Life With Kerri

Guilty.

2012-01-31T21:57:00.001-05:00

I always thought I would have to worry about Kerri saying she wanted to be more skinny. After all, Victorious and ICarly are skinny. I have been teaching her about being healthy and good nutrition her entire life. I push the fruits and veggies, which she really does not like that much. And insist she exercises. So imagine my surprise when Kerri stuck out her belly, and told me she wanted to be fat.

And even worse, my guilt when she told me the reason she wants to be fat is so she can look like me.

Of course we had a lengthy discussion of how fat is not healthy, and that I am not healthy. And why I am fat, and why losing weight is a life long struggle for me.

But she still wants to be fat.

Part of me thinks it's awesome that my daughter does not have body issues, and that she wants to be just like her Mommy. But an even bigger part of me is screaming out "NO!!!". And I realize how contradictory I have sounded to her. Teaching her to eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep. And in the meantime all she sees is a Mommy that does not really exercise or get enough sleep. And a Mommy that, (even though I eat the same things she does), is not skinny, or healthy, but the total opposite.

Life with Kerri needs to practice what I preach.

Happy birthday Ben!

2012-01-29T23:49:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrated Ben's upcoming birthday by taking him to our favorite sushi restaurant for lunch, and then surprising him with a cake at home.

I hope his wish comes true!

I think he liked his Spiderman candle holder.

And Kerri dressed him up for the party. Ben is a good sport, thank goodness!

We spent the rest of the evening watching a movie, enjoying dinner and dessert, and hanging out with Nana and her boyfriend Ben. Even Pookie agrees, we can keep Ben...as long as he makes Nana happy and treats her right.

Life with Kerri is celebrating another special birthday!

Hello Kitty!

2012-01-28T23:11:00.003-05:00

Kerri attended a friend's birthday costume party at a hotel. She danced the "YMCA" and "Macarena" and partied the afternoon away. And when Daddy brought her home, she was covered in glow-in-the-dark accessories and makeup. Kerri told me she was a "leopard". I think she makes a cute kitty, don't you?

Life with Kerri is purr-fect!

Prepping for parties.

2012-01-27T11:57:00.003-05:00

This is another birthday party weekend. Saturday Kerri will be attending a "Lady Gaga Dance Extravaganza" costume party at a hotel for her friend's 7th birthday. And Sunday we will be celebrating Nana's boyfriend's birthday at our favorite sushi restaurant. So I will try to remember to take pictures and post them this weekend.

Life with Kerri is always ready to celebrate.

"I don't know."

2012-01-26T09:50:00.003-05:00

Lately, Kerri has been asking a lot of questions about her birth family. Questions that I cannot answer, and probably never will be able to. And I am forced to reply with a very frustrating "I don't know".

I wish I knew. I really do. But sometimes, I am afraid. What if my daughter was not given up willingly, but taken away because of the one child policy in China against her bio family's wishes? What if she was sold by her birth parents? What if she was stolen for financial gain? I will never know. And I am not ready to tell this to Kerri yet. She thinks she was abandoned at the train station by her birth family, which is what we were told probably happened. But the reality is that we do not know if that was the case or not. And when Kerri is ready, we will share our thoughts and feelings with her, but right now I do not see a need to cause her any more pain.

Sometimes I think about her birth mother, and wonder. If she did not abandon her child, I cannot even fathom the grief and pain she must be feeling. I want her to know what a precious, beautiful child Kerri is. I want to show her just how much Kerri is loved and wanted. I want her to know Kerri is my daughter too, even if she was not born in my tummy. And that Kerri is proud to be Chinese, and loves learning about her heritage. And although we live a very western lifestyle, we do incorporate Chinese customs and traditions in our home and lives, and we celebrate the Chinese holidays. We thank her ancestors for watching over her. And we are so very grateful that destiny has given us this amazing little girl to raise as our very own.

I don't know a great many things. But I know that Kerri is somebody special, and we will make sure she has every opportunity we can provide for her to fulfill her own destiny. And I know we love and cherish our daughter.

Life with Kerri knows this for certain.

Nightmares.

2012-01-25T09:15:00.003-05:00

Lately, Kerri has been having some really bad nightmares. We are pretty sure they are being caused by the Singulair she is taking at night. She has dreamt that she was set on fire, that she was being eaten, that I drowned and an evil stepmother took my place, and other really nasty, scary things. For the last week she has been regressing back to her old insecurities, and we have had some sleepless nights. And she is now too big to co-sleep in our bed. We tried it, and there was just no room!

So last night, without telling her why, I skipped the Singulair. And voila: no nightmares. She slept peacefully throughout the night in her own bed and woke up happy.

Her asthma seems to be under control for now, so I might talk to the doctor about skipping a dose every now and then so we can all get a good night's sleep. Especially Kerri, who is in a growth spurt and needs her rest.

Life with Kerri is yawning a bit.

I'm how old?!

2012-01-24T10:19:00.003-05:00

Kerri's ex-boyfriend had been on vacation for several weeks, and Kerri had not seen him since before the holidays. So when they met up yesterday to go to school, they had a lot of catching up to do. At the bus stop, Kerri insisted on inviting him over to play. So his mom and I gave in, and he came home with us.

When these two get together, it is always fun. They have an awesome friendship, and we love having him over. So our afternoon went by pretty quickly, and was full of laughter, giggling and lots of silliness. At one point, this conversation happened:

Kerri: "How old is your Mom?"
Ex: "I don't know."
Mommy: "She is the same age as Kerri's Daddy."
Ex: "I thought Corey was older, like 35."
Mommy: "Actually, Corey and your mom are both 41, and I am 46."
Ex: "I thought you were like a gazillion years old."

Another fun conversation followed shortly after:

Kerri: "You know what I dreamed last night? I dreamed I married a bald man. I don't want to marry a man that's bald!"
Ex: "I dreamed I married a big woman who was bald and had a beard!"
Kerri: "You think she can get me a job in the circus?"

Nana came by after work to help us celebrate the Chinese New Year, and we had a wonderful evening just catching up and hanging out.

Life with Kerri hopes to live to be a gazillion!

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

2012-01-23T08:42:00.004-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon! We celebrated last night (since it was already the New Year in China) with Carol and Andre. After a lovely dinner, we ate sweet tangerines for good luck.

We always have fun when they come to visit, and Kerri loves having them over. As they were leaving, Kerri asked me when were they coming back again. And Carol and Andre probably feel the same way. They even have Kerri's picture on the wall with all of their grandchildren's portraits. It seems adoption happens in more ways than one in our family. We feel blessed.

We also consider ourselves very fortunate because we get to celebrate the New Year three different times a year, in three different ways. We celebrate the Jewish New Year, the Roman calendar New Year, and the Chinese New Year. Lucky us, we love any reason to get together with loved ones and have a party!

Life with Kerri wishes everyone a peaceful, prosperous, happy and healthy New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Kerri wrote me a book.

2012-01-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

And before you say "Awwww"....take a look at the title page:

Yeah, not so cute now, is it? Kerri spent the morning going through a holiday wish catalog.

And decided to make me a book so I would know exactly what she wants.

A jeep?!!! I don't think so!

Sigh. I already knew about the pogo stick.

And I can maybe understand the whole pirate thing....

And even the dressing up stuff and the dolls.

But a makeup table? Really?

And then I saw this:

Yeah right. A treadmill and a very large screen TV. Dream on, Kerri.

Oy. Looks like my daughter is going to learn how to be disappointed real soon.

Life with Kerri needs to hide the catalogs!

Oy.

2012-01-21T05:40:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning Kerri could not fit into any of her jeans. We went through several pairs (some brand new) and not one fit. And I had bought them a size too large only a few months ago! I knew she was going through a growth spurt, since she has been eating non stop. But I had not realized she actually had grown.

When I complained to her daddy, he stood her next to me and pointed out just how much. Astonished, I told Kerri, "Just a few months ago the top of your head was under my boob, and now the top of your head is over them. Kerri, you grew a whole boob!". Without blinking, Kerri replied: "Mom, I don't think I can go to Catholic school and tell everyone I grew a boob.".

Life with Kerri is going shopping for new jeans.

Dentist.

2012-01-20T12:46:00.004-05:00

Kerri loves going to the dentist. She actually jumps for joy when she finds out she is going.

And she loves to show off her toothy grin. She also always asks for a new toothbrush. I don't know that many kids that enjoy getting cavities filled, without any pain killer or numbing applied.

Life with Kerri is grateful.

Fun and games.

2012-01-19T05:02:00.003-05:00

When you are an only child, sometimes you have to get creative.

Thank goodness Pookie likes to play games too.

Life with Kerri is imaginative.

Confessions.

2012-01-18T05:34:00.007-05:00

At Catholic school, Kerri's peers are getting ready for communion and learning about confession. Since I was raised Jewish, I never had to confess. My mom automatically assumed I was guilty of everything. So there really was no need to come up with something to confess every weekend.

But as I got older, I realized that lots of people assume a great many things. And I just thought that a little confession might be good, because a glimpse into our life sometimes does not tell the whole story. So here goes: my attempt to confess, come clean, and clear the air. It's my first time, so I hope I do it right! Here are my top ten confessions, in no particular order:

1. I like to cook. No surprise there. But I really hate to do dishes. And since we do not have a dishwasher in the townhouse we rent, I have no choice. Sometimes hubby steps in and helps out. But I do so many dishes, my hands are anything but soft and dainty. That's OK with me, I gave up manicures when we had Kerri.

2. I am a stay at home mom. And I am pretty good at staying home, and maybe even OK at being a mom. But I am a terrible housewife. Martha Stewart would shake her head in disappointment at my decorating skills. I have a whole wall covered in pictures that Kerri made, put up with scotch tape. And they are - gasp - not even aligned, in a pattern or straight! My beds get made sometimes. And sometimes they don't. And although my house is clean and dust free (largely thanks to the maid company), it is what I like to call "organized chaos". Messy. Lived in. Mismatched, and comfy, just like my family.

3. My idea of dressing up is wearing my hair down. Because it is always in a bun or ponytail, since that is easy. And my idea of makeup is lip balm - lip gloss if it is an evening outing. I think the only time I wear makeup or get my hair done is for weddings, and the last one we went to was in 2004. I am definitely not a Stepford or trophy wife, even if my husband thinks I am the sexiest thing alive. It's a good thing love is blind...and that he has not filled his new eyeglass prescription.

4. I make mistakes. All the time. I even forget things. I am so not perfect. And I remind Kerri of that constantly. But I also tell her there is no such thing as perfect. And that I am wonderful just the way I am, and so is she. Even if we don't always think so. Especially when others don't think so. What was I saying? I already forgot.

5. I am plus sized. Let's be honest, I am morbidly obese according to doctors. But they are too afraid to say it, or to call me fat. And I have been overweight ever since puberty, thanks to an undiagnosed hypothyroid and PCOS. But that's OK. I am comfortable in my own skin, even if others are not. That is their problem, not mine. But I still hate shopping for clothes.

6. I am not a typical female. I really do not like going shopping or malls. I don't go to spas, or get my nails done. The only reason I get my hair dyed is because hubby asks me to. I don't own tons of shoes or purses or clothes. I do love jewelry (and have plenty) but never wear it, it is all in the bank safety deposit box. I don't have girls' night outs, unless you count Nana's visits. I hardly ever wear dresses or skirts. I almost always wear jeans and t shirts and comfy flip flops or sneakers. I don't like gossip or tabloid magazines, dislike soap operas, and barely ever watch TV. I am a cheap date. But I am not easy. I am pretty sure I am not a male or a lesbian. I think the most feminine thing I know how to do is bat my eyelashes. Or show cleavage. Thank goodness Kerri is not like me!

7. I hate my moustache. I tweeze my eyebrows just fine. But that hair over my lip drives me crazy. It's not that noticeable because I am a natural blonde. But I see it. And when I am not plucking it, I am waxing it. I am tempted to take up shaving. It drives me crazy.

8. I am 46 years old. And I embrace every one of those years. I don't try to hide them, or lie about them, or act a certain age for that matter. My husband is five years younger than me. And you would never guess it. I wonder if that makes me a cougar?

9. I have much to learn. The other day, Nana told me about flavored condoms, and I had no idea why anyone would need them. So I told her to get me some. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn something new every day. I read the news, books, and try to keep abreast of current world affairs. And thank goodness for Nana, or I still would be clueless about certain things!

