August 2009

Happy August everyone!

Happy except the daycare drama continues. We tried a temporary home daycare setting which fizzled out after 2 days. Berik did not like it and was showing out to prove it. The lady was very nice but not stern enough for him.
We had him evaluated though the local school system and they said that he was gifted and talented. Of course you know that he didn't act out once and entertained the two women the whole time he was there.
The had him draw a person on the dry erase board. Wait? Draw? Oh yeah, he drew for them. A big circle, with 2 dots for eyes, a nose, a big smile and ears! They then asked him to draw some hair, at which time he did, drawing it right on top of the person's head and a little on both sides. They said that usually children his age don't touch the hair to the head but since he did he showed advanced for that area. ?? Never heard of that one but ok. I however have never seen him or been able to get him to draw me anything so I was loving that part. They found him to be charming, claiming that they thought he was just bored, possibly needing some more structure in his school day.

His nosebleeds continue 2-3X a month and he still doesn't sleep soundly. We had the pediatrician take a looksy but still nothing conclusive. She says just give him time to mature and love him. Well we finally found a place for B but since it didn't start until mid August,we will continue the rounds of babysitters and odd work hours for us, in an effort not to have to hire someone full time.

Unlike the first daycare, we like the director, she assures us that they can handle him and that she has years of experience with the most difficult kids. So that is refreshing! The facility has lots of things for the kids to do, so now instead of being under=stimulated he will likely be over stimulated, only time shall tell. We are not so sure about the teacher, she seems nice enough but it is like she "knows it all" and that isn't going to fly with us. He has only been in for one week now and he is still adjusting. Somethings are new and exciting to him so he goes for it but he doesn't want to switch activities very well. With his marginally good behavior, we are probably just in the honeymoon phase.

Wearing regular undies is working well and he is very very good about telling us, and everybody around him, that he has "to go". He has always loved the echo in the public bathrooms and is now using that to his advantage to boast about is pottying skills. Each time we go potty, he says, in his huge blaring voice, "I AM GOING PEE PEE, MOMMY" and when it's my turn, (same huge voice), "THAT'S YOUR PEE PEE, MOMMY". Thanks B for sharing :). He is also doing a great job with teeth brushing which I am loving now, because you know that won't last forever. Same thing with the bathtub, he loves it now but probably not forever either. Water seems to be his thing as spraying the hose at, Duke the boxer is an all time favorite thing to do. He does have somethings that he is good at too but in a not so good way, which is getting stuck in things.
This time is was the stroller that we brought home from Kaz. We drug it out for a garage sale and he insisted that he get in. He buckled himself up but when he couldn't get back out he was freaking out! Too funny. He seems to have a knack for this, as I well remember when he got the potty seat ring, stuck over his head and we had to cut it off and the time he buckled himself into the spare car seat that was in the living room and then was screaming because he was stuck. What's next I don't even want to know.
He asked me one day, "Mommy is this the 'right' shoe? Thinking he was asking if it was the correct one for that foot, I said, "yes", as he is picking up the other shoe, " is this the left". Smart little bugger he is. He is also big into "belly button" something he made up. He straddles you belly to belly and lines himself up perfectly to make sure that his and your belly buttons meet and then he just relaxes on top of you. He only like to do this with daddy and I. He like to see others belly buttons but doesn't want to lay on them, thank goodness. I have found him asleep on top of daddy who has also snoozed off. I have a picture but it is on cell phone. As soon as I can get it transferred I will. As each min passes he gets smarter and smarter so we as his parents are sharpening up our skills too. We are becoming pretty good about not saying things around him that we don't want to be shared with the whole world, as he is in the 'parrot stage', good or bad, he is going to repeat it at the worst possible time.
All and all he is our pride and joy even with every bump in the road. I hope he is able to stay in school and flourish as we don't think it's a good thing to keep switching him back and forth. Take care. G

Oh My July!

