[txwannabemom]

R (7) has come so far so fast. She has such amazing abilities that she "forgets" that she's not MR. Like at this very moment. She was so used to people jumping up and down that she even wrote her own name, that she's confused when my expectations are a little higher. However once she does something worth being proud of...like complete her 3 sentences of homework, she GLOWS! She said "Now I'm a real girl with a real mama and I'm not a dummy no more!" Apparently former foster mom would "lovingly" call her "my little dum-dum". Where's the emoticon for fury?

Any way she is reading, writing, and ganing vocabulary at an amazing rate.

AND she threw a 20 min fit at school this week when she could not find a particular pencil (we had just come back from the school camp out: tired tired kids!) and OF HER OWN VOLITION stood up and apologized for "using drama to destruct (she's trying to say disrupt) the classroom" to her ENTIRE school at the community meeting. She's really an amazing girl!

We are ampped up for Xmas: our decorations are even up! I know it's early but.....it's our first together, my first as a mom, my daughters first in a family, my parents first grandchild! We are SUPER excited!

Her attachment issues (RAD dx) are anxiously attached, and she requires re-assurance, panics if I am in the bathroom too long, and wants to know if I still love her about 8-10 times a day. She first came home and used a blankie EVERYWHERE, but she is starting to leave it at home or in her backpack all day. We have a snuggle time at school before lunch every day (I work at her school) and she has started to be able to snuggle with out talking her self through the process "you just came to snuggle then you go back to work but you will come get me soon and you still love me".

[zebramom]

WOW! Everyone has so much going on. We could all use a little boredom in our lives.

DH and I have found great peace in stepping out of T's life. Foster parents think he's wonderful and a really fun kid, so we decided to let them have at it. They told me that I need to love him unconditionally. Not even going there. They took him on a college visit even though he is not on track to graduate at the end of senior year and current grades will not even get him into community college. He is tanking his life (again). Failing classes, stealing, starting some property damage, etc. I packed up the few things from his room that I bought when we thought he was going to come home and sent them to him with a note saying that I was sad with the choices he was making in his life but that we would always be his family and always love him.

Shorty is doing FABULOUS! We had parent/teacher conference a few weeks ago and it was such a switch, but in a great way. The teachers love her, no behavior problems, she is on track or in accelerated programs for all her classes, she has friends and get invited to parties fairly regularly and so on. Got her report card on Friday and it was all Ss and +s, which is the 2nd grade equivalent of straight As. In her accelerated (self paced) math program, she is adding subtracting 3 digit numbers working with borrowing and carrying.

She is a joy to have in our lives, loves us completely, knows she is here forever and is happy about it. She has empathy and wants to please. It is weird, but a good weird.

Earlier this year I started working on writing a book about my grandfather - the most amazing man I have ever met. It's gotten derailed and grandpa has been asking when we are going to finish it so I can complete it before he dies. I do not like him talking about death. He is my rock and the only family member (besides DH) that has stood by me and never questioned a thing I said. I know he's 91 and the time is coming, but I'm not ready!

Struggling through the economy issues. Things look better for a while, and then something comes to dash hope, but still trying to be positive. Working my very fun seasonal job!!!

[SAHmom]

