Happy New Year!

Lateisha and Jordan left today. We had a wonderful experience. It goes without saying it was a very emotional day! It was REALLY trying at times. They both need so much. They would talk to us non-stop. Our kids actually benefited in a great way. However, we were really nervous that Lexi and Tyler would pick up on bad habits before we could correct the others' bad ones. The boys and girls made great playmates outside of the house.

We spent the majority of the day disciplining, which they craved and needed, and reassuring them with love. Despite being in our lives for a short time we do feel a real love for both of them. It is unlikely we will ever see them again but we will think of them often. They certainly made a memorable Christmas. We will pray that they will find a place that can give them permanency and love. It's what they need. You can see it in their eyes...A kid shouldn't have to worry about where they will sleep and wonder who will love them. They deserve it as much as our kids deserve it.

So the big question is will we take them back given the opportunity. Unfortunately, it just is not a good fit. Going into this we wanted to focus on kids that are younger than ours. We can work on kids that are younger than ours without damaging our own. In other words, if our kids were 10 and 9 it would be a better fit to have a 3 and 5 year old come in. We will be getting another 3 year old girl this Saturday for one week. It is the same situation where the current foster parents will be traveling.

Merry Christmas to everyone! We had a great Christmas. It was really the first Christmas where Tyler really understood. Lexi caught on quick as she slashed open gifts. The biggest gifts were; Tyler got a racetrack, Lexi a great dollhouse which she could sit at for hours, Jordan got a new bike, Lateisha got a bike and some Cinderella dolls. My Uncle Tom came on Christmas Eve. We went to church and had a lovely service with spectacular music. It was really the most memorable Christmas Eve service. That night we put together some toys and just had a quiet, peaceful night. It occurred to me that we will only get 4-5 more years of Christmas's where our kids buy into Santa.

Truthfully, we talk much more about the day being a celebration of the birth of Christ. In fact, when I asked Ty on the eve of Christmas what tomorrow was he said "It's Jesus' Birthday". On the flip side I asked a teenage girl that works for me how her Christmas was. Her response was 'Oh, it was the best Christmas ever....I got everything I wanted!'. I thought she would say thatnsomething wonderful happened to someone in her life. Instead, it was that she got the new iPhone.

We had planned on going to a neighbor's house for New Year's. However, neither of us had the energy to sip wine given the day we had. Lateisha and Jordan ...Thanks for being a part of our lives...even if for a short time.

I will end each blog with a quote that has captured my attention.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

- Gandhi

Foster Children

As most of you know, we were recently licensed to be foster parents. Today we got our first glimpse. We are providing respite care for 2 children. Respite care is when foster parents watch foster kids in place of the appointed foster parents while they travel.

We will have Jordan, age 5, and Lateisha, age 3, through the end of the year. They are both black. Jordan is a cute little guy with super thick glasses that look like they have been stepped on. Lateisha has long braided hair with beads. She says that she wants a red sucker (lollipop) for Christmas. They are both very 'urban' sounding in their grammar. They have two younger siblings. Those two are together with another foster family. The mother is currently in the 'hospital' (the kind that has bars). Other than that we don't know a whole lot. It is probably not that important since they will only be with us a short time.

The one thing we were warned of while going through the training classes was to not have too much anger towards the biological parents. It's tough...here is a mother who has 4 children 5 and under and probably no skills at all in parenting.

We took them to the park pretty soon after they arrived and brought pizza with us. They loved it. They showed very little inhibitions towards us and the kids. It went really very smooth. They were in awe of the playground. I don't think they have spent any time on a swing in their whole life. Jordan would just giggle the whole time he was on it. Lateisha gives me a huge smile every time she looks at me. She really takes in everything Mary Sue says.

While getting ready for bed, Lateisha had to put on a nylon cap to keep the beads in place while she sleeps. Ty noticed and said he wanted one...

The kids will be here for Christmas. Jordan is getting a brand new bike (paid for by 'Toys for Tots') and Lateisha is getting one of my old cell phones (she loves playing on the phone). In fact, the kids will be getting much more bought for them through charities. They will probably get more than the Ryan kids. Good for them...

