Summer Shots

We've had a great summer so far with a trip to Tennesee, Port Austin (MI) and in three weeks we'll be heading to Missouri for a long weekend. We've seen friends and family and are enjoying the summer. Major Cutie is having fun but really struggles after our trips or lots of activity. What does "struggle" look like? Could you see it if you weren't looking for it? Are you finding that your little sweet pea is just more difficult after a few days or even hours from home or routine? For our Major Cutie it looks like wet noodles that squeak! Yeah know when your child kind of flops on the floor, lets out words that sound ALOT like whining (they insist they are not) and nothing seems to make her happy? Yep that is what we deal with and a bit of her using hurtful words and finding it REALLY hard to follow the rules/direction again. Why do our kids do this? Maybe they are stressed out. Maybe leaving home feels like it will be fun but then routines and schedules change when we aren't at home and maybe rules get bent and maybe this is all very hard on adopted children. Maybe they don't know what is expected of them. Maybe having fun outside of there safe parameters of what is now home is really hard. These precious kids need so much. I am beginning to think on top of all the attachment-style parenting stuff (time-ins, remaining CLOSE to mom, feeling empathic towards them instead of anger) that these kiddos need time and lots of it. I didn't know just how much time. Somedays it seems like time should be up. We should just function like a "normal" family every day. And I say that knowing that normal really has no definition and really bugs some people. That is not my intent. Somedays, several days in a row, I just want it to be easy. It really can be a selfish thought. They, our children, have not been given "easy" have they? And yet the hardest part isn't for me. The hardest part Major Cutie will want to carry, perhaps for a lifetime. I just pray she lets me carry some of the load and that she would allow Jesus to carry the rest. Maybe I should give Him my part of the load too, eh?

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the summer so far.

Blessings!