End of the Day

Well, it took until mid afternoon but she came around.

Basically I set her on the harp bench outside and every once in awhile I would ask her to stop screaming. Finally I had to leave to run a quick errand. Brianna mowed and let her sit until I got back and then I gave her a job picking up branches in the orchard. She screamed over this for about an hour. I tried disciplining her for the screaming but there was no use. She was bent on having her way and beyond reason...

Finally about 2:00 PM she decided to do the job and by 3 she was done. I did not let her in the house - I was working out in the greenhouse and I would not let her run off and play, either. She had to stay right by me. Her pajamas were a dreadful mess this evening and so she had to hose them off as well as herself before I would let her in. She took care of things bravely.

After her hot shower she came and apologized and says tomorrow she'll be a good girl. I told her I would not be telling her to do anything before breakfast. She knows what she should do and if she doesn't do it it will be today all over again. The ball is in her court.

I know she was thinking because she was sitting outside the greenhouse kind of talking to herself about Jesus' happy heart.....

So our foster care respite babysitting episode is almost over.  Having another special needs boy in the house has shows us just how soft hearted James is. This boy is hardened. He's 11, very obviously FAS,  and unattached to anybody. He has called me mommy from the second he was in my charge and that feels so ick because it's just a term to him, normally he would call me Mrs. **** when he's with our friends- his regular foster parents. This kid is even more unmotivated than my kids. Apparently his favorite thing to do is play the wii, which we don't have.  He is 11 but very developmentally delayed and still in diapers. It's soooo about control. He changes himself every time he uses them. If he can do that, he can use the toilet. They told me he would not poop in his pants... but the very first day he did just that. He ripped the hood right off of James coat - the entire seam right off of James. Anyway, he hasn't liked being outside all day, but that's the way it is when I'm working in the gardens.

I'm praying my tomatoes survive their first night in the greenhouse. Boy, do we ever have a lot of tomato plants! It felt just like summer working in the greenhouse. The thermometer said it got over a hundred and ten  - so we cooled it down. I hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. The contrasts might be a little much. I'm keeping the eggplants and peppers inside. You can bet I'll be listening for the frost fans in the valley tonight. Used to be I woke up early every morning about 4 and then last year I started waking at 3 and these days.... it's 2 AM!! It's nuts, but the one thing good about it is I actually fall back asleep by 4 or so, but if the frost fans start I'm done for. Nothing like the sound of a few helicopters hovering over your bed! Ah, but I like fruit so I put up with it (as if I had a choice.)