Another Awesome Sunday with the Kidlets

The kids ate and ate and ate!

Then they played and played and played!!!! They had a total blast!!! It was so worth taking a break from packing! These are the moments that kids remember for a lifetime!

We even played glow golf! This was the first time Zack and Sophia saw a golf ball or a golf club! Fun stuff!


This last pic is Sophia in time out because she wouldn't stop picking up the golf balls in the middle of the game. She kept saying, "Huh"? "Huh"? "Huh"? After time out, she didn't pick up another ball that hadn't been hit in the hole! The reason I post the pic is because you can see such HUGE progress in Sophia!! She is securely attached now - meaning she knows she belongs to me, and she is secure in that forever love. Look at the difference:

A TOTALLY FUN SATURDAY!!!

The day started with the yummy breakfast I made for everyone! The kids LOVE chocolate chip pancakes, and the fam has gotten used to me making a yummy brekky on Saturday mornings. So, today I did not disappoint them. BTW, Aunty Heather, Zack is a chocoholic like you!

After brekky, Zack enjoyed his one hour of video games upstairs as he played Fantastic Four on the XBox 360. He is learning more and more about how to play but what I like is the eye hand coordination that it is building. He only gets an hour a day during the summer so he doesn't grow tired of the games too quickly. I think tha once he starts school that hour will go down to half an hour.

While Zack played, Sophia, Aunty Stepha, and I went for a swim. Zack isn't clear to swim just yet so we enjoyed an hour of swimming while he was busy. Sophia knows how to swim now so it is great fun to woop and hollar for her each time she jumps in and swims to the side. We had great fun!


Later, Amy came over to cut and color our hair. She rocks! Sophia had fun talking her ear off, combing her hair, and watching snippets of "Night at the Museum" with her. Amy's little sister Lizzie is much like Sophia so Amy was all geared up for the little chatter box!

After the haircuts were finished, we actually talked Aunty Gina into joining us for a movie. We went to see Hairspray and we ALL loved it. Sophia was bee boppin' around in her seat. Zack love all the parts that a boy would love and said ew to all the parts that had anything to do with love! LOL The kids enjoy going to the movies. It continues to be one of their favorite activities. I fear I don' t fall into the extreme conservative group as I indulge them by taking them to the theater at least 3 times a month. For shame... Where else can I get Sophia a large bucket of YUMMY popcorn?

After the movie, we walked around Dos Logos which is Corona's Fashion Island. It truly is very nice minus the beach. It is full of upscale stores and the ambience matches what you'd expect at an upscale Orange County outdoor mall. I try hard not to enter any stores!!! As we were walking, Zack was playing Spiderman with Gina. He figured out how to do that jump that Spiderman does when he spins his web and jumps from web to web. Quite amazing that he has studied it so closely. He really does have it down pat.

At Dos Logos, there is the long tunnel covered with bamboo. It is very prettily lit and runs between the two lakes. The water actuallay falls as you walk through. Below are just a couple of pics from our walk across the bridge. Can you tell that we had a blast?!!! I can't remember the last night we had out that was this much fun.

When we got to the car, we put on the oldies and were singing at the top of our lungs. Everyone except Uncle Drew was dancing their little booties off! Fun stuff, I tell you! The Rivera bunch is losin' it! Gina better be careful because she has rubbed off on us, and now she's in for trouble!



One thing I have failed to share which I find precious is that every single time we sit down to eat, no matter where we are, Zack stops and says, "Let's pray" before he touches his food. So precious. I can't wait until the day he asks to say grace for us!

Random fact: Did you know that in Russia when a child ages out of an orphanage, he she is given a small stipend and a passport stamped Detsky Dome? This means that when applying for a job or a place to live, they are discriminated against because they are "orphans". So incredible to think about the rights we have against various types of less offensive discrimination. I praise and thank God each and every day for paving the way for Zack and Sophia to have a new lot in life. I am so blessed to have been hand chosen by God to care for these two.

