What happened to our weekend?

I think I'm getting too old to do a 24 hour trip to Paris! We picked Sheila up at work on Friday to head that way. We had to take a little break, because Nam had a meltdown when we got back in the car after picking her up. We stopped by their apartment and allowed him to calm down, then headed out again. This time he did great! The trip was long and hard (a Friday afternoon, driving through the DFW area!). We had to detour around a couple of wrecks, which added quite a bit of time to the trip...along with the traffic delays. We only had to stop a couple of times:  once for supper and once for a bathroom and snack break. Nam knew we were going to a hotel, so instead of the normal "Are we there yet?" that most kids do, it was him pointing out the window and asking, "Hotel?" He finally went to sleep about an hour before we arrived in Paris. Since we got to our rooms around 9 pm, that really messed with his bedtime! He was wound up and didn't go back to sleep until about 11. Since we had booked 2 rooms, Dennis and I were able to get to sleep at our normal time. Poor Sheila! Staying up late didn't really alter Nam's wake up time, so she didn't get a very long rest.

After breakfast, we hung out at the hotel until around 9, and then headed over to Stephen's. Nam was really excited to see his cousins...and Uncle Stephen and Mandy. At this age, the boys engage in parallel play more than cooperative play. But they get along pretty well. Nam loved all of their trucks and cars, Jesse wanted to play camping in the dark (but Nam is scared of the dark), and all of the boys played with their collective super heroes. Shepherd went from one to the other. He and Nam probably play better together than Nam and Jesse. I didn't really see much jealous behavior though, which surprised me. Dennis mostly stayed in the living room and let the boys play in the bedroom, which I'm sure helped.

After Jesse opened his birthday gifts and lunch, we got back on the road for home. The trip back was easier, not as much traffic. Nam slept for about an hour. We only had to stop once for gas and snacks. I was really pleased with how well he made his first road trip!

We took Nam to visit Daddy and Bobbie last Thursday. We arrived as the residents were finishing lunch, so they all got to see Nam (which, of course, they all loved!). We stopped by the office manager's office, and she gave Nam candy...that is turning out to be her thing with him...it always earns her a hug! Then we went out to the courtyard and waited for the folks to finish up and come out. Nam was so sweet with them. We had talked with him beforehand that just like policemen and firemen and ambulance drivers (who he LOVES) help people, we need to help people. Pawpaw and Memaw get lonely and we can help them by visiting them and showing them we love them. So he interacted with them and gave them hugs and kisses...as well as ran and played. He really does have a sweet and loving heart!

I take Daddy to the pain management specialist this morning to see if they still recommend the nerve cauterization on his back. If so, they will fax the information to his kidney doctor to see if he will ok the procedure. Daddy's back has been giving him more trouble lately. I figure it is probably from all the cold weather we've been having, but it may be degenerating more. If the kidney doctor thinks it is safe, then we'll schedule the procedure as soon as possible to try to get him some relief.

We enjoyed a wonderful Lord's Day yesterday! Andy was our guest speaker, and then we went to James' and Renee's for our monthly potluck. Everyone seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the day. Then we had our monthly singing service, which was even more exhilarating than usual. It was just a perfect day! I had gotten up really tired from the weekend, but I was feeling energized by the end of the day. I love Sundays like that...such a great way to begin a week!

Well, I need to get ready for Nam to arrive, and then to go get Daddy for his appointment. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Getting into our new routine

Last week was a little crazy for Nam. Sheila had Monday off for MLK Jr. Day. He was supposed to have an appointment at the International Adoption Clinic on Tuesday morning. We weren’t sure if it would hold or not, because that was the night that we were supposed to have frozen precipitation. We all got up early to check on road conditions, which turned out to be fine, but the clinic called to cancel because the doctor was ill. So Dennis went to pick up Nam Tuesday morning, while I went to court on my CASA case. I ended up spending all morning in court. Our case was held for last, since the dad had to be “benched” from prison in Abilene. Then, since it was the trial, there was a lot of testimony to be heard. Around 12:30, the judge called a recess. One of the attorneys involved in the case had been sick and needed to go home, so the hearing had to be rescheduled for a future date. It was 1:00 before I made it back to Mineral Wells. Dennis and Nam had waited on me, so we met up at McDonalds for lunch.

