Waaaaaaaaa

Summers coming to an end!!!
That is me crying, not the kids. I love my summers. I love the warmth (not the excessive heat), but the sunshine on my skin, sitting by the pool watching the kids play, my toes digging the sand while the waves roll in. I love watching the boys run all over the beach, searching for treasures, I love watching them play in the water, even when it turns into a battle and I love watching their faces when daddy throws them high in the air over the water.I love the cooler evenings and watching them look for fireflies, I love reading my book while they splash around in the hot tub-though that is usually short lived as a fight breaks out to ruin it all!
I just love that laid back feeling that comes with summer, I love that this summer there was an adventure almost every weekend. We lived life to the fullest this summer which is exactly what I wanted.
I feel so many times that this is all just going to fast and slipping away from me. Alek and Maks are looking more like older boys and less like my little babies. I just want to soak it all in and store it away for future memory when they are teenagers and I will be counting the days til they leave for college!

We continued our summer fun with another trip to Knoebels with Alek's friend X and his family. We had a great time. It was much more crowded this time there, but the kids enjoyed all the rides. Maks was still permanently scarred from the rollercoaster ride during our last trip, so he avoided any fast rides. After the park we found our hotel and checked in. We had a great dinner at a place called Quaker Steak and Lube--I know, crazy name. But the food was yummy, total car racing atmosphere and the kids food came out in baskets shaped like race cars. We headed back to the hotel, were the kids decided to attack kevin and a wrestling match ensued. Eventually we got some good sleep. We woke up to crazy rain the next morning. We all headed to Cracker Barrel for a yummy breakfast and then began the jouney home. The kids had a blast together and we enjoyed hanging with X's parents. It was a lot of fun.


Alek had a doctor's appt for school physical. He is now 48.3 inches and 48 pounds--finally some weight gain for him! He is now missing 4 teeth across the top part of his mouth, so he truly looks like a 1st grader. The tooth fairy was busy at our house this summer. Maks keeps wiggling his teeth, hoping something will happen. He just wants to be like his big brother.
Maks restarted speech after their summer break. Thank goodness, all the progress that was made on his volume went out the window recently. You need ear plugs to talk to this child sometimes!

Last weekend we enjoyed a pool party at X's family's place. The kids had a blast and so did the moms. We made a big whirlpool for thekids, it was great exercise. After that X came home with us for a first sleepover. The boys all did great, they even included Maks for the most part. There were a few battles, but less then anticipated.
They played in the hot tub, played with rescue hero's, played with dinosaurs, played Wii, decorated cookies with me, played DS, got in their jammies and watched a movie. Bedtime went well, I think they were so exhausted from all the swimming, I only heard giggling in Alek's room for about 15 min before they all passed out. I know they are plotting the next sleepover!

So as summer winds down this week, we get ready to head back to school. Alek decided on an Iron man back pack and lunch box. Maks went for the Cars backpack and a football lunch box. I take them each separately to shop, just some special alone time with mom. As we are walking through Kohl's, Maks calls out to me, I turn around and there he is holding a bra. He says, "look mom, boobie thingy's". Needless to say it was crowded so lots of people turned and looked for the that comment. I hussled us out of there. God love em!

Friday brings Alek's last day at LL. He has been there since he was 15 months old. It is the end of an era. All of his buddies will be saying good bye as they head off to 1st grade. I am filled with lots of emotions over this. So excited to see him headed off into this new adventure, but sad over the loss of that time of his childhood. He loved LL, especially Miss S, Miss B and Miss (squish you like a bug) J.

Maks will be starting in the kindergarten class, we are referring to this as kindergarten Year 1. It will be interesting and fun to see how he does. he is very excited for school and learning. He is doing so well with his letter recognition and number recognition. He is always pointing out numbers where ever we are.

So, we will be heading down to Pop and Noni's beach house to say good bye to summer. Hurricane Earl will be moving out so we can have a great weekend. The boys are excited to hang with their cousins, J and R, and play on the beach.

It will be fun to have one more campfire on the beach and toast this amazing summer.

Are there monkeys above the artic circle?

Well there were, but now they reside in PA and NY! Two little monkeys from the same baby home in Murmansk, finally meet and their similarities are crazy!
Maks finally met A, of Slink's Thinks fame. We always thought they had alot in common, but it was even more obvious in person.

