Detoxed and 7lbs lighter! - The Dr. Oz 3 Day Cleanse

Thought I would share this you with all... some could probably use a kick start, like I did!

This is the claim:

"Eliminate harmful toxins, restore your system and reset your body with this detox cleanse from Dr. Oz. All you need is 3 days, a blender and $16 a day!" CLEANSE INFO HERE

(You can skip my daily dribble, and fast track to the bottom for a quick summary!)

I believe it all to be true, with the exception of the $16 a day. Sure, maybe in the Sunshine states where fruit is cheap. Not where I live though, where there is no Costco and Raspberries are $3.50/cup on sale! Groceries in general are more expensive in Canada, period.

However, I chose to do this cleanse - coming out of the summer, filling myself up on BBQ treats, all the food we missed while in Kenya, and of course the cold local ales, and VQA wines. I dare say I gained a few pounds and have not been caring for myself very well. I needed a re-set. Cleanse it is.

 I chose this cleanse, because it didn't require that I buy 'detoxifying' pills, shakes, tea... you know all those cleansing products they have out there... This was whole foods, and it was only 3 days. I can live with that. I hope.

A couple of the grocery list items, I already had at home. However, if you are to purchase everything, you will be looking at spending $160. Of course that will leave you with Flax seed, coconut oil etc to use after.

So... here we go. I will journal everyday and let you know how or if I survive it.

Day 1

Breakfast - It's pretty yummy. I'm used to a shake in the morning, so all good.

Lunch - I'm concerned that this shake will make me barf. Most reviewer disliked this drink the most. Then I read the ingredients. One whole cucumber. A whole cucumber!? WTH? I hate cucumber. Ack. I decide to peel the cucumber, which is supposed to reduce the bitterness. I couldn't even fit all the ingredients in my big blender! I had to blend and then add the rest. This batch made 2 large glasses. How can this be right?

I raise the glass up and give it the sniff test. Blech. All I can smell is cucumber. Give it a little taste... make a sour face. Another taste, followed by another and I determine it's not that bad. Thank goodness for the lemon and pineapple.

It takes me one hour to drink this glass, and I still have number 2 to down. I realize I'm supposed to take an omega 3. I use the liquid, flavoured fish oil, so I decide to add it to my second glass of green smoothie. Good choice, it definitely made it more palatable!

3pm, I quickly down what is left and rush out the door to grab my kids.
By the time I run them to swimming and make a pit stop at the grocery store, it's 4pm. Dinner wasn't far off, and I wasn't that hungry. And quite frankly, I really didn't have the time to make another shake as a snack. So I skip the snack shake.

On to Dinner. I'm overwhelmed with this feeling of wanting to sink my teeth into something. Visions of hamburgers, pizza, etc... fill my mind. I decide to make the kids an easy lunch of mushroom soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh veggies. I dip my finger into Zahra's soup to make sure it isn't too hot, and then licked it up. Yes, my first cheat. But barely a morsel. Mmmm.... what I would do that grilled cheese sandwich.... dip it in Mushroom soup, dipped in Ketchup... Yes, my mind is cruel. 6pm - time to make my 'dinner'. In this shake, I intentionally cut the Cayenne pepper in half as recommended by many. I was also worried about this shake, but I found it to be quite nice with a little spicy after bite. This shake made 1.5 large glasses. Once again, it takes me forever to finish it. 8:30 before I am done. I suck.

Kids into bed, I sink into a lovely epson salt/lavender bath. It feels like a nice little reward for a good day of cleansing.

Out of the bath and snuggled in on the couch, I can't stop thinking about eating, chewing, biting. Really, I just need to bite and chew something. So I come up with this brilliant idea to make a couple celery sticks with almond butter. I figure this is not cheating because I did skip my snack shake, and these were two of the ingredients that I would have been able to have in the shake. Please tell me if I am wrong, but what difference does it make if the blender mashes it up, or my teeth? Yumm... it was DELICIOUS.