We had a quiet 4th of July here at the house and watched the fireworks from the front yard, as the park is about 1 mile from here. Berik loves them which is great! I love to watch his face as he gets excited with each and every pop and boom :)
Berik has grown by leaps and bounds and has finally outgrown, literally outgrown, his toddler bed, so we bought him a BIG BOY bed. It is a twin captains bed with the bookshelf headboard and the drawers and storage underneath. We also bought the desk to match. He was very excited!!! We still are having to use the guard rail because if rolled out, which he would, he would have about 3 ft to fall. New bedding will be next as the zoo animal theme is getting a little babyish. One step at a time though as mommy had a hard time adjusting to giving up his first bed. :)

He continues to want to wear his cowboy boots with shorts which would normally bother me but oh well, he's just a little boy and it's just a phase. He was sporting that fashion the other day when he went with me to check on someones dogs and when we got there he had to pee. Well he couldn't hold it and he went alright, right down his leg into his boot! Yuck! We poured it out stripped him down, put him in some different shorts and let him go for a quick dip in the pool. A little pool water for the boot and for him and we were all better!
By the end of the month he was totally potty trained. He has had the hang of it now for a long time but just was being stubborn. Since he does not respond to rewards or bribes, we decided to just put him in regular undies and after a few times of being wet, he decided on his own he had to go, announcing, "I have to go tee tee" scampering off to the bathroom. He has had no accidents since. Bye bye pull ups, hello, pay raise.
Berik had a rockin' good time at Jacobs birthday party. As part of the party he got an inflatable guitar that he practically sleeps with. He got out of the bathtub the other day and went directly to it, picking it up, running and playing throughout the house, which of course prompted us to take many pictures. We took several of those and normally take tons during the month but looking back now for the month of July I wonder where the all went as I can only find a few.
Daycare continued to have it's ups and downs, mainly downs and the director was calling us nearly everyday for something. She says that he won't go with the flow and is upsetting the class. They refuse to let him be him. He is having trouble napping and instead of giving him some attention during this time, something soothing to do, they just leave him, ignore him, which is only more frustrating for him. I have witnessed it and have been there for him, laying down on the floor with him. Can't get my own job done that way. The 2 that work during the nap period work on projects, like it is their break time. I have been up there and witnessed Berik being picked on outside at the playground. Two new boys are causing quit a stir for Berik. He is still not sleeping well and still having nosebleeds so that may have been some of the factors involved in his misbehavior. Long story short on 7-21 just after lunch, she called me up and said you will need to come and get Berik. When I got there she told me, we will no longer be able to accommodate Berik. She had some harsh words to describe his behavior and with that one mad scorn mommy scooped up her beloved baby and left but not without tears and hugs from the teachers who didn't understand why. Well long story short she didn't like him and like wise.
Of course our mission is to find the right place that understands that,Berik, does throw fits, but it is usually because he is frustrated. If you work with him and take some time then he becomes flexible and happy. He tries to get his point across and you can tell the wheels are turning 90 miles an hour but he can't get it all together so it ends up in fit throwing. Right now most places we have looked at are all about the number of kids they can cram into a class and not so much how much attention the kids need, ugh! For now, B will stay home, with babysitters, however continuing the same type of classroom structure. May we be on to bigger and better things!

June 2009- Summer Fun!!

