But Technically The Unsupervised Walk Didn't Last That Long

...because Junebug felt left out, got her shoes and socks and stood by the door yelling: MY TURN! MY TURN! until I gave in, put on those shoes and socks and took her to catch up with the others.

It was nice in theory.

This Thanksgiving....

... I am thankful that I was able to let three kids go for a walk with some friends while I stayed behind with Junebug. Friends who are not background checked. For as long as they wanted. There are some perks to the other side of foster care.

Adoption Pictures By A Five Year Old

A five year old friend had a camera at our adoption. Here is a small sample of the photos I got from her this past weekend:

Junebug is Two

Today, our littlest friend is two. We celebrated with a tiny playdate on Saturday because Junebug will celebrate with her bio family today. We had cake and cupcakes and party hats and that was enough for this sweet girl who mastered being two a long time ago.

Junebug has been such a great "try" at our family continuing to foster. Before I put us back on "the list" to have another kiddo, I hoped for grace that this kid would show me if I was doing the right thing. That grace was quite literally carried through our door in June. Junebug's presence has shown me the gift my kids can be to others. Junebug herself has kept us all on our toes and most of the time keeps us laughing. What has amazed me the most this time is Junebug's case and family. I have waited seven years to see every single person from caseworker to family work as a team and it is absolutely wonderful to be a part of a group of people helping a family because the family recognizes their role and is working with the system rather than against it. This has, up to this point (and managing four kids aside), been a seamless journey.

 

Wishing Junebug a wonderful second year. We don't anticipate that we'll be a part of it for too too much longer, but we will enjoy your silliness while we can.

Winter

(Hats + Mittens + Extra Shirt Layer + Jacket) x 4 = 15 minutes longer "prep" time in the morning. :(

Christmas Carols

 

Chickadee LOVES the song "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". She has a Charlie Brown book where the kids are pictured around the Christmas tree singing that song.

Last night, she had me sing it on repeat, over and over and over, for the entire time I did her (complicated) hairdo.

I only know one verse.

Forty minutes of the same verse. Googling the other verses right now.

Election Day

Speed went to school pissed off this morning. Because he's not old enough to vote and even worse, as we walked by the people staring intently at their voting booths in the school foyer:

"THEY AREN'T EVEN DOING ANYTHING! THEY ARE JUST PLAYING A VIDEO GAME!!!!!!"

Life is so unfair.

Halloween Sneak Peak

My camera ran out of batteries but here's one picture sent to me by a friend. Hoping to get more soon!

Socks

Junebug has a bit of an obsession with socks. She MUST be wearing socks at all times, except when she decides to take them off/scream to have them put back on/take them off/scream to have them put back on. This lovely game has rubbed off on Chickadee as well and now it has become a bedtime game.

Last night:
Junebug: Waaaaah!!!! sock! Help! Sock!
Chickadee: Mommy, put my sock on please.
(yes, I comply)

Junebug: Uh oh! Sock! My sock!
Chickadee: Mommy! I need my sock!!!
(yes, I comply)

I thought about stopping the madness and ignoring them and letting them have cold feet. But then I figured that soon enough, Chickadee will know how to put on her own socks and Junebug won't be here so I'll have no little feet to resock a zillion times in one night. May as well play the sock game while it lasts.

FIVE (things I love about Speed)

Speed turned five on Friday. It happened to be book character day at school so he dressed as...a five year old (from the book "It's Hard To Be Five"). He got spoiled at school with a birthday crown and cupcakes. We put the rest of the celebrating on hold till after Halloween. Yesterday, we had pizza and cake with some friends and Speed was very happy to be the center of attention.

This is the boy who was supposed to be here just a couple months. He's now here for good. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that I will see numerous birthdays with this guy. When I am able to see the forest instead of the trees, I am amazed at how far he has come in not quite a year and a half.

Five things to love about Speed as a 4 year old:
5. Learned to take a shower with the curtain closed. This is viewed as a "treat" to him. And to me.
4. Loved dolls, dress up and strollers as much as any of the girls in the house. I watched a kid in my waiting room at work play with action figures recently. I thought "Speed would have no idea what to do with those toys!" But give the boy a pretend picnic basket and birthday cake and he can keep us all busy for a good long while.
3. Caught up in pre-reading and writing skills. Speed does not always like to accept responsibility for things but is very good about accepting responsibility as the person who wrote a letter on in an inappropriate place (pillow cases and bookshelves come to mind). I think this is because he knows he's the only one who knows how to do this.
2. Is going to be a Home Depot loiterer when he gets older. Four-year-old Speed was obsessed with lawn mowers, leaf blowers, tools, power tools, and weed wackers. I am looking forward to the day that I can actually let him use these things unsupervised.
1. Continues to have more compassion than I would ever expect. Speed loves all of the sisters but his seeming understanding about and acceptance of Junebug and her presence in our house always amazes me. He is the first to stick up for her, the first to give her hugs, and the first to make sure she is ok if she gets hurt or is sick.

Looking forward to another year (and more) with my speedy boy!