Easter, doctor visit, egg hunts and the toothfairy returns

Easter some how snuck up on me this year, I am not sure what happened. I found myself getting baskets and candy the day before. I never got the boys off to see the Easter Bunny either. Definitely doesn't put me in the mom of the year running! Thankfully they didn't seem to notice or ask.

Our friends were in from Ohio so it was fun to get to spend time and play with them. We went over to their hotel pool so the kids could all play. Alek slipped on the pool deck and whacked the back of his head. He cried for awhile and seemed fine. He did tell me his head hurt later. So we kept him in bed with us and I spent a restless night watching him.

The next morning he seemed fine, a little crabby, but nothing major. Right before lunch I got a call from school that he had a complete meltdown, was freaking out, kicking and screaming. I could hear him in the background. I tried to talk to him on the phone and he was hysterical, doing the old hold the breath crying he is so famous for.

So that worried me and I went to pick him up. He said his head hurt and he wanted to take a break and his belly hurt a little. He did not throw up. But I called the doc for an appt and they saw us quickly. After a neuro exam and full check up, they felt he was ok in terms of his head, a slight concussion (but they didn't feel the need to put him thru a CT scan of the head). He also had an ear infection brewing, so we started our drops. He was much better by the enxt day and thankfully has been fine since. It was a little scarey though.

The boys spent the night with grammom and poppy on Good Friday. They got to dye their Easter eggs while Poppy tried to figure out how to get into the bathroom that was locked accidently by Alek. High drama for sure! The kids had a great time and very proud of their eggs.

Easter morning was very exciting. They hunted for their eggs inside and found them all. They were very excited over their "baskets" which were actually sand buckets (Cars and Spiderman), the Easter Bunny was resourceful this year!

The Bunny (aka, neighbor M) also had eggs with goodies all over our front lawn, so they boys were so excited to head out and collect those as well. It was rather cold, we were in our winter coats that morning!

Later that afternoon we headed back down to grammom and poppys for an Easter visit and to see MeMe. They had a good time and enjoyed their special treats and visit with MeMe.

We wrapped up that visit and headed over to Granny and PopPop's for dinner. Another exciting egg hunt ensued with help from JoJo and Daddy. They were scrambling all over the yard and finally found all the eggs and their "monies". They loved their easter treats from JoJo and Granny. Alek took a bite out of his popcorn ball and really loosened up his one tooth. It was hanging on. I thought for sure the toothfairy would arrive that night, but it didn't fall out until school the next day.

Definitely lots of excitement for another visit from the tootfairy. Alek looks so cute without those two bottom teeth! Maks keeps trying to make his fall out, he wants the tooth fairy to come visit him!

This time the loot was a dinosaur sticker book and 2 dollars.

In other dental news, Maks is scheduled for his "kiddie" root canal and surgery on May 4th. He will be under general anesthesia (intubated) because they are working in his mouth they want to protect his airway. He was cleared regarding his asthma. SO I know I will be a nervous wreck that day!

We have also been excitedly watching our friends Kirov journey, cheering on and saying lots of prayers. Watching their progress has brought back alot of memories of our journey to Kirov. We can't wait for the last leg of their journey!!!

Next up, Daddy's birthday and Alek's first T-Ball game--he is starting at short stop, should be interesting...

Thanks for the memories Harry..Summer will never be the same.

Spring escape

We decided enough was enough with winter and it was time for some fun in the sun. So we headed to Florida! We were excited yet a little leary of traveling with the boys. Alek has flown quite a few times and does well, but aside from the flight home from Russia, this would be Maks' first, not to mention the fact that Kevin hates to fly. So we crossed our fingers, said some prayers, medicated Kevin and got a on a plane! The kids and Kevin did great. Maks slept most of the flight down, Alek watched a movie. They really did great in the airports as well. I was very impressed, especially since alot is hurry up and wait.

Our first stop was Orlando. We used some Marriott points for a free night and hit the Magic Kingdom the next day. I am glad we only did that. It is very overwhelming and there is still so much they couldn't go on. But they had a blast, it was so exciting and I loved seeing how excited they were at every little thing. Monsters Inc laugh floor and Buzz Lightyear ride were the big hits. Alek loved the Pirates of the Carribean and Stitches Great Escape, Maks was a little anxious in both. They both, to mommy's enjoyment, loved Its a Small World. Even daddy did great, as he is not a big fan of amusement parks. It was a fun and exhausting day!



