Proud Mom Moment

Katelyn is a horrible liar. It's great because she's so bad at it, we always know and can call her on it. We joke that we really need to make sure that behavior stops soon before she gets good at it. We teach honesty and talk about telling the truth frequently. She lies for all the normal reasons that kids lie...to avoid getting into trouble. But of course adoption plays into it too. She is avoiding trouble...and still trying to make sure we love her (my opinion).

When in trouble, she fidgets. She scratches elbow, taps legs, winds her hands and wrists around each other the entire time you're talking to her. And if you ask her a question, she does one of two things. She gives you a blank look and says nothing. Or she starts to give suggestions on what "maybe" happened.

Well today before bed she came to us and explained that while we were gone for the evening, she was messing around on the couch and accidentally knocked my computer off onto the floor. The top of it has a large scratch (but thankfully it still works). She said she had just told Nathan about it and now wanted to tell us. Her story didn't really make sense and we couldn't figure out why she would come and volunteer this info. Lord knows if I ever did anything wrong as a kid (and we all know I didn't), the last person I'd share it with was my brother!

So we really stayed calm, but asked questions. Her suggestions of how it might have fallen might as well have included that it it flew down to the floor. It's honestly hard not to laugh when she says "Maybe.....um, maybe when I was sitting there my hand accidentally pushed it down," or "Maybe my finger hit the cord and it got pulled down kind of softly?"

In the end we find out she was sitting upside down, hanging her head off the couch,  and began to slide off. As she went down her knee or leg kicked the computer and knocked it off. We made a BIG deal about how proud we were that she told the truth and that she came to us. Telling us instead of us finding out and her lying about it was awesome.

We explained that since she was hanging around upside down (something she's been told not to do on the furniture), that there would be a punishment. But nothing like what would have happened had she lied.

We came up with a punishment and told her she lost a privilege for 2 days but if she had lied, she would have lost it for 2 weeks. Telling the truth paid off. And now she could go to bed with a clean conscious. What a great lesson and big moment for all of us!

At the end I was puzzled as to why she'd share that info with Nathan. She said she hoped he would make it better. She told us that he told her it was okay but that she needed to tell us. He also told her that in the Bible it says to tell your parents stuff like that (not quite, but he has the idea lol).

I am SO proud of him! What a great brother to give wise advice, not to run down and tattle on her, and to comfort her. That boy melts me all the time and I just  love his heart.

Some days when I'm telling them for the 325th time to stop bickering, or to shut the pantry door before I remove it from the hinges, or when I'm picking up dog puke that they all stepped over as they went outside, I feel like I'm not doing this parenting thing right.

Then one of them makes a huge leap in trust and tells us the truth, and one counsels the other based on Biblical truths and gives comfort. What a blessing it is to be part of their journey. I'm so thankful!

Now if only they would SHUT THE PANTRY DOOR!

My current duties

I occasionally like to take an inventory of how I'm doing and how I spend my time. Here's my most recent list of duties:

Referee

Chef

Seamstress

Taxi

Dog puke picker-upper (when you have a dog with cleft palate, this happens far too often)

Teacher

Bible Teacher

Doctor

Librarian

Listener of Jokes

Fake Laugher

Furniture repair-er

Home Decorator

Dog Groomer

Professional Organizer (or is it Professional Mess Maker?)

Shopper

Fashion Coordinator

Financial Advisor

Finance Spender

Air Conditioning Police

And last but not least, 

Housecleaner

And I love it. :)

Cooking

I have a lot of talents, but cooking ain't one. I can mess up nearly any recipe. I don't season it enough, so then I season it too much. I don't bake it long enough. I bake it too long.  I could lie and say my oven must cook at a higher temperature, but that's like saying my eyes are fine...it's my arms that aren't long enough! I even manage to mess up crockpot recipes. One time I bought a huge roast. I cooked it so long it was barely enough for the 5 of us to eat. I had visions of full bellies and left overs for lunches. Instead, we ate a few bites of roast, loaded up on potatoes and carrots, then offered bananas, Ritz crackers, and apples to the kids when they were still hungry.

