I know, I know - you're thinking - wow - three posts in one day?! Well, it's worth it...
I just got an email from our adoption coordinator. We're in IBESR!!! To those of you not familiar with the adoption process, that just means we're on to the next step. Since many of you have been asking me if we've heard anything, or have had anything progress, and I"ve been saying no... Well, YES - we are now in the first major step. IBESR is Haitian Social Services. They will review our dossier (our info and the children's social histories) to approve the adoption.
This wait for this step is currently running 4-7 months. After that it will go to parquet/courts/2nd legalization (where we'd get our oficial adoption decree where we officially become their parents in the eyes of Haiti's government. Then we'll have to wait for the children's passport and for the US to approve and recognize them as our children for immigration and their visa before they can come home.
Anyway, it's still a long wait, but it's so exciting to see that we've moved on to the next step at least!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Soccer, Week 2
On to a lighter subject. Today was Kaylen's 2nd day of soccer. We weren't real impressed by the coach of the other team, and perhaps that's why half of the other team did not come this morning. They play at a different time each Saturday, so this could have been a communication issue as well, but who knows. Some of the girls played on the other team so they could get the game going, so there's one picture with Kaylen wearing a navy shirt, the others she's in her own team's red.
For the most part, the girls did much better today than last Saturday. They didn't use their hands as much (although they still did some). They got the ball in the goals more - although still quite a bit of ending up stuck on the sides and in the corners. They still aren't much used to the teamwork - the whole idea of kicking it to their teammate who can kick it in the goal still escapes them. Still very fun to watch, and fun to see the differences after only one week. I'm sure many practiced during the week. Since Kaylen played the first game of the day, we went early and Jock worked with her a bit before they got started.
A few still pictures... Kaylen's team huddle (Kaylen's in black shorts right next to the coach):
Kaylen helping out the navy team:
And some videos... See how easy it is if you use you use your hands to put the ball right in front of the goal, and then kick it in the remaining 3 inches? :)
This one, after stopping it with her hands and then letting the other girls run by to clear her way, she actually ran around the ball when she realized it was going the wrong way, and then kicked it in:
Here's her best shot (actually kicked it the right direction all the way from the side of the court!):
For the most part, the girls did much better today than last Saturday. They didn't use their hands as much (although they still did some). They got the ball in the goals more - although still quite a bit of ending up stuck on the sides and in the corners. They still aren't much used to the teamwork - the whole idea of kicking it to their teammate who can kick it in the goal still escapes them. Still very fun to watch, and fun to see the differences after only one week. I'm sure many practiced during the week. Since Kaylen played the first game of the day, we went early and Jock worked with her a bit before they got started.
A few still pictures... Kaylen's team huddle (Kaylen's in black shorts right next to the coach):
Kaylen helping out the navy team:
And some videos... See how easy it is if you use you use your hands to put the ball right in front of the goal, and then kick it in the remaining 3 inches? :)
This one, after stopping it with her hands and then letting the other girls run by to clear her way, she actually ran around the ball when she realized it was going the wrong way, and then kicked it in:
Here's her best shot (actually kicked it the right direction all the way from the side of the court!):
A word about comments
Just a note. This is my blog. I will not tolerate others' hijacking it and posting rude comments. Especially when it is done so anonymously. I will remove your comments if I deem necessary. I do appreciate those that comment positively and good-naturedly. I enjoy having my friends and family read what we're up to. I do not appreciate those who try to post derogatory remarks. I put a lot of thought into most of my posts, and I expect to be treated with respect. If you disagree with something that I say, let me know, but let's not be rude about it. If it comes to it I will moderate blog comments, and read them before they have a chance to be read by others. I hope not to have to do this. I hope that we can all be adults and be polite about things.
In response to the person who posted "You should really look into the organization that you ask people to support"... I have looked into this organization. I am adopting my children through this organization, and that is not a decision that we made lightly. I do support them myself, and would never ask someone to support an organization that I did not believe in or are not supporting myself.