We said our good byes to Disney and made the drive west for Indian Rocks Beach. Unfortunately it was rush house as we neared Tampa, so took a little longer then we thought. We checked into our hotel and were pleasantly surprised, given it was a Holiday Inn. It was very nice and clean and was great for kids. We had a little kitchenette so that helped save on breakfast and lunch, plus popcorn at night for TV and the Villanova games! The wind decided to follow us, so although it was warm and sunny it was WINDY!! The kids loved the pool which was perfect for young children. The restaurant was good and had live music every night, which the kids loved and I loved too, because the restaurant and most music was Jimmy Buffett and island themed. During the weekend they had steel drums playing during the day.

Next up was Spring training with the Phillies. We drove over to Clearwater and Brighthouse Field to watch our Phils take on the Yankees. All the big names were playing, unfortunately we lost. The kids had fun, they enjoyed the food and the playground, they also were patient enough for us to take in most of the game.



The rest of the week was left to fun in the sun, pool and beach. We did a little of both each day.

Saturday, the Russian Princes invaded Indian Rocks. Tanya and her Kirov cutie, Oliver and Marie and her gorgeous little man Bryson came over to our resort to play. It was so great to meet up with families I feel like I have known for years! It really is amazing to see the kiddos together and how gorgeous they are and how they are all happy and thriving. We played at the pool despite the crazy wind and enjoyed lunch together. Thanks again girls for making the drive over!!!


Kevin had the morning off while I hung with the girls, and he was very excited to discover the restaurant close by: Crabby Bills not only carried Yeungling, but drafts were only 1.25! Pretty sweet. So we ventured there for dinner and enjoyed it so much we ate there again the following night. Not only was their food reasonably priced it was so good!!
The kids ate great and tried everything. Alek loved the crab legs with daddy and now him, daddy and Tim are planning a night out for crabs, Alek is very excited. Maks loved the grouper, both my sandwich and the dinner I had one night. Alek is now addicted to shrimp and gives Maks a run for money over how many they can eat. The both loved the conch fritters too.

One evening, I was able to get out for some "me" time and decided to take in another sunset on the beach. I was thinking that it would be great to have something to drink on the beach, so I wandered into the CVS (I was already loving the fact that you can buy beer and wine in there, seriously what is wrong with Pennsylvania?). Amazingly I found a mini box of wine. It looked like a larger juice box, I was cracking up. So I bought it and a chocolate chip cookie and headed to the beach. I sat down, enjoyed my wine and dessert and watched the beautiful sunset. To answer some people's questions, no I did not have a cup or glass and I did not use a straw (didnt think that would be too classy, so I drank the wine directly from the spout). It was a very lovely evening!



We enjoyed our last day (probably the best weather day, no wind) hanging out on the beach, playing in the sand and the water. Alek got body surfing lessons from daddy. He is alittle fish!
We went back to Crabby Bills for dinner and then back to beach for sunset and shelling. Alek loves to shell, Maks loves to look for rocks. They wanted to bring stuff back for school.
It was a wonderful vacation and so nice to just get away from it all. The kids traveled great, we figured out the key to get Kevin more willing to fly and I got my beach time and a nice tan.





So now, back to reality........

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God and the Giant, Toothfairies and T-Ball

What a month this has been, ups and downs, emotions all over the place. Losing Corie was really hard, so weird not having her around. Her death has brought alot of discussions and questions from Alek. The questions pop up at anytime. They started out by asking how Corie got to heaven, then if only her soul goes to heaven how can she play and be a young dog up there? Also there was concern that she may not be able to climb the beanstalk and get past the Giant on her way to God. That was interesting. How far up in the sky is heaven, if I climb the beanstalk and beat the Giant can I visit Corie, "mom I want to die and go to heaven to be with Corie" (ouch that one hurt my heart a little!), and the questions continued...is it the same heaven for pets and people, does God have magic powers, if he does why can't he make her better here. Truthfully I would have rathered discussed sex!

Thankfully the questions have subsided a bit and just are replaced by comments here and there about missing "Corlie". Maks would ask every morning where she was and Alek would say, "Maks, how many times do I have to tell you, Corlie is in heaven with God!"



So about a week after Alek's birthday, he lost his first tooth! So much for mommy to deal with, turning 5 and now his first tooth!! Too much too fast! Alek was very excited for the toothfairies arrival. I have never seen him go to bed so fast! He was extra excited to wake up to 5 dollars (3 ones and the rest quarters, made it seem like alot more money-thanks for the tip Kristen!) and the toothfairy also brought him a little spiderman transformer car, which he thought was extra cool-Awesome was the word!
Maks keeps wiggling his teeth in hopes of an early one falling out!!

