Our Evening of Celebration...Followed By a Day of Shame

Last night, to celebrate our joint anniversaries (Mommy and Daddy's wedding anniversary, Carson's Gotcha Day anniversary) we went to dinner at our favorite Chinese buffet. Meggie isn't fond of Chinese food but likes this buffet because they have things like pizza, macaroni and cheese, and French fries -- her Americanized taste buds just can't get used to foreign cuisine!

A few pictures from our celebratory dinner...

First we have Carson, very happy to be in a Chinese restaurant...
...followed by Carson digging into his egg roll like a wild animal. Slow down there, buddy!
The boys...
...Mommy and the boys...
...Mommy and the teenager...
...Meggie attempting to smooch Carson...she calls this picture "The story of my life"...
...then Carson deciding he'll smile but no kisses!
Carson enjoying every last bite...
...until he's too exhausted to chew any more!!
When I was up at the buffet, our waitress came up to Carson and spoke to him in Chinese. Not sure what she said, but Daddy said Carson seemed to understand her perfectly. He answered her in English, "No." She then asked Daddy if Carson speaks Chinese. Too funny that he understood her but responded in English. We're Americanizing him pretty fast!

We had a very nice family evening. Thanks to the many family and friends who posted comments on the blog or sent us e-mails wishing us a Happy Anniversary!

Now for the "Day of Shame" portion of this post...

Today Carson had an "OK" day at school instead of his typical "Great!" At the bottom of his daily report, was a handwritten note:

"Carson got in a little trouble with Ms. Tracy today for hitting. He was really hitting one of his friends over and over in the playhouse outside. I think they were playing but he was hurting the other boy. So Ms. Tracy had to sit him down and chat with him about being gentle with his friends when he plays. He cried a little tear but we made up and are still friends."
Yes, boy, you had better hide your face in shame!! (OK, this picture is from dinner last night, but totally fit the subject matter here.) Needless to say, we're mortified. Our son...the class goon. Pummeling poor, innocent children on the playground!! Are you KIDDING me??!! Carson's preschool has a "zero tolerance" policy for bullying and violence...he's lucky he didn't get kicked out today!!! AACCCKKKKK!!! When asked about it, he eventually admitted he hit the boy but said they were just playing. Just playing?!! "Hey, let's play. Let me punch you in the eye!" Sounds like GREAT fun for the other kid!!!

Boys!! The worst thing Meggie ever did in school was play with another girl's hair when they were supposed to be doing worksheets. (I know, she's quite the delinquent!) Gotta give Carson credit for keeping things lively around here...never a dull moment. Here's hoping Julie (our social worker) doesn't read the blog any more...

Here's another picture of the kids being goofs at dinner last night. 'Bye for now!

Celebrating Another Milestone Met...

We had our six-month follow-up visit from our social worker, Julie, last night. I know nothing bad could come of that visit even if we goofed up -- after all, we've already adopted Carson -- but it was still stressful. I don't know...we just wanted to impress her and show her how much we love Carson and how well he's doing. It started off awkwardly -- in fact, we were so nervous we forgot to offer her something to drink until we had been talking for over an hour! -- but ended up not being bad at all. She just wanted to know about Carson's favorite toys, his favorite foods, his preschool, his activities, his sleep routine, his daily routine, his relationship with Meggie, his medical care...typical stuff.

It was actually kind of fun to recount just how far Carson has come and it went extremely well -- that is until Captain Diarrhea Mouth (aka Daddy) decided to tell Julie that we had to watch Carson closely on Easter night 'cause we were afraid he would ended up vomiting from all the candy he ate. WHAT??!! Besides the fact that we were talking about his sleep routine at the time -- and the fact that it was a slight exaggeration, he didn't eat THAT much candy -- it really makes us look like bang-up parents that we let our kids gorge to the point of bulimia with jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Geez, honey, I BEGGED you to behave!!! Julie just laughed as I redirected us back to Carson's sleep routine. Yikes...

As we took Julie through a quick tour of the house (brief safety inspection), we ended in the basement. As we came up the stairs back to the kitchen, Carson was ahead of Julie. When he reached the top of the steps, he turned around and shut the door on her as he laughed and said "Goodbye!" How embarrassing...after we just told her how well-behaved he is, he tries to smash the poor woman with the door! Like father, like son...

Not only is today the six-month anniversary of Carson's Gotcha Day, it is also our 19th wedding anniversary! (Yes, we got married when I was 10 years old!! OK, not really, but it makes me sound younger when I say that.) Unfortunately, since Tuesday is our busy night carting the kids to soccer and dance, a quick dinner might be our only way to celebrate...but that's OK. We don't need fancy dinners and expensive gifts to mark these kind of milestones...we're just glad to have each other and two awesome kids as a bonus. We are truly blessed!

Our Scrapbook Pages are Ready!

