11 Months

Eleven months ago, the girls spent their first night here in my home. When they came, I knew it was "temporary", but eleven months later, "temporary" just doesn't seem like the right word. Right now, no one can tell me what "going home" is going to look like or when that will happen. While I'm not feeling as "on the edge" as I did a couple of weeks ago, maybe I should be...? I talk to the agency worker quite often, but the service coordinator hasn't talked to her in about six weeks and has barely talked to me this past month. The agency worker things she doesn't want to talk to her because she has a different "agenda" and doesn't want an argument. So, the agency worker says we could just be blindsided one day with a "plan" when there has been so VERY little "planning" to this point. I really don't know who or what to believe, or how to plan or what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised that they came back "nice" from their weekend visit. The little one wasn't overly exhausted and the teen was in a good mood and pretty "chatty". She let me read her theology portfolio (it included personal reflections, school goals, life goals, scripture reflections, paragraphs about her best work, etc.) My mom brought it to work on Sunday to bind it, so it looked really good and she put a lot of thought and effort into it. I don't think she can see how far she has come and what a different kid she is, but I definitely can. Back in the fall, she spent over 20 hours writing her first outline and first research paper. She has since written a couple more research papers and her grades are now reflecting her effort which (obviously) helps with her confidence. I "bribed" her into showing the agency worker her portfolio (she definitely seemed to enjoy that ;) ) but she willingly brought it to her therapy appointment. She is a little stressed out with the end of the year tests/quizzes/projects, but seems to be holding herself together well. This is a big reason why I want her to stay living here at LEAST until the end of the school year. She doesn't need the extra stress of figuring out how exactly she will GET to and from school on top of everything else. She has perfect attendance and is very proud of that :)

The little one is doing well at day care. She talks about her friends, sings silly songs, and brings home her "work". I have bought her so many spring/summer clothes, but she will only wear dresses because that's what her friend wears. I may need to not wash her dresses so she wears some of the skirts! ;) I'm glad she enjoys that.

It's been an unforgettable eleven months, that's for sure! These girls have forever changed me and I know that their lives will never be the same either. I need to upload some more recent pictures, but here is one (from my phone) that was taken at the end of June last year when we went on one of our first "outings" together. We went Downtown to feed the ducks and ride the ferry. Hopefully we will be able to do that at least one more time before they go home (I have a bag full of old bread that needs to go!)

These have been special times, that's for sure. Eleven months is a long time, but when it's time for them to leave, I'm sure it won't seem like long enough. There's no telling when that will be, though, so for the time being, we will keep having fun and making memories :)

Good night.