Unfortunately we had some more bad news in way of dogs. Kaiser hadn't been eating which we thought was related to Corie. But it was not, he has cancer. We are not sure exactly what it is, and probably may not find out. He has a mediastinal mass (above the heart). It has caused some fluid around his lungs, but not enough to pull off and not enough to make him symptomatic. There are no metastases which is good. he is not himself, but still is playful, he is very picky with his eating and really has lost weight. So basically we are waiting for one more test to come back and we will just treat him for any symptoms. At his age we are not keen on going into his chest or putting him through any harsh treatments. To add salt to my wound, I found out most of this the night I picked up Corie's ashes. Just sucks, I cant believe this is happening. Thankfully the boys are good pick me ups and keep you very distracted!

Next up was the start of TBall. Alek was very excited. He loves it, although daddy should have stopped pitching to him and practiced with a Tee, because he was having problems hitting from the tee, he is used to daddy throwing to him. But he is doing great with it and loves going. It is a trip watching these little guys practice, they are so cute!! Poor Maks, he really wants to play too. Thankfully though he is now distracted as his gym class falls on the same night.
Amazing, how quickly we have gotten into the sports life!!! Bring on the spring nad hopefully Kaiser doing a little better or at least not getting too bad too quick! Hopefully that is all the drama we will have for awhile.

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Partying for Alek

Alek had his 5th birthday last week. It was the week of Alek for sure! On his birthday, March 4th, he requested his favorite dinner of ham, mac and cheese and broccholi. This was followed up but football ice cream cake and of course presents! The big hit was the remote control truck daddy bought him, though I think daddy has played with it the most!

That Saturday we had Alek's party. The night before was rough because it was the night we said good bye to Corie. Having Alek's party helped keep all of us distracted.
His party was at the Little Gym for 20 of his friends and family. They had a blast, it was very cute and the staff did a tremedous job given the varying age ranges and the wild, excited kiddos (especially mine)!
Afterwards family met us back at the house for dinner, more cake and more presents. It was a great day and Alek had a blast. He is loving his new toys and loves being 5!

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Rest in Peace Corie

Corie Jayne Harkins

April 3, 1997 - March 6, 2009

Corie was the best dog. She was with Kevin and I thru it all. We love her and miss so her so much but know she is at peace and no longer in pain.

Thanks to Cynthia for sending this poem:

FROM FRIEND TO FRIEND

You're giving me a special gift,

So sorrowfully endowed,

And through these last few cherished days,

Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing

When your best friend is in pain,

And understanding earthly acts

Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,

Beyond, into your soul, I see in you the magic, that will Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess, Is why I look to you today,

To do this thing that must be done, For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,

And chose you as my friend,

And why I've loved you all these years...My partner 'til the end.
Please, understand just what this gift,

You're giving, means to me, It gives me back the strength I've lost, And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,

For that is what friends do.

And know that what you do is right, For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,

And through your hand I feel,

The courage that's within you, To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,

Dear friend, and let me run, Once more a strong and steady dog,

My pain and struggle done.
And don't despair my passing,

For I won't be far away,

Forever here, within your heart,

And memory I'll stay.
I'll be there watching over you,

Your ever faithful friend,

And in your memories I'll run,...a young dog once again.

Happy 5th birthday Aleksandr!!

Wow, it seems so surreal that my little baby is now 5 and will be going to kindergarten. It just amazes us how fast it all went. I mean, the wait to become a parent seemed like an entire lifetime to and now it is just flying by.

Alek, you are such an amazing little man. I can't even begin to describe the joy, love and chaos you have brought into our lives. It is a daily adventure. Watching you grow from this tiny, underweight, pale little baby, to a tall, active, brillant, busy, coordinated and still skinny boy has been a dream. Even though you test our patience and sanity at times, we love you so much and are so blessed and grateful to be your parents. You made us a family, you were the miracle we prayed for and waited so long for. You are a wonderful big brother to Maks and it makes my heart smile to see how much he looks up to you and how much patience you have with him. I love that you are not only brothers you are true buddies.
While it makes mommy a little sad to see you growing so fast, we look forward to watching you move into this next amazing stage of your life.
So Happy 5th Birthday Aleksandr Smith, we are so proud of you and so happy to be your mom and dad!!