I hit the scale before bed - 3 lbs loss. Wow - is that possible?

Day 2 - I feel normal.

I decide to put on the kettle for my tea, before starting anything else. Feels good to start the day doing something for myself.

Breakfast smoothie went down easy...

Lunch - Once again, it was 3pm before I had finished both glasses. I added the Omega oil to the second cup, giving some variety with it's lovely flavour.

4:30... I think I'm doing quite well... cravings have not been near as bad as yesterday.

Until....

I hop on Facebook quickly and see a recipe for ... are you ready for this!?
Cheese stuffed mashed potato balls rolled in real bacon bits. Are you freaking kidding me!? Who comes up with this stuff!? All last week, my friends were reposting Gluten free pancakes recipes, whipped coconut milk watermelon cake and cute little men you can make with raw vegetables. And now, off all the times, this?! I want to shoot myself. Of course the photo is still ingrained in my mind. Cheese, glistening in the light as it oozes out of those beautiful balls peppered in crisp little bacon bits. BAD! I know your gonna ask for it... so here is the darn recipe, go ahead... you might as well enjoy it. Just don't tell me how good it was!

5:00 Make dinner for the family. The worst part about cleansing is having to make 'normal' food for the rest of the family. I need it to be quick and easy - Taco Salad it is. While my beautiful children are upstairs scarfing their faces with cheese nachos, onion spiced - browned to perfection hamburger, topped with cheese, sour cream, and salsa (in addition to the healthy salad parts of it)... I sit downstairs typing this journal. It's a good place for me to be. I think tomorrow's dinner should simply be cucumber soup with broccoli ice cream for dessert... or perhaps liver and onions.

Once again today, I missed the snack shake so I end the evening with 2 stalks of celery, laced with almond butter.

Scale reports that I am 2 lbs lighter than yesterday!

Day 3

I'm happy this is the last day.

The lunch shake seems to be getting more less appealing. It takes me almost all afternoon to get down the 2 large classes.

I find the dinner shake to be my most anticipated now. The Cayenne seems to make it feel more like real food. I am really digging the heat in the shake, which is surprising as I thought I would hate it.

I hate to tell you how I capped this evening off in celebration... but I feel it's only fair. Day 3 was Friday night, and we met with friends at a local pub. I resisted all the appies that were going around, but I did settle on a vodka/soda water with lemon. It almost fits the cleanse bill, no?

Scale reports another 2 lb loss!

Summary:

3 day weight loss from this cleanse was 7 lbs!

The most difficult part about this entire cleanse is not being able to eat.. that is 'chew' your food rather than drink it. I highly recommend that you forgo the snack shake and eat the ingredients of it instead of blending and drinking.

Treat the evening bath as your reward for the day... it is quite lovely.

I cut the Cayenne pepper down to 1/8th of a tsp. I suggest you do the same for your first dinner shake and see if you can stand more heat.

When it says half a lime.. this means the juice of half a lime. Do not add the whole thing.

Overall, I think this was one of the easier cleanses I have done with the greatest results. I already do a morning shake, but I believe I will start to add a lunch shake to my day here and there now. ;)

Give it a try and let me know how you make out!

Flashback Fridays - Kenya

I am taller than a Maasai!

In Maasai country, Ngong Hills. Where the story of 'My Maasai Life' took place. We met the family Robin stayed with, and enjoyed a dinner with another family at their homestead. This is the real deal.  No tour guides or buses... this is the family of a friend of ours..

 

This is just a tiny glimpse of this amazing day... I will share the full story soon!

We Are One Kenya

So much loss, grief and sadness.

 

So many questions remain.

 

Prayers for Kenya.

We hold you in our hearts. 

Please continue to stand strong, and find peace and solace in your unity.

 

I wish for my daughter to have a beautiful, safe and united country to come home to in the future.

 

We Are One

 

They're Back... Foto Fridays

Your home - now what? Post adoption responsibilities.

