I decided each morning after breakfast we would dedicate some time to skola (school). Prior to the twins arrival, I spent ALOT of time making flashcards. I used the English/Latvian dictionary Jennifer gave me to look up all sorts of words I wanted to teach them. I even color coded them. Calendar days were purple, like days of the week and months, numbers were blue, verbs/action words were green (like eat, play, go shopping, go swimming), food words were black, feeling words were pink (sad, happy, tired), etc. This lasted about 3 days. I think they indulged me at first, but then frowned and refused to repeat words very quickly.
Time to get a little creative. I think this was easier because I had siblings. They were naturally competitive, while at the same time always "watched each other's back". My greatest secret became teaching with a playful smile. Whatever we did, meals at the dinner table, boardgames, getting ready for bed, cleaning up -- everything became A WORD CHALLENGE!
The rules are simple:
An adult points to an object at any time throughout the day, and the child must say the word in english 3 times in a row really, really fast! If neither of them knew the word, I would tell them and have them then each (separately) repeat the word 3 times fast.
Before we knew it, they knew so many words. Let's just use breakfast as an example. I would point to all of the things on the table, including their food, and they would say each word 3 times. In one meal they would learn, plate, cup, fork, spoon, cereal, orange juice, fruit, pineapple, watermelon, grapes, napkin, table, chair, breakfast. I would also ask one of the children to say a before meal prayer, which always included thank you for (all of their new American friends names). This was a good way to review everyone they had met the day before and incorporate their names into our prayers.
Going to the grocery store is another wonderful way to learn lots of great words. Before we left for Publix, I would open the refrigerator and point to certain foods. I would ask the kids to name the foods and then to write it on the grocery list. Once we got to the store, we would read the list together and decide who had to go get what. If we were in the vegetable section Veronica would read "3 tomato's" and then go get them while Alex would read "2 cucumber" and be responsible for getting those. I also always had them give the money to the cashier and count the change together. I found the more I was willing to teach them, the higher level of learning they were capable of taking on.
Here's a biggie: I think most of the hosted children understand english much more than they are initially willing to speak it. I found this out at our 1st visit to the russian grocery store that I mentioned earlier. The clerk told me they said "we understand almost everything she says, it's just frustrating we don't know how to respond in english." I found this to be VERY TRUE. I also witnessed other children making fun of them when they did speak english because of their accent, which is a major reason I think they are hesitant to speak english. By having them repeat the word 3 times, make sure they are saying each word clearly, without their accent.
For example, Alex was made fun of for calling the grocery store Pooblix. I had to teach him the 'u' sounds for Pub. He really appreciated it. It just takes time. Make english lessons a 24/7 part of hosting, but most importantly.... make it fun! Praise them!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
What Do They Eat??
Things in the kitchen will definatley be a little bit different with your hosted children. For the twins first night, I kept things simple. Roasted chicken, corn on the cob and bread and butter. They absolutely loved the Pillsbury French Loaf bread. I don't think they typically get bread hot out of the oven, so we had this with many meals to come.
The next night I took the twins to a big mall. I had the camera with me, so they loved posing in front of fancy settings and having me take pictures. I thought we'd go for pizza after the mall. They had said they liked pizza. What they like is pizza dough with EVERYTHING scraped off. They really disliked tomato sauce which surprised me because the next night we were having friends over to meet the kids. I asked them what they'd like for dinner and they requested spaghetti. Puzzled by their hatred for tomato sauce, I said OK -- spaghetti it is. My friend Jill and her daughter Grace came over and all the kids colored and played great together. When it came time for dinner, I put the spaghetti on the twins plates and just as I was about to pour the tomato sauce over it they politely said "No.... salt." And so it was. Spaghetti with salt for the twins. Of course, accompanied by warm bread and butter.
What do they like?? I asked them if they liked steak with mashed potatoes and they said "Fooi" (sp??) This is their commonly used word for yuck. But, with things turning out a little differently than I expected where meals were concerned, I decided to make it anyway. It was a huge hit! They loved steak and even more they LOVED mashed potatoes! Alex had mashed potatoes all over his face and he kept pointing to the pile remaining on his plate saying "GOOD! GOOD!" Maybe they are used to powerdered potatoes or something. They sure LOVED homemade mashed potatoes!
It was alot of fun seeing how they would react to different foods. Here are some of the key things I tried that got a big resonse, one way or the other....
