 'Honor your Father and Mother'. We had a really nice dicussion about it and that night he prayed, 'thank you for mom and pop who help me follow the Bible and make good choices.' Wow!! Sometimes he just blows me away!! God has his hand on Daniel and I feel priveleged to be a part of His handiwork. To God be the glory!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is almost here!!

We've been busy getting ready.....

Decorating Daniel's tree: Having a Christmas party at school:

Celebrating Pop's and Uncle Chuck's birthday:


Eating Christmas cookies:

Daniel is really excited about Christmas this year. We've been talking about how it's not just about presents but about Jesus coming to earth to be our Savior. It's tough - you don't really know what's sinking in and what's going in one ear and out the other. The other night, 10 minutes before a bunch of people show up to our home for a party - mom is running around like crazy, doing all of those last minute things - and Daniel goes and gets his Bible off the shelf. He brings it into the kitchen and proceeds to read:

'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16

'What does that mean mom?'

Wow - I couldn't believe it. Just out of the blue, he is asking me that. What a moment! So, in the midst of all the busyness - I explanied how God loved us soooooo much, He sent His only son Jesus, and that's what we celebrate at Christmas. But God didn't send Jesus just to be a baby, He sent Jesus to grow up and die on the cross to pay for our sins. And He did that as a gift for us - the greatest gift ever.

I hope you can celebrate this great gift in your home this Christmas.

Much love to you all! Thanks for sharing our lives and our love of sweet Daniel.

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!

The tree is up!!

With his 2 minute attention span, Daniel helped us as much as he could with getting the tree up and decorated. Daniel keeps asking me how many days until Christmas. He is pretty excited! I asked him, 'What's your favorite thing about Christmas?' Well of course he said presents. 'What else?', I asked. 'Being with your family and having joy' he said. What a great answer!!

School Christmas Program

Daniel's Christmas program at school was last week. It was mandatory for his music grade, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world! He was so excited. All the kids got to pick their instrument and he was playing the bell tree. He told me, 'Mom, you can't just pick what you like - you have to think about what you're good at.' And then they sang also. Their music teacher is very dedicated. The entire program was with music provided by the kids - no CD. She says they will be more invested in it if they do it all. We were really impressed with the performances. Daniel was so proud. You could see him trying to hide his big smile.

Water park

Last weekend we went to the Big Splash indoor water park in French Lick, IN. (thank you Groupon) We met our friends the Parkers there and we all had a great time. Daniel had such fun swimming, enjoying their basketball hoops, Karlen family Wipeout on their obstacle course, the lazy river and shooting down those BIG slides!!! On the weekend before Thanksgiving when I should have been home cleaning house and preparing to have 21 people over for the big day, we were off splish splashing around. It was a nice get away....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another new belt

Daniel is now a blue belt. It's impressive. We are so proud of all he has learned and his accomplishments!!

This is before the test - he is showing off his blue 'character stripes'. He works hard each week to add to this row of stripes...

Howdy Partner!

The rodeo came to town last week, so Daniel and I had to go check it out. The redneck in me has been trying to convince Jason to go to see PBR for a long time now (that's the Professional Bull Riders, for you Yanks out there) so this was my big chance. The rodeo was fun because they had not just bull riding, but steer wrestling, roping, bare back riding, rodeo clowns and cowboys galore. But I was with the cutest cowboy there!

Daniel spent most of his time there doing this:

We love that caramel corn!! I have to tell you about a conversation we had the other night when I was putting Daniel to bed. We were talking about all of his mosquito bites and he said, 'Mom, I think the mosquitos bite me because I look Chinese.' What? That doesn't make any sense?? then he said, 'Mom, somtimes when I come into a room with lots of big kids, I hear them say - that kid looks Chinese.' Hmmmm...I am totally unprepared for this (what else is new!).

'Well, you could tell them that you weren't born in China but you were born in Ukraine. I bet they never met anyone born in Ukraine - it's pretty special you know. Then you could ask them where they were born.'

'Yeah,' he says, 'but they might say something mean to me.' (very true - why are kids like that?)

'You could try it once and see what happens.' I tell him. 'How does it make you feel when they say that?'

'It make me feel bad. I just wish you could change your face mom. I really do.' (whoa - my heart cracked a little when he said this)

'There is nothing wrong with the way you look. You are perfect. But I know exactly how you feel' I told him. 'When I was little, the kids made fun of me for having all these freckles. They would call me 'polka dot' and I hated it. I wished I could change my face too. But my face is exactly how God made it, so that means it's just right for me. And your face is just right for you.'

I was totally not ready to deal with this. I look at him and don't even see it any more. He's just my sweet, perfect little miracle. I hate to think that the kids are saying things and making him feel bad but if it wasn't this, it would just be something else, right? He is a mixed race child and it's my job to help him navigate this predominantly white world and still be secure with who he is. To us, it doesn't matter in the least what he looks like but I know kids pounce on anything different. [and there are other internationally adopted kids at his school - not dominant, but they are there]

That's part of the reason I love having him in karate. It's a great atmosphere, they promote a positive attitude and character building AND it's a chance for him to be around people that look like him and see that they are leaders.

With today's melting pot of our culture I really didn't think this would be an issue. How naive is that! Any suggestions??

Shopping

Any guesses as to where I do a lot of my shopping?

Goodbye Mickey

One of my favorite cousins passed away today. Goodbye Mickey! We love you and you will be missed!!

(this picture is from 2009, it's the only one I have of Daniel and Mickey. He has grown so much!)