Here's What's Happening

Hello!! So, this year it seems that the deer are down lower than they usually are for this time of year. We have them all over our yard and neighborhoods. They are always in the roads. This usually doesn't happen until January when they are being forced down here to find food. We always have deer, but not like this. Anyhow, anytime people come up to visit my last words to them are to watch out for deer. Wouldn't you know, Friday night on his way home, Huz and One hit a deer. Or actually, the deer hit them. It was really weird. The person driving behind Huz stopped to see if they were okay and he said it looked like the deer had tried to jump over the car. We're not sure what part of his body caught the driver's side mirror, but it is shattered and the whole piece will have to be replaced. There was also a bunch of deer hair caught in the window. Nothing else happened to the car though, and both Huz and One were okay. The other driver said that the deer landed on the ground and jumped right up and ran off. Wild.

During our blessing over dinner, Four prayed that Huz and One would be protected and safe while they drove home. Half an hour later, I received the call from Huz saying that they had just hit the deer, but that they and the deer were okay. It was a really cool experience to be able to pull the kids who were home together and explain to them what had happened and point out the very obvious result and blessing of prayer. Now, every time Huz comes home from work, BoyTwo runs out to him and asks if he hit a deer.

The boys' English is coming along fabulously. I had heard from other moms that after a couple months the language will just really take off and boy, they weren't kidding! BoyOne is better at conversational English. BoyTwo is learning the names of more things. I actually think that is probably how it was in Ukraine, though. BoyOne is the one who did most of the talking and had a life prior to the internat that he remembers. BoyTwo has had little opportunity to have conversations with others, at least decent conversations.

The boys are doing remarkably well. There are definitely still rough days, but they are much fewer and far between (like only two or three times a week instead of two or three times a day). I would say the most difficult thing right now for BoyOne is academics. Tonight we worked on a paper that he was supposed to write for English on the Freedom of Speech. The rest of the class was supposed to write 400 words. He wrote 62. And sixty of those had to be prompted:)

'I, myself, am from Ukraine and speak Russian. In Ukraine a lot of people had gathered and they protested the president's law. I think that it's not too bad when people can protest or speak about the president. People may be scared because they can be evicted from their homes. Can they create a new rule that will not hurt the people?'

The last couple days we were in Kyiv, there was a protest going on about the imprisonment of the former Prime Minister, so that's what he's kind of talking about. We were able to see people lined up in tents for protests and police hauling people away.

The most difficult part of BoyTwo's life has been 'socializing' him. He is definitely much younger than I had imagined. When we hosted him, I got a good taste of his personality, but I thought he was more like a three or four year old. (He is 7) Turns out he is really more like a one and a half or two year old in most things and I'm not going to lie. That has been a challenge. There have been times, many, where I have considered pulling him out of school and putting him into preschool. But then I realize that he would be kicked out of preschool. And really, he is doing quite well in school. His behavior has come so far. And he loves school. We have been holding private recesses for him where he and two or three other children from his class go out to 'recess' with his ELL aide to practice. So far, he has learned to play frisbee and helicopter with the jumprope and tag. My initial thought when the teacher told me helicopter was 'seriously?! You gave him something he could use as a weapon?!' But he does really well. As long as he's the one 'piloting' the 'helicopter.' haha. During lunch, I attend with him and we practice what he has learned during his practice recesses. That is when we practice sharing and taking turns. Picture trying to teach your two year old how to share or take turns. At that age they are still engaged in parallel play and if they could speak, they would ask you what the crap you are making them do. Well, he isn't two and he can speak and he is mostly interested in parallel play. We did have a break through last week though! He had been practicing playing tag for about a week. During lunch, he ran clear far away from the kids and I had to guide him back to where they were playing (he hadn't noticed he was playing alone). Times like that I sometimes just let him be on his own, but this time I herded him back to the little group. I'm glad that I did. As I watched him run in circles with them, tagging each other, I could see his big brown eyes all lit up with happiness! The smile on his face was priceless. He was having fun!!!! Seriously, a miracle had taken place. The light bulb went on. At least for tag.

I love hearing the boys pray. BoyOne prays in Russian. He speaks so fast that I can only catch about a fourth of what he is saying, but it's all good. BoyTwo prays on his own in English and it is darling. BoyOne is loving reading the scriptures and I am so glad! A few nights ago, he had homework to do, but asked if he could read the scriptures instead. I told him yes. That night he fell asleep reading the words of God. How cool is that?! I love to hear him retell the stories that he has read. I love that he is enjoying them and pray that he will continue to recognize the truth that he reads, that he will begin/continue to learn from the stories that he is enjoying. We have been able to have many conversations about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and I love how interested in them he is. BoyOne has expressed a desire to be baptized!! He has been asking every day for over a week now, so we want to respect his desire but not jump the gun... This is something that we want to be sure that he understands and is ready for so we will spend some more time talking and studying before we do this, but I think it will happen sometime in the next few weeks. Imagine that. A child who only two months ago told us he doubted there was a God and had no desire to learn of Him or worship. No wonder there was such adversity in getting him here.

And now, for a bragging moment:

BoyOne made the honor roll this past term. That's right folks! He got a 3.5 GPA and his picture in our local paper. Go figure!

(I'm so glad to know that I could still pass the 8th grade... j/k:))