Unperfect Friday

You know, I have all these grandios ideas of catching up on blogging and giving each little thing it's own special post. But time, it keeps on slippin' and I'm well aware that the saying "perfection is the highest form of procrastination" is me all the way and really, this is just my little blog and so why does perfectionism of any sort have the right to enter into that conversation.

And so, this post will be wildly random and filled with topics that the perfectionist in me would love to split up but the working mom in me is insisting that I just do it already before it's all completely passed.

We just completed one month of school...one month since we slammed the door on summer and looked head on into a new school year.

Amanda was (and may always be) our wild card. She was insistent she didn't want to go but actually found that she loves it.

The first several days her teacher would come up to me with another funny story about Amanda...the first time she came up to me I knew exactly what she was going to do. She thinks Amanda is just so cute and funny and she is, but you could also take her differently. Thankfully her teacher has embraced her "spice"and thinks she's a "peach".

Amanda is starting to get the reading thing, as it applies to real life. Prior to this it'd been her parents asking her to read and why on earth would we need her to read when we are so good at it and always around. But the lightbulb is going off and, lo and behold, she has found there are actually some real life applications with reading...such as the program guide on the tv...comes in handy when you need to decide between Jake and Dora.

Avery is doing well, as expected.  There are just 13 kids in her class so she has more opportunity to get on her own track...the teacher has already realized she's going to need to get creative to keep Avery's appetite for knowledge satisfied.

The girls have chapel together, morning snack and recess, lunch and afternoon recess and various other times.  Shaun and I take turns walking them there and back home and most days that is sweet time together....the other days that don't fall into the "most" category are generally just ugly.

Shaun and Avery left for Boston on Tuesday to get set up for a show we're doing this weekend.  I have missed him so much, which is odd to me considering all we've just been through...you'd think it'd be old hat by now!

This month marked six months that Z has been with us....that's actually about what it feels like, too.  Some things are really hard, others are a joy.  Ultimately, we feel like we are in the center of God's will for us and that is just a sweet spot to be in.

Easily, the hardest part has been dealing with all the "people" that come with Z.  Its the social workers and the layers of supervisors above them, the therapists, the "system".  We knew going in that would be  a point of frustration and it sure has been.  The bureaucracy is mind-numbing and, while most involved seem to genuinely care about the kids, at the end of the day it is a J-O-B for them.

I've had to do lots of growing in the short time he's been here.  This whole experience has exposed some ugly sin in my heart that I didn't even know was there....its hard and painful to work through but I know it will be worth it.  Am I the only one who feels like their list of things to work on never grows shorter??

So other than "the system" and the mind-boggling amount of weekly obligations that come with him, the rest has all been very positive.  He's fit pretty seamlessly into our family and all the kids get along fabulously.  They say "I love you" often and look up to him as a big brother.  He watches out for them, especially Aiden.

Foster care, at least with older kids, at least for me, is a constant push/pull.  We are doing our family thing here and twice a week Z is seeing his family.  We are giving everything we can for him, have turned our lives completely upside down for him and yet, given the chance, he would happily, gratefully go back to his family today, if he could.  On my weak days, that's just hard to swallow, even though I really wouldn't want it any other way.

Yesterday we walked to the post office and upon entering Aiden declared, "This is where Amanda got Bear!"  Yeah, like nearly a year ago and HOW do you remember that?  The kid is amazing with directions and locations.  I am not, so YAY!

So much more to say, but I've gone on long enough.  Sometimes I see a wordy post like this and get scared away.  :)  But look at that...I dumped a bunch of posts into one and the world is still spinning.

Let's make it an incredible day!  Here's to LIFE!  (Which I am hearing in the background because I served Life cereal and whenever I do that I can't help but break into the To Life song from Fiddler on the Roof whenever they ask for it and now the kids sing it and ask to watch it on the iPad...quite the invigorating, and somewhat inappropriate way to start your day.  :)

This is the very day God acted—

   let’s celebrate and be festive!

Salvation now, God. Salvation now!

    Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

Psalm 118:24,25