Graduation Day

Make a Smilebox slideshow

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Gold Medal Girl

Nina got her first medal today and it wasn't a hockey medal !!!!

My baby girl is a natural born gymnast. She is by far the smallest in her group but in addition to being teeny tiny (a good thing in gymnastics) she is; flexible, strong, fearless and really good at throwing her arms in the air and yelling "Ta Da!"

Take a look at my Olympic champion.

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Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things...

Surrounded by all I could ever want

The cake said it all.

My birthday gift from Nolan; a heartfelt private concert. Here is one of the 5 songs he played for me.

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Best Birthday Present Ever...

I woke up this morning and I was feeling a bit emotional, melancholy, downright veclempt and at first I wasn’t sure why. Was it because I turned 43 today? I don’t think so. I mean 43 isn’t a milestone of any particular importance other than the fact that I am undeniably middle aged. Heck the kids would say I’ve been there for at least 10 years and who cares, I tell people I almost 50 all the time. (Better they think, “damn she looks good for age”, right?). Maybe it’s the fact that I tried on swimsuits last night? There’s a way to suck your serotonin dry. (I don’t mean to digress but hey Nordstrom’s, do you think you could find a way to light the dressing room as NOT to accentuate my every freaking line, wrinkle and cellulite dimple?!) Anyway I don’t think it’s the swimsuits either- skip a meal and spray on a tan and I’ll be fine. Really I think the reason I’m feeling so emotional is Kiefer. This whole high school graduate thing is hitting me in a most unexpected way.

Our house has been a fury of graduation activity for weeks. There were the three proms, the class trips, the Passport Award ceremony, Senior Leadership Luncheon, senior presentation, portraits, cap and gown, announcements, year book and on and on….This morning I woke to find a house full of soon to be graduates sleeping on couches and floors. It was the second night in a row that this group camped overnight, mostly working thru the night, to finish the senior class slide show. Armed with Mac Books and Chipotle they finished up sometime in the early morning hours today-the same day the movie will be shown. By 7am they were all waking and dressing in dress shirts and ties, readying for yet another award ceremony, recognition luncheon and various other graduation festivities. Despite the chronic lack of sleep Kiefer was full of energy and obviously excited about the day. He was happy, celebrating and he should. Today was Kiefer’s LAST day of school.

Now I know he’s going to college and there will be other graduations to come but today I am feeling this incredible combination of relief and joy. (For my fellow adoptive parents, I can only compare this to the moment I carried Nina across the tarmac and boarded the plane to take her home.) It has not been easy getting Kiefer thru school. He got his label when he was in 3rd grade “gifted with a specific learning disability in written expression” and just for kicks a dash of “Attention Deficient Disorder”. I will never forget the doctors at the Cleveland Clinic saying he will probably never finish high school or go to college. Not for a second did we accept that. In fact I dismissed them and their alphabet soup letters of accreditation right then.

It wasn’t easy. Some years we made progress, some years we didn’t. Sometimes we had great teachers, many times we didn’t. There were tears and yelling and late nights and teacher conferences and summer school and private tutors, 2 private schools and 5 public schools. Heck we even bought a second house in the Kent school district just to get him to his current highschool. It was never easy, never. Much of the credit goes to Dart who pulled the yeoman’s load throughout these high school years. I promise you there has not been a more determined and dedicated teacher and father than this man. But most of the credit has to go to Kiefer. I am so amazed that despite struggling from almost day one he got up every day and WANTED to go to school. Honestly I can’t imagine wanting to do something day after day that I knew was going to kick my ass. As a testimony to his good attitude Kiefer was even voted “Mr. School Spirit” by his classmates. Wild.

And so here we are 9 years post label and Kiefer IS graduating high school albeit on his terms. Today he writes beautifully with a sense of passion and original style. He even ended up writing for the school newspaper. ADD seems to have taken a backseat to organizing student rallies and editing senior class slide shows. He was recognized by the school faculty as a Senior Class Leader and is being honored later today. Kiefer is not only going to college in the fall, he is going with almost a semesters worth of college credit he earned while still in high school.
Maybe some parents see high school graduation as just a stop along the way to the next degree but not me. I take none of it for granted. That is why I’m filled with emotion, on the verge of tears and brink of exhaustion. I’ve been holding my breath for a very long time and this morning I realized I could finally let it out.

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Prom #3 Stow High School...I should have bought the tux.