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Appointments and Registration

This week started with Maks finally getting into ENT. Thankfully he does not need his tonsils out. He doesn't have kissing tonsils and even though that one doesn't seem to want to get smaller, it hasn't affected his eating, breathing or swallowing. While he does snore he does not have any sleep apnea. So for now we are good. But, after examining him and taking into account his speech issues, they want him to get another audiology exam. So, I have that scheduled for mid March. His OT eval is March 9th so we had to rescheduled his IEP until everything is done, so we are looking towards the end of March for that.
Now I am just working on getting his dental surgery scheduled.
Maks is doing alot better on the potty training front. I can say he is poop trained and only goes on the potty for that, so that is wonderful. He does pretty good with the pee although definitely gets distracted and a bit lazy. So we have used Disney as an incentive. We are telling him that Mickey doesn't like the dirty diapers or pull ups in his park, so it seems to be working, he is doing well and getting excited. He is so proud of himself as well, which I love. He gets off the potty going, "I go Disney". he cracks me up!

This morning was a little emotional for me as I registered Alek for kindergarten, hard to believe my little skinny baby is now ready for kindergarten. he is so excited too, we pass his school everyday and he always asks me when he gets to go there. We had only one snafu, apparently his 3rd Hep B vaccination was done 3 days shy of his 6 month bday and it is supposed to be given at 6 months, so now I have an extra form for the doc to fill out stating he is properly vaccinated. SO annoying!

Last night as I am putting Alek to bed, he is chatting away (his normal stall tactic) and starts making up this song for me: "Mommy I love you from the earth to the sky to the moon to the sun and back and all the grass and clouds...." It was very cute. So after he is done, he says, "mom, maybe you can ask your boss if you can sing it at circle time". I said buddy we don't have circle time at work. He was confused and asked me well when does your boss read you books? I love it! I only wish work was like preschool, although somedays it sure can be. Then he asks me if we take naps. I said no, I wish. He says, " you are so lucky, I wish we didn't have to take naps". I kissed him good night and then Kevin went in to say good night, I heard Alek asking him the same thing-so funny! Can't picture the guys at Kevin's work sitting around for circle time!
Out of the mouths of babes!

Alek's 1st Flyers Game

Last saturday we took Alek to his first Flyers game. We had the great seats-8 rows from the ice right by the Flyers bench. Alek had a blast, he loved all the treats like popcorn and juice. Daddy and Mike treated him to his first cotton candy-YIKES, I noticed both his legs shaking a few minutes later. Mike bought him a Flyers hat too. The only thing he didn't like was the big loud horn when the Flyers scored.
Afterwards, we had guest passes to head downstairs, thanks to my high school friend Pete who is sports director for an NBC station in NJ.
SO we headed downstairs and crossed our fingers we would meet a player or two. We did get to see where the post game press conference was held, which was cool. Got to peek down the locker room hallway. We did get to meet Mark Eaton from the Pens who was very nice and laughed as Alek tried to hide behind him and play "you cant see me" game.
Then we got to meet a Flyer, Scotty Upshall, who was super nice and really great with Alek. It was very cool!! Pete also got a broken stick from one of the Pens and gave it to Alek. He thought that was the best. As we were leaving we walked past an NHL official and he called Alek over and gave him a puck! What a time he had for his very first game!! I hope he doesn't think this will happen at every hockey game!
What a great day it was and we are very thankful to Pete for making it extra special!

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Poem

I am borrowing this from Jenni's blog. This poem really spoke to me and I believe hits the nail on the head for all parents!

You cannot change the truth.
These are your children,
but they came from somewhere else
and they are the children of those places
and of those people as well.

Help them to know all about their past
and about their present.
Help them to know that they are from extended families,
that they only have one parent or set of parents,
but that they have more mothers and fathers.
They have grandmothers, godmothers, birthmothers, mother countries, mother earth.
They have grandfathers, godfathers, birthfathers and fatherlands.
They have family by birth and by adoption.
They have family by choice and by chance.


Childhood is short;
They are our children to raise;
they are our children to love;
and then they are citizens of the world.
What we do to them creates the world that we live in.
Give them life.
Give them their truth.
Give them love.
Give them all that they came with,
Give them all that they grow with.


Your children do not belong to you,
but they belong with you.
You cannot keep them from what is theirs, but you can keep loving them.
You do not own your children,
but they are your own.

(Found in the book The Family of Adoption by Joyce Maguire Pavao)

Maks and the IU

To continue on the Maks and the IU story, his education assessment was Friday. The woman was wonderful, she was so great with him. Now, I really didn't have any worries in terms of his learning and what he knows, but they offered the assessment, so I took it.
She said he was very bright. She was impressed given his background and history. He tested at 4 yr old level is alot of areas and 5 yr old level in a few, which she was amazed at. So I was happy to have that reinforced.
Of course, it is never that simple, but not unexpected. He has issues with his impulse control and attention, which we knew. He does good with re-direction, and one on one, but you could see where it could be a problem in his class. Thankfully, he also has a new preschool teacher who is fabulous and just what he needs, patient and FIRM.