June started off with a rip roaring trip to Dallas to help my nephew celebrate his high school graduation. Yep, Graham made it with excellent grades and is on his way to USC! Berik passed the time waiting for Graham's name to be called by sticking stickers on Uncle Reid's forehead. He was really pretty good and not as squirmy as we had thought he would be.
Right after graduation was over, we headed out to Tennessee for the Kazapalooza!! We made it to Texarkana, spent the night and got up early Sat. and drove all day, to make it to Nashville, in time for a dinner and dance Kazapalooza style!
With upward of 50 families and their Kazak's kiddos and bio kids too, running rampant, the ballroom was one loud and rowdy place to be. They had a DJ for the kids and she had the kids dancing and following along with the songs. We met people that we had known only over the Internet, Susan and Leeza, and hung out with Berik's soulmate, Andrew and made some new friends too. Sunday morning, most of the Kazapalooza peeps were leaving and we all meet up and tried to take group pictures but that was not as easy as it may have seemed at the time. Seriously the parents trying to take the pictures looked pretty funny trying to squeeze out the best shot of the group! We did meet some people staying an extra couple of days and decided that we would hang out with them. We had loads of fun! The hotel, The Gaylord Opryland, was beautiful with waterfalls and a cool view from our balcony, which Berik enjoyed immensly! Each trip out of the room involved a race to see who could get to the elevator first and push the buttton! Berik had funny with Tony, (Taylor's daddy), and had fun on the boat ride inside the hotel with his daddy! The Hoffa's went too with their Kaz cutie, Rustam. We loved the Gaylord Opryland hotel and got to see the water show synchronized to music. Berik was in awe! Berik didn't lack for any attention!
We went to eat at Macaroni Grill with 4 single moms and their Kaz kids and helped Serena celebrate her 3rd birthday :) Our adventures in Nashville were, lunch at the aquarium restaurant, feeding the stingrays (of which I was scared of ), so I had Jaimie do it. We visited the Grand Ole' Opry and got to go on stage and took a backstage tour. Berik peed all over me about 3/4 of the way through, lovely! Almost potty trained but not quite.
Tues. quickly arrived and we decided to make our way to Chattanooga and then on Wed. we checked in in Trenton, GA for a few days of camping !!
We picked a KOA campsite close to Chattanooga and had loads of fun! Berik caught fireflies and dug in the dirt, got sticks and poked at bugs. He was amazing! He was so intrigued , he entertained himself for hours. He helped his mommy with the smores and we meet a single mom and her adopted girl from Russia, who just happened to be camping next to us. We had lots to talk about and enjoyed them alot but unfortunately have since lost their address.
In Chatanooga, we went to Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway and went to a local park for fun in the water and a picnic.
Camping ended to soon for all of us but we decided we best start heading home. We opted to go to Alabama and stay with Jaimie's mom. We had a nice but short visit and took advantage of the beach while we were there. This would be Berik's first trip to the beach and I would say he loved it!
On the way home we stopped by and visited with some friends in Louisiana and had a shrimp fry! Berik had his first fried shrimp, he gobbled them up calling them chicken nuggets, lol! It didn't matter to us what he called them as long as he didn't whine about it. We headed home and had a day to rest, before returning to work. WE HAD A FANTASTIC VACATION!!!!!!!
Berik is continuing to grow bigger by the minute. His new shoes for vacation were size 12. He is on his way to a 5T but we are still in 4s right now but barely. His vocabulary increases by leaps and bounds daily but with it has come some attitude. Ugh! Mainly the attitude comes with dropping him off for school. He doesn't seem to like it and they say he is a hand full at times.
Since we left for vacation the daycare has switched directors and we aren't so sure about this one. I just don't feel the "love". We all loved the old director, Lorrie and appreciate all that she has done for Berik!
Berik's new fashion statement is, shorts with cowboy boots! He looks silly but we are just going with it.
While on vacation, I scratched down something that had been whirling around in my head. Of course it was while we on the road, in the dark, so I wrote it with the help of a flashlight before I forgot it. It seems like thoughts dart in and out of my brain in flash so I have begun to write everything down now, no matter how inconvenient. Here is what I wrote about my precious baby Berik.
I love the way you cross your legs and wiggle your little toes. I love your sparkly dark eyes and your cute little button nose. I love you when you are happy and even when you are mad. I love that God made your for me I am so very glad!
We had so much fun in June, can't wait to see what July brings!


Gena

May 2009

Now that's it's 09-05-09, May seems like a lifetime ago. I remember that every single weekend except one we had to go out of town for one reason or the other. I also remember that Berik was very, very, very, well behaved for all of the trips!
We went to Dallas and had our annual social worker visit for our post placement report. Next year should be the last one and then we will be on our own! He was beyond well behaved during the visit which could have thrown off Mrs. Lewin, as she thinks he hung the moon and does nothing wrong and said so in the report! It didn't hurt that we met at a park where he could run and play and be "all boy"! It all ended about the time he whacked his head on this cross bar of the play structure and was screaming his lungs out, don't know who ran faster, me or daddy. Being hard headed has its advantages for B, as he didn't suffer any major injuries, just a big ol' bump.

He is still lining up things like his cars especially, not all the time but enough to where you need to watch your step while walking through the house. You know one could never have to many cars!

He is still getting plenty of mileage out of his play house, that we picked up for $30 bucks at the city drop off center. Someone dropped off all the pieces, daddy, Mr. eagle eye saw it leaned up against the building from the road and then called and made an offer and it was just that easy! Glad I didn't spend $300 or more on one. He loves this one just fine!





He continues to love to play with bubbles and thanks to Wal-Mart we now have a collection of bubble wands to choose from, some are still in tact, some now have teethmarks or chewed up handles all thanks to Duke, our beloved pup!









