tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74958217507389501752024-02-18T17:54:50.318-08:00My Boy BeiA Red Thread
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break." -- Ancient Chinese BeliefLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.comBlogger303125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-54535952462104712562012-05-25T22:18:00.000-07:002012-05-27T16:47:38.044-07:00New Blog!Okay, I found out quickly that I really need to blog! There is so much that I want to capture and blogging is the best for me to document the boys lives. If you want to continue to follow our journey we will be at the following link <a href="http://www.chinesedumplingspart2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.chinesedumplingspart2.blogspot.com</a>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-44112191261910171092012-03-26T20:52:00.003-07:002012-03-26T21:01:49.491-07:00And They Lived Happily Ever After...The End!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq4IbzwUR9MvQ7LFjZaOqRXumJ1rHcQSYYwfTukvvZl5rnceYKGoBFtZEePY6K4xonpjha24v1iBAm7AYnkeC5Xvrz6I29sVfl9SlWo-rldgbvpkhzZw8G5sTP41Fjj1k0-bqrrCiMLY/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq4IbzwUR9MvQ7LFjZaOqRXumJ1rHcQSYYwfTukvvZl5rnceYKGoBFtZEePY6K4xonpjha24v1iBAm7AYnkeC5Xvrz6I29sVfl9SlWo-rldgbvpkhzZw8G5sTP41Fjj1k0-bqrrCiMLY/s640/IMG_0047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kai Kai Sweetie Pie has emerged out of his cocoon a beautiful butterfly!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eLvujTClBtZGQ8IX1-WDM9k6JNU0NALjk5gM2cgX64AMfImtNJoPc1NterJ4eaMvfXd80_6p1t6cDuayEE5NOpJ7PKFC5Gd-B1BCfxYWyrMwIqGAw5xyqD24wOkair6kbP1nFLk0i-w/s1600/IMG_9976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eLvujTClBtZGQ8IX1-WDM9k6JNU0NALjk5gM2cgX64AMfImtNJoPc1NterJ4eaMvfXd80_6p1t6cDuayEE5NOpJ7PKFC5Gd-B1BCfxYWyrMwIqGAw5xyqD24wOkair6kbP1nFLk0i-w/s640/IMG_9976.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Bei continues to be joyful, fun and loving!</div><br />
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Well my friends and family I think it is that time that I call it "a wrap" and end the blog. It will be two years in April since we adopted Kai, so now is a good time for me to end it. Kai and Bei are both in such a good place, each growing and becoming the person that God meant for them to be. <br />
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I can't express to you how much fun it has been to write the blog. It brought alot of enjoyment to me. As a writer I knew that I needed to find my voice. How was I going to tell stories, what was going to be my theme, that type of thing. My two influences were Erma Bombeck, who I think of as a mom who saw life events with her children in a humorous light hearted way and the Seinfeld show which portrayed the humorous side of every day living. Believe me, I am not comparing myself to either one of those people, but I sure like the silly side of each and wanted the blog to be light and fun. I hope I succeeded every now and then in my blog posts to put a smile on your face.<br />
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I want to thank everyone who followed our journey over the course of the last 4 years. The people who commented on the blog have a special place in my heart. Thank You! To the 9 followers listed on the bottom of this page...thank you thank you thank you! The people that I don't know who follow my blog...thank you. It is humbling to know that people that don't know me at all would take time out of their day/week/month to read my blog. So Thank You! To my friends that have followed me...I am fortunate because I have the most wonderful friends in the world, thank you all so much! I want to thank both Dan's and my family and this means the extended family too - All of you people have been the most amazing support to our family! The prayers, the encouragement, the kind words the unconditional love for our boys...we are grateful that we belong to these two families. We are blessed! <br />
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Peace Out and God Bless!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-45260586034736471272012-03-19T21:31:00.000-07:002012-03-19T21:31:19.500-07:00Communication and Braces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzhZKyT1F8tb755rSdZuuAYZz7Kn9fc-O0FIyr82UKVLcpgrgnSj993vSsLVwgnp7AOky9WRRIVtSgtf-_D5oAp_Uu-gjV1RHn5QcHv7w7yhBmpPuq5RFKD7SIWSUi80ZiKZjWustHR0/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzhZKyT1F8tb755rSdZuuAYZz7Kn9fc-O0FIyr82UKVLcpgrgnSj993vSsLVwgnp7AOky9WRRIVtSgtf-_D5oAp_Uu-gjV1RHn5QcHv7w7yhBmpPuq5RFKD7SIWSUi80ZiKZjWustHR0/s640/IMG_0041.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> How does a 3 year old communicate when he has no language? Pulling, pushing, grabbing work really well for Kai Kai Sweetie Pie. (Kai's hearing aid is broken again...ARGHH!!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgql9FRQuRvokMNFoFdUWZNtxreHjnl0DtXkQiU3-DnZ874FhxMsfZvApeeURGDc4PaUC-wMy44pWzAHl_V84I5MT8CesAkQPsT5TG_e6axWSnZHDLHK1AVpKuuWI6aMBrbjB-wck8NiU/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgql9FRQuRvokMNFoFdUWZNtxreHjnl0DtXkQiU3-DnZ874FhxMsfZvApeeURGDc4PaUC-wMy44pWzAHl_V84I5MT8CesAkQPsT5TG_e6axWSnZHDLHK1AVpKuuWI6aMBrbjB-wck8NiU/s640/IMG_0037.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Kai is pushing Bei where he wants him to be and obviously he thinks it is a game. Bei's is so kind to him and usually will go where ever Kai wants him to. Kai has been randomly going up to Bei and hugging him and trying to kiss him. Bei doesn't mind the hugging part but the kissing part he is not too fond of. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8inRRTi43O1gLNGIHUCKs5Xkd_0tvnwBi9RH2HZVbIoi7Y4tvjEoioyomFHvAHrRWZcHno9i2gO57K9jbLnErn-PZh85C0RQ9VrA5QtN1FE1WFunMwDBdfI7lMg_1OGCM1Y4TCRfeC0/s1600/IMG_9968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8inRRTi43O1gLNGIHUCKs5Xkd_0tvnwBi9RH2HZVbIoi7Y4tvjEoioyomFHvAHrRWZcHno9i2gO57K9jbLnErn-PZh85C0RQ9VrA5QtN1FE1WFunMwDBdfI7lMg_1OGCM1Y4TCRfeC0/s640/IMG_9968.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The dramatic pose!!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQluDZH5Z_asjargTrAD8aSB5PINlM09MZJ_o7KI5Cn65gw3kKUnN6dMKu7MdUutzZY-XOn5LhuHuNRzuxH10VRy1-ouhcfIAyWIY4XXQZyhoThrGF7mwmTY36M-sfn8w4gtTurghVGXs/s1600/IMG_9969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQluDZH5Z_asjargTrAD8aSB5PINlM09MZJ_o7KI5Cn65gw3kKUnN6dMKu7MdUutzZY-XOn5LhuHuNRzuxH10VRy1-ouhcfIAyWIY4XXQZyhoThrGF7mwmTY36M-sfn8w4gtTurghVGXs/s640/IMG_9969.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">The running like a gazelle!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7MaWMBOwBcsX6tZNqfcCDExQSGQ2tjFBufhKxOCOMKhDEYl72N1AK2r_qttT2booA2XeyaqlX0_GP0gyF41e6hvtc2GqFWzulb0rl-lAq_wOX0IspiRhiebIP7dzR_3794uclSJDWso/s1600/IMG_9970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7MaWMBOwBcsX6tZNqfcCDExQSGQ2tjFBufhKxOCOMKhDEYl72N1AK2r_qttT2booA2XeyaqlX0_GP0gyF41e6hvtc2GqFWzulb0rl-lAq_wOX0IspiRhiebIP7dzR_3794uclSJDWso/s640/IMG_9970.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The sheer fun of an early spring!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0rFwNvySErOkWz_R8mpXXUYeaJ6gwBQGFYabWdsHxnWjrosYl2jI4XhyphenhyphenHa_4HJxcwR72ELcvZ37jqzhyphenhyphenS68qTAxfAkFoMkAbjmR5AO4ike85AuAbah9xnElA7hZ3mHHVyE-gEVQotGw/s1600/IMG_9796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0rFwNvySErOkWz_R8mpXXUYeaJ6gwBQGFYabWdsHxnWjrosYl2jI4XhyphenhyphenHa_4HJxcwR72ELcvZ37jqzhyphenhyphenS68qTAxfAkFoMkAbjmR5AO4ike85AuAbah9xnElA7hZ3mHHVyE-gEVQotGw/s640/IMG_9796.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enough with the braces already!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know I am going a little overboard on the picture of the braces but I have to share what an incredible difference they are making for Kai! The thing that I noticed most recently was that he doesn't curl his toes underneath his foot for stablity when he doesn't have them on. That is huge!!! It hurt me to see him walk with his toes curled underneath his feet and then his ankles bending every which way. Eventually he was going to hurt himself. The braces are doing more for him than I expected and the results are happening sooner than I thought. The other good part is that he falls far less than when he doesn't wear them. But the best part is he LOVES to wear them. The negative is that he wants to be the one that puts them on and then threads the velcro through the metal strap. And he doesn't want any help from anybody with a steady hand...oh no! So I am very patient with him and he gets to thread the braces because in all reality it is one of the best therapies for him. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-42468449206959985532012-03-12T21:58:00.000-07:002012-03-12T21:58:22.768-07:00The Connexin26 Connection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOgbERD0jMemaANaBNALkQDPozHploQSvqFcXvcbO8XMKOTZLRkrbdpPmXCkzUOMTSoIcq3Zn7A9vTW_7EID8febyDEv7GHOftMRtAO5_t_GoZaDWQqSb5pec8tiH4HLswv0Yyd0aGL0/s1600/IMG_9900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOgbERD0jMemaANaBNALkQDPozHploQSvqFcXvcbO8XMKOTZLRkrbdpPmXCkzUOMTSoIcq3Zn7A9vTW_7EID8febyDEv7GHOftMRtAO5_t_GoZaDWQqSb5pec8tiH4HLswv0Yyd0aGL0/s640/IMG_9900.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Joyful, Happy Bei Bei!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJd54IWo3TdYkf9fk-m-LhBjq2BdZwGbA1BL7fDuWvlsN8Bw80rw734eVcpGto4BqEsKlSGIf_89J3ML8VfPEWaP1JSuE-ngP6isNagTME2sYV7LISm5Pe6io_X-OhXKN8Y-2VjJm2nM/s1600/IMG_9938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJd54IWo3TdYkf9fk-m-LhBjq2BdZwGbA1BL7fDuWvlsN8Bw80rw734eVcpGto4BqEsKlSGIf_89J3ML8VfPEWaP1JSuE-ngP6isNagTME2sYV7LISm5Pe6io_X-OhXKN8Y-2VjJm2nM/s640/IMG_9938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Sweetie Pie enjoying the 70 degree weather!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL91fbUKtOEdVd2svk-uCN2Hby6PvV2zuBpQruIIoui0a3heqc-r04TNdfHz5UVptevWYeA1wPJd8hoTS3wUDhNH-9nWt8Ua2Hx4_YavHgiptc0TV2ZuSDg5YjOT9gwNqteprQGTRy0Nw/s1600/IMG_9958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL91fbUKtOEdVd2svk-uCN2Hby6PvV2zuBpQruIIoui0a3heqc-r04TNdfHz5UVptevWYeA1wPJd8hoTS3wUDhNH-9nWt8Ua2Hx4_YavHgiptc0TV2ZuSDg5YjOT9gwNqteprQGTRy0Nw/s640/IMG_9958.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">The protective older brother</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbKZPiE1s4QF9AWx_sHwXUv5bNi98sEttEUVtFF0wf8NyRpA5wuXmdG2HnFDeVDrHJuPEGgukt6jHmcjQuFUZsB9dQJb6IMpaFFj6pO2hnrcgj7-rxSRsNgsHaHUHD95PffgfshozWRU/s1600/IMG_9944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbKZPiE1s4QF9AWx_sHwXUv5bNi98sEttEUVtFF0wf8NyRpA5wuXmdG2HnFDeVDrHJuPEGgukt6jHmcjQuFUZsB9dQJb6IMpaFFj6pO2hnrcgj7-rxSRsNgsHaHUHD95PffgfshozWRU/s640/IMG_9944.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Playing together</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxnEUjG3hwXQx9IMtOocoQZ25S1hpCll5m2IvetK9wvosV62PJi1w5L2DlDaIUSFc_apE_kNh-Yra_txLLs6epXOO1yC6CJ1YVPUZypjs4dyd0Zg2OGAlv9K7iqgCeLvuD99wUMByaZY/s1600/IMG_9962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxnEUjG3hwXQx9IMtOocoQZ25S1hpCll5m2IvetK9wvosV62PJi1w5L2DlDaIUSFc_apE_kNh-Yra_txLLs6epXOO1yC6CJ1YVPUZypjs4dyd0Zg2OGAlv9K7iqgCeLvuD99wUMByaZY/s640/IMG_9962.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Boys will be boys</div><br />