I thought it was tough putting 2 kids to bed. Gees!

Trip to PA

Well, we had a wonderful trip to PA. We flew to Pittsburgh and drove to Philadelphia the next day. We spent half our time on either side of the state. Quite frankly, they were both cold!

Truthfully, we had a great time and I am joking about the weather. The kids really enjoyed the snow and it never really affected our traveling. We were really reminded how little we get to see all of our family and how many great friendships we have made over the years. We saw so many new babies and saw a lot of kids that had grown so much. When you know people well it is easy to pick up where you left off ... no matter how much time has passed. As I age, I really appreciate the notion that life is all about the relationships you create and nurture. Glad to have seen all of you.

On this trip Lexi has really been exposed as the little girl we know her to be. She is boisterous and has long lasting energy. She is charming and delightful. I look at pictures of her from six months ago and I hardly recognize her. She now has long BLONDE hair and the tannest legs in Florida. The rate of change in her is frightening...especially for her father.

Upon our arrival in Pittsburgh we got about 3 inches of snow. We went out for quite a while. We made snowballs and threw them against the window. The kids fell 100 times on the deck no matter how many times I told them it was slippery. That afternoon I took Ty to his cousin's house. They have a great sledding hill. There was no stopping Tyler. He did not even wait for the sled. Straight down on his keyster. The hill was very steep at the top and when I finally got him in a sled I was so scared to let him go. He loved it! Kids are saved by their ignorance.

Days later the temperature rose and made the snow easier to build a snowman. Pops went out with Tyler and one of his cousins, Maercy, to bring Frosty to life. He got a scarf, a hat, gloves, 3 pieces of coal as buttons, and seashells for his eyes. Lexi was asleep during Frosty's evolution from a snowball. When she awoke she LOST IT! Wearing shorts, a jacket and boots she ran out side screaming 'Frosty the Snowman'. She ran up and hugged him. Keep in mind, my kids love the movie. We had it TIVO'ed last year and the kids continued to watch it until the summer. Tyler is still telling me we have to take Frosty to the train station so we can get him to The North Pole.

Tyler has really grown. He can be the sweetest little guy. He is affectionate and craves approval. When we were at Me-Mom's Tyler was playing Simon Says. When it was his turn he stated 'Simon says fold your hands and pray'. He led in prayer every chance he got. He really enjoyed playing with all of his cousins. He even got a few chances to hold his newest cousin Andrew. Maercy got to boss him around. Both loved it. Tyler was his little wig model.

There was one picture I regret I was not able to get. Grandpa Eddie was out on his little front-end loader. I ran Tyler outside. He could hardly believe he was getting the opportunity to ride it. He raised the bucket and moved mulch. He was allowed to steer the machine outback to his thrill.

Christmas Already?

Well I guess with no clear sign of winter we got started a bit early this year.

Here is my growing collection of Christmas figures. The kids enjoy them as much as me. I think they give wifey a bit of a headache.

A few days ago we made a trip to the zoo. We have a seasonal pass so we go about every 6 weeks. It is small but has all a kid needs to see. One cool feature is a boat ride to view monkeys and apes on islands. These primates don't have too much in common with me but if you buy into it... Anyway, the kids got a view of all the animals but had more of an interest in who would get to push the stroller. This theory also applies to buying toys. They can be just as interested in the package it comes in.

Afterwards, we were trying to think of a great place to eat. It occurred to me that we had not been taking enough advantage of the fact that the kids have an uncle nearby. Since he was only a few miles from the zoo I decided to pop in. Surprise! So, Mary Sue and I went to have a SLOW and PEACEFUL lunch together. After, we stopped at a cafe to have a latte and a piece of cake. The day was beautiful and we actually got to talk while the sun was up.

Halloween

I know...I start a blog and already I have been remiss in doing frequent posts . The truth is that the kids have been sick for a while. Tyler has had a really bad cough so we kept him home for a whole week. Lexi had RSV, a virus in the lungs. Her voice changed and she wasn't really sleeping well. So, Mary Sue wasn't able to get much sleep either. No worries though...I slept fine.

