Angels among us...

The past few weeks have been very busy with preparing to go to Chicago and preparing for me to be laid up after having my knee replaced. So many people have stepped in and helped at times I least expected it, but appreciate it beyond words!

A distant relative sent money to help us with travel costs, since I had arranged my own travel before knowing that Shriner's would do that for me as well. I had booked a roomette on the train, since I knew that my knee would never make the airplane ride in tight quarters. I am so immensely grateful for her help! Our travel was very much more comfortable for me and even somewhat enjoyable and I think the kids really enjoyed it as an "adventure" :-)

Aubri was super helpful at the Shriner's apt. She would let them examine her and then Sera would agree to allow them to examine her. Without Aubri, she would have never willingly participated. She wanted nothing to do with sitting in any medical type chair, let alone have someone touch her :-) Shriner's was amazing! They managed to very completely evaluate her in one morning! Standardized educational testing additional to medical exams too! We discovered that additional to the facial clefting, she also has a submucosal cleft palate, which will also need surgery. We have to get a CT scan of that and then surgery will be scheduled. Sadly, Shriner's is having their ORs redone and there are no surgeries going to be done in November or December. We are really hoping that she will have surgery in September or at the latest October. Evidently she should have been having speech services all along and if school will not provide them until her lip is repaired, I will have to have it done privately. It really explains why she is not able to make so many sounds which the closure of her lips have nothing to do with. Poor baby! She really tries though! She talks up a storm all of the time!

Three days after we came home from Chicago, I went in to have my knee replaced. Since I do not have a knee cap, and have lots of scar tissue which caused a nerve to be stretched and I fell on Saturday, I am not progressing as fast as I had hoped. For some reason I had dreamed that I would be walking better after the surgery than I did before.... Dumb, dumb, dumb...... Oh well, at least my kids are really pulling together and Aubri is old enough to be a real help to me. I hate having to ask her to help, but I know in the long run it will be good for her to have learned this kind of responsibility. I am also paying her (our visit to the American Girl place and money to use to spend on things she wanted while there), so she doesn't feel totally put upon and can enjoy the benefits of her hard work. Both girls enjoyed the American Girl Place and I was so proud of both of them for not asking for everything they saw! Aubri just got her doll's hair done and an outfit and she actually insisted that I get Sera a Bitty Twin, rather than spend more on her. I know it is hard for her to give up being waited on and have to do the care taking. She has done it with a smile most of the time, though, and I am so very proud of her! I know I am predjudiced, but I am so happy to know that she is growing up into such an amazing, caring and responsible young girl!

I will not be going back to work tomorrow, so that I can ice and bend this nasty thing pictured above. I am really hoping that it will eventually work better than my kneecap free arthritic knee, did. It still doesn't have a kneecap, so lifting it is a pain... literally :-) Please hope for me that I will be able to heal quickly and return to being abe to chase after my little ones and baby and wait on my bigger one a few more years :-)

It can't be July!!!!

This summer has just flown by and I have not accomplished much of anything I had wanted to get done! Instead, we have been coping with medical issues. Andy has had some complications with his past surgery, done in November 2006, and has been in the hospital and ER in Kansas City, I am needing two major surgeries along with having to have many tests done and Sera finally gets to go to Shriner's on the 24th, which is just 5 days before I get my knee replaced. Summer school is out now since the 27th and we are just now starting to get bedrooms cleaned and a few little projects tackled.

Aubri did a marvelous job in her summer music classes. I am so proud of her. She has become such an amazing young lady! Andy was so sad to see summer school end. He is really catching on to rhyming and is loving to try to read words now. I am very proud of him! It has been a lot of hard work for him, but he is really getting it now and I am so thrilled for him!

We have taken some time to go to the movies and go swimming in between our medical appts. Summer cannot be all torture! :-) Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E are super! We really enjoyed both of them!



Today we enjoyed the day at home and with grandpa. He grilled hot dogs outside and we enjoyed going over to eat with him. Aubri decided that we should eat outside and boy was it HOT! We were all wilting and all took a nap before going back to eat a traditional apple pie and share some of our dayworks with Grandpa. He decided to stay in this evening, since the heat had worn him out. We enjoyed the larger displays our neighbors shot up and had fun lighting our own little show. Sera was initially so upset that she was not allowed to light the fireworks, like Aubri, but when she got her sparkler, she was THRILLED! She is addicted, just like Andy and Aubri :-)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I hope all is well with everyone reading this. We think of our friends often, even though we don't get to communicate as often as we should.

