Weekends, like the one just ended, are entirely too short to spend enough time with your family

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, LA. (Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, 6 a.m.) – Another weekend has ended and once again it was way too short.

My weekend saw my wife and I attend a new parents social at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Slidell where Pam met some of the parents whose children will be in her pre-K class and I met Camryn's pre-K teacher and other parents.

Despite my initial misgivings and concerns, I thought the event was nice and went over well. And I thought I did fairly well controlling my appetite – I ate a little of the pasta salad, ate some fruit, ate some cheese and drank a couple of Diet Cokes.

No beer or mixed drinks for me. I'm three weeks into a Weight Watchers diet, I've lost about seven pounds so far (well on my way to a goal of losing 50 pounds) and wasn't about to screw that up. My mother graciously offered to watch Camryn and Matthew at our house while we attended the social.

We were home by 10 p.m. – that was Friday.

On Saturday, I piled Pam, Camryn and Matthew into my Ford Fusion, took a ride in torrential rain, ate lunch at a so-so Mexican/Cuban restaurant in Covington, visited Pontchatoula and then returned home. It was a nice, uneventful outing – well, until I took Camryn with me to Best Buy and she insisted I buy her a Dora the Explorer movie (the one where she rescues a mermaid, I think).

Sunday was even less eventful: A trip to Rouses to buy groceries (no more Wal-Mart on Saturday for me) and a trip to my mother's house to fix her computer (a bad modem).

And now onto the new week. The big news: Matthew will have his full-leg cast removed on Wednesday. I have arranged to take a personal day from work on Wednesday and will take Matthew from Pearl River to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans for his cast removal.

This is an important procedure. If his casting went well, then it's possible he won't require surgery to permanently correct his club foot. It's also possible that Matthew may require a second cast on his leg, more than likely after he gets a short reprieve.

I hope and pray that the casting negates the need for surgery.

Matthew has weathered the cast amazingly well. While obviously uncomfortable for much of the past two weeks – and desperately wanting to get in the tub for a bath each night – our son has been a great sport. He obviously doesn't understand what's happening – hopefully he will appreciate it years down the road.

We took some great photos of the folks at Children's Hospital putting the cast on Matthew's leg. I plan to take more photos on Wednesday to document the removal. And then – if everything works out – I'll post a complete photo gallery-slide show of the entire process here at my blog.

Until then … have a great week.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Leg cast starts to irritate Matthew

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

NEW ORLEANS (Friday, July 31, 2009) – It's been two days since Matthew received his full-leg cast – and it started to irritate him Thursday night (which led to an incredibly fitful sleep for my wife and I).

No big deal, though. As much as it is uncomfortable for Matthew today, he'll be grateful we did this for him years later down the road. Hopefully, this additional Ponsetti Method, as it's called, will be successful and avoid us from having surgery.

I don't know what will happen with his crossed eyes. Pam made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist in a couple of weeks. And it looks at this point that he probably will need surgery to correct his problems.

If he doesn't, our regular ophthalmologist said, Matthew's left eye would likely not develop and he essentially would be blind in one eye.

Hey – at least it's the weekend.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew to receive cast today for club foot

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

NEW ORLEANS ( Wednesday, July 29, 2009) – In just a few short minutes, I will join my wife and our son on a trip to Children's Hospital in New Orleans where he will be treated for his club foot by having his entire right leg placed in a cast.

We first saw the orthopedic pediatric specialist last week. And rather than jumping into surgery, he suggested we try to cast Matthew's right leg for two weeks, remove the cast, evaluate his status, possibly cast a second time and then decide if will need surgery.

While Matthew, who is 2, no doubt will be miserable – his leg will be bent at the knee in the cast – this is worth a try if it keeps him from going under the knife for surgery. The procedure is set for 1 p.m. today, so I'll update later today with details and photos.

Matthew and his sister, Camryn, 4, visited the ophthalmologist on Tuesday. Camryn has a lazy eye, which we all knew; Dr. Cangelosi ordered her to wear her glasses all the time every day to help develop her bad eye and give her vision from both eyes.

