Sonnet Update - New Diagnosis

Sonnet's health has improved so very much since she was discharged from the hospital in November.

Instead of lying on her back, she routinely sits herself up to play now.

She loved our Christmas activities, especially HER turn to add the ornament to the advent tree.

She can sit in a regular chair now.  And she has gained TEN POUNDS since she left the hospital!

She was one very, very sick little girl in the hospital and you may remember that they ran test after test after test in an attempt to get a diagnosis.  Most of the tests actually turned out fine, but the genetic testing results was not available until just this week. 

So often with my children who have really NO past medical records, there are so many tests that when the doctor suggests one more I don't really think that they are going to uncover any mysteries.  But this time they actually DID!  Sonnet has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition - Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase Deficiency (GAMT). GAMT is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system and muscles. It is the first observed disorder of creatine metabolism.

According to the Association for Creatine Deficiencies website, "Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase Deficiency (GAMT) is a mutation in the GAMT gene that makes the enzyme that creates creatine, resulting in a shortage of creatine."

 

What is creatine anyway?  Creatine is a naturally-occurring amino acid (protein building block) that's found in meat and fish, and is also made by the human body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It is converted into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and stored in the muscles, where it is used for energy.  Creatine is needed for many tissues in the body to be able to store and use energy properly. The effects of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency are most severe in organs and tissues that require large amounts of energy, such as the brain and muscles.  A shortage of creatine just doesn't allow for enough energy to support the brain and the muscles.  Thus this syndrome seems often misdiagnosed as Cerebral Palsy or mental deficits.

 

My research tells me that both of Sonnet's biological parents carried one copy of the mutated gene, but they likely had no symptoms.  She probably appeared "normal" at birth with symptoms showing later as she began to miss developmental milestones.

This diagnosis explains so much, especially the WHY to her sudden dramatic increase in seizures.  The good news is this condition can be improved.  Her doctor has ordered supplementation of  Creatine Monohydrate and L-ornithin, along with a vegetarian and low protein diet.  When this is implemented at a very young age the child has a good chance at totally reversing the syndrome.  Since Sonnet is seven-years-old her outlook isn't as good, but our physician is hopeful that we will see significant improvements in four key areas:

1. Seizures - perhaps to the point that she will not have to take her seizure medication once she obtains and maintains an adequate creatine level.

2. Cognitive ability - she likely has some permanent neurological damage, but adequate creatine levels should improve her ability to learn.

3. Muscles - we're hopeful that Sonnet ultimately won't need a wheelchair as her primary means of getting around.  Maybe she will require a walker, maybe she won't!  The original Cerebral Palsy diagnosis?  May not be at all applicable.

4. Behavior - interesting enough, what we were interpreting simply as "institutional behaviors" may in fact be a part of her syndrome.  So for those of you who have had your hair pulled, been scratched or slapped - as her creatine levels increase, these behaviors will hopefully decrease!

Sonnet will be closely followed by her doctors with blood tests and periodic specialized MRI spectroscopy of her brain to be sure her creatine levels are sufficient.  She will also see a metabolic dietician who will monitor her special diet.

We are thankful to live in a time where genetic research has allowed the discovery of these mutations and an effective treatment for many of them. We are also thankful that this was diagnosed fairly quickly - she's only been ours for six months.  Sonnet is a huge blessing to us, regardless of her "handicaps" but we are THRILLED at the prospect of improving her quality of life.

Five in a Row Curriculum - The Story About Ping

I was especially excited to do The Story About Ping.  Not only was it a personal favorite from when I was a little girl, but it takes place in China on the Yangtze River.  What a fun way to incorporate some Chinese history and culture into our school day!

When I asked for a volunteer to point out China on our world map, I expected Isaac (the thirteen year old) to volunteer.  Nope!  Abigail - the youngest - hopped up and pointed it right out!  Wow, was I surprised, and she was thrilled that she got to put the FIAR story disk on the map!

We looked at how large the country is.  There are only two countries larger and Isaac was able to name them. (Canada and Russia).  They colored flags of China for their lapbooks.  Sources for this unit were from the FoldNLearn which is a free download from the Five in a Row publisher's blog and searches for Ping on the Internet.  There are all sorts of things available for this one.

