AMAZING

Do you have a child that the same adjective gets applied to over & over & over again? I know that I have met some children & been struck with a one word description....that child is so BUSY, or what a CURIOUS mind, an OLD soul, a SWEET spirit.....

My 7 year old is that type of child. Nearly everyone she meets, people at church, parents of friends, her medical team, family, all seem to remark on how AMAZING she is. I have to agree, I think she's pretty amazing as well.

But, I was wondering WHY exactly is she decribed this way? I looked up the word AMAZING: To be filled with wonder and awe.

That doesn't really describe Lindsi. So, I looked up the word WONDER: To be AFFECTED by the EXTRAORDINARY....ahhh That's it. If you meet Lindsi, you are AFFECTED by her. She is Extraordinary.

Even from the very first day that I met her, she was different from all the other babies. There were 10 very upset & crying babies, & Lindsi, who sat on a nannies lap & took it all in. When she was handed to me, it was the Hallmark moment, she broke into a huge grin & never looked back. It's a true story, that others in our travel group would stop by our room & visit with her, while they were having to walk the halls with their own unsettled children. Nothing upset her.

It would take me all day to list the ways in which I have been affected by her extraordinariness. She is unlike any child I have ever known. I call her the perfect compliment to this sometimes scatterbrained, single mom. She is organized to the max. She is observant. Creative. She can learn how to do things by just seeing it a few times. She is helpful in so many ways. A delight. Although, she is not perfect, and must occassionally slip into the role of a 7 yr old girl. I think she does that just to keep me on my toes.

My heart explodes when I think of all the possibilities that lie before her in this life. She has achieved so much already, she's learned how to work hard for things. I can't wait to see what life has in store for her.

Martina McBride sings a song that says...."Everyone calls you Amazing, I just call you mine...." So beautiful, so true.

Happy 7th Family Day.....We are so lucky to blessed by your spirit each & everyday. It is only by God's infinite grace that I am her mother today. I would have never been open to parenting a child with her SN (deafness) when I adopted her. We have both come such a long way.......

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Jami's been short changed on the Blog lately, so my next post will be all about her...=) Stay tuned for some Jami Cuteness......

No More Blanket

I've often wondered how many wash cloths the White Swan lost over the years to families with newly adopted children? After hearing story after story of how the babies would cling onto a wash cloth, it's a wonder the Coming Home Barbie didn't come wrapped in one.

Our family, was no exception. From the very first day that I had Lindsi, she would fall asleep, thumb in her mouth, running the silk tag of a wash cloth through her fingers. We soon replaced the wash cloth with a hooded towel & for several years, that served as her "Blankie". It has always been a background item, a source of comfort. As Lindsi got older, there were rules about the blanket....it could go into the DR office, but not to school. Eventually, it spent more & more time in my bag & then, in the car. Always within reach, & needed most often when the "tireds" crept in.

A few years ago, the hooded towel was retired & a Gym*Bor*ee blanket became the "Blankie". It has gone everywhere with us.... It's the first thing she grabs when she gets in the car or comes home from school. It's such a part of her, that she has never forgotten or lost it somewhere along the way. She always knows where it is.

However, as it is with much loved items, The "Blankie" has definitely seen better days. Grandma has repaired it several times. This past weekend, (horror) the silky tag fell off...................

At which point, Lindsi held up her beloved blankie & announced....I don't need this anymore & put it away. I haven't seen the blanket since Sunday.

I'm really proud of her. Having suffered a blanket trauma when I was a kid, I was just never going to be the parent that could come between the blanket & the child. I expected it to be with her when she went off to college.

She is growing up in so many ways.

In fact, I'm pretty sure, at this point...I'm missing the blanket much more than she is.

Ballet

The girls' are starting to work hard on their routines for the Spring Recital. Last night was a Parent's watch night.

Enjoy some pics of Lindsi in her ballet class.......