Going just fine...most of the time ...

Well I got firm for the first time yesterday morning and it helped...Marco needed to hear that from me, because he has a new attitude..A good one! He came home from school a new kid..So happy..it's working! I was reminded of this psalm yesterday while cutting Pastor Thornton's hair...verse 4 in particular...Please pray with me for Marco to become the boy/man that we hope for him. He has many many great traits and respect for things we Americans don't...but he is also 13 YIKES! Can't say I didn't expect it...just keep laughing & take it as it comes...I am reminded from time to time by God, when I slow down enough to listen...that it's not about me...eeesh!

Unless the Lord Builds the House
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children [1] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. [2]

Marco Loves School!

I am so relieved that Marco like school...His first day was yesterday and when he came home he was like a little boy...He was jumping on the trampoline saying "I did it! I did it! He rattled off his classmates who were from all over the world..China, Bulgaria, India, Honduras, and a few other places..He learned to spell his name in Hindi..then today in Egyptian...he got to draw...He is learning about the weather and having a good time. I am so happy for him and for me LOL...What a relief. He knows more English than I thought and he is learning more everyday. While I was working with him I saw how much he knew, all the letters and sounds...numbers and their words..colors...he can read in English with a heavy accent! And he can type on the computer what he want to get at...and he can write some English. SO he is well on his way to being an American! His social security card should be coming soon and his certificate of citizenship from the president of the United States!

Busy, Busy Busy

Having a busy time settling in and transitioning..Trying to keep Marco busy with new things other than the internet and xbox although it's every teen's fav....
Limiting this feels right to us.
Last night he experienced the laundromat and how many clothes I take at one time...Our other washer has a problem now...easier to just take it anyway with the amount I have. Not cheaper that's for sure...

Marco will start school this week with his twin sisters. They will show him around and take the bus in with him..He will have a teacher that will stay with him most of the day until his English is good. He will go in the 6 th grade which is where he was in Ukraine. He seems about at that level. The structure will be good for him and to see that America is not just about internet, eating and xbox! LOL

Praying for a smooth transition and for him to learn English quickly so we can have better communication. School will be the fastest way to get that accomplished. He also needs some new interests like sports. Doesn't seem to have much interest in soccer, more of a bent towards basketball. During the summer I will send the kids to adventure camp at Stony Acres and I am looking for some other day camp ideas that are local.

Pictures from Party for Marco...

We are having a great time molding & weaving Marco into our family...He is doing great and we are so grateful to be home together to make memories.

Moving right Along....

Marco is doing great..he is moving right along into his school work. I found a great website that has worksheets in Russian & English. The worksheets cover the basics, food groups, body parts, rooms & their contents, plants etc...One column is Russian, the other is in English to translate and the next column is blank for him to write the word in English. He writes very good...He can knock 5 pages in a less then 10 minutes, so he's doing well. Ruben is the Math teacher here...he has been doing fractions with him. Also doing great, doesn't even need the scratch paper on most problems and does them in his head....He is learning about the United Sates, today they will make a topical map from dough and then paint it & label it.. He is learning everyday about our family routines and the children. Yesterday we had a talk about Down Syndrome and being a little more understanding & gentle when playing with them. He asked me which children had Down Syndrome..so I liked that! He didn't know for sure which ones. So the one I was referring to was Amelia..she is high functioning and doesn't take any poop from anyone. She is a great judge of character too...if she doesn't care for someone, it's usually because there's something about them that is undesirable or crooked LOL Maybe they can use her down at SARPD.

All in all we're having a great time with Marco and can't wait until his party on Saturday. He knows about it, but not the details. He will be very surprised because of where it is and all the people & music.

Marco in Kiev

Here is a picture our translator sent us from her camera It was taken at the Water Museum in Kiev.