When Life Comes at You Fast...

I am so sorry that I have not posted in a bit... It has been so incredibly busy! You will learn more than you ever wanted to know about how we are doing if you make it to the end of the post- I do have lots of pics at the end so if you don't read, at least scroll down for them!!

Selina continues to get more comfortable and to settle in. She got the chest thing back. It only really went away for about a week and then started up again. The doctor had me try Claritin and nasal sprays for a week or so and she got worse so I took back in. We had a scare that it might be tuberculosis for a few days as we waited for the chest xray and skin test to be read but thankfully that was not it! I would have had to let the 500 or so people that have come across her path know if she did have TB! She ended up with breathing treatments. She did better for a bit but now she is getting all four of her two year molars and so we are congested, drooling and feverish on and off. Poor girl!

OTHER SELINA NEWS: She is in the process of being evaluated through the state for therapy services. At the screening, the gal asked me questions as to whether she could do this or that, most of my answers were "no, no, no, no". After answering "no" for awhile, it got to the point that when we had a "yes", I would laugh and Selina and I would start clapping!! The evaluation was today and it looks like she is behind in all areas. They are turning her file over to the Division of Developmental Disabilities to complete the eval and provide services. She basically functions more like a 16 to 19 month old in most ares. Her relative strength is her self help skills. I had to laugh as I said, "oh you mean like the way she had to crawl around and get her own food at the age of one year?". Yea, I would expect her to be gifted in the area of self help!!

Seriously, Selina has come so far since coming into the adoption center in January. When I told them where she was at then and how her medicals indicated she had all these problems and then shared how far just her speech has come since I met her in May, they were amazed. I believe that Selina will catch up and be fine. She is so smart. I just want her to have help if she qualifies for it which it looks like she will.

I have also selected a day care center/school for Selina for when I go back to work. I considered an in home situation or a school. Since Selina has been in a school setting for about a year now and enjoyed getting to go into the school with the kids at her adoption center, I felt that a school would be better for her. I have checked out several places and Selina and I have selected one. I am really excited about this center as the teachers have to have early childhood degrees or be working on them. Selina's teacher is almost done with hers and has a lot of experience working with children. They do a lot of fun things and are very hands on so she will get nice and dirty. It should be exciting for her. She will go there part time (3 days a week). TR will each have one day alone with Selina in a week. This class is not as busy as the school class she was in at the adoption center and the activities are geared right for her age so I am thinking she will enjoy being back at school- we will see!

OUR HOUSE: Our home has been keeping us really busy the past month. It is only five years old but it is spanking us this summer.

We have been without air conditioning in the majority of the house for about 10 days. We have two units and it is the larger of the two of course. It boils down to that we will need a new air conditioning. It is working now but it is only a matter of time before our unit needs to be replaced. We have the new unit and company selected, we are just trying one more thing before replacing it.

It is just not fun to have to purchase a new air conditioner right when returning from Africa with a new daughter! Air conditionings are not glamourous or fun to choose like a new refrigerator or washer and dryer! I thought that new air conditioners were about $4000 as that is what I remembered from the last time someone I knew bought one but now know that was about ten years ago. Basically it is expensive enough that when we get it, I am going to dress us all up and take our picture with it as our family could have gone on a Disney Cruise for the money for this thing!!

Also the roof leaks when it rains. It did this right before I left for Africa but it wasn't a big leak. Well, it rained hard recently and lets just say that a utility bucket could not hold the water. We had to run and get the big rubbermaid that holds all our sports equiptment to hold the water pouring in from the air conditioning vent in Kman's room! He was asleep with his buddy who was spending the night and the door was closed when it started raining. Thankfully I randomly opened the door to check on them. Water was pouring out of this vent right next to them, it was unbelievable.

TR went outside to look around. Things like this are not his area of expertise so unless there was a gaping hole in the roof with light coming out of it, I did not expect much insight to our problem. At first he thought it wasn't raining hard but when he came back in, he used the term "biblical proportions" to describe the downpour. I think he used "biblical proportions" to make himself feel better about the amount of water entering our home. Did I also mention that there was a big wet spot in the girl's room that did not seem to be related to the leak and so I was afraid I had an expansive soil/slab leak problem also?

So, all the roofing companies we called the next morning were booked for the next week (remember the rain was of biblical proportions) and more rain was in the forecast. Our friend knows a roofer and we called him. He was able to come out the next day. Judging by his simple receipt, I would guess he is a one man show (his buddy came with him though) that is not licensed but he "fixed it" and said that my dry wall will dry and we should be fine. He also said the problem in the girl's room was related to the roof issue. All I can say is that the man was nice, his fix was under $200 and he said all is well now. In the past, this would not have worked for me but due to how busy my life is right now and my larger issues with the air conditioning, I paid him, thanked him and have chosen to believe this kind unlicensed man!!

