Our Silly Actor!

This child cracks me up! He is always looking for ways to make us laugh, and then HE can't stop laughing, which makes us laugh even harder. His sisters were dressing up and being silly, so he decided he needed some GLAMOUR shots as well. You know Mom can't refuse because this is such great blackmail material for when he's older! hahahaha!

Brighton's teacher and I met last week so I could sign papers for his laptop. He is SO excited to be the temporary owner of a laptop. She told me how awesome he's doing at school and I was so very proud! Ok, well, I'm ALWAYS proud, but he is excelling beyond what I had imagined for this school year. My boy is so smart!

The boys have been out working on the boat all weekend. They are determined to have it ready for the water very soon. Can't wait to get pictures out on the water.

Look at my LITTLE Boy!!!!!

Happy New Year everyone! This year I am going to try to be a better poster to Brighton's web page. This past year flew by and I realized that I hardly made any entries.

Brighton will be starting the second half of his last year in elementry school. I think he's the biggest boy in the school! Part of my heart aches a little that he's growing so fast and will be running with the big boys next year.

Brighton went deer hunting with his daddy for the first time the weekend before Christmas. David has some really cute phone pics of brighton sleeping in the blind. he wasn't in to it at all. When I asked him if he had fun he shook his head no and signed that it was VERY cold out there and there was nothing to do. LOL! I don't think my big guy is into deer hunting. He'd much rather draw them.

Christmas came this year like a fast moving freight train and was here and gone before I could blink. Is this how it is as we age; the older we get, the faster it goes? Brighton and Josh spent two hours together Christmas morning building a huge KNEX roller coaster and then playing with their helicopters. It was so cute to see them playing together like little boys. Tracy came with the kids and stayed the night. Brighton got a chance to play with his cousin Austin who is 14 and 6'5".

Brighton started Upward basketball again and will be playing his first game soon. I'm really pumped about him playing basketball at SFA. He really is good at it. He's still determined to be as tall as Yao.

Josh moved out this past week. Brighton was really sad about it. He really looks up to his big brother. I am hoping that Josh will spend more quality time with him when he comes over since they aren't seeing each other daily now. Brighton went to work with his daddy one day this week and made Josh a wooden sword. Josh wants to make one for him so they can have a sword battle. Yay! (sarcasm) LOL! I'll have to come up with some shields for my knights. I'll roll Brighton is shipping foam and make him a 5 gallon bucket helmet for his head. HAHAHAHA!

Who's THIS clown? LOL!

It's been so long since I updated Brighton's blog! I couldn't wait to post this funny pic of him though. We went to our church for the fall festival. Brighton wanted to be a clown. I have several more photos I need to post, but they will have to wait till I can upload them all.

Our little archer and his very tired daddy just arrived home this evening from Oklahoma City. Brighton was so happy to see me that he teared up and wouldn't let go of me. I wasn't sure how this was going to go, with my not being there with him out of town for so long. He's doing quite a bit better with his abandonment issues and doesn't seem to mind being separated so much from Mom and Dad anymore.

Brighton was signing a million miles a minute, telling me all about the tournament. He said that it was very windy and he was having trouble balancing. He was very frustrated that he didn't shoot well. The doctor in Bethesda said that he would have these balance issues for the rest of his life, so I wasn't surprised. He will just have to learn to live with the fact that he won't shoot well in rain or wind or any other condition that might make balancing an issue. I asked him if he had fun and he said yes. I told him "Well then, it was a great tournament! He was so excited about the gifts he received when he got there. He couldn't wait to show them all to me. What a fantastic idea! He told me that he met quite a few kids and they were all really, really nice. He even remembered the name of one of the boys and fingerspelled his name to me. He said he was really nice to him.

White House

US Capitol in background. (we were too tired to walk there)

Part of the Vietnam wall with the name of a man my mom knew

WWII Memorial

Beautiful rainbow over a beautiful boy

We walked to the Vietnam Memorial in the rain. It stopped raining about the time we got there. A beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, and Brighton told me that it is a sign from God to show He would not flood the entire earth again!

