School

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the kids.

Ve is VERY excited.

Tuks is also VERY excited even though she is still going to Angie's school...but she is excited anyway.

Me....not so much, but I am sure I will be good and ready once we get the ball rolling.....wish me luck

Good News

Mim with her good friend AW, who has been home since April. Pic was taken a few years ago....

Just got off the phone with M from Mim & Ve's creche. She said Mim's paperwork is all turned in and waiting for the I-600 approval..just a matter of time now.

M & Ve talked awhile...they both sounded happy to be speaking to each other, but Ve's response to M was "What", when M spoke to her in Creole.....and then Ve told M she went camping and M said "What?" too funny!!!!!

Monkee remake

Besides all the other exiting events going on in this household (sarcasm) this summer,we have also been deeply involved with the Disney channel whenever there was any TV watching. The girls have not only fallen in love with the regular morning shows, but then also the regular afternoon/evening shows..such as Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Cody & Zach, Jonas brothers etc.,

I bring this up because Tuks was telling me about a dream she had last night that included Nick Jonas (the middle guy in the picture) Apparently he visited her in our garage, and Tuks was riding the pink car (her cousin N has) and Nick Jonas commented on how he really liked her car.....just before bed tonight, she said that maybe Nick will come visit again..I said "yeah maybe"....they grow up so fast!!!!LOL



So I will come out of the COOL closet and admit...... I also like the shows, esp the Jonas brothers, it reminds me of the Monkees. A show in the 60's about the life of four goofy musicians. BTW, I am and will always be a Three Stooges Fan, so you can guess at my sense of humor......

Anyone else with me in admitting they actually like their kids shows!!!!

At a Loss......................

One of the reasons I took my blog private is for the the post I am about to write.

For a day or so I have been smelling urine in the girls room. Yet in checking Ve's bedding it was dry. So tonight I got on my hands and knees and started smelling around Ve's bed. Right along side of her bed it REEKED strongly of urine.

So I called Ve in from the bathroom where she was brushing her teeth.

Me: Did you pee on the floor?

Ve: No

Me: Go and finish brushing your teeth and then come back and smell this.

Tuks comes over and smells it and then spins what I thought was an elaborate story of Ve purposely peeing on the floor.

Ve then enters the room while Tuks brushes her teeth.

Me: Ve smell this.

She does

Me: Did you pee on the floor?

Ve: Yes.

Me: What?!

Ve: I told the truth.

Me: Yes you did and I am glad you told the truth, but why did you pee on the floor?

Ve starts telling me something about the night lights....not exactly sure, I think I forgot to turn them on or something to the effect. My mind was in a fog since it was trying so hard to grasp this reality.......

Me; When did you pee on the floor.

Ve: before camping..(this I have a hard time believing since I just recently starting smelling it.I would guess she did it the last night or the night before)

Me: Good job on telling me the truth, but I do not want you peeing in this bedroom EVER again!!!

Ve: In the toilet only.

Me: Yes, and for your punishment you will clean this floor up tomorrow.

I never really knew if she peed while sleeping or awake, but now I know it is her not getting up to go...to say that I am dumbfounded is an understatement.....

One victory on truth telling, one defeat on bed (floor) wetting

OK, I know why I get so mentally exhausted with her........

The future

Ve was dry last night...WAHOO!!! we are getting closer to more dry nights and less wet nights!!!



I purchased each girl a Cinderella cell phone yesterday while out shopping at Walmart...you would have thought I gave them a million bucks. They have yet to put them down...since yesterday afternoon....I see my future with cell phones and it doesn't look good..especially considering I still haven't caved and purchased myself one..I am a landline all the way baby, that is so far anyway.

So who do they talk to the most often on their phones, well of course, their Haitian and Guatemalan dads....the dads tell them they can do things that I have already told them they can't ...it is sort of funny...sort of........

Summer Recap ll

Ve wet her bed last night, and then when I asked her if she was dry or wet, she said dry...so she chose to lie again..this is one of the areas she impulsively lies before she thinks about the answer. Eventually she realizes the truth is best, but the lie is chosen first. BTW, the bed wetting is just one area she chooses to do this. So we are going to keep plugging away, and now I purchased a clock radio alarm to help wake her at 2:00am. I am doing this upon the doctors suggestion..hopefully it will work.

I had forgotten to speak about the Giarrdia in the last post. Apparently, according to the Infectious Disease Specialist, the tests taken today for Giarrdia are testing for the antigen that the body produces once it has been infected with the Giarrdia organism..it in fact does NOT test for the Giarrdia organism. So after Ve's first treatment for it, she was actually negative, but the test came back positive because her body still contains the antigens as a reaction to being once infected with the parasite...interesting stuff, so the good news is that Ve is Giarrdia free..so we have made good progress!! Someday soon I will give a more positive post about her adjustment into our family. There has been many wonderful things happening too...

Free Ranging

I started allowing the chickens to free range (forage) within the dog enclosure. When the dogs are in the enclosure, the chickens are penned and then vice versa. Free ranging on grass and bugs increases the omegas contained within their eggs, plus it is also what makes the yolks dark orange and solid instead of the light runny yellow yolk found in chicken factory produced eggs. Of course, the chickens just love being out there. The six little chicks will join the older ones once they are older and bigger.

Summer Recap

One week from today I start back to school, and a few days after that Ve starts back to repeat her kindergarten year. In working with her this summer, I know without a doubt that I made the absolutely correct decision in having her repeat the grade. She is not ready for 1st grade, even with the six weeks of summer school and my working with her at home. She has come a long way, but I would like her to have a firm grasp on all kindergarten related material BEFORE more is asked of her.

I had not posted the 7th and 8th month home updates simply because I really didn't feel like it, but I wanted to relay that we have been working on two BIG issues all summer.

