Boys

We spent the weekend joined by C & J.  They boys are brothers, ages 8 & 5.  They blended well with our kids, and didn't have any major behavioral issues - the few things we encountered seemed to just be training issues that we are confident could be helped by structure and clear expectations.  They just seemed like very NORMAL boys.  That's the word I keep coming back to when I try to describe them... they were NORMAL boys.  And in the world of special needs adoption, that's saying an awful lot.

They arrived Friday, just after lunch.  Brian played some basketball with them at a nearby school while Sam was at chess club inside... that is until the rain started in.  They'd barely arrived back inside when it started to POUR!  Both boys are very athletic - Brian described it as "raw skills."  There was basketball, soccer, baseball and who knows what else while they were here.  Their presence even renewed Sam's interest in sports.  (He played one season of t-ball a couple of years ago, but that has been trumped by chess and anything Mario in recent years.)

J (5) is full of life.  The kids both said he was "fun," and that's exactly how I'd describe him.  He was silly, a bit rambunctious, but also funny and engaging.

C (8) is kind and helpful.  He took to R right away, and always wanted to be the one to carry her or to help her on the slide at the park.  He also noticed (without prompting) that our cats were out of food and water, and took it upon himself to refill both.  When Brian offered to let him help collect eggs, he jumped right in there, not only collecting the eggs, but offering to clean them, as well.  (Generally we don't clean the eggs when we first collect them, because it removes a protective layer that keeps them fresh longer, but how to you say no to a sweet offer from an 8 year old boy?)

Both boys were eager to help me cook.  All in the first evening, they helped me stir the pizza dough, make the pizzas, and make a Caesar salad. 

One of my big concerns about having kids close to our kids ages was that they wouldn't be accepting of Sam's idiocyncracies that accompany Asperger's Syndrome.  He sometimes does "odd" hand movements or makes funny noises.  6 year old J, who was with us back in December complained several times throughout the time he was here "Sam won't stop making that noise!"  And I couldn't make him comprehend that Sam wasn't intentionally annoying him.  So I was anxious about that with these boys.  But it wasn't an issue.  Not once.  I don't know if they didn't notice, or just didn't care, but it wasn't ever a problem. 

We were also concerned about how church would go on Sunday Morning.  At our church, the kids sit with us in the service, and we weren't sure how that would go with 2 additions of these ages in a new setting.  We were shocked - all of the kids did GREAT.  (Even one of ours who has trouble on normal weeks!)  Well... except R.  She sat on my lap the whole time, happy as a clam, but kept making noises!  I couldn't seem to shush her!  We had a similar problem with Sam when he first came home (at the same age - 13 months).  They were both quiet and withdrawn for the first month or so, then all of a sudden they realized they were allowed to have a personality, and boy do they develop them fast once that realization comes!  Little R, who cried for 5 straight days when she arrived, now spends most of the day grinning and sticking out her tongue in the CUTEST way... and making way more noises as she works toward forming words.  (She wasn't babbling at all for the first few weeks, either.) 

(You'll see several photos in here from our "First Day of Spring" celebration.  The kids got bags with candy and a few little toys (bubbles, chalk) and we dyed colored eggs to welcome Spring!)

 

 

All in all, it was a really good weekend.  The boys made several comments that made it sound like they enjoyed themselves (C, during a prayer on Saturday night thanked God for letting them come stay with a nice family, and both boys were teasing each other Sunday morning about "I'm gonna stay here and YOU have to go back to (foster parent's)." 

Their social worker said they could be available for adoption in 6 months.  We've requested more background information on them.  But there are other possibilties on the horizon, too.  This life is certainly never boring.

Comments

[anya]

I was so glad when I came online this morning to see you in my google reader! It sounds like the weekend went really well- and i am really impressed about the church thing!

Can't wait to see how things develop for your family!

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for sharing about this awesome experience for them and for your family too! So excited to share (albeit via blog land) in what's ahead!

[Alex]

I'm glad that your weekend went so well! The boys sound like such great little helpers!

[Tami]

So happy for you . . . and still praying.