Brighton was really shocked at how many names were on the wall. After learning about the history of our wars, I hope he's getting a better picture of how important it is to honor the men and women who sacrificed so much so that we can be a free nation.

He knew what this monument was before we even got inside! Thank you Mrs. Walsh!

Can you tell what he's signing?

Reach out and touch the Washington Monument!

My sweet boy and I. Look how tall he's gotten!

We took the Metro into Washington DC on Monday. Riding the subway was an experience in itself. Brighton was fascinated by how fast it goes. It was raining in DC, so I was happy that I remembered to pack my umbrella. We walked to the Washington Monument, the WWII Monument, the Memorial to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Building, and the White House. We were way too tired to walk to the capitol.

I told Brighton to go knock on George's door and ask him if we could come in for supper, but he pointed to the police and said we would get arrested! He seems to have this fear of police that I think stems from the way we were treated in the subway (long story) and in China. I walked up to an officer and asked him if he thought it would be okay if we knocked on the presidents door to see if we could eat there. He laughed and talked with us a bit. Brighton seemed more at ease around them after that. He was more impressed with the people riding around on Segways than he was seeing the White House.

When our plane was taxiing to the runway at the airport the pilot slammed on the brakes, throwing us all into the seats in front of us. Everyone was looking at each other with shocked expressions. Brighton asked me what happened. The pilot then apologized and explained that a coyote ran across the runway and everyone starting laughing!

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Testing at the National Eye Institute and the National Institute on Deafness and other Communicative Disorders at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland

I bet you don't have contacts like mine!

Don't worry....his eyes were numb!

Dr. Zalewski putting on the goggles

Getting ready to spin really fast!

We are finally through with all of the eye and ear testing! It took two long days. Brighton was a trooper, but was really exhausted afterwards. I learned so much while I was there. Dr. Zalewski made it a point to detail everything he was doing and explained vestibular function so well that I feel like an expert now. This was the first time I've ever been to a doctor who was nice enough to explain what he was doing and why he was doing it.

Brighton has no vestibular function. He will never be able to balance with his eyes closed. He doesn't know when he's falling. He has learned to compensate by using his vision to be able to tell when things are moving around him. The doctor said to NEVER let him swim in the ocean! he must have a life vest on ay all times in a lake. When he's in a pool he can wear goggles to help him know which way is up by opening his eyes under water. When he loses his sight, he will no longer be able to balance himself.

The interpreters we had were very kind. The couple that interpreted for Brighton during the audiology testing were amazing! I am so thankful that they were there.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

JOAD Outdoor 2008 - Lakeside

(a visitor)

Look what Brighton made! He asked if he could make Chinese dumplings. He mixed the ingredients, rolled out the dough, filled them with chicken and pinched the dough together. They were fantastic!

First time at swim lessons!

Brighton and Tanner passed their class!

Brighton took swim lessons at Adamson Lagoon this summer for the first time. His friend Tanner, who is also deaf and is in his class at school, was also in the swim class! Tanner's mom made sure the parks department set up an interpretor for the kids. They always give her such a hard time about it. It's frustrasting to always have to fight for your rights or your child's rights. I've been told that you never really get used to it and that we'll be fighting for him until he's 18, and then he'll be fighting for his equal rights as a disabled adult for the rest of his life.

I called the public library and requested an interpretor for "Snakes Alive!" for the boys on Wednesday after swim lessons. They had no problem getting an interpretor and were very kind! The boys had a really good time and loved touching the snakes. EEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Psalm 150:6

Playing the recorder with the rest of the 4th grade class!

Getting his music award

Getting award from principal for being on the A Honor Roll all year!

School is out, and Brighton Sheng did fantastic! He received straight A's all year at school and only missed one day of school, and that was the day we went to Austin to finalize our adoption. He's also growing like a weed. When we arrived here in the US from China, he weighed 80lbs. and was only as tall as my shoulders. Now he weighs 120 and is as tall as me!

We're having a busy, busy, busy summer! Right now Brighton Sheng is taking swimming lessons and attending Vacation Bible School on the same week. Yesterday, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the library for Snakes Alive! He LOVED the snakes and even petted them...EEEKKKK!!

