About Me

My name is Tracy and I am married to an amazing man, his name is Thomas! We are a busy family that is always on the go between church, school, work and sports.... we are not a sitting around kind of family. We have 4 amazing children and are working on bringing home Elias to make 5. My hubby is Deaf and I am a sign language interpreter,we are very involved in the Deaf community and are excited to be adding another Deaf member to our family. Our kids, Aaron-19, Luke-11, Tommy-10 and Paige-5 are anxious for their new brother to be home. This is our second adoption and we are learning more everyday to lean on God, this journey is already strengthening our faith! We are working on learning how to turn everything over to God and know that He has a perfect plan and all will happen in His time! Good things come to those who wait.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The times they are a changing!

Ahhhh the Honeymoon seems to have ended and adjustment time is here. We are having some rough weeks lately but there are still plenty of good times mixed into the roughness.  I have realized I dont like playing referee and just chucked Tommy and Luke in their bedroom yesterday and today for times to just figure it out for themselves (whatever that intailed... mom didnt open the door, it sounded ugly for awhile but they emerged yesterday as best buds... (they were told they couldnt come out until the figured out how to get along if that  took an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year! mom didnt care just dont come out until you can make some peace...) they emerged from the room 3 hours later and were best inseperable buds again. No, I am not fooled and know that the tough times are just hitting but it seemed to work for the day. I used the same tactic today as I couldnt take the fighting over everything (and yes Myra this next line is for you..) even over the oxygen they were breathing.. I swear one gets more oxygen then the other..

We also have a pretty big case of the "MINE"'s going on.. Odd that I truly expected that when Luke first  arrived and not now a few months later, but it is here either way. Luke has laid claim to just about every item one can claim in a house and outside the house and is fighting tooth and nail for these items.. only problem is that 98% of what he is claiming isnt his.. We are working on it and know this will go away but it is odd that he has been fine since we arrived home and this surfaces now ( it is also the cause for 90% of the fighting that is going on too)

Lukes signing has taken a turn for the worst and we are frustrated beyond belief. We feel part of it is the program where he goes (there is nothing wrong with the program for it is a good program) it is just that most if, not all of the kids there use their voice along with signing and have hearing aides and or cochlear implants and therefore are more oral then Luke and it is having an impact on Lukes signing. Plus he decided at home this week he is hearing.. sorta making it interesting around the house as he doesnt make any words ...just sounds when he speaks. (plus making his Deaf dad nuts). He has developed or picked up some crazy lazy signing habits here and there and we are working hard to correct them.... but it is making this momma want to rip out her hair. Stuff he signed beautiful when he came home is now replaced with some baby sloppy I dont know what sign....we are working on fixing things but he is continuing to use the wrong or baby sign of what he should be signing..... working on it.. working on it.....

I am soon to enter into a full on battle with my school district over Lukes education for next year. They are wanting to mainstream Luke in the schools 4th-6th grade Resource room (this is initially what I thought we wanted to do... but have since drastically changed our minds) with a teacher of the Deaf for 2 hours a day. Luke would be the only Deaf child there. ( I had originally said that if we kept Luke in my home district it would be with a full time teacher of the Deaf and a full time interpreter, so 2 hours a day teacher of the Deaf and the rest with an interpreter is not making me happy). Plus I decided that he MUST be with Deaf peers and be immeresed in the Deaf language of ASL at school as well as at home. We are pushing for the Delaware school for the Deaf (about 35-40 min away) but it is out of state and we are not getting a good response from that.  I was told on Friday that them providing Luke with a 2 hour a day one on one teacher is them providing the Least Restrictive Environment and I should be happy with it as there are no other choices. Placing Luke with all hearing children in a 4th-6th grade school with his social, emotional and language immaturities (oftening showing at way younger then is soon to be 5 year old sister) is the MOST restrtictive environment at this moment in time... I told them I wont sign an IEP that places him in my home district and that we will file for Due Process... problem is I have no evaluations on Luke yet and that is going to make this fight very hard.  (  I have been begging for our specialized CST for Deaf and hard of hearing to evaluate him but my district has drug their feet so bad and would not contact them until just this last week even though I have been asking for that since the beginning of February)

Enough of the negative stuff!!!!

