My Handicapped Son Has No Handicap

I thought I knew what parenting was all about in 2007 but nobody told me what to expect as a Boy Mom. My son was NOT a malnourished, handicapped pitiful little guy. Oh no. Quite the opposite. His soccer coach called him "Charlie Hustle." His sister shook her head in puzzlement at him running around the back yard whacking everything with a big stick. He liked to get dirty. He liked toy swords, toy guns, and cars. He was a screaming banshee with his super soaker gun. He zipped around Kroger on his Heelys cackling with delight as he whizzed past other shoppers. After a long sleep from jet lag, as of Day 2 in America it was Game ON. Soccer, Karate, tennis, baseball, basketball, climbing, water skiing, whitewater rafting -- he did it all. In my new book The Michael Chronicles you can read about his adoption and his first year home -- a bumpy ride but one filled with laughter and just a few tears. LINK TO BOOK

Excerpt: [this is from my account of the first time my son ever got to swim in the ocean]

"Michael got to go IN the ocean this afternoon. He'd never seen the ocean. He was beyond excited. He ran into the surf, screeching like a little banshee, and proceeded to run and jump in the waves, and screech, and jump in, and race out, and splash, run out, run back. Just writing about it can't convey how funny he was. I stood there and laughed. Alesia just stood there looking cool and beautiful. At one point she said "Mom, why is he acting like that?" I said "He's a KID!"

 

 

 #boymom, #adoptivemom, #parentingahandicappedchild, #adoptionfromoverseas, #alimbdifferencechild, #amputeechild

 

The Michael Chronicles

 

My new book about my son Michael's adoption and first year in our family is now available for purchase on Amazon! [Click here] This collection of blogs gives the reader a "you are there" feeling of traveling to Kazakhstan, and then witnessing the daily surprises that made me laugh and cry as a new "boy mom" that first year. He had to learn a new language, new culture, try new foods, make new friends -- it was overwhelming to him, at times. He proved to us over and over, though, that he was ready for anything, and we marveled at his creativity, sweetness, and fighting spirit. Michael was energetic, funny, and all boy.

The book also includes stories Michael wrote about his early life in Kazakhstan, and how he lost his hand.

FYI, all profits from book sales go into Michael's college fund.

#booksaboutadoption, #raisingahandicappedchild, #parentingadoptedkids, #childrenadoptedfromkazakhstan