Awww.

*hugs it TIGHT*

beetiger sent me a Valentine's prezzie - with a Valentine from her son in it (he might be, what, five years old now?).

SO CUTE.

(Thanks!)

Awww.

*hugs it TIGHT*

beetiger sent me a Valentine's prezzie - with a Valentine from her son in it (he might be, what, five years old now?).

SO CUTE.

(Thanks!)

Awww.

*hugs it TIGHT*

beetiger sent me a Valentine's prezzie - with a Valentine from her son in it (he might be, what, five years old now?).

SO CUTE.

(Thanks!)

That's good to know -

A site dedicated to attachment and bonding issues,specifically to kids adopted from China.

A very, VERY good resource to check your work - and to get confirmation you're not losing your mind. I suspect I'll be going back here often.

But also, if you suspect you were also a victim of a parenting style that left you with attachment issues (bad parenting, I'll leave to the experts to determine) - you might also see yourself here as well.

PTSD? Check.

But I kept reading about this "holding therapy" and thinking "wow, that really must be something - I'd better check it."

*facepalms*

D'OH.

Welcome to my gut reaction. What a relief. Holding is my first response to any kid acting out. *thinks*

Scratch that. Holding is what I do in any situation I feel safe doing it - when someone is in trouble. And tantruming kids?

Oh, you'd better believe it. Face to face, looking you right in the eye.

It's the right thing to do. It's what I would do anyway.

I can remember doing this when I was 20, and a summer camp counselor. I could tell you stories about how well this works.

Huh.

I guess I really could do this. Maybe. I - just won't get cocky. That, would be bad.

That's good to know -

A site dedicated to attachment and bonding issues,specifically to kids adopted from China.

A very, VERY good resource to check your work - and to get confirmation you're not losing your mind. I suspect I'll be going back here often.

But also, if you suspect you were also a victim of a parenting style that left you with attachment issues (bad parenting, I'll leave to the experts to determine) - you might also see yourself here as well.

PTSD? Check.

But I kept reading about this "holding therapy" and thinking "wow, that really must be something - I'd better check it."

*facepalms*

D'OH.

Welcome to my gut reaction. What a relief. Holding is my first response to any kid acting out. *thinks*

Scratch that. Holding is what I do in any situation I feel safe doing it - when someone is in trouble. And tantruming kids?

Oh, you'd better believe it. Face to face, looking you right in the eye.

It's the right thing to do. It's what I would do anyway.

I can remember doing this when I was 20, and a summer camp counselor. I could tell you stories about how well this works.

Huh.

I guess I really could do this. Maybe. I - just won't get cocky. That, would be bad.

That's good to know -

A site dedicated to attachment and bonding issues,specifically to kids adopted from China.

A very, VERY good resource to check your work - and to get confirmation you're not losing your mind. I suspect I'll be going back here often.

But also, if you suspect you were also a victim of a parenting style that left you with attachment issues (bad parenting, I'll leave to the experts to determine) - you might also see yourself here as well.

PTSD? Check.

But I kept reading about this "holding therapy" and thinking "wow, that really must be something - I'd better check it."

*facepalms*

D'OH.

Welcome to my gut reaction. What a relief. Holding is my first response to any kid acting out. *thinks*

Scratch that. Holding is what I do in any situation I feel safe doing it - when someone is in trouble. And tantruming kids?

Oh, you'd better believe it. Face to face, looking you right in the eye.

It's the right thing to do. It's what I would do anyway.

I can remember doing this when I was 20, and a summer camp counselor. I could tell you stories about how well this works.

Huh.

I guess I really could do this. Maybe. I - just won't get cocky. That, would be bad.

$$$

Pondering.

I was talking to Jim the other night about the actual monatary needs trying to remodel the house AND do two/three adoptions would generate. To be pretty, over the next five years? $100,000 would be very good to have.

These are very short-term, specific, lump-sum needs. We're not talking about day-to-day things. We not even talking about yearly maintenance needs. We're talking once in a lifetime in terms of the adoptions (college funds, that's something we can begin and feed smaller amounts to), and once in fifty years (we hope, if we do it right) in terms of the house.

