New hair / Flyleaf / Sic Puppys and cramped bodies

Brandon, asked us if he could dye the tips of his hair red a long time ago. We held off as long as we could but finally made a deal with him. We would pay for his hair to be dyed if he cleaned it up and dyed it back when he turns 16 so he can look good for the interviews he will be going on after his birthday. Then if it didn't affect his employment after working a couple of months he could dye it back red if he wanted to.
Brandon went to the beauty shop and had it dyed by a friend of ours about two weeks ago, but it wasn't bright red like he wanted. So I spent the next couple of days finding the right dye to make it bright red, the results are in the bottom photo. Yes, I did that to my sons head on purpose. To keep it that red all the time I must dye it every two weeks. Rubber gloves, aluminum foil wraps and all. I hope when he gets older he remembers this time when he had a beauty specialist for a dad.
We took him to a Flyleaf and Sic Puppys concert last night. He had back stage passes to meet and greet the band. Because it was such a big deal to him and we didn't want him to miss out AND the concert was being held in a REALLY bad area of town, in our opinion, AND just because we are a "little", "tiny" bit protective we launched a plan. Lori and I would drop him at the door and switch cell phones with him and then we would wait out in the parking lot (because teenage boys don't want their Mom and Dad with them inside the concert) until the concert was over. We took his phone because it has unlimited Internet and TV in it. We dropped him off at 6:30 and spent the next 5 hours (you read that right 5 hours) watching the Discovery Channel on a 2 inch cell phone screen and trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. He had a great time and by 11:30 his ever vigil parent had been passed out in the truck for over a hour. Only awaking to the sound of people coming out of the building after the concert was over and the lights from the ambulance pulling up in front of the building (nothing serious just a bumped head). I love you son and I am glad you had I good time, your hair dresser Glen

One of these things is not like the others.UPDATE (sesame street reference)

Remember the photos I posted awhile back of the overly large egg that was in with the others to see the results click on the hatched photos below, and look in the middle, funny. I don't know how this will all play out. That middle bird has got a big mouth and will get alot of the food. We will have to just wait and see.
Glen

Got in contact with makers of ADOPTED: THE NEW AMERICAN FAMILY

Please remember I have posted so many of these clips that they are going into previous posts so if you haven't seen all of them yet look there too.
I am very interested in this movie. It is the first one that I have come across that deals with issues that come up in international adoption. I have read books, gone to attachment semionares, belong to a good discussion group in which the things in this movie are discussed daily as more familys come home. From what I have seen they have interveiwed people who know what they are talking about that have delt directly with these issues.
Like food hording is a big one that comes up alot. The way your child might react on the day they are placed in your arms, (he or she) may completely shutdown almost like giving up the first day and then they start to come out of their shell a little in the days to follow as a small amount of exceptance and trust is formed, how to develop strong attachment with both parents, how some times a child can flip out after they have been home for awhile when they here a noise that is comman to us but not to them, and thats just the first few months. While not all children will have the same issues arise we need to know what might come up so that we can be there for our kids.
There will be things to come as they get older in all children when they are trying to find out who they are. Where they fit into this world. In internationally adopted children there are some diffrent issues that will come up. Not all at once but in stages, at diffirent ages, and we as adoptive parents must be on the look out for when these issues come up in our kids so that we can work through them or with them to help them find their place. If you think that you will bring your child home and just say (He or She) is an American now end of story, you need to do some research. You owe it to your child.
Glen

I contacted the makers of "Adopted: The new American Family" they E-mailed me a response. I consider E-mail private so I asked them if I could post it here, they said yes.

Here is their response:
Hi, thanks so much for contacting us at “Adopted: The New American Family.” We really appreciate your interest in our film. We are actually still filming the documentary, with the goal of releasing it sometime this Fall. Keep checking out the website for updates. Thanks so much!

Emma


www.adoptedthemovie.com this is the link to there site where you can find out more about the movie and eye on up comeing news.

Adoption - Over-Stimulation in Adopted Children

Adoption - Health Issues in Adopted Children

Adoption - Post Traumatic Stress in Adopted Children

Adoption - Health Conditions in Orphanages

Adoption - Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Disorder

Adoption: The New American Family

I have been coming across clips of this movie and I will put clips on here as they are put on youtube. Matter a fact I have put so many on here you will need to go into prevous post to view them all. If any one know where I can Buy this movie pleases let me know by posting it in my comments I would love to get a copy. Thanks for your help.
Glen

Adoption - Watch as John and Jacqui Receive Their Referral

Adoption - An Adoptee on her Korean Culture

Adoption - Domestic vs. International Adoption

Adoption - An Adoptee Talks about Intl Adoption

Adoption - An Adoptee on her Mom's Perspective

Adoption - A Korean Adoptee Thinks She's White

Adoption - The Exotification of Asian Women

Adoption - International Adoption as the Last Resort

Adoption - An Adoptee Talks About Racism

Adoption - An Adoptee Talks about Being Called Names

Adoption: Being Chinese In America

Adoption - The Expected Sense of Gratitude

One of these things is not like the others. (sesame street reference)

Every spring we always have a lot of different types of birds take up residence in our backyard. So this year we added a bird house that Lori and I painted in hopes that a family would move in. I'm not quite sure if the hole is big enough for the birds to easily use, but I will leave it up for this year and then perhaps modify the hole this winter if needed. We also put boston ferns on the hooks on the front pourch and every year we have at least two nests to watch as the little eggs turn into little birds and then learn to fly and leave the nest. This year we had this little nest in our ferns within 2 days of hanging them up. The nests always create a challenge for Lori with watering and trimming but she tries to manage them without causing to much trouble for the birds. Lori checked the nest last week and found just one small pale blue egg and today there was an ODD egg that we don't think belongs with the others. The female bird has been sitting on it anyway. Could this be a form of adoption in nature? We will have to see, hopefully the big, speckeled egg hatches. There are usually 1 or 2 eggs that don't hatch out of each group.
The weather here finally turned back decent today and we were able to go for a walk to the park this afternoon. We had a freeze a few nights ago that decimated our crepe myrtles, grape vines and fig tree. Lori went out tonight and trimmed back all of the above mentioned in hopes that they will come back out. Most of the shurbs will have to be retrimmed this week too since the top layer of foliage was burnt by the frost but the underneath part is still ok. We go by the Darwin theory of gardening around here. The strongest survive.