Speaking of loves.. he loves his robe that came to us from Matthew. I wonder if Matt loved it as much as B does. He asks us after every bath for his "whoab". His speech is getting better but those r's are hard for him.

We still opening up new toys from B's birthday in March as we got so many I had put some up. We had used the chalkboard side of the easel that we got from 'Auntie KK" but had never painted so,we painted for the first time this month and boy does he love to paint!! He told me one piece was a tractor and the other a carrot! ? ok, they look like tornadoes to me, but being the good mom I went ahead and labeled them as such. I know later on he will wonder why I keep all this art work but he is just so precious and I can't help it.
He also still likes us to say, "Fe Fi Fo Fum.... I smell the blood of a Kazakhstanian.. and I am going to grind your bones.. and make Berik bread.... ahh ha ha ha..." He runs from us, (daddy mostly) and squeals and giggles as we tickle him. Daddy made this up and Berik is now getting better and better at saying it to us. I am glad he didn't chose to repeat this to the social worker though she might want to add an additional page of questionable remarks to the report!
The old laptop is still down and I am sure that I wrote down some of Berik's funny comments but can't get to them just now so you'll just have to believe me when I say he can come up with some funny stuff! He seems to still be able to get himself into situations that he can't get out of.... like getting trapped in the spare car seat we had sitting in the living room. He was just a calling me and I kept telling him to come to me, until I saw him and figured out he couldn't, poor guy...lol!



We went to Alabama to see, Jessi,( B's step sister) graduate from high school. She looked beautiful and she beamed from ear to ear as she walked to get her diploma!! NHS student, 4.0 graduate!!!! You go girl!! Her mom, step dad had a graduation party for her and Jaimie and I chipped in for food, cooked out and had some fun. We sure enjoyed our visit although it was pretty short, 4 days. 10 hours in the car each way kind of eats up the time. Berik adores Jessi and was wrapped around her as much as possible.We always talk about her to him so he never has a chance to forget. She has 3 half siblings and then Berik. They all decided to try out the slip -n- slide, which had a water gun thing attached. You can see he is most amused with himself spraying Abbie in the backside!!!!
Well, let me hurry up and finish this so I can blog about June, which seems to be fresher in my mind..I think! Love to all!!

April 2009

Well since it is August I only know what went on in April based on some pictures. That's a real blog slacker for ya!
Berik is getting hip to the holidays now. Last year he wasn't into them all that much but this year we are hearing about the Easter Bunny and some eggs! He hunted eggs at daycare with such skill this year! It must have been those bunny ears that he made that helped him out so. He was into the goods from the daycare Easter party and that's what he thought he was having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, candy.... or Cannnny (no D ) that's what he calls it.
It rained all day on Easter Sunday so we hunted eggs inside and we hunted them again and again. He thought it was great!
We rescued a boxer dog from someone who couldn't take care of him. He looked so sad on the internet I just had to have him. His name is Duke, he is 11mths and hopefully he will be a good friend for Berik. We had 2 Boxers before, but had to put one down right before we left for Kaz and the other right after we returned from Kaz, due to cancer. We feel that Berik is big (old) enough to handle himself around a dog and Duke came from a family with 2 toddlers so this should be a good mix.
Berik finally got on the 4 wheeler (mommy not so happy) after Duke actually got on with daddy. Berik wasn't having any of that so he got Duke off and put himself up there. Now, he wants to be on it all the time.
We had B's 3 yr old check up and he is 41 3/4 inches tall and weighs 41 1/2 lbs. He is in a size 11W shoe now, growing everyday! He still has some nosebleeds and it seems like is really tired afterwards. We will have his iron checked at the next Dr. visit as his veins wouldn't cooperate this time around. For now he is on an iron supplement.
Some days he is so stubborn he will not take a nap and he ends up sacking out in the car on the way from daycare and not waking up until the next morning. The Dr. says that is ok, that he just needs lots of sleep. I think the 3's are going to more challenging for us than the 2's were as Berik is becoming more and more vocal and gets more and more clever everyday. He still likes his blocks and is determined to fit them all on the itty bitty 4-wheeler trailer. Great when they are on but he doesn't like it when they fall off. Wish us luck that we can stay one step ahead of him.