Fall is upon us

I've been kinda bad in the photo taking department as of late.  However, I hope to have some new pictures soon since the Fall brings fun stuff to do like pumpkin patches, hikes, walks, carving pumpkins etc.  My different assignment at work keeps me busy and so I don't get to view new articles about adoption like I used to.  However, it's not an all bad thing.  Still have a few posts in draft version almost ready to post so hopefully my groove will be back.

Tigger loves preschool now.  She is learning so much.  The language I hear, while still not in conversation mode surprises me every so often.  She knows the colors pink and yellow.  She can count to 10 minus the numbers 4 and 7.  She has the weirdest vocabulary.  (I mean I don't remember teaching her what a snake was, or the word "asleep", because we either use mimi or night night at home) She sings songs, knows 15 body parts thanks to preschool songs and my own teachings, points to pictures in books, and is starting to use 2 word phrases more often.  She still has that whiny sound accompanied by gestures when she wants something, and that is something I'm trying to diminish by having her tell me "I want _____" or telling her to calm down and show me so I can then give her the words she needs.  Her articulation leaves much to be desired....however I can understand her approximately 70% of the time, so all in all I think my child is developing in speech and language.  My capabilities in this area since it is my area of expertise is way better with kids I'm not related to!

Thanks blogosphere for letting me "brag" about Tigger.  I love that little girl!

Yes it's been a while

I have some posts mulling in my head and in draft, I've also been going out since fall brings carnivals, Pumpkin patches and their kiddie stuff are opening all around, and I'm channeling June Cleaver and have been baking muffins and making cornbread, actually preparing meals from scratch for Tigger lately.  It's been pretty neat.  I hope to get busy back on here soon.  I miss posting daily!

The Burros were Hungry

We live in an area where there are wild Donkeys in the hills.  I think this was a bad year for vegetation and during playgroup on Monday afternoon we saw these coming over to eat grass from the lawns.  Pretty neat.

I've always seen the 'Burro Crossing' signs in the hills, and have seen a dead one on the road from being hit, but never live ones.  They usually keep to themselves and hide out in the hills pretty well.

Tips for Successfully Navigating the Preschool Drop-off!

I'm a single parent and the only one bringing income into my family so it's kinda obvious that I use preschool/daycare options for my Tigger.  Tigger isn't naturally an extrovert or a happy morning person but we've seemed to manage and get the most out of our separations.  I'd thought I'd go and leave my wisdom for any new moms out there who are terrified of leaving their kids at the daycare/preschool and how to make sure it becomes successful for both mother and child.  I've compiled my own Do's and Don'ts and thought I'd share.

DO'S

• Do tour the facility with your child before he/she starts.  This way your child can see the kids they'll be playing with and meeting the adults in the classroom
• Do pack a lunch if possible.  I know some places have lunch provided, however, with your own lunch, you can be creative and know what your child is eating is truly healthy
• Do make their lunches fun.  I've found that Tigger eats more when the sandwiches are cut in cute shapes and there is a variety of fruit, veggies, and the main course is different every day
• Do chat it up in the car before school and after school on the way home.  Sing.....not only does it relieve stress it promotes language development (you can't tell I'm a Speech Therapist can't you ha!)
• Do the "assignments" given to them with them and promote it as the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Even if you're busy or tired from work, it's great together time and it shows that when need to finish something, we do it quickly and concisely.  
• Do let your child know you are leaving and give them a kiss goodbye.  Not only do kids learn to separate in a healthy way, but children like Tigger who are more sensitive and not "crowd" people, will learn that school is important and that sometimes we need to go and be in places that we don't like but it is part of the routine and it will be over soon.  
• Do give the head teacher a small gift from time to time for holidays or teachers appreciation week.  Child development teachers as well as all teachers in general get a bad reputation or get talked badly about most of the time whether in the political world or with people that don't understand what teachers do all day....the teacher will appreciate the gesture of gratitude.  

