Year: 2013

2013 in review

Well as T (DH) commented the other night, you cannot say that our year has been uninteresting. We started of the year with our social worker appointed (one we knew as she had been leader of our prep course) and the first home study meeting pencilled in for February. We end it having had our first family Christmas and with our son appearing to be very settled some 10 weeks 3 days into placement.

It has been a rollercoaster ride with the process turning round and confounding us more than once. At the end of the prep course in November 2012 we expected to hear from LA about our SW early in the New Year, so starting this year with her appointed was the first point of acceleration. We still expected it to be early 2014 for placement given that we thought it would be a year from end of prep course to matching and that would then be too close to Christmas. Continue reading “2013 in review”

Secret Santa: A trip to the hair salon

Thanks to the Secret Santa post exchange run by The Adoption Social I have had the chance to write a post for another adoption blogger and also receive one. Mine came from MoandBro which is a lovely blog about the adventures of two mums and their birth son (Bro) with his little adopted sister. I have to admit this post struck a cord with me given how Sqk is already using some technology (he loves playing games on my iPad). Then again my husband and I are somewhat geeky so he will grow up with it.

Guest post: A trip to the hair salon

Little sis has taken to technology in a big way in the run up to this festive season. Perhaps it helps her to cope with the alarming appearance of a Christmas tree in all its glory, the stress of the advent calendar with its unknown chocolate delight lurking behind the numbered windows and the general air of excitement.

On her chunky red-rimmed kid’s tablet, she plays games, creates fashion icons and wonderful hairstyles, often in a particularly frenetic way, face right up close to the screen and little red cheeks from the fierce concentration. Impossible for anyone to get a look-in.

Gaming aside, however, we’ve noticed this technology also brings something new for her – for the first time we see her dancing to music in a delightfully uninhibited way. (And we get to listen to Abba. A lot.)

Here’s the latest digital offering, created today, from little sis to her bro and her two mums. Bless.

Merry Christmas, all, and here’s to a fabulous 2014.

MoandBro

 

Rambling on

Ramblings for #waso. My adoption twitter has been alive with people/talking about AUK conference yesterday and Dan Hughes talk. Wish I had been able to go but from when it was announced we knew it would be a no-go. Should have (on original plan) just finished Intros this weekend and even though yesterday was 4 weeks from placement still not a good time for me to be away from Sqk yet.

Continue reading “Rambling on”

Our road to adoption (NAW)

National Adoption Week has come round again – and I look at my life and think what a difference a year makes. The equivalent of today last year was the first evening of our Prep Course. Now we are sat 2 1/2 weeks into placement of Sqk. Mind you under the original plan this would have been the first week of Introductions but if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that things got moved by 4 weeks as otherwise respite care would have bene needed which would have made Intros a lot harder.

Continue reading “Our road to adoption (NAW)”

Life in Sqk land.

Where are we nearly 2 weeks into placement? I feel that we are still doing very well and the report from his SW for the upcoming LAC review suggests she agrees. Sqk met his elder cousin earlier in the week (met younger one and my sister & brother-in-law last week) at the local woods – so they could run safely. He behaved fairly well although we are still having discussions over sitting down when eating 🙂 The photo below is Sqk and Daddy in the same woods last weekend when we took him for a walk there ourselves. He loved the freedom to run but we are still getting him to understand stopping when we call. Thinks it is great fun to make us run after him. However the message about holding hands when cars are about has gone in as he doesn't make a fuss about that now.

Continue reading “Life in Sqk land.”

The Future

Who can say what the future holds for Sqk (the boy's new online name). After all he has only been moved in with us for just over a week. At the moment we are dealing with a tired boy after a couple of bad nights on Thursday & Friday – we made a couple of mistakes in not having proper calm time either night, or me feeding him part of his hot chocolate. Plus he met some new people on both days – my sister, brother-in-law and younger nephew on Thursday and my mother on Friday. He seemed ok with it all but we do wander. Keeping meetings limited this coming week – got his SW and health vistor coming – but luckily due to short distance he has moved his HV is same. Also got a hair cut but that again is with someone he knows. The only new people he is meeting is his other grandparents.

So that is his immediate future – along with me trying to sort out his body clock to the new time. Beyond that it is slow and steady for the foreseeable future. He seems to be alright other than rage tantrums when he is tired which we are slowly working out how to deal with. T is back at work for a day tomorrow – he is working three days this coming week, and then four days for the next 3 weeks. gradual return so Sqk and I can learn to deal with each other from 8am till 6.20pmish. The bond between us is growing I feel which is good.

Future is a big thing – I remember how much I have planned and then things have changed. Our real hope for Sqk in the future is that he is happy with us and can live an independent happy life.

First full day

Well at end of first full day with us – he woke up here & went to bed here. We had an upset boy at 2.30am but he was soon soothed although getting back to sleep took longer. Also resulted in annoyed cat as he’d been fast asleep on me.

Later start this morning due to hour awake in night but we eventually got going after cuddles & snuggles in Mummy & Daddy’s bed. Spent the day around the house and doing bits & bats we needed. Went to park this afternoon as good weather & he happily ran around between the various slides, seesaw ( with Daddy) & swings. Got an ice-cream to finish with – he covered his face & his clothes but enjoyed it.

Dinner was fun but in the end he ate most of it & managed 2 fromage frais & a fruit puree pot. Watched a bit of Kipper DVD from his auntie (T’s sister) then bath, story and bed. Laid in our bed with the odd cough but no upset and asleep quickly. Now to see if he wakes up in middle of night again.

All in all had a good day and the bond with both of us is growing. First SW visit of week tomorrow so have to be up ( well dressed) better than today. Three visits this week – tomorrow is his ( official one) then have local SW who has done some Theraplay training to give us some simple things to do with him ( our request). Our SW is also coming as his is doing first 2 weekly visits due to being on holiday for a fortnight after that. Our SW wanted to see us to check we were ok rather than not seeing us for best part of 3 weeks.

Ok wrote this yesterday & didn’t manage to post 🙂