I pray for more fantastically fun Saturdays in the future!!!!! One more weekend living in CA and then we're off to Texas. Still surreal...

Snug as Bugs

Here are the little buggers soundly sleeping in their beds! Very soon Sophia will get her girly room in Texas, but for now, she has her little pink bed and a pink corner in the room! Honestly though she begs for Zack's Car pillow and his Spiderman PJs, but as I said in earlier blogs the wearing of the boy pjs was a one time thing! I have been known to cave and let her wear his Spiderman socks now and again!

Anyhow, lots of people have asked how the kids are doing with the plans to move. In short, they are both eager to go to their new house for a couple of reasons. Zack can't wait to start school, and he knows that will happen in Texas. Sophia can't wait to meet her cousin Kaylie who is waiting eagerly in Texas for us to get there. Both know that there are lots of lakes there and one huge one near our house. So they are looking forward to doing lake activities which they learned all about at Hume. I think they're going to do fine. I even asked the social worker when she was here if she thought they'd handle the move okay, and she said that Zack and Sophia are some of the most well adjusted kids she met. She said that she thought they'd thrive no matter where they land as long as they're with their mama and extended fam that they've grown to love.

Today we go for retakes at Picture People. Last pics cost a bundle and none of them show their blue eyes or their nice smiles. I hope take two is better.

Have an awesome day! Read on as I posted last night as well. These two posts are dedicated to Liz and Lori, the most faithful ECCU readers!

Happy Birthday Uncle Jerry!

Today was Uncle Jerry's Birthday, and the kiddos were excited to sing "CAPPY BIRTHDAY" to him! Me thinks they wanted the cake!

Anyhow, Zack scored tonight because Uncle Jerry wanted to swim and jacuzzi for his b-day and Zack is still healing so can't swim. This meant that Uncle Jerry felt guilty and went and bought Zack the Spiderman Computer he's been wanting for weeks. Unbeknownst to me, Zack handed Jerry 4 quarters and asked him to take him to the store to buy the computer. He's been playing on the computer for 2 hours now!

Sophia loves cake and could hardly wait to dip her fingers into Jerry's frosting! She was a giggle bucket!

I have one more week of work and then the major packing begins! Texas here we come! The kids are jazzed. Zack mostly because he gets to start school.

Crazy Weekend

The kiddos had an awesome weekend playing with their Uncle Jerry and Uncle Mike who took them to the park, McDonalds and swimming. Saturday, Stephanie, Gina and I went to see Wicked at the Pantages so the kiddos got to hand with the Uncles who LOVE having fun with them.

Wicked was aweseome! It was humorous and the whole story was super creative! Basically, evil is only evil because good makes it that way. Of course, that is just my interpretation. There are many more lessons that can be gleaned from the show. I'll never watch the Wizard of Oz the same way!

Today, I went to Wanda's sister's surprise birthday party at Geezer's in Santa Fe Springs. The food was AWESOME! And, Ana seemed to have a wonderful time. It was a good party for someone who is a little on the shy side. :)

Tonight to make up for some lost time, we all went bowling. The kids LOVE to bowl. And, because it is a sport that is team but individual, it gives each of us a lot of quality time together. It is cool to see their personalities come out as they bowl. Zack is very driven. He bowls and watches intently until the pins fall. If he hits anything less than five pens he is bothered and tries harder at his next turn. Josh is getting quite good at bowling. He is using less and less of the bumpers. I think our bowling often has helped the kids to enjoy their progress. Michael taught Kenny how to bowl w/o using the finger holes. He does very well now. He stuck to it for about 3 months before finding his groove. Sophia has fun, and we all take turns helping her.

