A Texas Grandson

This is Kien at 2.5 years old. Hysterical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmNEe7cuwU&feature=youtube_gdata

Found in my computer case!

Kevin told me he wanted me to have it! :) Beautiful!

Grandma and the Boy

Here is Daddy on the Boy and the "Grandma and the Boy" day. ha!

Look at those PJ legs! (Of course, they are pulled up a bit.) A little short wouldn't you say? I unpacked his growth chart and hung it on the wall. He has grown one inch since September 9. That means that by the time they move into their new house this summer, he will have grown another inch!

Daddy decided that Kevin should skip school today for 3 reasons: Lice is back in his classroom. ugh! To give him some stability with the move. And to have time with Grandma.

We worked on creating a play space for him in the third bedroom which has Daddy's treadmill and boxes which will not be unpacked in the apartment but cannot go to the rented storage unit where all the stuff is from the house. We set up the old coffee table for him to work/play on, put his toys on the bookshelves (the cardboard boxes on the bottom shelves are some of Karin's scrapbooks!).

We had a piano lesson at my house at NY's time that went very well! I brought supplies to have a lesson 3 weeks ago as I thought Kevin's keyboard was in the apt., but it wasn't -- at least, not unpacked. With this move, I found the unpacked box which had it! So we had another piano lesson! If someone had the time to work with him, he has interest in learning. My mother taught me to play at age 4, and I taught Karin at age 4. Kevin is 5, almost 6. He is ready.

We had planned to walk around the lake today. It started raining this morning, but we were still planning to go after lunch. We went to a favorite (at least, for Karin and me!) breakfast/lunch/brunch restaurant which is across the street from their apartment. Surprisingly, when we were ready to bundle up for the walk, Kevin didn't want to do it. We did read some stories and created sticker stories instead.

Then it was time for Grandma to take him to his after school program while Grandma headed for the airport. Kevin was quite upset as I left him. Big crocodile tears. The teacher was in tears too, because her little boy lost his Daddy too, so she knows the trauma well. To help divert his attention, she suggested to the children that they have snack time with some homemade cookies she had brought in.

He turned around with his cookie and realized I was leaving and the tears came again.

Moving Day

When I awoke this morning, it was only Steve and me in the apartment. Steve's friend Aly had kept Kevin overnight. Kevin and 3 year old Maggie are buddies. They had a sleepover in the family room, but both of them ended up in Aly's bed by 3 AM. LOL Kevin went to church with them. Today was such a gorgeous warm day that Aly took them on a bike ride (pulled in a "trailer") around the lake beside Steve's new apartment where they had a picnic lunch. That was so sweet of Aly to do that!!! It freed Steve and I to focus on the move. :)

Meanwhile, the movers arrived early and relocated Steve's belongings to the new apartment by mid-afternoon. We had a good handle on basic settling by the time Aly and the kids arrived late afternoon. Kevin found the new place quite exciting with a balcony (on second floor) looking through trees at the lake.

Steve bought Boston Market and we all ate in the new apartment, then went to Goodberry's for GOOD frozen yogurt. Yum!

Even though the place is nice (make that great), both Steve and Kevin are feeling some anxiety over another move so quickly with a third one looming in a few months. Kevin opted to sleep with Daddy. He jumped out of bed a few minutes after being tucked in to say that I could sleep in his bed tonight. ha!

The Excitement of Moving (right...)

Today was major packing day. Steve and I worked like beavers (Kevin liked that phrase!). Kevin desperately wanted to help, and he did to some extent. Here he is packing himself.

The vacuum is out because I managed to spill salt everywhere!

Steve saw on yesterday's blog that Kevin cried when I left him at school and told me that Kevin was about in tears every day this week when he left him at school. Steve thinks the reason is the move. So I asked Kevin if he is upset about the move. "Yes. We just moved here, and now we are moving again." I told him that it will be so much better for him! He won't have to drive so far to and from school every day, plus he hasn't met any friends here, so there is no one to miss.

At lunchtime when we bowed our heads, Steve began to pray, and then Kevin cut in!!! Just like in the old days!!!! He has not prayed since Mommy died!!!! He prayed, "Dear Jesus, Thank you for our food. Thank you for Mommy, and thank you for the new flowers someone gave her. Thank you that we are moving close to my school. Amen." WOW!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

Around 1:30, we left our packing job, because -- (1) Steve's friend Aly (who has a 3 yr. old daughter, Maggie, whom Kevin loves) had volunteered to watch Kevin while we packed which never happened! ha! She lives in a neighborhood of small California style cottages in deep woods. Hardly anyone has any grass! Love it! We stood on her deck chatting while Kevin and the dogs played. He found this stump to climb on --

(2) Steve had to pick up the new apt. keys. (3) I wanted him to show Kevin and me the model of the house he is building. Aly and Maggie joined us. Kevin LOVED it, and played and played. As you can see, he jumped right in the bathtub full of Easter grass and bath toys. LOL

We couldn't get him out of there!!! When we told the realtor that Kevin loved the Easter grass bathtub, he said, "It gets them just as clean."

