Media Links

Well, it's been a day. First full day home. Lalan had a rough morning. I think the fear of the dog triggered a meltdown that had more to do with the grief, loss and fear of the last 9 days then the dog. So we just held her, and let her go. There is no comfort we can offer. No words to make it better. We HAVE to just let it happen and stay present in it. She actually started to come out of it when I started to quietly shed tears. Like she understood that her pain was real and we understood. She is currently playing in the same room as the dog, and does get nervous when something changes with the dog. But other than that, the extreme reaction seems to be dissipating. Remy has had a great day, and we are waiting for the grief to hit. Right now he is too excited for everything that is new. But it will come too.
Here is the link to the KOIN 6 news story. This situation has been so surreal with the media. There is no part of us that wanted to the media attention. It was a long, hard decision to involve the media in the beginning. However, we needed the pressure the media would bring. And we still believe that without the media pressure, the US Government would have taken months to sort out our kids situation. The benefit of the media has been balanced with the negative side of the media. Being filmed in some of the most stressful hours of your life is unpleasant. Arriving at the airport to wait, and being greeted by reporters and cameras - surreal. Having them film us walking around, talking amongst ourselves and sitting down and waiting - it seemed just weird. They could have filmed anyone at the airport and got the same footage. Then to have them approached the area they were asked to stay out of, and walk around with cameras - intrusive. Some of this was encouraged by a few parents. GLA has asked us not to speak to the media. Certain media outlets had been given permission to film the kids and the reunion. CNN and NBC as they took the story and ran with it - helping us out alot. However, they seemed to get the boundaries. And good media coverage is professional at it's best.
Dixie asked us to let the film crews film us. To keep GLA in the news. To keep the plight of Haitian orphans out there. To help Canada and France get their act together. It worked, Canada has agreed. However, we had the right to put our hands up and they would not film. We could refuse to speak or have our kids filmed. And they were very non intrusive and professional. And they got a great story.
KOIN 6 has been professional. They have been kind and respectful. They have personally cared. They want a story, and yet they weren't going to do whatever it took. And they got the story.
The link is above. It's worth watching, if nothing else, it's the only way to share the kids online right now.
And then we are staying home for two weeks. We were recognized in the Seattle airport. I don't know if they saw us personally, but the recognized the story and us as part of it. It was a bizarre experience. And one I'd like to not repeat. So I'm going to wait for it to all die down before I take the kids out in public. I really can't wait to just be a normal family.
There will be articles coming out in The Statesmans Journal, as well as The LaGrande Observer. The big time I tell you (sarcasm inserted here). However, the story of these kids will also be on CNN in the next few days. And I imagine NBC is following it. Tune it, give them the ratings and help put the pressure on the government to make them permanent citizens. I'll write more later about the process ahead. Another day. Now my kids are playing, Re falling on the ground and Er yelling at him in creole. I wish I could film it. It is too cute. I wish I knew what she was saying. Or maybe not. But we do know they are awfully cute.