Then there are the grown ups. Mike gets super intense and rolls the ball faster and harder than any dude I've seen. Gina is super competitive and has fun at the same time. I have my good and bad days on the alley. Bowling a 135 is good for me. Stepha, God love her, gives it her all. She has great fun and make us all laugh so hard. Zack sometimes beats her! :) LOL

So, we usually have a blast bowling and the kiddos have super fun. I won't bore you with all of the reasons I think bowling teaches lots of life lessons.

I didn't take any pictures this weekend, but will do better this week. When I move to Texas, I'll be sure to post lots of pictures so ya'll can see where me and the kiddos will be living. Believe it or not, it is not podunk.

Oh, and, I do realize it is hot and humid there at least two months out of the year. When people hear I am moving to Texas, the first thing they say is, "Does she know it is hot there"? Answer: Yes. The next question is about a job. I am going back to teaching so I can be home when my kids are home each day and on holiday and summer breaks. Yes, I'll take a pay cut, but the difference in cost of living will more than make up for that. Truth is, if I had a choice, I'd stay in CA, but I know that it is God's will that I move my little family to a place where I can spend more time with them, and where they can go to blue ribbon schools. Also, I've been at my current job for over eight years, and the Lord has made it abundantly clear to me that it is time to move on from my cubicle in Brea, CA.

Please keep me and the fam in your prayers. There are still many uncomfortable hurdles to cross. Hurdles that the Lord calls me to tackle before I move on to the new place I'll learn to call home.

Update for Friends and Family

I just got off of the phone with my sister and nanny, Stephanie. She said that Zack is doing splendidly well. He was dancing on the bed and is now playing Surf's Up on the XBox 360 with Josh. We are on the upswing.

Zack is very pleased with what has transpired. He of course would have chosen to live w/o the pain, but he definitely was not happy with the alternative. He was fully aware of why he was going to the hospital, and he knew exactly what the doctor was going to fix - his owies as he calls them. He had owies before surgery. After he is healed, that pain will likely be a thing of the past. For that, he and I am very pleased.

There is so much debate about circumcision and all that surrounds the decision whether to do it or not. Sometimes it is a necessary "evil" as is this case. So, for those who filled in the blanks arbitrarily, wise up.

What matters most is that Zack is doing well and has checked out the situation thoroughly and is very pleased. I can hear him now saying, "Sweet"! If you know him, you can hear it too! If you don't, your loss.

Web Changes

Hello Fair People!

Gina here, aka web site specialist for Deana. Not that she needs it much, but I have changed a few things on her blog due to some very judgemental and COWARDLY people who have decided to take this blog over with crap comments.

Let me say, everyone has a right to think what they want - and Deana would encourage that. But anyone who can judge someone else without knowing all the details and then not have the GUTS to leave their name should not have the right to post comments on that blog.

Therefore, I have changed the settings on this blog - you now must be a registered user to post comments. Registering is free and I promise you won't have junk mail if you sign up. If you know me personally, I can walk you through the steps. If you don't, just click on the links on the comment page to do so - it's really easy.

Circumcision is a very tough issue and not everyone will agree on the matter. However, it doesn't do anyone any good to pass judgement or send hate comments. Judging a person's entire life on one area - whether you agree with it or not - makes no sense at all. And I would encourage you - if you couldn't knock on Deana's door and tell her what you think face to face (or at least with your name attached), you have no right to rip her apart anonymously.

Thanks,

Gina

Updated at 7:00PM Monday

All of these pics were taken after the surgery when Zack was on the Morphine. So, here you see a drugged up pirate!

Today was the day for Zack to have his circumcision. It was amazing how it worked out. My first appt as some of you know was not a success. The doc was totally anti-circumcision and from the minute I walked through his door, he was giving me 100 excuses why NOT to have the procedure done. So surprise, surprise he wrote it up as PURELY COSMETIC (not true), and the insurance denied it! So, I called the pediatrician and requested another referral. I got one and waited an entire month to get an appt.

