Backing Off!

It is truly hard to believe that it's been over a year since our girls came home to us.

428 days!

• 36,979,200 seconds
• 616,320 minutes
• 10,272 hours
• 61 weeks (rounded down)

Did I ever think that in 428 days I could have a hand in molding them into two AMAZING little girls?

No... I didn't.   If you look back at my earlier blogs, you will see the struggles, the pain, the sadness I had for my girls... and truly for my family.   It was HARD WORK to get where we are.  We have spent hours in therapy, parenting therapeutically, keeping the girls safe, showing them right from wrong, helping them become honest and upstanding individuals, but most of all LOVING THEM!   I love them with every shred of my soul.   That love wasn't instant, that love was built up over time... but now it's an everlasting type of love that can't be broken, no matter their choices, no matter where life leads us, no matter if I don't LIKE them... I will ALWAYS LOVE my girls.

Things are going really well.  They are incredible little people.  So smart, so funny, so kind-hearted, so accepting of our love for them, and so willing to rise to our expectations because they know they can trust us.
I've started a new fun, light-hearted blog about the girls.  Just a way to chronicle our day to day, but not focus on all of the "foster/adoption" side of things.   I will blog here still when I feel I need to, but it might not be often.   So if you need to ask me something, leave me a comment, I promise to reply!

You can visit the new blog at:  http://whatsquacken.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone for your support over these last 428 days, and I hope that when you are seeking support you can find it here in my previous blog posts, or by sending me a message.

Much love and healing to all of you!
-Christie

What Is Track-in/out?

A reader of my blog asked:


"...What do you mean by "track out of school". Thanks."

In our school district we have two types of schools:

Traditional:  You attend school from August/September to June with breaks for the holidays and then the summer off.

Year Round:  This schedule runs on a track system.  There are 4 different tracks that at any given time may be in session (tracked in) or out of session (tracked out).   Our daughters attend Track 1 for their classes.  This means they start their school year just after the 4th of July, then they are in class until mid-September when they "track out" (have a break) for the rest of September.  They go back to school the first week of October, then they are "tracked in" (in class) until December.   They are "tracked out" the entire month of December, and "track in" after the New Year's holiday.   Then they are back in school until March where they are also off for the first 3 weeks of the month.   Then we go back until June, and they track out the first part of June until July when their new school year will begin.

They also observe typical holidays, like Thanksgiving etc.

Here is a link to a year-round calendar: Track Calendar

We personally LOVE the track schedule.  It allows us to have a little time with the kids throughout the year, plus it provides us with the chance to vacation off-season at places like Orlando, the beach etc.

Busy Days

September was a very busy month for us.  I blogged once... considering I use to blog daily, it's a little sad really.   Being a stay-at-home mom has really taken over.  When I worked, I had time at work that I could  blog.  Now that I'm home, I'm always out and about running errands, carpooling kids to the doctor, and soon Layla will start Irish Dance classes, and MK will start her art classes. 

So I am going to try and blog at least once a week. 

Now for the updates.  The girls were tracked out of school on September 14th and went back October 3rd.  I spent those weeks entertaining the girls with trips to the library, museums, outings with our play group, and we even had a play day with their brothers at a bounce house. 

It wasn't as bad as I had pictured it.  They mostly kept their behaviors at a manageable level.  After the visit with the brothers though, Layla had a difficult time controlling herself for about 10 days.   It's a hard sacrifice to make.  The girls love their brothers, it isn't fair for them not to see them and keep that relationship intact, then at the same time, when they do see the boys, it triggers a lot in Layla behavior-wise.  With that said, it is more important to me that they keep the relationship, even if it means a couple weeks of "resetting" Layla's attitude, mood, etc. 

The girls are doing well in therapy.  I especially love Layla's therapist.  They are focusing on her anxiety control.  We are also about to start some speech therapy and assessment.   MK is doing well in all aspects right now.  She is so smart, kind, and I am really proud of her for being able to appropriately voice how she is feeling in different situations.   Layla is also voicing herself much better these days.  Hopefully, those skills continue to grow and the girls can eventually fall out of the behavior and into the talking part of their problems. 

We are starting a new medication for both girls.  It is called Kapvay.  It's an extended release of Clonidine.  MK is taking it at bedtime, and in the mornings.  Layla is taking it at bedtime only.   It has a sedating quality to it, so hopefully it will help with sleep.  That wears off in about a week though, so we may also have to add in an actual sleep aid for Layla, since that is her biggest issue most of the time. 

School is going great for both girls.  Once we get MK's impulsive behaviors (talking out, getting up, interrupting, etc.) under control fully, I think she will excel even more. 

The next couple of months the girls are in school, then in December they track out again for the entire month.  We have a trip to Florida planned from December 5-12.  I think this time around we will FINALLY get to do a theme park.

Our play group (an interracial families group) is amazing.  The girls have made friends, as have I.  They have been out past bedtime without any issues.   It's been nice for them to see families like ours, mothers that care and discipline, friends that get them as individuals, it's just been awesome.

The move to North Carolina was absolutely the best thing we've ever done for our family.   Our house in VA is due to close on October 14th.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly.  Then in the spring we plan to buy down here. 

So great things on the horizon.  We're still progressing more than regressing, so I guess we're doing alright!