About Me
- Joyce Howerton
- We have lived in Romania for 16 years now. We have 6 kids. The top photo of our family is the day we met the twins, just before their 4th birthday. We were granted custody of them on their 5th birthday.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Drew's program
First I will post pictures and then I will post a video. Here in Romanian nothing is started on time. I mean at the first parents meeting for Drew's class we were told "we start promptly at 8 every morning." 
So, like a good mom of course we show up at exactly 8 am and there are no kids and no teacher...so we figured out that breakfast is served around 8:45 and as long as we are there by then we are good. Of course having that in mind we figured that the Christmas program that started at 5 would start at 5 and we could just show up a few minutes early and would probably be the first people there...not so...Drew is whisked off into a room and we are told to hurry and we pass through the curtain and whoa...the room is full to the max and we have to squeeze through everyone to the back of the room :(. There was even a camera crew from the local news there. So, I didn't get a chance to wish him luck and tell him to remember to be slow and loud etc.
We did not get a video of him saying his poem at the program since we were in the back, it didn't turn out but I took one of him saying it at home and will post it. I was really suprised he said it at all with all those people. I could see as he entered the room he was looking for us so I tried to peer out over the crowd so he could see me. When he finally saw me he smiled and looked relaxed. I thought the Santa was really scary looking!
I thought it was interesting that in a country that was communist just a little less then 2 decades ago that in the public school program they freely sing about Jesus birth and say poems about his birth. In America, you probably can't even say the word Christmas at a public school now because you might offend someone. People here who aren't religious don't walk around getting offended by those who do celebrate the birth of Jesus...I mean that is why Christmas started right so how can you leave out Jesus of Christmas?
I could see Drew trying to sing the songs with the group but he doesn't know them well enough to sing by himself. Then they sang portions of songs in English which of course he knew all of them...they didn't sing a whole song though just little parts.
The big finale was a little dance to jingle bells...too funny. I wish I could have video taped all the little santas prancing around it was so cute. Then they all got to go see Santa since they performed well and get a sack filled with chocolate.
His teachers are Doamna Ramona (she is the one down next to Drew with her eyes shut) and Doamna Dora (the one standing up). I can tell Doamna Ramona really took a liking to Drew and was so excited that he learned the poem because he never talks at school and they weren't sure he would do it. At the first of the year Doamne Dora was not at all thrilled to be getting a student that spoke no Romanian but once she realized how easy he was and how he learned to follow instructions and many times follows instructions quicker then the Romanian kids she settled down and realized it wasn't so bad to have a foreign student!
The videos aren't great but I will post a couple.
So, like a good mom of course we show up at exactly 8 am and there are no kids and no teacher...so we figured out that breakfast is served around 8:45 and as long as we are there by then we are good. Of course having that in mind we figured that the Christmas program that started at 5 would start at 5 and we could just show up a few minutes early and would probably be the first people there...not so...Drew is whisked off into a room and we are told to hurry and we pass through the curtain and whoa...the room is full to the max and we have to squeeze through everyone to the back of the room :(. There was even a camera crew from the local news there. So, I didn't get a chance to wish him luck and tell him to remember to be slow and loud etc. 
We did not get a video of him saying his poem at the program since we were in the back, it didn't turn out but I took one of him saying it at home and will post it. I was really suprised he said it at all with all those people. I could see as he entered the room he was looking for us so I tried to peer out over the crowd so he could see me. When he finally saw me he smiled and looked relaxed. I thought the Santa was really scary looking!I thought it was interesting that in a country that was communist just a little less then 2 decades ago that in the public school program they freely sing about Jesus birth and say poems about his birth. In America, you probably can't even say the word Christmas at a public school now because you might offend someone. People here who aren't religious don't walk around getting offended by those who do celebrate the birth of Jesus...I mean that is why Christmas started right so how can you leave out Jesus of Christmas?
I could see Drew trying to sing the songs with the group but he doesn't know them well enough to sing by himself. Then they sang portions of songs in English which of course he knew all of them...they didn't sing a whole song though just little parts.
The big finale was a little dance to jingle bells...too funny. I wish I could have video taped all the little santas prancing around it was so cute. Then they all got to go see Santa since they performed well and get a sack filled with chocolate.
His teachers are Doamna Ramona (she is the one down next to Drew with her eyes shut) and Doamna Dora (the one standing up). I can tell Doamna Ramona really took a liking to Drew and was so excited that he learned the poem because he never talks at school and they weren't sure he would do it. At the first of the year Doamne Dora was not at all thrilled to be getting a student that spoke no Romanian but once she realized how easy he was and how he learned to follow instructions and many times follows instructions quicker then the Romanian kids she settled down and realized it wasn't so bad to have a foreign student!
The videos aren't great but I will post a couple.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Santa came to town!
We went to the white elephant party at the college last night. Baron received an appropriate gift...a Santa mask! We had fun taking pictures! This first one is titled "I saw mama kissin Santa Claus."
It feels like Christmas now...it has turned cold but as far as I can see there is no snow in the forcast. My sister and her husband are coming in next Friday from S.C.
Tonight is our teen Christmas party at church. We will give out shoe boxes full of gifts sent from the states by the organization Samaritans purse. We received them from a friend who had some left over. We will also have enough to give out to the smaller kids at church. Our teen group is a young group ages 11 to 15.
Here is Zach in the Santa mask. Drew didn't want to put on the mask. He will have to put on his santa suit next Wedenseday for his program at gradinita. He is learning a poem in Romanian and is supposed to say it. I am using bribery...we'll see if it works or not!
Here is our little elf...Spencer. He looks more like a little elf then Santa.
It feels like Christmas now...it has turned cold but as far as I can see there is no snow in the forcast. My sister and her husband are coming in next Friday from S.C.
Tonight is our teen Christmas party at church. We will give out shoe boxes full of gifts sent from the states by the organization Samaritans purse. We received them from a friend who had some left over. We will also have enough to give out to the smaller kids at church. Our teen group is a young group ages 11 to 15.
Here is Zach in the Santa mask. Drew didn't want to put on the mask. He will have to put on his santa suit next Wedenseday for his program at gradinita. He is learning a poem in Romanian and is supposed to say it. I am using bribery...we'll see if it works or not!
Here is our little elf...Spencer. He looks more like a little elf then Santa.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Nothing Important.
The winking elf.
We are excitedly awaiting Christmas!! Drew is learning a poem in Romanian to say at his Christmas program at school on the 19th of December at 5 pm. He has to dress up in a Santa suit too!
Zach likes to take pictures but rarely poses for a picture. He is almost 9...growing so fast.
He had a good day posing for the camera. He would get up and sit some place else and look at me and smile...I just kept snapping pictures he was so cute!
Here is my smallest elf...his new pose is one eye squinting shut! He loves to pose...but he has to be in the right mood.
We are excitedly awaiting Christmas!! Drew is learning a poem in Romanian to say at his Christmas program at school on the 19th of December at 5 pm. He has to dress up in a Santa suit too!
Zach likes to take pictures but rarely poses for a picture. He is almost 9...growing so fast.
He had a good day posing for the camera. He would get up and sit some place else and look at me and smile...I just kept snapping pictures he was so cute!
Here is my smallest elf...his new pose is one eye squinting shut! He loves to pose...but he has to be in the right mood.
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