The simplest gesture can sometimes leave a huge impression...
This evening I had a meeting at home scheduled with a therapist to evaluate Miracle. She let me know she would be toward the later end of our meeting time, so I decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work without all the kids. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected, so that by the time I was loading the car, I should have already been home. (Luckily she ended up being even later.)
I was stressing as I closed the trunk and pulled my purse and papers out of the grocery cart, not to mention sweating in 100+ degree heat. As I was about to decide how far I was going to walk to put away the cart, a very nice teenager asked, "Want me to take your cart?" She and her mom had just finished loading groceries into their car next to mine, and she was about to put their cart away.
I replied, "That would be great! Thank you very much!" That simple act of kindness was just what I needed at that moment in time. As I got in my car, I wished I would have said more.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Loving on Baby
BB and Precious loving on Miracle.
Just between you and me, I think Miracle was about done,
but she was eating up the attention when they started!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
High Five
I am celebrating! BB went poop on the toilet! Yeah, too much information for some of you, but trust me, this is a BIG DEAL. BB learned to pee in the toilet over a year ago, but he wanted NOTHING to to with potty training. It became a control issue, so I dropped it.
When Miracle came, I needed to put BB in daycare at a center. Since he was already three but not yet potty trained, he went to a special class that focuses on potty training of older two year olds and three year olds. The teacher is amazing, and peer pressure helps. BB has been staying dry most of the time at daycare where he is taken consistently every hour with everyone else.
At home, he still had control issues at first, but then I instituted jelly beans! He gets three baby jelly beans whenever he pees on the toilet. Now he is willing to sit and try, and he usually can get at least something out.
Yesterday, I took BB and Precious to therapy (OT and speech). Before it started, I checked their diapers. BB had poop, so I cleaned him up and asked if he wanted to go potty. He sat on the toilet, and SURPRISE - poop came out. It shocked him as much as it shocked me. I made a big deal and he was very proud. Hopefully, he can repeat this, now that he connects what it feels likes.
Finally, I have a glimmer of hope that BB might get potty trained this year. It would be nice to have only two in diapers again! Ha ha!
When Miracle came, I needed to put BB in daycare at a center. Since he was already three but not yet potty trained, he went to a special class that focuses on potty training of older two year olds and three year olds. The teacher is amazing, and peer pressure helps. BB has been staying dry most of the time at daycare where he is taken consistently every hour with everyone else.
At home, he still had control issues at first, but then I instituted jelly beans! He gets three baby jelly beans whenever he pees on the toilet. Now he is willing to sit and try, and he usually can get at least something out.
Yesterday, I took BB and Precious to therapy (OT and speech). Before it started, I checked their diapers. BB had poop, so I cleaned him up and asked if he wanted to go potty. He sat on the toilet, and SURPRISE - poop came out. It shocked him as much as it shocked me. I made a big deal and he was very proud. Hopefully, he can repeat this, now that he connects what it feels likes.
Finally, I have a glimmer of hope that BB might get potty trained this year. It would be nice to have only two in diapers again! Ha ha!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Under One Roof
It is so nice to have everyone back under one roof again. My parents have been a huge blessing and have been here the last two days to help with childcare for Precious, BB, Buddy, and May while I worked. This evening I picked up Sweets and Miracle. Miss M is not here this week due to a family emergency. We so miss her and hope all is well.
Everyone was excited to be back together tonight. It seems like Miracle has grown and changed so much in just over a week! Sweets and Buddy are having a slumper party on the floor of his room tonight. Thank you, Lord, for my fabulous family!
Everyone was excited to be back together tonight. It seems like Miracle has grown and changed so much in just over a week! Sweets and Buddy are having a slumper party on the floor of his room tonight. Thank you, Lord, for my fabulous family!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Awesome Choir Tour
Today May and I returned from the San Francisco bay area, concluding a six day Children's Chorus tour. Two touring choirs (middle school and high school) totalling just under 80 choristers plus almost 20 adults flew to SF Tuesday morning. That day we visited Fisherman's Wharf, ate sourdough bread bowls, biked to the Golden Gate bridge (well, some of us almost did), enjoyed dinner at Bubba Gump's, and crashed hard that night.
Over the next few days, the group participated in a choral clinic at Chaticleer plus attended one of their marvelous concerts in Berkeley, visited Alcatraz, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Six Flags in Vallejo, sang for mass at historic Mission Dolores, rode a cable car and other forms of public transportation (totally new for most of the kids), went on an evening dinner cruise on the bay, and performed in a joint concert with a local children's choir following an afternoon choral festival.
It was a very busy, but well organized and outstanding trip! May loved it and is very excited to continue in this high caliber group. This is her fifth year (but first year in touring choir), and she has the opportunity for four more!
To make it possible for me to chaperone, the other kids went various other directions. Sweets went home to dad's, but she wasn't upset about it because her bio mom seems to be making the days better than they have been before. Hopefully, I will pick her up later this week, and then we will find out the rest of the story! Miracle went to respite in the foster home where she was first placed. They were very happy to have her back and I'm sure she was well loved.