Halloween was pretty cool this year. We had a bit of rain so we did the short block. Lexi was DD Doodle. For those of you who don't know who the Doodlebops are count your blessings. They are a bit weird and the boys on the show wear too much make-up. Anyway, my girl looked adorable! The costume enabled her to gather as much free candy as she could fit in her bucket. Much to her chagrin, Mary Sue gave it ALL away before the end of the night. I think they got a few lollipops. Oh well...they still have their teeth.

Tyler dressed up as Robin. Now Tyler had the choice to be Batman. However, he insisted on being the #2 man. I'm sure that costume came cheaper so it's okay with me.

Baptism

I have been baptized...again. I was baptized in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday night. It was really interesting. There were about 8 people baptized and we probably had about 150 people turn out. We had dinner as a group and then made our way out to the water. I was honored to be baptized by Jim Nite. Jim is the Pastor at our church and has really helped with my growth. If anyone is ever interested in hearing wonderful Christian sermons you can hear them online.

http://www.cpccnaples.org/

Every chance Tyler gets he wants to go to the park. At one park, there is a train type of ride where someone has to spin the handles. Of course, he wants me to do it the whole time we are there. It used to be enough for him to ride it...now he wants to spin it as well. All the other parents are socializing or reading. I have to go for a triceps workout.

As I told you before, MY KIDS LOVE DORA & DIEGO. This is a clip of Lexi singing the opening song to Dora the Explorer.

Tyler shares his imitation of Swiper. He is a character that 'swipes' things from the characters in the cartoon. He is the villain.

Tyler doesn't just quote evil TV characters. Here he is doing one of his Bible verses.

Last week we went out to buy some pumpkins. I still have not gotten used to cooler holidays coming up. I remember being down here a few years ago in December with shorts on and seeing Santas.

Bedtime

Some nights before bed I have to bribe the kids to go upstairs. Candy seems like a bad idea at midnight (just kidding...we don't feed them candy before bed). So, I have to put them on my shoulders and gallop down the hallway like a Clydesdale. Have a look. Turn up the volume and press the play button...

It's worth mentioning that I am sitting in the hallway outside their door right now to keep them from getting out of bed. Once the party gets started in there it's tough to get them down.

Tyler has recently enjoyed listening to audio books when going to bed. He has a collection of books that he can read along with and he gets a 'ding' when to turn the page. He sleeps in a tiny bed because it is meant for Lexi. So, of course, it is the one he prefers. He also insists on sitting in her car seat. I guess we can live with it...as long as he doesn't start asking to dress in her clothes.

Lexi has to have everything in bed with her. She brings some baby dolls, books, a walk-a-long dog, and of course her beloved Bear. Since an infant Lexi has needed to suck two fingers on her left hand in order to fall asleep. Whenever we want her to slow down and relax we say 'Lexi, suck your fingers'. When she is not interested in going to bed she awkwardly puts her right hand fingers in her mouth. It's really funny!

New Video Clips

I have posted some video clips and some pictures. If there is a 'play' triangle below the picture, this indicates you can view as a video. You may need to click on the play button twice. If the picture does not have a 'play' button it is simply a picture. Most recent posts will be first.

I took Tyler to his first high school football game last night. Eamon came along as well. Tyler was sitting on Eamon's shoulders. A local TV show spotted them and put a short clip on the 11:00 news.

Anyway, Tyler loved the game. He was really in awe of all the activity. He loved roaming the bleachers, watching the band, and cheering the guy running the ball. Most of all, he anticipated opportunities to clap and raise his hands in the air and yell 'TOUCHDOWN'! He got alot of chances because the home team was up 42-0 at half.

Where to begin with Lexi. So many friends and family have not seen Alexia in quite some time since we have not traveled North in over a year. She has a really spunky personality. She starts the day by sneaking into our bedroom somewhere around 7AM. She wants to go downstairs and immediately be fed and sat in front of the TV. It starts with Diego or Dora. For those of you who are not aware, Dora and Diego are cartoon cousins. They have an interactive dialogue so Lexi usually is yelling back at the TV. I'm not much of a morning person so Lexi screaming serves as my morning cup of coffee.