The next night I took the twins to a big mall. I had the camera with me, so they loved posing in front of fancy settings and having me take pictures. I thought we'd go for pizza after the mall. They had said they liked pizza. What they like is pizza dough with EVERYTHING scraped off. They really disliked tomato sauce which surprised me because the next night we were having friends over to meet the kids. I asked them what they'd like for dinner and they requested spaghetti. Puzzled by their hatred for tomato sauce, I said OK -- spaghetti it is. My friend Jill and her daughter Grace came over and all the kids colored and played great together. When it came time for dinner, I put the spaghetti on the twins plates and just as I was about to pour the tomato sauce over it they politely said "No.... salt." And so it was. Spaghetti with salt for the twins. Of course, accompanied by warm bread and butter.
What do they like?? I asked them if they liked steak with mashed potatoes and they said "Fooi" (sp??) This is their commonly used word for yuck. But, with things turning out a little differently than I expected where meals were concerned, I decided to make it anyway. It was a huge hit! They loved steak and even more they LOVED mashed potatoes! Alex had mashed potatoes all over his face and he kept pointing to the pile remaining on his plate saying "GOOD! GOOD!" Maybe they are used to powerdered potatoes or something. They sure LOVED homemade mashed potatoes!
It was alot of fun seeing how they would react to different foods. Here are some of the key things I tried that got a big resonse, one way or the other....
YUMMY Foods:
Fresh Fruit -- they ate so much I bought it at Publix by the gallon and just put it on the table for breakfast and gave them toothpicks to eat it with. They had fun and it was easy. They also enjoyed dipping the fruit in yogurt. They loved cut watermelon, strawberries, pineapple, canteloupe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapes.
Salami & Cheese -- they wanted this every day for lunch! Muenster cheese, no mayo, just butter on the bread.
Hotdogs -- Before we checked out they had the bag of hotdogs open and were eating them! You have to watch them with those hotdogs!
Sausage -- they loved spicey italian sausage cooked out on the grill.
Latvian Salad -- a mix of cut cucumber, tomato and onion mixed with sour cream. They will eat this with lunch and dinner every day. Or skip the sour cream for lunch and just give them sliced cucumber and tomato with their lunch.
Radish -- sliced radishes were their favorite snack
Pickles -- warning: do not put out the whole jar. Just give them 1 or 2.
McDonald's -- although I had told myself I would not take them to McDonald's, this was their first full sentence to me in English "Veronika & Aleksandrs like to eat lunch at McDonald's". I was so proud of Alex for saying his first full sentence in english I had to take them there. Alex enjoyed a cheeseburger and Veronika had McNuggets.
FOOI Foods:
Hamburgers -- big, fresh grilled burgers were definately "fooi". They just like McDonald's dreid up burgers.
Most Veggies -- difficult to get them to eat many types of vegetables. Aside from cold veggies (like the cucumbers and tomatoes) all they would eat was corn on the cob.
Sauces -- they would not eat gravy or toppings. Liked things dry or with salt, ketchup or sour cream.
Salad -- regular lettuce salads they would not touch.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies -- would not eat them, asked for fresh fruit instead!
Macaroni & Cheese -- they said they liked it and recognized the box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, but they would not eat it. Maybe it was just me....
Milk -- Alex ate his cereal dry and would not drink milk. I was told they had lived in a place with no electricity before the children's home, so if you don't have a fridge, I guess you get used to eating your cereal without milk.
Those are the food do's and don't for now. As I think of more I will add them for you.
I did find a great international market that specializes in Russian foods. The owners and clerks are russian, so they were able to talk fluently to the children and translate some things for me. I let the twins create a menu for the next few meals and teach me how to make perugi's and some other tasty russian dishes!
Russian Grocery Contact Info:
New Odessa International Market and Deli
2793 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-321-3544
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Our First Week Together
WOW -- Nothing could have prepared me for Week 1!
That quiet, lonely feeling I felt every night was transformed into complete chaos!! I'm sure it would not have been such a big adjustment if I already had a child. But going from single and childless to having 2 10-year olds was a pretty major adjustment!
Known for having a house that was always 'neat as a pin', my house that first week was a disaster. Part of this was because we were spending so much time together having fun. And the rest of the time was spent making sure they had good meals, studied their english lessons and had their bedtime baths. I did not watch TV for an entire month!
