by Stacey | Dec 1, 2010 | Special Announcements
Today’s visit was a series of baby steps. Much like when Kaitlyn learned to walk we saw bold strides forward, staggering steps, and a few stumbles. The boys arrived at 4pm and seemed a bit out of sorts. They wanted to play outside. Then they didn’t. Then they did, and on and on…
We eventually came inside and played downstairs. It was all fairly uneventful. We ate a surprisingly quiet dinner and had a few power struggles which resulted in both boys choosing to sulk (much to their sister’s amusement). However they were easily drawn out of their pout and back into interaction with us.
After dinner we got all three kids into their jammies and watched Frosty the Snowman. Nicholas made a charge toward me and almost knocked the breath from my lungs as he knocked me back and cuddled in for about half the movie. His contentment in my lap was a nice surprise since he normally looks to Kevin for cuddles.
Kaitlyn slept the whole way to Fort Erie and both boys hummed in their car seats an off-tune rendition of Jingle Bells. When we arrived Foster Nanny was not home so we played in the front seats of the van while waiting for her. Our final surprise came when both boys didn’t want to say goodbye to us tonight. We drove home a bit stunned at how quickly their loyalty is shifting from Foster Nanny to us.
After a plethora of hugs and kisses Nicholas sat on the floor with his back to us, mad that we would dare leave him. Jonathan wouldn’t let go of our legs and dragged out the good-bye as long as possible. Kaitlyn giggled at their antics.
It’s not that we are happy they are sad to see us go, but it gives us hope that the transition can be made and they will both settle into our home. We are seeing small steps forward. One day at a time.
by Stacey | Nov 30, 2010 | Special Announcements
Today was our first full day with the boys and we got a glimpse of what life will be like from now on. They arrived by 9:30 am and Kevin drove them back to Foster Nanny for 6:30 pm already in their jammies and ready for bed.
All in all it was a good day. We got to see a bit more of their personalities’ and we are happy to report we are getting two wonderful boys. The day wasn’t without its challenges, but it was also full of rewards.
Kate stayed home from school this morning to play with them and our case worker arrived about 11am to see how things were going. We had a terrific morning.
After lunch Kevin went to work and Kaitlyn went to school and Mommy went insane. The boys had a not so quiet ‘quiet’ time. In no way will they ever nap in the same room again! They stayed in their room an hour and fifteen minutes totally against their will. I could hardly contain my laughter as I listened to them over the monitor scheming and playing.
After picking up Katie from school we did a few errands and came home to read books and play downstairs before dinner. All the kids ate a good meal and Kevin reported all three promptly fell asleep before he hit the highway.
Jonathan and Nicholas have crept into my heart these last few days and have each claimed a spot for themself. Life will never be the same again, but neither will I.
by Stacey | Nov 29, 2010 | The Weekend Visitor
(This post is written by Kevin.)
It’s been said that life is not about the breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away. An amazing sunset. A first kiss. A walk down the aisle. They all qualify. For our family, the last couple of weeks have been a series of these moments that have taken our breath away.
One of those moments has found a permanent home in my memory. It was the day we met our boys, Jonathan and Nicholas, for the first time. We had just finished an hour-long meeting with our caseworker that had given us their brief life history. Their story was fleshed out with some background details about their parents, grandparents, and a few aunts and uncles.
When that part of the meeting ended, she led us down a hallway and through a door. And that’s when it happened, a sort of surreal moment that seemed to be crawling in slow motion. About thirty feet away, in a different room, we saw our boys for the first time through a glass wall. I was supposed to be listening to our caseworker give us some final instructions before meeting them, but I didn’t hear a word she said. My eyes were fixed on my boys, a knot in my stomach, and a lump in my throat. The moment took my breath away.
In Psalm 139, the Bible says that God knows every one of our days before they came to be. The larger context of the passage tells us that not only does God know every one of our days, but he has known about them since before the creation of the world.