Doesn't Connexin26 sound like a great hair product? Leave in hair for 20 minutes and your hair is thicker, healthier and shinier. Instead Connexin 26 is the gene that caused Kai Kai Sweetie Pie's hearing loss. The limited information that I know about this gene is that it is a recessive gene and both parents have to have this gene in order for their child to be deaf. Kai's birth parents probably did not know he was going to be hearing impaired. The only way Kai can pass his hearing loss on is if he marries a person with this recessive gene also. I was told that a protein is lacking and therefore the cochlear doesn't work. The good news is that the gene is not associated with any syndromes and most people's hearing remains stable. I am grateful that we know the reason why Kai is hearing impaired...knowledge is power!<br />
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When we adopted Kai in 2010, I have to admit that I was extremely concerned about how Bei was going to handle not having my undivided attention. Bei had been the center of my universe for 2 straight years and it had to be wonderful being the rock star! So, I just can't say enough about how gracious Bei has been about Kai and all his special needs and those needs taking me away from him to help Kai. Alot of adults could learn from this little boy about "manning up" and handling situations that do not turn out as planned. Bei has really been the unsung hero in many ways these past two years. Let me just tell you he is such a joyful, kind, loving boy with a huge heart and huge capacity to love. Yes, I am his biased mother but it really is true. Month to month Kai's development level just progresses and he is finally at the point where he is more consistently giving back to Bei. He is becoming his play partner, his friend. Today Bei and Kai played on the stairs choo choo ( I still spot Kai in case he falls), up and down the steps they went. Later on they danced together and Kai randomly would go up and hug Bei and try to kiss him. Bei told me that he isn't going to miss his friends at school when he is home now because Kai is his friend. As happy as I am for Kai's development, I am even more happy for my unsung hero Bei Bei Honey Bunch!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-86542491161250999862012-03-01T21:17:00.004-08:002012-03-04T21:19:44.075-08:00Northern Voices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREyd0PlwgDWqT-z2eHsecqLY1LuM7FppcRjWxdAOavXWn28-zZFNXK3y_twVI-w6OBFn-w7vHVydUBdU4mhaeZ0iIBQQYxCJ-K1Km_Tfhvud29mnpi5wd4gwnJNy6JoC6VfUjPMfU3es/s1600/IMG_9812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREyd0PlwgDWqT-z2eHsecqLY1LuM7FppcRjWxdAOavXWn28-zZFNXK3y_twVI-w6OBFn-w7vHVydUBdU4mhaeZ0iIBQQYxCJ-K1Km_Tfhvud29mnpi5wd4gwnJNy6JoC6VfUjPMfU3es/s640/IMG_9812.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This morning play time with Sweetie Pie</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8DEh3rE7Ctb3JxukNP8mlmXqC89vfgwk6hxJg0bOXY9KsyGpX0Ap7AlEj6H37Xq6uU4VqtBEpI1d_k48x7URou3IRewJPaFDXdqQNMfpQALuN2ES-LkvtV39sYS7NZR3RhYFNM34V7E/s1600/IMG_9813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8DEh3rE7Ctb3JxukNP8mlmXqC89vfgwk6hxJg0bOXY9KsyGpX0Ap7AlEj6H37Xq6uU4VqtBEpI1d_k48x7URou3IRewJPaFDXdqQNMfpQALuN2ES-LkvtV39sYS7NZR3RhYFNM34V7E/s640/IMG_9813.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Everything we do has a therapeutic twist to it while still being fun<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07xrvSnWXQuNOv_MDf2XEx8Avr7DevEu0EIOpv7LuNf82wo0HV3ddV-KeGz4LCNmNJ8zyYSoKUDh4c40z4rl_NTP6wHZWV5IfM6VGy1-uqmoKldWj9akMNLAJEY_elb7VQoMPf7rRj-g/s1600/IMG_9796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07xrvSnWXQuNOv_MDf2XEx8Avr7DevEu0EIOpv7LuNf82wo0HV3ddV-KeGz4LCNmNJ8zyYSoKUDh4c40z4rl_NTP6wHZWV5IfM6VGy1-uqmoKldWj9akMNLAJEY_elb7VQoMPf7rRj-g/s640/IMG_9796.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stability!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A little bit over a month ago I was anxiety ridden with the thought of Kai Kai Sweetie Pie going to school at Northern Voices. My inner fear was that he would be expelled...suspended the first week of attending. I wondered if they would be able to handle Sweetie Pie. What would they do if he passes out? Would they call me and say "We're done, come pick him up." It is a frightening thing to witness if you are not use to it. Sometimes he likes to take a bottle mid-morning and just cuddle...something that I neglect to tell alot of the "educators and professionals" in my life because they frown on the little man still having a bottle. Would they be willing to give him a bottle and cuddle him if needed? Or what if he started one of his inconsolable cries? Would they be willing to turn on music and hold him on their shoulder to soothe him until I got there? I should not have worried one bit because the teachers at Kai's school are phenomenal people . Kai has not passed out, nor needed a bottle or cried inconsolable. Instead he has grown and developed into a happy babbling little 3 year old boy. He walks around now and says "mom, mom, mom, mom". Now he isn't associating me with the word but at this point it doesn't matter. It really is his first word! God is Good! His only consonant is the MMM sound. In order for Kai to get a popsicle from our freezer he has to vocalize the word "open" to me. It doesn't sound like open but he does understand that it is two syllables. Every Tuesday I go with Kai to school for a parent/child class where the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) teacher teaches me the methodology how to teach Kai to speak and to listen. This past week, I wept as she had Kai demonstrate all that he has learned...I am amazed....I see a bright future for Kai. It is so incredible to be at that school and hear profoundly deaf children speaking! Not only speaking but speaking well! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I put another picture of the braces on the blog because I wanted to tell you how wonderful they are for Kai. The braces provide so much needed stability for him. Kai was doing an incredible amount of contortions with his body to stay upright. Everything from curling his toes all the way under his feet to using his neck muscles to help balance his upper body. The brace does the work now so Kai doesn't have to. I am increasing the amount of time that Kai is wearing them and the good thing is I think he likes them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, an update on my Bei Bei Honey Bunch. He began full day Kindergarten on February 6th and he is doing super. Besides his teacher telling me how much Bei has come out of his shell since going full day, other mom's that volunteer in the classroom have talked about the difference they have seen in him. I think it is real boost to his self-confidence. Bei is also learning to be a really wonderful big brother to Kai. The two of them are engaging in play together on a daily basis. I feel so fortunate to be a part of both those little boys life. Lucky Me!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-79411543155560091722012-02-26T21:44:00.000-08:002012-02-26T21:44:06.176-08:00Picture Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODpuLZFWcW6j7_Z5r27kyzyAeaovor_kgtRJr9IvmDiWFX3tKphZ82z6uSjS6D4V5J2CaopAeLRWyJ5juNFEC4ZqH8Dj61v7bFhxfKhJsVHcKSmhTaBL7tt5-WRnxBws1aGka25ouhT8/s1600/IMG_9786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODpuLZFWcW6j7_Z5r27kyzyAeaovor_kgtRJr9IvmDiWFX3tKphZ82z6uSjS6D4V5J2CaopAeLRWyJ5juNFEC4ZqH8Dj61v7bFhxfKhJsVHcKSmhTaBL7tt5-WRnxBws1aGka25ouhT8/s640/IMG_9786.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bei blowing out Kai's candles!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U_LbppDakO0m-m5bcsYDvyqJHoaEB9tv0nrIPsHdc89GvO1LUYF24js-axcOJKeFDvu1OAl3XQbk1BkcGsutGg9POZg6NhkjRFbjB_2IMKmgzZ3TBwf45_u1r5MYEQ5f2hXEx6OMgJc/s1600/IMG_9808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U_LbppDakO0m-m5bcsYDvyqJHoaEB9tv0nrIPsHdc89GvO1LUYF24js-axcOJKeFDvu1OAl3XQbk1BkcGsutGg9POZg6NhkjRFbjB_2IMKmgzZ3TBwf45_u1r5MYEQ5f2hXEx6OMgJc/s640/IMG_9808.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireplace Completed! Even after 20+ years I am still impressed with Dan's talents.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HbVPEND0lxT5BzPv49DR-YJ3N9mN45e40LNIfa4ksez42_wO-f9ygIRzIknw7jz4X9J8Tn5by0oJj5QuafIWqI1ARMbHMeiwxcsh7FHyzAMNytsI1dGRFALA9FpUVx5AC6SEsqP08WU/s1600/IMG_9796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HbVPEND0lxT5BzPv49DR-YJ3N9mN45e40LNIfa4ksez42_wO-f9ygIRzIknw7jz4X9J8Tn5by0oJj5QuafIWqI1ARMbHMeiwxcsh7FHyzAMNytsI1dGRFALA9FpUVx5AC6SEsqP08WU/s640/IMG_9796.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kai Kai Sweetie Pie's Braces</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4Fvk_A3kz93FoHTRNGzKeSVjV8m95ObOfOlCenf957quDJV7eyhC2n566SPT4sYiEJ4nZIr4LdX-2L-TZHmVjuCXepKJe2OiWKQrfasGeTnjhCHgLveDV4YxxcGBw2AHBZ-aJMGF7XU/s1600/IMG_9776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4Fvk_A3kz93FoHTRNGzKeSVjV8m95ObOfOlCenf957quDJV7eyhC2n566SPT4sYiEJ4nZIr4LdX-2L-TZHmVjuCXepKJe2OiWKQrfasGeTnjhCHgLveDV4YxxcGBw2AHBZ-aJMGF7XU/s640/IMG_9776.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday Kiss! Sweetie Pie turned 3!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-89500358002667536442012-02-20T21:30:00.000-08:002012-02-20T21:30:29.024-08:00DIY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrAzKcTyKy7Dsq1XcVVu6NgUXn1pwInLtqi5OpmOwbKuHI89vzrKuzoOvyyPCGsKdqOUgwndXSJiS5DsssTKXElOls6tppZcgy90uk5MFXbjKkRyRQgz4NKifJlViiHAHwxhNbCG-TQE/s1600/dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrAzKcTyKy7Dsq1XcVVu6NgUXn1pwInLtqi5OpmOwbKuHI89vzrKuzoOvyyPCGsKdqOUgwndXSJiS5DsssTKXElOls6tppZcgy90uk5MFXbjKkRyRQgz4NKifJlViiHAHwxhNbCG-TQE/s640/dance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ADvFsmEl6JivCMxeUKGm1xVi_szoME6q6bYHGeh2v_UI7AiVeBNUMO82UayVt_wiq8xSHvKsCUvyIQU0XsPJO-c8rQOlxpsTnLJwsNmc_mzvNqaEzG3_66A9UqfSz3YzHcNX2fYBvBY/s1600/IMG_9773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ADvFsmEl6JivCMxeUKGm1xVi_szoME6q6bYHGeh2v_UI7AiVeBNUMO82UayVt_wiq8xSHvKsCUvyIQU0XsPJO-c8rQOlxpsTnLJwsNmc_mzvNqaEzG3_66A9UqfSz3YzHcNX2fYBvBY/s640/IMG_9773.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> We will be in our house 1 year on February 24th. We LOVE our house, the design, the neighborhood, the yard, it is all great. However, the fireplace is a little out dated. We had to put the picture horse on the fireplace above because the people who owned this house previously built this odd structure in the middle of the fireplace. It is the brownish/orange underneath the picture and there is an outlet in the middle of it. We don't know if they had a T.V. hung there are what the purpose was. