Cars

In the time we’ve had the boys we know one of their favorite things in the whole wide world is cars. Christian is obsessed with the movie Cars and anything that has to do with it. His favorite book is CARS, we’ve read it every night for the past 18 nights he’s been here. Out of all the books Zoe has, that is the one he wants us to read every-single-night.

My friend, Amanda called me the other day and told me she had a little something for the boys. She originally bought this gift for her son, Sam but something happened and they never ended up using it so, she gave it to us and it has been a hit. The kids play with it non-stop. What kid wouldn’t love a Hot Wheels Race Track??? Thanks Amanda!

Zoe has never been a real girly-girl so she loves playing cars/trains/trucks with the boys.

Today

Girls Morning

Zoe and I dropped the boys off at school and spent the morning together for a little girl time.

First stop.... Starbucks for some HOT Chocolate.

Second stop.... Fresh (warm) Pretzels

Hot Chocolate - $1.19
Caramel Macchiato - $3.35
Warm Pretzels - 3/$1.25
Quality one on one time with my daughter - PRICELESS!

Week 3

Today starts week three since the boys have been with us. I’m proud to announce we are doing great. The boys have settled in well and Zoe is doing fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, the kids get into little tiffs but that is just how it goes when you have three kids. They’ve all had quality 'TIME OUT' over the past two weeks but, overall they have been very good.

For the past week, about 6:15 am every morning, I’m awakened by Luis wanting to crawl into bed with me. (Shelli is usually already in the shower getting ready for work) Shortly after Luis, Zoe comes in with her baby wanting her morning love time and before I can get her settled Christian is awake and in the mix too. It’s me and my three babies laying in bed talking about what will be going on for that day. I must admit that is probably my most favorite part of the day. The kids are still half asleep, loving, and oh- so sweet. Although my morning ‘love time’ with the kids only lasts about 10 or 15 minuets, I love it!

Once we’ve talked about the day, it’s downstairs to eat breakfast and start the day. By the time we get downstairs; Shelli has started breakfast for the kids and the coffee is ready (YES!). It’s a huge help for me and I’m very grateful for her help. She even makes lunches for the kids when they have ‘school’. We have a system down and it’s been working absolutely fantastically. We weren't sure in the beginning if we’d ever get a system down. We thought life would be chaos from sunrise to sunset but, it’s beginning to seem just the opposite. We not only have a system down for us but, I have the kids on a schedule which helps me immensely.

It seems I'm always dropping off or picking up one of them. I’m taking the boys to the agency for visits with their mom, getting out the door in time to get them to different schools in the mornings, making sure they are all in the car, in the car seats, with book bags and lunches. We could never have imagined what life was going to be like with three kids, never the less, three kids all the same age. I didn’t think I would make it a week alone while Shelli was working. I never thought the three of them would get along so well, I was sure they wouldn't take naps or listen to me (after all I’m not their mom). The truth is...... none of it has been bad.

By the time the kids take baths, get in bed, I get the dishes done, lunches made, and book bags by the door, Shelli and I are ready for bed by 9pm. I don’t even have the energy to watch TV. Would I do it all over again? Most definitely!

Layla

Today Shelli and I attended an adoption conference, as we were dropping the kids off at the childcare we saw Christian and Luis’s sister, Layla. They were happy to see her and excited that they were able to play together while we were in workshops throughout the morning.

The conference was really informative and we also enjoyed seeing all the families we’ve become friends with along this journey. We also made a lot of new friends, which was really nice, and we enjoyed sharing stories and meeting everyone.

Cooking

Cooking 101

SOCKS

What a BIG day… This afternoon when the mail came, there was a package from Mamaw. Enclosed were Mickey Mouse socks for Zoe, Luis, and Christian. They were so excited to get something in the mail. I held out the three pairs of socks and they each picked the one they liked best. Christian immediately picked the red pair, Luis picked the grey pair, and Zoe picked the rainbow pair. It’s the smallest things that make them the happiest. They have been wearing them all night and even went to bed wearing them. I’m not sure what was more exciting, getting the socks OR calling Mamaw on speaker phone to thank her.

Doctor Visit

All my babies are SICK! This has gone on for over a week so I decided to take them ALL to the doctor this afternoon. It was one thing after another from the second we walked in the door.

For starters, the boys are insured through the state so we didn’t assume getting them seen by the doctor would be such a huge ordeal. We had all the necessary paperwork that we needed that shows we are the ‘care takers’ of these two boys. Needless to say, the paperwork I had wasn’t enough. I spent about thirty minuets on the phone with the case worker back and forth trying to get all the extra forms needed.

By the time the three of them got taken back, they were ready to go home. The nurse came in and lined the kids up to weigh them. Then they all sat on the table and waited for the doctor to come in and check them out. Christian was the only one who was unsure about the whole thing. First, he wouldn’t take his shoes off, stand on the scale, or even take his shirt off. He has to be constantly reassured that everything was okay. He gets very nervous in most situations and needs a little hand holding. After the check-up, they each got a cup of pretzels from the nurse so life was good. I, on the other hand was ready to get out of there!