The first, is...getting closer to the was, her lying. I really feel that she didn't know the difference between truth and lie, but she had learned to cover up for her doing something that she knew she was not suppose to be doing ..thus the lie. We have come far, at least I feel most days, but then some others I am not so sure. In the past she would hold on to the lie forever, but now she gives it up real quickly and tells the truth shortly after. Lucky for me, she is not a good liar since she usually wears ALL her emotions on her sleeve..that is except her worrying..that runs so deep that sometimes it just comes out in huge waves...

The second issue has been the bed wetting. I really didn't approach this issue until she was home for 6+ months and Tuki was no longer in diapers...ever. At about 6 1/2 months home I removed her from the pull-ups over night. At first, we washed many loads of bedding. I watch her liquid intake, she is on medication for bladder spasms, and she has had an ultrasound and urinalysis done. We will be returning to the doctor next week to hear of the results from the ultrasound.

I also learned, through talking with Ve, that she had wet her bed often in Haiti. I do feel that the sheets were changed and washed daily, but considering the conditions and the available resources, I think she slept on the urine soaked mattress, thus becoming accustomed to sleeping in urine..she has no qualms about it, while I was let's say am a little disgusted by the whole thing. So we are working on breaking this habit as well. Her urologist adamantly told me not to put her in pull-ups anymore but help train her to respond to her body and get up. We have been working on this and we have had nearly a week of dry sheets with no diapers!! So we will see how it goes.

In addition to all this, I have a strong gut feeling that she may be considered ADHD...now before you all go "negative comments" on me, saying but she has only been home 8 months etc., it's just her adjusting...which all may be true, I still plan to talk with her teacher to observe Ve for the signs of it. By working with her at home, and considering how I would assess her if she were in my classroom, I would strongly feel she should be evaluated for it. So I will ask her teacher and if by the end of the first quarter, she feels the same way I do, then I will go ahead and have her tested. At this time she will have been home a year. Now you may be wondering what signs do I see that I feel she may have ADHD.

1. Extremely IMPULSIVE--even after clear instructions
2. Hyper active--almost at times jumping out of her skin
3. Her inability to sit still while doing anything...pulling at her lips, nose, hair, wiggling, making vocal noises etc., This becomes worse the more concentration required
4. She has a hard time focusing when there is other stimulus in the room
5. Her high anxiety...nail biting, hair twisting, etc.,

In my experience, students that have ADHD, but are not treated for it have a VERY difficult time in school...academically, socially, and with the teachers because they are always being told to be quiet, sit down etc., I do not want Ve to have to go through all her years in school struggling.

I had seen some of these behaviors while visiting with her in Haiti as well. I even remember some of the reactions of the older kids to her....a lot of yelling at her in Creole to stop doing things...so she had these issues even at the O.

Now onto Tuks. Not only has she grown physically, but also cognitively as well. Tuks, Ve and I can get into quite the lengthy conversations and sometimes really discuss them. She still has her hot temper and throws and hits when the fuse is pushed, so we are working on these behaviors. She can still be sassy and naughty, but now she knows full well she is being naughty. But she can also be sweet as pie too. She knows her letters, numbers, colors and counts quite well too. She has been completely out of diapers since late March. She still has two more years before kindergarten simply because she has a late birthday, which will be in her favor..but the baby of the family is growing up quickly.

As for me, adjusting to two is still a work in progress, simply because I don't like my lack of patience when I am overly tired...and two small bodies have way more energy than one. But it is really beginning to feel like a pair of old comfy jeans. Something I look forward to jumping into most everyday.

I am up to running 5 miles a day...finally. It had taken me nearly 10 weeks to get here..my older body and lack of running for a year really held me back, also not to mention the Lymes disease..but none the less I am finally here and just this week it has started to feel good. I still have a ways to go for my satisfaction in my fitness level, but I figure I am further than I was when I started in mid-June.

Now you know I can't leave the chickens out...I would guess about another week or so before I start getting eggs from my girlies...I can't wait!!!!

Ok, I think I am all posted out...LOL

Success!!

We went on a 4 day camping trip in a state forest campground 2 hours away. It was Ve's first time and Tuk's second. They both loved it and really didn't want to return home so soon. Me, the girls and my friend B and her kids, L & B plan to do a group camping trip next year and will attempt to make it a tradition. It would be fun!! Enjoy the heavy laden pic post.
Only 10 more days left until school starts. Where did the summer go so fast?!

Packed up and ready to go camping- 2 girls VERY excited


First night in the campground--still very excited


They did a lot of swimming





playing in the mud


playground playing


match game competition


checking out the home that I grew up in til I was 9 years old..I haven't been back in 36 years, but some things remained unchanged


visit to the campground from my friend B, who is also a very important player in each of the girl's stories in how they joined our family


B teaching them how to play a simplified UNO, they enjoyed it too


spending time at one our states' lake shore


playing drums at Earthfest


spending time with another friend B and her kids L & B. We went to the lake shore and checked out the light house

playground----


and the cool 60 degree water


then back to our campsite, more swimming, and appreciating other's creative talent


breaking down camp


last walk of the four day vacation


being goofy


scenery


Ve getting cold quickly as she is still adjusting to our weather


Tuks always quick to make new friends


more scenery

Only problem was that I missed having Mim with us this year...hopefully she will be home soon.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to me!!! I could have almost forgotten this year, for some reason it wasn't a big deal, which believe me, IS UNUSUAL for me. But the girls brought it up daily for the last week or so since the day I forget who brought it up to them. So I will be making a cake and having family over...for the girls..they are SOO EXCITED for me....and the cake and the frosting!!!

Happy Birthday to my good friend B as well!!!