I'm an adventurer. I love to travel. I love adventure. I love to go and do. I'm not a homebody.
Well, my friends Casey and TJ are in the process of adopting a child from the Ukraine.
Casey is self proclaimed non-adventurer. A quote from her blog- "If you know me well at all, you know that I am NOT a good traveler. I am a small town girl. I have never ridden a public bus or subway , I have never been outside of the US (other than a cruise to Cozumel which doesn’t count) and I get severe migraines when I don’t drink enough water and/or when I smell cigarette smoke. Lord help me, but better yet, Lord help TJ! You might need to pause right now and say a prayer for him!"
So I have 4 ish months to give Casey an adventurer's spirit.
Let's start now....
Some fun facts about the Ukraine to get her (and you) excited.
Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, in terms of countries who entire boundaries lie within the European continent.
A maximum of US$ 10,000 may be brought into Ukraine; any amount exceeding this will have to be declared on a separate form obtainable from the customs department. You can also bring in up to 200 gm of tobacco, you know since Casey loves the smell of cigarettes.
Most restaurants will add a 5% tip into your bill, but they will expect a 5% tip on top of that if they gave you good service.
The average temperature in the Ukraine is 46 F. The lowest monthly temperature is 16 F in January. (yikes! so maybe that doesn't help with an Adventure's spirit)
And cause Casey LOVES Christmas....
In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Christmas morning, she awoke to find that spiders had trimmed her children’s tree with their webs. When the morning sun shone on them, the webs turned to silver and gold. An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
21 months
Bates turned 21 months old today! (it just now dawned on me!)
I spend most of the day being amazed at his progress. It's been the most rewarding thing to watch him blossom. It makes those first few months of not being able to put him down to even brush my teeth or go potty, the sleepless nights, and the stressful wait to travel OH SO WORTH IT.
I can't literally watch him grow, change, learn, and blossom in front of my very eyes.
His vocabulary has really taken off. He's chatting all the time and can really communicate what he wants. Tonight after dinner he said "OUT" when he wanted out of his chair. He signed "all done" and said "please" but I wasn't moving fast enough I guess!
Not to mention, he RUNS everywhere, there is no walk. It's off or FULL SPEED! He gets into EVERYTHING! And I love it. He's ALL BOY, ALL THE TIME.
He's a fun kid. We have a blast together. I so enjoy staying home with him part time (although we are NEVER home!)
I can't believe God lets me be this sweet boy's momma. I'm one lucky, but tired girl!
I spend most of the day being amazed at his progress. It's been the most rewarding thing to watch him blossom. It makes those first few months of not being able to put him down to even brush my teeth or go potty, the sleepless nights, and the stressful wait to travel OH SO WORTH IT.
I can't literally watch him grow, change, learn, and blossom in front of my very eyes.
His vocabulary has really taken off. He's chatting all the time and can really communicate what he wants. Tonight after dinner he said "OUT" when he wanted out of his chair. He signed "all done" and said "please" but I wasn't moving fast enough I guess!
Not to mention, he RUNS everywhere, there is no walk. It's off or FULL SPEED! He gets into EVERYTHING! And I love it. He's ALL BOY, ALL THE TIME.
He's a fun kid. We have a blast together. I so enjoy staying home with him part time (although we are NEVER home!)
I can't believe God lets me be this sweet boy's momma. I'm one lucky, but tired girl!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Chattanooga Trip
We headed down to Chattanooga for a quick overnight trip.
First stop was Coolidge Park. Here's where it gets interesting.
We went to ride the carousal. I just knew Bates would love it, um wrong. We were the only ones on it. We sat Bates on his animal and he made it for .25 seconds until FREAK OUT!
He then joined me on my animal and did not want to sit like a big boy.
Instead, we rode like this.
Carousel: FAIL.
Up next, this fun water fountain you can play in.
Of course, mom of the year here didn't bring a bathing suit. So we took off his shirt and shoes and I thought we'd just let him play in his diaper and shorts and change him when we got back to the car.
My little guy LOVES water, so I though he's LOVE this. Again, I was wrong. This is what happened when we tried to put him down.
Fun water fountain: FAIL.
Enough of this, time for some ice cream! I KNOW this boy likes ice cream.
Coolidge Park conquered. Time to load up and head to the hotel.
We checked in and got ready to head to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert.
Bates had a BIG TIME being a Show Hope volunteer. He was running like a wild man, rolling on the floor laughing, waving at EVERYONE coming in, blowing kisses, anything he could do to be the center of attention! He's quite the ham.
Once the concert started, we went in to watch some of it. Bates was memorized. He stood so still at first and just stared. He was starting to wind down, and we though he'd be asleep in no time, it was already past bedtime.
Well, he caught his second wind after intermission and was awake and ready to roll. This kid is a trooper! He was in a great mood the entire time, even staying up about 4 hours past his bedtime.