10. And last but not least, I am a Jewish American Argentine Lithuanian Canadian resident. Married to a French Canadian, Irish, British Catholic. And we adopted a Chinese daughter, made her a US citizen, are raising her Jewish but sending her to Catholic school, and then brought her to Canada just to confuse her a bit more. And it works for us. I think diversity is the spice of life. And I embrace that diversity every day. And thank G-d for it.

Life with Kerri is far from perfect. But it's perfect for us.

Kerri's favorite onion soup.

2012-01-17T10:32:00.004-05:00

We are having a snow day today, so I decided to make some onion soup. I am going to jot the recipe down since Kerri loves it so much (maybe she will make this for her kids someday!).

Ingredients:
1 large red onion sliced
aprox. 2 pounds (bag) of yellow onions (can use mix of yellow onions, White, Spanish, leeks, etc) sliced (think onion rings)
6 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 stick of butter
2 turns of extra virgin olive oil
8 cups of chicken broth/stock (or you can use beef, vegetable)
thyme to taste
tablespoon sugar
salt
pepper
3-4 bay leaves
1 cup brandy/cognac
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry white wine to taste
couple dashes Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Put the butter, olive oil, and garlic into a heavy bottomed, nonstick pan. Stir everything round and add the onions. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the thyme and bay leaves. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without coloring the vegetables too much. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes, and sprinkle the sugar. The onions will become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom.

When your onions are silky and golden, add the brandy and wine. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer until the alcohol is almost gone. Add the stock/broth and stir, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Remove the bay leaves.

Optional: when ready to serve, add croutons or toasted baguette slices and grated cheese on top of the soup bowl (your favorite, although Gruyere is exquisite). I often use the large flavored croutons and grated mozzarella. It is even better if placed in the oven (450 degrees F or under broiler) and allow the cheese to melt and slightly brown. Use oven safe soup bowls! You can also zap it in the microwave oven to melt the cheese.

Store any leftover soup in a safe container and freeze or refrigerate. Warming it up in the microwave is a breeze!

You can also follow this recipe and use a cup and a half of Guinness beer (large can) instead of brandy and wine, and top with toasted bread and grated cheddar. If you do, I would recommend the beef stock/broth though.

Hope you enjoy trying our onion soup. Kerri loves it!

Life with Kerri is keeping warm on our snow day.

Goofy.

2012-01-16T09:58:00.002-05:00

I was about to bake a cake, and Kerri asked me to wait so she could get ready to help. Then she came and showed me her "chef" outfit.

Life with Kerri is goofy, and keeps me smiling.

Silly.

2012-01-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

This is life with Kerri.

Scones.

2012-01-14T12:15:00.002-05:00

I decided to try making some scones from scratch. They actually are quite yummy, even if I did not get the shape right. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cups cream (I actually made it half cream and half buttermilk mixture)
1 egg
grated orange zest (I used a large tangerine instead because I was out of oranges)
handful of Cranraisins (you can also use cranberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixer. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then add the cream mixture and combine. Then add to dry ingredients in the mixer gradually. Stir in fruit and zest. Turn dough onto floured surface, and roll or pat and then cut biscuit size rounds (I used a pizza cutter and made triangles instead, kinda sorta). Bake on ungreased cookie/baking sheet for 15 minutes or until brown. I did not add a glaze/egg wash, but you can if you want.

Mine took 16 minutes (I did not want them that brown). They are a bit crunchy on the outside like a cookie but soft and moist on the inside like a cake. Absolutely delicious with tea!

Life with Kerri is learning to bake.

First major snow day 2012.

2012-01-13T12:42:00.006-05:00

I took these pictures at noon. It will be snowing hard all day and night. That car covered in snow to the right of the tree is hubby's car.

And there is the Mama Mobile, complaining.

Here is a close up of the tree in our backyard.

And the view from the front door. Not sure if you can see the snowflakes falling in the picture, but they are pretty big!

We had freezing rain all last night and this morning, so under all that clean white snow is a sheet of ice that is very slippery and dangerous. And somewhere there is a sidewalk, and a road, but hard to tell since all you see is white everywhere. It is absolutely beautiful!

Life with Kerri is enjoying a snow day.

"I was morning." Remembering Aunt Pam.

2012-01-12T15:18:00.005-05:00

(Grandma Joan is on the left, Aunt Pam is on the right)

The last few days have been a flurry of activity. We spent it saying our goodbyes to Aunt Pam, (Carol's Mum and hubby's Grandma Joan's best friend). Aunt Pam has been a part of the family longer than hubby has. And since Carol is a dear friend, we have been doing all we can to be there for her and Aunt Pam.

I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Aunt Pam for the first time at our wedding. We decided to give Aunt Pam my bridal bouquet since she was - in our hearts - the oldest living matriarch of our family; and because of her incredible friendship with hubby's grandmother. We thought Grandma Joan would have loved the gesture. So when the time came during the reception to present my bouquet to Aunt Pam, this petite, dainty British lady stepped forward. She was dressed and looked like the Queen of England to me, and I was afraid my huge and heavy bouquet would be too much for her to hold.

Aunt Pam was beginning to suffer the cruel effects of Alzheimer's back then. But Carol told me that Aunt Pam was so thrilled and would not stop talking about it, even many years later when her memory was failing. She took the bouquet apart and filled several vases with the beautiful long stem roses.

A couple days ago I sat next to Aunt Pam in her room. She still had beautiful skin, even in her 90s: hardly any wrinkles, and super soft hair. Although she could no longer eat, drink or talk, I know she was aware and listening to us. And I told Aunt Pam that her best friend Joan, and hubby's mom Donna, and Pam's husband were all waiting for her: probably in a large convertible with the top down. And that made Carol laugh. Because if you knew Joan and Pam, they had quite the adventures in that car on their trips to Florida. They were as different as night and day, but I guess that is what made their friendship even stronger.

One of my most treasured wedding gifts was from Aunt Pam. It is a framed picture of Joan, surrounded with Pam's written memories of their close friendship. These are the last two sentences: "Joan and I were opposites: Joan was evening and I was morning. Almost all of our differences were settled amicably, but we never did agree on which way to put a toilet roll in the holder."

Yesterday afternoon, in room 322, Pamela Sevigny took her last breath, holding her daughter Carol's hand until the very end. Rest in peace Aunt Pam. You will always be remembered with love. And I just know in my heart that somewhere, you are with Joan again: on another wonderful adventure.

Life with Kerri is in mourning.

Thank you.

2012-01-10T05:19:00.002-05:00

I read somewhere that January is Thank You month. And since I will probably never win a major award where I will have to write a thank you speech, I will just post my thank you's right here (in no particular order):

Thank you G-d, for everything.

Thank you Mom and Dad for bringing me into this world even though you were not planning to and did not have to. Thank you for raising me and doing your very best in sometimes challenging situations.

Thank you to all my exes, for teaching me to love myself and demand respect and loyalty.

Thank you to all my teachers and mentors, who also taught me the difference between knowledge and wisdom. You taught me well. I treasure the education I received.

Thank you to my friends and family, for loving me just the way I am. Thank you for accepting me despite my blatant honesty, strong opinions and stubborn streak, as well as all my other flaws. You all know who you are.

Thank you Corey for being my absolute best friend in this lifetime, and my true soul mate. I love you more than words can say. You make me laugh every day, you make my heart smile, and you make me feel incredibly lucky.

Thank you Kerri for making me a Mommy. You are such a joy to raise, an inspiration as I watch you grow and succeed, and are as beautiful inside as you are out. As your godmother Tammie once taught me: I love you forever no matter what.

Thank you Charlie and Pookie for loving us unconditionally and adopting us as your human family.

Thank you Canada for letting me live here with my family. I love the freedoms I try not to take for granted, and all that this beautiful country has to offer.

And thank you blog reader, for following along on our journey of life with Kerri. So who are you thanking this month?

Conversations with Kerri. In the car.

2012-01-09T08:54:00.003-05:00

On our road trip we heard this many times: "Are we there yet?". But we also had some interesting conversations. This one is my favorite:

Kerri: "When I grow up I want to be a vegetarian."
Mommy: "Do you mean veterinarian? Because a vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat or chicken."
Kerri: "No, I meant vegetarian."
Mommy: "Why do you want to be a vegetarian?"
Kerri: "Because I don't want to hurt animals. I don't want animals to die in order for me to eat them. I will only eat them if they die of old age."
Mommy: "Kerri, it does not work that way. Certain animals are bred for consumption. We can't wait for them to die of old age."
Kerri: "I am still going to be a vegetarian when I grow up. I am not going to eat any meat or animals."
Mommy: "OK, but you really don't like fruits and vegetables. I am always asking you to eat more of them."
Kerri: "I don't like all fruits and vegetables, but I will eat the ones I like."
Mommy: "So why wait until you grow up? How about you start being a vegetarian now?"
Kerri: "Nope I am going to wait until I grow up. Because I like eating meat and chicken and bacon."

Life with Kerri is always interesting.

Our road trip.

2012-01-08T11:56:00.006-05:00

On Thursday morning, we packed up the Mama Mobile and went on a road trip.

We made many rest stops on the way, and Pookie would get out of his travel crate to stretch his legs and wait for his Daddy.

And once we made it to our destination, the weary but happy travelers took a break to check out the one bedroom hotel room, courtesy of the Marriott Residence Inn in downtown London.

This was Kerri's living room/bedroom. She had a comfy sleeper sofa. Teddy rested on the coffee table. If you take a close look, you can see the yellow monkey bandanna wrapped around Teddy. That bandanna went to China on our adoption trip. We kept it and gave it to Kerri, and it is one of her treasured keepsakes.

Here is the desk....

The dining room, with Pookie's travel crate in the corner.

The full kitchen had a window that looked into the living room.

Here is another view.

The bathroom did not have a tub, but Kerri loved the shower.

And Pookie made himself comfy in our King size bed, as usual.

On Friday, we went shopping and fell in love with a Canadian department store called TAG. We also went to the White Oaks mall, where Kerri fell in love with a blingy store called Justice. She bought herself clothes and accessories. Then we headed out to our friends' Kerri and Jeff's home and visited with their girls J & J. The girls wasted no time climbing snow mountains, exploring the awesome backyard and then playing indoors.

These faces are begging to play their Nintendo DS games. We told them no, and this was the result. Hubby and I had so much fun chatting away that we did not take any other pictures. We had a wonderful visit! It went by too fast. And we hope they come to visit us soon. Thank you Kerri and Jeff for the warm welcome and your gracious hospitality. You have a beautiful home, and we really enjoyed our visit. Only wish we lived closer so we could get together more often!

When we were heading to our car to leave, Kerri decided to start a snowball fight, which ended up with all three of us soaking wet. We laughed like crazy. Kerri and Jeff must think we are nuts, and wondered why we weren't leaving. :o)

When we got back to the hotel room, Pookie did not come barking to the door to greet us. That normally means he did something bad and he knows it. I found him sitting on our bed, with a prescription medicine bottle in his paws. He had chewed it open. I panicked, wondering if he had eaten any of the medication. We quickly found the pills all scattered on the bed, and thankfully they were all accounted for. I have no idea how he got the bottle, but am so glad he did not eat any of the pills. That was a scary moment.

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast (the hotel provided food constantly - our first night they offered us dinner, and we had complimentary full breakfasts every morning). We also discovered a pub close by called the Morrisey House. The food there was delicious! We highly recommend you check it out anytime you are in downtown London.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We packed up and headed back home in really warm and sunny weather. We even had to use our AC in the middle of winter! But that quickly changed by the time we were one hour away from home. The temperature started dropping quickly, and we hit fog and freezing rain. Not fun on a highway! We made it home safe and sound. And slept in this morning. I have no idea how we are all going to wake up early tomorrow for back to school and work schedules.

Life with Kerri had an awesome mini vacation!

Road trip.

2012-01-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

We decided to take a mini vacation and go on a road trip to visit some friends. I will update pictures and tell you all about it soon!

Life with Kerri is having fun in London.

Perspective.

2012-01-02T10:46:00.004-05:00

The other day Kerri was talking to her godmother Tammie on the phone. They had a pretty long conversation, and when Kerri handed the phone back to me, Tammie was in tears. They were tears of joy. Tammie could actually understand everything Kerri said. And that was a big first, since I would usually have to translate after their brief conversations.