A and her mom traveled down from NY, so it seemed like the perfect time for a playdate. L and her two gorgeous kiddos, (G-from Ekat and T-from Kirov--where Alek started his life) were able to come play as well. We had all known each other from blogging, email, adoption boards, etc.. so it was great to finally meet in person and have the kiddos all meet.

I picked S and A up at the train station and well, lets just say that was one insane car ride, A sandwiched between Alek and Maks, it was hysterical. They were playing around like they knew each other forever--it was NOISEY!!

We went to a park in Phoenixville and met L and her crew there. The kids played great together, it was alot of fun to watch. Alek was not himself, though, not as energetic as normal, he seems to be fighting something off? But none the less, he played baseball with G, who is an absolute sports nut and athlete! Maks joined in a bit while A and T did the girlie thing playing with the dolls and strollers. Soon though A was climbing as high as Maks, hanging upside down, climbing up the outside of the slide--she is one adventurous little lady--she doesn't have the nickname Monkey for no reason! T is soo cute, with gorgeous blond hair, she is a total girlie girl, I love it--it is so different from my world.

It was great hanging with S and L, comparing notes, sharing experiences, just being with the actual people behind the words and pictures we have come to known throughout the past couple years.
It is really cool to know our kids came from the same country, half a world away and now live in the same area and can get together and play like they have always known each other. I can definitely say there was no real shyness going on with this group!

I was definitely most amazed with the similarities of Maks and A--I mean we always knew they seemed alot alike, but together you really see it. Both are devlish little monkeys--cut from the same cloth. It was wild!

It was a great day and one I hope repeats itself soon!!

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First time ever

we saw your face.
August 18, 2006

Then...


Now....
August 2010

6

6 Years ago we became a family. You have come a long way baby! It has been such a blast watching you grow. You are an amazing, smart, curious, adventurous, loving, funny, handsome little man. We are so proud to have you call us mom and dad. Happy Family Day Aleksandr, we love you!Court in Kirov
August 16, 2004
In Moscow
August 17, 2004

July 2010

Headed to 1st grade!

The funnies

I generally try to jot down the funny things the boys say. I just want to remember those little moments forever. Many of the comments come at a time when I need to be serious with them, it takes all of my being not to crack up.
They make my life so interesting!

Here are a few the latest:

Upon listening to Maks ramble on, non stop for 25 minutes in the car, Alek says, “I liked him better when he couldn’t talk”.

Upon telling Alek that “God only knows where your Bakugan’s are”, he says, well how can we ask God to tell us their location.

Me: Maks do not climb up the outside of the stairs”, Maks: “I be careful”, crash, bang, Maks: “I ok, I ok mom”.

Maks upon trying to pour his own syrup, “I do it myself, I wont spill”, all the syrup spills on the table, Maks: Sorry mom, I will lick it all up.

Upon telling Alek he did a great job following the directions for the Bendaroos. He says, yes, I am good at directions, that is all I need to follow directions, I just need direction mom.

Maks trying to convince a little boy who is black that he really is asian. The boy was not happy with him. Maks continuing to tell the little boy he can’t be Alek’s best friend because he is.

Telling Maks and Alek that they will be having a babysitter tonight, Maks says, when is the baby coming out of your belly? I ask him what he means, he says, the baby in your belly that Miss Jessie is coming to watch.

Maks at water park looking this little boy up and down, I am worried about what he is going to say. He says, what is that in your ear? The boys says it is an earring. Maks says, but you not a girl. The boy says, well boys can wear earrings too. Maks says, not they don’t and the boy says, well where I come from they do and Maks says, well where I live they don’t. Fascinating conversation.

Upon reprimanding Alek for smacking Maks, he explains, but mom, sometimes uuhhhh he just frustrates me so much, well, well, my hands they just think for themselves and I can’t control it.

Finding Maks climbing and hanging on furniture at beach house, Maks how many times have I told you you are not allowed to do that. Maks: 200 times mom.

I hear Alek yelling for Maks to come to the bathroom, Maky, maky, you have got to see this!! I follow close behind unsure of what I will find. Alek says to Maks, you wont believe the size of my poop it takes up the whole toilet, check it out! Maks says, wow Alek that’s cool, can I try? I removed them from the bathroom.

