Getting Creative {with twins!}

So late Monday evening we welcomed two new little girls into our home: Twin T and Twin E. Sissy was especially excited because the girls are only a few weeks older than she is (they will turn 6 at the end of this month). Yesterday was a bit of a blur as I shopped for school uniforms and supplies, bought groceries, picked up our ground beef (from my chicken people!), and made 3 trips to the school to enroll the girls--all with 5 children 5 & under in tow! We made it through the day with surprisingly little drama, save Sissy's meltdown because the girls didn't play with her enough throughout the day. These girls have been through quite a bit, and though we've been warned to watch for anger issues, they seem very sweet. Still, I was looking forward to the calm this morning, to spending time with my 3 youngest, schooling Sissy and Bubba, and getting some much-needed housework done. But then nothing around here tends to go as planned, so I really was not surprised when I arrived at the school to find the girls were not in fact enrolled yet.

Now, when new kids come into care, usually very little is known about them. We receive a form stating they are in our care, which also serves as proof of insurance. Theoretically, we are supposed to receive insurance cards after awhile. But we have never received a birth certificate or social security card. Twice (out of 11!) have we been given shot records. This has never been an issue before, especially since our previous three older girls were transferred from other schools who had the required documentation already. Unfortunately our school was unable to get the shot records from the twins' previous school. The shot records on file with the state showed they were not up-to-date with their vaccinations. So this morning I was told the girls could not attend school until the shot records were received, and I should go home and wait for them to call me when that happened. I should have dealt with everything right then, but I had five antsy kids on my hands and I didn't have all of my wits about me. Instead, I came home, called (& emailed!) the caseworker and then called the girls' aunt, who had previous custody. She wasn't sure if she ever had shot records, but insisted that everything that she had was given to the caseworker. She did give me the phone number (from the phone book!) of the pediatrician who she thought she'd taken them to. Unsatisfied, I called my pediatrician to see if I could get in and get them shots. No well-child appointments available for six weeks.

Then it hit me: kids don't NEED to be vaccinated before they can attend school. I know from my own research that they cannot force me to vaccinate my children. Now, I understand that CPS is actually the guardian in this case, and that foster children are supposed to be vaccinated, and I fully intend to have these girls vaccinated in a reasonable manner. However, they also need to be in school.

So I called the school back and asked if they could locate the vaccination waiver form, informing them that I would be bringing the girls back shortly. I may have stretched the definition of "personal belief" a bit this morning, but I believe that it is in the best interests of the twins to be in school while we sort out all of this mess. I had to get a little creative this morning. Do you think they'll question it at all? How have you needed to use your creativity lately?


73. Twins!
74. comforting Twin T after she hurt her knee last night
75. Bubba's budding sense of humor
76. Budders' singing
77. seeing our first foster son at the Christmas party on Saturday
78. hearing encouraging stories from fostering friends
79. my supportive friends and family
80. that I have a Rock that cannot be shaken

Sanctification

On Wednesday we welcomed two sisters, ages 7 and 9, into our home, officially doubling the number of children in our house in less than a week. Sissy went from being the oldest to having 3 big sisters. Budders now has 3 girls he really doesn't know trying to lug him around (and running him to me every time he cries! Yikes!). And Bubba and Sissy are both having to adjust to older kids with different senses of humor and pet peeves. They are altogether adjusting very well, and I am proud of the love that they are showing their new sisters.

The big girls are adjusting to life in a new house, new authority figures and rules, new younger siblings who {sometimes} annoy them. They are learning new routines, attending new schools, making new friends, and missing friends and family.

I won't try to pretend that this is easy. Foster care is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am adjusting to a {much} high noise and chaos level. I am learning trying to figure out which fights to pick. I am struggling a bit watching Sissy and Bubba get exposed to things I have tried so hard to shelter them from. I hate watching them feel left out or picked on or talked down to. I am having to draw the line regarding what words, music, et cetera we will allow in this house, resulting in disappointed girls (and losing some of my fun-mom-ness). I have had moments when I miss "just us." I have thought What are we doing? But I have also watched these girls come a long way in this short time that we have had them. And I am {learning} to love like Christ. Sanctification. It's what this is all about anyway.




16. FG's first prayer!
17. family worship on a full bed
18. a hug from my 9 yr. old {this is a BIG deal!}
19. 7 yr. old's {first} prayers
20. FG asking to be baptized!
21. my awesome mother-in-law-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAREN!!
22. hours of giggles
23. not having to worry about dinner after school this week--thanks to my awesome MOPS friends!

Our Family Closet {with HONEST pictures!}

When we were looking at houses to buy, one of my favorite features about this house was our closet. It has nice built-in shelving, and is HUGE compared to all of our previous closets. However, I did NOT plan on filling it as full as it is now!

I also liked Sissy's closet, which was also customized, but after a few weeks with clothes at her level, I knew a change was in order. Like many little girls, Sissy would change clothes fifty several times a day, leaving me up to my ankles knees in laundry if I ever stepped foot in her room.

So we tried out the family closet. Although I still have to pick kids' clothes up off the floor once a week or so, I find it's much easier to manage than 3 separate closets. I also like the simplicity of putting clothes away.  So here you go, in all of its cluttered-glory, our family closet:

On the top shelf are Bubba's pants and shorts, as well as some of my fabric stash (in the tote). You can't see it behind the door, but we have Ikea hanging storage compartments for Bubba & Sissy's underware, pajamas, etc. This side of the closet also hold's Bubba's shirts & Hubby's dress clothes.

The shelves on the left hold Hubby's computer books, some blankets, Hubby's pants, too-big clothes for the kiddos, Hubby's shirts & Budders' shirts.

Directly as you walk in the closet are shelves holding purses, our sock basket, the iron, etc. To the right are my tops, dresses, skirts, and Sissy's dresses and skirts.

And to the right are my maternity clothes (in totes), my coats, Sissy's tops and hanging compartment, Budders' clothes in the hanging drawers, and the changing table, which houses our cloth diapers. With the exception of Sissy's undies, this is how I found the closet when I went up to take the pictures. It's not completely organized, but I love it--a family closet works for me!

A New Arrival!

Miss P joined our family in the wee hours of Sept. 11th, 2011. She just turned 3, and is very... spirited! We had planned on restricting our license to five- to ten-year-olds beginning next month. Apparently God had other plans.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8,9

The noise level in our house just doubled with her addition, and I am going to have to keep much more focus on the kiddos. I am learning to value people more than possessions-as Miss P just poured her milk ALL OVER my sofa- and exercising my patience. I appreciate all prayers on our behalf- especially that we would show His love in the midst of our exhaustion, frustration, and chaos.