Life with a deaf kid

You know your kid is deaf when.....you put them to bed 2 hours ago, lights out. When you decide its time to go to bed you walk by the bathroom door and hear the water running...from 2 hours ago when she brushed her teeth!  This isn't the first time this has happened but usually I catch it. Whew...we dogged a bullet, thank goodness the sink didn't get stopped up. Now...just gear up for the water bill..OUCH. 

PET PEVE! - Dads that 'babysit'

DEAR DADS OUT THERE IN THE WORLD... DON'T BABYSIT YOUR OWN CHILDREN!

     If you are watching your own children and being the primary caregiver for an hour, the night or for the day you are not 'babysitting'! When a man is asked, 'Hey what are you doing tonight'? and he replies, 'I'm babysitting' I want to scream.

So listen up, if they are YOUR children, you are not babysitting! 

     You are: taking care of the kids or being with the kids but you are not 'babysitting' them. Babysitting means a temporary caregiver that is not normally obligated to the children they care for, a temporary responsibility in exchange for monetary gain. Dads, do you consider yourself on the same level as the 16 year old you pay an hourly rate to watch your kids? I sure hope not. Dad's, when you say you are babysitting your children you are really saying...'its really my wife's job and i'm doing her a favor'. 

Yes, the words we use matter!

There are two reasons I despise this incorrect use of language:

#1 It supposes that the woman is 100% responsible for the kids 100% of the time. Both Men and Women are equally, 100% responsible for their children 100% of the time. These responsibilities do look different at different times and depend on the situation. No matter, the above is still true.  

#2 Men, why do you underestimate your importance? You are vital to your children and your time with them is so very precious because often you are around them less than the Mom's are. So, stop babysitting your children and start taking care of them, playing with them and teaching them. That is what you signed up for. 

Note: This post was not inspired by my husband who I feel is an equal partner in raising our children, just for the record :)

Happy Thanksgiving

So, i've been really busy with the kids. As many of you know we have a new kid with us. I am unable to go into really any detail on the blog due to confidentiality agreements. I am not able to even post picts :(. I will have to speak in general terms. He is 14 and deaf. He is placed with us through foster care. He is a really good kid who was blessed through all his suffering with a kind, happy heart. We had originally thought we would adopt him but it seems life has different plans. I still believe everything happens for a reason. He was definitely meant to come into our lives at this time. I would have never foreseen that he wouldn't stay forever. But, like I said life/God has different plans. Better plans actually. There is a family out there that is 100% perfects for him whereas we are about 80% perfect for him. He will probably be with us for a couple more months. I will be able to speak and write more freely about it in the future. All in all it has been a rich learning experience for both Erik and I and the girls. We have had to stretch ourselves outside of our comfort zones go to new places, learn new things. I know that being a Mom is a job, a full-time job but before this experience I don't think I treated it like one. I don't think it felt like one. I have had to be more organized and more diligent. I am so grateful for that because it challenged me to do more and be more. I hope it is a lesson that I hold onto.