Settling In

He looks pretty happy.

During the party Vitaliy road his bike around while everyone played.  He also ate like six or seven donuts!

Sasha played a lot of soccer during the party

This was the banner that was made for the boys.

Video games are only allowed on Friday afternoon and Saturday at our house so they are taking full advantage of that.

The kids were finally able to decorate eggs at 9 pm just before Easter.  We are so on top of it!!! - Not!!!

It has been a busy week.  We talked with both schools to get the boys set up in school but had to have a TB test first along with some vacinations.  We headed down to the Health Department and had all that done.  Sasha had two shots and a TB test (which is a shot in itself) and poor Vitaliy had six shots and a TB test.  Well, as I watched them over the next several days it was apparent to me that those TB tests were not looking so good.  My daughter, Tiffany, is almost - just 30 days away - from being a nurse and agreed with me that their arms did not look so good.  We were back on Wednesday to read the tests and sure enough they had a positive reaction.  They sent us over to the hospital for chest xrays and then back to the health department to turn them in.  There was no rush to get an appointment after that.  I thought, wow, for being so concerned about such a contagious disease, they were in no rush to have the doctor read the xray and let us know what was going on.  Well, they were able to squeeze us in the next day and told us that their results showed that they had been exposed to TB at some point but neither one of them had an active case.  This then meant that when they got old (when their immune system was compromised due to old age), they would run a 10% chance of contracting TB.  Or, we could put them on a medication for 9 months and it would drop their chances to 1%.  So, that is what we chose to do and will report to the Health Department one a month for nine months.  Needless to say, we were driving to Provo almost every day this week.

When all that was cleared up we got both boys registered for school.  Vitaliy starts classes this coming monday. I can tell he is a bit nervous, but he is a trooper.  Sasha, needing much more personalized attention, will start a language program at his school on Monday.  I will be working with our school district's language specialist to plan a home program that will enhance what they are both doing at school to help them learn the language and get them up to speed.  I am looking forward to them starting school because I think they, especially Vitaliy, were getting a little bored at home all week.  Vitaliy was placed in almost all of Jason's classes because they are in the same grade.  It will be good for him to have his lunch period with his brother.

It took a few days to get accustomed to being home and the time change but everything feels normal now.  Vitaliy is picking up English so quickly and it is easy to carry on a conversation with him.  He often helps me in translating to Sasha. Sasha is still very much in the mine, mine, mine and me, me, me stage and I assume that will take a while to undo.  I look forward to having him learn more English. 

The boys enjoy church for the most part and we will be starting the missionary discussions with them this coming week.  The missionaries will come and we will have a translator here to relay what the missionaries are saying.  I look forward to this.  Right now they are going through all the motions but really don't know what the motions are all about. 

We are loving our big family.  I have found, though, that I seem to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, either cooking or doing dishes.  Boy, can they eat!  I am glad though.

Our ward had a "baby shower" potluck bash for us and it was great.  I think we have completed both wardrobes and have swimsuits and towels to boot.  The primary presidency also gave both boys their first set of scriptures and scripture totes to carry them in.  Both of their birthdays are in May, so we will be working on that next.  Now we have five birthdays in May!  Those include Andy's and my birthdays so I am sure that we won't count as much. 

Right now all is smooth sailing.  I have been holding my breath for things to go wrong but they haven't yet.  It has only been a week though.  (I know things will get bumpy so I will enjoy this while it lasts)  Right now the boys have adjusted quite well to their new home.  When Sasha is not pouting for not getting what he wants, he is very happy to be here.  Vitaliy is also very happy and always comes upstairs in the morning and wishes me a "Good Morning".  He also makes sure that Sasha does too.  

My "Moment of the Week" was when Sasha was pouting before bed because I made him wear PJ's to bed - how could I do such a thing!  I wasn't quite sure what to do because I didn't want him to go to bed like that.  I asked him if he wanted me to sing him a song (I had done that on a walk with him and he liked it).  He said yes and I sang "I Am A Child of God" to him.  He immediately calmed down and just stared into my eyes as I sang.  When I was done, he gave me a kiss and a hug and told me he loved me and went happily to bed.  It really doesn't get much better than that.  I will hold tight to those special moments. 

Best wishes to all my friends!