Plugging along

I've been so remiss in updating this blog! It has been hard to find time to get on the computer and when I do, it is usually just a quick check of my email. We have had two more offers on the house and we accepted one of them (more than asking price because they wanted to be sure to beat out the other offer, AND they had no contingency). They will be having a home inspector AND the septic inspection tomorrow so we would really appreciate prayer for those.

The kids are doing fairly well adjusting. There are bumps here and there but for the most part things are going well. Andrei is doing his normal ups and downs. Sergei made a comment last night about Andrei reading well into the night so that might explain a bit of the crabbiness. We've removed the lamp from that room and he was a bit better today. He really can't seem to figure out that his own actions bring about many of his problems. Or maybe he figures it out, but just won't admit it out loud.

Oksana is feeling a lot more positive about things this week but we're really running into some problems with either a learning disability or possibly ADD or ADHD that are really frustrating her. There's a definite language problem - she has a real problem grasping information coming in through written or spoken language. Once she understands the information, she's a whirlwind of solution, but to get across the information into her brain is quite a challenge. We started testing in NY to try to figure it out, but didn't come to any clear conclusions. We really need to get settled and get a phone so I can make some appointments to work through this further.

Sergei is Sergei. He never has homework for some reason. Hmmmm... The good news is that I have been in pretty close communication with the principal, so I'm SURE I'll hear quickly if problems do arise! The great news is that the school is small and most of the kids also go to the same church that we do. I've already met many of the kids and their parents and have seen/heard of the community child rearing in action! Andrei came home from a friend's house saying, "Boy, his mom is tough just like you! She got on his case about something even though we were right there!" Just like my kids, they try to get away with stuff when others are over thinking mom will let them get away with more in front of friends. NOT!!! I also gave that mom permission to get on my kids' cases if they aren't behaving as she expected hers to behave! It's a beautiful thing!

As to the settling, we're still not there. This house has mold too and I'm still sleeping in the camper. The mold is a lot better than the last house but I'm so sensitive that any little bit will set off breathing problems. I'm basically staying out of the house as much as possible. We're not exactly certain where things will go at this point. We need to sit down and have a discussion with a number of people to see what the options are. Most of the houses in camp are older and are either built on crawl spaces or don't have adequate ventilation. There are no easy answers on this one. Even the house on the other side of the lake has problems. Not as bad as some others, but there is still mold out there too. It sits on a crawl space and has not been occupied for a number of years now.

Despite some of the problems, this is an amazing place to live! We went out on the lake in a canoe today to measure across where they are considering running electric and we came within about 20' of a loon mom and her youngster. BEAUTIFUL and haunting! I LOVE the call they make! She wasn't too concerned about us being right there. I've never been so close to one! Awesome!!! I was sooooooooooo disappointed that I didn't have my camera with me, but I was also so in awe that I'd probably have forgotten to take a picture if I did have it! We also saw a moose mom and baby right at the end of that lake today too. We saw sheep on the mountains at church this week, a porcupine hit in the road, tiny ducks spinning for joy on the little ponds and also out on the lakes at camp (we haven't figured out what kind they are yet). People seem to think that Alaska is a frozen wasteland but the vegetation here is amazing too! There are little flowers and fruits all over the place if you pay attention. You do have to look closely as everything seems to be a little smaller. I'll have to work on some pictures of some of that stuff as we get settled and better organized!

I've hardly touched on anything on my list of things to write about and I've already written a small book. One more short story before I go! On our way back from Wasilla the other day we passed a HUGE rock in the road! You see lots of signs warning that it is a slide area and you frequently see small rocks in the roads. The road crews actually go through and plow dirt and rocks off sections of the road on a regular basis! That said, it really hit home what those warnings are about the other day. This rock was at least as high as the front of the truck. If anyone had hit that thing, they'd have lost that fight! It was HUGE! Fortunately it was light out and people were flashing their lights at oncoming traffic in warning. These can be some dangerous roads. You can't get careless about the driving and frankly, driving after dark is probably not something to be taken lightly. Or quickly for that matter.