Chen Chronicles

Handwriting Horrors & God's Majesty Lately, we have been working with Katie on her handwriting.  I just have to make the statement that I have a whole new respect for teachers who teach these littles proper handwriting.  There is probably nothing more frustrating (at least that I have seen so far), than teaching my daughter to write her letters.  So, let me show you what she does with the lowercase "i." So we have been explaining to her that a lowercase "i" isn't a line with a circle above it or even a line with a dot touching it.  Aaron has had to even work with her on it.  We downloaded an App for the 1st generation iPad that she uses to "write" her letters with a stylus.  So far, this is the letter she has had the most trouble with...and seemingly, it should be an easy one.  At school, they are doing "Handwriting without Tears."  I am glad at the moment we only have ONE child to teach how to write.  I have to say tha...

I found an article online while researching adjustment periods post-adoption and thought it quite interesting because it makes a very pivotal point in saying that adoptive parents are not the only ones who are abusive to their children....or to the extreme even kill their children.  I was researching this because I did not understand WHY someone who go to such great lengths to adopt a child (emotionally, financially, etc) and then allow these things to happen.  This article explains a lot.  It also interested me because in college (yes, I studied a particular area of Sociology) and that was Sociology of Childhood.   I guess it saddens me to think that other prospective adoptive parents may never get the chance to love a Russian baby because of a handful of people's actions.  Should Russia close adoptions to the U.S., Aaron and I will choose another country.  We don't plan on waiting for them to iron everything out because that could take a long time....