We leave for Maryland and Washington DC in two weeks for Brighton Sheng's appointments at the National Eye Institute. He is now a participant in their study on Usher Syndrome. I'm hoping to get a little bit of a better picture about his condition and what to expect for the future. We are going to go to see the White House while we are there. Maybe Sheng can run for president!!! : )

Our Re-Adoption of Brighton Sheng Anderson is Now Complete!!!!

Well, it looks like blogger isn't going to let me make paragraphs again. (not sure why it does this from time to time)

We traveled to San Antonio yesterday, March 26, 2008, to re-adopt Brighton Sheng. He will now get his U.S. birth certificate and social security number. He was so excited! When we first walked into the hallway to get to the courtroom, there were hundreds of photographs of babies and children who were adopted through that very court

Attorney Jana Olson Baker was just a blessing. She is one of the sweetest people I've met in this entire process! She came bearing gifts for the kids, a U.S. flag for Brighton Sheng, and she even offered to take photos for us. She told us her son is attending A&M! WHOOP!

Judge Martha Tanner was also really wonderful and down-to-earth. Her courtroom was very comfortable and she really made us feel at ease. She allowed Brighton Sheng to sit in her chair and hold her gavel. After the process was completed, she invited us all to stand behind her for a group photo. Brighton Sheng got to hold her large gavel, and she handed more out to the rest of our children. Josh got to hold the tiniest gavel! It was really a pencil with two erasers positioned horizontally at the top of the pencil.

After we left the court, we walked down the Riverwalk and ate there as well. Brighton Sheng kept commenting on how beautiful it was there. We found out the Riverboat Cruise was booked, so we will have to travel back to San Antonio so he can ride it.

We walked to the Alamo and toured the old mission. Brighton Sheng loved the cannons! He also liked throwing money into the old well and making a wish. It was a long and happy day!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Order in Judge Sheng's court!

Signing The Pledge of Allegiance for Judge Tanner (momma forgot to put her hand over her heart....she was interpreting the pledge for the judge)

We can ask him whatever we want. He HAS to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! hehehe!

Our family with Judge Martha Tanner

A cannon at the Alamo

Visiting the Alamo

Bridge over the Riverwalk in San Antonio

Brighton Sheng with momma

Spring Break camping Trip

Fishing for the big one!

Roasting marshmallows over the campfire

My happy boy!

Sheng shooting a freethrow

Wow! It has been so long since I've posted. There has been so much going on over the past several months. Let's see if I can get everything updated.

In December, Brighton Sheng couldn't wait for Christmas. He was SO excited about getting AND giving gifts. He wanted to know all about baby Jesus and why we celebrate his birth. Then, when school was out for Christmas break, he became very sick. This was his first really bad illness since coming to live in the US. He had a high fever on Christmas day and spent most of the day laying on the couch and in bed. The next day we took him to Urgent Care and they diagnosed him with Bronchitis and also put him on an inhaler to help with his illness-induced asthma. The poor guy would try so hard to play ping pong on his new table and would start coughing so hard he could barely breathe. Once he was better, he finally got to enjoy his gifts.

He also started Upwards Basketball and has played several games already. He LOVES to play basketball and says he is going to be like Yao Ming when he grows up. Basketball will be over this month and he is going to be so sad!

The skaters at the ice rink are always happy to see him arrive! He has shocked them all at how good he's gotten at skating. The little guy just zooms all over the rink, laughing, racing and signing to everyone. He's even spinning, if you can believe that! He just seems to be able to do anything he sets his mind to. Now he's asking to play ice hockey. We'll see once basketball is over.

He's doing fantastic in school and is really moving at a fast rate. He started 4th grade in the kindergarden readers, which includes 10 workbooks for each reader. He has already learned enough English to get through all of the K and 1st grade readers and is now in the 2nd grade readers and workbooks. He started at K levels and has passed up the other kids in his class!!!! They all seem to be doing better because there's a bit of a competition between them now to see who can do more.

I'm hoping to be able to post some new photos soon, but I have to figure out how to use Dani's new camera first!

