Santa Claus Parade and Handling Busyness

Our girls have not been overwhelmed with the season. I believe this is because everything has been new since they have been here and we have handled it in a slow manner. For the first two months, we barely left the property. They got to know who family was and in no time, Gadisae was not at risk of hugging a stranger.

From then on, we moved into an occasional shopping trip, or a trip to Walmart. But as a mother of eight children I do not prefer to shop. I tend to go to town with the children I *need* to take and the rest stay home. I am not looking for work, especially with all these carseats and winter coats!

So the girls have only gone out sporadically. To them, their family is their world. They go to church, they go to the grocery store - but probably only about 4 times since they have been here, they go to Briton's speech appointment, but only so I can weigh them on the way out. Their life is very plain. It is full of brothers and play and fun and family.

This last week, I was out 6 nights out of 7. I should have been out the 7th out of 8, but I said no and cancelled. I am usually home nights. This was very unusual. Suddenly I have a life again! We are no longer in the boonies, and we have big boys to babysit.

We saw something come out in the girls that I think might have been related to the crazy nights. Ray was putting them to bed most of the nights I was out, but there were two nights where he was out too, and one night where we went to a Christmas party with all the kids.

I noticed we began getting erratic behaviour from one little Miss. This little one was always very well behaved, and for 6 days we had 'bad choices' instead of 'good choices' being made. It seemed we were being tested. Perhaps. Or perhaps it was simply some of the feelings from within coming up and cleaning themselves out.

But one night, the night before my last evening that I was *supposed* to go out, this little Miss, when asked why she was upset at bedtime said, "Out. You always going out."

I think her little world was suddenly rocked a little. I gave her hugs and told her that yes, I was out that night, but I was home with her every day and Daddy and I were always there when she woke up in the morning.

As I told my husband, our girls are extremely lucky they don't have to go to daycare like many, many adopted children. For our family we are blessed to be able to have them home with me.

So how did I get way off topic like this!! LOL!!! I was going to mention the Santa Claus parade! Well, here are the pictures.

Big Brother Cadet Was Giving Out Candy.

As Santa went by the girls looked. Simply looked. But when the man dressed up as a dog walked by - oh, the excitement from Didi! It was so cute! DOG! Woosha!
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