November 27, 2011

I tried to get Zoe to take her earring out or find the other one this morning, but she was not having it so I didn't push it. Going to church went great. We had been listening the last several days to several of the songs that we sang at church (thanks to Todd Wallace!) and it was fun to see the girls try to sing along a little. Actually one of the girls was sort of making fun of the other for trying to sing. It was a NEW thing so it might her a little uncomfortable, I think. I have read that you should only introduce one new thing at a time for kids from hard places and boy have I seen that to be true!

In addition the girls wanting to go, Jason and I love being able to go worship and also see friends (who are our family) even if we can talk much. Since we sit up in the family friendly area (because we are keeping Isaiah with us) we usually hang out up there after the service to miss the big crowd exiting. Today a couple people came and chatted with us which worked really well because the kids could walk around. (HINT: If you want to talk to us, come up there after the 9:00a service!) We also hung out with the Scotts a little at church afterward, which was really great. The girls seemed semi-happy to see “Scott” (aka Owen) and Claire even asked Maria to hold Gibson (which I loved seeing!). Seeing just five of the Congolese kids running around at church was such a wonderful sight. It made me excited when all 20 some of the Congolese kids being adopted can hang out together!!

Jason played the dime/dice game with the kids while I made lunch. Right before lunch, Isaiah was standing on the stool by the stove “helping” and I guess put the ladel in the soup in a way that made some of the soup splatter on him, causing six blisters on his chest and two little burn spots on his face. Poor guy.

The girls were begging to go outside after lunch and Jason took them even though it was really cold – and they were not wearing enough clothes. After the boys woke up from naps we did our weekly weekend family outing for ice cream. We also stopped by Target because I needed to get a few things. I was telling Jason about what I said in last night’s blog post about the way people look at me in stores with all four kids. And he knew just what I was talking about when he pushed the (semi-like) cart with the boys in the toddler seats, Zoe in the infant/toddler part of the cart and Claire standing on the end of the cart. We were again, quite the sight! Thankfully, I am okay with it now.

While I was tracking down hot chocolate, I lost Jason and the kids and then found them in the toy section. Great. The girls were begging for more Barbie dolls clothes. This is where being able to speak to our girls with more than, “no thanks,” would be incredibly helpful. Instead, we stood there and tried to explain that we don’t have money to just buy things like that whenever they want. Jason said, “do you want to eat or do you want that?” Of course they wanted the doll clothes instead of eating. J We headed to the check-out lanes with two girls with very bad attitudes and Isaiah whining because he saw something he saw that he wanted, too. As we were walking out of Target, I was reflecting on how the condition of my girls’ hearts was nearly identical to that of my own just this last week, wanting a different life than the one God is giving me. They wanted what they did not have. They were not content with having just been taken out for ice cream and given many other wonderful gifts this past month. When they are home, they are fine not having more doll clothes. But seeing all the doll clothes out in the world made them want it. Just like me. When I see other families out there in the world, I am tempted to want what they have and not be content with what I have. I almost chuckled walking out of the store thinking about the smile that must have been on God’s face knowing that He is teaching me just as much as we were trying to teach our kids in that moment.

The bad attitudes continued before, during and after dinner. One of the girls kept asking for a number of things to eat after she had already had her limit. She was still grasping for control, upset at not getting what she wanted. Fortunately, the girls asked me for Christmas lights for the little tree I gave them for their room and I was able to spend the next 30 minutes or so helping them put them up. They were very excited about the lights, especially since after putting them on the tree, we strung them along a couple walls of their room. It was a good time of connecting with them after the big disconnection earlier.

I am at nearing my wit’s end with Isaiah and his sleeping. I’m sending out an email to a couple of adoptive moms before I got to bed because I need HELP. I was back to holding him, but the last four nights after I give him milk, etc. he gets out of my lap and wants to go to his bed (or our bed). Last night I started laying him down in our room with more lights on because Abram likes to sleep with it very dark (we trained him to do that) but I’m pretty sure the darkness scares Isaiah. Isaiah has been waking up the last few nights in the middle of the night. Last night at 12:51a, he woke up, I took him to the bathroom as always and then sat with him in his room so he could go back to sleep. But, he was not going back to sleep. So, I took him to our room and put him on the floor right beside me. He still did his little whine/cry thing. So, after an hour of all this, I finally put him in bed by me and I got the worst sleep ever. This pattern can’t continue. I am willing to go the extra mile for bonding but at this point I’m not sure what that is. So I am turning to those who have gone before me, hoping they can help! Part of the problem is that he takes a pretty long nap. But, I don’t make him nap. I simply sit him on the bed with books and he falls asleep, which makes me think he is tired and needs the nap. Maybe I should wake him up after an hour. Might have to try that.

Going to bed early tonight so I can finally get up early and get back to my normal early morning routine. What a gift to have Jason home for FOUR days in a row. I imagine tomorrow will be tough, but I am trusting in this:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

He will give me everything I need to make it through tomorrow.

Someone must have taken this before church this morning (while I was straightening Claire's hair).
I tried to get a picture of Claire holding Gibson but he was on his way out of her arms. :) I love the smile on her face.
This is what I found when I went to check on Isaiah during his rest time/nap. Cutest picture ever!
The girls outside doing what they LOVE to do!
Here comes Zoe across the street.