Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy, Ole' Days of Summer

Our last day of school!  Hooray

The last of the pencils and crayons are put away.  They lasted a whole school year. But now. . .we'll be getting some new ones.  The laid back mornings have begun.  Lingering over coffee while the boys play "just 5 more minutes Mommy."  Moving slower, noticing more, relaxing.  Our last day of home school was the 21st of June.  What progress the boys have made!  There is cause to celebrate and recount all the faithfulness of God, in all the millions of little things He accomplished in our little class room.  This will take some time to do, and I'm all for taking the time.

One of the most important things I have learned about my adopted boys is that the obvious answer is hardly ever the answer.  It takes a great deal of time and effort to get to the root of any situation.  We used to wonder where we would find all the time it would take and God had the answer in front of us all the time.  "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry!"  James 1:19.  As the boys become more secure in our family, they have more to say.  Sometimes it comes out angry, sometimes sad and even somtimes happy.  Peter actually started saying, "I'm sad, Mommy."  By listening, taking the time to empathize with them, we built a foundation of learning.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Gen. 2:1-2

God was calling me to rest from the intensity of home school.  This whole first week was hard because I was listening to the wrong voices saying, "Just because you are on a break doesn't mean you don't do anything, that's lazy."  By Wednesday afternoon I was completely spent and I could finally hear His voice, the only voice worth listening to, saying, "I give my beloved rest.  Rest and refresh."  By God's grace, that's just what I did.  If God rested after He finished His work of creation and made the day holy, who I am to argue.  Then this little thought came to me.

I want to rest when it's time to run and I want to run when it's time to rest!  I am not exhausted because of any burdens or loads, I am exhausted because I am disobeying God.

Once that thought took hold of my heart and attention, peace flooded my soul and the pajamas stayed on!  The boys and I were able to just be playful with each other, talk to each other, listen to each other, snuggle each other.  We are able to go to the pool and continue our "rest" doing the one thing on earth that always brings the boys great pleasure, swimming.  And the most remarkable thing happened. All the repetition, all the things learned, all the therapies, all the structured times, the new games, the field trips spill out!  Eliot reads words on labels and loves the "rhyming game".  He runs around at the pool making friends.  He is showing signs of self-governing as situations arise where there is a choice to obey or disobey.  I love how he begins talking to himself and winds up convincing himself to not do or do!

Peter is talking so much more.  His inter-relational skills with our family seemingly overnight have favorably changed.  And because of all the swimming he is doing it seems like he has grown taller.  He too is making friends and looks forward to seeing them whether at church or the pool.  The melt downs happen less and less as he begins to use more and more of his vocabulary.  And because God called me to rest, because God called me to take off the "teacher" hat, and put on the "Mommy on a rest" hat, I get to bask in the goodness of God to our little family, our little school and all the work that He began and completed.  It stirs in me a desire to obey more quickly and run more directly to Him for instruction.  And if that is happening for me, then it is happening for them.  And it is happening.

One of my favorite quotes is by Jim Elliot, a missionary who lost his life for the Gospel.  He said, "Wherever you are, be all there."  So for the rest of my little summer break, my little boys and I will be enjoying God, and each other.  We will laugh, cry, try new things, go to family camp.  We will learn to canoe, dive off the diving board, find our courage in the big kids pool.  We will read stories all snuggled up together, play a few games, learn to ride a bike and sing.  When our favorite songs come on we'll drop everything and shake our booties!  Yes, and we will thank Jesus for making it all happen, for making it fit all together.  Bring it on, we're all here.  Hope you too enjoy your lazy, hazy, crazy ole' days of summer.

What a Difference a Year Makes!!!

Peter at 6 months of age

On June 7, 2008 a little boy called Man-Yu Chen, was born in Hong Kong.  He was born with an extra chromosome and therefore was placed into the system for adoption.  By the time he was 1 1/2 years old, a family half way across the globe saw his picture and heard the call from God to give him a forever home with them.  16 months later, Peter Yonah Inglin was transported by us, his forever parents, to his forever home. 