Our kids love being together. They really do. There is plenty of 'That's mine!' and 'I want it' but generally they stick close together and love playing with each other. We moved them into the same bedroom a few months ago. Big mistake. The two can feed off each others energy for hours. Each child is behaved on their own; but putting the two together we suddenly have a mosh pit.

Tyler & Lexi

I have finally decided it was time to bridge the gap between our friends and family who we may not live so close to since moving to Florida. It's hard to believe that it has been over 3 years. However, this really feels like home to us now. After all, Alexia is now over 2 years old and Mary Sue got pregnant with her here!

I will try to keep the posts brief but do them often. I will feature pictures and short videos. If there is anything you would like to see in addition let me know (even though I will probably ignore it).

Tyler is doing exceptionally well! We are well aware that most of you have kept him in your prayers. Thank You! We are convinced that the Lord intervened. For those less aware of what I am referring to allow me to explain.

Tyler was progressing seemingly normally (I say 'seemingly' b/c I had little reference as he was our first child) until 18 months. He had some words and was really happy. Somewhere around the birth of Lexi he started to regress a bit. He lost ALL language and his behavior became more and more awkward. At 24 months he allowed no affection or holding, would not talk at all, focused in on and became obsessive with certain routines, would not engage with other children his age, etc... At the age of 24 months Tyler was able to arrange the alphabet in order with absolutely no problem. He understood numerical order and had other really amazing abilities. It was exciting but we knew is was unusual.

His condition was really hard on us and especially Mary Sue. With advice of both of our sisters and some researching on the web we discovered some people were having success taking gluten and casein out of the diet. Gluten is the protein that exists in many grains (most often wheat) and casein is the protein in cow's milk. In a nutshell, these proteins are thought to be responsible for blocking incoming information in some children.

Tyler LOVED foods with grain. He had cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner. He ate an amazing amount of food. We were at a party with friends one evening and the attention turned to Tyler as we loaded his plate with his third helping of an adult sized portion of penne. The kid loved to eat.

Surprisingly, we were able to introduce substitute foods fairly easily. Our brother-in-law, Matt, is a celiac along with two of his children. This means that their intestines cannot digest gluten properly. So, Mary Sue's sister, Erin, was a big help in introducing us to foods to buy. In general, they are not as palatable. However, there is a substitute for just about every food.

Anyway, we started the diet on a Saturday. On Sunday morning, as I was buckling Tyler in his seat, I said 'Hi'. He looked at us and said 'Hi' back. Remember, he had not said a word in about six months. On Tuesday he had about 20 letters of the alphabet and could count to 10. He had brought back many words that he once knew such as banana, food, ball, and of course Mama. It absolutely poured from him. By the end of the week he was saying 'I love you'. His behavior changed as well. He became more affectionate, less frustrated, and his focus became less intense. He awoke!

Since, Tyler is amazing and delightful. He is in preschool and we have activities at our church several days a week. He really likes engaging with others. His language is a bit behind but he is doing fine. He loves to go get tacos with his Dad after school and ice cream (casein doesn't seem to affect him at all) after trips to the beach. He bugs us to go to the park all the time. His best bud is his little sister. Together, they run up and down the hall with cars, blow bubbles, dress up, do puzzles, and chase each other. They love watching Dora and and Diego. We crack up when they throw Spanish words our way. Both are counting in espanol as well. Who says TV is bad?

He still has some goofy quirks. As I tucked him in bed one night he told me 'This one's 14...it's not 13'. I could not figure out what the heck he was talking about. Finally, I found he was referring to the numbered song that was playing on the cd player in his room. He had memorized the songs numerically. We know he has memorized some books without us knowing he was doing it. He is able to give two words for each letter of the alphabet and he doesn't always give the same ones.

We are still not certain what caused his delays and disruption. We are just thankful that he has been healed.

I guess you want to hear about our other brat. It will have to wait until the next post. Sorry Lexi!