Upon finding Maks shoving a lego up his nose, he explains that Alek told him if he did it he would give him a matchbox car. I shudder to think of what other dares are to come.

Maks constantly asking me when he is a teenager can he have a motorcycle.

Alek informing me he wants to marry me and Keke, and Annabelle and Isabelle and Hannah and we will all live together here in this house forever and he adds it will be nice that I will be there to read books to them at night. I love the innocence of childhood!

Maks telling me that when he is a teenager he is getting a motorcycle and a monster truck and will give me a ride. I wonder if this is just a glimpse into teenage life with Maks. God I hope not!


They are so fascinating to me, never a dull moment for sure!

Warp speed

I think somedays, more then others it hits me how fast childhood goes.

It’s the little things, like Maks going to the bathroom and not really needing or wanting help from me anymore. I mean I was excited to get him out of pull-ups and now I realize I wont ever be buying pull-ups again.

Alek reading to me and using bigger words in his vocabulary then I do, or when I go to explain something in a book, he says with exasperation, mom I knowwww..
Things like watching them cut up their own food, dress themselves, including little buttons (I was at least still good for that..)

I can't help but wonder how soon will it be, that Alek will be embarassed if I try to hug or kiss him in front of his friends. When will they stop waving and signing "I love you" at the window at school. When will they stop running excitedly to see me everyday?

Watching them this past weekend at the beach with my friends and their kiddos, I think just hit me on how big they are and how quickly that happened. I was looking at my friend Jen's daughter, J, who is now 15, in full fledged teenage mode and yet I still look at her like she was as this cute little toddler. I was there for her birth, we still laugh about that story, I watched her grow and now she is a teenager?!
It is hard not to think before I know it the boys will be 15.

I know our family is complete, but somedays it is hard to let go of the fact I wont be mom to a new baby or toddler. Kevin wants me to pack up the crib that remains in Maks' room and sell it. I can't bring myself to do it yet. I keep saying it is for when Makenzie is over, but it is just an excuse. I can't let go.

This all makes me think of a quote from Jodi Piccoult's book, My Sister's Keeper.
Brian, the father, says,
"They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them".

In a few short weeks Alek will start 1st grade and Maks will start private kindergarten.
6 years ago this week we were in Russia becoming a family.
4 years ago this week we saw Maks face for the first time in an email.

I remember as a kid wanting to speed everything up, you can't wait for this, you want X to get here quickly, you want to be older….my kids are like this now….they want everything in fast forward or hyperspeed.

I am just trying to figure out how to hit the pause button for a little while.

Going Private

I will be making this blog private within the week.
Please email me at Kevkrishark@aol.com if you would like an invite to read.
Friends and family you will automatically get an email invite, so no need to write me.

Thanks!!

Jam Packed Summer Fun!

I can't believe it has been a month since I last sat down to write. We have jammed alot into the summer already with more fun still to come.

The kids and I took a fun road trip with Jen and her girls out to see our good friend MK in Ohio,

We rented a minivan and were on our way, sadly, my DVD player died an hour into the trip.

We drove half way and stayed over and made the rest of the journey the next day.

Frequently heard on our drive by Maks: "How long is this gonna take, I hate this car, are we almost there, I hate this car, I want to be at hotel, I hate this car."

It made for an interesting 8 hr drive!

We had a blast in Ohio, visiting MK and her two youngest, and meeting her new grandson. Wow, so hard to believe i have a friend who is a grandma! We played at the pool, cooked out, jammed in the garage, with Mike's instruments-the kids thought that was super cool. Maks is definitely going to be a drummer. We saw Toy Story 3 and I bawled at the end. What a great movie!

We wrapped up our visit by going to the Toledo Zoo. It was a blast, what a really nice zoo.

The biggest hit for my boys: the elephant taking a big dump right in front of us. All the boys in the crowd were impressed with that. Maks stated: the poop is as big as Alek's head. Nice!

It was so great just hanging out with Jen and MK, sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were all working at Buster Brown with MK as our boss! Amazing how fast 24 yrs goes!

Next up was an overnight trip to Knoebels Amusement Park. It is a great old fashioned park in central PA. You still buy tickets per ride, and it is so reasonable. It also has a campground, but definitely not for me as long as I can help it. Thankfully we were going with Rach and Megs, and they are all about the hotel, just like me.

