Curran Adoption Journey

Another first!

2012-01-21T18:23:00.007-05:00

It is a rainy day so we decided to hit the movie theatre. Jackson's first movie was "Alvin and the Chipmunks". He did a really good job. At first, he wasn't a fan of the noise level but quickly adapted. He sat through the entire movie and did a good job at paying attention. Of course, he had M&M's, popcorn and an Icee, which helps any good movie become a great movie. Ironically, the chipmunks were on a cruise so Jackson was really excited about seeing the big boat since he knows we are going to go on one next year. He also knows we are going to the beach to see all the cousins soon, so he is hoping they will watch a movie with him.

Twin bed for Jackson!

2012-01-14T09:45:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, we bought a trundle bed off of Craig's List. It was solid white and I loved it. I thought that the white color was too 'girly' so to make it more masculine I painted it chocolate brown. I had the plan laid out to strip, sand and prime for the new paint color. Jackson and I went to Home Depot to buy the supplies that we didn't have in stock at home. While we were there, the employee that worked in the paint department convinced me that I didn't need all that prep work and I was wasting my time. Instead, he said we needed to buy a certain (expensive) kind of paint with the primer built in. Well, this was a fail. It took a ba-zillion coats of paint, and still doesn't look good. I guess we are going to have to strip the brown paint and start again.

Here is Jackson doing the "pretend" sanding in his hard hat and hockey skates. My boy is prepared for a hard days work! Today we are going to go back to Home Depot, and I hope that guy is there because I really want to tell him that his advice sucked. Last night Bill and I put the bed together (it was in pieces), and it literally should have been a 10 minute project that took 1 1/2 hrs. Although it wasn't comical at the time, today I find it hilarious.

Jackson is so excited about his new bed he can't stand it! We already have new sheets and a monkey blanket. Now we just have to finish the bed - keep your fingers crossed..................

A Cruise and A Lovers’ Quarrel

2012-01-13T19:22:00.006-05:00

We have officially placed a deposit on a Disney Cruise for July 2013! The 4 day Cruise is a “Russian Reunion Cruise” for families that have adopted from Russia. It is still 1 ½ years away, but Bill and I are super excited. I asked Jackson last night if he wanted to take a Disney Cruise, and he said “yeah”, even though he has no idea what I was talking about. The super cool thing about this trip (not that the trip itself won’t be super cool enough on its own!), is that Jackson will turn 5 years old while on the cruise! We have been wanting to have a big birthday bash for him somehow, and I believe this will do it! It will be awesome to connect with so many friends that we have gotten to know over the years, as well as see some old friends we originally met while in Vladivostok.

Now onto the lovers’ quarrel. Jackson is a ladies’ man, and has been since he started school. I did not believe it at first, but it is coming more and more apparent. Anyway, he has a girlfriend named “Natalie” at school. Sometimes, the teachers make them sit at different tables because they get too wrapped up in each other. Last night, when Jackson came home, he said “Natalie is not my friend”. When we asked why, he said that she pushed him. He would not admit any wrong doing, but we both suspect he was wrestling her to the ground and had her in a head lock and she finally got tired of it. Today, when Bill picked Jackson up from school he saw the two of them playing in a blissful state. Jackson has reported “Natalie is my friend”. It may be time to meet her parents!!

2011 Year in Review

2012-01-01T18:21:00.005-05:00

We have had a really busy year, and we are constantly in transition. Looking back at 2011, we have had a lot of firsts..but we have also had a lot of seconds! It is humbling to review the milestones and achievements of our little guy, and we are very proud of his growth and development. He is completely a different kid than he was a year ago.

January 11th - 1st minor league hockey game of the year (many more to come)
February 1st – Started school part time
February 28th – Started school full time
March 24th – First kiss, we have a ladies man
April 20th – Spring Program at school
May 28th – 1st theme park rides, officially an addict
June 1st – 1st visit to Miss Donna – back up babysitter
June 5th – Annual Pirate Festival
July 7th – Missouri Vacation
July 8th – 1st professional haircut
July 11th – Graduated to the big boy bed
July 15th – Knoxville Vacation
July 24th – I turned 3 years old!
July 30th – Doctors visit, I weigh 28 lbs and was 37” tall
August 12th – 2nd eye surgery
September – 1st Professional Hockey game
October 5th – 2 year post placement report
October 23rd – Busch Gardens Vacation
October 20th – Gotcha Day, 2 years!
November 18th – Learned the word “WHY”, haven’t stopped asking it yet.
November 27th – Thanksgiving with family
December 14th – Re-adoption finalized in Virginia
December 17th – Christmas Program at school
December 25th - Santa brought me a tractor!
December 29th - Ocean City Vacation
December 31st – Graduated out of pull ups at nighttime! Results TBD...

Christmas, Part 2

2011-12-31T13:35:00.008-05:00

Nana and Papa came down for a few nights after Christmas to help us celebrate. As you can see by the pictures, Jackson received a goalie pads and helmet. He was on cloud 9! We went to see a hockey game as well, and our home team actually won!

Jackson's school was closed last week, so Nana and Papa did some free babysitting for us. By the time we got home, poor Nana and Papa looked like they were ready to crack open a bottle of wine. Jackson is what we call "active"!!

Today is the last day of 2011, I can't believe it. What a journey and life changing year this has been. We are very blessed and we look forward to all of the new adventures in 2012.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T08:40:00.025-05:00

It is a truly blessed Christmas at the Curran's house. We have had a few days together as a family, and that makes us all very, very, happy.

Friday I took 1/2 of a day off of work, and Daddy and Jackson picked me up at work. We went to the mall and looked around (we realize this is crazy a couple days before Christmas), and got another glimpse of Santa. Jackson was the loudest voice in the mall when he screamed "Hi Santa"!! He smiled ear to ear. He loves that guy.

Saturday we baked lots and lots of cookies for Santa. Chocolate chip, snicker doodles, sugar and oatmeal cookies. We also put out carrots and reindeer food for the reindeer and opened a couple gifts during the day as well.

Christmas Sunday? Oh yeah! Santa showed up sometime in the night. Jackson guessed "probably 4' o clock". He ate the cookies and drank the milk. The reindeer ate their carrots and food, only leaving remnants. Jackson asked for a tractor, and that is what he got! He also received a bean bag, a firetruck, trashtruck, small tractor, books, board games, redskins clothing, a V-Reader, hockey guys, balls, clothes, slippers, and several other things. He made out!!! Mike the cat got a cat nip filled mouse, and Gracie and Copper both got bones!

Christmas Morning Video!

Santa time!

2011-12-22T15:43:00.005-05:00

This is a blurry photo, but it is the 1st time that Jackson actually sat on Santa's lap! He told him that he wanted a tractor, and that he was going to leave him cookies on Christmas Eve.
After Jackson climbed down, he yelled "THAT WAS AWESOME!"!!!!!!

Christmas Show 12.16.2011

2011-12-17T07:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was Jackson's school Christmas program. The last two programs he has had, he hasn't lasted long on stage. This time, we practiced a lot and it paid off. He stayed on stage for the duration (other than running down after song #1 to give Daddy a hug before returning to the stage), and no tears until the end when he thought he had to go back to class (Daddy had promised him pancakes!).

Breakfast of champions!
Daddy couldn't find my good shoes!

Making sure he know where his fans are in the crowd.

My fans are here, I am good!

Waving at my fans!

Fat lip because he thought he was going to have to stay at school and miss out on pancakes.

Video, I love it :)

I miss my boys!

2011-12-10T20:05:00.005-05:00

I have been in Texas for a week, but hope to be home by next weekend! I have been missing my boys a lot. While I am gone, they are having a good time though. A hockey practice, a hockey game, a trip to see Santa, and lots of naps! The holidays are never a fun time to have to be away from home with work.

I will quit moping for awhile to tell you about the latest and greatest developments in our lives. We filed for VA re-adoption a couple months ago, and have been waiting for the court to generate a state case number to the home study agency so they can submit all the required documentation. They finally generated the number last week, so all the information has been sent in to the court. They have a month to respond, so hopefully they have everything they need. After this, we apply for a VA birth certificate and get a U.S. Passport. We will have 1 more post placement report due in October of 2012, and then it is smooth sailing!

Something I don't mention on this blog, is our contact with Jackson's birth family. We have had contact now, and I had a hardback book put together for him. He occasionally will look at it and says "Russian family", but that's it. It is totally up to him if he is even interested one of these days, but now the information is available if he does. There is a good chance I will reach out to them once or twice a year going forward.

What else? Jackson is still waiting for Santa to deliver his tractor. He wants him to "make it" not buy it. He told Daddy today that he had big eyebrows, he is getting to be a big talker. He always comes up with these comments and one line zingers that are great.

Nana and Papa are coming down the end of next week to see his Christmas program at school. I won't be home for it, so hopefully hubby will video it for me. Hopefully we can get some pictures loaded of his Christmas program afterwards (he is going to wear a tie!). I also hope he can stand up there for more than 2 minutes without panicking and having a meltdown. It is sensory overload in their small room with about 500 parents stuffed in there like sardines! Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T08:37:00.008-05:00

This year we went up to Nana and Papa's for Thanksgiving. Jackson had been looking forward to it for a long time. We drove up on Thursday morning and drove home Saturday afternoon. We were able to spend time with Nana, Papa, Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Jeff and Cousin Emily.

Skyping with Uncle Scott, Aunt Chris and cousins Megan, Katie and Amanda.
Making a ginger house tree with Nana, Papa and Cousin Emily.

Outside eating ice cream at a neat little grocery store in Delaware.

The grocery store had a playground out front.

Christmas Parade

2011-11-20T07:20:00.005-05:00

Last night we went to a Christmas Parade just a few miles from our home. We weren't sure if we were going to make it, but glad we did.

I threw this first photo in because it was too cute to resist.

The boys watching football a few nights ago.
Start of the parade. Isn't that a cheesy smile?

Waiting for Santa, he was dancing here. Elmo and Sponge Bob had just shown up.

Petting the Golden Retriever rescue dogs. These dogs were awesome.

Waving at Santa!!

Yelling at Santa "bring me a tractor"!

We will probably try to go see Santa again so he can tell him in person that he would like a tractor (instead of screaming it at him in a parade). Last year he was excited until he got close to him!

"WHY"

2011-11-18T08:25:00.002-05:00

Well, it's official. "WHY" is now a typical (and constant) question in our house.

Daddy -I am going to work tomorrow

Jackson - Why

Daddy - Because I have to work to get paid

Jackson - Why

Daddy -So I can buy you stuff and pay bills

Jackson - Why

Daddy -Because I love you

Jackson - Why

Daddy -Because I love you a lot

Jackson - Why

Daddy - Because I love you!

Jackson - OHHH

We are up to about 5 "why's" now!

We finally received Jackson's latest school photos that were taken in September. Handsome guy, don't you agree?!!!

Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.

Veteran's Day Parade

2011-11-12T18:36:00.002-05:00

Jackson loves parades, and he loves the Veteran's Day Parade. This year it was so cold! He told me he liked the "drummers" and the "guys" in the parade. I asked what he liked the best, and he said the "candy".

Tonight, we were looking at John Deere Tractors online. Jackson immediately went and made a special call to Santa on his (play) cell phone. Bill and I overheard "Santa, me like tractor, please buy it". Looks like he must have Santa's personal phone #! Needless to say, Santa got online and bought it already.