It is the story of a young duck who, in order to avoid a spank as the last to return to the boat, decided instead to HIDE.  He faced all sorts of danger because of that decision.  I loved how the serious discussions that I NEED to have with my kids happened so naturally as we talked about the characters in the story.  A new vocabulary word was DISCERNMENT, something that children raised in an orphanage are really lacking.  We had a nice discussion about how one has to think all the way through an idea to what will happen as the end result.  The idea may NOT be such a good one after all!

We found it a little funny that part of our "school work" was to eat a Chinese meal.  So I made some super easy fried rice for lunch.  This is something we actually eat frequently in our house.

After lunch we had an easy afternoon of movies, starting with two episodes of Wild China on Netflix. I had originally intended to watch just the first one because it shows the fishermen and their cormorant fishing birds (as was mentioned in our book) but we found it so fascinating that we went on to watch another episode. (We ended up watching all six episodes by the time we finished with this study!)

Bill Nye the Science Guy's episode (library DVD) simply titled, "Buoyancy fit in well with this unit."  The kids liked it so much that they asked to watch it twice.

I introduced the kids "tally marks; and we used them to add up Ping's family members.  Then using a photo of our family that was taken at Christmastime.  We compared how many were in Ping's family to how many were at our family Christmas celebration.

30

68

Then we helped get Ping to his boat just for fun.

 Another new vocabulary word was HYPOTHESIS.  Each child (plus one this particular day as a grandson was with us!) gathered three things and made their scientific guess as to whether the object would float or sink.

Then they put it to the test.

There are a lot of supplemental lapbook/worksheets for Ping.  We did various math and language arts activities with Ping or duck based worksheets. Search online or see Pinterest. You will find many available to print for free.

While we could have spent a lot more time on studying about ducks or floating properties, I chose to focus more on Chinese history and geography in this study.  Whatever you choose, Ping is fun!


Other resources:

BOOKS:

My First Book About China by Christina Calkins
Ducks! by Gail Gibbons
Goodnight, My Duckling by Nancy Tafuri
Whose Chick are You? by Nancy Tafuri
Backyard Wildlife: Ducks by Derek Zobel
Ducks Don't Get Wet by Augusta Goldin
Baby Animals: Ducks by Alice Twine
Little Quack by Lauren Thompson

MOVIES:

Wild China set of 6 episodes by BBC
Listen to the story being read on YouTube

Globe Trekker China. This is a two disc travel guide DVD.

HEADS - UP!  I got a dvd from the library called "Up the Yangtze" a Yung Chang Film thinking it would give a good tour of the Yangtze River and some of the culture around it today.  Please don't make the same mistake! The subject matter, the language, alcohol, and disrespect towards the parents made this a big NO in our family.  We didn't get far into it before stopping it and moving on to something else.

Adopting a Child with Cerebral Palsy

World Cerebral Palsy Day is the 1st Wednesday of October each year.  In honor of my children who face this every day of their lives, and in honor of "Susy" whom I advocate for, I'm reposting an article that I wrote for another publication several months ago.

 In the mid 1980's our family adopted two biological brothers from the USA's foster care system. Both were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Fast forward to 2013 when we first adopted from China, cerebral palsy was a special need that was familiar to us and one we were confident in handling.

According to http://cerebralpalsy.org, “Cerebral palsy is considered a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is under development. Cerebral palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination.“ So while cerebral palsy is a permanent condition, it doesn't become “worse.” My experience has been that consistent therapy improves skills tremendously. 
 
Everyone is wired a bit differently, and for me, dealing with an ongoing mobility issue was nonthreatening. Let's be real; as an older mom (who moves a little slower myself these days) taking a more leisurely pace to wait for a child with mobility issues wasn't going to change my life THAT much. I was far more afraid of a life threatening special need, or one requiring many surgeries and hospitalizations. Those of you who face those situations every day have my highest respect. It just wasn't something that I felt equipped to handle. Our girls came to us at the age of six and seven years, from the same orphanage, and both diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be tricky to understand since it can present itself in so many ways. The child might merely have weakness on one side of their body; they could be wheelchair bound and require help with all of their personal needs, or anything in between. When you couple a somewhat catch all diagnosis with the probable lack of stimulation in an institutional setting it becomes very difficult to know what you may face when your child comes home.

This is the story of our two little girls, close in age, from the same orphanage with a similar diagnosis, and how differently the diagnosis presented itself. The diagnosis presented differently not only because of the severity of the CP, but also in large part due to how differently they were raised, even within the same institution. This is also the story of how far someone can advance their skills when given the chance.