The house is beautiful with wonderful big windows everywhere and very high ceilings.

This is a back view of Steve's lot taken from the front of the model home.


This is the lot from his cul-de-sac looking back at the model home. As you can see, no house is behind him -- only the entrance to the subdivision. I can't believe no one has taken this lot yet!

The large blue building beyond the model home is the elementary school where Aly teaches!

The afternoon became extended, so they did not return home with me. Their single parents' group was having a potluck dinner tonight with children. So I came home alone to finish the packing. Ugh!

Continents and Heaven

It is a 45 minute drive to school, but today is the LAST day for that long drive! Steve and Kevin are moving this weekend to an apartment close to Kevin's school until their new house is finished sometime this summer -- which is the whole reason why I am here -- to help with their move.

The end of this long drive cannot come too soon for Steve! Two days ago, he got a speeding ticket trying to make it on time. Steve wrote << Kevin was frustrated that the police officer was making us late! :) But when I told Kevin that I was "in trouble" for going too fast and had to pay money as a punishment, he seemed shocked and maybe like he wanted to cry. Then, when we got moving again, I was reading the ticket while driving, and he said "maybe you shouldn't read while driving, you should do that at home." LOL >>

On our way this morning, we sang Sound of Music songs and talked about lots of things. We prayed too -- for Daddy at work, that we would make it to school on time, that Kevin would have an especially good day at school, because he did not want to go. He wanted to stay home with Grandma. Kevin even joined in with the prayer, but I cannot remember his comment! :\

Somehow the topic of continents came up. I asked him if he knew what a continent is. He said,"No." I started to tell him that we live in North America, and he started singing a continent song naming all the continents! :) So he IS learning about continents at school! :) (I am sure I did not learn about continents in Kindergarten!) He sang the song a few times which ends with -- "don't forget Australia. Don't forget ...." He couldn't remember that one. I suggested Antarctica, and he said, "Yes!" I reminded him that he is one of the very few people I know who has gone completely around the world -- which he accomplished by the age of 4!!! Then we counted the countries he has been in -- 7! So, when we arrived at school, he wanted me to tell each of his teachers that story. They were pleased that he knew the song! We saw an outline of Africa on the wall colored in by one of his classmates. I asked him which continent it was (Africa). Then asked what we had sold that went to Africa. I needed to give him some clues: it was in your dining room; it was big; it made beautiful music. He eyes lit up as he said, "Mommy's harp!"

I was his Show And Tell for Circle Time. :)
I waited for him to paint his mask for their celebration of Chinese New Year today, then left.

He was very sad and teary for me to leave. This evening, I asked if he had cried when I left. He said he had. I asked if his teachers knew. "No, I hid behind something." Such a sweet boy!

On the way back to their place, I stopped to see Karin's grave. Our pink roses still look good, and someone had left a bouquet of red and white flowers on her grave!!! How sweet! I wonder who...

I spent the day putting the apartment in order, doing laundry, then began packing. Then I went to pick up Kevin from his after school program. He was having fun with a little girl making creations out of blocks big and small. They created a beach with the large blocks, then had a dance. He twirled her around several times! Quite the little Romeo!



The cemetery is on the way home, so I stopped for Kevin to see the new bouquet.

The stick he had left on her grave 3 weeks ago was thrown aside. He drew a "K" in the dirt and placed it behind her marker again.

He kept saying, "I miss Mommy so much." And I told him that I do too! I was particularly struck by her absence yesterday when I arrived at the airport and came down this escalator to Baggage Claim. She was always there waiting for me. So many memories of meeting her there flooded my mind and eyes. That was where we first saw Kevin as they came down the escalator on their return from Russia 5.5 years ago!

Look at the gang that was there to meet them on July 19, 2004!!!


Kevin and Daddy had some silly time tonight.

Grandsons

This is my youngest grandchild. Isn't he beautiful?!

Greg calls Gabe "Ham," because of his size. Funny thing: one of Karin's favorite nicknames for Kevin was "Ham Sandwich" because of his theatrical antics. And Karin gave Kien the nickname "Bean," or "Keenie Beanie." It has stuck. He is such a Bean! When the "ham" similarity occurred to me today, I realized that ham and beans go well together! :)

I arrived in NC late afternoon. I met up with Steve and Kevin for dinner at the Streets at Southpoint. Steve ordered ham and bean soup!

Kevin's joke on Daddy tonight: a digusting octopus!