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-vcoVkMt8lOijaXeJB5XMWfO80c26z_bXf0JnmMFNtCvPeU5qKULKHS9Ic20QOc_koPzBs40tyzjYMZuK6erO4Np25BS0HuDORpNdG6zomz01G65kQPrAd0AI0jLgfVQ4cO2Pvs7PA/s1600/IMG_9791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-vcoVkMt8lOijaXeJB5XMWfO80c26z_bXf0JnmMFNtCvPeU5qKULKHS9Ic20QOc_koPzBs40tyzjYMZuK6erO4Np25BS0HuDORpNdG6zomz01G65kQPrAd0AI0jLgfVQ4cO2Pvs7PA/s640/IMG_9791.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The tiles and the odd "art piece" with the outlet in the middle was removed.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzM4MnlutQ2izukLGy9HBVFahXjT1CAaHA6wFt73fG3XUE28WhKzm-OgKVmmdeb3EdRNBLshCOfFWZTGh3k3C6EfZLM1dF_dn62-ORkUGsDPWoyqhsNUgtWkv83wftRHHH3EGRvfTLBc/s1600/IMG_9794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzM4MnlutQ2izukLGy9HBVFahXjT1CAaHA6wFt73fG3XUE28WhKzm-OgKVmmdeb3EdRNBLshCOfFWZTGh3k3C6EfZLM1dF_dn62-ORkUGsDPWoyqhsNUgtWkv83wftRHHH3EGRvfTLBc/s640/IMG_9794.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> New sheet rock was added</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k7bjFqJmhYecLxHNA2d5uuawDF4H8KVRGmJtMdF-vs4ud3wIy3EEhVaXmIVKdLA0_Cq-hd12Wd_9iFYRGsRE2qbBpHqxbTsAPWuz8rWRA0wp6v5Yq_sfRmMa2K_9I5kEZxnM43kZiLM/s1600/IMG_9795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k7bjFqJmhYecLxHNA2d5uuawDF4H8KVRGmJtMdF-vs4ud3wIy3EEhVaXmIVKdLA0_Cq-hd12Wd_9iFYRGsRE2qbBpHqxbTsAPWuz8rWRA0wp6v5Yq_sfRmMa2K_9I5kEZxnM43kZiLM/s640/IMG_9795.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A recessed light was added above</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0C9AtQ7VAqtW3bhl-dYYdX41-mZBIItj9ChreIu5iwpJd1nxUZ3MZvTXQ-tPYn_yLtLJ6np9xcQRgCbdYkW5INlwsjwddiMDJSgZuQlKYbx1jIgaMNW-_nX1hYEAWVyYVZ-fPbXr5ps/s1600/IMG_9805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0C9AtQ7VAqtW3bhl-dYYdX41-mZBIItj9ChreIu5iwpJd1nxUZ3MZvTXQ-tPYn_yLtLJ6np9xcQRgCbdYkW5INlwsjwddiMDJSgZuQlKYbx1jIgaMNW-_nX1hYEAWVyYVZ-fPbXr5ps/s640/IMG_9805.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am grateful that I have such a talented husband that he can tackle most Do it yourself (DIY) projects! </div> . Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-33876827424878953912012-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:002012-02-16T20:45:09.925-08:00I LOVE Holland!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1RvEWKElxR7iolM_9JcXBM9yJ2yNMkybypkJZ3Niol1LQWYtrL-5EhbqEM9wIXmjVRL9fpWepyOQQfpss9G_W0H__-cECdpOqML6eKZwV2AN9BKFKCx_B53u8klKrOavHSl4OlCJpaM/s1600/IMG_9681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1RvEWKElxR7iolM_9JcXBM9yJ2yNMkybypkJZ3Niol1LQWYtrL-5EhbqEM9wIXmjVRL9fpWepyOQQfpss9G_W0H__-cECdpOqML6eKZwV2AN9BKFKCx_B53u8klKrOavHSl4OlCJpaM/s640/IMG_9681.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Kai with my friend Wendy. Do you like his new haircut?</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3mnGwWlKVKk4aPGbrE_mmoTdxMaa1DHk7x9OapAyDrgks15r7y6nXhmMlrFDQPOnYWMzVhOXbdwywu-xeIDU_Qu8W342PJeVGUfWN3i3J5XuBt2SfQRYafjUARWcLp6EzvWDBzms8s0/s1600/IMG_9695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3mnGwWlKVKk4aPGbrE_mmoTdxMaa1DHk7x9OapAyDrgks15r7y6nXhmMlrFDQPOnYWMzVhOXbdwywu-xeIDU_Qu8W342PJeVGUfWN3i3J5XuBt2SfQRYafjUARWcLp6EzvWDBzms8s0/s640/IMG_9695.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Bei contemplating the "big wish" before he blows out the candles! He just turned 6 years old!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>One of Kai's teachers sent me the story listed below and I thought it did a great job explaining how you need to shift your thinking when your child ends up having a disability. For us, we chose this route. We knew that Kai would have a medical special need, we just didn't realize he would have multiple needs and they would be life long...that is our Holland. We LOVE Holland and I am actually glad that we didn't land in Italy. <br />
<br />
<strong>I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......<br />
<br />
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.<br />
<br />
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."<br />
<br />
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."<br />
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But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.<br />
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The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.<br />
<br />
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.<br />
<br />
It’s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.<br />
<br />
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." <br />
<br />
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.<br />
<br />
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.<br />
</strong><br />
<strong></strong><strong>Welcome To Holland<br />
by<br />
Emily Perl Kingsley</strong><br />
<div align="center"></div><b>©1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author.</b><br />
<div align="center"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-69848880104017894092012-02-12T21:25:00.000-08:002012-02-12T21:25:49.506-08:00Social Graces and LifeSavers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFCQ4qyCPdQ7ydX5aAnJ9hCPU1ldDB1FB2kf2GLEm2reT-w3UR6iVLblnrabdT7DgdqaY5-XWb48M-gGEknoXf1NqES5t9nSQJTY_PVoWdnbTtTm_rId_IqG6wlfF6zyCGi08FbUL-ps/s1600/IMG_9566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFCQ4qyCPdQ7ydX5aAnJ9hCPU1ldDB1FB2kf2GLEm2reT-w3UR6iVLblnrabdT7DgdqaY5-XWb48M-gGEknoXf1NqES5t9nSQJTY_PVoWdnbTtTm_rId_IqG6wlfF6zyCGi08FbUL-ps/s640/IMG_9566.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think Lucas really likes Kai's chicken nuggets!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Connecting with other mom's from NV's that have hearing impaired kids has been such a blessing to me. It is so nice to talk with others and hear that they went through the same struggles. I was talking to a mom of a child that has graduated from NV's and is now mainstreamed for Kindergarten. She warned me that hearing impaired kids some times do not have the same social graces that other children have because of their hearing impairment. She said that she is getting called by the school all the time because her daughter touches other kids to get their attention and non-hearing impaired kids are not used to be touched all the time. Great!! Let's just add one more thing"my list" of things to worry about Kai as he gets older...calls from school for touching others. Well the very next day, I was dropping Kai off at NV's and Bei has to ALWAYS go to the bathroom while we are there. I walked into the bathroom and looked and there was a man in bathroom! I stopped in my tracks, starting laughing and said "oh, I am sorry, I thought it was the women's bathroom". With that I looked at the door and it said, "WOMEN" He said it "It is the women's bathroom." Okay, I don't have much of a poker face and must of given him the "what the hell...???" look. He pointed to his little daughter and said "My daughter has to go to the bathroom." I realized once he spoke that this guy is hearing impaired. Both Bei and I ended up going to the bathroom with the man still in there. Kind of WEIRD... Oh brotherhood...is this the social grace that mom's are talking about??? Do I really have to teach Kai that you don't ever go into a woman's bathroom? However, I am going to give Kai the benefit of the doubt and assume that by the time he is in his 30's he will know not to go into women's bathrooms...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRYn4Bujagvq42jOYHc6xA-kT4vHQg4fotBK8_Um-vT86xWbSoJPuxxAhouQbWkxv-E8F85p-L1z8FhQP81grz7KcFIJuymRAdZCQ7yxfR0tr77Nwl41dyfnALx63JvP4AoE68MvI82M/s1600/IMG_9620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRYn4Bujagvq42jOYHc6xA-kT4vHQg4fotBK8_Um-vT86xWbSoJPuxxAhouQbWkxv-E8F85p-L1z8FhQP81grz7KcFIJuymRAdZCQ7yxfR0tr77Nwl41dyfnALx63JvP4AoE68MvI82M/s640/IMG_9620.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bei started full day school on February 6th! He has handled it like a champion! I am so proud of him. I thought for sure that he would really give me grief about it, but he has done really well. He also recently turned six and all he wanted was a cotton candy machine. We bought it on-line, but didn't realize you have to buy the mix separately. So instead we throw 3 life savers in the machine and it makes the MOST delicious cotton candy that you ever had, while it spew's strings of sugar all over the kitchen. Honestly it is worth it!! I'll have to order the mix, but I bet it won't be as good as the Life Savers!</div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-65036312479678666392012-01-31T22:30:00.000-08:002012-09-16T02:27:17.077-07:00The Amazing Race<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0gj5o1AmqSZygXppDMlRAtwVP7pcwyGAg-xxiuGeQ_Co88HnjYsyk5GIlLIGAYFx0wRYl-6i6rG3RZY46erM2fCSoQTaYXSlW579FA2K_FDl5kwrilVKy3UP6tN-LbPW2czwASsL5Ds/s1600/IMG_9587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0gj5o1AmqSZygXppDMlRAtwVP7pcwyGAg-xxiuGeQ_Co88HnjYsyk5GIlLIGAYFx0wRYl-6i6rG3RZY46erM2fCSoQTaYXSlW579FA2K_FDl5kwrilVKy3UP6tN-LbPW2czwASsL5Ds/s640/IMG_9587.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Are you wondering what Bei and Nanette are so excited about???</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8qBY-7ysTE13GxM4Y2qpnbi0N-uQ_BRXgV03omgDTp8rlouXVYEx-2qxFLau0NE_tF48dKr_qqmEJEb3XPsXenzdX0GNM8Ogl-PwhYcVUiRj_hU4F76XPICFFOZbVGvNoR68FGQKmcg/s1600/IMG_9589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8qBY-7ysTE13GxM4Y2qpnbi0N-uQ_BRXgV03omgDTp8rlouXVYEx-2qxFLau0NE_tF48dKr_qqmEJEb3XPsXenzdX0GNM8Ogl-PwhYcVUiRj_hU4F76XPICFFOZbVGvNoR68FGQKmcg/s640/IMG_9589.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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His volcano erupted!</div>
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My life is feeling like I am participating in the Amazing Race on a daily basis. Here is my schedule on Monday's and Wednesday's. Get up at 6:00 a.m. get myself ready, get the boys up, feed them their hashbrowns and eggs, dressed and out the door by 7:50 a.m. Making sure that both boys have their backpacks filled with everything they need. For Kai that is an extra change of clothes and winter clothes to go outside, hearing aids in, epilepsy medicine taken and a bottle for after class. Bei it is a lunch and winter clothes. Race to Roseville which is approximately 30 minutes to make Kai's 8:30 class. We then race back to Stillwater to make it by 9:00 for Bei's school. I haven't it made it on time yet, so Bei is racking up the tardy's which Bei's teacher spoke to me about. This past Monday, as I was pulling into Bei's school parking lot, I yelled for him to unbuckle, get his back pack and get ready to jump out of the car as soon as we stopped. It was 9:00 on the dot, we raced up the backstairs and I shoved Bei into the class room where I met the teacher face to face, it is now 9:01 a.m. With excited anticipation, I asked , "did we make it?" "No, you are the last team in, you are eliminated from the race". Dang!!! Off to the office again for a late slip. I laugh because the office ladies always demand to know the reason why and no matter what I tell them they write the same thing "Ride Late". Duh!!! I suppose they could write "irresponsible mom" but they are being kind. Then I run home and clean the house and I am headed back to Roseville at 11:20 with a stop at Burger King because I know Kai will be starving. Then we race back to Stillwater to pick up Bei from his lunch period. <br />