Abigail's long, beautiful hair was the outward evidence of her favor with the staff. She lived in a foster apartment inside her orphanage. She spent much of her daytime hours in the physical therapy room at her SWI. During our process for Abigail we received numerous updated photos from the SWI, and it was very evident that someone cared very much about her.

Jennifer's original referral photo looked as if she was a boy. Like so many of the girls from her SWI, her hair was cut in a short bob, and she wore the school uniform. She spent much of her time sitting in her wheelchair, unable to participate in the camps that agencies held, or the field trips that the more mobile children experienced. Were it not for other adoptive parents visiting the SWI, we wouldn't have received even one additional photo of her during our adoption process. When we visited the SWI and asked questions it seemed as if our daughter had been invisible. No one seemed to know anything about her.

“Family Day” was a dramatically different experience for our girls. Abigail was terrified and came to us screaming, while literally being dragged by a nanny on each side. Jennifer was wheeled out calmly in her chair, took my hand and looked at me as if to say, “What took you so long?”

Abigail refused to let me touch her for an entire week. The only time I could get near was when I painted her fingernails! Jennifer pretty much soaked up all the attention I could give her. But once we arrived home they totally reversed roles. Abigail quickly settled in to family life, having been part of a family before. Jennifer was in shock. We witnessed many rages with throwing (and breaking) things, hitting, biting, and at bedtime she would scream for up to two hours. This wasn't a normal, “I don't want to go to sleep” cry, but a deafening, guttural sound unlike any noise I had ever heard. She had no understanding of a family, no coping skills, and no means to self regulate. Inside was a little girl who desperately wanted to fit in and “be like everyone else” but she simply couldn't find her way through.

Jennifer has come a long way in two years. While an occasional melt down still happens, we have learned to watch for triggers to preempt them. With lots of love and patience she is learning to self regulate. Her bedtime screaming routine has long since become just a bad memory. She has blossomed into a cherished daughter who enthusiastically takes every opportunity offered to her. Jen's is a moderate CP diagnosis, presenting with very tight muscles. She wears knee high AFOs (orthodics). As of the summer of 2015 she is only using her walker when we are away from home. Her therapist is very optimistic that in time she will no longer require it at all.. Her incontinence (which required diapers when she came to us) ended up being caused by overactive bladder. Medicine taken once a day has totally made the difference for her. Her dream to be “like the other kids?” She is achieving it through her determination to keep trying.

 I'm happy to report that Abigail is now a “Mama's girl.” While Jen prefers to be outdoors on the swingset or in the sandbox, Abigail would rather hang around with me inside and watch (or help!) with the housework. She remains much more timid about trying new experiences. Hers is a mild CP diagnosis, presenting primarily as weakness. She walks with a wide gate, wears ankle high AFOs, and her speech is very poor. She is extremely bright and has an impressive vocabulary in American Sign Language which helps us to understand her better. Her therapist is optimistic that she has not yet reached her potential with verbal skills.

Living with cerebral palsy often means regular ongoing therapy. We are fortunate to be able to schedule both of the girls at the same clinic at the same time, so our hours there do double duty! Our girls receive therapy twice a week, and they include Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy.

My point? Two girls from the same orphanage, adopted at the same time with a similar diagnosis are as different as night and day. And really, isn't that often the case with biological siblings also? Our girls are individuals who are so much more than their CP diagnosis. A loving family, proper therapy, and in Jen's case medical equipment and medication have changed their lives. Cerebral palsy really isn't so scary. 

While you may not be able to tell a child's potential from their file, you can predict that whatever their situation, their lives will be so much better with the love of a family and the medical support available in the States. I have found it (four times over!) to be a manageable need. If you are considering adoption, will you please give "Susy's" file a serious look?  She is a gorgeous little girl from China who will be six in November.  Her file states her special need as being Cerebral Palsy, but really her biggest need is that of a family!

 Her file is on the "shared list" which means any agency can facilitate her adoption.  I've spoken with a case manager at WACAP  (they handled three of our adoptions and I highly recommend them) and was told that they would give a $4000 grant towards Susy's adoption expenses (they call her Zuza) when using their agency.  Please give her a chance!

 
UPDATE:  My advocacy for Susy has paid off, and she has a family working hard to quickly process their paperwork!  WE ended up getting our Preapproval from China in December of 2015.  We are thrilled that we get to be her parents!