For those of you that are unaware of circumstances that likely are the reason for this rude comment I received, there has been some negative publicity regarding the orphanage in the last couple of months. I did hear first-hand of some concerns. However, most of the negative comments have been second- or third-hand knowledge, and also some situations that had been blown out of proportion before they were given a chance to even have them explained. Jock and I took into consideration all of the things we have heard, and have prayed over our decision and whether or not to continue forward with this organization. We have been in conversation with its leaders, and others to whom I'm grateful for their first-hand knowledge of the conditions of this organization and of its leadership. The first-hand experiences from many that I've had conversations with far outweight the second- or third-hand accusations and assumptions that I've heard. I feel confident that this remains where God is leading us, and I feel confident in the organization. If you have other information (factual, not assumptions or second-hand rumblings) that you would like aired, find an appropriate means to relay that information, rather than just anonomously posting rude and defamatory remarks in the comments on my blog. That I will not tolerate.
Others, thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry I've even had to post this message. I've meant all along for this blog to be a positive outlet for me to share our family's experiences. To my family and friends, thank you for your prayers and support. The organization and all those involved definitely could use your prayers at this time. Our feelings all along have been that Satan was trying to drag us down, and not do what's right for the children we have committed to providing a family. Please pray that we will keep our eyes on God, and focus on His will for our lives. We're trusting in Him to see us through. Some days are harder than others. This is not an easy path that He has chosen for us. It's a long, hard road.
In response to the person who posted "You should really look into the organization that you ask people to support"... I have looked into this organization. I am adopting my children through this organization, and that is not a decision that we made lightly. I do support them myself, and would never ask someone to support an organization that I did not believe in or are not supporting myself.
For those of you that are unaware of circumstances that likely are the reason for this rude comment I received, there has been some negative publicity regarding the orphanage in the last couple of months. I did hear first-hand of some concerns. However, most of the negative comments have been second- or third-hand knowledge, and also some situations that had been blown out of proportion before they were given a chance to even have them explained. Jock and I took into consideration all of the things we have heard, and have prayed over our decision and whether or not to continue forward with this organization. We have been in conversation with its leaders, and others to whom I'm grateful for their first-hand knowledge of the conditions of this organization and of its leadership. The first-hand experiences from many that I've had conversations with far outweight the second- or third-hand accusations and assumptions that I've heard. I feel confident that this remains where God is leading us, and I feel confident in the organization. If you have other information (factual, not assumptions or second-hand rumblings) that you would like aired, find an appropriate means to relay that information, rather than just anonomously posting rude and defamatory remarks in the comments on my blog. That I will not tolerate.
Others, thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry I've even had to post this message. I've meant all along for this blog to be a positive outlet for me to share our family's experiences. To my family and friends, thank you for your prayers and support. The organization and all those involved definitely could use your prayers at this time. Our feelings all along have been that Satan was trying to drag us down, and not do what's right for the children we have committed to providing a family. Please pray that we will keep our eyes on God, and focus on His will for our lives. We're trusting in Him to see us through. Some days are harder than others. This is not an easy path that He has chosen for us. It's a long, hard road.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
What can you do?
If you know us, or have been following my blog, you know that we are in the process of adopting two children from Haiti. For His Glory Adoption Outreach is facilitating our adoption. FHG is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization here in the United States, that owns and operates the Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti. Our babies currently reside there, along with about 125-150 other children. They do all they can for the children that are brought to them, yet they still turn away more than 80 children each month. We were drawn to Haiti in part due to the dire conditions in that country. See my blog post, titled "Why Haiti", for more on this.
Several people have asked me recently about financial circumstances of the orphanage - regarding our adoption, and also how the orphanage is funded to care for these children. Adoptive families do pay adoption fees that cover the expenses of the adoption processors and lawyers handling our adoption. Many also pay sponsorship fees that help provide care for our children; however, not all families do. Many families struggle and hold fundraisers just to pay their adoption fees. So, donations are required to support the day-to-day operations of the orphanage, and as with many non-profit organizations, they struggle from time to time meeting their needs.
