23%

It has been a while since I posted...and for us that usually means no news is good news!!!  We have all had a really good and busy summer.  Everyone has been healthy, thank goodness!!!

This year was the second summer that the girls attended a day camp for deaf children, their siblings, and children of deaf adults.  The camp is 8 weeks long and is at a local deaf church.  I am still amazed at how much my girls grow during their summers there.  Both of them are really starting to sign well- Amelia is using so much more language.  Hannah is also doing an amazing job.  Last night was Parent Night.  The kids put on a sweet show, and it was great!!!

The older kids at camp make a movie every year.  This year it was about a deaf boy growing up alone in a hearing world.  What an impact it had on me!!!  It showed his perspective on how things were at school, home, sports, and socially. It is very isolating and lonely for many of these children.  They can't communicate with anyone!!!!

It absolutely breaks my heart to find out that only 23% of children that sign, have families that also learn to sign!!!!  I am determined that THAT WILL NOT BE US!!!!  We WILL be the 23% that learns to communicate.  We have been taking sign language classes for about 3 years, and it is hard.  It is hard to remember, it is not always convenient to have class, and it is hard to get into the habit of signing all the time.  But, now I know better....I know that Amelia has been excluded from family conversations....I know that she is alone in a hearing world.  But, now that I know better.... at least she will not be alone in her hearing home!!!!