 

First Day of Co-op

We are attending a different homeschool co-op this year -- for several reasons.  One of the biggies was our schedule. With two mornings tied up with therapies, our old co-op required taking yet a third day away from home in the middle of the week to allow the kids to attend.  In one way the week is easier now because we can go from Monday morning therapy quickly into an afternoon co-op.  In another way it makes Monday a REALLY long day.  Today was our first day.

Let's be brutally honest.  Going someplace new can be intimidating for us.  Some people don't know how to react to our children and their special needs.  We aren't always embraced cause let's face it.  We don't look "normal," we move slower, we may require an extra explanation (or two), Miss A does quite a bit of her communicating in sign language, and Pat doesn't totally "get" the English language yet.  We were upfront with our needs when we registered, and our new co-op was very accepting of us.  We were happy to find cheerful, friendly faces today, and the special needs were really not a big deal.   The kids all seemed to like their new classes too.

The three younger kids are in a lapbook class about Native Americans (great way to learn some American history!) and a class about holidays.  THIS is marvelous!

Our biological kids grew up with the holidays and learned over the years why we celebrate each one.  Our kids from China haven't had the benefit of  these lifelong traditions, and I know I haven't always done such a great job explaining the history of them.

Today we studied about President's Day, and specifically George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  The teacher had the classroom looking festive with red, white and blue balloons.  She gave a short history lesson about both presidents, then there was a craft with the silhouette of the two presidents on it.  Each child began a 2016 calendar on which each holiday, as well as family birthdays are written.  At the end of the semester they will have a calendar for next year labeled with these special days as well as the holidays they studied. The class ended with cupcakes, candles and singing Happy Birthday!  Yeah, they can hardly wait for next week!

The Whole-Brain Child Workbook

This book IS actually a workbook, complete with room to write one's responses after thinking them through. It refers numerous times to the book “The Whole Brained Child” which makes perfect sense, but which I was unaware of when I requested to review the workbook. Still, there is much to be gained in using the workbook as a standalone. Also, when referring to significant quotes from the main book, it does replicate them within the workbook to bring us up to speed.

The workbook begins with a description of left brain (facts) and right brain (emotions) and the goal of helping your child to use BOTH sides of their brain – their whole brain – to process their thoughts and responses. The first step towards this goal is for us, the parent to evaluate how WE respond to the child. Then we are shown how to connect with our right brain and redirect with our left brain.

Numerous “big feeling” situations are suggested and we're invited to look at various options to help our child through them. We're also invited to look at how effective our typical response is. Whole brain strategies are suggested along with discussions and some hands-on projects to help your child understand the concept of the “upstairs” (rational) and “downstairs” (reactive) brain functions.

We're called to be aware of explicit memories (conscious recollection of a past event) and implicit memories (expectations based on past happenings) in order to help our child overcome problematic auto responses. Ways are suggested to help a child talk through these memories and there are even several ideas for games one can create to work through these feelings.

We're called to look at the significant people in our child's life and the effect they have on them. Are there any actions we should take based upon these reflections?
 
One of the final thoughts is to look at our family “fun factor.” Often just taking ourselves less seriously helps where the child is concerned!

This is a book where you will want to pick and choose activities. Some of the deep breathing and imagery were a bit much for my particular tastes, but there are lots of ideas to be found here and I think you'll find many of them helpful. From my viewpoint of parenting children from “hard places” I plan to implement several of their ideas.

Book Review: Attacking Anxiety

  Attacking Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Guide to an Engaging Approach to Treating Anxiety and Phobias in Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Yes, I realize that my last three posts have been book reviews!  Typically summer is the time that I can educate MYSELF before moving on to another year of home schooling.  I've read quite a few books this summer, and I know that my visitors may be interested in the particular ones I've chosen to share.  I hope you find this helpful. This was another pre-release book (due out July 21) that I received in exchange for an honest review.

The authors wrote this book especially with children diagnosed with autism spectrum, but those of us with children experiencing phobias due to institutional living will also benefit from their research.  It begins with defining phobia and explaining how it evolves over time.  They then give an overview of the treatment for phobias using Cognitive Behavioral Treatment.  This wasn't an "easy" read, but one that contained technical terms and required really paying attention to what I was reading.  These first two chapters required the most concentration and it got a little easier as the authors really got into their treatment model using gradual exposure, humor and interactive play.  Don't know what that means?  Yeah, I didn't either until I read the book.  But, I found that I had actually been using some of the principles with Jen who was my most medically traumatized from her years in the orphanage.  We made a special effort over the course of several months to stop in the Children's Hospital snack shop to get treats so she would learn to associate the building with something other than being frightened.