Our friends at church that are also adopting from China were LID on Friday the 13th of this month. We are very excited for them but know that the long wait ahead will be difficult. I know that we are going to get our daughter, eventually but it is still hard to wait. I find myself feeling almost jealous of the people I see interacting with their daughters when I want so badly to have that right now. I would never think of leaving the China program. I know that our daughter will be waiting for us when the time comes but it is just frustrating. Waiting sucks! Enough said.

Physical therapy is now three days a week and is going well. I'm a little sore after each session but even that should improve with time. My two week post op appointment was last Friday and the surgeon was very pleased with my progress. Here's to a speedy and complete recovery.
My Father in law has been taking me to all of my appointments and we can not be more fortunate to have him so close and available. He has been a real God send. Now that I have been cleared to drive maybe he can get some rest.

Brea and her family / I'm still pluging along in therapy

This family needs help getting there story out to people that can and are willing to give them some finachal releaf in this most unfortunate turn of events. It is so messed up that a family that trys to do right thing by haveing medical insurance for there family. When they reach out for help from the local goverments they get there hand slapped. But if this family was liveing off the state they would have medacaid there medacations would be probly be payed for too boot If you have given donations to this family I thank you, some time in your life you will be repayed for your kindness. The link below is her site that will take you to her home page then go to childrens hospital. I still am going to phiscal therapy every day and go back to the neroseragon tomarrow for a check up I am still week in my left leg but that is to inprove in the next cupple of weeks. I hope the doctor oks me to drive during my checkup I would like to be able to get out and about.
Glen


Just look at the sprit of this child, going strong inspite of such an ordeal. Brea is a amaizing lession in the sperit of life for us all.

Brea and her loveing ever vigel mom.

http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=195242&parent_id=175411

Happy Easter!!! from the Pig, I mean Bunny.

Happy Easter! The picture is of the green ceramic pig that is the "centerpiece" of our kitchen table. He gets dressed up for holidays and has donned his bunny ears for Easter.

The adoption wait is LOOOOONG and tedious as everyone in our same position knows all to well. We were just discussing how in July of this year it will be 1 whole year since we were LID. The time seems to fly by and stand still all at the same time. Home improvement has stopped around the house as I am slowly recovering from surgery. I am now able to get around without the walker which will now be stored away for when Lori's grandmother comes for visits and needs one or in the case that one of us may need it again. I still have my brace on and will have to continue to wear it until the Doctor says I can take it off. Physical therapy starts in 3 days a week this coming Monday. The pain is gone but I still have quite a bit of weakness and numbness in my Left leg, all of which I have been informed is perfectly normal.

The back and front yard are looking great. Lori has been planting flowers, hostas and ferns, oh my. She doesn't want me posting a picture till she can get the mulching done. We put up our ferns on the front pourch last weekend and already have "tenents" moving in. I can't wait for the baby birds to hatch.

More frequent updates to come, as I have ALOT of time on my hands.

Glen

Brea got a donor heart! I got a new spine!

Brea has been given a gift, a donor heart. She is doing well, you can check up on her at the links in the previous post.
After a very painful 2 weeks I finally got some relief on Thursday. The neurosurgeon did a spinal fusion at L4L5 and L5S1 so thats 3 vertabrae that will no longer have movement in them. I shouldn't have to go through this type of relentless maddening pain again.
When the surgeon got into my spine he found a huge piece of disc wedged into the siatic nerve at L5S1 and when he looked at L4L5 the disc had protruted clean out into the nerve area and was sitting on the nerve and the ganglia. So they took bone/disc out of the spaces in between the vertabrae at both levels. Then they screwed the fusion cages into these spaces between the vertabrae.
Then the surgeon took the pieces of bone they removed and ground it up with a chemical that makes the crushed bone cling together and packed that paste into the cages so that my bone will grow together. I am so glad he used this method because I have heard that if they take bone from your hip that the hip paon is worse than the post-op back pain.
We got to the hospital at 5:30 am and I was up walking around with physical therapy, with the assistance of a walker by 2:00 pm and was home by 8:00pm the same day. Now three days later I am moving around more and the pain from surgery isn't even half of what I was feeling before the operation. I am still having to walk with a walker because my left leg is numb from the nerves being so aggrevated (I have been assured that this is normal and that feeling will gradually return over the next few weeks to months) and weak, still i can see myself not needing a walker to get around the house by Tuesday of this next week. Soon I will be able to start physical therpy. I am already going out with Lori when ever I can to work on the weakness in my left leg. I was told by the surgeon that I will be out for 3-6 mounths and I am going to do what it take to make the 3 month back to work mark if possible. Below you can see my spine with the titanium ally cages are in place. The other big metal pieces on the x-rays are from the retractor used during surgery.
The picture of me laying on the kitchen floor was from a few days before the surgery. Lori was cooking dinner and so I laid in the floor to talk to her.

Here's to a swift recovery.

Glen