As noted in an earlier post, a group of families who have adopted children from the Hefei orphanage are putting together a "Then and Now" scrapbook to send to the Director. We FINALLY got our pages together...hey, life's been a bit hectic! What do you think??

The "Then" page...

...and the "Now" page.
Looking at those old pictures really takes me back to the sadness I felt waiting to travel to get our Little Man...it seems like a lifetime ago and I'm glad it's just a distant memory!

Many thanks to my awesome daughter, Meggie, for her hard work putting these pages together for me!!

They Actually Found a "Dinosaur" at the Zoo!

I thought this picture was cute...had to crop Grandma out of it per her request, so it's a small view of their ride on the merry-go-round at the zoo. But still a cute pic, don't you think?

Sadly, I don't have many details to share since 4 yr olds with limited English skills don't really share great zoo details. However, suffice it to say that Carson had a BLAST with Grandma and Grandpa yesterday! Per the quick phone report I got from Grandma before I ran out to attend class last night, his favorite part -- better than the elephant, better than the monkeys, even better than the "dinosaur" -- was the "choo-choo train." Apparently, they had to ride it NUMEROUS times due to his relentless insistence...but between the rides Grandma did get some great pictures.

Since there aren't many details, let's get to the pictures.

Carson and Grandpa hanging out with the elephants...
...getting a good look at the gorillas...
...keeping his eye on the rhino...
...watching the underwater show......climbing out of the wagon to get a better look at the "dinosaur" (bones)...
...stopping for a drink break with Grandpa...
... and enjoying one of his many rides on the "choo-choo train."Doesn't that look like a fun day? Wish I could have gone along...well, maybe next time. Now for my favorite picture of the day:
Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for taking a day out of your busy schedules to create some great memories for our Little Man! You're the best!!

Carson's First Outing with Grandma and Grandpa B.!

Look at how excited he is, heading out to a fun, fun day!

Grandma B. took a day of vacation from work and she and Grandpa B. (who is retired) decided to take Carson to the zoo! Since we live about 45 minutes away from Grandma and Grandpa B., Carson has only seen them a handful of times since joining our family...but as I was pulling up the hill to their condo complex, he started shouting, "Party! Party!" Made me laugh...we've had a shower for Carson, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter at their condo in the past six months, so of course he thinks that Grandma and Grandpa's condo equals parties!!

Carson and I talked last night about the zoo and he decided he wanted to see an elephant, a tiger, and...wait for it...a dinosaur! I tried to tell him there are no dinosaurs at the zoo and he kept wanting to know why. Well, Grandma and Grandpa, you've got your work cut out for you...you've got to find him a dinosaur!!

The Little Charmer Strikes Again!

Sunday evening, Daddy was trying to corral Carson upstairs for bathtime. From the other room, I heard Carson say, "Kiss and hug Mommy first." He came in and hugged and kissed me. I laughed and said, "Carson, are you stalling?" He smiled so sweetly, shook his head, and said, "Nooooooo....I Carson!"

How can I get angry with his stalling when he's just so stinkin' cute??

Who Says Clean-Up Can't Be Fun??

After Carson's haircuts, we vacuum his body to clean up all his thick, wiry, itchy hair...and you have never heard a kid laugh so loudly! I took a quick video last night. The funny part is he knew I was filming it, so he tried to be serious in the middle...didn't last long. Watch...

I'll try to make more frequent videos...snapshots are NOTHING like a live show of this silly boy!

Swimming, Soccer, and Swing Sets..Sports of All Sorts!

Last Thursday, we had an OT-free day and I decided Carson was in need of another "first" -- his first visit to the swimming pool! We joined our neighborhood YMCA just before we traveled to China and when I go to swim my laps, Carson always looks at the indoor pool (on his way in to the daycare playroom) with amazement in his face.

Before we headed to the YMCA, I showed Carson pictures on the computer of swimming pools and we talked about what he could expect. He decided that if we were going to be in water, then he had to be Nemo...and since his swimming trunks have Nemo on them, that seemed appropriate to me! (Yes, Katie, he wore the "Shark Bait" trunks you guys gave him!) And I got to be Dory!! (Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...)

Since I didn't think a large pool of water and a digital camera were a good mix, I took a couple pics of my fish-faced boy before we left. Take a peek of him showing off his "fish" skills...
I thought we were done with pictures...until he said he wanted a picture of his "milkshake belly." What a nutty kid!!
Carson, you're so stinkin' cute! And that belly is getting pretty big...might wanna slow down on the milkshakes, dude!

When we first got in the pool, he was slightly overwhelmed and definitely petrified. He hung onto my neck with a death grip and had his legs wrapped tightly around my waist for the first 10 or so minutes. Then I sat him down on the steps that gradually slope into the pool and let him get used to the feel of all that water...he learned to love it pretty quickly. We only stayed an hour and, by the time we left, he was floating on his belly while I supported his torso and even jumping into the pool from the side!! Even though I called it the "pool," he calls it the "fun-fun-water" and wants to know when we're going back. Next week is looking promising, Little Man.