Cathi called and awakened me after I was sound asleep tonight to tell me about the boys' doctor's appointment today. The Ham is 6.5 months old and The Bean is 2.5 years old. They BOTH weight 20.6 pounds! The Bean has grown a bit. He is 31 inches tall! Ham is 27 inches long. Bean is ON the charts for the first time!! A Vietnamese chart, that is.

Before Leaving...

School is still closed! So Kevin and I had the morning together. When I got out of the shower, this is what I found: Valentine stickers all over my jacket! :) So sweet!

Once I was packed up and ready to leave, we headed for the cemetery with vice grips and the pink roses, as I had to pull the plastic webbing out of the vase to be able to put the new flowers in the vase. On the way, we received a call from Uncle Greg telling us that Kien's adoption was finalized this morning -- finally! It has been a long, slow process. Kien is now a Walsh! When I told Kevin, his face dropped. He tells me once in a while that he misses Kien and Aria. He talked to Kien on the phone and told him, "I love you, Kien."

Taken at the courthouse this morning:


I asked Kevin if he knew I was writing a book about Mommy. He did not, so I told him about her Faithbook describing how God convinced Mommy and Daddy to make the decision to adopt. It is so beautifully written that I told her she should publish it, but she said, "No!" I told him about her journals waiting for him to come home -- how beautiful they are, and that I want to publish her writings with my stories filling in the blanks. Since she had said, "No," I worried if I was doing the right thing. I told him about a have-a-day-face :| being Karin's signature in high school. I saw one in the clouds on my way to a writers' conference. That was Mommy, and she told me it was OK. We talked about how much all of us miss Mommy. I told him that God has promised, "All things work together for good for those who love God." It is hard to understand how losing Mommy could be good, but we know that God will take care of us and make our lives good as long as we love Him.

We arrived at the cemetery. With Kevin's help, I was able to pull the webbing out, and we secured the new flowers in the vase. As soon as they were in position, he looked at the gray, cloudy sky and said, "There is a happy face! Mommy is happy about her new flowers!" Then he saw happy faces everywhere -- in the trees as well as the sky. Cute!

We met Daddy at a nearby Starbucks to give him the vice grips and the one and only key to his apt.! After eating two bowls of oatmeal this morning, he ate a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks! Hungry boy!

Just before noon, I dropped him at his "after school" program for the afternoon. We said tearful goodbyes, and I left. When down the corridor a ways, I heard his teacher yell, "Grandma!" I went back and my boy was sobbing. We hugged and kissed some more, and his teacher handled the situation very nicely.

Errand Day

This morning, Kevin was pulling out his collection of yarn and tying my bedroom door shut. Yesterday, he had strung it all over the family room so that it looked like a huge spiderweb and was difficult to walk from one side of the room to the other. I mentioned I had not taken a picture yesterday, so he said he would recreate it. Well, this is NOTHING compared to yesterday, but he tied up a few strings from the family room to Daddy's bedroom while he was still sleeping. Spiders work very quietly though.

The plan today was to take Kevin to school in Cary, then run a bunch of errands -- all back in Cary as that is where I know where to accomplish things. However, Kevin's school was canceled, so he joined me. It took a while to get ready to leave the house. A certain boy was impatient. He set out his and my snow/cold weather gear and a stool to sit on for doing up boots. How is that for being impatient but constructive about it?!

The first stop on our list (and farthest away) was the hair salon where Kevin's nanny used to take him for haircuts. I liked the way they did his hair; whereas, I have not liked how other places have cut it. His hair is beginning to grow out from his lice induced shaving, but was looking shaggy. He is no longer raggedy!

We had to wait quite a while for our turn, but found some interesting literary games to keep young minds occupied. There was only one child's book in the waiting area -- a rhyming story of penguins slipping on the ice ala "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." But this story ends with the doctor telling the mother to let the Penguins have fun! I read the story with exaggerated rhythm, then he helped me read it. Next we pointed out the rhyming words. Then we played a game of saying a word and the other person has to name a rhyming word. Fun!

Our literary games were much more fun than sitting in a chair waiting for your hair to be trimmed!

Next, we made several stops -- Hallmark cards for V cards and gifts for Greg's family, some groceries to make cookies tonight (which never happened...), pink roses for Mommy's grave, and mailing outgrown clothes to Kien and Gabe the Valentines for the whole family.
At the postal outlet, there were nice big piles of snow in the parking lot. Of course, he had to be King of the Mountain!


GOOD NEWS!!! I called the cemetery this morning, and we did not have a theft in the cemetery! They had removed the wreath as decorations other than the vase floral arrangements are not allowed except in the winter. I was under the impression last year that winter ended at lawn mowing time. They told me today that winter ends on January 25. Really?! Anyway, no thievery.
But because someone pulled out the last floral arrangement leaving the broken off styrofoam, with plastic webbing to hold it in the vase without blowing away, we were unable to place the new flowers in the vase without vice grips to remove the plastic piece. Tomorrow...