End of Summer

Nothing too exciting to report. We have just been hanging out at home and getting ready for the school to start. Deanna has been having a great time spending time with her brothers. What will we do when Jeremy goes back to school??? Deanna (and I) will miss him terribly.

Preschool starts next week, and we attended the open house this week. Deanna already is familiar with her teacher and classroom from camp and vacation bible study so she is quite comfortable.

We have decided to try gymnastics, and that also starts next week. Deanna has been practicing at home and is ready to go!

Lake Tahoe Vacation

We just returned from a very fun family vacation to Lake Tahoe with our friends Rick and Debby and all of the kids, and a few of their friends (except Jordan who opted to stay home because he hates car trips).

This was our longest road trip with Deanna, and she did fine. About 10 hours in the car each way. Fortunately we had lots of Disney movies. On the way home she recognized our exit off the freeway and started cheering!

Deanna had an great time with our friend's daughter Krista. They spent A LOT of time together in and out of the pool. Krista was very patient with her and she will be a great babysitter (we get first dibs). Deanna lost her fear of water and was diving in, going under and paddling around the pool by herself (with the swim vest on).

Jeremy and Jeff had the run of the resort, and visited the casinos as well. Two of their high school friends (and baseball team members), who happened to be in the area, came by for a few days and stayed with us. It was fun to have all those young people around.

We had some fun sight seeing on the lake with the wave runners. Jeremy took me for an extended death defying ride and it was gorgeous when I could manage to open my eyes. He also took Deanna out for a much gentler outing, although I'm sure she would have loved a daredevil trip!

We all had a great time and are so glad they invited us along. If Jordan would have been there it would have been perfect!

Dance Class Finale

Today was the last day of the summer dance class. Deanna really enjoyed herself and did well following instructions and interacting with the other girls. I think we will try something new and a little more challenging this fall.

Tackling Speech Therapy

Deanna had her much awaited speech therapy evaluation with the cleft palate specialists at Doernbecher Childrens Hospital yesterday. (Even though she has begun speech therapy with a speech therapist I found myself).
First some history.....Deanna has a history of "misbehaving" at medical appointments. She gets a cute, yet blank smile on her face and sits there like she doesn't understand. Sometimes she starts wandering and getting into things to tests her limits. When asked to speak or demonstrate something, she might cooperate for a minute or two then sighs and acts totally bored.
Well, before this appointment I had a talk with her and asked her to REALLY TRY HARD to do everything they said, and be really good because we will only be there for a little while. I have tried this tactic before speech therapy appointments and it has helped.
Deanna of course reverted to her "doctor's office behavior". By the end of the evaluation the speech pathologist thought Deanna could barely utter a sound, had a limited understanding of English, and had trouble following instructions! (They were not interested in my input only their own observations). I do have great respect for these people but they do not know the real Deanna, and could not have possibly figured it out in this short visit with the show she put on.
I was not happy with her behavior and we had a talk afterward. I told her she really was naughty and did not do what I asked and also reminded her that she was going to have to work very, very hard to learn to talk, etc...
That evening at home she said more words than she ever has. She was initiating (not repeating) three word sentences for the first time!
She must have been paying attention to her prognosis and decided it was time to get with it!

Home 5 Months

We have been home 5 months and everything is great. Looking back on all the pictures Deanna has changed so much. She is taller and thinner, and looks so much healthier. Her feet have grown at least 2 sizes. Her hair is much longer and just short of an attractive pony tail (very important to her).

She loves to run and play catch. We may find our way back to the baseball field soon! She also loves her dance class and loves to tumble. I think she'll make a good gymnast because she is coordinated, tough and a bit of a daredevil. Deanna is also somewhat bossy and has a way of charming everyone to do things her way. Hopefully we can channel this energy into leadership qualities! (Pictures courtesy of my friend Debbie Mehlhaff, more to come)

Camping Trip

We spent the past week camping in Prineville with our good friends. This is only the second time we have participated in this yearly event and it was great. Deanna got to experience camping with a lot of swimming, boating, and socializing. There were several teenagers there who she immediately took a liking to. The young people were all very good with her, allowing her to "hang out" with them and it really made the trip special for her. Thanks to all the adults too, we appreciate your kindness to Deanna.

She did meet a couple of girls her age to play with. They had fun on a trampoline on the water. This is very good, as she prefers older kids.

We had to watch her like a hawk though because she thought everyone in the campground was her friend, and no place was off limits. This was a good time for practicing appropriate vs inappropriate behavior!

Parties

Deanna has been fortunate enough to be invited to several parties and events this summer. She has plenty of clothes and loves wearing new outfits! This day we thought we were going to a BBQ, but it turned out to be a surprise wedding reception. Congratulations Wanda and Neil! We all had a great time and Deanna had fun dancing and "singing" with the band.

New Kitty

Yesterday the "boys" came home with a new kitten. I have been saying that our cat is old and having trouble catching mice and we should get a new one, specifically an orange one.
Jordan called and said they found a nice black and white kitty and I said if we get a cat I want an orange one or a tabby. He said it might be too late, Jeremy might have already bought it, as I hear the car heading for home.
Anyway, she is a very nice kitten, very friendly and not intimidated by the dogs at all. Deanna of course was immediately in love and has been carrying her everywhere. Jon wasn't too happy but seen later that evening petting and kissing her......

