Sleepy...zzzzz.....

I love my sleep...I really do. I know what the Bible says about being lazy...but I do value some good sleep.
Lately little Mr. Israel has been waking us up with "I can't sleep..."
Hmmm...funny...WE WERE!

Early this morning Roger put him back to bed with another song and a sip of water while I checked my phone to see what time it was. I had a new message from baby girl Marci who has JUST moved from Indiana all the way across the world (well...it seems like it....) to Seattle. She has downloaded literally HUNDREDS of pictures to facebook....so of course, I just had to click my way through them...in the middle of the night...or early morning. But it is a comfort to see their things all settled in their little apartment....

The next thing I heard again...was, "I can't sleep..."
Poor Roger...he said, "Pray that God will let you get some rest...."  (I am sure that my Roger was praying that EXACT prayer.....")  I think that we will need to start turning off the hall light which shines right into Israel's eyes. We'll need to get a nightlight for the hallway, I think....either that or earplugs for us.

On a different subject...we have a few really odd animals. At least their personalities are pretty strange.
"Harmony" is the schizophrenic cat. She can be sweet and loving one minute and attack your ankles when you walk by the next minute.
She also has a really odd way of eating and drinking. She will literally pick up her food with her paws and eat from her "hand." She does the very same thing with water! She will scoop it up and lap it from her paw. Seriously.
Sometimes I think I'M in charge around here and I'm finding out I am wrong. It's kind of scary. Harmony loves to drink out of the bathtub. Well...not when it is full, but she likes to have the stopper in place and then have you just put a little bit of water in it for her. I don't have the foggiest idea how we knew what she wanted, we just do...
Sometimes I will walk into the bathroom and there she sits, IN the bathtub LOOKING at the faucet and the stopper....WILLING it to fill up just a little bit with water...she stares, unwavering with great expectation and confidence of what will come...willing...willing.....willing.....

Somehow, oddly, I am drawn to the bathtub and I push in stopper and turn on the faucet...just a little. She rises and drinks.......she KNEW it would come...

And I thought I was in charge around here.......

Homeschool Daze!!

Yesterday was the first official day of school around our household.
Gideon went to school on the bus...he attends public school.
Becca went to the first day of her homeschool classes at our homeschool group. She will be involved with two different groups this year. Mondays and Thursdays she will attend her regular classes and on Thursday afternoons, she AND Israel will take some "fun" elective type classes to round out their education such as Sewing, photography and game programming for Becca and Israel will take Amazing Animals, Building Basics and P.E. (P.E. to wear him out a little bit for his Mommy....!!!!)
Becca will, for this year, be taking Geometry and possibly Spanish and Chemistry at home...throughout the year.

Israel's "first day" of classes started in an "oil change" shop...thank goodness for workbooks that can come with us! Roger's elderly aunt passed away and we had to drive about an hour and 1/2 to the funeral...which Roger had to give the eulogy. (He did a good job!! I was proud of him and his testimony! What a cutie!)

So, today was school at home for Israel! I'm not sure he was terribly excited about it but he was at least cooperative! We started out rather in a grouch because Mommy did NOT make turkey bacon for breakfast! How horrible I am!! I offered him multiple kinds of cereal...but.........well, let's just say that after about 2 hours, he had a little bit of toast and milk.

Later he worked on money and the values of 4 coins. He did a very good job! (He is quite interested in money...a.k.a. allowances and what they can buy!) Then we moved on to phonics online. I don't think he even realized he was "working!" He had a wonderful time doing that. In the month that we have had him in our home, he has not done video games but I have allowed him to play on PBS Kids and now this new site I have found.
Then he "wrote" a report about what we learned about snakes last week. He dictated it and I typed it on the computer for him. I found that this is a very encouraging way to help a child "write" what they know. I used that idea with my older daughter when she was little and it was AMAZING to find out what they really know and remembered!
Next is "art" class....Israel is currently taking a break from sitting still and is having some kind of a battle with "Captain America" in the living room. He's about to paint a wooden snake to make it his own artwork!

Things are going well...except for the occasional times when he wants to trade me in on a Mommy who will give him bacon, sausage, or hotdogs every morning for breakfast....

SHE'S BACK....AND ONE'S LEAVING!!!

I drove to Chicago yesterday and picked up my Jennie....she had spent 7 lovely weeks in England with her boyfriend's parents. (well...he was there, too...) She had a wonderful time and is kind of sad to be back.  However, she is happy to meet new nephew Parker and get to know her new little brother Israel a little bit better...or a whole lot better!! She did admit to having missed all of us...a little bit!! haha

So this Momma's heart was really happy yesterday when I saw her for the first time in nearly two months. She couldn't understand why I was crying!!

Now that sad news...my oldest daughter, Marci, and her husband Ben, are leaving for Seattle tomorrow. No, it's not just for a visit...they're moving there. Weep, sob, kick and scream on the floor....

I know it's part of the growing up thing...with her going off to do her own thing and live her own life...but it's sad. I will miss her intensely! Seattle is a long long long way from Indiana....

We're having a going away party for them tonight and I know there will be a LOT of tears on my part.

I'm happy for her....kinda....

Blessings,
Beth

Introducing....

Israel and Daddy and Mommy! I finally feel like I might be safe to show a picture of our little boy, Israel! He is so precious and one of our biggest blessings so far in our lives. But to be honest, we have a lot of blessings...children, grandchildren, in law blessings....etc. We are VERY VERY BLESSED!