We are in the dinner rut. Nathan's palate is...let's say, unrefined. He'd happily eat chicken nuggets every. single. day. Matthew eats quite a few things, but that's ALL he eats. If he hasn't had it before, he's not having it now. That makes trying new things extra fun.  Katelyn will eat anything. There are only a few things she doesn't like. I had to go outside of our gene pool to get a good eater. 

I've tried a few new meals and we haven't had to resort to a last minute pizza delivery yet. I did attempt to teach Matt some of the basic stuff and he suddenly had something urgent to do anywhere else but in the kitchen. 

I consider myself to be pretty smart. I get by ya know? But let's just say if we had the money, I think we would all agree (me included) that eating out every meal would be preferable to my shrunk up roasts, bland stew, or dishes with enough garlic to cause a world shortage. 

Guest Blogger

I got to share my PH story and my PHight..  It's long, but not a bad read.

It still seems like yesterday that it all started. In reality I'm coming up on 7 years since diagnosis and I'm thankful I'm doing so well. It's always good to be reminded of how far you've come.

I blinked, and summer is halfway over!

That seems to be the story of my life lately. Somehow when I wasn't paying attention, July 4th came and went.

June was packed with all things going-away. So many people are leaving...and they are people that are friends of the kids, friends of ours. And I'm not happy.

Last year was hard. We were adjusting to so much, but it was hard to come in and be the new girl. Not that I haven't done it many times before, but with the adoption, homeschooling, it was a tough few months. Now this summer all of those people we've gotten to know are off to start a new adventure at different bases. Hmph!

We've spent the past few weeks swimming,  having sleepovers, seeking out a/c at all costs, more sleepovers, seeking out more a/c, etc... The kids are all enjoying the free days of summer. They've all made friends here in the neighborhood. My doorbell constantly rings and kids come and go. Nathan and Katelyn were kind enough to share our big bottles of Gatorade with the neighborhood until I told them they could only share water. Then when our 5 gallon jug of Sparklets was gone in a day, I had to specify that he and Katelyn could share TAP water with the neighborhood.

But the kids are happy. They are riding bikes, playing basketball, and scariest of all, rollerskating. Katelyn has never been on skates, but every little girl should learn right?

So we suited her up with a helmet, knee pads, wrist guards, and elbow pads and off she went. Well..sort of. It took a day or two to get her to stop trying to walk. And that girl...just watching her try to stand still and keep her center of balance is exhausting. But per her usual, she does NOT give up. She's had them all of 4 days and is skating up and down the street and through the park like a pro. I'm not saying it's pretty, or graceful, but she's moving and she loves it!

Her English skills are remarkable. I've had others who meet her for the first time say that they cannot believe she just arrived in America a little over a year ago. She seems to be doing great. We try to talk about any issues, and we tell her over, and over, and over that we love her and she's here to stay. I love that she often rolls her eyes at me...that's okay, I still can't tell her enough.

Matt turned 13 in June and I swear a switch flipped. He sleeps until I wake him up. He goes to do something in another room, and forgets what it was before he gets there. He is wearing deodorant...usually. Every opportunity he has to comment on me being old, out of date, or generally "mom-ish," he takes it. Often, his little remarks are pretty funny. And he knows I think that. Which I'm sure is to my own demise.

He's such a good kid, and ultra responsible. He's growing up. And this momma doesn't like it. In fact, just this afternoon, he spent about an hour sitting right up next to me and watched Honey Boo Boo (don't judge!) with me. I didn't point out that I liked him just hanging out, or even noticed it, but it did occur to me that in the not too distant future, he won't want to snuggle up with his mom. So today, we bonded over Mama June, HBB, and Pumpkin, our favorite on the show (she's seriously crazy, and I can't help but love her!).