Feather for Papa

2011-11-09T17:11:00.003-05:00

Here is a photo from this morning at Jackson's school. This is the turkey that his teacher made and had all the kids decorate a feather at home with their parents. Of course, if you see a feather with a ball - that's my boy's feather!
Anyway, he wanted to add a Flyers Hockey player for Papa since he had surgery last week. Just so happens, Papa came home from the hospital today and is doing well. Perhaps the turkey feather did the job???

Sick Boy

2011-11-08T16:56:00.006-05:00

Bill and I took Jack in Saturday morning for a flu shot. I know that the flu shot isn't supposed to make you sick, but that night he was throwing up. Poor kiddo is finally feeling better, and did a good job of making it to the potty!

We started the U.S. re-finalization process a couple weeks ago with a local Attorney. I kept thinking that I would do it myself, but have yet to complete the task. The Attorneys office was easy to deal with, and it is already filed with the court. Now the court has to request paperwork from the post-placement agency, so we are just waiting for the paperwork to be pushed through. The court requires original paperwork, which makes me a nervous wreck. The original documents are like gold and it would be awful if they were misplaced.

A few weeks ago Jackson started wearing big boy undies at school full time. He had a couple accidents the first day or two, but none since. He was in big boy undies full time at home, and has been for close to a year. However, his school is 'busy', and last years teacher wasn't too interested in anything other than a pull up. This year his teacher is pretty good, we both really like her. Now he will just wear a pull up at night, although he usually wakes up dry! My baby is growing up!!

I am traveling this week, and feel fairly homesick for some reason. I usually just keep myself busy but leaving Jackson when he was sick really bothered me. Of course, he is in excellent hands with Daddy - even though they eat cereal in bed and watch too much football!

Halloween is over, but the photos aren't!

2011-11-04T18:54:00.013-04:00

Jackson had a Halloween show at school, and of course he was a sock monkey! He did pretty well, but isn't a huge fan of being on stage in front of about 200 people (that are shoved in a tiny room that is better suited for 50 people).

He is walking down the hall, and doesn't know a parent is spying on him.
Want some fries with that shake?

Looking for Daddy in the audience

Found him! HI DADDY!

On the way to school that day, someone was cranky.

Halloween night. Poor Copper puts up with so much.

A very tired sock monkey after a long day of school, no nap, soccer and trick or treating.

My boys are cute. Check out Coppers new hairdo.

Jackson and monkey rode in the wagon most of the night.

More Halloween Weekend Fun

2011-10-30T15:37:00.013-04:00

Jackson's teacher sent home a 'turkey feather' for him to decorate with his family that tells about him and his interests. It will go on a larger turkey on the wall of their classroom. Daddy and Jackson cut items out of various magazines, and Jackson and I glued them to the paper (and to the table and our hands).
Close up. Notice the Flyers hockey player. Papa is having surgery on Tuesday so Jackson wanted a Flyers player on the feather for Papa for good luck (good luck Papa).

Making Mummy Hot dogs

Jackson loved these hot dogs. He ate the eyes first.

Carving his 1st pumpkin with Daddy last Friday when they had a Father/Son day

Finished product. Missing a tooth, just like a hockey player

Making spooky cupcakes

2011-10-30T12:33:00.012-04:00

Daddy works on Sunday's, so the J man and I usually find some neat things to do around the house. Luckily for me, he really likes about everything.

Today we made and decorated cupcakes. Seems that most of the chocolate made it in his mouth.

The loot!

I am so handsome!

Serious about frosting!

2 years ago today

2011-10-28T19:08:00.009-04:00

We were in Moscow on our layover about to leave for New York. Jackson had no idea what was going on, and Bill and I (as new parents), didn't either! Sometimes it seems that he has been with us since day 1, and I actually have to remind myself that his first 15 months was spent elsewhere. It brings up all kinds of feelings, both happy and sad. Happy the we were brought together as a family by nothing short of a miracle. Sad that his first 15 months weren't spent in the best of circumstances.

Today at the kitchen table

2 years ago, when we got home from Russia

Gotcha Day Anniversary Vacation - Day 3 of 3

2011-10-23T09:13:00.010-04:00

3rd and final day activities on our Gotcha Day Vacation!

Entrance to the roller coaster Jackson loved so much

Big ol' bunny

Bumper cars!!! Jack went full speed, but just in one circular direction!

Criss-Cross Applesauce

This swing went way too slow for his taste.

Self photo

Ladybug rides (he has a ladybug named "Larry" at home)

Within 1 minute of getting in the car, he curled up with Larry and was asleep.

Gotcha Day Anniversary Vacation - Day 2 of 3

2011-10-23T08:50:00.013-04:00

Busch Gardens

Jack's favorite ride - it was actually a rollercoaster and he LOVED it!

The only ride he didn't like!

Worm ride

Waffle fries!

Train ride

Tea cup ride - made Mom sick!

Elephant ride - made Mom sick just watching it go in circles!

Jackson's 1st boat ride

Carousel

Clydesdale's

Gotcha Day Anniversary Vacation - Day 1 of 3

2011-10-23T08:33:00.008-04:00

We took a little family vacation for our 2nd anniversary of Gotcha Day. Lots of photos to follow!

Colonial Williamsburg

Grandma Louise Visit - part 2

2011-10-15T20:25:00.018-04:00

Picture extravaganza part 2!!

At the oceanfront hanging out
Daddy's boy

"Daddy is my friend"

Jackson picked out two pumpkins to bring home

We love this petting zoo

Mommy caught a chicken

This Llama spit at the 3 of us, not one time, but two times! "That llama is not my friend"

Hayride

Rex reading Jackson "The Very Greedy Bee"

Grandma Louise Visit - part 1

2011-10-14T21:05:00.026-04:00

My Grandmother and her husband flew out to visit last weekend. We had a really nice time! They are in their 80's and it was a real privilege that they took their vacation this year to come out and see us (really, to see Jackson!).

Grandma and Rex

Hanging out

At the beach:

At the playground:

Grandma, Rex and Jackson at the beach

The whole family

Grandma, Jackson and Mommy swinging

Jackson pushing Grandma

My little monkey

Rock wall

Grandma, Rex and Jackson chillin

Mommy and Jackson making carmel apples

Close up

Looking cool

Just a quickie

2011-09-30T19:24:00.005-04:00

All is well here at the Curran house. Our post placement agency is coming out Wednesday afternoon for Jackson's TWO year post placement report. TWO years, I can't believe it! It seems like yesterday we were jumping through the various hoops of the Russian adoption process.

In our state, you have to have at least 3 post placement reports prior to beginning the re-adoption process. Apparently, you can pay additional for home visits to expedite the process (having visits between the post placement visits). However, we decided to wait for the official home visits prior to starting the U.S. adoption process. Around the end of October we should be able to officially send in the 3 post placement reports to our Attorney.

This weekend, we plan to stay around the house and do some cleaning and serious playing in the yard. It has been raining non-stop for what seems like months and we have a certain 3 year old that is super stir crazy!

Capitals & Flyers Rookie Game - Philadelphia 9/15/11

2011-09-17T13:41:00.019-04:00

Papa and Jack watching warm-ups

View from the Suite

These two enjoy each other a bunch

Jack and I sitting next to former Flyer, Ian Laperriere

Ian Laperriere visits our Suite

Laperriere wasn't thrilled that Monkey was wearing a Capitals jersey

Intently watching the game

Living the good life in the Suite

Nana and Jack

Air Force Two (occasionally was Air Force One at times)

He desperately wanted to push buttons

Going in a C-130

Jack and I headed up to see my parents in Dover this weekend. My work schedule these days has me off Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, and we had heard that the Capitals (mine and Jacks' favorite team) was playing a training camp game against the Flyers (Papa's favorite team) on Thursday afternoon so we went and checked it out. If you follow the blog, you probably know that Jack is a huge hockey fan, so we jumped at the chance to take him to a game in Philly. Anyway, when we got there, an intern walked up and asked if we would like to sit in a Suite and meet former Flyer, Ian Laperriere. This guy was a huge fan favorite in Philly a few years ago, so we jumped at the chance. We watched warm-ups from ice level then headed up to a Suite, not really knowing what to expect. When we got there, there were just 7 other people there, and we had free food and drink and really comfortable seats, private bathroom, etc. It was really sweet (pun intended!). So, we watched the game for a while, then Laperriere walked in and chatted us up for a while. Jack's monkey was wearing a Capitals jersey (obviously the rep that offered us the suite didn't see that when she gave us the tickets), and Laperriere had a good time pretending to fight Monkey. He told us we need a Flyers jersey for Monkey.

So basically what should have been just a night at a hockey game turned into a night to remember for all three of us Currans! Here is a video of why Laperriere is so beloved in Philly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rkJItjbxLY&feature=related

Also on this trip, Papa took us to the Mobile Air Command museum at Dover Air Force Base near my parents house. Jack really enjoyed seeing all the planes. At one point, Papa showed Jack a model of a B-24 WWII plane, and said "my Dad used to fly this plane" to which Jack replied "mine too". Glad to know Jack thinks that much of me! We had a great time looking at and walking through the planes. Papa took us out to lunch and for ice cream while Nana had a DRs appointment and worked a little.

We came home and hung out with Mommy all day today and although our Vols lost today, we had a great family day watching and playing football. Tomorrow is Mommy-Son day because I have to work (blah!). It should be illegal for any places of business to be open during NFL games, unless said business serves beer and wings, which mine certainly doesn't!

Labor Day Weekend Activities

2011-09-05T08:30:00.013-04:00

Last night we went to a Norfolk Tides baseball game. Jack had a BLAST! He couldn't keep his eyes off the game, and probably should be classified as a sports fanatic.

Mommy and Jackson just before the fireworks.
Daddy and Jackson during the 'accidental' fireworks the stadium set off...oops...
Family of 3,
Jackson making his fake smile face. Somewhere between a pucker and a smile.
Jack with is hand over his heart during the National Anthem. He loves that part!
Daddy and Jackson, pretty cool photo.
Harbor Park behind us, just before the game started.
Fuddruckers before the game.
"Cheers" on our french fries!

Mommy + Daddy = Dummy

2011-09-04T08:59:00.005-04:00

Dummy is the combo name that Jackson calls us. He has no clue that he is calling us dummy, but does it all the time. Kind of like a pug + beagle = puggle, I guess! When he starts to talk to one parent, and realizes its the wrong parent standing there, "dummy" come out of his mouth. He will think this is really funny when he is our age (hopefully).

Jackson got professional haircut #2 yesterday. Check out the stink eye he was giving the entire time. He was still, and did a good job though. I decided to get it cut super short because his hair naturally grows into a wicked mullet. Hopefully we don't have to spend $21 on a haircut for a couple of months. He did enjoy the sucker at the end :)

Hurricane Irene came to visit a couple of weeks ago. She stayed a day or so, did lots of yard damage, but we never lost power (more than for a couple of seconds). Jackson and I went out and made a huge pile of debris, and now Daddy & Jackson get to haul it to the curb today.

My 83 year old Grandmother and her husband Rex is coming to visit in October. That should be fun. We don't ever get the chance to do anything "touristy" so maybe I can find some fun activities for us. Bill would like to check out the ships and I wouldn't mind to take them on a cruise or something like that.