One of our newest blessings is a new grandson!!!!! Baby Parker was born to Erin and Danny on the 24th of July....I know, I feel terrible about not posting about it earlier...but life's been kinda crazy lately. Parker joins big brother Liam....2....as much much much loved children in their home. God is good!

We had a "get to know you" picnic today with our newest homeschool group. We are still involved with Becca's classes that she takes with other homeschoolers but I'm having the kids become involved with another group as well. Israel had a wonderful time getting to know some children and they seemed to like him a lot, as well!

Israel's first soccer game is tomorrow!! He's on the "Chickenhawks" team!! (Only in Indiana.....)

I've started getting some school work together for his school year...I'd love to start with Saxon Math but I'm not quite sure yet. We have started working on math and reading already...just to get an idea where he is with his education. He kind of had a "scattered" year last year, so I'm going to be pretty laid back this year. We're going to work on BONDING more than anything else. We're also learning alot of Bible stories and playing games to learn with!

izzy israel   dfvszjk,yuikhntyuetrwpohghfchfgggffgfbbffbfbjfbdjfndjfngbdgvbnbnbvdffbdhrrbeggfscvsfdsdfdcfxfxdcsafscdvxffgcxfgxcvsgvgvcghdfvbhgdhfebfdbhhhjehi thgutbgjribjurgtnbuh hguehtuhturht ruhtr5 b bbhkjht bhbtr urhtg  ehbheh hhhrhuehuhuitrutti8yurujtjgmijrituijtuuhj8tf4urytutj rut  bh5jntt   uthrth bu5hjuh5t5thu  b hty6t b6tjuhtiojh

Ummmm.....that was from Israel. We need to work on his spelling....and grammar....and sentence structure....

Blessings!
Beth.....and Israel.....
(Gotta love this little guy!!!!!!!!!)

"SCRIPTURE" by our little Congolese Boy....

Daddy Roger has been working on reading Scripture each night at suppertime. Israel refers to it as "The Black Book."  We've also been doing a Bible story plus a "fun" story, prayers and songs at bedtime. From time to time during the day, I have been using the Scripture to back up our "rules" in our home. Sometimes, it works.....

Tonight, Roger asked the kids what verses they have been working on or remembering in their daily lives. The teenagers were a bit more hesitant but six year old Israel spoke up readily.

"Don't let the Devil down when you're ANGRY!" he proudly "quoted."

There was quite a silence around the table...Israel was soooo happy that he "remembered"....but soon the giggles broke out. He wasn't sure why we were laughing at him and I said, "You make us really happy!" and he was pleased with that response.

Yeah, we did have to help him out a bit and tell him the REAL verse...Ephesians 4:26 "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath..."

He surprised us with the NEXT verse he remembered...in NIV "Ephesians 4:27 "Do not give the Devil a foothold."

We worked on that one last week. I had explained to him what a "foothold" was...like the climbing wall at the park. 15 year old Gideon further explained it as someone trying to get into your house and puts their foot in the door so you can't close it.

Later that "Bible time", Roger asked what we all got from the passage and Israel said, "Don't let the Devil get a foothold in your life or he will show up at your door!" I HOPE I explained that one enough that he no longer worries that the Devil will be showing up anytime soon.....

It's going to take a while for this little "Jewish Congolese" boy to understand....but he's getting there!

Blessings,
Beth

Our Boy Israel!!

For those of you who have been following our adoption story, our little guy is HOME! As I am sure you can imagine, this week has been crazy but great! Not only did we travel to go get Israel, spent three days with him, travel back, get kids ready for the 4H fair, have Roger give the eulogy for a dear friend's funeral, we are also all getting used to each other!

He is absolutely wonderful...just wonderful!
He is a typical six year old little boy but he has been through some terrible terrible things. The first few days he was really concerned that he had to save any money he might find to buy food. I think he is ok with the food supply we have now but he is REALLY concerned with his new Mommy and Daddy dying. In fact, he asked what would happen if we died and I told him that I don't think we are going to die anytime soon and not to worry about it but that IF something were to happen, we have made plans for son Danny and his wife Erin to take care of him. So...he said, "Can I have their phone number in case you die?"

Ok...gotta admit, it WAS funny but it also is a sad thing for him to worry about these things. I told him that the police and fire department would take care of him until Danny and Erin could drive here!

He also said that he is worried that he will have to find yet ANOTHER home and family. I told him "NO WAY!"  But since he doesn't necessarily think the way a child who has not been traumatized would think, I told him that we love him, are committed to him AND we have already painted and decorated his room just for him! (I know that sounds strange to you and me but he hasn't said another thing about it. Sometimes I think that he needs reassurance in lots of different ways...after all, another family said he was "home" too and they gave him up. So I thought that maybe the"We have a  room just for Israel" would be a different approach. After all, no one else ever gave him a room just for him with his favorite things! I thought it was worth a try! It seemed to work!)

Well...he is pretty hungry right now and I have some of his favorite things ready for him.

Oh, I love being a "Mommy" again!!!

Blessings,
Beth

"Get Him" Day!!

We leave first thing Thursday morning (July 12) to drive to northern Wisconsin to pick up our little boy! It's about a ten hour drive from here so by evening we should have our boy! I'm pretty nervous at this point. I hope he will like us! I know that he has spent time with us on a few occasions but leaving with us is a completely different thing!

Keep us in your prayers if you think of it...we should be returning late on Sunday and signing the papers on Monday! ( We were told we were to sign them today but the lawyers changed their minds!)

Blessings,
Beth