Life With Kerri

I never saw this coming.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:35:00 +0000

When I became a Mommy, I was prepared for changing diapers and the possibility of other messes. But today, I made a list of all those things I was not prepared for (in no particular order):

Cheerios in weird places. Like in the Mama Mobile, the VCR, or the bottom of my purse.
The first time Kerri said "I don't like you!"
The first day I dropped Kerri off at school, at age 2.
Changing my business attire for all day pajamas, sweat suits or considering jeans and a t-shirt as being "dressed up".
Changing my name from Vivian to "Kerri's Mom".
Watching my little girl's heart get broken for the first time.
Feeling helpless when Kerri was hospitalized with RSV.
Letting go.

I am sure the list is way bigger, but those are the first ones that popped into my mind. And why am I on this subject? Because today, Kerri ran out naked from the bathroom with a wad of toilet paper in her hand, then bent over and stuck her tushie in my face and asked me to wipe it for her.

Life with Kerri keeps me amused.

Conversations with Kerri

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Since we have been home sick, we have had plenty of time to have some very deep conversations. Here are a few of Kerri's comments and questions that have kept us talking over the long weekend:

"I don't understand why we moved to Canada when all my friends and Miss Erin live in Florida."
"If something happens to you and Daddy, who is going to live in this house? What will happen to me?"
"I want to die so I can see Grandma Felisa and Charlie (her first pet, our schnauzer) again."
"I did not want Grandma Felisa to die, I wanted her to come here with Grandpa for Christmas. I asked Santa for that."
"When I grow up I don't want to move, I want to live with you. And if I move, you will live in my house."

Scary, huh? These questions led us back to the attachment therapies we have been working on so hard for the last four and a half years. Just when I think Kerri is secure, she comes up with these questions (and they are always the same, she just changes the words a little to make them sound like new questions). But if you read between the lines, you can hear the doubt of an adopted child, who is scared to be abandoned again. Her insecurity eats at me, because how can you help a five year old feel secure? I have asked myself this question over and over again for the past four years. Even with attachment therapies, no matter how many times we reassure her daily, she still has fears and doubts (whether she voices them or not).

In all other ways, Kerri is a very normal five year old. She is an amazing child, with such a big heart. She is smart, and very funny. She has a joy for life and laughter that is contagious. She never stops talking! She devours books on science and the human body. She has taken on many of hubby's attributes and made them her own. She is very much like him, so much so that we "forget" that she is adopted. Of course, I have never had biological children, but I know how I feel, and I am pretty sure our bond is no different. She is ahead of her class in all areas, which is pretty amazing considering she has a phonological speech delay, and most of the kids are older than her. Kerri is an amazing little girl who charms anyone that meets and gets to know her. And we love her so very much.

I know we have bonded with Kerri, and she is not the same little girl that had mild RAD, terrible screaming night terrors constantly, fears so real that she could not be alone for a second, and the list goes on. She is a happy child now, who finally sleeps in her own room by herself. She goes to school and now waves goodbye instead of asking us to stay until she goes in. She now makes eye contact and gives full frontal hugs, and does not turn her head away when we go to kiss her. She now gives hugs and kisses freely. We think she is attached, and that she knows she is loved and wanted.

So why all the questions again? Will this internal dialogue of fear remain with her - and for how long? If you have the answer, please let me know.

Life with Kerri makes me realize just how precious she is to us.

How we spent the first day of 2010.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Hubby, Pookie and Kerri - my very own couch potatoes!

This is what a fever of 101.8 looks like on Kerri

But her personality shines through after a little help from Tylenol

And although we blew our noses all day long,

there still was a smile on our faces at the end of the day.

Life with Kerri is fun even when we are all sick!

