Consider....

Consider a world where when a country decrees your internationally adopted child is your child that your own country would easily recognise that. Consider a world where this little boy was not waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for three endless years in a substandard orphanage to join his adoptive family. Consider signing the following petition......



http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/face-act-of-2009.html

Snow in Summer

Terry had a chance to take Clepson and the kids up to Mt. Baker to see the snow. They spent time sledding and trying to walk on the hardened, icy snow. This is just one of the reasons that I think we live in paradise! Snow in the summer! Clepson was pretty impressed to say the least. The last photo is showing the progress in healing on Clepson's eye. The orbital implant is still protruding a bit and fairly swollen. He is able to open the eye pretty fully now and the new and improved conformer stays in most of the time. Clepson is not very self conscious about his eye, but he is a bit worried about the new hairdo!

When Words Can Hurt...

reprinted from ourhaitianjourney.blogspot.com


Bean is still talking about IT.
The boy who was mean to her.
She tells the story over and over:
"And then the boy said I CAN'T WALK!"
She puts on her meanest face and shakes her head
from side to side when she says:
"Then the boy said- I can't walk!"
She talks about IT six or seven times a day.
We have tried to listen to her and tell her
that the boy wasn't being nice.
That the boy was stupid.
That the boy didn't know anything.
She said: "He needs to tell me sorry."
Each time she brings it up- my heart breaks.
Over and over.
Its terrible to know her innocent HUGE heart
so well and to see it hurt so much.
She is such a gentle soul and has the kindest heart.
Yesterday when the OT was here she said IT again.
"Ray- the boy said I can't walk!"
He had already heard the story and I don't
think he knew exactly what to say.
Lulu kindly replied to Angeline:
"Beanie- Mommy wants you to stop saying that."
Ugh.
I did say that I wanted her to stop saying IT.
But not quite in that way.
Angeline then replied:
"He hurt my feelings Lulu."
She started sobbing.
and large tears fell
She just wanted to hear
over and over again
all the love of
all the people who know
that she CAN walk.
I held her tight on the couch and told her
that she could talk about IT as much as
she wanted to. But that we know that the truth
is that she CAN walk.
Please pray for her little heart.
It still so fragile and hurting so badly.
And if you happen to see my Bean-
please tell her...
"You can walk!"

Hair Cuts for the boys

Last week I had reached my limit. My nephew David is a lovely boy. For some reason he had decided to let his hair grow long. I have no issues with boys with long hair if they wash it and keep it tidy! David seems to have super thick and fairly oily hair. Those of you with little boys know that the head sweat capability in a boy is far greater than that of the female counterpart. Badgering, promises of nicely styled "cool" haircuts were to no avail.

Enter Clepson

Upon meeting David, Clepson began a very subtle (ok, not quite that subtle) campaign to get him to cut his hair. Clepson loves hanging out with David. David is a year older than Clepson and very popular. Clepson began with acting like he thought David was a girl.... He was being asked what he thought of the girls he had met... He said they were ok, but that David was a very cute girl (HAH!) The teasing kept up for a few weeks until David relented and agreed to come over for haircut night at Aunt Nina's. Granted, a real stylist could have done MUCH better, but here are the results. Noah got his hair cut too, and as usual doesn't like it. Clepson wanted a "flat top" and ended up looking just like the Fresh Prince of BelAir! I guess I need more experience with black hair!

We Meet the Man with The Eyes!

Today was a very exciting day for Clepson. We finally got to meet the man who will be making his new eye! We had the long drive down to Kirkland and met Todd Cranmore and the staff at Erikson Labs Northwest. What warm and wonderful people. The work they do is AMAZING! Todd talked with Clepson and then pulled the old conformer out of Clepson's eye and opened a drawer filled with custom conformers and pulled one out that fit perfectly! The custom conformer fits much more securely around the implant and Clepson even learned how to put it in himself. YIPPEE! One happy host mom who wont have to tape a boys' eye shut! Clepson was thrilled and got to hold and examine a prosthetic eye that was waiting to be fitted. It was completely realistic.

The best part of the visit was finding out that Todd actually has gone on mission to Haiti and a group of eye professionals, including an oculist, go to Haiti every year and will be able to see Clepson yearly to keep his eye prosthesis comfortable as he grows. Clepson will still need a new prosthesis eventually, but this is a huge relief to know that the eye will be checked yearly and adjusted.

Clepson was happy to have a conformer in that will stay secure while he rides bikes and plays soccer. He is even allowed to go swimming with it in. Clepson will wear sport goggles while outside playing for now, as I am not wanting to make the trek back to Kirkland to have the conformer replaced if it pops out outside. The sport goggles look very cool and Noah is very envious! Clepson will get to take them home to protect his eyes when he is doing sports in Haiti. It will be important to protect his sighted eye as well as the prosthesis.

Holiday Dreams!

This year for the 4th we tried something different. The Gold Cup Soccer is in Seattle this year. Haiti was playing Honduras and the US was playing Granada on the 4th of July. It seemed like an IDEAL Dad day for the kids. Sarah's crew and Terry, Clepson and Noah loaded up in the "CHURCH BUS" as I call the Reese family van and off to Seattle they went. The soccer game was a big hit and the Haitian team came over and met the kids and Clepson got to speak with them! He was really embarrassed at first and then had a blast!

Yesterday brought a visit from Shar Brasheers of Love a Child. Clepson was so excited and it was great to meet Shar and her husband and daughter. They brought a wonderful ScrapBook and supplies for Clepson to document his time here. Noah and Clepson got right to work on the scrapbook and Clepson was SO excited to see someone he knew.

Tomorrow is our trip to the ocularist. I am excited and hopeful that Clepson will get a conformer that will stay in his eye without tape! I will take photos and update tomorrow.

Can we Camp in the Yard?

We have settled on taping Clepson's eye shut to keep the conformer in for now. His lower eyelid is s bit swollen still and refuses to do it's job keeping the conformer in place. Fabric medical tape and a band aid patch keep it in for a bit of time. Clepson has had some headaches for the last day or so, but so have I, so I think it is more of a summer virus then an eye thing.

I spent most of yesterday working, spending time with my Mom (who is visiting from a far-away state) and left Noah, Clepson and two of Sarah's boys with Danny, Sarah's 20 year old son in charge. Danny will be moving into our house tomorrow to get ready for returning to school full time. It will actually be a huge help to us to have another "adult" in the house this summer to help with the kids while they are out of school. Hopefully Danny can save some money and be ready to concentrate on his studies when school starts.

Noah decided that it would be fun to "camp in the yard" last night. He set up our tent and hauled blankets, sleeping bags and pillows out. This is a big tradition with my kids and Terry. They love to set up the tent and camp at home. Me, not so much! All the boys wanted to sleep in the tent initially. Clepson and Dom decided first that beds would be a better bet for sleeping and came inside. I went to bed at 10:00 with two boys still out in the tent. The remaining boys were on the couch this morning and Noah said his cousin woke up screaming and pulled the tent down!

Terry and my brother managed to summit Mt. Baker yesterday and will be on their way home today! I need a big break from work and kids and life, It would be nice to be ALONE for a few minutes and have time to relax without worrying that I am letting someone or something down with work or home.