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Tuesday is the opposite. We go to Bei's school first and then race to Roseville to make the parent/child class held from 9:30 - 10:30. From there we race back to Stillwater to make Kai's 11:00 speech therapy at Courage Center. We then race over to the school to pick up Bei by 12:00. <br />
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The good thing about being an older mom is that I know that everything with these kids is such a short moment in time. Oh...but one thing that may help is that I am enrolling Bei into full day Kindergarten in February.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-77591942429980334282012-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:002012-01-24T21:27:18.986-08:00A New Day is Dawning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH_FbrEnHJZSE4CRZBKt0Qk57Qd3T6xZmJZR4Ad9KAR3UK9hkvzX2Vd_ChHVTk5_njiFqgp-M5Dh7vieuMdeFVxDUeBwa3vAWzsqH6vhckYHqJK26JALsWGVMp8O49dbhweec5pr4nrI/s1600/IMG_9574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH_FbrEnHJZSE4CRZBKt0Qk57Qd3T6xZmJZR4Ad9KAR3UK9hkvzX2Vd_ChHVTk5_njiFqgp-M5Dh7vieuMdeFVxDUeBwa3vAWzsqH6vhckYHqJK26JALsWGVMp8O49dbhweec5pr4nrI/s640/IMG_9574.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This little boy is changing this momma from a Type C- personality to Type A! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am breathing again. Kai started school at Northern Voices last week and it went really well! He absolutely loved it. Today, we went for our parent/child day, where they teach me the curriculum, so that I can reinforce at home what he learns at school. During the session I swore he said "car" and possibly "open". Hooray for Kai Kai Sweetie Pie!!! Okay, none of you would recognize it for a word but this little boy has gone from being totally non-verbal to babbling. Alot of it has to do with him wearing his hearing aids for longer periods of time. All that babbling just makes this momma's heart warm to the core. The day I dropped Kai off at his school I was a little weepy but for a totally different reason than I was with Bei. Kai I cried because I am so hopeful for his future now. I am so grateful that <a href="mailto:N@rthern">N@rthern</a> Voices took Kai since they are a private school they could have denied him. There are other children with special needs at NV, but I've been told there is only one little boy who has more medical challenges than Kai. I met that little boy today and oh my word, I can't wait for the time that Kai can converse with me like this little one did. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also received some really positive news from Kai's geneticist. Last Friday he had a CT scan done to look at his ears and also an MRI to look at his brain. From the beginning we have been told that Kai probably has a malformation of his cerebellum and that is why he walks around like a drunken little sailor (Ataxia). Instead, Kai's brain is structurally fine! There is no abnormality to his brain!!! Ironically, the fact that his brain is not malformed means that we know less than we did before about the Ataxia and the epilepsy. We don't know why he has Ataxia at this point, but the geneticist said there are more test that we can do. However, it is a hopeful story that he can just continue to progress. My little worker has already come so far! Additionally we were told that his ear show no structural abnormalities either. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj-QUb8smL0S29o7CD0QmMRtzoEbmQclR_NY0r4eNUVAPJRmL_PBaLMyW9cxis_2yB4_6XTyfveVuuOuj3mx8QYS0S52qyWycIEPB3Cha41yJ2UJwY1GhXu5L5wU_dgmJLp_Wjy4vihA/s1600/IMG_9502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj-QUb8smL0S29o7CD0QmMRtzoEbmQclR_NY0r4eNUVAPJRmL_PBaLMyW9cxis_2yB4_6XTyfveVuuOuj3mx8QYS0S52qyWycIEPB3Cha41yJ2UJwY1GhXu5L5wU_dgmJLp_Wjy4vihA/s640/IMG_9502.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This little guy is doing great also! He had a very special weekend with his cousin Ben.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-45726456109730307642012-01-17T21:56:00.000-08:002012-01-17T21:56:41.339-08:00Waiting to Exhale...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BhsO9A86TBLYhTKuq1pDrwk4edqAdkG5RmmZ6cTaOSmxtaSfYDVJSnCSV1T3Ty2IvINfHfA8amvmoDTUcIOf9qz6Lded7BT0yhqq_SHYWRQmqns7wqF_uhOggAVbHKXbOl5a77br0tc/s1600/IMG_9432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BhsO9A86TBLYhTKuq1pDrwk4edqAdkG5RmmZ6cTaOSmxtaSfYDVJSnCSV1T3Ty2IvINfHfA8amvmoDTUcIOf9qz6Lded7BT0yhqq_SHYWRQmqns7wqF_uhOggAVbHKXbOl5a77br0tc/s640/IMG_9432.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Tomorrow Kai Kai Sweetie Pie starts school at Northern Voices. It has been a long road getting there, but I am filled with hope and promise for Kai's future. Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-24929861243558440962012-01-06T21:14:00.000-08:002012-01-06T21:25:27.437-08:00Favorite Pictures of 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBB830tx7xTPuhGwfM5ycNtGHt0trtpJxoSAetF_hahOYWCilagUsC5eb1Y7uRp5qfUTI5JUiY6MiJxPi3WeR2BByHBycNIVCCQ4kQZvzso5MQXvqqcc9Uo8T-_s7K6MoXgZt4p2G0hw/s1600/IMG_6960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBB830tx7xTPuhGwfM5ycNtGHt0trtpJxoSAetF_hahOYWCilagUsC5eb1Y7uRp5qfUTI5JUiY6MiJxPi3WeR2BByHBycNIVCCQ4kQZvzso5MQXvqqcc9Uo8T-_s7K6MoXgZt4p2G0hw/s640/IMG_6960.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaLDZI-quBrk3RB-gLK02QTUzczuqS8pJblQvkPlWJf9YkIAMXhU67twFUPH_CxT3Ov91sPXLTD-tSxm6dpW1WEzI8_iqu1_3A2mWIlzgLoi_hgDFHYzaqtxp-iGqiqApUFMgFeXAK5s/s1600/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaLDZI-quBrk3RB-gLK02QTUzczuqS8pJblQvkPlWJf9YkIAMXhU67twFUPH_CxT3Ov91sPXLTD-tSxm6dpW1WEzI8_iqu1_3A2mWIlzgLoi_hgDFHYzaqtxp-iGqiqApUFMgFeXAK5s/s640/058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfzGEsCn__yv73C9jJRlun0mZNgIE2uoz3hmlVpUV6MpNQ4UdBdAtjyKX0BdX0hSPU3tyhaBV0J8MC_M1onSK1ZTXklDccoHeytrEpXcJcmiAiiQVC2XAKF6Q-zrURcO8J7tNpwx-KlY/s1600/IMG_7838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfzGEsCn__yv73C9jJRlun0mZNgIE2uoz3hmlVpUV6MpNQ4UdBdAtjyKX0BdX0hSPU3tyhaBV0J8MC_M1onSK1ZTXklDccoHeytrEpXcJcmiAiiQVC2XAKF6Q-zrURcO8J7tNpwx-KlY/s640/IMG_7838.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCrdnZtDLIWPZBvpmL9OMD5OzkgiSFOcEvbj7I3euLiEvE_nwH3zXhjnbSCrKz0YLXMqgRFqQ27xXUnc-9FcuAsJjMFOwlzRm1cuyjOu737ULmgaob7Gz2U7kAuZ7-N9LwLhXlCuZJjk/s1600/IMG_7847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCrdnZtDLIWPZBvpmL9OMD5OzkgiSFOcEvbj7I3euLiEvE_nwH3zXhjnbSCrKz0YLXMqgRFqQ27xXUnc-9FcuAsJjMFOwlzRm1cuyjOu737ULmgaob7Gz2U7kAuZ7-N9LwLhXlCuZJjk/s640/IMG_7847.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am stealing this idea from other blogging Mama's. These are some of my favorite pictures from 2011. I had a limited selection since I only chose from the pictures from the new camera which I got in July. </div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-48659135024283061112012-01-05T21:57:00.000-08:002012-01-05T22:01:57.077-08:00Pure Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9kV8RdC85GfTZDrZjZX-6cWV6aYNr4jbfhxuWFUO5qepCINy-zy-qE9jSSGC3YRMkR0Eqa2staViAjbLd0LYexyUGHq8-ygiQoIHR4LxrSfq1YK94yWvl41Tgvea3ChSLd4AMcgkauQ/s1600/IMG_8657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9kV8RdC85GfTZDrZjZX-6cWV6aYNr4jbfhxuWFUO5qepCINy-zy-qE9jSSGC3YRMkR0Eqa2staViAjbLd0LYexyUGHq8-ygiQoIHR4LxrSfq1YK94yWvl41Tgvea3ChSLd4AMcgkauQ/s640/IMG_8657.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This little boy is pure love and pure joy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-x5MJBwf5sy9RXt6WgyStQVmzb4o3KJw9c3MDvoB2Oy5DUZ2wMsIrE5JhjDQd-7b5CYIjEB5QOuBuglf5rVNQvAf37cTWorqlrQFc0DkbjLtHxzuM0Eqr96WcS1Jn65FKva7aes0Gf8/s1600/IMG_8659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-x5MJBwf5sy9RXt6WgyStQVmzb4o3KJw9c3MDvoB2Oy5DUZ2wMsIrE5JhjDQd-7b5CYIjEB5QOuBuglf5rVNQvAf37cTWorqlrQFc0DkbjLtHxzuM0Eqr96WcS1Jn65FKva7aes0Gf8/s640/IMG_8659.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> He has challenged me physically, emotionally and spiritually in ways that I could never have imagined.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFIZWxRjni85ael4dySvopVOE-FtAgh-i3wvxKYa2EhCJUSVx9j5DYJ8fGxkxSIEOR6vYSwWE2ROfV1a11XjIWtNunairfefZsoMGU-83hEYmmf-aMh7PpGuyLWDalwaHdnY2jqQfQgA/s1600/IMG_8661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFIZWxRjni85ael4dySvopVOE-FtAgh-i3wvxKYa2EhCJUSVx9j5DYJ8fGxkxSIEOR6vYSwWE2ROfV1a11XjIWtNunairfefZsoMGU-83hEYmmf-aMh7PpGuyLWDalwaHdnY2jqQfQgA/s640/IMG_8661.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">He has humbled me before God.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBojjFgBQmHpjZhnwvI0ZMMZea197Hf_wDAX-auxirHxVp24yupiCcajoUevLHSwC39Ky7lM3KrDv6irkD2xFsx-54QiutHFPgkXh1c2HzP5naUEdgneSXEUamMVUy3NbbIdDbXmBFjo/s1600/IMG_8664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBojjFgBQmHpjZhnwvI0ZMMZea197Hf_wDAX-auxirHxVp24yupiCcajoUevLHSwC39Ky7lM3KrDv6irkD2xFsx-54QiutHFPgkXh1c2HzP5naUEdgneSXEUamMVUy3NbbIdDbXmBFjo/s640/IMG_8664.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He has brought both tears and laughter into my daily living.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHGcmjMc-UMeIyOmGYTHYXzxsef2pwH5VmQY1cnh3Neaommiv_SOBVBzRdS7C8r84rVnLV1VqvoObjhAY0xq4pkF_lnh4vQ7t2GmKwgfCC53R86LuWcns5_pVEwn5KENyrjla6bcKtmg/s640/IMG_8660.JPG" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He inspires me by his tenacity to work so hard and accomplish so much. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> He is my love and my joy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*Note - The photo's are capturing Kai eating his first popsicle in August, 2011...quite a feat when you have Ataxia.</div><div align="center"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-11558324955051900912012-01-02T21:32:00.000-08:002012-01-02T21:32:24.176-08:00Mmmmmmmm....Schooooooool!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL9Q1FPth54BaAyqluT9qS33SIXvYcbuYA0xoq8FpZygJDcTVwpPsOstBdujJ-XSv1nstPXf4k1XII-HD9WEofxc2gqCo37pX5YBBWxOJ60Ad9UYVWx2vmZDTurK2Q8FCkw2Miihv8aM/s1600/IMG_9263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL9Q1FPth54BaAyqluT9qS33SIXvYcbuYA0xoq8FpZygJDcTVwpPsOstBdujJ-XSv1nstPXf4k1XII-HD9WEofxc2gqCo37pX5YBBWxOJ60Ad9UYVWx2vmZDTurK2Q8FCkw2Miihv8aM/s640/IMG_9263.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>I love this picture of Kai Kai Sweetie Pie because this is what he looks like when he is making the mmmmmm sound for more. Mmmm is the only consonant that Kai is using currently.</em></div><div align="center"><em>Cute picture of Cousin Katherine too!</em></div><br />
