It was a good day all around. I slept in until noon - oh, sweet blessing, right? Moms? You with me? ;) A while after I woke up I agreed to watch a friend's kids in my home, all of whom were very good for me today, and we had a nice calm afternoon.
There were a couple weird little things about yesterday morning. First, for background, I hadn't seen my DBKs in quite a while. I can't remember exactly how long it had been, but it was too long. And before that it had been since Christmas, and before that, since August. I was starting to feel like little by little they were leaving my life, and little by little I was becoming just one person who, in their eyes, walked away from them. That thought broke my heart. I sobbed when I wrote about A's Ellfant. I sobbed because I wanted to hug the little girl who put the hot pink nail polish on him... not just her toy. While I can't speak to the reasons behind our situation, I can say that it was very difficult for everyone.
Back to those weird things. When I got up and started to prepare for kids to come over, my brother, who is 17 and on his first day of Spring Break... was cleaning. I'm sorry, let me back up in case you didn't get that. 17 year old. Spring Break. CLEANING! Ummmm, yeah, major 'this is weird' flags there... but I didn't think much of it. Until I went out into the garage to check my license plate number for renewal, and noticed that A's hot pink booster seat was missing from the desk it had been sitting on the previous day. My mom was at work. I was home. The garage hadn't been left open. There was only one place that booster seat could be, and only one reason why it would be there.
I tried not to think about it or get my hopes up.
But when my mom came home that afternoon, my first two 'presents' of the day were waiting for me:
MY BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, my dear A, who has some attachment issues, was positively turned to stone by the giant hug I couldn't help but sweep her up in. And my little man, AJ, was so intent on exploring and playing the part-time home he'd known as a baby that pick-up-and-hug-time was NOT high on his agenda... but nevertheless, I got my babies and my hugs. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever.
A especially took a while to warm up. She always does when it's been a while. If I had a choice I'd never go a day without seeing her, but if I had a choice in everything, there would be no orphans and thus no blog to write this on. But I digress. I finally convinced her to let me braid her hair, she loves to have two braids and I've been working on my french braid skills. Here's how it came out.
Needs some work, definitely, but they were cute and I got pictures. Plus, it was my first time doing two braids instead of one. But then her attachment issues kicked up and I was pointedly informed that she did not want to look pretty, and five minutes later she was back downstairs, no braids. Whatever kiddo, I'm just glad you're here.
We all went out for a wonderful dinner. AJ is not so much a fan of restaurants, being restrained, or missing naptime. Note to self: Improve planning in the future. But dinner was wonderful and fortunately no one told the wait staff it was my birthday (saving me from an eardrum shattering "YEE-HAW"). We had cake and presents at home, a few things I needed, the highlight being a handmade card from my two favorite girls... here's M's braid by the way:
I'd say not bad for a first try, right? Ohh boy, I hear thumping, I hope they're asleep up there, because it is 2:45 am and if they are awake now, tomorrow is going to be interesting.........
Anyways. Some friends came over for cake, which was my favorite, chocolate with caramel frosting, and fudge swirl ice cream. I made a wish. I'm not telling what it was, but as my magic 8 ball would have said back in the 90's, "Signs point to yes" ;)
Then we did probably my favorite thing - the kids' Easter baskets. It's a well known fact around here that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and sometimes even the Tooth Fairy pop in early occasionally, because they know the kids are going to be here. At nearly 9, A is pretty satisfied with this explanation... but then, she's not one to question things when there's chocolate involved.
As they were enjoying their basket bounty (which unfortunately I did NOT get pictures of - ugh!) I got word that the two littler kids might be spending the night. This is usually, and tonight was no exception, a blessing in disguise. It often means something has gone wrong in their world. But it also often means a few days of things going right, of hugs and movies and parks and popsicles and simply enjoying each other's company... being a family... because that's what we are. Blood doesn't make a family in my mind.
Details were hashed out, my wonderful Mom played with the kids and got them ready for bed and even arranged for M to sleep over (A is absolutely over the moon when she gets to have sleepovers with M) while I worked things out, and now those three beautiful kiddos are slumbering safely and peacefully just yards away from where I sit.
In addition, the Pleven Orphans Medical Fund, which I asked for donations to in lieu of any other congratulatory 'you were born exactly 23 years ago' markers, sits at over $33,000. I don't know if any of you contributed to that number. I know I did, not much, but everyone's pocket change makes a biiiiig deposit... but if you did contribute, I want to tell you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Those kids mean a lot to me. I look into their faces and I see the little girls and boys who came to me years ago, those same ones who are here with me tonight, and I think, no child should be in that place, let alone suffering without treatment there. It is a cause that means the world to me, and if you took the time/money out to donate, whomever you are, I want you to know that I appreciate you.
Tomorrow brings questions, uncertainties, a lot more hashing out of things I can't and won't discuss here, and it may be that way for a while. But over time I've found that God has granted me a fresh perspective on all these things and I feel like I am coming at it all as a new me. A better me. And hopefully, that will yield better results for my little patchwork family. In the meantime, your prayers especially for my two littlest DBKs, A and AJ (A will be 9 in May, AJ is 2.5) would be deeply appreciated.
As for today? Today was full of blessings. Family. Love. Togetherness. A sort of transcending peace, that even when life is chaotic, I know that it is all in His hands. Tonight as I lie my head down on my pillow like I do every night (and I've even been permitted to keep Ellfant tonight), all the people who mean the most to me in the world are safe, happy, and at peace under this roof.
How could a birthday get any better?
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