Update on our Adoption

One of these days I'll post an actual update because we have an update and not just because I feel like it's time to say, once again, "We're still waiting."

At this point in our adoption, we're just waiting for a call from our agency to tell us that they have a referral for us. The other day, I looked at my phone and saw that I had one missed call - from our agency. Since there's really no other reason for them to call at this point, you can imagine what I felt. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat or two and then sped up trying to recover for it! My excitement didn't last long, though, when I realized that they hadn't left a message. Come to find out, they were just letting us know about a change with our program coordinator. One of these days that call will come - and it will be real! It could be today, next week, in 3 months, or next year - it's really that much up in the air. I tell you, by the time this adoption is over, if I don't have faith and patience mastered, I never will!  

I decided one more step I could do to be ready was to go ahead and get the girls their passports. Feels good to check something off the list (even though it was a frustrating let's spend 4 hours doing something that should only take 15 minutes kind of thing)!

Ready to be world travelers. Check.

Speaking of the girls going with us to Bulgaria, there's been a little adjustment in our plans. We (or I should probably say "I" because Andy has always been the more practical we'll-see-if-they-can-go-when-it-comes-time-to-pay-money-for-the-trip one while I've been the it's-a-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity-that-you-can't-put-a-price-tag-on one) have always planned on the girls going with us on one of the two trips that we have to make. In the beginning, after reading books and talking it over with case workers and adoption educators, we made the decision that the first trip would be the best one for them to go on. It would involve daily visits with our little boy, finalizing some paperwork, and not much else. We were continually told that the second trip, when we would be bringing him home with us, would be an important time for us to bond with him and have one-on-one time without other "distracting" parenting responsibilities during the in-country waiting time and the travel home. Made sense to us, so we went along with it. Recently, though, through having conversations with a family who just returned from their first trip to Bulgaria and reading about the accounts of others who have just returned, we've changed our minds. We will be going alone on the first trip and take the girls along with us on the second trip. From listening to some first-hand experiences, we've discovered that the first trip is actually much more involved than we thought. There's also the huge "unknown" aspect of not knowing what to expect concerning the city, the accommodations available in that city, the orphanage, the flexibility of those in charge (some let you leave with the child, some only offer supervised visits within one room, some could even have a problem with the girls coming to the orphanage and not allow it at all). It's an emotionally draining time (having our first interactions with him and also having to leave the country without him) and physically tiring (jet lag and following visiting schedules that are not very flexible). On the other hand, the second visit is much more relaxed and on our own than we first thought. We will basically spend as little as 30 minutes picking him up from the orphanage on the first day, and then we're on our own and he's ours; we'll just have to stay in country for about a week while the paperwork is finalized. Our time will be spent in the capital, so we'll know what to expect and be prepared for. Our days will be flexible, and we'll set our own agendas. We can spend plenty of time just hanging out in the hotel, throw in some sightseeing and shopping, and spend the time bonding together as a family of 5. It can be a scary time involving a lot of new things, especially the traveling part, for our little boy, and I just think that two silly, sweet girls who are excited about their new brother will be a big help, especially because it offers our little boy the chance to imitate and follow his new siblings into new situations. 

Well, consider yourself updated! Of course, I'm hoping for a real update to give you sooner rather than later! Please keep praying for us and for our little boy!

School Recap: May

We finished out our school year in May. A lot of it was spent reviewing things we've covered throughout the year. I can't believe how much the girls have learned and remember! I'm so proud of them and have absolutely loved my time with them this year! Our monthly focus was capacity/measurements because I knew we could do a lot of fun hands on activities since we were running low on other school work. Here are a few snapshots of some of the things we did: 

You can click on the pictures for a better view

I gave them gallon, quart, pint, and cup sized containers and had them take notes and figure out on their own how much was in each one. We also used this story about the Land of Gallon and created little storyboards to help them remember how many quarts are in a gallon, etc.

We did some fraction work and then put it into practice through some baking. They followed a recipe, measured, poured, stirred, baked (in an easy bake oven), decorated, and ate little cakes all on their own.

We measured gummy worms and then stretched them out and measured them again to see how they grew. We used the information to create math problems.

The measuring scavenger hunt I made up for them was a big hit. They had to find 4 items for each page's description (things less than 2 inches, things less than 6 inches, things less than 12 inches, things between 1 and 3 feet, and things that are 5 feet or more.)

They really got into this game too. They used party blowers with velcro attached to the bottom to pick up cards that had objects written on them. They had to decide the best way to measure that object (ounces, pounds, tons) and place it in the proper category. They needed a little help with a few, but I think they learned something in the process.

I decided to give Emma Lee a standardized end of the year test this year (we're not required to until the 3rd grade). She was a little nervous about not knowing what to expect, but although we don't have the results back yet, I know that she did great! During the testing time, Andy took Kerri strawberry picking so the house would be distraction free. ;) Kerri did a lot of picking and eating and had a good time with her daddy.

 

We met back up and had an end of the year celebration at Chuck E. Cheese's. I think they're starting to realize that the little baby rides are not quite as much fun as they used to be, and they are all about searching for the games that can give the most tickets!

 

 Here are a couple pictures of them on their last day of school for this year (and just for fun - pictures from the first day of school for this year to compare).

Last day of school - 2011/2012

Last day of school - 2011/2012

First day of school - 2011/2012

First day of school - 2011/2012

They look forward to having a summer reading chart every year, so we're doing that again this summer. This year, instead of them earning lots of little prizes, we set a large goal for them both (Emma Lee - 50 chapter books and Kerri - 50 chapters), and if they meet it they get to take a trip to Build-a Bear. Although it sounded like a lot to all of us in the beginning, I'm starting to realize that I think we really set the bar low! Here's a picture I took today of their progress:

Guess we'll be making that trip sooner than I thought!

That Emma Lee loves to read is pretty much a given around here, but I'm so excited about how into reading Kerri is getting! (Although maybe it's just because she's been begging for a Build-a-Bear trip for a while....) I've haven't once said anything to her about her reading. She's picking up books all the time and not wanting to put them down until she's finished with them. 

We're taking this homeschooling thing one year at a time. We're constantly reevaluating what's the best decision for our family for the stage that we're in and know that it will look a little different next year and in the years to come. I have absolutely loved this past year. We've made some great friends, covered a lot of material, and learned a whole lot. I wouldn't trade the extra time I've gotten with my two girls for anything. They truly are a joy to teach and to be with, and I'm so grateful that I've had this opportunity and look forward to being their primary teacher again next year. For now, though, here's to a great summer full of fun activities (with some lazy days thrown in there for good measure)!