I am Superwoman. It’s the only way to understand this morning’s activities. The baby had me up around 5:30 and he didn’t want to quiet down and return to his bassinet, so I held him and dosed for a bit until my alarm went off at 6. Then it was a mad rush to get myself ready, eat breakfast, feed the little girl, give the baby a bath and dash out the door. I was two minutes late for work after dropping Primero off at his camp, the little girl off at her camp and taking the baby to the sitters. The little girls camp is just a hair too far away, but I will have to make do the next several weeks until I move her to my friends daycare. By that time Primero will be back in school and I’m hoping he will be able to get a ride on the bus – this depends on where he goes to school, which has still not been decided……. So, for the immediate future the morning routine will be a hot mess. Primero’s camp ends this week and I have enrolled him in another camp for next week because he needs to be somewhere while I am at work. He will be taking a bus to the camp because it is a little further away and the camp has a few routes, one that works with where I will be taking the little girl, so I think next week will be easier. Easier? No, with three children nothing is really “easier.”
I remind myself that I’ve had three children in my care before, only the oldest of that group was much younger than Primero. With those three girls I felt like I couldn’t go out with them by myself. I needed to enlist help to go grocery shopping and any other errands I had to do. I’m so much more confident now than I was back then. I distinctly remember a time when I had the first baby and I was by myself. I wanted to take him into Chick-fila for lunch and to play in their play area but I hesitated, unsure if I could do that on my own and so I opted for the drive through instead. Now, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the kids to the store or to play at Chick-fila, or the playground. I trust myself a lot more now than I did back then and sometimes I forget just how far I have come in my role as foster mom. So, the three I have now have all come to me at different times, one by one. The newest member of our ragtag family, the little girl, moved in this weekend. The house is in total disarray because my new bedroom in the basement (yes, I decided I’m the one to move downstairs) is not quite finished. I haven’t officially been able to unpack the little girls things and so they are dumped in a pile in her bedroom where all of Primero’s clothing and personal items still reside. My things are still in my room because nothing can yet get moved downstairs due to space constraints. The only way to move things in the house it to move something else first. We are working on it and I hope by the end of this week everything will be in its new place and all inhabitants will be situated. It’s kind of insane, really. So, I am anxious to get everything back in order and get settled into our new routine. As much as I buck routine as a damper to creativity, I have seen firsthand how much a simple routine does for little kids, especially those with behavioral issues. Knowing what to expect each day is so helpful to little ones. Our days are regimented mostly due to me being a working mom, but I think even if I were not a working mom I would try to establish a well-defined routine to help the kiddos coming into my home adjust and feel like they can rely on something. I’m hoping this will help the little girl get adjusted. All I need is a good night’s sleep and I will be right as rain.
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