A Little About the Kids

I'll never forget those words from the caseworker.

At our first hearing, we received an information sheet with a short social history of the children. It included statements like:

• drug abuse
• physical abuse
• lacking human connection as a toddler
• lack of respect for others in school
• self harm tendencies like banging their head

Knowing who the grown-up in the room is does not interest these children as they have moved around to at least 4 homes in their short little lives. When you look deeper at the situation though, they belong to us. They have my husband's DNA and they stole our hearts many years ago when we first met them as babies. That is enough.

---

C-Man He is my firework. He has a dazzling personality and all the kids say hello to him when he walks by. He creates amazing designs in his mind and is one of those kids making his own creations with legos rather than building exactly what is on the box. He always lights up a room and brings energy and excitement to the home. We constantly work on his explosive emotions, and his ability to keep his mouth and hands where they are supposed to be. He loves to discover and the sky is the limit. Unfortunately, his pockets end up full of things that he believes are discarded by others. Just like a beautiful firework, you can love him from a distance but receiving that love back seems as distant as the night sky. With all of this said, he is wonderful.

T-Chickie Her inner strength is as sturdy as the deepest rooted tree. She's had to be strong enough to support her siblings as the oldest of six and she is always reaching out her limbs of support to help around the house. As she grows, she gives off amazingly positive energy which leads me to believe she has a bright future. She is very set in her ways, just like the deepest roots, and when she believes she is right, being open to others' opinions is not an option. Just like many trees that can get a little out of hand, she struggles with invading personal space and does not know when enough is enough with hands, voice, and action. With all of this said, she is wonderful.

---