The kids had a blast at the park. Both wanted to go on a rollercoaster right away, probably not one of my brightest mom moments, but I agreed. Alek being as skinny as is, I had to hold him in the seat the whole time, so stressful! he kept asking when it would be over. Maks sats with Megs and had no expression whatso ever on his face the whole ride. When asked if he liked it, he said yes, when asked if he wanted to go again, he said, no way. He avoided any thrill ride the rest of the day.
The pool at the park was a big hit, Alek loved the water slide with Megs, Maks just wanted to go off the diving board. Maks was thrilled to be going off the board and Alek ran right over to the high dive and jumped. Gave me a heart attack, but he loved it.

It was a great time and we look forward to a return trip in August with Alek's buddy and his family, though I am sad to report, it appears I will have to camp for the night. But the good news is, apparently there is electric hook up, so I will being my fan and an air mattress!

July 4th weekend was spent at the beach at Pop and Noni's. It was alot of fun as always. Weather was great, lots of fun in the sand and in the water. The street celebrated saturday night, so we all had campfires and we sat in between two groups duking out with their fireworks. Alek said the guys on the left of us won, I have to agree. Nothing like sitting on the beach with a campfire, watching the sunset, having some beers and eating smores. The kids entertained us with their dancing and antics. Another great holiday weekend!

In between all of this, we have been going to the pool. Both boys passed their tests and are allowed on the water slide. Maks finally was coaxed into taking it and he passed easily. Now he loves to hit the water slide and diving board. They are both little fish.

We've enjoyed cookouts and get togethers with friends and look forward to more as the summer winds down.

We took our vacation week at Pop and Noni's house while they are away. The first weekend started out disgustingly hot, pretty much not wanting to stay outside for too long. The M's came down for the weekend and we had a good time despite the nasty heat. We enjoyed a great dinner in Lewes at the marina and did a little shopping at the outlets.

Monday brought gorgeous weather all week. We were able to turn off the air and enjoy the breeze from the bay.

The water was perfect. We hit the boardwalk in Rehoboth and enjoyed a great dinner in Dewey.

We spent most of time lounging at the beach, playing in the water and eating great dinners.

Thursday we took the boys on a pirate cruise out of Lewes. It was a blast! What a great job this company did, I highly recommend it. As soon as you arrive, they give the kids eye patches and swords (plastic ones) and dress them up as pirates. Then they get a little face painting. Once all the pirates are ready, they have to take the pirate pledge.

The crew then leads the kids to the ship, the parents are mere spectators on this journey.

Once aboard they have their map to find the buried treasure. They use the map to spot things like crabs and mermaids which are posted all along the canal. Once out in the bay, they are "attacked" by a rogue pirate on a motorized raft with a big water gun. The kids can fight back with the water cannons on the sides of the ship. It was hysterical. Alek was totally into that part. Maks was none too happy getting sprayed, so he hung back and watched. Soon after they defeat the pirate, they find their bouy and bring up the treasure chest. Each pirate gets a goody bag full of fun stuff to bring home. On the way back in they are once again challenged to a battle by the pirate. After beating him once again, they wrap it all up with a limbo dance. Maks was voted best limbo by the one pirate so he received some extra gold coins. It was loads of fun and the boys are already begging to do this again!

After that we drove down to Delaware Seashore park for some fun in the ocean. The waves were a bit rough, but Alek was loving it. I forgot my whole beach bag so we were minus towels, but I improvised with the sweatshirts I had in the back of the car. We stayed there for a bit enjoying the ocean and then packed it up when the skies looked threatening. We drove down the coast a bit further through Bethany into Fenwick and had a great lunch on a marina at an Irish pub/raw bar.

It was definitely a great day and we were all beat by the time we arrived back at the beach house.

Friday and saturday were spent lounging around and enjoying the sun. SO hard to get back on track, we were all sleeping in every morning, including Maks who was sleeping past 8. Alek was in bed until 9:30 most mornings. Going to be hard to get back on track this week!

The boys and I are headed back to the beach this weekend with friends and we have some more adventures to look forward to including Camel Beach Water Park and Knoebels.

The summer is flying by as usual but we are packing in as much fun as we can!

