Friday, September 10, 2010

Our week

Boy it's been a tough week! I sure do have stuff to blog about but not much time or energy to blog anymore!

This week I've decided I love the idea of homeschooling. John has the boys writing sentences this weekend....a whole bunch of them....in hopes of engaging their cooperation next week. Sigh.

I love having a big family but I wish there wasn't so much 'stuff' that goes along with having nine people living under the same roof. Stray socks, bad attitudes, empty toilet paper rolls, pencil shavings, snack wrappers, backpacks, forms, dustbunnies, batteries, laundry, dishes. You know that kind of stuff kind of drives me nuts.

This week I left Joseph contained in the hall while I tried to get some housework done. One of the other kids apparently used the hall bathroom and left the door open. Child proof doorknobs only work if the door is shut in case you ever wondered. Anyway, Joseph managed to shut himself in there and turn the bath nozzle on and, using the big cup for rinsing hair, he emptied gallons and gallons of water onto the bathroom floor before I heard anything. Then I saw the water in the hall which led me to the bathroom which had flooded the two adjoining bedrooms, which had soaked into the throw rugs and clothes and toys that were on the floor. In one of the bedrooms my big kids were watching a movie while the water was surrounding them and they didn't even notice to come tell me!! Arrggghhhh! The throw rugs are now hanging out to dry. I am so thankful we didn't just install new carpet like we originally planned before our trip to Ukraine!

I don't know how to blog about this without just coming out and saying it. Joseph likes to take his diaper off and is not fully potty trained yet. Yesterday I had a friend over and in order to have a decent conversation (he kept pulling things out of her purse and looking through backpacks and homeschool bins and I couldn't talk and keep up with him), I gated him in his room where he could play "safely". Soon we all started wondering where the foul odor was coming from and of course immediately went to check on Joseph.

It was a sight I will not soon forget. He was sitting, diaper-less, on a riding toy, and the evidence was overwhelming. On beds, pillows, sheets, fingers, feet, floor. And he looked up and grinned at me ever so sweetly. I started yelling for the big kids to come help me. Someone came to the rescue with a box of wet wipes and a trash can. And while my big kids stood there gasping and grossing out, little Zoya ran over, pulled out several wet wipes, and began helping me wipe Joseph's hands and his feet. By this point I was crying and Zoya grabbed a new clean wipe and started wiping my tears away and kissing me on my cheeks. I went from one moment wondering what in the world we had done, to the next moment thanking the Lord for the beautiful gift of adoption. Oh how we needed Zoya!

With several of us working together the mess got cleaned up quickly. It was certainly a moment that will not be forgotten soon. I am indebted to whichever clever person invented the washing machine.

We had doctor's appointments and dentist appointments this week. Zoya has 3 cavities that will need some attention and Joseph wasn't as cooperative as he could have been, but it appears that he may not have any at all!

Today was Hope's birthday. We had quite a time finding a ballerina music/jewelry box, as those are mostly only available at Christmas time. We did manage to find one at Toys R Us finally, for $12.99. She told me this morning that she wanted sushi for dinner and a ballerina birthday cake. Darn it, I was hoping for pizza and cupcakes. Ballerina birthday cakes are hard to find last minute, so we ordered sushi, and Liesel and I made and decorated a ballerina cake ourselves....(while the boys wrote sentences).

Birthday pictures to follow. When I can find the picture upload cord thingie.

By the way, we are duct taping diapers now.

25 comments:

Morgan Paige said...

i seriously think yall are amazing. my little brother has down syndrome so i think the fact that you are raising multiple special needs children is incredible. don't worry, he made several diaper messes too. :)
love following along & hearing stories of your sweet family!

Unknown said...

I've been following your blog for quite awhile, but have never posted...I don't think..LOL! I knew from experience what "party" you'd been invited to the minute you mentioned foul odor. Our son has Angelman Syndrome and we too have been invited to a similar fiesta! If at some point duct tape fails (it has for us), we have cut the feet off of footie pajamas and put them on backwards so the zipper is in the back. The legs are long enough to keep wandering hands out from that direction and they can't get the pj's off with the zipper on the back. My son is a little houdini as well, but so far it's working. :D Hugs to you and your beautiful family! I loved following your adoption of Zoya and Joseph!