We are still planning a little short trip in October, maybe Busch Gardens? I haven't had time to look in to it very much, but maybe I can get us something booked in the next week or so. The goal is to get a hotel with an indoor pool so we can play at the hotel during downtime.

Speaking of downtime....we have had some struggles with bedtime over the last few months.. "Some struggles" is putting it mildly. Jack is a typical kid during the day, but then at bedtime he becomes....uh...difficult. It is up to an hour of screaming, hitting, biting, kicking, spitting, etc. We are both at a loss, really. We have tried consistency, inconsistency, etc. I am considering a doctors visit in the next couple of months if it doesn't improve. As an example, last night Bill prompted him that we would go back to his room in 5 minutes. Jackson immediately started hitting him. Bill ignored it for a long time, gave him a 2 minute warning to go to his room, and the hitting continued. We all got up to go to his room and Jackson punched Bill so hard that his glasses flew across the room about 10'. Of course, this behavior continues for some time before he finally cries himself into exhaustion. Anyway, this doesn't make us love him any less, but it isn't something that we look forward to. He is big enough that it actually hurts us. Hopefully it is a phase? Either way, it isn't fun for any of us.

I don't want to end on a bad note, or give the idea that Jack is a bad kid - he isn't. He is a loving, sweet little boy that is a true blessing to us. Tomorrow, we may go to a baseball game and ride the train. He digs trains, so this is really a treat for him.

We hope everyone has an awesome Labor Day weekend!

Dummies and Jackson

Recent stuff and post-op appt

2011-08-22T18:59:00.005-04:00

These 2 photos are from today, waiting for the eye doc. Jackson's eyes look good overall. His right eye is a bit irritated, so he gave us a RX for eye drops. Jack hates eye drops, you should have seen his face drop when the doctor said the word "eye drops". He went from a happy little boy to a look of confusion, like "why would you do this to me again?"! The doc also says he is far sighted still, but his vision is probably like 20/30 - so unless he starts to cross again, he shouldn't even need glasses. Good news! Next visit is 3 months from now.

Last week, I had to go out of town on business so Nana and Papa came down to visit. They drove down in a terrible storm to get here on Sunday night because I had to be at the airport at 5am on Monday. It was a good idea, because Jackson had his eye surgery the Friday before and he wasn't feeling completely back to normal yet - and he needed eye drops 4 times a day. They brought him down a new BBQ grill that actually makes a noise like it is cooking. Nana also made him a quilt. Apparently, he thought it was odd that there was holes in it (it is an afghan), but he loves it just the same. It is especially fun to poke fingers through :)

My Grandmother is coming to visit in October. She and her husband will make a long weekend trip. She was born in 1929, so its a pretty long trip for them. If you are the praying type, say a prayer for them to have safe travel. Jack will enjoy their visit too.

We are also trying to plan a long weekend in the next couple months to take a little family vacation. We were hoping to go to Disney but it isn't going to happen this year (maybe Spring?). I think we will do Busch Gardens. We haven't been on a trip as a family (of 3) since we went to Great Wolf Lodge in July 2010. Now to look for some bargins!!!

Eye surgery - round two

2011-08-12T19:47:00.009-04:00

This morning Jackson had his second round of eye surgery for Strabismus. When we first brought him home, his eyes were crossed badly (one worse than the other). We came home in October 09, and had the surgery just 2 short months later in December 09. The 1st surgery went well, correcting the majority of the issue. Since surgery #1, he has had some intermittent crossing and it has gotten a bit worse over time. We made the decision to repeat the surgery now, to limit disruption later. We also used the same Surgeon, which is familiar with his history.

Here is a photo of him in the waiting room before the versed (pre-med that makes you loopy).

Just before the versed....

15 minutes after the versed - totally loopy!

20 minutes after the versed. Look at the look on his face!

He is so much more aware of what is going on now, we chose to give him the pre-med. It did help, although when they wheeled him off he kept asking for us and it was like daggers in our heart. He did well during surgery, although his pulse went up over 200 at one point and they were concerned. Apparently, they called in a specialist and said it was 'normal' and some children have this issue during anesthesia. Still very alarming for us, and we need to learn more about it.

For now, he is resting in bed. Today he watched some Mickey Mouse on TV and just hung out. Something tells me, tomorrow he will be up to his old self.

Party for Uncle Jim and Aunt Rita

2011-07-31T10:07:00.016-04:00

Uncle Jim finally tied the knot a couple of months ago! Jackson officially has an "Aunt Rita" now! They had a party to celebrate and we made the trip down to be part of the fun. The family is fairly spread out demographically, so its always a special occasion when everyone can get together.

The Curran family, all the kids officially spoken for
The happy couple, congrats guys

Jackson and Daddy cutting a rug

Jackson and Mama at the party

Jackson dancing with the fam. He was such a Daddy's boy that night

Nana and Papa dancing

Jackson dancing with his cousins

A rare photo of the 3 of us

Jackson and his cousins

Mommy and Jackson dancing

Jackson showing off his Mickey Mouse pin

Jackson and Mama

Pit stop on the drive, Bill found this cool Flintstones car

3 year well visit

2011-07-30T16:42:00.006-04:00

Jackson had his 3 year well visit last week. All is well, he continues to grow and is now 28 lbs and 37" tall. He also just graduated to a size NINE shoe! It seems every other week his shoe size increases.
He officially has a Mickey Mouse bathroom now. He is pretty impressed, and goes in often to check it out. I still need to add a couple things to make it perfect.
Jackson has also been in a big boy bed since July 11th. The first night was a no-go, but since then he has had no major issues (just the normal routine of not wanting to go to bed). Daddy and Jack took down the crib last weekend and put it in the shed. It just makes him look so grown up to me. I have the emotional combination of being proud, and also being sad (yes, I know that sounds weird).
I also think that Bill and I have both officially agreed that Jack is ready for a brother. With that said, there is just no way that is in the cards financially right now, so it just is impossible. I have been mourning this realization that he will not have a sibling for some time, and actually am tearing up thinking about it so I will stop. Luckily, Bill is a big kid so Jackson can use him as a sibling :)
Tomorrow Bill goes to work, and Jack and I will have Mommy-Son day. I am trying to come up with something genius to do. Tonight, Bill and Jackson will grill out and we will stay in. Bill grills out once a week, and I really enjoy watching them in the yard.
We hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2011-07-24T08:39:00.017-04:00

Jackson is 3 years old today! We have basically had a month long celebration for him, although today makes it official. We met him 2 years ago this month, and decided to become a family of 3. It just seems like we have always been together, and God made us all whole.

Last weekend we went to Knoxville, and celebrated with the Curran side of the family. We ended up having his party at the Hilton on the patio, and it worked out well. Lots of fenced in space to run around. Jackson was able to see all of his cousins, and really enjoyed himself. He is an avid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan, so that was the theme this year (last year it was Thomas the Train).

Daddy and Jackson being silly last night while having cake and ice cream.

Lawnmower gift from cousin Emily - this was a favorite!

Opening the lawnmower.

Opening up a gift from Uncle Jim and Aunt Rita.

Running 2 cool cars from Nana and Papa.

Opening gifts from cousins Megan, Katie and Amanda.

Remote control Zamboni from Grandma Sherri - another favorite!

Mickey Mouse t-shirt from Mommy and Daddy (he loves Mickey Mouse!).

Opening a Mickey Mouse Doctors kit. He has checked our health a lot lately, including the pets.

Fun with a Mickeyballoon.

Blowing out the candles! Happy #3!

Looking pretty cool in my Mickey ears!

The Curran group.

Baseball game with Daddy

2011-07-10T17:56:00.003-04:00

Today is the last day of Jacks summer vacation. He has had a big time over the last 9 days! Daddy took him today and they went to a minor league baseball game. Last year, Jackson was not very interested in baseball (he is more of a fast paced hockey guy), but today he enjoyed it. At one point, the announcer had announced a player by the last name of "Johnson", and Jack yelled, "no me Jackson!". I guess he is paying attention!

Right now, my boys are playing catch in the living room. The bigger boy is trying to teach the smaller boy proper throwing techniques. Gotta love em!

Next weekend, we hope to travel to Tennessee for a party for "Uncle Jim". He was just married, and all of Bill's family will be there. Also, it is Jackson's birthday the following weekend, so we would love to get him a cake so his 4 cousins could be a part of the celebration. The two dates are too close together to not take advantage of. He is really in to Mickey Mouse right now, last year it was Thomas the train. I assume someone can make a Mickey Mouse cake, right???

Big boy bed?

2011-07-10T13:16:00.008-04:00

Yesterday before Daddy left for work, he pulled Jacks big boy bed out of the storage building. As you can see, Jackson enjoyed cleaning it. He turns 3 in a couple weeks, and although he hasn't shown signs of moving out of his crib, I feel super guilty that we should try to make the transition soon.

We put his bed by the crib and he insisted that the mattress go on it immediately! He did enjoy reading to Monkey on the big boy bed. He kept telling Monkey "see my big boy bed Monkey??"

Last night, Bill attempted to let him sleep in it for the first night. Needless to say, the score is big boy bed = 0, crib = 1. He was pretty distraught about the situation to say the least. I think we will just leave both beds in the room so he can start to get comfortable with the bed and eventually transition over. Everything we have done so far, we have done very, very, s...l....o...w...., so why not this as well?! No rush I guess. To be continued.....

A new vacuum = Jackson is in LOVE

2011-07-10T12:52:00.008-04:00

2011 has been a rough year on our appliances. The stove broke, the washing machine broke, the dryer broke, the refrigerator is making funny noises, the hot water heater exploded, the dishwasher is on its last leg and Jack's beloved vacuum finally died. I got online and did some research on the 'best vacuums for the money', and read a lot of reviews before Jack and I went to make our new purchase. We had a 15% off coupon and $40 credit at the store, so we got this (ugly gold) beauty fairly cheap. It took me about a month of drooling over the cool Dyson vacuums to realize that we really couldn't afford one - but a girl has dreams. I digress....
So Jackson helped me pick out this one, and he was really excited to go and buy it. We even made up a song "Were going to go buy a vacuum, were going to go buy a vacuum". When we got home, it was in what seemed to be a million pieces (probably like 10 pieces, but who is counting?), so we put it together. Jack kept jumping up and down singing the song and squealing like it was Christmas morning! Ha!

"Mama me vacuum all by myself"

I think I will pull this attachment off and see if Mama can put it back on AGAIN.

Love at first site!

Reward for being good during the haircut

2011-07-08T22:15:00.010-04:00

Chuck E Cheese's! Jack has officially started saying "money Mommy", and holding out his hand. If I do not respond to his liking, he physically takes it out of my pocket. He knows how to put the money in the game - and isn't even playing that it has to be done right NOW. We ended up winning enough tickets for a couple tattoos!

This game shakes the poo out of you, the verdict is still out on if he liked it or not.
Action shot! Throwing balls at flies for tickets.

Waving to his fans from the carousel.

This hydraulic truck scared him for a minute, but he ended up really liking it.

Po-po alert!

Talking on the phone to Chuck E Cheese.

What a ham! Loves that mouse!

First professional haircut

2011-07-08T13:52:00.009-04:00

Jackson finally got an official haircut from someone other than Mommy. We went to a kid friendly salon, and it started off kind of rough.