And Nathan, oh he's still the same. He doesn't do anything halfway. He's been perfecting his moves on a new skateboard. I can't watch him...it just makes me gasp out loud. And like any good teenage son, Matt makes fun of that. Nathan is so, so sweet. He truly melts me. I don't know if it's because he's such a replica of Andy or what, but one look from his big ol' eyes and I give him just about anything he wants. Seriously.

As for Andy and me...we're good! Andy has a new boss. I am still irritated that the old boss (and wife) had to leave. It just isn't okay with me! So far, so good though. He worked his tail off through the month of June so I'm glad things will settle down soon.

I saw my PH doctor at the beginning of June. Everything is status quo, just like I like it. I did switch one oral med that I take. It's a PH med that I'd been on for 7+ years. I absolutely hate to mess with what works, but the new med does the same job and isn't nearly as toxic to your liver. I figured my liver deserved a break so we switched. It was pretty seamless. Well, except for the Great Poisoning Incident of 2014.

GPI happened when Andy set up all my meds for the week (we do it once a week in a pill box marked Sun-Sat...you know, me and all my senior citizen friends) and did what he's done a million times. He put my oral PH med in the morning and in the nighttime meds. However, the new med that I switched to is only to be taken once a day. So for 5 days I took that twice a day. I knew that the new med might cause nausea or fatigue, etc... and it did. I was pretty miserable, but I figured I just needed to push through for a few weeks.

Or you know, take it once a day like you're supposed to. Once we figured it out and I took the actual prescribed dosage, I no longer had bad side effects! Wha-la! I've since named it the GPI and figured that's a goooood one and that I can get some mileage out of it.

Such is life! There is more going on with what Andy's next assignment might be and such, but it's a little early to share. I will have to post some pictures soon. The kids are growing too fast!

Final visit from social worker

So we finally finished the monitoring (and paying) of our adoption. The social worker Nicole visited Monday. She's so sweet and has been there for 3 visits, as well as our re-adoption day back in December. It's been awesome she was part of our journey.

The kids did great. Except for when Nathan was asked what he has taught Katelyn. And he lovingly replied "How to beat down Matt."

Just warmed my heart right?

Oh. My. Word.

The other funny moment was when Nicole commented on how much Katelyn has grown. She asked Katelyn "How tall ARE you?" Katelyn stood up and said "This tall?" lol

One interesting part was that during the visit, Katelyn was the opposite of shy. She suddenly was being funny, had a comment for most things, and was sitting on Andy's lap and mine, and being very loving. I didn't really thing about it at the time, but realized later why she was not being herself.

I asked her and she admitted, she was trying to make sure that Nicole could see how happy she is here. She's such a sweet girl, but also made me a little sad. I don't think we can ever tell her enough how much we love her and that she doesn't "earn" her way into our family. And no one, nobody, not even Nicole, can make her leave. I told her that if she had lost her mind and threw a big fit in front of Nicole...still nothing would happen. She laughed and said "Moooom, I would NOT do that!" :)

I explained again that Nicole was just checking in on her and writing a letter to the orphanage in Taiwan. I let her know the people there loved and liked her so much, they just want to know how she's doing. I also explained that Nicole's visit was NOT to see if she should stay.

I always genuinely feel that she understands that stuff when we talk about it, but I suppose she can never hear it enough.

One Year Ago...Gotcha!

So a year flew by. Sometimes we ran, sometimes we limped, but as a family of 5, I look back and I'm amazed at how wonderful it's been. It's not always easy, but it is always right...that we know for sure.

Katelyn has had many firsts in the past 12 months and Andy and I are honored that we get to be her parents. She has brought a bright light into our lives. Her personality has blossomed. Her sense of humor makes each day fun. She gets and uses sarcasm (which officially means we were meant to be related).  She bravely jumped into our family and together we found our way. I don't know when/if the adjusting will end, but we love our sweet, beautiful, funny daughter so much.

I've gone though a lot of pictures and we have been blessed with many photos of her early years. I can't help but share our beautiful girl using pictures.

