Turning into my Mom.

When I was young, I vowed I would not turn into my Mother. I promised myself I would not do or say the things she did and said.

Well, we all know how that turned out! Within the first two years of life with Kerri, I basically said every word I heard my Mom say when I was young (and I vowed never to say, ha!).

And now, I find that I am turning into my Mom in other ways too. And I am very proud to have learned a thing or two from her. And not just in the kitchen, but life lessons.

So today's life lesson for Kerri is: pay attention. You might just learn something useful, even if you don't agree with it, or don't think so right now.

Life with Kerri is a reminder of my childhood.

Good news!

I got a call from the speech therapist at school. She evaluated Kerri and agreed that there was an immediate need to provide therapy for Kerri's phonological delay. And my daughter seemed to enjoy their session. The therapist thought Kerri was delightful and enjoyed working with her. So Kerri has started biweekly speech therapy sessions at school. Finally!

For now they will be working on the "F", "S", and "SH" sounds. They are all blowing sounds, and something Kerri has a great deal of trouble with. Right now she substitutes these sounds in words with the letter "D". It can make understanding her very difficult at times.

The other good news is that Kerri no longer gets frustrated when she is not understood. She now uses all the techniques we taught her: describing it, talking more slowly, or trying to use a different word or pointing to something similar or that rhymes.

Life with Kerri just keeps getting better.

Batgirl!

Our dear friend Lisa made this Batman outfit for Kerri:

And as you can tell by her smiles, she absolutely loves it!

The poses were all her idea:

Thank you Lisa for making one very special little girl extremely happy!

And Kerri is a a very happy Batgirl now!

Life with Kerri is made even more special thanks to our dear friends.

Thank you Lisa!

Kerri fulfills a wish...

...to drive Batman's car!

Life with Kerri is bat-tastic!

What Kerri does when I am not looking...

First, she brings up toys from the playroom, or down from her bedroom...

Then this happens:

And after the dolls are done watching their favorite show, they get rounded up again:

Caught in action!

Life with Kerri is a handful of fun!

A date with my daughter.

Despite feeling under the weather, I had an errand to run today. So Kerri and I headed out, and on our way she decided she wanted to go on a "date" with me to an Italian restaurant. And she worked hard at pronouncing the word "Italian"!

I could not resist, and after picking up a few rental movies to watch home later, we ended up at East Side Mario's for lunch. For the first time ever, Kerri did not use a booster seat! And to further prove she is a big girl now, she ordered her own lunch, complete with a kiddie cocktail drink. It was called "Princess Punch", and Kerri and I chuckled at that one - since she told the waitress she is a princess, after all. This led to a conversation as to why her tiara was at home and not on her head (priceless treasures should not be worn haphazardly in public, our waitress agreed).

Lunch was yummy, and when the meal was over, the waitress brought a treasure chest over and Kerri got to pick a "treasure" to bring home.

The best part of the entire afternoon was spending precious time with my daughter, who is growing up way too fast.

Life with Kerri is my priceless treasure!

Preparing for winter...

For the past two years, it has snowed early. When we moved here in 2007, it snowed in early November. And in 2008, there was snow before Halloween. But this year, we are experiencing an unusually warm Fall. And so far, no snow.

It may be due to global warming, or just a fluke of nature, but I am not complaining. However, I am preparing for when we finally get dumped with the white powder. And looking forward to it! I am hoping for a white Christmas.

So as Kerri's snowsuit, gloves, and boots sit unused in our hall closet, I am grateful that the shovel and salt is also sitting there, unused - for now, anyway.

Life with Kerri is fun for all seasons.

Black and Blue.

Friday Kerri had a little accident at school. The kids were playing in the schoolyard just before going home, and Kerri and her friends were chasing each other. I watched as a girl collided into Kerri. Kerri was crying and tried to run to me, but was stopped by the substitute teacher. The teacher made the other girl apologize to Kerri, and they shook hands and went on to play a few more minutes.

When I got home, I noticed that Kerri's glasses were badly damaged by the accident. And by Sunday, Kerri had a nice black eye. So Daddy took her to the eyeglass store to readjust her glasses and ensure they were OK. And while they were there, Daddy went to get a haircut. I know this because he came home shaved in a military cut, and Kerri brought me a fistful of his hair as a souvenir.

Today Kerri's eye looks much better, but the black and blue spot will be there for a few more days, unfortunately.

Life with Kerri reminds me that there will be bumps and bruises along the way.

Dating and dancing.

Nana has been visiting us for a few days and it has been so much fun! There have been pedicures, movies, and lots of drawing. Dancing, playing, and shopping too. And this morning, after I left the girls with freshly baked cinnamon buns, Daddy and I went out on a date for breakfast.