It began like this (panic and tears).
Getting a little better because he was watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Getting a lot better, with only an occasional panic. He is very serious for a toddler.

The end, a lollipop as a reward. What a good job!

Isn't he a handsome young man??? Let's not mention that the red lollipop ended up all over Mommy's car and on his shirt, hands and even in his hair!

Summer vacation - LOTS of pictures!

2011-07-07T14:53:00.031-04:00

Jackson and I had a lot of fun in Missouri! Overall, he was an angel, in spite of the time change, running around & schedule change. Daddy stayed home due to starting a new job recently, so J and I had some good bonding time and we both enjoyed ourselves.

Jack posing for a picture with Uncle Mark and 1st cousin Sofia. Sofia kept pulling his hair and face! He really loves her, he pets her like a puppy and gives her a lot of kisses.

Jackson is playing with my best friend April's son - Chase. They had a good time.

Riding the 4-wheeler with Grandpa Tony in the yard.

Nothing like a Zamboni and school bus toy on the plane to keep us busy!

A little more distraction - coloring with monkey on the plane.

Jackson and Monkey finally feel asleep on flight #4. They were both tired from our trip.

Jackson is learning how to use the camera. He took this picture of monkey and the plane during our wait (rather artistic don't you think???).

Trying to take the camera away from me in the airport.

Looking cheesy!!!

Uncle Mark took us to this man made lake in Missouri.

Admiring the view at the lake. It was peaceful down there.

Uncle Mark took us to see some animals. Jackson liked the Mama and babies.

This buffalo was right beside us, made me a little nervous.

Uncle Mark feeding the Zebra some left over Delta snacks I had in my purse.

Mommy - son time at the creek that I played at when I was a kid.

Throwing some rocks.

1st time seeing fireworks (note the hands over the ears). He enjoyed hanging out with Lauren and Chase, my buddy April's 2 kids.

Hiding behind a sheep that Grandma Louise gave him.

Jackson and Grandma Sherri,

Jackson and 2nd cousin Conner playing "Cowboy Pirates"!

Posting comments

2011-06-26T12:32:00.002-04:00

I have received several emails over the last couple of months saying that our readers cannot post comments. I did some research, and I really can't figure out why this is the case?

If anyone has advice, please email me. michelleboring@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T15:13:00.011-04:00

This weekend Bill took Jackson to visit Nana and Papa and Aunt Carolyn and Cousin Emily. Jack isn't much on traveling (to and from), but he sure does enjoy himself when they arrive. 4 hours of screaming = a cranky & tired Dad on Fathers Day!

Jack bought Daddy a cake, and made him dinner (well, the part that wasn't take out). As my gift to Bill, I cleaned like crazy and actually did the dishes (which is his normal job). Jack made him a card and Jackson made him a cool glove and ball at school in Art. We also bought him a couple typical Dad gifts, like socks, belt and a shirt.

Jack keeps saying "HAPPY FADDERS DAY DADDY", and is showering Daddy with lots of kisses and attention tonight. I think Bill approves.

We are not the Cleavers - you are not alone

2011-06-18T17:13:00.006-04:00

Several bloggers are posting about their adoption story and the difficulties that arise from adopting a child that was previously in an orphanage (thanks for the challenge Amy!). Many bloggers 'sugar coat' the adoption and bonding process so it doesn't appear too negative or under-appreciative. We are no different in this respect. Our process has not been an easy one, but we continue to work on it every day. By working on it, I mean it is WORK.

Jackson is very active, and extremely sensitive. Although I do not feel comfortable posting our struggles, we do have them...and we have them a LOT. Below are a few of the bloggers that are posting (very bravely) about their struggles. We have many of these same issues, and try on a daily basis to work them out. We love our son, and I feel like the luckiest Mom alive. However, we are NOT the Cleavers - you are not alone!

http://cupcakeandthecaseys.blogspot.com/

http://internationalfamilia.blogspot.com/2011/06/we-are-not-cleavers-you-are-not-alone.html

http://frogssnailsnpuppydogtails.blogspot.com/2011/06/we-are-most-certainly-not-cleavers.html

http://misterchristian.blogspot.com/2011/06/we-are-not-cleavers-you-are-not-alone_18.html

http://tylickadventures.blogspot.com/2011/06/were-not-cleavers-you-are-not-alone.html

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2011-06-12T14:59:00.003-04:00

We wish the weekends were longer

2011-06-05T18:52:00.008-04:00

We had a very busy weekend, productive, but busy! We cleaned the house (Jacks favorite) and the cars, had the oil changed in Bills car, took my car rental back and went to the Pirate Festival on Saturday (with dinner afterwards). On Sunday, we had a meeting with the Realtor about the house and ran our usual Sunday errands. Bill usually grills at least one weekend day, and today was the day. The dogs finally got baths too.

The Realtor visit was interesting. Apparently, if the owner sells the house to us, he will not have to pay realtor fees, which would save him money. Seems the visit today was more of a selling push than anything else. I know what he bought the house for in 2000, and he wants way more than it is worth (in my opinion). With that said, we won't shut the door yet on buying it - but it doesn't look favorable.

Tomorrow Jack goes back to school, although he has asked a couple times to "go ms Donna's house" this weekend. Hopefully, tomorrow morning will go smoothly when he realizes he is going to school instead.

Jackson and I will go to Missouri next month to see my family. He is looking forward to going on a plane again. The older he gets, the less he is able to sit down for more than 2 minutes, so the plane ride (including a layover in Chicago) should be interesting. My Dad had a horse fall on him a couple weeks ago and it hurt his leg. When we talk about Grandpa Tony, Jackson says "leg hurt". Of course, Bills dad (AKA Papa) had surgery a couple of months ago as well, so when we talk about Papa, Jackson says "tummy cut - cut".

Speaking of surgery, Jackson is going to have to have his eye surgery repeated in August. We have been going to the Opthamologist every 3 months since his surgery in Dec 09, and his eyes are slowly worsening. We knew there was a good chance he would have to get the surgery repeated, it just breaks our hearts. Hopefully the 2nd time around will remedy the issue completely. At least he will not have to wear the eye patch this time around.

Mrs. Donna's Take 2

2011-06-02T20:00:00.002-04:00

Here is the J man at Mrs. Donna's today working hard! He is still getting along well there and I think he will miss them when he goes back to school next week. We will definitely use her as a back up going forward (school is closed again for a week the end of August).

This weekend we have big plans! Bill wants us to all go to the Pirate Fest on Saturday, and has Jackson super excited about it. Also, we have some serious cleaning to do because a Realtor is coming over on Sunday. The owner of our rental house is considering selling, so we have set up a meeting time on Sunday morning for a tour and discussion about our lease. Sounds like a possible move coming up in our future, which is not what we had planned. Wish us luck!

Mrs. Donna's

2011-06-01T07:50:00.002-04:00

Jack's school is closed this week, so we finally located an alternate babysitter we are comfortable with. Here are the kids she is keeping right now. ALL blonde's! Ha! Jack went to bed last night and woke up this morning saying "go Mrs Donna's house"! Too bad she only has business hours until 5pm because we both really like her.

My Montage 5/30/11 at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-05-30T18:14:00.001-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Beach day with the boys

2011-05-30T15:44:00.013-04:00

Here are a few photos of the beach trip we took today. 3 days off work to spend as a family was a true blessing this weekend. We enjoyed our quality together time!

The Strawberry Festival

2011-05-28T17:56:00.012-04:00

We started our Memorial Day Weekend "staycation" this weekend at a strawberry festival in our area. It was HOT but fun, and as you can see, Jack enjoyed the rides. He had never really ridden any carnival or theme park type rides, so we weren't sure how he would react. We figured he would be okay since he is a daredevil around the house, but you never know. Anyway, the first ride he did was a ride called the "wiggle worm", which could easily be a nickname of his. Michelle rode this with him and he did great! He then rode the tea cups with me, then a flying monkey ride with Michelle before finishing up with a bulldozer ride by himself. Actually, there was a little girl in his bulldozer, and we caught him checking her out once or twice. He's gonna be a ladies man! He loved the rides, and wanted to ride more, but we bribed him away with a strawberry dessert instead.

Jack passed the "carnival ride test" with flying colors, so the next step is a trip to a real theme park, then eventually onto Disney World.

We don't have any concrete plans for the rest of the long weekend, but we'll figure something out. Happy Memorial Day everyone, especially to our friends and family who have served. Thank You!

Life is a beach!

2011-05-22T19:53:00.003-04:00

I love this picture! This is Jackson at the beach with Daddy today. This is the first time we went this year, so he was a little apprehensive at first of the waves but warmed up quickly.

This is Jackson's last week in the 2 1/2 yr old classroom. Summer school starts June 6th. Then he officially goes into the 3 year old classroom. We do not know his new teachers yet, but we hope they were as good (and patient) as his teachers this year.

Right now, Jackson is asleep and Bill is playing Wii boxing. I am trying not to laugh, but this is probably the best entertainment I have had all year!!! I may have to secretly videotape this and post it later :)

Happy Mothers Day!

2011-05-07T17:45:00.016-04:00

Another Mothers Day is upon us! So much has happened in the year since last Mothers Day, but the most fun thing for me to witness has been the bond being built between Michelle and Jack. As an observer of their relationship, I can see that they live for one another, and that is a pretty special thing to see. From the moment each of them wakes up, they want to be around the other all the way til the minute they go to bed. It is a two way street of love, and I am happy to be a pedestrian walking along side that road!

For our Mothers Day weekend, we decided to go to a local produce stop where we can pick strawberries. The particular area we went to has a Strawberry Festival in a few weeks, so we figured if they have a whole festival about their strawberries, they must be doing something right. So, we picked a bunch (with Jack eating most of the ones we picked before they even got close to being put in the bucket). Personally, I am not a huge strawberry fan, but these looked so great, I had to try them. They tasted every bit as good as they looked, and we had strawberry shortcake after dinner tonight. We also picked up a fresh local tomato while we were there, and it was the best tomato we have ever had too!

While we were driving to the strawberry patch, we saw some old time war planes flying over. There is a World War I and II aviation museum nearby, and they had some flights going on today so we stopped in and watched them fly for a few minutes. Jack loved seeing these planes in the air. They were slow prop planes, and not very loud so Jack could watch them without getting his little ears hurt.

Anyway, it was a great start to our Mothers Day weekend. Tomorrow, Mommy gets to sleep in while Jack and I make her breakfast. Other than that we don't plan on doing much.

To all the Mothers out there, Have a GREAT Mommies Day! We also want to send a special shout out to our own Mothers, Sherri and Regina on this most special day. Thanks for everything you have done for us Moms!

Dock dog outing

2011-04-30T18:27:00.015-04:00

This weekend we went to see a Dock Dogs competition. We are working on being kind to our pets, and Bill had promised Jackson if he had a good week - we would go see the dogs jump off the dock. In true Jack fashion - he kept up his end of the deal. We saw some pretty cool dogs! The furthest jump was over 20' off the dock. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, the dogs or Jackson! There was also a cutest dog contest, where a Boston Terrier with sunglasses won.

When we got home, Bill and Jackson played hockey in the back yard. This boy loves Hockey! It is the one activity that can keep his attention for long periods of time. Of course, if vacuuming were a sport - that would come in as a close 2nd.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T15:51:00.014-04:00

We have had a really nice Easter weekend. Jackson actually enjoyed meeting the Easter Bunny and Elmo at our local petting zoo. We had the traditional Easter egg hunt, pony ride and hay ride! We also washed the cars in the driveway, which was also a big hit! Happy Easter everyone!

