[HappyMomAnna]

Good morning everyone it has been a long few weeks and I think there are a few of us who would really like to change the tone of our thinking--maybe just for a day or even for a moment.....

We have vented about our frustrations with the people around us and how they do not understand. Some of us have talked ourselves blue in the face about PC and the right words and attitudes to have about each other and everyone else. Some of us have felt at the ends of our rope and ready to give up--Others have seen a sign that things MIGHT just work out. And still there are others who have just started down the path of being a Special Needs parent.....

It is not ALL BAD!

There are actually moments in the day when we look at our children and smile....maybe only when they are asleep--maybe when you see that genuine smile cross their faces and maybe only in our dreams....but either way we do actually have moments to be very happy about.

This thread is for US to talk about WHAT is GREAT about our kids. Even if it is only the smallest thing what is it? We spend so much time working on and helping to fix and trying hard to over come the 'problems' but there are good things....lest talk about them here.


This morning Makala was all smiles when she woke up....she actually said, "I love you mommy" on her way to catch the bus. It felt great!

Jeremiah woke up and took off his diaper, put it in the pail and then sat down on his potty chair and used it! WOW

Everyday I am going to committ to writing down three great things about my children even if it is only the color of their eyes...

So what about your kid?

[mckenna]

i really needed this thread.

i love that tommy got a tissue to wipe my eyes when i was crying last night.

i love that when he wakes up (even in the morning) he says i had a good nap

i love that when i come home from work he wants a hug and to be picked up.


thanks anna, for this thread sometimes i need to be reminded how wonderful my son actually is.

[kay]

Great idea, Anna!

1. Even though C's baseball team hasn't won a single game yet this season, he's still cheerful about going to games, he gives his all during the game, and he's still cheerful and happy after the losing game. He just likes to play.

1a. And he's such a gifted athlete!

2. I love watching the way he's growing up, physically. I do miss my little boy (he's 13), but I'm getting a kick out of the deepening voice, and the tall hugs, and the huge hands and feet - he's turning into a very handsome young man, right before my very eyes.

3. I love that he's responsible enough that I can trust him to get himself to school in the mornings. He's by no means perfect in the trust/responsibility department (and he's got the teenage "you don't trust me!" attitude down pat when I don't let him do something), but I'm able to give him more responsibility all the time. Two steps forward, one back - but we *are* going forward!

[HappyMomAnna]

http://forums.adoption.com/showthrea...793#post448793

She stood up!!!!!!!!!!
My little girl stood up!!!!! She's 4 1/2 and they said she would never be able to even hold her own head up. Awhile ago I posted that she crawled and now SHE STOOD UP!!!! We were playing patty-cake and she grabbed my hands and hoisted herself up to standing LOL. She's been working on this for awhile but has never managed to do it yet. She'd get about 1/2 way and sort of collapse back down. Now I keep walking past her and grabbing her hands LOL and everytime she stands up. YEAH!!!!! I want to call all my family, friends, and neighbors over so I can show them . Can't wait for hubby to get home from work, he needs to come home NOW so I can show him LOL.


__________________
~ A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child. - Knights of Pythagoras ~

[patrisha]

Great thread Anna ~

My oldest nephew annouced he's leased his own apartment. This is quite a landmark. I felt like the boys have clung to living with us because they were afraid we would somehow forget about them once they were off on their own. It means he "get's it" we love him and will no matter where he lives.

I plan to spend this weekend helping him shop to fix it up and make it homey. I am very proud of what both boys have accomplished in spite of the disappoints and grief in their lives.

Trish

[mckenna]

i thought i would try to post great things about my son (on anna's thread) everyday to help remind me how lucky i am to have him.


i love that when we left my parent's tommy gave his great grandparents and grandparents hugs.


i love that i was able to set up my sister's shower while tommy helped my dad in the yard


i love that tommy was able to play with his friend outside and treat her nicely.

[HappyMomAnna]

Makala:
1-Tied her shoes without being asked today!
2-Put her breakfast dish in the sink!
3-Gave me a big hug and said she Loved me on the way to school!

Jeremiah:
1-Slept well all night.
2-Used the potty chair all weekend
3-Said "Me" when he saw a picture of himself!!!!

Sean--went to the movies and lunch with his Mommy on Saturday!

Tori--Called home.

[clplk]

Hi,
My Gigi is 10 months old, and she has Down syndrome (as some would say, she has an extra special chromosome!)