And then I had to sit down, because it finally hit me. It has become so normal to live with Kerri's speech problems, that we don't ever think of the magnitude of the changes she has gone through. I realized it has been a very long time since I had to translate, or ask her to use a different word(s), or point out what she is trying to say or describe it. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I did any of those things.

I also thought about how we have adapted to her auditory processing issues. Hubby no longer gets frustrated when Kerri seems to be ignoring him. We now automatically do certain things to get her attention, and ensure her comprehension. It seems that this is now normal to us too, now that we understand the why and the how. As normal as her other medical issues, that might be scary to some.

And then I took a look at our beautiful daughter: at how tall she has grown, how she has changed this past year. And I am reminded that no matter what challenge has been placed before us, we have overcome - or are in the process. Things that would have seemed overwhelming to me had they been on a "special needs" adoption medical report, don't even phase me now. And how grateful I am that Kerri was not listed as special needs, or we would not have this amazing, talented, funny, beautiful daughter today. I am ashamed I never even considered adopting a special needs child - but forever grateful for Kerri.

Life with Kerri is a journey of love.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T16:25:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when a certain little Schnoodle runs outside to play with Kerri in the snow.

Life with Kerri is warming up.

Thank you g-dfamily!

2011-12-31T12:17:00.005-05:00

This smile is thanks to the g-dfamily: Tammie, Erin and David. They sent us a large box full of wonderful Chanukah gifts. Kerri loved everything, and immediately played with her doll, her DS game, and her craft kits. But the most treasured gifts of all are the hand painted (by David) Dungeons and Dragons figurines. Kerri picked out the warrior for herself and we are not allowed to touch it. They really are a work of art. Thank you Tammie, Erin and David for all the thoughtful and wonderful presents!

As the year draws to a close, we wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year 2012. May all your troubles be soon a distant memory. May love and peace reside in your hearts and homes. May your life be full of joy & laughter, purpose & accomplishments, and harmony & balance. And please don't drink and drive, be safe!

Life with Kerri is all smiles.

One of Kerri's favorite gifts.

2011-12-30T11:14:00.002-05:00

She actually asked for this, and has been playing non-stop with it, go figure.

Life with Kerri is having a (yoga) ball.

First major snowstorm of 2011.

2011-12-29T13:51:00.001-05:00

And that is hubby's car, buried underneath all the snow.

Life with Kerri is getting ready to shovel.

Christmas morning.

2011-12-27T22:16:00.004-05:00

At 7:30 in the morning, we were all woken up with a loud scream: "It's Christmas! Wake up it's Christmas!". Kerri was so excited, she made sure we were all up and out of bed so she could run downstairs to the tree, still in our pajamas.

There were lots of "oohs and aahs", which I tried to capture in the pictures.

And lots of smiling too.

Even Pookie was excited, he pulled a present out from under the tree, played with a bow, and could not wait to see what was in his stocking.

And although Tia could not be here to celebrate the holiday with us, she made sure there were special gifts for everyone under the tree.

Nana slept over so she could share Christmas morning with us. She also gave us the most amazing presents this year. But the best present of all is having her in our lives. The bond she shares with Kerri is so very special. And I am honored to call her a friend, as well as our niece.

I could not help but share this picture, Kerri is a huge Potter fan, and Tia sent her every movie she was missing. She spun around in circles on the floor she was so thrilled.

Pookie got gifts too!

And Tia sent him more clothes. He is a very happy pooch.

Oh and Tia? Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This face says it all:

The best gift this Christmas was having our family together. And that includes Nana.

Life with Kerri is still playing with all our new toys, and eating leftovers galore.

Christmas Eve.

2011-12-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

This year, we decided to have a very low key Christmas, and focus on the things that really mattered most to us: family. So my main task was to recreate hubby's childhood memories of his Grandmother's British Christmas dinners. With help from a friend (thanks Dawn!), I found the recipes I needed to make some of hubby's favorites: minced meat pies, Christmas pudding, and creamed onions. We also had the usual turkey and ham and side dishes.

Carol and Andre

Hubby, Ben, Nana and Kerri

Kerri opening a gift from Carol and Andre

And Pookie the Elf

After dinner, Carol brought home-made cream sauce for the Christmas pudding. I poured brandy over the pudding, and then ignited it. Hubby was ready with a fire extinguisher, just in case. I think Christmas pudding will become a holiday staple in our home from now on. It was delicious!

The most touching part of the evening was when Carol asked us to open her gifts to us. She wanted hubby to have something of her mother's, and something that his grandmother touched and used. It was a beautiful antique silver sugar tong for high tea. Carol told him that it was a shame he had nothing of his grandmother's to remember her by, and that the tongs were something she used every time she and Carol's mum had tea together (which was quite frequently). We will treasure the tongs forever, they are a precious reminder of what we have lost, and someone we will always remember with love.

After a lovely evening, we could not get Kerri to go to sleep. She was too excited. It took hours!

Life with Kerri wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Kung Fu Panda - Kerri style.

2011-12-24T09:40:00.002-05:00

Life with Kerri is panda-tastic!

Updates.

2011-12-23T09:51:00.003-05:00

We spent Wednesday night at the hospital emergency waiting room. We also spent Thursday morning there. Kerri had a massive nose bleed that would not stop. She bled for over four hours. And we never were treated at the hospital. By the time we left in the wee hours of the morning, there was still a four hour wait to be seen. We would have gone to a different hospital, but the roads were very dangerous (we had freezing rain and black ice, so it was a skating rink out there).

So we slept in and Kerri missed yet another day of school. Last night she had another nose bleed, but this time we were able to stop it right away. This morning, she headed to school in her pajamas, all excited - it is her last day of school and then she is on a two week winter break.

Chanukah so far has been fun, Kerri loves lighting the candles and playing with the dreidle. And she keeps asking for latkes, and Daddy keeps buying donuts. I think we are going on a diet next year.

Kerri had her last phonological speech therapy session this week too. I was overcome last night when she was writing her Christmas cards for her teachers. In the card for her speech therapist, she wrote: "Thank you for teaching me how to speak clearly.". In the card for her principal, she wrote: "Thank you for running a great school". And in her occupational therapist's card, she wrote: "Thank you for helping me hold my pencil.". The simple sentences she wrote carry so much significance to us. It may not seem like much, but words cannot describe how very grateful we all are that she can now be understood, is getting the help she needs to accommodate her special needs at school, and is receiving therapy to help her with her fine motor skills.

So as Kerri wraps up her last day with partying and making gingerbread houses with her classmates - in her new pajamas! - we are readying ourselves for another night of Chanukah festivities, with some company over for dinner. And tomorrow we are hosting a Christmas eve dinner for our loved ones. It has been so wonderful to see Kerri's excitement every day, as she gets to choose a Chanukah gift to unwrap, or looks forward to Santa's visit, or hops around with happiness with all the fun and joy of the holiday season.

Life with Kerri is thankful for every moment.

The first night of Chanukah.

2011-12-21T04:14:00.002-05:00

Nana came over to visit and help us celebrate.

Kerri opened her first Chanukah gift: A Victorious microphone. And then the table was set with goodies galore.

The potato latkes were a hit, especially with the sour cream.

The standing rib roast was delicious (it was pink in the middle). And we had salad.

The jelly donuts were enjoyed while we read a book about the story of Maccabee.

And a game of dreidel was played with chocolate gelt as the prize, while we listened to Chanukah music.

So on the first night of this holiday, we lit our candles, said our prayers, and spent a lovely evening enjoying our family and yummy food.

Life with Kerri wishes everyone who celebrates a very wonderful Festival of Lights - happy Chanukah!

Pictures!

2011-12-20T07:32:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago, cousins Kim and her girls Taegan and Clara came to visit. We asked Nana to take pictures, and last night she sent me these:

Kerri and Clara

Kerri and Taegan at our local park.

Taegan, Kim and Kerri

More fun on the tire swing!

Hanging around

Swinging!

Future pole dancers?

Weee!

Cuteness on the couch

An "Aww" moment

Thank you Nana for these wonderful memories of an awesome visit! Next time, I want a picture of you with Kerri too.

Life with Kerri is sharing memories.

Cookies and wishes.

2011-12-18T16:53:00.003-05:00

Today Kerri invited a friend and her Mom over to decorate holiday cookies. We had a lovely afternoon, and the girls ate almost as much as they decorated. Even the Mom made a cookie, and ate a few. And the best part was when Kerri pointed out a gift under the tree for her friend to take home: her very own gingerbread house to decorate with her siblings. Kerri's friend left with a huge smile and plenty of cookies to share with her family. I think it went pretty well.

As we settle in for the evening, watching the lights twinkling on the tree, and the crispy white snow dazzling outside, Kerri found something I had hid: the Sears Wish catalog. It's a zillion page magazine with every toy known to mankind, and Kerri keeps finding things she wants. I should have put it in the recycle bin. If that catalog really could make wishes come true, its' pages would hold the cure to diseases, the way to world peace, and love, peace and harmony for all. Instead, it's just a reminder to me of how commercialized the holidays have become.

Hubby starts his three week vacation, yay! And Kerri has one more week of school until her winter break. I cannot believe this year is almost over. Is it me, or did it just fly by this year?

Life with Kerri is enjoying the moment.

Pen Pal.

2011-12-17T23:43:00.002-05:00

Kerri has a new pen pal. Her friend Glenys sent her a letter.

This is Glenys' soccer picture. Kerri thinks it is really cool.

Kerri immediately sat down and wrote her pen pal a letter.

And as you can tell, she is really excited and looking forward to her next letter from Glenys! Thank you Glenys for becoming Kerri's pen pal and making her so happy.

Life with Kerri has a new pen pal.

Unplanned play date.

2011-12-16T22:45:00.003-05:00

Today one of the neighborhood kids knocked on our door for Kerri to come out and play. It is way too cold, so I told her to ask her Mom if she could come in to play instead. Within minutes, the 9 year old girl and her older sister had come in, and a play date was officially underway.

It was their first time in our home, so they had to put up with 15 minutes of unwanted attention from Pookie, who wanted to sit in their laps and cover them in kisses. They did warm up to him eventually, once they got over their fears of being bitten by what they thought was a very ferocious dog. The secret is finally out of the bag, Pookie is all bark and no bite. He is a lover, not a fighter, and a big coward. But he puts on a big show of fangs and growls that have most of the neighborhood thinking he is a mean and vicious guard dog. Oh well.

The play date was a hit. But the girls did not want to leave! So at dinnertime we had to kick them out. And the playroom is a mess. But Kerri and the girls had fun...that is, once Pookie got bored of them.

Life with Kerri is having indoor fun.

A special visit.

2011-12-15T08:57:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, Nana and her BFF (best friend forever) Catherine came to visit. I wanted to take a good picture, but I can never get Catherine to keep her eyes open for the shot.

So Kerri decided to give her some tips on how she could keep her eyes open.

And then the silliness started.

And it was pretty serious silliness.

As you can tell, I had to take quite a few pictures to try to get everyone smiling, posing and with their eyes open.

Yeah, at least they finally all had their eyes open.

And then the love fest began.

All the while, I am still trying to get a nice picture.

I think I gave up. Or maybe they did, since they went back to playing.

Oh well, maybe better luck next time.

Thank you for the visit Nana and Catherine!

Life with Kerri had fun last night with some very special people.

A reminder.

2011-12-14T08:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening a little boy - maybe around 4-5 years old - knocked on my door. Pookie was barking loudly, and I could see the little boy flinch, but he stood his ground. I had to ask him to repeat himself, since Pookie's barking drowned out his timid voice.

He told me he was collecting cans and boxes of food for the Food Bank. I asked him to wait, got what I could out of the pantry, and then handed it all to him. At that moment, his Mom and little sister came into view, with a cart full of goods they have been collecting around the neighborhood.

As we all exchanged holiday greetings and blessings, that little boy reminded me you are never too young - or old - to do a good deed for those less fortunate. And how very blessed we are.

I know the holidays are busy, and that sometimes money is tight. But there are families out there who might not have a warm meal, or a meal at all (much less gifts to open). Please find it in your heart to donate non-perishable food items to a Food Bank or charity in your area. Or drop off some toys at a shelter. Or Freecycle those things collecting dust around your house or garage....your trash could be someone's holiday treasure this year.