An update...
D - is a junior in college and is making good grades. No surprise there, but am having a hard time understanding how a bright kid STILL can't do his own laundry, cook or fill gas in his car...??? All joking aside, he really is a good kid and I know I will regret saying this, but I would like him to be a lot more social. Unfortunately, he got that shyness from me {my YOUNGER years, of course!}.
J - lives on his own in another town with his girlfriend. Just texted me the other day that he can't pay his rent...again. Wanted to know what to do as he {again} doesn't have a job. I suggested getting another job and that THIS month we will NOT send money as we have the prior months. Guess he didn't like my response as I haven't heard from him.
T - finally got a job and I hear that he thinks he made a poor choice with moving out not having a place or a job or a car...you think? Wanted me to put him on our cellphone plan. Nope, not going to happen!
D - actually doing pretty well. Has saved her money from her job and hubby is taking her today to get her first car. Has pre-enrolled in our local college for next year and wants to be a teacher.
H - a freshman in high school. At times he is much like my younger children...definately NOT ready to date, but continues asking that he may be allowed a girlfriend. Found out that although we said no, he had a girlfriend. She ended up not telling him about the OTHER boyfriend she had, so they broke up.
A - Found out that his and "J" birthdad {the same one that s/abused them} was in an accident. I don't feel any compassion towards this men as he also had four other victims that we know of and no accountability whatsoever legally. Hard telling how many other victims he had. We haven't told "A" anything as I am waiting to see what happens.
N - him and "S" have fit in so well leaving us once again to realize that God has sent the children to us that were meant to be a part of our family.
S - has her drama moments, but it will only last for 15 minutes. She worries her brother, "N", as in the past, they were either moved when she acted up or she was placed in a facility. I haven't seen anything major, so am hoping it's just not the honeymoon!
C - has begun to talk in school more. This Selective Mutism drives me nuts. Can't figure it out and is such an interesting behavior. She talks - alot - at home, but clams up in social settings. You can tell she is bursting to talk, but can't/won't. I requested an IEP LAST year and was able to get her on one without a problem earlier this month. No fighting, no presenting why I feel she should be on one...they agreed! I thought I would have a fight on my hands as she tests ABOVE grade levels {two}, but with her not talking, she qualifies. The ironic thing is that although I told they HOW she would qualify, they put it under SPEECH...yep, and she doesn't talk.
S - has come a long way as far as negative behaviors. However, I made the decision to put her and "C" in different classrooms. Now "S" is receiving lots of Ds and Fs on her assignments. Per the teacher's request, she was tested for ADD and just started medication.
D - I have made the decision to transfer him back to the school our other children go to. Although he received extensive one-on-one there, he is also subjected to the sexual advances, bad language and more of the other children in the program. He has been stealing items from home and taking them to school. D is such a sneaky child as I had NO idea until the teacher called. Does a second grader REALLY need a locker, anyhow???? Good that I have a see-through backpack!
S - is my baby boy as he likes to call himself and needs reminders of. He no longer steals, but has a hard time sitting still in the classroom and is like the class clown showing off.
D - is slowly healing. I haven't heard anything from her state as whether or not the f/dad that abused her is being held accountable. Her tantrums are far and few between and last up to twenty minutes. A far cry from the 4 hours it use to be!
K - was too young to start school, so is in headstart. Is such a small built little girl, but when she is mad...wow! The temper comes out.
We started a new church not too long ago. It is interesting to see that when it's children's church, our children take up half the stage! LOL!
Hubby and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary in October. We took the night off thanks to grandmother and went out for dinner.
As for me personally, I am buried {!!!!} in laundry, paperwork, phonecalls, appointments {all types} that some days it is all I can do but to fall in bed exhausted. Not sure why adding ONLY two more has me spending my days running away trying to put more time into the day! I do, however, gets LOTS of hugs and kisses...can't have TOO many of those!
Here's hoping that everyone have a very special Thanksgiving!

[aspenhall]

We survived the swine flu. The Economy sucks, but we press on.

M, my 16 yr old sister is doing well. She's pretty much totally out of her shell. She works hard on her grades and is involved in the school musical right now. She just took a boy to Sadie's and although they went as friends, they had a blast. She was able to see how "asking out" works from the other side and how much stress/worry/work it is to ask someone out.
She is helpful around the house without any compliants and remains very respectful. I really don't even recognize the person she used to be.

A skipped the "October issue" for the most part this year. She continues to be a distraction in class, but is generally loving and kind and tender hearted. She's also hormonal, and dramatic some days! She got really good grades and is above grade level in every subject. She just won 2nd place in her school-wide storytelling competition, and competed at the district level yesterday. We find out the results on Monday. She'a natural on the stage. She's also able to be left home alone for small periods of time (10-15 minutes). She's trustworthy and consistantly tries to make right choices in every area of life. She is rarely sneaky or disrespectful. She's beautiful and brilliant and kind and ambitious and adveturous and talented. It's taken a lot of work to get to this point, but it's worth it!!!! I actually see myself being able to adopt again....that once was not even a possibility. (This time I'll be sure to get medicated first!)

Both girls are on the right track, with the right values and priorities and mind-sets. Parenting these days is rewarding and entertaining more than it is challenging and I'm VERY grateful to be at this place in my life. I kinda wish it could freeze and last forever!