Anyway, we discussed this issue and she really doesn't feel he needs a special ed teacher, but does want an OT eval for sensory issues, which we already knew. Though, she did make a point to say she wasn't truly worried about him, but lets get it done. So that should be scheduled in the next week or two.

We will have our IEP I believe the second week in March and then have our official gameplan for Maks. So stay tuned!

Carry me mom

Carry me, pick me up mom. Generallly a request I get daily from one of the boys and it is usally around bedtime and usually to go up the stairs. They are getting heavier and heavier and I am huffing and puffing by the time I get to the top of the stairs. The other night I was tired, my legs hurt already from the gym and I couldn't wait to climb into bed. Carry me mom. In my mind, I was thinking, uugghhh, are you kidding me and I was just about to say, no buddy, you are just getting too big. I hesitated. Those words saddened me, you are just getting too big. I don't want to be at that point where I can't pick up my guys and carry them, I am not ready for them to get big. It will be soon enough when they won't even ask anymore, what do I have with Alek, another 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. Is kindergarten too old to be carried upstairs by your mommy. When do I stop being mommy and mama and become mom or mommm (with the eyes rolling).
No matter how big they get, they are still my babies, so I pick them up and up we go.

Winding down the winter

Not a whole lot happening around here lately, which is a good thing! Everyone has been healthy and happy. The boys got a night at Grammom and Poppy's and as usual came home with even more Matchbox cars. They are both loving their classes at the Little Gym. Maks is doing really great in his, his attention and listening has improved so much the past 2 weeks, it is wonderful. Alek has become quite the gymnast. He is pretty amazing on the rings, his strength astounds me.
Preschool started a kindness board last week and Maks was one of the first on it. Apparently he helped clean up quickly and without asking.
His speech continues to improve, he has all the words, it is a matter of getting him to slow down and speak clear sentences as opposed to shortening everything to two or three words.
He has his education eval this Friday at the IU, so I am interested to see what that shows. ENT appt is next week so we will know if those tonsils need to come out and then I can start the coordination with dental.
Alek's front tooth is still loose, he can't wait for it to fall out. I have been polling friends on what the tooth fairy is doing these days, I can say I am in state of shock. I have heard anywhere from 10-25 dollars for the first tooth!!! Are you kidding me, what happened to the quarter under your bed? According to Alek you get money and a toy-I told him I didn't think so, that was too much for the tooth fairy to carry all over the place.
Valentines weekend we had my friend's daughters (13 and 9) for the weekend. I can say it was really nice having girls in the house. They were also a big help and the boys loved having them over. It was fun for me, to spend that time with the girls as well. It is still hard for me to believe that J (the 13 yo) will be in HS next year. I was there when she was born! She loves that story too, I had to tell it several times. E loved playing with the boys and chasing them all over.
Saturday we went to Giggleberry Fair. I premedicated with Motrin and off we went. Actually it was so much easier having those extra hands. I just manned the exit to the mountain room and watched the fun unfold. We had a great day together.
So, now just waiting for spring to show, have had enough of winter and I am ready for warmer weather. These boys need to be outside more with all this energy!!

This weekend, we have Flyers tickets and we are taking Alek to his first game. Hopefully he enjoys it, I am excited, the seats are great so he will be able to see everything. I am sure though, he will be asking me for popcorn right away.

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Fun at the dentist

Alek and Maks had their dental appt this morning. They love going to the dentist, this place is so kid friendly with lots to do and lots of fun toys and prizes afterwards, who wouldn't love it?

The first surprise, Alek has a loose tooth! Definitely wasn't expecting it, though the dentist said it wasn't uncommon for almost 5 yrs old to start. Wow, I guess the tooth fairy will be arriving at our house sooner than expected!

Maks has some enamel issues, most likely related to his prenatal history and unfortunately his 2 yr old molars which came in later, came in with cavities and some other issues which need repair. Poor kid, they said they would fix the teeth then cap them.





So now it is a matter of scheduling this. She said we have a 3 month window to fix this. My issue is he is seeing ENT at the end of the month and there is talk about removing tonsils, possibly adenoids. The dentist did say that they could possibly work together so he wouldn't only get the anesthesia once, which I hopeis the case. Now it just comes down to trying to organize all this. First thing is he has to go back to ped for a physical to clear him and I know there will also be a special meeting with the anesthesiologist due to his asthma. Poor Maks, he gets the short end of the stick, but he is a trooper!!