We spent the entire second half of the concert hanging out with one of the coolest girls I've ever met: Julia! Julia works for Show Hope and she was our volunteer coordinator. Julia is one of the most down to earth chicas I've ever met. She has the biggest heart and the most transparent faith. She loves her some Jesus and I think He loves him some Julia too! She just shines! She was so refreshing to spend time with. She's my new best friend! Nick said I can't go anywhere with leaving with a new best friend. I'd like her to move to Murfreesboro and live next do to me, ok, Julia?
She only told me about a half a million times how cute Bates is. I had to keep my eye on him, cause I think she would have tried to take him home with her!
We had a blast at the concert and it was so great to share our story with other families, both in process, thinking about being in process, or wanting to support other families.
After the concert I was at the table and this lady came up and said "I just told my friend "I wish that yall would sell babies here cause I'd buy 10 of them". Yeah, so you kinda missed the point, you don't buy orphans. I ended up spending quiet a bit of time talking to her. She was one of those that's heart gets it, but her words don't express that. She's one of those that adoptive momma's get all ruffled up by her comments, but by spending sometime talking with her, I saw her heart was in the right place. So for once, instead of spouting off my mouth when she said she wanted to buy a baby, I listened and talked to her and I think she was headed home to tell her husband that she would like to pray about adoption. Yeah God!
Bates was asleep before we left the parking lot and I had high hopes for a good night of sleep since he was up so late. I'll spare you the details and just say... it was a LONG night in that king size bed. Nick slept like a log.
Friday morning we got up and headed to the Discovery Museum. My two boys had a GREAT time. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking....
Hands down, Bates favorite part was the musical instruments you could play. He loved the piano and would clap for himself.
But by far, his favorite room was the percussion. My boy loved him some drums.
It was a fantastic trip, even with the rocky start. I loved spending some quality time with my two favorite boys. I was so glad our family could pay it back to Show Hope in some small way. They made a drastic difference in bring Bates home forever and we are so thankful to them.
It was a great trip, we can't wait to go back soon
(although, we may just skip the whole Coolidge Park next time!)
First stop was Coolidge Park. Here's where it gets interesting.
Nick parked the jeep under a shade tree and walked across the street to pay for our parking. I let Bates out of his car seat and he immediately crawled into the drivers' seat. He LOVES to "drive" the car. I decided to hop out and grab my camera out of the back of the jeep. I got out and shut my door, you know, so Bates wouldn't climb out after me and fall to his death on the pavement. I had no sooner shut the door then I heard CLICK.
Yes, CLICK.
As in, CLICK the doors just locked.
As in CLICK, the doors are locked with your child inside.
As in, CLICK the doors are locked with your child and KEYS inside!
Bates had taken the keys out of the ignition (the car was off) and hit the lock button on my key.
There he sat, in the driver's seat, hold the car key, locked up tight.
Let's just say Nick Brown was NOT A FAN.
In fact, he was down was spastic.
I was calm, cool, and collected.
I told Nick to play with him at the window and maybe he would hit unlock. Meanwhile, Nick was telling me he would just bust out the window.
I used Nick's phone (cause mine was locked up tight in the car, of course!)to look up the non-911 number in Chattanooga. The jerk on the other end of the line was oh so helpful.
I told him my son was locked in the car with the keys. After a few moments of silence, he said, and "he is unable to get himself out, mam'?"
I wanted to say, oh yes sir, he can get himself out, I just thought I'd give you a call, waste your time, spend Chattanooga's tax dollars..... NO, dude, he is 20 months old... he can't get himself out! He finally said he's send someone.
After another few minutes, Nick finally calmed down and started to play with Bates at the window and GUESS WHAT HAPPENED.
That little boy hit the unlock button! We jerked those doors open and scooped him up- not before I took a picture, you know, cause I am a blogging mom!
After the great escape, it was time to play.
Yes, CLICK.
As in, CLICK the doors just locked.
As in CLICK, the doors are locked with your child inside.
As in, CLICK the doors are locked with your child and KEYS inside!
Bates had taken the keys out of the ignition (the car was off) and hit the lock button on my key.
There he sat, in the driver's seat, hold the car key, locked up tight.
Let's just say Nick Brown was NOT A FAN.
In fact, he was down was spastic.
I was calm, cool, and collected.
I told Nick to play with him at the window and maybe he would hit unlock. Meanwhile, Nick was telling me he would just bust out the window.
I used Nick's phone (cause mine was locked up tight in the car, of course!)to look up the non-911 number in Chattanooga. The jerk on the other end of the line was oh so helpful.
I told him my son was locked in the car with the keys. After a few moments of silence, he said, and "he is unable to get himself out, mam'?"