Life with Kerri is reminded to open our hearts.

Counting down.

2011-12-13T09:49:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Kerri popped open the little window in her "24 Days until Christmas" calendar, and placed the little chocolate treat in her mouth.

Then, she started counting down how many days remained. "Only 9 more days!", she clapped excitedly, and started jumping up and down with joy.

"You mean 12 more days, check your math Kerri.", I responded.

"Nope, I meant 9 more days! 9 more days until Chanukah!", she happily announced. And then she started doing some weird celebration dance.

That just made me smile. Not because she did her math right, or because she was using a Christmas calendar to count down the days until the Jewish holiday. And not because she dances so funny.

I smiled because she reminded me of what it was like to be young and look forward to an important day - without worrying or fussing. Her joy rubs off on me. And she reminds me what really matters.

Life with Kerri is counting down the days.

Conversations with Kerri.

2011-12-12T14:33:00.003-05:00

Kerri: "Mom, can you leave the fireplace channel on the TV for Christmas so Santa can get in? But make sure to turn down the fire on the TV so he does not burn his bum. I bet Santa burns his bum a lot."

Mommy: "(speechless!)" Nods.

Kerri: "You don't have to worry about the Chanukah fairy though. She is way thinner than Santa and can slip in through the cracks under the door."

Mommy: (laughs out loud) "OK!"

Life with Kerri is original.

Tradition.

2011-12-11T12:35:00.003-05:00

Every year, Kerri and Nana make a gingerbread house.

Kerri said that as she gets older, each year she is more creative, and therefore her house comes out even nicer.

Nana thinks we just got a better kit this year, since the house was already put together for us and all they had to do was decorate it.

And of course, they got to eat candy decorations before they were even finished.

Life with Kerri enjoys holidays traditions.

Oops!

2011-12-10T08:42:00.004-05:00

Last night, while hubby tucked Kerri into bed, Nana and I snuck out to do some holiday shopping. We braved the late night cold and crowds, in order to get some of Kerri's gifts. And I think we did pretty good, since I found most of the things I was looking for.

I took Nana home, and then headed back. By the time I arrived home, it was past ten o'clock. I thought it would be safe to come in with all the bags. I was wrong.

As hubby met me at the door and tried to warn me that Kerri was coming down the stairs, one of the toys went off and starting singing (the theme song of one of her favorite TV shows). We know Kerri heard it, so hubby tried to cover it up by - out of the blue - singing over it. Then he ran to the stairs to pick Kerri up and get her back upstairs, telling her that I had to put the groceries away.

After Kerri finally went to sleep, hubby confided that Kerri found my shopping list and read it all, and before he knew what she was doing, told him: "This is what Mom is getting me for Chanukah and Christmas". Oy.

So this morning, I told Kerri I heard she found my list, and I thanked her. She looked surprised. And then I put on the most innocent face I could and told her that I was writing down all the things she asked me to write down for her holiday wish list. She looked a bit disappointed, and I am not sure if she believed me, but she dropped the subject.

And I also left a few toys on the table, and this morning told her I bought them last night to send to one of our friends, Miss G. So she looked them over, and I think we just might have convinced her that I did not buy her anything last night. And that maybe Daddy just likes to sing the theme song to one of her favorite shows for no reason.

Life with Kerri has to think fast on our feet.

Another day, another lesson learned.

2011-12-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Kerri's ex-boyfriend got off the school bus and his mom was not there. The bus driver, who is supposed to ensure the parents are at the stop, or take the kid back to school, drove off. So I reassured him it would be OK, and told him to come with us to our house for milk and cookies to wait for his mom.

Since the ex has been to our home so many times, he is very comfortable with us. So I served the kids their snack and then tried calling his mom, but there was no answer. The ex wanted one of Kerri's toys (they were playing with them on the table), and my big-hearted daughter gave it to him. But then she changed her mind and wanted it back. And so she had to learn a very painful lesson. I explained to her that once you give someone a gift, you cannot ask for it back. So maybe next time she should think about it before rushing to give something away. She did not like it, but I made sure the ex kept the toy.

About a half hour later, I saw the car pull up and his mom running to my door in a panic. I opened the door, handed over her son's backpack, and told her not to worry, that he was finishing his milk and cookies and I would send him home in a few minutes. She was so happy he was here and relieved that he was safe and not at school, or waiting outside alone in the cold. I cannot even begin to imagine all the feelings she went through while stuck in traffic. And thankfully, her son was no worse for the experience.

I am glad we were able to help out. And Kerri learned a valuable lesson too.

Life with Kerri continues.

Today's adventure.

2011-12-06T19:12:00.004-05:00

Today hubby and I went to the doctor. Kerri is fully recovered from her bronchitis, but I am still sick and hubby started to have symptoms, so we had him checked out too. When we arrived, we took off our snow boots and left them on the mat. As I checked us in, we noticed a four year old boy pull the fire alarm. His mother was not paying attention to him. It happened so fast that the 20+ people in the waiting room did not have time to stop him either.

All of a sudden, a piercing alarm started going off. But we did not evacuate, since we knew it was a false alarm. What we did not know was how to turn it off, or that it also set off every single fire alarm in the entire mall complex, including a major grocery store, a major pharmacy, and many, many other businesses. Everyone in those locales thought it was the real thing, and the entire complex was evacuated outside into the cold, snowy day.

Within minutes, a huge firetruck came by and three firemen came in. The mother explained what happened, and the biggest fireman told the boy they were going to have to take him now. I think that poor boy will never pull a fire alarm again. What the firemen could not do was turn the alarm off. No one knew where in the entire complex the main switch was. So for the next 30 minutes or so, we had to put up with a very loud and ear shattering alarm.

In the meantime, another little boy came in with his nanny. Again, the nanny was not paying attention to him, and we watched him purposely start messing with everyone's boots. When I saw him kick my husband's boots over and start jumping on my new snow boots, I had enough. In my meanest "Mommy" voice, I asked him to "please stop jumping on my boots". The nanny finally paid attention and dragged him to a chair. He just got up and walked away and went back to my boots. I raised an eyebrow at the nanny and cleared my throat. She grabbed him again and told him she was putting him on time out and tying him to the chair with string. He said, "Oh yeah? With what string?". I was ready to volunteer to go buy some! Just kidding. OK, maybe not.

By the time we got inside, we were deaf from the alarm. You would think we were upset, but not us...our sense of humor lets us have fun with situations. Hubby got put on antibiotics. I got new prescriptions. Our doctor, who always jokes around with us, told me it was too much work to write a prescription for me. So I told him that "considering I had to listen to an annoying alarm for half an hour...", and before I could finish the sentence he was writing away on his tablet and laughing. We have a great rapport with him, and when we find a doctor we like, we stick with him or her. As a matter of fact, he hugs Kerri every time she comes in to visit (and I know he does not have this same rapport with his other patients, I have seen him in action and he is pretty serious and professional). But Kerri won him over with her personality, and oh yeah, she once tried to pay him for his services with a penny. They became best friends after that.

After that adventure, it was time to go to the pharmacy next door. They apologized that they were running behind because they had to evacuate due to a fire alarm. Hubby and I just looked at each other and laughed.

Life with Kerri is on the road to recovery.

Sleepover success!

2011-12-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

Kerri's sleepover was a huge hit. As a matter of fact, when the Mom came to pick up Kerri's friend, she begged to stay. So we put the kiddos to work decorating the house for the holidays.

Daddy put the finishing touch on the tree, but the lights and decoration were all done by Kerri and her friend.

But Daddy had to show off his contribution.

Here are the happy girls posing next to the finished tree. And the stockings were hung too.

I couldn't help but post one more picture of the festive friends, still in their pajamas at noon.

And last night, they got to get their groove on, singing away to all their favorite hits.

We are thrilled that the sleepover went well, and hope it helps the girls develop an even stronger friendship. They are neighbors, and in the same class, although Kerri is one year older and one grade higher (it's a split class). You would never know it, because her friend looks older and taller!

Life with Kerri is merry.

Hoping for sleep!

2011-12-03T13:26:00.002-05:00

Today Kerri is throwing her first ever pizza party/sleepover here at home. She spent a few hours last night tidying up her playroom, and even made her bed! And she also created a long list of activities for everyone to choose from.

I sent hubby to the grocery store to stock up on treats, and gave Pookie a quick trim so we could see his eyes. The camera is ready, and hubby is looking forward to leaving the house to pick up the pizzas. And I have the Ibuprofen ready.

Wish us luck! I will be posting pictures tomorrow.

Life with Kerri is hosting a sleepover party!

An Opinionated Vent - you have been warned!

2011-12-01T12:24:00.005-05:00

Today's vent is about something I am going to call the "PID" syndrome - Parents In Denial. I am sure you have heard of them. They have perfect little angels as children, and anyone who disagrees is a hater, jealous, or wrong.

PID puts children at risk - their own and others as well. And what they don't realize is that they are doing a far greater injustice to their children with their own behavior than anything anyone could ever think or say about their kids.

There are many kinds of PID:
the ones that think they know it all, they know better than anyone else (including medical professionals, schools, psychologists, etc),
the ones that are too afraid to find out the truth because they are cowards so it is easier to live in denial,
the ones that know deep down but choose to ignore it and act like nothing is wrong,
the ones that are more worried about keeping up appearances,
the ones that think they are better than everyone else,
the ones that think the rest of us are lying,
the ignorant - because closing your mind and feelings to truth and not educating yourself is ignorant
the ones that don't really care - because their own selfish lives are more important
the ones that don't have the time because they are too busy (working, cleaning, cooking, doing errands, etc)

And it is their children that suffer. Because they do not get the help they need to become healthy, normal, well behaved members of society. Because their parents let them get away with their behaviors and then point fingers to blame everyone else. Or worse, victimize the victim(s). And then there are PID that even have the audacity to say "we had no idea". What the heck are these parents doing that they have no idea? Why are they not monitoring their child(rens) texts, emails, Facebook accounts, friends, social life, and anything else that would "clue" them in?

So what do you do if you are a PID too? For starters, get involved in your children's lives. They are more important than your friends, than any recreational activity. They are your top and foremost priority. Talk to them, listen to them, ask questions. And create a safe environment where they feel loved, respected, included and trusted - and can trust. And reach out for help if you need it, and educate yourself. There is no shame in doing so. And if you have to, resort to sneakier ways of finding out what they are up to. Talk to their friends too, get to know them.

When I sit outside on the doorstep every day to watch the kids play and talk to the moms, it is not because I like it. But I do it for Kerri. The moms and the kids now all come to me, to my doorstep. We talk about anything and everything. You would be surprised how much I have learned from the kids - things they have not told their own parents. And what a difference a caring ear makes. If it makes a positive difference, no matter how small, then it is worth every moment. And the kids now know better than to misbehave, because we are all watching. It takes a village to raise a child. Become part of that village.

So for all of you PID out there, stop. Think. Honestly ask yourself if you are in denial. Listen. Look around you. Then take a small brave step and start doing something different. It could make all the difference: in your child, in your neighborhood, in your schools. And it could save a life.

And if you are short on patience, walk away and breathe. Think about what you are about to do or say. And bullying your kid, or any kind of abuse (mental, physical, etc), is not the answer. It just teaches your kid to be just like you. They are watching and listening.

Life with Kerri will not apologize if this post offends anyone. If you are offended, you need to take a closer look at yourself.

And the doctor says....

2011-11-30T14:19:00.002-05:00

Kerri and I are sick with bronchitis. My doctor says it is a viral infection that is going around, but we just got lucky and it turned infectious (probably because of our compromised lungs). So hubby has been working from home and taking care of everything. And Pookie has been attached to me like glue.

The antibiotics are really doing a number, and you can tell Kerri is not herself because she has been very sedentary lately. Even the doctor called her "lethargic". She is actually pretty normal, but Kerri is usually way more hyperactive and busy. Now she just lies around watching TV all day, and eating up anything she can get her hands on. Sort of like a teenager.

But that does not stop her from dressing up every day. And doing her hair and makeup.

Life with Kerri is wishing for a quick recovery!

Princess Kerri

2011-11-29T14:08:00.000-05:00

Life with Kerri likes dressing up.

Clarabel!

2011-11-26T19:48:00.002-05:00

Hubby and Clara

Cousin Kim and her youngest daughter

Life with Kerri is clowning around.

Cousins come to visit!

