4 months

There is a lot to process. Most days are good, mostly. Everyone is fed and clothed and we can say I love you at night and even mean “I like you.” I said most, not all. Because some days I don’t even like myself much less these whiney, arguing, snack needing, amusement seekers who have 360 questions each. I am fielding over a thousand questions a day and I’m exhausted. Because only 900 of those have actual words. The rest are a combination of grunts, signs and words that don’t really mean what you think they mean.

“Mama, mama” is her favorite. Since she doesn’t really have many words that could mean “pick me up” or “look at this” or “I want what my brother has.” If it’s the latter I can usually guess by the yell and angry eyes she throws in his direction.

She can now say “sit” “down” “done” “sí” “agua” “sissy” “eat” and another few I can’t remember, but just because she says them doesn’t mean she meant it. She’ll let me know I guessed wrong by yelling at me again and usually with another “mama” or 5 thrown in for emphasis. But gosh is she the cutest!! Her little glasses and curly pig tales and squealy little laugh will get me EVERY TIME! Her big hugs and her “mas ticko” for more tickles just melt my heart. She is a gift to us all and I can’t imagine life with out her!!!

This is why God made two years olds cute. So you love them even when they are exhausting.

I hate conflict. I like to anticipate other people’s needs and preferences so I can become what they need or want and avoid as much conflict as possible. I’m not saying it’s healthy it’s just what I know about myself.

You can’t avoid conflict with children. It’s everywhere and it’s constant. And no matter how much I anticipate needs there are still 5-28 more in the next minute that I didn’t see coming or couldn’t move fast enough to prevent. And I can’t just let them have what they want all the time. Saying nothing of the monsters they would become, but because most times what one wants is in direct opposition to another sibling. Guys four kids is a lot of opinions and attitudes and demands.

I’m just so tired. Mentally. And physically, but mostly mentally. My brain is going as fast as it can. By God’s grace and wisdom we have more routines and rituals and schedules in place to help keep things as predictable as possible.

The crazy feels more manageable when at least you can predict it. Because then you can also predict the end, or at least have hope for it.

We know that new people, social worker visits, and visiting other people’s houses will make sissy more squirrelly for an hour or 36, or something in between. But we also know that hugs and holding her and telling her how special she is can calm her down…mostly.

We know that a lot of new or a lot of memories

(That’s where I left off last month. Since the big kids are in school and therapy got cancelled today I finally have time I’ll pick it back up now…)

might mean bed wetting. She has lived so much life before us and though we have bits and pieces most of it is a mystery. She tells lots of stories and we don’t know what’s true and what’s not. What’s fantasy and what’s real. We had something really fun here one day and then the next week she told us of a memory that was exactly (and I’m talking detail for detail) the same only it was with bio family. We know it’s not true because they have never been to our house before. It sometimes feels like new happy things get sent to them and old tragic things get blamed on us. It’s not easy, for any of us. But it’s not all bad.

Something easy and wonderful has been school! We had no idea how it would go sending two to kinder, but we have been shocked by their willingness and happiness to go. Granted by Thursday they are tired, grumpy and over it, but they do it and after the weekend are usually excited to go back. And no one needs me to walk them to class!! I am in the drive through drop off line and it’s barely September! This is a miracle! Having Sissy and Avery in separate classes helps I think.

Baby girl has grown about 12 months in the 5.5 months they’ve been with us. This is amazing. Her gross and fine motor skills are almost the same as her chronological age. Her self help skills are catching up. Her words are not. So we continue speech therapy twice a week. We have our first IEP next week and I am excited to see what the plan is for her. She is smart and kind and empathetic. She has much passion and will gladly cuddle me if dad is not available. She loves hard and we are thankful.

Somethings are so good. Most things are hard. Sometimes my compassion runs out and I yell and hate it and myself. Sometimes I can let it all roll off of me and sometimes I take it all personally. We have a lot of highs and lows and the lows are lower than I’m used to. But we’ve lived through it and will continue to do so. We look forward to one day finalizing, but we don’t know how long their case will be stuck in appellate court, 3, 6, 12 months more?

If I let my hope be in anything else but Jesus I am a mess. If it’s in my comfort it’s non existent, if it’s in their behavior it’s uncertain at best. If my hope is in me having things together it’s hit and mostly miss. I need Jesus so bad. I need His peace and strength and steadfastness. Since He can calm the physical storms I’m banking on Him calming the emotional ones in me.

Thanks for loving and supporting us. Thanks for praying for us and helping. Pray for me and the kids. I have yelled way more than I ever planned to as a parent. I want to stop. Pray for more connection with each one and strategy to pour into each one.

Pray for the girls’ case to move along the system and not get stuck and that as we wait we would grow in love and grace more and more.

Pray for Evan in his nut allergy program. He is doing well but as we updosed pistachios to 250mg last week he is starting to have tummy aches. It makes me afraid for what 1/8 teaspoon will be this week.

Pray for Avery and that we would find outlets for his energy and emotions so they don’t come out in screaming and hitting.

Pray for Gunn and I as he is traveling more. We want to be a good team that loves and appreciates each other. Pray for us to keep our eyes on Jesus.