Lovin Fall!

Wow- I guess I havent updated this in a month?
Maybe it's because Im simply enjoying my favorite season :)
You can see the kids are too -
Here's my little hero :)

'Sova-Grace jumping off into a pile of leaves'
(opps- I forgot to turn it)
Like mother like son :)
I love my Sunday afternoons of watching Jacob's games... the 1st few games he could not stop waving to us! Every 5 seconds he would look up and wave- it was so funny. My soccer stud.

Sova loves helping me in the kitchen- whenever Im cooking she has to know everything about anything that Im doing. Fall inspires me to cook more homemade things for some reason- here she's showing our 'fall leaves cookies' (w/PB fudge center!)


The cousins day out! What a crew...

On our way to the Apple Harvest-
If you could only hear these 2 playing together- it's adorable, they play so well- I pray they're BFF's forever :)
(Look- aunty jaja...Sova-Grace has your knobby knees ;)

Our 3 Little Pumpkins
Oh want to freeze them in time! I know we will all have so much fun together when they are older- but I can litteraly break out in tears when I see how FAST they grow! Slow down my babies- Maybe I shouldnt be buying those expensive supper vitamins! Even looking back at Sova's 1 year is shocking to Mike and I- she came w/ a baby face and now she is a sprouting bean pole (again a Ja-Ja representation!) Oh dear...so if anyone stops by and see's a messy home- I dont care...Im out playing w/ my kids that are growing up too fast!

School Days

I cant believe that it's going to be October this week- this month flew by...
So in August I was almost dreading starting up school w/ the kids...the free- no schedule lazy days of summer were so...easy :)
BUT I'm Loving it! I think it helps that fall IS my favorite season. But I truly love teaching these kiddos...
Here was our 1st day of school...all ready w/ their fruit smoothy brain boosters- dont they look excited ;)
Last year Jacob and I started an afternoon ritual...when I put down the kids and it's time for the 'real' stuff (math, reading, writing) we have tea together at the table. Here he's showing off his tin cup and the coconut that we learned how to break open by watching a 'how to' video on you-tube...
big knife+ strong wack= nervous kids
Question: what do you do once you open the coconut?

Music to a mama's ears...Jacob reading to the 'little ones' as he calls them I guess I should have expected this...
Sova's a genius :)
I was quite nervous about teaching her for some reason- maybe the whole 'she just learned how to speak English several months ago thing!'
Well I started doing phonics w/ her 4 weeks ago and she has already read several words by herself!

I found a fun way to keep Caleb busy: freeze candy and toys in a bucket of ice and have him chop at it all morning! Just kidding- that would be mean right? This was just plain fun for them.
The Turner kids have the best recess in town!
We have been putting on little skits...3 kids make a great #...we did Goldilocks and the 3 bears and the 3 Little Pigs. After reading the stories we find props and even little costumes and do a play. They Loved this so much that they started making up their own at night for Mike and I. Here they had Sova in her flower towel- lie on the ground and they poured water on her to make her grow...it was quite creative :)
Enjoying an eye- spy together...when they should be sleepingJust had to throw this is in...she's so stinkin cute.
So this is my class of 2009...we are on to a great start!

Field Trips :)

Yesterday was 'Homeschooling Day' at Sturbridge Village.


It was a wonderful day but I am still recovering! I took the kids by myself and that self had an awful cold :)
I cant remember how many times I had to take them to the bathroom! But I can remember the look on their faces as they watched the horse drawn carriage tromp past them, watching them run up and down the little houses exploring, and watching in awe as the old fashion characters talked about what type of work they were doing. They loved it! As a kid I always wished that I lived in that era- I think I still do :)
We went on the little boat ride but Caleb and Sova were disappointed because they thought the boat was going to go fast. Even though Sova has been here a year- things still pop up that are new to her...like a boat...this was her first and she watched the man steer w/ his steering wheel and she said, 'is this a car boat?' I guess she didnt know some boats have steering wheels :)
The highlight of the day was...The Tin Shop. Jacob was enthralled w/ the tin worker. The man was working on a lantern all day and Jacob wanted to stop into his little shop throughout the day to see how it was coming along. The man got a kick out of Jacob and every time we visited he asked Jacob to hold something for him- which made Jacob stand up straight and glance over at me to make sure I saw the important job he was doing.
Our last stop was again the tin man and Caleb just about had enough- he was exhausted and needed his car seat! I told Jacob we had to go and he quickly said ok and thank-you to the man and walked out. The man said he was impressed w/ Jacob listening to his mama so well that he ran after us to give Jacob on of his creations...a tin cup. He told us not to tell anyone because he is not supposed to do this.
If you could have seen the look on Jacobs face...you would have thought that cup was filled w/ an everlasting bag of candy! The whole ride home he talked about how much he loves 'the tin man' and that he was going to send him a giftcard! He is so proud of his little cup- make sure you ask him about it when you see him!

Sova-Grace looking out of the 'car boat' in her bonnet...(actaully that was my bonnet when I was little that I got in Amish Country :)





And...here are some pics from the the Hebron Fair...
Jacob got to hold a baby chick- so cute.
Caleb lovin the kid quads

Little Ballerina

August 31, 2008
Sova's 1st day in America...she walked into her room and put on a tutu...


August 31, 2009: One year (to the day) later she is in that same tutu at her 1st Ballet class.