Sheila came over after work and they spent Tuesday night. Nam did well throughout the week when Sheila left for work. He had a little trouble Wednesday morning, but he didn’t cry…just didn’t want to let go of his momma! His clinic appointment had been rescheduled for Thursday morning, so I spent Wednesday night with them, so I could go with Sheila and help out. Nam really likes for Granny to have a sleep over at his house. You could tell he was nervous about the doctor appointment. The appointment time was 11:30, so we stopped and ate lunch before going to Children’s. When we arrived at the hospital complex, we weren’t really sure where to park. We parked in the first garage we came to and then started trying to figure out where to go. Thankfully, we ran into a hospital employee who was kind enough to show us how to get to the clinic, and it was an easy walk to get there. The clinic is great! I really liked the doctor (actually nurse practitioner) who saw Nam. She is the mom of a 19 year old daughter that she adopted from China as an infant, so she is personally experienced in international adoption. That is very helpful! She laid out a play mat and a crate of toys for Nam to play with and observed him while asking Sheila questions. She also had him perform a few tasks to see how he was in his development. He is pretty much on target in every area! He has had very little experience with coloring or drawing, which was his “lowest score”. His size is small, but about what is expected for an Asian child. She then examined him thoroughly and did bloodwork. He didn’t like that, but handled it extremely well. Sheila had him watching a video on her phone, which did well at distracting him. Whenever he would look at the needle in his arm, he would frown and say “OUCH!”, over and over again until we distracted him again. He never did cry though. I’m not sure how many vials they took, but it was several. They are testing him for EVERYTHING!

After his checkup, we headed back to Sheila’s apartment. Nam went to sleep on the way, so when we arrived, we took turns sitting in the car with him while the other one went in to retrieve our things. Then I got in my car and we both drove to Mineral Wells. Nam woke up on the west side of Weatherford and was upset that I wasn’t still in the car, so when we turned onto Hwy 180, I passed their car, so that he could see me. Then he was fine. I had asked Dennis to go buy some shrimp, so we could do a shrimp fry for supper. Nam LOVES shrimp…as do the rest of us! He and Sheila spent Thursday night with us (which is our normal schedule).

Nam has been very excited about the upcoming celebration of Tet…the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year. He had been having Sheila play the drum (a popcorn tin), so he could do the Lion Dance. Dennis decided to make him some “real” drumsticks, instead of the plastic spoons he had been using. Then he found a 5 gallon plastic bucket that we overturned and used for his drum. There is no telling how many times we took turns doing the Lion Dance while Nam played the drum! Over the weekend, Sheila received a traditional Vietnamese outfit that she had ordered for him. He looks SO cute in it…and is very proud of it. It will be fun to attend the festival next month with him!

Dennis and I both took Nam home Friday afternoon, so we decided to eat in FW and then take in a movie. It has been a long time since we’ve done that! It was a nice break!

I started a new crochet project last week and worked on it a lot over the weekend. It is a nice thick afghan to go in the guest room. I’ve gotten it over half-way finished. It is made with bulky yarn, so it works up pretty quickly. When I finish it, I have a baby blanket to crochet for a special little girl coming in April.

We are back on our regular schedule for the beginning of this week:  Sheila and Nam spending tonight. I’m not sure how we will work the end of the week, since we are planning a trip for the four of us to Paris. We will meet up with Sheila after work on Friday and head that way. We will be staying in a hotel, which will make it much easier on everyone. Jesse’s birthday party is planned for Saturday afternoon, but Nam really isn’t ready for a big “to-do” yet, so we’ll just celebrate with him Saturday morning and then leave after lunch. Hopefully that will allow Nam to get a GOOD nap on our way back to FW. It will be interesting to see how well he does on a trip. His last trip was from Hanoi to Texas, so this one ought to go much better!