Goodbye 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:36:00 +0000

On this last day of the year 2009, I took some time to sit down and reflect on the past twelve months. I had no choice really, because there was nothing else to do in the boring doctor's office. And so I am posting this year's life lessons for Kerri:

Family is not necessarily something you are born into. Family are the people you choose to surround yourself with, the ones that love you, respect you, and stick by you in good times and bad.
No one is perfect.
It is our differences that make us interesting.
Life goes on after losing a loved one. But we are forever changed, and there is a part of our heart and mind that will forever remember and grieve. It is easier to remember the good times, and not dwell on the bad memories.
Taking care of yourself first is extremely important. Without your health, you cannot enjoy things the same way. You cannot help others if you are not well.
A positive attitude is everything. We have been able to take every "bad" thing that has happened to us and turn it around into something positive. Whether it was a learning experience, or made us stronger, there is always a better way to look at things. It could always have been worse! And being able to laugh at ourselves and our situation has been the best medicine. Besides, no one likes to be around someone who is always negative.
Save for a rainy day. Don't waste. Don't buy things you do not need. You never know when your financial situation can change, and it can - at a moment's notice.
Don't take anything or anyone for granted, ever.
Faith can move mountains, or help us over a hill.
Try to do a mitzvah (good deed) every day. Don't expect anything in return. Try to be anonymous, if you can.
It is better to surprise someone, than disappoint them.
Don't procrastinate. Don't leave it for later or tomorrow. If you see something that has to be done, do it right away.

And then it was our turn to see the doctor, so my ponderings came to an end. Kerri is now 45 pounds and 43.8 inches tall. Hubby still has a sinus infection. I am coming down with it too. And Kerri was diagnosed with laryngitis and possibly croup. But I think she really has a sinus thing going on too. We all have mild fevers, body aches, running noses, and coughs. What a way to end the year - instead of blowing party horns, we will be blowing our noses!

We wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year, and hope 2010 brings peace, love, health, prosperity, good luck and happiness to all.

Life with Kerri reminds me to count my blessings, every day of the year.

Holiday recap

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Here are some of my favorite holiday pictures:

My two girls, Nana Jessa and Kerri

Kerri wearing the crown that was in her Christmas cracker.

Nana and me

Carol and Andre blowing out their birthday candles

This look on hubby's face is priceless!

Yesterday Kerri received another holiday gift in the mail, this time from Florida. Thank you Justin, Chelsea and Aunt Lillian for the two DS games! And thank you Alora, Caleb, Aunt Denise and Uncle Aaron for the two Wii games! Kerri and her Daddy have been playing with them since they opened the package.
Hubby has been sick for a week, and finally went to the doctor. He has a sinus infection. Kerri yesterday woke with a fever of 102, and we managed to keep it down with meds, but the fever persisted at 99.9 all day. She is also coughing and says her throat hurts, so today she will be going to the doctor if she is not feeling any better. I have a slight suspicion that she also has a sinus infection.
The weather here has gotten colder, it is currently -18C but we don't have huge amounts of snow.
We did get 24 hours of freezing rain that started on Christmas night. Which made taking Nana to work on Boxing Day very interesting. (Hubby was sick, so it was up to me). For starters, it took us 15 minutes to get to the car, since everything was a skating rink! The Mama Mobile was sealed tight in ice about 1/2 inch thick. It took us another half an hour to break into the car and then hack off all the ice. At one point, a piece of ice went down the front of my jacket, and I was hopping around like a bunny trying to get it out. Nana and I had quite the laughs on our adventure. The good news is she made it safely to work, and I made it safely back home.
The Mama Mobile, on the other hand, needed a new battery after that ordeal.
Christmas dinner was wonderful, and we had a lovely evening with Carol and Andre and Nana. We also have tons of leftovers, and have been eating ham and turkey for days.
Kerri was totally spoiled this year. So was hubby. He received the Beatles remastered complete CD collection, and Carol and Andre gave him two original Beatles records, the original released ones from Britain. Hubby nearly cried.
The best part of the holidays was spending precious time with people near and dear to us, in a house full of love, laughter and plenty of yummy food.