New meaning for "Trouble is a brewing"!

The past month or so I have really struggled with pain management for my knee which needs to badly be replaced. Walking on it for long periods, of an hour or more just makes me physically ill sometimes and today I needed to take a nap with Sera when I got back from teaching ESY. We had gone on a field trip and had several students not wanting to cooperate... I was feeling like a dishrag and was in no way able to do much else but lie down to rest.

While I went to lie down, I left Andy with very specific instructions to sit in the kitchen and play his Nintendo 64 or watch a video. He was so excited to be able to do this, since I don't often allow him to spend much screen time. He had even told me on the way home that he wanted me to be able to go lie down and get off my leg and had promised me that he would be good while I rested.

I woke to a very strong aroma of Starbucks coffee! Sera was still in her toddler bed sleeping soundly ( her bed is in my room). I went out and the aroma got even stronger. As I walked into my kitchen I truly was shocked! A tornado could have hit the house and left the wake of chaos that I was greeted with! The cabinets were all open, the snack drawer open, the mixer was on the floor, hot chocolate packets were open and spilled on the counters and the floor, an new entire bag of Starbuck's coffee was all over the kitchen! There were coffee grounds all over the counter, in water under all the appliances, all over the floor, wiped on the bread maker, an entire roll of wet paper towels wadded up and stuffed in the top of the trash can, and my little one cup coffee maker was unplugged and sitting in the middle of the floor, covered in coffee grounds....

I am so glad that I sent him to his room while I cleaned up the mess and tried to figure out why he would be so disobedient and get into so much trouble after having promised me that he was going to be good. thankfully, I also called a friend and asked her to talk to me while I cleaned, because I was soooo upset with him.

When I was calm and able to talk to him without wanting to shout, I discovered something that was so worth all the mess I had just cleaned up!!

My sweet, loving, wonderful and very inquisitive son had tried to make me a cup of coffee!!!

Aubri had not heard any of his activities since her TV was son and so was his. She was devastated and so unhappy with him and herself that she had not heard him. Thankfully, I was able to keep from being outwardly angry with her and remembered to not yell !

He will lose his privileges to play games in a different room from his sister when I cannot supervise him and will have to help clean up the mess.... but someday he will hopefully still love me and want to help me when I am old and be able to make a good cup of coffee without making such a mess!

It is true that his middle name should have probably been trouble, but his kind of trouble is the best kind!!

Future gravedigger????

My Andy is certainly a special little boy! He is so inquisitive and has to take everything apart to see how it works. Recently he has dismantled a telephone, one of Sera's electronic toys and his remote switch for his bedroom lights. He wants to know about everything and how it works! He is loving summer school and has been very excited to be learning about dinosaurs. He talks about dinosaurs and dinosaur bones on every chance he can get lately!

This morning as we were driving to school, he was singing "Dem Bones", with very unusual connections, such as the ear bone is connected to the mouth bone and the tummy bone is connected to the butt bone.... I was smiling to myself as I listened to him signing and was totally shocked to hear what he asked me next! He very calmly asked, " Mommy, you know you said that you were going to take me to see my grandma some day." I replied that he had just seen Evelyn and and asked if he wanted to go see her today. He said, " No, Mommie, my grandma in the ground!" ( My mother is buried quite a distance north in a very small town cemetery and to save gas this year, we did not go up and just thought about her and talked about her) I was surprised, and asked him why he was asking me this. He said, very matter of factly, " I want to take a shovel with me and dig her up and open her box and see what is inside".

It was all I could do to keep a straight face and tell him we do not want to dig his grandma up or anyone else's grandma, grandpa, dad, mom , brother or sister up out of the ground. Their bodies are empty shells and they need to rest and we should respect that. We can think of their spirits and remember how much we love them and that is really all that is left of people here on earth after they die.

When he said, " But Mommie! They are dead, they won't care!" I truly was left speechless!

I finally managed to tell him that it was illegal for him to ever dig anyone up from a cemetery and that the police would not be very happy with us if he tried.

I wish I could say that I am not worried about what the police may actually show up on my doorstep someday to tell me that he has "explored"!