I feel like Alice in Wonderland since Kai was diagnosed this summer with severe hearing loss. I am navigating a world that I hardly knew anything of, the Hard of Hearing (HOH)/Deaf world. Unfortunately, nobody holds your hand and tells you what the choices are and what the best decisions are for your child. I lay in bed many nights and question my decisions, worry about what I don't know about the HOH world and wonder how my decisions are going to affect the future for Kai Kai Sweetie Pie. Right now my focus is getting Kai a language and we have decided to enroll Kai into the <a href="mailto:N@rthern">N@rthern</a> Voices program in January. It is the auditory/oral program that doesn't use sign language in it's curriculum. This is one decision that won't keep me up at night because we are really excited for him and feel that he is ready to make that next step forward. We would be grateful for any and all prayers lifting Kai up to be blessed with the gift of language. Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-25571365100405605522011-12-28T22:19:00.000-08:002011-12-28T22:19:03.495-08:00Christmas 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYG2IY-MSmvLRN7mHqu4SNR44nUaBpxyPbBVQXSojLkaPYmwC1X2y5Trxh6IO4ZiguPcnc-hfcYX4S3QPDb1MLM9wzZqTxgsDMvy25azenO9lKiMUWu4vTlR_AehN47ylRMostisRxD8/s1600/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYG2IY-MSmvLRN7mHqu4SNR44nUaBpxyPbBVQXSojLkaPYmwC1X2y5Trxh6IO4ZiguPcnc-hfcYX4S3QPDb1MLM9wzZqTxgsDMvy25azenO9lKiMUWu4vTlR_AehN47ylRMostisRxD8/s640/IMG_9237.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The kids had fun decorating cookies at Aunt Julie's house on Christmas Eve.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MffeIFx7HMxDeLRsn1crXj1UDDmtDSUtoYl7rY0RoYHE6bv5x4IGjrGvihjYEG_rd1pe6HY3VVytDwufPnv73SmmfX3gU4ORLTZiCyJrhN7OZviap5hAGUQCIjYxeEEvF7maYENzSPs/s1600/IMG_9260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MffeIFx7HMxDeLRsn1crXj1UDDmtDSUtoYl7rY0RoYHE6bv5x4IGjrGvihjYEG_rd1pe6HY3VVytDwufPnv73SmmfX3gU4ORLTZiCyJrhN7OZviap5hAGUQCIjYxeEEvF7maYENzSPs/s640/IMG_9260.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Uh oh...what does my handsome little boy have in his hand??? It looks like one of Auntie Julie's beautiful glass ornaments! Julie are you down an ornament???? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj39oXZ03xV5f1GYxVhv_yJmeRWHWqz3Ln9P_VkZqZCj1ckbQf-cdGu5yeICi65ds7bLO5sOEbpF6A7kvygUNtYnnnm_Q9MkdIbkJH-DhPQyEO2R_WfWnx33FaapW33ViqbexKMlhyrc/s1600/IMG_9290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj39oXZ03xV5f1GYxVhv_yJmeRWHWqz3Ln9P_VkZqZCj1ckbQf-cdGu5yeICi65ds7bLO5sOEbpF6A7kvygUNtYnnnm_Q9MkdIbkJH-DhPQyEO2R_WfWnx33FaapW33ViqbexKMlhyrc/s640/IMG_9290.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> Bei would love to have older siblings...he just loves the attention that he gets from his cousins. Elly and Bei had fun racing down the staircase together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsBWHpTjjJ8wXYt1ZPE0IJjWNTl46IBqXkso-sUiuPIpQWi-zEBGmoX2uk4h8-CybZ7T20okCYCRa1Ghe-5iZshs134RwKiT9AdXvI3Mf-GOYWDOSN7tqzPMxAJAnkFd2qI-dJISd3sg/s1600/IMG_9391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsBWHpTjjJ8wXYt1ZPE0IJjWNTl46IBqXkso-sUiuPIpQWi-zEBGmoX2uk4h8-CybZ7T20okCYCRa1Ghe-5iZshs134RwKiT9AdXvI3Mf-GOYWDOSN7tqzPMxAJAnkFd2qI-dJISd3sg/s640/IMG_9391.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Let me tell you...it is embarrassing when both your father and mother in law can work circles around you. I have never met two people who work harder than Bob and Rudene. Dan came by his strong work ethic honestly. Hopefully, he can instill that type of work ethic in our kids. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuPJLV3qw0fmQEWJeQJFJGnWrnWH8Bygtzx-qxgWC3syNfSvyi3_vvQvNMWm7f_sI1fysX4k8DsNkyD1BBXuWF5rDVEOjMwO09Flxmjt6UWR8KFj315s7Ko0ljXifjvCPj0NmpuTPYYI/s1600/IMG_9415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuPJLV3qw0fmQEWJeQJFJGnWrnWH8Bygtzx-qxgWC3syNfSvyi3_vvQvNMWm7f_sI1fysX4k8DsNkyD1BBXuWF5rDVEOjMwO09Flxmjt6UWR8KFj315s7Ko0ljXifjvCPj0NmpuTPYYI/s640/IMG_9415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> Here is the Engineer and the Scientist together. Since Bei wants to be a Scientist Grandma and Grandpa bought him a bunch of science project kits and a microscope. Bei was proudly listing all the planets to me today; Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Mars, Michigan... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4HzV1Z4thCtlGKKTG-qfMuOhv1GMSVz2Lhu4LHrODkQ5XNhNJE4xdhUHokLhuMzR2jxYMLsrBlLhFA-kbVgs8o3ABOBVhS_4HY35F4xRIHq8Q5oSKkJYDMkakBBVQPUExXiq-mxYHvs/s1600/IMG_9428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4HzV1Z4thCtlGKKTG-qfMuOhv1GMSVz2Lhu4LHrODkQ5XNhNJE4xdhUHokLhuMzR2jxYMLsrBlLhFA-kbVgs8o3ABOBVhS_4HY35F4xRIHq8Q5oSKkJYDMkakBBVQPUExXiq-mxYHvs/s640/IMG_9428.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Here are my two little Scientist in the morning working on a cooking project. Bei is really making our pancakes for breakfast. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMXkFsM4nrAix6SyYgqaRcji2DPur7Gyp0A3ydLjoy7MMdbgddGTcwjPQbojvZymSqd7_k0b_s3SQXYUjTX_7RJ0ISAYr8FqTO5HxLBFc89n0SNULq1LlJrVI9-lJHbuF8Nam70bQYXk/s1600/IMG_9426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMXkFsM4nrAix6SyYgqaRcji2DPur7Gyp0A3ydLjoy7MMdbgddGTcwjPQbojvZymSqd7_k0b_s3SQXYUjTX_7RJ0ISAYr8FqTO5HxLBFc89n0SNULq1LlJrVI9-lJHbuF8Nam70bQYXk/s640/IMG_9426.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I couldn't leave out my favorite little Nemesis, Elvis. His most recent terrorizing of me is puking in my van and chewing all the DVD wires so that the kids can't watch movies in the car any longer and eating about 20 ornaments off of the tree before I realized what was going on. I hope at least he got a little bit of a zap when he chewed through them. Don't worry, I love the little guy but he drives me a little crazy at times. Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-10947784978275058522011-12-22T21:06:00.000-08:002011-12-22T21:06:09.843-08:00My Kids Wear Clothes...It's A Rule!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7n3h0M1B0nLFVKHmX4QNOLaFTiVE9qVfSb4CCGIGS3VaEq6xlpqku5kdDUCDSATpu934gda1wMJxATGLY1vl4atqBfSNKAbUz69OjPFRld_KXMCmO_ZBiZxbm1DaF_FacDyf6wLzrks/s1600/DSCN2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7n3h0M1B0nLFVKHmX4QNOLaFTiVE9qVfSb4CCGIGS3VaEq6xlpqku5kdDUCDSATpu934gda1wMJxATGLY1vl4atqBfSNKAbUz69OjPFRld_KXMCmO_ZBiZxbm1DaF_FacDyf6wLzrks/s640/DSCN2027.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> These are pictures from this summer. Playing mini-golf in Hayward.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWCfRe8kf4mYsX_k4Qrci8FavB61Sge5bk-r7jymZAZd4ZGdoopQFzFyppNuJcNlqALdmVLGzD32lqYdXlJnp0zZvXl6RxR2SPDJzu5pxR_TnsKjmXPzQv2OWZm4wCZ_eHtXpJ55j6Wo/s1600/DSCN2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWCfRe8kf4mYsX_k4Qrci8FavB61Sge5bk-r7jymZAZd4ZGdoopQFzFyppNuJcNlqALdmVLGzD32lqYdXlJnp0zZvXl6RxR2SPDJzu5pxR_TnsKjmXPzQv2OWZm4wCZ_eHtXpJ55j6Wo/s640/DSCN2040.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
I'm responding to both Becky and Jeannine who commented on the last blog post about my unclothed kids. The funny thing is that I have a rule that Bei has to wear at least what we call a "daddy shirt" which is a white t-shirt. But as you both know, I am not a very good rule follower. Luckily, Bei is a real rule follower and wants to make sure that he nor I break the rules. Sometimes when he goes on Wii he ask me to turn on the timer, so he doesn't play too long. If I tell him to stop doing something or I am going to punish him we get into a very lengthy discussion about the specifics of the punishment. He will want to know the what, how, who, where, when and by the time we are finished discussing it he definitely is not doing the behavior that deserves the punishment. I once gave him a punishment of not being on the computer for the day and he said "mom, that is not tough enough, you need to do like 4 days". Okay! 4 days it is! He is definitely a kid that likes to please his parents with good behavior. Which reminds me that we got Bei's report card this week. I showed it to Dan when he got home from work and this is what he said, "Honestly Liz...6 absence and 8 Tardy's!" Make that 9 Dan, the very next day we were late!!! Luckily, I have a special needs kid and can throw that card on the table. I go to the office and they look at me and I just nod towards Kai and give them the look and they write "Ride Late." Come on! Why can't they write "screaming insane inconsolable child in the morning" or least "little brother had gas". So every year I have the same New Years Resolution; Don't be a back seat driver Now my new New Years resolution is no tardy's beginning 2012. It would make my little rule follower very happy...except on Mass days, he always wants to be late. <br />
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Kai Update; Kai walked downstairs repeatedly by himself, one foot after the other. I have to give Dan all the credit because he was playing with him on the steps and he had the confidence that Kai could do it without his assistance. He probably went up and down the steps 40 times...by himself! This is HUGE!!! Stairs have been a problem from a safety point of view. Balancing on one foot to reach your other foot down to the next step is extremely hard for a person with Ataxia. That little boy is such an inspiration to me! 'For Kai there are no problems, only solutions'. Love that little boy!!! Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-69825227688807411032011-12-19T22:13:00.000-08:002011-12-19T22:17:30.872-08:00Scattered Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWLo4Ts9aflCj52vt6I79VSsp-SmE3yHIOrrQbcaVEJCCynWeBBBaJSNcgkffvBLENbkMEmye_w30n2BlM4yoor4LIG-g4mKisGCxGd6r2lpC0uzWuVEeozePst0UbYeJR2kAC2y93CQ/s1600/IMG_9161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWLo4Ts9aflCj52vt6I79VSsp-SmE3yHIOrrQbcaVEJCCynWeBBBaJSNcgkffvBLENbkMEmye_w30n2BlM4yoor4LIG-g4mKisGCxGd6r2lpC0uzWuVEeozePst0UbYeJR2kAC2y93CQ/s640/IMG_9161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Do you see the little fence made of toys that Kai built for himself? He loves to play in this corner with the teddy bear behind him and then close himself in with the toys. You can see his little buddy is in there with him. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljSeKBqGLcrEsXRmjGW2NgmhIf-QG6SJQDBrOZlbCjMwIvGrm7fKCzbZ0TfdCq9HRNXXxC3TsfMYBQc9StNIrqWcdlxj-gNAFvrEk2MDsbyouSa-TyUGIPPQ71-uVznZo-Hf6mfaSsg8/s1600/IMG_9163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljSeKBqGLcrEsXRmjGW2NgmhIf-QG6SJQDBrOZlbCjMwIvGrm7fKCzbZ0TfdCq9HRNXXxC3TsfMYBQc9StNIrqWcdlxj-gNAFvrEk2MDsbyouSa-TyUGIPPQ71-uVznZo-Hf6mfaSsg8/s640/IMG_9163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I really didn't know much about this Elf on the Shelf phenomenon, except I kept seeing people post comments on face book. My sister Jeannine bought this for me for an early Christmas present! So when I was explaining the story to Bei about how the Elf has magic powers and flys to the North Pole every night to report back to Santa, Bei's eyes just got bigger and bigger and he was busting at the seams with excitement! I am so not a poker face and I cracked up laughing...his excitement was just so cute. Dan pulled me aside later and jokingly said, "Gee's Liz, why don't you just tell him there is no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy while you are at it". He still believes because he is so excited every morning to see where the Elf has landed. <br />
