Long live Rock 'n Roll

So,one of my new daughter's found out that she has a rock 'n roll Mama.  I had an oldies station on and I was moving and singing as I was cooking dinner, and she was really surprised.  She looked at me, then got a huge grin on her face.  I wasn't sure if she would like that kind of music, but occasionally I would peak over at her and she was moving to the beat.  Then, "My Boy Lollipop" came on, and I sang it right to her doing the 'pop' and all, and she was in hysterics.  Later I said, "You didn't know that you had a rock 'n roll Mama, did you?"  She laughed and shook her head.

In preparing for my first meeting/IEP, I printed out a 122 page IEP written specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students.  It was written for parents  when confronted with school system that was refusing adequate support and resources for their child.  I am so loaded down with notes and research, that I need to organize it all this weekend so I am fully armed with all the knowledge of the system that is supposed to support the child, but doesn't.  And I have to get all the paperwork together to get a birth certificate for one daughter, and officially change the age of the other and get her birth certificate.  Three years ago it was against the law to change the age on a birth certificate in my state.  So I had to have a law written, I went to the capital and spoke to the Assembly, Senate and Congress, and the Governor signed it.  Talk about work and research...  I had to change my older daughter's age because I went to adopt a 10 year old and met a fully developed almost 13 year old. Now that took a lot of getting used to.   So I have experienced both ends...  I adopted a daughter who was aged down and a daughter who was aged up.

I'm starting to realize that my deaf daughter is starved for nurturing.  'Of course' you say, but wait.  My older daughter would not let me touch her at all.  I finally said, when you want a hug, please ask.  It took her about two years to ask for a hug.  I was so surprised and a bit overwhelmed when it first came.  And slowly over time she has asked for more.  But kissing is still out, that's disgusting to her.  Even at almost 16, when she sees a couple kissing on TV, she goes, "Eeeeewwwwwww."  So it was a pleasure when I first hugged my deaf daughter she didn't pull away in disgust. Slowly she has become more relaxed as I hug her.  Tonight while cooking, she came over and put her head on my shoulder - twice!  I put my arm around her and she just relaxed into it. Wow, I thought, this is nice.

I'm a bit tired tonight, I was on an 8 hour shift for the hospital ambulance yesterday.  And it was one of those days where the calls were non-stop.  Each time we pulled into the hospital to bring a patient in, the pager would go off again.  And then home to do homework, make dinner, do a wash, more research for funding hearing aids and IEP stuff then to bed, to get up today at 6:00 am. And start again.

I shall return tomorrow with more news from the front.