The Continuation of George's Story . . .

Remember that eight-year old George has no arms and was adopted from an orphanage in Romania. He has just sat down for his first cello recital in front of a huge audience and will be playing with his feet. The following is the story recounted by his father Mike in a letter:

"There was a feeling of wonder and tension in the room, and at this point my only thought was, 'Please Lord, let him just get through this...' George began, and the very first note he struck was as sour as could be! He stopped playing, got red in the face, shrugged his shoulders, broke into a huge grin and looked up at the teacher. She warmly smiled back and nodded to him that he should try again.

Well, George then proceeded to play the entire song without a flaw, and it sounded marvelous. When he finished, there was a moment of quiet, and then one of the older students (who is the most advanced student in the group) simply stood in his place and began to clap. Many others in the audience stood to their feet and the applause went on for a very long time..."

What a tremendous example of a father's love! We could all learn from Mike and his wife Sharon about supporting our children to reach their fullest potential. And we could all learn from the courage and devotion personified in eight-year-old George.

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All Things Are Possible

Several years ago, Mike and Sharon, a couple in Connecticut, read of a little boy named George in Romania who was born without arms and whose parents could not care for him. A year later, this couple visited Romania and fell in love with George and, with the blessings of the biological parents, adopted him and brought him to America. Mike and Sharon not only taught George how to use his feet to feed himself, they also decided he should learn to play an instrument and a cello at that!

Mike writes in a letter to Ravi Zacharias about George's first recital: "The big night came, and George was nervous and telling us he wasn't so sure if he wanted to do this...to make matters worse, there was a much bigger crowd of people than normal for one of these events...many of whom had never seen George or met George before. Several students went up to the front and played their various pieces, and very soon it was time...George's name was called. You could have heard a pin drop as the teacher walked up with him, carrying his instrument, a chair and a large pillow that she placed on the floor to lift up the neck of the cello. She arranged everything as he needed and nodded for him to go ahead..." Tomorrow we'll have the rest of this story a truly inspirational account of unconditional parental love and bravery.

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A Father's Painful Poem

A father sits in his living room, painfully alone, And stares at pictures on the wall, of children, now all grown. He reminisces, thinking back through all the hazy years. He thinks of how it should have been, and wipes away his tears. While he was staying late at work, trying to get ahead, He missed the chance to tuck his little babies into bed. He didn't show much interest when his kids began to crawl, 'Cause raising kids when they're that young is Mom's job, after all.He wasn't there to see it when his children first learned to walk, And "Mommy" was the only word they said when they began to talk. A man named Dean Sprague wrote this poem...pretty powerful isn’t it? Don’t miss your kids’ early years. You’ll never get them back.

For some great online articles on connecting with your kids while they’re young, click
http://www.allprodad.com/playbook.asp#dc

Thinking about adopting?

Over 150,000 foster children are awaiting adoption in the United States. And while there are many families who could give them a wonderful home, these potential parents may be unsure of where to begin, or may think that the adoption process is too complicated. It's really not. Click http://www.allprodad.com/9adoption.asp for an online article giving you the step-by-step process. Your adopted child is waiting for you. They need to be hugged. They need to be loved. Start the journey today.

Have you taken our Year of the All Pro Dad Challenge?

What is it you ask? It's printing out our complimentary, customizable certificate, pledging to implement the 10 Ways to be an All Pro Dad, signing it with your kids and posting it somewhere in your house. Do you have what it takes?

Click http://www.allprodad.com/allprodadcertsignup.asp to find out.

Subscribe to the world

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination with subscriptions to kids' magazines. They're fun, extremely affordable and will unlock their curiosity and creativity. Some of our favorite mags can be found at: http://www.allprodad.com/kidsmagazines.asp or do some of your own online searches. Readers are leaders and leaders are readers. Have leadership qualities delivered to your child at your own doorstep.

Adding to the family

Are you going to have another baby soon or just recently had one? Think about how it affects your other children. It's almost like you bringing home another wife to be loved just as much. It's crazy to think about it like that, but it's what kids perceive. Now they have to share time and love that used to be just for them. Do your best to help alleviate their fears. Here are some helpful tips: wrap up inexpensive gifts for the older child that can be given to her at opportune times after the baby is born. The attention that comes from the gift is usually going to be more important than the item itself. Also, if your older child seems to regress in her behavior, talk to her about all the advantages of being older and bigger. Make sure you show her the attention she needs. She'll try to get it one way or another.

Pick up the Complete Guide to Baby and Child Care by clicking http://www.allprodad.com/newdadeStore.asp