Signs of Life : The Brownie Chronicles

"Are you going to fix his ear?" "Is there something that could help him hear?" "Did you know there's a great surgery that helps deaf people hear?" "If a surgical procedure would allow your paraplegic child to walk wouldn't you do it?" Being Deaf is unique compared to other differences such as being blind, unable to walk, having Down Syndrome.  It's historically been difficult, even for Deaf people, to pinpoint exactly how it's different.  I usually explain that the Deaf community shares a common language, norms, folklore, etc.; therefore they form a culture.  But it's more than that.  I think the real difference lies in acceptance. If parents have child with Down Syndrome, they must come to a point of acceptance .  They can't change the facts.  They are forced to accept what is  and give their child the tools needed to become successful in their life.  If parents have a child who is blind,...

You all know I've been posting videos and blogging about the boys' language development .  This blog began as a way for friends, family and others interested in adoption to follow our journey to one son.  During that process, the one son became two sons and now here we are!  The Brown Seven!  Our most recent video has not gone "viral" according to YouTube standards, but it's gone viral according to our standards and it's been fun!  I've enjoyed receiving emails and comments from people all over the US and even other countries. The boys have attached to us unusually well, so I didn't have a lot of "adoption issues" to blog about.  The focus of my blog naturally transitioned to the language development happening in our home.  Even with our backgrounds in the Deaf World (husband is Deaf, I'm a fluent signer for over 15 years), Ken and I were dail...

Happy 2012!!  I don't know about you, but that number astounds me!  As one born in the 1970s, the 2000's seemed a futuristic, impossible dream, but here we are.  We can connect with people all over the world in a matter of seconds, fly across the globe in half a day, open a "marauder's map" of sorts and see where we are in this vast, yet small world.  Before visiting a new place, I can walk the streets virtually before ever touching down in the city.  I can ask my phone to show me the way home, tell me the temperature, call my mom, text my husband or find the answer to any (and I mean ANY) question and she will try and most often succeed.  (I just called my phone "she!")  If I lose my coveted phone, my computer can find it for me.  We are living in the Jetson's world.  Better yet, we're living in early Star Trek world. Minus warp speed and medical tricorder.  Come to t...