Unless your child has pressing health issues, I suggest just hanging low, hunkering down and getting settled in. Allow your new little one to get comfortable in their new surroundings. And, of course you need to sleep off some jet lag and get your head back in the game.

Just when you thought all the paperwork is beyond you - not quite. I know... go ahead, kick something.

You'll want to bookmark this, because you will be lacking sleep and operational brain cells when you get home. You'll need someone to hold your hand through this....

First thing to do is to apply to your Provincial Health Care Provider to 'change' your account to add your new child.

Second thing is to fill out the Canadian Citizenship Certificate Preparation Form to have them send you the Citizenship Certificate. Note - you do require a passport photo.

Thirdly - you need to apply to the Federal Government to start receiving your Universal Child Care Benefit. The benefit will be back dated from the date you started fostering the child.

Last, but not least, once you get your certificate, you can apply for a passport.

If you have not already done so, by at least the 2 month mark of your entry to Canada, you want to start making appointments for check ups and assessments. (By now you should have your Health Card. IF you need to see a Dr. prior to receiving your card, you can call the Health Dept and ask for your number, or you can pay cash and be reimbursed later.)

Start by taking your little one to a family Doctor. Preferably of African descent, or someone with experience in Africa. Your Dr. will go over the history (be sure to bring all the medical records you have!), and concerns etc. Ears, throat, eyes, heart and lungs will be checked. Be sure you relay the following to your Doctor:

Important Information for Your Child’s Doctor

(Excerpt from healthychildren.org)

Children adopted internationally often have lived in conditions of poverty with limited nutrition, limited stimulation, various traumatic events, and environmental and infectious disease hazards. As such, a comprehensive evaluation is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to evaluate for diseases that may be present, with no initial signs or symptoms.

Below is a list of testing that is recommended for children adopted internationally, regardless of the absence of symptoms or test results from the child’s birth country.

Growth and Nutritional Issues

• Measure length, height, weight (unclothed), and head circumference (for ALL children). Use standard CDC or WHO growth charts to determine growth percentiles.
• Growth should be monitored with further work-up done if there is not catch-up growth by 6 months after arrival in the home.
• CBC to evaluate for anemia, blood disorders. Hemoglobin electrophoresis should be done for children at risk for hemoglobinopathies.
• Lead level for environmental risks.
• TSH (in some countries the soil is deficient of iodine).
• Newborn metabolic screen up to 2 years.

Infectious Diseases

• PPD or currently recommended testing for tuberculosis exposure (this should be done even if the child was immunized with the BCG vaccine; please refer to the Red Book for more information)
• Hepatitis B virus serologic testing: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
• Hepatitis C virus serologic testing
• HIV serologic testing
• Testing for tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV should be repeated after the child has been home 6 months. (Some children may not respond initially if the incubation period is inadequate or if they are malnourished.)
• Syphilis serologic testing: RPR or VDRL, and FTA-ABS or TPPA
• Stool examination for ova and parasites (3 recommended, best collected 48 hours apart) with specific request for Giardia and Cryptosporidium testing
• Stool bacterial culture (if diarrhea present)
• Serologic testing for other parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi, lymphatic filariasis, Strongyloides, Schistosoma species may be indicated for certain children
• Evaluate immunization status by checking antibody titers for vaccines previously given (eg, diphtheria, tetanus, polio neutralizing titers) OR repeat immunizations. (Exceptions may include children from foster homes in Korea.)

So, you should be leaving the office with some requisition forms for these tests. You want to be sure that you also get a requisition for parasite screening for yourself and any other family members.

Parasite testing is extremely important! Parasites can cause irreparable damage. I do not know of one child from Africa without at least one parasite. They can test negative, and still be positive. If your child tests negative, it is recommended to be retested in a couple of weeks. Also, just because you have treated the parasite, does not mean it is gone. Retest and test. Yes, speaking from experience here.

Next, you want to contact your local Public Health Office. Tell them you have a newly adopted child and would like a general appointment to get his/her weight/length/head circumference documented and to speak with someone about other possible assessments that may be needed (ie. speech, dental, hearing etc.