FHG recently started a campaign seeking sponsors to commit to supporting the orphanage and its mission to the children and people of Haiti. It is called the "1000 Friends/100 Days" campaign. You can find more information on FHG's website, or on the campaign's MySpace page. Please prayerfully consider what you can do to help. If you are not able to commit financially, please commit to praying. Also, feel free to forward this information to your friends, family and church. There are materials, including a flyer/bulletin insert and a video you can share with others.
Patisipe an Revolisyon An! (Join the Revolution - in Creyol)
Several people have asked me recently about financial circumstances of the orphanage - regarding our adoption, and also how the orphanage is funded to care for these children. Adoptive families do pay adoption fees that cover the expenses of the adoption processors and lawyers handling our adoption. Many also pay sponsorship fees that help provide care for our children; however, not all families do. Many families struggle and hold fundraisers just to pay their adoption fees. So, donations are required to support the day-to-day operations of the orphanage, and as with many non-profit organizations, they struggle from time to time meeting their needs.
FHG recently started a campaign seeking sponsors to commit to supporting the orphanage and its mission to the children and people of Haiti. It is called the "1000 Friends/100 Days" campaign. You can find more information on FHG's website, or on the campaign's MySpace page. Please prayerfully consider what you can do to help. If you are not able to commit financially, please commit to praying. Also, feel free to forward this information to your friends, family and church. There are materials, including a flyer/bulletin insert and a video you can share with others.
Patisipe an Revolisyon An! (Join the Revolution - in Creyol)
Monday, September 24, 2007
Soccer Pictures
Got some pictures from Jock's aunt of Kaylen at soccer. No really good action photos, but we were sitting right behind the goal in a crowded 1/2 of the gym. So we'll try harder next week to position ourselves better and get some more action photos - maybe even video clips.
Excited, and getting ready to start:
I don't know the name of the girl looking at the camera, but Kaylen's the one looking towards her coach who is attempting to give some instruction before the game started:
Excited, and getting ready to start:
I don't know the name of the girl looking at the camera, but Kaylen's the one looking towards her coach who is attempting to give some instruction before the game started:
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Soccer
Kaylen started soccer today. I was kicking myself when we got there and I'd forgotten to bring my camera. There's 5 more Saturdays to go, so I should remember to take it at least one of those days, right?!
Each week, they'll do 15-20 minutes of practicing, and then the rest of the time they play a game. They didn't get to technical at this age - basically had to just keep the girls from touching the ball with their hands, and trying to kick it towards the goal - that is, the correct goal. Neither was working very well. I think both teams kicked it in the wrong goal at least once. Mostly it just went towards the corners and the sides, with 10 girls running after it. The coaches were running around on the court with them trying to tell them what to do, so that helped a bit. Also, they played in a gym, so that was good - that kept them contained a bit.
Kaylen is such a competitor, it was so funny watching her play. She was usually leading the pack, kicking and following after the ball - although rarely did it go towards the goal - mostly to the sides and corners - and sometimes behind the goal. It helped that she was one of the bigger girls on the two teams, but there were a few others that were right up there too. We are hoping the teamwork will be good for her, although none of them really got into that too much, so we'll see.
At the very least, I think most of the girls had fun. There was one that got stage fright, and wouldn't leave her mom's side. Another one or two were upset because they couldn't be the one kicking the ball all the time. And a couple (Kaylen included) didn't like sitting on the sidelines when they had to rotate out. Kaylen even got up and tried to help her team when the ball came towards her. Their team helper had to catch her and have her come back, and Jock went to talk to her once and explain why they couldn't all play at the same time. It will be fun to see how they improve over the next 5 weeks. Hopefully I'll have pictures and some improvements to post next Saturday.
Each week, they'll do 15-20 minutes of practicing, and then the rest of the time they play a game. They didn't get to technical at this age - basically had to just keep the girls from touching the ball with their hands, and trying to kick it towards the goal - that is, the correct goal. Neither was working very well. I think both teams kicked it in the wrong goal at least once. Mostly it just went towards the corners and the sides, with 10 girls running after it. The coaches were running around on the court with them trying to tell them what to do, so that helped a bit. Also, they played in a gym, so that was good - that kept them contained a bit.