The miracle of time! 6 months!!

As I get ready to complete Sera's 6 month post placement and I look back at where this little girl has been, it just makes me so proud of her!! She is truly an amazing little soul and I am so very blessed to have been granted permission to be her mommy! I truly cannot imagine life without her spicy little attitude and gleeful squeals! Looking at her makes my heart hurt so deeply for the Chapman family, how recently lost their precious little 5 yr old. I am enjoying every moment I possibly can

Just 6 months ago, she hated me and wanted to stay away from me and now I find myself having to distract her with things to get out of my lap so that I can get things done. She is such a little snuggle bunny now! It is as if she is trying to catch up on all the snuggles she missed out on....

We are getting her Vitamin D levels checked again and are hoping they are higher than the last time. She originally was at 7 and needed to be at 60 or above... She was at 36 two months ago and hopefully she is at 60 or above now!! Her surgery to repair her lip is supposed to happen this summer. I need to get back with Shriner's and double check. I haven't heard from them for about a month.

She is running and climbing and singing and talking up a storm! If her brother does it, so will she! There is never a quiet moment in our house, since Andy is a chatterbox and must always interrupt Aubri when she talks. Sera cannot stand to have any one talk with out her talking either and sometimes I do find myself wanting earplugs, but I am so happy to hear them all chattering away! Now if I could figure out a way to actually understand them all at the same time, or get them to wait and take turns it would be so much easier, but for now, I am happy to have the chatter going on!




Sera' at about 6-9 months, referral photos. I love her bright eyed, inquisitive look!


Sera at 2 yrs Update photos sent at the time she was give a dx of mental retardation and cerebral hemiplegia. She looks so lost.... I do not like this photo, but it is good to look at occasionally to remember how far she has come! I can only guess why she lost that bright eyed look. It could have been the rickets and the pain, lack of interaction with staff, malnutrition in general... who knows... I just wish it hadn't been that way, but then, I might not have ever had the chance for her to steal my heart and the joy of being able to parent her!


Sera at 2 . 5 yrs when she was taken to the IAAP foster home. Her vacant look just makes me cry to look at now. She must have been in great pain with her rickets , at that point. also, since she made no attempts to stand or walk then. They were so sweet to her, but she truly had no idea how to accept their affection yet, at that point.



Sera at almost 3.5years on her way back to Datong, October 1007, one month before we came to bring her home. She was talking, walking and quite demanding of her ayi to buy her the snack foods she saw everyone else eating! Her spunk was showing up more and more daily!


Sera at almost 4 yrs old!! Nothing is going to hold this child back! She has the most spunk I could ever have prayed for her to have! In this photo, she was so proud of herself for having slid down the pole ( with me holding on to her of course)! Just like GeGe did!


I cannot wait to see what the next 6 months bring!! She has truly blessed our family and everyone who has been able to get to know her!

Nice day and an introduction

Today we worked some in the house and then decided to go spend some time at the park. It was a really nice day and the kids enjoyed themselves on the toys and I loved the breeze! We then went out to eat at Jason's and are home now, tired and happy. It was a great way to spend the day. Aubri has bad allergies to all the trees right now and Sera has a horrible cough, but they really enjoyed themselves and are now showered and have gone happily off to bed without a complaint. Fresh air is truly good for our bodies and our souls!

We had to leave the house in a bit of stress though, since Timmy was refusing to eat and I was worried about him. I am sad to be parting with my little Timmy, our 18, almost 19 yr old toy poodle. He is so thin now and just prefers to lie and sleep. He is so far, not appearing to be in any pain, just wearing out. He did eat once we got home and was happy to curl up on his pillow. I am praying that he will be able to leave us peacefully.

Oh, BTW, we need to introduce a new member of the family, Bao Bao Stitch, a poodle papillion mix. We got him way back in March,when I was so worried that Timmy would be leaving us soon and I would not know what to do without a little dog sleeping on my shoulder. He is not Timmy, and is very different in personality, except that he is also not a barker and is pretty laid back like Timmy always has been. He will hold a very different space in my heart, but he has been wonderful with the kids and is a sweetheart in his own way. In fact he has quite the fan club, who would all take him off my hands at any time, because he is so cute and seems to be an old soul.... It is so unusual for a tiny dog to be this docile and I am very blessed to now own two special little dogs. I just realized I hadn't posted anything with Bao Bao in it. He is a very laid back little dog. I have taken him to school with me and he is able to work magic with my students and has also stolen our hearts at home as well. Sera named him BaoBao and Andy added the Stich as his middle name. It was hard to get used to at first, since I thought he looked more like a Panda, but now it fits well!