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And let me tell you that little boy does believe the Elf is magic because he is fleecing me out of a lot of money every night. Bei had $.30 cents in change and told me that he wanted to put it under his pillow to see what happened. I couldn't disappoint the little guy so I changed the $.30 to $3.00 and it came with a note from the Elf saying how proud he was of Bei's behavior, etc, etc. Well we are on night 4 of money under the pillow and the Elf is going to have to break the news to this little boy that he isn't going to be getting money every night for the rest of his life. Tough job for Elf to do, hopefully he is gentle about it. <br />
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Did I share with you that Bei wants to be a Scientist? Yeah for Bei! We have been spending alot of time "experimenting". We have made homemade fingerpaint, that actually turned about beautiful, homemade clay and we made chocolate cookies without eggs, just to name a few things. If you ever need a homemade weapon, make the cookies without eggs, they are as hard as rocks. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzGgv9Wp0_9qA9CdtxwNJEybwJvRHk8kI-uRqFI9-6k6XTIQPwYaKPP6RG2bYhMXG2v2-d_4y_6Vf4h2dJtux8a33rerUqxXYJR07l-E2ArlWYT8_G-LcDxidDlcm-a-u_dTaqBTNEOQ/s1600/IMG_9153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzGgv9Wp0_9qA9CdtxwNJEybwJvRHk8kI-uRqFI9-6k6XTIQPwYaKPP6RG2bYhMXG2v2-d_4y_6Vf4h2dJtux8a33rerUqxXYJR07l-E2ArlWYT8_G-LcDxidDlcm-a-u_dTaqBTNEOQ/s640/IMG_9153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">Here is some of the homemade fingerpaints</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Kai likes making clay too! Maybe he is going to be a scientist too! </div><div style="text-align: center;">P.S. Tomorrow will be 7 straight days of Kai wearing his hearing aids from morning until bedtime...excuse me while I go knock on wood! </div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-80392813586577029472011-12-13T22:23:00.000-08:002011-12-13T22:25:05.027-08:00Denied Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Is there anything more precious than sleeping children?</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div>We found out today that Kai was denied our second request to go to the public Deaf and HOH school. In the first meeting I didn't really understand the dynamics going on in the room, but this time the Deaf/HOH teacher came and she laid it out on the line. She said, that they don't feel that they can accomodate him at this time. They said, the room is too crowded and the classroom is geared towards 4 year olds. They are willing to consider him in the fall when they move to a new building which will be in the town that we live in. What my school district is offering me instead is 2 afternoons a week, where Kai will be in a pre-school setting at an elementary school. He will have a special ed teacher, speech and Deaf and HOH teacher. They will also provide him PT and OT services. Additionally, they will install a sound system for him which will amplify the teacher's voice. I told them that I would need to come and evaluate the school before I agreed to it. The pre-school is new and won't start up until January. <br />
In the meantime, we are still considering the private school that costs a bundle. I am going to go look at it again on Monday. We are looking at going only 3 days a week and if he went for a full year, for only the 3 days it would cost us over $19,000 a year. Once he moves out of the toddler program the cost raises to $30,000 a year. OUCH! Some school districts pay for it but ours won't without a fight. At this point, I am not stressing about it because I believe God has a plan for him. I just need to watch it unfold. <br />
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I wanted to share with you some good things that are happening to Kai. He is going to be fitted with braces that will fit in his shoes and go up to his ankles. YaHOO!!!!!! As a reminder, Kai has what is medically defined as Ataxia. I call it "Drunken Sailor Condition", but it really is a balance issue due to malformation or trauma to his cerebellum (base of skull). I have been really concerned about Kai's walking lately. He falls ALOT! He walks around with his toes curled under his feet and/or he walks on the side of his feet and/or the balls of his feet, he hyper-extends his knee's. He is doing everything within his power to compensate for his balance issue's and to walk. He is such a hard little worker!! Anyway, I am excited that he will get fitted for braces because he needs the help. The physical therapist warned me that he may need to learn to walk all over again, but I am okay with it. <br />
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Also, we got Kai's hearing aid back from the audiologist and he has been a champ about wearing both of them. Tonight we were playing basketball down in the basement and I told him to sign me "more" before I would give him the ball. Instead, he put his lips together and said "mo"!!!! That is better than any sign he could give me! Bless his little heart! <br />
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Lastly, I wanted to share with you that I was able to visit with my family down in Chicago. We flew down on Friday and came back on Monday. It really did my heart, my spirit and attitude good to be with my family. Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-27601517545485371002011-12-01T22:20:00.000-08:002011-12-01T22:30:05.341-08:00Kai Kai Sweetie Pie Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuYVV0wOzdG1xxZvBpbljbONC9QWhccp0qCIy7QxW2MV7uENbEPBcxdC8Jakx1NLz4wz0TUbT7KAuEEIwXLjEwviDlmuudJkvISfERKz-MwzCmIqrlE8RMhZvzqDT8kx4uO4MbbVgDzE/s1600/IMG_9120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuYVV0wOzdG1xxZvBpbljbONC9QWhccp0qCIy7QxW2MV7uENbEPBcxdC8Jakx1NLz4wz0TUbT7KAuEEIwXLjEwviDlmuudJkvISfERKz-MwzCmIqrlE8RMhZvzqDT8kx4uO4MbbVgDzE/s640/IMG_9120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The best way for me to get Kai to wear his hearing aids is to turn on music. He loves the Einstein Playdate (I don't even know what it is called and I am too lazy to go look right now) and Raffi the best. </div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLru_z0pvi1RaXRIAhwUijYRgnTIRVQmG8sBPJI0VLhqE9_IKx6BQHJOCV6okuuPfh4kaZYJ8OeVdS3Bj0NvdzHGqo9r-U_xwJTG8pPoF-QpjR_-iu6Kl0J4DJ33RH5PGaJLbrZ98dKZw/s1600/IMG_9122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLru_z0pvi1RaXRIAhwUijYRgnTIRVQmG8sBPJI0VLhqE9_IKx6BQHJOCV6okuuPfh4kaZYJ8OeVdS3Bj0NvdzHGqo9r-U_xwJTG8pPoF-QpjR_-iu6Kl0J4DJ33RH5PGaJLbrZ98dKZw/s640/IMG_9122.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> A dance party usually breaks out once the music starts.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_AxWnm_XbAGtPu3qMea0PhMwT28PDCL9PGJrD3iV5eKAJZQmTkTGS-t1SMyZvwEXq7SmaabZ16kBuA4Ch0NH50uuyPCeNvjaLE9NLWaouIsIF9XOx9P_6BzvHN2O5X6PC2B2E0cHKY0/s1600/IMG_9123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_AxWnm_XbAGtPu3qMea0PhMwT28PDCL9PGJrD3iV5eKAJZQmTkTGS-t1SMyZvwEXq7SmaabZ16kBuA4Ch0NH50uuyPCeNvjaLE9NLWaouIsIF9XOx9P_6BzvHN2O5X6PC2B2E0cHKY0/s640/IMG_9123.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Kai is down to one hearing aid because one of them is not working. It has been a week since he has been without it but I hope it comes in tomorrow.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLogKhJihO42egUeJlCCsVDm8CpwwVHV-a7TqJlAu_Pln_Awri0Sv5-xnStFIV5NrKLDsqooXNa19GkpPnuhq8qOLgdkk8esjo4dFthlf6AbYvpjgXQthHb1L6QCpcoTVkfZQDtz945U/s1600/IMG_9115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLogKhJihO42egUeJlCCsVDm8CpwwVHV-a7TqJlAu_Pln_Awri0Sv5-xnStFIV5NrKLDsqooXNa19GkpPnuhq8qOLgdkk8esjo4dFthlf6AbYvpjgXQthHb1L6QCpcoTVkfZQDtz945U/s640/IMG_9115.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> The big news of the month is that effective November 20th...Kai has been seizure free for 6 months!!! The longest he has ever gone without a seizure! It would be a blessing for him if he grows out of having seizures. By the way, Kai's latest dance move is dropping to his head in the tumble stance. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknmC5uL9VZTTJ4I6IHZfK9fYexdg53_dPcGY3s4kDeKhJTnPjoNIZWuN6yo9Twd-MRFpZF8WXqRH9U_xecCH1yhVnEUAXrcidK9dl8jhtVlqLZDpP7AzfC4drbSC0ZRLgPzOo9DwE6Cc/s1600/IMG_9112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknmC5uL9VZTTJ4I6IHZfK9fYexdg53_dPcGY3s4kDeKhJTnPjoNIZWuN6yo9Twd-MRFpZF8WXqRH9U_xecCH1yhVnEUAXrcidK9dl8jhtVlqLZDpP7AzfC4drbSC0ZRLgPzOo9DwE6Cc/s640/IMG_9112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Bei loved doing the tumble dance move too. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaLleglN5NGnN9LkSKO3wlfNdLA9z6ekLfXNnyNwWkRUZUgVIyKSY-JJbU6y8sV7pq3jAOYyk7GUDE3MLeqA69QAy86rY1Av0xMRiWzu_AwShkL3hvBQ3W-71FXe3pcomvd78vCPX274/s1600/IMG_9125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaLleglN5NGnN9LkSKO3wlfNdLA9z6ekLfXNnyNwWkRUZUgVIyKSY-JJbU6y8sV7pq3jAOYyk7GUDE3MLeqA69QAy86rY1Av0xMRiWzu_AwShkL3hvBQ3W-71FXe3pcomvd78vCPX274/s640/IMG_9125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>I was hoping to have an update on Kai's schooling. I have heard "unofficially" that the public Deaf and Hard of Hearing School is willing to take him. Previously, they denied him because of his physical needs and they said they wouldn't be able to provide him the Physical and Occupational Therapy that he needs. (I am not even asking the public school to provide him with those services since I take him to private therapy.) According to my source they said they would find services for him and bring them in house for Kai. Well I won't turn down any service for him. Anyway, this is a totally different tune then what I heard before at the first meeting. One of the members on Kai' child intervention team went and advocated for him. She has an "in" with that school and she has a soft place for Kai. I am so lucky to have her on my team and advocating for Kai. Now the sticking point is getting my school district to agree. As much as I don't want to be away from Kai, I know that he needs more services than I can provide. We are however starting to use sign language. Kai not only "signs" up, but he will say "uh, uh". I feel like he is really starting to make some huge strides in his development. I realize the kids look a little ragtag in the pictures above but I wanted to share their joyful happy spirits. I am so lucky that I have two very naturally happy kids!!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-88278378178242042152011-11-22T22:29:00.000-08:002011-11-23T22:20:57.101-08:00Being Bullied!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBADqmOIdgHOdJSnKKZsS_Fv0JDGucmppkG0upIwmzFi-Duz2tN_3iJ4OrAMkhCSoi4A4bCflETZ_MMtlWIOm_4SuekCoo0uvqyhtgaXQF8-0qnOqWUtytZ6gT4qtM9TEHh56sFtwsYks/s1600/IMG_9006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBADqmOIdgHOdJSnKKZsS_Fv0JDGucmppkG0upIwmzFi-Duz2tN_3iJ4OrAMkhCSoi4A4bCflETZ_MMtlWIOm_4SuekCoo0uvqyhtgaXQF8-0qnOqWUtytZ6gT4qtM9TEHh56sFtwsYks/s640/IMG_9006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<em>Bei and Dan's relationship has really grown and deepened in the past year. They definitely are buddies.</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqe9VWv_NMOvQfkE_07amtVDW-8FT_REZrK1BE_6rXSQC45uDLfMX6E3pPKMrqqvdtpCFsHVVwzLC_nQwBArdLRUDCGsiKEQLWl-cxc-NSmrQdAOMyUp8IJWVg4UNVTI2NRGh8vf6Q4o/s1600/IMG_9010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqe9VWv_NMOvQfkE_07amtVDW-8FT_REZrK1BE_6rXSQC45uDLfMX6E3pPKMrqqvdtpCFsHVVwzLC_nQwBArdLRUDCGsiKEQLWl-cxc-NSmrQdAOMyUp8IJWVg4UNVTI2NRGh8vf6Q4o/s640/IMG_9010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br />