For now, they are content playing with their alien paratroopers and dinosaurs that they picked out at the dentist. I am off to start contacting doctors and surgeons....

IU update, great news!

So Maks speech eval at the IU was Friday. I went in armed and ready to help him continue services. Maks was in rare form that morning and definitely not focusing, which is an issue (but it also was for Alek at this age, so while we watch it, I haven't stressed over it). So he would answer a question or two, then climb over a chair, grab some toys, answer another question with prompting, walk away. I smiled inside as I saw her scribbling down additional notes.
After it was over, we chatted, she asked me my concerns which I gave her. One thing I found comical and frightening is she had no background info on him, despite all the paperwork I filled out on his history. She had no idea he was adopted from Russia, no idea his medical, prenatal and birth history.
As soon as I filled her in, she said they would continue speech (with a different therapist, thankfully), give us an education evaluation and OT since he has trouble focusing. SO I went in, worried they would take away speech and came out with extra! We are very happy, so we are waiting for him to get assigned a case worker. We have the education eval set up and his IEP will be in March.
I am excited and hopeful that by the end of the year we will see huge changes for Maks!!

Thanks to Amy for all her input, I appreciate being armed with the additional knowledge and lingo!

Toys only a father would buy

Kevin brought the boys home a surprise today, they both make noise, alot of noise. Of course the boys loved them! Took daddy about 15 minutes to realize how annoying they are, though I have to admit they are kind of cute.

It's my potty and I'll cry if I want to

Well, it is me crying. I want to be done with diapers and pull-ups, so this is my frustration vent. I know it will come when he is ready, I know he has alot to deal with his speech, but I get irriated every week when I am shell out money for two packs, one for home and one for school. I guess I am more frustrated because he was doing good, very good and then he stopped. It seemed to coincide with his moving to the preschool class and his frustration with his speech. SO I know he can do it.
He goes with everyone at school and does pretty decent during the day, but he still will stand there, tell you he doesn't have to go and pee or poop right in front of you, with his special smirk on his face, like here is a nice mess for ya mom!

Today he asked for underwear like Alek, so I said are you sure you are ready, you will use the potty. The first hour was good, I reminded him and he went twice and pooped on the potty, I made a huge deal, he was so excited and happy.
Second hour I reminded him and put him on the potty every 15 minutes.
I through a load of wash in, came up to put him back on the potty, he looked at me, smiled and the puddle formed in his pants, at least I caught it before it hit the rug.
I know I should have left him be and pulled out another pair of undies, so bad mommy mistake on my part, put him back in pull-ups.
I know what I am supposed to do, what I should do, I have read it all, I just need to vent every so often about it. Alek was very easy, so I think that is what makes it hard. Wish the tough one would have been first, then it would have been a pleasant surprise to have it go smoothly!

Well, hopefully it will come soon. He wants to go to camp with Alek this summer, they take 3 yr olds, but they have to be potty trained, I just worry June will roll around and we will still be in diapers and he will be devastated he can't go to camp.
Well back to the potty party...

Our karate kid

Alek has been taking a "karate" class at the Little Gym, called chopsticks. He loved it and had done so well and it was great seeing how well he was able to focus and listen as the weeks went on. I liked that it was not full on serious karate, but combined it with gymnastic activities and tai chi.

Thursday was show day and the kids showed off their catas and their tai chi routine. It was so cute. Alek was nervous and "a little shy" as he says perfoming in front of everyone (there was only 4 kids in the class, he was the youngest). Afterwards, they all got Olympic styled medals and got to stand up on the "medal stand" next to the torch and receive their medal. The teacher spoke about each child which was so nice. It was really neat and you could see how proud of himself Alek was. We were so proud of him. I loved seeing the concentration and excitement on his face throughout each class. It was a great experience.

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Next week he starts the sports class there and he was happy to hear Miss Gretchen will also teach that. Maks is also going to be taking his first class, by himself, a gymnastics class, I cannot wait to see that!!

Let it Snow

The weekend started out on a low key note, as Alek was still recovering from the eye injury, He was without pain but his eye was still a bit red and swollen, probably from him rubbing it.

By Sunday he was much better. Meanwhile Maks was working on a bit of a cough, just never ends!

