We survived our first Halloween together! M was dressed as the Little Mermaid and S was a pink Batgirl. We tried a little trick or treating in our neighborhood, which was unsuccessful, and then went to a Harvest Party at the church we started attending. The girls had a really good time playing games and getting candy. It was safer than going door to door and being out in the cold that evening.
The girls really enjoy the church we started attending on Sundays. It is a very contemporary church and the girls attend the children's studies at 11am. They both go to their different classrooms and then meet in the chapel for worship and then back to their classes. It gives them time apart and time to meet new friends. It also gives Sean and I time to worship as well.
The girls and I went to the LA Zoo last Monday (Sean had to leave for 4 days for work). It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a great time. It was so nice letting them run around without having to be so close. They did really well with directions and having the stamina to keep walking over all the hills. The last part of the zoo we ventured into the petting zoo area. The girls were able to pet and brush the goats they had. They really enjoyed it. After we left, they were both so thankful for the whole experience. It was nice to hear the "Thank You MOM's!" since we have been really working on saying thank you over the past couple months.
Overall the girls are doing so well. We still have our tantrums, which are down significantly from when they were first placed with us. Some of the times the mornings are rough, but each day I am figuring out how to make them better. I wake them up a bit earlier so they have time to stay in their beds to wake up, and then I call them a silly name. This tends to put them in a good mood. I have started to remind them the night before that I hope we have a good morning and most of the time they agree and tell me they will. When I see that it's not going so well, I have learned to take a step back, let them figure it out on their own without me 'complaining' or 'begging' for them to hurry up and get ready. They are working more on calming themselves down with deep breaths.
School seems to be going better. Both of the girls are trying harder with their reading and math when before they would just shut down. Now we complete our homework with little or no issues. S was on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at her previous school. Her new school has reviewed her plan and does not see a need to for it. M was on a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and the school also does not see a need for it. This is a wonderful thing!! We are still working on getting the girls into therapy during the school day, and this should be happening soon. We do see some behavior issues that we would like help with, socialization, acting appropriately with peers, and handling stress and the tantrums.
It's been awhile since I last posted. Sean and I are doing great and getting more comfortable being parents. We are blending quite nicely and it's hard to believe that is has only been 3 months. We are half way to finalizing the adoption. This week the girls get to meet their Gramps and Gramms! My dad and step-mom are flying in from Illinois for Thanksgiving. The girls are really excited and so am I! We also invited Stephy and Joe over for the feast as well. The girls do not have school all next week, so we hope to have plenty of time to spend together as a family.
Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the time you have with your family too!