After our breakfast, we stopped by a European delicatessen and store. We had lots of fun perusing all the imported foods and spices, and I even bought some German Spaetzle and some Polenta mix. I think we will be back for the Perogies soon.

After that detour, we went to the mega huge toy store to buy Kerri her 8 Chanukah gifts (one for each day) and a few extra for Christmas. We lucked out and hit a sale, with lots of buy-one-get-one-free, or get-one-at-half-price items. So with less than $75.00 (and that included 15% tax!), we got Kerri some really cool and fun gifts. Since this year we are on a budget, I think we did pretty good!

We ended the day with a few movies, a yummy meal and then a dance recital from Kerri. My comments won't do it justice, you just had to be there to see it, but believe me when I say it was hilarious.

Tonight we take Nana home. We will miss her, she is part of our family, and more of a big sister to Kerri than her cousin. Thank you Nana! We look forward to our next girl's night!

Life with Kerri is groovy.

I am a diva.

Nana, Kerri and I were walking through a store doing some holiday shopping. Kerri pointed to the writing on a pillow and asked what it said. "It says DIVA", I replied. And Kerri said: "I am a diva!"

I asked Kerri if she knew what being a diva meant, and she said: "It means someone is very annoying."

Nana and I laughed, and told her she was close.

Life with Kerri keeps us amused.

Volunteer day.

Today I volunteered in Kerri's classroom (actually, in the hallway) to read books to her class, one child at a time. Kerri went first, and she picked out a book about flies. She knows I dislike bugs a great deal (and I am putting it mildly, it is more of a phobia). But we had lots of fun learning all about the 85,000 different kinds of flies and their unique features. More than I ever wanted to know. I will probably be having nightmares tonight.

The other children picked out many of the same books: a book about horses, one about mice that deliver Valentines, and a book about tools. I have some of them memorized from reading them over and over!

I think it went well, and I will be volunteering every Wednesday now. Since I love books, and kids, this should be fun!

Life with Kerri keeps me reading.

Not letting go.

Yesterday Nana, Kerri and I went to the happy arches restaurant. Our first stop was the indoor play structure, since it is way too cold now to go to outdoor playgrounds. We had it all to ourselves. As Nana and I sat down and Kerri took off her shoes, we heard a knock on the glass. It was a boy, a bit older than Kerri, who was waving and smiling as if he knew us. He didn't. We waved back and returned to our conversation, and the boy must have rushed through his meal with his family.

Yes, I am assuming, but I know this because in a matter of a minute, the boy, his younger brother and his Mom came into the playground. And Kerri of course instantly said "Hi!". That was all it took, they were climbing and chasing each other through the play structure while the boy's Mom would call out to him to keep his hands to himself and be gentle with the girl. My eyebrows started raising, but I decided to ignore that for now and kept talking to Nana.

At one point, the boy - who was wearing a Batman shirt (Kerri's favorite super-hero) - was talking to his Mom and pointed to Kerri and said "She's my girlfriend.". Nana and I both had the same knee-jerk reaction: we gasped and clutched our hearts. And off they were, giggling and climbing again, while Nana and I reeled in shock and tried to find the words. "No! I am not ready for this!", was all I could muster, and the boy's Mom laughed at our inexperience in these matters.

At some point, we had to say our goodbyes and go get lunch. And the "boyfriend" came up to Kerri at least four different times to say goodbye to her again. She did not understand how smitten he was with her, and thought it odd he kept coming over. Nana and I knew it was cute, but we were already protecting our Kerri and trying to distance her from the Batboy. And the funny thing, when we got home and told Daddy what happened, he had the same reaction as Nana and I.

Life with Kerri reminds me I am not ready yet to let go.

Listen to your gut.

For the past two years, I have been asking Kerri's pediatrician to refer us to a dermatologist. During our first winter in Canada, Kerri developed a rash on her elbow. The pediatrician called it "eczema" and gave us an over the counter cortisone/steroid cream to apply. The rashes continued to spread, and the doctor continued to prescribe higher and higher doses. And then this past winter, some of her rashes looked circular, so the pediatrician told us that her eczema was infected with ringworm. So we added a new medication to the already overused cortisone/steroids we were applying liberally. And we were not aware we were thinning out Kerri's skin in the process.

