A lil update...

Sorry for the delay in posting life's been really crazy. The holidays have been a bit rough for the boys as they have overwhelming emotions they are trying to manage. The joy and thrill that comes from Thanksgiving and Christmas are enough on their own to make a child burst with joy. Dominick was old enough to remember the meaning and fun of Christmas, Eli couldn't remember all the details but emotions were triggered. Dom, without hesitations remembered we were celebrating Jesus Birthday and also without hesitation remember the marathon of opening gifts!

Unfortunately with the good emotions came some really tough ones. As soon as the decorations went up last year the boys were removed from the comfort of their foster home into this strange new world, our home. So, it was as if the decorations and christmas carols stirred anxiety in them and there were some subconscious fears about having to leave. Those emotions are enough to make anyone burst as well. Although the boys for a time made a few steps back in development (behaviorally mostly) they worked through the tangle of emotions, both good and bad, in an amazing way. I am so proud of them! I believe that with each passing of Christmas the boys will become more secure in knowing they are here forever.

Speaking of forever...
If you remember in all my previous posts I've never noted that the adoption is finalized, well that's because it still isn't. It's pretty much ridiculous how long it's taken. Honestly, we should have been finalized about 3 months ago but the state is just too busy to push that paperwork around. We did find out, however, that our attorney (the one finalizing the case for us) has all the paperwork she needs to get it done. We'll be signing some papers soon and setting a court date with a judge for the final signature to make it all legal. If we are still not finalized by the end of February I will be SHOCKED!

I had a "they are growing up too fast" moment the other day when I was thinking about preschool for Dom. Eli might be going to preschool next fall as well. I realized that our time for swimming, the library, play groups, parks, and special adventures is going to get cut short! So, without a doubt 2011 is going to be full of bonding time for the boys and I:) I'm very excited about that! That's all for now, it seems the first post after not blogging is always the hardest. So, I think I'm back into it now.

that MY Daddy

so, after football practice, Mandy and the boys came and picked me up.  we had to stop at Burgerville, cause the second we got in the car, Dom announced it was potty-time.  so I took Dom inside and when we finished and left the bathroom, Eli could see through the glass and had this to say, either to Mandy or to himself...but one day after I shared with Mandy that I felt my abilities as a father should be called into question, I can say I needed this...

i smile cause i own you :)

"That Daddy
That MY Daddy
My Daddy is so happy and he loves me so much
Yeah he loves me
I love MY Daddy

My Daddy going pee pee pee in the potty
He all done pee pee pee

could've done without the 'pee' narrative, but my heart melted and jumped for joy after hearing this.  this kid will own your heart in a second...so this is your warning...no matter how much i feel like i struggle at being a dad, these two always find ways to make me feel like a hero, whether its running to me when they get up from their naps and see i'm home from work, wanting to stand next to me at football practice...even when i don't think i'm a hero, they find ways to make me feel like one.

Family Day...

It needs named something new and exciting but that is it in the mean time. If you think of a name for us let me know!

I stole this idea from a friend but here is our version of it:

When discussing what we wanted to keep/create for Christmas traditions we kept thinking about how much we wanted the boys to know it was a time to give gifts and to celebrate our Lord. How do you teach a child this when the only thing they can remember about Christmas is PRESENTS!?! We decided to skip the gift giving to the boys and each other and save it for another day in the year. The grandparents and aunts and uncles still gave gifts, no biggie! We decided Santa is such a magical fun thing about christmas so we would still do stockings. We did still want to exchange gifts so we decided that this past Saturday, the 11th, would be our "gift day" or "family day" or whatever it should be called. It was SO much fun!

We planned to take the boys to the children's museum but it was closed so we took them to this GIANT play place where they had a blast. When we got home the boys walked into the house to see a nice pile of presents and had so much fun tearing into them. Nick and I exchanged simple gifts and enjoyed the day as a family.

When the boys are older (school age) we plan on making the day on a school day so they can stay home and make an even bigger deal out of it! I think that at Christmas we might still make some gifts for each other but nothing big or fancy just a bit of lovin on each other.