I guess it's time for an update seeing as how the boys have been here almost a month and I've only updated once!!
The first week or two was a really hard adjustment for me. Embarassingly enough, I broke down crying in front of our caseworker, of all people, who told me that everything I was feeling and dealing with was COMPLETELY NORMAL. After hearing that and talking it out with Cliff, I was able to stop withdrawing and start bonding with my boys.
It seems like the boys have been here so much longer than just 3 weeks! We are getting into a routine. They go to sports camp Mon-Fri which also helped me feel more normal and like things weren't totally spinning out of control. When they get home it's usually play outside for an hour, dinner, baths and bed. I'm learning to be VERY flexible and go with the flow. It's good to plan some things but more times than not we end up throwing our plans out the window and doing something else.
I really had to let go when it comes to food. I come from a "eat it or go hungry" mentality and you can't really do that when your caseworker comes once a month! We've ordered pizzas more times than I'd like to count and they eat corndogs and chicken nuggets often! We are starting to get them to eat veggies and fruits so I think it'll get better with time. D is SUPER PICKY (which you'd think I'd be used to dealing with Cliff!!) and doesn't really like to try anything new. He is the pizza lover and will ALWAYS say pizza (or corndogs) if you ask him what he wants to eat. Q is better about trying things, he's had some of my strawberry-banana smoothie (which he loves), strawberries, carrots, pickles, green tea, sleepy time tea...basically I'll tell him to eat something and 9 times out of 10 he'll try it. He'll usually only turn his nose up if D says he doesn't like it first. If I get Q by himself, he'll usually try it.
Q gets distracted by EVERYTHING!! He LOVES to touch everything. If he sees a button he has to know what it does. He'll take the magnets off the fridge and go around the house finding things that are magnetic. If you let him go upstairs by himself, he'll take ten minutes pausing on every step. He sings to himself in the bath. He's super cuddly and affectionate though. One morning we were cuddling on the couch and he said he was hungry so I asked him if he wanted to eat or cuddle and he said cuddle! So breakfast was a little late that day!
D is ACTIVE! I think he would live outside if we let him. He LOVES to go outside and play basketball! He also LOVES to ride his bike. He's riding without training wheels now! He had them for about two weeks I think and then he asked us to take them off and once they were off he took right off! Every day he comes home from Sports Camp (where they play sports ALL DAY outside) and asks to go outside and either play basketball or ride his bike. He loves to play volleyball at night in his room while we wait for Q to take his bath. He also loves to play lego video games with me!
Grandma and Grandpa David came out last weekend and the boys had SO MUCH FUN! Grandpa gave bull rides, which they LOVED! They showed Grandma how to play games on their ipods. They all built a train together. We went swimming, to the park, had pizza, and just had a really wonderful weekend.
I love seeing my boys love their grandparents, great-grandparents and Uncle Dale. Last night we were outside playing, they spotted Uncle Dale down the street and ran to give him hugs! They do this any time they see him, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandpa. I can't wait for them to meet the rest of their new family! They will love everyone!
Overall life is a LOT BUSIER now. We buy food A LOT MORE. We buy kids clothes A LOT. We're adjusting to our new normal and loving it!
xoxo
nikki
