Contentment is...
- Two sisters united under the same roof
- Two sisters giggling in the back seat
- Two sisters finishing up and filling in each others' stories
- Two sisters sleeping in twin beds in the same room
- Two sisters playing the "silent" game in the car and never once silent
- Miss M teaching Ms O all about Roses and Thorns
- Ms O roses being 1) sleeping overnight, 2) going to church, and 3) having pj day tomorrow
- Reading the bible story with one girl on my right and one of my left
- Ms. O volunteering to be the one to pray tonight before bed
- Rearranging the girls' bedroom to better accommodate two
- Walking in and out of church holding both of my girls' hands.
Prayer Requests as we step into this BIG transition:
- It's going to be hard on Ms. O going back tomorrow night and having to wait until Thursday to be here permanently. She's brought up that fact at this four times today already. Please pray the days go by fast for her...but slow enough for me to finish all I need to do!
- Ms O does not like the fact that Miss M calls me Mommy and has said more than one time something like "why do you do that", "that confuses me", or "I keep looking around for our mom when you say that", but so far Miss M is not letting up on the "mommy" label for me. I've told Ms O, like I did Miss M when she first arrived that she could call me Maryann, Mare, or Aunt Maryann. She's still deciding how she's going to refer to me.
- Miss M is already exhibiting small signs of "neglect" and "left-out" with comments like "when will it be my turn to talk", "wait, I wanted to say that", and "Ms O is better at _____ than me."
- Oy. Sisters. Love to love, love to tease, love to support, love to tear down. Been there, done that myself with my siblings - but I'm already feeling that big switch from one little girl who while she talks a lot, does like her quiet time and does play super well by herself going to 2 girls, sisters, in the same little car, same little bedroom, same little condo.
- Last Thursday my CFCA
on-going placement worker called the girls' CPS caseworker to help me
attempt to get the paperwork I need for flying, school enrollment,
medical, and daycare. I was told to email her my fax number and it
would be all sent via fax. Guess what. No fax. I am NOT a last minute
person in ANY way, shape, or form and this being out of my control
makes me a little insane to be truthful.
1 comment:
Maryann-
I was unsure when you were going to have the two girls living with you. I find it awesome that your time with them together in the same house/condo is fast approaching. Please realize and I hope my advice is wrong such that one of these girls may strike out towards not only each other or towards you with their words, but know that young kids can be mean because they don’t always realize the weight their words carry. I have no clue how these girls will actually behave. I am just basing my life experience with my previous interaction with young people.
First I have to say that you deserve props as to what is happening. Without you, these girls would not be where they are in their journeys of life together. Who knows where they would be or where their futures would take them. Know that until their birth mother irons her own life hurdles out, these girls are going to have an awesome and exceptional person to help guide them in their own paths through life.
To address the concerns, at least my spin on them – One) Ms O will be just fine; she will just need to be patient for a few days. I remember being young and how I thought the one particular day in front of me would never end. Fast forward twenty five years and I think the days with my wife are much too fast. Amazing how perspective will change things! Can you imagine a second thirty years ago was the exact same period of time it was when Christ walked this earth? Teach Ms O about patience being a virtue, or ask for a report on the subject. Two) Can we try a wager until Ms. O calls you “mom” or some close variation? Can we have two week blocks of time? I want the first two weeks. Three) Can I say “Sisters, oy vey?!” Four) The world has been spinning around the sun for thousands of years and will continue to do so until the Son of God graces us with His presence. In the same way these sisters have a mom that loves them now and there is no real need to worry about what if they do this or that. Look for the major points that will be scored. These girls’ lives are better for simply being fortunate to be in your family. Five) There are many things we cannot control in life. There is absolutely zero benefit to worry about a governmental employee doing what they said they would or wouldn’t even try to do. The people who do work for our government can be a quirky bunch! By no means do ALL of them screw you every chance they get, no, that job is reserved for the politicians which were supposedly "elected." There are some government employees who actually do try and make a difference. The only problem is they serve a limited term and human nature drives most of them to get free things for simply being popular. My point in this whole long and convoluted tangent? Worry about what is under your control. These girls are going to be with you during a large portion of the foreseeable future. Cherish the gift that you have been graced with and simply love the girls.
If you have any questions or are offended by what I have typed, please know a few things. Erica is fast asleep and therefore cannot edit and help me in clarifying my points. Secondly, know that I have a medically diagnosed severe traumatic brain injury. People who have those after the age of eighteen typically never wake up. Finally, know that I mean nothing but good things when I try to offer my feeble attempts at advice. My daughter isn’t even five months old, yet my experience thus far in life has been rather tunneled.
Be well
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