Spring Break

2011-04-23T19:42:00.006-04:00

Nana and Jackson snuggling (above).

Daddy and Jackson at the Hockey game (above).

Papa and Jackson (and monkey) at the Hockey game (below). Nana and Papa were nice enough to come down for a week and watch Jackson while his school was out on spring break. He had a good time, and we appreciate the free babysitting! Thankfully, Nana has a lot of energy! They ran, and golfed, and played hockey, and blew bubbles, and went to the park, and went to the beach, and played with play doh, and dyed eggs, and colored, and repeat...repeat...repeat.

spring program 4/20/11 at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-04-20T21:26:00.005-04:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Last Friday was Jackson's Spring Program at school. On the 1st photo he is the last guy on the right on the front row. On the 2nd and 3rd photo he is on the front row, 6th kiddo down from the left (blue plaid shirt).
Overall, he was overwhelmed by all the parents taking pictures and all the action. He had a look of terror on his face before he started to cry. I felt so sorry for him I almost started crying too! He spotted me off to the side and I think that added to the confusion. A new experience + a new school = some stage fright.
Nana and Papa are here this week helping out while Jackson is on spring break. We are very thankful they are here.

We had a great weekend!

2011-03-27T19:52:00.011-04:00

We had a really nice weekend! We saw Aunt Chris, Uncle Scott, cousins Megan, Katie and Amanda and Mr. and Mrs McKeel. We do not get to see them very often because of the distance between us, so it was great to see everyone.

The 3 cousins had a good time with Jack. Amanda shared her toys, and Megan and Katie followed him around everywhere he went and were excellent babysitters! We would really like to see them more often, I think the kids would really enjoy each other. Mr. and Mrs. McKeel have been extremely supportive of Jack and his adoption. They actually had a picture of him on the fridge - which kind of teared me up a bit. They also treated us to lunch at a pretty cool place (thanks!) that had a lot of history behind it. Bill is a history nerd so he loved the story and has mentioned it several times since.

On the way home, we had promised Jackson a trip to Build a Bear. He loved it! He picked out a monkey and a Washington Capitals hockey outfit. Since he brought the monkey home, he has carried it everywhere. Long term rewards now = Build a Bear outfits for monkey (yeah, his name is monkey)!

1st school photo!

2011-03-25T19:09:00.002-04:00

Here is a 'picture of a picture' of Jackson's first school photo. We had no idea he had pictures that day or we would have dressed him to the beach theme! Grandma/Grandpa and Nana/Papa - don't worry, yours is in the mail.

Do we have a kisser?

2011-03-24T16:30:00.002-04:00

Jackson kissed a little girl goodbye at school yesterday! What is in store for us when he is a teenager?!!! Ha!!!

Million dollar question - have we turned the corner?

2011-03-17T19:20:00.007-04:00

Jackson has had a wonderful week! Starting Sunday afternoon, his behavior did a complete turn around and he seems back to 'normal'. Normal for our wonderful son is a typical, ornery 2 year old that has a streak of more ornery! Tomorrow on the way home from school Bill will stop at the store and Jackson gets to pick out a balloon for his good behavior. Jack has actually been looking forward to this all week. Next week, we are going to set shorter term/daily/simple rewards for good behavior and see how that works.

Monday I took Jack to the Pediatrician because his eyes seem irritated and guess what? Pink eye (although past the contagious stage)! Poor little guy, as if he hasn't had enough poking around on his eyes. He is getting antibiotic drops now. Seems pink eye is running rampant in his classroom. He was excellent at the doctor other than some simple anxiety. He is up in weight to 27.5 lbs and even though he has had a runny nose and cough, his lungs were clear and he is healthy as usual. We are thankful he is starting to put on more weight.

My lower right jaw has been bothering me so I finally went to the dentist today. Of course, I have a cracked tooth and had to have a crown. It took 2 doctors to numb me and about 2 hrs of poking with needles. Finally they were able to grind down my tooth and put a temporary crown on. I go back in a few weeks to get a permanent crown. Bla.

Bill is enjoying his job. He actually gets to speak to adults now, and seems to be happy about that. Today he got his first paycheck and I am sure if I sneak up on him right now, he will be holding his paycheck smiling from ear to ear. I think he would like to go spend it on beer and wings, but it all goes to school! Poor Bill...maybe wings next week!

2 full weeks of Bill working and Jackson in school - check!

2011-03-13T15:44:00.016-04:00

Well, we continue to struggle a bit on week two as well. But the good news first! NO morning tears at drop off! When we walk into the building, we always put his stuff (backpack/lunch/snack/etc) up on a shelf specific to his class. It seems that was creating some anxiety so now we just carry them all the way down to come and play & put them up on the way out. Not sure if this is the real reason - but I am going with it!

The program Jackson is in is from 9:30am - 1:00pm. Its academic in nature and they actually switch subjects throughout the day. From 7:30am - 9:30am and from 1:00pm - 5:00pm they have 'come and play' and 'stay and play'. We are very pleased with the 9:30am - 1:00pm classes and his teacher Ms. Julie. We would prefer not to leave Jackson in the before/after programs but it is necessary right now given our work schedule.

So this brings us to the 'bad news'. Monday Jackson came home with scratches on the left side of his face. I called Tuesday, and nobody knew where they came from. Stay and play said it happened in class, class said it must have happened in come and play and come and play didn't see anything. Then, on Tuesday he bit a little boy in come and play. He didn't break the skin or leave any marks, but they still had to write up an incident report. They have a 3 times & you are out bite policy.

Friday, I was out in the field and my phone rang, it was his teacher. Apparently, Jackson has been hitting himself in the face and scratching himself too. The Teacher tried to get him to stop and that actually resulted in more scratching. She thinks that the scratches from Monday were self inflicted now. Apparently, he was just sitting there at the table with his peers and he started to hit himself. Again at 1pm nap time, he started to hit himself in the face.

Yesterday morning started off pretty rough, so we had him take an early nap then when to a couple of my work sites out in the field and went to lunch together. I had a crew using a back hoe and digging a hole. Jack was IN LOVE with this process. He thought it was the best thing he had ever seen in his entire life!!!! Then we went to Sams and bought some bulk items we have been low on. J doesn't like being in the cart, he wants to run - run- run like a crazy all over the store.

Today we went to Kohls and it was not a good time. I think he is just testing boundaries and is generally overwhelmed. We are concerned, but hope it will even out. So far school has taught him LOTS of words, how to hit, lick, spit and bite. We are practicing "hands to yourself" with him, and patience for us. Right now, Bill and Jackson took a bike ride. When they get back, we will play in the yard and maybe play some Hockey!

1st full week of school and work - Check!

2011-03-06T07:31:00.010-05:00

My boys dressed the same (it was an accident!)

Jackson found Daddy's old Lacrosse helmet

The favorite part of making a special treat, licking the spoon!

Bill started his full time job last Monday, and actually seems to be enjoying work. They are doing lots of testing and he is doing very well. He missed the adult conversation and general camaraderie. His company has a gym, so he also plans to start to hit the gym on a regular basis.

Jackson completed his first full week of school and is EXHAUSTED. Exhausted in an understatement actually. I drop him off in the morning, and Bill picks him up around 5pm. From 5pm - 7pm he just sobs hysterically until we read/rock/go night night. We just feel so sorry for him right now. What an adjustment. We hope this week will be better.

This weekend has been tough, Jackson has had poor behavior (again, an understatement). We are hoping that it is due to the adjustment and learning some boundaries. Keep your fingers crossed.

15 shirts and a black eye

2011-02-27T10:26:00.010-05:00

We are getting ready for our first hectic week of all 3 of us going somewhere full time. Its Bills first day at work, and Jacks first week on a 5 day a week school program. We decided to eliminate some of the chaos and iron all of our shirts ahead of time. Bill sectioned off some snacks ahead of time too.

This isn't a very good picture, but Jack has his first shiner. When we were dog sitting, Jackson got a little rough with the Puggle. Needless to say "eye hurt", "eye hurt" turned into a black eye the next day.

Tomorrow Jack has a 9am eye appointment (a follow up from the Strabismus surgery, not anything to do with the black eye). I have been spoiled because normally Bill would take him and I could just go to work. I will have to miss a couple meetings but I am also looking forward to spending more time than usual with the little guy.
The adjustments just keep on coming!

"You're doing worse than Jack is"

2011-02-24T10:43:00.004-05:00

That is what I was told today by one of Jack's teachers when I dropped him off at school. Each day I have dropped him off, I have asked his teachers how he did the previous day. According to them he does better every day he is there. He has some trouble transitioning from one activity to the next (he has always had an issue with transitions), but he is interacting well and doing great for his first month at pre-school. He hasn't quite figured out naps at school yet, so when he gets home from school he is EXHAUSTED to say the least. Yesterday he was sitting on my lap after school and I was asking him about his day when all of the sudden he stopped answering me. He had fallen asleep in my lap, which is a big deal because he NEVER falls asleep in our laps. That's how tired he was. Anyway, today when I asked his teacher how he did yesterday, she told me, then I proceeded to remind her about his blanket for nap, his hat and gloves for the playground, etc. That's when she told me I had to go because I wasn't handling the morning dropoff as well as Jack was. Apparently I am supposed to drop and dash. I'm not ready to let Jack go that easily yet!

So, I start my new job on Monday. Lately I have been antsy to get back to a "real" job because I find myself getting frustrated with the grind of being a Stay-at-home-Dad. Don't get me wrong, I loved the stay at home gig, but for anyone who has done it, you know how tough it is to have a toddler as your boss. So, Michelle did a great job at finding Jack a great pre-school (aside from the fact that they scolded me today), and I went out and found a job. I am looking forward to us being a 2-income family again, though most of the 2nd income will get eaten up by school costs.

Having said that, I know I am going to miss my days with Jack. Obviously we will have mornings, nights and weekends together, but I know I will miss the days we spent together over the last year+. I get teary eyed now just thinking about him out in the big boy world at school rather than hanging out here with me. I will always cherish the walks we took, playing basketball at the playground, our trips to watch hockey practices, the time we spent at the Aquarium, stumbling across snakes at the beach park, our afternoon drives to see the horses, meeting Mommy for lunch on a whim, raking leaves all afternoon, our epic games of hide and seek, bike rides, playing hockey in the dining room, vacuuming, baking (yeah, I said it, we baked sometimes), etc.

Jack, you're the toughest boss I've ever had, but I've never loved a boss more. You probably wanted to fire me a few times over the last year or so, but I would work for you again any day. I love you buddy, do well in school. I only hope and pray you have benefited as much from our time together as I have.

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-13T08:25:00.007-05:00

Below is a picture Bill took of Jackson one year ago today. This was my 2010 Valentine's Day present.

This is a picture of Jackson today, the very gift that I wanted! Look at how much he has changed (it isn't just the pancake that is bigger this year)!

Mommy and Jackson making Sponge Bob Valentines for his friends at school.
Jackson helping me make Daddy a Valentine's Day treat.
Jackson and Daddy doing their favorite past time (well, Jackson's favorite past time).