He is making so much progress! His language skills are improving daily. He is learning new words and saying the words that he already knows more clearly. He is speaking in simple sentences. And he understands just about everything we say. He is a master puzzle assembler! He eats well, eating just about anything we put in front of him. (Although he still isn’t crazy about cheese.) Last week we learned about cactus, and now he points them out alongside the road between MW and FW. He loves animals! Playing with or watching African animals is about his favorite thing ever! He also loves super heroes, although some have a tendency to turn evil at times. He has the evil laugh that bad guys do down pat! He is fascinated with the Lion Dance right now and will reenact it or use his blocks to pretend they are lion dancers and the people who are watching it. He is a prolific builder using his blocks! They usually end up being animals or guns though…or robots. He has a very active imagination!

Grandad and I are getting into our new routine as daily caregivers and are holding up pretty well for the most part. We are starting to take turns driving to FW and back every day, rather than both of us going, so that helps. Nam is starting to spend more time in independent play, which also helps! At first, he thought we, or at least Grandad, needed to be playing with him constantly. We had to explain that we can’t do that all of the time…that we have work to do sometimes. He and Grandad take a nap together after lunch every day. Nam naps really well when he is lying on Grandad’s chest on the couch in the den!

I’m hoping that the weather is mild enough this week to go visit Pawpaw and Memaw in the Brookdale courtyard. He just doesn’t do well in their apartment. But there is room to romp and play outside, and it is good for the folks to get out and get some fresh air, too.

Well, it has taken me all morning to get this finished! For some reason, I have a hard time sitting still for very long at al time. Ha, ha! I hope that you all have a wonderful week and that this more moderate weather continues for awhile!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

I hope those of you who get today off are enjoying your 3-day weekend! Dennis and I are enjoying our rest time. Taking care of an active 4-year-old takes a toll on these old bodies! We love it, but we definitely need our rest time.

Last week went well for the most part. Nam had a rough time letting go of Sheila the first couple of days, but after that, he did very well. I think he is finally learning that this is how things are going to be, and that his momma will come home every day. It is so much fun to watch him learning new things. We are doing a lot of driving on the interstate:  picking him up or taking him home. He is very observant! He works on his language skills by pointing out things that he sees on or alongside the road. I bought a Wee Sing Bible Songs CD to play on the trips, which really helps pass the time. I love hearing him sing along! My kiddos grew up listening to those same songs, and it is neat to see my grandkids enjoying them as well. (Both Stephen and Sheila have been playing them for their kids.)

We took Nam out to the state park on Friday. He loves going out there to look at the deer. This time he wanted to see an eagle. Well, eagles are NOT easy to find! There are usually a pair of them at the park in the winter, but it is a rare thing to actually see them. He was disappointed that we couldn’t find them, but we saw a doe standing right beside the road. We also saw a bunch of ducks and seagulls and pelicans fishing. We stopped once to hike down to the edge of the lake to glass for the eagles. We showed Nam deer tracks and explained to him what they were. Sheila said over the weekend, he would make animal tracks in his playdoh! I also thought it wise to point out what cactus were and tell him to avoid them. For the rest of the day, he would point out every cactus he saw (even while driving down the road). Teaching a 4-year-old is such a different experience than I’m used to. When you are training a child from birth, they pick up things gradually as they mature. To bring a child that is already developed (to a certain extent) from a different culture and country and teach them all of the new things they need to know is so amazing, because they are able to understand so quickly. Plus he shows amazement at all of the new things he experiences. I love sharing new foods with him. He is a good eater and will usually try anything. Sometimes it takes a little time for his taste buds to adjust to new tastes and textures. He is good to eat pretty much anything that is “soupy”. I think that is the predominant form of food that he was served at the orphanage. He also LOVES meat…and fish! He hasn’t shown a lot of interest in baked goods…until he discovered Vienna Finger cookies. I’ve tried him on both homemade oatmeal and peanut butter cookies, and Sheila tried him on her chocolate peppermint crinkles, but he just wasn’t interested. I did make some apple pie fingers last week (applesauce spread between layers of pie crust, cut into strips and topped with cinnamon and sugar and baked). He did enjoy them! He has also become a fan of cinnamon/sugar cake donuts. I know…we really shouldn’t be teaching him to like stuff like that, but it is just so fun! He is also really good about eating healthy snacks like greek yogurt and fruit.