If you have the blood work back and a vaccine history, then you can consult with your public health nurse about a recommended vaccine schedule.

Next, you will want a development assessment. Public Health or your SW should be able to refer you to the right early intervention department. Public Health may even be able to do an ASQ (Ages to Stages Questionnaire) at their office. Here in the Kootenays, it is within Kootenay Family Place. This is good to have EVEN if you think your child is on schedule. It's good to have it documented, and it will be used in your Post Placement Report.

In the Kenya program, Post Placement Reports are due every 3 months for 2 years, and every 6 months for the following 3 years. (First 2 years are overkill I think... but I appreciate their thoroughness.) This involves a Social Worker visiting, interviewing you and then sending a report to your local agency who then forwards it to Kenya.

There are many things on the list of items they are supposed to cover, so it would be super helpful (and important) that you have the following available.

1. Child's current vaccine card.
2. Growth Chart
3. Results from any and all blood/stool tests.
4. The Development assessment.

Nice to include:
5. Current photo of your child
6. Picture drawn by your child (will be great for comparison to the upcoming reports.)



Z's drawing. We are learning about circles - so this is what she likes to draw.

At first, I did think this was all overkill. Being a seasoned Mom, I know that Z is healthy and developing within the normal ranges (and in fact she is well over her avg. growth range.), so I didn't really feel this was necessary. However, I think it can only be beneficial to have this documented 'officially' by professionals, rather than just my opinion, and I am very curious what her development score will be.

We are behind in our appointments as we didn't know what was required (Why I am preparing you! I hate being behind the 8 ball!). I will report back with more details of the Public Health/ ASQ visits when they are through.

Good Luck, and Congratulations on bringing your little one home!

Adoptive parents ROCK. Period.

In the light of all the recent bad publicity surrounding international adoption, due to a select few news stories... I'd like to take a moment, outside all of the accusations and judgements painted on international adoptions, to bring some positivity and light to the other 99%. Unfortunately, an extreme few sometimes tends to taint the whole group, when in fact, most adoptive parents are simply amazing! 

 

No, this is not about tooting my own horn. Yes, I happen to fit the title of adoptive parent... but this post is really a heart felt message for those who came before me... (with out you, there would not have been an 'adoptive me') and those who continue to knock my socks off with your desire and passion, and the work you do for the orphans of the world!! 

 

It makes me sad to see such negativity around such a beautiful thing and the fall out landing on the amazing folks known as adoptive parents. It's nonsense and needs to stop, cause quite frankly, you have earned your badge of honor.

 

 

The world needs to understand who adoptive parents are, and what you have gone through to become one.

 

You had the courage to do what many can't even imagine. You went out on that ledge and you leaped. To follow your hearts whim, when your head gave you 100 reasons not to.

 

You slaved over applications, biographies, ordered original copies of everything from your birth certificates (the long form!), to your last bank statement... and copied them all in triplicate. Thousands of pages later, many late nights and paper cuts to show for it.

 

You prayed. You fretted. Wrung your hands dry, wondering how you would ever come up with the money. You fundraised, worked weekends, had garage sales, collected bottles, counted your pennies, accessed your lines of credit and got an adoption loan.

 

You spent many sleepless nights, and crying sessions in the shower, wondering and worrying what type of trauma your baby had gone through or was currently going through, and you didn't even know their name.

 

You purchased and read every book published on adoption, attachment and trauma. You watched videos and documentaries. You know every adoption blog out there and the authors by their 'real' first names.

You learned how to use Yahoo and Google groups, and even opened up a Facebook account to better connect you to the adoption community.

 

You endured hours and hours of interviews by a social worker whom asked you personal questions like, "Are you satisfied with your sexual relationship?".

 

You cleaned your closets, top of your cupboards and scrubbed walls, to only have the social worker not even look there.

 

You drove hours to be biometrically fingerprinted to prove you are not a criminal, only to find out that you will always have to say, 'yes' (followed by an explanation - cause you now sound like a criminal!) every time the border officer asks you if you have been fingerprinted.