2011-11-25T21:13:00.003-05:00

Meet baby Clara. She is 3 months old and has everyone wrapped around her little finger. Especially Nana, who has now decided she wants children.

And last time we saw cousin Taegan, she was 6 months old. She is almost 3 years old now, and her and Kerri are BFF. Taegan repeats everything Kerri says, and wants to do everything Kerri does. And they had their first sleepover together, and neither one wanted to go to sleep.

Cousin Kim travelled far to bring her daughters to visit, and we are enjoying having a house full of cousins! Pookie is extremely jealous, especially when I hold the baby. But so far, he has been pretty good with all the kids. Taegan loves to tell him he is a "Bad boy!".

I will post more pictures tomorrow...but for now, I am going back to enjoying Kim, Nana, and the girls. It's not often we get together and we always have so much fun.

Life with Kerri is loving every minute of this.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:26:00.002-05:00

Today we give thanks for all the blessings in our life, our family and friends, and our good health.

Wishing everyone in the U.S.A. a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!

What are you grateful for this year?

Life with Kerri is counting our blessings.

Who doesn't like something free?

2011-11-23T16:09:00.005-05:00

If you want to create a free, very realistic personalized video greeting from Santa for your child (sent via email), go to magicsanta.ca

It is very cool!

You can watch Kerri's video here: http://magicsanta.ca/player.html?code=B58FMT

Life with Kerri is in holiday mode.

What to do with a hospital bracelet.

2011-11-22T15:25:00.002-05:00

Last night we had to rush Kerri to the emergency room because of her asthma. She refused to take off her hospital bracelet. Today she decided to decorate it.

Kerri thinks her new and improved hospital bracelet is way cooler.

Life with Kerri has a new souvenir.

Today we celebrate.

2011-11-21T12:51:00.002-05:00

Remember this? CLICK HERE. "One Cherry Socks". That was Saturday, September 27, 2008. The day we started Kerri's speech therapy for her severe phonological delay. At that time, we barely understood her half the time, and most people hardly understood her at all when she talked.

After over three years of speech therapy, we are almost done. Yes, you read that right. Today I met with, among others, Kerri's speech language pathologist. Kerri is now clearly understood most of the time. So Kerri will be ending her phonological speech therapy sessions at the end of this year. That is a month from today.

I cried. In front of everyone, and I was not ashamed. They were tears of happiness and joy. My beautiful, smart, happy little girl has come a long way since "One Cherry Socks". Thank you to the three wonderful speech language pathologists that have been working so very hard with Kerri the past three years to bring us to this point. Kerri always has a lot to say, and now she can say it clearly thanks to your dedication to your profession and your commitment to Kerri. We will never forget you.

Kerri still faces lots of therapy for other things. But that is a post for another day. Today we are going to celebrate this huge milestone in Kerri's life. She did it! She worked hard, and she is now a success story. And trust me, you have not heard the last of her yet - not if Kerri has anything to do with it. That girl loves to talk!

Life with Kerri is happy today.

This is what happens...

2011-11-18T20:03:00.002-05:00

...every time Nana tries to leave after a visit.

I am not surprised at all. I would do the same thing, but would have a hard time getting up from the floor!

Life with Kerri hangs on to every moment that counts.

"Susan" update!

2011-11-17T13:55:00.004-05:00

Today I got an email from "Susan", whom I blogged about yesterday. Here is what she had to say:

"I can't thank you enough; you are so amazing! I will go over all the information on the weekend.

He got suspended yesterday from daycare. He was hitting, kicking and spitting at the teachers.

It is really nice to know that there is someone (you) out there who understands what I am going through! Thanks so much again!!!"

I am forever grateful to all of you who reached out via email with recommendations - which I shared with Susan. YOU are all amazing!

For those of you that are looking for information on RAD, here are some links to websites that might be of use:

http://attach-china.org/

http://www.radkid.org/index.html

http://www.trauma-pages.com/

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/adhd/diagnosis-adhd%e2%80%94or-is-it-trauma

http://attachmentdisorder.net/

And I did a quick search on Amazon and found many books, but this one caught my eye:

"When Love Is Not Enough: A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD" by Nancy Thomas.

Some of the above websites also have a book section with recommendations.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who responded.

Life with Kerri is reminded of just how far we have come.

Things always happen for a reason...and how YOU can help.

2011-11-16T07:44:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Kerri and I went to the audiologist for testing. It has been a crappy week, since Kerri's asthma is out of control, no one is sleeping well at night, and Kerri has missed an entire week of school. And after the testing was done, we got some news that was difficult to digest. I was feeling pretty bad. And then I met one of the staff, who I will call "Susan" for privacy reasons.

Since the doctor knew Kerri's history, she asked me if I would talk to her employee Susan, who was going through a very difficult time with her 5 year old grandson, whom she got custody of two years ago. (She actually has custody of two siblings, but the girl is doing well in therapy). I will call the grandson "Bobby".

Bobby has been diagnosed with RAD (reactive attachment disorder), and it's a pretty severe case. Susan has lost hope, and is at her wits' end. We sat down in a testing room and had a very long chat. Apparently, there is little help for Bobby here unless Susan gets private therapy, something she cannot afford. She did not know where else to turn for help. She has exhausted all her resources here. She feels alone, and with no support from family and friends, who do not understand what she is going through, especially because Bobby is an angel when he is in public or with others. Boy could I relate.

And then I felt guilty, for feeling sorry for myself and Kerri. I realized that whenever G-d has given me a challenge in my life, he has always given me a reminder that there are others who have it worse. And then he gives me an opportunity to make a difference. And I took this challenge by the horns.

I cannot cure Bobby, or wave a magic wand and make it all go away. But in the hour that we chatted (while hubby and Kerri patiently waited in the lobby), something positive happened. At the end of our tearful chat, Kerri came in and I pointed to her and told Susan to not lose hope, because this is the end result: a happy, healthy child, which is what we want. And although we do not know what the outcome will be in Bobby's case, Susan told me she now had a little hope, something her own therapist could not give her. And the look on her face was worth way more than the hour we spent chatting. HOPE...such a small word, but such a big deal. Especially for Susan. And for Bobby.

Susan and I are now in touch via email, and I am sending her whatever information, resources, books, links I can find from our past experience with Kerri's therapy. So here is how you can help: if you have anything that you think will be helpful to Susan, please leave a message below. Any information about treating RAD, resources (especially online), Yahoo or Facebook groups, names of books, contacts, ANYTHING that you think can help is welcome. Susan is not asking for money, or handouts. She just needs information, because there is so little of it out there. And pray for Bobby.

Life with Kerri is asking for your help.

We hit the big 60.

2011-11-14T20:26:00.002-05:00

Today Kerri went to the doctor. Her asthma has been pretty bad the past 5 days, and I have had 4 sleepless nights. So it was time to have a chat with her cute and wonderful medicine man.

He confirmed there is no infection, and that this is all weather related. He put her on prednisone, a steroid that is going to open her lungs (and her appetite). And we bought a new filter for our humidifier, which is now in Kerri's room for the rest of the winter. She took a breathing test, and then got weighed and measured. Just last week she was 58.8 pounds. Today, she measured 48.2 inches tall, and (shoeless) weighed 60 pounds. And that's before the prednisone!

So we hit the big 60. And then we went to Five Guys to eat, so I think we all gained a bit more weight.

Life with Kerri is growing!

Shhhhhh...

2011-11-13T11:27:00.003-05:00

Kerri has been receiving speech therapy for a phonological delay for many years. She is currently learning the "SH" sound. But now, she is replacing every "S" sound with the "SH" sound. So the word kiss now is "kish", and the word yes is now "yesh". Which leads to this morning.

Kerri and Pookie were playing in my bed, and Kerri was trying to "train" Pookie (our four and half year old Schnoodle). All of a sudden, we hear Kerri in a very loud voice saying this over and over: "Shit on the bed! Shit on the bed!". All the while, she was pointing down at the mattress. Poor Pookie kept looking over at me. And I tried very hard not to laugh. Since Kerri does not know what that particular four letter word means, I had to explain to her (trying hard not to laugh) that she was commanding Pookie to poop on our bed (in a not so nice way). And when Kerri understood, we both burst out laughing.

Life with Kerri is hilarious.

First Brownie Badge.

2011-11-10T20:06:00.004-05:00

Today Kerri earned her first Brownie badge! She had to tell her leader all about Pookie, and how she cares for him, why it is important, and describe her visit to the animal hospital. And then she showed her leader this picture of her and Pookie. Her leader asked what breed of dog he was, and Kerri answered "He's mixed." The leader asked her what kind of mix, and Kerri laughed and said "I don't know, but he's really mixed-up.".

Life with Kerri will be sewing badges on a sash pretty soon!

And the beat goes on.

2011-11-09T19:42:00.003-05:00

The neighborhood Moms and I were sitting outside at 4 PM chatting and watching our kids play together. And by 5 PM we had to go in, because it was dark and cold! Not sure daylight savings time was such a good idea.

So Kerri and I got our dance on inside to some oldies but goodies, and Daddy joined us when he got home. And then I put a romantic song on to dance with Daddy, and Kerri got upset. She said she did not like the way we were dancing or the song. So I went to You Tube, and played a bunch of Mary Poppins tunes. She loved it! Before I knew it, they both were doing Russian kicks all over the living room floor to the tune of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Kerri and her Daddy ended up in a heap on the floor laughing and giggling, and all out of breath.

Never a dull moment in our house!

Life with Kerri is like a spoonful of sugar.

Dragons and Dungeons

2011-11-07T09:43:00.002-05:00

That is what Kerri calls the new game she learned how to play. Her Daddy played "Dungeons and Dragons" as a young boy, and he still talks about it. He recently bought himself a new rules book and the funny shaped dice. Kerri started playing with the dice, so he explained how they worked. Then on Saturday, she asked Daddy to teach her the game. She brought out all her plastic dragon toys, and they played for over an hour. Daddy told a story, dice were rolled, math was done, and Kerri was enthralled.

On Sunday, Kerri asked to play dragons and dungeons again, so Daddy printed out figures on the copier, Nana taped them to cardboard, and then the three musketeers sat down for another game. Even Nana got into it, and hubby sent her a file to her phone so she could start playing with her boyfriend Ben. Hubby's passion seems to be infectious.

Imagine my surprise when I spoke with Kerri's godmother Tammie on the phone last night....it turns out Kerri's godfather David also really like Dungeons and Dragons. Yet another thing they have in common!

I must have been brought up under a rock, because I never heard of the game until I met hubby, and I never showed any real interest in it. And hubby is super thrilled that his daughter has taking a liking to the game. He now has someone to play it with, after all these years!

So everything old is new again. And Daddy gets to re-live his childhood passions.

Life with Kerri is fun and games sometimes.

58.8!

2011-11-05T20:18:00.003-04:00

That is how many pounds Kerri weighs as of tonight. She has been eating quite a bit more than usual, and is probably in a growth spurt. She no longer fits in her size 6 or 6X pants! So we decided to put her on the scale, and she has gained almost 4 pounds in the last month - despite being sick with strep throat.

And what I love most of all is that she is not self-conscience at all about her weight or appearance. As a matter of fact, she likes to dress differently (today she wore a gray camouflage turtleneck and pink pants with a brown and orange dress over it!). I love her attitude, the fact that she has her own fashion style (different from anyone else!), and that she does not care what anyone thinks about her outfits. Let's hope that lasts through high school.

Life with Kerri beats to a different drum.

The cost of raising Kerri.

2011-11-03T21:09:00.005-04:00

Before I start, let me just say that my daughter is priceless. But oh boy is she expensive. And I am not talking about the adoption costs!

I made an appointment with an audiologist for confirmation of Kerri's diagnosis and further recommendations in regards to Kerri's auditory processing issue. That is going to cost us $550.00, which will probably not be covered by insurance since I think we reached our $500.00 cap the very first month of speech therapy.

And then there is the child psychologist who has to perform the psych education evaluation: that runs around $400.00 an hour!

And lastly, the specialist that will be looking into her visual dyslexia. All of these are out of pocket expenses. And I am not figuring in her glasses, dental visits, private speech therapy, medications for asthma and psoriasis, etc. Or the normal raising-a-kid expenses: like clothing, food, extra curricular activities such as Kung Fu, Girl Guides or gymnastics (which she starts soon).