A group of adoptive families whose children are from Carson's orphanage are putting together a "then and now" scrapbook to send to Hefei this summer. You be the judge...has our Little Man changed much?

Then......and now!

The deadline to get my pages together is looming pretty quickly and I really need to decide which pics I want to include. I definitely want the orphanage staff to see how happy Carson is and how much he is blossoming since he came to the U.S.

I decided these pics will definitely make the cut...
...since they not only show that Carson is playing soccer and loving it, but they show that he's wearing his AFO splints. (When I met the orphanage director, she repeatedly begged me, through our interpreter, "Please get him the medical help he needs.") If I can figure out my scanner, I'll scan and and post my completed pages when they're finished.

Speaking of getting Carson the medical help he needs, he had an appointment this past Tuesday with a Rehabilitation Specialist. This doctor will oversee his OT and PT and coordinate and guide his care with all of his therapists.

Courtney, Carson's physical therapist, is strongly recommending we purchase Carson a theratog suit. Here's a picture of the monstrosity... ...which is sort of a combo velcro-and-Ace-bandage strapping system that can be used to pull muscles into alignment. The PT department has a suit and Carson has worn it for therapy visits a few times. There are obvious potential benefits to a theratog suit. However, there are many drawbacks:

1. It is not washable.
2. It is not made of breathable fabric -- so Carson sweats like a hog in it. (Go back to #1...not washable!)
3. It takes almost 30 minutes to put it on him.
4. It severely limits his mobility, making his movements very stiff.
5. It would decrease his independence, since he would not be able to go to the bathroom without help.
6. It costs almost $800 and is not covered by insurance! (Courtney found us a deal through a research company and we can get it for half-price through them, but STILL...)

I discussed the theratog with the Rehab doc and am really leaning toward not doing it. Also, the Rehab doc is more interested in treating Carson's arms...something I've been begging for since our first therapy visit and have been ignored. After all, he runs, jumps, climbs, hops...his legs work. His elbows, however, are quite limiting for him. The doc recommended things like serial casting (to improve his range of motion since he can only bend his elbows, with help, to about 90 degrees) and Botox injections (in his tricep muscles to paralyze them, hoping the biceps will take over the work and improve his active bending ability). I left that two-hour appointment with a head full of things to think about.

Thursday, Carson had OT. Mary, his occupational therapist, is my favorite person on his rehab team. She is truly Carson's biggest fan and sincerely celebrates every improvement and accomplishment our Little Man makes. She and I discussed at length the many things the Rehab doc suggested and she did some measurements to chart his progress since our first visit.

While Mary and I were talking, Carson found a strap swing lying on the floor and wanted to ride it. Mary hooked it up for him and he had a ball!
Then Mary decided to put him in this hammock-looking sling. The goal of this was for him to push off the floor with his hands to swing the sling. I have NEVER heard him laugh and squeal in delight as much or as loud as he did in this thing!!
Note how straight his wrists are now, especially his left one! When we first got him into therapy, he would have put the backs of his hands down on the mat because his wrists were so stiff and stuck in a semi-bent position. This is DEFINITE progress!Even though this was an OT visit, we ended up doing LOTS of PT stuff...and Carson had a great time! By the end, he was sweaty and exhausted...
...and I felt so much better about the decisions that need to be made. With Mary's help -- and armed with the measurements she did which show he has made VAST improvements since the start of therapy in December -- I have decided not to do the theratog, the serial casting, or the Botox right now. (Maybe not ever, but definitely not now.) We are going to get him a swing set, take him to the pool, buy him a bicycle with training wheels, and spend the summer being active...then check his progress in the fall. We have added elbow stretches to his evening routine (we've been doing heel stretches and abdominal strengthening already) and will continue with OT. (When I e-mailed Courtney that I didn't want to do the theratog, she suggested we take a break from PT for the summer...she's pouting 'cause I disagree with her, but I don't care!)

I'm trying to feel good about these decisions. After all, it's the therapists' job to suggest treatments...but it is MY job to advocate for my child's best interests. I just don't feel we need to be super crazy aggressive when the conservative work we've been doing has been so successful in such a short amount of time! But then I'm torn...what if this conservative approach isn't enough and we would be getting miraculous results from the super crazy aggressive stuff??!

Uggghhhhh...this Mommy gig is harder than it looks!

We had another haircut last night (sorry to our hair-challenged friends...Izzy!) and Carson insisted we take pictures! Check out our hairy little dude getting trimmed...
Dude, you look like you need to wax your back!!!
No wonder he's so itchy after a haircut!! I made a video of him being vacuumed after the haircut...pretty hilarious...and I'll post it if I can get it to work.

