Roses:
-Bedtimes are still pretty smooth. The kids like the routine of a short movie after bath and pajamas, brush teeth, book, prayers and lights out. Thanking God for small accomplishments.
-We are working on our third day without a tantrum! (Sh... shouldn't say that too loud and jinx ourselves! ha) Dustin and I high-fived one another last night when all kids were asleep in bed, feeling encouraged by a second day IN A ROW without a meltdown! Praising God for the BIG accomplishments.
-Dustin got a completely unsolicited, "I love you" from one sweet little child last night at bedtime. He said it was wonderful!
-Giggles are contagious! How wonderful when any one of the five kids giggle. It is joyful and usually ends up causing others to join in the fun. Hearing our younger kids' laughter reminds us of great times when Madison and Sage were younger. As my mom would say, "It's all good!"
Thorns:
-The constant barrage of "Me no __________________." Fill in the blank with anything and it will fit into the current theme at our house. Me no eat. Me no brush teeth. Me no like. Me no swim. Me no boat (they love the boat.) Me no dress. Me no underwear. Me no watch movie. Me no THIS book. Me no car. Me no eat eggs (they love eggs.) Me no car. Get the picture? This is really our biggest struggle right now. We continue to use joking and mocking and it does help lighten the mood when a little person puts their foot down and begins with their current, "Me no..." It does get wearisome though. Dustin and I really try to stay positive and know it won't last forever.
-Dragging Feet! And this has absolutely nothing to do with adopted children, just children in general! Dustin and I have had to re-adjust to younger kiddos. We forgot how long it takes to simply load up in the car to go somewhere. Jeesh! I have had to watch the clock a little better and plan add time to whatever the schedule is just to get in the car and get seat belts on. It's getting better. Well, actually, Dustin and I are just getting better!
Praising God that there are more roses than thorns. All in all, each day offers more hope to getting into the groove of a new and improved, larger family. It's tough, it's a whole lot of work. But we are truly thankful!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Nikki - Praying for you all!:) I can totally relate to your post. I remember counting the tantrum free days and those first unsolicited hugs and kisses. And I remember the "me no ..." ALL the time. Every week gets better. It is CRAZY hard. But our God is BIG and ABLE! Blessing to your family! Sherry Semlow (home with 3 in May)
We are still praying and lifting you all up. Praying for adjustment, and You and Dustin the most. Can't wait to see you all at the end of the month.
Wow! Reading your updates reminds me of a time in my life when I was pregnant with our third and quite suddenly became the legal guardians of my husband's 11 year old nephew and 7 yr old niece. I remember them swirling into our lives and home like little tornadoes! So much extra noise, fun, laundry, food,...everything!! I was feeling completely overwhelmed one day and called a friend. Her short and simple advice made me angry at first. "Well, I guess it will all depend on your attitude."
That's it....no, "My this must be hard for you.." No "How can I help." Just a reminder that my attitude plays a huge role in how my days go. I have found her advice to ring so true now! When my attitude toward my kids (or anyone) is allowed to turn sour or negative, my actions quickly follow. When I think critical thoughts, I am not happy with anything my kids do....and they are very aware of it!!
Anyway, all that to say, I can see through your updates that you are focusing on the positive, even when some days, the negative is screaming for your attention. Keep it up! I'm sure your children are feeling very loved and secure. We continue to pray for you, knowing what a whirlwind your life must be!
Dawn for the Davis'
Yay for tantrum-free days and "I love yous"!!! (I remember once when Medina had been here for awhile. She said "I love you" to my parents and then turned and said, "mom, what does I love you mean?" Very funny!)
Hope the "me nos" get less and less.
Fingers crossed we get to meet your kiddos soon. If you make it up to the Queen even when it's not the big gathering, let me know. We never turn down an excuse for injera!
It's so good to hear from you! Ragarding the time to do things part....I always say that Grace is on Ethiopian time.....verrrryyyyyy slowwwwwww....... My parents live at the beach and we love going there and being on "Edisto time" but we have found that Ethiopian time rivals that and we can't always be on vacation! :-) I had to put a clock with a time chart in her room so that she could make it to school on time all year. Grace's favorite thing to do is eat so it was last on the list.....if there wasn't time for breakfast, then she had to eat a granola bar on the way to the bus stop. She learned quickly to do things much quicker. It has gotten better but it is still a struggle. She's in no hurry at all....if only I could learn from her and slow down a bit, we would be in great shape! :-)
Blessings,
Kristy
Post a Comment