I could do things sooner if I could make the money appear. We can find the funds for adoptions - frankly, already have.

But - I could do more, and faster, if I could make the money appear. Talk about the carrot dangling in front of my eyes.

We don't have any more hours to work. I looked. Jim's already seeing enough orthopedic strain with the job he has - last thing I need is for him to get tired - and then get injured or disabled at work. No.

I am far, far, FAR from needing to put up a PayPal button. But - I think fundraising under these circumstances is a legitimate need. I don't want to borrow any more money, or redo the house again and begin paying for it from scratch - again. We need to be putting money away, honestly.

So what to do. Over the next five years.

Here are some thoughts - tell me what you think of them.

[Poll #926623]

About the only thing I'm not putting on the list is turning the cats into camwhores. I am also considering making some silk-topped patchwork quilts - me making art is kind of scary, so I'm not putting it in the poll.

No - no urgency here. I'm taking the long view - I think I could do better, with some effort. And no, I don't want to ask anyone to do anything they wouldn't do of their own accord anyway.

And I don't want to stop doing anything I already do.

$$$

Pondering.

I was talking to Jim the other night about the actual monatary needs trying to remodel the house AND do two/three adoptions would generate. To be pretty, over the next five years? $100,000 would be very good to have.

These are very short-term, specific, lump-sum needs. We're not talking about day-to-day things. We not even talking about yearly maintenance needs. We're talking once in a lifetime in terms of the adoptions (college funds, that's something we can begin and feed smaller amounts to), and once in fifty years (we hope, if we do it right) in terms of the house.

I could do things sooner if I could make the money appear. We can find the funds for adoptions - frankly, already have.

But - I could do more, and faster, if I could make the money appear. Talk about the carrot dangling in front of my eyes.

We don't have any more hours to work. I looked. Jim's already seeing enough orthopedic strain with the job he has - last thing I need is for him to get tired - and then get injured or disabled at work. No.

I am far, far, FAR from needing to put up a PayPal button. But - I think fundraising under these circumstances is a legitimate need. I don't want to borrow any more money, or redo the house again and begin paying for it from scratch - again. We need to be putting money away, honestly.

So what to do. Over the next five years.

Here are some thoughts - tell me what you think of them.

[Poll #926623]

About the only thing I'm not putting on the list is turning the cats into camwhores. I am also considering making some silk-topped patchwork quilts - me making art is kind of scary, so I'm not putting it in the poll.

No - no urgency here. I'm taking the long view - I think I could do better, with some effort. And no, I don't want to ask anyone to do anything they wouldn't do of their own accord anyway.

And I don't want to stop doing anything I already do.

$$$

Pondering.

I was talking to Jim the other night about the actual monatary needs trying to remodel the house AND do two/three adoptions would generate. To be pretty, over the next five years? $100,000 would be very good to have.

These are very short-term, specific, lump-sum needs. We're not talking about day-to-day things. We not even talking about yearly maintenance needs. We're talking once in a lifetime in terms of the adoptions (college funds, that's something we can begin and feed smaller amounts to), and once in fifty years (we hope, if we do it right) in terms of the house.

I could do things sooner if I could make the money appear. We can find the funds for adoptions - frankly, already have.

But - I could do more, and faster, if I could make the money appear. Talk about the carrot dangling in front of my eyes.

We don't have any more hours to work. I looked. Jim's already seeing enough orthopedic strain with the job he has - last thing I need is for him to get tired - and then get injured or disabled at work. No.

I am far, far, FAR from needing to put up a PayPal button. But - I think fundraising under these circumstances is a legitimate need. I don't want to borrow any more money, or redo the house again and begin paying for it from scratch - again. We need to be putting money away, honestly.

So what to do. Over the next five years.

Here are some thoughts - tell me what you think of them.

[Poll #926623]

About the only thing I'm not putting on the list is turning the cats into camwhores. I am also considering making some silk-topped patchwork quilts - me making art is kind of scary, so I'm not putting it in the poll.

No - no urgency here. I'm taking the long view - I think I could do better, with some effort. And no, I don't want to ask anyone to do anything they wouldn't do of their own accord anyway.

And I don't want to stop doing anything I already do.