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ummmm did I mention attachment parenting?

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Attachment Parenting Works

We had an appointment with the pediatrician today. Our IA pediatrician thought he heard a heart murmur during Nina’s last exam and he asked us to follow up with our regular pediatrician. A little weird if you ask me but whatever, long story short, she’s fine. No murmur heard. There was however something with Nina this time that I had not noticed before. Let me go back…

As you may recall at the baby house Nina was basically terrified of us. Each day the doctor would come into the visiting room and take Nina for her medicine, vitamins, or random check up (who knew-we were not told much about this whole process). What I noticed then was she LOVED her doctor. (Actually several adoptive parents have observed this same thing in their children.) I imagined that the doctor was one of the few adults in Nina’s life that gave her gentle, nurturing one-on-one attention. Nina was always happy to leave us and go to the doctor and always full of tears when she was returned to us.


Later on at the SOS clinic in Almaty I observed the same affinity for the doctor there. Somehow Nina had attached to women in white coats. She was just as happy with her first visit with our female pediatrician here in Ohio. Today though I saw something new.


While Nina was as compliant as ever as the doctor listened to her heart I saw her constantly looking at me and then at Dart and back again for reassurance. Back and forth she would go looking concerned and searching for a sign from us that all was well. It was clear that the doctor despite her white coat and stethoscope was the stranger and WE were her trusted parents. I know it sounds like a small thing but for me it was yet another sign that her attachment to us is strong and building with each day.

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Happy Mother's Day

The past few Mother's Day celebrations have been bittersweet because our daughter was not yet with us. When you are waiting to adopt, Mother's Day is just one of those tough times when you are acutely aware that someone is missing. Sadly, more than once I said "next Mother's Day we will have our daughter". But of course this year Nina is with us and the day felt very much complete.

We started the morning by attending church with my mother and Dart's parents. Gramma Jan took great joy in showing off her new grand daughter. After church we had brunch at Silver Lake CC. Dart had corsages for all the mom's and mine was specially made with 3 white roses and 1 pink for my 3 boys and a girl. Got to admit it was so thoughtful of him-every once in a while he gets it right:) After brunch there were cards and gifts and hugs. All and all a pretty great day. Me and the chitlins (well all but one-Kiefer was still recovering from Prom)Brunch Bunch at Silver Lake Nana (Lori's Mom), Nina Bea, Me, Gramma (Dart's Mom)

Mommy and Nina looking for cake at the buffet A very special Mother's Day

Dad on Duty!

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Prom #2 Kent Roosevelt High School

Kiefer's date for his senior prom was Hailey Dukes a long time friend and lunch table mate. The girls reminded me of rainbow sherbet. The boys had a lot of color too.Hailey and Kiefer ready to go to dinner at Ken Stewarts.20 kids loaded into the limo bus.

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First Overnight at Gramma's House

I slept in till 8am this morning and I am now writing this post whilst enjoying a cup of coffee and morning news WITHOUT any little person tugging at my leg. I am toddler-less. In fact my two youngest are not here this morning. Nolan and Nina spent the night at Gramma's house last night. What a treat (for them and us-maybe for Gramma too).

Gramma just updated us and sent pictures (yup she's that good). Apparently Nina wasn't too keen on sleeping in the pack n play so Nolan said she could sleep with him. These two really are in love with one another. Dont you love how she has her arm around him? He's like her big brother security blanket.

So it seems the first overnight was a great success. Soon we will head over to collect our two cuties but until then we will enjoy our last sips of coffee and quiet.

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This just heard...

"Noooolun, doughhhhn't do dat! Me Nina tell daddy."

Does anyone remember when Nina was terrified of Dart and wouldn't even look at him? Oh what a difference a few months make. Now Daddy is her big teddy bear protector. Gotta love it.

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Prom #1 Woodridge

Kiefer has decided to go to at least three proms. Since he is currently single he decided to escort friends from his Athletic Heath Care program. There are six high schools that participate in the AH program, so I suppose it is possible he could go to as many as 6 proms but so far he says it is only three. I know it could change though since he just told us he needed a tux for this prom on Monday night. Yeeesh, boys.

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Polish and Pirates

I guess I have my idea of a fun time with my little girl..... And the boys have their own idea of fun with their little sister...Arrrrrg, at least they dressed her like a girl pirate... She copied everything the boys did...

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