FAQ #2

With each new kid, more people in our lives get curious and start asking questions. This week's top question, triggered in part by the 2 newish arrivals and in part by how darn cute all 3 of these kids are, is "Don't you get attached?"

The short, pat answer to THIS one would be the very obvious: YES!

How could I NOT get attached to a 2 1/2 year old who sings along to the Glee soundtrack in the back of the car, who holds his baby foster sister's hand in the car, who randomly comes up to me and asks me to BEEP? (his nose).

How could I NOT get attached to the 3 1/2 year old who sings Puff the Magic Dragon with a very thick accent, who sneaks up behind me every single time I am cooking to yell BOO!, and whose first English words have been: Thank you. and I love you, Mommy.

How could I NOT get attached to the "baby" who waves bye bye to anyone who passes by while she is in the shopping cart, who runs up and down the hall with a slapslapslap of feet because her feet are so flat, who puts on her own clothing by wearing pants and shirts on her arm as if they were purses.

This is the part of foster care to treasure. The daily ins and outs that yes, make everyone in this house love each other and attach. It's the part that lets me ignore the end of the story.

Girly Mags

"Hey, Wow! Look! Pretty!!"

These were the first four English words to spill out of Little Guy's mouth at once. Sadly, they were in response to seeing this in a magazine basket in the living room:

That was yesterday morning. Last night, Little Guy came home from daycare and went straight to the magazine basket to look some more. Who cares about Bon Appetit and This Old House? He wants swimsuits.

This morning, he got up, ate breakfast and sat on the couch, thumbing through the magazine, with an occasional "Oh pretty" or "MY book". Admittedly, it was creeping me out a bit---a 2 1/2 year old pouring over the very fit, mostly naked bodies pictured in "his" book. So I hid the magazine. About an hour later, he started looking for it. Filing through the magazines in the basket, I could hear his disappointment as he said, no, no, no to each magazine. Knowing his magazine wasn't in the basket, I wondered what he'd decide on. Then excitedly: "Oh, here is!"...the previous month's edition of Shape. And off to the couch he trotted, ready for some more eye candy.

A Special Little Something

or someone.

There's this Itty Bitty thing in my house. She wreaks havoc on any sort of organization, tidiness, and timeliness. She slobbers all over the place. She eats cat food. Yet she is the cutest thing under the age of two that I have met in a long time.

I had no idea I would enjoy a little tiny person so much. I had no idea that a little tiny face could crinkle a nose AND show two dimples when the smile is big enough.

Not saying that I will break my "no kids under 2" rule again, but am certainly glad I did this time.

The Night Owl

The tornado has downgraded herself a bit. She is still a bit of a wild card, but much much different than two weeks ago. One thing has not changed though: She is not much of a sleeper. Which of course makes me not much of a sleeper. The night owl is great fun during the day, though. She eats up any and all attention and thinks many many things are Que Bonita! (Que bonita--how pretty!-- appears to be her word for cool!) Night Owl loves ABC songs, Max and Ruby, the Puff the Magic Dragon book and colored tablets for the bathtub. She has recently discovered flashlights and matchstick carrots with ranch. Stubby and CC (who are both called Estubby) are the favored members of the house (and very tolerant, I might add). Hopefully sometime soon, all this fun and excitement we have during the day will wear her out enough to make her a bit less nocturnal.

Welcoming Sisters

Little Guy and I have been hit by a tornado. And her little sister. Last week brought our new 3 year old friend and the teeniest thing to set foot in the house. We are settling still, but in a week I have learned:

3 year old insomniacs DO exist.
My latent Spanish skills come in handy, even if only a few verbs are conjugated.
16 month olds are actually way more fun than I thought they'd be.
Bananas and strawberries are more coveted than cookies and french fries.
Behavior management and conflict resolution between a 2yo and a 3yo is difficult when each of us speaks a different language.
Introducing Ring Around the Rosie to 3 toddlers can make one dizzy if they ask for more/mas enough times.
Getting in and out of car seats takes an exceptionally long time.
Doing anything, really, takes an exceptionally long time.
The front of the shopping cart that has the little seatbelt thingy is the spot coveted by all.
It is possible to change diapers on children in the trunk of the car.
It is difficult to fit a cat carrier into a Honda Civic with three car seats.
Empty playgrounds are the best place to enjoy 3 small children without worrying one might get lost in the shuffle.
No one ever gets tired of singing the Wheels on the Bus (except me).
There is no need to get 4 separate plates to eat off of at picnics. No matter what is on their plate, they want what is on mine.
Even tornadoes can be tamed with much much focus.

Welcome little girls! I am looking forward to enjoying you more.

Never Say Never

How many ways can I break my own rules? Let me count them:

Four to seven year olds only (16 months to 9 years)
Sibling sets only (plenty o' singletons)
Two kids at a time (three)
No behavior problems (had 'em)
A break in between every sibling set (hate breaks!)

Based on the rules, Little Guy would not be here because of his age and "single-ness". The new two would have been immediately disregarded because one is still considered a BABY. Where has my backbone gone? Not sure, but glad it's temporarily out of joint because I am thoroughly enjoying this newly chaotic life in the HOV lane.