<em>When Bei did his first homework assignment, I thought "uh oh...he hasn't lost his Chinese because surely that was not English that he was trying to write." It is amazing how improved his work has become in such a short amount of time.</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It is not Bei getting Bullied at his school, BUT me! Let me tell you about the first encounter. This was during the time that Kai had been really sick for two weeks. It didn't matter that Kai is covered in hives, is sicker than a dog, I still have to schlepp him along with me to and from Bei's school. Anyway, there is a bench that the 1/2 day mom's sit on outside Bei's classroom while we are waiting for our kids to be let out of the classroom. During the time that we are sitting there, the first graders walk down towards us to get to the lunch room. So I am sitting there with Kai on my lap and I am giving him a bottle. It not my usual routine but he is sick this day, and just wants to lie on my lap and take a bottle. The first graders are led out of their room by Sister Perpetua (honestly her real "sister" name) and I notice "Little Miss Bossy Pants" right away. She is telling the other kids to stay in line, she is overly concerned about what every one else is doing. When she gets to the end of the hall where we are, she stops and stands right in front of Kai and I. She doesn't say anything but starts looking him up and down like she is examining him for a medical appointment. Finally she looks up at me and announces "He is WAY too big for a bottle!" Now I am exhausted, Kai hasn't slept for a week, he is screaming all night long and now little Miss Bossy Pants wants me to answer to her. In my tired state I decide to lay down the gauntlet to her and say "Really? How old do you think he is?" She assesses the situation, re-examines him and states "He is 3 years old!" HA!! YOU FOOL! I want to scream but didn't think it was prudent since I am 40 years older than this little girl. Instead I say, "Well he is only 2 years old...na, na, nana!" Okay...I didn't say na nana...but I wanted to. By this time, the little girls class has been gone for a good 5 minutes...I bet Sister Perpetua is grateful for the 5 minutes without Miss Bossy Pants. Later that same week, I kid you not, this same little girl had another mom (not her own mom) pinned up against the wall asking her questions. I just heard the mom kept repeating "Bossy Pants (insert her real name) you should go back to your class room now" I think I saw fear in this womans eyes or desperation to help her get out of the situation. I kept my head down and was grateful it wasn't me. <br />
The second bullying encounter is more of an exclusion of being with the 'cool kids' - the 8th graders! Every Wednesday Bei's school has to attend Mass in the morning. In order to help the Kindergarteners learn the Mass they pair each Kindergarten child with an 8th grade buddy...Mass buddy's. Now isn't that a sweet concept? I really think it is a great idea, except our 8th grade buddy refuses to sit with us! Okay, let me back track to explain how I am lucky enough to be going to Mass every Wednesday. Bei loves his teacher, he loves his school, he loved the idea of having a Mass buddy, but he hates Mass! I would have to carry Bei in literally kicking and screaming to school on Wednesdays because he didn't want to go to Mass. Honestly, carrying Bei into school one or two Wednesdays kicking and screaming is a feat in itself! I already have a special needs child who needs to be carried and it is not like I get to park by the school. That is left for buses and kid drop off. The only thing that would calm Bei down is if I go to Mass with him...I guess his philosphy is misery loves company. Thanks Bei! Now believe me I am not the only mom attending Mass with her Kindergarten child and their Mass buddy is at least willing to sit with them. I admit that there are alot of valid reasons why our Mass buddy might not want to sit with us. It could be the fact that I am usually doing a full blown aerobic work out and weight training with Kai while sitting at church. Look at that woman is wearing that child on her head, oh...no...now he is upside down and climbing down her back...oops...she didn't have the strength to hold him by his ankles and he fell to the pew hitting his head and now he is screaming...not for long...he is passing out...thank goodness...at least he is quiet! Personally, I think the event that put our Mass buddy over the edge with us was when right as communion had started Kai's head got stuck in between the kneeler and the floor and I couldn't get it out. Our entire row had gone through communion and I am on all four's still trying to get Kai's head unstuck when they return from getting the Eucharist. That pretty much was the end of our Mass Buddy. The following Wednesday Bei's teacher told me that Mass Buddy's mom called and said that he feels 'uncomfortable' sitting by us. ME TOO! I wouldn't want to sit by me either! He is 14, he probably goes home and hugs his mom and tells her how lucky he is to have a normal mom. Now I bring Kai's bottle to church to keep him settled...but that brings up the whole issue of dodging Miss Bossy Pants. <br />
The last situation was this past Wednesday where I was apologizing to a 14 year old girl for being loud in church. Kai was pretty good but was getting restless towards the end of Mass. He started playing with the hymnal book which sits in a wooden grate on the back of the seat in front of us. A girl two pews ahead turned around and gave me "the look". I meekly mouthed "sorry" to her and she gave me 'the nod' like an old school marm. I think she might be Miss Bossy Pants older sister.<br />
So that is my life of being bullied at the Catholic School!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-74756100737272944212011-11-16T21:34:00.000-08:002011-11-16T21:40:58.428-08:00School for Kai?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA544f8XrC2oD5JmFiHmLE5dhYWI7whi-y7tfaLWz0m3KxZMh7RGCnT7PGqlzu7BjrHgo9_-iW3M-pQ-LNA-LxAFd-vv625SAu2SPuuRWWwZ_hU_BbrTlWIrx77vW2Nt-5b54TBB7oilw/s1600/IMG_8990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA544f8XrC2oD5JmFiHmLE5dhYWI7whi-y7tfaLWz0m3KxZMh7RGCnT7PGqlzu7BjrHgo9_-iW3M-pQ-LNA-LxAFd-vv625SAu2SPuuRWWwZ_hU_BbrTlWIrx77vW2Nt-5b54TBB7oilw/s640/IMG_8990.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">All the boys, including Elvis loved playing with the marbles!</div><br />
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Have you ever been in a situation where you are overwhelmed with emotion that you didn't even know you were feeling, until you burst into tears? This happened to me recently when I visited a private deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) school called <a href="mailto:N@rthern">N@rthern</a> Voices. It is a curriculum that teaches children to listen with the hearing that they have and to speak English. Sign language is not a part of their curriculum. Anyway, I had been there a half an hour and the more I saw, the more hope I had for Kai Kai Sweetie Pie. The clincher for me was when they brought me to a boy that came into the school in March 2011 at age 4 and was totally non-verbal (like Kai) and he was saying to his teacher "pour water". Those two words, did me in...the water works began! Very embarrassing to the say the least, but I realize how much stress I have been carrying around about Kai's language development. I have been receiving literature from the Deaf and HOH teacher about language development and it is STRESSING ME out!!! In a good way though because it forced me to get Kai's hearing aids in and keep them in. I would LOVE for Kai to go to this school but we will have to figure it out from a financial stand point. It is EXTREMELY expensive. This school is about 20 to 30 minutes away, can you imagine if I am driving both boys to school how late we are going to be each and every day...yikes! Oh well, I will cross that bridge when I come to it.<br />
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There are two other options for Kai. One is a Deaf and HOH school that is in another school district but is in colloboration with our school district to send hearing impaired kids there. They turned Kai down the first time we requested to go there due to his physical needs. After visiting <a href="mailto:N@rthern">N@rthern</a> Voices I went back to them and said this is crazy that I will have to spend $19,000 a year to send my child to a HOH school, when there is one that is available to taxpayers in our district. We worked out a proposal that was submitted where Kai would go 3 days to the HOH school and then get Physical Therapy and Speech from our district the other two days. I heard unofficially that my coordinator said "that is the Cadillac version and that Kai is not getting the Cadillac." Argh...money, politics, ego's! These are the same people that come into my house weekly to provide services and tell me that they are advocating for my son to go to the HOH school. So now I will have to put on my fighting gloves and fight the school district if I want the public HOH option. I haven't even toured the public HOH school yet, but I have heard it is really good. <br />
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The second public option is to send him a charter school called the Metro Deaf and Hard of Hearing School in St. Paul. It is a bilingual program where they are taught American Sign Language and English. I am sure this is all about funding and the school district doesn't want to lose the money is my guess. Frustrating to say the least.<br />
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The hardest part for me is the fact that I really don't want him to go to school. I don't want to be away from him. It took so long for him to bond and now he has become a momma's boy. A mom on another blog wrote that she really started enjoying her kids when they were 4 years old. For me, I LOVE 2 year olds!!!! Kai and I have so much fun together, we snuggle alot and dance and play with his toys. He is such a wonderful little boy, I LOVE him so much! I hate the thought of him not being with me 24 hours a day. BUT, I realize I have to take myself out of the equation and do what is best for my little guy and not what is best for me. HARD! HARD! HARD! The good news is that I am letting go of the anger and frustration of all of this with the knowledge that God has a plan for Kai. Could it be that God just wants my little boy to stay home with me???????? I know, I know, wishful thinking on my part!<br />
