Six Months

The night we became a family....

I was driving around town today, dropping one kid off at basketball practice, fielding incessant questions about volcanoes from another, ignoring one child’s complaints about the lunch I had made, and trying to remember if I’d left the oven on, when I suddenly realized that we’ve been home, as a family of five, for over six months now.  Six. Months.

I cognitively knew that we had been home for that long  - we just had our final 6- month visit with our social worker. But, the emotional realization of it came today, at a random, very typical moment in the car.  Something Caleb said about volcanoes and something Duzi said, with a big, naughty grin, to antagonize him made me realize how far we have all come in this business of becoming a family. I mean, my kids all know each others’ buttons and here they were, pressing them like regular siblings, in the backseat.

Usually, when they intentionally annoy one another, and in the process royally irritate me, I pull out a line like, “That’s IT. Everyone look out a window. NO talking or making any sounds for 5 minutes. I’m SERIOUS.” Today, though, I let the banter continue. Surprisingly, the conversation didn’t descend into fighting or tears. It instead became uproarious laughter. I think one of the boys farted.

Listening to the three of them laugh really hard TOGETHER was beyond awesome.

Then, after I tucked the boys into bed tonight, I paused at the door to listen for any shenanigans.  This is what I heard:

DUZI (trying hard to conceal laughter): “Good night, Ca-Ca!”

CALEB (not trying quite as hard to conceal laughter): “Good night, Doo-doo!”

Ca-Ca and Doo-Doo are currently sleeping soundly and their mom is feeling really thankful.