God worked fast for us!

I spoke with the girls' social worker today and she mentioned that the little boy we'd interviewed with was just starting pre-placement visits.  WOW!  Our daughters have been home over a month and HE'S NOT HOME!  I hate the waiting, it would have been VERY hard for me to wait this long. . . I'm so glad God just slam dunked this one on us!

Spidey is doing amazingly well.  He's gone from failing grades to A's over the last two weeks.  I think it clicked. . . suddenly he thinks doing well is important!  He even used some of the test taking strategies I gave him.  He's also pretty much being more mature in general.  It's wonderful and we're praying it lasts!  Don't get me wrong, he was a pile of giggles when Bubbles (blow6) peed on the floor by her bed, with a great big grin and way too much excitement, but he's ASKING to read, he's STUDYING without prompting and he's just doing what he SHOULD most of the time.

Aquaman is vacillating between good behavior and out-of-control-I-need-attention behavior.  Tonight was hard for him.  Overall he's doing well, and seems to be coming into his own.  He's been growling at people.  I was telling him to stop until he said, "but MO-OOO-OOOM, I'm mad and I'm growling so I don't hit anyone."  Growl away, little one, growl away!

Blow5 is still superhero nameless.  It'll click one day, but for now she's blow5.  She's getting with the program and responding very well to us.  She's a smart girl and I know she needs much more stimulation than I'm able to give her yet, but I'm seeing glimpses of what will be.  She tries awfully hard to be a good girl!

Bubbles is just a delight.  She was grumpified this morning, but snapped out of it quickly.  Our favorite time with her is when she's just gotten out of the bath and her hair is dry.  Her long blonde hair flies behind her as she flees in an attempt to avoid clothing.  It's HYSTERICAL.  She's talking more, and she's downright funny. Here's a conversation we had this weekend when Bubbles and I were alone:
"Mommy, POOP."
"poop?  Did you poop?"
"yeah."
"OK, let's clean up, no stinky girls."
I changed her diaper.  No poop.
"Honey, you didn't poop!  Oh well, let's eat dinner."
"Mommy, POOP!"
"Do you need to poop?"
"NO.  POOP diaper."
"I don't smell poop, did you poop your diaper?"
"NO.  Sissy did it.  Sissy poop diaper, Mommy."
"Honey, blow5 isn't here, she did not poop your diaper."
"yeaa-aaah, SHE POOP DIAPER."
She laughed hysterically, then blamed each brother for the non-existent poop.

Silly girl.

it's been a month!

Hard to believe the girls have been home a month.  It's been crazy, hectic, insanely busy trying to sort out how to parent four superheroes.  Part of the craziness is the normal stuff, and part is the emotional ups and downs of kids who have traumatic pasts.  Blow5 is 4, but think she's 24.  Bubbles (blow6, from the power puff girls), is quite 2 and quite girlie.  Spidey grins with pride at his big brother ness, but he also gets quite irritated at the rambunctiousness of 2 and 4 year olds.  Aquaman vacillates between anger at sharing and having to tow the line more and joy in big brother hood.

If I can figure out VERY specific routines and train all four of the kidlets into those routines, we'll be just fine.  Well, if that happens and if two of our kiddos start sleeping through the night. . .

the girls are home!

Our two pink superheroes arrived yesterday!  It's been a whirlwind week of getting ready, driving, meeting, introducing siblings and welcoming them home.

I need names for our darling girlies.

Let me describe them.  I have a few ideas, but I'd like to hear what those of you who read this think before I decide.

A is a 4 year old bundle of energy.  She has a huge vocabulary, wants to do what is right and is very bold.  She's a hot pink patterned kind of girlie girl.  She's drawn to cars, fire trucks, and is a bit rough and tumble, though she's also very delicate.  I'm pretty sure this one can hold her own almost anywhere.

B is a 2 year old who, I'm quite sure, channels Dianna Ross.  Her blonde, curly hair reaches her waist.  Her favorite word is "no," but she says it with a smile (or a fake pout).  She loves dolls and anything light pink.  Her vocabulary is stunningly broad for a girl who speaks in one word sentences!  She's much neater than her hurricane sister, and plays for long periods of time.  Who has ever heard of a 2 year old playing (and singing) with Mr. Potato head for over a half hour?  And play doh?  Well, all four were very sad they had to put it away for dinner.

So, now that our superheroes number FOUR, we need names!  Spidey and Aquaman depend on your help!

Leave a comment with your ideas!

TIME TO ANNOUNCE!

It's time to figure out TWO superhero names, that are PINK!  I'll want to get to know them a little bit, but they're going to be home SOON!  That's right, a 2 year old girl and a 4 year old girl are joining our family and we're over the moon!

I'm so stinking excited!

I don't know how to explain the last few days.  whirlwind doesn't begin to cover it!

There are MAJOR changes coming in my life, that I'm starting now and I'm so happy, excited and blessed it's not even funny.  No, it's not a new child, but it IS related to kids.  I'm going to start training!  AND I'm working with our church on some foster/adoption/parenting type stuff.

God is moving quickly, He's put awesome people in my life with beautiful hearts, who are pushing this along.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Nos CAN be good!

The phone rang.

"How are you today?"

I told her I didn't know, she needed to tell me.

It was no.

Yes, I cried.  But then I started listening to what she said.  I even called back with a few questions.  The bottom line is that empty arms are filled, he has an amazing home and we have social workers who like us.  They're keeping our homestudy in their top drawer.

L was so positive and complimentary.  She was so dear.  We don't feel like a second choice, we feel blessed and loved.

So, no new son, but that's ok.

the first day of first grade, second day of second grade!

Veggie tales seems right today.  Aquaman strutted off to his first day of first grade!  It SHOULD have been his second day, but the power was out yesterday, so today is the first day.  He was quiet and sure this morning, got ready with NO FUSS.  His big brother, however, must have had a case of the nervous nellies.  Spidey was reluctant and very cranky.  He didn't strut, he walked slowly.  Gosh, I'm praying school suddenly becomes OK for him.  Two years of "I don't want to go to school" already, but this year's teacher, I have hope she'll turn it around for him.

I miss my boys.

Seven hours of Quiet.

It's TOO quiet.

Maybe soon we'll have another superhero to fill that silence???

In the meantime, I'm going to clean.  Things will stay where I put them for SEVEN HOURS!