I am getting ready for Summer and praying we get to head to the beach alot, Luke cannot wait to "go play in the mud" hahah. He is excited and cant wait to get in our pool. We are gonna get some good work in teaching him to swim. I am excited for the summer and all the firsts we are going to have.

This is a busy week for us as Paige turns 5 at 9:09 tomorrow morning hahah. She is so excited she cant wait! Next Sunday Aaron turns 19.. Wow where have all those years gone? It seems crazy.  My babies are getting old.. there momma is too!

Yesterday Luke met his first police officer as he stopped next door to talk to my neighbor ( my neighbor is an Police explorer and this was one of the officers he works with) and I am so glad he was such a nice officer and  that he stayed and took his time to let Luke ask him a ton of questions and even took him for a short ride with lights and sirens. Luke loved it, he checked out all of his "officer tools" too.  Luke is finally now not horrified of police officers. Since the day we met Luke he freaks out every time he sees a police officer and I hate that he is afraid of those that live to protect us. I am grateful for Officer Adam for taking his time to ease the fears of a little boy!! Thank you!

Dont take this post the wrong way, we are having plenty of good times it is just that the tides have shifted within the last 2 weeks and our bed of roses has grown a few weeds hahah. I am 100% confident we will be able to pull the weeds and life will gain some sense of normallcy (I must tell you I am laughing as I type that word as my house is always far from normal hahah) at least we will develop a new normal around here anyway. Summer is a coming and there is MUCH fun to be had!!! Bring on the summer and the good times!

      My goofy boy Tommy in his favorite "hiding" spot  Gotta love his humor
                                  Tommy signing "where is Paige?" hahah
                                                                  Paige found Luke!
            Luke likes to do his patrol, I mean turn for hide and seek on his bike hahah
 My goofy trio... (Luke should be the hear no evil one. but remember.. he is "hearing" this week) heheh
                  Paige hiding (no this isnt really how my kids hide, it is just them being goofy!)
                   Luke taking a ride in the officers car! ( he thought he was SOOO cool!)
                                                        Lights and sirens too!
 Luke wanted to know why there was no K-9 dog in there and if the officer wanted to take our dog, Chase with him for work,but was told that in no way could he keep Lukes best bud, Chase!!!
 Luke and his new favorite friend! (here is hoping he doesnt dial 9-1-1 this week as he was fascinated with that being written on the cop car)
                  Tommy and Luke after they were tossed in their room to hash out their differences..
                                                What a difference 3 hours makes
                                                          Yea they are strange....
                                           But they are my strange boys and I love them!
  This was them all crashed out.. they were having a "sleep over" pretty funny since they share a room!

Our little boy!

Our little boy!
Opening up my care package from my family!

Curious what he is thinking!

Curious what he is thinking!
Checking out my Family for the 1st time ever! (this pic is of my new Brothers and Sister!)

His first reaction after seeing us

His first reaction after seeing us
This is my Forever Family!

Some goodies from the care package

Some goodies from the care package
Some of my new books

This picture makes me cry every time I see it!

This picture makes me cry every time I see it!
My 1st picture of my mommy and daddy! They say I love to look at my pictures again and again!

Studying our faces....

Studying our faces....
Checking out my new family again!

Look at that face!

Look at that face!
Checking out my new books

Aaron's Graduation

Aaron's Graduation
We are so Proud!

Xin Hai's name in Chinese!

福新

Fu XinHai

Xin Hai

Xin Hai
Isnt he the cutest ever?

Aaron's Senior Prom

Aaron's Senior Prom
My handsome Son, Aaron

Aarons prom

Aarons prom
Paige, Aaron and Tommy

My Family

My Family
The Worrell Family

Our Precious one

Our Precious one
Xin Hai in 2008 - so precious! Love that smile!

adoption countdown

Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers