Signs of Progress

Sometimes I have to stop and take note. I have to consciously take time to see how far the children have come and be aware of what is different from before.

The twins are doing exceptionally well. They are actually learning. They are learning to follow expectations and to control themselves quite a bit.

Having said that, James missed the bus yesterday. Missy missed the bus today and then she proceeded to scream and rage when I told her she wouldn't be going to school today. I can't walk her today (was in the ER with Oscar with croup and ear infections last night and I have a migraine, James is home with the flu bug) so not possible for me to put all my energies in her direction. Took an hour for her to come to terms with that. BUT she did! I can wish she never had the rage at all, but there was a time that something like this would set her off ALL DAY! We still have moment by moment issues, but they aren't as intense or as long and hard. I can be grateful.

Missing the bus was their way of "testing" to see if everything still holds true.  James walked to school yesterday. Missy gets to stay home and be my right hand today. And she is. She has unloaded the dishwasher and put away the dishes and she is rinsing and refilling the dishwasher now. She's doing it well and is past her frustration over missing the bus. James is laying on the floor playing with the Fisherprice farm set. I am listening to him play pretend - the little people are talking and herding cattle and feeding pigs and sheep. There was a time he would not have known what to do, or how to play with these things. He's almost ten, but there was so much these kids missed out on when they were little that I figure it is healthy enough for them to learn how to play with little kids toys.

 I have to be on top of everything at all times, still. James fed the plastic chickens .... but it was almost 9:30 AM before I realized he had gotten away with not feeding the REAL hens yet. Somehow in their minds it is still my responsibility to catch them and make them... even though I have been striving to teach them to be responsible for what they know is right. It will come. It might take a long time, but it will come eventually.

Oscar is a sick little dude, but whatever they gave him in the ER made all the difference in the world. Pieter is starting to relax and let down his guard a bit. The daycare lady mentioned she saw him shed a few tears for the first time. I told her it was a good thing. He was too perfect to be real... And we are starting to see it at home, too. He cried mad this morning over something. Everybody smiled and said, "Well, its nice he is starting to trust and be real".

Received a text from Brianna this morning. She's already giving violin lessons and told me to get the other violins ready to send. She needs more.