That means God knew about July 18, 2005 long before I did. He knew that on a blistering hot summer day in a crowded hotel in mainland China, we would get to hold our little girl for the first time. He knew that on a cold rainy day on November 22, 2010, we would get to meet our boys for the first time. Psalm 139 means that before any of what we see around us even came to be, God knew the day I would be born. He even knows the day that he will call me home to be with him forever. And he knows the same about you.
But only tonight did I realize something pretty amazing. On the way home from our visit with the boys, Stacey said that had we not moved to Niagara three years ago, our lives wouldn’t be changing in the ways they are right now. That’s not what amazes me; even in my limited understanding, I was able to put that together. Nor does it amaze me that Jonathan was born on July 11, 2007, and only three weeks later we moved to Niagara.
What amazes me is that God knew all of that before it came to be. He knows the beginning from the end. What amazes me is that God is the grand orchestrator of all things, and in the midst of weaving together his perfect plan, he is gracious enough to give us these simple yet profound moments that take our breath away.
Our visit at the boy’s foster home tonight ended by putting them to bed, Jonathan in his Thomas the Tank bed, and Nicholas in his racecar bed. As soon as we got home, Katie was off to bed, too.
Only then did I realize something else pretty amazing. Tonight was the first night that I got ‘good nights’ from all three of my kids. First from Nicholas. Then from Jonathan. Then, from my little girl and new big-sister, Katie.
And it took my breath away all over again.
by Stacey | Nov 28, 2010 | Special Announcements
Today was the first time the boys came to our place. Foster mom dropped them off, came in to see their new room, and said good-bye. They were so taken with their new toys in their room they didn’t fuss when she left. That was an unexpected surprise.
We went to the mall, visited Santa and had a photo taken of the kids with him. We enjoyed the mild weather and played in the backyard (they loved the playhouse and trampoline!). We cuddled on the couch and watched Handy Manny and The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and we dined on Kaitlyn’s favorite meal, chicken nuggets and fries.
It all felt very normal and nice. They boys played really well together, with Kaitlyn, or alone. They liked their room and responded well to our house rules.
Despite Nicholas’ happy disposition and easy manner it is clear the stress of travelling between two homes is affecting him the most. This will not be an easy transition for him.
Kaitlyn still likes her brothers (phew!). We have noticed she desires a bit more cuddle time with mom and dad at the end of the day. It’s an adjustment for everyone.
Tomorrow we go back to their foster home to have dinner with them and put them to bed. Kaitlyn is able to be part of the remaining visits – which is great. The daily visits are easing her into the big sister role a little bit at a time.
That’s all for now!
by Stacey | Nov 27, 2010 | Special Announcements
Today we picked the boys up with plans to go to an outdoor Christmas event in their community with their foster family. However Foster Nanny mixed up the dates and we found ourselves in downtown Ridgeway a week early with nothing to do. As a result we snuck away for a few hours of alone time with the boys.
We went to the park, to McDonald’s, and to Wal-Mart. Nothing really special, but our time together was wonderful. We received many compliments on our cute, well-mannered boys.
The boys have never really had a father figure in their life so they have really taken to Kevin. We heard a lot of “Daddy fix it.” and “Daddy do it please.” At one point I was walking towards the park with both boys and Kev decided to drive the van around to snag a closer parking spot. Jonathan looked up and asked, “Where’s Daddy going?” then called back with a wave, “Bye Daddy!” A bit earlier I stepped out of the van and Nicholas cried because, “Mommy was leaving.” They are taking to us really well.
At the same time we can see their happiness when we return them to Foster Nanny and the security they find in her home. I feel so blessed knowing they have been loved and cherished by their foster family the last two years. The attachment they have will make the transition very hard when they realize they will not be returning to her after the 10th. Please pray for their young minds and hearts to understand that they haven’t been abandoned by her.
This upcoming week they start visiting in our home, making it a bit easier on us and a bit harder on them – another transition that needs prayer.
Kate’s excited they are coming over tomorrow. She was at a birthday party today so she missed our visit but got some great one on one time with Oma. Thanks for checking in so frequently. It’s wonderful to see so many people following along with us. Kevin assures me he has a post coming soon.