Thanksgiving Meal at School!

Here is my happy, shining boy sharing his very first Thanksgiving meal with his class and the first graders who came to share also. He was really excited about the meal, and about everyone eating together. I'm so happy that his teacher chose to do this for her class. He turned his nose up when he saw the sweet potato casserole (something he does at home quite a bit) and kept saying no when I told him to try it. I put a dab on his plate and made him try it. His eyes grew very large, and he asked for a big helping! He LOVES sweet potatoes!


Our Thanksgiving at home wasn't what it usually is, which made me very sad for Sheng. He was able to share a meal in Hearne with his grandparents, but no one could come this year (no cousins) due to illnesses or being with other family members far away. He was really sad that no one came to play on Thanksgiving. This was especially difficult for me (Mom) after I told him for two months that he would be getting together with all of his cousins to eat and play.

Sheng helped prepare the meal and explained to me all of the foods he used to help cook in China. He said he wants to cook for people when he's older. After watching him in the kitchen, I have no doubt that he was very active in the kitchen at the school or at the orphanage. He tried everything we cooked, but decided that the sweet potatoes and the pecan pie were his favorites.

Sheng's vocabulary has REALLY grown, and it's amazing how much better we communicate. It especially helps when I'm trying to read to him. His face shows an understanding that wasn't there before when I read a paragraph from a book. He loves to ask me lots of questions about what is happening in the story, so he's more engaged in what is going on. It's so much more fun to read together now!

Sheng started basketball practice this week and was so excited that he couldn't sleep the night before. The poor guy wiggled and rolled and kicked and fidgeted till around 1:00 am. The evening after practice he told me that he was going to dream about practicing his basketball skills with Yao Ming. When I woke him up the next morning, I asked him if he dreamed about basketball and practicing with Yao Ming and he said he couldn't remember, but that he was going to try to dream about it that night again! LOL!

We've entered the "no" phase that all children go through. It's very strange as a parent to be going through this with a 10-12 year-old instead of a 2-4 year-old. Our bio children never told us no after their toddler years. This is one of those instances where Sheng has to go back and start over because he never experienced trying this on Mom and Dad as a little guy. The holding and rocking was easier (who doesn't want to hug and love on their child), but the no's and the deliberate disobeying at 10-12 are a bit harder to navigate.

It makes it quite a bit easier knowing why the behavior is happening and that it is a normal childhood milestone that Sheng must experience and get past in order to be healthy emotionally and to mature. If a little one can't or doesn't experience and get past these milestones as a baby or toddler, they are still going to have to get through them as an older child or adult. The tantrums are always worse the older the child gets. It's scary and sad to think about what happens to the children in abusive orphanages who are turned out on the street at 14, 15, or 16.

All in all, Brighton Sheng is doing wonderfully and has attached and bonded with Mom and Dad!!!! We are still working on bonding issues with his siblings. Dani and Sheng are the closest and do the most together. They play games together, make things together and communicate really well. They also fight the most too, but Sheng tells me that he loves Dani. He tells me about all of the things he wants to buy her for Christmas. When I ask him about Charly and Josh, he just shrugs his shoulders and says he likes them a little. We are working on helping them interact more and to pay more attention to their little brothers' feelings.

Josh decided on his own that he wants to take an ASL class at Blinn in the spring. Charly has learned more ASL than anyone in the family, but she hardly talks to him. (Charly is usually quiet around everyone anyway) The age difference plays a role as well. It really does take laying down some rules, making everyone sit down together to play games and to make time to talk in order to accomplish effective communication. Sometimes that means making them get off the internet, put the iPod away, etc...

Sheng has told me everything that he wants for Christmas. There isn't enough room on this blog to write it all down, LOL! I had to explain to him that he is only getting a few things and that he needs to focus on what the meaning of Christmas is and what he wants to do for others. We talked about how he never received anything for Christmas from the orphanage and how many, many children in orphanages and in some families everywhere will not be getting anything this Christmas. I told him that he is going to have the most wonderful Christmas of his life, but that I want him to think about what he might like to do to help other children less fortunate to have a happy Christmas too.