Shea said...

So sorry things are tough, but I am so happy you have Joseph and especially Zoya. I told you that you would not regret it. She has something special, and you knew it!

Finding Balance mommy said...

Thank you soooo much for posting the good, the bad, and the ugly! Your love for your family pours through even on the bad days!
www.findingbalanceinjesus.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

You know, yesterday I thought, I need to email Charissa. She's too quiet this week. It must be a hard week. I guess that is a bit of an understatement, huh?

I have found sentence writing to be a huge help in getting the attitude adjustments I want. Hope it works for you!

Bless that little Zoya. What a true angel. How lucky you are!!!

Not sure what to do on the poohpooh issues. I know Ashley and Shelley both are dealing with similar issues. Hope you get those worked out soon. So NOT fun.

Oh man, am I sorry about that water issue. How can they have not noticed? Oh wait, they're kids. Amazing how they can walk through a room and step OVER every toy on a floor covered with them but when it comes to picking them up, they cannot see one single toy.

Hope next week is better.

Jan

Tim Rovenstine said...

When things seem to be at there worst, it's always a good thought to think that from there, things can only improve.

Anonymous said...

It appears that Zoya has brought magic into your home. She knows exactly what you need and God placed her there for this reason. Joseph loves to explore, it appears. You are an excellent Momma all this will fall in place soon. Keep up the good work:-)
Cheryl

MoonDog said...

Cha I feel your pain, the omg what have I done? oh they are so precious I cant imagine not loving them! all in the same moment! maybe Joseph needs to be involved in cleaning it up. Even if he really likes playing in it making him clean it up takes away from his playtime and I bet he would learn quickly as I KNOW he is a smart kid. Diana is always sulking about something. Jaeger whines and cries like a big baby over EVERYTHING. but hey Andre didnt bite anyone today. but then it is only 845.... I miss you guys. Find joy in the journey Cha. hugs.

Delahne said...

We had to tape Caleb's diapers, too, since he wasn't ready to go all night and really liked to be naked. Some days he took them off anyway. Should've used duck tape! One of my friends reminded me of the scripture- being strengthened with might in our inner man. We CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

mom2four said...

Oh Charissa....God has such a special place in His heart for you. You are a great mom and you are blessed with a WONDERFUL family....I know some days (sometimes whole weeks as you found) are hard but know that there are friends always there ready to hug, listen, and help out. I know I'm a ways out but if you need help don't hesitate to give me a holler ;)

Mindy said...

I know how you feel regarding the poop. My Jonas is 3 and has DS and there is a poop mess of Biblical proportions at LEAST 3 times a week. Its better than it used to be. I can now wake from a sound sleep at the sound of diaper tabs ripping off. This, too shall pass. right?!

amyl4 said...

Charissa,
Caleb is the same way and I have also had water from the rinsing cup poured all over the floor and into the hallway. And yes, we went through the poop stage with Caleb. He would wipe it everywhere, TV, floor, bed,...you get the picture. Now Elijah is the one who takes the diaper off and sometimes it is dirty and throws it! He put it down the laundry shoot one time and thankfully I did not wash it. But I have washed several wet diapers, thanks to him thinking diapers go down the shoot. I do believe, after reading so many blogs that little boys with Ds are just a litte more feisty and mischieveous (make that ALOT) than the little girls. So don't be alarmed by Josephs behavior. Nothing that you have blogged about has surprised me. And it's okay to cry, but don't forget to laugh! I know you won't, you're a great mother and I love reading about your kids!!:) Hang in there, it gets better. Jimmy no longer throws things (unless it's a shoe at a spider) runs away in the parking lot, fills the fish tank with toys or floods the bathroom and more. (Yes, he did it too!)
Have a geat weekend Charissa!!

JennyH said...

