Pride

It's holiday time around here. This past weekend was Gay Pride. For the past 7 years or so we have hosted an annual Pride Breakfast before the big parade. All of our friends and family show up early to chow down and walk the 2 blocks (from our new house anyway) to the parade. My family, this year just my sister and niece, usually marches with PFLAG and we have quite a few friends in the local community band. The parade is an especially great time for kids as they are just showered with candy, toys and necklaces from the floats. It's a great time and a tradition that I love.

This year pride will be extended for us because we're attending the Great Lakes Rainbow Families week. We've been busy this week planning and packing, getting ready for vacation. We're renting a lake house with a two daddy family that is from that area. This will be our first year attending but we're hoping that it will be neat enough to make another tradition for our family.

So.....Happy Pride!

Peekaboo

Just a peekaboo at baby CJ. His fine hair is finally starting to show the hint of some beautiful curls to come.

Photo Post

Today I wanted to put up some pics I've been meaning to share but haven't taken the time to write about.

1. A pic of Jo and her first BFF. Our newly adopted cat Maestro.

2. A picture I took of my newest great-niece, Lana Arlene, with her mom and brother.

Learning more about Cerebral Palsy

With two CP special needs kiddos in the house we're super busy. Lili (and Jo) goes to her special preschool 4x a week. Both her and CJ get OT and PT 2x a week each. We're going to start going to a special CP clinic at the local children's hospital 1x a month. We'll see a lot of specialists all in one afternoon. I'm learning more and more about CP.

In the United States today, more people have cerebral palsy than any other developmental disability, including Down syndrome, epilepsy, and autism. Although children with very mild cerebral palsy occasionally recover by the time they are school-aged, cerebral palsy is usually a lifelong disability. In most cases, the movement and other problems associated with cerebral palsy affect what a child is able to learn and do to varying degrees throughout their life.

CJ has Spastic Cerebral Palsy (stiff and difficult movement)
Lili has Ataxic Cerebral Palsy (disturbed sense of balance and depth perception)

Both of their cerebral palsy may be the result of an injury to their brain before, during, or after birth. In Lili's case, as a very premature baby, bleeding into the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage) caused extensive damage. I think in CJ's case nuerological damage was caused by toxic injuries, or poisoning, from alcohol or drugs used by the mother.

June Hair

When I'm doing a long term hairstyle (anything I want to last for 3 weeks or more) I build it up and take it down. With Jo's current hairstyle the first few days I just cornrowed the front and had the back in piggy poofs. Then I did a few box braids in the back and added beads. Then the next step in the hair style I'll put it in piggies. A few days later I will change the beads. Then a few days later I will divide and rebraid the back box braids so there are more, smaller braids. This time I then put all of the braids into two buns. This is my newest favorite style. I love Jo's hair in piggy poofs but getting it to stay clean and pretty is a challenge now that her hair is so long. This new style allows me to have that look and it stays nicely for days with minimal upkeep for me. I love it. (do you see her lip scar in the picture? my poor baby)

Well isn't that neat?

A friend just emailed some pics she had taken of her kids through a generous photographer with Celebrating Adoption

If you have adopted within the past year (or if you're going to -hang on to their info) they will waive their fee and take portraits of your newly adopted family member. Check it out! I've contacted a local photographer through their site and hope to hear back soon.

Wake up call

I'm always trying half-heartedly, on and off to lose weight. I have an elliptical machine, we belong to the YMCA, sometimes I count WW points, sometimes I eat only local, fresh earth grown items. Sometimes I plan out meals a week or even few weeks in advance to control portions, calories and budget. Sometimes (like last night) I'm too tired and I give the kids something nutritious and cave in to the baked Lays that have been calling my name.

Then sometimes, like today, I get a wake up call that says "THIS IS SERIOUS DAMMIT!" You see I have a horrible family history of heart disease. My maternal grandfather died of a heart attack, my maternal grandmother had her first heart attack at 62, my own mother in her fifties. My sister died of a heart attack two years ago at only 40 years old. After my sister died I saw my doctor and was diagnosed with mild high blood pressure. Not enough to take medicine but enough to freak me out....for a few months. Then back I went to my old habits and 10 more pounds came with me into the new year.