We just colored a fish for Daddy and now it is proudly displayed on the refrigerator door. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Curran Household In Transition

2011-02-12T08:30:00.002-05:00

We are all finally almost over our colds. Jack and Mommy are on antibiotics and Daddy toughed it out. Jackson had an ear infection but is obviously feeling better because he has been CRAZY with energy the last few days. I guess he had some pent up energy from being sick and now it's all coming out at once :)

Bill was offered the job last week, so he will join the ranks of the employed and transition out of his stay at home role. He starts the new job on Feb 28th and he is looking forward to it.

Jackson had a full time opening come available at his school, so he will also start full time on Monday the 28th.

Lots of change is about to happen for our little guy and we pray it won't be too tough on him. We will keep you posted!

Quickie Post

2011-02-07T19:34:00.008-05:00

All the Curran's are sick these days. I brought it home from work, then it moved to Bill and Jackson. Poor Jackson is so snotty and he just can't figure out how to blow his nose! If he doesn't feel better tomorrow Bill is going to take him to the doctor. We had to cancel Speech Therapy today, and tomorrow we are canceling his school as well. Bill has a second job interview on Thursday at 10am, and I have a mandatory appointment out of town at 9am on that day, so hopefully Jackson will feel better and can go to school that day....otherwise we may be in trouble.

We have noticed a HUGE increase in his words since he went to school last week. How on earth can 2 partial days of school increase his vocab by so much?? He is just jibber jabbering ALL the time now. Its awesome. Little things that we have been saying forever, or even things we have only said one time - just come right out of his mouth! Of course, they aren't perfect but it's a great start (and super cute). His favorite word right now is "no". Everything is "no mama" or "no daddy". We are waiting for the "why" word to start - anyone wanna guess?

My boys...

2011-02-03T08:00:00.011-05:00

Today was Jackson's second day of school! As you can see, he was excited to go. But when Bill dropped him off, it was a different story. A meltdown would be an understatement, and when Bill called me I could hear his voice crack as he was explaining Jacks little hands reaching out for him. Breaks my heart for both my boys. I called a couple hours later and the Teacher said he was doing very well and was sitting there working on shapes with his peers. It will all work out, just a little tough right now.

Bill started applying for jobs and already had an interview today. He was there from 8:30am - 12:30pm (4 hour interview!). It went well and he has a second round interview at the same company next week. If it worked out, he would start full time the first of March. Jack's school doesn't have a full time opening available right now, but we are 1st on the wait list. I hope it all works out, but if it doesn't, then we will figure out something. During April and May I will be working up anywhere from 12-18 hr days, so if he doesn't get the job it may be a blessing in disguise.

Oh, we asked Jack all about his day and what he worked on. He has computer lab, and when we asked about how computer lab was, he responded "broke" (uh oh!). When we asked about what the Teacher said at lunch, he said "sit down". Also, they had beach themed photos taken, when we asked him how that went, he said "I throw fish". That pretty much sums up my little guy!

First Day Of School

2011-02-01T15:09:00.008-05:00

Another big "first" for Jack today as he had his first day of school. He will be going to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for awhile until a full time spot opens up for him. As you can see, he enjoyed the day. He had no problems when I dropped him off, though we didn't really expect any. We figure if there is kicking and screaming when we leave him there it will happen on Thursday as today he didn't know what was going on. Thursday he will probably know I am leaving when I drop him off.

Michelle and I both went to pick him up, and we walked in during lunch time. He looked like a good ole little boy sitting there eating his lunch at a table with a couple of other kids. We later asked him what the boys name was that he was eating by and he said "Milk". He then told us that the little girls name was "Duck". Either there are some weird kid names at his school or he threw out a couple of words that were on his mind at the time we asked him.

His teacher said that he did really well for his first day. He got upset at something during "computer time" and the teacher walked him around in the hall to calm him down. He did really well at story time and listened to the stories that were read.

All in all, Jack's teachers, Mommy and Daddy, and most importantly Jack seemed happy with how things went today. We all survived Jack's first day of school!

Papa, Nana and Hockey!

2011-01-31T20:26:00.012-05:00

Nana and Papa came down this past weekend to take Jack to a hockey game. Dad and I have been going to hockey games since I was just a little older than Jack is now, so it was fun for the three of us to finally get to a game together. I know Jack, Michelle and I had a great time at the game and we think Nana and Papa probably did too.

Jack is such a busy body that he never stays still and on a certain task for more than a couple minutes at a time. Unless of course, he is at a hockey game. He pays attention to hockey like he has understood the game for years. He likes to yell "Meeeeesed" (translation = "missed") when a player shoots the puck and misses the net. He doesn't like it when the periods end and the players skate off the ice, but he then he turns his attention to the Zamboni and all is well again. Yesterday I dug out an old toy Zamboni that I had a long time ago, and he hasn't let it out of his sight since.

I think we may have the next Alex Ovechkin on our hands, or possibly the next great Zamboni driver. Either way, it's so fun to watch his interest in hockey grow since that was what my Dad and I have bonded over since I was a kid.

Tomorrow school starts. Tears will flow, legs will be held onto for dear life, and lives will be changed forever. And I'm just talking about Michelle and I! We'll update on his first day soon.

School for Androosha

2011-01-28T21:23:00.007-05:00

We have been "shopping" and interviewing schools for several months now. We were wanting a structured environment with a low teacher/student ratio that was also academic based. Finally, we choose a private school about 15 minutes away from our house. We paid the waiting fee, but did not expect him to actually get in until June. I officially got 'the call' yesterday that a part time opening came available and we JUMPED on it! WooHoo!!! I can't believe that Jack is going to finally start school!

He has been home from October 2009 to February 2011, so around 15 months. We are both secure that he has bonded to us as his parents and feel comfortable that we are doing the right thing by putting him in school. He will have computers, Spanish, Art, Dance and a few other subjects on a regular basis. I like the Director a lot as well.

The plan is, he goes part time on Tuesday and Thursdays until a full time spot becomes available. If one doesn't become available, then he can start full time in June. However, for the first few days of the part time program, we will just take him from 9am - 1pm so he can get acclimated to his surroundings and also understand that we will be back to get him.

Last week marked an important date for us. He has officially been with us now & been a part of the Curran family as long he was in the Russian Orphanage. That fact makes me smile :)

Admirals Hockey Game

2011-01-22T21:37:00.009-05:00

Bill took Jack and I to our first Admirals Hockey game a couple weeks ago. Jack LOVED it! Bill had told him a week before we actually went, and he asked ALL day EVERY day until we finally made it to the game. To say that he had the attention span of a 40 year old is an understatement. He focused the entire time.

We started to prompt him about 30 minutes before we left. When we actually got up to leave the tears started flowing. We learned 3 things....1) Surprise him that we are going the actual day we are going; 2) There is no easy way to break it to a hockey fan that the game is over; 3) Jack may be the biggest 2 year old hockey fan on the earth.

Now if we can just get Papa to come down for a game!!!

Christmas at Nana and Papa's house

2011-01-18T16:08:00.009-05:00

We went to Nana and Papas house over New Years. Jack was able to visit with his BFF cousin Emily and they had a blast. As always, the visit was too short.

Jack loves to clean (yes, you heard me)! I can't wait to show him photos of him cleaning as a 2 year old when he is a teenager. Anyway, his favorite gift was the new vacuum and some other cleaning items that he received. He cleaned Nana and Papas house all weekend. Cousin Emily brought him some bowling balls and pins that are super loud (thanks for that Aunt Carolyn) that he loves as well.

We finally took down the Christmas decorations and are happy to be back in the swing of 'normal' life. Jack is still talking about Santa though :)

The weather outside is frightfull!

2010-12-27T20:00:00.010-05:00

Sliding around the front yard.

Daddy I am stuck!

Watch out for those drivers who aren't used to driving on snow!

As you can see, my boys LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the snow! Bill made a 'sled' and they had a blast. We don't get a lot of snow around here, so this was a true treat. As for me, I watched from the window :)

Christmas At Home

2010-12-26T21:54:00.023-05:00

Warming up with Mama
Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk!

Hmmmm, what can I fix with this power tool?

My first Laptop! WooHoo!
Daddy is teaching me how to repair a broken down school bus

My partial loot

Can you see me??

Here are some photos of our Christmas at home. Last year, Jack had eye surgery just a few days before Christmas and was still getting acclimated to being a Curran so Christmas was low-key. This year, we kicked it up a notch but let him go at his own pace. Opening gifts took most of the day because he wanted to open each one and play with it for a long time before he opened the next one. He guessed at each gift prior to opening it, and was surprised when the gift wasn't a 'phone' or a 'book'.

One of the funniest moments, was when he saw that Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk that we left out the night before. He just stood there, and you could see his mind processing why on earth someone ate his cookies. He did finish off the crumbs though ;)

"I'll be home for Christmas...."

2010-12-26T20:54:00.030-05:00

"I'll be home for Christmas" is Michelle's favorite Christmas song, and for the first time in several years, it wasn't just "in her dreams". Last week we travelled to Missouri to visit her side of the family.

Over the last year, Michelle has racked up about 3 million or so frequent flyer miles with her job (give or take a few miles), and we were able to use the miles for free tickets to Missouri. We flew out of here on Tuesday and landed in Chicago where as soon as Michelle turned on her phone she was informed that our connecting flight had been canceled. This set off a whirlwind of a few days for us. Michelle finagled a connecting flight for us despite most flights being canceled due to weather. So the three of us made it to Missouri late on Tuesday night, but our luggage didn't make it until Friday. You may notice in the pictures that we are wearing the same things most of the time! We washed our clothes every night, so it wasn't too bad and we managed to turn it into a big joke all week. Our friends, the Duda's, who live in Chicago generously offered to help us locate our bags back in Chi-town, but they eventually arrived just in time to make the return trip back to VA with us.

Anyway, onto the actual visit! We stayed at Grandpa Tony's house all week, and Jack enjoyed Grandpa Tony's cows, horses, dogs, 4-wheelers, chiming clocks, the huge hot-tub like bath, and of course, Grandpa Tony himself.

The first day we were there, we went to Michelle's brothers' house and had Christmas Meal #1 of the week. Grandma Sherri, Michelle's Mom, was there and she spoiled Jack with some great Christmas presents! Mark, Michelle's brother, and his wife Petia smoked a turkey and a ham and had all the fixings to go along with the meal. Everything was great, but the best part of that visit was meeting our new Niece, Sofia! Sofia is a little angel and we were happy to finally meet her. Jack was really good with her too, patting her when she cried and just being very gentle around her. He did however, decide at one point that he wanted his Mommy back when Michelle was holding her, so he said "baby off" and pointed for Sofia to get off Michelle's lap. That was good for us to see as Jack felt he had shared his Mommy long enough and wanted her back.

The 2nd day of our visit, we bounced from house to house, visiting both sets of Michelle's Grandparents, then heading back to Grandpa Tony's house because the proud Grandpa wanted to show Jack around his farm. Another one of Michelle's brothers, McCoy, took us out on 4-wheelers and Jack rode with Grandpa Tony on a Mule (the 4-wheel cart, not an actual animal) and we met Pepsi the horse and saw some cows up close. Jack loves animals and this was certainly one of the highlights of the trip. I had never been on a 4-wheeler before, so I had a blast as well. I half expected myself to flip the thing over or drive it into a tree, but I didn't so I am proud of that. After we were done with the 4-wheelers, we went back to Uncle Mark's house to hang out with Sofia some more.