I must say Joseph sounds just like my Max! Although Max is now 9 years old so he longer does that stuff. But I am so thankfully I had a steam vac/carpet cleaner.... everyday! He went through a paint with poop phase. Most things a tried just didn't seem to work. I tried duct tape as well but it was such a pain that I didn't keep on it. Good luck with your poop artist. Max did grow out of it BTW.

Max also stopped up the sink once in our bathroom and let if overflow for awhile. Also glad I had a steam vac that day as I sucked up gallons of water from the carpet and it was still soaked. We had fans on it for several days.

Just curious, Is Joseph a runner? Max was a BIG time runner. He also grew out of that.

Zoya sounds like one of the sweetest girls ever!

Happy birthday to Hope!! My children won't even try Sushi (although I can't blame them!). My kids would request pizza and cupcakes.

Hope next week is much better!

Amy...who wanted 4. said...

Bless your heart Charissa...you are a super hero in my eyes. I will pray that things will get easier for you.
BTW, Caroline did the diaper thing twice when she was first home. It is horrible and disgusting. I am so sorry.
I hope you continue to blog, yours is one of my favorites.
You are a great mama, keep your chin up!

Mamapierce said...

What a heart-warming story about Zoya. She reminds me so much of Iryna. So precious.

Have you tried doing overalls with Joseph?

Unknown said...

Wow it sounds like you have some excellent caring friends as well as great ideas from those who have gone before. I thought the backwards p.j.s was worth trying. Even one pieces like the boys wore on Sound of Music! I love you and pray for you several times a day!! Wish I was there in body as well as spirit.(I bet you do too! Ha!) I am proud of you.

Larsen Family said...

It is nice to read other's stories that aren't glamorous. Life isn't glamorous and your just being real. Thank you for that. I pray that the upcoming week is much better for you and your crew. :)

Ellen said...

Backwards or even forwards overalls may help. Maybe putting on a belt backwards so he cannot open it?

Ellen

Lisa (DanielsMommy) said...

Love the pure sweetest of Zoya's love. You needed that in the very moment and she knew it. It isn't always easy, and I'm so glad you shared what you are going through. I hope easier days are ahead. There is nothing like poop to ruin an otherwise perfect day. Anytime poop is seen ouside of the diaper or toilet....it can't be good. Prayers he starts making more progress in the potty training area and leaves the poop where it belongs. Hugs to you!!!

Molly said...

Oh sweet Zoya!! How precious is she? What a love!

Also with the poop, is he too big for onesies? Or you can do footy pjs backwards.

My favorite moment was wiping poop off a camper's butt as he stomped his feet and yelled "MOLLY! I SO ANGRY!" I was like "dude, can you not yell at me when I'm wiping your poopy tushie?"

zoesimm said...

I also have loved/worked with a wonderful boy who liked to remove his diaper (constantly). And like you, will never forget the funny smell, walking into his bedroom & seeing his version of "fingerpainting". It makes you laugh, cry & wonder why. Just know you are not alone in this & venting on your blog will always bring you support, a shoulder to cry on, and similar stories from people who've been there :-)
Kelley

Anonymous said...

Oh, I feel for you. My lovely went through a "play in the poop" phase followed by a nudist phase. There really is nothing that can ruin your day quite like poop on every surface, washable and not. We put her in one piece unitard type things (like leotards with shorts bottoms) for the longest time. He WILL get over this. (repeat often, as needed). Just takes time, consistency, bulk quantities of clorox wipes, and a sense of humor. What a sweetheart Zoya is! She clearly just has a heart of gold.

markay714 said...

You poor thing!! I'm not sorry I missed the "here momma" stage of pulling stuff out of diapers....and what you described!!! I know y'all will settle in and do fine....but training unfortunately takes a long time. I still have my days I want to tape a sign to two precious little children that says "I haven't had them since birth....we're all still in training!"

Hope this week is way better!!!!

kdliberty said...

Duck tape is a wonderful thing. It will keep diapers on quite well. You can also put overalls on backward to prevent diaper play. It will get better with time!

Anonymous said...

I am not laughing at you, I am laughing with you. At our house, we call the poop incidents - "poopapoloza!'

Hang in there...it will get better!!!
Alana