Christmas is coming!

We're not in any way ready for Christmas, but it's coming anyway. And it's as it is every year, we start thinking about, talking about, planning a bit for the season. It'll feel more like it's coming when Ami and I go shopping this coming weekend - should almost put the tree up then, too. The kids drew names, so they're excited to start their shopping. M bought her gift already - I have a rotating system with the kids for who gets to go with me to the store when I go grocery shopping. So D's next, and we go through the rotation. Except C doesn't make it - he doesn't seem to realize, and then the kids get turns a little more often. Those times to be alone with just me for a couple hours is so fun and important! C does get to the store, too - I end up going somewhere during the day it seems once a week or so, so the 'home' kids are with.

I've thought of a couple funny sayings lately that I should get written down - but ... let's see if I remember them. C's into cute little words like, 'that thingie' if he doesn't know what something's called, and some not so cute like 'you dummy' when he's upset with someone. Every kid has surprised me when I realize they know at least some colors. A couple weeks ago or so I realized that C knows some colors.

L talks about his friend Paulus - he has gotten so frustrated because we don't go visit Paulus' house often enough. It's so fun how they find their buddies! He's really good about whittling a computer turn almost every day - he'll get dressed, eat, do a job (he likes to empty the dishwasher) and then lets me know what all he's done, figuring he's earned his turn. And I usually let him take one then. The weather has been such that there's not much to do outside (no snow, dark and wet ... now we have a teeny bit of snow, but not enough to keep them occupied outside for very long when they go.)

K is still struggling with her potty issues. I'm not good enough about making sure she drinks lots - she'll take lots to drink, but then it sits in the cup. Also don't give her the stool softener like I should - according to the dr, her stools are soft, but she isn't getting them out. So that's probably why they are frustrating for me to use on her. Then we really have accidents. Tho now it seems she wets often during the day, too. Dr. took blood tests and came up with nothing, so we'll see what they see when they do ultrasound in a couple weeks. She's such an independent kid - she spends lots of time in her room doodling on paper, reading, looking at Aku Ankka's. She surprised me a week or two ago when she brought a book for me to read and I started reading, then pointed to a word for her to read and she took over the reading! She couldn't read every word, but sure did well. I was just giggling, I was so surprised!

D has this absolute devotion for his youngest brother. He just loves to play with him!! He likes school because he has buddies there, but would probably need more challenge than he gets. Already last year he would have been ready for more challenge, and now is again doing kindergarten since that's what 6 year olds do in Finland. He's a great worker, even at home. Likes to have his bedroom tidy, and does a great job (with L) getting it tidied up on Saturdays. He waits for the day he can have some real tools and make things. We should probably get the boys set up with things next spring. How do they learn if they don't have the equipment to practice with?!

M loves to sing! She also loves to play the piano. She doesn't want lessons at this poing, tho'. She would rather just play the songs she can figure out on her own, or what I can show her. So she doesn't play very many at this point - I'd love to get her into lessons so she could learn more, but she says no, so we won't waste the money! She also loves to write, draw, read ... I should get more English books here for them ... we always get from the library, but she'd probably like some 'Jack and Annie' books or some such.

T is also Mr. organized. He likes his room to be left alone, and tho' the desk might get a bit messy, it's otherwise usually in tip-top shape. He's still quiet in school, but does talk some, so he's come a long way! And it doesn't seem to bother him that he doesn't talk much - at least what we see of him, he's very self-confident. I wonder if Jr's biofeedback treatments did help him. He does have a hard time saying so if there is something he doesn't know (school work for example), but I think he's slowly starting to come around and can ask for help with homework and say, 'I don't know how to do this.' Schooling in Finn has sure been challenging. More so than I would have realized. T is one who knows when he's tired he should just go to bed, and he does. Not at some super early time, but he does tuck himself in earlier than most of the others usually. He likes to make scrambled or fried eggs, by the way, and does them well!

N also likes his bedroom to be left alone, and wants things to be in place. He gets frustrated because for some reason the kids do like to play in his room. I've tried to get them to switch rooms around and have his room as L's and C's room, and playroom as well. But he doesn't want to switch. He doesn't complain about school for the most part, but I know in some ways this has been really hard for him to have switched schools, and to have to do it in Finn. Tho' the teachers do their best, I think he really feels the pressure that he should start talking Finn - and then it makes him so anxious, he just can't talk it. Probably the 'oldest child syndrome' too - they just don't want to make mistakes. I know the Finn will come, and then will come well!

A has been working, working, working. I know we have to remember to appreciate the fact that he does have so much work to do. He was able to go buy us a van yesterday - so it'll make life much nicer (from time to time!) - we can just hop all together in one vehicle and go visiting on the weekends, for example.

We've missed home in America, but I'm trying to keep us remembering what we have to be thankful for (work = bills can get paid; work = we can sometimes do something fun; work = we can sometimes buy something fun - the boys have almost earned their 4-wheeler, and that wouldn't happen without sufficient work.) The older boys were realizing though, that tho' it's nice that Dad has work, we also miss having him home more like he used to be. But I told them that he won't always be this busy (as he's been in the last week, for sure - last week was very busy, with long days away from home.) It's good they like to have Dad around!

No Christmas card this year, I guess - couldn't get pics into the computer. Oh well.