I finally had enough and demanded a referral to a dermatologist, and it turns out Kerri does NOT have eczema, NOR ringworm. UGH! Kerri actually has psoriasis, or so the dermatologist thinks. It could be genetic, or it could be caused by Kerri's already weakened immune system. Kerri tested negative for HIV, so we know it is not that, thank goodness. It can also worsen with stress, and the dry air during winter (because of the furnace) does not help. This is a lifelong affliction, and Kerri is already complaining it is unfair. Of course, I came straight home and looked up "psoriasis" and did not like what I found.

So our new normal consists every morning and every night of lathering Kerri up and down, from head to toe, with a very expensive and mild Glaxan Base moisturizer and/or Vaseline - followed by several additional layers throughout the day. She is not allowed to swim. She can no longer have baths - something she loves. She is to use Dove Sensitive Skin Baby Wash, and her showers (which she hates) have to be very quick. We then pat her dry (no rubbing with the towel) and then shmear her with heavy duty applications of lotion moisturizer again. And Kerri now has a humidifier in her room. We were also given an even stronger cortisone/steroid to use on her affected areas, but I am refusing to put any more meds on her at this time. I am PISSED OFF that we have been putting them on her for almost two years!

So Mommy is finally going to follow my gut instinct and try to find a new pediatrician. Kerri's current one is out on maternity leave. Good. Now that she is a mother, maybe she will learn to listen to us Moms who know our kids better than she does. I am not sticking around to find out.

Life with Kerri reminds me to listen to my gut instinct more often.

The birds and the bees....

It finally happened, the dreaded "birds and the bees" conversation!

I decided to take Kerri to the GYN with me for my tri-monthly hormone shot. And while we were waiting for the doctor to come in, Kerri asked what the posters on the wall were. You know the ones, depicting the female body with all the reproductive organs? Since Kerri really is into biology and science, I decided to go with the facts, and went on to describe what each organ does and why women have them. Which led to her next question: "How is the baby made?".

I decided to answer with facts again, and explained that women have eggs and men have sperm and when they mix they can create a baby. Thank goodness she did not ask how the egg and sperm mix! But she did ask how the baby comes out. And so I described contractions, and told her it was much like pushing when she was constipated. And then Kerri proceeded to demonstrate contractions for me. It was very amusing.

After thinking all of this through for a minute, Kerri concluded our lesson with the following comment: "That's why women are more special than men, because we do all the work!".

And on that note, the doctor came in, listening to our conversation (apparently the entire one - through the other side of the door). He was quite amused, and then proceeded to show Kerri how he gave me an injection in the bum. And Kerri paid close attention and asked relevant questions. This kid of mine is unbelievable.

Life with Kerri reminds me just how special she is.

The pushy bird gets the worm.

Two years ago, I enrolled Kerri in a free program so she could obtain speech therapy. However, there was a long waiting list, so we chose to go privately instead. That is, until my husband lost his job in February.

Then during the summer, Kerri was finally evaluated and placed on a priority list for speech therapy through the school board when she started Kindergarten. And finally, a few days ago I got tired of waiting and decided to get pushy. The squeaky wheel thing, you know?

Last night I got a phone call from the person in charge of the program at Kerri's school. And she began to tell me that it could be three quarters of a year before Kerri even starts. Not acceptable! So the pushy, squeaky wheel turned into the pleading, please-feel-sorry-for-me wheel. Because you get more bees with honey, right? And I was told that Kerri would be placed in front of the other three children as a priority, due to the severity of her phonological delay. Which means sometime in the next 8 weeks Kerri will start speech therapy at school (we hope). And they will evaluate her for OT (Occupational Therapy) and possibly Physiotherapy as well.

So my lesson for today is: money gets you what you want. But if you can't afford it, the pushy bird and the squeaky wheel get you noticed. And the sweetness and sob story get you to the front of the line.

Life with Kerri keeps me chirping. And this bird is no longer singing the blues!

Excuse me?!

Yesterday, when we were at the fast food place, we purchased some lunch for Kerri to bring home. The cashier took our order, and then asked me if my daughter was biological or adopted. I have not really had anyone ask me since we left the States, so I was caught by surprise. I answered only "my daughter is adopted", and put a protective hand on Kerri's shoulder. And then the cashier went on to say: "Oh, I figured as much because she certainly doesn't look biological, I mean she does not look mixed." I was speechless, and did not reply. Instead, I began a conversation with Kerri about her meal.

In the past, I would usually respond with sarcasm or a funny comment that would also put a person in their place. But this time, I did not know what to say. Kerri did not seem to mind, and she did not say anything either. I am not sure what to make of it, except that it breaks my heart that Kerri has to hear things like this and is constantly reminded that she is adopted, that she does not look like us. On the other hand, we have been very open with her and she seems to readily accept that this is our normal, and that it is OK. But it is so not fair.

Life with Kerri makes me want to protect her.