Since Nam would rather play with Dennis, I’m able to get my normal chores taken care of without any trouble. In fact, he is pretty good about wanting to help. When I got out my Swiffer to mop, he wanted to take over. He likes to mop for his momma. He did really well at folding napkins for me. He is pretty meticulous, so he worked hard at trying to line up the edges and make them neat. It wasn’t a perfect job, but it was plenty good enough! He is also starting to play more independently while here. Dennis is trying to “wean” him off of always having to play with him. He hasn’t been able to do anything without him being right there. That works ok for making simple projects like his stool and toolbox, but it won’t work at all when he gets back to working on the house. I’m sure we’ll be able to work out a manageable routine in time.

Sheila takes Nam for his checkup with the international adoption clinic in the morning. She has put it off until her new insurance went into effect. It will be interesting to see what all they say. I have court in the morning, so Gina will be going with her to help with Nam. That will also give them some time together without Grandad and myself being around.

Ricky is still struggling with his crud from last week. He had to miss two days of work last week. He is still snorting and spitting up stuff, but he is feeling better. I think he had the beginnings of a migraine yesterday, but we managed to head it off before it got too bad. He is about the age that Dennis was when he started having migraines. I hate to think that he is going to have to go through that. He has been through so much already!

Another bitter cold front is heading this way today. It sure makes me want to hunker down and hibernate. Nam has handled the cold much better than I expected. Last week, Dennis got him out when it was sleeting. He loved it! He would throw his arms out, look up to the sky, turn around in circles and laugh and holler. I can’t wait to see what he does if it snows! That child enjoys life!

Daddy continues to do well. His face has finally all cleared up from his fall and he is feeling good from his physical therapy. Bobbie still isn’t doing well. She continues to suffer from her cold, plus her anemia has returned. She is going to have to take her iron infusions again. She made it to church yesterday morning, but as soon as the service was over, she wanted to be taken straight home…before eating lunch. We dropped in on them last night, and she was feeling better, but still not good. Tonette is taking her to the doctor tomorrow. She is just really weak right now. I’m hoping that the PT that her orthopedic doctor has ordered will help with that. The winter months can really take a toll on people her age. Last winter was when her health started really declining and we had to step in.

I hope all of you weather this extreme cold front with no problems! I am sure thankful for a snug house and central heat! Stay warm and safe!

Sheila's 1st week back at work

Well, Nam did very well for his first week of Sheila going to work. It was hard on both of them, but he improved every day. It is so sweet to watch him work up his courage to tell her bye in the morning! Sheila has worked out a routine that I think will work best for everyone.

My appointment with the orthopedic doctor went well. My shoulder problem is, as I expected, a torn rotator cuff. There isn’t any nerve damage, so he felt like I would benefit best from a steroid shot. He said it might take up to a week or more for it to take effect, but I could tell a difference by that night. It is SO nice to sleep pain-free! I’m hoping the effects of the shot will last several months. I don’t plan to ever have surgery on it, unless it gets so bad I can’t use my arm, which I don’t expect. Surgery on tendons takes too long to recover!

Friday, we took Nam to visit Daddy and Bobbie. He is so sweet! He gets excited to go see them. We can’t stay long, because their apartment is so small and crowded that he doesn’t have room to play, and he has too many temptations to get into. He’s really pretty good about NOT getting into stuff he’s not supposed to, but their place is just filled with too many things that are at his level.

After our visit with them, we took him to Thiess and Gina’s. It was Thiess’ first time to meet him. He was smitten! Nam was more interested in all of the critters around their place:  3 dogs, cats, cows, horses…not to mention a tractor! He will love going to stay with them from time to time!

