back in action

Well, after a few days of more rest and naps than I've had in a while, I seem to be almost back to health. Just tired more quickly.

Weather has been nicer the last 3 days too enough to get bikes out. and for the boys to try a new scooter yesterday. Erik and I went on a bike ride from our place through the path in the forest out to the main bike path through the woods... for serious riders. We went a ways on that and turned around. Erik wanted to go full speed the whole way (on bike with training wheels) but it was a comfortable easy pace for me. We both were noticably tired by the end though.

It was noticable that Erik was afraid riding through the forest. No wonder, since his early years were full of the stories of what scary things are in the forest. At one point he cried out and jumped off his bike. The forest area was pretty dense so I guess it lends itself to imagination!

Thursday we hand in documents to migration for the boys.
Friday we go to vilnius to pick up my mother and we will probably stay in Vilnius for a Christian concert for kids... it continues with several other groups for adults but the boys will not last for that, and my mother will want to rest.
We have some friends to stay with before heading back saturday.
Then Sunday we will participate in a city event- fundraiser for the new cancer center in Kaipeda-spiritual care center that is. Thousands will use the main street for a walk/run of different lengths. We are told we can bring the bikes for the boys for 3.3 km walk that we signed up for.

mixed blessings

Well, I have an even weaker immune system than David does it seems. My energy level is extremely low and activity makes me cough. It feels a lot like bronchitis. :(

So, Tonight I took to sitting in my bed with the laptop computer to entertain myself. The intention was to be quiet for the evening. The boys made their way upstairs and wanted to know what I am doing and of course wanted attention. I found some PBS games online and they crawled in bed with me. This for two boys who have basically avoided our bed for a year and a half. THere were a few rare exceptions this spring when they were scared at night that they were willing to be in bed with us, but only for a short bit.

We have been advised that next week is the time to submit the paperwork for the boys permanent residence permits to live in Lithuania. It took some reworking of our permits too to allow them to qualify. But hopefully we this is all moving ahead as it should.

Why didn't God give you a baby?

Erik is full of good questions. Some of them have come as a result of interesting vistors we had this weekend. A former LCC teacher and her 2 children visited us/stayed at our apartment this weekend. We also had a little party so others who wanted to visit her could come see her and the children in an environment where the kids could be free to play. It worked out quite well and the adults got to visit. We found the kids did quite well, maybe better without the adults sitting with them!

This was an opportunity to hold babies and share toys and understand how a baby is fed and to talk again about where babies come from. Without all the details you might need in adolescence of course! I think the title question came from the answer to where do babies come from, how do they get there. Well God puts them there. For now that will have to do, but, it does put God in an interesting light when he does not put babies there. So I said, God gave us you.

It was also a treat to have our friend Gina bring her baby Elija too.

The boys did quite well with houseguests. We were actually surprised. Erik did start to get weary of it after about 2 days, but he was good about it with some encouragement and help to find quiet time for himself.

Stuart Little

"I have a mom but she died" and "My dad died too."
The words hit us like out of nowhere on the way to preschool the other day.
Erik sounded pretty convinced. But this is not the story of his birth parents and we certainly did not ever tell him that story.

We have mentioned the word adoption lately, sometimes comparing with another story of a child they know or of a story we are talking about. It is actually suprising how often that concept of adoption comes up in family based movies we have had. And among a few families working at LCC. And in reality in the Bible too!

But finally I figured it out I think. Erik was watching Stuart Little over and over the last weeks. The little mouse is adopted by a family and then one day a mouse couple shows up at their door and claims to be the real parents. The adoptive parents go to the social worker who comes back eventually to tell them that Stuart's parents died in an accident. So they realize the mouse parents are fake and they need to go rescue Stuart!

We did try to set the record straight, but we were soon parked and the story was forgotten for the time being.

change of plans

Well, tonight would have been the night David was admitted for surgery for getting adenoids removed. But by Monday it seemed clear that he was not completely healthy, Nor was I. We have been fighting colds. So I called and cancelled the pre-op testing and surgery.

Now I am seeing in David a pattern too with allergy symptoms that progress to a cold and into the chest if not treated right away! So just after having been to the allergist and saying i did not notice him sneezing in the morning, I noticed sneezing the next day and every day since. And so we started back on Zyrtec. He had taken allergy medication, sometime locally recommended, for about 2 weeks during the last sickness, but then was to be off it for 2 weeks before seeing the allergist. It had been exactly 2 weeks he was off of it- and then symptoms started again.

Today we also got results of the allergy blood test. Moderate reaction to dust mites... Hmm. will have to be even more vigilant about cleaning and laundry.

Video from Erik's and David's classes

Mother's Day and now postponed surgery

The boys made cards with Gregg's careful guidance. I think the reason he succeeded with them is because they could use paints!
They were excited that there was going to be a gift to open. I think they felt it was a family gift. In a sense I guess it is- since Gregg saw it was time to replace the hot water kettle (which we use often for water for tea and for other uses when boiled water is needed).

Sunday also is when we realized that the surgery we had scheduled probably should not happen right now. We have a number of things going on including getting our visa renewals, and me getting a serious cold again. But the clincher is that David also started getting a cold and he is not to get sick for 3 weeks prior to surgery.

Oh well, we'll see what the allergy tests show- results on Wednesday, and maybe treat that first.