Will owns me!

Last night for the first time Will addressed me as "Mom". Remember that thrill you felt when your little one babbled "Momma" for the first time? Well that's pretty much how I felt when Will asked me a question, addressing me as Mom. I didn't even realise he hadn't called me that yet until I heard it.

I think adopting older kids has so much to do with ownership. Their ownership of you the parent, the family in general, and yes even that moment when you as a parent take ownership of them. And when I refer to ownership, I mean ownership of the heart! It certainly isn't anything you can buy or demand or even create, it just happens. Sometimes I think we over analyze things wanting to explain everything down to the base of zero. But maybe somethings are beyond our simple understanding and we just have to accept the gift at face value.

Like the ownership of an 11 year old boy whose heart has been broken more times than he can count. God Bless him for offering up that fragile gift once more. Please God never let me disappoint or betray his love and trust!

Gooble, Gooble!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. Andy says the food tastes "Weird " on our fancy plates. We are definitly more a paper plate bunch. We are Thankful for all the great progress Will has made this past year. We also celebrate our youngest's birthday this Sunday. Happy Birthday, Andy!

Happy Gotcha Day Will!

I know most people aren't familar with "Gotcha Day", but if you've adopted you have probably heard of it. It's the anniversary date a child enters their new family. One year ago today a young man stepped off a plane and into the arms of his forever family. A lot of things have changed and we get the occasional surprise still, but Will is firmly attached to his family, as we are to him!

A Shanghai visitor

This weekend Will, Keith and the boys traveled to Grand Rapids for a dinner hosted by our adoption agency. The guests were orphanage directors from all across China, Shanghai being one of them. Will got enjoy some yummy noodles (not the crummy ones his Mom makes!) and hook up with some other kids from the same orphanage. As usual he was very shy. It always takes me by surprise because at home he's not shy at home at all. I guess it's a sign he's adjusting to us.

The director is the lady in the scarf, the other lady in the picture was our liaison in China. She took good care of Keith and Will while in China. Making sure they got from point A to point B and signed everything on the dotted line. Will has been home almost a year now. Sweet Gotcha Day is a-coming. More on that at our next post!

Legos

I know it's been forever since I last wrote, but better late than never!

This is a story about Legos, lost children, and the vulgarities of life.

First the Legos. Will loves Legos and builds some pretty complex figures from them. When I bought him a small package today, never did I dream it would take us on a journey halfway around the world and a past I can't imagine.

Oh, it all started innocently enough, Will building his project. Me complementing him on it. He asked if I had Legos when I was little and I told him no they didn't have Legos then, I just played with rocks and sticks (they didn't have fire yet either, LOL!). He told me he had lots of Legos, which surprised me because he said they had no toys at the orphanage. So I asked him about that and he replied this was before the orphanage.

Mind you, he was about 4 years old when he was found on a bench, so memories are probably still there. He said he had a Mama, but no father, no sisters or brothers. He fell asleep on the bench and "Mama run away. I hungry, someone find me. I go in van to place (he didn't know the word orphanage) with many kids." Maybe the saddest part is the resignation the story is told with. Not much feeling involved, just another child abandoned. He must have heard this same story told how many times by other children in the same situation. In China this is the norm. Children left without hope for a future, a society without conscious.

So I don't think I'll ever look at a Lego again without a touch of melancholy and vision of a land far away. A vision of a Mother giving away the toys of a son no longer hers.

Summer Camp 2011

My two youngest boys, Will and Andy, went to Bair Lake Bible Camp. This is Andy's 3rd year and of course Will's first. This camp is Andy's favorite. I like it too because they always accommodate Andy's special needs completely. It's hard to tell how Will liked it. He would tell me every evening he didn't, but later something would set him off and he'd be very animated, telling me about some activity or another.

Picture wise, Will is in the middle of the group camp photo, Andy is in front. The lady with the boys is Miss Lynne, she's been greeting parents and campers for the 6 years we've had kiddos going (Jon and Caitlyn used to go too!). Andy is with their councilor Zach. And I actually got Will to pose with a craft critter they made the second day of camp. Well, that's about it for now. Over and Out!!!!

You've come a long way Baby!!!!!!!

August 3rd is Caitlyn's Gotcha Day~what an incredible trip it's been! Shortly after her 2nd birthday she arrived. Anyone who met her that day remembers it very well. I know I was shocked at the condition she was in. Where was the smiling baby in our photos? Caitlyn's story is a little complicated but one I think worth sharing.

Shortly after our first adoption, we were excited to adopt again. We knew we were meant to adopt another special needs child and talking to our social worker, we had three children we were considering. One boy from Hong Kong that Keith felt strongly about, another boy from Korea I felt strongly about and 1 little girl~sort of "odd man out', if you will.

I had a whole list of follow up questions on the two boys, and had properly drilled our poor social worker about them. We were saying our good-byes, when I did stop to ask about a note on the little girl's notes. It said they were thinking of sending her to Ilsan. I thought it might be an orphanage as she was then in foster care. The social worker said, no it was an institution. Well that was the end of that! Those 2 boys were no longer at the top of the list, it was little Yo Na we wanted. I remember clearly the first thought going through my mind was ,"That's stupid!", which I know isn't very nice but that's what I thought.

