Eating Fruit

The kids and I cannot understand how Junebug doesn't like ANY fruit. It's sooo good and we eat it with every single meal.

So for almost 6 weeks now, I have put a small bite of whatever fruit we are eating on her plate for her to stare at and refuse.

The kids have decided to move things up a notch. They are trying to TEACH Junebug to eat fruit. Last night, it was watermelon. They took turns holding their chunk of melon up to their faces, saying: LOOK, JUNEBUG! and taking very dramatic bites of watermelon. Junebug cracked up and picked up her watermelon, but still wouldn't taste it.

Hopefully she will in time. She's missing out on all the good stuff from the farmer's market.

The Most Stupid Question I Have Ever Gotten

Four kids. Three African American. One as pale and blond as they come.

Lady at Farmer's Market: How old are they all?
Me (pointing): 4, 3, 2, and 20 months.
Her: Really? How far apart are they? (babies)
Me: Six months.
Her: HOW ON EARTH DID YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN?
Me: Are we looking at the same pair of children? Do they honestly both look like they came out of my body?
Her: Oh, I guess not. (chuckle, chuckle)

Questions of curiosity really don't bother me. I don't care at all if you ask me if we are an adoptive family, foster family, playdate, whatever. I don't really care (though I won't really answer) if you ask the kids' story, how long they've been with me, or "how on earth I can say goodbye."

But for goodness sake, use some common sense if you want to ask how two siblings could possibly be six months apart in age!

Mock Teddy Bear Surgery

The Austin Humane Society hosted a mock teddy bear surgery. We all went, but not with bears. Speed took a bird ("It's actually a parrot, Mommy."), Sunshine took Snoopy, Chickadee took a little bear-used-to-be-dog-toy she acquired at my parents' house, and Junebug took a bunny.

Each kid got to listen to their animal's heart, put a bandaid on, give it a shot, and wrap a bandage around an appendage. This event was lost on Junebug (the sign up actually said two and up but I couldn't get myself to feel ok about leaving her out). The other three though....oh man, did they eat this stuff up!

Chickadee was incredibly serious the whole time, Speed asked questions, and Sunshine--unusual for her--jumped right in. It was the cutest thing ever.

Chickadee giving Bear a shot

Sous Chef

My little dinnertime helper. I will miss this part of her being two.

The Beach

We went to the beach in Corpus this weekend. Twelve kids, ages 13 years down to 12 months. 5 adults. (and yes, miraculously we were within the mandated adult:child ratio).

I never really thought my kids would ever get to go to the beach. I can't, as one person, take them all there, even if Junebug hadn't joined the clan. I have some really awesome friends though who assured me that we could do this together and still have fun.

We did. It was a blast. Chickadee is absolutely fearless and was only out of the water when she had to be. Speed warmed up pretty quickly, but whoever was holding him out in the ocean looked like they had a barnacle attached to them...every limb was wrapped tightly around anything he could touch. Sunshine, as is normal for her, took it all in from the sidelines for a good long while and then gradually started playing and having fun. She seemed to prefer being on the sand right where the water washes up on your feet instead of being out "swimming". Junebug spent her day in someone's arms or lap, in the water or in the sand, enjoying things but not with more than 12 inches between her and a grown up.

Speed would tell you that the sand was fun and the "hills" (waves) were big and that "mommy made boots out of seaweed." (yes, I did...there was no shortage of seaweed). We are hoping that the beach weekend with the other two families will become a tradition.

Family Portrait 2014

New Roomies

Junebug is a lighter sleeper than any baby I've ever shared a room with, so I kicked her out today. No one needs us BOTH up at 5:45 a.m. each day. She's now sharing a room with Chickadee.

What bedtime sounded like tonight:
Junebug: Blahblahblahblah, BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Chickadee: SHHHHHHHHH!!!
Junebug: gagagagagalalalalalabababbaaaba
Chickadee: SSSSHHHHHHHH!!

(These are not gentle, hush-little-baby shushes we've got going on here. They are more the "you better stop talking in the middle of Father's homily!" variety.)

Junebug: lalalala, blahblahblah, LOUD SQUEAL!!!!!
Chickadee: JUNEBUG, BE QUIET NOW. NIGHT NIGHT. NO BED BUGS! GO TO SLEEP!!!!!

About 2 minutes later, Chickadee was out. Junebug sang for at least another fifteen....

What Two Weeks With Junebug Has Taught Me

I saw the kids' CASA at court yesterday. She asked how Junebug was doing. I said, "Boy, I am learning a lot!"

This CASA is incredibly supportive of our little family and has known us for over a year now. "What? You've learned that four kids is a LOT?"

No.

This is what I've learned:
That despite their beginning, Sunshine and Speed have this deep and constant ability to be kind and compassionate. That even when they are pouting in a corner and Junebug climbs on Speed to get a hug, they don't push her away, they don't say anything rude, they just give her big hugs and say: Junebug! You're squishing us!

That I love more than anything taking the time to sit back and watch them with her. And to watch her with them...she is already picking up on their pretend play "stories" and rolling along with them.

That the contrast of cases, Junebug's against the Three's, is sometimes really hard to accept.

That all this time, I have sheltered the kiddos from so much to help them heal, but they have accepted this major change as if they knew how to deal with change all along.

And then yes, dear CASA, I've learned that four is tough, that four takes a lot of time to load and unload, that the fourth eats us out of house and home, that things I could stay on top of with three, like laundry and dishes, are harder with four, and that bedtime will never be the same again till she leaves.