The 3rd day we were there, we started the day visiting Michelle's Grandparents on her Mom's side before going to Grandma Louise's house for another huge Christmas meal. Michelle's older brother Matthew was there and it was good to see him as well as several of Michelle's cousins. Jack played with Conner, the two year old son of her cousin Angie, all day long. They had met once before, but they buddied around like they had known each other for years. They had a great time and wore each other out. Jack, Michelle and I made out like bandits in the gift department during the family gift exchange too.

After all the fun, visiting, and food, it was time for us to pack up and leave Missouri on Christmas day. In somewhat of a Christmas Miracle, our flights home were on time and uneventful so we got home and put Jack to bed in his own bed. He had to get some good shut-eye because Santa agreed to visit our house on Christmas Night rather than Christmas Eve (wasn't that nice of him?). We will post more about our Christmas at home in the next day or so....

So much to do, so little time

2010-12-10T19:14:00.029-05:00

It has been some time since we last made a blog post because things have been hectic around the Curran household.

First of all, welcome to Sofia, our newest Niece that was born Nov 14th . She was 6 lbs, 6 oz and 19" long. Now Jack has 5 girl cousins to torture! Her parents seem to be adjusting well and are very proud of their little one. We get to meet her soon and are very excited.

During Thanksgiving, we did the annual Curran vacation where we meet "in the middle" and rent a house at the beach for a week. All 3 of Bill's siblings and parents were able to make the trip and everyone had a good time. With 5 kids in the house, there was lots of laughter (and some tears), but it kept everyone on their feet.

We also attended a Lady Vols basketball game! Bill called into a radio contest and actually won 2 tickets so off we went! I was concerned that all the loud music and yelling would bother Jack but he LOVED it! Of course, it didn't matter who made a basket (us or the opposing team), because Jack cheered anyway. Bill is such a sports fanatic that a couple of years ago he would have freaked out - but he is wrapped around Jack finger so he was able to just laugh and enjoy that Jack was enjoying the game.

We also visited Santa (or "Sansa" as Jack calls him) Claus for the 1st time. Last year we had just come home, and it was too soon after his eye surgery to really get him out and about much, so this year was his first experience. He was THRILLED to see "Sansa" and clapped and hopped and waved....until....we got close to him. About 1' away he freaked out and started screaming. Needless to say, we now have a family "Sansa" picture instead of just a Jack and "Sansa" picture.

Jack has also had a of couple doctor appointments lately. He had a 1 year follow up with the Pediatric Opthamologist which overall went very well. Jack is farsighted but at this point he is too young to wear glasses. On a rare occasion (when he is tired), his eyes will slightly cross and then immediately readjust. The Doc says this is common, and at this point it doesn't warrant a 2nd surgery, but we will continue to follow up. We also had our 1 year follow up with the Pediatrician. He has grown 5" in a year, and is in the 50% of height. His head and weight are normal for his age as well. He has a small physique, so will be slim more than likely. The only issue we have is all his pants are either too big around the waist or too short!

For Christmas, we are going to fly to Missouri to see my side of the family. I was able to book 2 of the 3 of us coach for free on United with frequent flyer miles - so I am pumped! Also, I was able to get us a free car rental! WooHoo! May not be a big deal to some, but to a 1 income family it's an awesome deal. We will get to meet the new addition, Sofia, as well as play with cousin Conner. Jack is excited to go on a plane ride and play with his cousins. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to a newborn baby too.

Last but not least, CONGRATS to Jim and Rita! Bill's brother Jim finally popped the question and he and his fiance Rita plan to tie the knot soon. They are considering a beach wedding, so Rita and her Mom are driving up for the weekend to check out our area! WooHoo! We want Rita to like this area and hope to persuade her to choose Virginia Beach! Nana is also coming down this weekend to look at potential wedding sites with Rita so Jack is looking forward to her visit and showing her his Sponge Bob Square Pants PJ's!

Sofia and Daddy

Jack and his 4 cousins

Daddy, Mama and Jackson (before AM coffee)!

The soon to be newlyweds

Jeff, Carolyn and Emily

Scott, Chris, Meghan, Katie and Amanda

Jack bored at the Lady Vols game

Jack tired of the Lady Vols game

Jack getting his second wind at the Lady Vols game

4-Wheeler at Bass Pro

Pre-Freak out with Santa

Jack surronded by his cousins (Katie, Amanda, Jack, Emily and Meghan).

Part 2 of the snake post

2010-11-19T20:08:00.008-05:00

You may remember that Jack and I had a run in with a snake last week. Ever since I ran away from it screaming like a little girl, he has been on my mind. I may be going crazy, but I think Michelle actually hissed at me with a forked tongue the other day. Anyway, I have been determined not to let this snake get the best of me. Last weekend Jack and Michelle had a Mommy-Son afternoon, so I went back to the park to confront him since I wouldn't have to put my 2-year old in harms way. So I went back there, fully expecting (i.e. hoping) not to see the guy. Sure enough though, he was right where Jack and I saw him. I was prepared for him this time, so I did not need a change of shorts upon seeing him. I took a couple of pictures to prove to myself that he was real. I don't want to say I conquered my fear of him (because I haven't), but I did want to post of a picture of him so you could have a visual of the snake in your minds along with the visual of me freaking out and running. There he is above!

Seriously though, the wildlife refuge where the Super Cobra Constrictor Boa Pit Viper Thingy lives is really a beautiful place. Jack and I went down there again today to walk some trails and get some exercise. Jack loves walking the trails and playing on the beach. We were the only two people for miles around, so it's really peaceful (aside from the obvious snake infestation). Michelle and I like the picture of Jack walking with his hands behind his back. He looks like he is deep in thought about something.

Anyway, if we don't post again before next week, we want to wish everyone a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Snakes and Prison Breaks

2010-11-10T19:11:00.007-05:00

Today was a rough day around here. First of all, all three of us have been dealing with colds. Second of all, the time change last weekend is still messing with us. Jack has been getting up early and his naps have been sketchy at best. Somehow I think we adjusted to the 15 hour time change from Vladivostok better than a simple daylight savings time change. Anyway, I digress. Back to today.

The day started out like the other day this week, with Jack and I a little cranky since we were both up early. Morning nap was only a half hour which was fine because when he sleeps just a little in the morning, that usually means a decent afternoon nap. So, we get dressed and go out to play and have lunch with Mommy. When we get home from lunch, Jack seems tired, so I take him to his room where he pretty easily falls asleep (a good sign for a good nap since he is often tough to put down for an afternoon nap). So, once he is down, I head to the bedroom to watch a little TV while monitoring Jack in his crib on the baby monitor. When I check on him, he is laying down and moving his hands a little, but still in the same position I left him in so I fully expect a good nap. I turn my head to the TV and almost instantly I hear a "crash" followed by instant crying. I flew to his room so fast, the dogs didn't know what happened. I open Jacks door to find him sitting on his floor. This is the first time he has ever gotten out of his crib on his own. He was okay, but it was a little unnerving to think about what might have been had he landed differently. We often joke about how we can't take our eyes off Jack for a second or else he will get in our car and drive to Chuck-E-Cheese by himself. Today it wasn't a joke.

After calming both he and I down, we decided to go for a little drive to a really cool beach side state park we recently found. The park has a fishing pier that juts out into the Atlantic as well as a cool playground and nature trails and stuff. I was nervous with Jack on the pier since he had just pulled a "spiderman" and scaled the walls of his crib, so I let him chase birds for a minute then we headed to the playground. After some good playground time (pictured above) we set out on a little nearby trail. I saw a sign that said "beware of water moccasins" but figured maybe it was too cold for snakes to be out. WRONG! Not three feet from the sign, and right where Jack and I had just walked, we saw a snake that was a spitting image of the one on the "beware" sign. So, I quickly picked Jack up and we headed to the car. There is no photo proof of the snake because I was pulling a George Costanza and knocking people out of the way to get away from it.

What a day! I hope the "father of the year" voting isn't today or I may not win with Jack pulling his prison break on my watch AND me walking him near a venomous snake in a matter of a couple hours. The good news is I get a shot to redeem myself tomorrow. Not sure what we'll do, but we may both wear safety bubbles around the house tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T09:44:00.005-04:00

Jack is looking forward to "trick or treating" tonight. He and his cousin, Emily, did some trick or treating yesterday at a local town center, but we are going door to door tonight. Jack is going as a puppy, but we may need to change his costume to a Frankenstein after there was a "jumping on the bed" accident last night. The bruises on his forehead in the pictures above are real, but we decided to make them look like Halloween scars. Cousin Emily has a bump on her nose that is doctored up for Halloween as well!

Hope everyone has a great Halloween with lots of treats and maybe even a few tricks!

One Year Home!

2010-10-29T13:15:00.007-04:00

The top 2 pictures above are from the day after we got home from Russia. Jack was checking out his new bedroom. The rest are recent shots of the J-man these days.

A year ago today we touched down at JFK airport in New York and Jack became a citizen! Wow, what an exciting day that was! Over the last month, there have been so many times where we have said "at this time exactly a year ago we were doing ___(insert life changing event)___." It's been fun to reminisce about the month we spent in Russia, and the reflecting we have done over the last month or so has really allowed us to recapture all the great experiences we had. Perhaps the greatest of all the experiences though was touching down in New York with Jack. There was a sense of "nobody can take him away from us now". Throughout the whole adoption process, there seemed to always be a feeling that at any moment things could be called off and that would be the end of the dream. When we touched down in the States a year ago that fear immediately went away. Sure we still had/have a lot of work to do with post placements and things, but Jack was a citizen and our dream would live on, nobody was going to end that dream.

I still remember the feeling I had when we walked through the front door of our home with Jack for the first time. First of all, it was great to be home after a month in a foreign country, but to know that Jack was seeing his new home for the first time was really emotional. He was seeing his things for the first time. Wow, I would give anything to know what he was thinking that night. I know Michelle and I were thinking that every minute of the journey leading up to that night was well worth it.

I can't believe we have been home a year. In some respects it seems like it's been 20 years since we went to Russia to get Jack. In other respects it seems like yesterday. Anyway we look at it, it's been a wonderful year filled with growth and love, and we look forward to what lies ahead!

Adoption Article

2010-10-21T20:08:00.005-04:00

I rather enjoyed this article about an adoptive child's perspective on embarrassing questions.

http://www.wacap.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=usxoLhvhjZI%3d&tabid=185

"Gotcha Day" + one year.

2010-10-20T09:20:00.004-04:00

Dear Jackson,

You are napping in your room right now. We played all morning just like we have done every day for the last year. Exactly a year ago today we gained custody of you, or maybe you gained custody of us. Either way, we are so proud of you for the strides you make every day.

We don't know, nor will we ever know what you went through during the first 15 months of your life. What you felt when you got a boo-boo and nobody kissed it better. What it was like to go to bed without hearing a bedtime story and being kissed on your little head before being tucked in. What you felt like when you were hungry or thirsty and nobody gave you a snack or drink of milk. You were certainly loved those first 15 months, and you were taken care of as well as you could have been under the circumstances.