I took Zack to the new doc's office on Monday at 10:30AM, and voila, the insurance approved it on Tuesday, and we were at the hospital this morning having the procedure done. What a blessing it was to get this taken care of so quickly, but let me tell you, I NEVER want to live through it again!!!! I think it was harder on me than on him!

He was a brave pirate this morning! Why pirate? Well, Wanda and I went shopping last night and bought him some toys so he would have something to look forward to after the surgery. We bought him a Captain Jack Sparrow hat with the hair attached, a gun, sword, handcuffs and Pirates of the Caribbean pajamas. This morning he actually wore the costume and had all the trinkets with him so he was all geared up. The hospital staff gave him his new name, "Captain Zack Sparrow"!!!! He was all smiles.

He wasn't upset until he came out of surgery and was waking up from the anesthesia. He was SOBBING and in a ton of pain. So, after that came three doses of morphine. He threw up twice on the way home, but other than that is just super groggy. I expect that when the morphine wears off, he will be in pain again. I have to take the bandage off at 3:00PM - NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!

So supposedly he'll be better in three days and completely healed in a week. We shall see. I'll keep ya'll updated as able. Just in case any of you PAPs out there need to go through this some day with your own sons!

I'll post pics soon of Captain Zack Sparrow!

UPDATE: The removal of the bandage was HORRIBLE. Imagine a kid in the worst pain you can imagine, a teary mom apologizing profusely, and the loud wailing of a little boy. I removed it as gently as possible, but it still cause a HUGE amount of pain for the little guy.

When he looked at it earlier, he told me that the doctor made it bigger! I was like what a dude. Then after the bandage came off he looked at me like, "What the heck did that doctor do to me"????

I gave him Tylenol with Codeine and after an hour of pain, he finally fell fast asleep. He is sleeping now and will likely be naked for a few days! If you think about it, please pray for the little guy. I have to go back to work tomorrow which stinks royally! Steph will stay close to him and make sure he is comfy and medicated as necessary.

This has been an emotional roller coaster. I wish I could say I was strong through the whole thing, but seeing him wheeled away to surgery broke my heart, seeing him come out made me cry, and hearing him wail hurt my soul!!! Oh my, and this is just the beginning of motherhood! The good thing is that Zack has been super clingy to me. He held me for hours as we lay in bed watchin Cartoon Network together - that is another post! What a HORRIBLE channel!

What It Do?

Zack tries a new do.

Random Pics and Stories

First, we have Stephanie Joy Rivera and Sophia Joy Rivera!!! I am so glad I named Sophia after Stephanie! The love they share is so cool!

So Zack LOVES Chicken Joe from the movie Surf's Up. He likes to throw Chicken Joe into the pool because CJ sinks to the bottom of the deep end very quickly after which Zack will show off his skills and swim to the bottom to swipe CJ out of danger. Last week, Zack forgot about poor CJ in the deep end and when I went out back to give the pool a cursory glance to ensure that there was nothing left behind that would plug the vacuum, I saw poor CJ. For those who know me well, you know I was not going to jump in after him. So, I quickly stripped Zack down and let him do a dive in his boxers. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. He giggled for a long time. Tonight as we were going through pics, he was asking to see these so I thought I'd share.

Tonight was a big night for Zack. He had his first night out with Auntie Gina. They went to Cold Stone for some yummy ice cream. Zack was so jazzed to get to go out alone which is rare. I am so glad Zack has so many people who love him so much! He and Auntie Gina have awesome fun together!


While Zack and Gina were gone, Sophia got to stay home with mama! She got a new Dora coloring book from Auntie Wanda, and it kept her busy for an hour!!! She was even quiet! If you know Sophia, you know that she never stops talking! Some of my sweetest best friends are like that too!



This week Zack learned how to write his name. He learned his age, his birthdate, his alphabet by site and sound (A-U)!!! Praise the Lord! I was hoping he'd be a quick learner. And, thanks Auntie Stepha! Sophia learned how to say ABCDEFG, and she recognizes the letter A!