Aside from adjusting to having 2 children, there is also the 'getting to know each other' phase. Here are these 2 beautiful children. On one hand, they barely speak english. On the other hand, they are oddly independent. I found myself asking them "what would you like to do?" Other host parents shared the same dilemna. I wish that earlier on I had realized, these are just little kids. I tell them what we're going to do. Trust me, they will follow and appreciate it. Don't be shy about parenting them. They will end up loving it more than anything!
Here are some really cute moments from our first week together:
Cute Moment #1: We first meet at the airport
I noticed Alex and Veronika right away as they came up the escalator at the airport. They also recognized me and came right up to me. We hugged and their big brown eyes stared up at me as if to say "now what?". I tried to talk to them and it quickly became very clear that they barely knew english. I then realized how grateful I was for the many prior host families and adopted kids who came to the airport to greet them. I grabbed one of the teenagers and asked him to translate a few key things:
1. Do you have to go to the bathroom?
2. Are you hungry?
3. We'll wait here a few minutes then go to baggage for your suitcases.
Having the adopted children and teenagers at the airport was INCREDIBLE. One of the young girls had just come from Latvia permanently 1 month ago. She knew the twins and knew enough english to tell me what they are like. Every word meant the world. And having the teenage children comfort the twins and speak to them in their language made them feel very comfortable. I was also told that although the twins are from Latvia, their native language is Russian. Many of the latvian children also speak russian.
Cute Moment #2: We must march in step!
As we were leaving the airport, Veronika was holding my hand and staring at my feet. I noticed she was pacing herself to walk in exact step with me, left... right... left... right. I wasn't sure what to make of this - although she seemed VERY serious about it. (She continued to do this through the entire month of hosting. I found it most endearing!)
Cute Moment #3: How much do I owe you??
OK, this moment wasn't so cute. But WOW, was it ever memorable. We were told to bring snacks for the children in case they were hungry after their flight. Once we got on the highway, I offered the twins each a small bottle of water, some saltine crackers and some raisons. Alex pulled $1.50 (American) out of his short pocket and offered it to me. I was so shocked!! I instantly pushed his hand back toward his pocket and said "No, your $$." He continued to try to offer it to me in exchange for their snack. It was difficult to not cry right then and there. Here are these little children who understand if you get something, you MUST give something in return. It was obvious that not much was ever just given to them without a price. This was their first lesson. It's ok. Eat...
Cute Moment #4: Arriving home
The twins were pretty quiet on the way home, about a 40 minute ride north from the airport. They seemed confident and like it was just like any other day. But when we got home, they quickly went from room to room and when I showed Veronika her room decorated in pink rose petals she kept whispering 'glas'.... 'glas'.... I had no idea what this meant, but later found out that's Latvian for Cool! I showed Alex his room and his closet with some 'glas' soccer shirts and he went and hid them. The children may hide things they like. It's their habit, so noone will steal them in the children's home. It took about a week for them to not hide their favorite things. You may want to check between their mattresses for half eaten food. Veronika had quite a stash which attracted a pretty large group of ants one night!
Cute Moment #5: Our first "crack up" together - soooo much fun!
I do have a housemate. His name is Bruce. He was uncertain if he would live in the house while I was hosting. But he decided to stay for the first few days and then decide what to do. Once we got home, I wanted to take the twins on a tour of the neighborhood. We live in the Nancy Creek area and there is plenty of public space. I thought I would show them the pool, tennis courts, little league fields and lake. I love going to the lake and feeding the ducks. I had stocked up on bread so the twins could feed the ducks too. Just as we were about to leave, a thunderstorm set in. I knew it would pass quickly, so Bruce pulled out his guitar and offered to sing a song. Not that he's a bad singer, but his voice can really project. So as the twins and I are all standing on one side of the living room and Bruce is ready to sing and play on the other, I rushed my hands up to my head to plug my ears. Within half a second, the twins followed my lead and quickly plugged their ears. Bruce looked up at that split second and started smiling. I looked at the twins and started laughing which made them laugh too. There we were, all in a row with our ears plugged smug faced. Maybe you had to be there, but it was truly our first defining moment together! I could tell this moment let the twins know they were safe, we were 'glas', and our time together was going to be great!
That quiet, lonely feeling I felt every night was transformed into complete chaos!! I'm sure it would not have been such a big adjustment if I already had a child. But going from single and childless to having 2 10-year olds was a pretty major adjustment!