I wanted to say, oh yes sir, he can get himself out, I just thought I'd give you a call, waste your time, spend Chattanooga's tax dollars..... NO, dude, he is 20 months old... he can't get himself out! He finally said he's send someone.
After another few minutes, Nick finally calmed down and started to play with Bates at the window and GUESS WHAT HAPPENED.
That little boy hit the unlock button! We jerked those doors open and scooped him up- not before I took a picture, you know, cause I am a blogging mom!
After the great escape, it was time to play.
We went to ride the carousal. I just knew Bates would love it, um wrong. We were the only ones on it. We sat Bates on his animal and he made it for .25 seconds until FREAK OUT!
He then joined me on my animal and did not want to sit like a big boy.
Instead, we rode like this.
Carousel: FAIL.Up next, this fun water fountain you can play in.
Of course, mom of the year here didn't bring a bathing suit. So we took off his shirt and shoes and I thought we'd just let him play in his diaper and shorts and change him when we got back to the car.My little guy LOVES water, so I though he's LOVE this. Again, I was wrong. This is what happened when we tried to put him down.
Fun water fountain: FAIL.
Enough of this, time for some ice cream! I KNOW this boy likes ice cream.
Coolidge Park conquered. Time to load up and head to the hotel.We checked in and got ready to head to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert.
Bates had a BIG TIME being a Show Hope volunteer. He was running like a wild man, rolling on the floor laughing, waving at EVERYONE coming in, blowing kisses, anything he could do to be the center of attention! He's quite the ham.
Once the concert started, we went in to watch some of it. Bates was memorized. He stood so still at first and just stared. He was starting to wind down, and we though he'd be asleep in no time, it was already past bedtime.
Well, he caught his second wind after intermission and was awake and ready to roll. This kid is a trooper! He was in a great mood the entire time, even staying up about 4 hours past his bedtime.
We spent the entire second half of the concert hanging out with one of the coolest girls I've ever met: Julia! Julia works for Show Hope and she was our volunteer coordinator. Julia is one of the most down to earth chicas I've ever met. She has the biggest heart and the most transparent faith. She loves her some Jesus and I think He loves him some Julia too! She just shines! She was so refreshing to spend time with. She's my new best friend! Nick said I can't go anywhere with leaving with a new best friend. I'd like her to move to Murfreesboro and live next do to me, ok, Julia?
She only told me about a half a million times how cute Bates is. I had to keep my eye on him, cause I think she would have tried to take him home with her!
We had a blast at the concert and it was so great to share our story with other families, both in process, thinking about being in process, or wanting to support other families.After the concert I was at the table and this lady came up and said "I just told my friend "I wish that yall would sell babies here cause I'd buy 10 of them". Yeah, so you kinda missed the point, you don't buy orphans. I ended up spending quiet a bit of time talking to her. She was one of those that's heart gets it, but her words don't express that. She's one of those that adoptive momma's get all ruffled up by her comments, but by spending sometime talking with her, I saw her heart was in the right place. So for once, instead of spouting off my mouth when she said she wanted to buy a baby, I listened and talked to her and I think she was headed home to tell her husband that she would like to pray about adoption. Yeah God!
Bates was asleep before we left the parking lot and I had high hopes for a good night of sleep since he was up so late. I'll spare you the details and just say... it was a LONG night in that king size bed. Nick slept like a log.
Friday morning we got up and headed to the Discovery Museum. My two boys had a GREAT time. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking....
Hands down, Bates favorite part was the musical instruments you could play. He loved the piano and would clap for himself.
But by far, his favorite room was the percussion. My boy loved him some drums.
It was a fantastic trip, even with the rocky start. I loved spending some quality time with my two favorite boys. I was so glad our family could pay it back to Show Hope in some small way. They made a drastic difference in bring Bates home forever and we are so thankful to them.
It was a great trip, we can't wait to go back soon
(although, we may just skip the whole Coolidge Park next time!)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Chuseok!
Happy Chuseok, everyone!
Yesterday began Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. Chuseok is one of the biggest and most important holiday in Korea. Chuseok is a major harvest festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food. One of the major foods prepared and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is songpyeon (송편), a crescent-shaped rice cake which is steamed upon pine needles.
I'm still working on how we will incorporate Korean holidays into our lives. So last night, to celebrate Chuseok, we went to a Korean restaurant (Korea House in Nashville - YUMMY!). Our friend Carmen, and her boyfriend, Josiah went with us. Both Carmen and Josiah were adopted through Holt (our agency) from Korea just like our little Bates!
We had a blast eating yummy Korean food, playing with the sweet waitresses (they LOVE Bates!) , and talking adoption. It was nice to get two grown adult adoptees' perspective on things, especially Josiah's take on when he traveled back to Korea.
Some fun things about Chuseok
- the head of household normally buys new clothes for everyone in the house, including the servants. Um, looks like Nick Brown will be getting this girl a new outfit!