I love when I say "hug" and reach my arms out, Gigi reaches out to hug me back!

I love when she makes funny sounds, and she giggles when I do them back to her!

I love that she is starting to combat crawl....the world will be a whole new place for her!

I love when her siblings play with her, and she is so happy!

I love when she smiles........she melts my heart, as well as those she meets!

Thanks for starting this thread! Stacey

[HappyMomAnna]

It was MOMs weekend at Oregon State University and I could really only spend Saturday with my over-grown oldest biological son....The one who was so aggainst the adoption in the first place and so mad that I 'needed' more kids when I had a perfect child already....

Anyway......after the lunch and a movie we went to his dorm room...and my couputer major GEEK boy was showing me his Hardware Infrastructure (?) and on the front of his Flat Screen monitor I noticed something.....that made me smile......on the top corners of the expensive monitor were pictures of his little sister and baby brother.....he must have taken them from a roll of file I developed because both pictures were ones of HIM holding them on his lap..............

[kay]

Oh, Anna, that story brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations!

[LotAkids]

great thread!

I love that my 20 yo DD has a job....

I love that my 18 yo DD is about to graduate....

I love that my 10 yo DS got through the weekend without a meltdown.....

I love that my 9 yo DD tells me she loves me every day.....

I love that my 5 yo DS is learning to pedal his bike.....

I love that my 3 yo DD remembered to say "please" today at lunch.....

I love that my 20 month old DS doesn't scream all day any more and that food isn't such a bad thing after all.......

[dadfor2]

just found this thread...what a great idea anna...

let me keep it in the day....

my 8 yr old....im proud of him that he is doing great in baseball, he got best player on saturday because he won with the winning homerun...im grateful that he is on the team, i think it will be great for his selfestemm.....(even though he cant really play)

i love it when we come home after practice and goes out in the backyard and wants to practice some more...


my 6 yr old...im proud that when the living room was mess on saturday, and i was cleaning it up..he said "can i help clean?" and did....

I love that when i was resting on the sofa and he came over to me, and snuggled and gave me a big kiss.....(i love when he does that)

dadfor2

[HappyMomAnna]

Today I love my kids because:

JEREMIAH--used the potty chair all day, minded when I said, 'no no.' And he ate a good dinner....

MAKALA--because even though she ripped up all the roses she did it because she wanted to put the petals on a path for me to find the moms day card she made, she said she was sorry for saying she didn't like me and she minded two times the first time she was told to do something....

TORI--because she was invited to an intern program in Germany for the summer--she got straight A's on her mid-terms and she is talking about dumping the mooch of a boyfriend,....

SEAN--Because he called him mom on mother's day and called his sister to remind her to call....and he called his grandma too. And because when he called he didn't ask for money!

A report from a Happy Mom on Mother's Day 2004

Anna

[dadfor2]

today im grateful for:

8 yr old: not only did he write a mothers day card, but he also wrote a fathers day card and it brought tears to my eyes. Id tell you what he wrote...but its home, on the fridge

6yr old: no bad words. fell asleep on his own without a major fuss.

(he didnt have a great day yesterday, so i had to think...lol)

thanks for making me think anna.....

all my posts will be a day late, so i can reflect on the day before...

hope this keeps going...


dadfor2

[Again!]

I went off to a horse show on mothers day this year, taking my 13 year old to help as I was showing 2 horses, and my 4 year old at his request. My 14, 7 and 5 year olds stayed home. At the show, several people commented on how well behaved the 4 year old was (and how MATURE! LOL, you should have seen him on placement last June). And the 13 year old not only helped me, he volunteered to help the show organizers and got a free lunch and several rides in a golf cart for he and his brother. But it was our return home late that evening that was truly special. As we unloaded horses my other children waited expectantly, hands behind their backs. After the horses were settled, they pulled out mothers day cards, written and decorated by all. Even my 5 year old who was supposed to spend another year in K because he wasn't reading letters, now 2 months in a private christian school and he was able to craft a card with "Happy Mothers Day" in beautiful letters on the front. I believe the extra card signed by all the pets in the family was done with help :> They happily escorted me into the house, which had been cleaned top to bottom, the floor washed, kitchen counters scrubbed, everything put away, all the laundry done (a first at our house, I believe). Truly, I am blessed to have my children, every day of the year.