I hope you enjoy the photos. Sera has made so many changes these past 6 months..... Today she ran with the others and climbed every ladder all on her own. Just six months ago walking across a room would cause her to fall and she wobbled so much that she looked like a baby just learning to walk. Now she actually fits in with the other 3 yr olds! She is a bit tinier, but she is determined to do whatever she sees Andy and Aubri do. They love to climb, so I am sure she will be climbing to the tops of everything soon!

It is already Summer!!!!

WOW... we have been so busy! I still have mountains of paperwork to do and somehow the school year has come to a close before I could finish!! The kids are out of school tomorrow and I am reeling in shock.... This school year has sped by with not a minute of repose. Maybe the extra little busy body on top of the other little busy bodies in the house has helped it stay busy once I come home, and not given me a chance to catch up, but I wouldn't trade this breathless feeling for anything in the world!!

My dad had to help Evelyn stay safe and put her in a very nice care facility which she is finally adjusting to. It has been a very hard month or so for both of them, and for those of us who care about them, but there is some peace now in both of their minds and that is such a wonderful thing. Pop is absolutely worn out, but I think he is going to try to rest more and take better care of himself. We get to see him all the time now, which is absolutely wonderful and the kids are keeping him smiling and laughing when things get tough.

Sera is making gains by leaps and bounds and chattering up a storm all of the time. She is running and jumping and really enjoying being a kid! She is perfectly toilet trained now and is so proud of herself. She had regressed some and it was so amazing how she wanted to enjoy my baby for a while and then just resumed growing up! She is a total card and loves making everyone smile. She has a heart of gold and it shines through in every thing she does.

Andy has dreaded school ending, since he absolutely adores his teachers. Transitions are so difficult for him. He takes it as a loss and it brings up other losses for him. He is excited about summer, though, and will enjoy himself and be sad summer is over soon. He met all of his IEP goals and is so proud of himself! So am I!

Aubri is excited to be in a summer band and honors choir program, take swimming classes, help in my summer school classroom and of course have some down time too! She made a 4.0 this semester and I am very proud of her, especially since she wanted to put half of the money Grandpa and I gave her as a reward directly into the bank and the other half to help the families in China right now. I am so lucky to have such super kids!

We went to the neighborhood pool tonight for a quick dip in the pool. It was still kind of cold and Andy sat with me, but Sera and Aubri were brave souls! I am attaching a quick video clip and photo from my cell phone to share some of the pure glee in being at the pool brought to Sera.

I will try to do better in sharing photos and updates soon!!!

Zoo fun = good medicine!

This past month has flown by. Deadlines like crazy at work, kids projects due, my step mother moving into a care center, my dad needing moral support in having made the hardest decision of his life...has had me spinning like a top and unable to keep up with many things I want desperately to be on top of again.

Despite the chaos, we took off this weekend and spent the first full day with my dad we have had in several years, enjoying his company at the zoo. It was very tiring for him, but it did help distract him some and his grand kids just loved every minute of the time he spent just relaxing with them and not trying to cope with stressors. Mom did too!

Sera just amazed me in that she walked almost all of the time! She is really building up her endurance! It is so hard to imagine that 5 months ago she had trouble walking down a hall without falling and wanting to be carried or pushed in a stoller and is now so much steadier on her feet and wanting to walk everywhere on her own. Anything she sees her brother and sister do, she tries to do!! The kids all did a super job getting along and helping each other out.

We went out to dinner at a really intersting place in Smolan Kansas where a restaurant has taken over an old school building. There was a get together of several families with children from China there. My friend Debbie had read about it on a yahoo group and we hoped to meet some more families with asisan sweeties in their family. We met some really precious kiddos and some very nice parents. It was initially rather awkward for me since I am not exactly outgoing in social situations and meeting new people is hard, but the kids had a blast!!

It was a long day, but very enjoyable! The things that needed to be done were still there the next day, but we tackled them with renewed spirit , even though our bodies were tired!