Kaylen is such a competitor, it was so funny watching her play. She was usually leading the pack, kicking and following after the ball - although rarely did it go towards the goal - mostly to the sides and corners - and sometimes behind the goal. It helped that she was one of the bigger girls on the two teams, but there were a few others that were right up there too. We are hoping the teamwork will be good for her, although none of them really got into that too much, so we'll see.
At the very least, I think most of the girls had fun. There was one that got stage fright, and wouldn't leave her mom's side. Another one or two were upset because they couldn't be the one kicking the ball all the time. And a couple (Kaylen included) didn't like sitting on the sidelines when they had to rotate out. Kaylen even got up and tried to help her team when the ball came towards her. Their team helper had to catch her and have her come back, and Jock went to talk to her once and explain why they couldn't all play at the same time. It will be fun to see how they improve over the next 5 weeks. Hopefully I'll have pictures and some improvements to post next Saturday.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
More pictures!
Just wanted to post a link to Kathy's blog. She's got many more pictures than I could ever hope to attempt to post. She and her family (they're adopting twin toddlers) must have spend hours upon hours at the orphanage playing with the children and taking pictures of the babies like ours, whose parents weren't able to travel this time. Someone else said it last week when we were waiting for the September update photos - we adoptive parents live for pictures! We're forever grateful!
Anyway, on her blog, going back to late August through today, you'll see some awesome pictures and videos of the children (babies, toddlers, older kids) playing & eating lunch, her teenage daughter's account of the trip, laundry operations at the orphanage, the hotel, and their family, etc. The laundry really gives us an appreciation for our machine - probably does more-so if you've experienced it first-hand. I'm thankful/inspired/encouraged by the nanny's stopping everything at noon to pray over the children.
I SOOOOO want to go down there! Praying that we're able to go on the next trip. No word on when that would be yet though - could be anywhere from January through May. Yikes - our little Josephine could be a year old by then!
Oh - by the way, there's a picture on Kathy's post from today of a baby named Celina, that is available for adoption. This isn't our Josephine Celena - this Celina (name is spelled different) was new to the orphanage around the time of the mission trip, and she is older that Josephine. Josephine isn't in most of the baby playtime pictures - she was sleeping a lot - at only 3 months old.
Anyway, on her blog, going back to late August through today, you'll see some awesome pictures and videos of the children (babies, toddlers, older kids) playing & eating lunch, her teenage daughter's account of the trip, laundry operations at the orphanage, the hotel, and their family, etc. The laundry really gives us an appreciation for our machine - probably does more-so if you've experienced it first-hand. I'm thankful/inspired/encouraged by the nanny's stopping everything at noon to pray over the children.
I SOOOOO want to go down there! Praying that we're able to go on the next trip. No word on when that would be yet though - could be anywhere from January through May. Yikes - our little Josephine could be a year old by then!
Oh - by the way, there's a picture on Kathy's post from today of a baby named Celina, that is available for adoption. This isn't our Josephine Celena - this Celina (name is spelled different) was new to the orphanage around the time of the mission trip, and she is older that Josephine. Josephine isn't in most of the baby playtime pictures - she was sleeping a lot - at only 3 months old.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Turn on your volume!
I've been considering adding a playlist to my blog, but just wasn't sure how to do it. This weekend I figured it out, and got it started, with some favorites. Several of the other blogs I follow have playlists, and they all have a link at the bottom that says something like make your own playlist. So I did it. Just had to set up an account, and find my music. Also, I set it up to shuffle, so it won't play the same song first every time. I'm still going to try to add more songs, so I (or you) could just leave the page up in the background and listen to my favorite songs for quite a while. Although, I already do that sometimes with online streaming from one of the local stations, as the stations don't come in very good at our house. Happy listening! :)
September Update Photos - part 2
Elijah's update photo was posted tonight. He's still looking like he's trying to figure out what the camera is - at least that's my hope - that he smiles a lot, but every time they bring out the camera his expression turns to a "hmmmm, wonder what that thing is!" Was hoping to see another smile, but there's always next month. He's got his hair cut now. They try to keep the boys' hair cut short - much easier to manage, I can imagine. I like it cut short though.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
September Update Photos
The September update photos were posted today. They were still missing pictures from a few kids - Elijah was one of them - they said they'd post the others when they get them. I've posted below Josephine's new pictures.