The reason I am posting this is not to vent about the cost, but as a warning to all you prospective parents - bio or adoptive. We adopted Kerri as a healthy non-special needs child. She was not healthy, (and I am not including all the therapy for attachment issues, like RAD and PTSD, or the plastic surgeon that helped re-shape her skull, or the one week hospital stay for RSV). And she has special needs. So when you start raising money to fund your adoption, please ensure you have the means to pay for all these unexpected things. Because it can happen, it does happen - it happened to us. And I shudder to think what would have happened if we did not have the resources available to cover all these extra expenses. Love alone was not enough to bring her to this point in her life. It takes lots of money - to pay for doctors, specialists, equipment, hospitals, therapists, and all the medications. It takes lots of time - to attend all those doctors and therapists appointments, and then work on therapy at home. And it takes more patience than I thought we had. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we did it alone. And sacrificed plenty.

When we started this parenthood journey, I read somewhere that we would need a six figure sum to raise Kerri from birth to college. That sum never included all the extra medical expenses! I am not trying to scare anyone, but just raise awareness. So if you are thinking of having a child - think about all the possibilities. Not just the added insurance and naming of a guardian, but realistically what if your child turns out to be like Kerri. Will you be able to handle it - emotionally, physically, financially, time-wise? I had a career. I could not return back to work because no day care would take her due to her salmonella and lead poisoning, and shortly after because of her attachment issues. Luckily our marriage did not suffer, because our experience just brought us closer together. But it was hard. Sleepless nights take a toll on new parents. Night terrors scared the living daylights out of us, and still do. Feeling unwanted and unloved by your baby really hurts, even if you understand why it is happening. And all those unexpected medical scares, diagnoses, and their price tags really changed our lifestyle and budget. Sometimes it just does not seem fair. Well such is life.

Now that I have said all that, let me add that I would not change a thing. Kerri is beautiful, stubborn, funny, serious, creative, intelligent, sarcastic, flexible, warm, caring, strong, logical, cute, sweet....and I could go on. She is everything we dreamed of and more when we said we wanted a child. She gives us the strength to go on, perspective when we lose sight of it, the best hugs a parent could ever ask for, and hope. And priceless love. The stuff that money cannot buy. But she also pushes us, tests us, challenges us, and keeps us on our toes constantly.

Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat.

Life with Kerri is worth it - all of it.

It's legal.

2011-11-02T17:35:00.003-04:00

We have an IEP! Today I went to Kerri's school for a meeting to go over Kerri's Individual Education Plan. We now have a legal, working document that will change and grow along with Kerri, and follow her to any school she goes to. It may not sound like much, but it is huge, big deal for Kerri. She now will have the tools and accommodations she needs to learn and be the best she can be at school. And that, dear readers, is the most awesome gift I could ever have asked for.

Kerri's teacher told me Kerri was her "superstar", and that she is doing really well in school. We get report cards tomorrow, I can't wait!

After years of asking for help, and advocating for my daughter, it was as easy as getting her tested and bringing the reports and recommendations to the school. I am so glad we switched schools.

Life with Kerri is back on track!

Strep throat.

2011-11-01T14:48:00.003-04:00

Kerri is sick. Usually that does not faze her or us, but this time she really was not herself. So much so, that even her doctor was surprised. She literally fell asleep on the examining table, and was running a very high fever. So she is on meds, and out of school for a few days. And that meant that Halloween celebrations were very limited for her.

She still got to sit down the hall and watch the kids come to the door, and loved talking about the costumes. But she was so very disappointed she did not get to hand out candy this year. I would not let her, since I was afraid she could make another child sick.

We did bake chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. And watched "Aladdin" again. And Nana came over last night. So today the girls are getting makeovers, and drawing, and spending quiet quality time together. And Kerri is feeling much better now that the antibiotics are kicking in.

Life with Kerri is under the weather today.

Weekend updates.

2011-10-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

~Kerri got her ears pierced! She watched an older girl cry while her ears were getting pierced. I thought for sure she would change her mind. But she put on a brave face, and got them done - one at a time. She did not cry at all. We then stopped for ice cream to celebrate!

~Kerri also used her birthday money to buy herself a "Fijit Friend". So far, it has told her several jokes and then fell asleep and started snoring. I turned it off so Kerri could get some sleep. I can see this toy becoming the "must have" holiday gift this year for girls. It was sold out at the toy store!

~I finally gave in and bought myself reading glasses, so I would not have to hold my phone an arm's length away to read the screen. I feel older already.

~Kerri has been asking for a sister. First she told me to swallow a seed, grow the baby in my tummy and then poop it out. Then she said we could adopt the child, and it did not have to be a baby or come from China. Then she told me she wanted a foster child as a sister. I have no idea where she heard the term from. She really misses her friends and wants a playmate.

~We are getting ready for winter. That means snow gear, winterize the cars, the home, and eating more hearty meals, soups, and stews. And let's not forget hot chocolate! It is getting colder every day. I am looking forward to snow! Hard to believe I spent over 20 years in Florida. It's in the 30's here and I am only wearing a sweater.

~Yesterday was the ex boyfriend's birthday party, and Kerri had a spooktacular time. Everyone wore their Halloween costumes. Kerri was happy that her ex (and his Daddy) liked the gift and card we picked out. The card had a whoopee cushion in it. Yeah, we know what boys like. Oh, and the gift was a big, beautiful remote control red Corvette.

~Tomorrow we are delivering Halloween treat bags to school, and I have a meeting there to go over Kerri's initial IEP. I am so very glad we finally are getting things in place to help her. And then it's time to go knock on doors in the neighborhood for candy handouts, and hand out our own goodies at our door. And Nana is coming over in costume after work!

~Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween!

Life with Kerri is sweet.

Farm day.

2011-10-28T20:13:00.003-04:00

Today I volunteered to accompany Kerri's class to a farm - and not just any farm - but a haunted one. It was a bitterly cold day (the temperature was in the 20's Fahrenheit this morning) so we were all bundled up to spend the day outside.

Our first adventure was in the maze. I was in charge of three kids: my daughter Kerri, her ex-boyfriend (who is a classmate and our neighbor) and another little girl. The three kids found their way out of the maze, while I was walking around in circles calling out their names and trying to figure out how to get out.

Next, they jumped on a giant pillow. This was one of their favorite activities. They also watched a puppet show, attended an outdoor workshop on pumpkins, played on a pirate ship, several play structures, a giant slide, and then we all went on a long haunted hay ride.

I had fun buying treats for the kids at the bakery shop (chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick!) and then we ate lunch. The ex-boyfriend shared his meatball sub with Kerri (she has never liked sandwiches), and Kerri is now a fan of meatball subs, go figure. (So we had to stop at a sub store to buy her one for dinner).

When we were leaving, the ex-boyfriend (whose birthday party is tomorrow) held my hand, hugged me tight and told me he loved me. Kerri instantly got jealous, tried to separate us and told him to go find his own mommy because I was taken.

We had such a fantastic time together that I totally forgot to take pictures! And we will definitely be going back to the farm.

Life with Kerri is a tad jealous today.

Rah! Rah! Rah!

2011-10-27T20:37:00.004-04:00

Today Kerri had to wear her Halloween costume to Brownies.

We had to add some extra layers for warmth, since it is pretty cold now.

And Kerri picked this costume out herself, and has been practicing cheers for a week.

She even did a split, then put her pompoms in the air, and fell over sideways. It was hilarious.

Her Brownies Halloween party was a lot of fun. And Kerri came home happy and exhausted. She fell asleep pretty quickly, which hardly ever happens!

Life with Kerri is getting into the spirit of the holiday.

Two-faced.

2011-10-23T17:18:00.002-04:00

This year, instead of carving, the girls decided to draw a pumpkin face. This side is Nana's rendition.
And this side is Kerri's. She calls it "FrankandBob".

So now we have a two faced pumpkin on our doorstep. And since it was not carved, hopefully it will last longer than last year's - which the squirrels feasted on.

Life with Kerri is prepping for Halloween.

Kerri's promise.

2011-10-20T20:25:00.002-04:00

"I promise to do my best...To be true to myself, my beliefs and Canada,

I will take action for a better world, And respect the Brownie Law."

Today Kerri made this promise and received her Brownie enrollment pin and her 2nd year Girl Guide pin. Congratulations Kerri!

Life with Kerri is full of promise.

It's that time...

2011-10-19T08:49:00.002-04:00

...of the year when it is starting to get colder and the sun goes down sooner. And that means it's time for hot chocolate!

Yesterday, the neighborhood moms gathered by my doorstep (as we have been doing every day for the past couple of years) to chat. It was so cold (in the 40's), that I decided to break out hubby's Goofy mugs and hand out hot chocolate. Before you knew it, the kids were swarming us and asking for some.

The leaves are changing color - some are already falling; and the geese are all flying South for the winter. The furnace is starting to kick on at night. We are now bundling up with jackets and gloves. I absolutely love this weather!

Life with Kerri is enjoying Autumn.

Another weekend birthday party.

2011-10-17T14:48:00.002-04:00

This past weekend Kerri attended a birthday party for one of our neighbor friends.

There was lots of fun to be had with the pinata.

And then this oldie but goody game....which Kerri won third place in.

The kids had lots of fun dancing to the latest tunes, playing with lots of balloons, and doing the normal birthday party customs. After three and half hours of fun and sugar, we headed back home a few doors down to have dinner with Carol and Andre, who came over to visit.

Kerri's ex-boyfriend is celebrating his birthday party in a couple weeks with a Halloween theme, we are really looking forward to that party!

Life with Kerri is having fun celebrating birthdays.

Uh-oh.

2011-10-14T20:15:00.002-04:00

Disclaimer: no tears were shed and we ended up laughing.

We went out to dinner and Kerri turned to me and I noticed something different about her. Can you guess what it is?

Yup.

Right before we left to go out, she took the scissors and cut her bangs. She thought I would not notice. And next week they are taking the school pictures.

How do you like her "Uh-oh, I have been caught" look?

Life with Kerri is going to the hair dresser tomorrow first thing.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2011-10-11T09:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated the holiday at home with Carol, Andre, Nana and Ben.

I cooked a Maple-Sage Turkey, sweet ham, country stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, buttered rosemary baby potatoes, green beans, acorn squash, mushroom gravy, salad, and cranberry pecan mandarin relish.

And for dessert we had pumpkin pie, mini chocolate covered cheesecakes, chocolate raspberry torte, and a fruit platter.

We had lots of fun opening our Thanksgiving crackers (note all the gold crowns on everyone's head!), and going around the table giving thanks. Ben was thankful for the food, Kerri was thankful for the stuffing.

Afterwards, the kids played a round of Monopoly, where Ben was crowned the Monopoly King.

Thank you Ben for the pretty flowers. We had a wonderful afternoon and evening with our family!

Life with Kerri is thankful for all our blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!

A bad movie.

2011-10-08T16:18:00.004-04:00

I really like William Shatner. As a matter of fact, I had the biggest crush on him when I was a very young girl - in another lifetime, of course. And as a self-proclaimed Trekkie, Captain Kirk was the first and best captain ever - followed closely by Sir Patrick Stewart.

So imagine my surprise when I was at the movie rental store with Kerri and saw an animated movie about the real story of "Puss 'n Boots", with a cat that looked very similar to the one in the "Shrek" movies, and William Shatner's name boldly displayed on the cover. I grabbed it without even thinking twice.

Last night, we all sat down for our family night movie, and we were pretty excited. That lasted about a whole ten seconds into the movie. Even Kerri kept asking "how long until it's over", and I think we all rolled our eyes continuously throughout. Pookie sighed and yawned. And the music, well, they ruined quite a few classical pieces. And the "Gigolo" song (sung by Shatner, who played the cat) just made me cringe and wince.

I am so very sorry Mr. Shatner. After watching "Shrek" way too many times to count, it was hopeless that your version of the cat could even compare or compete. We were sorely disappointed with the movie. It was bad. Hubby's last words to me last night (imitating "The Cat in the Hat" movie) were: "And the giant CAT!". Yeah, that about sums it up.

Life with Kerri should read reviews more often.

Pookie likes Tim Hortons.

2011-10-07T09:06:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I quickly cleared the breakfast dishes, but left the still full coffee mugs on the table. We were in a hurry to drive Nana and Daddy to work. And I figured since there was no food on the table, I did not have to worry about Pookie.

