a few weeks in...

The kids moved in on a Monday. The following Monday we left on our road trip to Ottawa. We came home the following week on the Wednesday. T started school on the Thursday.
And yesterday (on Monday) three weeks after the kids came, social workers came. Three. To tell me that the kid's parents signed off the rights on all three kids and that the kids were available for adoption. Did I want them?

WHAT?????

I totally wasn't ready for this? I said yes to taking these two kids in because I thought it was a 'foster placement'. SO much is going through my head. Judges aren't giving crown wardship. Deep down in my heart I want J. Terrible I know.

I could say yes. I could be a single mom of three. I could afford it. It could work. If I say yes, I am done fostering. Something I feel 'called' to do.

T & CO are getting along better. They have good moments and bad moments and the good outweighs the bad. A is coming along! She is getting some good muscles. She has lost her double chin :) She signs 'more' 'food' 'thankyou' 'milk' 'all done' so far. She plays 'with' toys better. We are working on identifying body parts. She's got 'nose' mastered and I can hand her a kleenex and tell her to wipe her nose and she does. Still no real words.

T...I have concerns. I can't put my finger on it but I am going to get his hearing tested to rule out that. The poor kid came into care less than a year ago and had major dental surgery to remove the majority of his upper teeth. He has two molars and one tooth on the top. This past week his two bottom front teeth came out naturally...with the new ones nowhere in sight (unlike CO who had two rows of teeth before the baby ones fell out). Poor kid could use a pair of dentures.
If T's hearing is fine, then my guess is that he is so afraid of 'being in trouble' that he just shuts down and doesn't hear what is being said to him. Hard to say.
I think he spent most of his days 'being in trouble' at his last home. And I wonder if part of it was a 'hearing' problem and he wasn't getting all the words that he was instructed to do and he would get in trouble for not obeying.
I have a hard time NOT getting frustrated with him. I have totally had to step back in how I am dealing with him. It doesn't help that I have been sick most of the time since these kids have been here. I am feeling SO much better so that has helped. And because I have noticed that he seems to not be 'getting' all the information (wether it is because he isn't hearing or afraid), I am slowing down.

A isn't talking. No words. She babbles. She says 'nooo' and 'yea'. But that is it. So she has a referral for speech therapy and we will also be getting her hearing tested too to rule out anything on that end. Also with her speech therapy we are going to check to see if her lack of 'drinking' is associated with her not talking. She doesn't drink. She will take a sip here and there of something (a straw is the best at getting liquids into her) but overall, I would say she drinks less than 500ml in a day. CRAZY.  She has an 8oz bottle of water in her bed at all times. It probably lasts most of the week.
I have been doing lots of positive focus around drinking giving her constant positive praise the whole times she drinks. It seems to encourage her to drink more.

I arranged to have my hair cut this week when the kids had thier 'goodbye' visit with thier bio parents. My friend agreed for CO to go there and play video games.  I asked the hairdresser for my hair to be just a bit longer than shoulder length. It is short. It is between my shoulders and chin. It is odd to have my hair touching my face when I turn my head....hopefully by summer it has grown to my shoulders....the length I asked for in the first place....