We actually got the first one earlier this week, and the other three today. I wasn't sure it was her at first - felt like a bad mom, not knowing what my baby looks like! Jock said he knew for sure right away. I had to get out her picture from last month, and compare her features. Babies change so much from one month to the next, and that's definitely true of her. She looks so much more like a little girl! And that "I'm cute and I know it" smile is priceless!
We actually got the first one earlier this week, and the other three today. I wasn't sure it was her at first - felt like a bad mom, not knowing what my baby looks like! Jock said he knew for sure right away. I had to get out her picture from last month, and compare her features. Babies change so much from one month to the next, and that's definitely true of her. She looks so much more like a little girl! And that "I'm cute and I know it" smile is priceless!
Iowa State vs Iowa, Today, 12:30 CDT
Today we're watching the big in-state rivalry. Iowa is a 17-point favorite, but so far ISU is stopping the the Hawkeyes and getting some yardage on offense themselves. So far, they lead 12-0 with 4 field goals, at halftime. Time will tell if they can keep it up. Go Cyclones!Update: Well, the Clones pulled off the upset. Things went quickly downhill in the third quarter (ISU Football's trademark, it seems), and it was soon 12-10. Then with 3 1/2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Iowa scored a field goal to go up by 1. Then the Cyclones got down the field with a very long pass, stalled the clock, and then kicked a field goal with 5 seconds left. The Hawks had 1 second left to run back the kickoff, and got down to the 20 yard line, but got stopped to give Iowa State the win! It was a pretty exciting ending, for a game that was supposed to be a 17-point advantage in the other direction!
Hope you all are having a good afternoon! We've got bragging rights now, with friends and family that are Iowa fans - at least until basketball season. :)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Kaylen's new shoes!
The problem:
Well, so far we've had Kaylen just wear shoes with velcro. Well, the velcro usually wears out pretty quickly, as it gets so much junk stuck in it. I dig it out frequently, but after a while, it still won't stick - even after digging out the junk. So, last Tuesday on our shopping trip, we found some cute tennis shoes that have ties on them.
I told her she'd have to learn how to tie her shoes, and she laughed at me, saying she'd never be able to do that. My response was, "Do you know how old I was when I learned to tie my shoes?" She didn't, so I told her that I was 4. She didn't believe me until I told her I was telling the truth, that I learned when I was in preschool.
I remember the day clearly. It was the first day of school that year - my older brother and sister got to go, but I didn't. I complained to my mom, who thought a good response was to tell me that I couldn't go to kindergarten until I could tie my shoes by myself. So I sat right down on the entryway steps and taught myself how to do it that morning before lunch. I was so disappointed that she still wouldn't let me go - I think then she told me the real reason, that I couldn't go until I was old enough.
Anyway, Jock went out to mow the lawn this afternoon, and I taught Kaylen how to tie her shoes. She did really well. Then she was so excited to show Daddy that she forgot how to do it. She took a little break, and then showed him later when she stopped being so excited and silly.
The work:
Then after supper, before bed, I made her try again to make sure she didn't forget already - I told her she had to be able to tie them herself if she wanted to wear her new shoes to daycare tomorrow. The motivation worked well! She's a little slow, and the ties are pretty loose, she sometimes pulls the tails all the way through and loses her loops, but she's doing pretty good on the process! I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get it done today. I've said it before - she can do anything she puts her mind to!
The solution:
Well, so far we've had Kaylen just wear shoes with velcro. Well, the velcro usually wears out pretty quickly, as it gets so much junk stuck in it. I dig it out frequently, but after a while, it still won't stick - even after digging out the junk. So, last Tuesday on our shopping trip, we found some cute tennis shoes that have ties on them.