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The Graduate

Well, this was surely the LONGEST school year ever, thanks to our extra spring break, err, strike, but it is finally over! What an amazing year it was for Alek and so special for us to watch how much he progressed.
Our worries and concerns for his kindergarten year were unwarranted. He did great and truly surprised us both.
Alek loved going to school each day and that was due to two wonderful teachers at LL and GS.
They embodied what kindergarten is all about, having fun while learning and fostering a love of learning and school.
It is amazing to see how well he writes and reads now. I just love having him read me stories at night now. We received his kid writing journal from the year and it was just wild to see the few words from September to mini stories in May. Such little sponges they are!

He had his graduation ceremony at LL on June 17th. Pop, Granny, LaLa, Krissy, and Megs were able to join us and he was so excited to see his fan club! The tears welled up in my eyes as Pomp and Circumstance began to play and these sweet little angels paraded in wearing their white caps and gowns. SO hard to believe he started at LL when he was 15 months old!
It was a sweet ceremony and I tried very hard not to completely break down. My sweet baby is growing too fast, I just feel like I will blink and he will be graduating high school!
The ceremony was followed up with a pizza lunch and desserts. It was a great time. Maks was cracking us up as usual, shoveling in the desserts, using the coat racks like monkey bars. As we were all walking to our cars, Maks was headed to the playground with his class and we heard him tell his teacher, "hey, there are my people". He is a piece of work!!

Afterwards, Kevin, Megs and I headed to Alek's other school for the letter parade which is the kindergarten's rite of passage. Alek was assigned the letter E and we had to come up with a sentence and "costume" to match. So, it went like this: Eddie the elephant was eating enormous eggs with an excellent Eagle while an educate eel evaluated his eight eggplants.
I have to say, I was very proud of Alek and I and our props. This was a big deal for a non creative mom like myself!
Half the school came to watch (as the other half went to the morning kindergarten's class). The kids all did so well and then we got an extra treat of a couple songs at the end. It was so cute! I loved it and it was really neat to see the 6th graders cheering on the little ones.
What a great morning it was for us. We were so proud of Alek!!

That evening Alek and I headed over to see "Maks favorite cousin" Kait graduate high school!
Alek borrowed his cap and gown, so he could get some pics with Kait in hers. They turned out great, very extra special they shared this graduation day!
Alek went to the ceremony with me, what a beautiful night. So happy and proud of Kait and we know she will do so well as she continues her education at PSU!!

Congrats to our special grads!! What a great day it was!
Now, bring on the summer fun......

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The Best Dad Ever

Happy Father's Day!!!

You are the best dad ever!

Alek says: Thanks for throwing me lots of pop-ups and playing baseball with me and for my baseball cards.

Maks says: Thanks for wrestling with me and chasing me, I tackle you Dad!!

Even though we are not with you today, we love you very much and miss you very much!!

We hope you are enjoying your weekend and we can't wait to see you Tuesday!!

Love you!!!!

Kickin and hitting it into the holiday

Spring sports were in high gear and we were a busy sporting family! Soccer, baseball and hockey filled our weeks and weekends.

Maks wrapped up his 1st intramural season of soccer. He had a lot of fun and can't wait for fall season to start.

On the last day they played a couple mini games which is so comical. tackle soccer for 4 yr olds!

Maks would get so mad if someone took the ball away from him. He did score a couple goals, so he was extremely impressed with himself.

Best if all, they gave medals to the kids. Maks finally had a soccer medal just like his brother. He was stoked! He wore that medal for days, even to school. He slept with it as well.

Maks loves his soccer. He is still asking me for tennis and I am having a hard time finding something for his age. The search continues.

Baseball continues for Alek. It has been really cool watching how much the team has improved and how much they are really learning the ins and outs of the game.

After Alek went to the Phillies games and got his baseball cards, something in him changed. He got superfocused on baseball. He loves to practice, always wants daddy to throw him pops up and practice catching and hitting. He loves it. He watches games on TV more and wants to play 1st base like Ryan Howard. It is a blast to watch this unfold.

His play has improved so much and he seems to get a hit each time at bat now. He is really proud of himself and we love seeing how much fun he is having.

His first hockey lessons wrapped up and he was promoted to hockey 2. So we have a 3 week break, thank God and then he starts the next level of lessons. Seems like he will be in his first actual league come the fall. Oh boy, I am surely not ready for this. Hockey mom, baseball mom, soccer mom. A mom of many hats!