3rd Birthday in Hong Kong 6/7/11

Peter's 4th Birthday 6/7/12

Peter's 5th Birthday 6/7/13

We celebrated Peter's 3rd birthday apart because of a paperwork error.  However, his 4th birthday was celebrated with family and friends.  As I look over the pictures from that birthday to now, the phrase my mother would always say to me, "Jill, a year makes a world of difference" rolled over in my mind.  It has been a banner statement for me during the whole of our girl's home school education and in every other area of life where applicable.  Peter's 5th birthday was celebrated over the whole weekend.  Starting off with some significant Super hero time with his favorite super hero, Eliot, and ending with a birthday bash at Chic-fil-a with friends.  Saturday also was packed with fun.  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) had it's annual Rock for CHOP fundraiser, where we played for prizes and danced to live bands.  Sunday after church, we packed a picnic supper for an evening of music at Grings Mill Park.  Steven Courtney was excellent with his lively, engaging kids songs and then some blues at the amphitheater.  Lots of fun was had by all.

Last year began Peter's various therapies.  He grew slowly as he continued to trust and attach to our family.  There were God-ordained set-backs and interruption to his process.  But God provided for us a team of qualified therapists to help the process along.  They are true heroes to us.  Their expertise and attention to Peter's specific needs paid off as we headed into Pete's I.E.P. meeting 2013.  He grew in all areas, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, speech and pre-educational skills for school age.  Our team is amazing and we thank God for them in our prayers each week.

We used to call communication with Peter, Peter language.  We got it. . .but that was about it.  As he has continued to feel safer with us, he also began to want to communicate.  I believe this is one of the most critical turn of events in Peter's life and growth.  The safer our little adopted ones feel, the more secure their footing, the more they unfold to their families.  When he calls for us, he wants his Daddy and Mommy to come, not just those nice workers who feed, cloth and care for his daily needs.  Specifically us! And what a great gift that is to us.

Peter has also grown in his knowledge of Jesus.  Often, as the hustle and bustle of getting the meal on the table happens, Peter is the one extending his hands for the family prayer.  He prays in his own language, but clearly ends with, "in Jesus name, Amen."  We learned the song God Is So Good using sign and again he initiates the singing of that song.  And, the biggest praise we have is his willingness, eagerness, to enter into Sunday School.  He has friends, he completes his crafts and helps clean up the mess at the end of the time.  He even gets into trouble.  How marvelous is that!

Home school has been a real blast as Peter, Eliot and I descend the steps each morning to learn.  Many times this past school year, as I was working with Eliot on a particular concept, I would catch Peter out of the corner of my eye repeating what he heard me say to Eliot.  He has mastered all his noun flash cards, the "p" ending sound, verb cards and various other flash cards.  He recognizes his name and loves it when we sing;

"There is a boy who's awfully sweet and Peter is his name - o, P-E-T-E-R, P-E-T-E-R, P-E-T-E-R and Peter is his name - o."

He interacts with different stories as well.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? by Eric Carle is one of his favorites.  By following 2 and 3 step directions, Peter has shown that he comprehends what is read by picking the correct animal from the choices given him each time.  Puzzle manipulation, matching colors, stringing beads, imitating our actions are just a few of the ways he has grown educationally.  We have also required that Peter use his words more and in doing so, his language has come along way.

We still have a long way to go, and don't we all! But Peter continues to love to learn.  Our process IS, 2 steps forward, 3 steps back and we accept that as good from God.  We learn, relearn, do and redo, all as a family.  And we realize that this year wouldn't be such a banner year if it weren't for all the folks helping to make it happen.  Thank you BCIU team, DS Support Group of Berks Co., Post Adoption Support Group of Berks Co., Inglin Family, Biblical Parenting.org, Paul David Tripp, Christ Community Church, Emily, Megan, Eliot, Daddy, Mommy, and most of all God.  You have all made a difference in our boy's life and we are eternally grateful.

Some other highlights from Peter's 5th Birthday!

Hulk Smash

Super hero Time!

Rock for CHOP Concert

Outdoor Concert