- I'm pretty sure we ate songpyeon when we were in Korea, we weren't fans. It's like a ball of dough with funny textured stuff in the middle. I'll pass.
- Back in the olden days, women dressed in their Hanboks and would join hands in a circle and sing together. The dance dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during the Japanese invasion when the Korean army dressed the young women of the village in military uniforms and had them circle the mountains to make the Japanese think the Korean military was greater in number than it actually was. The Koreans were eventually able to defeat the Japanese, thanks in part to this scare tactic. I held Addie's paws and we spun around in a circle, that's as close as we got to the Ganggangsullae.
- Ssireum is Korean wrestling. Traditionally, during the Chuseok holidays the strongest people in each village would gather together to hold wrestling competitions. During the match, two competitors would face each other in a circular sandpit and were surrounded on all sides by spectators. The last wrestler standing after the series of competitions was considered the winner and was acknowledged as the villager’s strongest man, taking home cotton, rice, or a calf as his prize. Today, Korean strongest man competitions are held around Chuseok. And, I LOVE me some strong man competitions. They fascinate me!
Happy Chuseok!!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
He understands AND he minds!
Bates is a full time walker now. If he falls, which he still does a lot, he stands back up and keeps walking. I love watching him walk. It's the cutest thing... he's so LITTLE! And to think, our little special needs, physical therapy, cerebral pasley guy is walking is just simply a miracle!
Everyone said "oh now that he's walking, he'll be so busy", "get ready", "now that he's mobile, he will be into everything".... but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE him walking. Sure, it makes things a little busier and a little messier, but I love this age and stage.
Yesterday we were doing a little cleaning. I was steaming the entry hardwood and Nick was back in our bedroom. Bates was in his playroom and right under my feet. I told him to pick up his book and take it to daddy. He turned around walked into his playroom, picked up a book and walked down the hall.
I actually followed him to see where he was going. He turned into our bedroom and walked up to Nick and said "book".
For parents of internationally adopted children, you know what a HUGE milestone this is. He understood me! For 15 mths he only heard Korean, and in 5 months home he can understand and follow commands. I was so excited. I told Nick what I had told him to do and we celebrated his accomplishment!
I couldn't be prouder of how well he has adapted in all areas.
And now I know that he understands and is just choosing not to mind me!
Everyone said "oh now that he's walking, he'll be so busy", "get ready", "now that he's mobile, he will be into everything".... but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE him walking. Sure, it makes things a little busier and a little messier, but I love this age and stage.
Yesterday we were doing a little cleaning. I was steaming the entry hardwood and Nick was back in our bedroom. Bates was in his playroom and right under my feet. I told him to pick up his book and take it to daddy. He turned around walked into his playroom, picked up a book and walked down the hall.
I actually followed him to see where he was going. He turned into our bedroom and walked up to Nick and said "book".
For parents of internationally adopted children, you know what a HUGE milestone this is. He understood me! For 15 mths he only heard Korean, and in 5 months home he can understand and follow commands. I was so excited. I told Nick what I had told him to do and we celebrated his accomplishment!
I couldn't be prouder of how well he has adapted in all areas.
And now I know that he understands and is just choosing not to mind me!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
When I grow up....
Bates and I have been hanging out outside most afternoons when Nick gets home from work. Bates loves to see his daddy's truck coming down the road. His face literally lights up.
It's the absolute most amazing thing in the entire world.
He smiles so big and waves and waves and waves!
Bates loves to climb in his daddy's truck and "drive".
I think when he grows up he wants to be an Electrical Engineer just like his daddy!
It's the absolute most amazing thing in the entire world.
He smiles so big and waves and waves and waves!
Bates loves to climb in his daddy's truck and "drive".
I think when he grows up he wants to be an Electrical Engineer just like his daddy!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
one smart kid
The other day, I was folding laundry in the laundry room (shocking, I know!). Bates was playing in the kitchen and was playing in his cabinet.
He loves to pull everything out... can you say all boy! I could see him so all was well.
All of a sudden things got quiet. That's never a good sign.
And I couldn't see him. Which, is not a good sign either.
I peeked around the corner and saw Bates at the fridge with one of his cup trying to fill it up with ice.
Luckily my camera was on the counter so I grabbed a couple of shots before he saw me.
Bates wants to be a "big boy" so bad. He copies everything we do!
It's super cute but reminds me "be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear..."
He loves to pull everything out... can you say all boy! I could see him so all was well.
All of a sudden things got quiet. That's never a good sign.
And I couldn't see him. Which, is not a good sign either.
I peeked around the corner and saw Bates at the fridge with one of his cup trying to fill it up with ice.
Luckily my camera was on the counter so I grabbed a couple of shots before he saw me.
Bates wants to be a "big boy" so bad. He copies everything we do!
It's super cute but reminds me "be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear..."
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