Spring Day

This morning, I told Kevin I felt a little hand rubbing my head and ear while I was sleeping. He smiled and said, "That was me!" :)

Grandma drove Kevin to school giving Mommy and Daddy a chance to sleep in. Mommy needed to run errands this afternoon, so Grandma walked to school to bring Kevin home. Since I did not have to park, I went in the school and asked if Kevin could show me his room. They told me where to wait for him to appear, but he never appeared. I went outside where he would be waiting to be picked up by car. I found him in the school yard with three other boys, deeply intent on watching a handheld video game. I snapped pictures as I walked up to them.

I was almost on top of them before one of the boys looked askance and said, "Someone is taking our picture."

He was delighted to take me to his classroom. There we saw some of his work on the walls. This bulletin board had strips with a photo of each child beside a comparison they had written about themself. Kevin's says, "I'm as smart as an elephant."

This is a 3D town with buildings made from milk cartons. This photo shows a green house at the bottom which is supposed to be his house.

Kevin also made the red firehouse in the center of this shot.

Another bulletin board displayed their Black History Month projects. Kevin drew and wrote about Rosa Parks.


He wanted to show me his lunchroom and I wanted to see his library. On the way, we ran into his teacher in the hallway. He introduced us, and I asked to take a picture.

Since we were walking, we went to the corner store/bakery and bought cookies and a drink.

Then he climbed onto my lap, so I tried to take a picture.

The trek home was a nature hike.
This morning I heard a loud bird which had to be fairly large to make that much noise. The "tweet" sounded like a quack and was two-toned. I walked down the street to see if I could find the creature with a strange sound coming from the top of a tall tree. As I came close, he grew quiet. But I heard the same tweet/quack this afternoon with Kevin and clearly saw a large black bird at the top of a tree! I knew it wasn't a crow (which says "caw"). I have never been sure of seeing a raven as they look so similar to a crow but a bit larger. iPhones are better than GREAT! I used my "Chirp USA" app to hear a raven's call. Bingo!

Kevin found some wild flowers to pick for Mommy.

We marveled over this camelia bush with white blooms and dark pink blooms. A landscaper came around the corner and explained, when the bloom opens, it is white, then over the coming days turns to dark pink! I wonder if these will grow in Texas! I want one! We had camelias beside our house in San Diego. Lovely!

One last stop: at the playground near his house. Plenty of new "tricks" to show Grandma!



This evening, Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and Kevin played Rummikub -- my first time to play. It is a game of numbers -- making sets alike or consecutive. Kevin is VERY good at the game and won both games!!!! You can switch the sets around during play. He got into trouble with doing too many switches in one turn and forgetting what tile was already in play and what was not, so we had a little meltdown, but he came back and won the game. Mommy said he wins the game now most of the time. Once when I thought I could not play, he looked at my tiles and showed me what I could do!

With Kevin Again!

It has only been two months, but I see a big difference in Kevin. It is fascinating how quickly they mature. I get to see the change by having a space of time between visits, but, when you are with a child daily, the change is not noticeable.

One of the first things Kevin said to me was, "You have more wrinkles," and he laughed, referring to what Kien said to me at Thanksgiving time. And I told him, he has grown and has more freckles!

Kevin is missed!

Steve emailed me this picture of Kevin in the warm south hosing off the deck. He LOVES to help!!!

Last week it snowed at my house (as it did today).

The landscapers were here plowing, shoveling, salting and asked about Kevin as I walked past. They said they miss him! He was a big help to them last summer! Remember -- http://ninasgrandchildren.blogspot.com/2011/07/dogsitter-landscaper-and-swimmer.html

Kinga's Birthday and Gained a Son!

Today is Kinga's birthday! I called to wish her happy birthday and learned she had received the completed paperwork for adopting Kevin and is now officially his MOTHER!!!!!! :) I told her Karin orchestrated that to arrive on her birthday. Karin is glad Kevin has her for his mother! As we talked, I realized, she is no longer Kevin's step-mother! I have been calling Kinga my step daughter-in-law! So, I said, "I can no longer call you my step daughter-in-law; you are my daughter-in-law!!!!" She said she liked that! :)

Grandma Went Home

This morning, I drove Kevin to school. I love how his school organizes the drop off. The older kids man a station where you stop to let your child out. They open the door, greet the student and the adult in the car, send them on their way, and wave the car on. I had talked about leaving; he saw me packing my suitcase, but at the quick end at school, we did not say a proper goodbye. I called that afternoon after I was home, and Kinga was picking up Kevin from his after school program. When he realized I was not there, he cried. How sweet to be loved!

Monday

Today there was no school and Steve did not go to work -- in lieu of having New Year's Day off. While Mommy and Daddy slept in, Kevin and I took Pebbles and walked to Market Street where there is a store with a bakery and hot drinks.

Pebbles was such a good girl! We tied her to a post while we went inside to enjoy our breakfast.

I found a Learn to Juggle box in Kevin's closet! It was a set which belonged to his big brothers. So we pulled it out and tried the beginning exercises using scarves for learning to juggle. What we learned is that you have to be committed to wanting to learn to juggle!!! It is NOT simple.

This afternoon, Daddy, Kevin, and I played some board games. Then Kinga joined us to play Parcheesi. I had not played since I was a kid, but I think Steve and Kinga have made up new rules since then! LOL They beat Kevin and me handily with their mean tricks. ;-) Kevin has become a really good sport about playing games! He now sees the fun in just playing a game whether you win or lose.

Sunday

On our way to church, we stopped at Mommy's grave to remove the fall flowers and put a winter wreath on her grave. Kevin helped to adjust it to look perfect.


He realized he didn't have anything personal for her grave. He usually finds a rock or stick or feather or something to leave for Mommy. So we went searching in the woods. We found a pinecone and a pretty stone.

On the way to church, Kevin started crying saying he missed Mommy. He has never cried at the cemetery with me before, though he did when Daddy was there.
Since Mommy has died, Kevin always wants me to stay in his class during church time and he does not join in the activities until near the end, even though he knows most of the kids. Today, he joined in the class right away! And it was such a good lesson for him! The Bible story was about Jesus healing the official's son (John 4:43-54). The teacher talked about praying for sick people and asked each child for someone they would like to pray for. She told them that God doesn't always heal sick people. Sometimes He calls them home to heaven, and asked the children if they know of people who were sick and died. She had a chart which she asked Kevin to write on. One side for was sick people to pray for. The other side was to list those who have died.

This afternoon, the whole family went to see the movie "Hugo." Great show! Highly recommended! When we came out of the theater, a juggler was performing in the mall. We watched him for a long time as he was amazing!

We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Kevin had fun with Mommy and Daddy!