New things

Lately, just when I get settled into a routine, everything gets thrown into the air again. This change is a good change though. A day or two before school resumed, both for us and for our school district, it just felt like time to put Harris in school. There wasn't anything in particular that precipitated a change. It just seemed right. There are so many urgent needs in our home that Harris' consistently get met last.  I also think he needs his own space. It's very unlike me to make a last minute decision of this magnitude but I'm so glad we did. As usual, God prepared the way and rolled out the red carpet. He has a teacher that is wonderful and was embraced by his peers the second he walked in the door. Driving him to school the first morning he told me, "Mommy, I need to be in school becuase Caroline needs your help more. This way, you can help her when she needs it." Bless his heart. 

When he walked in his classroom for the first time there were a group of boys inviting him to come play and he walked right over to them and didn't even look back. He really just rolls with whatever we throw at him. He loves it. His first day he told me he had so much fun he forgot I was coming to get him. He was also so exhausted he told me he just felt like falling asleep in the bathtub. He's starting to realize it's a trade off, as homeschool things go by and he doesn't participate but he's happy where he is. 

Caroline is about to explode she wants to go so badly. We cannot enroll her because we don't have the paperwork our school system requires. The adoption process is FINALLY moving again so we may have it soon. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. God wants her home for right now or the paperwork would be here, so we'll see how it plays out. 

For now, I am happy each one seems to be in a place that optimizes their opportunity to get what they need right now. Caroline competed with Harris for my attention from the second her eyes opened each day and I'm hoping this will lessen that anxiety for her. Every infant gets one on one time to bond with their mom and she never got that with me. We both need that. Someone pointed out that there is a "cocoon" phase in adoption. The rule of thumb is that for each year of age of your child, spend that many months home with your family, as much as possible. The idea is to simplify and focus on your child and building this new family unit. We inadvertently did exactly that. School definitely takes Harris out of the mix a bit and I see the benefit of the hours they spent together as each other's most available playmate, before that opportunity passed. I'm glad we had seven months to work out this new family dynamic and equally glad Harris is now in school. I'm not sure who loves it more.

God once again sent me my verse that morning. He is faithful.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19