DON'T

• Don't prolong your goodbye's.  It doesn't do the child any good, makes them more anxious and less likely to calm themselves in a timely manner after you leave.  If you must cry because you are feeling sad, wait until you're in the car.  I've done it, but I learned that however hard it is, to say my goodbyes and go to the car....the result, my child has no separation issues when it comes to school and she's happy to be there even if she's just as happy to leave when I get there in the afternoon.  
• Don't leave when your child is busy without saying goodbye.  Tigger needed to know I was going to come back for her.  Saying goodbye tells the child that this is the routine, yet that they are loved and they can go about their day.  
• Don't stop communication with the school.  You need to know what's going on.  Does your child exhibit behaviors there that are not the norm in your house or vice versa?  The exchange of ideas can help a child be at his/her best in all settings not just school and not just home.  
• Don't keep your kid in a school you don't feel comfortable in.  If you've done everything a parent should do in order to have your child be emotionally healthy at school and your kid is unhappy or hates going to school (if you're bad mouthing school in general without reason, prolonging your goodbyes with phrases like "my poor baby...mommy's sorry you have to stay here" this doesn't count!) go see what is happening and change schools until one is a good fit.

Sometimes children need to be in preschool or daycare.  If that is the case, make sure you optimize the best opportunity for both of you to be happy, healthy, and thriving.  

Food for thought in Regards to Medical History

A few days ago I blogged about my annoyance with limited medical history for Tigger and how I'm sure it only gets more annoying when the young adoptee ages.

One of the blogs I read had a great post about a hypothetical thought process and dilemma an adoptee as a young adult may have.  I thought it was interesting and good food for thought.

Please read it here at 'The Adopted Ones' blog.  It's called "Walk a Mile in an Adoptee's Shoes".  Discuss away if you'd like.  My one rule is that one doesn't dismiss the sentiment that sometimes unknown medical information can be troubling in many ways, especially for individuals that cannot get that information.

Tuesday Truisms: Paperwork

As always these are just random thoughts I think throughout the week....maybe having to do with a theme.  Enjoy....or not, I'm mildly annoyed this evening.

"Paperwork is the one thing I am bad at (as in keeping up and not procrastinating) and almost always necessary for everything in life.  It's just not fair....introverted people or people with social anxiety can find work at home or in cubicles and are happy, Type A people have a variety of professions to get into and be the top dog if that is what their hearts desire is, but if one's real weakness is staying on top of paperwork, it doesn't matter what job you have, you're basically screwed for life"

"In order to get a good final result, one should almost major in 'how to B.S. a report to sound a certain way without downright lying'!  (because boy whether or not I work in the public schools or in outpatient clinics or acute hospital care etc.....the report can make or break whether or not a person qualifies or whether insurance will accept or deny to pay for services)

"Throw in bureaucracy along with paperwork and all hell can break loose if the paperwork is not checked correctly"

"Nothing gives people a collective headache like paperwork; making sure it's all there, groaning when things can't happen because one piece was thrown in or out at the last minute, try to work it out when all you want to do is throw your hands up in the air"

Apple season is here

Unfortunately the apple season isn't the best this year since the weather really did a number on their trees, however we did pick some and then we had a lot of fun with the Raspberries!

This weekend is just another weekend in a long line where it's been great.  I'm loving the 2 year old age!

What we are up to lately in this household.

After my last 2 posts, thought I'd come in with something light and fun.  These days our household is filled with

• Blues Clues
• Baking
• Reading lots of books for bedtime
• Doing homework for preschool (really? she's 2!)  This week it was working on identifying the square shape around the house and becoming aware of the colors red and yellow.  And on the Yellow Square Tigger had to tell me what pictures to put on there from magazines of stuff she likes.  The warning came for us to do it with our child so they could talk about it to the best of their abilities in the language center.  Well alrighty then....did I mention she's 2?  
• Big girl started taking showers instead of daily Baths....now there are some baths, but showers are happening.
• I have a glimpse of what teenage years will be like (if it's true that the 2 year old year are a foreshadow of things to come).  For approximately 20 min. after picking up from school, I must not touch her legs (reach back and pat her legs while she's in her car seat), talk to her, or be overly happy.....apparently this time is one where she says "no" or "uh uh" angrily and wants downtime or to be left alone without attention....I guess it's her way of regrouping.  I tried to get her out of this and was met with an attitude AND a look.  Ok then, I get it.....it's the regrouping time for you....mami now understands.  
• Funny things.....e.g. now bedtime prayers has Tigger putting her baby and big bird kneeling beside her and she makes them fold their hands while we pray.  She is a great imitator of everything I do....so I have to watch it because I have an intense sponge
• Did I mention Blues Clues?  Oh I did?  well add some more Blues Clues to that.  

