Hello from West Covina, California! This is Gwynyth Ross writing; hope this finds you all well (and healthy, or at least, reasonably so).
Sorry if I haven't written in over a year; things have been busy around here. When one has over eight children (ten now), life is anything BUT dull or boring! LOL
Our children are all growing like weeds. Our oldest, Freeman, is 13, a teenager, and he's busy practicing for the upcoming football season; he made the middle school team as a nose tackle! This is his first year on the team; he is very excited about it, and so are we! He absolutely loves football!
Otis, who is next in line, at 11, plays sports too, but he just got through with baseball. He was in a tournament last weekend for boys 11 and under, but in the quarter finals, a powerhouse team from Redding beat the team handily; our boys (especially Otis) didn't have a chance against their pinch hitting or smooth defensive plays. He was very disappointed, but we told him that we were proud of him (and his teammates); they played their hearts out and gave it their all.
Henry, our nine-year-old son from Vietnam, is still walking on his crutches (though for longer trips, he uses his wheelchair; it's much easier). He is a very bright boy; like his brother, Hezekiah (7), whom we adopted two years ago from Guatemala, he is in the Gifted and Talented program.
Opal Grace, aged six (we adopted her from China), hasn't had a seizure in nearly a year; I think the doctors have finally found the right combination of medications to help her stay seizure-free, which has been a huge answer to prayer. She used to have terrible grand mal seizures several times a week; sometimes they were so bad she had to go to the hospital by ambulance, where she would be given powerful medications to try to stop them (she would have to stay several days for observation).
Nevaeh Marie, who is going to be four years old on Christmas Day, is our resident terror. There isn't anything she won't try and unless one keeps a good, close eye on her at all times, she may dismantle the entire house in a span of moments. She has always been curious and extremely active! LOL
We have since added to the family: two sets of triplets, one set from Poland (they are five and their names are Waldemar, Wielislaw, and Wladyslaw), and the other set from Japan; their names are Akihiko, Akio, and Akiro; they are nearly two years old). The boys all keep us very busy, as do Opal and Nevaeh. One has to be constantly on their toes when dealing with the Ross Kids! LOL
My husband and I have been very busy working with the triplets, teaching them all English and their letters/numbers/word recognition, and other skills. The triplets take up a lot of our time, as does managing Henry's bathroom habits (he has to be "cathed" every few hours since he cannot empty his bladder by himself; he is partially paralyzed; we also have to help him when he has to do Number #2) and making sure that Opal takes her medications every four hours (sometimes she forgets). THEN you have Mini Dynamo (Nevaeh), who is our resident Energizer Bunny: the child keeps going and going and going ... :/
If we knew how hectic life was going to be by adding two sets of triplets, we would have probably never adopted again, but then we saw their faces and we couldn't say no. Guess we got what we asked for ... LOL
I will be so glad when school starts up next month: the triplets will be enrolled in nursery school and the older kids will all be in school. The only one who will be home will be Nevaeh; we don't feel she is quite ready for nursery school yet; she is just too wild and unpredictable!
Well, Nevaeh is crying, and now the six "triples" are as well. What a racket! My head is jangling and my ears feel like they might bleed! LOL I'd best tend to the children and fast! I will write in here again soon (hopfully on a quieter day!); until then, this is Gwynyth Ross saying so long! God bless!
~To be continued.~