Known for having a house that was always 'neat as a pin', my house that first week was a disaster. Part of this was because we were spending so much time together having fun. And the rest of the time was spent making sure they had good meals, studied their english lessons and had their bedtime baths. I did not watch TV for an entire month!
Aside from adjusting to having 2 children, there is also the 'getting to know each other' phase. Here are these 2 beautiful children. On one hand, they barely speak english. On the other hand, they are oddly independent. I found myself asking them "what would you like to do?" Other host parents shared the same dilemna. I wish that earlier on I had realized, these are just little kids. I tell them what we're going to do. Trust me, they will follow and appreciate it. Don't be shy about parenting them. They will end up loving it more than anything!
Here are some really cute moments from our first week together:
Cute Moment #1: We first meet at the airport
I noticed Alex and Veronika right away as they came up the escalator at the airport. They also recognized me and came right up to me. We hugged and their big brown eyes stared up at me as if to say "now what?". I tried to talk to them and it quickly became very clear that they barely knew english. I then realized how grateful I was for the many prior host families and adopted kids who came to the airport to greet them. I grabbed one of the teenagers and asked him to translate a few key things:
1. Do you have to go to the bathroom?
2. Are you hungry?
3. We'll wait here a few minutes then go to baggage for your suitcases.
Having the adopted children and teenagers at the airport was INCREDIBLE. One of the young girls had just come from Latvia permanently 1 month ago. She knew the twins and knew enough english to tell me what they are like. Every word meant the world. And having the teenage children comfort the twins and speak to them in their language made them feel very comfortable. I was also told that although the twins are from Latvia, their native language is Russian. Many of the latvian children also speak russian.
Cute Moment #2: We must march in step!
As we were leaving the airport, Veronika was holding my hand and staring at my feet. I noticed she was pacing herself to walk in exact step with me, left... right... left... right. I wasn't sure what to make of this - although she seemed VERY serious about it. (She continued to do this through the entire month of hosting. I found it most endearing!)
Cute Moment #3: How much do I owe you??
OK, this moment wasn't so cute. But WOW, was it ever memorable. We were told to bring snacks for the children in case they were hungry after their flight. Once we got on the highway, I offered the twins each a small bottle of water, some saltine crackers and some raisons. Alex pulled $1.50 (American) out of his short pocket and offered it to me. I was so shocked!! I instantly pushed his hand back toward his pocket and said "No, your $$." He continued to try to offer it to me in exchange for their snack. It was difficult to not cry right then and there. Here are these little children who understand if you get something, you MUST give something in return. It was obvious that not much was ever just given to them without a price. This was their first lesson. It's ok. Eat...
Cute Moment #4: Arriving home
The twins were pretty quiet on the way home, about a 40 minute ride north from the airport. They seemed confident and like it was just like any other day. But when we got home, they quickly went from room to room and when I showed Veronika her room decorated in pink rose petals she kept whispering 'glas'.... 'glas'.... I had no idea what this meant, but later found out that's Latvian for Cool! I showed Alex his room and his closet with some 'glas' soccer shirts and he went and hid them. The children may hide things they like. It's their habit, so noone will steal them in the children's home. It took about a week for them to not hide their favorite things. You may want to check between their mattresses for half eaten food. Veronika had quite a stash which attracted a pretty large group of ants one night!
Cute Moment #5: Our first "crack up" together - soooo much fun!
I do have a housemate. His name is Bruce. He was uncertain if he would live in the house while I was hosting. But he decided to stay for the first few days and then decide what to do. Once we got home, I wanted to take the twins on a tour of the neighborhood. We live in the Nancy Creek area and there is plenty of public space. I thought I would show them the pool, tennis courts, little league fields and lake. I love going to the lake and feeding the ducks. I had stocked up on bread so the twins could feed the ducks too. Just as we were about to leave, a thunderstorm set in. I knew it would pass quickly, so Bruce pulled out his guitar and offered to sing a song. Not that he's a bad singer, but his voice can really project. So as the twins and I are all standing on one side of the living room and Bruce is ready to sing and play on the other, I rushed my hands up to my head to plug my ears. Within half a second, the twins followed my lead and quickly plugged their ears. Bruce looked up at that split second and started smiling. I looked at the twins and started laughing which made them laugh too. There we were, all in a row with our ears plugged smug faced. Maybe you had to be there, but it was truly our first defining moment together! I could tell this moment let the twins know they were safe, we were 'glas', and our time together was going to be great!