We have been enjoying the Flyers suprise run in the Stanely Cup playoffs and are hoping for another miracle on ice!!

We made our first visit to the pool and Alek wanted so badly to go on the waterslide and diving boards, but first he had to pass his water test. He swam the full length of the pool to pass. He was thrilled and got his band to gain access to any part of the pool. He loved the water slide and was a little too daring on the diving boards for me. Maks has informed me he will pass his test when he turns 5. He loves hanging in the middle sized pool and jumping in.
We are looking forward to lots of fun at the pool this summer.

Memorial Day rolled around and we headed to JoJo's for the annual parade, races and picnic.

This was the first Memorial Day without PopPop, we know how much he enjoyed this day, especially the parade.

So his special chair was set on the hill with his hat and flag. We knew he was there watching!

The parade was great and the kids had a blast with each candy scramble. It was fun watching them watch the parade, dancing to music, waving and saluting the veterans.
Next it was time to head up to the field for more fun. Alek was pumped for the running races.
Maks ran this year. It was pretty funny. LaLa and I were standing at the end, telling him to run straight towards us. As he was running he kept looking at other kids and realized he was not heading directly towards us which was fine, but he hooked a sharp left to run to us and he he still won! He really didn't understand it all, which is what made it so funny. He was extra thrilled with his prize of Buzz Lightyear and the little dog from ToyStory.
Next up was Alek, who is ultracompetitive. He wanted to win so much, we just kept reminding him it was fun and just have fun and do your best. He came in 3rd, they only give prizes for 1st and 2nd, he was so sad. Sometimes I wish he wasnt so competitive, I hate seeing him bummed.
But Maks being the sweet brother he is, gave Alek Buzz to play with and all was well.
Next up was the bouncy slide and maze, they had a blast. It was topped off by getting soaked by the firehoses which felt great on such a hot day.
Back to JoJo's for more fun and great food! Dinner was fabulous as always and we enjoyed celebrating Jakey's birthday.
It was another fun holiday and our unofficial start of summer. Sadly due to our past teacher's strike, Alek will be in school until 6/29. But we are looking forward to lots of summer fun at the pool and the beach!









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Mother's Day

Me and my little men, Mother's Day 2010!

Me and my mommy

Celebrated with yearly family gathering at our house. Beautiful day, wonderful handmade cards from the boys, little flower pots handpainted with the mystery seeds inside and a beautiful new rose bush for my present.

Slept in, snugged and watched cartoons with my boys.

Fabulous Mother's Day, I am so lucky!

My first..Aleksandr

Continuing my tribute to the special little men who made me a mom....

Aleksandr, Alek, Bud, Pal, Big Guy, Little man, My Smush, CutiePatootie (although apparently only TT can call him this now), and LoveBug.

Alek, our first, the little drooly faced, bald headed, bright eyed wonder who made my dreams of motherhood come true.
It was a rollercoaster ride for us filled with crashing lows and an amazing high the moment he was placed in my arms. What a fascinating little creature. Only 5 months old, he came by car, 2 hours away to meet us in Kirov. He was brought into a room filled with anxiously awaiting parents all holding their breaths as children and caretakers came through the door. We heard the name Gubin, Gubin--oh, that was us, that was our little boy! Here we were half a world away from home and meeting our child for the first time. It is so hard to put that feeling into words. It was very surreal. I remember the feelings of caution and wanting to evaluate him as a nurse went right out the window. One look into those bright blue eyes, we were hooked. I remember him staring back at us with this quizical look and a hint of a smile and then the cries and tears came. I guess he realized he was scared, tired and hungry. His cries started an outbreak in the room. Alek received his bottle and promptly fell asleep in my arms. My first time feeding my child and getting him to sleep. It was the greatest feeling in the world.

What a brave little man he was. I can only imagine the confusion of his life those couple weeks. Long car rides for him to Kirov, people talking to him in a funny language. Being handed over in the dead of night on a train from Kirov to Moscow. How scarey it must have been for him. Those first hours of just the 3 of us in our train compartment were amazing. It was like a dream for us, but his poor little body was so stressed from all the changes and then the long travel home. Alek amazed us at how quickly he just melted into our family. Alek was such a resilient little soul, who was poked and proded and scanned all to figure out a reason for his small head circumference, all the while seeming to tell us, just chill out people, I am fine. Watch me roll over, watch me crawl, watch me walk. I am good, no worries mom!

