Two month home 8-29-2012

Exactly 2 month ago our boys entered United States as Mironyuk's. Our newly adopted sons are doing great! Yes, we do have our trials and bad moments, but I would not trade our boys for anything. Actually now, as we get more older/ wiser :), I know that when boys making bad choices, and have behavior problem,  this is a  part of the bonding process, they feel more comfortable with us. The progress in two month is huge.

Danik is getting more open, he can talk to us about many things, before it was very quite child and we were never sure what he was thinking about. Lying was a huge issue, and we were warned by others(back in Ukraine), about Danik not being honest and lying about almost everything. Honestly, we never saw a lot of lying, we had few moments but it's almost gone in this two month. We had many talks, Danik knows all the consequences and we don't see any lying, he is smart boy. I know that he will still try, and will test us, but we already see a lot of progress, and now we are wondering if he was lying back in the orphanage , maybe he was just scared to be punished...?

Danik has quite personality, doing his best when someone is watching him, love when we praise him for good work, and will do almost anything for praises and to be recognized. He is trying to make good choices, and learning to not get in other people business. Danik is getting better at sharing. He doesn't understand what is family, and how we protect and helping each other, because we are one family. Danik is still has behavior of not thinking about others, but it's getting  better, and more often we see him sharing and thinking about others, but we do have long road to learn and help him to fully understand why it's not all about one of us, it's all about our family. More and more he is offering his help to others, and this is huge progress... :)

Now, he comes for comfort to Sergey and I, before he would never say what bothers him. Even a little scratch on his leg, or arm , we will know about it :)  He is still having hard time to bond, and accept Danilka as older brother. Even at school, when Danik is hurt, he would run away from Danilka, and all what Danilka tried to do it's to translate to a teacher what happened and to ask his brother if he needs any help. Danilka and Danik are very competetive, and I think this is number one issue, but they are learning :)

Danik love his little sister , and always trying to help and play with her. He is very good big brother to all younger ones in our house.

We hear more I love you's. :) More eye contact! :)We hear many jokes, and stories from him!

At school we see a lot of progress, he is catching up quickly on English, and improving his math.

He is learning and we just love to watch him grow, opening up and becoming loving happy boy!

Stanislav, our Stasik is very active little boy. Most of the time he can get out of hands, if we dont' stop him. He is very playful, and sometimes it's too much for others around him. The very funny part is that everyone fell in love with him instantly, and everyone usually ask us to get him out of the room, out of their faces :))) Stasik is getting better, learning to behave, and not getting in other people face.

His personality is very open, loud, and happy! What he will do while you watch him, same thing he will do when no one is around. He is always helpful, love little ones, doesn't' like when older brothers tell him what to do. This little guy has a taste :) Most of the time he will take to choose his clothes to school, and will not wear just anything... Sometimes he is not in mood, and would were anything like other boys, but usually he knows the way he wants to look :)

School is not so easy for Stasik. We decided to place him in second grade, even he was never in school before he came to us. In Ukraine, they never send him to school.
Before school started, Stasik had no idea what plus and minus is. He was able to count only till 10. Couldn't do 1+1, and would get very frustrated when I would try to work with him and teach him anything. I felt really miserable, and even thought that we made a wrong choice by sending him to second grade. I still tried to work with him, and teach 5 minutes at the time, and by playing or promising him something like: playing on my phone, or wii :)  But......today, only after two weeks of school, and working with him after school, I have a child, who made so much progress that it's unbelievable... He is counting almost till 20, but can do + and - up to 10 with out his fingers and plastic stick that i gave him at first:) He is understanding math :)
He can write numbers, he still does write many numbers backwards and for 13 write 31 but there is huge progress.:) He barely could write anything, and he is so proud of himself to be able to write his name now :)

He love to cuddle, give kisses and repeat : you are my mom, only my mom, I love you! :) very heart touching :) I think for Stasik life is game, and he is very easy to correct and teach something new, maybe because he is still small? He is always entertaining others!

Both boys doing great, and we just love to get to know them more. I really think that two summer month spending home as one family made huge difference in their behavior and our bonding.

I will write more updates on their behavior, and problems we have, when I get more free time. In the morning I have Sergey at home, and we do most of the shopping, appointment and etc, and I try to spend some time with Sergey and little ones.


When boys come from school, Sergey is already at work, and I do spend all my time on homework's, correcting behaviors, explaining why is not ok to pull down other kids pants at school, why is not ok to try to stop a bus, and open manually entrance door  to get in the school bus, why is not ok to chase girls and hug them, why is not ok to shake others when you are excited, why it's not ok to bite your friend even if your older brother told you to do it(as a joke, but it's still not ok), why it's not ok to punch others, why it's not ok to climb up things and jump off them, and looks like it never will come to the end :) everyday boys come up with different things and I have to come up with good reasons to explain why it's not ok :)


My awesome life :)