Time / Transition

WOW, time flies...it seems like my goal to post once a week was a lofty one :O)

"How are the Blaske's?" seems to be the question of the hour by all who see us.
We are BLESSED, busy, a bit tired, did I say BLESSED, and yes still laughing.

About two weeks ago the feeling of "newness" seemed to slip away and things seemed to kick into gear a bit more. Our big kids and our small kids started to act more and more like siblings...."who's sock is this in my room?" and " I think it is your turn to do the dishes" and "does John have to wake up soooo early every day" questions began to get asked. It has been good for all of us to transition to the place of knowing who's space and place is where and when.

Some things we did these last few weeks to help the kids and all of us transition:

* Drove John and victoria to Dave's work. (to anwswer the question that gets asked everyday "where is Dad?"

*Went to the place that has the BIG "M" out side (as Victoria calles it) to play in the play place. The one in Bellingham, creates LOTS of out loud giggles because the slide is sooooo high. My heart is full when I see the joy on Tristan's face as he gets to show the kids the play place as the "big brother" He is so gentle and fun loving with them. (tanner was in CA when we went)
CUTE thing: There is a bench in the play place with a life size Ronald McDonald sitting on it ...made out of plastic...
John took off his shoes, turned to run up the tube, STOPPED, carefully walked over to Ronald, and waved his hand right in front of Ronalds eyes...(like a windshield wipper type of motion) as if to check to see if he would Blink...was he real? FUNNY!

*We had a REVELATION the other day, we realized that by trying to keep the Beacon House routine we were building in more than we thought. We have a clock in our kitchen that is set to Ghana time, so as we "took our snack" (as the kids would say) we would look at the clock and see what the kids would be doing at BH. This has made for some great story times, some times of tears of missing kids/mum's and Romana, as well as setting the stage for what would be coming up in our day. (ie...dinner at 6:00, if beditme routine is done by 7:00 then a family movie)

The kids have had a firehydrant amount of change...new culture, new family, new people, new food,....new new, new....we did not realize that something this simple could cause our hearts to attach in new ways...by old things.

*deer in the headlights: this is a look that Dave and I know quite well by this point. It means I hear you talking, but I do not fully comprehend what you are saying.
Most of the time it is just in everyday conversations.
Funny thing, remember what I mentioned above about the "routine".
It hit us this week that the movie night thing
is kind of a funny "language arts / comprehension" thing that is happening.

We were all gettiing a bit frustrated when it came time to snuggle in, get the popcorn , pick the movie, only to hear John and VIctoria say "Flushed Away" or "Jungle Book"
AGAIN we would all say...you have seen it 100 times.

Ohhhhhh, Dave and I laughed tonight....yes they want to watch the same ones over and over again...they are getting familar with the songs, the funny sayings, it is
FREE FUNNY CONVERSATION
that they do not have to Stop and Think about whether or not they are "understanding" or not.

Very freeing! (kinda annoying, but very refreshing to sit and talk and talk and laugh and laugh about movies with them...with no pause in the conversation)
So, if you see us and want to talk the deep details of "Flushed Away, Jungle Book...now the new favorite...Alvin and the Chipmonks" we will do our very best to give you a good overview. (movies...could give you some hightlights, but as for the kiddos...TWO THUMBS UP...WAY UP!)

*we hung 16 faces that show different emotions (kids faces) with the emotion written below...onto our main wall in the familyroom. WOW...this has been a great talking tool. We found out that the BIG emotion they feel may not have an "english" word they can pull out at the right time to describe what is going on. Victoria may have a lot to say in a certain situation, but often will say to me "Mom, you are not understanding me...it is not like this or that" Now she takes me by the hand and says "mom this face here is the one!" and then we can work things out...sometimes it takes a few shots at it...but unconditional love is a journey and we are taking it step by step.
I said to one of the big kids the other day, "have you ever been given a consequence by someone who you do not know very well or very long? How did it make you feel? We you looking forward to when me or Dad would return, so you felt safe? Were you worried if that person would accept you later even if you were sorry? This is how John and Victoria feel..only times 100....because the peopple the knew and trusted are half way around the world...so building patterns of love, correction, love....are important, but we have to see if from their eyes. It is a journey.

. One of the kids had some behavior that needed correction, we walked through it, there was forgiveness offered, and recieved..yet there still was an awkward stillness of questioning in the air.
Just quietness etc. We gave them space, but were still in the area where they were, so we got out the BIG Walmart tub of bubble gum and started handing each person handfulls of bubble gum.....
Ready, set...who can blow the FIRST bubble? Who can blow the biggest bubble....and off we went. The child started to engage, by taking a piece of gum, still not wanting to look at anyone, but we all kept chomping away.
We sat and blew bubbles for 45 mins...and watched this child blow bubbles, come and sit by me, pop my bubbles, watched Dave try to pull gum out of his beard, bubbles as big as our heads pop all over our faces... laugh and laugh.

It started out as a Holy Spirit moment of a wisper..."do a bubble blowing contest"...okay i said, but what I did not know is that He was going to use it as a stepping stone on the road to "unconditional love"
I am always amazed at how creative and loving God is!

*The power of the dollar store...yee haw! It was an "awww, haaaaaa" moment for me to put them in the car, drive to the dollar store and let them pick out the prizes for the "Blaske Store" We filled up a 3 shelf plastic tub with different values on each shelf...and as the kids get "caught" obeying the first time, beign kind to others, sharing, getting their own body ready in the a.m. or when it is time to go somewhere...etc, they get a star. Stars get counted and kids get prizes that they picked out at the store...INCENTIVE is a Beautiful thing!

*

It is hard to describe to people what it is like to have two new, very amazing children in your home....who you have only known for a few months.....who have lived a life sooooooo different than they are living now. To tuck them in each night, to see their sleepy little eyes greet you in the morning, to put a band aid on a skinned knee, to listen to them pray and pray....who are these beautiful children that You God would trust us to have in our lives to call our own? WOW,

So, there ya have it...How are the Blaskes' doing?....God has his loving hand us, we are FULL of thankfulness, living real life day by day, looking to please Him only...and hoping in the process that "God" in us draws more to HIM!

Blogging.....an opportunity to give you a "snap" into our lives, but something that can not have a real high priority at the moment...so please call or come by...life in real time is soooo much more FUN!!! In the mean time, I will give it a shot when I can!
BLESSINGS!