Bon Voyage

 

My dining room is currently overflowing with bags of Nicky's clothes, books, toys, old bedding, and other random items to be donated to a local charity.  I could just as easily sell a lot of the items on Craig's List, as most of them you can barely tell they've been played with/worn.  Many of the once treasured toys were gifts, as were the worn with love clothes, and I just don't feel right about profiting from something I didn't pay for in the first place.  Not to mention, after receiving so much loot for his birthday, we want to instill in Nicky a sense of giving to others since we have more than plenty for ourselves.  

As I was clearing out Nicky's closet the other evening, I began to get choked up and I realized that it was because most of the clothes were the ones that Nicky wore shortly after we brought him home from Russia.  Then as I went through his toys, I began to feel the same way.  I randomly rotate his toys, so the ones we're donating haven't been played with since just after Christmas, but knowing that they will now no longer be in the house at all is a whole different story!  What is it about tangible items that give us such comfort?  It makes me think about that show Hoarding: Buried Alive.  I've always been a get-rid-of-it-if-you're-not-using-it-anymore gal.  After having a child though, I can now see how people get into that kind of situation.  I don't want to get rid of anything! 

The pirate ship and airplane in the picture above were once Nicky's coveted toys.  When he first joined our family, he didn't really know how to play.  You'd think that would be something instinctual for a child, but not for kids from an orphanage situation.  He would sit on the couch with one of those toys sitting by him and he would just stare at the tv, pushing the random button on each toy to make them make noises.  Looking at the toys now reminds me of how far we've come.  Something about having them here in the house gives me a sense of security; as if knowing they're here will give me the confidence I need as a mother. 

I suppose it's a good thing I hate clutter because our dining room is a mess...and no way would I be able to let it spill into another room.  I know that holding a toy in my hand will not make everything better in the world.  I know that we will have set-backs, which will hopefully be balanced by strides forward.  Clothes and toys will come and go over the years.  The memories we are creating as a family will last a life-time and I would't donate those for anything. 

Birthday Booty

Nicky's 4th birthday was a huge success...as evidenced by the loot he received!

Good thing we have a playroom to stash all the stuff and good thing I'm anal an organized, because our house would be over-run with toys for sure!

Here's Nicky giving his GG (great-Granny) a big hug after getting a cool new truck.  The day after Nana, Pop and GG left, Nicky told me "i wike gg.  i pway wif her again!"  That just melts my heart, because that woman has such a special place in my heart!

Nana and Pop got Nicky a cool new train set that attaches to a smaller one they got him at Christmas.  He's played with it non-stop since Pop and Daddy got it all set up for him on Sunday!

The only thing Nicky asked Kris and I for gift-wise was an ambulance.  He actually asked for it at Christmas, after we had already spent a ton on other toys, so we figured we'd better oblige him on his birthday.  He pulled the tissue out of the bag (because, let's face it, I can't be bothered to actually wrap a gift!) and his face was priceless!  I wish I had caught it on camera.  He immediately started to play with it and open the doors to see what all it entailed.  We had to remind him that he still had more gifts to open!  The ambulance now "rescues" the train engineers.
 

Granny and Poppa couldn't join us, so they sent Nicky a few small items...

...and some cash-money for Nicky's 1st big-boy bike!  He ran outside to it and climbed right on.  He still has some practicing to do, but he's getting better.  The peddling/steering/braking is a lot for him to handle all at once...not to mention actually paying attention to where he's going while doing all that!  I'm sure he'll master it in no time.
 

Thank you to everyone who helped to make Nicky's birthday so much fun!  He was definitely a very happy little guy!

Meet the Johnsons

I cannot believe that it's been 2 years that we got our referral.  It was on April 10, 2008, around 4:30pm, and I was sitting at work when my cell phone displayed the name of our adoption agency, EACI.  Without fully understanding it at the time, it was the day that our lives changed forever.  We had spoken with our counselor the night before and she had asked if we would be ok with a little boy that was 2 (we had originally given our age range as 9 - 18 months).  She gave us the evening to think about it, and I sent her a message the next day saying "Of course!" We kinda figured something was up when she kept saying "Not that there is a little boy, but we're just asking..."  Umm Hmm.  Sure.  As with all things that happen in the Johnson house (either good or bad) Kris was at the fire station, so when she called that afternoon to inform me that there was indeed a little 2 year old needing a home, the first hug was from my boss.  Eh...better than nothing.


I remember being so full of emotions and calling Kris, my parents, Kris' parents - all while crying and FREAKING OUT!!! The almost 3 months we waited before going to meet him was unbearable. Every time my phone rang, I would jump to see who it was. We called our counselor a few times to make sure the wait time was normal, and by September, we were heading home with a little boy that looked exactly like us. We were all nervous, uneasy, scared, and overall unsure what to do with each other. It was the biggest adjustment any of our lives had ever had to make.

I'm so proud to say that after 18 months, we are settled.  All three of us; together on one page. I'm tearing up and have a huge lump in my throat as I write this, because what I really want to do is jump with joy and scream from the rooftops!  I can without a doubt say that I love this little boy with all my heart.  He is our son, in every sense of the word.  We've navigated a long, bumpy, tumultuous road, but we've made it.  We are a family!!!

Ps…this post, of all posts is undoubtedly my favorite. I have waited so long for this one to come, and it was so worth the wait!

Fill Her Up!

Look what we got in the mail today!!!

It's Nicky's United States of this-here America passport! 

He is free to roam about the world!  I grew up as an Air Force Brat, so travel is in my blood.  In fact, as I'm posting this, I am merely hours away from departing on a trip to Budapest and Prague with my cousin.  I should probably be charging my iPod and making sure I have everything packed...that's what the morning's for though, right?  Like I've said...I love me some procrastination!  You know what I hate about travel though - not the packing/unpacking, possibility of full-cavity searches at the airport(s) and the dreaded puffer machine, not the airline baggage fees (although - that SUCKS!) - I hate that when you travel to most places in Europe (the EU actually) you don't get the fancy stamps in your passport anymore!  You can ask for them when you go through border control...that is if anyone is actually sitting there in some instances.  I remember not being able to cross from one country to another without having to show your papers, and hearing that beloved ku-chung of the stamper bestowing upon the greatful traveler a glorious momento that said to anyone who saw his/her passport "Look how cool I am.  I've been to this country and that."  I suppose I should be grateful that the countries of the world are trying to play nice together and share their toys these days, but I want my freaking stamps! 

Ok...I feel better now.

What's that?  Oh.  Why did we get Nicky a passport?  Well, not only does it make him more American (he'll always be a Russian citizen as well), but we're going to Mexico (Mazatlan) in September!  Yay for the beach!  Are we scared of the craziness going on down there?  As of right now - no...we're more worried about going to El Paso (sorry Granny and Poppa!), but we'll see how it goes.  Most of the violence is pretty well isolated from the coastal towns.

Anyhoodle...off to download more songs to keep me occupied on my long flight tomorrow!

Random Nicky

Nicky and I had the following conversation the other night at dinner:

Nicky:  momma.  you bring me home from russia?

Momma:  Yes, we sure did.

Nicky:  and daddy too?

Momma:  Yep.  Momma and Daddy went to Russia and brought you home to live with us.

Nicky:  (while rubbing my arm and looking at me adoringly) thank you momma.  i love you.

Momma:  I love you too, Nicky.

Nicky:  you my favorite momma.  (followed by a kiss on the back of my hand, and a complete change in subject).

Now, I'm not quite sure whether or not he said I was his favorite because I was wearing his favorite color (green), or if it's true.  Either way, I'll take it!