 

You had scans, needles and fingers prodded in personal places to prove your health.

 

You took time off work, flew or drove many miles to attend your AEP. Otherwise known as the Adoption Education Program.

 

You attended seminars about the FASD child and Attachment Parenting.

 

You decorated the baby room, collected little shoes, rain coats and hats, without the slightest clue of when they would ever be able to be put to use.

 

You stressed and worried... made repeated emails and phone calls to your agency, hoping they would submit documents on time.

 

You chased your dossier around the world via Fedex tracking like a child tracks Santa on Christmas Eve on NORAD.

 

You waited and waited and waited and waited and waited. For many of you, it was an Elephant's gestation. You learned that waiting, can be the most difficult thing to do.

 

You took up learning the birth language of your soon to be child. You started eating and learning how to make foods you couldn't even pronounce.

 

Champagne and cigars... you cried tears of joy and shouted off the mountain tops when you FINALLY got your referral.

You instantly fell in love with a child on a piece of a paper.

You stalked blogs, websites and facebook pages, trying to get a small glimpse of him/her.

 

You flew thousands of miles, across the world to meet your new child. Some of you flew several times, over a long duration of time, as the legal side of the adoption was processed.

 

Some of you uprooted your lives and moved to foreign countries to fulfill residency. You put your jobs on hold, left friends, family and pets behind to be with your little one.

 

You endured the scrutiny and questioning yet again, from a few more different departments, this time in the birth country of your child. You were asked questions like, "Is your relationship Monogamous?" and "Have you ever had more than one wife?".

 

You ran all over a foreign city, taxi hopping one place to another as you chased down documents. You pleaded with government officials and cried at the counter of the Visa issuing embassy.

 

You wiped runny noses, medicated scalp fungus, and tackled ring worm.. several times as it made it's way through your family. You scooped poop into little viles... and we all know how great parasite poo smells!

 

You learned how to braid and care for skin and hair that is so completely different from yours. You learned why night caps are so important and the wonders of coconut oil.

 

And some of you went beyond...

 

Some of you did all this on your own as a single parent.

 

Some of you intentionally made the decision to adopt the 'unadoptable'.

The child with HIV. The child with FASD. The child with Down Syndrome. The child with cleft palate. The child with conditions and birth defects that I didn't even know existed. Children that were diagnosed with death sentences and left to die. Children with such abusive, traumatic pasts that they don't even know how to love. Who does that?!

 

YOU DID THAT!

You are angels in disguise, on this earthly planet, you are.

 

You did this all why?

 

I'm sorry... but put your humble hat away. It's more than doing it to become a parent.

Sure, for some of you that is where is your story started... but then the story changed you.

 

The sacrifices. The dedication. The commitment. 

 

 You did it to save the life of  a child. You did it to give a child a family. You did it to give a child what they deserve - a better life. You did it, because if you didn't - who would? You did it out of love and compassion and you certainly wouldn't have changed a thing!

 

It wasn't easy... hell, it was probably the most difficult thing you have ever done. But it was worth it!

 

So the next time you feel like your put in a position to defend your decision to adopt continents away, a child that doesn't look like you or is considered 'special needs'; or when you feel assaulted by misjudgements, criticism and blanket statements as the negativity around international adoption escalates...

 

Remember how many people (like me!) you have inspired. How appreciated and respected you are. Remember how many lives you have changed as a result of your journey, as the effects 'ripple' on.

 

Sure, your just the same as anyone else... but with a little 'sprinkle' of amazing.

 At least give yourself that.

 

 

 

I truly believe the responsibility of the orphan lies with us all. Some of us act... and others play a supportive role. But none of it would happen with out you... the adoptive parent.

 

I want to thank you.

 

Thank you for your bravery and commitment. The fight that you fight every day... to parent children from tough places and the fight you fought to get them there.

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you for following the pain in your heart, having enough faith to let it lead you, and enough courage to follow it through.