Here are a couple of pics of the kids being goofy...as usual...
...and I'm outta here!!

What Do You Do When Your Stress Gets the Better of You?

If you're lucky, you take a four-year-old on a nature walk!

Tuesday nights are always stressful with activities, but tonight was made worse because Meggie ended up getting sick while we were out. That meant her activities for the night had to be missed and Carson couldn't go to soccer. After rushing here and there, delivering kids to activities only to have the evening abruptly changed like that, I was SO stressed as I drove the kids home...then decided I was going to do something about it.

Carson and I went out to walk around our neighborhood. As we walked, we said hello to all the "puppy dogs" behind the fences -- even the biggest dog in the neighborhood is a "puppy dog" to Carson -- and talked about whether the flowers in the gardens were "open" or "shut." Carson told me which houses he liked and which ones he didn't. We held hands and learned about looking both ways at driveways and streets.

Midway through our walk, we stopped at the park that sits at the back of our subdivision. We sat on the bench and looked at the lake. We watched a duck swim around on the water. We pretended to fish with sticks as fishing poles. We watched the kids in neighboring yards play wiffle ball. We talked to the birds that were singing back at us.

Then we walked home...and my stress level is manageable yet again. I probably should have taken the camera, but it was nice to actually ENJOY the moments instead of just PHOTOGRAPHING them for once.

I think I'm gonna schedule more nature walks with my Little Man...wonder if he's available tomorrow evening?

Good Report, Bad Report...Which Is It??

Uggghhhh...I worked at the front desk in the preschool area at Church on Sunday and saw, firsthand, what my Little Man is capable of. And it wasn't pretty!

A visitor checked in and her son was going to Carson's room. I escorted them back to the room and, as I entered, I saw Carson swinging his arms wildly and trying to SMACK another boy! AACCKKK!! When I yelled his name, he came running over to hug me. (Nice try, but you're still in trouble!!) I introduced Carson to the new little boy. Carson said hello...then proceeded to take the little boy's car out of his hand and WALK AWAY!! Are you KIDDING ME? So my sweet, dear little boy goes to Church preschool and smacks kids and steals their toys??? Nice. Really makes a mother proud!

Needless to say, he was in big trouble Sunday evening...no TV for him! (Truly the biggest punishment for him...he's addicted to TV and HATES to be cut off from his favorite shows before bedtime.)

But yesterday, when I picked him up from preschool, he had three stickers on his shirt. I looked at his daily report and this was written at the bottom, next to a hand-drawn heart and a big smiley face:

"Carson got stickers today for cleaning up a big mess that wasn't his without being told."

Awwwww, what a sweet kid. See?! There's potential in that kid to make his mother proud!!

In celebration for him being such a good boy, Carson, Meggie and I went out to dinner. We went to IHOP (International House of PANCAKES) and Carson decided he wanted a "burger with cheese" and "no fries, an apple"...and he wouldn't hear of anything else! He normally LOVES pancakes, which is why I picked IHOP. But he gets definite food ideas in his head and won't waver, no matter how hard we try to convince him! So Meggie and I had pancakes and Carson had...a burger with cheese and a fruit cup (thankfully, there were plenty of apple pieces in the fruit cup!). Funny kid!

And, yes, we played "Bubble" with straw wrappers while waiting for our food (in case you were wondering).

Guess what he wanted for breakfast this morning? You got it...pancakes.

At dinner, I couldn't figure out why my purse was so heavy...I discovered it was because the camera was in it. So, to kill time waiting for the waiter to bring us the check, we took some goofy pictures:
Right about here is where Carson stopped having fun with this...
...but I did NOT allow Meggie to stab him with the fork, no matter how mean he was being!
After dinner, we ran to the grocery to get a few things. Mr. Helpful just HAD to help me load the groceries into the back of the van. Meggie grabbed the camera and got these shots:
When I got home from work yesterday, Meggie had emptied and reloaded the dishwasher and folded the four loads of laundry on my bed -- without being asked! It's so nice to have helpers!!

Daddy is working out-of-town for a few weeks, so Mommy is doing double duty for a while. It was so fun to do bathtime with Carson last night (usually Daddy's job). Carson just thinks Daddy's working late -- he wouldn't understand Daddy not coming home at night so we aren't even introducing THAT idea -- and when he talked to Daddy on the phone last night, he was so sweet! He said, "Daddy, come home now....PLEASE!" When Daddy told him he couldn't come home yet, Carson made smoochy noises to give Daddy goodnight kisses through the phone...it was so adorable! (Of course, Daddy felt awful after Carson's pitiful plea for him to come home.)

It's gonna be a L-O-N-G few weeks!

One more shot of the goofballs at IHOP...
...and this post is over!