And that is what life is like right now.  

It doesn't phase me really....at least not today!

Work with my brain here, it thinks like a person that works in the Special Education department.  Parenting typical developing children and parenting children with special needs may be different.  Children with special needs may need specific things/routines/tutoring/learning strategies in order to be successful in education and becoming productive members of our society.  Parenting typically developing children still involves looking at how to help them become productive members of our society.  Is a parent's love for them the same?  absolutely!  It's just a different path one may has to explore in order to be the best parent there is.

So why do some people become defensive and up in arms if someone were to say that parenting children that are adopted vs. parenting children one gave birth to, is different?  I see nothing to get defensive over.  Each path is different and parents have to deal with and help their children become productive members of society.  It is not a sin to say that there are different aspects to parenting your adopted child.  The differences can come in a variety of ways, some of which I've blogged about briefly

• race (transracial adoption)
• discrepancy in medical history
• attachment parenting

as well as a myriad of other relevant topics.  Does this mean there is a discrepancy in a parent's love for their child?  um heck no!  I'd give every limb for my child twice over.  I have no problem saying my parenting path may be different than someone else's.  I love my child....we have other specific issues that may need to be address that wouldn't have to be if my child would have been born to me.  And?  It's our reality and one we can face and go through day by day so my child can become a productive member of society.  There is nothing offensive about that to me at all.  It doesn't change how I feel about my child, much like being a parent of a child with special needs....it's a different path.  

And that is how I see things.  

The fair!

It's that time of year again.  Yep that's right, the all encompassing county fair that one attends to every year.  I really don't know why, after all one spends atrocious money on things you don't need but are so sure it's the best deal ever,  (I always laugh when I think of going to the fair because I have a few Bill Engvall cds, and he has some jokes about county fairs) you end up getting sucked into eating like a glutton, and in case you haven't noticed, everything can be deep fried ha!

BUT, the fair is fun, and if one has a child, it's even more fun because they have the animal exhibit, the pony rides that cost ten million dollars for two laps, but you do it because it brings smiles to both parent and child, you see and get highly involved in pig races, you see the smelly farm animal, ride the carnival rides, spend more money, see cool exhibits, go to the shops and spend more money...see some ice cream from the farms where they milk the cows and yet spend more money while your pants are getting tighter around your waist....well you get the drift!

We went to the fair today.  We packed my parents in there, made it at opening time so we only had to pay the $1 entrance fee since it's opening weekend available for the first 3 hours, waited until 1pm where then they were selling fountain drinks for $1 in celebration of opening weekend....it was quite the experience.  Of course Tigger did NOT take a nap so the inevitable meltdown happened at 6pm until I finally had her in bed by 7:20pm, however, honestly the great day was worth the evening meltdown...oh it was worth it.  Have I told you that Tigger is a dream child when it comes to going out?  I wish I could say it's because I'm a kick butt mom, but I just think it's her personality....at least when we go out, she eats everything so I can take her to a restaurant after an event and it will go great, she loves outings and will hold it together until back in the car or the house.  Dream child....great times we had.

We had fun in the dinosaur exhibit.  It was way cool

First pony ride by herself

This is her 'proud' face

We found Peter Rabbit

Daisy the Cow

more Daisy....a live Daisy the cow

A little confused about feeding goats

Personal space issues

This is my favorite exhibit of the whole day....hmmm trains....love it!

Yes can you say "ca-ching" but every child needs a blow up animal toy that they whine and beg you for

Every child needs grandpa's shoulders and to look ghetto by putting her princess crown on backwards

If you live near an area where they do county/state fairs, I wholly approve anyone's desire to go.  It's quite the experience.