Progress

I love the picture that is now the header for the blog.  The other picture is beautiful and classic but this picture captures each child so perfectly - Big Sis the little mother, The Fabulous Miss M wide eyed and a little unsure but smiling, Mr. C with his head phones tuning out the over stimulation and Lil Bro the ham!  They are all so different and have unique needs that are at times difficult to meet but they are also a united group.

Tonight I had all 4 kids at bedtime routine time all on my own.  We have made such progress.  All 4 had their bath.  Miss M had an issue at the start of bath time but pulled it together nicely and then asked to take her horses in the tub and she actually played like a regular kid.  She scrubbed the tile with her sponge and combed her horses hair.  She went to bed nicely and is sleeping soundly.  In fact I went in to check on her and she did not startle awake with terrified eyes of confusion, she is asleep and peaceful. 

It won't last, it can't.  She is a person with mood disorder and she is growing so that just doesn't allow for constant stability but ... we are enjoying it while it is here and taking time to really look at where she has made progress.

She asked me one of those obvious questions that our kids ask.  The I am going to try to push your Mom buttons right now because I don't want to do homework because I'd rather jump rope kind of question.  I just reminded her that she was a smart kid and I knew that she already knew that answer and she said, "Oh yeah, never mind about that."  It was kind of like she caught herself in what she was doing?  But that was the end of that button pushing session.  A year ago that would have simply been the "go" moment and a hundred obvious questions would have followed in the attempt to make me up set.

She is now able to wait for an apology from Mr. when he has hurt her feelings instead of getting angry and acting on that anger.  She is going to be upset and mad but she cries and hears Mom say that she will have her apology in just a few minutes but that right at this moment we need to be patient while Mr. gets regulated and back in control of his brain.  Amazing!