Cincinnati Splash

For Presidents' Day weekend, we booked a getaway at Cincinnati Splash.  The kids had a blast and were so surprised when we arrived for our overnight at the water park.

This boy wanted to leave the water park only for meal breaks.

Emilia impressed us by being fearless toward all the park's features.

The mermaid especially enjoyed the lazy river.

Cincinnati Splash was a nice change of winter pace for us and we'd definitely go again.

Picture Of The Day

Usually I am the recipient of our eldest's love letters, but last night, Craig found this elaborate creation on his office door.

Being No Selfesh

Sometimes a child from a very hard start and culture of survival needs to leave herself a reminder on her bedroom wall above her pillow.

IAC 377 - 379

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 377 held on November 3, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from May 2011 referred a male child, age 3, with features in health status

2) Italian dossier from August 2012 referred two brothers aged 7 years and 4 months and 5 years

3) Italian dossier from August 2014 referred a female child aged 9 years and 3 months

4) US dossier from November 2015 referred a female child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

5) US dossier from November 2016 referred a waiting child (#2934) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) US dossier from November 2016 referred four waiting children (#2546 & #2547 & #2810 & #3058) with profiles on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 378 held on November 10, 2016:

1) Canadian dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 3 months with features in health status

2) Spanish dossier from June 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 3 months with features in health status

3) Irish dossier from August 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

4) French dossier from October 2012 referred a male child aged 8 years

5) US dossier from November 2016 referred three waiting children (#2735 & #2493 & #3018) with profiles on the MOJ site

6) US dossier from November 2016 referred a waiting child (#3040) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from November 2016 referred two waiting children (#2496 & #2497) with profiles on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 379 held on November 18, 2016:

1) German dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 3 years and 4 months with features in health status

2) Spanish dossier from Amy 2011 referred a male child aged 4 years and 6 months

3) Dutch dossier from June 2011 referred a female child aged 4 years and 2 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from February 2012 referred a female child aged 1 year and 5 months with a family history

5) US dossier from April 2015 referred twins, male and female, aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status and a family history

6) Italian dossier from May 2016 referred siblings, male and female, aged 6 years, 7 years and 6 months & 4 years and 1 month with features in health status

7) US dossier from November 2016 referred a waiting child (#3) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from November 2016 referred two waiting children (#2596 & #2597) with profiles on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from November 2016 referred a waiting child (#2999) with a profile on the MOJ site

Neurological Re-Organization

If you're a parent of children with special needs you've probably heard of neurological re-organization, especially if you're in the adoption community.  Bette Lamont, who is a pioneer in the field and has worked with over 6000 children, most of them adoptive, was at our house this week to evaluate Ella and Emilia for the program.

Even though the girls present very differently, we learned that both of them need to go back to sensory and motor patterns and sequences they should have experienced between two and seven months of age.  They especially struggle with vision-related things as well as weak communication between their brain hemispheres.  The better news is that overall, the girls' brains appear to be in good shape and they are bright and have a lot of potential to tap yet.  We just have to get their brains to fire up more.

Bette Lamont created a program for the girls that will take about an hour a day to execute in-home though it does not need to be all at once.  In fact, much of it will be like play.  She expects that we will see great improvements with the girls in all areas of development over the next 12-24 months if we consistently carry out the program.  Bette Lamont will return in about three months to re-test the girls and adjust the program as necessary.

I am very excited for this opportunity for our family as a whole because the program will eventually also help us address trauma.  Per Bette Lamont's assessment, both girls have developmental trauma disorder which, of course, is not a surprise to us.  It's just refreshing to hear someone confirm what we have known for a long time and not look at us like we're nuts.  And now, instead of describing this in a round about way to professionals and arguing that they are not seeing the whole picture with their suggested diagnoses, I can be much more specific and use the term developmental trauma disorder when explaining some, if not most, of the challenges my girls face.

Wish us luck as we embark on this journey - we'll be doing a lot of creeping and crawling and spinning and squeezing and so much more around here.

This & That

I know it's been quiet around here and truthfully, there's not much to report.  It's January and we're kind of hibernating.  My mom is here for the month and spoiling the kids and mending our clothes and trying to decide on the best treatment path for her shoulder injury.  Since my mom is giving me a hand with the everyday chores, I am trying to catch up on some bigger projects like cleaning out closets and organizing the office and basement.

The kids are rocking along in school and it's IEP season again.  Craig and I are both pretty busy with our jobs, so it's helpful that there aren't a lot of social engagements this time of year though we had a lovely dinner with friends last week, attended the birthday party of one of Rex's friends, and are looking forward to meeting our new cousin before the end of this month.

Rex has a new behavior therapist who consistently works 25 hours a week with him. She's terrific (Rex loves her and asks for her by name), really interested and engaged with Rex and it shows in Rex's progress.  The kid let me shop at The GAP (store closing in our local mall) the other day for an entire hour while trudging along patiently even though he really, really wanted to ride the escalator some more.

We met with a contractor to discuss remodeling our kitchen and dining room a bit and we're now on his schedule at the start of April - so exciting.  My washer and dryer won't be in the basement anymore when the remodel is finished which will make housework a lot easier. No more lugging heavy laundry baskets up and down the stairs and around corners and through doors I have to unlock first (kid-proof) and narrow hallways.  I know, I know, first world problems.  I started looking at colors which is a little tricky as we're not starting with a blank slate and am open to recommendations for a stackable washer/dryer combo.

Thus far we're having a mild winter in our area with temps hovering around 60 on some days and highs not dropping below the 40s most of the time.  But I know February and March could still bring us lots of snow and cold.  We'll take it as it comes.

Hope everyone reading here is well and had a great start to 2017.

Dear Geneticist...

... over five years ago we sat in your office and you told us, after looking at his chromosomes and spending less than 30 minutes with him, all the things our son would never do.  Your words still replay in my head like a record from time to time, including this sentence, "Prepare to change your adult son's diapers."

Rex became potty-trained last week.

I wish I had had the presence of mind to tell you then, but I am here to tell you now:  Never underestimate the power of love and family, the determination and capabilities of any individual, or the size of a mother's dreams for her child.

Sincerely,

Mother of an awesome boy with a rare genetic anomaly