Once I got to chapter four it all began to click as the authors laid out a four-step treatment model which began with identifying the key trigger components of the feared situation and the instructions to "unbundle" the phobia.  The following chapters gave specific ideas used to help children severely afraid of things such as thunderstorms, bugs, various environmental sounds (flushing, hand dryers, vacuum cleaners), medical procedures, and more.  These were spot on, specific ideas not something vague.

The final chapter is about working with other professionals to meet the goal of treating the phobias.  Ideas to work with a physical, occupational or speech therapist, school counselor, even a favorite adult friend are included.  There is even a section to help you formulate your child's IEP (if that relates to you) to include the how's and why's so as to justify the accommodations within your school.

 The grand finale of Attacking Anxiety is in the form of an appendix to help you get started.  These many ideas are suggested to help spark your own creativity as you "unbundle" your child's phobias.  You'll find the fear of washing hair, of emotions, of new foods, of touching textures and many more.  Full of practical ideas.  If your child has extreme anxiety, you may find some help here.

Attachment Help!

I had the opportunity to review the soon-to-be released book Games and Activities the for Attaching With Your Child by Deborah D. Gray and Megan Clarke.  You probably recognize Gray as a popular author in the adoption community. She has written several titles having to do with adoption, trauma, and attachment.  She is joined in this book by several others whose work specializes in attachment.

This title is a practical handbook!  It begins with helping us to understand the value of attachment and how it in turn can contribute so much to other brain-based functions like controlling impulses and the understanding of the overall picture in life.  This is followed up by showing us the value of imagination and play and how it affects a child's development.  

After we are given the background as to WHY play is important the authors then treat us to a multitude of games and activities that we can do with our children to help promote attachment.  The ideas are well laid out, first by ages and then with chapters that show us how to use play as an attachment tool for connecting the entire family and helping siblings to build attachment.  Each activity specifies any supplies needed and suggests a time frame.  The authors even go beyond and give additional ideas for children whose background requires them to approach the games and activities in a different way or through a slower approach.  There is even a chapter on activities to help with mood and flexibility!

Even though I'm a mom with over three decades of experience, I found some new ideas and fun things to try with my children recently adopted from a Chinese orphanage. Some of my personal favorites were a new play on Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Who Is in This Family, and the (Sibling Only) Forts.

Whether you have a child newly home or several children that you are still working with to form a strong family unit, I believe you will find several ideas in this book to help in your task.  Check it out!

** I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

Jenisms

Our middle girl has been amusing today.  This morning began with some funny Jenisms!  It started at breakfast.  We've been teaching the girls how to make requests politely. You know... "May I...... please?" So this morning Jen asked, "May I have more cereal?"

And I replied, "What do you say?" 

Her answer - "Yeah!" Guess I need to work a little more on the please thing....

 BUT, she is catching on to something I'm telling her, even if she isn't actually doing it.  Jen frequently grasps the front bar on her walker which of course causes it to fall over. This morning as she crashed onto the floor again, and I looked to see if she was ok she said, "Hold the handles." Sigh.

Jennifer has been our child that was the most affected by institutional care.  While the other two royalty had the benefit of spending some time with a foster family, Jen never did.  Seven years of being basically invisible (as near as I can tell she wasn't special to anyone) left her with little trust in people, and really having no idea of how to function in a family.  She also doesn't know how to cope with changes in her schedule or routine.

Another BIG problem has been receiving medical care.  She has been so terrified that even seeing a sign to any of the doctor offices we go to has often resulted in screaming and big crocodile tears.  She has told me on numerous occasions, "Doctor hurt me."  There was some kind of bad experience in her past, for sure.

Jen has made great strides as she has begun to trust us.  After delaying some appointments and tests for several months to give her the time she needed to adjust, we are at last able to go to a doctor without her going into a panic.  Yesterday she had a renal scan (kidneys) and did SUPER!  I'm a huge believer in reinforcing and rewarding good behavior, so she  got to choose what we had for lunch. She chose a hamburger and fries in case you are curious, and also got a chocolate Frosty.  We followed this kid approved lunch with an afternoon at the park.  Yay for progress!