Today...

The boys have started ‘school’ three days a week and they are doing pretty well. Mornings are pretty hectic getting everyone up, dressed, downstairs for breakfast, jackets on, lunches, back packs, etc. but once I’ve got them all buckled up in the car, the rest is a breeze.

They seem to be okay with going to school. Christian never wants me to leave him there but once I leave, the teacher says he is fine. When they are home with me, they all take naps, but of course, neither of the boys will take naps while in school. The teacher asked me if I have them on a schedule and I promptly replied, “OH YES!”

Since Zoe and I have a couple of days home alone, I try to make it a Mommy and Zoe day. Today Zoe went with me to drop the boys off at school and then we spent the rest of the morning together doing ‘girl stuff’. She likes having the boys here but she LOVES when she has me all to herself. Our day consisted of a few errands and Zoe even got a new pair of snow pants that she just HAD to have. On the way home, she wanted to stop for a donut so that is what we did. It was a nice morning even if we're both a little under the weather. Zoe has adjusted so well having the boys here and I’m so proud of her. She’s so compassionate. When we dropped off the boys at school, Zoe made sure the boys had their backpacks, lunches, and were in the right class before she kissed them goodbye. My heart swells with pride to see so much of me in my daughter.

Week One

Today makes a week Christian and Luis have been with us. As crazy as it’s been, for the most part everything is going pretty smooth. Well, as smooth as it can be with three kids about the same age. When the agency called us with twin boys, I looked at Shelli and said, “TWINS?” I mean how was I going to take care of three kids while maintaining my sanity? Shelli has to work so, unless it’s a weekend, I’m on my own. I just went with it; I figured we'd adjust as necessary and keep on moving.

I spent most of last week trying to get to know the boys. Christian is a very picky eater. There isn’t too much he will to eat or even try for that matter. He’s very basic, mac and cheese, pizza, hamburger, grilled cheese, pb&j, and hot dogs. And, he wants to put ketchup on everything. Luis on the other hand will eat anything you put in front of him. I cut up all kinds of fruits and veggies for Zoe and he is right next to her eating it ALL. He’s a very good eater and hasn’t turned down anything.

Luis is much more independent than Christian. If Shelli or I are not in Christian’s view, he starts to panic. He needs a little more reassurance that everything is okay. They are both very affectionate, we can't sit on the couch without have all three kids on top of us, not that I mind at all -- they are all so sweet. Luis loves to fall asleep on Shelli. It’s so sweet!

Zoe is doing fantastic considering all the chaos in the house. She’s sharing all her things with the boys and is always ready to lend a hand. She loves having the constant play time with the boys. She is however, having a little bit of a struggle getting used to the sleeping patterns. The boys wake up at about 6:45am on the dot daily, and Zoe isn't usually up before 9am. I try to do lunch about 11:40 because by that time they are all on the verge of breakdowns and ready for naps.
It’s a given they will all start telling on each other about 11am. Someone isn’t sharing, someone hit someone, some said something ‘mean’, etc.

Tomorrow the boys will start school. I decided to put them in school three days a week, opposite of Zoe’s schedule. I think the boys need to be in school to interact with other kids. They also have a biological sister (also in foster care) who is also attending the same school. I’m curious to see how it goes tomorrow. I don’t think they’ve ever been in school and I hope they will embrace it and enjoy it.

Overall, everyone gets along great and I feel pretty good. It’s a lot of work and we have no idea what is going to happen come next month, but at the same time, we have no control over what is going to happen either. Everyone is asking,” What if you get attached?” That will probably happen, how could it not? When you are taking care of any child, it’s hard not to get attached or love them, it’s a natural progression. We just have to keep in mind, these are NOT our children and we are here to help them, love them, and make them feel safe. When the time comes to send them back with their parents, we just hope that we made them feel safe and loved for the time they were with us.

Bed Time

Zoe wanted to read a book with the boys in their room before she headed to her room to go to bed.

Valentine's Delight

We had the most delightful Valentine’s Day. This afternoon we met up with the Johnson-McCormick family for a play date followed by a quick snack at Dunkin Donuts where the kids all enjoyed a donut of their choice. Christian and Luis were shy at first but it didn’t take them too long to join in on all the excitement. The boys did very well and I was so proud of them. I think the highlight of the afternoon was when Luis and Christian got to go down the slide with Meera. Heather stood by as Christian and Luis wrapped their little arms around Meera and went down the slide. That Meera is a champ, there isn’t too much she ‘complains’ or fusses about.

When we got home, I was getting ready to give the kids baths and we got a call from John and Bryan saying they were coming over with dinner. How lucky are we? We are so blessed to have so much support from our friends. Words cannot begin to describe how grateful we are to have such wonderful friends. They are always there for us and that means the world to us.