Matthew, we discovered, has crossed eyes and will no doubt require surgery at some point possibly this year. So while Matthew may escape surgery for his club foot (that isn't certain, however), he appears likely headed to surgery for his eyes.

Our doctor gave us the name of a pediatric ophthalmologist who specializes in this. No date has been set for a visit.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

The Cassreinos have officially moved to Southeast Louisiana

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Tuesday, July 28, 2009) – Friends and family,

As many of you may know, Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I left Madison, Miss., earlier this month for a new start in Pearl River, La., and Southeast Louisiana after I took a new job in New Orleans. It was tough and not something we really wanted to do. But when my job with the Mississippi Democratic Party ended on Jan. 31 and my efforts to find work in Mississippi went nowhere, we were forced once again to relocate. Our 2½ years in Madison were great and memorable.

But our nation's and our state's economy took its toll. And after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to find work in Mississippi, we were forced to expand our search. Luckily, that led me to my new job as director of communications for the Housing Authority of New Orleans. With my hometown still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this seemed like a good way to help people help themselves.

So on July 2, movers packed our belongings into two trucks, headed South to Pearl River, La., and delivered it to our rental home the following day. Pam and I placed our Madison home on the market, hoping to sell it as quickly as possible so we can turn our attention in Southeast Louisiana to finding a more permanent home next year.

Meanwhile, Pam has landed a job as kindergarten teacher at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School – an elementary school that teaches children from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Camryn, 4, our oldest, will attend pre-K there beginning this fall. Matthew, 2, our youngest, will attend day care near the school. And I will make the 30-minute commute to and from work in New Orleans every day.

The past few months have been incredibly stressful on our family as I looked long and hard for a permanent job. I had a brief gig in March and April as campaign manager for Democrat Brenda Scott's Jackson mayoral race. We weren't successful, but I had the distinct privilege of working with one of the best people I have ever known. Brenda is a warm hearted, hard-nosed, hard-working person who would have served Jackson well. Despite her loss, I hope she considers running for office again the future; she has a lot to offer. Together, Brenda and I gained an awful lot of political experience.

I also started my own media and political consulting company, Cassreino Consulting LLC, www.cassreino.net. Even though I'm now living in Southeast Louisiana, I still have a lot of great friends and political contacts in Mississippi; I intend to maintain those ties and my business remains active and available to work with political candidates at anytime throughout Mississippi. Note, please, that I'm only focusing my consulting business on Mississippi.

Matthew, whom we adopted from China in December 2008, continues to adjust well to his new home. You may remember that he suffered from a club foot that was repaired; he goes to see a specialist in New Orleans and may require minor surgery later this year to permanently correct his problem. Other than that, he is your typical 2-year-old boy: He's incredibly active, loves Thomas the Tank Engine, has a great sense of humor and loves to eat.

Camryn may be 4, but she is still our baby. She is growing up fast and has become a beautiful 4-year-old girl who loves the water (like her brother) and seems to be incredibly smart and perceptive. Camryn has played a major role in helping Matthew adjust – she and Matthew play well together and she continues to help him with his vocabulary and other skills. Without Camryn around, I doubt Matthew would have progressed as fast and as much as he has since we brought him home in December. Matthew couldn't have had a better big sister.

Now that Pam and I live in Southeast Louisiana, prospects look slim that we'll be able to attend any Ole Miss games this fall in Oxford. We'll have to hope they appear a lot of TV this fall and, possibly, snag a spot in the Sugar Bowl (I don't think that's too far off because Houston Nutt's team should be pretty good this year). Unfortunately, we will have tolerate more LSU fans than ever before. But that's OK – Pam and I both have jobs in a pretty lousy economy.

For those of you who make it to New Orleans or Southeast Louisiana, please drop us a line or give us a call. We would love to meet up with you. Please note our new address, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Thank you all and God bless.