 

You are all salt of the earth people - and I'm proud to say I know you.

 

Thank you. 

Free Giveaway to help the Orphaned Children of Mogra!

You recall when I introduced you Mogra? After my heart was ripped from my chest when Baby Daniel died...

I shared it with you here. 

I took on the challenge of making a change in his honor, so his death meant something.

I asked and you gave! Putting big smiles on the children's faces here!

Then, I celebrated the accomplishment of transforming Mogra into a facilitation home for adoption here.

To date we have raised $2500 for the Baby House, and we were fortunate enough to be in Kenya when construction started, to physically help in the process.

 

Since coming home, I have jumped on board with a wonderful organization, run by Mom's like me with a heart for the orphaned. They have agreed to assist us with our Baby House Project!

 Linked Through Love is 100% volunteer run, to ensure that every dollar gets to where it is needed the most. These are Mom's who have adopted, who have been to these developing countries and seen the devastation. Moms who have been left with the haunting memories of the faces of the children left behind. Let me tell you, this is something that never leaves you.

Children like little Jordan here, who suffers from a skin condition that we cannot get diagnosed.

 

Those of you with similar conditions, or sensitivities, know how expensive treatments are. Well imagine having to pay hundreds just to see a dermatologist, the cost of hypoallergenic soap in Kenya, lotions, special non lactose baby formula, etc, etc. These are things you do for a child with sensitivities. Has Jordan had any of these? Sadly, no ... there is no money to support this. Don't worry though, I'm working on this problem behind the scenes, to find a solution for Baby Jordan.

Then we have children like little Sharon here who was so neglected before she came to Mogra that she clings to the slightest bit of attention. Put her down, and her world collapses. She goes limp, and thrashes around. She is the child that you simply cannot pick up or hold, unless you have hours to spend, simply because it breaks her heart every time you leave.

 

 

Every child has a story.

 

Every child has suffered trauma.

 

 

Every child is deserving of Love.

 

 

Every child is deserving of a Home

What can you do to help?

 

Ultimately, it takes money - but there are so many other ways you can really help (and be entered into the draw!)! SEE BELOW!

 

If helping these babies wasn't incentive enough, I am going to sweeten the deal for you!

Once we have reached $100 in donations from this blog post, I will be giving  away this beautiful, hand made in Kenya, paper beaded necklace.

Once we have reached $300 in donations, I will give this bag away.

Hand made in Kenya by the girls at Mogra.

 

Padded, with zippers in a local Kenyan fabric - your sure to love it!

 

 

How can you be entered in this draw?

 

1. You will receive one entry for sharing this post on your blog.

 

2. You will receive one entry for sharing this post on your Facebook.

 

3. You will receive TWO entries for heading over to Linked Through Love and donating as little as your morning coffee money!

 

IMPORTANT - to complete these entries, you MUST leave a comment here on this blog post, indicating that you shared on your blog, fb and or donated - or combination thereof.

If you do not comment, I will not know to enter you in the draw!

 

I will be shipping the above items at my own cost to North America only.

Contest ends September 30th/2013.

 

 In the end, your dollar, or assistance in achieving these dollars, will help to give these babies a bigger home. Giving them more room, means that more babies will be saved, and more babies will have the opportunity to be adopted. And for the ones who cannot be adopted? They will have better quality of life. Right now, there are 38 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment! That is no way to live.

 

Please help us help them.

Thank you for making a difference in these children's lives!

 

Catch all the info and photos not shown on the blog here:

Thompsons to Kenya on FB

Mogra Rescue Centre on FB

 

First Doctor Visit.. the ups and downs.

Zahra has always been a healthy child who sits at the 50% on the growth charts. For that we are very blessed!

We did see a doctor twice in Kenya, once for a UTI and another time to check for parasites. It is always advised that you see your family doctor upon return from Canada, but given her good health, we were able to wait until we received her health card.