If only...

Today after school, I took Kerri to her favorite fast food place (she calls it "Old McDonalds"), for some fun in the large play structure. And Kerri quickly made friends with a little girl. The mom and I made small talk, and when it was time to go, Kerri invited her new friend to our home for a play date. She even told her what street we live on! I did not even know Kerri knew our address.

The little girl's mom quickly pointed out that they lived across town. But the little girl decided that would not stop her and told her mom that we could always meet back at this play structure.

The mom and I laughed, and she said: "if only adults made friends as easily as little children do.".

And as we said our goodbyes, I kept thinking about her comment. If only adults were more like children in so many other ways!

Life with Kerri teaches me a lesson, every day.

A scary nosebleed.

We were finishing dinner when Kerri decided to blow her nose, hard. And then all of a sudden she started to bleed heavily, from her nose. It took several tissues and ten minutes of pinching her nostrils before it stopped. It was pretty scary to watch, although Kerri did not feel anything. And it was even scarier to act like nothing wrong was happening, so we would not alarm Kerri.

So after dinner, I suggested that we watch a movie in my bedroom, so I could keep an eye on Kerri. As my daughter ate popcorn and watched "Strawberry Shortcake", I read a book while glancing over every few minutes to make sure she was OK. And then Kerri started to choke. I sat her up immediately and blood started coming out heavily from her nose again. I yelled for hubby to come running with more tissues, and the fun started all over again, for 15 more minutes.

Hubby put a humidifier in Kerri's room, and I got absolutely no sleep. I checked on Kerri constantly, afraid the bleeding would start up again and she would choke in her sleep. Kerri was fine, the humidifier seemed to do the trick. I guess with the furnace running more at night, the house gets too dry and this irritated her nose. And when she blew her nose it caused something to bleed.

We have never dealt with nosebleeds before, so we felt helpless and scared. And I guess the mama bear in me came out that night, trying to protect my baby from scary things I did not understand nor could prevent. Thank goodness Kerri has not had any more nosebleeds this weekend.

Life with Kerri keeps me watchful.

Miss you Mom!

It's been a month. I miss my Mom every single day.

Life with Kerri reminds me to make every moment count.

Catching up!

• I am back from the blogging hiatus, and am going to try and catch up! Unfortunately, our laptop met it's demise, so I am unable to post pictures for awhile.
• Florida was hot and humid! It was 85 degrees almost every day while I was there. A big change from the 40 degree weather back home.
• It was great to see my family again. I was surprised to find that either I have shrunk in just a month or my nieces and nephews are growing way too fast! The 13 year old girls are either as tall, or taller than me.
• My luggage was broken into on the flight(s) home. It was not TSA, since the TSA lock was not broken/opened and there was no note. But the zippers were busted and bent, the handles undone and the bag arrived half open and missing quite a bit of clothing. The contents also were in a different order, as if someone went through them. Thank goodness at the last minute I put all the gifts and important items in my purse and carry on bag!
• By the looks of my home, it seems the girls had quite the time! The basement playroom is a mess, and Kerri's room looked like a tornado went through it. But everyone seemed healthy and happy, and glad to see me, which is always way more important than what my house looks like!
• While I was away, Nana made the most awesome pumpkin! I posted a picture on my Facebook profile. For Halloween, Kerri dressed up as Harry Potter, scar and all, and had a blast trick or treating in the neighborhood.
• My back is still bothering me, and the nerve damage is still there. I start physio twice a week, and am hoping to see an improvement soon. In the meantime, the pain is bearable, and I have gotten used to not feeling my left side.
• Kerri went to the dentist to have a cavity filled. She was very upset to find out that her filling was the same color as her tooth. In her words: "White is boring! I should have color choices, like yellow, or pink or blue!". The dentist loves her, she is so good and never needs any kind of numbing. It helps that the dentist is awesome and gentle too.
• Pookie has been groomed for winter, and he looks like he needs a sweater now. He is adorable, except for when I find him on the table finishing Kerri's cereal.
• It's almost a month since my Mom died, and I miss her every day.
• I am trying to convince my Dad to come visit us. I would fly him up here, and have him see our great dentist while he is here too.
• The Wii was a success! Kerri is really good at the Scooby Doo game, and hubby likes to belt out Beatles tunes with his Rock Band game. Even Nana tried playing guitar, and she is quite good at it too!
• It snowed today! It is not cold enough for it to stick, so it turns to rain. I need to put the snow tires on the Mama mobile soon. Time to get out all our winter gear!

As wonderful as it was to see my Dad and family, I am so happy to be back home.

Life with Kerri resumes!