Life with Kerri makes the season bright.

More gifts in the mail!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:44:00 +0000

On Christmas Eve, the mailman came by very late. And brought us a very special package from two very special people - our friends Beverly and Miss G. Kerri and I opened the envelope and placed the wrapped Hanukkah gift under the Christmas tree.

On Christmas morning, Kerri opened her gift from Miss G and Beverly.

She loved the book! And of course, we already read alot of it.

But the coolest part (in addition to the lovely note inside) was that it taught Kerri how to draw fish, something she loves to do!

Inside the package were these very adorable magnets, which Kerri now plays with daily on the fridge - when they are not holding her newest piece of artwork:

And the best gift of all is on our tree: it is a Christmas ornament with a picture of Miss G and Santa in it. Not only is it beautiful, but now every Christmas we will treasure placing our special ornament on our tree!

Thank you Beverly and Miss G for your thoughtful and wonderful gifts. We hope you get our package soon!

Life with Kerri reminds me that the best gift of all is love and friendship.

Tia's gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Every year, Tia Veronica sends us Christmas gifts, which I wrap up and put under the tree. I took pictures Christmas morning of us opening her presents, so she could see the expressions on our faces. Here is the first gift, a hoodie jacket - which hubby loved!

Pookie got to open a gift with some help - a cute hoodie jacket for him (which he is wearing today).

Here is another gift from Tia for hubby, and the look on his face is priceless!

Kerri seemed to think it was a pretty cool gift!

I am sure they both will be enjoying playing this on the Wii soon!

I am holding a gift from Tia in the backgrounds, but Kerri stole the picture!

Tia found this and hubby loved it! It decorated our Christmas table too.

Can you guess what it is yet?

It is a Goofy doll wearing a Christmas tree dress.

Yup, it was added to the already extensive plushie Goofy collection!

This gift has already been played with constantly....

And you can tell by her scream that she loved it!

Here she was whooping for joy, and saying things like "Oh yeah! Tia spoils me!"

You think she liked her Disney dress up kit?

She also loved her Dora mermaid doll.

And hubby has quite a few bags of these, and I have hidden them already!

This gift was also a whoop for joy, Kerri has a similar game on her DS and loves it. Hubby and Kerri played with it right away! It is a cooking game for the Wii.

Then there were clothes: a skirt, pants, dress, etc...

And Pookie got this winter coat complete with furry hoodie!

Tia also sent me a terrific sandwich maker and a beautiful wooden tea chest full of yummy teas - my favorite! Thank you Tia for all your thoughtful gifts, they were all a hit! I just wish you could have been here to hear the "oohs" and "yeehaws"!

Christmas Eve...

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Today is Christmas Eve, and I spent the morning shopping for Kerri and hubby. I spent an hour at the mega toy store. There were lots of men walking around, with dazed and confused looks on their faces. They followed me and looked at whatever I picked up or glanced at. I almost felt like asking them if they needed help!

Once safely back home and with all the snow scraped off, I hid everything to wrap later. And decided I would spend the afternoon eating Tia's special cookies with my family and watching Kerri's favorite Harry Potter movie.

Later this evening, we will be picking up Nana Jessa from work and enjoying a rib roast dinner, and after Kerri goes to bed, there will be little elves here at work.

Tomorrow we start off bright and early in order to get all the cooking done! And I can't wait to get pictures of Kerri in the morning, when she sees the gifts under the tree.

Wishing all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas! You are all in our thoughts and prayers, and we hold your friendship near and dear to our hearts. That is our greatest Christmas gift. We just wish we could spend the holidays with everyone.

Seasons greetings!
Vivian, Corey, Kerri and Pookie

A box full of treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:07:00 +0000

This morning, the Fed-Ex truck pulled up to my house, and delivered a huge box full of treasures from Tia Veronica. I rushed to wrap Kerri's Christmas gifts before she woke up!