OTHER FAMILY NEWS: Kman and Cater have both done swim team and karate this summer. Swim team went well for both kids with the exception of Kman having swimmer's ear for one week of it. Kman did well (this is his third summer) and is really improving. He does best at backstroke and now that he goes straight this year instead of crashing repeatedly into the lane lines like in years past, he consistently gets first place in this event. Really, going straight is so key!! He also is diving much better this year. The poor child is cautious like his mom (for whom the idea of going head first into anything is just not good) so this diving thing took a lot of work to get right.

There are six people in a race and Cater who at only five years old, is one of the youngest, is the recipient of many sixth place ribbons. The ribbon for sixth place is pink and really, she is quite excited about her pink ribbons. While Kman returns after a race letting us know the place he got, Cater tells us the color ribbon she received so all is well! Seriously, the kids did so good to get up and start practice at 6:30am. I was really impressed with how hard they worked!

Isn't the swim cap supposed to cover all the hair? I think Cater thinks it is a fashion accessory!



Kman gearing up for the big race!

Karate was also fun for them. Cater has been in it for a year and Kman is doing it this summer with her just for fun. Kman has really enjoyed it and wants to continue but with club soccer and religion class, we are not sure how that will work.

I was trying to decide between three schools for Kman and Cater to attend this year. I can get them into any school in my district so I narrowed it down to three that are between home and my work. I have decided to move them as Cater is entering kindergarten and I want their school to be closer to home than where Kman was last year. Kman is excited to change schools. All three of the schools are really good. Kman really wanted one over the others because he thinks they have a nice soccer goal. So I analyzed it the past few weeks and spoke to a few coworkers and decided on the school without the new soccer goal. I was afraid that Kman would not take it well but then I found out his new school has ordered a soccer goal and it is on it's way. I told him and he was fine with the new school and excited to see the new goal. If nothing else, it will always make a nice story that he picked his school based on a soccer goal!LOL

OTHER ODDS AND ENDS: I other news, our older dog Apollo has been not doing quite as well. We have had him to the vet and he has had bloodwork and is on medicines as when he gets infections and minor things they don't seem to heal as well. He is over 12 years old which is great for a labrador but he has aged a lot the last several months. The blood work looked okay for his age but we have to just watch him more carefully and be prepared that there may be something going on inside our old man that we are not aware of yet. It is sad to see him older as he was born the day we were married and has always been such an important part of the family. He just has this awesome disposition and is such the gentle hearted old man!

Kman went to the dentist and apparantly has an extra permanent tooth up front. I think this is better than missing a permanent tooth but at minimum will have to have two baby teeth and one permanent tooth pulled. He may have to have a surgery to get the permanent tooth out if it does not come down on it's own so we will see as only time will tell what he will need done. He is handling it like a trooper. I explained how he will get a sedative and it will make him kind of happy and not caring much about what is going on around him when he gets the baby teeth pulled next month. He has been very interested in this and we joke about how he will be so agreeable with the medicine. I tell him that he will pretty much allow the dentist to do whatever to him and that it will be a good time for his sister and anyone to ask him for things they want of his.

SUMMER'S END: So now summer is wrapping up and we are preparing to get back to school. Here, the kids go back to school at the beginning of August. I look back to this summer- being gone in Africa for a month, bringing back our wonderful daughter and all the excitement and craziness since and am looking forward to getting settled into our routine for the year!


I hope your summer is treating you well and you now understand why I have been a blogging flake lately!:-) I do plan to keep blogging now that Selina is home and have several different posts in the works.

I leave you with a few random summer shots...

Selina coloring. She is sporting a new do! My first attempt at fancy do. I worked on it a total of about five hours as she took a long bath and while she slept. If only I could awaken with my hair all done for the day!



Cater with her new sis. They are doing so well together. Their new thing is to kiss which is quite funny as Cater is not the kisser but she loves her new sister!


Kman reading to sister. He is so helpful and patient with Selina.


My friends threw me a "Selina Shower" this past weekend. It was so nice to get together and celebrate having Selina home and catching up with each other. Selina came for the first thirty minutes of the shower before being taken away for ice cream with dad, Kman and Cater. It worked out beautifully as she would have been overwhelmed to have stayed a long time!


Selina watching Kman play indoor soccer


Mom and Selina at the swim banquet


Our beautiful children- We are so blessed!




Jennine