Day 2

Well today was day 2 of therapy. We were gone most of the morning, so we are trying to squeeze it all in today. It's already 5 pm and we aren't even halfway through. I suppose there will be days like this, and I need to plan ahead to adequately deal with the schedule changes. I look at this as the same priority as eating, she nees it to survive. We WILL get through it and do as much as we can. I still feel a little overwhelmed with the task ahead of me, but it is much better today than yesterday. I have a few good friends who were in China with me adopting at the same time who are my support network. None of us are going through the same thing, but we are all working on one thing or another with our kids. I'm really happy for the people who have the happily ever after stories, but I think there are a lot of people who aren't connected and don't have a clue what is going on with their children. My heart breaks for those families. I belong to way too many yahoo groups that are composed of adoptive families. It makes me think that all adoptions are faced with problems at one point or another. If a parent doesn't have access to the right information, they think their child's behavior is just a personality characteristic. After all, there's no shortage of parents who will tell you, "All kids are like that." Yes, all kids can have a stubborn streak, all 2 year olds throw tantrums, all kids try to be in control, and the list goes on. But why do kids from orphanages all have similar characteristics? Are they stuffing food in their mouths because they went hungry? It's a feasable explanation, but more likely a sensory problem. The hardest part is the labels-sensory integration disorder, attachment disorder, developmental delay, etc. No one wants to label thier child, but I don't look at it that way. My daughter had a rough beginning, it's not her fault, it's not my fault, and I don't need to worry about what label she's assigned at this particular point in her life. What I need to do is get her whatever help she needs and do whatever I can do to make her life the best it can be. That's what we do for any child of ours, we work with their talents and deficits and make them the best they can be. My daughter will be the best she can be.