I have been trying to download this for days. Just a piece of Americana on the Fourth. Enjoy. Alyssa calls it Hipscotch.

I know, I know

Shadow Boxes on Mema's new porch

Cooling our feet in the World War II Memorial

Pilots anyone

Maybe the girls too

on the Metro after the first day in DC

USS Wisconsin

Start of trek through the Mall in Washington, DC

Ripley's Believe it or Not

Sesame Street Land

Just love this picture

Sand monsters

Lunch time
Jamestown Settlement

I know that it has been a long time since I blogged. We have been super busy. We are now home for the rest of the summer. I think. Maybe not. Jaryd would like to go fishing so that may be a day or two trip. My dad has to make another trip to the doctor late July so I will have to go with him there. So maybe a couple more small trips.

The trip to the beach and Washington, DC was awesome. Not sure that we will do two consequtive weeks again, but oh well we survived. The kids didn't get the real meaning of a lot of the historical stuff, but I am hoping that when they are a little older and start learning American History they will be able to say "Hey, I saw that." We did Washington, DC in a whirlwind tour. We would take the Metro in every day and then start on seeing as much of the Mall as we could see. The first day we were in the Natural History Museum all day. The second day we went to the Capital, Air and Space Museum and walked by all the other memorials. The kid were super tired. So were mom and dad.

We had some interesting hotel episodes in DC. Too many to talk about. But, in the end it was all good. The hotel had problems not the kids.

We enjoyed Williamsburg so much that we bought some more time share there. Breanne was with us for those first five days and she helped mom a lot. We did Busch Gardens and Water Country while she was there and that helped with the kids. Kevin was able to sit with the girls and keep them occupied while we rode some bigger rides. Jaryd was a real dare devil he kept up with big sister on every ride she went on that he was tall enough to ride. Jacob would have liked to but would chicken out in the end. I am glad because mom is kind of a chicken too. The girls rode all the rides that were for their age. Kailyn wanted to ride one in Sesame street land that was a little bit large for her, but she rode anyway. She loved it. I was a little afraid myself.

I think the boys enjoyed Water Country the best. The girls did too. Kevin sat in all the baby pools and watched the girls play. Mom and Breanne took the boys on all the rides. Nothing stopped Jacob here.

We enjoyed our days at the beach. Kevin and the kids spent the days building sand castles. Jaryd loved the water. Jacob not so much. Alyssa did not want to go in without someone holding her hand, and Kailyn would not get out of the sand. NO water for her. But, they had a blast playing in the sand and collecting shells.

We went to my dad's for Father's day and spent the night. It was a great visit. We hadn't seen him in a while. All the kids joined us for lunch and that was a great treat for him.

This last week we went to Kevin's dad's and then on to his mom's. We had wonderful visits with all of them. We got to see Aunt Brenda, Uncle Brad, Lauren, Jason, and Cousin David for a short time too. Guess we have seen almost everyone since school was out. Kevin's sister Tammy and her family came over the end of May and we got to visit with them then. While at Mema's we did a shadow box for each of the kids with shells and pictures from the beach. They were so proud of them when they finished.

We are going to enjoy a quiet fourth here at home with some hot dogs and hamburgers and some watermelon. I think I will make ice cream too. Here are some pictures you can catch up on.

Talk to you soon.

Tammy

We bought this swimming blaster at Sam's this weekend. I think it is going to be a great hit for the summer. Maybe next year we will get a real pool.

Please be in prayer for the Ukrainian Parliament on Tuesday. They are voting to ban all international adoptions for one year. Those kids need our prayers. Couples who are there will have to come home childless if this passes. Pray without ceasing.

Tammy

The new video camera was my mother's day present.

Summer has begun

A little update on the Social Security Number. Kailyn is finished. On the other hand, the agent was supposed to do Jacob's the day after I was there for Jaryd. So that their numbers wouldn't be so close, and mail me the paper work the next day. I haven't seen his number yet. Kailyn's was only done last week and I already have her number and Jaryd's. Guess I will have to make another trip.

The kids got out of school on Wednesday and we left to go to my dad's to take him to the heart doctor. It was just a check up and all is good. We came home this morning (Friday). Now we will begin to plan for our vacation. We leave on the 30th of May to go to Williamsburg Virginia, Virginia Beach and Washington DC for two weeks. It will be interesting to get ready to travel for two weeks with six people.

The kids did a few projects this afternoon at the bar. They love to sit at the bar and cut and tape and color. We have had some rain today so they had to be inside this afternoon. We are not complaining about the rain because we need it.

We hope to leave the kids with a babysitter tomorrow or Sunday and go to the wine festival. It is just fun. Not big drinkers, but we love to go with some friends. It will be a good get away for Kevin and I without the kids. We haven't had much time for just us. The break will be good before vacation.

