Join us in our adventures of adopting and raising our family. This is where we post the joys, but not the trials because its hard to handle the truth.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Are we potty training?
It started with London wanting to sit on the potty and then Kolton wanted to as well. They both got stickers for it and then they did it again in the afternoon. Kolton even peed a little. Wooohoo! If we don't have to buy diapers anymore that would be awesome!
Monday, June 22, 2009
So tootin funny!
**Warning: Don't take a drink while reading this. You might spit it out!**
London and Kristofer were sitting on the same side of the table at snack. There was a toot that happened and I thought it was London but it was really loud and juicy and Kristofer claimed it. (I guess it was too good to pass up.) A few minutes later the smell overcame Kristofer and he ran from the table gagging. I told him, "I guess it is a little hard to claim a stinky toot that is not yours." He agreed! I laughed until I cried on that one!
I love raising my boys!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Camping at Spring Mill
We took the boys camping and met up with some friends of ours. It was a good thing since our trip started out so rocky. The map was read wrong and we went a good hour out of our way as well as taking a wrong turn and having to backtrack. By the time we arrived at our camp it was well after dark and at the check-in station they were tracking severe weather on the radar.
Thankfully our friends have a camper and said we could just sleep in there for the night. It ended up storming pretty heavily and the boys slept through it. I was so glad we did not bother setting up our tent that night because the others got flooded.
We really had a great time hanging with our friends.
The boys eating breakfast.
Taking a lunch break.
Kristofer helping set up the tent for the second night.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Kristofer lost his first tooth today!
We were sitting around the table eating lunch and our occupational therapist Heather was there and Kristofer was not eating much and moaning that he was done. I kept prodding him to eat because he needs it. Heather realized what the problem was. The problem tooth needed to come out. Sure enough I gave a tug and out it came and he was able to eat again. The tooth had barely been hanging on.
He was so excited to leave the tooth for the Tooth Fairy.
Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial. Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary. Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child. Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own. --- Rita Laws, PhD
The Connected Child
I recommend The Connected Child to anyone adopting, with bio children, or someone who works with children like teachers etc.
Parenting with Love and Logic
Adopting The Hurt Child
Parenting The Hurt Child
Telling The Truth To Your Adopted or Foster Child
Attaching In Adoption
Nurturing Adoptions
Toddler Adoption: The Weaver Craft
Toddler Adoption is tough to read, but stick with it. It is a must read.
Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control
I read Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control with my eyebrow cocked the whole time, but I have learned a lot from it. It is opposite the traditional parenting I grew up with and goes hand in hand with Parenting with Love and Logic.
I Love You Rituals
I Love You Rituals is amazing! It is fun loving activities to let your child know you love them. Kristofer always asks for me to do it again!
The Starfish Story
While walking along a beach, a man saw in the distance what looked like a boy dancing. He was encouraged by the outward expression of someone dancing to the new day on the beach, and he approached the young man. As he got closer, he realized that the young man was actually running, leaning down, picking something up and then gently throwing it far into the ocean.
As he came closer, he saw thousands of starfish the tide had thrown onto the beach. Unable to return to the ocean during low tide, the starfish were dying. He observed the young man picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back.
After watching the seemingly futile effort, the observer said to the young man, "There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. It would be impossible for you to get to all of them. There are simply too many. You can't possibly save enough to make a difference."
The young man smiled as he continued to pick up another starfish and toss it back into the ocean.
"It made a difference to that one," he replied.
The older man shook his head at the impossible optimism of the young man, and then turned away and walked home. That night, he sat for a long time thinking of the young man, and determined that the young man was really affecting the world and taking action to make a difference. Something that the older man would like to do. That night he slept fitfully. In the morning, he awoke, went down to the beach and found the young man again. Then together, they went along the beach shore tossing starfish back into the ocean.