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY JEREMY

Hard to believe but our oldest son Jeremy is 21! It keeps getting harder and harder to deny my age when the boys are men. It has been great having him home this summer.
Deanna picked out some gifts for him and kept making some sort of hat gesture, so I'm thinking they did celebrate birthdays in the orphanage with a party hat.
After all the gifts she has received at her showers she is very good about giving to others and not expecting anything for herself.

4th of July

This was Deanna's first 4th of July as an American! If she only understood the significance. Spending 6 weeks in Ukraine makes you really appreciate all we take for granted here.
She of course didn't have a clue what it was all about.
The boys did some fireworks at home, which she loved. Then Deanna and I went to downtown Portland and met Mimi and Grampa for the big fireworks display. Aunt Susan has a condo right down on the waterfront so we went to dinner and hung out there to watch the show. Deanna loved the fireworks for the first 5 minutes but then was just as interested in watching all the people. We had a really good time and I've finally had to hide the t-shirt so she won't wear it every day.

4 Months Home

Summer is going by quickly and although Deanna has been here for 4 months it seems like she's always been with us for much longer. Her hair is really growing and has lightened up considerably as you can tell. She continues to enjoy just about everything she does and is always cheerful and energetic (perhaps too much sometimes!)

Her main issues for improvement are her speech (needs lots of work) and she is still too friendly with strangers, however this is improving. She definately knows who her family is and she is very affectionate and loving.

Dance classes are going well, but when they got out the tumbling mats one day she really came to life. I thought she would be a good gymnast because she is flexible, coordinated, and very tough!

The Summer Begins

This week Deanna was busy with many activities. She attended a day camp at the church where she goes for daycare/preschool. It was everyday, which she is not use to, but she really seemed to enjoy it. I do notice that she interacts more with the teenagers and adults than with the kids her age.

Jeremy is home with us for the summer. Deanna, Jeremy and I drove to Corvallis to pick up some of his things. It was fun for her to see where he lives when he is not with us. She LOVES playing with him and having him around but he is such a big tease! However I do think this bothers me more than it does Deanna.

This week she started private speech therapy. The first visit consisted mostly of testing and assessment, so the real work will begin next week. We are also in the process of evaluation for services through Early Intervention and Doernbecher Children's Hospital. It is clear she will need a lot of work so we are anxious to begin. With her speech delay it is easy for people to forget she has a language barrier as well. (Although her comprehension is excellent)

Deanna loves to play ball and actually is a very good at catching and throwing for her age. She is a girl at heart though, when I went to take her picture with the bat she was hugging and kissing it. I'm sure in all of our years of baseball I never saw either of the boys do that!

Today was very hot so we got out the slip and slide. She didn't quite understand the concept at first but Jeremy was there to demonstrate. He is an old hand at the slip and slide. We all had a great time watching and/or participating and everyone escaped with no injuries. I think this is the beginning of a very busy, hectic, and fun summer.

The Playhouse!!

After several weeks of bad weather, we were finally able to finish the playhouse.

Last winter, well before we went to Ukraine I bought this playhouse for our future daughter. The people I bought if from wanted it gone right away so Jordan, his friend Dave and I disassembled it by flashlight and brought it home one very dark, cold, and foggy night. It has been sitting in the yard in a pile ever since. So after excavating, building a foundation and floor, some paint, trim and hardware, it looks pretty good. The boys said Deanna would never use it and I was just fulfilling my own childhood dream (partially true), but as soon as it was finished she got her dolls, some blankets and a littlel crib and hauled them all out there completely on her own. She has been out there every day since, often with the dogs as they are also fond if it. Now I must begin planning for the interior decor ......

Dancer in Training

Today Deanna started dance classes! We know she has rhythm and moves already, so she's going to have a lot of fun perfecting her skills and learning new ones. She was very excited ahead of time and loved her new dance clothes. In the class she had no trouble following directions and keeping up with everyone. She did keep her eye on me throughout the class, so I don't think I'll be able to sneak out anytime soon. I think this will be first of many such classes.

Mimi and Grampa

Deanna has been having fun hanging out with my parents, also known as Mimi and Grampa. We have been with them at the beach a couple times and of course to Mexico. They are even willing to come to our house to watch her when needed. She is the only granddaughter they have so that makes her very special. Spending time with Deanna will keep you young, she has endless energy and will give you a run for your money!

Meeting New Friends

My mom hosted a very nice party so some of her good friends and family members could meet Deanna. We had a very nice time, and the guests were very generous with gifts. We really appreciate everyones willingness to make her feel so special! Deanna really enjoyed the whole experience.

3 Months Home

We have now had Deanna home for three months! She has experienced so many new things and places and always enjoys everything. She has also endured a major surgical procedure with very little complaint. She is very energetic and really keeps you on your toes. She also likes to test her limits quite regularly, but overall she is very happy and extremely affectionate!! She has a habit of taking other peoples things such as car keys, garage door openers, cell phones, etc and moving them to another location. The good part is she always remembers exactly where she put them! Her english comprehension is excellent and we actually take for granted that she understands everything we say.

We were able to take her to the beach again, which she really loves. She and Rosie (her best friend) got a lot of exercise. It was nice to spend more time with Mimi and Grampa too.