Tomorrow, the kids are spending the day with grandma at grandma's house. This is the first visit to grandma's house without mom so we shall see how tired grandma is when the day is over!

The NEW Sophia! Two posts so keep reading, please!

I finally caved and got Sophia's hair cut with some bangs!!!! What do you think?

Pic #2 I found a Leap Frog toy that teaches the alphabet and sounds at Big Lots on the way home. Sophia has already learned ABCDEFG - that took only 10 minutes!!!

Pics #3 and #4 Please note that Zack happily hugs Sophia now. He even agrees that she is his sister!!! For those who don't know, they are biological brother and sister. I think they look more and more alike each day. Of course, I am biased as their mother, but I think they're darn cute. Funny thing though - cute is no work at all. If only character automatically came with the package! Not that they're naughty - they're just human is all! I do have to say that training these two munchkins has been work, but the consistancy is paying off big time!!

Thanks for reading! Please comment. For those wondering where we're moving - North Texas - Frisco to be exact. If anyone has any work recommendations, I am all ears.

The Greatest Nanny Ever!

Here are a couple of pics to show you all how very blessed we are at 6428!!! First of all, let me say that I may be a little biased because Stephanie is my sister! However, I think after this post you will agree that she is pretty freakin' awesome! Let me explain my use of the word "freakin'"... Today at work someone mentioned that some of my posts are treacle!!! If you know me well at all, you know the last thing I want is to be defined as treacle!!! If you aren't familar with the word, look it up and check out the definition then you can tell me if this post is treacle or not!

Surely I digress! Stephanie has the joy this summer of having all four of the cousins each day all day. Well, Gina's boys Monday through Thursday and Zack and Sophia everyday. This could be super overwhelming, but she has the smarts to have the kiddos on a schedule which is quite impressive. Josh and Kenny have a white board with their chores listed out so that they can self manage and just collect their allowance based upon the checks placed on the board. Zack and Sophia have chores too, but can't read yet so the white board isn't as effective. The three youngers help out so happily. Kenny is twelve so it's a tad bit harder to get a smile out of him when he is helping out, but I did read somewhere that the best thing for a male betweenager is hard work. I'm not sure if his chores can be considered "hard" work, but they allow him to pitch in which is the important part. Steph even taught him how to do his own laundry from sorting to washing to folding to hanging. Now I think that is a skill he'll need for life. The others do things like smash aluminum cans, empty trash cans, deliver folded laundry to the proper rooms, set the table, help cook dinner, etc... They all get to enjoy the joy that comes from a job well done.

Besides the chores, Stephanie enourages Josh and Kenny to read each day and she works with Zack and Sophia on their alphabet, names, numbers, colors, and ages. They are both coming along smashingly.

When I get home in the evening, the kids run to the door to jump into my arms. I have to be honest. They are super jazzed when Aunty Gina gets home too. Okay, okay, okay...and when Uncle Jerry comes in too! Sophia always grabs my computer bag and rolls it to its proper place (see pic above)!

Sometimes when I get home, Sophia is cooking with Auntie Steph. The boys are usually swimming or setting the table. One thing is for sure, they all look clean and well loved each and every day!

In the evening, all of the boys (even Zack) know how to get their own baths, brush their teeth super well, get their jammies on and get to bed for tuck in time. I almost feel guilty that bed time is so easy. When I walk upstairs, all of the boys are super clean in bed waiting for devos (devotions which means simply Bible story reading). The best thing about all of this is that these are skills the kids will need for life. Good hygiene has to be taught. A bath or a shower a day definitely keep a lot of the smelly bugs away!

It is so cool to have such a perfect set up during this time in their lives. It is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!

Visit from the Social Worker

We had our first post placement visit on Monday night. All went very well. Annette, our SW enjoyed meeting the kids and seeing how well they have transitioned from life in a Russian orphanage to life in a regulary ole American household.