Tammy

Social Security Numbers

I know that it is a little late applying for social security cards, but we filed an extension on our taxes and so we haven't needed them yet.
Yesterday, I went to the SS Office to apply for the cards. After waiting for my turn, I was told that I would need their Ukrainian passports before they would process. The lady at window 5 took Kailyn's Citizenship paper with her picture attached to the back and brought it back to say that they would need the passports. Okay, I will go home and get them. I put the papers in my purse so that I could return again.
Second trip, I wait my turn once again. I am finally called hand the papers to the agent and she says the picture is not on Kailyn's citizenship paper. Oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I look through my purse and there it is. Sorry we cannot accept this document, it is altered. Can't you see that the seal matches and that it just came unglued in my purse. Looks like it but you will have to return to immigration. GREAT!!!!!!! I need to speak to a supervisor. Okay no problem maam. Supervisor gives me the same story. Can't you just give me some glue and I will put the picture back on. NO ma'am we cannot do that. You could take it home glue it on and take it to our other office, because they don't know that it was altered. But this office will not take it. You will need to talk to immigration. By the way, Kailyn is with me, she has her passport, and I am her mother testifying to who she is. The same picture that is on her Citizenship paper is on the Visa that is in her Ukrainian passport.
So I place a call to my trusty Immigration Agent. He is not there. So I leave a message. He calls me later in the day to say just glue the picture back on yourself. We don't have an official stamp that says we glued the picture back on. He was very upset with the Social Security Agent for causing us so much trouble.
Oh remember me saying the the first agent at SS saw the picture attached and took it to the back to show a supervisor, well she conveniently forgot that she saw the picture attached. She would not confirm that she had seen it earlier that morning.
Thankfully, the agent that I dealt with on the second trip that processed Jacob and Jaryd's numbers told me that when I had the picture reattached, that she would process the applicaiton without a wait. She told me just to look her up and she would do it as quickly as possible.
In case you wondered, I am filing a complaint against the supervisor. I am going to send all the information and copies of everything with the complaint. Their words were that since 911 they have to be carful of terrorist. She is three. She has been in the country 8 months. No terrorist actions to this point.
Never a dull moment when you deal with government agencies. By the way, I have glued the picture back on. I will be making another trip to the SS office.
I will let you know the outcome of this trip.
Tammy

Rules

Why is it that rules still after 7 months don't seem to mean a thing to my newbees? Jaryd just seems to think that the rules still apply to everyone else but him. We have repeatedly told him he cannot put things in his backpack from home to take to school. No toys, no food, no nothing. But, like any other 9 year old boy he still pushes that limit. This morning his backpack was filled with food and colored pencils that he knew he was not allowed to take to school. He sneaked them in there this morning while I was finishing getting ready. I noticed that his backpack was making a funny noise. I checked and sure enough there it was. I know this does not necessarily have any thing to do with being adopted or maybe it does. I know this is just 9 year old boy behavior. But, it is so frustrating. Of course, I was the bad guy because he got caught. I tried to explain to him once again that it was his behavior that caused him to loose privileges not just the fact that I caught him. I am only the enforcer of the rules. I explained to him also that parents have rules to follow too. If we didn't follow the rules of the God and of the world, what a terrible mixed up place this world would be.

I just pray daily that God will give me wisdom in my discipline. I do hope that in the next few months life will begin to settle in. I keep thinking it will but so far no such luck. Well, with four kids in the house it is a little hard to have complete quietness.

Jacob seems to be an arguer. He always has a come back for everything that you say. We are working very hard on talking back. He thinks he should have the last word. This is definitely a challenge.

I will say that yesterday afternoon was my dream time of being a mother of four small children. Jaryd and Jacob were in their room playing cars so quietly you would barely know they were there. Alyssa was sitting at the play desk coloring and cuting and pasting. She enjoys making projects so much. Kailyn was playing in the play area in the den. I am not sure what she was playing, but all was quiet. It allowed me to get dinner ready. So see there are some good times. They are not all bad. I sound a little negative in the beginning, but just to let you know things are not always bad.

Nana is going to start having school with Alyssa one day a week until school is out for the others. She is missing a little of her alone time with Nana. So Nana decided to have one morning a week with her just for her special time.

I have become another mini-van mom. We had a Tahoe with three seats that sat everyone comfortably, but it did not allow for groceries, stroller or lawn chairs for soccer games. I could have one on the list but not two. We looked and looked for a new vehicle and the only thing that I could find that would fit everything in was a Town and Country mini-van. So I have joined the ranks for the mini-van moms again. I swore I would never own another, but I guess God has a wonderful sense of humor. Never say never right. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with owning a mini-van, I just thought I had moved on to the SUV land. Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week in the Lord.
Tammy