Prior To Hosting
I didn't want to leave out any important steps in hosting, but I'll keep this pre-hosting section brief so I can move on to the good stuff!
You have to be approved to be a host. It's important to know that this is not a difficult process. The 'unsung hero's' of this program are Joel & Jennifer. They are looking for good Christians who share their heart to help children and show them God's love. It is due to their faith, committment and hard work that make this experience possible for us, as host parents. It is with deep gratitude that I thank them for all that they do.
Once you decide to host, Jennifer will forward you a mini-home study and notify the social worker. Simply answer the questions and enjoy your visit with the social worker. You will also need to go to the police station and have them pull a criminal background report on you and anyone over 18 residing in your house.
Jennifer provides a Hosting Manual which is really great. It fills you in on all of the details you'll need to prepare for the children's arrival and what to expect during their stay with you. There is also a group meeting for all Host families prior to the children's arrival so everyone can get to know each other.
Next, everyone meets at the airport, anxious for the children's arrival!! Bring balloons, posters and your camera. It's definatley a Kodak moment!!
You have to be approved to be a host. It's important to know that this is not a difficult process. The 'unsung hero's' of this program are Joel & Jennifer. They are looking for good Christians who share their heart to help children and show them God's love. It is due to their faith, committment and hard work that make this experience possible for us, as host parents. It is with deep gratitude that I thank them for all that they do.
Once you decide to host, Jennifer will forward you a mini-home study and notify the social worker. Simply answer the questions and enjoy your visit with the social worker. You will also need to go to the police station and have them pull a criminal background report on you and anyone over 18 residing in your house.
Jennifer provides a Hosting Manual which is really great. It fills you in on all of the details you'll need to prepare for the children's arrival and what to expect during their stay with you. There is also a group meeting for all Host families prior to the children's arrival so everyone can get to know each other.
Next, everyone meets at the airport, anxious for the children's arrival!! Bring balloons, posters and your camera. It's definatley a Kodak moment!!
How It All Began....
I first learned about hosting last summer when my friend Ellen was hosting 3 Latvian siblings. She was so happy to show me their pictures and tell me how exciting it was to have them in her home. I asked her how I could get involved and February this year she forwarded me some photo's of orphans selected to participate in this summers hosting program.
Ellen was about to complete the adoption process and bring her 3 girls home at about this time, so I knew there was real potential to adopt the child/children I could host. Still, being single and owning my own business became factors in my decision process. How could I do it all??
The deadline came and went and I decided not to host. Then 2 days after the deadline passed I could not get the twins off my mind -- 9 year old Aleksandrs and Veronika. I called Jennifer at night on her cell phone and asked if there was any way to host them, even though I had missed the deadline.
Jennifer later e-mailed me with a touching story. That day, May 2nd, the day I made the decision to host them, was the twins 10th birthday. Jennifer wrote, "the twins don't know it yet, but they have just received a miracle for their birthday!" This was so touching, I knew I had made the right decision....
Ellen was about to complete the adoption process and bring her 3 girls home at about this time, so I knew there was real potential to adopt the child/children I could host. Still, being single and owning my own business became factors in my decision process. How could I do it all??
The deadline came and went and I decided not to host. Then 2 days after the deadline passed I could not get the twins off my mind -- 9 year old Aleksandrs and Veronika. I called Jennifer at night on her cell phone and asked if there was any way to host them, even though I had missed the deadline.
Jennifer later e-mailed me with a touching story. That day, May 2nd, the day I made the decision to host them, was the twins 10th birthday. Jennifer wrote, "the twins don't know it yet, but they have just received a miracle for their birthday!" This was so touching, I knew I had made the right decision....
Single & Hosting Twins
I thought I would write this blog for all the singles out there considering hosting children from Lativia. Having never married (yet) and no children (yet), the silence of my house every night created a very lonely feeling. I thought hosting would give me a good glimpse at parenthood, on a trial basis, so I could decide if it is something I really wanted.
My intention was to make daily blog entries while I was hosting, but there just wasn't enough time. So I decided to pull together all of the information I think will be helpful for you and categorize it on this blog.
You should know, I've also made the decision to adopt, so I will be documenting that process here for you as well.
My intention was to make daily blog entries while I was hosting, but there just wasn't enough time. So I decided to pull together all of the information I think will be helpful for you and categorize it on this blog.
You should know, I've also made the decision to adopt, so I will be documenting that process here for you as well.
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