Do Omega-3 Oils make a difference?

I recently started my kids on a regimen of Gummy Fish, which are omega-3 oils disguised as fish-shaped candy, similar to gummy fish, except healthy for kids. I did this because I read that kids who are over-active can benefit from having more omega-3's in their diets. We eat fish already, so I have been eager to see if it works to help calm them down. Time will tell!

Adopting an older child is a leap of faith

Paul and I adopted two at once, so I guess that means it was a double-leap. And if you consider both of us, it's quadruple. That's a lot of leaps of faith!

So, it's with great pride when I report that our faith in our adoption plan and all that goes with it is paying off every day in so many ways. Don't get me wrong, adoption and parenthood bring frustrations along the way. But today I prefer to focus on the positives and why I am so proud of my family.

I am proud of Sasha because...

• he has matured so much in the past two years. We have seen him grow into a happy boy who embraces life and investigates everything with interest and an innate desire to understand the why's and how's.
• he is funny and quick-witted, wry and delightful to spend time with
• he loves going to school and learning. Just this week his teacher told me that he has moved up 3 reading levels since September and is on target to reach the top reading level for 1st grade by June. This means that he will be well within the norm in reading when he enters 2nd grade in Sept 2011. He consistently gets A's on his math and spelling tests. Considering we are coming up to our 2nd anniversary, he has made fantastic progress as an English Language Learner.
• he takes good care of his younger brother (most of the time.) They are a tight unit and I pray that they always will be. Yes, they argue about sharing certain toys like the Super Mario game for the DS, but fundamentally they advocate for each other, a trait that cannot be taught but is just there or not.
• he knows where everything is in the house. It's uncanny, like he has a road-map in his head and can see where things are. The remote, Misha's DS, my phone, just ask Sasha and he will get it for you.
  

I am proud of Misha because...

• he is determined, insightful, opinionated and adorable. I don't understand how so much personality can be packed into one little kid, but wow, what a special kid he is.
  
• he is caring and empathetic towards others. Just the other day, his OT told me how Misha always helps the other kids at school when he sees that somebody is upset, hurt or crying. He asks what's wrong and then tries to fix it. Even when he is supposed to be on task and could get in trouble in class, he chooses to help someone else anyway.
  
• he is on grade-level in all subjects. Kindergarten is different than when I was 5 years old, it is so much more academically demanding on top of the social issues that come with going to school. He has come so far in just two years. It excites me to imagine where he'll be in 3, 5 or 10 years from now.
• he holds me and everyone else accountable. I swear that Misha has a photographic memory because he remembers e v e r y t h i n g ! And he will remind us of what we said or promised or did, even if it was discussed just once a year ago.
• his hugs are all-encompassing and you can feel his warmth and love resonate each time he gives you a hug.
  

I am proud of my husband because...

• he works hard every day so that we can live comfortably and enjoy special treats like dinners out and family vacations and so the boys can play sports and go scouting.
• he is such a fun and loving dad. Nobody gets a bigger smile out of Misha than Paul- he just lights up when Paul comes home. Sometimes it seems like I have 3 sons instead of 2, especially when he builds tents in the living room with the boys. The kids giggle and laugh and have so much fun together, all three of them, plus the dog.
• he is supportive and a good listener. Navigating the adoption route and subsequently becoming parents to older children is challenging to say the least. I have done a large amount of research about doctor and educational evaluations, schooling techniques for internationally adopted children, camps, sports, and everything else that comes with raising kids. My DH has been terrific in supporting what I have proposed to help enrich our boy's lives and experiences, for which I am very grateful.
  
• he has a terrific sense of humor and still makes me laugh after 16 years of marriage and 2 years of parenthood.
  

Sometimes people tell me that Paul and I have done a wonderful thing in adopting our sons who otherwise would be languishing in their orphanage. But the truth is that they are the ones who have done wonderful things for us. Every day they enrich our lives as nobody else could. So I am grateful and thankful everyday that through a leap of faith, with a little magic sprinkled in, we became a family of four through adopting two older children.