When I got home, I noticed all the coffee mugs were empty. In fact, they were quite clean, and looked like they had never been used. I asked Kerri if she had touched them. We both remembered they were full when we left. And then I noticed Pookie was nowhere to be found.

Usually, when we come home, Pookie is barking at the back window and then runs to the front door to greet us. But in our hurry, we had not noticed the missing pooch.

So I stopped and listened. And realized he was upstairs, running around and jumping on and off beds. It appears Pookie helped himself to our Tim Hortons coffee - three mugs worth. And our normally hyper Schnoodle was now putting Thing 1 and Thing 2 to shame.

So Timmies, you now have a new fan. But don't expect him to come to your drive-thru any time soon.

Life with Kerri needs decaf!

Updates.

2011-10-06T21:01:00.002-04:00

Kerri says a boy in her class has a crush on her. She says she knows this because he is always wanting to play with her. When Daddy questioned why wanting to play with her would constitute a crush, Kerri replied: "Come on Daddy, everyone knows boys don't want to play with girls in second grade." And then she rolled her eyes.
Nana came to visit, and Kerri was annoyed with her. She kept telling Nana that "you are not the boss of me", and telling Nana "you are not my mother". However, this did not stop the two cousins from frolicking, giggling, and spending lots of time snuggling and playing together.
Which reminds me, when Kerri first met Nana's boyfriend, she told him in front of everyone that "Nana has a lot of boyfriends". Thank goodness the boyfriend has a sense of humor. We are looking forward to seeing Nana and her boyfriend on Monday for Thanksgiving dinner.
Speaking of the holiday, I will be cooking up a storm, and will probably make my usual menu. But if anyone wants to share any family favorite holiday recipes, please leave me a message!
Brownies is going really well. Except we missed today's meeting because Kerri got a pretty serious nosebleed. But Daddy managed on selling all of the Girl Guide cookies, yay!
After four months of a special high energy diet, Pookie has gained 2 pounds! We still have a few more to go, but at least he is finally heading in the right direction, since he has been underweight his entire life. As hard as it is for me to lose weight, Pookie seems to be having the opposite problem.
The ex boyfriend is back in Kerri's life. Today they hung out in the yard and he invited himself over for tomorrow since school is out for the holiday weekend. Sigh.
Halloween is right around the corner, and Kerri is debating whether she will be a pirate or a princess this year. Wonder if we could combine both?
My kidneys still hurt - a lot. I am still on antibiotics. Enough said.
Kerri has been officially diagnosed with a visual dyslexia. It makes sense, because she has been writing backwards and from bottom to top her entire life. Which also explains her difficulty in reading. Yet she is so smart, she has been using memory and guessing to get by. I am picking up the reports tomorrow and then going to our doctor for the referral for the next steps. We are also proceeding with the therapy for the dyslexia, the therapy for the CAPD, still in therapy for the phonological delay, and she is currently undergoing testing for OT for the coordination/balance/fine motor skills. Add the asthma and psoriasis (which have been acting up since the weather has cooled significantly) and I worry how Kerri is coping. And then I remember, this is her normal. Because we have treated it this way, she does not think there is anything abnormal or wrong. And there isn't. But sometimes I wish she did not have to deal with so much.
Our wonderful speech language pathologist Melissa is saying goodbye . She is going to be working with the Children's Hospital and expanding her knowledge and expertise. We are so going to miss her, she has known Kerri since we moved here and Kerri loves her (as do I!). We hope to keep in touch, but in the meantime, we are changing therapists. It is always hard to lose a great doctor, therapist, hair stylist, dentist, etc. We wish Melissa the very best, but can't help but feel sad that after all these years we will no longer be under her expert care. I thank her for bringing Kerri this far, and for helping us. Melissa, you were born to do this and you are going to be fantastic at the Children's Hospital!
Second grade is apparently a piece of cake. Kerri is in a split first and second grade class (Kerri is a second grader) and she is bored and not challenged. She says it is too easy, and a repeat of what she learned last year. Our focus in school this year is getting the school to accommodate Kerri's learning needs and getting Kerri whatever help she needs to learn. I will focus on challenging her at home, since I think a gifted program might be too much right now with all the disabilities we are learning about and trying to assist Kerri with. But once Kerri has her strategies in place and the school is using a multi sensory approach, there will be no stopping Kerri. Oh, and she changed her mind and now wants to be an architect when she grows up.
Two years ago today I lost my Mom. It's still hard. I miss her so very much. And don't tell me it gets easier with time. But as hard as it is for me, it is harder for my Dad and for Kerri. So last night we lit our remembrance candle. But I don't need a candle to remember. I still think about her every day. I love you Mom. Feigele is proud to carry your name. And I think she has your wicked sense of humor too. You would be so proud of Kerri. We all miss you.
Prayers are going out to my uncle in Argentina who was hospitalized. We wish you a speedy recovery!
I need a vacation. Counting down the days!

Life with Kerri has been updated.

In her element.

2011-10-03T16:47:00.001-04:00

Life with Kerri is swinging right along.

Rocks and stones.

2011-10-02T16:20:00.003-04:00

Friday I was in such horrible pain, I called hubby and told him to come home and take me to the emergency room. My Dad called as soon as I hung up, and told me he had a premonition something was wrong. I spent the day getting pricked and prodded, scanned and medicated. And then I was sent home with antibiotics for my diagnosis of kidney stones.

Nana rushed over to help watch Kerri while hubby picked me up from the hospital. She stayed overnight just in case. She is our angel, and I am so very grateful to her.

I tried to eat, but could not keep it down. I am still in a lot of pain, and have some abdominal swelling (which may be from the exertion of throwing up, I guess). And the Cipro makes me nauseous. But I am home, in my pj's, and my family is with me. Pookie won't leave my side.

I asked Kerri if she knew why Mommy was not home to pick her up at the bus stop Friday. Nana and Daddy had told her I had kidney stones. Kerri told me: "You have rocks in your hips." I told her I had kidney stones, and she said: "I wondered why you would eat rocks."

Daddy has been handling everything. He is a gem. He even did all the laundry, which he hates to do. He took Kerri to her friend's birthday party, and patiently tolerated the noise and claustrophobia. And Kerri brought me back balloons. And made me a get well card.

I am hoping the rocks in my hips and the stones in my kidneys disappear soon, along with the pain and the swelling and the nausea. In the meantime, I am grateful to be home with my family, and reminded that good health is never to be taken for granted.

Life with Kerri is drinking lots of water.

Conversations with Kerri.

2011-10-01T11:21:00.002-04:00

This morning Kerri was standing next to Daddy, who was washing dishes. This is the conversation that ensued:

Daddy: "Kerri, what are you doing?"

Kerri: "I am at the gas station."

Daddy: "What do you mean, you are standing behind my butt."

Kerri: "Well, when you fart, you make gas. So your butt is a gas station. I am just waiting for you to fill up your tank."

Life with Kerri makes me chuckle.

Win a Baby.

2011-09-29T12:10:00.004-04:00

I was driving back from dropping Dad off at the airport yesterday and heard about a new contest on a popular radio station here: it is called "Win a Baby". The winner of the contest would not actually win a baby, but three in vitro fertility treatments.

Wow.

I thought about it, and remembered back to when hubby and I dealt with infertility, and subsequently our adoption. I remember how it felt to want to be a mother and not conceive, or know if we would ever become parents. And I can never forget the hoops, intrusion, and mounds of paperwork and social worker visits we endured and jumped through just to be "approved" to start a family. Not to mention how much money we spent.

And then I got mad.

This radio show contest is not taking into account the future of the baby. It is a popularity contest, where the prospective couple will be picked by votes based on their photo and witty disclosures of why they should win. Don't get me wrong, I think couples deserve a chance to win, but only if they are really ready to deal with the responsibilities that come with being a parent. Not because they are cute or witty.

And then I think about all the children that are brought into this world who cannot be provided for, or are abused, or lacking the basics: a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, a loving and safe family, health care, education, etc.

And then I get madder.

My daughter was only a few days old when she was left alone in a train station. She was denied the opportunity - for whatever the reason - to be loved and provided for by her biological parents.

In a way, hubby and I "won a baby" too. But we had to be approved: prove we were worthy, make promises and financial commitments. We were screened by police and FBI, lawyers and immigration officials, governments and psychologists, doctors and adoption agencies. It did not matter if we were cute and/or witty.

Sometimes I wonder about the society we live in. How a child's life can be joked about, "won" or bought, sold or stolen. And then I just have to look at Kerri and thank G-d above that she is now safe, loved, provided for, and our daughter.

So yes, we won a baby too. But we now have a daughter we love and cherish and sacrifice everything for. I can only hope the same applies for whomever wins the radio contest.

Life with Kerri is priceless.

Surprise!

2011-09-28T12:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, I dropped my Dad off at the airport and we said our goodbyes. I told him I would see him soon. I had no idea how right I was.

Within the hour, my Dad called me from the terminal to tell me his flight was delayed, and that he would miss his connecting flight. There were no employees at the gate. And he had already passed Customs and Immigration, so he was technically on U.S. soil and I could not get to him. I told him to stay put and I would call him right back.

I called the airline, and they confirmed what I had already seen online: there were no more connecting flights available to him, and he would be stranded at the airport until the next day. So I pleaded and begged, and was able to cancel his ticket and have a new one reissued for today. But since his boarding pass had already been scanned at Immigrations, the agent had to contact the airport to nullify his boarding pass. She could not, however, get in touch with anyone to help Dad out of the terminal.

So I called Dad back on his cell, and guided him to the first employee he could find - who refused to talk to me. I instructed my Dad to tell them he was booked on another flight and needed to be escorted back into Canada so we could pick him up at the airport. Hubby, who was home sick, was sent to pick him up while I went to get Kerri at the school bus stop.

When Kerri got off her bus, I told her I had a surprise coming. She said she knew what the surprise was. She told me: "Grandpa went home, fed Kitty, and is back to visit us." I told her that was impossible, since it would take too long for Grandpa to fly to Florida and back in such a short time. But she insisted that Grandpa would be home. And as she headed to our front door, Grandpa came walking up the front entrance, wheeling his luggage. Kerri yelled "Grandpa!", ran to hug him, and then turned around and told me: "I told you so!".

We had one more fabulous day with Grandpa, and this morning I took him back to the airport to return home. What a wonderful way to start the new year - Shana Tova! I told my Dad as we hugged goodbye that I would see him soon - but this time, not until December.

Life with Kerri is full of surprises.

Kerri's 7th birthday party.

2011-09-25T11:17:00.008-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Kerri's 7th birthday at a party with ten of her closest friends.

The theme was "Spongebob Squarepants", one of Kerri's favorite TV shows.

The popcorn and pizza was a hit!

And Kerri picked out her own cake.

It took her a while to make a wish.

But I am pretty sure it came true.

And that "Spongebob" doll vibrates. The kids had fun passing it around.

After the food, it was time for face painting. Most of the kids picked cute things on their cheeks, like flowers, hearts, the "Harry Potter" scar, and one boy even had a superhero mask. Not Kerri.

She had her whole face painted yellow, just like "Spongebob".

Yeah, I thought you would want a second look.

After the party, we picked up Grandpa and went to our favorite sushi restaurant, where we indulged and filled our tummies. And then we came home to open presents.

Even Pookie got in the fun.

Kerri read every card, and loved every gift.

This was one of her favorite gifts. A "Barbie" makeup kit from Ian and Stephanie, Simo and Sifu.

And so we ended our families birthday celebrations for this year. But don't feel bad, we already have two birthday parties coming up for some of Kerri's friends!

Life with Kerri is all partied out for today.

Conversations with Kerri.

2011-09-23T10:53:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have seen my picture, you know that I tend to wear V-neck shirts and have a large cleavage. So I usually end up with some crumb falling in there, and hubby always teases me and says I am storing food for winter (like a squirrel). I am telling you this, so you understand Kerri's perspective in the following conversation, which happened last night at the dinner table:

Mommy: "Kerri, you are starting to get a belly!"

Kerri: "Well you have a bigger belly than me, or Daddy, or Grandpa, or Nana."

Mommy: "Yes, that is true."

Kerri: (pointing to my chest) "And you have extra storage for food in your big boobies."

Life with Kerri reminds us to be careful what we say.

Another day, another party.