Inside the box were presents galore for everyone, and home made cookies and fudge - our absolute favorite Christmas gift every year from Tia. There were also gourmet goodies galore, and things I cannot mention until after Christmas (in case hubby takes a peek at the blog, which he usually does).

Kerri delighted in playing with the packing peanuts, which she says are her new favorite toy. And Pookie is in love with his new hoodie (the other two are wrapped for Christmas, Tia!):

Yes, it says "Bah Humbug!"

Thank you Tia, I will take pictures on Christmas Day so you can see everyone's faces when they open their presents. Just wish you were here to share the holidays with us!

Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:42:00 +0000

I am always amazed at the end of the year at just how quickly it went by. And looking at pictures of Kerri makes me realize just how much she changes in one year. What a year we have had, I will be glad when it is over!
Things are looking up for next year. Hubby has some good news to share in January, and I will update everyone as soon as we have more details.
We are gearing up for Christmas, and I have been procrastinating. Most of hubby's gifts are at my Dad's house, so I need to go buy something(s) to put under the tree.
Carol and Andre and Nana will be here for Christmas dinner, so I will be cooking up a storm. The turkey and ham are defrosting in the fridge!
Kerri had a great Chanukah. And even though it is over, we still indulged in home made latkes. Now that I finally figured out how to make a decent latke, she wants them all the time!
Hubby and Kerri are on vacation the rest of the year. So far, we have not had any rest!
We finally figured out what was wrong with hubby's car. The dealer today repaired the latch on the hood. It appears it was broken (into?) and that stopped the auto-start feature from working. As for the fob, it was defective too. They had to fix it. Thank goodness it is all covered under warranty!
Pookie is loving having everyone home. He is trying hard to share his snuggle time with everyone equally, and still fit in time to annoy Kerri. So far, he has been doing a great job.
His new thing is to push one of his doggy beds under the Christmas tree, and he lies down up against the base of the tree. It is cute, because he has to squirm to get under there, and he makes the tree branches shake and the ornaments "tinkle".
Kerri is still getting over her cold, she blows her nose constantly. It's a good thing we buy tissues in bulk.
Tonight it is a balmy 17 degrees F. I know this because the Mama Mobile told me so. She has an electronic thermometer that tells me the temperature, unless her sensor has snow on it, and then she complains that there is "Ice". Can you ever tell she is my car!
Speaking of ice, we have beautiful, thick, heavy icicles falling from our roof overhang onto our doorstep. I am always afraid one of them is going to hit us on the head.
Tonight we got to see some of the festive holiday lights people put on/around their houses. It was fun to hear Kerri "ooh" and "aaah" at them!

Life with Kerri makes the holidays special.

Friendship...

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:16:00 +0000

...is a beautiful thing. And so are these friendship bracelets that Nana Jessa made for us!

Life with Kerri unites us.

Chanukah, Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Today we received a very big box from Kerri's Godfather David, Godmother Tammie, and Godsister Erin. And after the seven Chanukah candles were lit, Kerri got to open her gifts.

Kerri loves to cook, and these cute silicon star-shaped molds are way cool!

Some blue and white star shaped sprinkles to add to Kerri's cupcakes...

...which thrilled her to no end!

The Chanukah dominoes look like a lot of fun, and we can't wait to play with them!

And as for the Hello Kitty fortune cookie maker...

Kerri's first comment was: "How do you make them?"

The Mosaic Jewelry Box kit...

was another hit too!

And this game was played right away, and Kerri was left with only one peg on her first try...which according to the game board claims she is a genius. But we already knew that!

Chanukah foam shapes made her happy.

And Chanukah cookies...

...made her smile even wider!

We read this book right away!

But this book was her favorite gift!

And you can tell by her joy just how much she loves it! We read it right away too. And Kerri told her Godfather that she is going to be a doctor.

Then Kerri received a dreidel...

