Apple Orchards and handwriting........

It has been so hard to blog lately. Nick has done and said the funniest things but by the time I sit down to write, I have either forgotten the exact words he said or don't feel like journaling at all. I found that adding just a few hours of work confuses my schedule, I don't have time to work....got other important things to do like planning an adoption fair, starting my new position as rookie planner for Kazapalooza, bible study, volunteering with school, lunch dates with Pat, breakfast out with friends, and oh, yeah, the whole clean house, laundry and cooking thing! Working moms amaze me! I am just soooo thankful to not need to work but definitely could use extra cash just like everyone else these days!


Several weeks ago, I volunteered for Nick's first field trip to the apple orchard. It was really an adventure! He got to take his first bus ride and in true form, smashed his face on the window (ewwww, germs!) for me to take the picture!


















The whole class wears the same t-shirt (large size just worn over their regular clothes) and he was the Red (or Rojo in spanish) group......fitting for the apple picking!
















They all got a snack of Apple juice and Apple donuts while they waited for the hayride.....ummm, we didn't get to share in the snack!

















I Love this next picture of our "Ladies Man"! His little friend, Joanna, wanted to be in the pic so bad.....is she not adorable!! He also has plans for marriage to at least two other sweeties that we know of so far. He told Pat one morning that he was going to marry Emma (beautiful red hair, who could blame him?) and then yesterday he was in bed with me before getting up for school and said he was marrying Elizabeth. Then, he said he would be a daddy and go adopt from Kazakhstan but he wanted a girl! :) I just laugh at the look on Nick's face below.....


















He was admiring his "harvest" of the day......Tres Manzanas (3 apples) for each of them!
















They have lots of fun things to do and this was their after lunch activity!

















We actually looked into buying this ship/fort until we saw the price so we are glad he can play on it at the orchard! ;) Isn't it sooooo cool!

I was able to meet some parents and get to see the teachers in action. It amazed me that the spanish teachers spoke mostly spanish only to them all day. So great! Every time things got a little chaotic, the teacher would break out into a spanish song and they would all join in! It was a trip! Did I mention there were other Kindergarten classes plus another Elementary school there?......Crazy! Nick was such a good listener. I was so impressed!

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We have grooved into the whole school thing pretty well. He still complains every morning that he wants to stay in bed, yeah right! Saturdays lately he has been up at 5-530 am so I have no sympathy for him during the week! He is learning so much. We were so worried about his handwriting when school started because it really was something that we had not worked on at all and it certainly showed at first but I took a picture below of the gradual improvement he has made over the last month and 1/2 and we are amazed (if you click on the picture I believe you will be able to see the differences better). He still struggles a bit but I know he can do it with more time. He mostly just doesn't want to stop or focus so maturity may bring better writing. The teachers have been cracking down on disruptive behavior to model/teach the kids how to act in a classroom setting so he has had some "yellow" notes come home but the teachers explain that this is just to stay consistent and follow thru. The only area he seems to struggle with and where he gets the yellows is center/station time. He has never been good at self directing and I explained to the teacher that they may just have to show him how to do the activity and then he should catch on. In a group setting, he does better because he looks to see what everyone else is doing. By himself, he gets frustrated if it is not an obvious task. I am not overly concerned unless they tell me that it is a big problem with him learning and then maybe we will work together on some ways to help him practice working alone and asking for help if he doesn't understand instead of playing or disrupting.

This is currently how he is writing his name. There are two Nicks so I had him add the second K so we would quit getting the other one's homework! ;) He started out trying to do Nicholas but changed his mind when he found out Nick was shorter!

Daddy had a big conference that he organized and we left him a note for the evening that he came home. I was so thrilled that I could just tell him a letter and he would write it down ....below is or sign for dad!

Nick has the most incredible personality most days. He is so friendly and interactive. I was overwhelmed when I went on the field trip and moms kept saying oh, you are Nick's mom, my son/daughter talks about Nick all the time. Of course, he rarely mentions anyone's name but the "wives" and his friend James William (who he met at spanish camp) who we have had several playdates with since starting school.

He has started helping around the house lately without even being asked and I am all about giving big high fives and hugs for being a great team/family player! He cleaned off all the dishes on the table one night, took the new toilet paper and delivered some to each bathroom and even put it on the holder in one, he helps with the groceries, and helps with the dog. Now, don't get me wrong, he makes more messes than he cleans currently but I think he has great potential! :) I am so glad that my hubby is an awesome helper so he is seeing a good example of family working together!

Nick has been more curious about "adoption" lately and asked us one night, how we knew to pick him. While we were a bit taken back, we just explained that God led us to him and showed us that he would be the one to make us a family. He was good with that....whew! We have a new book on adoption for a little older kids that even explains how they were born (shows a picture of a baby being delivered) so he asked if he came out of me and I said no, another woman. He didn't say much else but then the other day when we were looking at pics from the orphanage, he asked if our translator was the one he came from.....I said no, so he asked where her picture was and I said we didn't have any and that was that......and then we just moved on to the hospital where he was born and the baby house. I just pray that when he does start asking the harder questions that God will give us the right words to give him an understanding of what happened without giving him extra worries. Because he was older and was able to remember the adoption process, we hadn't talked about birthparents much yet because the babyhouse was such a concrete thing for him. Dr. Roza, his caretakers, and the babyhouse were step one and we were step 2......this is how he talks about it so we have let that be his story for now. I am glad we are easing into the "rest" of the story. I know alot of adoptive families talk about the birthparents and pray for them early on but somehow I think that is easier when they come home as babies....maybe not, but this is how it has progressed for us and we are OK with this progression. We will always be thankful that our birthparents did not abort him and delivered him at a hospital but his caretakers raised him for 3 years and I guess we feel that they have a bigger place in his unique story than his birth family does at this point of his understanding. I only wish we did have pictures of his caretakers. Maybe someday......

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So many Nick-isms have come and gone in my failing memory bank but here are a few highlights....

After being told we were going to cracker barrel to eat..... "that place so Rocks!, I'm having hamburger and fries"

Sitting at the table looking at the table, taking his first bite......"this is a FEAST!"

Putting on clothes....."Do I look good in this.....I look FABULOUS"......(hangin with the "wives" a little tooooo much)

When he does something great and we give him encouragement .... " I sooo Rock!"

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There are so many more but the computer is acting up so I am going to post this before I lose it....We are entering fall and the wonderful weather and beauty that it brings. Along with Fall comes the Grandparents visits. Pat's folks are coming Next Week for fall break and my folks are coming the first of November. Nick is so excited! We are counting the days on the calendar since he is starting to learn about days and weeks at school. We will be glad to see family and let them share in the love that is Nickville! :)