Resting...

Everyone is having 35 minutes of quiet time, ALONE! They can read or just rest on their bed. I have exactly 20 minutes left. Do I go try to read and risk falling asleep? Do I try to be productive? I guess I will go read and risk going to sleep. I am SURE someone will wake me up as soon as they are all up.

School went pretty well today. I had to call all three girls back in today because they said they had completed everything. Well, they each had uncompleted assignments. They attempted to complete the assignments. Two were called in again for not completed them with their best work. They were doing just enough to get by. You don't get away with that in my classroom. Once again, the trust issue and testing their boundaries. All three girls!!

Thanks for all of the encouragement fellow adoptive bloggers!! It sure helps during the tough times!

Exhausting day today.

Today was our first day of really having school with the girls here. T, A, and M did school last week, but I was just evaluating the girls. I started the math program for next year with the girls and I am using some other literature things to finish the year. Thankfully, I found some spelling lists on line with some neat activities for them. They worked pretty well. One girl was very diligent. The other one was very tired. I found her asleep on the couch about 11 am. I wondered when all of the playing outside all day long would catch up. M actually fell asleep for a little while also. We did finish the school day. I finally made time to order two more rolling chairs for our school room. We have plenty of chairs around here, but everyone wants the one with wheels. The fighting over who gets the chairs gets old. Maybe I will have everyone stand while in the school room tomorrow. I guess that would make them do work in other rooms and maybe less arguments would occur.

This is a mentally exhausting task God has called me too!! I am so worn out by lunch!! I always have to be on my toes!! Until everyone gets trustworthy and comfortable..whew!!


We have had more meetings and devotionals in the last week than ever!! I have decided the best way to handle things right know is honest and up front. My husband read a great devotional at work today. He brought it home and shared it with me. We decided to have a devotional with all of the kids. Well, I think it went over their heads. T probably understood it. They all enjoyed reading their Bibles aloud. We are blessed that all five of the children can read!! I am thrilled about this as a homeschool mom!!

One daughter has slept two nights all night. She is very proud of herself and so am I. She really wants to please. The girls are starting to tell stories of things that have happened in their past. They are small incidences and you never know when they may share them. Another reason I have to always be alert on on my toes. They bring things up at odd times. I believe they are adjusting well. I believe the two way trust is building. I know this will take awhile.

It is hard to believe we MET the girls for the FIRST time two weeks ago today!! It feels like they have been in our hearts forever.

Please pray for Morgan. She commented to me tonight with tears that she is having to share most everything. I haven't made her share everything. Any clothes she has she can choose to share or not to share. Too me it is silly, to her it is huge. Tonight was a bath robe that is too little. It will fit the girls. She has a new pretty one that her Nanna made her, but she wants the small one just because. She is doing well, but I know it is hard. She is also having to share Mommy and Daddy.

Thanks for letting me ramble!!

The world doesn't revolve around you...

Our lesson today is that you don't get everything you want when you want it. We don't go eat where you want to eat because you want to. We don't make the boys change what they are doing because you want to do something where they are. I have been preaching about serving others and blessing one another. This has been heavy on my heart the last few days. I was blessed to hear Pam Tebow speak this week. She talked a great deal about serving others and selflessness. Today, our message at church was on blessings. We need to bless others, not curse them. This is what I am working on with all five of my children currently. We have a good home to practice serving each other right now. Our speaker spoke on how important the blessing of the father is to children. I pray that we can bless all five of our children. I wonder what happens with adopted children? Do they desire the blessing of their birth father as they get older? Will we as their parents, be able to bless them and fulfill that desire? I am trusting God to guide us through this entire process as he has so far!!

Thank you, God!

Today ended well. It was so fun hearing silly giggles in my room tonight while they were playing happily on the bed. They were all being sweet. It made my heart happy!! Thank you God for my precious children!!

The girls are all asleep. I pray they stay that way until morning! I am headed to bed, just in case!! Thanks for the prayers!!

It's a great day!!

We have had a great day today. The girls have all played well together. We loaded up 7 people, 7 bikes, picnic lunches, and Reesie, the dog, and went to the park for a fun afternoon. We rode bikes a bunch and played on the playground. Everyone seems happy. We are starting the bedtime routine early tonight. Hopefully, I will get more sleep. It takes awhile for them to unwind, so we are starting early.

They are outside now riding bikes and playing "Happy Day". They love this song!

Are we near the end of the "honeymoon" stage?

Well, today was an exhausting day. We had to meet with our state worker about 1 1/2 hours away to sign paper work for the girls. They don't like to travel, so they weren't happy about traveling. They also didn't understand why we would still do school today, just in the car. They adjusted after some whining. The meeting went well. The girls were all dressed the same. The workers took many pictures. The girls behaved very well during the meeting. They read, played with puzzles and colored. Then lunch with a friend began and the shopping began, with a fourth 3 year old in tow. I told them we had to stop this. Buying two pair of shorts, two shirts, and sandals for three girls adds up fast. I thought I was doing well at being thrifty and the total was more than expected. God will provide.

I think they are getting used to being in our family. The tempers are flaring, arguments are happening, feelings are hurt, someone is always left out, and on and on and on. I even had one raise her voice to me tonight. I stopped that immediately. I explained that will not be tolerated in this house at all. She can ask for help to clean up the mess she made, but yelling at me will not get anyone anywhere. Morgan got me alone and cried and had some good loving time. I had to explain to her that part of the problem is that she and one girl like to have their own way and be in control. They both can't always have their way. Anyway, lots of tears and hurt feelings today. We had another family meeting tonight. We covered that God sees everything you do and say even if Mommy and Daddy don't. They are beginning to really test me. I don't know why they haven't tested my husband much. I guess they will wait until I leave the house.

I already loved them before today. Today I had to discipline them as my own birth children. It is hard to do sometimes. I know they worry about rejection, but I also worry about them not wanting to be here. I also know that I have to have very firm boundaries right now. I am so exhausted by night!! I know everything is in God's plan and they are precious children. I am sure this will get much worse before it gets better.

It has difficult moments, but I wouldn't change anything!! We are truly blessed!!

Family...now.

We took some pictures yesterday afternoon before church. Pictured are our five children and Reesie, our puppy. I am not able to show faces until the adoption is final. I got the idea to take this picture from a blogging friend, Kelly. Thanks, Kelly!

Also, I played an Amy Grant CD last night when the girls were going to bed and they went to sleep on their own and slept all night. We also had many friends praying for us last night. Praise God!!