It was a hectic week but we made it. We are getting the hang of it and I am pretty proud of myself. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am known to think with my heart and usually when that happens I can get a little overwhelmed. I knew taking the boys would be a lot of work, so it’s left to me on weekdays to make things run. Things may not always run smoothly but we always pull through. Being a foster parent is one of the most selfless, yet rewarding things a person could ever do. I feel like I'm in a good place in my life right now as crazy as that may sound to the outside world --ha!

Update

The boys are going to be staying with us for a little while. They had a court hearing today and the judge decided we should keep them until mom can get back on her feet. As of right now, the next hearing isn’t scheduled for another month. We don’t have too many details on the mom. All we know is that these boys need us right now so we are buckled in for the journey of twins.

As soon as we got word we were keeping the boys, we called the agency to find out about what type of learning center we can get them enrolled in. They communicate okay, but are clearly are behind for their age. We want to make sure they are on track and don’t get behind. To our surprise, the center we were directed to was only five miles away. We called and made an appointment for this afternoon, packed up the car and headed out. The boys were excited about ‘school’ but we’re not sure if they really knew what to expect, or were just excited because we were going in the car somewhere. We also found out the boys have a 18 month old sister and she is also attending day care at the same learning center. After the tour and speaking with the director of the center we surprised the boys with a short visit with their sister, Leyla.

Leyla lit up as soon as she saw the boys, and started chattering. All three of them, as well as Zoe went straight for the toy box and took out everything inside and all played for a bit while we continued to chat with the director. They will only go 3 days a week but they will see their sister and I think that is very important.

After all the excitement, the pinnacle of the afternoon was a trip to the grocery store. Wow, it took a double AND a single cart, a box of chicken nuggets per kid, a quick side trip to the toy aisle and the rest is a blur. I'm sure we will get the hang of it after a few trips.

Zoe has been a fantastic foster sister. She wants to help all the time. I couldn’t be more proud of my baby. She’s so compassionate and I love that about her. She is still adjusting to all the commotion and having boys in the house. When we asked her if she was ready for them to go home, the answer was a resounding, ‘NO’.

Zoe says...

"Mommy, your car is like a bus!"

Off we go....

ME and the kids...

This morning everyone was up early and ready to start the day. After we were all dressed I packed a picnic, loaded all the kids in the car and headed to the park for a hike.

When we got to the park, we made a pit stop at the playground before starting our ‘hike’. Luis and Christian love anything they can climb on. Since they can’t do it in the house, what better place than the playground? The ground was super muddy from the snow melting so, before we even left the playground; I knew the kids were going to be filthy. Nothing that a little ‘Shout’ won’t get out!

On our ‘hike’, we saw lots of dogs, birds, and even a few butterflies. Zoe told the boys all about the geese and how much her Mimi loves them. Zoe doesn’t completely understand that Shelli actually works from home and doesn’t quite understand why Mimi can’t go to the park and other outings with us on weekdays.

I let the kids pick the picnic spot, so they chose a nice spot where they could see the water and watch the geese and ducks. After we ate I picked up and herded the kids to the car. I had to line them all up, take off their shoes, seatbelt them all in and head home. I called Shelli on the way and had her start baths for me. The boys were filthy from head to toe, but somehow Zoe managed to stay clean. Once out of the bath, everyone was in need of some ‘down time’, by that I mean, NAPS!

Twins

For the past two days, we’ve been fostering twin boys. The boys just turned three and they are pretty active boys to say the least. We are unsure how long they will be with us so we are just taking it day by day.

So far, so good! Sure, we are tired and everyone is still trying to get adjusted, but we will do what we need to do and all pull through. During the day, Shelli is working so I’ve been busy trying to keep all three of the kids from fighting over toys, spilling juice, and dropping goldfish crackers all over the house. Between changing ‘pull-ups’ and keeping the peace, it’s been a little hectic. But when Shelli is here (not working), life is pretty smooth. We have a system down and it seems to be working pretty well.

This afternoon when Zoe got home from school, I took the kids to the park. They had a ball running around and going down the slide every which way they could. When we got home, they had lunch and I attempted to put them down for a nap. Mind you the boys have not had a day of structure in their lives so I wasn’t sure if I was going to get them to stay in bed. After a few times going upstairs to tell them to ‘talk in their quiet voice’, they finally fell asleep. Will that happen again tomorrow? I don’t know but for today, I’m pretty happy about them napping. Night time is another story. That just doesn’t happen quietly, with foster kids or not! We will continue to work on that.

In this house we are extremely structured and there are rules. For the boys, they struggle a little with someone telling them no. It takes a few times but overall they are doing really well and I’m proud of them. Not everyone is as blessed as we are. Sometimes we have to help those who lose their way, I’m just glad we are able to help these kids who need a little extra love.