I think that is going to be the title of our postings for the next few months. Dasha is learning how to be a member of the family with parents who actually love her and are trying to provide loving discipline. Amber is learning how to be a loving and kind sister and Donna and I are trying to figure out how to balance it all.
Dasha is a wild child who can go from calm to crazy in about 30 secs. We're cutting back on the amount of diet coke she drinks and the amount of sugar she gets. She literally goes from being a sweet and loving child to a crazed maniac who needs a timeout and a trip to her room for ahwile. The energy she brings to our family is something we're adjusting to. Don't get me wrong we love her very much and only want the best for her but for those of you in-country right now, the child you see at the orpanage is not the child you will bring home. They will go through multiple stages of growth.
It is comforting to read the blogs of our other friends who have brought home children from Ukraine. They all seem to be having some of the same issues. Entitlement, smart mouth, No and just a complete lack of respect at times. We've also read about how single children are having hard times adjusting and getting used to having siblings. All of these things make us realize that we are not the only ones having these issues and that it is normal. In fact, our friends that have multiple bio children say the samething. Thanks for your words of encouragement.
Here's a few updates on what Dasha has been up to lately. She loves to ride her bike. She seems to be adjusting well at school and her English is getting better and better every day. She has been personalizing her room a bit adding accessories and things like that bit by bit. We are still having a hard time getting clothes that a) fit her and b) stuff she will wear and c) I will approve it. I personally don't like the skin tight jeans she prefers but for now that's all she'll wear. As she gets older though, we're going to need to negotiate a few things.
Dasha likes to help around the house. This weekend she helped me for about three hours fixing my lawnmower and putting mulch down. Then she disappeared. I found her in the shower. She told me she was done and tired. I appreciated the time she did spend with me!
Yesterday (Sunday) we went to Church and there was a visitng Pastor from Moscow names Vlad. When we heard him speak in Russian it took us right back to Odessa. Dasha and Amber were in there Sunday school class when the 3rd grade teacher came over to the 5th grade class and said, "Can anyone speak Russian?" Amber stood up and said, "my sister does, she's from Ukraine." Dasha then went with the teacher and was able to translate for the Pastors children who were in the 3rd grade class. He was trying to explain to the kids how to do a particular activity and they just couldn't understand. Now tell me that God is not amazing. Here is our Dasha in Sunday school, who just four weeks ago was in an Orphanage is now translating as best as she could for another set of kids who couldn't speak English. She has come a long way. It these moments that we try to hold onto when the rages come on.
Later that afternoon we went to the groundbreaking ceremony for our Church. We are building a Church about 20 mins from our house. It is scheduled to be open at the end of he year. Anyway, we did a few praise songs and behind me I thought I heard Dasha's voice singing the songs. I thought na she doesn't know these but I turn around and she is singing. She has a nack for hearing the lyrics one time and then can sing them. She was singing almost in perfect english right along side her Mom. Amazing. Afterwards, we all had a chacne to right a prayer on a flag that we then put along the perimiter of the outline of the building. Dasha wrote a number of things in English and then on the other side in Russian. As they pour the concrete this week they plan on buring the prayer requests under the building. This was our building is built on the word of God and the prayers of His people. Pretty cool. Dasha has a lot of questions about God and Jesus. We introduced her to Vlad and her talked with her for awhile in Russian. He shared with her the gospel and that God has a plan for her. We'll see how it goes but we suspect that over time she will come to love the Lord as much as we do.
This Wednesday we start "Sizzlin Summer," which is outdoor church. The kids will go to class and we'll will have some time alone. We look forward to it.
Until next time, keep the prayers and advice coming.
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