Annette asked questions like, "How many English words does each child know"? And, I answered like this, "Ummmm, too many to count"!

What has been the toughest part of the transition? Training Sophia to go to bed and go to sleep.

Any attachment issues? There were tiny signs of attachement issues, but I tackled them head on right out of the gate.

How is their coordination? Ummm, Zack is gifted. Sophia is only 3 so watching where she is walking is a challenge.

Do you plan to readopt? Yes. (This is just a process that leads to an American Birth Certificate.)

Annette concluded the meeting by looking at the kids room and making sure they had beds and ample space to play. When Annette left she said that I was the mom she thought I'd be.

It was a surreal experience. Annette had met with me last July to do my homestudy when Zack and Sophia were two unknown baby boys under two! So, for her to come back one year later and see the two children God handpicked for me and my family, was amazing. God has been so good and continues to bless and teach every moment I allow Him to speak to my heart.

Sorry there are no pics, but I will have some a little later. :)

Glam

Another pic from Hume Lake! I need to get the camera out again. The kids are out back in the pool right now with their Uncle Jerry. I can hear what a fantastic time they are having. I can't imagine their surprise when we move to a house with a community pool instead of a private pool! They will surely want to come back to Bluebell!

We are moving sometime soon to a location some of you are aware of but some don't know quite yet. The reason for that is because there are so many moving pieces to the relocation. The single most important factor is the desire to live in a place where the kids can go to blue ribbon schools and not be raised in daycare which is a pet peeve of mine. Don't like daycare a bit. I like moms and dads raising kids. In my case, it'll be a mom raising kids not the public school system. Now, don't get me wrong. I know daycare is a GREAT thing for those who need it. I just am willing to go to drastic measures not to need it. I LOVE living in CA and never thought I'd want to live anywhere else. What moves me is my wanting to be able to spend as much time as possible with the kids. When I move, it will be to a place where mortgages are less expensive and jobs are plenty. My goal is to teach again so I can have summers, vacation times, and evenings off with the kiddos. I simply cannot give my kids the schooling, housing, and time I want to here in Southern CA so I must suck up the sentimentality and move.

I will miss my friends and the weather SO MUCH!!!! Surprisingly, however, my mom and 6 of my 8 siblings are moving as well. That makes it a bit easier.

I am not sure of timing yet, but am just beginning to get the courage to step out in faith! I told a friend yesterday that I don't think I'm brave enough to find a new job after 8 years where I have been. She said, Not brave??? You just adopted two children!!! That comment helped me realize that I adopted Zack and Sohpia by faith because I knew for CERTAIN that God had called me to do so. Now I must move in the same manner - resting in the Lord's promise to care for me and the kiddos as I follow His lead.

Am I crazy???

Ahhhh Shucks...

This is Gina at Hume Lake! She enjoyed her time napping but could have used more! She wanted some face time on my blog! :) I will post more Hume pics with Hume stories tomorrow because I am having trouble shrinking my pics!!!!

Independence Day- for Americans and for Sophia Joy - Home 3 Months Today

Here is Sophia when Momma went to see her in Russia and here is Sophia with Momma at Hume Lake last week!

Please excuse the dirty faces! Hume Lake is a dusty place, and Sophia and Momma rolled around in the dirt quite a bit!

Independence Day- for Americans and for Zack - Home 3 Months Today

Here I am in December when Mama came to get me!
Here I am today talking to Heather!

Thanks Dr. Noble for the bright white smile! :) Sophia's pics to follow!

Lest Jeff Worry Too Much...

Zack did spread his love and talents while at Hume Lake. Here is proof! Heather didn't even have to ask for the massage from Mr. Swarthy himself!
Zack and Heather "worked" on their tans together last week, and both were successful. I am not sure why Hedder had a hard time tanning her back - shadows maybe or too many POE PAS on her at once???