A Change Is Gonna Come...

There is definitely nothing quite like summer vacation. I have learned this year after year. It starts out sort of like any long weekend would except it just keeps going and going and going. Once the boys have figured out that they "seriously" don't have to go to school for a long, long time the insanity begins to set in. You see, we just don't do change. It is as simple as that. You would think with all of the change the niños have been through in their short lives that a change in routine would be a breeze, but, no, they see it as an opportunity to just go nuts. There are random bouts of running (accompanied by high pitched screaming) around the house interspersed with rolling around on the floor laughing for no apparent reason followed shortly by spontaneous bursts of crying and accusations of "he looked at me". It is enough to make a mom insane. However, I think I am starting to get smart about this...I think. We are staying busy. The Y waterpark, the playground, the mall, etc... I have even planned a couple of field trips. The key is to remove them from their natural habitat and keep them so busy that by the time we get home they are too tired to fight with each other. We are on day 5 and so far, the plan is working well. I have only had to make some adjustments here and there. Let's hope that the next 70 days go by smoothly!

Sometimes You Just Have To Get It Out

Luis Angel is home sick today. Poor guy. It is the last week of school. His last week of kindergarten, and, naturally, he has a fever of 103 degrees. I emailed his teacher to let her know that he would be spending the day with me. She suggested that he practice his part in this week's graduation ceremony. It is one simple line - "We worked hard everyday." As we were practicing, I started to lose it. My babies are graduating from kindergarten. For real this time. Yes, we did this last year. Yes, everything about this past year of school has had a "been there, done that" feel to it. But the fact that they are really "graduating" from kindergarten and moving on to first grade is crazy emotional for me. It goes beyond the pride I feel in what they have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. It is simply the fact that I have barely had the chance to know them, and they are growing up so fast.

When we first met all of them at the ICBF offices in Pereira, Colombia three years ago it seemed as if they would always be the tiny boys with the tiny voices that came careening into our lives. But now they have grown so much taller, put on weight so that they are on the growth chart. Their English is so amazing that we rarely have to translate for others what is being said. Samuel spends most of his time down the street at a friend's house, and no longer needs a booster seat. The twins have become independent to the point that I cherish the moments that I am asked for a cuddle or a hug. What I am saying is that the past (nearly) three years has gone by too fast. We have not known them nearly as long as we wish we could have. I am certain the next three will fly by as well.

I am sure I will have more to report on Thursday after the big graduation...once I stop blubbering.

It's About Time

It has been a really long time since I have posted anything to our blog, so I hope I remember how to do this...

The Scoop
The past year or so has been an incredibly busy one for our family. I (Andrea) went to grad school to get my teaching certification in art. I graduated this past December and started a part-time teaching job with an amazing school in January. The job offer actually came on the very last day of my student teaching which was a HUGE answer to prayer - afterall, for the year and a half that I was in grad school I had been telling Troy that it would be OK and I would be able to find a job (despite the constant cuts within our sons' school district).

The boys are thriving. They are just as vibrant and playful as they ever have been. It seems they become more and more comfortable with us being a family. I think Troy and I would both say that it is a great privilege to get to be these boys' parents. With two and a half years under our belts, I also think we might finally be getting the hang of this parenting thing...maybe.

The Highlights
Here are some of the more noteworthy things that have happened since we last blogged:

• The twins started their second year of kindergarten. We knew well into their first year that this would be a possibility and we are so glad we agreed to retention. They are both much more comfortable academically and socially this year. Their growth has been astounding to say the least.
• Samuel is now in second grade. This year has been a big struggle for him (worthy of a separate post), but we do see that he is growing. In April 2010, he was diagnosed with ADHD. Getting the right medication for him has been half the battle, the other half is getting him to understand that he is the one in control of himself.
• The twins are no longer terrified of the dogs. In August, I took down the gate to our bedroom (where the dogs stayed when the kids were downstairs). I basically told the twins that they had to start liking the dogs. Within a day or so, they were chasing the dogs all around the house, and I was wishing I would have taken the gate down a lot sooner.
• Samuel is in Cub Scouts! He and Troy get to go to the meetings and campouts and other special events together. Sam really likes the time with his dad. And, he won his den race for the Pinewood Derby. We like that he is learning about building character and taking on responsibility. This has been a great thing for him to be involved in.

What's Next?
Well for the next week, the boys are on spring break, but I have to work. I get mine the week after them. I think this is a blessing. Samuel's ninth birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and the twins will be seven at the end of May. We are having a party at a bounce house with some of their friends to celebrate. At this age, the joint party system seems to be working.

That is pretty much it for now. Hopefully, I will have truly exciting and interesting stuff to post in the not so distant future.

The boys, February