Sunday brought the Eagles game and a little party at our house. We had fun, it was an exciting game, but in typical Philly fashion we blew it and lost. Oh, well at least we had the Phillies win this year and there is still hope for the Flyers? The party was fun, although Maks' cough led to him vomiting a little, probably the cough and God knows how much food he got into since all his favorites were out, shrimp, cheese, etc...

Monday Alek woke up screaming his eye hurt again and Maks sounded junky, he coughed and promptly vomited, not a good start to a day off! Gave Maks a nebulizer and some juice to break everything up which seemed to help alot. But we all took a nice long nap and woke up healthy, happy and refreshed and much to our surprise several inches of snow on the ground!

So once Kevin got home from work, we bundled up and headed out to sled. We have this wooded area at the end of our street and there is a great hill through the woods. Kevin tested it out to make a trail, sure he just wanted to sled! It was a great run and we were the only ones there. Alek wanted to take a little hike thru the woods, it was really beautiful, truly a winter wonderland!

We were cracking up as Maks could hardly move, he looked like little Randy from a Christmas Story and to top it off he kept yelling for Alek (Ralphie) to wait up! That boy cracks us up, he is such a ham!

It was a fun afternoon!

So, we settled in for the night, I got myself prepared and geared up for our meeting at the IU on Tuesday, I was ready to battle for my baby!

We wake up to 2 hour school delays and our meeting being cancelled. UUGGHH, I finally get a date there and a few inches of snow blows it! So we are rescheduled now for next week. I am not holding my breath.

Tuesday night we head to bed. I get a text from C saying that Keeley and Ry are both vomiting, are we sick. I say no, of course not, we NEVER get the GI stuff here, can't remember the last time we had anything like that. The last time Alek threw up he was a baby. Boy did I speak too soon!

I hear Alek moaning and crying, so I sleep with him, he keeps saying his belly hurts, so we head to the bathroom, next thing I know he is vomiting and freaking out. Those of you who know Alek well know he is a hold the breath crier when he is really upset. So he is throwing up, hysterical and holding his breath-that made me nervous! He said to me, "what is happening to me?" He had no idea. SO we settled down in bed, we had a few more small occurences, but he was so afraid to sleep, he made me leave the lights on, we laid there for hours. I know I only slept for around 1 1/2 hours last night and I am sure it was close to the same for him. I felt so bad, he was really freaked out by it.

Morning rolls around, I feel like I have been hit by a bus with the lack of sleep, he bounces awake and says, hey mom remember I frew up last night? I said yep I do, how do you feel, He said great and "I am going to get my dinosaur, I will be right back". SO as quickly as it arrived it left. Kevin came home from work, so I could head in for a while. I am beat. Cant wait for bedtime!!

So far so good, no one else is sick, KNOCK ON WOOD!!!

In other news, I got confirmation that both birthmothers picked up the holidays card we sent them and we also received a New years email card from Maks' birthgrandmother, we have been conversing via email, she is a very sweet woman and I am so glad to be in contact with her. She loves getting pictures of Maks and seeing how well he is doing. I am so glad she is able to watch him grow, even from afar.

Tomorrow is Alek's last karate class at the Little Gym, it is called show day, so we all get to go in and sit around the gym while they show us all they have learned and apparently we get to participate a little too!

I also ust signed Alek up for t-ball and scheduled our appt to register for kindergarten. This made me a little sad, it is hard for me to believe my baby is old enough for t-ball and kindergarten. Some days I wish I could just freeze time.

You'll poke your eye out

Well not quite, but who would have thought that shelling a peanut could lead to an eye injury? IN the Harkins household it apparently does. Thursday night Alek was enjoying a snack of peanuts, he loves the whole (just like his Pop) and loves to shell them. Next thing I know, Kevin is carrying him upstairs and he is screaming. He said something from the peanut got into his eye. He was freaking out big time. I flushed his eye and couldn't see anything. He kept rubbing it which I know was making it worse. We kept a cool compress on it and he finally feel asleep by 10:30. The minute he opened his eyes the next morning, he started screaming and crying again. I knew then that something was wrong. So we took Maks to school and Alek to the doctor. Here he had a small corneal abrasion! Needless to say our doc couldn't help but chuckle as this was a first. They are used to seeing peanuts stuck up noses or in ears, not this. So she gave us some antibiotic ointment for his eye and we were instructed to keep using the compress, because it kept him from blinking which is what irritates the eye. So Alek went home for the day with Kevin. He was also fighting off a cold, so he was draining from his eyes and nose.

That night I ran to get pizza, I got back at 6pm he out like a light. We didn't have the heart to wake him. He ended up sleeping until 7:15 this morning! He has gotten better as the day has gone on, his eye is still a little red and swollen, but no pain.

