Let me Inform You

What's it like to have children that don't conform to society's expectations? Let me say that it's very hard. Not just on us as parents, but it affects every family member in some way. I've decided that sometimes, to let the pressure off the kids, people who are less understanding, need a little bit of understanding "help". Not all children are perfect.

Have you heard of Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory? He lists 7 different ways you can be gifted. But I think he'd might discover more ways of giftedness if he studied my five adopted children, on any given day. The trouble here is that the ways my children are "gifted" are not ways that society understands.

So...let me inform you. If you see my children out in public, and I hand you a card..accept it gracefully, read it...and internalize that my children are doing the very best they can.

The PR is LOST....

Leave it to me….how in the world do you lose an $8000 assistive speech device in 48 hours? Princess got off the bus with no backpack, and immediately began to get hysterical. She LOVES her PR device. To top it off? It was a loaner from another agency, who made us take a blood oath that Princess would only use it at school…and that it would NOT go home.

OOOPS!

Freeze Dried (Pre)Teenager

After raising our two oldest sons to the ripe old age of 21 and 24, I've often wished for the ability to be able to just freeze dry my children from the age of about 12 to 20. Wouldn't that be nice, in some ways to just skip over all the moodiness, messiness, and maelstrom that goes along with the lovely teenage years?

I had put that wish on the back shelf for the last year or so, when our second eldest son turned 20, and started actually resembling an adult...until yesterday.

Laynibug turned twelve, 25 days ago. That must be the incubation period for the (pre)teenage disease to take hold, because although I saw symptoms before, she really broke out with a confirmed case yesterday.

"Laynibug, your teacher emailed me and told me that you're unfocused at school, and are failing two classes..."
"No, Mom, I'm not failing anything, I swear."
"Laynibug, didn't you hear me? The teacher E-MAILED me. She gave me your averages."
"Really, MOM, I'm not failing anything. I don't know why she (the teacher) thinks that."

At this point, I gave up. Wasn't worth it. Clueless...(one of the classic symptoms)...

So, I put her at the computer knowing that she had a book report due the next day that she's known about for about 2 weeks. I instructed her to start typing her report while I went to pick up three other children, which I knew would approximate the time it would take for her to complete this task. I had confidence that the yet unconfirmed diagnosis would not cloud her judgment. She'd pull this off...she'd pull through.

WRONG. Where was she when I returned? Down the street, playing with friends. How much typing had she done on the book report? NONE!

If you know me at all, I can leave to your imagination the expletives that came from my mouth...(to myself of course)...

"Laynibug, why didn't you type your report?"
"Well, Mom, IT WOULDN'T LET ME!"

After this exchange I knew it was a confirmed case of (pre)teenageditus. Full blown....all the classic symptoms. Verbal bravado, sluggishness, confusion, rebellion...all the classics were there.

Now I was berating myself for the lost year of production...I could have been much closer to my great freeze dried teenager discovery had I not fallen into the trap of self denial.

With this realization cemented firmly in my mind, I knew I'd better get ready....because for now, knowing that teenageitus is incurable for the long run, the only thing that will help me now....


.......is combat gear.

Letting Her Out

Our youngest daughter, aged 3 has severe CAS, Childhood Apraxia of Speech. This simply means that she does not have the neurological ability to create the coordination to articulate speech. She's bright as a button, and has above average intelligence, but can't communicate those thoughts and feelings because of her CAS.

Yesterday, our school district provided her with a speech generative device. It will do the talking for her. Here's what happened when I gave it to her....

Last night, bringing home the Prentke Romich to Princess was one of those moments you never forget. She caught on right away, and in her playing, discovered the keys that said her name, where she lives, her school and her dog’s name. After she heard that the machine could SAY the things that people ask her all the time, she audibly GASPED, put her hands over her mouth, looked at me with a HUGE grin, and attempted to tell me…that the machine could say what she couldn’t. She carried it with her the rest of the night…wouldn’t let it out of her sight.

She GOT it right away, and was drawn to it like it was a missing appendage. During the course of the night I showed her the I want, and where the foods were listed, and told her that she needed to teach Miss Emily today. When she got up this morning, she went and got the PR put it around her neck and let me know that she was ready for the mission in which I had entrusted her…she was going to teach Ms. Emily….

I’m anxious to see if that’s what happened.

(In)sanity among the five

This blog is composed of the trials and tribulations of having 7 children...5 transracially adopted at birth through the Child Protective services of our state.

Out of the 7, the youngest adopted 5 still live at home and range in age from 12 to 3. Each of them have special needs in some way, some small, some large.

This blog will make you laugh, cry and maybe stand up and cheer. Hang on...our five will give you a run for your money!!