2011-09-18T20:34:00.003-04:00

Today our dear friends Carol and Andre, and Uncle Ross and Aunt Lorraine came by for lunch. We celebrated all our birthdays once again! Hubby worked the grill, and I was physically removed from the kitchen. The guests ended up doing the dishes. I think they felt sorry for me because I was running a fever and had a sore throat.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating my Dad's 71st birthday. I am so very fortunate that he is healthy and here to spend it with us. We plan on taking him to a sushi restaurant for lunch.

It has been a whirlwind weekend!

Life with Kerri needs some rest.

More birthday fun.

2011-09-17T16:28:00.006-04:00

Today is Mommy's birthday. So Grandpa Oscar grilled Argentine style.

Cousins Laura and Haydee, and Nana shared a laugh or two. And that yummy apple cake was made by Laura and it was delicious!

And cousin Luis spent most of the afternoon chatting with Grandpa Oscar.

Daddy surprised Mommy with flowers, a red velvet birthday cake, and white chocolate. He also did all the work and washing up afterwards, and gave me a beautiful card.

The Argentine red wine helped put everyone in a festive mood.

And then Kerri helped Mommy blow out the birthday candles!

Kerri got to open some more birthday gifts. Thank you Laura for this wonderful book!

Kerri also got to open gifts from Haydee and Luis...we love the pajamas!

And last but not least, a gift from Carla and family....I think her expression says it all:

And when she was done opening her gifts....

Kerri helped Mommy open gifts too:

Kerri said this was a very pretty dress for Mommy. It is a shirt, but on her, I guess it could be a dress.

And then we chatted and laughed some more.

And of course, Pookie had to join in the fun.

Grandpa Oscar also got to open gifts - his birthday is Monday!

Thank you Luis, Haydee and Laura for coming down to see us and helping make my birthday memorable. We always have fun!

And thank you Nana, Grandpa Oscar and hubby for everything you do, every day. My birthday was special because the special people in my life were there to share it with me.

Life with Kerri is on a birthday binge.

Fun with family.

2011-09-16T23:14:00.006-04:00

Today we had another party to celebrate all our birthdays.

And we had mini cupcakes with candles.

So we all took turns blowing out candles and being sung the "Happy Birthday song".

Carol and Andre serenaded us!

And after dinner, we got to open more birthday presents.

Kerri loved her arts and crafts gifts.

And had lots of fun opening cards.

Tissue paper went flying, and glitter was everywhere!

And the "Angry Birds" stuffed toys were a hit.

Paints and art stuff....

stickers and canvas....

...and things to color make Kerri very happy.

Kerri and her grandpa.

Moments like these deserve more than one picture!

Kerri had the best time.

Pookie joined in the fun.

Here Kerri is opening a gift and card from Nana's boyfriend Ben.

Kerri called Ben a "beaverjack", (she meant lumberjack), so he got her a baby beaver plushie.

And she also liked the card he got her.

One more photo of Kerri and her Zeide.

And some silly photos of Kerri and Nana.

We had a wonderful evening, good food, great conversation, and lots of fun and laughter. Thank you Carol, Andre, Nana, and Ben for coming over to celebrate our birthdays today, and for all the lovely gifts!

Life with Kerri is gleeful.

Happy 7th birthday Kerri!

2011-09-15T23:47:00.004-04:00

Making a wish!

Blowing out her candles.

Answering birthday greeting calls from Tia, Tammie and Aunt Lorraine.

Opening lots of birthday gifts.

Reading a birthday card from Aunt Lilly, and cousins Chelsea and Justin.

Opening more cards.

Playing with the unicorn on the card from Aunt Denise, Uncle Aaron, and cousins Alora and Caleb.

Reading a card from Grandpa Oscar.

Opening more gifts.

Playing with the zillion Zhu-Zhu pets that Tia sent!

And by playing I meant Daddy....

...and Grandpa.

Reading a card from Mommy and Daddy.

Yesterday was Kerri's 7th birthday. Somewhere in China, we send our heartfelt gratitude to the woman who gave her life, and to her biological family. Thank you for the precious gift that is Kerri Brianna.

Life with Kerri is the greatest gift of all.

Grandpa is here!

2011-09-14T19:29:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, we picked Grandpa Oscar up from the airport. We had wonderful weather, and even sat outside to chat with all the neighborhood moms. And then I jinxed it. I told Dad that we never get really bad rain storms here - like we did in Florida. So all of a sudden, dark clouds came overhead, and within minutes we had a major wind and thunderstorm with HAIL!

We have been having lots of fun with Grandpa Oscar. Kerri played darts with him, and they sat and chatted for a long time too. My Dad and I have been shopping, and I just brought home my birthday gift to myself: a professional event BBQ grill! We couldn't wait to break it in this weekend.

Putting the new grill together...
Checking to make sure it works!

Yummy!

We also met with the Occupational Therapist, who will be testing Kerri further on Monday at school. Kerri had her first session with the speech therapist at school. We also visited our Kung Fu school to say hello and drop off invitations to Kerri's upcoming birthday party next weekend. And Kerri's ex-boyfriend came over for a play date too. We have been busy!

Tomorrow is Kerri's 7th birthday. I am dropping off cupcakes (topped off with gummy worms) at school in the morning. And we will be having parties here at home every day the rest of this week, throughout the weekend - because my birthday is on Saturday and my Dad's birthday is on Monday. We never really need an excuse for a party, but it is always fun to celebrate special moments!

Life with Kerri is having a party. Or two. Or three. Or maybe even four. :o)

It's official.

2011-09-12T11:27:00.002-04:00

We received confirmation that Kerri is now a Brownie in Girl Guides. She starts in a couple of weeks, and is really excited.

In addition to camping, sleepovers, selling cookies, making friends, and doing crafts; Kerri loves raising money to help other girls through the Girl Guide charities. She looks forward to making contributions every week.

So as I continue to sew badges onto last year's Spark sash (yes, I know.....I procrastinated!), I look forward to more cookies, more badge sewing...and especially to seeing Kerri blossom as a very proud and happy Brownie.

Life with Kerri is looking forward to fun!

One week.

2011-09-11T11:29:00.003-04:00

Kerri's first week of school has been pretty eventful. On the very first day, she lost her asthma inhaler at the playground and did not want to tell me. On the third day, she smacked her face into the bathroom stall door when exiting and broke her new glasses - and did not tell me until Friday. But those are minor events, when compared to these:

Kerri has come home smiling every day.

She informed me that she has improved her reading skills so much she skipped an entire reading level.

She had her first private therapy session for her auditory processing disorder - and it went very well.

Kerri really likes her teachers.

And Kerri can't wait for Monday to go back to school.

I could not be prouder of Kerri.

Life with Kerri keeps me smiling.

First day of school - second grade.

2011-09-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Kerri's first day of school. She was so excited, she barely ate her breakfast.

I took this picture at the school. She was happy that her ex boyfriend is in her class, but a little embarrassed at all the moms taking pictures.

And this purple ICarly backpack is her prized possession. Tia found it in Florida and shipped it up to us. Even though we already had a purple (peace signs and butterflies) backpack for school, this one was special.

Kerri's first day was awesome. I had to fill out some medical forms so they could administer her inhaler if needed, and dropped off her IEP recommendation(s) from our speech language pathologist. The school called me in right away to speak with the special education coordinator, and I signed some forms and we chatted about Kerri's needs. I also spoke with Kerri's new teacher, and gave her a copy of the recommendations as well.

Kerri is in a split grades 1-2 class, which she seems to like because she gets to mentor her younger classmates. Her teacher seems real nice. And the school is providing all supplies! All I had to send in was some tennis balls for the bottom of her chair (to reduce noise) and some tissue boxes.

Kerri and her friends got off the bus smiling - every single kid had a great day! Kerri seems to be happy, and she is thrilled because she has one lunch break and two snack breaks, and three recess breaks. So I had to send a bit more in her lunch box today. I am one happy Mama.

Life with Kerri begins a new school year.

Housewarming party.

2011-09-04T13:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we travelled to Brossard, Quebec to reunite with family in cousin Daniela's new house.

Cousins Cathy and Luis enjoying a quiet moment.

Cousins Laura and our hostess Daniela prepare the table.

Cousin Carla helps her sister set the table.

As you can see, we had lots of yummy food to eat.

I think we take this same picture every time cousin Laura and hubby get together.

Cousin Ariel giving the boys a lesson. Or trying to anyway.

Amy and Kerri coming downstairs to eat.

We also celebrated Ariel's 23rd birthday with lots of cake and candles!

Kerri fell in love with Carla's IPad. Thanks Carla!

Pablo, Samara, Steven, Dana, Ariel and his girlfriend Val.

Amy, Sam and Charlie, Kerri and Ryan playing games.

They were so cute I just had to take another picture.

And another picture!

We stopped at this Quebec french fry restaurant for Kerri on the way home.

And I think this is the first pay phone I have ever seen in years!

Thank you Daniela for inviting us to see your beautiful new home. We wish you lots of happiness in it! And it was awesome to see the family again.

Life with Kerri is always ready for a party.

Romance, roses and nosebleeds.

2011-09-02T10:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our ten year wedding anniversary. The day we renewed our love and had a huge and elaborate wedding in Canada with our family and friends.

Daddy came home early from work and brought gifts. Kerri got her own rose. Mom got roses and a beautiful card. And I saw him sneak a bottle of bubbly in the fridge.

Then he took us to our favorite sushi restaurant, were we indulged and over ate. Kerri tried fried ice cream for the first time. And there was lots of silliness, too. Daddy and Kerri had thumb wars. They played with Kerri's baby doll. It was not really a romantic dinner, but we would not have it any other way.

After we put Kerri to bed, Daddy popped the cork on the bottle of bubbly and scared Pookie. It took a while to calm him down. And as we shared sweets and bubbly and got romantic, Kerri came running into our bedroom with a nose bleed. She was fine, but our hopes for romance were put on hold. And as we all cuddled in our bed, including bleeding Kerri and shaky Pookie, hubby and I shared the look. Not that look, but the one that says we are content. We love our family, our life together and each other. And that's pretty romantic in my book - even with nosebleeds and a shaky dog.

Life with Kerri celebrates.

Smart phone pictures!

2011-08-31T09:04:00.003-04:00

Nana and Kerri at a coffee shop.

Daddy and Kerri watching "Spykids 4". Kerri loved the movie, although she had to cover her ears several times because it was too loud and hurt her ears.

I just figured out how to save pictures I take with my new Android phone and put them here. I may have a smart phone, but it has a dumb user!

Life with Kerri is picture perfect.

Test results are in.

2011-08-30T12:51:00.003-04:00

After three days and several hours of testing, our speech language pathologist (Melissa) found three additional areas to work on with Kerri. (I will know more next week when I pick up the report with the "official" diagnosis on it.) I was also informed my daughter is gifted, which is why she has been able to "get by" all these years undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. And I was told Kerri has an exceptional memory - something we already knew.

Therapy commences next Wednesday. In addition to the professional therapy in her office, Melissa will also be providing me with training to work on a specific therapy (guided lesson) plan at home. Kerri is now being referred for a psychological educational evaluation to further diagnose her visual/motor skills. And Kerri will continue separate therapy at school for her phonological delay.

I absolutely love Kerri's speech therapist Melissa. She has such a great rapport with Kerri, and is so upbeat and positive - she loves her job and it shows. Kerri loves going to see her and enjoys her therapy sessions! And every child - that I have seen leave her office - does so with a smile, truly happy and engaged. Just like Kerri.

This Friday I am picking up Melissa's recommendations for the school board to implement. And next Tuesday, on Kerri's first day of school, I will be personally handing them in to her second grade teacher, whomever that is. I hope her teacher this year will be as wonderful as her first grade teacher was.

So we will be spending the rest of the day outside playing with neighborhood friends. And enjoying the last week of summer vacation - before school and some serious therapy sessions begin.

Life with Kerri is on a mission.

Weekend with Nana.

2011-08-29T22:00:00.003-04:00

It's always fun when Nana comes to visit.

And Kerri is always willing to pose for Nana, even if she is in the middle of playing with her friends.

And sometimes the kids just love to hang out on the love seat and watch TV.

But no matter what they are doing, Nana and Kerri always love being with each other. And Nana goes home convinced she is not ready to have a child after spending a day or two with Kerri.

Life with Kerri is more fun when shared with cousin Nana.