I told her she'd have to learn how to tie her shoes, and she laughed at me, saying she'd never be able to do that. My response was, "Do you know how old I was when I learned to tie my shoes?" She didn't, so I told her that I was 4. She didn't believe me until I told her I was telling the truth, that I learned when I was in preschool.
I remember the day clearly. It was the first day of school that year - my older brother and sister got to go, but I didn't. I complained to my mom, who thought a good response was to tell me that I couldn't go to kindergarten until I could tie my shoes by myself. So I sat right down on the entryway steps and taught myself how to do it that morning before lunch. I was so disappointed that she still wouldn't let me go - I think then she told me the real reason, that I couldn't go until I was old enough.
Anyway, Jock went out to mow the lawn this afternoon, and I taught Kaylen how to tie her shoes. She did really well. Then she was so excited to show Daddy that she forgot how to do it. She took a little break, and then showed him later when she stopped being so excited and silly.
The work:
Then after supper, before bed, I made her try again to make sure she didn't forget already - I told her she had to be able to tie them herself if she wanted to wear her new shoes to daycare tomorrow. The motivation worked well! She's a little slow, and the ties are pretty loose, she sometimes pulls the tails all the way through and loses her loops, but she's doing pretty good on the process! I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get it done today. I've said it before - she can do anything she puts her mind to!
The solution:
Adventureland
Friday night we stayed up late visiting with my sister and her friend, who stayed with us for the night before heading to Montreal, Canada for some sort of certification for their cosmetology and asthetics classes. After getting up at 4:15am to get them to the airport by 5:00am, I came back home and slept a few more hours. Thank goodness, because the rest of the day we'd planned to spend at Adventureland - our closest amusement park. We got discount tickets through the state's foster and adoptive parents' association. They go every year, but we weren't able to go last year.
We'd actually planned to get there around 10, when they opened, but didn't make it there until 11. That worked out just fine though. We first went on the Giant Skywheel (huge ferris wheel). Then the Gallion (pirate ship) - Kaylen just laughed hysterically the whole time - she thought it was so fun how it tickled her tummy. Then the tea cups. The Skywheel was pretty good, but from the Gallion and the tea cups, Jock and I were thinking we're getting too old for this! Maybe next time we'll have to invite our older neices and nephews to go on some of the spinning ones! We then calmed our stomachs down a bit, had a bite to eat, and then rode the sky glider to the back of the park.
Kaylen was tall enough to ride the Tornado - just over 42 inches! The look on her face was priceless! I didn't get a picture though :( She just looked horrified when we went down the first hill, then the next couple she was laughing again. Then there's a big curve before a couple more big hills, and she again had the horrified look before I started laughing and got her laughing again too. Afterwards, she said it was fun. I told her she looked pretty scared for part of it and she totally denied it - that girl will do anything she sets her mind to, and pretend she likes it if she thinks that's what's expected. No other kids got off scared, so she of course was fine.
We later found out Kaylen was tall enough to ride the Dragon - their upside-down roller coaster. I can't imagine what her reaction to that would have been - she probably would never have come back - although with her, you never know!
We played it pretty cool for the rest of the day - the tilt-a-whirl, the circus show, the octopus ride (with daddy-I can't handle the up and down spinning on this one!), the log ride (I convinced her that she and I should ride in the back so daddy would get soaked, and we'd just get sprinkled - and it worked), then we got a caricature of her as a princess (albeit a tired one! as it was after 5 by then and we were all a little ragged), rode the carousel (we convinced her that we didn't need to ride the train because she rode the train at the zoo earlier in the summer), got ice cream and Jock got his fudge fix, and left for McDonald's and then home.
When we got home, we stopped by to visit with our neighbors at our block party for a little while, until the bugs started coming out. It was nice to meet a few more of them, and put names and faces, children and parents, everyone and their houses together. Maybe they'll have another one in the spring, and we can go to the whole thing, and meet some more. Also, there are still several empty lots, and a couple homes still for sale, so I'm sure there'll be more to meet. After that we all pretty much collapsed. Today we're recovering (well the adults are)! Kaylen was still a bit tired, but the nap took care of that, and now she's waiting for me to help her learn how to tie the laces on her new tennis shoes so she can wear them this week.