...that had chocolate gelt (coins) inside!

And if that was not enough chocolate....

...there was some of this....

...and some of that....

...and then some more for good measure!

And finally, a chocolate Chanukah lollipop!

Thank you David, Tammie, and Erin for making our Kerri feel so special and loved on this seventh day of Chanukah. You absolutely spoiled her! And her happiness is apparent in the pictures. And hubby is very pleased his chocolate reserves have been replenished. As for me, thank you for the Chinese tea and the lip balm! I am sipping a cup now...ahhh!

Happy Chanukah!

Achoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Kerri has been out of school all this week so far, with a bad cold. Today she decided to dress herself. She came downstairs wearing two pairs of panties, two pairs of leggings, two long sleeved shirts, and a long sweater dress on top. Because she said she did not want to get cold.

Yesterday we celebrated day 5 of Chanukah, and Kerri received a new set of Play Doh. She loves to play with this, and her teacher said it would help strengthen her hand muscles and help her with manual dexterity.

Winter is finally here! Today it's -9C, and snowing lightly. Kerri says we are "hibernating" because we have stayed indoors all week long. We are keeping busy with games, movies and cooking.

Life with Kerri makes hibernating fun!

Oh Dreidle!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:36:00 +0000

On the fourth night of Chanukah, we played with the dreidle and Kerri learned to gamble, using the chocolate coins for the "pot". As beginner's luck would have it, Kerri always had the biggest share of coins. But Nana and hubby had fun playing too! And Kerri proudly proclaimed that she loves to gamble. Oy!

Kerri opened her fourth Chanukah gift, a Tinkerbell puzzle. Nana helped her put it together.

We ended the evening watching the newest Harry Potter movie, and then hubby took Nana home. The snow is starting to really pile up, and the roads are a bit messy. There was a 60 car pile up on a major highway just south of here. As much as I love the snow, I don't like it when people get hurt.

Today Kerri stayed home from school again for the second day this week. She is fighting off a bad cold and going through tissues at an alarming rate. But her appetite has not been affected, she is still eating more than normal - so we think she is still in her growth spurt. She seems to have gotten taller overnight!

Life with Kerri is the light of my life.

Chanukah party!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Yesterday we held a small Chanukah party.

Kerri received her third gift for Chanukah, a set of dragons - which she promptly played with!

We dined on brandied nut brie, a rib roast, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts, and baked biscuits.

Chocolate coins were handed out, and after dessert, everyone moved into the living room to play with hubby's favorite - Wii Beatles Rock Band.

Cousin David took a break to take pictures and video, and I managed to get his camera and take this picture of him! (Thank you David for sharing all the pictures with me!).

Here is Kerri and Jessa on the drums, and Carol and hubby singing along.

Jessa plays a mean guitar!

Andre, Kerri and David

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening and we really did not want it to end. But the weekend was over!

Life with Kerri makes the holidays special.

What a day!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:07:00 +0000

My Saturday started with a major grocery shopping trip. Hubby and Kerri went to pick up cousin David, who helped us unload the Mama Mobile. And then hubby ran to the mega toy store to buy a birthday present for "J", while I made lunch and David and Kerri made a snow fort. And had a few snowball fights too.

Halfway through lunch, hubby called to tell me he could not get into his car because his fob was not working, and neither was the auto start feature. So I left David and Kerri to finish their lunch, and went to rescue hubby and bring him his second fob.

Kerri and I rushed to "J's" birthday party, he turned four years old. J has a sister who is in first grade, and Kerri and the sister hit it off. I felt so very bad for J and his parents, Kerri and I were the only ones that showed up to the party. So we had a fun, intimate birthday party with Kerri's future in-laws, hehe.

Then we walked home and hubby took the Mama Mobile to get rust proofed, while David and Kerri played the Wii Scooby Doo game. And hubby called me from the body shop to tell me the Mama Mobile would not start! He got a jump from the mechanics, and came home. And then he promptly dropped and broke the remote control. So we jokingly told hubby he was no longer allowed to touch anything mechanical.