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Quick update on Kai's hearing aids...he continues to wear them! Yeah for Kai Kai Sweetie Pie!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-30947358159362849912011-11-14T21:59:00.000-08:002012-09-16T02:42:37.337-07:00Sharing Stuff!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wanted to share with you some of the idea's and things I have learned from reading other peoples blogs. </div>
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These are canvas prints of photographs that I had taken. The company can be found at this link <a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/pictures-on-canvas/">http://www.easycanvasprints.com/pictures-on-canvas/</a> This is so easy to do; you decide on the size of your canvas, upload your picture, pick out the type of frame you want and then you order it. The quality is really nice and they come with a hanger already attached. I received these within a week. Bonus! I also received 17 gift cards for $10 each when I received the pictures. They expire on December 31, 2011 and I would love to give you one if you are going to order. If you want a gift card for $10.00 send me your email at <a href="mailto:Danlizk@comcast.net">Danlizk@comcast.net</a> or leave a comment and I will mail the card out to you. It will be a first come first serve. </div>
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For Kai's pictures you'll notice that I picked a black "frame" which are the top, bottom and sides of the pictures. For Bei's I had the picture continuously wrap around. I personally like the black frame better than the wrap around. We are still trying to figure out where we are going to hang the pictures. </div>
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I learned of this Easy Canvas Prints from a blogger named Lisa. She is an adoptive mom and a photographer. The pictures that she took while in China really caught the essence of China. Her blog is <a href="http://www.thelongroadtochina.com/">www.thelongroadtochina.com</a> </div>
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The boys and I get up 2 hours before school and ironically we were still getting to school late several times a week. Ugh! I am to blame for part of the issue because I am a breakfast Nazi about the kids having a cooked meal before school. I am a person who is hungry every 2 hours, and if I don't eat...forget it! I am cranky, lose interest in what I am doing and pretty much shut down. So I guess I assume other people are like that, so I shovel food into the kids every 2 hours starting with a nice warm breakfast. It is usually consists of 2 eggs on Hashbrowns. The second part of why I was struggling to get us to school on time is that I was getting 3 people fed, dressed and out the door. Bei and I are quite the pair...he loves to be dependent on me and I am a huge enabler!!! Let's hope that this doesn't translate into a 35 year old Bei still living in my home!!! He already tells me that he doesn't ever want to go to College because he doesn't want to live away from me. Anyway, I implemented a reward system for Bei where he would get a sticker if he fed himself, dressed himself, brush teeth and comb his hair, said his prayers. He gets a bonus sticker if he was a good listener. Once he receives 30 stickers he can purchase an inexpensive item. His first purchase was an IPad App. He is now working towards marbles. This has been a life changing reward system for the both of us, but mostly Bei. We are getting to school on time, mornings are fun and easy the way that they should be. The second picture listed above is of an art project the boys did BEFORE school, because we have alot of time now! <br />
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Once Bei started Kindergarten I realized immediately that I was going to have to get organized. He has homework that is due. There are library books to keep track of and return, not to mention all of Kai's therapy's and doctor appointments. I have my normal date book that I keep track in but then on Sunday evenings I then outline the week which is the picture above. Included are the words and letter that Bei is working on for that week. I learned this over at <a href="http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.com/">www.memoriesoncloverlane.com</a> Sarah who writes this blog is super organized, can multi-tasked like nobodys business and is wonderfully creative. </div>
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Lastly, I learned about this program called Reading Eggs <a href="http://www.readingeggs.com/">www.readingeggs.com</a> It is a great program for pre-schoolers and Elementary Kids that are learning to read. It costs around $70 for 12 months and they offer a free trial. We did the free trial and Bei enjoyed it for the most part. The benefit of this program is that it is a rewards program. Once you complete a lesson then you receive Eggs that can be traded in to play a fun on-line game. I learned about this from a mom named Stefanie who has a boat load of kids. Her blog is <a href="http://www.nihaoyall.com/">www.nihaoyall.com</a></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-32625289996360694842011-11-07T22:00:00.000-08:002011-11-07T22:04:03.426-08:00My Favorite Things!I recently called my sister Nanette to thank her for teaching me how to use bleach with my laundry! It is crazy that I am well into my 40's and never had used bleach because I didn't know how to do it without ruining my clothes. Anyway, it got me thinking of all the simple pleasures in my life that make it easier and how I really couldn't do without some of these. So here is my list of simple pleasures and why. <br />
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This is really a three fold simple pleasure; a main floor laundry room - oh my gosh, how did I do without? No wonder the laundry never got done! Love the fact that it is easy to get to and I don't have to be running down to the basement. Secondly, I love the new front end washer and dryer. You can do such more laundry. Lastly, the laundry sink is a Godsend! Kai for a while really needed a daily bath because he gets a bottle at night and sometimes the milk gets on him and he is pretty stinky. My mom suggested I bath him in the laundry tub every morning and it has worked out perfectly. He loves it, he is clean and fresh as a daisy with very little hassle. LOVE LOVE LOVE my main floor laundry room!<br />
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Does it get any simpler than this? I don't know what you call these but they catch all the food when you rinse dishes. We are out in the country and need to be very careful what gets down the drain because we have a septic system. Doesn't the normal drain stopper always sits in the sink cockeyed? All these big chunks of food are running down the drain and you wonder why do I have that cockeyed drain in there? Anyway, this has really fixed the problem for me. I use this side to rinse and drain foods and wash my dishes on the other side. My mother in law Rudene suggested this to me and I am on my second one. <br />
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I am not sure what this is called, maybe a lenard? I am a scatterbrain on my best days. Honestly, if my head wasn't attached to my body I would spend the day looking for it. That was my life before I found this lenard or let's call it a key chain. By the way, Dan hates this lenard or key chain thingy and refuses to wear it. He must think it is like wearing a sign saying "I am too stupid to keep track of my keys unless they are wrapped around my head". And yes, I have had a few days that I have looked for my keys and they were wrapped around my neck...but those days are few and far between. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYkIQ4GkoOS6OLqRshRLXN4TJJ7q_JRHAY6RUcKO9MjV5ENGImbA5ekJG_oEubX3em6CxDns-IT-xudXoshUDSlGaXC3bAiB1YGfHFGn5P5Ii87ijN4aTPSfla72k2tsargIUEFlUogY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYkIQ4GkoOS6OLqRshRLXN4TJJ7q_JRHAY6RUcKO9MjV5ENGImbA5ekJG_oEubX3em6CxDns-IT-xudXoshUDSlGaXC3bAiB1YGfHFGn5P5Ii87ijN4aTPSfla72k2tsargIUEFlUogY/s640/009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My computer (with all little fingerprint smudges and all) is definitely my very favorite item because it keeps me connected to the outside world. My life as I use to know it has shrunk dramatically since getting the kids. My social world is through the computer. I read the yahoo news and I am on several adoption yahoo groups, I love getting emails and keeping up with facebook. Even this blog is one of my ways to stay connected to all of you and I need my trusty computer to do it. Feel free to share your favorites!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7495821750738950175.post-76826491356229280592011-11-04T21:07:00.000-07:002011-11-05T22:17:02.055-07:00Another Hearing Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fIdvBk1q1TEQTcdwbi3pyFliaWCskb1BOBtc1yaxMIOY9234phLY_IWLfB2jeA_eqICeF2qwCyhGf8-vmuDlUMhw7UtdPxC-6rcGpB27ePnjxwWu5pSu3YtsurDNvwI_UhpqfqQOebQ/s1600/IMG_8977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fIdvBk1q1TEQTcdwbi3pyFliaWCskb1BOBtc1yaxMIOY9234phLY_IWLfB2jeA_eqICeF2qwCyhGf8-vmuDlUMhw7UtdPxC-6rcGpB27ePnjxwWu5pSu3YtsurDNvwI_UhpqfqQOebQ/s640/IMG_8977.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Do you see it? He wore his hearing aids today for approximately 6 hours. This morning when I first put them in he fought me and then decided he was going to pass out. I stayed the course this time and didn't let the passing out dissuade me. All the easier for me to put them in while he is unconscious...right? Good news is that I got them in before he passed out and then he settled right down...no passing out. He wore them initially for 1.5 hours. After that I put them in two different times for about 2 hours each. He is Mr. Independent and wants to do everything by himself and he gets mad that he can't put them in himself. Please keep prayersthat we get Kai Kai Sweetie Pie wearing them every day.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Elly thanks for the Cheeseheads! The boys love them! </div><br />
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<div align="center">At least Bei and Katherine do! I think Bei must have been eating a few CHEESEto. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh...I guess Mr. Independent does too...he just wanted to put it on himself. Anyway, thanks for thinking of the boys! They will be wearing them on Sunday! Go Packers! Go! </div><div align="center"></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918003066308596297noreply@blogger.com1