 Baby Katelyn..approx 8 months old.

I cannot get enough of this sweet face!

 Love her beautiful long hair. She is about 2.5 yrs old. 

 

THIS is her personality. Cracks me up!

When she saw this picture she laughed and said "Yeah I didn't like taking pictures." 

 Pictures of her with her biological sister and brother. 

Our sweet, serious, beautiful girl.

 

 She remembered this picture and being mad at having to be in the hot sun. 

Katelyn with her 2nd Foster Family. These beautiful people cared for and about her until we could come bring her home. I will be forever grateful to them. 

Then we came into the picture. Below is the first photo we saw of Katelyn. I was immediately taken by her and knew this sweet face belonged in our family. I sometimes have difficulty making decisions, but God led us to her and I knew deep down that we had just begun a fantastic journey that would change our lives and hers. I sometimes thought He was crazy, or asking too much. Oh how wrong I was!

Referral photo, 4.5 years old. 

Our family, her foster parents, and the little girl who brought us together in one room that day. I think we were all quite nervous, but excited and hopeful.

May 28, 2013

 The sass and confidence exhibited here have served her well. She's one of the strongest, bravest people I know.

 

I couldn't stop taking pictures of her beautiful face that day! This was on the High Speed Rail back to Taipei. 

After returning from Taiwan, we spent a week in Oklahoma with family. Surrounded by all of these new people, she played, tried new things, and made the best of it. After about the 3rd scooter wreck, I actually asked her if she knew how to ride a scooter. She said "No but it is SO much fun!" She went through about 8 layers of skin on her knees in a matter of 5 days. We were definitely stuck on Bandaids for a few weeks. 

To her the question "Do you know how to swim?" apparently meant "Do you get in the water? because that answer is "Yes please!" Actually swimming was an entirely different answer! It was very similar to "Do you know how to ride a bike?" Several scraped knees/elbows/hands later, she admitted she had only ridden with training wheels. Once. 

On the way to our new home in Las Vegas, she saw a few things she had definitely never seen before.

Slowly we all got used to each other. She experienced summer in the desert, July 4th, and downtown Las Vegas. She informed me it was too hot to go outside. I knew we were meant for each other.

On Skype she had told us she could swim. With adults, a lifejacket, and my heart in my throat, yes...she could swim. 

First professional pictures of all three kids. 

Dental surgery in August.

Learning how to be the perfect younger sister. 

 Eyeglasses in September.

 

First time playing soccer. The girl is NOT shy!

 Gymnastics. She is coordinated...but not. Watching her take classes was entertaining.

Her first Halloween. She thought carving pumpkins was strange and gross. She breathed a sigh of relief when I explained that she didn't have to eat the insides. 

And I quote, "I wish it was Halloween every day so I could be a beautiful princess, but do you think the boys would dress as nice people?" 

Visit to the pumpkin patch complete with a ride on Daisy. 

Grandma and Grandpa came to share her first Thanksgiving.

December 11, 2013. Readoption day, She was finally officially a Shanahan!

Her first Christmas. That's the day she decided she liked Halloween, but actually wished it could be Christmas every day. She even suggested Jesus would like it if we celebrated His birthday more often. 

OUR first Chinese New Year!

April 5, 2014 Katelyn's 8th birthday. Beautiful!

A birthday swim party with her friends. No lifejacket or worry needed!

Mom and daughter mani/pedi day. She thinks "turning 8 is fantastic!"

Her first Easter Sunday.

Playground time!

Playmates, siblings, friends.

A visit from Grandad in May 2014.

Which brings us to our 1 year anniversary with Mom.

And dad.

And brothers.

So one year later Katelyn is reading and writing English, loving/playing with/tormenting her brothers, and blossoming before our very eyes. We are so very blessed by her. I look forward to the future...all of it...sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's so amazing, you sit back and just praise God. I find myself doing that more than anything else. Life. Is. Good. 

May 28, 2014. First anniversary of Gotcha Day.