So take a lesson from us, beware of flying peanut shells, they could poke your eye out!

Last week, the boys attended a party for their cousin at Bounce U. They had a blast, bouncing around, sliding, playing games.

They also keep waiting for snow, our ever accurate forecasters predict it but it never comes. They boys continue to look longingly at their sleds and hope for snow. It did snow, we bundled up, ran around, played on the swingset and hoped for some more snow, but nothing more arrived and back in we went. Hopefully our sleds will get some good use this season even if we have to head to the Poconos to find the snow!

Next up, Eagles vs. Cardinals, NFC Championship!!!! We are bleeding green in this house. Party tomorrow here for the game, we are all excited!! I hope they can pull it off!

We are off for the holiday on Monday, so I am looking forward to a relaxing day with the kids.

Tuesday is Maks eval at the intermediate unit. I hope it goes well. He is doing good with his speech one on one, but has big issues in a group, especially in his class. I just hope and pray they continue to provide services, because he needs it!

Go EAGLES!!!!!

And so it continues..

Well after leaving 6 voicemails for 4 different people at the IU today, one person called me back wondering why I had not sent the consent form back in for his evaluation at school tomorrow. She said she didn't even know I left massages? Seriously, I cant believe how ridiculous this is. I told her they were not to evaluate without me present. I explained how upset I am over the lack of communication and the fact glowing reports come home from his therapist yet no one else notices any improvement since October. I asked it this was a ploy so they wouldn't have to pay for services? I felt bad going off, but I am irritated. It shouldn't have to be this complicated!
So, now we are set up for the full eval at the IU next Tuesday, with everyone, including myself present. I am happy for the moment, but still skeptical. We will see, bottom line is he needs continued services for speech and he will get them, whether it is through the IU or privately.

On happier news, we booked a family trip to Florida for the end of March! Yes, I am getting Kevin to Disney!! Well, we are actually going to Clearwater to watch the Phillies take on the Yankees during spring training and then we will also head over to the Magic Kingdom for a day. I cannot wait to see the boys reactions when they see their favorite characters live and in person--so exciting!!
Our hotel is right on the beach with lots of activities for the kids. I was just checking out Busch Gardens too (thanks Kristen for the tip) and it looks like Alek will love the jungle animal attractions and Kevin will love the "Busch" attractions! I love having a warm weather escape to look forward to, helps makes the winter seem a little less dreary!

Irritated

You would think it should be easy to get kids services they need, after all don't we want to get them started off well and ontrack before school? I wish someone could explain to me why the Intermediate Unit which we transferred to in October when Maks turned 3, seems to want to say he is fine and not cover his speech anymore? Yes he has made improvement since January 08, but he has stalled since transferring from the EI to the IU. Meanwhile the speech therapist writes up these glowing reports and we (including his teachers at school) are left scratching our heads? It is easy to see with maks' behavior that he gets frustrated and then acts out. Now that he moved up to the preschool class, he is having a hard time socially because many of the kids can't understand him, yet IU thinks this is perfectly fine and it will all work itself out before kindergarten, can I have that in writing please?
I know it all comes down to money, but I wish they would just say it instead of coming up with ways to make him sound perfectly fine.
So I am still calling and trying to get this IEP together for him (they want to just send someone to school, no reason for me to be there)-I don't think so! I have left messages and a number to call me during the day, yet they do call back at my home number seemingly on purpose so that don't actually have to speak with me! It is driving me NUTS!!!!
Thankfully our insurance does cover 60 speech visits, so I have that to fall back on. In the meantime, while I wait for the IU to get their act together, I have follow-up appts with ENT (for his tonsil) and another audiology assessment, just to make sure we are not missing anything physical right now. I will also set up another speech assessment at CHOP to see what they think now.
Working with early intervention was a dream, they were so wonderful, so why does the IU have to be so difficult?!?!
Okay, I feel better now that I have vented, now if only I could speak to a real person over there-wonder what would happen if I just drove over during my lunch hour.....

Welcome 2009

Here’s to the new year...

May it bring more joy and success

And less grief and regret.

To our dreams...

May we never stop believing in them

And taking the actions that will make them a reality.

To our friends, loved ones...

May we take the time to let them know

How much it means to us

To have them in our lives.

Let us encourage more and criticize less,

Give more and need less.

And whenever we can,

Let us create harmony and peace.

To new beginnings...

Let us start fresh, right now,

To make this the very best year ever.
A very Happy New Year to all of us!
(By Joanna Fuchs)