BB and Precious went "on vacation" at my friend's house. They now have 13 kids, bio, adopted, and foster. Two more fit in just fine (grin), and mine are used to visiting there and know the family well. Apparently, they didn't get homesick much at all. BUT they both were VERY happy when I walked through the door this evening to pick them up!
Buddy had a last minute change of plans. He was supposed to fly to Ohio to visit my uncle. Unfortunately, a last minute emergency in Ohio made that impossible and his trip was postponed less than an hour before he boarded the plane. The flight May and I were on was delayed, so we were still at the airport when my parents and Buddy had to cancel his flight. He came and found me (luckily we were on the same airline in the same terminal) and he was so upset. I told him we would reschedule his trip. He spent the week with Grandma and Grandpa instead. At first he wasn't too happy about that, but it sounds like he had a great week after all and will be home tomorrow night!
Whew! Now that that week is over, as well as all that went into getting through the end of the school year and preparing for these events, maybe I can catch up and get back to more regular blogging.
Over the next few days, the group participated in a choral clinic at Chaticleer plus attended one of their marvelous concerts in Berkeley, visited Alcatraz, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Six Flags in Vallejo, sang for mass at historic Mission Dolores, rode a cable car and other forms of public transportation (totally new for most of the kids), went on an evening dinner cruise on the bay, and performed in a joint concert with a local children's choir following an afternoon choral festival.
It was a very busy, but well organized and outstanding trip! May loved it and is very excited to continue in this high caliber group. This is her fifth year (but first year in touring choir), and she has the opportunity for four more!
To make it possible for me to chaperone, the other kids went various other directions. Sweets went home to dad's, but she wasn't upset about it because her bio mom seems to be making the days better than they have been before. Hopefully, I will pick her up later this week, and then we will find out the rest of the story! Miracle went to respite in the foster home where she was first placed. They were very happy to have her back and I'm sure she was well loved.
BB and Precious went "on vacation" at my friend's house. They now have 13 kids, bio, adopted, and foster. Two more fit in just fine (grin), and mine are used to visiting there and know the family well. Apparently, they didn't get homesick much at all. BUT they both were VERY happy when I walked through the door this evening to pick them up!
Buddy had a last minute change of plans. He was supposed to fly to Ohio to visit my uncle. Unfortunately, a last minute emergency in Ohio made that impossible and his trip was postponed less than an hour before he boarded the plane. The flight May and I were on was delayed, so we were still at the airport when my parents and Buddy had to cancel his flight. He came and found me (luckily we were on the same airline in the same terminal) and he was so upset. I told him we would reschedule his trip. He spent the week with Grandma and Grandpa instead. At first he wasn't too happy about that, but it sounds like he had a great week after all and will be home tomorrow night!
Whew! Now that that week is over, as well as all that went into getting through the end of the school year and preparing for these events, maybe I can catch up and get back to more regular blogging.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Court for Baby
This morning was a court hearing for the new baby's case. At a friend's suggestion, she will be called Miracle here on the blog.
Everyone was present in court, except any bio parents. No parent has even contacted CPS since mom's initial contact. Mom never had any visits and was late to the very first hearing. She hasn't showed for the second and third hearings.
Miracle has a different judge than either BB;s case or Precious's case. This judge is much slower and more cautious in moving away from family reunification. However, in this case, with two prior terminations and no parent making any effort, the INITIAL case plan was set as severance and adoption.
Next court hearing is end of August and TPR will likely occur then unless something radical changes.
Miracle's case is like a whirlwind from the moment I learned about her. She is an absolute doll and is doing extremely well. I love when she smiles back. Hopefully, her life can move forward quickly and be drama free, at least in this arena!
Everyone was present in court, except any bio parents. No parent has even contacted CPS since mom's initial contact. Mom never had any visits and was late to the very first hearing. She hasn't showed for the second and third hearings.
Miracle has a different judge than either BB;s case or Precious's case. This judge is much slower and more cautious in moving away from family reunification. However, in this case, with two prior terminations and no parent making any effort, the INITIAL case plan was set as severance and adoption.
Next court hearing is end of August and TPR will likely occur then unless something radical changes.
Miracle's case is like a whirlwind from the moment I learned about her. She is an absolute doll and is doing extremely well. I love when she smiles back. Hopefully, her life can move forward quickly and be drama free, at least in this arena!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Updates in Bullets
May
- turned 14 years old this month
- graduated from eight grade
- preparing for choir tour to San Francisco
- participating in church mission trip this summer
- finishing fifth grade
- read over 1,000,000 words to win prize at school
- home life has been crazy since bio mom moved in
- looking forward to summer
- completed fourth grade
- active in and loving Cub Scouts
- looking forward to Cub Scout daycamp
- flying to Ohio by himself to visit my uncle in June
- speech and physical development "within normal range" per school evaluation
- accepted to development preschool for fall due to behavioral/social issues
- loves the activities and does well at daycare but major separation anxiety
- very protective and helpful with new baby sister
- adjusting to baby sister and now showing love to her
- mild stomach issues lately causing problems sleeping
- starting a screaming phase when she wants something
- no real talking but able to communicate with some single syllable sounds
- two months old
- weighs 9 pounds (6 pounds at birth)
- eating and sleeping extremely well
- looks a LOT like BB when he was little
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)