He amazed us each day. I loved him falling asleep on my chest with his butt up in the air and his little hand wrapped around my finger. I loved watching his eyes flicker in excitement over anything new. Soon it was like he had always been a part of our lives. We quickly forgot what life was like before him.

Alek has taught me so much. He was and still is always on the move. He is curious and insightful. He tests his boundaries and limits and his body and my nerves. He loves any physical activity. He loves sports. Baseball and hockey are his favorites. He picks things up quickly, he wants to be the first and the fastest. Just try slowing him down. He gets revved up and overstimulated easy which drives us insane, but he has quickly learned how to settle down and redeem himself. He loves music, especially dance parties with mommy and Maks and rocking out with daddy in the car.

Alek loves to learn, he is fascinated by anything new. He is always asking questions. He is a sponge. Alek loves to read. It blows my mind that he is reading to me now. He loves to write, but struggles with wanting it to be perfect. He does not like to make mistakes.
He loves exploring the creek, the woods, digging in the dirt for critters to take care of and save. He loves the beach. He can spend hours looking for perfect rocks and shells. Alek loves to swim, ride his scooter, swing higher and faster then Maks and then jump off the swing making my heart skip a beat.
He has such a great heart, he is a good friend, his teachers say he always helps others and includes everyone in his play.

He is an amazing big brother. I am convinced he the reason Maks' transition was easier then we thought it would be. Though he plays the typical big bro with teasing and fighting, you can tell how much he loves his little brother and he would do anything for him.

Alek melts my heart with his phrases, "Mommy, you're my sweetie, Mom you are beautiful, You are my gal, You are the best mommy in the world, I love my family, mom-You are the cutiePatootie".
I am so proud to be his mom. Such an amazing soul who keeps our lives filled with happiness and laughter. It is a priviledge to watch him grow. Alek was the answer to our prayers for a child, our little dream come true.

My Maks

In honor of Mother's Day I want to pay tribute to these amazing little creatures who have made me a mama.

Maks-Joseph, Maks, Maky, Makadoo, Makadoodle, Makaroni, our Mak-attack..

This kid is amazing. I admire him so much. I think of that first visit in Murmansk, when he was pale, sick, and scared, yet him let us hold him, he started to open himself up to us. What a brave little man. What a brave and amazing little soul, who left all he ever knew (not by choice) and travel thousands of miles away to a new home with people who were complete strangers. Despite having to spend a week in the hosptial with a woman who he barely knew, he was brave and he fought and he allowed himself to be loved and to eventually love us. It still amazes me how resilient he was and still is. It brings tears to my eyes when I put myself in his shoes and imagine all he was feeling and how scarey it must have all been for him. While he clung to Kevin quickly, he took his time with me. It was hard for me, who was used to being the mama bear to Alek and Alek always running to me first. I love having mama's boys. I look back during Maks' first surgical procedure when post op he wanted no parts of me, I tried all my tricks to soothe him, but he only settled once he was in daddy's arms. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, in recovery after surgery, he only wanted mommy and settled in my arms. I made it all better. I am mom.

I love his resilence, his fight, his stubborness, his curiosity, his laugh, his giggle and his smile. His face will light up your day, his glare will leave you shaking. His laugh is contagious and his smile wil melt your heart. In seconds he can have you laughing only to have tp send him to time-out. He knows how to push all your buttons, yet can wrap you around his little finger.

He had the greatest, raspiest, deep voice and now he has this high pitched voice, it just sounds so foreign and silly to me. I miss his voice.

I love how everyday he says, Mom, you're my best. He loves high fives, fist pump fireworks, hugs and kisses. He always says, Mom, can I kiss your cheek?

He loves riding his bike and his scooter. He loves puzzles and legos and Matchbox cars. He loves superheros and monsters. He loves swinging as high as he can and rolling down grassy hills. He loves digging in the dirt, finding worms and bugs and feeding them to the fish.

He loves the beach, the water, the sand. He loves his family and his friends. He loves life.

Maks is an amazing little man, who I am so blessed and grateful to have call me mommy.