Toy Car Extraction

Surveying the situation- Ms. Jamie, Lukas, and daddy...


So, how many people does it take to retreive a toy from under the stove?

Evidently three- one to hold the light, one to fish it out with a broom, and one to supervise...



And when that doesn't work after 15 minutes of trying, the supervisor decides to remove the drawer from under the stove and wallah...we retreive the car!


We found a few other things under there too but we won't get in to that. Lesson learned, don't race cars on the kitchen floor in front of the major appliances.

Of course, Gracie has to check things out...

Superheros and Ninja Warriors

Oh what an imagination our sweet boy has.

Sneeking up on mommy....




Fighting off evil....


Super Ninja Warrior to the rescue...

I guess being a Super Ninja Warrior is hard work...sound asleep

Kindergarten Update

It seems that almost everyday Lukas comes home with a picture of our family that he has drawn. I'm not sure why he draws a picture of our family every day but it is always interesting to see what additions or settings we are in. Since starting Kindergarten we all have had hair added to our figures, well, except for daddy.

This is our family outside in the grass. Notice that Lukas and I have short legs and daddy has long legs. Normally we all are pretty much the same size. He even got the style of hair pretty accurate. His new found sense of awareness is very interesting.


I enjoy opening his folder up every day after school to see what he has done that day. So far he seems to be doing very well. He still loves to ride the bus and go to school. He also seems to enjoy his new Goddard School and is making new friends quickly. The really nice thing is that he is now going to sleep on time without difficulty and sleeping about 10 hours. School and no nap makes for one sleepy boy around 8pm.

On Wednesday we had our first IEP meeting at his school to convert his ESP (educational service plan) to an official IEP. I can not say enough so far about his school, his teacher, and the staff at LSE. The SLP (speech language pathologist) had contacted the group that provided his ESP before school was out last year to ask for his records so she could start plans for this school year. We had the opportunity to speak with her at the schools Open House the day before school started. His IEP team seems to be on board with us in being proactive in Lukas' plan to make sure he has every resource available to succeed. For now we will continue with 30 minutes a week of SL instruction and 15 mins a month of Special Education to keep tabs on any potential behavioral issues that might arise.

His teacher, Mrs. Mitchell, had only positive things to report to date. She feels he is transitioning well, keeping up with the rest of the class, has had a few episodes of very minor crying that were short lived and then he was back to his usual self. She also informed us that he likes to sing and is one of the first ones in the class to learn the songs. They all are impressed at where he is considering he was 3 1/2 when we brought him home. The group all agreed that we don't think Lukas needs any special accomodations in class or outside other than what is already in place. They all mentioned how friendly and outgoing he is.

On Friday evening they had an Ice Cream Social at school. The principal, Mrs. Reed, was there and she told me Lukas had come over to say hello to her. She then proceeded to tell me that whenever he sees her at school he makes it a point to wave and say hello. She must have made an impression on him when we had our private, pre-open house visit. She also told me what a sweet boy he is and that she has been keeping tabs on him. She goes to observe him in class from time to time and is very impressed with how he is doing. She made me very proud when she said she thought he was a very bright boy. Sounds like his school life is off to a good start. We just hope it continues on this track.

It is obvious to me that God has been watching out for our Lukas during the first 3 1/2 years of his life and still is. Based on his background he could have any number of developmental, psychological or neurological problems. At this point it appears that he has come through it mostly unscathed. Only time will tell. To me that is nothing short of a miracle. God has also placed some very special people in our lives during the past two years to continue aiding him in his development and providing for him as he continues along his journey. I cannot say enough about the teachers he had at The Goddard School the past two years and the foundation they have given him to succeed in school. And now we are blest with having a topnotch school, terrific teachers and great staff to work with him now. I don't think it was a coincedence that he ended up with the teacher who was not originally part of the Kindergarten staff. She had been teaching 2nd grade and requested to teach the K level this year. I'm sure any of the K level teachers would have been fine but I think Mrs. Mitchell has been put in Lukas' life for a reason.

Last Day of Summer, First Day on My Own

A post from another blogsite. Really puts things into perspective of what older kids not adopted will be facing in life. So very thankful that this will not be Lukas' fate in another 10 years.

http://jenelleac.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/last-day-of-summer-first-day-on-my-own/#comment-87

A 16 year old heading out to face life alone and find the answers himself.

August 27, 2011
The time has come – back to school again. Summer vacations are over and another year of learning is about to begin. Here in the US parents are taking their kids shopping for back to school supplies, moms are kissing their babies goodbye after moving them into the college dorms, dads are kicking around soccer balls with their sons getting ready for the fall season, and sisters are helping their freshmen brothers find their way around the new high school. Not all students love returning to school, but it can be exciting as the seasons change in the lives of families. It’s a time of growth and new beginnings.

That’s far from the reality for thousands of orphans in Eastern Europe. There is no one there to help the kids at this important time in their education. Even more than that, there’s a greater tragedy happening.

This is the time, all across Eastern Europe, that beds are vacated to be filled by a new class of young orphans. How are those beds vacated? The kids who are 15/16 or have completed 9th/10th grade, are sent out. They are sent out, even more alone than they were within the orphanage walls.

Last year, on this day, the New Horizons for Children interview team witnessed this firsthand. They saw about a dozen children outside of the orphanage building looking like they were headed on a camping trip. Much to their dismay, they were told that it was their time to go. The young orphans packed what they could that was theirs in a duffel bag and were sent to find their way in the world.


This is a precious set of 16 year olds who are "graduating" and therefore leaving the orphanage at 16 years old. This was not staged in any way, this was literally the scene when we arrived, a group of 16 year olds heading out to a very unknown future with no resources and no support.

When you hear about kids being put out on the streets, you just don't picture it like this. Where are the aunts, older siblings, mothers, fathers and grandparents who visited the kids and promised them a place later? No mom, no dad, not even a teacher to help them find their way. They had a list of trade schools or shelters that may take them in, but the choice was up to them.

Completely alone. At 16. This was not a solitary situation. All across Eastern Europe school starts on September 1st, so the same thing happens at every orphanage at this time.

And that time is this week. Please, if you are a praying person, think and pray for these kids this week. For all of those kids who have not been chosen by a forever family, and no longer have that chance since they have ‘aged out’. Starting this week, they are out to face the adult world with little to no life skills. They may have a chance at a trade school, but will likely live in deplorable conditions, struggling to support themselves, surrounded by temptations of alcohol, drugs, and a life of crime or prostitution. Forever stigmatized as an orphan. Forever without a family.

Please say a prayer for them. Each and every one of these kids has a Heavenly Father who will defend, hear, comfort, and give hope to them. They are His.

“The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans… Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed” Psalm 10:14,17-18 (NLT)


Photos courtesy of New Horizons for children