Six Months

Leonard and Penny have been with us for six months tomorrow.  A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same.  

Both of the kids are still generally the same happy kids they were in July.  Leonard is younger, so his time in care is much more dramatic, in relation to his time out of care, than Penny's.  He has been in foster care for nearly 20% of his lifetime.  Penny's percentage is much lower.  We like to think that we've made a difference in their growth and general well-being.  The kids were both fairly babied by their parents and those things continue to show.  From time to time, Leonard still refuses to ask for help and Penny does not react favorably to punishment or even being called out on certain behaviors.  Last Sunday ended a five week streak of no tantrums by Penny, when her brother said, "you hurt me and you need to apologize"... not in a mean tone, but just in an informative, please apologize tone.  Not only did she not apologize, but then she decided that it was best to follow him around the house as he tried to walk away from her, all the while asking her to "please stop following me".  I had been upstairs completing the great bedroom switch, but I stopped to listen to what was happening.  I went downstairs and very calmly asked Penny to listen to what Leonard was saying and apologize for hurting him and stop following him around.  She immediately shut down and backed herself into a corner of the room.  I gave her another chance to apologize and that didn't work... so kicking and screaming ensued as she was escorted to the bathroom (the bedrooms were still a mess).  She did manage to calm down after a quick "come to Jesus" meeting with The Wife.

Obviously foster care takes place for a reason, but I still could not imagine not having my kids around for six months.  Visiting (or really just eating) with them once a week for an hour at a time would not even make a dent in the time that I would miss out on.

Penny can now buckle her seat belt and Leonard is able to buckle the chest strap on his seat.  They both get dressed entirely on their own and only need help with the buttons and tying of the shoes.  Leonard is potty trained.  Penny helps get plates and utensils out for meals.  Last weekend, I came downstairs to find the bowls, spoons and milk on the counter and the pantry door open.  She couldn't reach the cereal, so she did everything she could.  

These are just a few of the things that their parents have missed.