As Different as Night and Day - a look back on twelve weeks

"They" told me that a child in foster care grieves hard upon placement with an adoptive family.  They also told me this is healthy and shows the child can bond.  They seem to be right.

We don't have a "Gotcha Day" video because Miss A came to us being dragged (literally) and screaming.  It was ugly.  It was painful.  It was scary.  She wouldn't let me touch her for about a week.

Contrast that with Miss J who was the epitome of calm.  She smiled very sweetly and took my hand as if to say, "I was waiting for you!"  Being part of the general crowd at the orphanage, apparently not special to anyone - ever - she seemed used to new people and new caregivers.

So here we are twelve weeks later.  In many ways it seems as though our Little Princesses have been in our lives always.  While we wish that were so we know they have a past that we will never fully comprehend.  A past that likely includes loss and hurt and longing.

This week has been one of great variance, hot with emotions.  Our girls are as different as night and day.  We will never know how much their past has to do with it and how much is just their own little personalities.

Jen is not really "what you see is what you get."  She has the persona of being just the sweetest and most cheerful child when one first meets her.  Underneath she is frightened and unsure and tempestuous.  Picture a two-year-old tantrum in a seven-year-old body.  Yeah, there it is.  One minute she is a smiling, loving child and the next a raging mess.  Little things set her off in big ways.  Sometimes we have no idea what it even was that set her off.

The situation I found myself in this week was with a screaming and RAGING child - in public.  One who SCREAMED all the way out of the store.  One who threw herself down in the middle of a parking lot.  Picture the stares from people who wondered what in the world *I* had done to this "poor little handicapped girl with a walker" to cause such a reaction.  There was nothing I could do but to pick her up in one arm (wow she gets heavy!) and her walker in the other and leave.  Abandon the shopping trip.  Game over.  She went home to cool down and I went back to finish my shopping later - without her.

The good news is that her tantrums seem to be fewer and farther between.  The bad news is that they are pretty ugly and long lasting when they do occur.  Am I discouraged?  No.  In our adoption training our agency described tantrums as an "emotional sneeze."  That sums it up so very well.  Our older little princess has many things in her past that she just doesn't have the language to tell us about or the method of coping with - yet.  In many ways she IS a two year old emotionally.  I have evaluated the situation every which way and think I know how we could have possibly avoided the escalating emotions that led to this, as a popular book series puts it, "series of unfortunate events." I've filed it away in my brain to hopefully help us head off a major meltdown on another day.

I am happy to report that this week also had some very sweet times.  Miss A has indeed great capacity for love (many thank you's to her foster family are due, I'm sure) and has spent the last couple of days randomly hugging and kissing me as we go about our routine.  This morning she wanted to be my "baby" and we spent a few precious minutes with her curled up in my arms as I rocked her.  Too immature for a six-year-old?  Nope.  This little princess is making up for lost time and holes in her past.

So how have the past twelve weeks gone - really?  We've been out and about at a butterfly exhibit, gardens, concert, movie, museum, parade, parks and playgrounds, restaurants, dentist, a multitude of doctor appointments, shopping (their favorite is IKEA)  and making friends.  We've planted flowers in the backyard, blown about a million bubbles, turned blue in the wading pool, and taken a try at making a bed, vacuuming and loading the dishwasher.  We've had really great times and we've had some really hard times. AND it isn't always the same child who causes either extreme.  In my three decades of parenting that seems to be pretty normal.

We've been super fortunate as both girls are good eaters, not picky, and love trying new foods.  They have liked the most of them too!  Their favorites?  They still love noodles and congee, but french fries, spaghetti and pizza rank pretty high up there too!

Any type of water or sand play delights them.  Miss A likes to watch movies in general.  Miss J, not so much.  Both Little Princesses are on the patio now, blowing bubbles.  They LOVE to blow bubbles and will blow them until the bubbles run out.

They also love their "Signing Time" dvd's and we are communicating better each day.  While their tongues cannot form the English words they are wanting to say, their hand motions can communicate in the meantime.  It has helped  - a LOT.

I believe they are learning to trust us, to form an attachment, to get to know extended family and be "ok" with them, and I KNOW we love them both dearly.  No regrets.  I cannot imagine life without them.