TERRY R. CASSREINO

1109 Forest Ridge Loop

Pearl River, LA 70452

Phone: (985) 250-9466

Terry's E-mail: cassreino@gmail.com, terry@cassreino.com

Pam's E-mail: pcassreino@gmail.com

Cassreino Consulting LLC E-mail: terry@cassreino.net

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

My children are the only gifts I need for Father’s Day

Holt International Children’s Services asked me to write a piece for their e-newsletter, something timed to Father’s Day. Since I rarely shy away from a chance to write, I agreed. The result is below. This is my original version; it may be slightly different from the version Holt published. Enjoy.
And Happy Father’s Day.

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Thursday, June 18, 2009) – Camryn sat in my lap on the carpeted floor of our master bedroom and begged me to talk about the upcoming China adoption trip my wife and I were planning.

Her excitement had been building for months, ever since Pam and I learned in June 2008 that we were matched with a little boy through Holt International Children’s Services Child of Promise program.

“Tell me about my baby brother,” Camryn, 3, said as she smiled and laughed. “Talk to me about Matthew. Is he going to be big? Is he still a baby? Can I play with him?”

It was Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 – two days before Pam, my wife, and I were scheduled to leave Jackson, Miss., on our 24-hour flight to Beijing, the first stop on our nearly three-week adoption trip.

We already had been to China once before in March and April 2006 to adopt Camryn. And now we were heading back for our second child, a little boy who had a club foot.
Hearing Camryn’s excitement didn’t surprise me at all. We had been talking to her about Matthew for weeks to help her prepare for his arrival and ease the transition to having a second child as a member of our family.

Smooth transition

We’ve been back from China since Dec. 18. Matthew has been a part of our family for six months, bringing joy and love to everyone. He has adjusted incredibly well to his new home.

Surprisingly, Camryn has adjusted incredibly well to Matthew.

Watching Camryn, who turned 4 on April 5, and Matthew, who turned 2 on March 16, play together would lead you to think they were biologically related.

Nothing is more touching than watching Camryn sit on the floor of her bedroom, open a book, point to the pictures and create a story for her brother as if she was reading the words on the pages. Matthew sits quiet and attentive, listening to every word.

Being a father came late for me, just like my marriage. Both have been a huge blessing.

Pam and I met in 1997 when I was 36; we married in 1999. When it became obvious we weren’t going to have a child naturally, we chose to adopt, hooked up with Holt International and the rest, to use a trite phrase, is history.

I’m 48 now – and probably will be the oldest parent in our children’s PTA organization. But that doesn’t bother me; you are only as old as you feel and act.

I know I speak for my wife and myself when I say that raising two children under 5 will keep you young at heart and young in mind. Children are wonderful; they never cease to amaze.

Typical challenges

Our lives have seen the typical challenges of most parents: Making sure our children eat right, trying to choose the right day care and treating the typical childhood illnesses and colds.

We also do other things, such as ensuring Camryn and Matthew know and learn about their Chinese culture. And we are helping Matthew correct his club foot, which hasn’t been that much of a problem at all.

With Father’s Day fast approaching, my children are more on my mind than usual.

Our family is in the process of moving to Southeast Louisiana after I accepted a job in New Orleans and began work there in May. Camryn and Matthew stayed home with my wife, helping prepare our house for sale and packing for the move.

Obviously, I haven’t seen my wife or my children that much the past month. And I may not see them again until we actually move to Pearl River, La., in early July.

But if ever I feel overwhelmed in my new job or stressed by the impending move and sudden changes in our lives, I often think back to that Sunday in Madison before our trip to China to adopt Matthew. And I smile.

That’s the only gift I need for Father’s Day

“Tell me about my baby brother,” Camryn said as she looked into my eyes. “Talk to me about Matthew. Is he going to be big? Is he still a baby? Can I play with him?

“I can’t wait for my brother. I can’t wait for Matthew.”

Text and photos copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved. May not be duplicated or republished without consent in advance.