We still needed to share her medical info. with a doctor specialising in adoption medical reviews and I had a friend who was a P.T. watch her video tape. Yo Na's diagnosis was mild C.P. The P.T. said she'd be a walker and sure enough a couple weeks later we heard she was indeed taking steps.

So here's the kicker; after talking to the P.T. and doctor, I made the call to the agency,we definitely wanted her. The social worker told me they had been praying for little Yo Na that very day, because when she arrived to work a fax from Korea was waiting. The doctor had signed the papers to have her committed. We managed to stop the process in time and completed probably the world's fastest international adoption. She arrived only 5 months from the time we started the process!

Yo Na (Caitlyn) hasn't been an easy child but when I see these pictures it reminds me of God's Love and his command to us to care for widowed and orphans in this world. When I tell this story people often say Caitlyn is lucky, but I know what happened was a true miracle. I know only God's Hand can reach down and provide an orphan a forever family the very same day a doctor signs a paper to have her committed. It's Caitlyn's Blessing and she is our Blessing. Praise God in all things!

Please note, the dear lady in the pictures with Caitlyn is our wonderful social worker Jan R.

Happy Baba day!

For those who don't know, Baba is Chinese for Dad. I thought I'd invest my time today in preparing a little list of all the things that would happen if we had no Baba. So here it goes:

1. This one's easy, no little Kniselys! Sorry guys, but I am not cut out for single parenting!

2. I'd probably be put in a nice padded room somewhere, which is scary because some days this sounds kinda appealing!

3. I wouldn't get to brag how good lookin' my other 1/2 is. Please note, this is probably NOT on Keith's Mother's Day list! (love really is blind)

4. Our perfect financial situation would be up the creek without a paddle. Keith earns the money, I spend it. Hey it works for me!

5. My dream of a perfect~or less than perfect~family wouldn't have come true. No one else but Keith would actually agree to adopting 4 special needs kids in addition to our one special homegrown son, Chris. I know it's hard to believe but each and every time I brought this subject up, I've never had Keith express anything but openness and compassion.

So there you have it, Happy Father's Days all the wonderful men out there who earn it and a big happy Baba, Appa, and Father's Day to my Hubby and co-founder of Knisely's Krazy Kids, Keith!!!!!!!

It's over~school that is!!!

At least until Tuesday when Will and Andy start summer school. I thought Will would throw a fit about going back over the first 6 weeks of summer, but once we told him no homework with summer school he was okay with it. The boys go 1/2 day, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Most of it is on the computer with some other activities and local library visits mixed in.

Will received several awards, including May Student of the Month. He had a red plastic bracelet saying " Student of the Month" he wore every day; carefully taking it off at night and putting it back on each morning. His report card contained 2 A's, a B and 1 C. Not bad since he just started school in Feb. and STILL gets no ELL (English Language Learner) assistance other than a 1/2 hour a day with Title 1 and my volunteering. But I guess we are muddling through, I just can't help but wonder how much better he would do if he got the services he is entitled to. Oh well, I guess I'll save that battle for next school year,. Stay cool!

p.s. Our cat had kittens a couple weeks ago. Thank goodness Will seems to be as much an animal lover as the rest of us!

Happy Birthday Will!!!!!!!

Well, Will had his first birthday party ever and I think he enjoyed it.16 friends joined us to celebrate and his teacher as well. His favorite gift was a RC car. What a joy compared to last June 2nd, knowing he was turning yet another year older with a family waiting an ocean away, desperate to bring him home.

Caitlyn made him the birthday card she's holding. It was much prettier in person than in the photo. The other picture is Will taking his birthday balloons for a ride on the RC truck!

Our first field trip

Last week we went to Sauder Village in northwest Ohio. It's one of those reconstructed villages showing life as it was in the 1800's. I think this was probably a really helpful trip for Will since America's past is so dramatically different than China's. Of course he doesn't appeared WOWED at all, he hates pictures and I'm sure a lot of it is over his head yet. But it was a good start. Stay tuned, this Thursday, is Will's eleventh birthday and we plan a party right after school. Hopeful weather will cooperate and he will have a good turn out!!!!! p.s. All the girls think he's cute, which he does NOT appreciate yet.

EEE GADS...someone call Mary Kay

Okay, now I know I'm no great beauty, but Will brought these home and said that's me with the big nose and rainbow clothes. I guess I can take solace, at least he didn't say the red alien was his Mama!

Will woke up!

