One week as a complete family

Wearing a shower cap and playing with the mouse

Only home a week and already knows this. OOOPPPSSS

This is what we think about sharing. But loving the caps

My first outing with "both of them"

Sharing TV time. Getting better at it everyday. SIGH

We have been a family of 5 (at home) for 1 wk now. Things are running pretty smoothly. There are things that will take many months to work on....we are in this for the duration. Kevin simply adores his sisters. I can't say that enough. I have returned so many emails this week...forgive me if I repeat myself. I can't remember who I have told these things to. Claire and Kevin are two peas seprated at birth. They have to have all things alike. Same amount of chips (Claire) and the same place on Mom's lap (Kevin). Although the time on mom's lap is really great, he still isn't as fond of me yet as the others. He wants me first thing in the am...I really soak that in. When Hannah gets up in the am it is all about her. Then Dad comes home from work and it is all about him. When Hannah leaves for school Kevin wants to play with Claire....that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

Claire is having a really hard time with sharing and allowing Kevin to have love from the rest of us. I had prepared for this, I thought, but it is REALLY bad. She has really gone backwards on bonding and attachment. She is really whiny and clingy. I know this will pass, when she really discovers that there is enough love to go around. She is also confused by Kevin's size. I continue to explain that he is just a baby and doesn't understand everything she is saying. She replys "he doesn't really look like a baby. he looks like a kid" It is a struggle some days as she can really be unreasonable, but we make it through most times. I can't give into Kevin all the time, but she must also learn that some of the toys were bought especially for Kevin.

This is how he awakens......at 4:00 a.m. Getting later everyday.....

He loves to be outside and swing and slide. He was frightened of the swing at first but Hannah perservered and now he loves it. He loves to go really high....just enough to make my heart hurt. He has begun to take naps in his bed but continues in the pack and play for nighttime. He still cries out a couple of times in the night, but a gentle word reminds him we are there and he drops right back to sleep. He continues to be tender-hearted towards his sisters. He doesn't like to see them upset. If Hannah tries to lure him away when Claire is upset, he tells her something that I am sure doesn't translate well. He will then stand and point to Claire and say those things to Hannah. As if to say,"do you see I am busy here? sister in crisis." He still only tolerates the dogs. He likes to look at books....this is still a work in progress. He had help from his foster mother, but really hadn't seen many books before then. He doesn't really like there to be words spoken, just looking at pictures. He loves to go in the car. We have to be careful that we don't even say that word in conversation, it is the only word he understands, so he thinks we are talking about going. He loves new shoes. It is really cute to watch him walk around in new shoes and show EVERYONE.

We will be going to church with him on Sun. We have a congregation of about 1000. I hope this doesn't overwhelm him. He won't go to Bible class unless he wants to go with Claire. I hope to get him used to the singing and such in "big church" for a few weeks and then try the 2hr stint that includes Bible class. Most everyone understands about not touching him, but they still want to stand around and look at him. This still continues to overstimulate him and he becomes upset. Pray for the best.