The three grandsons finally got to get together Friday night and Saturday morning. We all met up for supper at a pho restaurant. Nam was SO excited to meet his cousins! On the drive to FW, he kept singing “Daddy Finger” (very exuberantly!) and just breaking out in laughter for no apparent reason. As soon as we arrived, he climbed up in Stephen’s car and started hugging the boys. It took a little while for Jesse and Shepherd to warm up, but by the end of supper, they were playing well together. Stephen’s family went to Sheila’s so the boys could have some play time, and Dennis and I came on home, so as not to get in the way. I look forward to the next time we all get together, so I can watch them interact with one another.

I was really looking forward to a day off Saturday, but we had two deer to butcher. That, along with other chores, took up most of the day. I never did get to feeling rested up over the weekend. I had hoped to sleep in Saturday morning, but I ended up being up most of the night with a sinus headache. My headache eventually went away, but it sure left me feeling draggy.

When we picked up Daddy and Bobbie yesterday morning for church, Bobbie sounded awful. She had come down with a cold a few days earlier, and it sounded like it was trying to settle in her chest. She had a terrible cough. After lunch (which she only ate a few bites of), Dennis took them back home so she could rest. Tonette is taking both of them to the dermatologist this afternoon, so she will be able to determine if her mom needs to go see her primary care doctor. There is a lot of stuff going around right now! Ricky was sick all weekend, too. He went on to work today, but he sure didn’t feel like it!

Sheila and Nam came over last night to spend the night. That will be our normal routine, so Nam doesn’t have to be shuffled around on Monday mornings. He wakes up so early that he and Sheila have some snuggle time in the morning before she has to leave for work. He did NOT like the idea of her going back to work after having her to himself all weekend. He likes “Momma and Nam, ALL day!” But we managed to make it through the goodbyes without any tears.

Dennis and Nam went driving through the state park this morning while I cleaned up and started my daily routine. Then we had to have some Playdoh time. After that they went out to the shop to build a step stool for Nam to use to reach the sink for washing up. Now they are working on a tool box for Nam’s tools. He just LOVES doing stuff with Grandad!

So far, this fulltime grandparenting is going very well. Even though I enjoy the free (rest!) time we have when he leaves, I still miss him and look forward to the next time he is here. He definitely adds a huge new dimension to our lives and makes everything more fun!  The 2 month anniversary of his adoption is Wednesday. It really feels like he has been with us much longer. I'm amazed at how much he has learned and how well he has adjusted in such a short time. He has turned out to be a major blessing to all of us!

Happy New Year!

Here we are in 2018 already! We faced many changes in 2017:  some wonderful; others, more difficult. I’m sure this year will bring plenty more challenges and rewards. Hopefully I will see it all as opportunity for growth and blessings for which to give God thanks.

We started this year with really cold weather! Dennis ended up coming home Saturday, because it was already beginning to ice up in Brownwood. Sunday morning not only brought cold temperatures, but also icy roads. The Pettits had already decided to change their NYE party to a potluck between services, since treacherous roads had been predicted. Sheila had planned to come over Sunday afternoon and spend the night, but we told her she had better stay home. She tried to make it to HC for the morning assembly but soon hit ice and turned back. Our new car has a special setting for snow/ice, so we made it ok. Highway 180, between MW and Weatherford was solid ice; and there were numerous vehicles in the ditch…including an 18-wheeler, which had taken out a fence. I tried to talk Daddy and Bobbie into staying home, but they insisted on going with us. So we made the trip (slowly) to Weatherford and then back to Millsap. Dennis and Ricky practically had to carry them into the church building and then into the Pettits’ house afterwards, but we made it without anyone falling. Rob and Heather M. had come over for the day, and Rob was our guest speaker. He gave an EXCELLENT lesson on the ark of the covenant and how God used it in the OT and how that correlates to how He interacts with us today. We very much enjoyed having them at Highway and then getting to visit with them at the potluck!