These past 2 weeks has seen almost a frenzy in Will's abounding adjustment. Almost like someone threw a light switch he is so animated and talkative! Suddenly he just took off. Not just with words but with actions too. Swiftly we have progressed to the point we can have a true conversation. I can ask him questions about school and no longer get that, "I don't know", which was his pat answer for almost everything. I have been able to ask him some questions about his time in China and have gotten coherent answers. I think this is really a big step in our adjustment and I find the boy I thought I knew and loved to be even more exciting and adorable than I ever knew. By God's Grace in all things..............Jane

Greater than riches of gold

Last night we read a book about a boy with a pet dragon. At the end the boy says, "I love you dear Dragon." I turned to Will and said," Just as I love you Will." He then replied, "I love you Mommy." If he never says those words to me again, I will be forever blessed to have heard them this one time. To have his heart trust me with his love, when all he has known these many years is abandonment and betrayal, it is indeed a gift greater than gold.

Beyond the Bunny

My 13 year old made a good observation last week, he asked had I noticed
how Easter is turning into kind of a Spring Christmas?
As a matter of fact the commercialism and exploitation of the holiday had
not escaped my attention. Oh don't get me wrong; I love to eat that chocolate
bunny as much as the next gal, but........ Easter does indeed seem to be
losing original celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is
becoming more and more that dreaded conglomerate of greed and self indulgence that
plagues the Christmas season.

So I wish you all had a blessed, humble, and
Christ Centered Easter.

On another note our local paper ran an article about Will's adoption.

http://www.sturgisjournal.com/features/x464041761/Parents-spare-no-love-with
-adopted-children

The JESUS Film Project | Watch the "JESUS" Film

The JESUS Film Project Watch the "JESUS" Film

This is a link to the Jesus film. It is in Mandarin and other languages as well. The Mandarin has both an adult and children's version. We have been struggling to share the true story of Easter with Will and hopefully this will help. Have a Blessed Easter everyone! Jane

adding a p.s. Every Easter we have a tradition of sitting down the night before to watch this film together as a family. Last night as the kids watched the children's version on DVD, Will watched the Mandarin on our laptop. He pleasantly surprised us by being engrossed the whole hour. How I wish we knew what was going on in that little head! But just the fact that he watched it all is enough for now. God Bless, Jane

flowers

With the warmer weather our flowers are blooming profusely, and Will has begun the habit of going out and picking a flower for me each day. I really feel honored by this as I am the only one to receive his gift so far. Most of our spring flowers were daffodils planted by my mother. I don't mean a couple here and there but hundreds spread out amongst our woods and lawn! Every spring they come to life reminding me of her and of God's gift to man, his only Son. So now these flowers have yet another memory for me to treasure. The love of an abandoned boy, thousands of miles away, waiting to blossom like the beauty of a daffodil, and by God's Hand he is!

Movie date

Well, I'm a little ashamed to say that after 4 1/2 months we just got around to taking Will to a movie. Oh we had plans several times, but something always came up or someone was sick. The stars apparently aligned this weekend because we all got to go. I still don't know if Will had been to a real movie theater before, his response to the question was, "I don't know." I guess I'll chalk it up to lost in translation!

Will is opening up more, being more willing to say sentences and phrases. I think at first he was afraid someone would laugh at him if he made a mistake. This weekend he impressed us all by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I translated it back when school started so he would know what he was saying, not just repeating it by rote. He has picked up Math really well, he has brought home 3 certificates for Math, 2 just between last Wed. and today. He went from Level 17 to 22 in less than a week.

Butt Mom!

No my boys aren't mooning me, they somehow thought this would be a good position to play with their Nintendo DS's. It's been great watching Will's relationships blossom with his siblings. Each is so different.

Will and Jon got to know each other while Will was home schooled with him. Jon is very patient and a good role model~at least most of the time!

Caitlyn and Will hit it off from the start, which was a pleasant surprise, I most expected problems with Caitlyn. Caitlyn is almost 13 and moody doesn't begin to describe Caitlyn most days. But as far as Will goes, no problem, Praise God!

Andy took a little longer, but over Christmas break things started to really fall into place. Both boys LOVE being outdoors, more than the other kids and along with being together at school, they are really bonding.

It reminds of the proverb posted above, it is like they have always been meant to be siblings, it just took quite the journey to bring them there.

The best Mom ever!

Last week saw us take a big leap of faith with Will. We went ahead and enrolled him in public school. I've had a lot of conflicting feelings about this, mostly because our rural school system has never dealt with a non-English speaking student or have any programs in place to help him. On the other hand, by my home-schooling Will and giving him one-on-one attention he has made great progress. But we will give public school a try. I will say Will comes home very happy every evening, so we'll see.

So why am I the best Mom ever, you ask? On Friday the kids had their Valentine's Day Party and I translated a note to Will giving him the basics and telling him the kids would have a party, share treats, and pass out cards. I went in at the appointed party time and the table was all set up with treats. But I didn't see Will's candy, I did however see suspicious looking candy wrappers on Will's desk, hummmmmmmm..........? When I checked his backpack there was the bag of candy opened. We put out what was left and his teacher explained that at snack time, instead of getting out the snack I sent, he got out the bag of candy and had a few. So why am I the best Mom ever? I'm sure Will thought so when he assumed he had a Mom who packed candy for school snack! What a rude awakening he'll have when it's snack time tomorrow and it's back to the old ho-hum healthy food.