Jock and Kaylen on the Giant Skywheel:
Kaylen and I on the Carousel:
The view of the park from atop the Giant Skywheel:
And, our tired princess:
We'd actually planned to get there around 10, when they opened, but didn't make it there until 11. That worked out just fine though. We first went on the Giant Skywheel (huge ferris wheel). Then the Gallion (pirate ship) - Kaylen just laughed hysterically the whole time - she thought it was so fun how it tickled her tummy. Then the tea cups. The Skywheel was pretty good, but from the Gallion and the tea cups, Jock and I were thinking we're getting too old for this! Maybe next time we'll have to invite our older neices and nephews to go on some of the spinning ones! We then calmed our stomachs down a bit, had a bite to eat, and then rode the sky glider to the back of the park.
Kaylen was tall enough to ride the Tornado - just over 42 inches! The look on her face was priceless! I didn't get a picture though :( She just looked horrified when we went down the first hill, then the next couple she was laughing again. Then there's a big curve before a couple more big hills, and she again had the horrified look before I started laughing and got her laughing again too. Afterwards, she said it was fun. I told her she looked pretty scared for part of it and she totally denied it - that girl will do anything she sets her mind to, and pretend she likes it if she thinks that's what's expected. No other kids got off scared, so she of course was fine.
We later found out Kaylen was tall enough to ride the Dragon - their upside-down roller coaster. I can't imagine what her reaction to that would have been - she probably would never have come back - although with her, you never know!
We played it pretty cool for the rest of the day - the tilt-a-whirl, the circus show, the octopus ride (with daddy-I can't handle the up and down spinning on this one!), the log ride (I convinced her that she and I should ride in the back so daddy would get soaked, and we'd just get sprinkled - and it worked), then we got a caricature of her as a princess (albeit a tired one! as it was after 5 by then and we were all a little ragged), rode the carousel (we convinced her that we didn't need to ride the train because she rode the train at the zoo earlier in the summer), got ice cream and Jock got his fudge fix, and left for McDonald's and then home.
When we got home, we stopped by to visit with our neighbors at our block party for a little while, until the bugs started coming out. It was nice to meet a few more of them, and put names and faces, children and parents, everyone and their houses together. Maybe they'll have another one in the spring, and we can go to the whole thing, and meet some more. Also, there are still several empty lots, and a couple homes still for sale, so I'm sure there'll be more to meet. After that we all pretty much collapsed. Today we're recovering (well the adults are)! Kaylen was still a bit tired, but the nap took care of that, and now she's waiting for me to help her learn how to tie the laces on her new tennis shoes so she can wear them this week.
Jock and Kaylen on the Giant Skywheel:
Kaylen and I on the Carousel:
The view of the park from atop the Giant Skywheel:
And, our tired princess:
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
School Picture Day Fall 2007
Today was Kaylen's fall school picture day. Now, for those of you that don't know me - this day is usually characterized by about two days running ragged shopping before-hand, trying to find Kaylen a fall dress to wear. This is no small feat, as Kaylen is not shaped like the average child - or at least not like the average clothing companies think the average child is shaped. Two-piece sets usually do not work, as she's usually one size on the bottom, and quite another on top. At the mall on Monday, we found a shirt (size 4T) that fit her perfectly - the size 4T skirt that matched fit by length but was too tight around her belly - same with the size 4 skirt - the size 5 skirt fit her belly (with the inside elastic sinches pulled tight), but was about 4 inches too long! Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!
Well, last night was our last chance, or else we would have been stuck with just her normal clothes she's been wearing the last two summers - yes, most of the clothes she wore last summer still fit her - I think in the last year she's lost a lot of her baby fat, and has grown up a bit too! Anyway, we did pretty good for our last chance outing. We found three outfits that all fit her. Two were more casual - skirts or pants (size 4) and a cute top (size 5), but the one we ended up with was a jumper and top(size 6 - go figure?!). I thought I would try to go slightly more casual for the fall picture this year, but changed my mind. She needed a new dress for winter anyway, and it will work with a long sleeve shirt and tights when it gets cooler out!