I took her to the studio a few weeks before and the instructor gave Sova her own little tour of the 3 studios. While the lady was talking to me- Sova started jumping around in the center shrieking, 'I just want to dance- I just want to dance!'
Because of her uncoordinated- and still somewhat awkward legs- I thought that dance would actually be good for her (and the fact that she has been asking to do it since she learned English;)
Everyone knows that Sova is not shy- but the day before Ballet we were talking about it and she said, 'ummm...maybe tomorrow we will just have a stay home day..."
I couldnt believe she was nervous- she's been through newness all year and never showed nervousness...I actually see it as a good thing...she know's what is normal and safe (home w/ mommy:)
Anyways...she ended up loving it...
I was glued to the observation window...wondering how all the other mom's could sit and chit chat- I didnt want to blink and miss a second of this! It's 45 minutes long- She listened and followed all the instuctions...I was one proud mama :)


This is her nervous stance- hand on the hips-observing...

the girls each bring in their own dance bags to change from their tap to ballet shoes


Prima Ballerina

One Year!

Tonight I felt inspired to go to an Indian grochery store and make some authentic cusine....but then Mike reminded me that the we should probrably all 'eat' ...I will have to save my creations for another day! We took the kids out to dine on Indian Cuisine and icecream by a harbor. When we got home we watched some video clips listening in awe to Sova chat away in a foreign language that she can not catch a single word of now!
"What did I say mommy!?"
Insane huh? Caleb thought Sova was just being funny- I dont think he even remember her speaking in another language!

What a year! I am encouraged that we survived possibly one of the a hardest transistions we have yet faced. Having 3 little ones was (is!) pretty tough- there is no hiding that...But I have already seen how much each of them has grown and matured this year and it is definatly getting a little easier. I am so proud of them all...Of course we all know how brave and amazing Sova has taken to her new life- she is something else! But the boys were just as amazing- ready to love and accept this (litteraly) foreign 4 year old girl who jumps in the middle of them. Jacob was ready to love and accept her from day one...and yes there is some rivalry and teasing we are working on but this kid is serious about protecting and loving her. And Caleb who was the more hesitant one (and as a sick 2 year old when she came home- rightly so!) has grown to know that she belongs here just as much as he does- he probrably doesnt remeber life w/out! They are great buddies and have a special bond...she really loves be w/ Caleb...it's so sweet.

Jacob has been asking me if we can adopt a 7 year old boy from China! I found that so funny- I love it- that he does love having siblings and he understands the importance of adoption- but I crack up thinking that he is putting in age and country requests to me! Sounds to me like he was thinking a permanent big boy playmate would be cool. And I know he likes the facial features of Asians...he recently had 2 big black eyes that shrunk his eyes (from a nasty fall) but he said, 'Dont worry mom, I like how my eyes look- they look Korean and I think their eyes are cool because they always look serious!"

Iv'e been reminicing alot this week- looking back at my journal from India. It's weird because usually on the boys birthdays- I look back to their births...the day I met my child face to face and held them. I know every last detail of those days- it's ingrained in my memory. And this is what today was for us. The adoption world calls it the 'Gotch-ya Day'....the day you meet and hold your child. So we have added an offical holiday to the Turner calander...we dont know whether to call it 'India Day' and celebrate her heritage- or 'Brother and Sister Day'- to kind of include the boys more...the day they became brother's and sisters...(Sova wants to call it brother and sister day- and Jacob wants to call it India Day...weird kids ;)
Regardless of what it is called- I know it was one of the best days of my life...every last detail is completly engrained in my memory just as the births of my boys. The only difference is that there was no drugs involved :)
The fear, the sweat, the excitement, the jitters, the daddy paceing the room, the child entered walking through a door (ok that part my be a little different), the tears, the laughing and crying, the exhaustion, the complete and utter joy...

I cant beleive she has been here with us for a year! That feels so good to say!

Right before we left the orphanage...we can only imagine what they were feeling inside...The 1st 48 hours Sova barely made a peep...it is so strange looking over these early photos- she was expressionless- almost like a robot...

BUT...the girl certainly has Life to her now!

I will never forget the hairclip fettish...it's funny- as soon as she realy grew hair she stopped doing thisBox PlayThe 1st biggest smile I ever saw on her was when I let her try on her new Christmas dress...it is still her favorite thing to wear that she owns...Christmas Butterfly...she was shocked Christmas morningFirst Space Shuttle Ride
She is loyal and loves to love!Experiencing Cold...
I remember she would touch the cold tile w/ her toes in the fall mornings and giggle and say 'COLD!' She also would look around for the snowmen....she thought they magically appeared or fell w/ the snow!
Merry-Go-RoundLearning to TrustLittle Singers belting the most passionate rendition of ABC's you've ever heard :)She really has an eye for and appreciates 'beautiful things'
Perceptive thinker...always thinking and processing...that brain of her's worked double time this year!She would wear these shoes everyday if she could... her 1st tantrum and 1st trouble I experienced with her was in Target the 2nd week in the USA- she saw these and she WANTED them! I didnt get them and her world crashed- I've never been part of a bigger scene w/ a child before in my life... I was shocked and freaked out about what kind of child I really brought home! It happened once or twice after that too- then we took a long break from stores...and amazingly it completely ceased! She will happily walk out of any toystore empty handed w/out a peep...She must have experienced some type of overload in the beginning!
Anyways, in the spring I bought her these and strangers always ask her if she is Dorothy...she looks at my questioningly and I smile and think- 'yes...in a way you are...you are home.'

Kenai Micha

Kenai Micha (pronounced- Keen-eye :) It took a little getting used to but I Love the name now :)
My 3rd beautiful nephew! (yes- Im quite late on the post)
He is such a sweet quiet baby- Jess is blessed!
We had an awesome time W/ aunty Jocelyn visiting (always too fast the week goes!)
We were watching the draw bridge go up in Mystic...a summer staple!

So I just had to post the Kenai pics because I felt like a bad aunty...
Sova has 2 friends over this afternoon- they are sister's and so sweet- I love listening to them... Here they are playing Tinkerbell/ fairies under a living room tent. Caleb is napping- Jacob is at Jack's...I must go accomplish Something!