But God decided that you needed a Mommy and Daddy of your very own. So he sent Mommy on a mission to complete a lot of paperwork. Daddy didn't really understand why we needed 57 notarized copies of a document saying we have never had malaria, but Mommy made sure we got all of the paperwork completed as fast as humanly possible. When we started the process, we didn't know you and you didn't know us. But God knew all three of us and had already started us on a path towards each other. Mommy had to keep Daddy on track for the first few months of the process, but once we saw a picture of you and learned about you, it became clear why we were doing what we were doing.

There has been exactly one time in my life that I knew I was doing EXACTLY what I was put on this Earth to do, and that was adopting you. I know Mommy feels the same way about you. You are a pretty special little guy for God to have picked you out for us. We don't really understand why we got to be the lucky ones God called on to be your parents, but we will always be thankful He did.

As we continue to grow together as a family, we promise to love you every step of the way. Your boo-boos will always be kissed, and you will always be tucked in each night by your Mommy or Daddy. You have been loved each minute of your life since you were born, and you will be each minute of the rest of your life.

Thank You for allowing us to be a part of your life.

Happy Gotcha Day son. We love you.

Love, Mommy and Daddy.

One year ago this week

2010-10-15T20:42:00.009-04:00

We were still in Russia, going back and forth to Artem Baby Home #2 to visit 'Jackson Androosha'. He was beginning to show affection toward us, cry less, and play more. Every visit we had, he interacted more and more with us and showed more promise. The change I see in him just floors me - both then and now.

One year ago today

2010-10-09T20:23:00.010-04:00

We walked into a court in Vladivostok, Russia. After several questions and a short recess, we were granted the right to be the parents of a beautiful 15 month old little boy. That day, Andrey became "Jackson Andrey Curran", and we became "Mama and Dada".

Fast forward 1 year and Jackson is doing well. He has had surgery to correct his eyes, speech therapy on a weekly basis and a constant parent at home to help him adjust. Yes, he has some behavioral issues - but he is truly the light of our lives. We prepared and prepared and prepared for everything from bonding to losing 1 income. We had to take tests, write what seemed like thesis after thesis, cash out retirement, borrow money and fund raise. We adopted a child that the Russian doctors felt was "retarded" and even tried to deter us from the adoption.

Thinking about the events from 365 days ago makes me so proud of our son. He has overcome the odds. He is smart, happy and beautiful inside and out. He is wonderful, and we are fortunate to be his Mama and Dada. We would do it again in a hearbeat. Thanks to Russia and thanks to his biological family for allowing us to raise Jackson.

Some Firsts!

2010-09-26T18:24:00.021-04:00

We've been pretty busy in the Curran household over the last few weeks. Several visits with relatives over the last couple weeks have kept us occupied and on the go. During those visits, we have been able to do some cool things like attending Jack's first air-show, going to a petting zoo for the first time and picking out Jack's first pumpkin!
Grandpa Tony visited us this week from Missouri, and Jack had a great time showing him around our area. We went to a petting zoo where Grandpa Tony took Jack on his first ever pony ride! Jack loves animals, and had no fear of horses/ponies at all. The particular pony Jack rode was named "Thunder". This was the fattest pony I have ever seen, and we were asked to stop feeding him the pet feed we bought because he was on a diet! Anyway, Jack and Grandpa seemed to have a great time during the ride. Grandpa Tony knows his way around horses so he probably would have preferred a real wide open horse ride rather than a couple minutes on a pony, but that will have to wait until we head out to visit him in Missouri sometime. Jack will love that too!
Other than the pony, Jack liked feeding and petting the goats, chickens, turkeys, llamas, ducks and all the other animals we met. After we played with the animals, we went and picked out our pumpkins. Grandpa Tony bought Jack his own little Jack sized pumpkin that Jack loves! We didn't have time to get pumpkins last year as we only brought Jack home from Russia 2 days before Halloween.
In addition to the petting zoo, Jack showed Grandpa Tony the ocean and we went to a seafood place where Jack helped crack open some huge crab legs for us. It was a great visit and we can't wait to see Grandpa Tony and the rest of the family in Missouri around the holidays. Thanks for visiting Grandpa!
In addition to Michelle's Dad visiting us, we have also seen my parents a few times in the last month. We all went to the local airshow last weekend and saw the Blue Angels and some other cool air demonstrations. Jack liked the airshow, but some of the jets were so loud that they made him cry. He learned to cover his ears when we would tell him there was a plane coming. Before we left, Jack and I sat in a Blue Angels plane with Jack's cousin Emily and Uncle Jeff. That was a lot of fun and Jack loved touching all of the knobs and buttons in the cockpit of the jet while we were waiting for the picture to be taken. I was bracing myself for him to pull the ejection seat handle and lob us halfway across the airfield, but luckily that never happened. On the walk back to the car when we were leaving the air show, Jack fell asleep in the stoller for the first time ever. He has never fallen asleep anywhere other than his bedroom or car seat, so it was cute to see him passed out in his stroller. Sounds silly, but we have been wanting to see this forever!
In addition to all the fun we have been having with family, Jack's little school/play group started up again this week. We were curious to see how he would react to the school setting. He did well last year, but has grown and changed so much since last school year ended that we really weren't sure what to expect. But in true Jack style, he took everything in stride and after the first few minutes where he was really clingy, he picked up where he left off last year and fit right in. His favorite part of the school time is the playground time which is just how I was back in school! It was good to see him play with the other kids and we look forward to a productive school year.
Guess that's all for now, we'll try not to let the blog go so long without an update next time!

3 Day Weekend!

2010-09-06T19:43:00.007-04:00

Mama and Jackson started a weekend project of refinishing a dresser that Daddy's parents had given him years ago. I can't say for sure how many layers of paint are on that dresser, but seems there are several. We worked on it all weekend, and needless to say - we aren't even 1/2 way done yet!

Here is a picture of Jack hanging out with his buddy Mike the cat. Mike is an older cat that had never been around children so we were a bit worried about his response when Jackson came home. Mike LOVES Jack (to a fault). He comforts him when he is crying, he hangs in there when Jack is rough on him, and seems to have taken on the role of a parent. Very cute!

When I was gone last week, Bill sent me this picture of Jack on the big boy potty. Jack likes to read the USA Today while relaxing on the commode. Wonder where he got that idea????

Family Outing

2010-08-28T21:03:00.010-04:00

This past weekend we took a trip to the zoo! Jack and I had been there on one of his class outings earlier this year, but Mommy had never been so we loaded up and had a family outing. Jack loves animals so anytime we can get out and see/touch them is a great day for him (and us, we love animals too).

This time though we rode the little train around the zoo, and that was probably Jack's favorite part of the day. He loved saying "choo choo" when we were on the train, and then anytime we heard the train horn the rest of the day. Mommy's favorite part was probably the Mommy and baby giraffe's that made her think of her and Jack. Daddy's favorite part was the two giant turtles that were feeling a little amorous. Apparently August is turtle mating season. I heard a little girl say "Daddy what are they doing?" but I couldn't hear the Dad's answer (I wanted to hear what he said so I could use his answer when Jack asks me some day). Unfortunately I couldn't get out the camera in time or there would have been pictures and/or video of that on here as well.

After the zoo we stopped for ice cream, and it was just a great family day. As you can see, Jack was pretty zonked out on the trip home.

We will have to head back to the zoo in the spring to see the new baby turtle exhibit!

Good Morning Daddy!

2010-08-24T14:14:00.002-04:00

I thought this picture was funny. This is the essence of Jack 24/7. Bill was making him cheesy eggs for breakfast this morning & Jack likes to do everything Daddy does. Needless to say, he made his own omelet!

Jackson goes to a birthday party!

2010-08-22T14:25:00.015-04:00

Yesterday we took Jack to a birthday party for a little girl named Sophia, she turned 1 this weekend. Her Mom decked out the backyard with 2 bouncy houses, tents, and lots of BBQ!

We took Jack because since Bill is a stay at home Dad, he (Bill or Jack) doesn't get to socialize very often with people their own age. Jack had a good time (and so did Bill) bouncing around & playing catch with a football. Jack was too busy to eat much, and after a couple hours he was super tired (and somewhat overwhelmed).

Jack stayed with his parents about 80% of the time, and only had a couple moments where he "escaped" and tried to run into the street (this is an improvement). He wanted to bounce with the big kids in the bouncy house but they were around 11 -13 years old! His main points of interest other than the bounce house, were the broom & the vacuum cleaner in the house. My boy is serious about a clean environment!

One time, a male at the party disciplined him & I caught myself almost freaking out. We still do not let anyone discipline Jackson except for us due to bonding. I was able to calm down & realize that he thought Jack could have been hurt so that is why he spoke up. It is hard to explain to non AP's why we do the things we do & the real purposes behind our actions. It is hard to explain that we are still 'new' to Jack and he is still finding out that we are his parents and main caregivers.

On a separate note - Jack went #1 and #2 on the big boy potty yesterday! He gets so excited & gets to pick out a sticker when he either tries hard or is successful. The boy loves stickers almost as much as he does cleaning!

Nana & Papa and the case of the missing nuts!

2010-08-16T21:27:00.003-04:00

Part 1

A couple of months ago, Nana bought Jack these little people. When she gave them to him, she said that they were "Nana & Papa". Now, he plays with Nana & Papa often.

Part 2

Jack loves to eat nuts for snack. Bill had bought some at the store because Nana & Papa were coming to visit (because they like mixed nuts as well).

Part 3

Jack wanted nuts for a snack the other day & Bill told him he had to wait for Nana & Papa to get there.

Part 4

Jack disappears, and Bill finds him in the living room with the mixed nuts, and with the Nana & Papa little people. All 3 of them are eating the mixed nuts.

Part 5

Bill thought it was so cute, he let him just eat the nuts.

August 10. 2010

2010-08-10T20:24:00.004-04:00

It is great being home this week. I got home on Friday and I get to stay home until this Friday (a full week!!!).

This weekend Nana and Papa are moving up North, and Bill & Jack will help them move. It will be the 1st official time Jackson will not have Bill or I in the same room since October 2009. Nana will watch Jack and his bff (AKA Emily) while Bill helps unload the truck. Of course, Bill will still be 'around', but he won't be RIGHT there.

On a similar front, I have been searching for a part time baby sitter. It is a difficult process for several reasons - but most of all probably because I am being too picky. We have decided to put Jack in daycare so he can have exposure to socialization, to give Daddy a break, and because right now we have the luxury of starting this process slowly vs waiting for Bill to get a job out of the home and just throwing Jack in full time.

This picture is what Grandma Sherri bought Jack for his birthday! Thanks Grandma Sherri!

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-07-31T21:02:00.003-04:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We previously mentioned that we were going to celebrate Jack's birthday the entire month of July. We weren't joking! This weekend we went to Williamsburg, VA to The Great Wolf Lodge. It was a perfect ending to our little guy turning 2 years old.

We left Thursday morning and stayed 2 nights. The Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor, kid friendly water park that is pretty cool. The lodge also has outdoor activities, but we primarily stayed indoors.

Jack LOVES the water. He is fearless, which keeps Mama & Dada on our toes. He would run off the side of the 4' pool if we weren't with him every second. He even rode the "big" slides with us and didn't flinch (just asking for more over and over). His favorite things were the slides and the big bucket that fills with water and dumps out every few minutes.

We spent a lot of time at the arcade, and also went to Colonial Williamsburg & visited the shops (and of course ate some ice cream!). Jackson says THANK YOU for all the awesome gifts sent from family & friends.