Then we had to find shoes - and let me tell you - finding shoes for a child who has a blister on each heel to begin with is not fun! We had to go to a different store, but it all worked out - we found some very cute ones that match the dress perfectly. By the time we were done shopping, we were both starving, so we went through the McDonald's drive-through on the way home - I even let her get a milk-shake because of the success we'd had, and good behavior throughout the whole ordeal. Then to home, a shower, quick trim of the bangs, blow-dry the hair so it didn't dry all kinky, and off to bed.
This morning Kaylen woke up a tad bit early (usually I have to wake her up about 10 minutes later than that) - I think she was excited knowing she'd be getting all dressed up. Got her all ready, and took a few pictures at home before we were off. Here's the final product - doesn't she look pretty!
Well, last night was our last chance, or else we would have been stuck with just her normal clothes she's been wearing the last two summers - yes, most of the clothes she wore last summer still fit her - I think in the last year she's lost a lot of her baby fat, and has grown up a bit too! Anyway, we did pretty good for our last chance outing. We found three outfits that all fit her. Two were more casual - skirts or pants (size 4) and a cute top (size 5), but the one we ended up with was a jumper and top(size 6 - go figure?!). I thought I would try to go slightly more casual for the fall picture this year, but changed my mind. She needed a new dress for winter anyway, and it will work with a long sleeve shirt and tights when it gets cooler out!
Then we had to find shoes - and let me tell you - finding shoes for a child who has a blister on each heel to begin with is not fun! We had to go to a different store, but it all worked out - we found some very cute ones that match the dress perfectly. By the time we were done shopping, we were both starving, so we went through the McDonald's drive-through on the way home - I even let her get a milk-shake because of the success we'd had, and good behavior throughout the whole ordeal. Then to home, a shower, quick trim of the bangs, blow-dry the hair so it didn't dry all kinky, and off to bed.
This morning Kaylen woke up a tad bit early (usually I have to wake her up about 10 minutes later than that) - I think she was excited knowing she'd be getting all dressed up. Got her all ready, and took a few pictures at home before we were off. Here's the final product - doesn't she look pretty!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Crawling, Measurements, & a Video
We got some more info about the children, and a short video of Elijah. (Thanks Carrie & Kathy!) I'm going to attempt to post the video clip below. Carrie shared that Elijah is crawling all over the place, and is very active. He also stands and she thinks he'll be walking in no time! That's so encouraging to hear, since in the pictures he seems almost bored - probably just waiting for that time they let him on the floor to explore! He must just be very mesmerized by the shiny cameras. Celena was sleeping and chilling out most of the time, since she's so little, but a physical therapist was working with the babies, getting them on their tummies as well.
Also, the team got measurements for all the babies and toddlers at the orphanage:
Celena - Head 15.25", Weight 10 lbs 12 oz., Length 24", 3-6 mos clothing
Ralph - Head 17", Weight 20 lbs 4 oz, Length 31", 12-18 mos clothing
Compared to US standards (the CDC has growth charts on their website), they are both tall for their age, but have low weights for their age. As you can imagine though, they're both very low on the weight-for-length percentiles. I'm doing some checking on what the differences are in percentiles between the US and Haiti though - I'm sure they're quite a bit different.
Elijah - mostly staring at the camera, but playing with a toy, and jumping just a little bit in the last half of the video:
Also, the team got measurements for all the babies and toddlers at the orphanage:
Celena - Head 15.25", Weight 10 lbs 12 oz., Length 24", 3-6 mos clothing
Ralph - Head 17", Weight 20 lbs 4 oz, Length 31", 12-18 mos clothing
Compared to US standards (the CDC has growth charts on their website), they are both tall for their age, but have low weights for their age. As you can imagine though, they're both very low on the weight-for-length percentiles. I'm doing some checking on what the differences are in percentiles between the US and Haiti though - I'm sure they're quite a bit different.
Elijah - mostly staring at the camera, but playing with a toy, and jumping just a little bit in the last half of the video:
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