Open Arms

Open Arms
...caring for orphans and adoptive families...

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Is there such a thing as a typical week?

Someone asked me one day what our typical week is like....I'm not sure what is typical...but here goes.

The children have all enjoyed getting involved in various ministries at our church, Christian Life. Lyonya, Pasha and Galia all attend Saturate Youth and Bible study classes, Andrew attends Kid Zone Children's church, Kid's choir and Royal Rangers. They each have begun to make relationship with a diverse group of people.
SITTING BY THE CAMERA AT THE SUNDAY SERVICE
Sunday we attend church at the 9am service so that we can be home in time to fix lunch. Usually someone or several someones come and join us. The rest of the day is usually visiting, napping or hanging out with family and friends.

Monday, Steve leaves for work at 7:30 am so we try to get rolling early too. The kids take turns bringing the paper to Grandma, feeding the cats, feeding and walking Nonah, doing dishes and starting a load of laundry. On Mondays we have a PE class, school work, and I try to schedule Grandma's doctors appointments on this day. She has just been diagnosed with colon cancer and we are asking God for His healing touch, but meanwhile she is undergoing daily radiation treatments for the next 6 weeks, but she has extra appointments occasionally so those we try to get on Mondays. Sometimes Rebekah and the boys come to hang out and do lunch with all the kids, sometimes it's Sarah, and sometimes we all pile in the van and make it an outing. It's amazing how much all the "kids" have helped out. We couldn't do it all without them. Mondays are busy.

On Tuesday we start early with schoolwork and try to get in a good study day. This particular week Lyonya had a dentist appointment. Lyonya was not convinced that this was a good use of money. He said, "I thinks it would be better for teeth to rot than to give money to dentist." Oh well...we went anyway. We made it home by 12:30...just enough time for lunch and off to Galia's piano lessons from 1:30 to 2:00. Then at 3:30 it is Pasha to band practice. Tie a string around my finger to not forget to pick him up on time. OK I confess I did once...but I was only 15 minutes late...not hours or anything!

PASHA ON STILTS
LYONYA WITH HIS TERRARIUM
ANDREW ATTENDS A VALENTINE PARTY


Wednesday Andrew attends the Junior Master Gardener's Program at Riverbanks Zoo. His class is from 10 am until noon. One of the other kid's mother picks him up and has lunch with the boys at the zoo then lets them walk around for a couple hours. At noon, Pasha and Lyonya have an English I and Biology class they attend once a week for 3 hours. They receive weekly assignments that they bring home for us to work on all week. Galia and I work on her school work while the boy are gone. We always want a nap, but try to do good. We did fall asleep during the reading of Little House in the Big Woods....but only for 15 minutes because Grandma came in and wanted her furniture moved and she woke us up to help!

At three o'clock we pick up Pasha and Lyonya and Andrew. Most of the time Andrew either goes home with his friend Harrison for the afternoon or Harrison comes here. Andrew has to be at church at six for kid's choir, while the rest of us don't have class until 7pm.

SISTER-IN-LAW BECKY TEACHES KNITTING

THE MOON SEEN HERE THRU DAD'S TELESCOPE


Thursday is usually a repeat of Tuesday's minus piano. Every other Friday Steve has the day off of work. That is my favorite day. He can teach the older boys and I can teach the younger two. I like that ratio so much.

Weekends you never know what you will find....maybe a house project or a birthday party or a friend over for supper. It is never dull and it is never the same.