Gosh, where has the time gone?

These last few months have flown by in a wave of many kids, Christmas rush and stressful placements.  We had 2 girls (sibs) for about 10 months, they moved the end of October so that took us to having openings and waiting for another long term placement.  In November we had a total of 7 kids come through our lives and house.  I had an over medicated 6 year old who threw furniture at me, a 4 yr old escape artist who had been picked up by the cops 3 times and the sweet little girl who came to me with lice.  Add in a couple of police protective custody kids and it was busy!

This takes us to December when I took a 17 year old girl and her 2 year old daughter.  We only had the mom for a few weeks before we could see it wasn’t going to work with our family.  It always seems that when we have new kids they like to play the “you like your kids better than me” game.  That honestly isn’t the case, we treat all the kids the same but once they get that attitude then they start picking on my legal kids and then they get in trouble so to them it does seem like I like the boys better.  She was being terribly mean to Logan and making fun of Seth (he’s developmentally delayed) and that’s really our big thing that we can’t tolerate.  Add in the fact that I was taking care of her daughter anyway, I really didn’t feel the need to put up with her attitude.  Her workers decided to split them so we still have her daughter and the mom had moved on.  It really was one of the harder placements we’ve done though added in with holiday stress!

We also have a 10 year girl who I think will be with us long term and she’s pretty awesome.  I always enjoy this age plus the whole girl thing since it’s looking like it will be 3 boys for me.  She’s been sexually abused so she’s really leery of Michael but I think she is starting to warm up to him.  She and Logan get along really well which is really a load off of my mind.

 I often wonder how bad we are messing our kids up by doing this.  We have a new person around here often and I at times have to devote my whole attention to them.  These guys come scared and dirty and hungry and just wanting loved and I do that but at what cost to my own legal kids?  Logan is old enough that he doesn’t really care but Seth is such a handful right now.  I think I am just discouraged with his development right now anyway.  I want him to be able to talk and walk without throwing a fit or sit still just for a little while.  I’m tired of people asking me if I think he’s autistic or mentally retarded.  No, I don’t thankyouverymuch.  He’s so smart, he just can’t talk.  I know he will get there I guess we always want the road to be shorter than it is. 

I guess our big news is that we found out 2 days before Thanksgiving that we would be able to adopt Gus.  We’ve had him since he was a week old and we love him so much.  I really was so overwhelmed when they told me.  Honestly, I sobbed.  I was so prepared to have to give him up but I still loved him the way I would a baby that I had birthed.  I figure that they all deserve that, I’m a big person and can handle some hurt feelings but these little kids should know the love of a mom and dad.  We go to termination on Thursday and then start our home-study stuff which hopefully shouldn’t be that bad since we only have to update it.  I still really don’t believe it will happen, I don’t think I will until I see the Judge in his black robes! 

I’m going to try to be a better updater.  Happy New Year!