Zahra's visits with the Doctor in Kenya were quite traumatic. She was absolutely terrified! Despite the fact that he was very nice and gentle, she hated every last second of it. He explained to me that many times the public, or government doctors, often process the orphanage children quickly, with little time spent trying to calm or reassure them. I don't know if this was her experience, or what type of Doctors she had previously seen, but I am sure that because they often go together, they also get each other worked up; when one cries they all figure it is a horrifying experience.

Because of this, I intentionally planned for Zahra to escort me to a Doctor's appointment this summer. She was a little nervous at first, but fine once she realized that it was Mommy being seen. She witnessed that it was a positive visit, and I did the same for a lab visit where I had my blood taken.

This made all the difference in the world! She went in to her doctor appt, happy and even excited! (I do think having a female Doctor made a bit of a difference as well!) Shockingly enough, she willing participated for the entire check up and she even responded to the Doctor when she asked her a question.

It was a great visit... and we walked out with smiles and an armload of blood/stool requisitions for all of our post 'out of country' parasite checks and a full blood analysis for Zahra. Everything from lead levels, to thyroid count was checked off. I knew this meant a lot of blood.

In the waiting room at the Lab, Zahra was bouncing around, so excited to be next. Little did she know, poor thing.

Once we were call in, I sat her on my lap in the lab chair and the ladies went to work. The rubber band tie started the tears, but she braved it with a stiff upper lip, hiding her face in Mommy's chest... until the needle poke.

 It totally sucks to watch kids go through this and not able to make it stop for them. 4 viles into it, 3 to go, and the assistant kept moving the needle, so it finally collapsed and that was the end of the show. They said they probably had enough with what they had in the other viles.

My poor little baby cried and cried, all the way through the hospital and out to the car.

We made a special stop to pick up a treat. I told her she could choose whatever she wanted. Her choice? Grilled cheese and ketchup chips! ?? I distracted her thankfully, and she decided on a freezie.

After returning home, she was happy to share with Daddy and Mister, her story, her stickers, band aid and treat. Tears dried up, she curled up with Muffin and enjoyed a Dora episode.

For adoptive families - there are blood screens that you can ask for that are markers for what current vaccinations your child has had. Rubella for example will be able to judge if your child has had the Measles/Mumps vaccine. Our doctor ordered what was available to us. Over vaccinating is not something I want to do!

Outtakes

That's a whole lot of Kaka I'm gonna be dealing with! Yikes!!

First day of school through Zahra's eyes

As soon as she woke up, she could sense the charged air, full of frenzy and excitement. Muffin and Mister were quite excited to see all their friends, teachers and actually be back in the classroom setting again.

As they were sorting out their school 'stuff', Zahra got right involved. Not wanting to be left out, I witnessed her searching for her backpack, then her running shoes, water bottle and snack. 'I do!', or 'Me too! is what I was hearing. I always knew this day would be a hard for her. Going from 1 out of 15 kids in an orphanage to 1 out of 3 kids in a family, means she has always had other children around. This was going to be a difficult transition for her.

We indulged her, packing her backpack with the school essentials and headed off to school. On the way she was singing, 'Me go to school...'. Of course, she actually had no idea what this meant, but she could sense it was not something she wanted to miss out on.

During the ride, we explained to her that school was not for Mommies, just kids and that if she wanted to go to school, Mommy couldn't stay with her. But if she wanted, she could play for a little while at school and then come home with Mommy and have some fun together.

We arrived early, snapped some photos and then played in the playground as the kids started to roll in.

 

 

Then she discovered the Kindergarten class. Oh my, the toys to play with! I allowed her to play for a few minutes, then had to take her once the kids started to arrive. She was not too happy.

I finally was able to have her agree to leave the school by telling her we were going to see a puppy. As we stood out front, meeting a friends dog, she noticed the children in the school window and it wasn't just any classroom, it was her brother's classroom. She remained glued to the window, watching her brother.

Then the time came, and we had to leave. She cried for her brother the entire walk to our van, a block away. So upset. Until, I bribed her with grapes and a cheese stick, and all became well with the world again. :)