When did it happen???

As I sat here this evening tying to get a little reading done and put Sera back on the floor for the 5th or 6th time in less than 45 minutes after she crawled up into my lap wanting to give me a hug and kiss and sit to watch what I was doing...it hit me! Where has the little prize fighter I carried home from China gone? When did she turn into this sweet little cuddly, love bug who is constantly coming up wanting hugs and kisses and to be near me at all times possible? Has the business of daily life made me totally blind?

She is always so happy to wake up and melt into me as I pick her up. She pulls me into her face to gaze into her eyes now, without me trying to entice her to make eye contact. She initiates sweet little kissing games. Her precious little giggle is a constant companion here at home on a daily basis. Everything is a source of delight for her, well, except when she wants one of her brother's toys and he says "no". :-)

The little girl who pulled away and held her little body so stiffly, while arching her back to put her head as far away from me as possible and who absolutely refused to make any eye contact at all even when she started to let me hold her- has left! I knew that she was becoming more snuggly, and have really enjoyed each snuggle, but there were still moments I could see that she was still trying to distance herself, especially when she was tired. Now rather than pulling off by herself and rocking her self to sleep, she consistently snuggles into me and happily drifts off to sleep with her thumb in her mouth.... I just didn't really see the frightened and angry little girl leaving..... I know she may come back from time to time later down the road as life changes, and will need my love even more than the sweetie who is here with me now.. I am filling up my heart with many warm fuzzies to share with her if the angry little one does come back for a visit.

How does a person receive such a wonderful gift as the trusting love of a very special little girl and not know the "moment" it happens? For some reason I thought I would recognize a very special and poignant moment or something, that would tell me that I reached my goal....Instead I discover it in hindsight. Oh well.... it has happened and I am one very lucky mommie!!!

Flu.....

I can honestly say that I have never been so sleep deprived.... It is one thing to have one child down with the flu and high fevers at night for a few nights and then have fever free sleep, but another thing entirely to have one child get bug A, get over it, the next child get it, get over it etc.. and then move to bug B! So far this past month or so, the kids have gone through bugs A, B and C and then on to resulting infections! Aubri and Andy have weathered them fairly well and did not get any other infection, but poor little Sera went from the croup with this most recent, high, high fever flu bug right into an ear infection and sinus infection. She was out of daycare for over a week. Thankfully, my dad was able to keep her a few of the days, as she mended.

Finally, as we begin a long weekend, this kids are are fever free and starting to all feel better. It is going to be a quiet weekend, so they can rest and enjoy some quiet time without feeling yucky and so mom can HOPEFULLY finally SLEEP!

Since I had the flu shot (and I am generally immune from most of the kid ailments from such repeated exposure), and so did my dad ......I am praying desperately that we don't come down with it. This flu strain out this year is really a doozy!

Next flu season, we ALL get the flu shot and take that nasty tasting Airborne stuff daily!!

Rickets

Does anyone know much about this?

I truly never did, nor did I ever give it much thought, even when adopting from a country where the children eat poorly and are kept heavily bundled indoors durring long cold winters. It is why my sweetie had such low muscle tone that she could not walk at 2.5 yrs of age.
It is also why her ribcage is so flared, skull shape is quite unusual and why her little legs are bowed when she walks.

You would think... that a Dr. updating a medical report to help a child get adopted, would use that as a diagnosis, rather than cerebral hemiplegia and mental retardation. I guess it is all part of saving face. It is easier to blame it on the child, not the care they received....

Thank goodness for Shriner's and people who do think about reasons why a child would have such low muscle tone and bone deformities! My baby will be able to dance her little heart out!

Need a Smile?

My classroom at the end of the school day is never quiet.... I keep my friends two kids, a first grader and a second grader, along with my three until my friend gets off work to come pick her kids up. I always want to get work done then and it just never happens like I want. The kids come in and get their homework done and then their wiggles take over. No matter what I try to have planned for them, as a quiet activity, the noise rules.... :-) After being good and quiet all day, it just oozes out of them!

So this afternoon, I decided to hang it up and stop trying to get them to play quietly so I could attempt getting things done. I turned on some bouncy music and let them shake their stuff! It was much more fun than getting frustrated that they would not stop wrestling and screaming... :-)

Sera just loves music and will bounce and move to any music she hears. Her balance is so much better and she is walking quickly, but dancing to a beat has her still moving more like a toddler. She wants so badly to be able to move like the other kids do and will try almost anything they do. I took a video of just her dancing to share, since her little bounce just makes me smile, no matter how tired I am! I know someday she will be able to dance and move just like they do!

Uh oh.... Then what am I gonna do for a quiet minute!!? Ah well... smiling is much easier on my nerves :-) While these little people make me tired, for sure, they are definitely the best medicine for stress.

Time! Where does it go?

Sera and Aubri and I have all taken turns being ill this past week. Some confounded virus going around school.... I wish it would not hit us, but we are very blessed to be able to recuperate easily. Andy has had an immunity to this... I hope!

I am so behind on everything.... I need a month of 24/7 uninterrupted good focus time just to catch up! But we are making it and getting the basics taken care of :-) Everyone is eating well, has clean clothing and sleeping! The rest will just have to get done as it can be done. I just wish I didn't need to worry so much about it!

Today, besides my trying desperately to catch up on laundry and get some work done for school, we got to go through YangYang's clothing since her tummy is really slimming down and she is getting a bit taller, so her clothes are fitting her better! When we first came home she could only wear certain tops in 3t and only leggings in 2T. Her little round buddah belly, short little legs and chubby cheeks were obstacles in finding things that would fit! Dresses and leggings were the things that fit best. Cute little jeans and pants were just not doable. They were either too long or too tight around the waist. Now the 2T tops and pants are actually fitting!!! Just 2 months of moving around and running and playing with friends and siblings has really morphed her little 12 month old type figure into that of a typical 2 year old. I know she will be losing more of her baby face soon as she continues this journey to catch up physically and developmentally to being 3 and a half! It has been so much fun enjoying her being a baby though!!

Sera YangYang thoroughly loves clothes as you all know and just had a ball trying things on I had put away due to the fit factor! She finally decided on an outfit for the day, after I had sorted things out and put them together in outfits for her to choose from for the week . I generally put a choice of two outfits in a daily slot in a hanger in her closet, to help save time in the am. I need more ideas for time savers!!! Today she chose from all the outfits and really took her time! She was going to have nothing to do with wearing just the clothes and HAD to wear a nightie over them! She was so proud of her style!

She adds such a ray of sunshine, or should I say Pixie dust, to this house! I had to share the smiles with you!

Now I MUST get back to work!!!