Finally, I am here but as soon as I had hoped.  The other day I spent about an hour and a half filling out an application for a job. I came back to it tonight to finish it and somehow hit a button that took me I don't know where, and now I can't get back to it or find it although I had saved it in the system of the hospital I was applying to.  So for the last 2 hours I have been searching a way to try and find it, sigh, it is frustrating.

Oh WOW, I just retrieved it YAHOOOOO.

Enough about me, to the children and life. Let me see, what should I catch you up on..  Well, yesterday we all drove an hour and 45 minutes to drop my deaf daughter off at camp. We arrived, got out of the car and my daughter and I went on ahead to register.  All around us as we walked were different license plates from different states. This camp isn't for just the kids that go to her school. It is for any deaf child in the US.
After we got her registered we walked to he cabin and helped her make her bed. She will share the cabin with 11 other girls.  She just keeps grinning from ear to ear, she is so excited. I had told her all the cool things she'd be doing, like archery, over night camping, first aid, learning about nature and science, and of course swimming.  I don't think she knew then how much fun she will have. She met one of her counselors who seemed very nice.  The night before I spent hours over a three page letter to help the staff understand who my daughter is, where she comes from and her limited life experience.  This was important to keep her safe and so she could have the best possibles experiences at camp. I was careful to remind them that she was a foreigner and did not read English and had limited American Signs. I also reviewed her issues and behavior patterns so that she would be better understood.

After we finished making up her bed the counselor told her to get into her bathing suit it was time to swim. We waited for her to change, then said our good byes (I have a picture that I'll post tomorrow) and she was off.  We were concerned that perhaps this was too soon for her, but we thought how much Sign she would pick up, new friends that she would make, and be exposed to appropriate social behaviors. The camp is only a week long.  I miss her and wonder how she is doing. I will try calling tomorrow to check in.

And no, my other children are not going.  There was not enough scholarships available. But I was able to receive scholarships for the other 4 to sing together.  There is a 2 week course, 5 days a week, one and a half hours chorus class.  It is being taught by the chorus teacher of a high school who sets the bar very high.  The ages are from 9-18, and there are 28 children in the class. Their last class they perform in a concert.  Some of the music they're doing are Mozart's Alleluia, singing in Latin, another song singing in Zulu, and a variety of other songs, some will be a cappella and one sung in a round.

Having all four do it together is another way to further the bonding.  My new adopted daughter loves it. She said the Latin and Zulu was easy, but the English was hard - go figure.  I love it when they all practice at home, it brings tears to my eyes.

I did speak with the Deaf school regarding the curriculum for my daughter this Sept.  They agreed to have me meet with the teachers to discuss the curriculum and for me to 'educate' them about my daughter.  i.e. the usual, she's a foreigner, learns differently, etc.  I plan to get right in there specifically request what she should be taught.

AND the school will be sending a teacher to our house for about two weeks to teach everyone Sign Language.  They have a grant, so it will not cost us anything. I am excited.

My other daughter seems to be falling into a funk.  I really need to find some friends/social activities for her. I had to first finish the schooling issues and camp things for my deaf daughter. Now I can focus on her. Patty, send Ellie!

The twins received a summer math packet at the end of school and one finished it that day, and the other soon after that. Within 2 weeks in June they finished the library reading challenge. They are now into the 5th, 7th and 8th grade reading lists and going strong. One twin took out 20 books from the library and will practically finish them by the due date. They read constantly, every where. Now I know this is a great problem to have but, I have seen them turning inward, and losing their social skills.  They become so consumed by the book they're reading that that has become their reality.  SO I have had to put a limit on their reading. They often will read up to 6-8 hours a day! I will be kidnapping them to take their minds elsewhere every few days.  But I need a plan first.. Oh, more work to do.
There are a few more stories to share but this has gotten long enough.  Tomorrow I'll share pictures and more...