Today another sister went to the doctor for migraines....her blood pressure was so high (high blood pressure is anything over 140/90 - hers was 222/124) he immediately did an EKG that showed that she has recently had a heart attack. She had a heart attack and didn't even know it!

So now my grandmother, mother, all my siblings and even one niece are on medicine to control blood pressure. If I don't do something RIGHT NOW. I will need it within a few years.

Another gray hair

Jo started preschool just fine. The teacher had to explain to the other kids that the shiny spot under her nose was glue & stitches and not boogers. LOL Of course that didn't last long because she picked off the glue and stitches just 4 days after they were in. (can I have a side of guilt with my guilt platter please?) By that time they can't re-stitch so it looks like we're in for a nasty scar on my beautiful girl. (Can I supersize my guilt platter?)

But the real reason I'm going gray this week is that during naptime yesterday the girls were playing in their room and Jo thought a good game of beat-my-sister-over-the-head-with-maracas would be fun. I walked into, quite literally, a bloody mess. Head wounds bleed. Alot. Clothes, floor, bedding, furniture, hair, toys...just about everything. (I'm sorry but can I just order the whole guilt menu?) We would have made another trip to the emergency room if a friend who just happens to be a pediatrician wasn't already here visiting. So Lili is fine, no stitches required. But the sisters are being separated for a while. Different chairs at the dining table, different rows in the minivan and different bedrooms.

So how long does sibling rivalry last?

Emergency!

We had our first big emergency yesterday. While walking down the front steps Josie fell off the side and sliced her lip open on the metal alarm company sign. We had just returned from 4 hours at the children's hospital during a new leg splint fitting for Lili. We turned around and went right back for another 5 hours in the emergency room.

After 4 stitches, some glue and two worried mamas, everything is fine. I'm so surprised at how well it looks it was a really big gash. I felt awful and guilty that I wasn't there to protect my babygirl. But these things happen right? (someone tell me these things happen, kids fall and I'm not a horrible mom)

So here is her first day of school pic....stitches and all. I love her hair like this. Yeah for new hair pretties.

School stuff

Lili will be continuing to attend her special language preschool during the summer session and the first day is Wednesday. We've decided (budget be damned) to send Josie too for this semester. She is always so excited when we drop Lili off at school and I'm hoping she'll still be excited Wednesday.

This past weekend we went to a kids birthday party that was held at one of those big-inflatable-bouncy-things places. We almost had Lili stay home with DP because we figured she would just throw a fit and get overwhelmed. Boy did we call that wrong. Lili had an all out, no fear, more-more-more, blast and a half. Josie on the other hand was scared of everything and didn't participate at all (well except for blowing out the birthday girls candles mid-song) and was uncharacteristically shy. I'm still searching their bedroom for the alien pods because these are not my children. Who came down and switched personalities on me? LOL

CJ had his first IFSP (like an IEP but for kids under 3) meeting today. With his CP diagnosis he qualifies for any services he needs. He already has PT once a week and now we'll be adding OT once a week as well. His SW attended the meeting and told us that mom relapsed this week. More self help meetings were added to her goal plan. *sigh* I don't know if she's gonna make it. This isn't a good sign. Sorry baby boy.

Hair Supplies

If you don't have an ethnic beauty supply store near you I just found a great one online that has some inexpensive kids hair accessories. We have many stores near us but I rarely get the chance to go unless I want to risk three grumpy kids making a scene! LOL. Check out www.extremebeautysupply.com

Blogging for LGBT Families

Rather than writing a political or theoretical post today, I'm going to write a very personal one. One that many LGBT families can relate to.

I am a mom.
I wipe noses and change diapers.
I'm there for every middle-of-the-night feeding, every boo boo and tummy ache.
I play peekaboo and build sand castles.
I make every meal and snack.
I'm the first person they run to when hurt, scared or tired.
I sing nursery rhymes and play tag.
I nurture and care for traumatized children.

I am a mom.



I'm mama, I'm the primary caregiver. However, I am not a legal parent. My partner does, but I have no rights to my children.