Our numbers were pretty slim at the assembly and even fewer at the potluck. We cancelled our afternoon assembly, so everyone could get home and off the icy roads. We safely got Daddy and Bobbie back to Brookdale and came on home and hunkered down for “a long winter’s night”.  I had planned to see in the new year, but around 11:20, I decided I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and headed to bed.

The roads were clear Monday, so Sheila and Nam came on over after lunch. I cooked a big plate of deer steaks for supper. That kid loves deer meat! He also tried mashed potatoes for the first time, and they were a hit. He even liked the broccoli and corn (I like to cook them together…everyone in our family eats broccoli better when it is mixed with corn). We snacked on deer jerky and the party mix that Sheila brought (that she had made for the cancelled party) and played until bedtime. We wore Nam out enough that he slept until his momma had to get up at 6:30 this morning. That is late for him! He was sad when Sheila left for work (her first day back), but he settled down quickly. We kept him occupied all morning by taking him for a haircut, going to visit Aunt Coez, and then having lunch at McDonalds. By the time we took him home at 12:30, it was time for Sheila to come home. He did SO good for his first day of not having Momma around! We plan to drive over there in the morning and keep him until 2:00. Hopefully, he’ll be up to her starting full days after that. I was so proud of him today, and how brave he was!

Last night we were looking at pictures that we took in Vietnam and talking about our trip home from there. Sheila said something about Vietnam (and pronounced it the way Americans do:  Viet-nom). Nam quickly corrected her that it was pronounced Viet-NAM (rhymes with ham)! I guess we’ll be saying it the correct way around here from now on! His language skills continue to improve on a daily basis. When we were leaving Coez’ house this morning, he told her, “I love you, Aunt Coez!” She was amazed that he said it so clearly! He knows the English word for most animals…especially the African ones…except for rhinos – they are dinosaurs! His repertoire of songs is incredible. He hears a song once and can sing it (although his lyrics are mostly jibberish…he doesn’t understand what the songs mean and just mimics what they sound like to him). He also loves to reenact things. He can tell and show you how Grandad hunts deer and then butchers them…and then eats them! Sheila said he was reenacting Frosty the Snowman the other day. He would melt onto the floor, say “One minute!” (which is what we all say when he has to wait for something), put on his imaginary magic hat, then get up and dance around! What a character! We gave him a toy tool set (mostly hand tools). When he isn’t fixing things around the house, he is pretending that his wrenches are lions and cheetahs and leopards!

I have my goals written out for this new year. They are basically the same as last year, with a few modifications. My goals are pretty open-ended…mostly just making improvements in every area of my life. I track how much progress I make and then see how well I’ve done at the end of the year and plan to continue to make improvements, as needed. In my relationship goals, last year, I had planned to spend more time helping Daddy and Bobbie, since they were struggling so much at the end of 2016. Well, that turned out to be pretty much a fulltime job for a while! Things have settled down considerably now. Doctor appointments are much less frequent and I’ve gotten Daddy’s “business stuff” pretty much in order and under my care. My main function, now, is to provide transportation when needed and “maintain” everything else. We have them over every Sunday for dinner or take them out, if the situation warrants it. We usually run errands then or when we do doctor appointments. They have been pretty content with that. I had been concerned that when he lost his license that he would be calling all of the time wanting to be taken places, but that hasn’t happened. They really have settled down lately. They are enjoying playing Bingo every week at Brookdale…especially because they are frequent winners!

I go see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow, after leaving Sheila’s. My left shoulder has been giving me trouble for quite a while now and has been getting progressively worse lately. I had hoped to get it “fixed” before we started keeping Nam, but I was never able to fit it into my schedule. I’m hoping the doctor has some “easy fix” that he can prescribe that has minimal recovery time involved. It is getting harder and harder to perform some very basic tasks with that arm. Thankfully it hasn’t interfered with picking up and carrying Nam! Now, trying to put on a jacket is an entirely different matter!

Well, I hope that 2018 turns out to be a good year for all of you. I’m looking forward to great things (like having a granddaughter)!