We lit the Chanukah candles, had a lovely dinner, and Kerri opened her second Chanukah gift, a set of safari animals. And after enjoying some Chanukah gelt (chocolate coins) and telling cousin David all about the history of Chanukah, everyone went to the living room to play the Wii Beatles band game. David tried out the guitar, and the drums, and even belted out a tune. Hubby hogged the microphone, and Kerri sang on hers. She even played drums with David, and we have learned that her favorite Beatles song is "Yellow Submarine". I think I heard it in my dreams.

It was an exciting day for us all, and we had alot of fun hanging out with cousin David, despite all the mechanical problems. Thank you cousin David for a fun-filled day!

Today we are expecting more company - Nana is coming over for Chanukah dinner!

Life with Kerri is an adventure.

FFFFFriday!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:42:00 +0000

Today Kerri had her first speech therapy session at school, and she is working on the letter "F". Kerri is now practicing placing her top teeth on her bottom lip and blowing out while trying to say the letter "F". So we are exaggerating every word that starts with "F", so it sounds something like this: "FFFFFun". Her next session will be in January, since next week is the last week of school for this year.

Yesterday I had an unfortunate little accident when I was picking Kerri up from school. I slipped on ice and fell right on my herniated disk, and then hit my head on the ice for good measure. A very nice Daddy of one of Kerri's classmates helped me up. But I aggravated my injury, and now have a few new "owies" to add to my already aching back.

Tonight was the first night of Chanukah, and Kerri helped light the candles and loved her first gift, a "crazy carpet" sled for the snow. She cannot wait to use it tomorrow! I fried up latkes, using a recipe I received from Tammie, and they were yummy! Kerri ate four potato latkes. I think she really likes them.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have lots of errands to run in the morning, and then we are picking up cousin David, who is coming to spend the day. Kerri has "J's" birthday party in the afternoon, and the Mama Mobile is scheduled for her annual rust proofing, since they have already laid down the first coat of salt of the winter season. Sunday Nana, Carol and Andre are coming over for dinner, and we will surprise them with a birthday celebration. So we have a very full weekend ahead!

To all our Jewish friends and family, Happy Chanukah! We wish you peace and love.

Life with Kerri is FFFFFantastic!

The Day After!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:21:00 +0000

This is a picture of the morning after the snow storm. I had quite a bit of trouble walking, since under the snow there was plenty of ice.

Kerri fell a few times, but you can see she absolutely loves it! She must take after her Mom.

And as soon as we slipped and slid our way with the Mama Mobile to school, she hurried to be the first to make a snow angel in the yet pristine snow on the school grounds. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture, since it is chaos trying to drop her off at school now (parents are no longer allowed on the grounds).

I am sure I will have more pictures to post tomorrow of Kerri playing in the snow. This afternoon, Kerri finally is seeing the eye specialist. My fingers are crossed!

Life with Kerri warms my heart, even if my hands and feet are cold! :o)

Snow day!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:08:00 +0000

This morning we woke up to our first major snow storm of this winter. Here is the view this morning from my back window:

In the distance, you can see the Mama Mobile getting covered in snow! And here is a view from the front:

Not too bad so far, but the storm just started. In the distance you can see the blowing snow on the street, which is making visibility very poor. And here is a picture of the snow starting to pile up at my front door:

Kerri stayed home from school today. When the wind dies down, we are going to go out and play in the snow!

Life with Kerri makes snow days fun.

Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Kerri and I had a meeting with her teacher to go over her verbal "report card" for the first quarter of the school year. It was all positive, and Kerri seems to be ahead of her class. The teacher briefly mentioned that Kerri was a bit of a "mother hen" to the youngest/smallest boy in her class, "J", whom Kerri has decided she will marry (this year anyway).
Kerri has been invited to "J's" birthday party next weekend, and she is really, really excited. It seems her new future hubby also loves Batman and Spiderman.
We also went to the skin specialist for a two week follow-up since Kerri's diagnosis of psoriasis. Just to be sure, the doctor took a skin sample to send off to a lab. But she is 99% sure it is definitely psoriasis. Ugh.
Pookie refuses to take off his tee shirt. We like it because it glows in the dark, so you can see him coming at night. I took the shirt off Pookie and put it in the dirty laundry hamper, and Pookie immediately went into the hamper, took it out and brought it back to me. I think I will need to shop around for some more tee shirts for Pookie!
It still has not snowed significantly and the ground is bare and still not frozen. The lowest temperature was today at around 32 degrees F. I am still hoping for a white Christmas!
Chanukah is less than a week away, and our menorahs are out and ready. I will be making potato latkes this weekend!
Our Christmas decorations are up too, and Kerri keeps re-arranging the tree. Pookie knocked a few ornaments off, and chewed up the tree skirt, but now he just ignores the tree. Just in case, the gifts are up on tables.
I still have some last minute shopping to do, but keep procrastinating. I really despise shopping, and holiday crowds just make me nervous. I wish I could do all my holiday shopping online.
The gingerbread house is missing one whole side wall, and part of the roof. It is slowly being consumed.
Kerri has discovered a new found love for all food that is mushy. She has never eaten mushy food since China, and refused to even try mushy things, until recently. Now she loves mashed potatoes! And Jello! Little by little, she is breaking down her barriers. Today, she even went upstairs alone for a bit. That is huge. We keep taking attachment baby steps, but lately she is taking leaps and bounds. I am so very proud of her!
Speech therapy at school starts this Friday, and will be bi-weekly. We are looking forward to hearing her speech continue to improve, and watching her confidence grow. She is already very verbal, and has a very grown up vocabulary. And her interests are varied too.
I started baking, and have made almond shortbread cookies and butter cookies. Next on my list are sugar cookies. This is all new to me. I love to cook, but baking is not my specialty. It's fun though!
My back is no better, but no worse. I still have no feeling on my left side. But the pain in my back reminds me to be glad for that. I am getting really good at walking, but am still cautious.
I have been having fun putting together holidays on a budget. This year I am focusing on the simple things. It is bitter-sweet this year, since my Mom is not here. I really miss her, and sometimes the smallest thing gets to me. Like for instance, when we were decorating the tree for hubby, we hung an ornament that my Mom gave Kerri - that plays a holiday song. Kerri loves to hear it play, but I have a very hard time hearing it. It just reminds me too much of my Mom.
Today Kerri watched a Canadian TV show "Emily Young" and Emily had a very diverse group of neighbors coming over to celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Eid, etc. I absolutely love that Kerri is growing up in a diverse neighborhood and school, and that she is not the only Chinese kid in her class. Since our own family is very diverse, it just makes it so much easier to teach Kerri about different cultures and customs when she sees them every day around her. It is so wonderful to see her accept everyone, and be accepted.

Life with Kerri is always a reason to celebrate. From our family to yours...we wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

Gingerbread house!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Every year, Nana and Kerri make a gingerbread house for the holidays.

This is a close up of this year's house:

And here are the lovely decorators, posing with Pookie (who refuses to take off his Halloween t-shirt):

And here is another close up of the tree and gingerbread men:

One very happy Kerri, one talented Nana, and one gingerbread kit made for a lovely afternoon!

Life with Kerri is sweet.

I'm driving!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:49:00 +0000

We went to Costco to pick up some groceries, and this is what I saw parked in front of me:

Yes, it is a dog, and it looks like he is waiting for his human to come back. Apparently the pooch is the designated driver!

Life with Kerri is full of funny surprises.

Turning into my Mom.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:29:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:23:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivian M) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:15:00 +0000

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!