Another life

As shocking as it seems to me, we have been home with our kids for almost 8 months!  Really 8 months already?  But then again, I think ONLY 8 months.  Zhenya and Leeza just fit in our lives...it feels like they have been with us forever.  People are constantly asking how the kids are adjusting, and I can't think of much else to say except "Great"....because as far as I can tell they are adjusting great.  They both are so comfortable with us, and they become normal kids...not afraid to talk about what they want or ask for it!! 

Zhenya has shared information about their life in Ukraine on numerous occasions.  One night after dinner, Zhenya said, "Mama, papa, I will tell you the story of my life in Ukraine.....uummm..it's a short story."  That part made me giggle!  Anyway as we walked together, he told us about his parents, his knowledge of their death, his understand of how they died, a scary story of a man with a knife trying to take him, and alittle about how he ended up in the internat even before his parent's death.  Some parts were confusing and he couldn't always answer our questions.  I am not sure how much of his story was the truth, but maybe it was all the truth.  We have had some contradictory information from him at times so I can only assume that he might have some memories mixed up for things that happened before and after going to the internat. 

Leeza on the other hand rarely mentions anything to do with Ukraine.  We assume that is due to her age. However last night, she said something that broke my heart.  Leeza is extremely obsessed and kind of scared of hospitals.  She also constantly asks about being our baby forever, staying with us forever..etc on the forever part.  Anyway, last night Leeza had a rash or hives or something all over her belly.  Mom and I were talking about what to do.  Anytime Leeza is sick, she thinks we are taking her to the hospital and she get upset.  I gave her some Benadryl to see if that would clear it up.  She kept asking if she was going to the hospital.  I assured her she wasn't, then she asked me if she would go to the hospital forever.  I answered, "No, you never go to the hospital forever."  To which she replied, "In Ukraine, I did."  This reply broke my heart...you see.....Zhenya told us that the last time he had seen Leeza  in Ukraine was when they were taken from their parents and he went to the internat and Leeza went to a place like a hospital because she was sick.  She never went back home to her parents from that place.  No wonder she is scared of the hospital!!  I always assumed she was too young to remember.  This reminded me all over again that my kids came from a life I know nothing about.  Sometimes, I am so accustom to them being here with us in this life that I almost (but not quite) forget that they came from somewhere else and a completely different life that wasn't very nice at times.....

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's day weekend was quite an event for me this year.  I graduated from Cumberland University with my master's degree and my family threw a graduation party for me on Saturday with presents and good friends in our house. The best part of my weekend was getting to have my first mother's day with Zhenya and Leeza.  I am so blessed to have these two kids in my life and humbled to be allowed to be their mother.  On Thursday, both kids gave me cards they made with their individual classes, but Zhenya gave me an additional card that he made himself.  I considered taking a picture of it, but decided I would keep it to myself....but inside he hand wrote the sweetest message that had me crying my eyes out in the middle of my classroom.  I can't exactly explain how special it is to me to have this card written for me by my son on my first ever mother's day.  There is something so fabulous about getting to read how he feels...it was the best first mother's day gifts ever.  Adopting older children does have it challenges, but what other mothers can say their child wrote them a sweet note on their first mother's day except those of us who adopted older children.  I wouldn't trade it for anything. 
I have to give kudos to my husband for planning a great weekend along with the kids and my mother.  Jeff cooked up some great BBQ and invited a bunch of people over to celebrate my graduating.  He took the kids shopping to pick out gifts for both graduation and mother's day.  I love getting presents!  It was an unforgettable weekend that I shared with people I love.