Birthday Blessings

Tomorrow is little J's 7th birthday!  I got to talk to him on the phone tonight.  He got on the phone and said "Hi Mom!"  Sweet balm to a heart that misses him so much!  He sounded very happy and told me that he had times when he got mad, but he was making good choices.  And he was getting to have gummy bears as a snack!  The simple joys!  I told him what a super kid he is and to keep working hard and each day would be better!  He says "If I want it to be?" ...truth out of the mouths of babes!  Was just so good to hear a smile in his voice!  I think we will try alternating a card or letter one week and then a call the next and see how it goes.  My heart is singing tonight!

Bubbles, and Paints, and Glitter - OH MY!

I picked up the littles after school without any issues.  they recognized me and were very excited!  We got to the house and had a snack and they settled in.  Dinner was bean and cheese quesadillas which they gobbled up!  Then I let them watch a movie and it was time for bed.  They all went down easily and slept well.  Saturday we took things nice and slow.  I had fixed some dough and put in in the fridge on Friday and so I made cinnamon rolls for saturday morning.  YUM!!  Once that was cleaned up and all were dressed and ready for the day I made some salt dough and we played with cookie cutters.  While the ornaments were baking we played outside with bubbles, chalk, and the scooters!  It was horribly windy and that wind was cold but they didn't seem to notice bundled up in their coats.  I sat in the sun and laughed at their antics!  Lunch was homemade lunchables and fruit.  They played happily with crayons and legos as I put stew on for dinner.  Then we got out the paints and glitter and googly eyes and I though their eyes were going to pop out of their heads!  We somehow managed not to get paint on clothes....a miracle if you ask me!  But of course glitter went everywhere as it always will!  Snack time found them with bowls of popcorn and watching another movie.  We made jingle bell jewelry with colored pipe cleaners.  They enjoyed dinner and after a quick clean up it was time for baths and bed.  We did showers instead of baths and this was something new to them but they did great!  They really enjoyed getting to sit by the fireplace and get warm after their showers.  Bed time was again easy and they slept all night.  Sunday we got up about 7 with the little boy running through the house hollering "sun's up!"  The girls were not happy with him!!  I thought it was funny!  We had more of the cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I took some of the stew for lunch at church.  They were shy at first at church but quickly warmed up and had fun.  We got home in the afternoon and got their things all together and ready to head back to their foster home.  The little boy was really wound up and not wanting to listen but we managed.  It's hard to have kids that aren't your own in the house.  I know my response to them would be different if they were placed here.  They are good kids though and we had fun!  I told their foster mom I would take them again in a heartbeat!  As challenging as it may be, I am still very thankful to be able to do this!

Fun x3

This weekend we are getting to provide respite care for J's three siblings!  We are excited!  They are really sweet kids.  Of course at the ages of 5 and 6 they are BUSY!!  So I'm planning on doing salt dough ornaments with them, letting them paint them, and of course they will have plenty of outside time!  I'm thinking maybe a movie for Friday night, the ornaments and outside play for Saturday, then we have church on Sunday, then they go home that evening.  Will be a fun weekend!  and none toooooooooo stressful since the kids know us and we know them.  Makes everyone more comfortable!

Moving on

The decision was made today that J will not be returning to us after all.  My heart aches.  His hurts run far deeper than anyone had imagined.  And J needs help from those trained to deal with those deep layers of pain.  If only those extra cuddles and life with a "normal" family were enough ...... but they aren't.  We do not know yet when J will be moving to his next place, so for now we will go and visit when we can.  With every child our lives are changed, I just pray that we are making a positive impact on their lives as well.  Please hold J and all of us in your prayers.  Letting go is never easy.......

Challenges

Recent days have been challenging to say the least.  It got to the point that I began to feel like my life was a war zone.  After yet another battle this morning, I made some phone calls, met with the Psychiatrist, and J was admitted to our the mental hospital.  This is not his first time there.  They will be monitoring him as they make changes to his medication.  Previously his admission was part of moving to another home.  Once I assured him that when the hospital said it was ok he would be coming home again he began to settle down.  My heart just breaks for him, but I am so thankful that he can have the chance to be more stable emotionally and get the help he needs to achieve that!  He is such a precious little boy and I am going to miss his giggle around here.  We will get to visit him though and he can call home as well.  This is new territory for him in that aspect.  Don't know how long he will be there, but I anticipate life being a little easier for us all when he returns than it has been over the last few days.

First Day

J had a good first day of school!  He woke up just before 4 this morning and was playing around for about half an hour.  Thankfully he was able to go back to sleep.  I got him up just after six and he was very excited to get ready for school!  Kerrie went with me to drop him off and we both gave him quick hugs and were on our way back home.  I picked him up in the afternoon and man was it HOT like 105F HOT!!  UGH!!  We were thankful to come home to nice cool air.  Once Russ got home and changed we went out for tacos!  Going out to dinner on the first day of school is a tradition around here.  So that was a fun thing for us!  They do not nap during the day at this school and so as J was watching a movie while waiting for Russ he fell asleep.  I know he will sleep well tonight!  I have been able to meet with his teacher and help her know and understand him a little better.  I really like her so far!  She is willing to communicate with me to help J so we are forming a good team. 

Road trip

J did great on our road trip!  He watched movies in the car and that really helped him pass the time.  He had met Russ' folks and so going to their house was not too strange...just a new location not new people.  He did get to meet Russ' brother and brother's wife.  Going to a new church with LOTS of new people was just a bit too much on the heels of a full day of travel the day before and so J and I sat out of Church.  Monday we took the jogging stroller to the mall so he had a safe place to be while we were out and that made a huge difference for him.  He had a GREAT time in Build-a-Bear and in the Lego store!  He took the bear he made and called it his son and was very gentle with it.  So sweet to see!  Tuesday was another day in the car but movies again passed the time.  Yesterday was a bit more challenging as he was very tired from the trip but even though he made some sad choices, and he got mad at me, he simply cried on his bed then let me rock him and all was right with the world again!  Such a HUGE difference from some of his tantrums!  Not long now till we start a new routine with school!  He is excited to get started!!